#so i had to ask the librarian about it when i was printing off my notice cus theyd emailed me about it

[nerdie-faerie]

It's giving tealights flashbacks, why am I so bad at online shopping?

[drchucktingle]

THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TELLS CHUCK TINGLE TO STAY HOME BUT WE PROVE LOVE ANYWAY

just when you buckaroos thought 2024 would be a break from book drama, here comes chuck tingle in the mix. recently i was asked to be a featured speaker at the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION annual conference. a few days ago they rescinded my invitation. here is what happened.

(EDITED TO ADD THIS LINK. if you have a hard time reading this on way of tumblr you can also read for free on chucks patreon)

i would like to start off by saying it is not my intent to start a fight, and all those reading this should know that the actions of a few misguided folks do not speak for the whole TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. i am sure there are many involved who will be very upset to learn what others at TLA have done in their name. there are many individuals here, so please do not paint them all as villains in your mind. besides, chuck loves the dang library everyone knows that.

the point of writing this is not to vilify. i am writing this is because MOMENTS OF DARKNESS are the best places to SHINE A LIGHT AND PROVE LOVE IS REAL. this is a perfect time for learning and growing and for us talk on some very important things that queer buckaroos and neurodivergent buckaroos face every day. this is an unfortunate moment that WE can turn around and use to prove love is real.

i am also writing this to understand some of my own personal feelings on the matter. for something that seems very simple on the surface, the trot is complex, and i am still working out my emotions on the whole dang thing. i am learning in this way.

PART ONE: BAG OF LOVE

a few months ago chuck was asked to be a featured speaker at the 2024 TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE. i have been asked to do things like the before and it is ALWAYS a fun time to meet bookseller and librarian buds. trotting around face to face and talking about my story of conquering chronic pain and overcoming my mental hurdles is VERY IMPORTANT to me. i say YES to these things whenever i can. (here i am with authors at CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS ALLIANCE conference. they are a WONDERFUL group and they proved love with their OWN invitation to chuck. this was such a moving event with so many amazing authors and stories. got very teared up during this photo)

ANYWAY BUCKAROOS i get the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION invite and say 'YES BUD LETS TROT'. we are then confirmed.

months pass. a few weeks ago i get a call from my manager and agent and publisher saying ‘the TLA have rescinded their invitation.’

turns out some things had been going on behind the scenes

at some point the TLA asked chucks INCREDIBLE HEROIC BAD ASS PUBLISHER if chuck would be okay with not wearing the mask, to which tor/nightfire/macmillan said ‘what the heck are you talking about of course chuck is going to wear his mask. this is how chuck presents himself’ (NOT EXACT QUOTE)

as you all know, my pink bag way is a VERY IMPORTANT SPACE. as an autistic buckaroo it is a boundary that allows me to express myself freely and relieve my chronic pain from neurotypically masking all day. i have talked about this for years, and it is why i consider my private identity a SACRED THING. it is literally a health issue.

fortunately THE PINK BAG is never really a problem when making appearances. i have spent years going on television shows, doing interviews, speaking at other conferences and conventions, hosting book events on tour, and even MEETING WITH LAWYERS in my pink face covering. it is always respected and that is very validating to my way.

when arriving anywhere i always take precautions. i always warn buckaroos ahead of time that there is a masked man coming. i always have someone go in ahead of me JUST IN CASE. again, there has never been an issue. at a big conference where i am a special guest there is ESPECIALLY not an issue because my face and bio are printed IN THE DANG PROGRAM

SOME FUN TIMES AT BIG EVENTS BELOW:

CHUCK ON TV SHOW NAME OF 'AT MIDNIGHT' BACK BEFORE I WROTE LOVE IS REAL ON MY HEAD:

well, there has never been an issue.... UNTIL NOW.

PART TWO: RESCINDED

a few days ago TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION suddenly messaged my publishers and said that chuck tingle is no longer invited. my invitation was rescinded. the reason given was that people could possibly be uncomfortable with my mask

right out of the gate i would like to say this: it is absolutely the right of the texas library association to disinvite someone from their conference. it is their event, after all, and they can ban anyone they would like, for any reason.

of course, that doesnt mean other folks HEARING THIS NEWS wont have their own opinions the TLA choices. if the TLA disinvites someone, their reasoning for doing this can be discussed and analyzed. whether or not they follow their own guidelines can be questioned, and certainly their kindness and tact can be considered

there are a few BIG POINTS to make regarding this choice from the TLA

first and foremost, i just gotta say buckaroos, it is incredibly rude to invite someone to be a guest speaker at your event, have them confirm and mark off their calendar and turn down other offers, then rescind their invitation. this is maybe the simplest of the points, but it is an important one.

second, (DEEP BREATH HERE WE GO BUCKAROOS) i personally do not think of my autism as a disability very often, but i also KNOW that despite these feelings it ABSOLUTELY IS. autism is important to be listed as a recognized disability because of the help some autistic buckaroos need regarding government programs and things like that. ALSO just because my neurodivergence has helped me in some ways (hyperfocus and a unique artistic sensibility for example). i personally need to step back and remember my battle with stress and chronic pain from having to neurotypically mask all the time. for as much as i love being autistic it has made some things very difficult.

in other words, i am perfectly capable of speaking and interacting with folks without this pink bag on my head BUT WHEN I AM IN THE CHUCK TINGLE SPACE I REQUIRE IT. i can ONLY use this space while covering my face. is not a want. it is a need. holding this boundary is more important than i can ever say. i will not, and can not, let these spaces cross.

TLA not letting an autistic author wear the face cover theyve set up to express their neurodivergence in a safe, healthy way is--for lack of a better term--NOT A GOOD LOOK.

i cannot fathom them disinviting another author for using a disability aid. i cannot fathom them saying that a buckaroo who hears better with a hearing device cannot use it during their panel because it would make others 'uncomfortable'.

but here we are.

PART THREE: WHAT DOES A BUCKAROO GOTTA DO TO GET BANNED AROUND HERE?

this is the TLAs official stance on disability issues according to their website:

when poking around on the TLA website i noticed a few other things. i noticed a previous guest speaker wearing a niqab, and i was left wondering if the religious significance is what make that okay but chuck tingle banned. that made sense until i looked deeper and saw mascot buckaroos dressed up on the exhibition floor, and saw some kind of spiderbud in a costume contest. nobody around them seemed to be all that scared. their invitations REMAINED INTACT.

it should be mentioned here that AT ONE POINT during the discussions an email was sent from TLA saying chuck is allowed to come and wear his mask in the exhibition halls and smaller panels, just not at any of the big PAID PANELS i was once supposed to participate on. this was a confusing offer, but their explanation was that people who paid for something should have the option to not see chucks 'scary neurodivergence aid'. i tried to wrap my head around WHY they would make a distinction. maybe the exchange of money (rather than time) causes some kind of philosophical adjustment that i just cant grasp?

i wonder, would the author who wears a niqab ALSO be banned from the paid panels? i hope not

my answers trotted up short until i investigated deeper and found this quick moment from one of the TLA help videos. while some events DO require additional buckaroo cash, it actually appears that THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE IS TICKETED AND COSTS MONEY.

at this point i realized there is clearly no actual official policy about not covering your face (other than one from a few years ago saying that you HAVE to cover your face), and the addition of 'money' is a red herring. these excuses make no sense

PART FOUR: CLOSE THOSE GATES

it appears that my neurodivergence is 'scary' enough to get me uninvited, REGARDLESS what their disability and mask policies may say

BUT WHY? why is chucks preferred physical presentation valued SO little by the TLA that a THEORETICAL complaint is worth more? is my neurodivergent expression so awful? is my own safety as a queer activist such an afterthought?

is a pink bag with the words 'love is real' scrawled across the front REALLY going to frighten someone when the posters and pamphlets on the way into in panel would have a photo of my masked face saying THIS IS LITERALLY WHO IS ABOUT TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU.

if THAT accommodation is too much, would it really be so difficult to have someone trot out beforehand and make an announcement? to say 'there is someone on this upcoming panel who needs a mask to express this part of himself, if this makes you uncomfortable then this panel might not be for you'.

and really, i have to heckin ask, is this physical expression of my raw inner truth really so hideous and frightening that fear of making someone uncomfortable is a REAL problem?

(a terrifying display of autism. apparently)

i cannot imagine what kind of precautions they need to take before a stage play featuring costumes and masks.

you MIGHT think chucks queerness and left leaning politics could be the issue with this organization, but they have had drag queens as past speakers (also featuring some GLORIOUS makeup and hair that covers almost all of their faces. VERY CURIOUS). regardless, the TLA do not seem like a conservative bunch.

if you are bisexual or an autistic person who is good at 'passing' you probably already know where this is headed, your dang spiderbuckaroo senses are tingling at FULL ALERT. i will say i do not KNOW the real reason why i was uninvited, and i do not have enough information to make any concrete statement of the real answer. there is only evidence that masks have been fine at TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION events in the past, but not much else to go on.

so the FACTS part of our discussion ends there, but i think it opens us up to talk about some very important feelings that bisexual and autistic buckaroos know well.

THIS is where we take a unfortunate, hurtful moment and turn it into a discussion. this is where we prove love is real.

as someone who is constantly doubted and put through purity tests because of my unique way, we are pushing up against a subject i know well. thats right buckaroos: we are talking GATEKEEPING

AGAIN, i do not know if this is the answer, but someone in my position might be VERY STRONGLY INCLINED TO THINK that a few well-meaning left leaning buckaroos think i am a joke and that this is a character, and that there is something problematic about my work because i am not really a real person.

any upstanding left leaning organization would OF COURSE allow a mask for a neurodivergent buckaroo with an unusual visual presentation, an autistic buckaroo who conquered his chronic pain ONLY by creating this important space... but what about a FAKE autistic buckaroo?

any upstanding left leaning organization would OF COURSE allow a mask for a queer LGBTQ activist standing up for gay and trans rights against a torrent of scoundrels hunting for his legal identity. its a matter of safety... but what about a FAKE queer activist?

let me be very clear for the 100th time: i am a real person. this is not a joke. i am not playing a character. i am really autistic and bisexual. tinglers are sincere and they are not ‘so bad theyre good’. they are just good. camp damascus is not ‘my first serious book’ because my queer erotica is serious. my art is important and real.

when people tell me to unmask they often do not know WHY they want it, and of course one very good reason is innocent curiosity. but there are SOME cases where i start to get THAT feeling--that tingle all of us ‘passing’ buckaroos get when we can sense the real intent behind the poking and prodding. that is the feeling of stumbling into a gatekeepers crosshairs.

if i was to take off my pink bag, what about my face would you analyze to tell if i was REALLY queer. my eye color? my ear shape? if you learned my legal name, would you see if it sounded autistic? is my voice neurodivergent enough?

or is all of that utterly absurd? i am curious what the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION thinks.

PART FIVE: GENDERED

this will be the shortest of parts, but it has to be said. i have a very complex relationship with gender, as written about at length here and here. i understand these things can be difficult to parse for some, but i ask that you trust me when i say that the ONLY reason i have been able to talk about my gender and sexuality and learn these things about myself is because of this pink bag. this outward appearance is a direct expression and reflection of my gender journey.

if the texas library association does not care about my appearance as an expression of my autism, then i cant imagine them giving a dang about it as an expression of my gender and queerness. that being said, it is personally very important to me and i think it should be mentioned

PART SIX: SO YOU WANT TO REMOVE AN AUTISTIC QUEER AUTHOR FROM YOUR EVENT BECAUSE PEOPLE MIGHT FIND THEIR DIFFERENCES SCARY

there is a question to be asked here: how could the TLA have done this correctly?

i have one very big piece of advice i would like to shout from the rooftops. please, for the love of sweet barbara, DO ENOUGH RESEARCH to know if this appearance will be a problem and, IF SO, dont extend an invitation in the first place. unique buckaroos with different presentations are constantly left in this place of limbo because we are bombarded with careless actions like those of the TLA. before you consider extending a branch to an artist who might need more accommodations than usual, think to yourself 'CAN WE MAKE THESE ACCOMMODATIONS?'

putting all of this on the shoulders of a single 'buckaroo with a difference' is exhausting. as the TLA has shown, we currently live on a timeline where a buckaroo like myself never really knows if an invite is SOLID without doing a deep dive history lesson on how often a group discriminates and against who.

i did not want to spend my whole family holiday worrying whether or not i should say something publicly or just lie down and shut my dang mouth. i had to consider HOW i should say it. i had to worry whether or not its worth standing up for myself in the face of the largest state library association in the country. i think buckaroos with differences are with me when i say: WE ARE SICK OF HAVING TO DO THIS WORK TO COVER FOR THE POOR BEHAVIOR OF LARGE ORGANIZATIONS WHO TREAT US BADLY

another option would just be to use kindness and common sense and happily accommodate artists with unique presentations to your conventions

PART SEVEN: LOVE IS STILL REAL

i would like to close by saying THANK YOU to my publisher nightfire and editor kelly for standing up for me. they immediately stood firm and had my back. they are the real dang deal. THANK YOU to my management and agent buds dongwon and gino for trotting along beside me. THANK YOU to the folks at the texas library association who initially invited chuck with goodness in their heart and then likely got bowled over by someone else, and maybe even got knocked to the side by a big closing gate.

i hope there are librarians in texas who are still interested in carrying BURY YOUR GAYS when it comes out (which is ironically about someone who creates a space through art to express their queerness where they cant otherwise). libraries prove love is real and what they do IS SO IMPORTANT. it was SO IMPORTANT TO ME as a young buckaroo and i cannot thank you enough. i am not sure if me writing all of this will hurt my sales in some way, but this opportunity to speak about the reality of disability awareness and queer gatekeeping is too important to stay silent. (if you have not already preordered BURY YOUR GAYS then give it a preorder to make up for some texas library losses i guess.)

which leads me to my final thank you. THANK YOU to the buckaroos reading this. yes YOU. i am in the position to stand up and speak my mind against scoundrel forces ONLY because i have the might of you buckaroos by my side. the buckaroo trot is ALL OF OUR TROT and we are ALL HERE TO PROVE LOVE. i cannot tell you how much i appreciate the way you have created a space for me to express these important parts of myself. you have seen this pink mask over my face and saying YES, I ACCEPT YOU, you have literally saved my life. for that i am so thankful.

if you are UPSET by what youve read here, then turn it into something positive. you can support autistic creators, or make a donation to the AUTISTIC SELF ADVOCACY NETWORK

and besides WHO IS REALLY MISSING OUT? this is what it looks like when you invite the worlds greatest author chuck tingle to your event and treat their identity as valid. WE HAVE A DANG GOOD TIME

KEEP TROTTING INTO THE FUTURE. KEEP KICKING DOWN GATES WHEREVER THEY MAY BE. KEEP PROVING LOVE IS REAL AND PROVING IT TOGETHER. lets go buckaroos - chuck

UPDATE AN HOUR AFTER POSTING:

true buckaroo TJ KLUNE was set to be another author on panel chuck was removed from and has informed me he has now chosen to decline his invitation in support and solidarity with chuck. i am so deeply moved by this. thank you from bottom of heart buckaroo

to be very clear TJ has a huge platform and DOES NOT NEED TO DO THIS. these conferences are great for book sales and he is taking a hit out of pure solidarity. this is queer buckaroos standing up for eachother. i am floored by this kindness and love

please consider checking out his books if they are not already covering your dang bookshelf. chuck blurbed IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS and i was blown away i heckin loved it

MOST RECENT UPDATE:

here is more

[prod-ddeonu]

UNDER THE COVER | s.jy

MDNI! MDNI! MDNI!

pairing: librarian!Jake x fem!reader

cw/tw: librarian!Jake, badboy!Jake, smut, fluff, mentions of assault and sa, drugs, sex in a public building, pet names, praise, face fucking, masturbation, kissing, mentions of murder (one line)

synopsis: Love was never your goal, preferring to keep your nose in a book while sitting in an isolated corner of your favorite library. But then you met Jake Sim: the quiet librarian who wore sweaters and button downs, the man who treated every book like a treasure, the man that you felt was perfect for you. You knew better than to judge a book by its cover, but who would have known your quiet library crush was the exact opposite of what you'd expected?

featuring: jay and sunghoon (iconic bffs!)

wc: ~6.9k

PART 2

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“Finals are kicking my ass, man,” Sunghoon stretched his arms above his head as he dramatically groaned.

Jay nodded, his notes every shade of the rainbow from his color coded highlighting method of studying. “You can say that again,” he capped the red highlighter and put it behind his ear.

“Finals are kicking my ass, man,” Sunghoon repeated, laughing when Jay threw the yellow highlighter at him.

The two turned to you, your head falling as your eyes began to shut. “Y/N!” Jay shouted. Sunghoon pressed his finger against his mouth and shushed him. “Piss off, Hoon. We're in a soundproofed study room,” Jay sneered.

Your head shot up, hands flying into the table to catch yourself. “The proper function is forty-four,” you mumbled as your eyes opened. “Oh, sorry. I had a dream I had already taken the final,” you rubbed your eye with your wrist.

Sunghoon put his hand over your forehead. “Y/N, if you don't sleep enough, your score’s gonna be a forty-four,” he said, his tone laced with worry.

You smiled, pinching the bridge of your nose. Sunghoon ran his hand over the ponytail you held your hair in, bringing the hair over his head. “Jay, you think I could work long hair?”

“I don't even think you can work basic algebraic equations,” he scoffed. Sunghoon frowned, sitting back upright.

He looked at his notes before groaning in agony. “I'm done for the night, guys. It's, like, seven at night and I'm tired,” he whined.

“Yeah, I think I'm gonna head home, too. You coming, Y/N?” Jay asked as the two stood, packing their notes and pencils.

You shook your head. “No, I'm gonna get a little bit of reading therapy in,” you smiled, thinking of your favorite character.

The two boys looked at each other with a raised brow. Sunghoon wiggled his at Jay, the other returning the action to create some sort of impromptu language. “Are you sure it's therapeutic reading?” Jay asked tenderly.

“Or is it ‘I wanna fuck that hot librarian’?” Sunghoon finished the point, sliding onto the table in front of you.

Your ears turned red, the mental image Sunghoon painted making you sweat. The two burst into laughter, clapping loudly and pointing at you. “She totally does! Y/N has a crush!” Jay shouted.

You slapped your hand over his mouth. “It's soundproof in here, not a solitary confinement cell! They can definitely hear your walrus laughter!”

Jay faked shock, slapping his hand against his chest and holding the table for support.

Ignoring him, Sunghoon leaned his elbows against the table next to you. “So, whatcha likin’ about this dude?”

You squeaked. “I- um-”

Jay returned to his position on the other side of you, his hand on your shoulder. “Is he loud, badass, smokes a lot of weed and parties all night, muscle tees and ripped jeans, maybe a print-”

“Alright, alright!” You shouted. “Remind me to put some soap in your mouth, Jay,” you wagged your finger in his face. He snapped his jaw at you, following your finger. “He's the exact opposite, actually. He's quiet, really kind, he’s not into the party scene, he doesn't wear anything too showy-”

“So he's just like you?” Sunghoon interrupted, pulling the edge of his sweater onto his shoulder.

You nodded, a cheesy grin coming over your lips. “And how do you know all this?” Jay raised his brow. “I doubt you've hung out with him.”

“I can just tell,” you sighed dreamily. You kicked your feet underneath you in excitement.

Sunghoon rolled his eyes. “Ah, yes. Because you read minds.”

Jay clicked his tongue at you, crossing his arms. “Y/N, did nobody ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover?” He asked. “What if you get your hopes up, and then you find out that he's some rager that breaks your heart?”

You shook your head. “I don't think so, he seems pretty genuine from the way he looks.”

Sunghoon rolled his eyes playfully again, “Delusion is one of your few flaws, Y/N. Your other one is reading for fun.”

You sat with your knees against your chest in a small corner of the library. The seating arrangement in that corner was a long, wooden bench that wrapped around the corner of the room. You liked to sit against the corner, your back to the wall and feet facing the shelves in front of you.

In the book you were reading, the main character had gone out with her boss in order to escape her manipulative boyfriend and catch him cheating. Her boss was icy, tall, and young. You'd barely managed to catch it, but it seemed that he was younger than her. The main character was a happy woman who let her naïvety get the best of her, which her boss had helped her get past.

You were in the scene where her boss confesses to her, but you weren't sure where the story was going. He told her he was falling in love with her, which she reciprocated, but he was holding her so close, and the word “heat” and “member” kept appearing in sentences.

You saw a shadow loom over you, shading your book from the light. A large hand rested on top of the book, tilting it back. “Are you enjoying the book so far?” A deep voice with a thick accent asked.

You nodded, not looking up. “It's really good, I'm just a little confused as to what's happening. I don't know who this member is and why they're so hot, but it doesn't make sense for her to be kissing them and not the main guy,” you rambled.

The person let out a deep chuckle. “Cute,” he said under his breath. “This is my favorite part, actually. If you don't know what all of that means, though, maybe you should skip that scene. It's not really important to the plot, anyways,” he continued.

The dim light above you bounced off of his rings, his long finger tapping on the spine of the book lightly in a fidgeting manner.

“I want to know what it means,” you sighed. “Can you explain it to me?”

When the person didn't respond, you looked upwards. Your breath caught in your throat as you squeaked.

The librarian you'd been harboring a secret crush on stood above you, his mouth slightly agape and his cheeks pink. His eyes grew wider with shock the longer you looked into them.

You turned back to the book, your eyes not really reading any words. “I can figure it out myself, sorry,” you whispered.

The man scratched the nape of his neck, a shy laugh leaving his lips. “No, it's okay, that scene is just…”

“Just what? Confusing?”

“Just not something you'd want a stranger to explain.”

“If you love the book, though, wouldn't you be good at explaining it?” You asked, curiosity bubbling up inside you.

He took the book from your hands, folding the corner of the page you were on and closing it. “Let me go check this out for you. I'll tell you at the counter, then you can read the rest at home, ‘kay?”

You nodded, willing to do anything he suggested. He walked you to his counter, scanning the book. “That scene you were reading is probably one of the most well-written sex scenes a reader could ask for,” he casually commented, smirking when you covered your mouth. “You can Google the words you don't know, but tell me if you still enjoyed the book when you return it!”

He placed the book in your bag, waving to you and leaning against the counter.

You sound around, mouth open to speak. “Name’s Jake, by the way,” he smiled handsomely at you, nodding his head up once. “I was gonna introduce myself to you properly, but you kinda jumped the gun on that one, miss sex book girl.”

You blushed, looking away in embarrassment. “You don't have to call me that,” you barely whispered.

“Yeah?” He poked his tongue at his lip with a teasing smile. “What can I call you, then?”

“Y/N,” you looked at the floor before spinning around and walking to the door.

Jake waved behind you, a smile still prevalent on his face. “Have a safe night, Y/N,” he called out behind you. “Hope you enjoy your book!”

Oh, you enjoyed that book alright. With Jake’s words looming in your head, and a trusty Google search (turned out, member did not mean another character), you finished the book with a foggy mind and a whole lot of nervous swallows.

Jay and Sunghoon sat across from you at your local cafe, your bag on the table and notes strewn about. “Hoon, I think you should change majors,” Jay sighed, his palm against his forehead.

Sunghoon chewed his straw nervously while the other reviewed his notes and practice exam. “Why? I thought I was good with my pre-med stuff,” he grabbed the paper from Jay’s hands.

“‘What do you call a row of stitches holding together the edges of an incision?’ was the question, Hoon.”

He looked it over. “I don't see what I did wrong.”

You peeked your head up from your notes, reading the question. “You wrote ‘satire,’” Jay deadpanned. Sunghoon cursed under his breath and erased the answer, writing suture in its place.

“Could've sworn I put suture for that,” Sunghoon mumbled. You pat his back reassuringly, a small frown on his face. “I think I'm just burning out, I've been studying all of this for so long. Jay, gimme your card, I'm gonna go buy us a round of espresso.”

Jay swatted Sunghoon’s reaching arm away. “Dude, no! Use your card, I'm not rich,” he scoffed.

“Oh my gosh, Jay, please,” you whined. “I'm so tired, I barely slept last night.”

Jay’s brow flew to the top of his forehead, the corner of his lip lifting. “Is it because of a certain librarian you stayed late to see?” He lightly punched your shoulder jokingly.

You held your shoulder and cried out in pain dramatically. “C’mon, Jay, you owe her now,” Sunghoon waved his fingers at Jay to make a grabbing motion. Jay sighed, rolling his eyes and giving the card to him. “First round’s on Jay!”

Sunghoon skittered off to the counter to order the drinks, leaving Jay to interrogate you further.

He scooted his chair closer to yours, his arms folded over his chest. “So,” he started, “what's the reason you were up all night?”

You squeaked nervously. He laughed, placing his hand over yours softly. “I was reading a book Jake said was good,” you almost whispered.

Jay shot backwards into his seat, letting out a loud gasp of shock and earning concerned stares from the rest of the customers. You shushed him, to no avail. He spun in his chair, calling out to his friend. “Hoon! Hoon!”

Sunghoon turned to face him with a scowl. “What?” He mouthed.

“She got the hot librarian’s name!” He shouted, not caring whose morning he disturbed.

Sunghoon ran out of line, sliding back into the chair across from you and resting his hand against his chin. “Soooo,” Sunghoon dragged out, “what's his naaaame?”

You shrunk into your seat. “It’s, um-”

“It's Jake!” Jay shouted, leaning over the table.

Sunghoon and Jay brought their hands together, ooh-ing in a high pitched tone as they wiggle their fingers. “Anything else happen? Did he hold the door open for you?” Sunghoon swooned at you.

You shyly laughed. “No, he just told me to read this book,” you blushed, pulling it out of your bag. “He told me what some of it meant, and it really helped!”

Jay flipped the book open to the folded corner, reading a paragraph quickly. He closed the book, furrowed his brows, reopened the book, re-read the paragraph, and turned to you, pointing at the pages as he let his mouth hang open. “He told you what this meant?”

You nodded, blushing. “I was a little embarrassed, but he was super nice about it,” you crossed your ankles and swayed slowly.

Jay shut the book and slid it into your bag, Sunghoon reaching in and pulling it out as he turned.

“Y/N, my dearest, sweetest, bestest friend,” he placed his hand on your shoulder with a smile. Suddenly, his grip turned hard, squeezing into your collarbone. “HE IS FLIRTING WITH YOU!” He seethed.

You swatted his hand away. “Then what do– ow, that actually hurts still– I do?”

Jay peacefully made a tent with his hands against the table. He blew his bangs out of his face, the brunette pieces flying upwards. “You go back there, and you ask him out,” Jay smirked evilly. “And then, you come back and relay everything to us.”

You nodded, saluting and grunting in comprehension.

Sunghoon gasped loudly, causing you and Jay to whip your heads to him.

He slammed the book against the table, scattering Jay’s highlighters and your pencils. “THIS IS A SEX BOOK?!” He shouted.

You blushed while Jay put his hand to his mouth in order to stifle his laughter. Sunghoon slowly turned to you, disgust apparent on his face. “You're such a nerd you read porn?”

“Hey, man. She reads it for the plot,” Jay snickered.

After your embarrassing exchange with your friends, you went back to the library to return the book (and stare at Jake). You held the book in front of you, sad to part with it. Jake had opened a door to a new world that you'd never heard of: the world of erotic romance books.

You blushed at the thought of the genre being his favorite. Swinging the door open, you took in the scent of paper, dust, and the slight hint of lavender you always caught when you walked in. Your eyes adjusted to the dim lighting.

Jake scanned a book at the counter for a woman, his long, black hair being accessorized by his usual pair of round, metal-rimmed glasses.

You watched silently from in front of the door as he performed such a melancholy task in such a charming way. The sleeves of his blue pullover came to the edges of his palm, his white turtleneck beneath covering his skin. You watched his pouty lips curve into your favorite smile, a slight wink being thrown to the older woman.

The woman slipped the book into her bag, giggling and walking towards the door. Jake’s eyes met your own, a happy wave being sent your way.

You felt yourself begin to melt at the sight.

You waved back, walking towards where he was standing. You placed the book into the counter as he smiled at you. He laughed lightly. “Guess it wasn't your cup of tea, seeing as you're bringing it back the next morning?”

You shook your head, “The opposite, actually. I finished it all last night, I just couldn't put it down!” You smiled.

Jake raised a brow, putting his elbow onto the countertop and resting his chin in his palm. “Yeah?” He asked with a thick accent. “What made it so enjoyable?”

This is the flirting Jay was talking about, you thought to yourself.

You bit the tip of your tongue, looking around the room in thought. What could you say to add to the flirting? You hadn't been in a serious relationship in years, you had little to no current experience.

“I guess I really liked the main character's chemistry with her boss,” you smiled at him, “and how he had a different side to his character that he only showed her.”

Jake nodded, leaning back and rocking onto the heels of his feet. He slid the book across the counter with a low whistle escaping his lips. “You're the first person I've met that tried to find something romantic in this book.”

You mentally facepalmed yourself. “Is that not what I was supposed to do? The writing was really good, I just-”

“Hey, hey,” he laughed. “Don't worry your pretty self over that, I think it's cool that you didn't just admire the smut aspect of the book,” he scanned the barcode on the back cover and placed the book onto a cart.

“I did enjoy that part a little, it just felt awkward to read,” you lied. You actually re-read that section of the book three times after finishing the book.

Jake’s tongue swiped across his bottom lip to wet it with a smile. He walked around the counter, pushing his book cart in the direction of the young adult section of the library.

You turned to walk to your usual corner of the library, ready to surrender this golden opportunity to your awkwardness. You took a step forward, spinning back around quickly as Jake coughed.

You made eye contact as his mouth opened to speak. “Can I have your number?” You blurted out.

Jake’s mouth shut with squinted eyes. Rejection.

“Can you read my mind or something?” He asked.

You shot him a confused look, a toothy grin splayed across his face. “I was-” He cleared his throat nervously, “I was just thinking about how I wanted to ask you to hang out after I close up, sorry if it came out weird.”

You felt clouds lift your feet, making them take even steps before landing in front of him with your phone out. He chuckled as he put his number into your phone. “Doesn't this place close late, though?” You asked.

He nodded. “It closes at nine, but if I'm being honest, fun never really happens until after dark.”

You laughed, thinking he was joking. He was not.

He shrugged, continuing to push the cart. “Just text me your address, I'll pick you up. I'll make sure it's a date that you'll never forget,” he smiled.

Your heart soared. It raced. It pounded. More importantly, it stopped. Time stopped. “Date?” You squeaked out.

He laughed, his ears turning red. “Yeah, I figured it should be a date. Don't wanna waste a good time with a pretty girl like you, y'know?” He scratched the back of his neck.

You nodded eagerly. “It's a date! What do I wear?”

“Just some comfortable clothes, you don't have to do much to impress me. I'll be wearing what I usually do, anyways,” he placed a book onto the shelf, examining the next book.

You walked to the cart, grabbing a book from the other side. “I know it's not very romantic, but can I help you put away the books? It might help you close faster,” you smiled.

He pulled the cuffs of his pull-over off of his hands. “I find it very romantic that you want to do the most boring part of my job with me, actually,” he joked.

That same lavender scent you would get hints of came flooding your senses as the two of you worked closely. You closed your eyes, taking a long breath. Jake smelled like lavender, and god, it made your knees weak.

Jay and Sunghoon, although strongly against the date, showed up to your place at seven sharp to help you get ready for it. “I mean, what kind of guy asks a kind and unsuspecting girl to go out after nine?” Sunghoon asked as he curled your hair.

He looked up into the mirror, eyes locking on yours. “A sex offender,” He released your hair from the contraption, waving the wand in the air as he spoke.

Jay groaned as he laid different outfit combinations across your bed. “For the tenth time, Sunghoon, he wouldn't be able to work at a public library if he was a registered sex offender!” Jay tapped his toes in thought before throwing a red shirt of yours onto the growing pile of clothes on your floor.

“Maybe he's not a sex offender yet,” Sunghoon replied, “but our little Y/N could end up being the body they find in the ditch.”

You sighed as Jay struggled to not throw a hard object at his friend. Sunghoon and Jay had been going at it since they arrived, Sunghoon erring more on the “worried mother” end of the argument.

“Sunghoon, stop worrying so much. He's super cute and sweet, he probably just wants to watch a movie or something,” you smiled.

Sunghoon clicked his tongue. “Let's recall what he said. ‘Wear something comfortable’, because tight clothes cause you to bleed out slower. ‘A date you'll never forget’, because you'll be dead by eleven.”

“‘I just want to have sex with you and then send you home at four in the morning,’” Jay commented. “You make it sound like she's going out with Michael Myers. Don't forget, Hoon, she already agreed to share her location with us in the groupchat.”

Sunghoon rolled his eyes, running his fingers through your curls. “So we'll know what corner of the road her body ends up on, but what about her head?”

“Oh, God, you're going off the deep end,” you pressed your hand to your forehead.

You stood from the chair, doing a small twirl for the two. You had already done your makeup before the two arrived, but you were a lost cause with fashion and hair.

Jay clapped, his lower lip jutting out in an impressed expression. “Wow, Hoon. Maybe you should drop out of college and become a hairdresser,” he commented, earning a threatening jab with the hot iron from Sunghoon.

You unplugged the appliance, taking it from his hands and carefully placing it down. Jay held a shirt and skirt to your body, nodding for the other man to look at the combination.

Sunghoon patted the man on his back, a smile on his face. “See, if I had to send my only daughter off to possibly go missing, this is the outfit I think she'd want to go in.”

You walked out of your door at exactly a quarter past nine, Jake’s text message reminding you of a drunk message from Jay.

Hey um he uh, um out sigh in the blocker period sore we eve this cumster you we're, um using speech to text period

You figured it translated roughly to, “Hey, I'm here, I'm outside in the black car. Sorry if this comes to you weird, I'm using text to speech.” You just couldn't figure out where cumster could've come from.

You giggled as you sat in the car. Your purse clinked loudly with the pepper spray, pocket knife, seatbelt cutter, lockpick, whistle, and body reflectors Sunghoon wouldn't let you leave without.

You closed the door, turning to Jake. You audibly screamed when you saw the man in the front seat. He jumped, looking into the backseat and out of every window. “Shit, Y/N, what's wrong?!” He shouted, equally as scared as you.

You looked at him in disbelief. “Jake? Is that really you?”

The man who was sitting next to you was wearing a black wife-beater and baggy jeans with large tears at the knees, a small book pendant hanging off a gold chain. His body, now uncovered by layers of clothing, was covered by layers of ink. He had a paw print on his inner arm, the name Layla written inside of it, along with many music tattoos and smaller symbols across his arms and chest.

You looked down, noting that it seemed even his legs had art on them. His eyes followed yours, a small gasp leaving his mouth. “Oh, yeah. Guess I forgot to mention all that,” he smiled. “They're everywhere, but they all mean something.”

You looked up at him, your eyes wide. You may have painted him as a modest man, but you'd be lying if you said the Jake in front of you didn't make you feel butterflies. “They're pretty,” you commented, reading the tattoo on the side of his neck.

“Love is a great beautifier.”

Jake self-consciously ran his hand over it. “It's from Little Women,” Jake smiled softly.

“I love that book,” you commented, continuing to admire his look. His hair had fallen messily over his forehead, his glasses seeming to have disappeared.

He sucked a breath in through his teeth. “Me too, actually. It's what got me into reading,” he looked forward as he put his seatbelt back on. “Look, if you find that I look too weird like this, I can put a jacket on or something-”

“No! I like it, actually. You look… good,” you blushed as you put your seatbelt on.

Jake reached his hand under your chin, lifting your head to look at him. “Look me in my eyes and say it again,” the corner of his lip lifted. “I want to see you say it, don't hide your face from me.”

You mumbled, “You look good.”

“I'll take it,” he smiled fully, throwing the car into drive and pulling into the road. “Just know, I don't let pretty girls hold their tongue around me.”

You looked out the window in an effort to hide your nervousness. Jake turned his radio on, playing a band you didn't know.

He started humming along to the song as it got closer to the chorus. He had a beautiful voice, which only added to your nervousness.

“Where are we going?” You asked, noticing a familiarity in the direction he was driving in.

He tested his elbow against his center console as he drove with one hand. “I figured I could take you to the library after hours, y'know? We'd be alone but it wouldn't be like you didn't know the place. I can show you my favorite spot, too.”

You shot a glance in his direction. “Jake, isn't it closed?”

“Yeah, and?”

“As in, we can't be there?”

“Yes we can,” he smiled.

You rolled your eyes. “If you're trying to break into a building, I think we should call this off.”

“Relax, sweetheart,” he laughed, his accent shining through, “it's not breaking in.”

“Entering with a key doesn't count.”

“It does when you own the place,” Jake pulled up to a stop light, wiggling his eyebrows at you before laughing loudly. Your jaw was to the floor, an unreadable expression in your eyes. “I've never made it obvious that I owned it, because it was given to me by my grandmother when she retired, but I've owned it since I moved here. My cousin opens the place on weekdays while I go to college, but I close every night and spend the whole weekend there.”

“You'd have to live there to pull that off,” you rolled your eyes.

“I do,” he responded. “My place is right next to it.”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “Of course you're handsome, funny, good at singing, and you own a business.”

You felt his hand land on your leg, his fingers tapping rhythmically to the music. You turned to him, your eyes trailing up his arm. “You can continue,” he said with a shit-eating grin.

You lightly hit his arm, pointing to the road. “Light's green,” you turned to hide your blush.

Jake walked you into the familiar building, a small smile on his face as he pulled a projector from the office room. “Come and sit down, pretty girl,” he plugged a handful of cords into the device and turned it on.

You walked past the nonfiction shelves to see pillows forming small seats on the floor, a basket of movie snacks and drinks in the middle. Jake had thrown some last minute fairy lights into the mix, wrapping them around the seating area and putting some candles on the ground. “Jake, this looks amazing.”

He sat on a pillow before laughing and motioning to the other. You ran over, sitting down and immediately putting on a movie.

You didn't watch a single moment of the movie. Although Jake seemed immersed, you couldn't take your eyes off of him. Your eyes took in the slight shine against his skin from the movie, the light in his eyes looking like stars. You didn't miss the way he chewed his tongue when he got focused, or when his hair was blown awry by the air conditioner.

Your brain took a turn for the worse as a more romantic scene in the movie arrived. Your eyes raked over his exposed skin, feeling like a Victorian man who had just been introduced to short sleeves.

You looked at his tattoos, really looked at them, and saw countless music notes with small letters in them, a guitar, small pictures or animals, and a lot of book references. You never expected Jake to have been fully inked up, but you also never expected to find that as a huge turn-on.

You squeezed your thighs together to hide the fact that a simple doodle in perfectly smooth skin had put you in such a predicament. Jake turned to you, wrapping his arm around you and pointing to the screen. “See that actor?”

“Yeah, what about him?” You asked.

Jake let his hand fall onto your lap, turning to you. “Even he can tell you're not paying attention,” he pushed your hair behind your ear. “Wanna tell me what you like so much that you've been staring at me the whole time?”

You gawked. You geeked. You'd fumbled.

Jake slid his hand onto your back, and in a moment he was above you. “Tell me, sweetheart, what's so attractive that it's got you squeezing those pretty thighs so tight?”

You gulped, your thoughts having gone anywhere but where they should. He tapped his finger against your lip, a sinful smile on his face. “Your tattoos,” you whispered.

Jake leaned back, messily pushing his hair out of his face and laughing darkly. “You like my tattoos so much that you're getting wet over them?” He asked, looking down at you.

You nodded. “I like how cool you look, wanna see the rest.”

“You want to see the rest of the ones on me, sweetheart?” He asked in that thick Aussie accent you couldn't get enough of.

With a small squeak, you nodded again, feeling smaller than usual in his gaze. He looked at you the same way you'd assume a predator stared at its prey in its final moments, but you felt a strange sense of safety with him.

He slowly leaned in, his arms caging you in as he pressed his lips to yours. He held your hip with his large hand, his fingers gripping your ass while his palm held you down. He slid his thigh over your core, pressing into where you needed him most.

Your lips parted, letting out a moan. Jake swallowed it whole, sliding his tongue against your own slowly and sucking on your bottom lip. The two of you built a slow rhythm, his thigh grinding into you as you arched your back like clockwork.

His hand never left your hip, holding you in place to keep you victim to his torturously slow lips and thrusts. He loved every noise that left your mouth. Jake pulled away from you, his eyes taking in your wet, puffy lips. The two of you were breathlessly panting to catch your breaths.

His lips parted in thought. “Didn't think you'd be such a good kisser,” he mused. “Almost like you were made for my lips.”

You giggled, pushing him off you as he went to press more kisses to your lips. “Jake, I want to know more about you,” you whined.

“For one, I'm a really good kisser,” he wiggled his eyebrows jokingly as he settled back into his seat. His arms came behind him for support. He seemed to not worry about covering his obvious boner, leaning back and looking at the ceiling.

You hit his arm. “I know that already,” you fussed. “But, like, what are some hobbies of yours?”

He jut his bottom lip out in thought. “I play guitar,” he shrugged, “and there's nothing I love more than getting high and reading a good book.”

You blinked slowly, his eyes coming to yours with a smile. “What does being high even have to do with reading?”

“Makes the experience more realistic. Feels like you're there, you start feeling what the character feels and all,” he sighed. “I like to read romance books, though.”

You bit the back of your lip. “Does that really work?”

“Wanna try it?"

Jake had lit a joint for you, showing you how to hold it and even going so far as to hold it for you while he played with your hair.

The world started to move slower, certain colors waving in your vision. “Do you feel it?” Jake asked, running his hands through your hair. You nodded, looking around the room. “The rest’ll hit soon, just know I'm right here if you need me.”

He put his arm around your shoulders as he took his own hits, resting his head against your own.

He put the joint into a small ashtray, standing with you and grabbing one of the many books he'd brought into the soundproofed study room off a table.

The two of you read through it, laughing when one of you wouldn't be done with the page as fast as the other. Suddenly, the book began to describe a racier scene, one with hands all over the main character's body and kisses being pressed over her.

Jake watched you closely, taking note of how you squirmed in your seat every time the girl felt a new sensation. “What's wrong, Y/N?” Jake asked in a low voice, leaning into you. “You seem… worked up.”

You swallowed hard. “N-No! I’m just cold,” you lied. Jake clicked his tongue, closing the book and holding you by your thigh.

He used his hand to pull you closer, his lips connecting to your own. “Sure, sweetheart. I believe you,” he lied with a smirk. He glanced at your lips again before wrapping his fingers around your throat, pulling you in to continue his rough kiss.

A groan slipped from Jake's own throat, his body reacting before he could. He pulled away, his hand sliding up your closed thighs. “Not,” he continued, connecting your lips again. You opened your legs slightly, giving Jake the ability to use his hand and pry them open.

He ran his fingers up and down your clothed slit, just barely giving you the friction you craved. You felt how hard he was through his jeans, his crotch subtly grinding against your leg. He continued his assault against your lips, never once stopping for air.

You hit his chest, moaning into his mouth as he pulled away. “Jake, stop teasing me.”

“Oh, I'd never tease you, darling,” he responded with a mischievous grin. “Just wanted you to feel how good you're gonna feel with me.”

Jake took his hand off your skirt and brought it into your other hand. He brought his lips to your neck, biting down and tracing the marks with his tongue. You moaned out his name, making him groan lowly into your neck.

“I can't wait anymore,” he said as he stepped back and began unbuckling his belt. “I need to feel your throat around me.”

You stood, walking to be in front of him and pushing his back to the table. His breath caught in his throat as you sank to your knees in front of him. He hurriedly finished unbuckling his belt, reaching his hands to his waistband to pull down the rest of his clothing as you held his hand to stop him.

“Wait, Jake, are you sure about this? We're both high and in a study room in the library, what if the cameras pick up the noise?”

Jake leaned against the table behind him, his hands holding onto the edge of it at his sides. He looked at you with such an intense heat behind his gaze, you could feel the lust of it gathering into your underwear.

He slid a hand into your hair, pulling you to him and smashing his lips to yours. He brought his thigh outwards to catch your body between your legs. Your eyes shut at the feeling, the messy kiss fogging your brain.

“These rooms are sound-proof for two reasons. One, for studying or reading. And two, so I can fuck your throat as hard as I want.”

He released your hair, making you fall back to your knees. He pushed his pants and boxers down to his knees, giving you a grand view of his cock.

It was veiny, thick, and the tip was such an angry red that the precum leaking from it almost screamed for you to lick it all up. Without warning, you grabbed it and took it between your lips.

Jake threw his head back, a moan bouncing off the walls of the room. You heard him suck a breath in through his teeth as you sucked on the tip. You let your tongue glide over his slit, collecting his precum and swallowing it.

“Fuck, Y/N, you're so good at this,” he moaned. Your wetness was dripping down your legs, you felt it. You moaned around him as you took more of him in with hollowed cheeks.

He held the sides of your head, forcing you to look into his eyes. “Remember what I said, sweetheart. Wanna fuck your face, if that's okay.”

You hummed on his dick, giving him the go-ahead. He slowly began to thrust into your mouth, not pushing in all the way. When you began to bob your head further, Jake took it as his sign to go deeper.

He added more force and speed to his thrusts until you were taking him whole, each thrust hitting the bottom of your throat and making you gag around him. Your saliva was dripping down his balls and onto his legs as you used one hand to rub your own clit.

You were so close, but you wanted to wait until his cum was pouring down your throat to finish. “Such a good girl for me, so sweet for taking my dick down her throat,” Jake hummed, his eyes never leaving the sight. It all felt so good.

Jake’s legs began to shake as he let out more moans. Jake was not afraid to be loud, nor was he afraid to speak his mind. He constantly praised you between his little moans.

“Fuck,” he moaned. “‘M so close.”

You moaned against him again, his hips jolting forward. “Gonna make me cum down your throat like that, bet you want that don't you?”

His tip slammed into the back of your throat, his thrusts growing erratic. With each thrust he gave to the back of your throat, you circled your clit faster. “Fuck, ‘m gonna cum,” he groaned.

His hips stuttered to a halt, warm liquid spilling into your stomach. “Taking it so, so good,” he sighed, his hair sticking to the sweat on his forehead. “Atta girl, my girl, so beautiful with my cock down her throat.”

You moaned as you felt your orgasm take over you, moans spilling around Jake’s cock and slightly overstimulating him. He thrusted one more time into you, a lazy smile on his face. He pulled out of you, watching bits of spit and cum dribble down your chin.

You looked like an absolute wreck, your hair messy and your mascara running with spit down your chin. Jake loved it. You looked stunning to him.

“Y/N, that was amazing. Thank you,” he pulled you up to sit you in a chair. He ran out of the room to get water for you, as he'd told you when he walked out.

Your eyes darted around the room. You opened your phone to see four missed calls from both Sunghoon and Jay.

You dialed Jay’s phone number, a groggy smile on your face. “Hey, what's up?”

“Y/N, are you still with Jake?”

“Yes, why?” You asked, stretching in the chair.

He sighed over the phone. “We've been waiting outside the library for half an hour, get the fuck in the car.”

“Jay, I'm capable of bringing myself home-”

“Y/N. Get out of there, now,” Jay said, his tone cold. “I don't know how to say this, but-”

“Jay, you can't control me. I'm an adult,” you rolled your eyes, pacing around the room. “If you're so uncomfortable with me dating someone-”

Jay interrupted you, saying a sentence you'd never think to hear about anyone, much less the guy you sucked off less than three minutes ago. His words had you quickly grabbing your belongings and running out of the building, hoping Jake didn't see you go.

“He’s wanted for murder, Y/N.”

notes: MURDER?? oh boy.. didn't see that one coming ;) expect the next part to be... Eventful. Originally, Jake was supposed to be a camboy, but I figured that possible criminal Jake would be better LMFAO. I reccomend listening to Arctic monkeys or chase Atlantic when you read this series.

tags: @heesitation @vizstars

likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated, and thank you for reading! stick around for part 2!!

[oneofstarkskids]

"plus...he's adorable"

steven grant x reader, first meeting

warnings: slight age gap?

*not my gif*

finding your passion hadn't been a straight and narrow path. you had no idea how some people just woke up knowing exactly what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives.

in high school you played sports, but they were never something you wanted to do as a career. you recently learned that you love to paint, but it just felt like a hobby. you didn't feel experienced enough to make something of it.

you'd gone to four years of university, majoring in business because it's what your parents wanted. but you were tired. you were so tired and you weren't passionate about anything.

finally, you were sure you were ready to give up. you were in the school library, turning in some text books you'd used, when you just glanced over briefly. your eyes caught the title of a large book.

"If You Are to Love, Love the Moon"

curiosity took over and you picked it up to read the synopsis. by the time you were done, you'd picked out three more books on the subject and plopped them down in front of the librarian.

it took you less than twenty-four hours to finish all of them and you had this burning desire to know more.

which led you here, studying egyptology abroad in london, standing in the national gallery, staring at a poorly constructed pyramid of giza.

"oh bullocks!" you heard a man shout just as something crashed to the ground. you searched for where the noise came from.

your eyes landed on dark brown curls peeking out just above the counter at the gift shop.

nosily, you made your way over. as you placed your hands on the counter you cleared your throat. a man with steven printed on his name tag stood up quickly and gave you a nervous chuckle, "morning."

you suppressed your laughter, "hey there. you alright?"

"me? yeah, fine!" he said unconvincingly. "did you want to make a purchase? i personally recommend the horus figurines. you know, it's believed that he was a benevolent protector in ancient egyptian culture. plus..." he held one up, "he's adorable."

this time you couldn't help but laugh, and thought the same thing of steven himself.

"i'll take one," you said and watched as he rang it up.

he glanced up at you as he put it in a small gift bag, but quickly looked back down when he noticed you'd caught him.

you reached to grab the bag, but paused as your hand brushed his. steven was stunned by the feeling of your hand against his and didn't want you to go.

"do you live nearby?" he asked slowly. you stopped yourself from grinning at the idea of him asking you out.

"uh- because we can ship items in the future," he said instead.

you frowned, "okay. well, have a good day." you took the bag and walked off. the whole thing just made you want to go home.

just as you were stepping out into the street, you were knocked to the ground.

"oh! sorry! i'm terribly sorry, i didn't mean to do that," you heard stevens voice. you got up and dusted yourself off.

"what is wrong with you?" you asked in frustration.

he rambled, "well, many things but that's a topic for another time." you had this look of concern that made steven feel guilty. "okay i'm just going to come right out and say it."

you listened intently. "i would, would you like to- do you want to grab a bite sometime?" he finally got the words out and you giggled.

"i would love to."

steven beamed and nodded, "good. very good." he started to walk away but quickly turned back around, "actually, do you have a piece of paper?"

you searched your purse for a moment before pulling out a small sticky note and a pen. steven took it gratefully and wrote his name and number down.

he handed it to you and you noticed that it read, stev̲en with a v. the v being underlined for emphasis.

you grinned, "see you soon, steven with a v."

[writingrenna]

Hassel x GN!Reader

"Where The Heart Is"

A story where you start to actively pay attention to the specific brand of weird Hassel throws your way.

I admit, I didn't finish most of the friendship quests because I WANT MORE OF HIM, WHY DO CHARACTERS JUST DISAPPEAR/BECOME GENERIC NPCS WHEN THEY'RE DONE BEING IN THE STORY?? I want to truly engross myself in his backstory, so I'll be taking things slow. Don't mind me, just dragging out the inevitable </3

I WILL be taking advantage of his rematches, thank you very much.

ALSO this takes place three years after the end of the game so your expy has time to be hired and get to know Hassel, you work as one of the academy librarians!

Tone/Ending: Slightly Angsty At Parts, Wholesome, Romantic

Warnings: If you're sensitive to rough family situations, be warned! Hassel is very firm with no longer associating with his family and it's hinted at that his childhood wasn't the best, but the story doesn't dwell on that yet, I'm exploring that more later

Also, beware the movie and Hassel's painting sections, especially if the Iron Giant makes you sad

Word Count: A little bit over 5,000

^^^>

"You're... really sure about this, huh?" You say into your mug.

The steam from your tea gently tickled your nose as you considered what he said. The two of you were standing at the back of the staff room, both leaning against a window each on opposite sides of the bookshelf. The rain was fairly loud, but it served more as a gentle white noise to your conversation than anything.

"Yes, I simply cannot imagine an outcome that would make reaching back out again worth it."

You couldn't see his face, but the sadness in his tone was evident, so you took note of that.

"Ah, I know how that feels." You say, remembering some sour relationship conclusions where the other person reached out again or seemed to linger a bit more than they should. But his story... holy Tauros, it was something else.

"Well, do you think you're happy here in Paldea?" You begin. "I mean, would you consider seeing more of the world from time to time? Maybe even visit your home region again?"

He paused, taking in your question. He then huffed a little out of his nose, although it didn't seem to be out of annoyance.

"Well, I have lightly entertained the idea of just visiting my homeland again, but I just..." He paused. "Something is holding me back."

Your face dropped from attentive neutrality to one of sadness for him.

"Hey, no, that's valid of course! I was just wondering where you stood, you know? Like, after escaping all that and starting anew here? I'll stop asking if you like, though."

He immediately rebutted your offer.

"Nonsense, my dear. I do not mind your curiosity. I am aware my familial ties are... strange."

You can almost feel him stare into his mug in self-reflection, the one with the hand-drawn Gossifleur design a student made him that he had printed on. The one he proudly owned and tearfully showed off to every member of staff who happened to walk by if he had it at the time until the entire combined workforce of both the academy and the league knew about it. His favorite mug...

Him speaking up snapped you out of your trance.

"Ah, and about your first question. Truth be told, I do not have enough time to even imagine seeing more of the world, much less experience it. Between the academy and my duties with the elite four, my schedule is simply swamped! I sadly do not even remember the last time I had an extended break."

You frowned, looking down at your own mug. The one you spun yourself after classes on a day that Hassel had done a lesson in properly handling clay, donated courtesy of Brassius. He gave you a chance to throw down and de-stress as he cleaned the rest of the classroom since you had an especially rough day reorganizing books in the massive entrance hall. It wasn't perfect, but it was your own pride and joy, one he had cried upon seeing you finally use one spring morning.

"Oh! But do not pity me, I really and truly do love working with our students and giving it my all in the league. My classes remind me of the joy and wonder one feels while appreciating the beauty the world has to offer, even during those darker days. The future is bright for all our students! And these dragon Pokémon..." He paused. "They were always there for me despite my family's less-than accepting stance on my life choices. I have nothing but praise and gratitude to show them all."

You smiled, looking down a little as you let his words reverberate in your mind. You were going to ask him another question, only for him to completely derail your train of thought.

"Besides... there are many a thing here to make me feel well and truly at home."

You could hear a great warmth in his voice when he said this. You pondered on this, wondering if he meant to hint at something there when you notice the rain had stopped.

"Hey, the rain's gone!" You said before departing from the window. You stretch, careful not to accidentally spill the contents of your mug as you do so. You then walk forward a bit, looking over at your colleague as you do so.

You can't help but pause, however, at the way he stared longingly at the mug.

His eyes were transfixed on the last bit of tea left, swirling the liquid in his hands. His usual piercing eyes were replaced with a far more softened gaze, pupils large and unfocused.

He glanced up at you, smirking, although it was out of contentment. You couldn't help but focus on his blush. He was obviously thinking about something, but what ?? The way he stared at you from below his eyelids, refusing to lift his head more, but still giving you his undivided attention made you feel... strange.

'What is this man thinking?'

Despite taking in every little thing you could about his strange behavior, the moment really only lasted a few seconds before he chuckled softly, sitting up straight himself.

"Ah, well then." He softly intoned. "We should probably head out. Would you..."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"...do me the honor of... of letting me walk you outside?"

^^^>

The rain-kissed streets of Mesagoza smelled fresh, and the warmth in the air left you without the need of a jacket, so you decided to forego wearing it. Hassel seemingly felt the same way, taking his coat off and draping it over his right arm before gently placing his left dominant hand over top it, as if caressing it. He took a deep breath, eyelids closed and fluttering.

"Ahh... smell that evening air. The world has been rinsed clean and emerges anew!"

You smiled up at him. He truly did seem to appreciate every little thing this world had to offer, good or bad.

"Hah! Yeah, I love the smell of rain. Very cozy, makes me feel all peaceful and stuff."

You suddenly remembered something.

"O-oh! And did you know? The word describing that comfy smell of rain after a dry season is 'petrichor'!"

He looked at you, head tilted down and to the side at you, his wide eyes showing his astonishment.

"I did not! Thank you for enlightening me, I now know a far simpler way to describe this feeling."

You beamed up at him, eyes closing momentarily as you grinned a toothy grin. When your eyes opened again, his face had an enchanted smile. That blush... it was back.

A coincidence, surely.

You decided to pretend you didn't notice.

"Oh, hey! It's a nice evening. Would you like to take a little walk?"

You bow slightly, looking up at him and offering your hand. He flinches slightly, eyes widening again as his face erupted in a deeper hue.

"Uh, y-yes. Yes I would."

He hastily grabs your hand and moves to face forward, avoiding your gaze. The man was probably in his early-to-mid 50's or 60's, but his voice audibly cracked. You didn't mention it, however, much to his relief.

^^^>

Here you are, splashing and kicking about in some puddles. You brought rain boots with you to keep at the school because the weather seemed to change at a sneeze in Paldea, but you really didn't mind. You loved the rain. You also loved having company, even super posh and serious company. You called for your companion.

"C'MON, HASS! WHY NOT GET YOUR PANTS WET THIS ONE TIME!?"

He was leaning away, seemingly trying to protect his suit jacket.

"Er... I would rather not have to deal with dry cleaning for a few minutes of rebellion..."

You understood, although a part of you just wanted to see the man act like a child again. So you walked off to stare out into the distance, 'hmm'ing to yourself as you came up with an idea. This worried Hassel, who backed up a bit.

"My dearest, what is on your mind? I'm not sure I feel comfortable with your suspicious little 'hmm's..."

You let out a mischievous little cackle before turning your upper half back towards him. His nervous smiling face screams 'oh Arceus, save me!', yet he remains glued in place. He seems ready to bolt at any second, however.

"Oh, nothing." You start, turning to walk toward the man, whose nervous smile wavers a bit to being more worried.

"But I will break you."

He lets out a shakey noise, but he remains.

"Ah, well, it is alright. No need for, um, breaking." He grins. "I am quite content simply watching you enjoy yourself."

He seemed genuine. You groaned.

"Oh, I am still breaking you, sir." You point a finger at him, waggling it a little as you turn and walk away, although you don't retract it, simply shaking it to your side. "Juuuust you wait."

He 'hmmph's, shaking his head in amusement.

"I see, I am..."

He mumbles an 'Oh bother...' under his breath before continuing.

"...interested... to see whatever you have planned for the night."

You freeze. You didn't actually stop to think about when you'd "break" him. But tonight definitely works.

"Good. Cause it's gonna be WIIIIILD."

^^^>

It certainly was not nearly as wild as Hassel expected. Here you were, popping popcorn as he sat under a blanket fort in your living room. A part of you expected him to be giddy, feeling that childlike wonder take over.

But the logical part of you predicted his bewildered expression, silently staring up and around at the neon lights you hung about the dark room.

"So." he began. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Oh, I wanna remind you of what it's like to be a kid again! Let loose, man!" You did a strange little shimmying dance as you said this.

His eyes widened, although it was different than before.

"Really now?"

"Yes, really!"

The popcorn was finally done, so you put it in a large bowl before going over and putting it on the floor beside him.

"It's movie night now! Your choice..." You said, holding up several cases with classic movies.

The Little Primarina, The Pyroar King, even Revavrooms were available for him to choose from. He carefully looked them over, his usual neutral expression on his face as he seemed to seriously consider which movie to watch. It was kinda funny, your stomach compressing a little to hide a laugh that was threatening to come up. He didn't seem to notice however, instead pointing to one, looking back up at you in the process.

"That one looks promising."

^^^>

He chose poorly. Or at least, he chose one he wasn't prepared for. You watched as tears spilled from his eyes, him constantly shaking his head and whispering "no" over and over with the covers pulled up over his nose. The Steel Ultra Beast really did a number on him, watching the mysterious entity (who we now know as Celesteela) sacrifice itself to save its new friends from an Ultra Wormhole a secret branch of the government tried to seize, but instead caused to collapse. He yelped when it said to itself "Palafin." He couldn't bare to watch the climax, sobbing pitifully while squeezing his eyes shut, looking down and repeatedly chomping down on the blanket you two shared.

"It's Ok, Hass..." You said, rubbing his shoulder.

You had tried to warn him, but in all fairness, it'd take a lot of effort to properly warn anyone of the emotions involved watching it without spoiling the entire movie.

He leaned into you, his eyes still closed, tears still managing to escape.

"Th-thank you, my dearest..." He sniffles.

You felt bad for even having it as an option, but then again, he seemed to enjoy it despite the... sorrowful conclusion. You gave him a little while to let it all out, holding him tight and rubbing his back as he bawled his eyes out into your shoulder. You were so sucked up in comforting him that you almost forgot-

Gasp!

You sat up abruptly, although you hold onto Hassel so he's still lying on you.

"The ending scene!"

He's teary-eyed, but he looks over to the TV screen.

"The ending has not happened yet?"

"No! Or at least, not the true ending."

You smirk and look down at him like a Purrloin caught stealing but absolutely not regretting it, although his eyes are still sad. Either way, he kept watching, when...

"It... it is rebuilding itself?"

"Yeah! I mean, the movie never got a sequel, which sucks, but hey! Open-ended bittersweet endings are one of my favorite kinds!"

He seemed to feel slightly better, sniffling a bit as he sat up and wiped his nose.

"Ah, I-I see..." He said, slowly calming himself down. He took a few deep breaths before turning to you.

You feel the need to apologize.

"Hey, sorry I, uh, brought that movie out in the first place."

He looked at you, a weak smile on his face.

"Do not apologize, my dear! I can see why you and many others consider it a cult-classic. It was a marvellous story despite the turmoil in my heart. Perhaps even partially because of it."

He seemed hesitant to say the next part, sitting with his legs up to his chest.

"I, um, had a fantastic time with you tonight."

He turned to look at you, eyes sparkling due to the light of the TV.

"Really, I did."

There was so much warmth in his tear-stained face.

"I'm glad! I just wanted to see you let your guard down, haha!"

"Ah, I see..." He said, eyes darting to the side as he turned away, contemplation on his face.

The two of you sat in silence for a moment as he thought on what all just happened. You decided to close your eyes, lightly humming a tune to yourself. It wasn't one that existed, or even made sense really, but it was your own little melody.

"Ah, I have always wondered, is that a song you like?"

"Hehe, nah, just a melody I made up one day."

"Oh. It is very pleasant." He smiled.

"Thank you!" You smiled back.

^^^>

He had gone home later that night after you forced him to stay for pizza and a few episodes of a show you used to watch. He went for a salad instead, not wishing to feel sluggish on his way home, although you got him to eat one singular solitary slice. All-in-all, it was a very good night. You got him to smile and laugh again despite watching such a sad movie just an hour before.

It was now Friday, three days later. You knew he'd have something special planned for his students today, as he did every other Friday. You wondered what it'd be as you reorganized the shelf housing the Occulture Magazine again. You idly wondered how accurate the entries were when you heard a bell.

"Oh, classes are out already?"

You had already kept up with what the students in the entrance hall were up to that day, since there weren't many there to really pick up after, so really, all you had to do was a final check of the catalog you started earlier so you could pop by and see what Hassel had done that evening.

It took a bit over 30 minutes to wrap everything up, but you finished, signing out of your work computer and making your way over to the art room.

When you reached the door, you heard a familiar tune. You wondered what it was, before suddenly realizing something: it's the tune you hum! He remembered it? Has he hummed it before?

You entered the classroom, prepared to ask him how he remembered the erratic tune so well when you decided to see if he was in a state to even be distracted. Hassel was sitting at a desk, adding various dots with the aid of a thin paintbrush to a canvas he had. You assumed it was glitter or stars.

He looked up at you, neutral expression turning into a huge grin.

"Oh, my darling! Come over here! I have something I'd like to show you!"

You did as he said, coming over as he himself stood up to meet you at the other side of the desk.

He held up a painting, and by Arceus was it gorgeous. It was of Celesteela, flying into space, a content look on its face despite the doom looming over it.

"I used this as an example for today's lesson." He began. "I was inspired by our movie night earlier this week. I thought of the many pieces of media that make one feel things, the images and words that truly stick with you that came from another mind, how we often analyze and relate to them. So I decided to base this Friday's special on that very concept! Everyone was allowed to draw and paint their own favorite scenes from the movies, shows, and games they enjoy."

You nodded, still taking in all the details of his painting. He based it off a real photo of Celesteela, a sorta modern "glow up" of sorts that make the familiar scene truly pop.

He continued.

"This piece was meant to represent the acceptance Celesteela showed during the climax of the film. How it smiled despite facing what it thought at the time was oblivion. How it..." He swallowed and blinked harshly a few times. "...it would do anything for... the ones they lub... w-without he... hesi-"

You put a hand on his shoulder, smiling. The man looked back down at you, obviously on the brink of tears as he swallowed and sniffled a bit.

"Heh... I suppose you wouldn't need my analysis, seeing as though that tape of yours was so well-loved."

He had taken note of how the label on the tape wasn't perfectly pristine.

You scoffed, playfully rolling your eyes.

"Yeah, well..." You continued to look off to the side. "I like it when things make me feel things."

He softly laughed, a few stray tears finally escaping. He closed his eyes while leaning his head back for a moment.

"Yes, I can tell. You seem to enjoy learning about descriptive words and how specific they can get..."

He trailed off before wiping his tears away, finally looking down at you again.

"Well, speaking of, would you like to... accompany me at my booth for the academy's upcoming fair? It would be nice to teach people more ways to express themselves and how they feel about the things they consume. It is truly saddening to see people keep their opinions to themselves simply because they do not know how to accurately bring their thoughts into the world. And as a self-proclaimed 'word nerd', your area of expertise would be an excellent addition to my own inspiration station, alleviating the frustration they feel and helping them dig up what they feel inside."

You blinked. Hassel, the Hassel wanted to work with you? You thought he was far more articulate than you, often gnawing at what he says in your mind and trying to emulate that vibe in your emails. I mean, you often said "lmao" in real life. Having an interest in words sadly didn't make you a wordsmith of any sort. Did he see something in the way you speak or express yourself that you didn't?

"I'll d-do it."

Woah, how nervous were you? Or, rather, how eager were you?

Hassel's golden eyes shone as he grinned, ecstatic at your 'yes'.

"Ah, do not worry, my dear! You will do amazingly, I just know it."

Looks like you're gonna need to break out the thesaurus.

^^^>

It was the afternoon of the "Treasures Within" fun fair. Hassel's booth was really fun, he'd do his usual demo thing while also personally helping people start their artistic journeys when they didn't quite know where to go after each session. His advice came from a place that personally helped him cope and start his life anew in his past, although he didn't delve into just how it helped, only that he understands the struggle.

As for you, if someone wanted to articulate exactly how they felt about a piece of art or music, you'd hold a "mind unraveling" session, where you picked out certain themes they repeated or tried to go deeper in until they felt confident in describing what it is they feel with words that felt right. You thanked yourself for having the forethought to read up and watch a bunch of impassioned speeches online ahead of time.

It was a month of you hiding your anxiety from Hassel, but you can tell he knew, as he not-so-subtly tended to your every unspoken need, such as making tea whenever you were too busy reading, or having a comfy spot prepared whenever you came to his room to discuss your plans. He would even manage to check in on you more often than usual despite needing to tend to things on his own end.

Nothing could really get past him, could it?

As you were finishing up helping a kid who wanted to express just why he loved a drawing where Regieleki and Xurkitree became friends so much, you turn to see Hassel already looking at you, a familiar fond smile on his face.

"I would say today was a success, no?"

You pause for a split second, although you're not sure why. You respond, however.

"Oh yeah, for sure! I'd say we make a great team, even!"

Now it was Hassel's turn to pause, although his is far more noticeable. Jolting slightly, his mouth suddenly presses together into a tight line as a blush erupts on his face. He pretends to not realize this, although he looks tense.

"I certainly agree, my dear-"

His voice momentarily rises in pitch as he abruptly chokes and doubles over at the end, turning away. It sounded genuine, although you wondered if it'd have happened if you didn't say what you did.

You couldn't help but look back on all his odd behaviors around you lately.

"Um, yes!"

You turn to a vendor.

"I'm..."

You momentarily turn back to the man, pointing over your shoulder to the stand.

"I'm gonna go get some juice. For you, specifically."

You then turn and leave without another word.

^^^>

It was night. The fun fair has long since been cleared out in Mesagoza, but the two of you were nowhere near the town anymore. In fact, you were on top of the lighthouse on Poco Path.

Your eyes were closed, taking in that sea breeze. You cooed softly as you felt the gentle wind cut through the otherwise muggy night. Despite the humidity, it felt nice, reminding you of summer nights as a child.

Your train of thought came to an abrupt halt at this realization, however.

What was the weather like where Hassel used to live?

You opened your eyes, slowly turning toward the man, who also had his own closed. He had a calm smile on his face. You didn't want to ruin it, but you couldn't help but feel bad. He left all that was familiar to him due to circumstances he couldn't control, at the hands of his own family, no less. You wondered if he had any particular places, feelings, or things he missed, but you decided to ask a different question.

"...hey, uh... Hass?"

His smile widened for a split-second before he responded, eyes still closed.

"Yes, my dear?"

You didn't know how to begin.

"Does this weather make you think of anything?"

His smile fell to a neutral frown as he thought.

"Hm. What do you mean?"

How do you ask this question without annoying him...?

"L-like, this weather reminds me of summer break, when I'd open my window past my usual bedtime and stare at the stars. Does this weather make you feel nostalgic in any way? Like, sentimental and peaceful and stuff?"

You look down, stretching the bottom hem of your top a little. "It's just an intense feeling I'm getting, sorry."

He takes a moment to ponder this question.

"Ah, no worries. We often feel the need to relate with others in regards to our intense feelings and emotions. But to answer your question, it does, yes."

This answer both relieved and confused you further. He seemed fine answering, but it was somewhat vague. You decided not to push it, however, just glad he didn't take it the way you thought he might (not that it'd be wrong if he didn't want to answer it at all.)

"Right on, man. Right on..."

You turned away and stared back out into the distance. The silence that swept over the scene felt loose, fluid, running through and around the two of you like some unknown substance.

You weren't sure if you should add anything onto the conversation, but his voice decided what would happen instead.

"I... have a confession to make, actually."

You froze.

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath.

"That feeling you often speak of, the one where you feel a lightness in your chest and peace wash over you. A peaceful sadness, even, I do not really feel when I think of 'home' anymore. I feel nothing. "

You take his words in. It made sense, really, but it made you sad beyond belief.

He continued.

"Yes, that feeling of longing, a-and belonging, I know it may be hard to truly grasp, but trust me when I say I am fine with my decisions, that I cannot say I regret leaving my old life behind even if I do miss certain aspects of it from time to time. The negatives here far outweigh the positives there."

You nodded. Honestly, this convo was all your mind needed to extinguish your curiosity for a good while. He left home, and he's content with his current life, no matter how much he may miss certain aspects of it. No elaboration needed.

Except, there was some elaboration needed, only it was needed elsewhere.

"Oh! And your confession? Or was that your confession?"

He paused, body tensing as his grip on the handrails tightened. His breathing became slightly labored as a blush creeped onto his face.

"Um, well..."

He mumbled an "Oh dear..." to himself before continuing.

"When I said I have things here that make me feel at home, I meant the connections I've made. I love the people in my life far more than I love my family. I still care for them, yes. I can confidently say I love them, but I cannot say I actually like them."

He wasn't looking at you. Your mind was swimming with possibilities for what he planned on saying next, although you had the faintest idea...

"I... am very fond of you, too. I often find that I feel that peaceful feeling around you in particular."

He swallowed, eyes stinging with tears he tried desperately to blink away. He was holding his composure quite well, actually. You subconsciously held your breath.

"My darling dearest, I cannot hide how I feel for much longer, no matter how hard I try... I think... I believe I am... falling in love with you."

Your mind went blank as you stared up at the man, heart and stomach dropping in an instant. His eyes have closed yet again. His shuddering shoulders and shaky breath gave everything away, however.

He lifted his arm, covering his eyes as you continued to stare wide-eyed at him.

"I am so very sorry, my dear! I-I hobe you do nod feel cornered by my conbession!" He sobbed. "I shall make my leab ib- ib you wish do be aloooone! BWUHH-HU-HU-HU-HUHHHHH!!"

You could barely understand what he was saying. He had already started to walk away when you finally closed your mouth. You weren't even aware you were gaping at him, the confession shutting your senses down despite halfway expecting something along these lines at this point. You guessed actually hearing him say it was different to speculating quietly to yourself...

"W-wait! Mr. Hassel!"

You grabbed his free arm, stopping him from getting any further. His cries continued, however.

"I-I'm sorry! I was just so shocked, I-"

You look down, still processing the feeling of your heart pounding in your chest. You hadn't even realized you were shaking so much until you realized how oddly... weak your grip on his arm felt.

"I-I jus-"

He took a few rapid half-breaths before stopping you.

"You do nod h-hab do gib me a resbonse! Nod now, nod eb-eberrrrr!"

You considered this. Truthfully, the idea of giving dating Hassel a shot didn't seem half-bad. You looked up to him, admired his skill and his strength despite everything he's been through. Not to mention, you admittedly found the man kinda cute. His personality just struck you as so sincere, taking his work and emotions very seriously. He's a very honest man, so he must truly love you. You'd definitely feel secure with him...

"...you're right... about the me needing time thing." You began. "B-but once I sort my feelings out, maybe we can get to know each other some more?"

He was still trembling, breath catching up with him as he hyperventilated. But a few seconds later, while heavily panting, he could respond.

"I-I would lub that!!"

He had turned to you, eyes still closed, head still tilted back, but he grabbed both of your hands and gently brought them up a little closer to himself. As he finally caught his breath and started breathing at a normal pace (aside from the large, shallow breaths he took), he slowly opened his eyes, looking at you, blush ever present on his face. His eyes sparkled with an intensity you'd never seen before as he smiled, the bottoms of his eyes crinkling as he did so. For a split-second, he looked like a young man again...

The two of you stood there, a tranquil feeling coming over you, when you heard him start to whimper. His mouth wobbled for a second before he suddenly started bawling again, causing your eyes to widen. You then let out an odd chuckle.

"Oookay, big guy. C'mere."

You took him into a hug, causing him to cry even louder as he let his overwhelming emotions out.

^^^>

It had been a few weeks. You were thinking back on everything that had happened. The moment you realized 'maybe he feels stronger feelings toward me than I thought.' How he went along with your weird plans despite having better things to do, how he looked out for your well-being by going above and beyond for you and truly understanding your needs, how he always praised and incorporated you into his work...

You absent-mindedly flip through some pages of Occulture Magazine. It really didn't seem too realistic now that you actually had a chance to sit down and read through it, but strangely enough, that wasn't really what you were thinking about right now.

You stand up, putting the book back on the shelf, a smile on your face as you make your way to the art room. He was on break at the moment.

You approach the open door, leaning against it and knocking, catching his attention.

"O-oh! Hello there!" He quickly clears his throat. "I'm very happy to see you! What brings you here?"

You look around, making sure nobody was there to hear this.

"Hoooow about... we go see a movie this Saturday?"

^^^>

A/N

I KNOW THIS STORY IS A LITTLE ODD! Like, he seems to be madly in love with you already, to an obvious degree, but this is the first time you take note of anything, right? Well, it's one of those "Oh yeah, there were signs" sorta situations. The pottery night you had with him was a small hint that he was already looking out for your well-being well before this and giving you special attention, but you just didn't think much of it. Plus, he's quite emotional, you imagine that once he finds a friend he feels safe around, his even more complex feelings come out. Which, true, but also HE DOES STUFF AROUND YOU THAT HE ONLY DOES AROUND YOU BUT YOU DON'T NOTICE CAUSE HE IMMEDIATELY CHANGES HIS BEHAVIOR ONCE HE REALIZES YOU'RE NEARBY. You defo noticed that behavior change, but again, he changes a bit around close friends already, and you didn't really have a point of reference for what his "normal" is (yet)

Sorry, I just love the pining dude genre, gimme some more oblivious love interests for male characters, please! Your gender still isn't stated, I just wanted Hassel to be the one to be super soft and like "Yes please notice me" while you're like "Huh. Cool. He just asked to take me to a new café. So anyway, how about some more weirdly specific words?" IT'S SUPER CUTE AHH

Also, speaking of, the story was gonna have them going to a café instead of a walk, and him talking about some beautiful customs and traditions from around the world and bringing up the Applin thing as a super duper totally subtle hint at his feelings, but you'd genuinely not know of that tradition before, so you'd just see it as a neat little cultural tidbit, but then I was like "bruh they just had tea", so I changed it to them spending time together like kids cause I thought it'd be cute if you got through to him to get him to experience things from a childhood he couldn't enjoy (even if it is more based on your own childhood, you're trying! Consider the night they shared here a test run). No worries, in future installments, reader will begin to fully understand what he went through growing up (I tried to make their questions less about his family and more about his life in general, but of course, the two are forever linked.) The idea of the little fair came randomly, based on the fact that all the gym leaders seem to have some career where they express themselves (even Larry with his "normal old job(s)," although obviously it's all more complicated than that), plus the entire game has frequent themes of people finding where they fit in life, what they wanna do, their dreams/goals, things like that. It's pretty interesting, actually, I can't articulate myself well tho so RIP I guess

ALSO ALSO not gonna edit this one cause the Tumblr app COULD NOT HANDLE IT LAST TIME so yeah

OH YEAH I HAVEN'T SEEN THE IRON GIANT IN 66 MILLION YEARS SO SORRY, I JUST TOOK WHAT I REMEMBERED AND POKÉ-FIED IT, I'm just going to use the excuse that the legends of the Ultra Beasts go WAY back, so the Celesteela in the movie may look simplified by comparison due to them not having a complete picture of it compared to the characters in S/US/M/UM. The movie doesn't even say its name, simply referring to it as the Steel Ultra Beast because nobody knew their names yet

[ceilingfan5]

for @taznovembercelebration prompt 3 or 100!!! join me in playing with these prompts this month!

“Mama, I told you, I have a…thing today,” Kravitz mumbles into the phone, making an apologetic face at Taako through the glass. “I can help out tomorrow, but I had plans, I- I know death stops for nothing, Mama, but you can run the funeral home without me for a few hours, can’t you?”

He closes his eyes and tries not to audibly groan as she goes on, but she isn’t evil, and eventually lets him off the phone. And when she does, Kravitz rolls down his window–old automatic crank though it is, in his prized antique hearse that chews through gas like a soon-to-be-ex-smoker fucking up a Costco-sized pack of nicotine gum. It’s a little on the nose, but subtlety is for normal people, and not hot weirdos like Kravitz and his beautiful boyfriend. 

“Greetings, beautiful boyfriend,” Kravitz says, in absolute freak-like behavior, because it will make Taako laugh, and it absolutely does. “I have successfully evaded corpse patrol.” 

“Oh thank god.” Taako tugs him into a kiss, and Kravitz hopes his black lipstick stays. He did the tea test, but Taako’s enthusiastic, and fond of glittery lip gloss. It’s different. “I was worried I was gonna have to enter the library solo, and they were gonna card me, and kick me out when they discovered I’m fucking illiterate.” 

Kravitz laughs, and shoos him so he can open the door. He grabs his bag and his printed poem and steps out,  swinging Taako around in a tight hug. Touchy-feely physical affection is so new, and it’s the meat pumpkin to his pacing tiger he’s needed for a long, long time. It feels good to want and be wanted, touch and be touched, hold and be held. 

“Librarians wouldn’t do that,” Kravitz soothes. “They’d just hang you up by your toes and let the children’s section eat your soft and delicately flavored insides.”

“Delicately flavored my ass, this bitch is full of blue Takis.” Taako snorts. “Banter banished, are you ready to go in?”

“Yeah,” Kravitz says, definitely not freezing, totally not completely ice cold stuck in place. “I am so ready to read my poems that I wrote in front of either 3 or one hundred strangers, who might be better at poetry than me, and have brought judging cards, to rate me on an intense rubric from laureate to loser. I am already walking up those stairs, as you can see with your open eyes.” 

“I mean,” Taako says, wrapping an arm around him, tucking in a little, so warm, so affectionate it burns. “We could just go to Burger Hut. You don’t have to.”

“I want to.” It’s still hard to get out. 

“So lets, then.” Taako nudges him forward. “Maybe they’ll have that shitty coffee that comes in a box.” 

And with the thawing reminder that he’s not alone, and also that it doesn’t really matter that much, and no one will eat his delicate insides (which, unlike Taako, absolutely do not contain blue Takis), Kravitz lets Taako push him forward, into the basement of the library. 

There are not 3 people, and there are not one hundred people. It’s at a solid and comforting thirteen, which is several, but not as hideously overwhelming as last night’s nightmares. Half of them are incredibly old, one is a literal cowboy, and Kravitz feels very young and very gay and very goth. Taako laughs when asked if he wants to perform, and says something teasingly shmoopy about Kravitz instead, and when Kravitz is up on the list, he makes his feet go all the way to the podium, and his hands pick up the mic and his slightly sweat-ruffled paper, and he opens his mouth, and lets his soul come out. 

“This one, uh,” Kravitz swallows hard. “Is called, Mortal Marathon. And, uh, maybe you can figure out…my family business.” There’s some murmuring, and Kravitz decidedly does not wet his pants and expediently retreat, if only because Taako would witness his cowardice, and he has a date at the Burger Hut after this, if his constitution allows such a thing. He gives himself one more breath, and sinks into the acting of it all, and doesn’t just read–he performs.  

Death runs in the family, though 

Certainly not at a full sprint. 

Death does not hurry–it is a pursuit predator

And always catches its prey. 

And over and over, again and again, 

Death finds its mark, catches one from the rest, 

The right one, the right moment, the right way–

And just like so many before me, Death chose me.

Grim Reapers may be a staple of slashers 

that rot their sets with corn syrup blood

But Death, to me, is a hand to hold

on the long walk home, 

Wherever that may be. I shouldn’t, couldn’t say. 

Death is a companion, a support, one final loved one 

cheering you on as you finish the race– it’s over now, isn’t it? 

You made it, and look how far. 

Death is a celebration, 

The recognition Life gets for all her hard work. 

Where would we be without it? 

Death runs in the family, and 

until another shoulders the mantle,

I’ll reach out my hand, and take yours, 

And celebrate every breath you took, 

Every moment you shared,

Every love, every passion, every desire, 

And the line will continue on and on, 

And yours and yours and yours will remember.

And even if they won’t,

I will. 

And when he looks back up, they’re clapping. He scurries back to his seat, and leans against Taako for moral support.

“Did I win poetry?” he whispers, trying to will himself to be more goofy than nauseous. 

“Yeah, babe, you won poetry.” Taako squeezes his thigh and grins. “Nerd.”

Kravitz’s shoulders relax. And you know what? He’ll take it. 

[pinklemonadeflav]

Library

• pt. 2 of See You Around series | pt.1 | pt. 3

"Sorry for asking when I was about to smack you a few seconds ago, but could you quickly recommend a few books on modern art history?"

Persona-coded ⍰ : Mingyu, Soobin

☁︎

wc: 2.1k

Crush! College AU, strangers to friends to lovers (currently acquaintances)

tldr of prev parts: You meet _____ in the midst of nervously handling a shoot alone; the beginning of more.

<Read under the cut>

The faint ticking of the clock turns your attention to it.

8.53pm.

You had lost track of time, and It was almost time for the campus library to close. From what you could see, the third floor was completely cleared out. Coupled with the darkness outside the window and the striking silence, you start to feel the creeps.

You shut your sketchbook and pack your printed references. As you descend down the stairs, even the padding of your feet on the carpeted floor was adding on to your creeps, so you quicken your pace. Reaching the first floor, you notice a hooded figure a few shelves back hovering in the art book section. The figure scans the rows of titles, turning his head just enough for you to see his face.

Is that _____?

"The library will be closing in 5 minutes, please leave before we lock up." Topped with headphones, it looked like _____ couldn't hear the librarian's announcement, and his tentative posture didn't look like he was leaving anytime soon.

You decide to alert him, stepping towards him and reaching your hands up to tap his shoulder when-

"WhA-noUH-" A string of nonsense leaves his lips as he whips around surprised, nearly elbowing your cheek in the process. You yelp and shrink back, hands shielding your face. You stare at each other with wide eyes for a few seconds before he rips his headphones off and blurts out,

"Oh my god-sorry, are you okay? I'm so sorry-"

You quickly pull your arms down to show you were fine, "Nono! I'm okay, it's okay you didn't get me! I-uh, just wanted to let you know it's nearly 9pm, the librarian is chasing us out."

You notice his hand hesitating at his sides, so you affirm your statement with an awkward smile. He clears his throat and replies, "Ah, alright, thanks for that... Uhm, sorry again."

"No problem."

You turn to leave, but he doesn't move from his spot, calling out, "Wait- You're the photographer from last time right? I didn't catch your name."

"Oh right, I know yours but you don't know mine- it's y/n!"

His lifts his left arm, itching the back of his head awkwardly, "Y/n, sorry for asking when I was about to smack you a few seconds ago, but could you recommend a few books on modern art history? I kinda assumed you're an art major since..."

He points to the sketchbook in your arms, and you mouth an 'o' back. "Ah-yea. I have Art History Fundamentals this semester so I do-"

"Ahem." Your thought was interrupted by a third voice that sounds out behind you. The librarian stands with her arms crossed at the end of the aisle, visibly annoyed. Flustered, both of you quickly apologise and head for the exit. He follows you a few tentative steps behind, turning back to glance at the art book section once more.

You slow your pace a little, " _____? can I ask, what it's for?"

"It's for the media studies module I'm taking, something about the development of art in the last century and today's world...The assignment requires book references so I guess my plan of watching a 10 minute video summary isn't quite enough."

His eyes are glued to the gravelly floor as you two finally make it outside, and the moon illuminates his sheepish expression.

"Yea I get it, the information can be a lot when you don't know where to start. As I was trying to say just now, I have some books for my module. I think the library's collection is a little outdated, so mine may be more helpful to you?"

Upon hearing that, his face lights up, lips parting to flash his toothy grin. You pause and smile naturally in response, eyes flicking back up to his as he spoke, "That'll be perfect. If you're okay, I can give you my number and we'll work it out? It's pretty late now, so we can do it another time."

"Yeah, I was actually hoping to bump into you again, I forgot to get your contact details the last time to forward you your portrait."

You hand him your phone and his hands linger on your fingers for a split second as he remembers the last time. You had basically attacked him with compliments, happy with how the portrait turned out, and he was defenceless against them. His hands fumble to hold your phone properly and he types his information in.

"That handsome guy from the photo"

You laugh softly at the contact name he puts in for himself, only now starting to realise how embarrassing your comments were during the shoot.

"Okay, I'll text you."

You bid each other goodbye for the night and go your respective ways.

---

You stroll into the library at 9.06 a.m., glancing over the "librarian's recommendations" section at the entrance. You pull out your phone to check for notifications.

You and _____ had arranged to meet at 9.30 over text a few days back. You left your dorm room a little earlier this morning to take a stroll, but ended up coming to the library to hide from the unexpected cold. So, you were a little surprised when someone gently tapped on your shoulder and you turn to find _____ standing there.

He's dressed comfortably in a dark green sweatshirt and flowy pants, backpack draped haphazardly over his right shoulder. Meanwhile, you were a little more dressed up for your afternoon classes in a loose white blouse and knit skirt, scarf bunched around your neck for the autumn chill.

He smirks as your eyes meet his, "Morning, you planning on becoming a chef?"

In front of you sits a book titled "28 Recipes to Warm your Home and Heart".

"Maybe I'll join the other starving artists and end up switching careers. Though, I probably won't do that great since I can barely cook to feed myself."

He lets out a chuckle which slowly morphs into a yawn. You notice his hair is sticking out in bits, but the front is relatively neater, like he was tidying his hair but missed the back. His morning voice is also lower as he pardons his hippo yawn.

You quirk an eyebrow, “Didja just wake up? You could've slept in for another 15 minutes or so." You're reminded of your first meeting with him, where he was also early to the shooting schedule, although, not to this degree.

"Mm I wanted to see y- uh- I don't really like to be late, especially since you're helping me out."

He blinks away his stumble, post-sleep haziness still lingering. He mentally groans at what he stopped himself from saying. Truth be told, he had been pushing down (or trying to) his growing feelings of interest towards you. He never thought he would’ve been the kind of guy to be ambushed by butterflies over someone he barely knows.

He totally did not find himself smiling when you did, and noting the small things about you; like when your lips nervously pouted while you were hard at work setting up the shoot, and how it transformed into a confident grin as the shoot progressed. He also did not gaze at the faint blush on your cheeks when you read the contact name he input on your phone, certainly not turning his head back when you parted ways.

Most of all, he was definitely not drawn in by your thoughtful actions; You had agreed to help him no-questions-asked. Then when you texted him, he had only expected you to set up a meeting time to hand over the books, but you went a step further and offered to coach him for his assignment as well.

You two were basically strangers, but he found himself excitedly rushing out of his dorm room and ended at the meeting spot earlier than his usual effort of 10 minutes.

He trails behind you, eyes subconsciously trained on your fluttering hair as you lead the way to a table. You sit across from each other and pull out your respective laptops and materials. You drag out the thickest book in your collection, flipping to a page you had bookmarked.

You begin the session, "Let's start here..."

---

“Oh so that’s why! I thought it was just nonsensical.”

You’re coming to the end of your the tutoring, and he’s surprisingly fascinated by what you just explained about an art movement.

In the past two hours, you had run through a large chunk of modern art history with your references.You could tell he was a little confused (maybe even cynical) at the start, thinking that the artworks didn’t make sense, but maintaining some politeness with small questions. It gradually evolved into genuine enquires as you detailed the links between the styles and the contexts of the artists.

Here you are now, sitting cross-armed with a satisfied grin as he flips through the book to take in the pieces again with more appreciation. His eyes jump from page to page and he’s humming to himself. You notice him nodding slightly as he re-reads certain paragraphs, and there’s a faint dimple beside his mouth when he focuses.

You’re starting to stare until- “Ding ding!”

Your phone alarm rings. There’s 45 minutes left before your afternoon classes. “Ah, I gotta head off, I have a lecture to attend later.“

He whips his head up from its hunched position, eyebrows rising. He starts to help you pack the table to leave, but some part of him doesn’t quite want to part ways yet. He ponders what to say next.

"Do you…have some time before your lesson? Wanna grab some food?"

You tilt your head, calculating for a second how much time you have. He holds his breath as you think, and let’s out a small breath of relief when you turn back to him with a grin, "Sure!"

---

At the nearby campus canteen, you grab your favourite sandwich and a glass of lemonade. He pairs his plate of cheese-baked rice with iced americano, and you find seats in the midst of the packed tables.

The decibel level of the canteen was tenfold of the library spot, and you had to raise your voice a little,

“So! I don’t think I asked your major?”

Twisting the straw between his fingers, he half-shouts back, “I’m in business! I’m considering specialising in marketing in the future, and my senior suggested the media studies module as an elective.”

You shovel a quarter of the sandwich into your mouth at one go, nodding and speaking with your hand over your mouth, “Then, how’re you enjoying it so far?”

He lightly chuckles, “Much more now, thanks to you. I didn’t get why it was recommended, and was even considering dropping it because my professor is so dry. But, I'm glad I didn't, it's honestly pretty interesting!”

You two discuss your thoughts on the material, and conversation felt so easy. The banter gradually steered to sharings on how you found university life so far, him making little jokes that got you stifling laughs, and eventually talking more casually about yourselves.

“I promise you, cooking is not as complicated as it seems, I prepare half of my weekly meals and it saves me quite some money.” He shakes his head, faking exasperation after a 5-minute debate on cooking.

You groan, “Ughh that’s easy for you to say! You said you’ve been cooking since what- middle school? I’m fine surviving on $3 sandwiches, thank you.”

He gives a playful frown of disapproval at your dietary habits, thinking you deserve to eat better. He has every mind to whip up his signature omelette for you. It would be a little troublesome since only the place across town sells the special spice he likes. Anyways, that’s no biggie, he thinks, and he’ll exclude the eggplant since you mentioned you don’t like them and-

“Well, now I’ve really gotta get going.”

You stand up, crumpled sandwich bag and empty cup in hand, and he mirrors you, carrying his tray. Heading to the tray-return area, he speaks up,

“I’ll return the books to you another time if that’s okay, I still gotta refer to them for citations and such.���

You give a thumbs up and a warm smile, devastating his insides.

Parting ways with you again, he was left wondering why he felt a little breathless with his heart pounding. His other hand absent-mindedley traces your handwriting on one of the many post-its plastered on the book, and he steals one more glance at your distant figure before turning around to leave.

.

Phewy, is _____ starting to catch feels for the reader?! I happened to write this chapter more from his perspective and feelings, only showing the reader’s interest through her lingering staring (in the prev chapter too haha). Not sure what’ll be in the next pt exactly, but it’ll definitely focus more on the reader’s pov!

Random notes: soobin was the vision for for pt 1 cus I started writing it at the peak of my txt era. Now with a cooking-agenda being set-up, let’s pretend soobin’s cooking has improved 🫣 (maybe it has? idk), but I wrote that bit with more of mingyu in mind lol

Anyway, thank you for reading till the end, have a great day!

[babybluebanshee]

Stuff I've had to deal with as a city librarian - Halloween Spooktacular

Hello again boils, ghouls, and nonbinary werewolves! Your old buddy Blue has a backlog of whack-ass stories from her travels as a humble library clerk, so here's a big post fulla laughs, drama, and maybe a few bodily fluids tossed in for flair.

Seriously though, tw for bodily fluids, bugs, and PTSD

*A woman came up to the front desk and asked if we had a quiet area where she could make a zoom call and not disturb anyone. No prob, have people asking that all the time. The study rooms were all full, so she was pointed in the direction of the cafe. A few minutes go by, and suddenly everyone at the desk and the page in the shelves beyond it hears loud ass shouting coming from the cafe. Julie heads down to inspect, hoping it's not a fight she has to break up. Nope, as it turns out, the lady on the zoom call is leading an exercise class. She has a mat and everything, and was leading her class in aerobics when Julie got down there. We quickly moved her to a more out-of-the-way conference room.

*A children's board book was return to us with a bite taken out of it. The area was still wet. We do not know if it was child or beast that took the bite. We had to throw it away regardless.

*We had to bake almost all our DVD cases because we found two with bed bug eggs in them.

*A woman printed out some color pictures and asked if I could check to make sure they came out. I picked up the stack and the first one on top was of an angry-looking woman with her tits out. My surprise must have been pretty evident because the woman I was helping immediately turned red and told me they were for a court case.

*Like everywhere else in this god-forsaken country, homeschooling has been on the rise in these parts. As such, we get parents all the time coming in with printed copies of the curriculum they chose and asking if we have the books recommended by them. Whatever we don't have, we can usually get through inter library loan, but the catch with that is you can only have five going at a time. One day, we had a mother come in with a list of three hundred books her curriculum recommended, and she had us check out catalogue for all of them. Branson started helping her, but her shift ended in the middle of it, so I had to do the rest. It took forever, and we ended up only having about fifty of them because I guess this homeschooling curriculum hasn't been updated since the mid-2000s. To her credit, the mother was very exasperated with homeschooling in general and knows that her daughter doesn't want to do it anymore. Her husband is adamant that their kid not go to public school, however. I fought every urge to say that was fine for him to say when he clearly wasn't doing a goddamn thing to help her.

*There's a patron that comes in whom we know nothing about except that he's had multiple heart attacks and has massive anxiety about potentially having another. We know this because he tells us every time the library gets too loud for him, because he believes the noise will somehow "trigger" another heart attack. Normally, we would have no problem with that; heart attacks are scary, he has every right to be anxious about it and request quiet spots to hang out. However, the problem is that he takes it upon himself to police other patrons in the library who he thinks are being too loud near him. Some children were nearby, working on a puzzle and started getting a little rambunctious, and the dude yelled at the top of his voice for them to shut up and get away from him. We had to speak louder for a patron who was hard of hearing, and the death glare he gave us was chilling. He snaps at anyone who forgets to shut the sound off on their phone. The director finally had to tell him he can't harass patrons and to tell us if he has a problem with someone's volume. He's been better behaved since then, but any time we see him, we're instantly worried he's gonna flip out again.

*A little boy in a wheelchair came in with his family, and my god, that kid could zip around fast. His mom mentioned that she forgot to grab a book for his sister, so he rolled into the kid's area to grab it for her. He was back faster than a patron who could just walk in. And you could tell he was very proud of that fact.

*Shae gave me a Sylveon card about a year ago, and I wear it laminated on my lanyard (because I was originally gonna hang it from my rearview mirror but forgot). It's always a big hit with kids. One little girl, however, liked it so much she asked if she could have it. I chuckled and told her sorry, it was a gift from a friend. She merely replied, "no, I want it" and started making a grab for it. Luckily, she was on the other side of the counter and couldn't reach it, but it was still weird. Especially because her mother was right there and made no move to stop or reprimand her.

*My coworker Branson had to clean...something off the bathroom floor one night. She's adamant it wasn't poop, but also said it was so dried out she had to use a putty knife to scrape it off. Our best guess is vomit.

*I was working on a display at the desk and a little black girl came up to watch me work. We chatted for a little, her asking me all the usual little kid questions. Eventually, she asked me if I had kids. I said no, I liked being an auntie better. Plus, I wasn't married, so I couldn't have kids. She thought for a moment, then said "why don't you just buy one?" Branson was nearby and I heard her choke on a laugh. I was pretty close to losing it myself, and said, "I don't think it's very nice to buy a person." Luckily, her dad came up and they left shortly after, so Branson and I could finally laugh about it.

*A patron and his family got taken to court for not returning almost $200 worth of books and DVDS, after ignoring the four warnings we give people before we actually take that step (because at that point you're actively stealing city property). The patron was ordered by a judge to either bring the items to court or pay to replace them, so he brought them to the courthouse. The clerk was going to take them and the whole thing would have been over and done...except he wouldn't give them to her without a library employee present. He never gave a real reason except he was concerned the clerk would "do something" with the items. So without contacting the library or judge the clerk told him he could bring the books directly to the library. When the judge found out what she'd done, he called the library and told us what was happening, and to hopefully expect the guy in there that night. Predictably, we haven't seen him. This was almost a month ago.

*Branson got a phone call from the county jail, which is actually pretty common for libraries. Patrons get arrested and want to make sure their accounts are clear so they don't potentially get into further trouble with outstanding items. Branson goes through all the hold music and questions to finally get the patron on the line...and he'd dialed the wrong number. Branson felt so bad for him.

*A guy came in to use the computers. Donna was getting him set up, sitting at the desk, so she can only see him from about his torso up. He ended up needing help printing something, so I help him, and finally see the sidearm he's got in a holster on his belt. I tell him the library doesn't allow firearms of any kind, no, I do not care that he has a conceal carry, he can't have a weapon in a municipal building. He's kinda testy about it, asking why we don't have a sign. I tell him we do. He had to walk by it to get in the building. In fact, we have one at all three entrances. He smugly asks me to show him, because he didn't see them. Me, petty bitch that I am, make this fucker walk to all three entrances and show him each sign, then tell him as politely as I can to get rid of the gun before he comes back in. He huffily complies.

*I came into work one day and the director immediately called me to the back. He informed me that a couple was having a loud, angry argument on the patio outside the kid's area, and they called the cops for a wellness check because the woman sounded to be in legit distress. Like, rocking back and forth and screaming swears distress. Cop comes and presumably sends them on their way. We don't know for sure because he came, went out to talk to them, and just...left.

*A guy came in to pick up an inter library loan, and when Branson asked for his card, he said he didn't have one. Like, he wasn't a patron. Never mind how the hell he managed to get a fulfilled ILL without one. Branson informs him he has to get a card before he can check out the book, but it's going to cost him $15 since he lives outside city limits. He tries to pay with a check made out to him from someone else. We tell him that won't work. He leaves to get cash, but then immediately turns around and asks if he can just buy the book. I tell him no, since a) it's not our book to sell and b) we're not in the habit of selling books in the collection anyway. I ask if he'd like me to find it on Amazon for him, and he says no. He leaves and doesn't come back. Bonnie sent the ILL back, and we haven't seen him since.

*A lot of our patrons have conspiracy theory brain rot, so you can only imagine the fanciful tales we heard about the emergency test signal. There were theories it would "activate the nanites" in the covid vaccine and either kill everyone who got one or turn them into liberal zombies. My director had someone 100% seriously call it "the Satan signal". It would have been funny if it weren't so stupid.

[bonyfish]

hi i’m so sorry if this is weird! i saw your post about doing some film archive work and i wanted to ask a little about it if you have the time, like qualifications, education, what the job’s like and how you liked it, etc. i’m finishing up a major in studio art and minor in film right now and my original career plan will not be possible for at least a good while, so i’ve been considering other options. 90% of my experience is in library work so film archiving seemed like a good option!

thank you for taking the time to read and do feel free to ignore this message if you don’t have the time or just don’t want to! have a good day!

Hi! No worries, I don't mind answering questions, though I don't know how helpful my answers will be.

I didn't realize until after making my post about my job that most film archiving jobs do require some sort of qualifications such as a degree or certificate, and that our job not requiring that sort of thing is probably one reason they were able to get away with paying us so little. That said, I've heard similar things about getting library work-- that there are people who get degrees in library science and they are able to be hired to be librarians in an official capacity, but other jobs with similar duties may not require the same training. So maybe you will have resources I didn't, through your experience in library work! It is also possible that I am talking nonsense. To the extent that I had any qualifications, they consisted of 1. an art degree (sequential art), and 2. hands-on experience shooting film and developing it in my sink, but many of my coworkers had no prior experience with film that I know of and just happened to answer the job posting.

I did enjoy my job for the most part, though like any job a lot of the day-to-day experience of it is the people, and it became pretty dull after most of my favorite coworkers moved on and management started getting megalomaniacal about productivity. (I think this sort of thing is antithetical to the practice of conservation but as I've established, my lab was not... standard.) It was really cool getting to work with film every day though, and I got to see some really fascinating things (the Kinsey work, but also old instructional programs and silent films, and very occasionally people's home movies).

My duties involved inspecting the film for damage, cleaning and repairing it, noting down metadata about the film as an object (for example whether it's an original or a print, negative or positive, what film stock, whether it has sound), and then determining the appropriate frame rate and scanning it at our very fancy scanner machines. Sometimes I'd get to do color correction and I really enjoyed that. After that point, scanning usually entailed watching the film at slightly faster than normal speed as it ran through the scanner, and keeping an eye out for any debris we'd missed at a previous stage in the process or anything going wrong with the scanner. Sometimes film would be very warped and that would make scanning difficult; a couple times a film popped clean off the scanner and multiple people needed to hold it in place while one unlucky worker wound it back up by hand. We had special metal plates to hold warped film in place, but sometimes hubris got the better of us and we didn't use them when we should've. Also, they would make horrible rhythmic squeaking noises for the duration of the scanning process.

This was really long but I guess the takeaway is: it's fun work if you can get it, but I have no idea how I got it.

Also: lab safety is very important! If, for instance, your incompetent boss spills a huge drum of perchloroethylene and rushes in to try to clean it up bare-handed with some paper towels, you should perhaps consider calling multiple workplace safety organizations about it. That's what we did.

[magpiecaranthir]

I am terribly nosy but I need to know more about this wip: That time Ecthelion fucked Tinwë and made it everyones problem

You can retaliate by asking me about all my wips if you want

Hehehe that is our 4th age fix for when tinwe gets forced returns to valinor and they have a baby

We're already over 10k into it and half of it is on my phone bc it's an easy read and the creative juices flow for little scenes I can smush together

Bc I actually do have something for that available, have a long smippet so dont mind typos but I mean what did you expect someone asks one thing about tinwe and I start screaming it's the law

Ecthelion pursed his lips and pulled out the plans of the city. He had taken over an hour, even with the help of the librarians, to find the blue print of the area their home was in.

"I have a request," he said and glanced at Turukano. "For the architects and city designers, that is."

"What would it be?"

Ecthelion glanced back at the plans and tapped his home. "We need more space. I have been looking around, and the small house next to ours is empty. I was wondering if we would be able to connect them. And if not, where there would be a free house in my district with more space than our current home."

"Planning for a second one already," said Duilin. He smiled, teasing but not unkind.

Ecthelion could not help the proud grin stretching his lips. "Third, actually. It was twins." He worked his jaw, physically trying to stop himself from bragging, but he couldn't. He had waited so long to speak of his children! To call himself a father! "10.3 pound boy and 9.6 pound girl, the latter being our firstborn."

Glorfindel's eyes widened. "Ten pounds? XXXX (dont have a fitting name yet lol) was only 9.5. Valar, is Ranyatinwe well?"

"She has never been better," smiled Ecthelion. "Well, my mother and Aegves have decided to put her on bedrest, lest she stood up and ran around trying to get her hands on chores, so she is irritated by the lack of activity, but otherwise very happy. I would not be here at all, were it not for the fact that we finally realized that indeed, we already have to sacrifice one guest room so the children can have separate bedrooms as they age. Not to mention that my father wagers the next pregnancy will be twins again, so we would be a room short-"

He cut himself off with a shake of his head. "Never mind the logistics of it. I was just wondering if it were possible to connect our current home with the one to the left."

[fourseasonsfigs]

Fig Fashion Week: Fendi Blue Bud Han

Today we have the matching Zhehan to yesterday's LV Blue Ice Jun. They weren't sold together, but the fig maker designed them together.

The inspiration for this fig comes from Zhehan's shoot for the Fendi Vertigo Summer 2021 capsule collection. The groovy 70's influence can be seen in the Vertigo pattern on the bag he's holding!

The fig maker absolutely nailed this design to this inspiration pic, I'm really impressed.

But! He lost one of his feet! It actually came off in my hand - the fig arrived intact, and when I was trying to stand him up he wobbled and off it came. Oh no! You know that moment where you just kind of disassociate for a second, not able to process that something just happened in front of you? It was like that. My brain could not simply comprehend for a second that his foot had fallen off. I was like, what is this? What is happening right now?

ALL LIMBS INTACT is all I ask! And while we're on the subject, WHO was the librarian back in the 80s that thought it was a good idea to stock a little kid's book section chock full of ghost story comics and books? Where all limbs were definitely not attached, in lurid pulp print technicolor?

A different time, is all I can say.

Despite my delayed shriek of horror, it was not, when it came down to it, a big deal. Nothing actually broke - the foot just hadn't been glued securely in the factory so it just fell out. I just used a couple spots of glue and it went right back in his pant leg. All good. You know, except for my childhood flashbacks.

Even with his little foot properly back in place, he doesn't stand up. I've noticed most of my Zhehan figs where he's wearing a bucket hat don't, I think because of the sheer size and weight. I propped him up to take this pic, and then promptly put him on a fig stand.

This little cutie is thankfully a balm to my frazzled nerves. He's got little cats in his eyes, for goodness sakes!

The fig maker changed the colorful strap of the bag in the inspiration pic to just a plain black strap in fig form. I think this was a good call - it's probably just too impractical to get all those colors in over that much territory.

I will note that when I was searching for fig standee bases I was trying to figure out what exact size to get, since there was a wide variety. I finally settled on this 4cm size since I figured that diameter would provide enough real estate to counterbalance the weight of the figs, while also not taking up more space than say your average fig head. In the case of Zhehan and his wide variety of hats, they're definitely larger than the standee!

I do love Zhehan in his hats. As someone who most definitely does not look good in hats, I especially appreciate when people took particularly cute and/or charming in them. Zhehan is both!

This is a good angle to see the pose he's standing at, with one leg bent. All poses are good to see those very fancy shoes too.

He's got the Zhehan fig proportions, all right!

The little pocket design does, in fact, look a bit like a smiling face! I love it.

The details on this fig are really well done. We have the details on the turtleneck, the smiley pocket tie! The exceptionally colorful bag and then of course those fancy kicks.

I will say I wish he was smiling in this, but that's simply my own personal preference. The fig maker was true to her muse and replicated the picture beautifully!

I forgot to take a lying-down bottoms-up angle pic, so here's my poor attempt when he's already been fastened to the standee. I take zero responsibility for this lapse of memory given that I was so distracted by his foot falling off. I can't blame myself one bit!

The top down is just about one big bucket hat! And a little wisp of hair.

You'll notice he has the same matching style of artwork as yesterday's LV Blue Ice Jun! A different scene, but very much the matching style.

Once again, more beautiful box artwork from this fig maker. I was her I'd be so proud of all the box art I had made for these figs that I'd get them all framed for my house.

Here's our two handsome men, all dressed up in their beautiful blue clothes. They go beautifully together.

Material: PVC and sufficient glue!!!!

Fig Count: 333

Scene Count: 24

Rating: 💙💙

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[clementinecyrilla]

Anyway here is a stranger things fic idea for Eddie Munson

The library.

Ive always really loved the library.

There was always something so serene, and comforting about being in one. I loved the smell of the books, I loved reading and holding them, it put a warmth in my heart.

Smack

A stack of books slammed onto the counter in front of me.

I snapped back into reality and stared at the stack in front of me. Sitting up straight as i quietly asked the person on the other side of the desk

“Checking out or returning?”

They blinked slowly at me, sighing

“Returning.”

As they handed me their library card.

Beep

Beep

I scanned their card and book quickly, apologizing to them as I fidgeted while I waited for the computer to upload everything.

Beep

It beeped loudly, letting me know it was done.

The receipt printed, as I tore it off and handed it to them quickly .

“Have a nice day.” I said as I handed it to them.

They scoffed quietly at me as they turned away, strolling out of the library empty handed. I quietly watched until I saw that they made it out the door, and now, lets see… lets see what this jerk checked out.

Technology for beginners.

Serves him right. I hope he never understands it.

The sound of a small stack of books sliding across the desk caught my attention, as I calmly looked up to see the adorable face of a curly haired boy who had been a regular here as of late.

He was always so polite, and sweet, and patient and understanding. He must be younger than me but it was always so nice to talk to him. He was such a little joy in my days seeing him.

I cleared my throat, straightened up, and asked

“Checking out or returning, Mr. Henderson?”

“Checking out.” He said, as he smiled sweetly at me.

I looked at his stack of comic books, grabbing the library card from his hands, as I started to scan everything

“Now… lets see what he's checking out today.”

I teased him, sticking my nose in the air like a snooty old woman.

“Ah, a He man comic, good taste.” I reviewed.

“Some… thor and black venom, also very good.”

He chuckled at me as I read them aloud, as I finished snootily

“And, a book on D&D plays?”

Goosebumps formed on my arms. It had been a while since I heard of that game but I remembered how much fun I had playing it. Dustin must have noticed me starong at it because he spoke up

“Have you ever… played D&D, Audrey?”

“Oh, boy did I have fun playing this in my days.” I told him. “Me and my friends would play this for. Ever. Playing this when I was your age.”

“When you were my age? That wasn’t that long of a time ago, Audrey.”

“Your card says you’re… 15 right? That puts a 7 year gap between us, buddy.”

I told him.

He looked at me, unconvinced, before very calmly and slowly pulling his books back to him.

“You're 22, not 200.” He said jokingly at me as he smiled kindly at me.

“Im just saying!” I said softly, putting my hands slightly in the air.

“Thank you, friendly neighborhood librarian.” He said to me, as he started to stroll away.

“Always a pleasure to see you, Dustin.” I said to him, as he continued to walk out of the door, as he nodded a quick and silent goodbye at me.

It was always just such a pleasant interaction seeing him, him and his friends, too.

I think they might have a D&D club, cause he and that other boy he brings with him are always checking out books about it, and they buy the dice sets from here, too.

And its sweet, I hope they love their little D&D group.

“Dude you’ve got to come and just check it out. There’s so much stuff in there that we could use and I need your input on what we should be looking at for it.”

“Why the fuck would I willingly, or rather, enthusiastically, go to the god damn library?” he muffled through his lunch.

Mike and dustin talked to him as they pleaded.

“Listen, you would probably know best what we need from this and we just think that you could find something that we couldn’t.”

He scratched his head as he listened to them, before telling them both

“Alright, fine. But only this once, alright?”

“Listen, we both have library cards so we'll both check out whatever we need.” Dustin told him, as they walked together through the doors to the gold mine that was the library.

They walked past the checkout desk, as dustin looked at the desk, and then the clock on the wall behind it.

“Huh, she must be on lunch break.” Dustin whispered to himself. Getting a quick glance from the other 2.

“Alright, just follow us.” Dustin said to eddie, as they walked their way down aisle after aisle, row after row, until they got to a dusty, musty shelf, that was stuffed from top to bottom with, as far as he could see, books about them.

Any, and every word he saw was, as they had told him, just. What. They. Were. Looking for.

They must have spent more time than they planned looking at everything there was there. They must have spent way too long in this spot because the building was practically empty by the time they left the aisle they’d been in.

Besides them, it must have been empty in there. Besides the people who worked there, of course.

They made their way to the desk to check everything out, as dustin spotted the familiar head of blonde waves that he'd become friendly with.

“Audrey!” he called to her, waving excitedly at her, as she popped her head up from the computer screen and squinted to see who it was. And when she saw, she gave him a happy wave back to him as she smiled at his face.

“Audrey, hello, it is I Dustin,” he said to me, before stepping aside to introduce the rest of his little group.

“I have brought company with me this time.”

I looked quickly at mike, before softly waving to him

“Hi mike.” I said quietly.

He smiled in response, nodding his head Hello.

“And this is my dear friend, Eddie. Who you have not met.

And Eddie, this is Audrey.”

You know those love stories that always say that time stops when you see a person you love?

I think time stopped for me.

His long, wavy, soft looking hair.

His tattoos, the big, sexy, bad ass rings on his fingers.

And his absolutely breathtaking face. He had the cutest, biggest brown eyes id ever seen in my life.

And he made my heart beat slow down.

His face made me melt a little inside, and I must have gotten so transfixed by this man, Eddie, because he had been holding my hand for about 30 seconds from across the desk.

When did we start shaking hands?

I asked myself.

Wait, was he staring back?

“Hello, Lady Audrey, I am Eddie.” He said with a small smile on his lips.

I gulped quietly, having to suddenly remember how to speak.

“Hi, he-hello Eddie. Hi, im um, im-im audrey.” I stammered out. I wasn’t used to talking to such attractive people. Matter of fact, id never met someone as handsome as him. He is absolutely, painfully gorgeous.

His lips broke out into an even bigger smile, as he laughed softly at me, before putting his elbow on my desk, with his face in his hands and a strand of his hair between his strong looking fingers, he beamed at me

“I know, audrey.”

Oh heavens, oh my.

Oh goodness, what is wrong with me?

I caught myself again and straightened myself up, as I turned to Dustin to ask

“Checking out, I presume?”

Dustin pressed his lips together, an apologetic look in his eyes as he dropped the fattest stack of books ive ever seen in my life onto my desk.

It made me gasp quickly as they loudly plopped down. And mike, red faced, came up to the desk, and dropped a stack equally large right next to it.

I sighed, slowly, so, so very slowly. Becoming exhausted just looking at them, I quietly asked

“Cards, please.”

They both handed me their cards, quickly, before apologizing profusely for this hefty stack I had to go through now.

“Its ok guys! I always try to encourage reading…” I started, as I became hypnotized by the beeping of my scanner.

“No matter how, um, tedious it can be for me.”

“And that’s why you're our favorite friendly librarian.” Dustin said to me, and it made me smile down at these books that seemed to be taking unusually long to load.

I could feel a pair of eyes on me as I sat there, scanning and scanning and scanning and scanning, someone’s eyes were burning into my face, so naturally, I peeked up to see whose they were.

And to my surprise, it was the tallest one out of the 3 of them. The one with the extra long hair, and the big, beautiful eyes.

He put his hands up to his face shyly, subtly trying to hide his growing blush spreading to his cheeks, as he let out the sweetest smile I think ive ever seen.

It made me smile and blush, too.

Dustin must have noticed the small interaction between me and him, because he spoke up

“So, um, Audrey, you said you play D&D, right?”

I let out a loud laugh, setting down the second to last book before responding

“Used to.”

“You- you play dungeons and dragons too?” the tallest boy said, his attention caught fully.

I was finally done.

Scanning the very last book, setting it down, and putting my hands together to stretch my fingers out.

“Yeah, I um, me and my friends used to play together. In high school, before I went to college and right at the beginning of it. We used to play it all the time.”

They had my full focus now, I have been so excited to finally tell them all about this.

“We, um, we called ourselves The Fellowship of the board.”

Eddie laughed out loud, he threw his whole head back and looked up at the ceiling, letting out a happy sigh.

“That is…. That is the greatest thing ive ever heard in my life.” Eddie gushed, turning straight to face me.

He walked up to the desk, put his elbows down it, making his face sit just a foot away from mine and with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

He had my full attention now, too. I wheeled my chair all the way in and out my elbows up, too.

Sitting back in my chair, I rattled on about the stories from my time as a dumb, nerdy teenager

“I was a level 20 Mage, Lawful good, and my name was… Lady Flowerpetal.”

Eddie was staring at me, his hands holding his face up as he listened.

“She wasn’t much to begin with, but, um, I got really lucky in all of my rolls and she got decked out pretty quick. Her favorite weapon was her mace and a bow and arrow… with poison arrows.”

Eddie threw his hands up, standing up from where hed been leaning over and hooting and whopping at me.

“Dude that is, that’s cool. Im sorry, but that’s cool as hell.” He said, making me blush at his words.

“We, um, we actually have a campaign going, me and these youngsters.” Eddie started telling me.

He was getting excited as he talked, I could tell. He was excited to talk and to listen, too.

“We’ve got a group that we get together and play, every week. You, u.-“ he had to catch his breath for a second, gulping as he said

“You are more than welcome to join, like, any time. Seriously, any time at all youre welcome to come and join, it would be more than a pleasure to have you, Lady flowerpetal.”

“Ill have to think about that offer, Mr…”

“Eddie.” He spoke up, twiddling the rings on his fingers as he smiled shyly at me.

We stared in a trance for a minute, eyes glued to eachothers, as I said to him

“I might just take you up on that, Eddie.”

Eddie got a library card of his own the very next morning.

And nearly immediately after, had was spending a lot more time in the library lately. He had started to become infatuated with the little librarian who had caught his eye.

He loved watching her help people, and doing the volunteer things with kids she does there during the week.

She does the lego club with them, and does toddler time, too. But his favorite to watch her do was reading to the little toddlers. They would huddle around her like she was a princess and cling to every word she read, her faces and voices matching whatever book she read them. She was an angel in every sense of the world and he enjoyed the calming aura she brought into the room, and the softness she embodied.

And she had noticed his presence, as well. She was taking slightly shorter lunch breaks, sitting at an angle where he can see her cute little outfits she wears, flip her hair subtly for him to see. But she was too shy to ever say anything to this gorgeous, manly man that made her even more shy than normal.

His game was to pick up random comic books and sit in the chair that had a perfect view of her normal spot but thay also kept him slightly hidden. He would stare at her nearly the whole time, holding the open book to his face to cover everything but his eyes.

She noticed him sometimes, she would always giggle very, very quietly and become bright pink across her face.

He had played this game for days with her, by the end of it he was purposely trying to get her attention.

He would clear his throat obnoxiously, making her snort quietly.

Flip the pages loudly, and lick his fingers sloppily before flipping them. He could see her cheeks turn red from trying not to laugh to loudly, but the sound and sight of her laugh made his heart flutter.

But one evening, she had finally decided to approach this clearly attention needing man.

“Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Munson?” I asked him quietly, stiffling a laughter at him.

“Actually, Ms. Uh…..” he started, squinting dramatically at my nametag.

“Audrey, is it? Would you be so kind as to take me to the science fiction section?”

She smiled preciously at him, before nodding her head Yes and helping him up and out of his seat.

“Right this way, Eddie.”

She told him, as she led him through aisles and aisles of long shelves, stacked multiple feet higher than either of them with books, until eventually in an aisle close to a window, on the left corner of the library.

“You know, all jokes aside, I kind of want to see if you have Frankenstein.” He told you, starting to peruse the shelves and all of the different books on them.

“Oh Frankenstein? Heck yes its right down here.”

She said, squatting down to look at the shelf that was third from the bottom.

Eddy squatted beside her, scooting close to look for it too.

“Frankenstein is a really good book, actually. I bet you would love it.” You mumbled to him, quietly fixated on reading the spines of the books.

“Oh, actually I think I might see it over there.” He said, as he reached behind your back, tapping a few of the books on the other side of you, before sneakily sticking fingers against your side as you let out a quick, but high pitched squeal over it.

You jumped, nearly falling on your butt as he quietly laughed hysterically at you.

“Oh god, oh sbit, im so sorry. I didn’t know you’d do that.” He cackled, as you found your own laughter and covered your face with both hands.

“Youre such a jerk, oh my goodness.” She whispered to him through laughter.

His face was bright pink as he hid it behind his hair, he was stiffling his laughter

Chapter 2

4pm every single week day had slowly start to become the best parts of my entire week. I could hear them all the way out in the parking lot every evening from all the way in here. Every evening around 4, roughly or on the dot, their little wave of dark hair came through the doors and sat right down in the desk closest to the one I normally take solitude at.

Id watch them pull out all of their books, for homework, or D&D, or various fantasy novels, and just…. Sit. Sit and spend time with eachother.

Dustin and mike were always pretty focused on whatever they had in front of them. With their notebooks and various other things sprawled across the desk, but that I hadnt met until just this week didn’t seem to make much effort for any of it.

He likes to lean back in his chair, he likes to tilt his head back and act like hes not looking at me, which frankly he does a lot.

He likes to put his face behind a book he's propped up, only his eyes showing, and look over at me.

He likes to play games sometimes, he started to copy me from a few feet away and wait till I notice. Doing every single thing that I do until I notice and then laugh profusely at him pretending to be me.

It was nice, it was honestly really sweet, and kind of comforting to have them here. Its like a mother bird watching over little eggs. Except the eggs are teenagers and also, im not their mother at all. Or a mother to anything, matter of fact. Not even a pet. So I suppose that the smallest little sliver of their time, dustins friendly smiles, mike saying please and thank you constantly, and eddie, well, um, I guess being himself. It was nice, it was sweet, almost.

Fridays were my second favorite day of the week, behind Mondays. I loved getting to host the lego club here, getting to spend time with all of the kids and getting to see how creative they can be. Legos used to be my favorite thing in the world, and frankly if i hadnt already been told that I cant, I’d be sitting right down with them and building, too. But I cant, so, whatever.

“Ms. Audrey, look its an elephant!” a little girl squealed as she held up a vague looking elephant.

“That is so cool, Bonnie! That is such an awesome elephant.” I gushed to her, gently holding her tiny hand to examine her creation.

Squatting down to meet her at eye level, I smiled brightly at her.

“Ms. Audrey, I made a racecar!”

“That’s an awesome racecar, Thomas! Do you want to find some little people to drive it?”

“I made a zoo Ms. Audrey! Come look at all of my animals!”

The hour had finally passed, the kids had all been collected and taken home, and I was left to pick up the remaining scatterings of them all. Not that I mind, of course. I don’t mind at all, Friday night was my night to clean and close up, anyway.

To my genuine surprise, I looked out the window of the kids area and saw the same 3 heads that had been here every night. Except this time, dustin and mike were sitting alone at a desk, and eddie munson, id learned his full name when I issued him a library card, was sitting on the bench that sat under the window on the outside of this room. A goofy grin across his face, his palms pressed against the glass like a fish, as he lightly tapped in the window.

I giggled at him, trying not to make eye contact. But he was persistent. He kept tapping.

Squishing his face against the glass and puffing his cheeks up, I saw my chance to mess with him back.

Running up to the glass as quick as I could, I smacked it right where his mouth was and he jolted backwards.

“Jerk!” he shouted through the glass, as I chuckled at him. Holding a finger up to my mouth for him to be quiet, he stuck his tongue out at me. Poking my head through the door into the room where they all sat, I whispered to him

“Quiet in the library, Mr. Munson.” Before closing the door behind me, and padding away as I saw him jump off of his bench after me.

“Excuse you, ma’am!” he shouted after me, opening the door again and quickly catching up to me.

I was a giggling, blushing mess as he chased me through the short little shelves that filled the room.

“You think you can mess with me all you want, hm?” he taunted me, jerking side to side trying to trick me which way he would go.

“Youre the one always messing with me!” I squealed at him, as he suddenly jerked to the left and ran as fast as ive ever seen somebody run.

He was too fast for me though, he made it over to me in a matter of seconds, before I had even had time to start running away.

He had grabbed me around my waist and pulled my backside against his chest, his fingers very quickly finding their way to my sides and wiggling around, making me scream quietly.

“Stop it!” I shouted at him.

And with those words, he quickly took his fingers off of my sides and moved his arms to wrap around my shoulders.

His face was resting on my shoulder now as he mumbled lowly against my face

“As you wish, my lady.”

I melted onto him with his words, a tingle starting in my belly that im pretty sure id never felt before. Is this butterflies? Is that what this feels like? I think im gonna be dizzy.

He slowly pulled himself off of me, as I turned around to face toward him. He stood there, a hand on his arm and biting down on his lower lip, and he just…. Stood there.

It felt comfortable, I felt so calm with him, right now. It felt like this was something that was always meant to happen. Like we were meant to find eachother and meant to be here, together.

“I um, I actually made something for you too, Ms. Audrey.”

My heart was fluttering along with my stomach right now, I couldn’t find any good words to say, so I just watched him, as he excitedly pulled out a small paper box.

He handed it to my coyly, his eyes watching my fingers as they delicately took it from his hands.

Opening it, I could see that inside, sat a tiny piece of paper, cut out in the shape of a half heart. Picking up the half heart, I could open it up. And opening it up slowly, the inside of it read

D&D with me tonight?

My heart couldn’t take it, instinctively I put a hand over my chest and mouthed

“Oh my god.”

He chuckled softly at my reaction and spoke up

“Don’t think I forgot about that, Lady flowerpetal.””he grinned at me, he had the sweetest, most wholesome smile spread across his face that I could see.

But I couldn’t take my eyes or fingers off of this absolutely precious little heart sitting in my hands.

I don’t know what it was about it but just thinking about it now made me the happiest I think id been in, um, well, a really really long time.

And looking over at the adorable boy who had given it to me was making it even sweeter.

“What time will it start?”

“In 30 minutes, sweetheart.”

He batted his eyelashes at me, his smile beaming over at me as he leaned on the shelf next to us. But my heart sank hearing how soon it was.

“Oh, oh dear. Oh no, Eddie I am so sorry but I cant do it tonight. Im so sorry but I have to clean this place up. Im still not even done with this room and I still have the whole rest of the place to clean up.”

My chest felt so heavy telling him this, and especially when I looked down at him and he had the silliest, most absolutely adorable looking pout on his face.

“If I make those idiots out there help you, could we get it done?” he asked, standing up and quietly scooting himself closer to me.

“Honestly, I really doubt it. Its too much to do and… I don’t want to disrupt your plans anyway, you guys have been planning this for a little while probably.” I frowned, not making eye contact with this boy who was trying not to frown, too.

He cocked his head to the side, pouting at me, and pleading with me

“Please, pretty please, Audrey?”

My heart was filled with sadness as I looked at him, but unfortunately this wasn’t something I could get out of.

“Im really sorry, Eddie.” I spoke softly to him, as he very smoothly grabbed my fingers and twiddled them around in his.

“When do you guys get together? Do you do it like, every week or something?” I asked him, as he put my fingers to his face and muttered against them

“Every other week, my lady.”

Looking up at me to continue, the door opened, and the two teenagers that had been waiting outside were now demanding his presence.

“Eddie, we have to go. We’ve got to get our stuff ready.” Dustin spoke, as eddie quickly threw his hand up for him to wait a second.

“Oh, Audrey are you coming too?” he asked me from the door, but I shook my head no at him.

“No, I cant tonight. But next time, hopefully.” I told him, an apologetic frown sitting on my face.

It was empty again in here, and being naturally scared of pretty much everything didn’t make anything about this pleasant. It was dark outside, the night sky was poking through the blinds, and the periodic sounds of cars passing on the main road would make me jump.

Not to mention, the library was just… massive. It’s a considerably large and spacious building. And all of the rows and shelves in here frightened me with how dim it was between them.

Thud

The sound of a book hitting the floor made me jump, the previous silence was interrupted by a book it sounded like, hitting the floor somewhere on one of the back shelves.

Should I go check?

I asked myself.

I didn’t want to, I, actually, would probably rather die than do that right now. But I figured that im going to have to go back there eventually, I sighed, defeated, and set down the books in my arms and slowly, frightened, went to where the sound came from.

The silence was deafening as I walked slower than ive ever walked in my life. If this is nothing and nothing weird happened I will literally probably cry tears of relief.

Click

I flicked the lightswitch on to the very furthest wall, which was where I thought the sound had come from.

I looked into the row of books, and low and behold, a single book lay there, on the floor, at the very end of the row.

This is really weird.

I thought to myself. And now, unfortunately, I have to go and pick it up. At least I knew it wasn’t anything super weird or scary, I suppose. I walked nor.ally to go and get it, now. My footsteps making the o ly sound around me, I grabbed the mysterious book.

What heppens when you die?

The cover of the book, immediately giving my chills up my spine. Maybe its not what it looks like, though?

Flipping it over and reading the back, In thin, small white writing, it read

“Have you ever wonder what happens when we pass on to the other side? When our brain flatlines, our heart stops, and.our life as we know it is done for good? Here are some recounts from people who have made it to the other side and back –

SMACK

This time, the sound made me jump, and scream as well. I was clutching my chest, my heart pounding away in my chest, as I slowly, so painfully slowly, turned around to see what that was.

I couldn’t breathe, if I wasn’t scared already I was honestly pretty freaking scared right now.

Another book lay on the floor, right behind where I was. I was about to reach for it when

SMACK

another book fell and I jerked my head up to see it.

SMACK

One fell right behind me. My breathing was quick and shaky as thei frantically tried to figure out what on earth is happening.

“Hello?!” I yelled.

“If somebody is over there doing this I will call the police!” I screamed through tears.

And with that, the books stopped falling.

My heart was pounding , I was terrified beyond words right now. In the back corner of the library, all alone, and now someone is in here doing this.

I stared out into middle of the aisle, waiting to hear for a y footsteps for somebody who had snuck in here.

Silence

Silence

And suddenly, books started flying from every row and every side, every direction. Big, hard, heavy books were flying around me as I screamed and covered myself. Using my arms for shields and ducking my head, I ran out the door of the library and went straight for my car. The sound of the books hitting the floor a d shelves didn’t stop as I ran all the way out.

Sobbing hysterically and my heart racing I made it to my car and locked the door immediately. My strained voice was croaking as I sobbed in my seat, looking back at the building to see if anybody was coming out after me, looking around all of my windows.

I managed to wipe my face off and calm down, as I gripped onto the steering wheel.

Okay.

I told myself.

Okay, I am going to go home, and I am going to call the police.

I slowly pulled out of the parking spot.

I will call, and report this, and it will be fine.

I winced as a pain shot through the tops of my arms. Now that I was finally aware of things, I could see the blood dripping down all over the tops of my arms.

And now im going to have to do something about this. I groaned internally at the thought of everybody asking about this big, ugly and obvious injury.

Driving down the road to school, Eddie sees multiple police cars parked in the library parking lot. He sees audrey walking out of the door with 2 of them and listening to them as they talk.

Shes shaking her head and listening to them, shes responding to questions they ask, they write things down while she talks.

4 more officers walk out the library door with stuff in all of their hands. He sees her thanking them, taking a paper from the officer she had been talking to, and watching as they all pulled out.

She sat down on the bench by the door and slumps against the wall behind her, with very obvious tears in her eyes.

Honk honk

Oh shit, the light had turned green.

[mswhich]

For the WIP ask game: Oxford, 1670s

I’ll give you a snippet for this one! It’s a Good Omens fic and I’m about 10k words into it so far.

—

“Master Fell, well met.”

Crowley leaned casually against the entrance to Aziraphale’s reading room, casting a shadow over the book on his desk. Aziraphale’s head shot up in surprise. When he saw Crowley, his eyes lit up and then immediately shuttered again as he plastered a neutral expression onto his face. Crowley had seen this happen so many times he practically had it memorized. It didn’t hurt.

Not really.

“Master Crowley,” Aziraphale said politely. “Well met, indeed. What brings you to the Bodleian?”

You, you stupid angel seemed impolitic and ill-advised. “Oh, the usual,” Crowley said, waving a hand vaguely around at the stacks.

Aziraphale’s mouth twitched up at the edges. “Oh?” he inquired. “Perhaps I could help you find something? I do have a passing familiarity with the shelves here.”

By which he meant he’d spent more time at the library than he had at his own domicile and could have supplanted the master librarian’s job given the slightest chance. But Aziraphale knew damned bloody well that Crowley wasn’t looking for anything, that Crowley, in fact, didn’t even like to read.

Aziraphale did not know that the reason Crowley avoided reading is that his eyes had trouble with the print, especially since Gutenberg and his bloody printing press came along. He’d seen no need to enlighten Aziraphale on this aspect of himself. His eyes were one of the things about his corporation he couldn’t change, and he had no desire to remind Aziraphale of his demonic nature. Crowley thought of Aziraphale’s shuttered face.

“Thank you, good sir,” Crowley said with a slight bow. “I think I’ll just browse.”

“As you like,” Aziraphale said, eyes glinting. He bent his head back to his tome, and Crowley turned his back on him, pretending to peruse the shelves. He could feel Aziraphale not reading his book behind him. Minutes ticked past as he scanned a lot of boring titles. He traced a finger along the spine of a book in front of him, humming in apparent interest at An Account of fhe Daily Weathere in Oxforde Towne. Behind him, Aziraphale snorted.

Crowley ignored it.

Three minutes later, Aziraphale loudly turned a page. Crowley hummed tunelessly to himself. He very deliberately moved to a new shelf. He pulled a book out, looked at the cover, put it back.

Aziraphale muttered something that sounded like “Really.”

Five minutes later, Crowley broke the detente in a fit of disgusted pique. “You could, as easily as me,” he said to the shelf in front of him.

“I believe it’s your go,” Aziraphale said.

“Pillock,” Crowley said, and with a twist of his fingers, set off a minor demonic miracle that would discourage anyone else from entering the room they were in. He turned away from the shelves.

“Thank you, my dear boy,” Aziraphale said.

“You could have asked,” Crowley complained.

Aziraphale said, primly, “You said you didn’t need any help.”

Crowley shot him a look over the lenses of his shaded glasses. Aziraphale pursed his lips in a self-satisfied smile. Bastard angel.

[anotherprojectsekai-nah]

■□■□■□■□■

Varieties of Interests for Dreams unlike - DARK STEAL (Main Story) Part 9

■□■□■□■□■

When one has a desire, it comes with a dream, and within that dream is ideally a reason. It varies based on the person themselves. But what if that reason is beyond expected?

Previous Part - Next Part

...

(Local Library)

Kuro: "Ok, now to wait for the printed paper.."

Kuro: "While at it, you 2 look for any possible connections with the divorce and murder."

Aqua: "...With him?"

Kuro: "Yes, I'm going to ask the librarian for an access to any possible information disclosed and check them."

Aqua: "Right.."

Step, step, step

Aqua: "..."

Aqua: "...So, it's just the 2 of us now."

Swank: "Yup."

Aqua: "With finding connections."

Swank: "Yeah."

Aqua: "Which are you skilled in?"

Swank: "..Kind of."

Aqua: "Kind of? But didn't I hear from him that he said that you were formerly a peacekeeper?"

Swank: "I was."

Swank: "But that was because of something from the past."

Aqua: "...Well, there was that."

Swank: "What about you? You were said to be an actor."

Aqua: "Yes, I first acted in a low cost movie for supposedly a horror movie as a kid."

Aqua: "Which can also explain my way to finding the truth is to lie and search. Keep things all secretive."

Swank: "I see."

Aqua: "Though we should think on how all of those 3 things relate to each other."

Aqua: "The only connection that can be come up is that the divorce happened after the manipulated murder, aka Kiritaka Nagare's passing."

Swank: "Right, and the cause of his death was by jumping off and then getting hit by a truck."

Aqua: "Then the reason of it was by the manipulation caused by someone or something, but who or what were they?"

Aqua: "..Oh, the papers finished printing."

Swank: "Well, let's check the information and see how they relate and see the connection then."

Aqua: "Now... Who's information should we check 1st?"

Swank: "I suggest the victim's. They better have something good on this."

Aqua: "Ok, let's check Kiritaka's first."

Aqua: "Now, on these information..."

Aqua: "...Huh."

Aqua: "His birthday is December 5."

Swank: "That's around winter, isn't it? When everything becomes cold, the expenses expand in high demands."

Aqua: "..."

Swank: "What? It's true."

Aqua: "I think you mean lower than expand, but that's unrelated to the current topic."

Aqua: "Besides, when was the date that Kiritaka died?"

Swank: "I think around December 5, by what the rest of the files given to me and Kuro said."

Aqua: "December 5..."

Aqua: "That's the same day as his birthday, the same one when he died."

Swank: "So you thinking that he had a birthday party before he died?"

Aqua: "No. I'm thinking on why jump off and get killed on the exact day you were born on. School would be put on pause when around the 16th or 17th day of December."

Aqua: "Unless!..."

Swank: "It was during the school time that something happened after classes."

Aqua: "Swank, when was also the time that he die?"

Swank: "...Well I told you the date, so you gotta pay me for the time."

Aqua: "..."

Aqua: "...Excuse me?"

Swank: "I'm not telling you the time of it unless if you pay me."

Aqua: "..."

Aqua: "Why you-"

Arguing and pinching/pushing the other

Kuro: "I'm back, did you guys figure out something-"

More arguing

Kuro: "...Oi."

Swank and Aqua: "!"

Kuro: "What the hell are you 2 doing?"

Aqua: "He said I have to pay him if I want to know the time of death."

Swank: "He wouldn't pay me!"

Kuro: "...Are you kidding me."

Kuro: "Just tell me what you figured out."

Aqua: Ahem "Well, we found out about the date of death of Kiritaka was around December 5. The same day as his birthday."

Aqua: "It was before christmas aswell."

Kuro: "And with it?"

Aqua: "...I'm not sure who saw him die."

Kuro: "Great...well, I got tails on some info."

Aqua: "?"

Kuro: "Apparently, the person who wanted the divorce after their son's death was... Mari Nagare."

Swank: "So, you say that the wife was the one who did it?"

Kuro: "In a sense, yes, she was the one who wanted the divorce. Possibly by her grieving, thinking that it's the husband's fault her son died."

Kuro: "Of course, that isn't the complete reason, just a thought and possibility."

Kuro: "By the way...I see the papers are printed now."

Aqua: "Yes, they are."

Kuro: "Let's see what we have..."

Kuro: "...Hm, seems like I have a few theories."

Kuro: "One of them is the involvement."

Kuro: "Whoever were involved in the murder, including the disappearances, had to be the witnesses of Kiritaka and the murders."

Aqua: "But how? These are all just profiles."

Kuro: "Hm, wonderful for you to ask."

Kuro: " i actually decided to go through Shikimi's account and pictures, and look what I found."

Kuro: "A post of her friends. The same ones you sent to me of their profiles and information."

Aqua: "And why is it that important? What can one photo do?"

Swank: "Wait! I think I know now."

Aqua: "Huh?"

Swank: "You said that photos can come in a cause and evidence to everything, right? I think I figured something out."

Kuro: "Demonstrate then, I'll wait."

Swank: "So.. If these 5 in the photo that the girl posted are in it. Then that means their friends, right?"

Kuro: "Yes, and?"

Swank: "If that Kowase guy disappeared 1st, and then Shikimi disappeared 2nd, nothing being heard from them. Are you still listening?"

Kuro: "Yes, I am still listening."

Swank: "Ok, then that means 3 of them would remain. With the connection of the manipulated murder and the divorce all together, it would mean that..."

Kuro: "That Shikimi, Kowase, Aijiki, Kinugawa, and Nomozu were.."

Swank: "Were all at the time and date when Kiritaka jumped, meaning they were there where he jumped at!"

Kuro: "...Wait, your right!... These 5 seemed to be friends all together, and when the executive said that 2 of them went missing from the group they were in."

Aqua: "Then that means!..."

Kuro, Aqua, Swank: "The ones who manipulated Kiritaka Nagare to jump off were the bully group in Saint Spring!"

Kuro: "But wait, what about the disappearances. Who could have done them?"

Kuro: "And most importantly... Why and how did they manipulated him, and was there someone else who also witnessed it other than the bullies?..."

[dronebetter]

>be the afternoon before I was to leave for home over Easter

>recall that my smartphone doesn't draw power from its cable

>assume this to be a problem with the smartphone

>remember a friend telling me that the library has many smartphone chargers, including wireless ones

>however, library desk guard says they are temporarily out of order while being replaced (and the librarian who has the keys was apparently showing prospective students around that day, and would not be back until tomorrow), and recommends I try the student information desk

>think "oh, good, now I have solved this and need not worry any further"

>several hours later, I have eaten and finished packing my things, and go to the desk in question

>tfw they are closed

>panic somewhat

>on way back, see a security guard patrolling the grounds

>ask him where one might find a wireless charger around here

>he takes me to many places I did not know about within the university, each one closed, then says "aha! we can try the lost property"

>he speaks over his walkie talkie (his codename is Sierra and his accomplice's is Bravo) and meets up with the one who has the keys to it

>we walk over to it, on the way the original guard receives a dispatch and leaves

>the new one receives an inquiry over the walkie-talkie as to how it is going, he looks me over briefly then refers to me as "they" and "the person" in his response (I am wearing a kilt and thermal leggings underneath it)

>no wireless charger has been lost there as of late, but he suggests that I blow into the port and try one of their wires

>sceptical but desperate, I do so, and it seems to work

>return to my flat, to find it had in fact been my wire that was the problem the entire time

>use flatmate's wire, however it charges exceedingly slowly, realise I will not make it for the traln

>learn that another flatmate of mine is leaving the subsequent day, and decide to join her

>on the day, we leave together, to catch the bus

>unfortunate combination of red traffic lights and the driver taking an unexpected diversion causes us to very marginally miss the train

>I have an all-day ticket, she only has one valid for that particular train

>she visits a support desk and is told it will cost her £25 to have it exchanged

>"I'm going to need to think about it"

>I tell her to board the train with me

>"but what if I'm caught"

>"I once had a ticket valid for the next day accidentally, I was caught but adamant in my refusal to pay anything more, eventually the inspector let me off when it became clear that continuing our argument would mean letting other passengers go uninspected"

>"I don't know, I'm going to call my mum"

>her mother is not responsive, her brother gives her the advice of blaming her missing the train upon the ticket-printing machine rather than the bus

>we board

>ticket inspector approaches

>she runs away shortly before he reaches us while he is occupied with scanning someone's ticket, assumedly she goes to the bathroom

>move her luggage to my side of the table and let him scan mine

>she does not return before I exit

>message her tlater o find out what happened

>"I didn't get caught 🫢"

(this was entirely ethical since it is an exorbitantly overpriced railway company that would not exist had the line not been privatised in 1997)