#sorry for the person I’m gonna be when the next update hits

[waywardnerd67]

Fireworks

Title: Fireworks Summary: When (Y/N)’s BFF invites her to a 4th of July party she would never imagine meeting the man of her dreams… literally. Main Characters: Glen Powell, Reader Pairing: Glen Powell x Reader Rating: E - Everyone Warnings: Fluffy/RPF Word Count: 5376 A/N: Jumping back into the saddle so please forgive all the rough edges.

“Honey, I’m home!”

(Y/N) looked up to see her best friend walking through her front door, “Addison! Why didn’t you tell me you were in town?”

She hugged her hard, missing her BFF more than she realized. A year ago, Addison got the opportunity of a lifetime to be the personal assistant to a Hollywood actor. She had been traveling the world, hanging out on movie sets and living her best life. Meanwhile, (Y/N) was still living in their hometown of Austin, Texas working at the same high school, in the same position for nearly a decade.

“I’m sorry, my boss has had me planning this big Fourth of July party and today is the first day I’ve had time to come see you.”

They both sat down on her couch as (Y/N) paused her millionth rewatch of Supernatural, “How are you planning a party here if he lives in L.A.?”

Addison smiled, “He recently moved back to Austin, so it looks like I will be coming back here as well.”

(Y/N) let out a squeal hugging her friend tightly, “Oh my god, that’s amazing! I mean I know you’re gonna be busy but damn will it be good to have you back here.”

For the next few hours they caught up on each other’s lives or lack of one for (Y/N). They ordered dinner and were getting ready to watch one of their favorite rom-coms when Addison’s phone rang.

“Hey boss, what’s up?”

(Y/N) watched her friend’s face light up and suddenly her body was filled with envy. She was incredibly proud of the life her friend created but it was a reminder of how boring of a life she had. She couldn’t even remember the last thing she had been excited for except for maybe the new Twisters movie coming out later in the month.

“You got it. I will confirm everything and send you an email update.” Addison paused listening, “Yes, I will make sure to bring someone with me. See you tomorrow.”

“From the look on your face I would say you love your job.” Addison nodded with a smile, “I really do. He’s great and nothing like the other Hollywood douchebags. He’s just a good ole Texas boy. Kind of reminds me of Jensen and Jared.”

(Y/N) remembered her best friend's time volunteering at Creation Entertainment Supernatural conventions. She eventually was one of the workers who helped walk the actors to and from ops. Several times she had walked with Jared Padalecki or (Y/N)’s favorite actor, Jensen Ackles. That was how she had met them and found out they were truly just as nice and humble as everyone said they were.

“He wants me to bring someone to his party. What do you say?”

“Me?” She stared at Addison, “Don’t you think you should bring someone more interesting or fun?”

Her friend slipped her arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders, “No. There’s no one else I would rather bring than my best friend. Plus, who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone there and hit it off.”

“Yeah. Right.” She scoffed, “The plain Jane school secretary hitting it off with some Hollywood hunk. This is reality and not fanfiction.”

“Please? For me? It would mean the world to me if you came and then I can finally introduce you to my boss.” Addison stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

(Y/N) narrowed her eyes then smiled, “Fine. Only because I love you.”

“Yay! If you want we can go get you a swimsuit and a new outfit. On me, of course, as a thank you.”

“I’m immediately regretting this decision…” She groaned.

The next day, they spent the day going to lunch and shopping. After one crying session in a dressing room and a slight argument in front of a cashier, (Y/N) arrived back home with three bags worth of stuff. Addison had convinced her to buy a two piece swimsuit. She was always hyper aware of her body even after losing a lot of weight. She was still plus size with killer curves and she was proud of her body. Knowing she was going to be around beautiful actors and models made her notice every little imperfection she had. Staring at the dark green checkered pattern suit made her stomach churn.

“It will be fine, (Y/N). No one is going to notice you anyway.” She murmured to herself.

The morning of July 4th, Addison was at her apartment bright and early, “I’m sorry it’s so early on your day off. My boss wants me at his house early and I figured you wanted to ride over with me.”

(Y/N) yawned, “It’s fine. I have my Monster and should be some form of human like by the time we get there.”

Addison led her out to a brand new Jeep Wrangler that was the same orange as the Longhorns. They threw their stuff in the back and headed off onto highway 290 towards Dripping Springs.

“Please tell me this is his car and not yours.” (Y/N) said as Addison started laughing.

“Yes, it’s his. I still have old faithful who recently hit 200,000 miles and is still purring like a kitten.” Addison turned on her Spotify playlist, “He’s a big Longhorns fan so anything he can get in burnt orange he does.”

One thing (Y/N) loved about living in Austin was the scenery. It had been awhile since she had driven out to Hill Country. The last remaining bluebonnets were holding on strong from a late blooming season mixing with other wildflowers. She couldn’t help to notice they were headed the same direction as Family Business Brewery.

“If we’re going to Family Business and Jensen is going to be there then I need some notice to calm my inner fangirl.”

Addison shook her head, “No, he just lives near there. I know he invited Jensen and Jared’s families but I think they have a convention this weekend.”

(Y/N) let out a sigh of relief then continued to admire the scenery around her while they sang to their favorite songs. Soon they were pulling up to a newly built, gated home. The main house was a subtly modern farmhouse with a big wrap around porch. Addison parked in front of the three car garage behind the house and that’s when (Y/N) saw a beautiful red barn straight out of a western movie.

“Wow…” She said, grabbing her things and following her friend to the pool house.

“Make yourself at home, this is where I stay. It’s easier for me to be close by than to have my own place and worry about subletting it.”

(Y/N) found pictures of her best friend in various cities, countries with celebrities she admired. There were also plenty of pictures of them together throughout their friendship including childhood and being roommates at UT-Austin. She looked at one picture of Addison pulled into a big hug from Glen Powell.

“You’ve met Glen Powell and didn’t tell me!” (Y/N) smacked her BFF’s shoulder, “How dare you.”

Addison laughed, “He’s a sweetheart.”

“Talk about good ole Texas boy… by god not that I need another bow legged Texan to love, but whew!” (Y/N) fanned herself.

“Come on, help me organize the food and everything before my boss gets home.”

There were tables set up in the massive backyard with a food buffet large enough to feed an army. (Y/N) found herself enjoying helping Addison get everything ready. She was helping the DJ get set up in the barn when Addison called out to her.

“Hey, my boss is here. I’m going to the main house to help him with something then I’ll be back.”

“Got it boss lady!” (Y/N) laughed as her friend rolled her eyes.

She was putting the last touches of the Firecracker themed tables together when a low, raspy voice came from behind her.

“Nicely done. You must be Addison’s best friend.”

She turned around and froze, “Holy shit, you’re Glen Powell.”

He laughed holding out his hand to her, “Yes, but not the OG Glen. He’s in the house right now. You’re (Y/N), right? Addison talks about you all the time.”

She slipped her hand into his then flinched from the electric current running up her arm. From his wide green eyes, she assumed he felt it too.

“Uh, y-yeah that’s me. Um…” She swallowed hard, “Sorry, my inner fangirl is having a mild heart attack right now.”

His deep, rich laugh blanketed her body in warmth, “Well hopefully your inner fangirl won’t pass out. Calling 911 is not on my list today.”

“I promise, she’ll be fine. Still getting used to my BFF hanging out with celebrities, especially ones that I love.”

The bright smile on his face nearly melted her heart, “Awe, so you love me?”

“Uh… yes, I mean… yes I love your movies and you seem like a really great person.” (Y/N) mentally kicked herself.

Shut up. Stop talking you weirdo.

“Thanks, I try to be a good guy. Main reason why I moved back to Austin. Stay grounded in my home roots. Anyway, I’m looking forward to getting to know you. I better get back to the main house and see what kind of chaos my family is causing for Addison.”

“Oh, okay. Talk to you later.” (Y/N) watched as he walked out of the barn then finally let out a shaky breath.

She immediately went in search of her best friend, finding her near the buffet. She smacked her shoulder several times as Addison tried to defend herself with tongs.

“What the hell (Y/N)!”

“Why didn’t you tell me that Glen Powell was your boss?! A little warning would have been nice so I could prepare myself.”

Addison chuckled, “Damn, I missed you meeting him. I was hoping to see your face.”

She smacked her shoulder again, “Not funny. It was like the first time I met Jensen and my brain short circuited.”

Now Addison was nearly falling down laughing, “Did you word vomit all over him?”

“No! Though I did mention my inner fangirl having a heart attack. Also, the first thing out of my mouth was ‘Holy shit, you’re Glen Powell.”

“Oh my god!” Her friend was rolling in laughter, “God, I wish I had been there for that.”

“That’s it, I’m leaving. I’ve already embarrassed myself and who knows who else will be here for me to embarrass myself in front of.”

(Y/N) started to head towards the front of the house when Addison reached out grabbing her arm.

“Wait, wait. I’m sorry, I should have warned you. Glen only invited a few actors that live around here over. Honestly, I think Zac Levi is the only one confirmed to be coming. Other than that, it’s mostly Glen’s family and friends.”

“Zac Levi?” She stared at her, “Zachary fucking Levi… oh god, I’m out. Me and my inner fangirl cannot handle this.”

Addison ran in front of her, grabbing a hold of her shoulders, “(Y/N), they are just humans like you and me.”

“Humans that are sculpted out of marble by the good lord himself with a good heaping pile of sex god appeal. Not like me. They’re main character energy and I’m one of the background people no one sees.”

“(Y/N) stop. Trust me, stay and hang out with me. Glen said once everything was set up that I was off the rest of the night. That means, it’s you and me hanging out by the pool, eating our weight in BBQ and watching fireworks. With some particularly good eye candy around.”

Addison was looking at her with pleading eyes, “Please stay and find out for yourself that they are normal dudes. Just like when we hung out with Jared and Jensen.”

(Y/N) sighed, “Only because I love you more than life itself and I have no way of getting home.”

Addison pulled her into a hug, “Thank you.”

“Group hug? I want to join!” Before (Y/N) could look up, she was sandwiched between her best friend and a firm body behind her. Instantly she was enveloped in a woodsy smell with a hint of citrus. Glen squeezed them together making both girls laugh.

“Can’t… breathe… Powell.” Addison managed to squeak out as he let go of them.

“Sorry, just wanted to be a part of your little moment.” He joked.

(Y/N) turned around sucking in a breath and trying to keep her jaw from slacking. Standing before her was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Which said a lot since up until that point it had been Jensen Ackles who was the most beautiful man in her mind. Glen was wearing a pair of swim trunks with firecrackers all over them that hung low on his hips. His golden skin was glowing beneath the Texas sun and on top of his golden hair was an American flag cowboy hat.

“Ladies, I believe everything is set up and our first wave of guests have arrived. That means, Addison, you are officially off the clock and my last request is for you both to have a great time tonight.”

They looked at one another then saluted Glen saying together, “Yes sir.”

His laughter filled the air, “Your salutes need some work but we can work on that later. Now, go! Get drunk, eat and have fun.”

Addison hooked her arm with (Y/N)’s and they headed back towards the pool. For the first couple of hours, (Y/N) laid out on one of the chairs by the pool. One of the only things she loved about parties was people watching. There was no shortage of people to watch here. Glen’s family was an absolute joy to meet. Currently, his dad was in the pool playing with his grandkids while his mom was sitting on the edge hanging her feet into the water.

(Y/N) watched as Zac Levi walked through the main house with a cooler and a few of his friends. She was surprised to see him pull Addison into a hug then kiss her cheek. She made a mental note to ask her what was up with that later. Sipping on her beer, she watched as a group of guys including Glen and Zac started a game of football. Addison was talking with Glen’s sisters when suddenly there was a shout.

“Watch out!”

Before (Y/N) could look up, she was hit with something hard in her chest. She let out a loud grunt and her beer dumped down the front of her.

“Shit! (Y/N) are you alright?” Glen asked as he and Addison ran up to her.

She groaned, “Fine, just covered in beer.”

“I can show you where you clean up.” Glen said, taking the football that had hit her and tossing it to his brother-in-law.

He held out his hand to her and helped her up from her seat. She looked back at Addison who was smiling like the Cheshire cat. She narrowed her eyes at her friend suddenly smelling a set up and beer… lots of beer.

Glen led her into the main house and up the stairs. They walked into the largest bedroom she had ever seen and immediately knew this had to be his room.

“You can use my bathroom to wash up and I’ll get you some clothes to wear.”

She chuckled, “Um, I’m pretty sure your clothes won’t fit me.”

He arched an eyebrow at her, “I’m sure I can find something or if you prefer to walk around in a towel only then that’s cool too.”

“No! Oh god, no.” She sighed, “Thank you. I appreciate anything you can find for me.”

“You’re welcome.” He walked into his large closet while she went into his master bathroom and shut the door.

Leaning against it, she took a moment to calm her frantic nerves. A week ago, she was home rewatching Top Gun: Maverick and now she was standing in Glen Powell’s bathroom. Quickly, she stripped out of her soiled clothes and swimsuit. She turned on the water of the massive shower and let the hot water beat down on her tense muscles. She heard the door opening and immediately tried to cover herself.

“There’s clothes on my bed for you.”

(Y/N) noticed he had his hand covering his eyes even though he couldn’t see her from where the door was. Her heart skipped from the small gesture.

“T-Thank you. I’ll be back out in a few minutes.”

“Take your time.” He closed the door.

(Y/N) noticed his shampoo was the citrus she had smelled earlier while his body wash was the woods smell. She decided that combination was her new favorite smell. Once she was out of the shower and wrapped in one of his towels she walked out to find his door closed. On the bed was an extra large Longhorns t-shirt and gym shorts. There was also a pair of black Calvin Klein boxer-briefs which she was thankful for. However, not having a bra to wear was going to be difficult.

She stepped into his closet and chuckled from all the burnt orange shirts. She found one of his tank tops and slipped it on. She rolled the bottom up beneath her breasts and tied it off with her ponytail. The girls would at least be secured but one good cool wind and her nipples would be on display.

“Maybe it’s time to step up to whiskey.” She muttered as she slipped on the rest of Glen’s clothes.

Opening the door, she found a muscular, tan back standing there like a bodyguard, “Sorry, I just didn’t want anyone walking in here on you. My family is not big on boundaries nor are my niece and nephew.”

She chuckled, “Thanks for keeping watch and for the clothes.”

He turned around and she watched as his eyes traveled the length of her body. Goosebumps spread across her flushed skin. When his eyes came back up to hers they were darker and filled with something that she refused to let herself believe was there.

“Have to say, those look way better on you than on me.”

(Y/N)’s default mode clicked on whenever she received compliments, “I highly doubt that, but thanks. They’re at least more comfortable than my swimsuit. By the way, do you have somewhere I could wash my clothes out?”

“Yeah, give them to me and I’ll put them in the washer. You can head back out to enjoy the party.” She handed him her suit and clothes, “Man, I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you in this. I bet it looked great on you.”

He headed down the stairs leaving (Y/N) speechless. Was Glen Powell flirting with her? No way. She was delusional from the alcohol and sun. She headed back outside where she found Addison swimming in the pool with Zac. Seeing them together, she knew she didn’t need to ask if they were together. It was obvious by the way they looked at one another that they were. Once again, (Y/N)’s green eyed monster raged inside of her. Deciding she needed some more time alone, she headed out towards the barn then kept walking to the field behind it.

She was watching a team of guys setting up fireworks for the big display later that night. She could still hear everyone laughing and having fun behind her, suddenly she felt tears falling down her cheeks. She loved her best friend, but it was obvious she didn’t fit into her life anymore. She was hanging out and dating celebrities and traveling the world.

What was she doing? Still working the same job and never allowing anyone to get close to her. She gave up on dating after her one and only boyfriend had cheated on her. Did she want someone in her life? The family and white picket fence? Of course, but the closer to forty she was getting the further away that dream seemed to be getting. Seeing how happy Addison was and how wonderful her life was a harsh reminder of how meaningless her own life was.

“You okay?”

Turning around, she found Glen walking up now wearing a navy tank top and his dark Ray Bans covering his eyes. She quickly wiped away the wayward tears.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just needed a moment.”

He leaned his forearms against the fence, looking out over the field, “I see you found my ‘I need a moment’ spot. I love coming out here and just being. I don’t have to be actor Glen, but just me.”

“I bet that is exhausting.” He nodded as she looked at him from the corner of her eyes, “On behalf of fans everywhere, I appreciate all the hard work you put into your characters. I can’t tell you the number of nights I have watched one of your rom-coms laughing and making my day better.”

He looked down at her with a smile, “Thanks, that means a hell of a lot to me.”

“However, I have to say, I wish they would pair you up with a woman your age. Seeing you make out with a woman ten years younger gives girls like me a complex.” She chuckled.

“How so?” He asked, turning towards her.

She sighed, “You never see a leading woman that is both older and doesn’t have a model’s body. The average size of a woman is 14/16 which is plus size and if I had to guess I bet the majority of rom-com audience is like me. A woman in her late thirties, plus size, single and looking for hope that men like Glen Powell would be interested in her.”

“You don’t think guys like me would be with a woman like you?”

His question was genuine, but made her scoff, “In the movies they aren’t. Why would I believe that in real life? Probably why I’ve been single for over a decade now. It’s easier to fantasize over fictional men or celebrities than putting myself out there to get humiliated.”

He stepped closer to her, his fingers brushing against her cheek and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. He pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head and his glossy eyes were staring down into hers. She had dreamt of him looking at her in this very way a million times. The way he looked at every leading lady in one of his rom-coms.

“What if I told you that I do find you attractive? That I find you incredibly sexy.”

“I’d say that you’re a great actor.” She tried to look away, but he gently grabbed her chin making her look at him.

“I’m not acting. The moment Addison showed me a picture of the two of you, I thought you were the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen. The way she gushes about you and all the work you do for your students. The difference you’re making in their lives. I couldn’t imagine anything more sexy than a woman who loves to help those who need it.”

(Y/N) stepped away from him, “It’s really nothing special. Yes, I’m there for them and help them in any way I can, but so do a lot of staff. Honestly, there’s nothing special about me. I’m definitely not gorgeous. I mean, you’re around beautiful actresses and models all the time. They’re gorgeous, me not so much.”

“Addison warned me that you usually put yourself down when you receive compliments.” He took a step towards her engaging in an awkward dance as she stepped backwards.

“Warned you? So, this was a set up?” (Y/N) rolled her eyes, “Did she really think you were going to magically fall in love with me and sweep me off my feet. Which by the way, you couldn’t, not literally anyway.”

“I asked her to introduce us. Yes, I found you attractive and after hearing Addison talk about you non-stop in Oklahoma, I wanted to meet you. Addison is not only my assistant but a dear friend and if you’re important to her then you’re important to me as well.”

He closed the distance between them pressing her back against the fence and caging her in with his strong arms on either side of her. He leaned in towards her and she sucked in a breath, holding it in her chest.

“I wasn’t hoping to fall in love or sweep you off your feet. Which I could totally do.” He smirked, “I was hoping to meet the amazing woman Addison loves so much and who happens to be fucking gorgeous.”

“Glen, I…” She let out a trembling breath, “I'm nobody and I don’t do one night stands. Even if it’s with a sexy movie star that I’m sure would give me the orgasm of my life. It’s not me and I don’t see you wanting to settle down with a high school secretary.”

He leaned closer to her. His nose brushing alongside hers and his lips merely an inch from hers. She wanted to look away, but his eyes were mesmerizing.

“Won’t know unless you give me a chance.”

His lips pressed against hers. They were soft and tasted of tequila as he pulled her bottom lips between his teeth. Suddenly, her body felt like it was on fire and she wanted more. Needed more. His large hands fell to her hips and pulled her tighter against him. (Y/N) wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing her hands into his soft hair. His sunglasses falling from his head was enough to knock her senses back into place. She pressed her hands against his chest, pushing him gently away.

“We… I… this can’t happen. It’s not happening.” She stammered.

(Y/N) took off back towards the barn as Glen called after her, “(Y/N)! (Y/N), please wait!”

She didn’t stop until she was in the pool house and in Addison’s room with the door shut. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes and she sank to the floor beside her bed. What the hell was she doing? Glen Powell had kissed her. Told her she was gorgeous and yet she was sitting on the floor crying. Why couldn’t she be more impulsive and have one night with a man who was way out of her league? Looking at her reflection in the glass from the sliding door, she sighed.

“Because you catch feelings, (Y/N).” She whispered.

“(Y/N)?” Addison’s voice came through the door, “You alright?”

She opened the door, “Seriously, Glen Powell?”

“Let me explain.”

“Addison, what did you think was going to happen? You couldn’t actually believe this was going to work in any sort of way.”

They sat down on her bed, “I talk about you non-stop with him. I’ve told him all your stories from school with your kiddos. I’ve told him how I’m worried about you being alone all the time and how I wish you could meet a nice guy like him. How proud I am of all you’ve done for your health and how you love your body for what it is.”

(Y/N) placed her head in her hands, “And what, he was like ‘oh I want to meet this chick’?”

“Not his exact words, but yes. When he started planning this party, he asked if there was anyone I would like to invite. I told him Zac and his friends…” She paused looking at her bashfully, “Yeah, I’m kind of seeing Zac Levi.”

“No shit, Sherlock. I could tell that from the lovey-dovey looks you give one another. After my breakdown you can spill all about how that happened.”

Addison nodded, “Anyway, Glen asked if I wanted to invite you. I told him that you’re pretty introverted and didn’t like going to parties. He dropped it, but then when he was having me finalize the list of people I noticed he had added your name at the end of the list. When I asked him about it, all he said was he wanted to meet the amazing best friend I kept talking about.”

“So, you decided to turn it into a set up? Knowing full and well I would never fall for it.”

Her friend turned towards her, “It was never a set up. I warned him how you are. I asked him directly what he was up to. He told me that he found you attractive and wanted to get to know you.” She grabbed her hands, “Honestly (Y/N), I think he’s just a dude who is nervous to ask out a beautiful girl. It’s hard for him to meet anyone who doesn’t see him as only a famous actor and I really think he wants this part of his life to be as normal as possible.”

(Y/N) groaned, “You know this sounds like a fanfic I would read on Tumblr, right?”

Addison laughed, “Oh I’m well aware. However, doesn’t it make you want to see what happens? Usually, the next part would be you going to find him and you two would have a moment of tension that snaps. Then wham, bam, smutty dreams fulfilled.”

“I think I’m going to throw up.” (Y/N) took a couple deep breaths.

“That is not usually in the fanfics. Take the time you need, but please come back out and hang out with us. If anything, I’ll introduce you to Zac and you can fangirl over him.”

“I love you, but get out. I can’t even with you right now.” (Y/N) laughed as Addison hugged her.

Once she was alone again, (Y/N) went into the bathroom to splash cool water on her face. Looking into the mirror, she gave herself a once over. She walked out into the bedroom letting out a surprise yelp when she found Glen sitting on the bed.

“Scared the crap out of me.” She held her chest.

His eyes were focused on the floor, “Sorry. Addison said you were in here.” He stretched his long fingers out over his thighs before looking up at her.

“I wanted to apologize for coming onto you so strong and kissing you. I should have been more of a gentleman about it, not that I regret kissing you because I don’t.”

She sat down next to him, “I don’t either and you don’t need to apologize. It was nice to know I remembered how to kiss a man.”

He chuckled finally looking over at her, “It’s like I’m living out a meet-cute rom-com without a script and it’s terrifying. There’s a fine line between endearing and creepy. I feel like I’m crossing the line into creepy.”

(Y/N)’s hand was trembling but she placed it over his, “You’re not creepy. Addison told me about how you wanted to get to know me. I think it’s been so long since a man has shown any interest in me that I don’t know how to react to it. Let alone that man being someone I have fantasized about being the Leading Man in my own life.”

“Is there any way we could start over? You being you and me being just a normal dude wanting to ask you out?” He laced their fingers together, “Or at least ask you to watch fireworks with me?”

(Y/N) smiled, “I would love to watch fireworks with you… what was your name again?”

His breathtaking smile appeared as he stood up in front of her, “Hi, I’m Glen and you?”

She took his outstretched hand, standing up, “(Y/N), it’s nice to meet you totally normal dude who is definitely not a famous sexy actor.”

He laughed pulling her into his side slipping his arm around her shoulders, “That’s me. Normal dude who is thankful to have a chance to be in the presence of a beautiful woman.”

“Oh jeez, please stop with the compliments. They make me uncomfortable.” She sighed, sliding her arm around his waist.

-----

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[rr311]

·˚ ༘ 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒐 ➪ fluff, jealous & sassy nanami, black!reader

₊˚ෆ 𝑺𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒔 while you were on your date with nanami, you had bumped Into a long time friend catching up with him. but nanami didn't like the fact he was being touchy with you and gets jealousy.

ミ★ 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆 this was a request from someone anonymously who asked “young jealous nanami.” but I lost the thing 😕, so It won’t be able to notified the person I’m responding to so If you’re still keeping updated with me I’m so sorry for your late request and still hope you like It anyway!

also guys, we’re so close to 1k followers 🙏 If any of you forgot once we hit 1k followers I will be doing a face reveal and a little giveaway (If I think of something by then) but If It does happen I will provide details!

❝ 𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐘 ! ❞ - 𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈 𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭

❤︎︎# — 𝖭𝖠𝖭𝖠𝖬𝖨 kento was very vocal about his expressions when It came to a lot of stuff. so when you seen the face he was making when your friend was talking to you, you put two and two together.

he was getting jealous ~

kento was never the jealous type which also surprised you to see the dirty glare he was giving f/n. a tight hold on his tea cup looked as If It was gonna break by how tight he was holding the mug, It made his blood boil to see this guy be all touchy with you. you might've thought It was all friendly and nice but he was also a guy, he knows how guys can be when It came to girls. your friend liked you. It was obvious!

even when gojo or geto would hug you or playfully touch you It was genuine friendship not this! he hated to say but he wished you were talking to gojo out of all people. thought gojo can be an asshole sometimes he knows to respect your guys relationship despite the many times he's tried to get under his skin or annoy him. kento scoffed to himself turning back to outside watching as cars and birds went by taking another sip from his tea. you noticed this, tearing your eyes away from f/n to him with a deep sigh grinning. f/n followed where your gaze was to be met with the blonde boy across from them, his eyebrows furrowed. when he was about to say something to catch your attention you Interrupted, "f/n It was so nice seeing you again but I have to get back to someone. I'm so sorry n/n." you said looking at him with an apologetic look standing up from your seat as he nodded his head slowly going disappointed. "uh yeah..I'll see you next time then?." you gave him a small smile, "of course, my number Is still the same just text me!." you ruffled his hair hearing him whine, swatting his hand at you, “y/n my hair!.” he pouted slightly but shook his head with a gentle smiling.

once f/n had left you walked back to your table to where your pouty boyfriend was sat. when you sat down In front of kento he still kept his gaze outside with a bitter look, "kento." he gave you a small glance with a brow, "oh? you're finally back from your friend? I didn't notice you." you rolled your eyes kicking him playfully under the table poking your lip out, "kenny, don't be like that. he's just my friend." he scoffed setting down his mug looking at you fully, "a friend that likes you?."

"he doesn't like me-" "y/n I'm a guy. I know how we are when we like a girl. the hints where there." again you sighed shaking your head, grabbing ahold of his hand. "ken, trust me when I say this. f/n Is clingy. like really clingy, and I admit he does need to learn boundaries but he's still just a kid babe. he's only 16, It's been awhile since we last seen each other. trust me he has no feelings for me." nanamis eyebrows furrowed but then sighed looking down.

after hearing your explanation..everything made sense In a way. he gave your hand a small squeeze nodding his head, "I only love you kento, stop being a big baby." you chuckled seeing him shoot a glare your way but nodded his head again, "I'm sorry my love." he mumbled feeling his cheeks heat up from being flustered bringing your hand to his lips pecking the back of It as you stared at him with nothing but love In your eyes, "I'm not mad at you so don't worry, It wasn't big anyway" you shrugged, "but don't do It again." you pointed a finger at him who grinned In response staring back at you, "yes ma'am." you smiled back placing your hand to grab ahold of his chin bringing him forward as you leaned across the table, "good." you closed the space between you both feeling his lips ontop of yours.

he Instantly relaxed In your hold leaning more Into It but remembering you're In a public place you pulled back after a few seconds as he chased your lips with a groan. you patted his cheek standing up from your spot with a energetic bounce, "now let's go! I can't be late to my hair appointment."

had him right between your fingers.

[starsandhughes]

Penalty Box— Trevor Zegras (Part Eighteen)

SERIES MASTERLIST

previous: seventeen

next: nineteen

THURSDAY, MARCH 23 (i am tragically behind i’m so sorry)

yourusername

liked by trevorzegras, jamie.drysdale, and 8,773 others

yourusername welcome to my postgame penalty box update show: the og edition! the ducks photographer was very kind this game and gifted me (us) the best pictures of z imaginable!

my personal favorites are him sitting on the ice, and him flying through the air post getting slashed (which was labeled as “following through” on the image description). he also got hit in the face with a puck— how quintin of him! (aftermath slide six)

just like the amount of ducks goals scored tonight against the jets; z is now at two games since his last penalty! you’re doing amazing sweetie! keep on girlbossing! i love you, always🧡

tagged trevorzegras

view all 209 comments

trevorzegras “how quintin of him” how does it feel to be attacked in my post @_quinnhughes ? (ps i love you, forever, y/n/n🧡)

_quinnhughes injured emotionally

yourusername i’m surrounded by cry babies

_quinnhughes @/yourusername i live in a different country?

yourusername @_quinnhughes emotionally surrounded

_quinnhughes @/yourusername weirdo

trevorzegras @_quinnhughes precious weirdo**

user1 THAT SECOND TO LAST PHOTO!!! Z LOOKS SO HOT!!!

jamie.drysdale that’s our son!!

yourusername he’s thriving!!

trevorzegras i’d like to file for emancipation

user2 it’s like “pretty fly for a white guy” except it’s a pretty white guy flying

user3 AHA

_quinnhughes @/trevorzegras that puck was karma

trevorzegras for what?

_quinnhughes existing

yourusername HA GOT EM

jackhughes quinny’s a bit unhinged today

yourusername @/jackhughes i’m pro unhinged

user4 manifesting a ducks win soon

lhughes_06 just when i was thinking of changing my bet…

yourusername don’t do it lukey moosey!! support your mom!

lhughes_06 mmmm

trevorzegras 🔫🔫🔫

lhughes_06 okay okay okay i’ll still bet on z!!!

jackhughes @/lhughes_06 mama’s boy

_quinnhughes @/jackhughes you’re one to talk

user5 slutty z moment>>

jackhughes ur doing amazing sweatie

yourusername ur being annoying ex-husband

jackhughes we aren’t supposed to fight in front of the kids!

yourusername ONLY ONE IS HERE

edwards.73 hi parents

yourusername f u c k

user6 i want y/n and z as my parents! or y/n and jamie… or y/n and jack… do y/n and quinn have kids? i’ll be their first

trevorzegras @/yourusername when are we gonna have kids?

yourusername @/trevorzegras you’re gonna have to get down on one knee first

edwards.73 step dad?

lhughes_06 step dad?

trevorzegras step dad?

yourusername we’ll see, boys. we’ll see (😉)

jamie.drysdale @/yourusername divorce

user7 y/n’s comment section is a game of russian roulette at this point as to whether it’ll be sweet or bullying

jackhughes i bet bullying

[chang-bunnie-bini-bop]

hiraeth • seo changbin [part two]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

✰ pairing - roommate!changbin x fem!reader

✰ warnings - reader passes out, very smalll angst, slightly suggestive [?]

✰ word count - 2.1k

✰ notes - what do you think he's hiding??? ALSO im so sorry i left you all hanging...i promise ill update frequently...'kay?

✰ tags - @hyunjinslittlestar @dunno-wut-to-do

✰ sypnosis: changbin takes care of you after you manage to somehow make your condition worse. but he's hiding something.

hiraeth - the longing for a home that you cannot return to, or never was.

masterlist | requests open!

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“So, do you want to tell me what happened?” Your roommate asked hopefully, curious, obviously. 

You decide to respond truthfully, mostly because he would probably see right through your lies. 

“Not really.”

Changbin was just…that kind of person. Wise, but funny when he needed to be. He knew exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. 

He wasn’t the type of person to be afraid of his flaws, but to embrace them. This was a trait many people probably admired about him, but to you, it was the one thing that frustrated you most. 

You wished you could be like that. 

“Well,” He started, slapping his own thighs and getting up. “I’m just gonna-”

For some reason, a primal sort of instinct overwhelmed your mind immediately. You didn’t want him to leave.

You panicked and acted without thinking. 

Your arms darted out and wrapped around his stomach, head resting on his back. 

Changbin froze in his position, sagging slightly as your hand patted his tummy and attempted to pull him closer. 

You were so embarrassed, there was no way you were going to lift your head, not after pulling him around like he was your teddy bear. 

He turned around, holding your outstretched arms gently and folding them in your lap. 

You averted your entire face down, hair falling in between your eyes and effectively masking your whole face. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

“Your hair is so thin. Its become so ugly after that haircut.” The mom scoffed, yanking at the girl’s hair as she brushed through it. 

“Agh! Mom, careful! Also, I love the haircut. It makes me feel happy.” The girl talked back, earning an extra tough tug to the hair again. 

“Well, useless girl. Clearly, you’re ugly on the inside and outside.” Her mom made sure to push her head as she stood up, brushing her clothes off. 

“Now go to something useful, unlike your sister.” She spat. 

The thirteen year old resisted the urge to roll your eyes spitefully, knowing that it was probably better to just…listen to her. 

Maybe…she was just some useless girl. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Yoe opened your eyes, and sunlight flooded your features aggressively. 

You whined and put your hand in front of your face, effectively blocking the sunlight. 

I probably fell asleep. 

Getting up, you look around the unfamiliar setting. 

Changbin was fast asleep beside you, putting cutely and hugging a Pokémon plush. 

It wasn’t uncommon for both of you to fall asleep next to each other, considering your biggest fear was loud noises, and thunderstorms occur pretty frequently. 

You had just…needed someone beside you. 

Now you had him. He groaned a bit and shuffled, the sunlight hitting him directly in the face. 

You almost had the urge to hug him again, but instead, you leaned down and pressed your lips to his cheek, thankful for the good nights rest. 

He squirmed slightly and almost woke up, prompting you to jump out of bed quickly and walk into the shared bathroom, which smelled like men’s perfume. 

The scent was so familiar you almost keeled over. It wasn’t strong, but it smelled sweet, like honeydew. 

You brushed your teeth, turning on the shower. Feeling almost lightheaded, you pressed your hand to your forehead, and yup, you had a high fever. 

You cranked up the temperature to the highest, needing to get your muscles loose after the tension of yesterday, your tantrum combined with your excessive workout. 

You threw off Changbin’s shirt, squishing at your own belly and deciding to wear loose-fitting clothing, today was a bloated day for sure. 

The shower you took felt like true luxury, a paradise in which you didn’t have to worry about your feelings, but rather yourself for once. 

The steam fogged up the mirrors, but you didn’t care about how misty they would be later. 

You stepped out and wrapped a towel around yourself, grabbing your huge t-shirt, puffy sweatpants and undergarments. 

The light-headedness returned, and only after you finished putting your clothes in the hamper did you realize your own mistake. 

Oh my goodness. I’m so stupid. 

You had taken a boiling hot shower, with an extremely high fever. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Y/N-AH! I’m inviting some friends over for a while, is that okay?” Changbin yelled into the bathroom, rolling his eyes when you didn’t respond. 

He felt the steam of your shower circling his feet from the crack in the door, and his eyes widened. 

“YAH! Don’t use all the hot water! y/N!” He yelled, accentuating the last half of your name. 

“Hey, are you okay?! Y/N!” He knocked aggressively on the door, worry flooding his voice at the lack of answers, jiggling the locked handle. 

Then he heard a sickening thud. 

“Y/N! Hey, what was that?! Are you OKAY?!” Changbin screeched, banging on the door. 

His eyes widened in panic, and fright flooded his whole body. The door was locked. 

The master key. 

He ran to the kitchen and rummaged through the drawer, finding the key within a few seconds. 

Changbin ran back to the bathroom door and shoved the key into the lock with shaking hands. 

He managed to open the door slowly, covering his eyes in case…well, you know. 

“Y/N…?” He opened one eye, steam flooding his features. 

Your body was slumped over, the hamper of clothes knocked over and your hand resting on the pocket of one of his hoodies. 

Changbin took a deep breath, the heat almost unbearable. 

The older lifted your finished body over his shoulder while he pulled the hamper up again. 

Changbin adjusted his tank top and carried you to his room yet again, mirroring the previous night. 

He lightly tapped his hand on your cheek, attempting to wake your disgruntled body up. 

“Y/N-ah. Wake up, love.” He shook you lightly, and that’s what woke you up, finally. 

“C-changbin?” You stuttered, rubbing your eyes and gasping in pain as his hand pressed against your forehead. 

“Did you really take a hot shower with a fever?” 

You thought that he would gloat, laugh, make fun of you for being oh so stupid. 

But his tone was one of concern, of worry. 

For you. 

He wrapped his arms tightly around you, engulfing you in a blanket of warmth, which you definitely needed after the chill of of the room had overwhelmed your body. 

Your small frame shuddered, and you sagged in his hold, temporarily unaware of yourself, of anything. 

Numb. You felt numb. 

Like you didn’t care if you were happy or sad. 

Loud knocking tipped both of you out of your world, and Changbin grinned sheepishly at you as he motioned to himself. 

He wasn’t wearing a proper shirt. 

You rolled your watery eyes and walked to the door, hoping it wasn’t anyone important, considering your messed up state. 

“Hi-Is Changbin there?” A man asked. 

The first thing you noticed about him was that he was the epitome of perfect. 

Everything about him looked well put together, and his smile even had dimples. 

And then there was you, who was suddenly feeling very shy in front of him. 

“Yeah, Chan! I’ll be there in a sec!” Changbin yelled from the other room. 

You rolled your eyes. He was probably trying to find a good shirt that actually fit him and his muscles. 

Chan smiled down at you, and your mind immediately soured. Pity. 

But it didn’t seem like it. 

“What’s your name? Are you his roommate? He’s told me a lot about you.” Chan asked with a slight Australian accent, laughing at the end shyly. 

“Oh, my name is Y/N. Sorry, been having a rough week.” You responded, suddenly having the urge to shout ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie’ and see his reaction. 

“Everyone has those every once in a while.” Chan tsked, and Changbin chose that moment to emerge from his room, clad in a comfy shirt and sweatpants to mirror your own. 

Standing next to Chan, he suddenly looked way smaller, and you resisted the urge to coo at him. 

“Okay, we’ll be in my room, 'kay? I’ve ordered a nice lunch for you, and there’s a hot water bottle on the counter.” Changbin pointed out. 

Ever so thoughtful. You smiled at him for the first time in two days. 

“What about you? Did you eat already?” You asked, wanting to make sure he wasn’t skipping as he normally did. 

“Yup. I got Chan to confirm.” Binnie playfully slapped the man’s shoulder, and they both laughed while heading to his room. 

“Oh, and Jisung’ll be over soon.” Changbin called out, and your mood considerably lifted. 

Your best friend Jisung had already met Changbin, so he was a mutual friend along you two. 

You decided to slump on the couch and watch a movie, popping some pain medication and waiting for your food. 

When the doorbell rang, you bounced up from the couch and received the food, uttering a hushed thanks before shutting the door. 

You only just realized how starving you were. 

The package was ripped open and your mouth watered at the smell of the hot soup inside. 

For once it was actually hot. 

After gulping the soup down, which definitely helped your sore throat, you made a mental note to thank Changbin for all this.

The doorbell rang again, and you rushed to open it, almost knocking your toe onto the coffee table in the process. 

This time, it was Jisung, who bounced over to wrap you in a ginormous hug. 

Instead of pulling away like you normally did, you stayed in the hug for a while. 

This is what you needed. 

“Are you…okay, Y/N?” Jisung asked, and the question that you had waited so long for was finally voiced. 

You could feel your eyes tearing up painfully, and you sniffled quietly, the comforting embrace of your best friend made everything so much better.

“Oh no…I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have asked that!” Jisung bent down till he was about your level before wiping your tears off, concern lacing his voice and worry painted on his face.

“N-No. Don’t feel sorry. I’m just so happy that someone finally asked me that.” You avert your eyes, not wanting to see the full force of your best friend’s worry.

“Oh, Y/Nnie…” Hannie wrapped you tightly in his embrace again, and this time, he picked you up and headed to the couch, turning on some random movie. 

The day was full of cuddles and snacks, though you wondered what Chan and Changbin were doing the whole time. 

“I’ll see Changbin for a sec, yeah?” Han stood up and walked to your roommate’s door. 

You didn’t think too much about it, but then again, he had been seeing Chan and Changbin in that room quite often, hasn’t he? 

You knew it wasn’t your place to snoop, but you couldn’t help but wonder, what was he doing in there?

Either way, you decided to cook some dinner, knowing that Changbin often liked to skip his dinner, which you certainly did not enjoy.

You brought up a plate to his room, knocking on the door softly. 

Shuffling noises echoed through the area, and a very tired Binnie openned the door, however, his face lit up in happiness when he saw the food. 

“Aweee, Y/N! Thank you!” He took the tray, which had three bowls on it, into the room. 

Setting the tray down, he bounced back to the door to give you a quick, one-armed hug before running to the kitchen for some water. 

You saw your chance. 

“What have you been doing in there?” You ask, raising an eyebrow as he visibly panicked. 

“Nothing. Just some work. College never waits!” He grinned awkwardly, and that’s when you knew he was lying.

“What is up with you, Chan and Jisung lately? Are you…” Your eyes widened, and so did his. 

“What?! No, ew! It’s just something else…Y/N.” Binnie finishes oddly.

He sipped quickly at his water, bolting to his room again and shutting the door. 

You sigh to yourself before heading to bed. 

Maybe tomorrow would be better.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

masterlist | requests open!

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

[toburnup]

Is there a way you personally think people should support your fics?

Whenever I write I’ve always been a ‘I’m grateful someone read it even if they didn’t enjoy it’ type of person but recently I’ve seen a lot (like seriously a lot) of people saying, if you don’t comment on fics (on ao3) you aren’t supporting them or the creator. I know I don’t feel that way about what I write because I’m not really a good writer and I’m just happy if one person likes it because that means someone took time out of their day to read but now I think maybe I’m an asshole for not like commenting on everyone’s fics?

You’re like the best writer of fics imo so I’m wondering how you feel about all of it? And I’m sorry that I haven’t left any comments on your work if that’s truly the correct way to support!

well. this has been a topic of conversation for a long time, and everyone will have a different take on this, but here's mine.

the downside to reading without commenting is that hits on their own.... don't really mean anything. hits just mean someone opened it, it doesn't even mean that they read it. i've opened lots of fics, started reading, found out it wasn't for me and closed it. it still registers my hit. kudos means they technically scrolled to the end of the page and clicked a button. they're nice, but i consider kudos w/o a comment to be the equivalent of "i didn't hate it" (i'm sure many would disagree, but this is my take!)

so, yes, i'm a firm believer in leaving comments. i will always comment on a fic when i read it, because if i had 5-10 minutes to read a fic, i have 30 seconds to write a quick comment. if i had an hour to read a fic, i have 5 minutes to write a longer comment. but i have the same mentality for eating out - i only go out to eat when i have the $ to leave a tip.

obviously, there are some fics where i end up leaving much longer comments, but i build that into my reading time (so if i'm about to read a friends fic where i know i'm gonna Ramble, i hold off until i have adequate time). does that mean i sometimes don't get to fics right away? yes. but for my own sake, i'd rather read it and write a comment while it's fresh.

i don't think you're an asshole lol, but i think you're kind of devaluing comments. and devaluing your effort as a writer! you're putting hours of free work into something they enjoyed, i don't think it's too much for you to ask for people who engage w/ your work to leave a comment.

the biggest pushback i see from people who don't comment is that it takes a long time, or that they don't know what to say. and to that, i say: i have people who simply leave a 💕 in a comment and that's enough. it still tells me way more than a lone kudos. and the people who put the time into leaving longer comments are just my heroes. the backbone of fandom, imo (my repeat essay commenters are like.... truly amazing, amazing people).

confession, i used to be a kudos-no-comment reader. i still remember the first comment i left as an adult (this was a few years ago) - it was on a WIP that hadn't been updated in ? a couple months, and i was like. i NEED to tell this person how much i loved this. and i felt stupid as hell writing the comment, but i powered through out of sheer stubbornness. and the author replied, and they said something like "i've been struggling writing the next chapter, and this helped!" and then they fucking updated the fic like 2 days later 😭😭 it changed me, i swear. so, with that...

comments are especially important for ongoing fics, because people will only leave a kudos once. that ratio of hits:kudos:comments can mess with the author (like 1000 hits, 100 kudos, and 10 comments is significant!). that's why i'm (now) a big believer in reading WIPs and supporting them along the way, it's disheartening to see the hits go up and nothing else.

i'm very grateful for the amount of comments i get! i think i'm really lucky in this way. occasionally i'll get a comment from someone who tells me they've never commented on any fic before, and like!! yay! the first one is toughest, but it only gets easier after that.

another important aspect of comments is it builds relationship between the reader and writer. i love seeing familiar usernames and icons, and i notice when people haven't commented in a while and it always makes me happy when they pop up again. i also really like replying to comments. it takes... multiple hours but it's my favourite part of the process second to writing the fic itself. i also occasionally will poke around on someone's profile and if they've written a fic, i'll give it a read. it's a good way to make new friends.

anyway. i'm not saying all this to tell you to comment on my fics, but more to gently encourage you to reframe how you think about comments in general. it's like... why we clap at the end of concerts. just because we're in the room doesn't mean we enjoyed the show, so we do things like cheer! clap! scream! we make our opinion heard.

comments are like clapping 💙 it's free to do, and shows our appreciation. why wouldn't we do that?

[imperator-titus]

Ghost from the Past [Part 11]

Sorry for the long wait! (Is it long? Well, I've certainly updated quicker...) I had to focus on the end of my grad classes (and now have more... woo...) I also had to start really thinking about the next steps for the story.

I thought this bit was gonna have smut. Probably the next part will have a lot of spice.

A lot of my struggles came from modifying Gale's canon monogamous outlook without totally disregarding it and Astarion's character growth after the Yurgir fight. Clearly it has to be a little different since Eletha already confronted him about what he wants from her. Astarion in this part gets kind of a "+1 Emotional Intelligence."

I'm really enjoying this story, and I hope some of you are too! Please feel free to hit me up about it! I've been really enjoying some comments over on Ao3. Much love!

(Prev)[Part 10] (Next)[Part 12] [Master Post]

[For those unsure, yes, this is a made-up line the OP did, and honestly, it was perfect! Gale, you are about to be the star of the show.]

In the morning, Eletha was ready to go before anyone got up. She’d even started breakfast.

“You’re up bright and early,” Wyll remarked, one of the first to greet her.

“Early, at least,” Karlach said with a little laugh, indicating the permanent darkness that surrounded them. 

“I already have a plan of action for the next few days. We’ve wasted enough time waiting around for me to put my head on straight.” Eletha relinquished control of the cookware to Gale, who practically snatched the fork out of her hand.

“Are you sure you’re… okay?” Shadowheart asked hesitantly.

“Oh. No. No, I wouldn’t say I’m okay.” Seeing the looks they all gave her, Eletha chuckled. “I was never okay. Just… distracted. I can’t do anything about the whole… But I can do something about the problems that face us now.”

“Well said,” Gale said before turning back to their breakfast.

���Besides, I always feel better with a bloody blade in my hand.”

“I could not agree more.” Lae’zel’s eyes blazed with passion.

Before they headed out, Astarion approached Eletha.

“I know you said that I should stay behind with Gale and I normally wouldn't mind languishing around camp while you trudge waist-deep through curses and undead sludge, but-” 

Astarion stopped mid-speech as Eletha stopped digging through her bag and started rotating around, hand outstretched to the sky. Seemingly, she wasn't listening.

“Relapsing into madness again so quickly?”

“It's a sun glass. Can't be combusting in the middle of a fight,” she explained, tilting the piece of glass until she caught a glimmer of light. As she tucked it into her hip pouch she asked, “What did you want to tell me?”

“I wanted to come along. That's all. Wyll said it was fine if I took his place,” Astarion answered, throwing his words away as if it was no big deal.

“Okay.”

Astarion pouted a little. “You're not going to ask?”

“No.” Eletha stopped what she was doing and looked at him from the corner of her eye. He huffed and started walking away. She rolled her eyes and called after him, exasperated, “Why do you want to come so bad?”

“To look after you, of course,” he answered, practically sparkling. 

“Oh. You want praise.” He smacked her hand away when she tried to pat his cheek. She smiled. “Thank you. It's sweet of you to care.”

“I don't care and I'm not sweet. I have a personal interest in keeping you alive and not insane.”

“I get it. You're a magnificent bastard. So sorry, for implying you would be so weak as to look out for someone because you care.”

“That's right. I suppose all that brain damage hasn't made you stupid yet. Now that that’s settled.” Astarion turned and hesitated.

He ever so slightly wiggled his ass in her direction.

Eletha smirked. “Right. Best head out.”

As she passed him, she brought back her hand and smacked his backside so hard that he yelped and jumped a little.

“What is wrong with you, woman?!” he screeched, holding a hand to his stinging cheek.

“A lot.”

----

“This seem important to y’all?” Eletha asked, holding up the lute she just pulled off this weird doctor character.

“Are we gonna talk about how, in the past 4 hours, you've convinced someone to explode and another to let himself be brutally stabbed to death?” Karlach asked hesitantly, watching the mad nurses go back to their routines as if nothing happened.

“I dunno, I liked how that other one was full of gold,” Astarion remarked with a satisfied little smile.

“Why would he have a lute?” Eletha asked herself, ignoring Karlach’s question, looking over the instrument. She found some initialing carved into the neck. “That Art Cullagh guy seemed like the musical sort.”

“Well, he was insane. And he did seem to enjoy it…” Shadowheart said, regarding the gore with disgust.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Eletha said as she started to walk towards the back of the decrepit hospital.

“Because of the whole…” Karlach hesitantly made circles over her abdomen with a sympathetic pained face. Eletha’s eyebrows lowered in confusion.

“What? No. No, that probably happened in, like, the dirt, right? A pile of leaves?”

“You don't know?” Karlach asked, confused herself.

“Kinda blocked that bit out, yeah.” Eletha went through the doctor’s things, searching for anything interesting. Or valuable.

“I don't envy you. I've heard it ruins your vagina,” Shadowheart remarked flippantly as she cleaned her nails.

“That can't be true,” Karlach breathed in disbelief, her voice stressed.

“Oh, yeah, you can tear your arsehole like paper,” Eletha answered, tearing a piece of paper she found for effect.

“No! Don't tell me that!” Karlach cried in distress, closing her eyes and putting her hands over her ears.

“Is that why you're so shy? Worried it’ll be a disappointment for anyone but an ogre?” Astarion teased, indicating Eletha’s crotch with a cunty little wave of a finger. Eletha chuckled, smacking his hand like he was a child in need of a lesson.

“Not sure if I'm flattered or disgusted that you're thinking about my vagina.” Astarion’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

“I'm not the only one. Should I break the news to Gale that it's more like the Underdark than a cozy little cave?”

“Yeah, I got some glowing mushrooms in there and everything. Brightens the place up,” Eletha told him cheerily, mimicking decorating a home.

“Do you think a wizard can localize an enlarge spell?” Astarion asked after a comic hum.

“Aww, it's okay, I'm sure Gale’s more into technique than equipment.” Eletha patted his shoulder mockingly, a look of false sympathy in her eyes. Astarion laughed a little bark of a laugh.

“He'd be good for you. He could lend you a magic hand from the other side of his tower, no men involved,” he retorted cattily.

“He does know how to make a good steak.” 

“Oh darling, you wound me.” Astarion dramatically swooned and Eletha had to stop him from tripping over himself.

“That's what you’ll be saying when he's done with you.”

“Gods you two are weird,” Karlach breathed,shaking her head as she watched them.

Eletha let Karlach and Shadowheart take the lead as they walked through the crypt and the Sharran temple beyond.

“You look like you want to say something,” Eletha remarked, not turning her head to regard Astarion trailing beside her.

“Well…”

“You look nervous about it too.” She squints, eyeing him suspiciously. “Don't tell me you're actually thinking about my holes right now.”

“Maybe,” he retorted haughtily, bobbing his head in a mocking manner. After a defeated huff, he went on, “I feel like I should apologize. I never considered the possibility that I ruined you for all other men physically, not just emotionally.”

Eletha rolled her eyes so hard they threatened to get stuck that way. “Corellon save me.”

Astarion clicked his tongue, annoyed at her reaction. “Would it make you feel better if I said I have selfish reasons too? I've been thinking about that night after the goblin camp for quite a while.”

Eletha smirked and snorted, giving him a suggestive lift of her eyebrows. “Parched, are you?”

“Practically dying.”

“Gale not living up to his divine endorsement?”

“He is a good kisser…” Astarion clicked his tongue at her again. “Don't change the subject.”

Eletha wondered how she got in this conversation and how she was going to get out.

“No one has exactly complained, but that's not exactly a long list of possibilities and they probably had enough sense to not say anything.” She shrugged. “It used to just be uncomfortable, but as you know, I have quite the pain tolerance now.”

He emitted a soft “aww” and gave her sad eyes. She didn’t totally believe them, especially when his tone was a little too humorous. “You poor thing.” 

“Oh, look, a distraction!” she called out, pointing at a displacer beast skulking about.

Astarion sighed as he slipped his bow off his shoulder. “You’re no fun…”

----

“Did it go well?” Gale asked expectantly, following Eletha as she made for her tent.

“Bunch of cursed weirdos defeated, a clue to finding Thaniel, and a devil’s deal completed? Yes, a useful day,” she answered, laying down her weapons and stripping down to the clothes under her armor. 

“That is good to hear, but I was referring to, well, you.” He followed as she went towards where they'd set up a more “private” spot to bathe. It was nothing more than a bucket of cold water but it was better than nothing.

“You don't have to worry about me, Gale.”

“Perhaps, but I do.” He blushed and turned away as she started undressing, just like that night she showed them her curse. “If you desire, I can discuss this with you another time.”

“I’m not bothered. Are you bothered?”

“I… assumed you would be a bit more reserved, given… certain details.” Gale cleared his throat. “Anyway. You’ve been through a lot lately. I felt it prudent to check in.”

“Do I seem okay?”

“You seem like you’re burying your feelings. I should know, I’ve been doing that for a long time,” he said with a little self-deprecating chuckle.

Eletha touched his cheek and smiled softly. “You’re sweet, Bhin.”

“I was hoping for valiant or at least charming-” He stopped with a stammer as she got on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. Her body brushed against his and a small gasp escaped his lips in surprise. “I… ahem… I will leave you to your ablutions.”

She watched him retreat with a coy little smirk on face before continuing with her “bath.” After washing the blood and dust out of her hair and off her face, she called out, “I know you’re there.”

“And you let me watch anyway?” Astarion asked as he stepped out of his hiding place.

“Nothing you haven’t seen before.”

“Mm, yes, but not that little display with Gale.”

“Jealous?”

“A little. Your approach is much more subtle than mine, and I think it might be more effective.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The way your soft touch caught him off-guard. His heart leapt, thinking your lips would meet in a kiss. Your naked body just so happens to brush against him? I’m sure he’s in his tent thinking about it right now. He’s asking himself, how can I convince her to see me as more than just a fool, worthy of more than just her sweet sympathies?” 

As he spoke, Astarion divested himself of his own armor and the clothes underneath it. It wasn’t the first time they’d washed the blood and road off in each other’s company. It was almost… comforting, that they could just be naked with no sexual context. 

However, knowing Astarion, he’d probably encourage it. 

“You’ve got quite the imagination.” 

“It’s true, though, isn’t it?” he suggested with a smirk, taking the sponge out of her hand. She merely gave him a quizzical squint. He regarded the object as if it was very interesting. “You know, you make fun of me, for not having plans. But I had a plan, once.

“You were right. I did want to make you desire me, protect me. Our previous relationship made that complicated, obviously. So I prodded the others, as a backup. Lae’zel and Shadowheart were too guarded, too difficult. Wyll, the gallant monster hunter, spent a long time debating if I was worthy of living. Karlach, well, we couldn’t touch her. And she’s so… sweet, when she’s not terrifying. She likes you enough that she’d take your lead.

“That left me with Gale. Handsome, powerful, doomed Gale. A tough nut to crack, until you get under the social awkwardness, emotional miscues, and over-inflated self-importance.”

“Well, you have a lot of experience with that,” Eletha remarked, unmoving as Astarion very carefully rinsed the sponge and wet it again with fresh water.

“The secret, as you have probably guessed, is how utterly desperate he is to be touched.” 

Astarion squeezed out the water from the sponge, watching as it dripped onto Eletha’s shoulder and ran down her chest, sometimes catching on a scar and running in another direction. 

A gasp escaped from her throat. 

“He hid behind that orb, but really, he was so desperate that it made him sick.

“I feel awful. He was supposed to be a sacrificial pawn and I feel awful. Those books… How he quivers under my touch…” 

Astarion began wiping away blood and sweat from her neck and shoulders. Eletha wasn’t quite sure why she allowed him to. It felt… nice.

“Today you went after that orthon like he wasn’t three times your size, like it didn’t matter how hard he hit you. You did it for me, just like I hoped, but feared you wouldn’t.”

His hand traveled down her chest, cleaning the shallow valley between her breasts. “Did you have a plan for this conversation or…?”

He stopped following his hand with his eyes and gazed deeply into hers. 

“When was the last time someone took care of you, my love?”

Eletha flushed and as she looked away, she took hold of his wrist and pushed it towards him. “Don't be ridiculous.”

“What's ridiculous about it? Gale wants us both. I want you both. And you want us. Why not a cheeky little three-sided thing?”

“You presume a lot.”

“My sweet, don't play so aloof. I've read your diaries.” With his other hand, he trailed his middle finger along one collarbone and then down her sternum. “You deny this part of yourself because you feel it's undeserved. Haven't you suffered enough?”

Eletha hesitantly let go of his wrist.

“Let me take care of you. Show you how much I appreciate you?” he purred, his hand taking hold of her waist, his lips approaching hers, their hips nearly touching. 

Sensing the proximity of the body that once so perfectly interlocked with hers, the long-forgotten part of her body awoke with a heat that was searing in comparison to the chill surrounding them. 

Eletha began to tremble. 

For a moment, Astarion’s eyes appeared golden as they gazed deeply into hers. 

“Please?”

Eletha opened her mouth to speak, but another voice was heard.

“Could you two move this somewhere else? I need to wash my hair,” Shadowheart complained, huffing and undoubtedly crossing her arms over her chest.

“Aww, Fringe, Lethi was going to finally get some…” Karlach complained quietly, although she could still be heard in the near-silence.

Eletha snatched the sponge out of Astarion’s hand and made a mad dash attempt at scrubbing the most important parts of her clean. When he stood there staring at her, she started cleaning him too, starting with his face so he couldn't argue. “Just a minute!”

Astarion glared at Shadowheart as he sauntered out behind a flustered Eletha. Karlach appeared apologetic.

From his position at the campfire, Gale appeared to be watching Eletha go into her tent, a worried look on his face. Then he saw Astarion, practically glowing in his underwear under what little light there was, and his expression changed to a glower.

“It's not what you think,” Astarion said as he passed him.

“Sure…” Gale grumbled, turning his attention back to the food he spent all day preparing.

----

Night fell, sort of, and Astarion stood in front of Gale’s tent.

“Can I speak with you?” he asked, trying to avoid any sarcasm and only using a little sass.

“I suppose,” Gale answered after a moment of silent consideration.

He was clearly upset, pouting as he flicked through a tome.

Astarion put his hands on his hips. “Look. We didn't do anything.”

“So you say.”

“Don't be like that. You were considering it too.”

“That is prepos-”

“You're not fooling me.” Astarion snatched the book away. Holding it more gingerly, he said deliberately, “I’m… sorry.”

“What are you doing right now?” Gale asked suspiciously.

“When I didn't know if Eletha was going to gut me or not, I… had a plan. You would fall in love with me and I would, well… have a powerful wizard in my corner. All I had to do was not fall for you. And I failed.”

Gale shook his head. “You have a funny way of showing it.”

“Because you’re blind.” Astarion sighed, the flow of his speech interrupted. “I see you with her. You can’t be jealous. Of course, it’s still not clear to me if you’re mad that I am flirting or that she is being flirted with. But what does it matter? We all like each other.”

“I thought this was an apology, not a call to a ménage à trois.”

“It is! Or, it's supposed to be. You know I'm not good at this.” Astarion offered the book back, only to move it out of reach at the last second. “Live a little, Gale. Expand your mind.”

Gale sighed wearily. “You've given me a lot to think about.”

Astarion’s lips curled in a self-satisfied little smile. “Hopefully something fun?”

Gale snatched his book back. Astarion huffed, although playfully, and left.

After a while, Gale left his tent and softly made his way towards Eletha’s.

“Are you awake?” he whispered, not wishing to disturb her.

“Come in,” she answered, making space for him in the small tent.

He could tell that she’d been drinking, but not as much as before, so that was good, right? Still, he felt the need to give her an out from the conversation. “We can discuss this some other time, if that would be more suitable.”

“I have the feeling you’re going to ask me something that will be easier to answer in my current state.” Eletha gestured for him to go on. “This is casual intoxication, not running away from my feelings intoxication.”

Gale would have to take her word for it. “Did anything happen between you? Today, I mean.”

“Are you asking because you’re concerned for me, or for personal interests?” She took a sip of her drink. 

“Can it not be both?” Eletha hummed. He had a fair point.

“He was coming onto me. Genuinely, this time, which was surprising.”

Gale swallowed around a lump in his throat. “Were you going to accept?” 

“I didn’t really have the time to fully consider it.” Eletha offered him her drink and, after a moment’s hesitation, he took it. “I was going to tell him off. Then he said something that made me reconsider.”

“He can be quite convincing,” Gale agreed sourly before taking a sip of her drink. It was just wine, not that hard stuff that seemed to magically appear in her hands.

“Well, he was right, which, if Astarion is right, you’ve kinda fucked up, yeah?” She grinned at him and he laughed, because she was right. 

“He was right. I’ve been running away from happiness ever since he left. Felt I didn’t deserve it. When I’d try again, I’d just get hurt, and I’d punish myself more. Sometimes it was just the wrong person, it doesn’t work. But sometimes… maybe it could have worked? If I didn’t get this knot in my stomach that says I’m worthless?

“I’ve tried being friends. I can do friendship. And I feel bad, that maybe I’m getting your hopes up, and not because I like teasing you, but because I hate myself. I’m punishing myself, by getting attached and ruining everything.

“So I considered it. I wanted to say no, because it would hurt you, because I didn’t deserve it. But… I wanted to say yes, so it would hurt you and you’d hate me and that was its own punishment. And just a little bit… I was happy with him, once upon a time. Maybe I could be happy again.”

Gale listened intently. Eletha had a habit of rambling, but she chose her words and tone carefully. With practice, he could untangle them to find the naked truth underneath. This time, it was… familiar.

“Do you think you could be happy again?” he asked her sincerely, meeting her two-toned gaze with his big brown eyes, so open and sad.

“After all we’ve been through?” She laughed a little and his heart sank. Then she smiled. “Yeah. I do.”

“Then I wish you the best of luck.”

Gale held out her wine bottle, intending it as a symbol of releasing her from the burden of worrying about his feelings. Eletha took the bottle, but with her other hand, took hold of his. 

“You deserve to be happy too.” Her words were so sweet. She was being so sincere and he just… had a hard time believing it was true. “If you want him, just tell him. And if he has to choose… I’m sure he’ll choose you.”

“I am not as sure as you. He loves you. You have-” Gale cut himself off before he could say something that might make her spiral again. Eletha appeared to understand what he was going to say, but she still seemed pleasant and level-headed. “Why would he choose me?”

“Because I’m old and boring. You’re young and exciting.” A mischievous smirk tugged at her lips. “And I’ll make him. He owes me for the rest of my life.”

Gale shook his head. “There is a wrinkle in your plan. You’d be alone.”

“My sweetling, I’ve been alone a long time. You have your whole life ahead of you” Gale opened his mouth to protest and the sharp dark gaze that instantly flashed in her eyes made him shut it again without her losing a beat “and my beloved Astarion is getting to start over. I can be alone a little longer. If you two are happy, then I will be happy.

“Besides. It’s not like we have done anything even close to what you two were doing. We haven’t even shared a kiss.”

Gale stared at their clasped hands. He thought about what Astarion said earlier.

“Would you like to?” he asked, squeezing her hand reflexively in his nervousness.

“I think that… I am just drunk enough to say yes, but not so drunk that I’ll be cursing myself in the morning.”

Eletha got to her knees and leaned forward, holding his face gently as she kept their other hands together. 

Gale let out a breath of excitement. 

Their eyes closed and their lips touched. 

The first kiss was hesitant, testing the unknown topography, finding the way to fit just right. A pleasurable heat rose to the surface of Eletha’s skin as she deepened the next kiss.

Gale’s heart fluttered while his stomach did flips. This felt so different from his interludes with Astarion. 

Those felt like a natural progression of a lanceboard game. They would have some heartfelt conversation that turned into an exchange of witty barbs and the only places to go from there were fighting or “fighting.”

That didn’t mean either was unpleasurable.

Actually. It was too pleasurable.

Eletha leaned back to catch her breath and make sure he was alright.

Luckily, this meant that she only got vomit on her chest and lap, not her face.

She was stunned as Gale pleaded for her forgiveness. “I’m so sorry, I don’t- I don’t understand-”

This time he managed to turn his head.

Rubbing his back soothingly, Eletha chuckled. “It’s okay. I know the feeling.”

If anyone noticed, they were kind enough to not talk about it the next morning. Eletha managed to clean herself up enough to help Gale back to his tent. There, she sat for a while, making sure he would recover.

“Words cannot express how foolish I feel,” Gale said weakly as she placed a cold damp towel on his forehead.

“It’s not the first time a wizard’s puked on me,” she answered, soothingly stroking his hair a few times before sitting back. It probably wouldn’t help to touch him too much right now.

“You must have a lot of interesting stories…”

“I promise to leave this one out of the ballad they’ll inevitably write about us.”

“It was enjoyable. Until the last bit.”

“I enjoyed it too,” Eletha said sweetly, a small smile on her lips.

A few minutes passed in silence. She was about to get up, assuming he’d fallen asleep, when Gale asked, “What was the first time?”

“So I was at this party in Suzail…”

[snootlestheangel]

Oh no! How? How could you “fix” it and stick to canon story line?

If you’re crying. I know I’m gonna be too!

I'm fuckjng sobbing right now, Tats, it's bad

Major Character Death warning for below the cut

So, I don't know if it's just me but the main reason Soap's death just sucked in like a bad storytelling way is that it felt so anticlimactic? Like, there was a bit of emotion but it was lacking and just felt weird and out of place. And then the scene with his ashes? Just like did he not have family? Was this something after an official funeral for him? That scene also just felt really fucking awkward.

Anyways, yeah I "fixed" those issues. In other words, I'm here with proper storytelling to make it hurt like it was supposed to.

When Ghost and Gaz are coming in, just after the bullet is fired, all Price can hear is the broken, desperate way the lieutenant screams for Johnny. After the bomb is defused, and they're all standing there when the realization hits. Ghost is already on his knees, hands hovering just over the bloody wounds on either side of Soap's head. For a moment, the only sound is the ragged, heavy breathing from Ghost as his whole body trembles.

Price can't even get the words out to update Laswell. Can't force himself to use the proper terms. Just manages to blurt out with a broken cry that "Soap is gone". And those three words are daggers to their hearts. Gaz lets out a small whimper and he turns and looks away because he just can't bear the gruesome sight before him. And Ghost lets out a sound so unlike him, no one really knows what it was. A growl, a whimper, a plea, a confession?

The quiet, mournful whisper of "You're supposed to be with me" doesn't go unnoticed by Price and Gaz.

In the plane, heading back to wherever, Soap's body carefully concealed and hidden away. And Ghost finally speaks. Tells them of a private conversation the pair had before everything kicked off. How Soap told him he'd want a proper funeral, nothing fancy but a send off nonetheless.

Ghost tells them how Soap wanted him, Simon, to go to the spot in the mountains overlooking the water and spread his ashes.

To let him go.

By the time Soap's family is notified and arrangements are being made, Ghost is nowhere to be seen. He's disappeared, vanished like the specter he's rumored to be. And Price is doing his best to assist with the arrangements, doing his best to notify those he'd think deserve to know that John "Soap" MacTavish is gone.

And Gaz is struggling. He feels he's lost two best friends. He feels like he's mourning alone, lost without the lieutenant there.

Lost without Soap and Ghost, Ghost and Soap.

It's the funeral now. Soap's family is a wreck, yet just like him, they're facing the dark with mournful smiles, not letting the darkness of the day chase their light away.

Laswell is the first to approach his parents. She praises their son and how well they raised him; saying he was a good man and a good soldier. Saying he died to save hundreds more. That they should be proud of how selfless and brave a man their boy was.

Price is the second. He apologizes. He never expands on why he's so bloody sorry. He can't. He can't bear to tell them that the bullet should have been for him but Soap took it instead. That Soap sacrificed himself for him. Because Price doesn't believe he deserved to be saved like that.

Gaz is the third. He tells them he'll miss his "brother", that he wishes they were all meeting under better circumstances. The conversation doesn't last long; Gaz walks away before he loses composure.

Alejandro and Rudy are next. Alejandro tells them of how Soap saved his life, how he is eternally grateful for the man. He tells them they should be proud, and yet that it is still okay to mourn the loss of a hero. Rudy prays with Soap's mum.

But the one person to never approach them is Simon Riley. He stands off to the side, looking lost yet emotionless all the same.

Soap's mother asks Price and Gaz something: "What about him?"

Price tries to deflect it, tries to say she shouldn't worry about others, this is her son's funeral after all. But she stops him. She tells him that "while he rarely spoke of you all, he spoke highly still. So I ask you, what about him?" And Price doesn't have an answer.

Gaz tells her "He's dissociating really bad. He's just not coping well at all."

And Price speaks on how special the two were. How they survived some serious shit together, just the two of them. How they were an unstoppable duo, a perfect pair on and off the field. That "wherever Simon went, Johnny followed."

The procession is rough on everyone. Price and his father take the front end of the casket, while Soap's brother and Gaz take the back. And as they walk down the aisle, the reality sets in for everyone there, and there's not a dry eye.

All except for Ghost. Who remains at the side, expressionless and slightly unfocused.

A candle is lit for him, and a line forms before his casket. Alejandro, Rudy, Price, Ghost, and Gaz.

Alejandro salutes first, and Rudy follows.

Price's arm raises firmly despite the quivering of his breath.

Ghost's arm raises slowly, like he's moving through water and his face ever so slightly twists with an almost confused pinch of his brow.

Gaz is the last to salute, eyes squeezing shut as tears fall down his cheeks.

But in that moment, something changes. Simon sees Johnny smiling at him. He hears himself ask "Are you with me?" only to hear the distant whisper of "Always, Lt."

But Johnny wasn't with him.

Johnny never got to know how much Simon loved him.

And Ghost broke. His hand dropped as his knees buckled, a painful cry worming its way out of his chest. Sobs rattled him as he put his head to the ground, the cold stone of the church floor seeping into him. He cried and sobbed and wailed, kneeling on the floor with his head to the ground. And he begged, he pleaded, he confessed

You're supposed to be with me

[yosajaeofficial]

JULY UPDATE

Hey hey hey! Welcome back to the show, “The Monthly Jayce Myles Comics Updates!” Where I give obvious monthly updates to my followers about the progress for the hit series that hasn’t debuted yet, “ROTTMNT: The Jayce Myles Comics”! Sorry I haven’t posted this month, I was hella busy with college applications and other projects, but I’m delighted to get back into these updates.

Without further ado, let’s get the show running! I have some fun things to show ya!!!

The Comic

(W.I.P OF THE OFFICIAL DEBUT COMIC)

The month was way too quick for my own good, the comic’s slow. Again, I was busy applying to college and doing other side projects I’m working on. I’m gonna be attending college next month so the comic will have its hardships but I really wanna pursue my education as well, but the updates shall continue like always with all of its fun content! Anyways, the comic: the debut has 20+ pages and my god it’s just insane on how many there are when I’m not even halfway there. I’m impressed with how many pages go by just to tell the story, older pages will be fixed up so it either might be reduced or even more but that’s for future Jae to decide; I’m learning as I go! It’s also better that I show instead of say that I’m just “working on it” since it’s easy to lie to be honest.

The turtles haven’t been seen since I haven’t got to drawing their introductions yet, I’m gonna shart in my pants because I’m scared but I’m literally an artist doing a comic so I gotta do them sooner than later. Maybe the next update you’ll see them? Don’t hold me too much onto that but it might be a cute goal to set, let me know what happened when the August update comes!

Jayce is so silly with her coat huh? She’s just a girl giving it her best, even if they thrift at the worst shop known to man (they’re gonna learn someday…) We also got Rogelio and Jayce being all cool together, I was proud of that page when first sketching it out. They both are so sweet to draw out, hope to see their finalized pages to see their true potential!

Bonus Content: Hidden City Mystical Crystals

Silly reader, you’re scratching your nose and thinking, “what am I looking at?” You’re in luck! Cuz these babies are actually additional parts about the Hidden City’s lore/magic system. Magic system? Yes, a magic system. The Jayce Myles Comics is going beyond the original canon of Rise and creating many more original concepts and combining it with what was given by the canon. I wanted to show off more of the mystics from yokai because their potential was so much cooler to finally explore when drafting the ideas.

The Hidden City’s magic system is based off of the elements, not too complicated, but has some different rules when compared to other executions of the elemental magic system. That’s for another day, I’m only gonna talk about the crystals and show what they can do. You can reference this update and look into the JMC with this cool bit of knowledge! Let’s get started >:3

Origins of the Mystical Crystals

These crystals were created based off of industrial flaws people have faced. Basically, I learned about the 1920s construction workers and their working conditions where it made me think “what would the have wished for when they worked?” I referenced from real people, history books, and my own personal experiences to create functions, and help base the crystals off of what I came up with.

The Netflix show, “Arcane” was a great inspiration to combine mystics with technology, the brand was called “Hextech” and it’s system was hella cool to me and it helped a lot when I was working on the crystal’s concepts. The mystical crystals are meant to be used as “tools to help the magic user”, where they can enhance their power, gain a temporary ability, create spells, or use in technology.

The names of them are based off of the Latin languages like, English, Italian, Spanish, and a hint of both Chinese and Korean if you squint really hard. I will go through each of the crystals in a vague manner for ya’ll to see what they can do!

Fire Magic

Fire magic is actually defined as: “The manipulation/manifestation of temperature” instead of just heat, it can be fire or ice.

LA HEILMAQ: The crystal is based off of quartz in visuals and has the glow like a moonstone! La Heilmaq is the crystal that’s used to help air conditioning in modern homes and create weapons. They’re the most natural crystal to use to create weapons since it’s form holds up so well, it’s as common as bronze in real life! They’re pretty cold to the touch, so be careful and don’t hold them for too long if you’re 1. not a fire magic user, or 2. not wearing gloves. These babies are used for more attacks than defense since they’re pretty deadly if you’ve been penetrated by the crystal itself.

EL HEILMAQ: This crystal is based off of colored glass from old alcohol bottles, tainted windows, and the power of friendship because this is the one that isn’t the most realistic looking since I made the shape up. It looks like the “BOOM!” shape for a reason~ El Heilmaq is the crystal which contains heat, it’s sealed by the actual gemstone itself so you’re able to touch with your bare hands without getting burned. The crystal can be used for restoring heat in homes, making artillery, and/or throwing them on the ground to create natural firecrackers. Most yokai use smaller bits of the crystal as distractions and the bigger pieces to help the industry by keeping their homes warm, they don’t need boiler rooms or to grab coal because El Heilmaq crystals can already do that for them without causing damage to nature.

The word Heilmaq was based off the English word “Hail” which is Ice, which is to hammer the idea that this isn’t just heat based. The word Maq is gibberish that's made to be another word for "kaboom", which brings more of the fire elements to the word itself.

Air Magic

Air magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of oxygen”!

LA SENYÁR: The crystal is based off of diamonds and emeralds! La Senyár is a crystal that helps give the air magic user more of a boost, they can crash the crystal and it gives them a boost of air so they can jump higher, dodge quicker, or just blow a gust of wind at the enemy. The crystal itself is used by technology to give it more flight, used in planes, cars, and even shoes! Yes, shoes can also have the crystal, it helps the bird yokai give them a boost to use their wings to fly. The word Senyár is a word based off of the Spanish word, “Soñar” that translates to “To Dream”; it was named this way because the way how the pressure of the air isn’t as powerful or dense, it’s like if you’re walking on clouds, it feels like a dream.

Water Magic

Water magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of water and health”

LA CANTÉM: The crystal is based off of pebbles found in rivers, ponds, and on rock beaches; there’s also influence by the topaz gemstone with it’s beautiful orange color. La Cantém is a healing crystal, where you’re able to use it on yourself to cool down injuries where it helps heal the wounds. It works both as a numbing solution and healing solution based on the water magic user. With these crystals, you always have to hydrate them in fresh water so the water can absorb into the crystal and used as energy; if it’s dehydrated, then the crystal’s will be weaker. The word Cantém is based off of the Spanish word, “Cantar” where it translates to, “To Sing”. It’s because singing can calm people down, and the crystal helps calm down the injured and lets the healing process go smoothly, it’s based off of my bestie where their singing really was like fresh water to my ears, a great inspiration for this crystal.

Earth Magic

Earth magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of nature”

EL TERÉM: The crystal is based off of an amethyst visually, and yes, inside there’s a different color! El Terém is the crystal that most fighters use in order to manipulate rocks/boulders, build stronger architecture, or create rock shields when you throw them on the floor. It’s mostly rock based but still hella good to use in battle as a defense mechanism, the rock that’s formed is sturdy too, not weak for it to break easily. Shredder would have no problems breaking it but that guy’s insane. The word Terém is inspired by the word "tear" or "contain", any interpretation rocks! (no pun intended)

Yin Magic

Yin magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of darkness”

MIE SIÑE: The crystal is based off of titanium black tourmaline and onyx. Mie Siñe is the crystal that contains shadows inside, depending on what the spell is, it either can produce shadows or fog. The usage for the crystal is much more unknown since Yin magic is banned from being used in Witchtown, but the crystal itself has been documented to be used to isolate the enemy when being used. It's also been used to cover the enemies eyes with darkness in order to distract them/become vulnerable sight wise. The word Siñe is a word based on the actual word "Sign" and "Sin", which holds a lot of significance into the story so I won't spoil.

Yang Magic

Yang magic is defined as, “The manipulation/manifestation of light”

MIE PIRE: This dear crystal is based off of the Italian onyx, magnesite, and calcite. Mie Pire is the crystal that contains light inside, any kind of light, it's not just sunlight. It's a bit more tricky and dangerous to use since you can blind yourself with it more easily, so it's also not as used. However, Yang magic is also banned like Yin, but there has still been technological uses for Mie Pire like using it as an alternative for electricity (which saves the bills!) and also used as lamps for more conservative places like Witchtown. The crystal has proved itself useful as a light source, but it can still be used as a defense mechanism by blinding the enemies eyes for a good second of even minute. The word Pire is based off of the word "Pure" which means that this crystal is very raw hence why it's dangerous. Another word it's inspired by is the Latin word "Pyra" which means "Bonfire". Both interpretations are used for this one!

The word Mie is based off of the actual Italian word "Mie" which means "My". It doesn't truly mean mine, because it's also inspired by the Spanish "Mira" that translates to "Look". It can be interpreted any way you want!

Thank you for coming to this lovely update! I've been working really hard to get the comic rolling and to also balance out my personal life with it, but I'm proud of how far I've come in the span of a year! Lots of progress has been made and it's getting much more exciting to create for the JMC. Have a wonderful day/night and see ya'll soon.

[yakumtsaki]

Thanks to my well-honed sim cockblocking reflexes, I put a stop to this nonsense before it escalated further, and now we’re gonna pretend it never happened! You hear me, sluts?? ENOUGH. 

-Don’t worry babe, that moron can barely keep us alive, let alone keep us apart!

Sophito I can’t even express how sick I am of your bullshit. Why don’t you just explain to us how a relationship with Eliza would work given your LTW, because I’d love to hear it.

-I’d figure it out!!

The only thing you’d be figuring out is how to survive massive blood loss after she cut your dick off, ok? Eliza is no Don, she’d take that rose of amnesia and stab you in the eye with it.

Speaking of Don, Sugar is determined to out-simp his father as he is about to kill both himself and Claire by hypothermia because he won’t stop hugging her long enough for them to get inside. 

-Oh darling, I can think of nothing better than staying here forever, embracing in the rain next to objects that tend to get hit by lighting!

You might have noticed a lack of Sugar the last few updates and it’s because ever since he won Claire’s heart he’s come down with a terrible case of Shajar Former Incel Syndrome. Remember when she finally got with Sophie and her entire personality disappeared because all she did was follow Soph around waiting to woohoo with her?? Well it’s time for round 2!

Our grades last semester were straight up embarrassing and we’re tittering on being broke again, mainly thanks to the 3 fortune aspiration douchebags and their delusional expensive wants, so it’s time to do the unthinkable: study.

-Ya, I don’t know how effective it is to be studying during June’s party?

Well Sugar, you of all people managed to cuck someone so clearly nothing is impossible around here.

Look how productive everyone is being! 

-Goddamn it, how do I insert a check for $5000 in this paper without ruining the formatting? You know what, I’ll just attach it in the email. 

ARE YOU BRIBING THE PROFESSORS. IS THAT WHERE ALL OUR MONEY IS GOING

-Of course I am, how do you think I keep getting A+s without ever studying?

I assumed you were a brainchad like Sophito??

-Ya, Sophito has been attaching his nudes instead of checks. 

Of course he has! 

What fresh hell is this, what is this rando feud?

-I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU AND YOUR FELLOW FORTUNE ASSHOLES, REGINALD, STOP WASTING ALL OUR SCHOLARSHIP MONEY ON RUGS AND COKE -Not just rugs and coke, June, also sculptures! -I DON’T CARE. JUST GO BANG YOUR OLD LADY AND LEAVE OUR MONEY ALONE

-Oh Erik, finally you can move in and bring all your cash with you!  -Well I do have like 1k in household funds! -HAHA- wait, you’re serious? YOU ONLY HAVE 1K?? -I sure do!

Erik what the fuck, even the llama brought more with him when he moved in.

-I’m only a freshman! And my entire bio is about wanting to be a starving artist! 

WANTING TO BE A WHAT NOW?? JUNE WE’VE BEEN BAMBOOZLED. I thought we were getting a boring, dependable John Burb type and instead we got Darren Dreamer, fuck.

-Oh, you broke, beautiful idiot, I’m so into you right now!

June.. istg. Frankly Erik as a marriage prospect is starting to feel barely above the nephew obsession-

-CASE IN POINT. ERIK WTF

-You didn’t check my personality panel before moving me in?

I SURE DIDN’T

-2 neat points :)

Fuck my life. Let’s just move on..

..Our party is going incredibly as usual!

-FUCK YOU, STACY, HOW DARE YOU PLATONICALLY INTERACT WITH SOPHITO IN FRONT OF ME

-FUCK YOU TOO, SOPHITO, I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU AT ALL AND I NEVER WONDER IF WE’RE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER SOMETIMES WHEN I CAN’T SLEEP 

Can you people not be completely deranged for the duration of one (1) party?

Istg I can’t leave these flops unattended for more than a minute. REGINALD STOP BONDING WITH EVERY CREEPY PROFESSOR THAT CROSSES YOUR PATH

-Thank you, 00s Emo-Haired Professor, this is very flattering but I’m already in a committed relationship with your colleague, Geriatric Half-Alien Professor.  -Oh my, I’m so sorry! I’d never violate the Professor Dibs On Students Honor Code!

Ok ya, party over, everyone fuck off.

-Hi Stacy, what the hell are you doing? 

God’s work, that’s what she’s doing. Don’t let them bang, Stac, stay where you are! 

-Hey, genius, if we do the ‘shoo’ action she’s hardcoded to leave.

Fuck you, Eliza, I’m bringing reinforcements..

..HA. COCKBLOCK ACHIEVED ONCE AGAIN. Have fun, you two!

And you two I’m not letting out of my sight.

-You can’t win against me, Liz, my grandpa started teaching me chess as soon as I fell out of my mom on the bathroom floor. -Classiest birth your family has ever seen. -Both your dads wanted to marry into my family. -Wanted to marry in so badly they cheated on your grandpa with each other and he had to marry his third choice.

HEY. Wyatt wasn’t our third choice! (He totally was.)

-Well thank God you’re marrying Wilfred who’s always been your first choice! -Absolutely he is, he doesn’t at all bore my tits off. In fact, I’m gonna go wake him up right now and have loud sex with him and you can stay here, being a hoe who’s bad at chess. -Ok, have fun! -Oh, I will!

WELP I TRIED.

-Sophito, I feel our undefinable toxic relationship is gonna be a disaster for everyone involved.  -I know, isn’t it great? :D

[crinkled-emotions]

35, 63 and 72 for my poor boy Roo please. Love the Daderick vibes you write

Poor Rooster... this is definitely not my doing 👀😂

Also! I'm considering posting these on my ao3- CallMeG . It'll be titled something basic bitch like "tumblr requests" etc etc... then I'll update it every time we do something like this! Is anyone down for next weekend? If you find a prompt list that looks good please send it through!

I nearly introduced an oc I’ve been working on for the last three months, but I got the idea you wanted Daderick Vibes (tm 😂

35. "Why have you been hiding this from me?", 63. "I don't have time to sleep off a cold." and 72. "Person A hasn't been sleeping due to work, and they of course get sick. Despite Person B's wishes, Person A continues to sneak out of bed and stay up late to get more work done, and Person B is not happy."

Notes: went cold... flu... stomach flu... appendicitis? Even though there’s no correlation between stress and appendicitis? No, stomach flu.

Maverick stirred when he heard the front door open and was immediately on high alert, reaching for the baseball bat resting beside his bed. Then he heard coughing, followed by gasping for air. Sighing, he put the bat back.

He knew exactly who had just come home. Hauling himself out of bed, Maverick found his shirt on the dresser and poked his head out the door.

“Bradley? That you?”

“Hey, Mav. Sorry I woke you.”

Bradley looked... wrecked, to say the least. His shoulders were slumped and he was pale except for the feverish flush on his cheeks. Maverick knew he was coming down with something, but he wasn’t at the point where he was ready to ask for help. He was, however, probably going to work himself to the brink of collapse.

“Have you had dinner, kid? You left here at the ass crack of dawn.”

“Nah, Hangman did a Hangman so I got hauled in front of Cyclone.”

“How does that work?” Maverick frowned, a hint of amusement tugging at his smile. Bradley ran his hand through his hair, sniffing.

“I dunno.”

“B,” Maverick said softly, “maybe you should take tomorrow off. I think you’re getting sick. You’ve got the pale hot flush going.”

“I don’t have time to sleep off a cold.”

“Bradley.”

“No, Mav, it’s just not an option right now.”

Bradley yawned, wincing at his sore throat.

“I’m going to bed. It’s late.”

Maverick watched his son step into the bathroom and close the door, that parental instinct in his gut telling him to listen for him overnight. Just in case.

Sure enough, two hours later Maverick was rudely awoken by a door slamming against a wall. He grimaced, scrubbing at his eyes as he sat up. He thought they were past these days about twenty years ago. Apparently getting sick in the night is something you don’t age out of. Hauling himself out of bed, Maverick made his way back down the hallway and knocked on the door.

“Roo?”

“Go away, Mav.”

“It’s okay, kid. Let me in.”

The toilet flushed and the bathroom door opened after a moment. Maverick frowned.

“How long have you been throwing up?”

“I dunno, yesterday?”

He winced, holding a hand out to stop Maverick getting any closer.

“Hold that thought.”

He shut the bathroom door in Maverick’s face. Maverick grimaced, reaching for the doorknob.

“Roo, I’m coming in. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

“Mav.”

Maverick stepped into the bathroom and grabbed a cloth, getting it wet under the tap then wringing it out to place on the back of Rooster’s neck.

“Is that better, Roo?”

“Hmm...”

He pitched forward and tried to empty his stomach again. Maverick winced, rubbing a hand between his shoulders.

“Breathe, kiddo, it’s okay. Shhh...”

Maverick managed to get Rooster tucked into bed a little while later, teeth brushed, fever meds and water in his system and a bucket by his bed. He’d passed out the second his head hit his pillow, snoring as loud as he usually did. Maverick sighed, cupping his forehead with his palm.

“Okay Roo, I’m gonna go make some phone calls,” he whispered more to himself than to Bradley.

When his alarm went off the next morning Rooster groaned, smacking his phone twice with his hand and missing both times. The third time he attempted it the phone fell off his nightstand and clattered to the floor. He was kind of glad he’d put the hard shell case on it last week because he usually didn’t bother. Wincing at the alarm still going off, he carefully reached his arm down. He found the bucket first, unused luckily, before following the charging cord to his device and switching off the blaring alarm. He was surprised Maverick hadn’t come to check on him. He hesitantly swung his legs around, feet finding the cool hardwood floors. He winced, cupping his sensitive stomach.

That was a negative on breakfast, then. Hopefully he’d be able to keep a cup of coffee down. Despite brushing his teeth after the last bout, his mouth still tasted disgusting and he reached for his water bottle to take a sip and wake up. The water sank like lead in his stomach and he reached for the bucket when it threatened to make a reappearance. When it didn’t after a moment, he got up from his bed and searched for a clean uniform. Once he was dressed, he quietly made his way down the stairs. Maverick was still asleep, didn’t start for another two hours, which made it easy for Bradley to sneak out the front door with a travel mug of coffee in hand. If he knew Maverick, he would insist that Bradley stay home but he didn’t have time for that. They were on a deadline to refine these pilots, he and Jake, and he wasn’t going to let Jake make complete mince meat of them without him.

By the time Maverick was awake, the Bronco was pulling out of the drive and Maverick swore under his breath, scrambling for his phone. The display glaring back at him told him it was 5:28am. Way earlier than Bradley’s usual 8am start. Sighing he got out of bed, scrolling through his contacts before he found who he was looking for.

“Seresin.”

“Jake, if Bradley shows up you gotta get him to sickbay, capiche?”

“Sir, it’s... not even 6am.”

“Jake, you’re staying in base housing. It’s a two minute walk to the car park. You can send him to sickbay or you can hold him until I get there.”

There was groaning on the other end, and Maverick suddenly got the idea Jake may have been... previously occupied.

“Jake, your wingman needs you. Don’t leave him hanging.”

Silence.

“That was straight up cold, pops. Okay, I’m going. Should I wake up Cyclone too?”

“No, I’m on my way. I already texted him last night when Rooster got home.”

There was rustling on the other end, hushed whispers.

“Wait, sir, what’s wrong with Roos?”

“He’s overworked, exhausted and sick, Jake. He could probably do with a day in bed, but no, his mother’s stubbornness stops him from that.”

“Damn, I knew something was off yesterday. Okay, I’m heading out now.”

Jake hung up and Maverick scrambled into his uniform, getting the idea he was going to have to wrangle Bradley or wait until he was too sick to get into his jet. Whichever was easier, honestly.

Jake caught Bradley in the car park, trying to breathe through a bout of nausea in the driver’s seat. He tentatively opened the door, putting his hand on his shoulder.

“Just me, chill. Mav called, he’s worried ‘bout you. What’s going on?”

“I think I’m sick.”

“I gathered from the panicked phone call I just got. What hurts?”

“My stomach... and my head... fuck.”

Rooster turned, throwing up on the pavement by Jake’s boots. Jake winced, holding the back of his neck.

“Yeah, okay, Maverick didn’t give me much to work with but I got it now. Why have you been hiding this from me?”

“Because you would make those aviators quit, the way you’re going,” Rooster hissed, overtaken by the need to gag. Jake frowned.

“What?”

“Those aviators are assholes, okay, I- I- I get it. But they’re also just kids, and you’re scaring them. They need to learn but not in the way we’re teaching now.”

“And what, you couldn’t have called Tash, or Bob, or even Javy to take over for a day? They wouldn’t mind.”

“I’m gonna puke again.”

Sure enough Rooster doubled over and Jake narrowly missed getting his boots covered in barf.

“Okay Roo, I hear you. I’ll go easier. God, why didn’t you say something sooner? I had no idea you were this worked up about it.”

Maverick’s Jeep wheeled into the lot and Rooster winced, scrubbing at his eyes where tears were threatening to leak from the gagging, but also the humiliation of being caught by Hangman, of all people. Jake didn’t move, rubbing his hand over Bradley’s back as Maverick jogged over.

“Thanks, Hangman. You can go back to whoever was in your bed now.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s real sexy to return smelling like barf.”

Maverick put his hand to Bradley’s forehead, frowning.

“Okay, you need sleep and fluids. Maybe Tylenol too, if I can find some.”

“Mav...”

“I know kid, I know you’re stressed, but that’s how you got here in the first place. Deep breaths, shhhh...”

[starsandhughes]

Penalty Box— Trevor Zegras (Part Sixteen)

SERIES MASTERLIST

previous: fifteen

next: seventeen

corresponding quinn post

I'M POSTING THIS AS IF IT WAS POSTED RIGHT AFTER THE GAME SO IT IS NOT TREVOR'S BDAY YET

SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2023

PREGAME

yourusername

liked by jackhughes, jamie.drysdale, and 8,702 others

yourusername welcome to my pregame penalty box update: ducks v canucks edition!

my bashful boyfriend currently has gone six games without a penalty. he has done this two other times this year, but has yet to make it to seven! let’s see if he can do it tonight on his birthday eve!

my boundless best friend resides at three games since his last penalty, much to trevor’s enjoyment. he might not be a duck, but he is mighty, so let’s see what tonight holds!

the bets for this game are at much smaller stakes, and no side bets were allowed this time. apparently jacky baby and i have a “betting problem” and need to be stopped.

best of luck my boys! z, i love you always🧡 quinner, i love you legally💙

tagged trevorzegras, _quinnhughes, jackhughes, jamie.drysdale, lhughes_06, colecaufield, and _alexturcotte

view all 117 comments

trevorzegras i love you forever y/n/n🧡

yourusername simp

trevorzegras so what?

jackhughes brb gagging

user1 y/n and jack are the type of duo that would run to vegas to spite everybody

yourusername @/jackhughes 🤔😏

jackhughes @/yourusername 😈

_quinnhughes @/jackhughes @/yourusername NO

_quinnhughes i love you legally, too, you addict (you called me a doo doo head?)

yourusername i came with defects, so what? (you can’t prove that)

_quinnhughes i want to trade you in for a newer model

yourusername we all want things we can’t have QUINTIN

user2 NOT Y/N BETTING THAT HER BEST FRIEND GETS HIT WITH THE PUCK😭

colecaufield bringing snacks

yourusername smirnoff**

colecaufield did huggy give you permission?

_quinnhughes you know very well no one has control over her and we all cater to her every will

colecaufield ah yes, the princess treaty

yourusername get peach!

POSTGAME

yourusername

liked by trevorzegras, jamie.drysdale, and 10,556 others

yourusername welcome to my postgame penalty box update show: whoopsy daisy edition! trevor received a “slashing” penalty against the canucks’s dakota joshua during his endeavor to throw hands to defend troy. personally, i would’ve liked some more drama in this but i’ll take what i can get!! that’s my z baby!!! (we made a group decision to count this in the fights category of our betting pool!)

i’m sorry you didn’t win your birthday eve game, but you skated beautifully regardless, my favorite criminal🧡 you’ll be winning at home tonight ;)

i love, always <3

tagged trevorzegras

view all 209 comments

trevorzegas i love you, forever 🧡 living room sleepover?

yourusername ofc my love it’s tradition!

colecaufield dibs on cuddling with z

jamie.drysdale dibs on cuddling with y/n

yourusername i mean i guess

trevorzegras yeah okay

user1 z during the national anthem >>>😍🥵

_quinnhughes it’s selfish to get yourself a present for somebody else’s birthday, but i made the exception tonight

yourusername (trevor this is not for you) HA

trevorzegras check your texts hughes

_quinnhughes @/yourusername your boyfriend just texted me profanities i didn’t know existed

yourusername i know i wrote them

jamie.drysdale “i really don’t want to pay his bail i’m just gonna leave him in there” (y/n, in reference to cole’s question of what she’d do if z went to the government penalty box)

lhughes_06 @/yourusername you’d leave him in…jail?

yourusername @/lhughes_06 yeah he’s a big boy he can handle himself

jamie.drysdale is he a big boy though?

trevorzegras @/jamie.drysdale I’M TALLER THAN YOU

user2 DID Y/N CRY?! MY FRIENDS AND I HAVE BETS ON HER CRYING

jamie.drysdale no but she threw a fit when she didn’t get a violent fight

jackhughes i believe you owe me something miss

yourusername yeah yeah yeah i know

_quinnhughes what did we say about side bets?

yourusername @_quinnhughes we didn’t bet with money! we bet with our bodies!

trevorzegras i’m gonna need you to elaborate crazy girl

yourusername @/trevorzegras i have to wear his jersey to your next game and it’s your fault

jackhughes i’m doing you a favor z! you always say how good you think she looks in red!

trevorzegras @_quinnhughes FIX THEM

_quinnhughes @/trevorzegras I’VE BEEN TRYING FOR THREE YEARS

user3 new pbg (penalty box gang) lore unlocked: trevor birthday eve living room sleepovers and the princess treaty

user4 i am not a fan of that group name lmao

_alexturcotte is he feeling 22 yet?

yourusername nope, 21 is still doing his thing

trevorzegras not a lot going on at the moment

[cambria-writes]

huffing puffing i forgot to update here today in my perpetual struggle to write the update for ao3 hhhhh

um idk i'm havin a rough time of it this week and my boss is gonna be gone for a while cause he's getting ✨married✨ and i'm basically the person with the highest iq in the place after him so uhhh it's. it's gonna be a wild ride.

also i'm so sorry i barely proofread this please forgive me

anyways here's chapter ten!!

pairing: eddie munson x reader rating: M, each chapter rated individually warnings: guns, active shooting, blood and injuries, swearing, DND lingo, series typical violence (against non-humans) word count: 3,246

Previous Next Masterlist

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖊𝖓: 𝔉𝔦𝔫𝔡 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔓𝔞𝔱𝔥

It’s a mistake to try and run as soon as you feel the ground beneath your feet. Your knees buckle almost instantly, and you find yourself tumbling down the slope leading to the lake bed. There’s a high pitched screeching in the distance ahead of you that makes your ears ring and eyes water. 

You also hear the distinct screaming of people. 

You scramble to your feet and grab your gun where it had skittered a few feet ahead of you. You’re not prepared for the sight in front of you: slimy creatures that look like bats taking turns diving in on Eddie and the others. You double check that the safety on the Beretta is flicked off, smack yourself in the forehead with your free hand to try and focus, and you make your way forward. 

You jog as fast as you’re able to with your stomach in knots and your lungs clenching, and when you’ve walked around the glowing red mass you assume in the gate, lift your arm up and aim and the highest flying bat.

The shot is deafening and feels like it echoes, and though it might not have been an instant kill, the sound of liquid splattering on the ground says you at least hit the damn thing. Before you can aim for a second shot, Nancy rushes toward you and, with what you think is an oar, hits a bat away that had been diving right for you. 

You shoot the one coming up behind her, and it plummets to the ground with a squelch and a pathetic squeak.

You follow Nancy closely when she makes it over to Steve, in time to see Eddie spear clean through a bat with some kind of broken stick. You shoot the thing in the head for good measure when Eddie slams it to the ground. 

You turn just in time to see Steve fucking Harrington tear a bat clean in half. When you see him spit blood, you take the time to process what he looks like. And what he looks like is bloody. 

“Oh my fucking god,” you croak, putting your arms down and walking over to him. “You need to—”

“It’s fine,” Steve grunts, waving you off and taking a look down at himself before looking back up to you. “Wai—What the hell are you doing here?” 

“You ditched me so I plane shifted, asshole,” you reply quietly, moving aside to let Nancy inspect the wounds left behind by the bats taking ‘a pound of flesh’. 

“Those things don’t have, like,” Robin starts, looking around nervously at the carcasses. “Rabies or something, right?” 

Nancy looks at her like she’s sprouted a second head. You scoff. “If they do have some kind of disease, I’m pretty sure it’s nothing we know.” 

“Fantastic,” Steve mutters. He opens his mouth to say something else when the now-familiar shrieking of the bats sounds behind you. 

There’s a sound like a wounded, pitched howl that sounds in the distance. When you turn to face it, you all get to see several bats land, annoyingly gracefully, around the gate. 

Clearly guarding it. 

“Alright, there’s not that many,” Steve speaks quietly, taking a cautious step forward. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s plenty enough,” you hiss, shuffling over to stand next  to Robin, behind him and Eddie. 

“Nah, we can take ‘em,” Eddie says, with all the confidence of someone who has no idea what he’s looking at. “Right?” 

As if summoned, there’s another wounded howl, distinctly coming from the woods beyond the bats, beyond the gate. The sound alone feels louder, like it resonates behind your eyes, but when you see the tip of what looks like a very black cloud, you nearly trip over yourself trying to step back. 

“No, no we definitely can’t take those,” you breathe, pulling at Nancy and Robin.

Nancy does a half spin, eyes wildly looking at the edges of the lake, before she points behind you, legs already carrying her.

“The woods,” she calls out, breaking into a run. “Come on!” 

You take off after her without a second thought.

Unlike the other four, huddled as closely to the edge of cover Skull Rock provides you, you stay huddled on the ground as hidden as you can possibly be. You can hear the swarm of bats pass you over, but you don’t breathe until everyone stands up.

While Robin sighs audibly in relief, you already notice Steve is slower to get up than the others. When he starts canting to one side, you call him out and lunge to catch him. 

“Woah, holy shit,” you breathe, helping Steve to slide down to the ground. “You—dude no offense but you look like shit.”

“Great bedside manners,” he groans, putting a hand to his wounded side. It looks… like a really angry racoon got to him. 

You’re vaguely aware that Robin’s going on about rabies while Nancy’s tearing the bottom half of her shirt. You can feel something tingling in your fingers, but before you can open your mouth to speak, there’s a throbbing in your head.

I thought I told you to leave.

“Oh fuck no,” you whisper in a growl, propping yourself up. You get to your feet and lean against the stone. “I really don’t need you in my head right now.” 

I could make it easy, the gravelly voice—probably Vecna, right?—says. I could teach you how to use your powers.

You guffaw and turn around, like that’ll help you find where the voice is coming from. You shrug off the hand you feel landing on your shoulder. You can still hear the bats in the distance. 

“Right, fuck off, buddy!” You shout, belling your hands into fists at your sides. “You don’t get to offer me a fucking job when you just tried to kill my friends!”

“We’re friends?” You don’t catch whose whispered awe you hear. 

It doesn’t have to be like this—

“For the last time,” you start, voice low, closing your eyes. “I told you to Fuck. Off!”

The tingling in your fingers suddenly feels like starbursts under your skin, enough that you fall back into whoever had tried to grab your shoulder earlier. You can faintly tell that there’s a short gust of wind around you; whatever leaves were on the ground get blown away from beneath Skull Rock, in a neat circle.

You feel blood seeping from your nose, and your head feels like it’s full of cotton. 

It’s Eddie who lowers you to the ground, the back of your head braced against his shoulder. You feel sick, light-headed and weak. Eddie’s trying to keep your attention, keep you conscious, and though it’s hard to keep your eyes open, you double tap the arm across the top of your chest. He drops it in favour of grabbing both your shoulders.

You hear Steve groan behind you when Nancy tightens her makeshift bandage around him, and Robin muttering something panicked under her breath. 

“I’m fine,” you croak, pulling your legs out from where they’d folded under you and letting your weight sink back into Eddie’s chest.

“Yeah, sure, believable,” Eddie replies, and you can feel him turning around to look back at the other three before lowering his mouth to your ear. “Wanna tell me what that whole episode was about?” 

You scoff and, with a grunt, force yourself to sit up straighter. 

“Remember when I told you that Vecna was probably the one who kicked me out of here the first time?” Eddie rubs your shoulders, and when you turn to look at him, he nods. The other three still look shocked. “Yeah well, he kind of, like. Telepathically spoke to me then. And now.”

“He what?” Steve asks, but Nancy shushes him and motions for you to continue. 

“You said he was trying to offer you a job?” She prompts. 

You tilt your head. “Kind of? He said he could teach me how to use my powers, whatever the fuck that means. So I guess…”

“Sanctuary,” Eddie breathes, helping you turn around so you can at least face him while you sit. “That’s what that whole,” he gestures at his nose. “Thing is about, right? Whenever you do something your nose bleeds.”

You frown and lick your lips, and wipe angrily as your upper lip and nose when you taste the unmistakable tang of iron. Spit off to your side to get it out of your mouth.

“Fucking probably,” you mutter bitterly. You move to get up, and accept Eddie’s help when he offers an arm to get up. “Never really thought about it but it makes sense. Eleven’s nose always bleeds when she uses TK.” 

“TK?” You wave Steve off. “Telekinesis.”

“Wait, so if this is just like, Hawkins but with monsters and creepy crawlies,” Robin starts, hands behind her head like it’ll help her stay calm. “That means everything from our world is still here, right? Except for people, obviously?”

You shrug with Steve while Nancy speaks up. “As far as I understand it, yeah.”

“So theoretically,” Robin continues, already sounding a little bit less frazzled. “We could go to the police station—”

“There’s no way we’d make it downtown,” you cut in, flexing your fingers. “We’d either get spotted by the bats again or get jumped by a demodog.” You pause for a second and glance over at Eddie. His eyes are round as plates. “If not just, y’know. A straight up demogorgon.”

“Well,” Nancy starts, staring at the ground. “We don’t have to go all the way downtown for guns. I have guns. In my bedroom.” 

“Nancy Wheeler has guns, plural, in her bedroom?” Eddie asks incredulously, when Steve steps forward. 

“Full of surprises, isn’t she?” Robin says, and there’s almost an excited bounce to her when she does. 

“A Russian Makarov and a revolver,” Nancy says.

“Yeah and you almost shot me with it.”

“And you almost deserved it.” 

You squint at them for a second and look over to Robin. She throws you a smirk like she knows something that you’ve just caught onto, but you roll your eyes and shake your head. There’s a sounding ‘thump’, and when you turn your head to look, Eddie’s tossed his denim vest at Steve. 

“For your modesty, dude.”

Steve looks like he’s about to say something in return, but before he can speak the ground begins to rumble violently beneath you. Robin stumbles forward into you, and you in turn fall back right into Eddie. A quick look confirms that Steve caught Nancy. The best you can do is try to keep breathing until the shaking subsides.

This would have been perfectly fine if you didn’t immediately hear some kind of horrifying braying in the distance, a sound you don’t recall hearing even in the nightmares. 

“Yeah so guns seem like a pretty good idea to me,” Eddie says, shakily, releasing what you now realize was a death grip on your upper arms.

“Yeah, me too,” Robin breathes, holding out a hand to help you up once she’s gotten back up on her own feet.

“Alright well, lead the way. I’m way out of my fucking depth here,” you state, taking a knee to tie up your shoelaces. You’d been able to run just fine with them undone, but if you’re going to have to avoid tripping over hive mind vines, you’d rather not leave yourself at a disadvantage. 

When you start walking, it’s easy for you, Eddie and Robin to stay a few feet behind Steve and Nancy. They are, after all, the only people who know where they’re going from here. You turn to Eddie as you walk and tap him lightly on the shoulder.

“What was that you said earlier?” you ask. “Sanctuary?” 

Eddie hums and nods, sticking his hands in his pockets and keeping his head down. 

“Yeah, like, the spell?” He turns to look at you for a second to see you nod and looks back down at the ground. “It protects you from targeted attacks and spells.” 

“Like scrying or TK.”

“Like scrying or TK, yeah.” The grin you’re gifted with makes you turn your own gaze to the ground and clear your throat. 

“Wait so you can cast actual spells?” Robin asks, reaching a blind hand out to hold onto your sleeve. “Like a witch?”

You can’t help but laugh a bit. “Not really,” you say, taking a second to carefully hop over a particularly large vine. “It’s kind of more… thought based? Will based, I guess? Like the whole plane-shifting thing, I can just think about the Upside Down hard enough and then boom, I’m here.” 

“And what about that thing Eddie said, sanctuary?” 

You twist your tongue in your mouth while you find the words. “It’s like… a fuck-off zone. If it works right, Vecna can’t attack me or use spells on me. Which, on the one hand, is great—”

“But leaves you open to anything that isn’t directed at you,” Eddie finishes for you.

“So if he sends an army of bats against us…” Robin starts, looking over at you. 

“They might not be able to attack me, but if one of them flies close enough that its tail hits me or just happens to wrap around my neck, that’s kind of fair game.” 

When you look up again, Steve’s stopped in front of you, Nancy a few feet ahead of him. Robin gives what you think is a reassuring pat on the shoulder before jogging to meet up with Nancy. When you and Eddie catch up to Steve, Eddie nudges him with his shoulder in passing. They seem to strike up an easy conversation—which is no surprise, given how masterful Eddie is in social situations, despite what people might think of him—and you give them a few feet of space.

You don’t really want to hear Boy Talk right now.

So instead, you look down at the palm you’d scraped when you first tumbled down the incline to the lake, and focus on the small, scabbed cuts.

You try to recall the tingling feeling from earlier in your fingertips, and the way it spread like fizzing soda throughout the rest of you. You’re not entirely sure if it’s even related at all to your… ‘powers’, but given the fact that it seemed to contract and immediately release when you cast what you assume is the equivalent of Sanctuary…

You’re making a lot of assumptions, but spend most of the rest of your time walking trying to get the small cuts in the meat of your palm to close up.

“Might be time to get a maid, Wheeler.” 

“Robin, I doubt a maid can fix a parallel dimension vine infestation,” you retort offhandedly, stepping over said vines on the floor. 

“Come on,” Nancy calls, heading for the stairs. “I don’t wanna stay here longer than we have to.”

You shrug and follow up the stairs behind Robin, but when you turn at the top of the stairs, you can’t help noticing that Steve isn’t behind you. He’s, in fact, stood stock-still halfway up to the landing, pointing his flashlight out at the… kitchen? 

“Dude,” you start, but it stuns Steve enough to make him stumble down a few steps. “Holy shit, relax, are you good? Do we need to worry about Upside Down rabies.” 

“What? No,” Steve frowns, but immediately turns back to the kitchen. “No, just. Listen. Do you hear that?”

You huff but shut up anyways, and try to pay attention. And you barely catch it, at first; a sound like someone mumbling into a pillow two rooms down a hallway. It’s your turn to frown, and you push past Steve to continue down the stairs. When you walk into the kitchen, the sound is clearer.

“It’s… Henderson?” 

“Right? Right!” Steve almost trips over himself getting down the stairs. “Dustin? Dustin!” 

“Oh my god shut up!” You hiss, slapping at his shoulder. “He can’t hear you from here!” 

“Dus—! Wait, what do you mean he can’t—”

“Steve, what are you doing?” Nancy asks, flinching when Steve turns and shines the flashlight right in her face. 

Eddie takes a few steps toward you, walking out from behind Robin and Nancy. “You good?” He whispers, looking sideways at Steve while he talks about Dustin being in the walls. 

“I’m fine,” you whisper back, before taking a step in front of Steve and putting your hands up. “Oh my god I wasn’t kidding when I was telling you to shut up, he’s not in the walls and he cannot hear you.” 

“How do you know that for sure?” Robin asks, crossing her arms against the chill in the house. 

“When Will Byers went missing,” you start, turning around to face the other two girls. “Joyce only said she could hear him through the wall when there was kind of like a… that weird not-gate that happened when he tried to reach her when a demogorgon was after him right? But he could hear her all the time.”

“Like a two-way mirror but with sound!” 

“Exactly. That’s probably why Will used lights to…” you trail off, looking past them to the hanging lights in the living room. 

Nancy’s the first to turn around and try to spot what you’re looking for. Once she does, she immediately turns back round to you. 

“The lights, she said he was talking through the lights.” She turns back and rushes to stand under the light fixture and reaches up to it. It’s faint, but it does seem to glow, somehow. When you follow and look closely enough, it… almost looks like there’s a shimmering mist around the lightbulbs. 

“That’s… kind of funky,” you mutter, but reach your hand up too. When Steve walks up and shines the flashlight up, the damn thing practically sparkles. 

You pull your hand down and almost jolt when you feel a hand against your lower back. You don’t have to turn around to calm your nerves; you can feel Eddie’s hair brush against your ear. 

“It… tickles,” he huffs, looking down at you with a crooked smirk. 

“It kinda… feels good,” Robin adds.

Nancy slowly pulls her hand back down, and when she lifts her head and catches your eye, you already know you’re thinking the same thing. 

“Anyone here know morse code?” 

“We both do,” you answer, nodding back at Eddie. 

“Uh, since when?”

“We both know SOS, dumbass,” you sigh, batting Steve and Robin’s arms down and reaching back up. “Three short,” you start, making three quick tapping motions. “Three long, and three short. Lather, rinse, repeat.”

“How do we know it’s working?” Steve asks, looking down from the lights to you, then to Nancy. 

“When we hear them realize the lights are blinking, I guess,” Eddie replies with a shrug. “Might take a while.”

“I fucking hope not,” you grumble. “My arm’s already getting sore.”

And in fact, it isn’t so much the presence of conversation that lets you all know it’s working so much as the fact that there’s no sound at all after a few more seconds. 

And then you hear Henderson speak up. 

“Hey uh, remember when I said the wouldn’t be stupid enough to go through Watergate? I overestimated them.” 

“Okay that’s just plain rude!” you explain in a huff, pulling your hand back and crossing your arms. “I didn’t even go through the gate?” 

“You know I think that might actually be worse.”

“Oh fuck off, Ed.”

𝓣𝓪𝓰𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽

@anothermunsonsimp @storiesbyrhi @doratheignora @alovesongshewrote

taglist is always open!

[sebsxphia]

*sigh* so I’m having angsty thoughts and obviously the first person I think of for Angsty blurbs is you so I just had to tell you.

Don’t think of Bradley and his wifey going to Goose and Carole’s grave(they share a headstone bc they do, no one can change my mind) and telling them that they’re gonna be grandparents, and Him and Wifey make it a point to visit at the very least once a month to give Goose and Carole updates about their grand baby(Wifey definitely goes without Bradley tho so she can decompress sometimes)

And when the baby’s born Bradley all smiled and he’s sitting next to the headstone holding the baby saying him and Wifey are sorry for missing the last two weeks but they figured it’d be okay since they finally had their grand baby earth-side

oh you know you can always share your angsty thoughts with me 🥺🥺🥺 and this is ooooooooooof. it hits so hard for me because my partner lost his dad and we go to his grave side all the time to talk about life updates 🥺🥺🥺

bradley wants to stay as connected as possible and of course you want to as well. you see how comforted bradley is by it and you’ll be there by his side telling goose and carole about their marriage, baby, grandkids someday, everything.

thank you so much for this my love!! 🥺💌

[lu-the-artist]

update: alright, I might have jumped the gun a bit yesterday when I said I was taking a break. At the time, a lot of scary information about the KOSA bill was hitting me at once, and I was getting really anxious and wasn’t thinking straight. I was panicking quite a bit, but today my head’s a bit more clear. sorry if I scared anyone, I’m doing much better now.

That being said: at this point, I’m not exactly taking a break, but my posting’s gonna be less frequent due to unrelated stuff in my personal life (and the fact that school starts up again for me next month. rip ;-;)

anyways, thank you guys for sticking with me through this. it really means a lot to me /gen

[skymaiden32]

Danger In The North Sea

Tagging: @dragonoffantasyandreality @thundergeek59 @janetm74 @katblu42 @liseylou @amistrio @uniwolfcorn (Please ask if you would like to be alerted when I update or write new stories)

I may have rushed a little bit at the end ^^' 

But I really want to catch up as much as I can with the other stories that have piled up over the past few months... If I have time, I'll see if I can rewrite the chapter.

Next story will hopefully be out in the next few days. Maybe two if life doesn't throw me anymore curveballs than it already has this month... XD

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

------

“How’s it looking, Gordo?” The voice of his elder brother almost broke Gordon’s concentration. Almost…

The aquanaut replied as quickly as he could. “Pretty good, actually. There’s a manual valve down here, so I could probably turn off the drill myself.”

Virgil hummed. “That’s convenient…”

Gordon sounded just as relieved as Virgil felt. “Tell me about it.” He took another look at the valve, quickly getting his scuba gear before returning to the waiting radio. “I’ll get this done, while you focus on evacuating everyone off the rig before it collapses.” A loud creaking noise above him reminded the aquanaut of their unknown time limit. “We can’t wait for Thunderbird One and John anymore. If he gets here soon and can help, great. But we’ve got to do this. And it’s got to be now.”

“FAB.” Thunderbird Two’s pilot nodded, although he knew his brother wouldn’t see it. “Honestly, I’m sure we can do this ourselves at this point, but I wonder what’s keeping him. He should’ve been here by now…”

“I could call him, if you want.” Gordon suggested, grinning. Virgil shook his head.

“Nah, I can do that. You’ve gotta have your undivided attention on that thing…”

“Got it!”

Virgil moved the great ship over to where the oil rig workers were waiting, lowering the rescue capsule as he did so. While waiting for the relatively small group of people to load themselves up, he turned the radio link with Thunderbird One on. “Thunderbird Two to Thunderbird One, come in please.”

After a couple of tense moments, the voice of his immediate younger brother rang through the air, and it sounded pretty tense. “Receiving Thunderbird Two.” The wind howled on the other end of the line, clueing Virgil into what was going on. “Sorry, got a little bit of turbulence…” The note of panic in his brother’s voice told him it wasn’t just that.

“Sounds like you’ve got more than just a turbulence to deal with there, John…” Virgil grimaced. “What’s going on, and how bad is it?”

“I’ve already told base about this, but…” John groaned. “I’ve got weapons trained and firing on me from all sides. I don’t know who they are; there’s no marking in sight, but I’m taking evasive action while still trying to make it to you guys.” He inhaled sharply as a missile came dangerously close to hitting the plane. It felt like whoever this was had sent a full battalion after him, even though it was only a single battleship. “They came out of nowhere!”

Virgil’s frown deepened. “Bad is a bit of an understatement, huh?” He muttered, voice barely a whisper. 

The next thing that came from his brother was shouted. “I can’t keep this up for much longer, Virgil! I’m gonna cr-” The radio fizzled with static, shutting off abruptly. Virgil couldn’t keep his panic at bay. 

“John? JOHN?! Come in, Thunderbird One! Are you receiving me?!” After a few more tries to raise his brother, he looked down at the oil rig, trying to calm down and think rationally. There wasn’t a person in sight anymore. A small blessing, he supposed. The evacuation was complete. Now all that was left to do was get Gordon, get the workers someplace safe, and then look for their brother. “Gordon.” He opened up the link, his tone of voice leaving no room for argument. “Get Thunderbird Four back in that pod, as quick as you can. We’ve got to go help John…”

“FAB. Already waiting to be picked up.” Gordon frowned. “What’s happened? Give me the details…”

------

Jeff had lost count of how much time had passed since they’d lost contact with John. He had hoped that people would stop trying to shoot his boys out of the sky by now, but it seemed that the universe just had it out for their family. He had bounced a few ideas of who the aggressors could possibly be off of both Scott and Alan, as well as his mother, the Kyrano’s and Brains, and they had all come to the same conclusion.

Unless it was some unknown enemy they had yet to face, which seemed unlikely, only the Hood would be this bold. The thought scared all of them, especially Kyrano. The Hood had only made that threat the night prior. His brother was getting stronger, both with his powers, and politically…

“Please tell me it’ll be okay, Kyrano…” Jeff’s broken voice broke him out of his daze, and Kyrano grimaced at the look his friend gave him. “Please tell me that my sons will be safe from him…”

Kyrano froze. “I…” How could he promise something like that? “I can’t… I’m sorry…” 

Jeff just nodded, understanding. It wasn’t fair for him to have asked that question, he knew that. But still… “Stay safe, boys…” He whispered to the heavens. Maybe, just maybe, they would hear him.

------

Up on Thunderbird Five, Scott wasn’t dealing with the situation much better than his father was. Alan watched worriedly on the other side of the screen as his eldest brother paced to and from various instruments, trying to get the line to Thunderbird One back. He knew it was likely pointless, but he had to do something!

“Scott, please chill out…” Alan tried, only to be met with a concerned glare. He continued. “If you pace around like that too much, you’re gonna push back your recovery.” The youngest Tracy frowned. “At least sit down for a little bit…” 

“How can I just sit around when they’re in danger, Alan?” Scott sighed, running a hand through his frazzled hair, but he gave in to his brother’s request anyway. “How do you and John do it?”

Alan folded his arms, smiling. He inwardly sighed with relief when Scott smiled back. “Oh, trust me. We can barely handle it ourselves. Last month… Hearing Agent Omega cornering you and Gordon…” Alan pinched the bridge of his nose. “That was the worst. I wanted to help you guys so bad, but I couldn’t.” He sighed. “And I still can’t…” He looked back at Scott, who was looking at him with sympathy. “So believe me, I totally feel your pain. But when they get home, and they will get home, I don’t wanna see anymore Smotherhen… Stop worrying about us so much. Got it? You’re dangerously close to going grey too early.”

Scott huffed. “You know I can’t promise to turn that off completely, but I can promise that I’ll try. Only if you guys don’t walk on eggshells around me when I’m back on Earth. My leg may still be screwed up, but I’m not an invalid. I can still do things.”

Alan smirked. “Fair enough. Bet Dad’ll make you stay in One when you go out on rescues, though.”

“Oh my poor naive little brother, that’s a guarantee…” Scott snorted.

------

John had breathed a sigh of relief when Thunderbird Two had shown up, scaring his attackers off without Virgil even having to fire a single shot. It also made him scratch his head a bit. He had a sneaking suspicion of the Hood’s involvement, but why fire on just one Thunderbird and leave the other one alone? Why target Thunderbird One?

He sighed as they finally made it back home, struggling to fly using damaged instruments. That was a worry for later. For now, it was good to be home…

[the-scarlet-witch-22]

hello hello!!

Ahhh that's so exciting and so sweet that you and your stand partner are bestieess!!!! Also I laughed so hard when you wrote about getting dopamine from external validation because if that doesn't summarize every performer ever than i don't know what does 😂😂

Yes, yes, yes!! The way you said it was so well put!! I typically say that during rehearsal "we get lost in sauce" 😂 but you said if far more eloquently. I think that's what I miss the most about performaning, apart from being surrounded by other creative people. The fact that everyone is there trying to create something so beautiful and trying to convey emotions in a way that goes beyond words is something so magical. Uggghhh now I'm gonna start looking up local theatres to see what productions they're doing to see if i want to audition.

Honestly everyone crying is just a testament to how well written and enthralling this story was!!!! I (and I'm sure everyone else who read it) was so captivated by the story from beginning to end! When i tell you i LOVED the scene with the kids i truly mean LOVED. 1 - i thought it was the hottest thing ever that Agatha enjoys interacting with kids (and honestly kept thinking about Agatha with kiddos cause i just know she has such a soft spot for them) and 2 - experiences like that are just so transformative for children!!! I still remember the very first musical I saw in person and how amazed i was by it and immediately knew it was something i wanted to do.

Ahhh i feel like my asks just keep getting longer and longer!! They're starting to feel like letters at this point 😂 So sorry 🥴 but i saw THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A SEQUEL!!! And it's going to have CARMEN IN IT?!?!?!?!! I'm sooo excited!!!!!! I completely forgot i had said something about Agatha conducting an opera, but oh my goddddd i want her to conduct an opera so badlyyyyyy. Needless to say, i am very, very excited!!!!!!

I hope you are having a fantastic start to you week!! ❤️🥰

- paganini anon

Hi Paganini Anon! 💜

Ah yes. Jerry, my stand partner is an icon and I’m determined to become his best friend. I already have a plan for our next rehearsal 😌🤞🏻

Hahah I actually enjoy the phrase “lost in the sauce” a lot more than what I said!! It’s so true! I think it’s incredible that you’re in theater, and I completely get what you’re saying. I’m rooting for you and pls keep me updated (if you want to) on if you end up auditioning for anything!!!! I’m sure you’ll do great and it sounds like it would be so much fun!! The fine arts are such an incredible gift and my biggest regret is going so long without performing.

Thank you so much omg 😭 I am a very emotional person (I blame my Pisces moon, my therapist says otherwise tho), and I think it’s clear in my writing that I enjoy angst. I’ve always appreciated your support and anons on here, I go “ooo” whenever I see I have one!! They make my day 😌 I’m rly truly sooooooo glad you liked Agatha with the kids!!!! I added so many little details in, it always makes me excited to see what people enjoy and what they can relate to. And that’s so sweet 😭 it’s so incredible how one experience can help shape your entire life!!

No pls I love the asks! It’s fun- and I love writing letters! One of my friends from college and I would write each other letters back when the pandemic first hit and it was so fun. Yes!! I’m like… 1/4 of the way through writing the first chapter!! Yes yes yes it will have Carmen!!! It’s one of my absolute favorite operas. I remembered your ask and I was like oh wow that would be an interesting idea, could I do that? And then I brainstormed and decided I wanted to keep writing haha. Agatha is going to be on one while she’s conducting in the sequel and it’s going to be very entertaining to read. I’m so glad you’re excited!!!!! 💜✨

Ah thank you! It’s been a bit busy and the cold weather is making it hard for me to focus on things, but I am trying my best. I hope you’re having a good week too, thank you sm for the ask. I always love getting them!! ✨