#sorry this ended up being more stuff leading up to the fall than the actual aftermath!!

[journey-to-the-attic]

Hey! I just read the hybrid AU hc's you wrote and I came up whit something...

What if IK does end up being taken by the angels to the Celestial realm? I honestly think at first she'd try to fit in but ultimately get sad that she's away from the devildom and the brothers. I keep thinking that she'd do anything to get kicked out and fall from the Celestial Realm just so she can be whit the brothers.

Could you maybe write some hcs of the brothers not only seeing her fall down from the sky through a window but also reacting to he being half demon now? (Only if you want!!)

I honestly think the brothers would get Vietnam flashbacks

actually, i reckon ik would skip the fitting in steps and immediately go for angelic delinquency - there's no way the celestial realm got her into custody without a fight, and in the first place she does NOT want to be here - she wants to be at home with her demon family

presumably the celestial realm got what they wanted by putting simeon and/or luke on the spot, either by threatening one of the others' safety or just by making a bunch of empty promises and assuring them that this is all ultimately better for ik's wellbeing... though luke'd more likely be convinced by the latter than simeon

the brothers are probably furious about all this, but diavolo can't let them charge up there to bring ik home themselves because 1. the celestial realm technically does have a genuine claim to ik's care, and 2. they can't risk starting another war. lucifer, while deeply unhappy about the situation, has to agree for the sake of peace and everyone else's safety

solomon spends a lot of time trying to negotiate, since ik's still half human and has been raised human her whole life. but the celestial realm's gotten suspiciously cagey about ik's whereabouts - so he insists on seeing her every time he visits, and every time she's gotten quieter

luke doesn't quite understand it at first - the celestial realm's so beautiful, and there's so many fun things to do! eventually though, he, like simeon, becomes fully (and painfully) aware that ik's miserable up here. also, is it just him, or is the high council being really shady about 'settling her in'?

an angel-human hybrid's existence is dangerous, especially one as friendly with demons as ik, so it'd be easier for the celestial realm (both in terms of politics, and the ongoing loyalty of the angels) if she was obedient. ik's having none of it though

it starts with talking back to the seraphs, then sneaking out and causing a ruckus when they're not looking. this escalates into mild vandalism, then straight up destruction of property (throwing things through windows, etc)

at first the seraphs just take it into stride, because it'd make it harder to make ik cooperate if they punished her, but it starts getting out of hand - a lot of valuable and very old things end up destroyed, and the other angels are starting to object to having her here in the first place

exile would be a last resort, because it's the last thing the council wants in this situation. potentially, ik goes to simeon and raphael conspire to make it happen - neither are particularly willing, but it's just about the only plan they have for letting ik go home

(the seraphs did say that ik would be allowed to come down to the devildom, but won't allow it until ik behaves and promises to stay that way - which she has no intention of doing)

the demons aren't informed about this because they'd almost certainly object - though diavolo has his suspicions, and he warns simeon against it, having seen first-hand what the fall did to the brothers. unfortunately, simeon chooses to listen to ik instead

maybe simeon sets fire to the grand palace, or raphael attacks an angel - in either situation, ik admits to the crime, and somehow they make it happen! down she goes!

barbatos sees something falling down and his heart drops like a fucking ROCK. he knew diavolo was suspicious, but he never thought ik would actually go through with it... but he supposes that kid's always been too reckless for her own good

he does attempt to somehow issue a warning to prevent the brothers from seeing this, but unfortunately they're all at the castle already (to discuss ik's situation, actually, which is ironic) and realise what's going on soon afterwards. asmo just starts screaming and he can't stop for a while

the fall is almost definitely too aggressive for this - it's like a meteor falling - but the winged demons still fly up to try and soften the impact, even though they all get pretty singed in the process. ik's not too badly wounded, though the same can't be said of her mental state

the brothers aren't sure whether to be happy she's at least back or to be SO pissed this even happened in the first place. out of all of them, lucifer probably has the worst reaction to it; he's feeling a molotov cocktail of grief and fury, and he's only just barely keeping it under control

belphie is so fucking angry that he thinks he finally knows what it must be like to be avatar of wrath, but then he sees satan's face and realises that even now, he has no idea how deep that rage runs. they both agree that their energy is much better expended on helping ik recover, though, so there's not much they can do about it

i guess in some ways, the brothers are happier with ik being half-demon than half-angel, and they're definitely glad that she's home, but... man. why do all the worst things keep happening to this poor kid?

[lesbian-for-arthur-morgan]

Middle Class Lady Who has the Gang Sneak in Her Window

"The gang falling for a woman of a higher class and a father that doesn't approve of them so they usually sneak through their window to be together" @livingdeadgirly​

Genre: Fluff - some angst if you squint (Fem Reader uses she/her pronouns) Featuring: Arthur, John, Dutch, Javier, Charles, Sean, and Sadie Warnings: Mentions of guns, outlaw type of stuff

AN: I'm so sorry these took me forever to write! if some of them seem a little out of character please ignore it and pretend they aren't :D ---> Requests are open! Check out my guidelines if you have any questions

<><><><>

Arthur Morgan:

Your father owned his own saloon which gave him an incredible insight into the type of men who frequented his establishment. He thought of this as a blessing once you started growing older and wishing to be courted, he could keep an ear out for anyone that he deemed unworthy for you.

Unsurprisingly, anyone who frequented the bar was not someone your father wanted anywhere near you. Especially when it came to an outlaw by the name of Arthur Morgan. The two of them had a long-standing feud (actually it was your father who hated Arthur and Arthur was too busy being infatuated with you to notice).

The first time Arthur was seen speaking to you in front of the saloon, your father came barreling through the doors to usher you inside. He instructed you to never speak to him again. Of course you didn’t listen.

Months go by and Arthur has made an extreme effort to get as close to you as he can without your father’s knowledge. The two of you will just so happen to go to the same general store at the same time every Friday by ‘accident’, you just so happen to run into him when you take your horse for a little trail ride to exercise, and every once in a while you both somehow end up behind the theater at on show nights by some strange chance of fate.

After a while, you’re so sick of having to keep your interactions short and sweet and secret in the public eye (lest anyone witness it and run off to tattle to your father). You write a quick letter to Arthur one day asking him to meet you at the side of your house at midnight.

When he gets there and you’re nowhere to be found he’s beyond confused; it’s not until he hears a sharp whistle and looks up to see you waving at him from your second story window that he understands your plan.

“The things I do for you, woman.” He grumbles with a smile and begins hoisting himself up the tree conveniently located right by the window.

You’ve already got the window open as he reaches the top and you begin helping him crawl inside. Now Arthur is a large, bulky man he isn’t exactly as nimble as he might have been once upon a time. You can barely contain your giggles as he lumbers into the room ungracefully and nearly face-plants into the rug on your floor.

“I ain’t had to do this since I was a boy,” He smiles down at you once he steadies himself as you grin up at him widely.

“You’re still young enough to climb through a lady’s window yet, Mr. Morgan.” You tease.

It’s the first time the two of you have ever truly been alone since you met and the tension in the air is palpable. Arthur looks between you and your carefully cleaned and decorated bedroom, then down at his dirty boots on your rug and worn denim pants. He was the complete opposite of you - he didn’t deserve to ruin your space with his grimy life and clothes.

“What you thinking about, Cowboy?” You place a hand on his cheek and turn his head to make him look back at you. He’d confess a few of his doubts, not trusting himself to tell you that he doesn’t deserve you flatout, and you’d shake your head and lead him over to your bed and have him sit down.

You’d kiss him and quiet his thoughts, allowing your actions to say more than words ever could and from that moment on he’d find himself climbing up a tree every other night.

Your father didn’t figure it out ever, even though Arthur and you were hardly ever quiet.

John Marston:

You were the most beautiful person that John had ever seen in his entire life. You were walking in the middle of town with some man nearly twice your age and John figured you were married to him - some lady victim to a man with money and a ring.

John fantasized about swooping you into his arms and saving you from a life of excruciating monotony. He’d tell the old man to kick the bucket, maybe rob him of whatever cash and valuables he had on him, and let you live your life free with him.

When he overheard you refer to the man as your father John felt absolutely giddy. He took his hat off and tried to smooth his hair down as he moved to approach you and introduce himself.

Your father watched the outlaw walk up to the two of you with a skeptical eye. He was hoping the cowboy would walk past you, but he stopped right before you and held out his hand to you. “John Marston, Miss….?” He prompted.

Your father shut it down immediately. He was so incredibly unamused that he stepped between you and John and shoved his arm down. He told John to basically get lost, but John ignored him and kept his eyes on you.

It was like love at first sight.

You couldn’t tear your eyes away from his and couldn’t hide the growing blush that heated your cheeks as he ever-so-slightly smiled at you. A small smile that disappeared as your father demanded his attention.

“Now son you get out of here before I get angry. I don’t want you anywhere near my daughter, you got that?”

John wanted to laugh at his vague threat. Who did this guy think he was? John put both hands up to show he meant no harm and took a few steps back.

“Didn’t mean nothing by it, sir,” He shrugged, “Was just being friendly.”

Your father scoffed saying he didn’t want any of John’s kindness and neither would you. You caught John’s eye while your father was speaking and mouthed ‘sorry’ with a sweet smile.

John was smitten immediately. He may seem like a big tough outlaw, but the guy is secretly a huge soft romantic. He was already envisioning your wedding and the type of house you two would build together in the middle of the prairie where no one would bother you and you could leave your respective lives.

He may have been getting ahead of himself.

Your father dragged you away and into the general store, John went off to finish a few more errands. He didn’t think he’d actually ever see you again until the moment he went back to his horse to ride back to camp.

He felt a quick tap on his shoulder and there you were looking at him with a mischievous glint in your eye.

From that moment on the two of you had to meet in secret - away from the watchful eye of your father. John took to sneaking in your bedroom anytime he got the inclination to see you (which was a daily occurrence tbh).

He’d take a stroll around the house to make sure your father’s room lights were off and see if yours were on and you were still awake. Due to his frequent visits, you were always up late waiting for him to call on you.

It was all fun and games until he’s waking up at the ass-crack of dawn to climb back out of your window before your father woke up to find him lounging in your bed. That would be a messy scene.

Dutch Van Der Linde:

Dutch thought he was too old to have to worry about meeting parents and getting the approval to see the lady he fancied. He was an old dog; he liked younger women of course but never the type who were of a higher social standing than him and needed that.

Then he met you.

You swooped into his life with your pretty dresses and sweet words and you didn’t want him at all at first. It made him want you even more.

It’s no secret that rich men are corrupt and willing to meet with anyone to make a quick buck. Your father met with Dutch to provide some intel about a train full of valuables and treasures that were interesting to both parties involved. Your dad wanted a cut of what was on that train provided the Van Der Linde gang robbed it.

Your father wasn’t a good man. He enjoyed money a little too much, and saw you as property more than his daughter. He was overprotective of you - to the point that he refused to ever let you out of his sight for even a second.

You went to every meeting between the two men and at first didn’t give a damn about Dutch. You thought he was handsome, but not the type of man you’d ever be interested in. Not until your father warned you to stay away from men like that.

He even went so far as to comment that he didn’t like the way Dutch looked at you. It fueled something inside of you. The idea of rebelling in such a way. Dutch was attractive, he had money, an exciting life, and most of all it would piss your father off if you courted the gang leader.

The next time there was a meeting between the three of you, you bat your eyelashes and laughed at Dutch’s jokes a little too hard.

Dutch bid you farewell by kissing the knuckles on your hand, and you loved the way your father basically had smoke coming out his ears at the action.

Your father didn’t bring you with him the next time he went to a meeting with Dutch. He locked you in your room, and only unlocked the door to check on you before bed that night.

You were pouting and writing a long sob-story in your diary when you heard a soft tap on the glass of your window.

You pulled back your blinds to see Dutch crouching in the dirt by your window with a wicked grin on his face.

“Can I come in, Darlin’?” He cooed with a sweet voice. You opened your window immediately and he ducked through the frame.

“You didn’t come with your father today, he said you didn’t want to attend the meetings anymore.”

You explain that you’ve basically been kept a prisoner in your room all day since your dad was convinced Dutch was trying to steal you away from him. You grumble out a few curse words after you explain and roll your eyes.

“What if I am tryin’ to steal you away?” Dutch whispered, his eyes dark and sparkling in the lamp light. You didn’t realize how pretty he was.

You bite your lip and smile, trying to keep on a tough act at his words. It’s no use, though. He’s charming, it’s why he is who he is.

“Maybe I’d let you,” You reply in a sultry low tone.

That’s all Dutch needed to hear. He helped you pack a small bag of items to bring with you and he brought you back to the camp where the gang was staying.

On your bed, you left a note telling your father you were running off with a man. Shortly after that Dutch mailed out a post saying he didn’t want to do business with your father anymore. It was all settled.

He stole you away to join him at camp, and that’s where you stayed.

Javier Escuella:

You met Javier by chance one night when you were being harassed by a local lawman after a night out at the theater. Javier rushed to the alley when he heard your shouts ordering the man to stay away from you.

Javier saw red and let his instincts take over him. He grabbed the man by the collar of his very nice shirt and used it to throw him to the mud.

“The lady asked you nicely to leave her alone. Now, I won’t be so nice if I have to ask. So, tell me, do I have to be the one to request you leave her alone?”

The man scrambled in the mud, splattering it on his dress pants and coat, as he picked himself up and ran away.

Javier introduced himself and offered to walk you home. You were a little wary of him at first, what with the guns at his belt and the knife at his thigh, but he assured you that he was not a threat. He just didn’t want you risking getting harassed again on your journey to your house.

You took him up on his offer and as he dropped you off at your front door you gave him a quick, shy peck on the cheek and asked if he wouldn’t mind coming to visit again in the future.

Javier is a blushing bumbling mess but somehow finds the words to agree and see you again later on in the week.

From that point on, this man spoils you in every possible way. He brings you flowers, fine pelts, jewelry (don’t ask where he got it), and little poems he writes or likes just so that you have a little piece of his heart.

Does your father care about all of that? No. He just cares about Javier’s status as an outlaw, a killer. He’s heard the rumors about the Van Der Linde Gang and he refuses to allow one of the members anywhere near you.

Javier is willing to do anything to see you, though.

You started leaving your windows perched open during the warm summer nights, and a low whistle alerted you to a person sitting right outside the glass. Your curtains were fluttering slightly with the wind and so all you saw was the shadow of a figure causing your mind to think of the worst scenarios possible.

You drew a knife from your vanity and clasped it in your hand ready to call for your father, but you heard a familiar voice lowly call out.

“Mi amor?”

You let out a sigh of relief and pulled the curtains back fully to see Javier smiling at you with a bouquet of wild flowers in his hands. “I wanted to see you and I couldn’t wait any longer.”

You asked him to wait outside while you barricaded your bedroom door with a stool, then opened the window wider for him to duck inside.

At first he didn’t really know what to do with himself, he planned to give you the flowers and have a quick kiss before needing to leave -  he did not expect you to usher him inside.

You took the flowers from his hands and placed them on your dresser next to the box of trinkets and gifts Javier has given you before.

You sit on your bed and make a spot for him to sit beside you. He isn’t really sure what the gentlemanly thing to do is in that situation, but just to be safe he sits on the floor by your feet. He’s gazing up at you as if you were the moon itself and doesn’t even try to hide the way his breathing quickens every time your eyes meet.

It becomes routine for him to visit you nearly every night and wait for you to barricade your door before allowing him in. Eventually he gets more comfortable and feels better about sitting next to you on your bed - though he knows it was not the proper thing to do.

He really wanted to court you the proper way, but with your father being so hesitant to know him outside of his status he had to be a little lenient on conventional courting methods.

Charles Smith:

Charles has been sneaking into your room for years.

You were childhood sweethearts, but your father had hated the relationship from the moment you expressed any sort of soft feelings for the boy.

When he first started sneaking in, it was just because your father didn’t want you to be friends. You and Charles were inseparable, so he’d sneak in when he could to read your books and play with your toys while your father was at work.

As you grew older, your feelings grew too.

You developed a strong crush on Charles and he was completely oblivious to it. At first, since you didn’t know how to express your feelings, you pushed him away and told him to stop visiting you.

Charles was crushed when you essentially told him to get lost. He couldn’t understand what caused your change of heart - he figured maybe your father had finally gotten to you and you realized you were too rich, too pretty to be his friend.

Charles stopped climbing through your bedroom windows and started only seeing you in public spaces or whenever you took your horse out for a ride.

Eventually, though, even those interactions dwindled and Charles stopped seeing you altogether.

It broke you when you didn’t speak with Charles anymore. You thought it better that way. He couldn’t find out your feelings for him - especially since you were certain he didn’t feel the same way.

Years go by, you stop seeing Charles even in fleeting moments. You heard he ran off and was living alone in the wilderness.

It was your fault, you thought. You pushed him away during his time of need and now there was no way of knowing what became of him. Whether he was alive or dead.

You grow older, your heart growing cold and calloused, and you never really recovered from the hurt you put yourself through.

One night, you’re a passenger on a train taking you deeper into the west of America when there was a loud commotion at one end of the passenger car you were in.

You put down your novel and see a group of masked men with weapons demanding valuables from every patron they pass by. They were slowly moving down the aisle, approaching where you were sitting at an alarmingly fast pace. You couldn’t think of a way out of the situation without giving away every last bit of money you had on you.

That is, until one of the masked men gets to you and instead of the harsh demands and pointed threats you expected to hear, you hear your name being whispered softly.

You look up, skin ablaze with fear and eyes watering. Through your tears you can see a familiar set of dark brown eyes peering down at you as if you were a ghost.

“Ch…Charles?” You squint. You questioned if it was just a mirage, a trick of your brain due to fear, but there was no doubting it. Those were Charles’ eyes.

He softly grabbed you by the arm and helped you out of your seat.

“Come with me,” He whispered as he pushed you through the aisle towards the exit. “I promise nothing will happen to you.”

It was stupid, but you blindly agreed as he led you out of the train and onto the dusty earth.

Charles and you caught up as the rest of his posse finished robbing the passengers of the train. You learned that he had been taken in by the Van Der Linde gang and was making a living as an outlaw. After seeing what you did on the train, that part of his story checked out.

You caught up with him as well, you informed him of your father’s fate and how his will left everything to you. How you regretted pushing him away as a teenager and how you wished he could forgive you.

“I never even hated you for it,” He said softly, “There is nothing to forgive, it’s how the world is sometimes. Cruel.”

You tried to explain your feelings at the time, but the embarrassment of it never let you fully explain.

Charles offered to take you home, but you wanted nothing more than to continue catching up with him and learning about his new life, his new family. Charles took you back to camp, and you ended up staying there with him for a few weeks. (For a fee of course, as Dutch had so cleverly thought up)

Your feelings for Charles rose to the surface once again, and you weren’t sure when or if there would ever be a time to explain how madly in love with him you were.

Sean MacGuire:

The first time y’all met was when he was sneaking through your window late one night.

Dutch had given Sean a vague plan about robbing a local lawmaker’s house while the man was scheduled to be two towns over for some political business. Dutch figured it would be a quiet, simple mission to grab some extra loot and not worry about being caught.

Sean paced around your house a few times after midnight the day your father left, and when he didn’t see any lights on or movements he figured it was safe to go in.

He checked a few key points of entry, but the windows on the ground-floor were locked and he didn’t want to risk leaving any evidence of there being a break-in for when the lawmaker came back.

Sean noticed that a window on the second floor was open the tiniest sliver, he’d be able to use a dagger to wedge it open wide enough to slip his hand in and open it fully.

He climbed up some vines growing on the side of the wood paneling and pulled his dagger to wedge it open. Once he got himself inside, he turned towards the window to close it.

His entire body stiffened when he heard the metallic click of a pistol being cocked from behind him.

“Now I’ll only say this one time, Mister, you need to get outta here before I blow a hole in you and make a mess all over these clean floors.” The threat was serious, Sean knew that, but he couldn’t help but perk up at the sweet sound of your voice as you told him you were going to shoot him if he didn’t leave.

He put his hands up, dropping the dagger he had, and turned to face you slowly. The house was dark. Shadows danced across your face and shielded your eyes making you look lethal with the gun pointed at his chest. Sean thought you were beautiful.

“I mean no harm, Miss. Just business ‘s all,” Sean gave you a toothy smile which only made you narrow your eyes.

You told him you were going to give him one chance to leave and he’d only stay if he had a death wish.

Sean wanted nothing more than to stay with you and use whatever methods he could to woo you, but he was familiar with the look in your eyes and the tone of your voice. He was scheduled to meet the gods above if he didn’t slip back out that window and into the night.

After he left, he was already planning the ways he could meet you again - under more favorable circumstances of course. He decided to visit you the next day with a peace offering and a smile.

Once dawn broke over the horizon, painting the world in a golden orange light, Sean was already up and out of camp heading to your large house on the hill.

He knocked on the door and you answered after a few minutes. Your hair was messy from sleep and your nightgown was covered by a long robe that was hastily thrown on to save your modesty.

“What the hell?” You grumbled and looked at Sean as if he had grown three heads. “Either you are the stupidest man on the planet for comin’ back here, or you truly do have a death wish. If it’s the latter give me a second to grab the gun.”

Sean was in love immediately.

“I wanted to apologize for last night. I never woulda thought ‘bout stealing from a man with such a pretty woman living under his roof.” He handed you a small box saying that it was a piece offering. Inside was a large silver coin and a note that said ‘thanks for not shooting me’.

You rolled your eyes and scoffed, but pocketed the coin and note nonetheless. You invited him in, but warned him any funny business would not end favorably for him. He only shot you a coy smile and promised that he was only coming as a gentleman, not an outlaw.

The two of you grew as friends at first but once things seemed to grow more romantic, you had to start sneaking around and avoiding your father finding out about the relationship and how it started.

Sean was glad he got the practice sneaking in your window that first night, though, because it was common practice while the two of you had to keep your romantic relations a secret.

Sadie Adler:

Sadie was a shell of herself when you met her.

She was still mourning the loss of her husband and trying to become accustomed to her new life as a member of the Van Der Linde Gang when you stumbled into her one day.

She was just starting to get back on her feet and was at the tailors in town when you strolled in with your fancy clothes and styled hair.

She wasn’t intimidated per say, but she felt a little inadequate in comparison. What with her ragged hand-me-downs from Miss Grimshaw and her few coins that she saved to buy a new linen shirt - you were like royalty compared to her.

You approached her first at the tailors. You asked if she had been in town long as you didn’t recognize her, where she came from, where her husband was (assuming she was married). Sadie didn’t know how to answer all the questions you threw in her direction.

You broke down her walls, though. You bought the shirt that she wanted and even invited her to tea with you at your house to talk about what had been plaguing her the last few weeks.

She didn’t want it to help, but Sadie could physically feel the relief flood her chest as she stopped holding on to her emotions and let them flow freely. A friendship between the two of you grew quickly and rapidly.

Then, it grew to be a little more.

Sadie had been working on jobs with Arthur and gaining her confidence back. In doing so, she finally got the nerve to kiss you goodbye one night when she was getting ready to go back to camp.

She gazed at you nervously after she did it. She couldn’t figure out what your expression meant - whether she went too far, or if you even liked her back in that way.

Tears slipped from your eyes as you looked up at her and grabbed her cheeks, shoving your lips against hers. Her kiss was sweet and gentle, but yours was aggressive and needy. You didn’t realize she felt the same way about you, and knowing that she did created a swell in your heart that never went away.

After your first kiss, you had to keep your relationship on the downlow. Your father knew that the two of you were friends (he hardly liked even that), if he found out that y’all were girlfriends he would separate you for good.

Sadie came up with the plan to visit you during the day as a good honest lady of society, but at night she would climb up through your window to enjoy spending time with you as a partner instead.

Friend by day, girlfriend by night.

Sadie slipped through your window every other night, quieter than a shadow when she came in. Sometimes you’d turn around and she would just be getting in and it would make you squeak a little as it startled you.

She kissed you to keep you quiet when that happened, though (teehee)

Sadie would spend hours with you at night. You’d help her brush her hair when there were missions she was on that took days and she wasn’t able to care for her locks. You’d let her borrow your nightgowns if she ever wanted to stay and relax in your bed until dawn.

The two of you would hold each other and talk until the mourning doves sang their melancholy songs in the early hours of the morning.

<><><><>

[supernovafics]

series masterlist | last part — next part

pairing: modern!college!steve harrington x fem!reader, bestfriend!eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 4.1k words

warnings: explicit language, brief mention of being drunk, we kinda end on a bit of a cliffhanger in this one and i'm already so sorry about that 🫶🏾

summary: a night of meeting steve’s parents and trying to make a good impression and agreeing to something that you probably shouldn’t

CHAPTER SIX | ❝𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆❞

Fall Semester 2015

You spent most of the morning replaying everything that happened last night. Most of it came back to you in fragments— you and Eddie leaving the obnoxious frat party and you actually ending up in your own dorm room for once because your roommate was already gone for Winter break.

But the kiss was immediately vivid to you. 

It had ended just as abruptly as it started. Eddie’s lips were against yours for only a second before you two were getting bumped into again by a random person and subsequently pulling away from each other. 

But, as brief and short as it was, it still happened, and all you could think when you woke up was that it had to mean something. Right? 

Maybe this was finally the moment that you’d been waiting for. The perfect time to be honest and admit how you felt about him. 

You both had been too drunk to talk about it properly last night. After the quickly interrupted kiss, you were once again saying that it would probably be best to leave and Eddie was nodding, hand finding yours and leading you out of the house and away from the party.   

But you were, for the most part, sober now— the only lasting effect from last night was a dull headache— and you surprisingly didn’t feel all too scared to talk to him. Therefore, you were heading across the hall and knocking on his door before you could think better of it. 

“Hey,” Eddie said when he opened his door, smiling at you. He had on a wrinkled t-shirt and sweatpants and was sporting the messiest bedhead that looked very cute to you. “I didn’t expect to see you until later. I thought we’d both be dead for most of the morning.”

“I can’t sleep. My head’s pounding, but I don’t feel like throwing up anymore so that’s a good sign,” You told him as you mindlessly played with a loose string on your t-shirt that looked just as wrinkled as his. “Did I wake you?”

“No, I can’t really sleep either,” Eddie answered and opened the door further so that you could step inside his room. 

You sat at the foot of his small twin-sized bed and folded your legs under you, looking down at your hands instead of at Eddie walking over to you. “So, last night was pretty insane, right?”

“Yeah, I think we can both agree on no more frat parties,” He responded as he sat next to you. 

You nodded. “First and last time.”

“Also, I barely remember anything that happened, so we should also agree on no more drinking whatever punch is given at parties.”

Instead of once again nodding and agreeing, you turned your head to look at him. “Really? Nothing?”

“I remember us getting there and then eventually leaving. Most of the stuff in between is a blur, honestly,” He shrugged. “What about you?”

That time you weren’t hesitating to nod along. “Yeah, same here. It’s all kinda blurry.” 

He didn’t remember. 

He didn’t remember the kiss. 

He barely remembered the party at all. 

For some reason, it felt easier to simply let it stay like that rather than inform him of something that his mind clearly told him to forget. 

“I’m still driving you to the airport tonight, right?” Eddie asked, changing the subject and pulling you out of your scattered thoughts. Going home for the rest of the month until the start of the Spring semester was the farthest thing from your mind right then. 

“Oh, yeah,” You sighed. “I completely forgot about that.”

“I’ll take that as you’re not excited to see your parents?”

“Not particularly, no,” You shook your head. “And I’ll just be seeing my dad during break because my mom is on a trip with her new boyfriend.” 

“That sounds fun?” 

You let out a laugh. “Once again, not really, no.”

He smiled at you. “You can always come hang out with me in my hometown during break. My uncle would be fine with you staying with us.” 

“I really wish I could say yes to that.”

In a perfect world, you would’ve said yes to Eddie’s suggestion; canceled your flight, and spent the month with him in his small hometown. And in an even more perfect world, you would’ve still talked about the kiss with him even though he didn’t remember it. You also would’ve told him how you’d been feeling for the past few months instead of now feeling like you were right back to being stuck at square one. 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Spring Semester 2018

“Remember on game night when you said that you’re good at making people like you?” You abruptly asked Steve, and when he nodded in answer, you continued. “Well, I feel like I’m the complete opposite. So tell me everything that I need to know about your parents on this hour-long car ride so I can make sure they like me.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Steve said, shaking his head, and before you could protest his words, he kept talking. “But, okay, do you want me to be a thousand percent honest right now?” 

“Will I want you to take me home if I say yes?” You asked as you smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle on the dress you were wearing; a black dress that buttoned down the front and stopped just above your knee. You hoped it was a good enough choice for meeting Steve’s parents.

“Maybe.”

For a second, you considered telling him to not be honest with you— because maybe in this situation ignorance would actually be bliss— but you ultimately decided against it. “It’s fine, whatever, be honest.” 

“They probably won’t like you because you’re not the daughter of one of their rich friends.” 

“So this is a lose-lose situation no matter what?” 

“Kinda, yeah,” He responded with a shrug. “But, it’s not like they’re gonna force me to break up with you or something. They’re just happy that I’m finally in a “serious” relationship, and that’s all that really matters.”

“Honestly, that makes me feel a little bit better,” You said as you leaned back against the passenger seat and actually became comfortable for the first time in the past ten minutes. “Okay, so what lies do I need to know? Like, what story did you tell them about how we got together? Or do we need to come up with one right now?”

“They won’t care about that.” 

“Okay…” You responded, not exactly believing that a question as simple as that wouldn’t be asked, but you went along with what Steve was saying anyway. “So, any other lies? Things I should make sure to say to them, or things that I definitely shouldn’t say?”

“They don’t know about my History minor, so avoid mentioning that.”

The obvious follow-up question to his words sat on the tip of your tongue, but you hesitated. You wondered where the line was— the line that defined what you two were— and which side of it the question you wanted to ask him lied on. One side of it was obvious, two people pretending to date each other for their own reasons, but the other side still confused you a bit; this weird group project analogy that was still stuck in your head and felt nowhere close to a friendship because you still didn’t know that much about him aside from the basics.

The question you wanted to ask him was definitely more of a question that you’d ask a friend and you weren’t sure if it truly mattered for the fake dating side of things, but you decided to test it anyway because you wanted to know the answer.

“Why haven’t you told them about that?”

Steve hesitated too, just for a second, and in that quick moment you wondered if you shouldn’t have asked that question, but then he was answering you. “They would think it’s dumb and a waste of time so it’s easier to just not talk about it with them.”  

“If they’d hate you for having a History minor, they’ll definitely hate me for being an English major who wants to teach.”

He took a quick glance at you. “You want to teach?”

“Yeah, I think about it sometimes,” You shrugged. “I’d really love to write, though. And yes, I know exactly how pretentious that sounds.”

Steve shook his head. “It doesn’t sound pretentious.” He paused for a second. “Actually, yeah, it does, but coming from you it’s in a good way.”

“Thanks, I think,” You responded, laughing a bit.

He smiled at you. “You’re welcome, I think.”

For the most part, that was how the rest of the drive went. You asked whatever question came to mind involving his parents that felt important to ask to make sure that tonight went well enough, and aside from that, things stayed quiet. 

Somehow, it wasn’t until you were standing outside of his childhood home— which was huge and you tried your hardest not to admire it so obviously— that you realized that you didn’t even know his parent’s names, and Steve was answering you with a quick, “Tom and Anne,” before you two were walking inside.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

“So, I’d love to know how you two met.”

Your eyes immediately met Steve’s across the table and you gave him the briefest “I told you so” look before turning to his mom. 

You took a moment to think about how to answer her question— how elaborate the story should be and what exact lie you should say— but then you decided to simply say the first thing that came to mind. “Steve’s in a class with one of my friends. He thought we’d be a good match, so he introduced us.”

It wasn’t that far from the truth so the words easily fell from your lips.

Anne smiled at that. “Oh, that’s nice.”

You smiled back because it felt like the right thing to do and then looked back down at your food, silently willing the next hour to go by faster.

The initial meeting had been easy enough. There was a quick hug with Steve’s mom and a handshake with his dad, and a forced enthusiastic smile on your face to mask your nervousness. You were reminded of when you met Eddie’s Uncle Wayne, and you only thought about it because that had felt like much more of a chill and fun introduction. 

But as the night went on, Steve’s parents seemed to actually like you and it was hard to tell if that was completely true or if they were just really good at pretending; both options seemed equally plausible to you. Even though Steve had basically said that there was no point in trying to make his parents like you, you still couldn’t help but try to make sure that things went well. 

They’d asked you so much about yourself that it felt as if they were interrogating you or that you were interviewing for their approval; approval that truly didn’t even matter, but you still weirdly found yourself wanting it, for some reason.  

You did a lot more lying than you had expected to do— and you’d later wonder if it was dumb to not expect that— but the lying mainly consisted of a lot of pretending and acting like you knew stuff that you didn’t. This night only further proved to you that you really didn’t know Steve at all. You learned that he used to play basketball in high school and even Freshman year of college, and apparently, he had been really good at it. His dad randomly mentioned it and you figured that that was something that a girlfriend would’ve already known about so you simply nodded along when he talked about Steve’s many past accomplishments with the sport.

You also nodded along when Anne said, “Has Steve told you about his cousin’s wedding that’s coming up soon?”

“Oh, yes, he mentioned it to me a few times.”

“Great, so you already know that it falls perfectly on your guys’ spring break this year,” She said, and you continued to nod, pretending as if this wasn’t completely new information to you. “You should come to it too.”

You didn’t get the chance to even think of a response before Steve was jumping in. “She can’t come.”

Anne looked at him just for a second and then looked back at you. “Are you sure you can’t? We’ll pay for your flight and everything.”

“Oh, um…” You trailed off, unsure of how to say no in the nicest way possible. You knew why Steve had immediately tried to shut this wedding thing down— because spring break was weeks after you two had planned to stop fake dating— but you obviously couldn’t use that as the reason to say no to his mom right then.

“She already has plans for that week,” Steve said, saving you. 

It wasn’t that good of a save, though, because Anne persisted on, eyes still on you and a smile on her face. “Oh, I’m sure plans can be changed. This wedding is gonna be a great trip, and wouldn’t you two want to spend spring break together?”

The question sat in the air for only the briefest of moments. 

“Yes, I’d love to come,” You blurted because it felt easier to say yes in this moment instead of continuing to try to decline the offer since Steve’s mom was seemingly not taking that for an answer. You still had no idea where exactly this wedding even was, and you decided that that would be the first thing you’d ask Steve once you two were back in his car. “If you’re sure it’s not really short notice.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Tom and I will handle everything. We just need to get you a flight. You can obviously stay with Steve in the room that’s already been booked for him at the resort.”

Hearing the mention of a resort should’ve helped you narrow down the potential places this wedding was set to be, but it only further confused you. However, you smiled and hoped that masked all of your bewilderment right then. “Sounds great. Thank you so much.”

You looked away from Anne and your eyes met Steve’s just for a second. It was the briefest look shared between you two that said everything and nothing all at once. And then you were looking away and finishing what was barely left on your plate so that this night could end sooner rather than later— before you somehow accidentally agreed to spend Thanksgiving with them in nine months.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

“I’ll try to get you out of this stupid wedding thing,” Was the first thing Steve said to you when you two finally left his house and got into his car. 

You’d barely known his mom for two hours, but the thought of that actually happening felt pretty impossible to you.   

“Do you really think that you can make that happen?”

He sighed. “Probably not.” 

“It’s not that big of a deal,” You told him, and you were honestly surprised that you were able to be so normal about this because it actually was a bit of a “big deal.” And then you realized that you were attempting to convince yourself that this was fine as much as you were trying to convince him. “We can change the rules a little and just end things once spring break is over instead of when we originally planned to end it. What’s two extra weeks? Unless you’re already sick of me and are counting down the days until all of this is over.” 

Steve didn’t say anything in response, but he did quickly glance at you, giving you the most deadpan look you’d probably ever seen. Which only made you laugh until you remembered something.

“Where is this wedding even gonna be?” 

“Mexico.”

“I guess I’d be an idiot if I gave up a free trip to Mexico.”

“You’re underestimating how annoyingly intense my family is. This isn’t going to feel like a vacation.”

“Cool, great, now I’m a little scared,” You said, only slightly joking with your words. “But, it’ll be fine, and this will just further prove to your parents how “serious” we are.”

After a second, seemingly processing your words, Steve nodded. “Yeah, that’s true.”

It started raining then— soft pelts hitting against the windshield and the wipers turning on automatically— which felt like a sign of something, but you had no idea what. 

“I also don’t have to go if you don’t want me to,” You said, and things probably would’ve been a lot easier if Steve just said exactly that and if things stayed exactly according to what you two had decided on a week ago.

“It’s not that. I just really think you’re gonna hate this whole thing.” 

“Tonight honestly wasn’t completely terrible,” You told him. “Stressful? Kinda, yeah. But, if the trip is pretty much just gonna be a repeat of this dinner, I can deal with that.” 

You hadn’t even processed what exactly you were signing up for— a weeklong trip in a different country with a guy and his family you didn’t know. It would hit you a lot later; mainly once you mentioned it to Robin, Vickie, and Talia, and then also Eddie. 

“Okay,” Steve said and you wished that you could actually see him right then because you felt as if there was a lot more being said with the simple word. But then you were realizing that even if it wasn’t dark and rainy and even if he was looking at you, you still probably wouldn’t be able to successfully read him. After all, you’d only known him for a little over a week. “Feel free to back out at any time, though.” 

“Got it,” You said, but you wondered if your mind would change and if you’d want to do that. “Why do you think she even wants me to come?” 

“She likes you.”

“Actually likes me or is pretending that she does?” 

“Honestly, I can’t really tell.”

The rain only got harder as Steve continued driving, which you were actually glad for because the sound of it helped drown out the silence that began to sit between you two and it made the quiet feel okay. But, that feeling was very short-lived because the random storm started making things entirely too complicated. 

“I can just take you home and bring your clothes some other time,” Steve suggested. The rain was pelting harshly against the windshield as the two of you sat in his car in the parking lot of his apartment building. 

“That would be great, but I can’t think of any sort of story that would make me coming home in completely different clothes make sense.”

Earlier, when Talia asked what you and Steve had planned for the night, you made the mistake of saying that you and him were going bowling— it was the first thing that came to your mind and you regretted it immediately but couldn’t find a way to backtrack. Because of that mess up, you knew that you couldn’t leave the apartment for the pretend bowling date in your “meeting the parents” outfit, so you changed at Steve’s place instead and your original clothes were still there.

“Also, we’re already here now, so I should just do it.” 

“Okay,” He said, but neither of you made any move to step out of his car, even though he had already turned it off. Somehow, it was silently agreed that you’d wait things out for a second longer, and maybe the skies would miraculously clear. 

“I still can’t believe that you said that we were going bowling.” 

“I have no idea why that was the first thing that came to my head.” 

“Are you any good at it?”

“Not at all,” You didn’t hesitate to answer. “But, skee-ball, on the other hand. That’s a completely different story.”

“Those two games are not similar at all.” 

“If you squint, they kind of are.”

“Barely.” 

“Shh, just let me have this one,” You said, and Steve let out a laugh as he held up his hands in mock surrender. 

Things became quiet for a moment and you both continued to listen to the rain, which didn’t seem as if it was letting up anytime soon. 

He turned to look at you. “Should we just make a run for it?”

You wanted to say no but decided against it when you realized that you two would probably be sitting in Steve’s car all night otherwise. “Yeah.”

There was no countdown, and instead, you both abruptly stepped out of the car and then ran the short distance to the entrance of Steve’s building, still getting soaked in the process. 

Once you were inside his apartment, you toed off your shoes by the front door before heading to Steve’s bathroom where you had left your clothes earlier. 

“You want a towel?” You heard his voice through the door and at first you were simply nodding as you started unbuttoning your dress before realizing that he obviously couldn’t see your answer. 

“Yes!” You opened the door a little bit and his arm poked through, gray towel in hand, and you grabbed it from him. “Thanks.”

When you emerged from the bathroom— changed back into your jeans and dark sweater— you saw Steve in the kitchen, leaning back against the small island and eyes on his phone. He was also out of his wet clothes and changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants. 

You walked over to the windows and noticed just how insane things still were outside. “It would be dumb to drive in that right now, right?” 

You kind of hoped that he would disagree with you, but he didn’t.

“Yeah, we can wait it out for a bit if you want.” 

“Okay.”

You found yourself on his couch and he joined you moments later, suggesting that you two watch something for the time being and you agreed because there wasn’t anything else to do. 

It was a moment that was objectively normal, probably one of the most normal things that you two could and had ever done with each other, but doing this wasn’t a part of the normal that you and Steve had created. 

Conversations with him came easy if you two were talking about this whole fake dating thing and the random details and tidbits that came along with it. If there wasn’t anything to say involving that, you two simply didn’t talk. Once again, the group project analogy felt even more valid at this moment. 

Steve started playing an episode from a random season of a show that you both had already seen before and didn’t mind rewatching until the rain calmed down. You were only ten minutes in when your phone started ringing in the back pocket of your jeans. 

You pulled it out and stood up from the couch, seeing Robin’s name on your screen. 

You walked back over to the windows, the rain still had not let up in the slightest, and then answered the call. “Hey.”

“Hey, where are you right now?”

“At Steve’s place,” You answered. “I’m gonna head home soon, though.”

“Don’t,” She said, and before you could ask why, she continued. “We just lost power here because of the storm so you should just stay at Steve’s for the night.” 

“Are you guys good there?”

“Yeah, we just lit a bunch of candles,” Robin told you and then laughed. “It’s feeling very witchy in here right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if Talia suggested doing a seance.” 

“Please don’t do that,” You immediately responded. “I’d rather not come back to a haunted apartment.” 

“I can’t make any promises. Talia can be very persuasive,” She said. “Anyway, see you tomorrow. Have fun, but not too much. And use protection!”

You groaned. “Robin.” 

“Bye!” She hung up before you could say anything else.

You pocketed your phone in your jeans again and started heading back over to the couch. 

“Everything okay?” Steve asked, turning to look at you. 

“Yeah, it was just Robin. She told me that the power just went out in the apartment,” You told him, and then you were in the middle of thinking about how to tell him that you needed to stay here for the night when there was a sudden crack of thunder and the power abruptly went out, leaving his apartment pitch black. “Wow, perfect timing.” 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

next part!

taglist (lmk if you want to be added or taken off<333); @eddiernunson , @loulouloueh , @the-aster , @blckburd , @totally-bogus-timelady , @yujyujj , @irhdifartzamfyaa , @mochminnie , @munsonssweets , @blckbrrybasket , @xprloki , @definitionwanderlust , @dwcode , @sun-fiower-seed , @keerysfolklore , @damon-loves-pie , @lodeddiperrodrick

[fairuzfan]

Your post about how many people are unknowingly falling for & spreading propaganda... yeah. I typed up a whole spiel of a comment on one of your posts the other day that I ended up deciding not to not actually post because it felt like detailing, but seriously. The amount of well meaning, genuinely anti-zionist people ignorantly sharing zionists' posts because they just don't pick up on the leading undertones is honestly more terrifying than than the amount of actual zionists in some ways.

I'm someone who was born into a doomsday cult, and seeing all these people falling for the exact same blatant (or so i thought lol) recruitment/manipulation tactics I've seen used by them my entire life has absolutely fucking terrifying. These are people who are actively trying to combat zionism, but I guess the general public is so uneducated about propaganda/cult tactics that what immediately reads as blatantly manipulative, misleading bullshit to me just doesn't even register as strange to most people. Not to be repetitive, but seriously: fucking terrifying.

There's so much focus on the way people/groups who want to manipulate you will use language of fear, but in this case especially, people need to realize they will almost always appeal to your compassion before they appeal to your fear.

It's all peace and love and happiness because that's what gets people in the door. You preach (or post) the mushy, happy, fun stuff that makes people feel good to draw them in, and you slowly start peppering in the ideas you actually want to lead them to believe later on once you've got them wanting to believe you.

This also has this added effect of helping the group or person's image. Even the people who you don't manage to draw in will have the impression of you as someone who runs their mouth 24/7 about how you're full of love and want the best for everyone, which is especially useful for when you inevitably want to frame yourself as the victim to demonize the people who will inevitably oppose you. If your first and only exposure to a person is seeing them calling for world peace and universal love, you are much more likely to be inclined to believe they (and by extension their cause) are the sympathetic, loving, peaceful good guys being unjustly targeted.

Sorry for rambling, but like... really. It won't always be something nefarious, of course--the vast majority of the the time, it won't be--but I think we would all be in a much better situation if people took it as a general rule of thumb that you should always be a little suspicious of overly vague talk about peace and love.

You're EXACTLY right. I really appreciate this message, because you put to words a lot of my inherent analysis of arguments and ideas. I like grew up with this rhetoric so it's easy to spot for me, but the way that people speak about "peace" as the overall goal when they're zionist is so blatant to me because there is no material change in the scenario they propose but rather a calmness where Palestinians are ignored.

And picking up on subtext of a lot of messages is something you have to have a muscle for kinda because of how subtle it is. The frightening part is, you're right, that the indoctrination part of zionism is the most harmful part because you appeal to their pathos — their fear, their sense of safety, etc — and you go on down the rabbit hole and slowly start being radicalized and pro-zionism or you might not even be pro-zionism 100% but enjoy... soft zionism as a mutual of mine put it once (if you read this and want to be tagged, lmk). Which soft zionism is the MAIN opinion in many liberal circles btw, its not an uncommon opinion.

I even remember once sharing a post by a zionist because i saw them talk about esims but when i went on their blog a few days later because something rubbed me the wrong way, I noticed their pinned and I was like "oh dam I gotta delete that other post" like that's how often this happens.

Idk, I try to combat this by putting sources or approaching from a standpoint of logical arguments rather than identity-based politics (although, sometimes i think there are some things that people who are a certain identity can be the only true experts on) so that I try to encourage actual engagement with ideas and walking them through thought processes rather than "I'm palestinian so just trust me."

Like even with my one fact checking list, idk if I succeeded but I wanted to emphasize that there are multiple factors you should consider when confronting ANY sort of information and should not blindly trust things. News sources have regularly burned or ignored Palestinians so I know a lot of us are really sensitive to these things, but I don't know! I hope people can engage with ideas more than just surface level thinking in general because it helps everyone when you actually interact with the point of view the other person is providing rather than just blindly trusting/distrusting people.

[red-balloon12]

I just “watched” episodes 7 and 8 of Hazbin and I have a lot of thoughts.

But let’s start off with episode 7

Rosie and Camilla were EVERYTHING this episode. I love them both and I didn’t really have much to say about avails before this episode but like…I loved them a lot. Rosie is an absolute sweet heart (despite her being a cannibal)

Vaggie has wings now….Y E S. There’s SO much visual potential for this. I can just imagine her carrying Charlie bridal style through hell and her expressing with them as. I know a lot of people were confused but I’m gonna give explanations now: Lute ripped off her wings, she didn’t cut them with an angelic weapon which means Vaggie was able to grow them back through “The Power of Love”™️ and sheer will power.

At first I was a bit disappointed that Charlie and Vaggie didn’t actually properly and I was a bit underwhelmed by Charlie’s reaction to Vaggie’s but I’ll tell why I’m not as disappointed anymore.

Alastor was behaving a little bit like Charlie’s father figure in this which is funny considering episode 5. (But I know Chalastor shippers are gonna be weird about it and use the scenes for their fuel. Smh.) Not to mention I can see Camilla becoming a mentor/motherly figure for Vaggie in the future. But oddly enough I can also se Rosie being a mother figure for Charlie too.

Camilla’s song is probably my favorite out of the song list so far and while I’m a little disappointed it wasn’t a duet between her and Vaggie like the first song kinda was, we did get a training montage out of it and the explanation about Camilla defeating an angel leading up to it was freaking cool. (I really like how Camilla’s footwear was used as instruments in the song, I love stuff like that)

And now….for episode 8

I really liked Vaggie’s war outfit, Charlie’s was okay too.

I’m not gonna lie to y’all, I lowkey was kinda rooting for Adam when he was going up against Alastor. I’m sorry but I just…do not like him…or his fans for that matter. And GOD DAMN was it refreshing when Adam broke his staff, that man needed to be humbled….I just wish it wasn’t Adam that did it…cus I don’t like Adam either. And I feel like Alastor’s fans are coping with the fact that their precious deer demon daddy lost to a damn angel. (And yes he did loose to him. Cope and seethe) My guy wasn’t gonna land a scratch on Adam without an angelic weapon, what did people think was gonna happen?? But I’ll give Alastor props for holding out as long as he did.

Speaking of him, the reason why I didn’t mention the deal he made with Charlie yet is because it connects with this episode. So I’m 95% certain he has a contract with Lilith and it had something to do with that stick of his. His staff was probably the source of a lot of his power and it can’t be regenerated because it was broken by Adam’s guitar/axe. That “favor” that Alastor wants from Charlie might be to have her make him a new one, a more powerful one that he could possibly…idk…kill Lucifer or Lilith with? Idk dude, the man’s be scheming. But I’m like…98% certain his gonna be the BBEG by the end of this…and if not him, than Lilith.

CHAGGIE DUET- STARMOTH DUET- I’m so ill about them. This is why I wasn’t so mad about them not talking because of THIS SCENE. At this point, I could care less if people still think they have no chemistry after this or they think they’re boring. They’re real, they’re canon and they are beautiful. COPE AND SEETHE, BITCHES! I just hope they get more original duet pieces and not reprises in S2 but the fact they used the same song from Charlie and her dad is really cute.

I liked Vaggie calling Charlie petnames during battle. Little things like that is what makes these two so nice to watch.

Vaggie Vs. Lute…dispite me hoping Vaggie would be on even footing with Lute, it wasn’t realistic, and I’m glad they kept it realistic. Vaggie was out of practice for YEARS meanwhile Lute was not only going at it after Vaggie’s falling but she was also the lieutenant. But this is where Camilla’s advice came into play. Lute fought Vaggie with vengeance in mind as well as her thinking she was indestructible. This lead to her downfall when Lute was so caught up in mocking Vaggie, she accidentally gave Vaggie time to think of a way to outsmart her. Lute fought hard but Vaggie fought smart and it paid off in the end. And we got that BADASS line from Vaggie at the end of it. I love it when my girl gets W’s.

I’m disappointed how Charlie was overpowered by Adam though. I was so ready for her to throw hands with him. But I can see why this is the case as well. Charlie never really had to go all out before in her life. So she’s kinda rusty and inexperienced compared to Adam and Lucifer. (Also rip Razzle or Dazzle. You will probably be missed) But she did get two good hits which I can appreciate and she was the first to actually do damage to Adam. Something I can also appreciate.

Speaking of which, Lucifer absolutely OWNED Adam as he should. We stan a short king who loves his daughter.

Sir Pent was absolutely ROBBED of his moment by Adam and I don’t care that they made up for it by him going to heaven (I do care but sksnjs I’m still salty) And am I the only one that like…didn’t care all that much for his crush in Cherri? Like, I do like it in theory but the pacing…OH THE PACING IS THE REAL VILLAIN OF THIS SHOW. I wish they had a little bit more build up to that kiss. But hey, at least we have confirmation that the hotel does work. Rip Sir Penny. You WILL be missed.

I don’t know how I feel about Nifty of all people being the one to end Adam. On one hand it WAS foreshadowed at the beginning but one the other hand..it felt cheap(?). Like it would have been more satisfying for say Vaggie or Charlie to land the final blow, from a narrative standpoint at least. But…it was Nifty. And uh…was I SUPPOSED to feel bad for Lute seeing Adam die? I’m sorry but they both deserve to get their wings cut off. Adam was a fun villain but I’m glad he’s dead.

Hopes/Predictions for S2

I want more Early Stage!StarMoth. One of the criticisms people have with their relationship is how little set up they have. The best way to rectify this is to show how they were when they were still crushing on each other. A good example of this is Ruby and Sapphire from Steven Universe. Ruby and Sapphire were already established as a couple for Y E A R S but because we got to see how they fell in love and how they worked in the early days, people got more invested in their love story. So I hope Hazbin does the same with Charlie and Vaggie.

I also want Vaggie on her own. I know this is contradictory to my first want but I’ll explain. The theory as to why Vaggie seemed a bit shallow for a lot of people in the show was because they felt like Charlie was Vaggie’s whole personality which is something that I semi do agree with. So I want Vaggie to pick up a new hobby in S2. Whether it be her doing some dancing or maybe she becomes a musician. I just want more of VAGGIE.

And speaking of…I want Camilla to become some sort of mentor for Vaggie. I mentioned it earlier but I’m gonna do it again. Lute’s gonna come back in S2 and she’s gonna want revenge on Vaggie. We’ve seen how underpowered Vaggie is compared to Lute when it came to raw skill. But Camilla knew how to fend off from the angels and Vaggie did use her advice. I think and hope that if Vaggie keeps on training under Camilla, she can definitely surpass Lute and become a better fighter from it. Hell, Camilla can even help Vaggie deal with her anger issues.

It would also be fun if Lucifer trained up Charlie to be a better fighter (or Vaggie and Charlie can train together. It would make for some good moments between them)

This is a smaller want but I want Vaggie to cut her hair…she looks so much more cooler with shorter hair. And maybe a name change??? Maybe?

I want Charlie and Alastor to fight. It’s probably gonna happen with that deal and all. Some one is gonna suffer and Charlie (after having more experience) is gonna take on Alastor and I want her to remind him why she’s the damn Princess of Hell.

I just want the cast to interact with eachother more. Don’t let it just be Charlie and Vaggie or Angel and Husk. I wanna see how Vaggie and Husk would interact. They’d seem like a pretty chill duo.

I predict Lilith is gonna be the BBEG if not Alastor. She’s either gonna have to throw down with Charlie or Lucifer. And if somehow Alastor reforms, he may throw down with her. Lilith is gonna fight SOMEONE. (And Charlie may have to do a sing-nu-jitsu on her)

I predict Angel and Husk are gonna have to face with their soul binders (Alastor and Valentino) and both of them are probably gonna be rushed.

I predict Lute and Vaggie are gonna fight again and I HOPE Vaggie is more ready for it than in the finale.

I predict either Angel or Husk is gone be next in-line to be redeemed (which means either one is gonna “die” next season)

I predict another standoff between Alastor and Vox…and this time Vox is more cocky since Alastor took a BIG hit in the finale.

I predict Emily is gonna become a sinner.

And last but not least…I predict Vaggie and Charlie are gonna have a wedding at the end of the show.

My “final” thoughts for Hazbin Hotel S1: Pacing and tone shifts were the biggest flaw for this season. Moments, relationships and topics suffered from the poor pacing and while some of the blame goes to the lack of episodes, most of it goes to the writers. I can’t tell you how many moments fell flat due to the rushed episodes. You don’t really have time to breath with this show and the moments that you do get to breath are some of the best moments of the show.

(There’s also bias issues but that’s a separate topic-)

But for what it had…it wasn’t the worst. And I’m actually kinda looking forward to season 2.

[literaryavenger]

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Summary: You and Sam are disconnected from the world during a mission in the Amazon while following a lead to track down Bucky. How much stuff can really happen in a week?

Pairing: platonic!Steve Rogers x F!Reader, platonic!Natasha Romanoff x F!Reader, platonic!Sam Wilson x F!Reader

Warnings: Language. Reader being dramatic. My poor attempts at being funny. Nothing much, really.

Word Count: 1.6K

A/N: I know in the gif there's a random woman (right in the middle) and I think it may be an edit, but this is the best gif I found for this scene so just pretend that's you, the reader lol.

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

After the fall of Shield you're stuck with Sam to look for Bucky while Steve teamed up once again with the Avengers to retrieve Loki’s staff and bring Hydra down once and for all.

They’ve been doing a good job apparently, unlike you and Sam that have had no luck tracking down your missing supersoldier.

Tonight you get a break, though, as you got invited to the party Stark is throwing to ‘celebrate the revels of victory’, as the Captain so normally put it in his text.

When you step out of the elevator you see Natasha on the couch talking to Colonel Rhodes and you walk over to say hi.

You chat a bit with them before Rhodey, as he told you to call him, goes to look for Tony and you make your way to the bar with Nat.

“So... how’s the testosterone filled team treating you?” you ask her while she makes you your favorite drink without you even having to ask.

“If you saw how much time those guys spend on their hair, you’d know you and I bring more testosterone to the table than them.” She tells you smirking and you laugh as you take the drink she hands you.

You look around you and notice Bruce making his way to the bar, so you turn back to Natasha and say “Here comes your damsel in distress.” and you wink at her as walk away, going to find someone you know.

You find Sam at the pool tables. “Hey, you just missed me kicking Steve’s ass.” he says when he sees you.

“Are you sure you weren’t just daydreaming, birdboy?” he tries to glare at you but ends up laughing with you, inviting you to play with him.

Obviously, you beat him and then suddenly he’s not in the mood to play anymore.

“Aww, are you mad I kicked your ass?” you coo at him and giggle at his pout.

You guys find Steve and start making your way to the second floor as he tells you about the team’s last mission.

“Sounds like a hell of a fight, sorry we missed it.” Sam says.

“If I had known it was going to be a firefight I absolutely would have called you.” Steve said.

“No, we’re not actually sorry.” you clarify ”He’s just trying to sound tough.” they both laugh with you.

“Yeah, we’re very happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case. Avenging is your world.” Sam says as you make it to the overlook.

“Your world is crazy.” you add, seeing the whole room from your elevated point of view.

“Be it ever so humble.” Steve says, looking around too.

“You find a place in Brooklyn yet?” you ask after a moment of silence.

“I don't think I can afford a place in Brooklyn.” he says, glancing at you and you laugh.

“Well, home is home, you know?” Sam says.

You keep talking for a bit, then make your way downstairs where you meet new people here and there and chat with various Avengers, until eventually it gets late.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here tonight?” Steve asks you and Sam while you wait for the elevator “We have guest rooms.”

“As much as I’d like to see how Stark lives,” you start “we have an early flight tomorrow.”

“We’re following some breadcrumbs on our missing robot.” Sam clarifies at Steve’s confused look, making both him and you roll your eyes.

“Gotcha. Good luck.” he says directly to you, glancing at Sam that's now glaring at you both while you chuckle.

You say your goodnights and step into the elevator. You give Sam a ride to his apartment and then drive to your own, going to bed right away.

You begrudgingly wake up earlier than you would’ve liked to and meet up with Sam to catch your flight.

“Morning, sunshine.” he says, chuckling at your hangover state.

“Bite me, Wilson.” is all you can muster the energy to say.

“Why did you drink so much last night if you knew we had to wake up early?” he's not even trying to hide his amusement.

“It’s not how much, it’s what.” you say while sipping the coffee he thankfully brought you. “This is the last time I let Romanoff make my drinks.”

“Well, have a long flight so you’ll have time to sleep.” he says, letting you rest your head on his shoulder while wrapping his arm around you, stroking your arm as you wait for your plane to start boarding.

“Thank fucking god.” you mumble and you hear him laugh quietly.

You’ve gotten close with Sam since you started your manhunt for the Winter Soldier previously known as Sergeant James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes. 

You already spent a lot of time together when you started with both Sam and Steve, but ever since the Captain started taking down Hydra bases with the Avengers all your time is now spent solely with the Falcon. 

You fly together everywhere your leads take you, you spend days on end in each other’s company and you research together as much as you can about Bucky and Hydra in between missions when you’re home.

You’re basically best friends now.

Sometimes you think the only good thing that honestly has come from your search is your friendship with Sam at this point, but you’re trying to stay positive knowing how much this means to Steve.

You board the plane and, once again, rest your head on Sam’s shoulder as you fall asleep.

When you wake up, about an hour before landing, you notice Sam fell asleep too. You smile at his peaceful face, it’s always nicer to be around him when he’s not talking shit. 

You finally land and get ready to spend a whole week in the middle of the Amazon with no reception and just Sam’s dumb ass for company.

-

“We really don’t get paid enough for this shit.” you say as you sit back in your seat with your eyes closed, your body almost giving out because of exhaustion. 

“Now, that’s something we can agree on.” Sam chuckles, as tired as you and still a fucking ray of sunshine. How does he do it, you don’t know.

You’ve just spent a hellish week in the depths of the Amazon forest. You almost died about three thousand and sixteen times and all you have to show for it is scars and bruises and bites of insects the size of cats. 

You didn’t even have time to clean up before your flight, the closest thing to a shower you had all week being when you fell into a river trying to help Sam out and then both of you almost fell down a waterfall.

A. Fucking. Waterfall.

You both basically passed out during the flight, being awakened suddenly after what felt like only a second by a flight attendant. Both of you were so startled that you almost pulled your guns on her.

You're already waiting in line for a taxi before it even crosses your mind to check your phone. Really, how much stuff could have happened in the seven days you were gone?

Turns out, a lot.

Like literally the robot uprisings and flying cities kind of a lot.

You were frozen staring at your phone when Sam’s voice finally registers as he says your name and shakes you a little, effectively taking you out of your daze.

“Have you checked your phone?” you ask, ignoring all his questions, still scrolling through the hundreds of texts from both Natasha and Steve.

“What the hell…” is all you hear from him a minute later and you don't need to look up to know his actions are now mirroring your own.

Before you know it you're entering a taxi and giving the address of the Avengers Tower while ignoring the skeptical look on the driver’s face once he takes notice of your disheveled appearance.

You're both on your phones in a second, you with Natasha and Sam with Steve, letting them know you're alive and assuring yourselves that they're okay too.

They greet you at the front door of the Tower, offering you to stay here for the night and this time you both accept. 

After a much needed shower, you sit down with the rest of the team for dinner and they tell you in more detail about what happened.

Natasha waits until you're alone in her room to tell you about Bruce, and you do your best to comfort her resulting in both of you falling asleep in her bed. 

The morning after Steve tells you and Sam that the remaining Avengers are be relocating to a new facility in Upstate New York, and asks you both to join the team.

Needless to say, neither of you need more than a second to think about it. Obviously you're both in.

You spend the next few months getting to know the Avengers both old and new while the new building was being restructured, and now here you are at the new Avengers Compound for your first day as an official Avenger.

Clint’s home with his family, you and Nat visited when Laura gave birth to little Nathaniel.

Thor’s got some big space adventure, Banner is still nowhere to be found and Tony’s on his way home to Pepper.

So now it’s up to Natasha and Steve to train the new Avengers: Rhodey aka War Machine, Vision, Sam aka the Falcon, Wanda and, proudly, you.

Steve and Natasha enter the room you were all waiting in and everyone falls silent, very eager to try you new suits and gadgets, courtesy of Stark Industries. 

“Avengers…” Steve says, in his captain voice.

This is gonna be fun. 

Requested taglist: @sapphirebarnes

[ilovepapahet]

Sweetheart

Chapter Four

They reminisce over you

Warnings: Mentions of trauma, alcohol, drugs,

let me know if I missed anything

————————————————————————

For the whole day you and Dave sat on the couch watching cheesy reality shows and whatever movies you could get your hands on. You both talked about when you to first met.. the first time you both got high.

You talked about the first fight Dave got into and…. Your trauma. “I wished things ended differently” you sigh resting your head back against the couch. “Yeah.. I missed you if I’m being honest” Dave admitted. Looking over at him not realizing how much he actually missed you, “I mean.. I don’t blame you for leaving. I would to, but why’d you cut contact. I understand I’m an alcoholic and an ass”.

“Yeah I know, but… you at least know you’re an ass” you sigh. “I cut contact because I wanted to focus on my future and all the hurt I was going through with… Lars and James. It was just to much”.

“Yeah I completely understand… why did James break up with you” Dave asked.

And that you will never know, you really could never understand. “The only thing he told me was.. that he has better thing to worry about. I will never understand why”.

You both sit in silence for a little bit than Dave speaks up. “Before I got kicked out…. They talked about you a lot. Especially James. He talked about how proud you would be of him and how you’d be the first to support him. To be there at are first concert… he really missed you”.

“Than if he missed me, why didn’t he just call me?”

“Cause he was fucking groupies”

Your eyes got wide at Dave’s words. Groupies?! James fucks groupies?! “What the hell do you mean? James would never.” You try to protest.

“Yeah I can never understand that. At least not yet” he laughed.

“Aw ew Dave what the hell” your face scrunched up in disgust. “The only thing I can say is that the new lead guitarist of Metallica, I fucked his girlfriend before I left”.

“I’m sorry you what?” You sit up and look at Dave shocked. “Yeah, I fucked his girlfriend before I left. The guys was a super wimpy kid” Dave tells you.

“Um I don’t think he really had anything or wanted anything to do with you getting kicked out Dave. Like I completely get you’re mad as you should be… but fucking his girlfriend is a little much.” You tell Dave. “Yeah maybe…. It was worth it”, “Your unbelievable” you laughed.

“What was his name?”

“Kirk I think. I could give less of a shit”

You nod as Dave tells you more. “And you wanna know the worst part about it all”.

“What’s that”

“They used my riffs and my songs and now this weak player of a guitarist is getting my credit. All of it. I wrote those riffs it’s not fair” Dave raises his voice.

“They didn’t credit you, at all? Assholes. See if I was still talking to Lars I would have cussed him out.”

“Yeah I know you would”.

————————————————————————

Dave falls asleep before you, as you think about what he said earlier. James missed you? Really? And if he did why didn’t he just call you. Why did he even break up with you in the first place and than talk about you like you were the one who broke up with him. It doesn’t make sense.

You know Dave wouldn’t lie to you at all. It just confuses you.. you knew James. This wasn’t him. You tried your very hardest to forget about it and him that he actually missed you… what a fuckin joke.

He was so selfish. Only caring about his band and not how you felt sure you were definitely being a little annoying, but you panicked. What else could you do, doing nothing would have ended worse. You weren’t trying to be clingy you just wanted him, wanted him to share his excitement with you.. hear all about the band stuff.

About the new album, making the music, to listen to a demo. Anything. You really needed to let it go though.

The more you think about it the more you’re gonna drag yourself down into a deeper depressing hole.

————————————————————————

You toss and turn on the couch getting no sleep. Fuck this. You get up and grab a cigarette from your room before stepping outside on your front porch.

You light the cigarette and breathe in the smoke, it was a nasty habit of yours. Everyone had one, at lest one. A bad habit you can’t get rid off, something that will stick with you forever. A an incurable disease that slowly eats at you from the inside out.

You rest your head back against the soft cushion chair you had on your porch. The cool breeze blowing over you. It was hot tonight, hotter than it usually was.

You close your eyes listening to the sounds of San Francisco at night. Car’s honking and driving past your street. Police car sirens going off in the distance. Planes flying over head. It was somewhat soothing to you, bring you a weird feeling of calm. Taking another hit from your cigarette and breathing it out. Cliff was the one you got you into the whole smoking thing.

It was after a rather rough night, you were about… fifteen when you smoked your first cigarette Cliff was probably seventeen. You both wanted to see and feel what it was like…. You both instantly regretted it.

You didn’t start at fifteen you just smoked ones… you only started at twenty. You shouldn’t have in the first place, but the feeling of the smoke felt good. You put out what was left and headed back inside.

Now feeling relaxed you laid down on the couch finally feel ready to fall asleep. You feel your eyes start to close and you drift off.

————————————————————————

You wake up before Dave sitting up and looking around, you find Phoenix sleeping next to Dave. He is an affectionate cat so it didn’t surprise you. You get up to put some food in his bowl so he wont beg you to feed him. He will paw at your feet and meow at you when you’re a minute late to feed him.

You loved him though. A companion since you lived alone. You didn’t have a lot of visitors. It was probably nice if you could get a second cat if you could.

Dave wake’s up around ten and pulls himself off the couch, he has a flight back to LA in a few hours so he had to go. Dave gets ready to go and puts his shoes on. “It was nice seeing you again, I hope to see you in the future”. “Definitely” you assured him. You hug him before he heads out and gets in his cab.

————————————————————————

Yay chapter four is done, I struggle a bit with this one ngl. This chapter is a little short, but that’s ok.

I also added lyrics at the top of the chapter that I think work for different chapters from random songs I like.

@metalupyourass699

[moodywyrm]

hi mooney!

i just wanted to share my thoughts on abby n chubby reader (this was definitely NOT based on personal experience or anything) uhm, maybe slight trigger warning for implying an eating disorder?

maybe abby took reader out for lunch or something n absentmindedly said something about reader eating a big meal, (ex. "baby, you sure you're gonna eat all that?") not even meaning it in a bad way but reader thinking abby's suggesting she eat a little less, so reader just loses her appetite and goes kinda silent n doesn't say anything for the rest of lunch cs it reminds her of things her exes have said abt her; abby jus thinking she's sleepy, it goes on for like a couple days n abby getting worried cs her girl is eating less than usual n it's starting to affect her, like reader being more silent, slightly shaking a bit cs of how little she's eating n sleeping more cs her not eating is leading to less energy n it's jus reader falling back into how she used to treat herself before she met abby

abby finally decides to confront reader n reader jus letting the flood gates open n SOBBING to abby about how she thinks abby doesn't love her anymore n how she's sorry for eating so much n just saying how she's trying to get rid of the weight by not eating as much to get her body used to it.

abby is absolutely SHOCKED n confused on why her sweet angel is doing this n when reader explains what abby said, abby jus feels so bad n gives reader the best comfort n reassuring her that she meant nothing by it ["baby i swear! i didnt know :( jus didn't want you getting a tummy ache cs you ate a big breakfast too but i didnt mean you should stop taking care of yourself! :(( ] n abby jus making all of reader's favorite foods n making sure her girl is gettin all her nutrients n stuff in n jus being super comforting by letting reader cry some more n stuff

sorry if this is so long, jus had this thought bobbing around my head n needed to share it with someone :( feel free to get to this anytime ♡︎ hope you're having an amazing day/night

(also, could i be 💌 or 🐇 anon?)

TW: disordered eating, internalized fatphobia + hatred

hi baby! 1) imma choose 💌 bc it's so cute! 2) I'll say it, I have had this experience before (though admittedly without the sweet masc to help me out), so let's go! of course, trigger warning for disordered eating and general discomfort around food and body image. if you can't or don't want to read that, avoid this. avoid it like the plague.

it all started with a comment. you and abby were having brunch after class, as a treat for you having just submitted a huge assignment. and you're starving! you had no time before class to eat, and then your class was an eighty minute chunk. so you're so hungry, and you order a full meal, a smoothie plus a California club and sides! grapefruit, onion rings, fries. (obviously if you have any allergies or preferences, just imagine it's something else for this. the actual food isn't critical to the plot). and when you tell the server your order and they leaves, Abby turns to you and says "You gonna eat all of that, baby?"

and of course she doesn't mean it in a shamey, how-could-you-eat-all-of-that way. she meant it in a can-you-eat-all-of-that-without-getting-a-tummy-ache way. but that's not how it registered. and it makes you feel sick, even when you answer "maybe I'll just take the leftovers"

you definitely end up taking the leftovers, because you get maybe two bites into the sandwich, nibbling on the sides, and decide to just finish the smoothie. you have basically your entire meal untouched, and abby gets full off her own meal, so you have two containers of leftovers to take home, which makes you feel so shitty. and you can hear every negative voice in your head rise up, from family members to peers to exes, everyone who ever fatshamed you and made you feel wrong for trying to nourish your body.

you're quiet all the way home, quiet for days after. abby just assumes you're tired, knowing that you have a lot of school work. and partly, she's right. you are tired. you're fuckign exhausting because you're eating maybe one meal a day, (not) sustaining yourself on coffee and water, doing all of your assignments with no energy whatsoever. and you're fighting yourself, not knowing how to bring it up to abby. that it's not because of what she said, she didn't mean it, but it kind of is because of what she said. and it hurts so fucking bad. so yeah, you're exhausted.

it all comes to a head when you're sitting, kneeling, in front of your mirror, doing your makeup or just getting ready, and when you stand up, you nearly pass out. you're so lightheaded, slamming your hand out to the wall, trying not to fall over. your vision swims, and you try to stabilize yourself. abby, who was sitting at her desk, immediately gets up, practically flying to you and holding you up.

"shit, baby, are you okay?" and she sounds so concerned, you fucking break. the tears are so fast, you don't stand a chance at stopping them. you're standing there, sobbing, and abby is terrified. because she doesn't know why. so she gently guides you over the bed, still crying, wrapping her arms around your shoulders and trying to get you to a state where you can talk.

it takes about fifteen minutes, but you get there, still crying, still hiccuping out sobs, but at least somewhat intelligible.

"I just. I know you didn't mean it to be mean. But last week, at the restaurant, when you asked if I was gonna eat all of the food and-" You can't keep talking because it all floods back to you and you're crying again, clinging to abby like a lifeline, chest hurting from the sobs. But now Abby gets it. She remembers what she said and she figures out how it might've sounded and now she feels like shit. Because she never wanted to hurt you, but intent doesn't matter right now because she did hurt you.

"I'm so sorry baby. I didn't mean to say it like that, and I'm so sorry my words hurt you. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I only asked because I didn't want your stomach to hurt, but I should have worded it so much better. I never, ever, want you to feel guilty about eating, or anything, with me."

You're still crying, still clinging to her, but trying to get the words out. "It's okay baby, I should've" hiccup "should've talked to you, told you how I felt but I just froze" hiccup "and I was so scared you would think I was gross, so I stopped eating so much but that didn't help anything-" and again, you're crying so hard your head hurts, and now Abby is crying, sniffling, trying to hide it because this is about you and she knows if you hear her crying you'll worry about her. So she presses a kiss to your head, rubbing her hands up and down your back.

"I wish you would have talked to me, but I know it's scary and hard and it's so easy in theory. But I'm so sorry I made you feel like you couldn't talk to me. I will always be here for you, baby, always." and when she here's you whisper out a small "I love you", she hauls you into her lap. You're still crying, because you need to let it out, but Abby doesn't move a fucking inch, holding you for as long as you need.

Once you've calmed down enough to move to the couch, Abby gets to work cooking you your favorite meal, trying not to overload you with so much ood that'll make your tummy hurt, but trying to give you a good, balanced dinner after a week of hurt. Sitting at the kitchen island, watching you eat pasta with some lingering trepidation but an overwhelming amount of trust on your face, she would never trade that moment for anything, Abby knows that, for the rest of her life, she wants to take care of you. Wants you to live a life where food isn't pain or punishment, and you're allowed to nourish yourself and enjoy food when you want to.

[aspecpplarebeautiful]

Hello! If you don't mind, this is half a vent and half an ask both to you and to your followers who have had some experience?

I feel like I want certain aspects of a romantic relationship, the idea of having someone "special" is very appealing. Especially since I find myself falling in the trap of romance tropes, and I really do feel that I want to find that one person who I'd feel safe being physically close with, and not just because I turn my brain off to suffer through it but to actually enjoy it.

I know that I'm rather attracted to men, in theory at least, but whenever there's even remotely a thought in my brain that a polite conversation may turn into something more I get nervous, kinda in a bad way. I feel like I want to put a barrier in and I'm afraid they'll be reading into my behaviour too much. It makes me feel as if I like to play pretend in my head but I'm too much of a coward when real life gets involved.

I've been identifying as ace for years now, and I just turned 24. No experience in the dating department, I've been slowly making my way to accepting being at least arospec as well, possibly just aro, but for some reason it's been so much harder for me. Asexuality just clicked. This I think I may be fighting because the idea of a relationship seems too nice to give up and I've already had a bad experience with an extremely undernegotiated QPR (ended quickly but left a bitter taste nevertheless).

I just wish I could not think about it? But I also feel like the societal expectations of romantic attraction are much more pressing than sexual one. I don't want to lead anyone on, and I don't want to feel this little bit of dread whenever I have a conversation with a guy who I know doesn't have a girlfriend. That's another sign of being aro, right? Being able to be comfortable only when the possibility of the other party wanting you romantically is non-existent.

Sorry for this being so long. Thank you for listening, either way.

Romance definitely has a hard to explain quality to it, and I think that can make it questioning if you're aro especially tricky. It is possible that anxiety you're feeling when a situation could turn romantic is a form of repulsion. It's not uncommon for romance repulsion to feel more like anxiety or nervousness, and for people feel like wanting to go and hide. Alloromantic people can be nervous too sometimes, but it usually comes with a feeling of anticipation and still being drawn to the other person. Or they will usually have either trouble with anxiety in other areas, or issues with romance (romance related trauma for example). Sometimes it can be tricky to know exactly what it is, but if the stuff below doesn't sound like you at all, than repulsion is a likely explanation.

The other thing I would point is that fully alloromantic people often have people in real life they are experience a romantic pull towards, who they really want to be in a romantic relationship with. And if you're not experiencing that, that could also be a strong sign of being aromantic.

Being aromantic, and even romance repulsed, if you are, does not mean you can't have a very important person in your life. I know you mentioned a QPR that didn't go well, and it's up to you if that's something you ever want to try again, but even if you don't. remember that deep bonds can come in all forms of relationships. All types of relationships, including friendships, familial relationships, etc. have the potential to be very special of very deep if you end up connecting to someone in the right way. So whatever path you choose to take, don't feel like this isn't possible.

I'll throw this out followers too if anyone wants to share their own thoughts or advice.

All the best, Anon! Good luck!

[manicplank]

Man, I just LOVE your headcanons!💜🥺

So I wanted to ask if you could do one related to "How do they like to spend a cold/snowy day with Reader?"

(sorry if anyone has asked this before)

Snowy day with the reader

This one is LOOONG so buckle up. (It's more of short stories rather than small headcanons. I liked this prompt.)

Gustavo: He doesn't like the cold, but he thinks the snow is beautiful. However, he prefers to stay inside where it's warm. He asks you to come over and help him try out a new recipe. He wanted to make some soup but wasn't quite sure what kind he wanted to make. You suggest (your favorite), and he thinks it's a good idea. The two of you take turns reading the recipe and putting ingredients together, all while trying to keep Brick from eating it. Ta-da! The soup comes out fantastic, and the two of you are proud. And Brick got some for being a good boy.

Peppino: He despises the cold. Instead of going out and doing something exciting, the two of you stay in the warm. You suggested a movie for him (insert your favorite movie here), and he asked if you'd like to come over and watch it with him. You, of course, said yes. He welcomes you in and apologizes for the house being a messy, even though it isn't so bad. He asks if he can make you a drink; your choice of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa. He makes the drinks and you two sit to watch the movie. He ends up falling asleep halfway. You wake him up after the movie ends. He's completely embarrassed. You told him you let him sleep because you figured he needed it. He apologizes a million times and offers you to come back and do it again another day.

Mr. Stick: Another one who despises the cold. He prefers indoor activities, whether they be at home or in a building. You two were supposed to hang out, but he came up with an idea. He wanted to take you to a casino and go gambling. You explain to him that you're much of a gambler and that he probably has a gambling problem. He shrugs and suggests an even better idea; an arcade. The two of you end up in an arcade where you play laser tag. You win, of course, and he challenges you to mini golf. You were winning, but you drew back and let him win this one. He was super happy. Afterward, the two of you head out for a nice meal at a fancy place which he insisted on paying for.

Pepperman: He doesn't like the cold. In fact, he's easily susceptible to frostbite since he's a plant. He can't really go outside, so instead, he invites you to come to his art studio. You're reluctant, thinking he might have something weird in mind. However, when you get there, you see canvases, bottles of paint, brushes, and a few Bob Ross VHS tapes. "Hey," he greets you. "I hope you don't mind, but I think we should paint some snowy landscapes instead of going out. I know you're not the best artist, so we can do something simple." You smile. This little gesture was unusually sweet of him. You agree, assuming you won't be great at painting. As Bob Ross guides you, Pepperman does, too. Whenever you get confused, he pauses the tape and helps you out. You actually end up making a fantastic painting! He compliments you greatly and admires your art style. It was insane to hear that coming from a narcissist like him.

The Vigilante: He really doesn't like the cold all that much, so he invites you over for dinner. He asks what you'd like, and you ask for (insert your favorite food). He makes a face... He's never cooked that before. He's not quite sure it'll end up too well. You offer to help, and he accepts. He has a bunch of fresh meat and produce grown on the farm. You're amazed by it as most of the stuff in the tower is filled with junky preservatives or pizza flavor. He chuckles and explains that his family has always grown their own food. He tries to follow the recipe but keeps getting confused. You end up taking the lead. He's so embarrassed. He apologizes several times and does his best to help out. You both make a great team. You finish the meal and sit down to eat with him. He tells you all the stories about growing up on the farm, and you have a great meal.

The Noise: While he absolutely HATES the cold, he likes the outdoor activities that come with it. His favorite is of course snowboarding. He takes you to the slopes with him. Noisette didn't want to come with. She fell last year and is too afraid to go again. You check into the lodge and see him waiting for you. It felt weird for you to see him out of costume. You have your choice of either skiis or snowboard. (Insert your choice.) You sit together on the lift and chat a bit on the way up. WOW, is he talkative. The two of you get to the top of the mountain. You forgot to explain that you actually DON'T know how to do this, and before you can, he's already speeding down the slope. You follow behind him as best as you can, but your balance is horrible. You're going so quick! You see a ramp coming up. He takes the jump. You weren't going to, but you can't slow down or steer! You plummet flat into the snow. He comes over in a rush. He's red-faced and embarrassed. He forgot how extreme he can be sometimes. You end up needing to be airlifted to a hospital as you probably have a concussion. Oops...

Noisette: She likes the cold and the snow! The Noise went out snowboarding, but after she was injured last year, she didn't want to go. Instead, she asks you to come over and bake something with her. You're a little hesitant since her food skills can be... well... sometimes, it can be lethal. She asks what you would rather do instead. You say you'd love to do something in the snow. Hmmm... Sledding? No, she's too afraid to fall again. Then she suggests going out and building something. You agree. You two decide to have a snowman building competition. The score is based on timing, size, and aesthetic. The two of you race around the yard, picking up sticks and stones. She throws a snowball at you from out of nowhere, so you throw one back. The snowman building competition had suddenly become a snowball fight. By the end of it, you're both covered in snow, and some snow even got in your clothes. You go inside to warm up. "Oh, hey, guess what," she asks. You turn to her and she throws one last snowball in your face.

Fake Peppino: He HATES HATES HATES winter and everything about it! Snow? Cold!Weather? COLD! Frogs don't like the cold! You try to get him to come outside, but he doesn't budge. You even try throwing something out there for him to fetch, but he still won't move. Hmmm... You pile up some blankets and pillows and plop down into it. He seems confused at first, but you lay there and wait. Eventually, it clicks in his brain. He comes over and wraps around you like a cat would. The two of you enjoy a warm nap in a nest of pillows. He starts croaking in his sleep, which wakes you up. You also see him twitching a little. He's dreaming! You pet him on the head, accidentally waking him up. He pulls you under him and goes back to sleep.

Pizzahead: He doesn't mind the cold. He doesn't necessarily like it, but it comes with fun activities. He invited you to go ice skating with him, and you agreed. However, when you get to the rink, you see him dressed up in a beautiful outfit with sequins and glitter scattered all over. He even brought his own skates. You grab some from the rental and put them on. He has to help you walk over to the rink so you don't roll an ankle. He pushes you on gently. He then goes flying past you, doing all sorts of tricks and twirls. "Oh, I forgot to tell you," he calls out, "that I'm kind of really good at this!" He laughs. You try your best, but you can barely stand up straight. He comes over and grabs you, helping you stay upright. "See what I'm doing with my feet? Push your foot forward with half of your weight." You do so and almost fall, but he catches you. You try again, and you get it. Then you do it with your other foot. "Okay, now do a flip," he jokes. He grabs your hand and spins you around. Suddenly, you're going backward. "Yes, you've got it! Now lean into it and move your feet as if you're walking forward." You try to do so, but lose your balance and topple over. He skates over laughing. He helps you up. "Come on, now. Let's try that again."

Pillar John: He's ecstatic. He hasn't seen it snow in a while. He asks if you want to go sledding with him. You try to explain to him that you're afraid he'll crush you, but he insists you'll be fine. You reluctantly agree. You meet him at the bottom of a hill. It's huge! You tell him you're not sure you'll be able to get up there. "Don't worry," he says, "watch this!" He picks you up and puts you on top of his head. He runs up the hill like it's nothing. "Hold on tight!" He tosses you on his back as he dives face first down the hill. You scream in horror at first. Once you figure out what's happening, you're laughing with joy. You come to the bottom and hop off of him. He rolls onto his side, "Wasn't that great?" You laugh and nod. "Wanna do it again?" You smile and nod, and he tosses you back up on his head. The two of you do this for a good hour before he's tuckered out. You're shocked he never rolled over on you and killed you.

Gerome: You ask him if he's doing anything later, and he shrugs. So, you ask if he wants to do something with you, and he shrugs again. You suggest skiing, he says no. You suggest snowball fights, he says no. You suggest making a snowman, he says no. You finally ask him what he wants to do. He says that he'd rather read near a fireplace or watch a movie. You agree to a movie and ask which one he prefers. He says he'll watch whatever you pick. You pick your favorite movie, but you warn him that it might be a little boring since Peppino fell asleep during it. He says that it can't be any more boring than being a janitor. You two sit down and watch the movie, and he actually ends up enjoying it. Afterwards, he's much more cheerful and talkative. You tell him there's a second one, and he tells you to put it on.

-

I told you to buckle up.

[mychlapci]

sorry that little snippet about sunny and sides in the k9 made me sad so i'm chipping in to allow them to heal

at some point, the owners of sunny and sides get fed with their attitude. they're simply too aggressive to keep employing and far too many handlers have gotten shredded trying to reign them in on guarding jobs.

so the enforcer station decides to put them down. their aggressive attitudes, despite having been cultivated by the enforcers who kept them as tools, became too much of a liability to keep them around. to the euthanasia clinic it is!

however on the way there someone doesn't do their job right. the twins were supposed be put under for the duration of the trip. they were supposed to be sentenced as soon as they arrived at the clinic so that they weren't a threat to anyone. a dead dog is no threat after all.

but someone fucked up and they fucked up real bad. sideswipe wakes up halfway through the trip and he is pissed. it takes little effort for him to rip the muzzle off his helm and break the bars of the far too small cage he's been trapped inside for as long as he can remember. it takes even less effort to rouse his brother and massacre the guards driving them to the clinic.

when the truck crashes in the middle of nowhere cybertron neither twin are injured. their armour was reinforced for their jobs after all! they survive and even thrive in the wilds of the planet they never got to explore in their youth; mechanimals fall under their fangs and claws and there are more than a few caves with rich supplies of raw energon that keep them well fed.

and it's strange for the both of them. they've spent their whole lives isolated, abused and hurt by those who used their violence as a means to an end. but now... well now they're on their own, completely able to do what they'd like. they wake up in the wide open wilderness without the ache in their struts from sleeping within a cage that's far too small for their frames. they're able to snuggle together without threat of beating or electrocution and without a guard constantly threatening to knock them out, they can finally spend their time trying to explore and act like the newsparks they never got to be.

i imagine that after a period of time they stumble across a random mech out in the wilderness, maybe someone investigating the sightings of a pair of "wild mechs" out in the middle of nowhere.

bluestreak, our intrepid explorer and a mech dumb enough to risk his own life for the sake of others is this somebody. he's part of a small charity organization that rescues k9 units and allows them to integrate into collective society.

he finds the twins ripping apart some poor turbofox that happened to stray too far into their territory. and surprisingly enough, he doesn't die immediately upon approaching them. both of the mechs have called down now that they're not being abused 24/7 but they're still on edge.

bluestreak manages to coax the red one closer to him, offering some actual refined energon that tastes way sweeter than the low grade the enforcers were feeding them and far richer in nutrient content than the unrefined stuff they've been drinking out of the pools.

with the promise of more fuel, bluestreak manages to take them all the way back to the clinic that's running the rehabilitation operation. of course the minute the twins see the clinic they go absolutely insane and only a mountain's worth of promises from bluestreak that he's not going to hurt them gets them to calm down.

inside they find not the dingy police office they're so used to but a well lit, meticulously cleaned and cozy reception room.

bluestreak leads them to ratchet's office and the twins get their first check up ever. the k9 unit didn't really see fit to treat their dogs if they got injured and sunny and sides were far too aggressive anyhow. if they got hurt bad enough that medical attention was needed, well... let's just say that injured dogs didn't last long there.

ratchet is appalled at the amount of smaller injuries the twins have, not to mention the lack of proper firewalls and virus protection within their systems. he treats them, not without anger since needles do not go well with sideswipe and sunstreaker is more than willing to bite the doctor's hand off for daring to harm his brother.

but they manage it eventually! and bluestreak even gets them their very own room, with a berth and washracks and a even a datapad with games and language learning modules since neither of them know how to read or write and they can barely speak the common tongue.

anyways i love them <3 and i deeply hope that k9 anon doesn't mind my addition to their posts.

aaaaaah Sunny and Sides living like mechaanimals in the wild, now that's some hills have eyes shit. I love it.

They don't feel out of place in the wild, not really. They crawl like all the mechanimals do, they bite and maul like all the turbofoxes and purr their engines when content. It feels like a good life... until Bluestreak finds them. He's like the horse girl of this scenario. He absolutely should not have been stretching his hands out to two rabid mechs, but they didn't attack him. Thank Primus. It takes a while for Bluestreak to drag them into the rescue centre and get them settled in. Sunny and Sides are less aggressive than they were back as guard dogs, but they're not exactly above biting the hand that feeds them now either...

It's probably confusing to them at first. It's difficult to comprehend why the mechs want them to sleep in the same kind of beds they sleep in, or eat out of cubes instead of bowls, or why they speak at them like that, like they want them to speak back... but they're quick learners.

[yourlocalartsonist]

ROTTMNT Moths Fly In Packs - Chapter Eight

A/N: I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG OH MY GOD. I genuinely didn’t expect it to, chapter 8 was supposed to be way shorter but uh yk my brain didn’t like that apparatnly. So now it’s uh 10K words. I think it’s genuinely worth the wait and read tho so hey, alls well that ends well or something. I’m gonna try to be faster with updates now. I’m FAIRLY CERTAIN chapter nine will be much shorter or at least nothing crazy like 8 or 10k. But what I can guarantee is chapters 10-13 will most definitely be short and lead up to the grand arc finale of chapter 14. We’re getting pretty close to it and I’m literally vibrating from excitement but no spoilers. Anyway enjoy the chapter! :D

Credit to: @sweaterrat and @yosajaeofficial for being my beloved beta readers! This story wouldn’t be able to have the quality it does without them so please give them some love and check out their ROTTMNT stories too!

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Chapter One

Disclaimer: Chapter involves depressive thoughts, mentions of bullying, depressed behavior, mentions of Kr*ng, PTSD behavior, violence, very lightly graphic description of injuries, blood, and curse words. If you’re sensitive to that stuff, scroll past and stay safe!

Outside the window, you can make out a bird’s nest sat in one of the trees. It’s been here for a week now, perfectly timed with when I got back to a consistent school life. But lately, the mother’s been staying at the nest more often. I’m guessing they’ve got babies on the way, she’s probably incubating her eggs right now. I think I’ve gotten attached to them, that small family of robins. The parents are so dedicated, aren’t they? The mother especially, never leaving the nest unless absolutely necessary. 

On the contrary to my peaceful view, the classroom is noisy, hectic, and cluttered. No real science work for today so everyone’s just doing their own thing. Very loudly. Jaiden and Zane are chatting and laughing with each other next to me. I think things are better between us, I still don’t really know where Jaiden and I stand right now but at least Zane seems fine with me. Though I won’t lie, I’ve been feeling more and more like a third wheel around them. 

“Dude! I’m telling you, we have to play this game together! We’d have so much fun!” 

“I already said I would, Jaiden! Man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you laugh like this. Shame you’re letting such a pretty smile go to waste.”

“Yeah? Let’s hang out more often then and maybe I won’t do that.”  

Like right now.

Lowkey, I’ve been feeling invisible around those two. Jaiden barely pays any attention to me, it’s as if Zane was their best friend instead of me! I mean, I know friends can drift apart, I definitely know. But still, I never imagined it would happen to us. I still don’t wanna believe that’s what’s happening. I wanna keep hope.

“And ironically, you’re being pretty quiet today, Salena. Did you two switch personalities or something?” 

“You are weirdly quiet, actually. What’s up?”

Oh lookie, I’ve been acknowledged. “Nah, you guys don’t have to worry about me. Just lower on energy than usual.” 

I went back to my routine of staring out the window like the main character in a music video. In the reflection, Zane was still watching me. With the way his eyes lingered, I had a feeling he’s not falling for my excuse. 

Seems like Jaiden’s not too worried, though. “Oh, Zane! You wanna hear about this new skate park I found?” Just went right back at it with Zane. Who’s weirdly still staring at me.

“…Actually, I’m kinda hungry. Jaiden, you mind getting me a snack from the vending machine?”

“Huh? But I wouldn’t know what to get you. N-not that I don’t pay attention to what you like! But, you know… Salena has better taste in these things! She should go-”

“She always goes.”

“‘Cause she knows what she’s doing.”

“Jaiden.”

“Guys, it’s fine! It’s fine. I’ve got this.” I didn’t want them to fight again so I got up from my seat. “Be back soon.”

Jaiden gave me their most gleeful smile I’ve seen them make in a while. I think seeing them smile makes this gesture worthwhile. Even if it’s just for a little bit.

The walk to the vending machine shouldn’t have been long, it’s not super far away. But my legs dragged on forcing each step to be slower than the last. I feel guilty thinking like this but a part of me wants this dumb walk to go on forever. I can’t stand being near them and I don’t know why! It’s not like we’ve got bad blood, they’ve both been normal towards me since I came back. So why am I acting like this? I’m seriously starting to doubt Splinter’s theory of me not being the problem here…

I approached the machine, stopping as I heard a struggling voice in front of me. 

“Argh! How’d she say these things worked again?” 

His finger pressed against the glass, tracing the code for the snack he wanted. He tapped the buttons on the screen. Nothing happened. Scratching his head, he leaned forward to read the next instructions. Finally, he pulled out a dollar bill.

…Before proceeding to insert it in the wrong way. And taking it out. And inserting it back in. And repeating the process. I can feel my soul exiting my body from second-hand embarrassment. 

I recognized the fluffy black hair. With a crooked smile, I pulled out my own wallet.

“You’re supposed to put it in this way.” I slid my bill into the slot, the granola bar he selected successfully being pushed down soon after. “Good to see you again.”

“Woah, cool!” He stared at the giant food box almost with a childlike wonder, pausing for a few minutes before turning to me. “And hey! Yeah, it’s really nice seeing you again, too.” His eyes remained locked for a while before he scrambled to hand me the bill he had. “Here! Let me pay you back-“

“No, no, no, don’t worry about it! Really! Consider it my apology for, um, last time.” 

“Apology? I mean, you weren’t the one doing anything weird so I don’t think you’ve gotta apologize.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Casey Jones Jr. I was gonna introduce myself the first time we met but, you know.”

“Salena Moni! So, how’s everything holding up? You joined pretty late in the year so if you need any help reviewing stuff I’m more than happy to.”

 

“Oh, don’t worry! It’s actually going alright. Still technically my first time going to a real school, so it’s a little bit of a challenge but I already knew most of the material anyways. I didn’t have to catch up on much.”  

“Wow, that is… remarkably impressive.” If only I handled transferring as well as this guy. “Wait, hold up, real school? Were you homeschooled?”

“You could… say that. My uncle taught me everything, he was the smartest person I knew! Just turns out it was literally everything.”

“Cool! I guess we can check grades off the box, then! So, is everyone being nice? Made any friends?”

I bit my lip as I received my answer in the form of his face freezing mid-speech. “W-well uh…”

Oh, you poor thing…

I guess he could read my face since he immediately tried reassuring me, as if he wasn’t the victim in this scenario. “I-I mean it’s not awful! A couple people were nice to me, including you! Sure, some are a little… hostile. But it’ll get better eventually.” 

“Y-yeah! It definitely… definitely will.”

And cue the classic awkward silence that stars in any first conversation. A little overdue for this one now that I’m thinking about it. 

I’m so conflicted. I know damn well he’s not gonna have the high school dream he’s probably imagining right now. No one does. I may not have been at this school for long, but I’ve been here long enough to know how the people are. April told me it gets even worse every year as cliques start getting established and people grow past the initial politeness. I’m glad she did, she never kept anything about high school from me no matter how bad it was. Nothing was in my control but at least I knew it was coming.

And here I am playing the exact opposite role for Casey. I hate giving people false hope, I hate it with a passion! But I’m supposed to, I think. In a situation like this I’m supposed to hype him up. Ignorance is bliss! Wouldn’t it just ruin his spirits if I broke the glass? 

“Anyway, it was nice to meet you! I guess I’ll see you around?”

“Y-yep! Hope things get better for you soon!” 

“Me too.”

Ugh, the guilt is eating me up! I’m acting like I’ve never told a lie in my life but it’s not that. It’s his pure mindset that’s completely fucking with my morality! 

I know to keep my mouth shut, I do. I don’t want him to hate me like everyone else does. I haven’t met someone who’s been so nice to me in this stupid ass school before, I don’t want to ruin this chance now that I finally got it. Plus, he might not even believe me…

I watched him turn to walk away. 

Fuck it, social norms are for losers!

“W-wait! Casey?” He turned back around and I nearly shit myself from fear. “So, don’t be mad but I may have um… lied about something?” 

“Uh, sorry?”

I took a deep breath, bracing myself. “Well, here’s the deal. Things aren’t really gonna get better, sorry. Or, actually! I don’t mean that extremely literally, I guess...” 

Focus on your hands, it’ll be okay. “Just… People here are mean. Really, really mean. You’re homeschooled, you’re new, and you’re nice. It’s a recipe for disaster here whether it’s today or even a year after you’ve settled in!”

I can’t even read his expression and get an idea of his reaction. He’s got a scary good poker face, I’m curious which relative taught him that one.

“Casey, please don’t take this the wrong way. I-I’m not saying any of it is your fault! Or that you need to change or do anything. I’m only saying this so you don’t have any… unrealistic expectations so to speak.” 

God, his silence is more terrifying than anticipated.

So much so I couldn’t help letting out a quiet breath of relief when he finally did speak. “You know, you’re the first person here who’s told me that.”

“…Is that bad?”

“Not at all. All my family, they never got the chance to go to school. Hell, I didn’t think I’d have the opportunity. But here I am! First time in a new building with weird people and absolutely no clue what to expect. I’m usually good with surprises but this one is just so… different. Different is scary, you know?” 

I nodded. I most definitely did know.

“Anyway, you’re right that people are just mean here. I don’t even know why, I mean, I’ve met my fair share of dicks before but at least they had good reasons! We were under so much stress… But that’s not what I hate. It’s the fact that any time I tell an adult, they say the same thing over and over again!” 

“Let me guess.” I cleared my throat and enhanced the performance with my intoxicated Mrs. Doubtfire voice. “Just ignore them and give it time and it’ll magically fix itself ‘cause boredom beats bullies or some shit, right?”

“Yeah, exactly!” His laugh is like holding your parent’s hand when you’re getting the flu shot, it’s magical! “They say that to everyone, don’t they? God, what’s up with that? I’m so not used to adults lying to me.”

“Dude, what? You’re kidding, your whole community’s gotta be amazing if you’ve never been lied to by an adult.” 

“Eh, more or less… Anyway, um, thank you. For telling me the truth. And the granola bar. I seriously owe you for this.”

…I take it back, Splinter might’ve actually been onto something.

I mean, he’s a little strange, I won’t lie about that. This is the first time I’ve heard someone actually be grateful for me telling the truth. In the past it either got me isolated or in huge trouble, depending on who I was honest with. Maybe this is why I’m so used to lying. I hate it but I’ve had to do it so much. I’ve never met someone who finally lets me relax about it, not until Casey Jr it seems.

Maybe he deserves me being a little braver for a change. 

“Well, here’s a way you can repay me. By us being friends!”

…

This was a lot more epic in my head without his speechless pause. Maybe I got the vibe wrong-

“REALLY!? OMIGOSH! That would be so cool! I’ve literally been thinking about asking you the same thing ‘cause I keep wanting to talk to you but never run into you but now we can talk whenever we want, IT’LL BE GREAT!!!” Spoke too soon, he is literally shaking me by the shoulders. It feels unnatural not being on the other side of this scenario. 

“Casey, my stomach doesn’t approve of this-“

“Sorry, sorry!” He finally stopped and allowed me to remember the pleasant feeling of absolute stillness. “I just can’t believe you actually wanna be friends with me!” 

Still, his surprising enthusiasm gave me a good laugh. “Dude, it’s alright! It’s kinda more surprising you wanna be friends with me.”  

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met in my entire life, anyone who’s friends with you is lucky to have you!” 

Lucky to have me?

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, unexpected compliments go burn in a fire but also don’t leave, it actually feels really nice. 

“Salena, are you okay? Did I say something wrong?”

“N-no, I mean, all I did was buy you a snack and tell you people are jerks. I’m not too sure I should be receiving the title of the ‘kindest person you’ve ever met’ and stuff.”

“O-oh yeah, you have a point.” He got a little flustered at that, despite it really being my fault for not being able to take compliments. “I don’t know, I mean, I still think you’re really cool. I’m just so happy you wanna be friends with me!” 

He looked like a child on Christmas morning as I tippy-tapped my number into his phone. Come to think of it, I know I’ve definitely reacted excitedly towards certain people - or turtles, I should say - but having someone do it to me? Feels kinda nice.

I looked up at the clock. “Shit. We should probably head back to class before we get in trouble.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. But hey,” his eyes closed as the corners delightfully wrinkled “it was great running into you again! Fate really wants us to be friends.”

He has a really nice smile. 

“Funny how life works, ay?”

I skipped my way back to class, mind too deep in thought to realize how fast I went.

This guy, Casey Jones, he’s giving me certain vibes. I don’t mean the creepy, stalkerish, "I need to get the hell outta here” vibes. More like deja-vu. I can’t pin what exactly, but something about him feels so… foreign yet familiar. Homey, if you may. Like a nice, warm fire in mid-winter night. It’s really soothing. 

And immediately I’m thrown into emotional whiplash as I went back inside the annoying ass classroom of teenage chaos. So much for soothing vibes. I plopped back in my desk as Zane slowly scanned me.

“You took a while. Did you get my snack?…”

…Fuck. “Sorry! I completely forgot!”

“How did you forget when it’s the literal reason you even left?” Jaiden doesn’t seem as chipper as before.

“I know, I’m so sorry. I got a bit distracted. Gimmie a sec, I’ll be right back-”

“No, wait! It’s fine, I’m not hungry anymore.”

“Really? Okay, suit yourself.” I shrugged, getting settled in again. He leaned closer to me, both confused and concerned.

“You seem happier right now. Did something good happen?”

“Oh, yeah, I guess! Just ran into a new friend.”

His face scrunched up, going back to chatting with Jaiden. I have no clue why he glared when I said that, I don’t think I said anything wrong or alarming. Honestly, bro has worse mood swings than I do. It's seriously annoying sometimes but whatever, they’ve gone back to their little bubble now so I shall go back to mine.

I pulled out my phone, greeted with Casey’s excited text already.

CJ: Hey! Not really doing anything in class so if you’re free too, text me back :D

Smiling, I let myself get engrossed in my phone, happily typing away. He’s a fun guy to talk to. His enthusiasm and bubbliness is a little surprising considering how borderline timid he seemed at first. Goes to show, never judge a book by its cover! I felt my mood lifting, less gloomier than before.

Until I remembered something he said.

“My uncle taught me everything, he was the smartest person I knew!”

Was?...

***

Ah, midnight. A time when the mentally sane and emotionally stable would be sleeping. Turns out I’m neither of those folks, I’ve got better things to do. I have weapons now but I’ve gotta actually practice using them if I don’t wanna render them useless. Besides, in bed or out here, I’m not falling asleep either way. At least this serves as a good distraction! And won’t give me a headache like my phone will.

The blades cut through the air as I twirled them, striking at an imaginary enemy soon after. 

I try not to think about life when I’m training, it distracts me too much. Sometimes I feel like Casey’s the only thing making school bearable anymore. We don’t share any classes so we text more than talk but I don’t have to do any mental gymnastics to figure out how he views me. I’m still confused as hell if Jaiden likes me or hates me and have no damn clue what Zane’s deal is anymore. He keeps staring at me. More than usual. Sure, I could always sit there and ponder for hours on end what the fuck is going on, but I doubt even that’d get any results.

The sickles, however, do show results. They feel lighter, smoother, easier to duel. I’m getting faster with them and my arms don’t feel as broken after training anymore! It’s something I can lose myself in, track the improvement. It’s so much simpler than everything else.

It keeps my mind occupied. If I focus on them, I don’t think about anyone from school or anything bad that’s happening! Or at least, I usually don't. I guess I’m thinking about it now, though…

“Someone’s training hard.”

“AHH!!!”

Immediately I jerked to turn and held up a blade in defense. However, it turned out to be a false alarm as instead of some midnight mugger I expected to see, I’m greeted with a smirking blue idiot standing in front of me.

“Woah, hey! I come in peace!” The stupid bitch held his hands up, mocking me with his fake fear. “Been a while, huh?” 

“Leo? Oh god, you scared me! Where did you even come from?” 

“The better question would be: Where did you disappear to? We haven’t gone out in like a week! You kept leaving me on read when I texted you but seemed fine in the group chat. What gives?” 

“…I forgor?”

“Really?” I could tell he wasn’t satisfied by my answer. “You just forgot to respond to me? Every single time?”

“W-well sorta. I mean, it’s nothing you did so please don’t take it personally! It’s with everyone. I’ve just been a little bad at responding to dms…” My social battery’s been so low lately I question if it’s even charged at all. “That’s entirely on me, though! I’m so sorry.”

He crossed his arms and looked me up and down. He’s doing that nonchalant poker face again, the one he does when he doesn’t wanna be read, otherwise he’s an open book. 

“You know you can tell me if something’s up, right?”

I guess he also does that face when he’s trying to read someone else. “Yeah, I know. I’m alright. It’s just… I dunno, things are a little weird but it’s fine. It’s really nothing to worry about.”

He hummed in response. I don’t really think he bought it but his eyes eventually drifted to my weapons, dropping the topic regardless. He must not wanna push it.

“Sooo, sick weapons! Where’d you get ‘em?”

“Oh, these? Draxum gave them to me!”

He gagged, interrupting me. “You met Draxum? The sheep guy? Oh, poor you! Was he awful to deal with? I bet he was! You know, like always.” 

“Oh come on, he wasn’t that bad! A little grouchy at first but in his defense, I caught him in the middle of his shift, so.”

“Please, sheep bitch doesn’t need a reason to be a jerk! He’s just an old cranky loser who spends his days yelling at kids and smuggling whatever mystic bullshit of the week he found from the Hidden City! It’s giving Oscar the Grouch, just missing the lemon. Oh wait, that’s ‘cause unlike Oscar, he doesn’t even have one single thing that makes him uncharacteristically happy!” 

“Wow, angry aren’t we?” It’s rude to laugh, but I can’t help myself around this dork. He looks like a kid who got denied an Xbox when he crosses his arms like that. “Leo, be real. This is because he threw you off a roof, isn’t it?”

“You know!? I mean-“ He laughed, trying to hide his poorly made lie. “What? Of course not… Maybe just a little but that’s not important.” 

Leo grumbled on with some incoherent noises for a minute, before cooling down and moving on from the “sheep bitch”. 

“Ugh, well anyway, if you got it from that moron, they’re definitely mystic or something, right?”

“Oh, absolutely! They’re actually super cool, I mean-“ For a good five minutes I kept blabbering on and on about the sickles and how they function and all my progress that I didn’t notice Leo - bless his heart - trying and horrifically failing to pay attention. He doesn’t really hide it well when he spaces out.

“And they- Uh, Leo, you good?” 

“…Would you be mad if I said I got like, none of that?” 

I sighed but gave a gentle smile. I knew he had a short attention span so I can’t really act like it’s his fault I forgot about that. 

“Actually, do you want me to just like… act it out instead? I think I’ve gotten pretty good at using these so I don’t mind showing instead of telling!”

He shrugged “Nothin’s stopping you. Go on, impress me!” 

Well, nothing except my nerves. But hey, it’s just Leo. If I mess up, he’ll laugh with me a bit and then I’ll just retry. No real pressure around him. I could use a progress check right now, anyway.

“Aight, so we only know two out of who knows how many powers for these things, they’re the only two I’ve been practicing. First up!”

 

I spun them around, careful to not mess up my handling. My goal is to form blades strong enough to crack a dent through the concrete edge of this building. So the sickles need to be made out of metal or steel. I usually go with metal but I do actually wanna impress him and steel’s stronger. I aimed at the edge and swung my arm forward, the sickle shot through the air and sliced through the concrete like a knife to a cake.

“OH SHIT!”

“I got it!” He teleported to catch the flying solo sickle and came right back within a matter of seconds. Oh, what I’d give to experience never having to walk again. 

“Sorry about that! They’ve never broken the edge like that before!”

“Sorry!? You’re not allowed to be sorry, that was so cool! It went clean through!” I’ve never seen him gush about something this way. I’ve gotta admit, it’s kind of adorable. “Okay, I’m hooked! What’s the other thing it can do?”

“Invisibility! But I can’t do it for long, at least not yet. I made progress, though! Went from only three seconds to five!”

“Wait, actually, back up a bit. I get that Baron Ass told you how the sickles work and blah blah blah, but how’d you learn how to fight with ‘em? Ya know, the non-mystic aspects.” 

“Oh, YouTube tutorials at first. But honestly, sickle fighting is mid so I did a lot of improv, really.”

He chuckled and eventually lost to his giggles as if me saying that wasn’t completely justified. “Did you just call an ancient form of martial arts mid?” 

“Stop judging me, I’m right! Sickles were improvised weapons. They’re good for the last resort, not the first choice!”

“I’m not judging, I’m not judging! Promise! I respect it, even!” He leaned against the roof’s edge, gradually collecting himself. “But if they’re that bad, why didn’t you ask for a different weapon? One that’s cooler and not ‘the last resort’?”

Oh boy, where to begin?

I then explained how I essentially found myself wrapped in some “chosen one” bullshit through the sickles. They still don’t work any time Barry touches them but are perfectly fine in my hands. It’d be pretty dumb to pass up these weapons for a different one, even if sickles aren’t the coolest thing to own. Although, he’s definitely acting like they are judging by how intensely his eyes are staring at them. They’re sparkling brighter than I thought eyes realistically could. 

“Well, now I’m offended! Mystic mystery sickles that do all kinds of glowy stuff for you specifically? How could you not tell me about these sooner!? They’re so amazing!”

“I know, I’m real sorry, Leon.” He’s joking around, his tone’s too light to be mad. But I do still feel bad for accidentally ignoring him like that. “Anything I can do for you as an apology?”

“Well…” His smirk revealed that thing was the main reason he came here in the first place. “We could make up for the lost time and go on a run together tonight. It is a weekend so you’d still have tomorrow and the day after to rest up. But hey, that’s just an idea…”

It's Friday again. Just like the first time we did this.

He held out his hand as an offer and I took it with a grin. “You make a convincing argument.”

And off we went, dashing through the night. It’s a bit humid today so the wind from sprinting so fast is greatly appreciated. Not to mention my speed is so much better than before! 

The daily restrictions of civil life can go suck my dick and feed my liver to their uncles ‘cause oh my god nothing beats this feeling! No one else is here, no one who could stop us! Sure, jumping off roofs isn’t the safest way to have fun, but everything else in my life is already so safe! I’m allowed to have this one thing, this one moment to be free.

I’m so distracted that I didn’t realize I’m actually giving Leo a run for his money this time! Hehe, run. God, I’m so funny.

“Looks like you can actually keep up with me now!”

“I know, right!? It feels fucking amazing!” 

Judging from his mischievous ass face, I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut. “I don’t mean to burst your bubble but…”

 A blue light appeared as a hole ripped in the sky and the lovely piece of shit went right through, appearing again somewhere way ahead of me. “I’m still faster!~”

“Hey! No portals allowed!”

“Uh, last time I checked, portalling is totally allowed.”

“Says who!?”

“Says me and I’m leader! Whatever leader says goes!”

To add insult to injury, he doesn’t just portal himself. As I’m trying to catch up to him mid-jump, the jackass opens a portal right under me, sending me back even further than I already was with no time to recover. 

“Leo, you cheat!”

Bro’s giggling his ass off as he blinked in and out of sight. I’m no different with how sore my face is, so I can’t even pretend to be mad. 

Instead, all I can do is try my best to speed up and catch up, plotting my revenge in the meantime. Easier said than done, that dude’s faster than the Flash right now since he’s, ya know, portalling. Doesn’t help that he keeps appearing right next to me every few minutes just to taunt me and disappear again.

A few minutes into our little cat and mouse game though, I lost track of him and he hadn’t shown up in a while to pester me. So, I started calling out his name, trying to look for him. You’d think it’d be easier to find a 5’5” giant, green turtle man but I guess they wouldn’t be ninjas if that were the case.

“Leo? Leo!? Le- Huh?”

I finally found him. But instead of the shit-eating grin he gave me earlier, he’s silent and still behind the edge of a roof, his back facing me. It’s starting to freak me out a little, he looks like he’s going fucking Blair Witch mode. No words, no witty remarks, nothing. Just ghostly staring at whatever the view is. Only thing I can see from here is a museum. 

“Hey, Leon, you okay?”

“Shh!”

With his eyes still fixed up ahead, Leo took my hand and guided me forward. He eventually looked at me and nodded towards the street below us. Gazing in that direction, I saw a large purple truck with the logo of that one weird shoe store I browsed a few years ago. From what I’ve gathered these past few weeks, big trucks mean bad news. 

But maybe that’s not what I should be focused on. Standing near the truck were two people, their skin an unnatural shade of purple. One’s large and brutish, the other tall and slender. They’ve got foot marks on their faces and flames on their bald heads. Exactly how Mikey described…

“The Foot Clan.”

He nodded. “I don’t understand, those guys were all turned into Krang during the invasion.”

Sorry, what? “You’re sure it was those two specifically? I haven’t heard about any cures or vaccines for the Krang victims on the news. It’d make headlines if there were.” I haven’t heard anything about them for a while now that I think about it.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” He leaned closer to the edge, as close as he could get without getting caught. “They’re parked a street away from a museum, the hell are they up to now?” 

I mimicked his actions, trying to hear the Foot people better. The slender one’s on the phone, sounding frustrated. He’s doing that whisper-yelling thing people do when they wanna be mad quietly to avoid societal shame. 

“Yeesh, someone’s having a bad day.”

“You can hear them?” Why does he look so confused?

“Yeah, can’t you?”

Leo shook his head. “Whatever, what are they saying?” 

I cocked my head to the side, spying in on their conversation.

His voice is scratchy, a little sore on my ears. “What do you mean you can’t get it off? Just bring the whole thing and hurry! We can’t risk alerting anyone!” Neither of us can tell what he’s referring to, unfortunately. The Foot dude avoids naming it. 

I looked back at Leo scanning around for any clues. He stared at the back of the museum for a minute before his eyes widened. “I know where we are. It’s the Historical Society Museum. Donnie mentioned wanting to come here once.” 

“I think I’ve heard of it. Isn’t there a lot of ancient stuff in there? Like, from centuries back?”

Nodded again. He’s being unnervingly quiet, considering it’s Leo. He stared at the clan, then at the museum, then back at the clan. He looked… scared. Scared in a way I’ve never seen him before. I felt my hand being subconsciously squeezed. I didn’t even notice he hadn’t let go in the first place.

…I have to help him.

I readied myself for whatever his idea was, no matter how outlandish or risky it may seem. “Alrighty, what’s the plan?” 

“Right.” He hesitated, before gripping his katanas and turning back. “…The plan is for me to portal you home, kick some Foot ass, and pick you up so we can continue our run.” 

WHAT!?

“What do you mean ‘portal me home!? I’m not leaving!” I was prepared for anything, but this!? “We just stumbled across the Foot Clan who are for some reason not freaky alien zombies and messing with ancient artifacts that do who knows what!”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m sending you home before your adrenaline junkie ass can do something stupid.”

“And what makes you think I’d do that!?”

He held up my scarred left arm and stared at me unimpressed.  

“…Okay, that’s a low blow even for you.” 

Though as much as I hate to admit it, he kind of has a point. I sighed. “Alright, tell me. If I leave, will you at least call your brothers to help you out?”

“Yes!”

“Leo.”

“Fine, I lied.” The steel fucking balls of- “But still! I’ll be okay! I’ve gone against them plenty of times before.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re invincible!”

Before I could say anything more, I heard the sound of a truck starting up. I looked down and Leo followed my line of sight to see the Foot getting ready to drive. 

Shit, they’re getting away!

“Okay, okay! Listen, I promise, I promise I won’t run off on my own and do something dumb this time. Anything the leader says goes! Just please let me join!” I can’t leave him alone!

I could sense him debating on what to do. His eyes look so conflicted, there’s definitely more than what he’s telling me. Nevertheless, I’m not budging. I don’t wanna sit at home being useless and worry the entire time.

He took a deep breath in, and let out a loud sigh. He looked at me with a defeated smile. “I’m not getting rid of you, am I?”

“Nope.”

“Alright, fine, but you’re sticking close.”

Before I could celebrate too much, I felt the ground beneath me disappear into bright blue light. Not anything sudden, more gentle really. Even then, I felt disoriented with my feet going from firmly grounded to touching the air! Not to mention how light my whole body felt. Gravity did a complete 180 and I got flipped around, landing under the truck. 

I nearly lost my grip but a hand on my back kept me in place long enough for me to recollect myself. Leo portalled us here.Well, obviously he did, it just caught me off guard again. It’s not really too bad going through his portals but it sure is a fucking trip when it’s unexpected. Either way, it got the job done. 

They drove for quite a damn while. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience having to cling on to the bottom of a moving truck as the only scents to breathe in were that of oil and gasoline, but we probably looked super cool! My ears disagreed but oh well. They parked in front of a mall this time. Not just any mall, the fucking World Trade Center! We’re literally on the other side of the city, what on Earth could they need here?

I wanted to follow them in but Leo was against it. He said it’d be safer for us to spy from a distance for now so we went to the roof of a neighboring building, looking in at them. The Foot are on one of the higher floors, almost seeming like they’re scavenging for something. 

Leo’s trying to figure out another way in for us. I still don’t understand why we didn’t just follow them. I know Leo’s not a total reckless nutcase or anything, but being this cautious felt a little unlike him. 

“Hey, look, I don’t mean to shoot your own words back at you or anything. But you know you can tell me if something’s up, right?” 

For a split second, he looked different. His eyes were dead, his lips shut and neutral. He stared at me but he looked so… lost. Empty. 

And then his smile returned, face back to normal. Or at least what he convinced me was normal. I’m not so sure anymore. He flicked my forehead again. Even softer than the first time he did it. “Stop worrying so much! You’re gonna give yourself a chasm worse than Raph’s.”

I didn’t know how to take it from there. So I just watched him.

He eventually decided on portalling us into the building’s vent system. It’s a little cramped but was the only place we can eavesdrop without being immediately spotted. Though honestly, I don’t mind this one bit! I’m controlling the impulsive adrenaline ,however, he didn’t say shit about internal adrenaline! I can’t help it if stealth makes me giddy!

“Hehe! It’s like we’re in a movie!”

“Love your enthusiasm as always but remember to not get too caught up in it.”

I momentarily shoved my excitement to the side as we both tried listening in on the Foot Clan. The skinny dude, who I now know to be the Lieutenant, is barking orders at the rest of the soldiers scouting around while talking to the giant Brute. 

“You disabled the cameras, correct? You know we can’t make it any harder for them!”

“Of course I did, it’s a no-brainer! Why’d ya have to ask it like that?” Woah, villain or not, his New Yorker accent is one to admire! “You know, sometimes I feel like you think I’m just stupid and nothin’ more.”

“Oh, don’t start now. Focus on finding good metal. The sooner we finish this the better.”

Hearing his raspy voice makes my own throat itch a little. I lightly clawed at it, trying to not make too much noise as I moved. 

I leaned a little closer to Leo “What do you think they need metal for?” 

“Not sure. Could be to make more soldiers or something? It’d be a cool upgrade from their paper soldiers.”

Leo’s tone seems a little lighter than before, I’m glad to hear him joke around again. “They could make paper soldiers?”

“Yeah! And they’re completely sentient, one of them even became besties with Raph! Anyway,” he pointed down at a handful of soldiers collecting metal artifacts “they’re probably trying to make those origami soldiers again with something stronger.”

“But how would you fold metal?”

“Beats me, Mikey would know more on this. He’s figuring out how to recreate whatever spell they used so we could get some help with patrolling. Word of advice though, salami origami does not work as a substitute.”

“No shit. Who’s bright idea was that?”

“...You don’t know him.” His guilty face says it all.

We were giggling a little too loudly, I suppose. One of the Foot dudes stopped and started listening for our voices again. He shrugged and moved on soon enough. I didn’t realize I was covering my mouth till I let myself breathe again.

“We should probably be a little quieter and take this stealth thing more seriously.”

I nodded in agreement. He’s not upset, honestly he’s struggling just as much as I am to choke down more giggles. It’s like we’re hiding under a blanket during a sleepover pretending we’re not awake in front of the parents and not in a likely life or death situation spying on the black-magic cult. I’m trying my best but it’s already hard enough to keep my adrenaline addiction in check and Leo being here makes it worse in the best ways possible. 

Still, I don’t wanna know what happens if we get cau- What was that creaking sound?

CLANG! 

It would seem those were not really sturdy vents. 

You know that moment from the Ice Age sequel when the vultures surround the main cast with hungry, devilish eyes ready to feast on them at any given moment? Yeah, let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if the Foot Clan randomly bursts into song about “glorious food” full on broadway musical style.

“Uh… Hey, fellas! Long time no see, am I right?” Despite his demeanor, I caught the real reason he raised his hands. I reached back for mine as well.

A sheath of metal filled the air as Leo took his katanas out their case, perfectly timed with the Lieutenant’s new orders.

“GET THEM!” 

“Run, hide first then get the stolen thingie if you can. I’ll keep ‘em busy!” Leo charged into the fight, holding them off to make sure they couldn’t get to me.

Unfortunately, there’s like a bajillion of them that can easily outnumber us. I’ve learned to be quite a slippery sprinter but even then two already managed to block my path.

Now would be a good time to turn invisible!

“Come on, come on!” I could barely get the sparks to even start spreading. Turns out stress is a huge fucking factor I neglected in my training. 

I wouldn’t have minded if it just took a few seconds to work but the real issue was I couldn’t keep it working. I didn’t even really go invisible, just sorta flashed in and out of transparency for a few seconds! The only reason I haven’t gotten caught yet is ‘cause these two morons are too busy laughing at me.

“Is that really the best you can do!? Whoever you are, little girl, you’ve got your work cut out for you!” 

“Oh no! She’s… she’s… blinking like an old flashlight!! We’re so scared!”

…BITC-

Resorted to traditional methods. I made the sickles the consistency of a metal pot and threw it at one of their heads, knocking them down. The other I kicked straight in the chest while they were distracted by their idiot teammate, also knocking them down. I’d love nothing more than to give some extra special attention to them but this old flashlight’s gotta run for the shadows while they’ve got an open chance. 

A blue portal opened in front of me. “Hey Salena, so this fight’s a little more intense than I expected and I wanted to quickly check if you’re really sure about-”

“Leo, I’m fine! I’m not leaving mid-battle!”

“No, no, that’s fine! That’s great! Just a reminder there’s no shame in calling it- DUCK!”

 

Without hesitance, I dropped to the ground right as his sword swung above me to block one of the soldier’s attacks. Maybe I should let Leo handle this guy since I can’t really do much while laying on the floor. Then again, doesn't mean I can’t do anything. And also I don’t have good impulse control.

“OW!!! WHAT THE FUCK!?”

I bit on to his ankle as hard as I desired despite his pleading cries. I didn’t let go until Leo broke out of his shock and finally punched him unconscious. Fighting might actually be a really good way to get out my urges.

“Why-“

“Don’t. If it works, it works.”

I flashed a grin, got back on my feet, and bounced away. I need a better vantage point if I wanna find the stolen item, especially with the chaos over here. I quickly made my way up to the indoor balcony thingie. Terrance? The second floor? Whatever the fuck it is. I’ll have to admit, despite how absolutely pumped I’m feeling right now, it kinda feels nice getting away from the clusterfuck for a bit. I heard Leo still spamming all his dialogue options to keep the main two creeps occupied. Actually, I’m pretty sure I can see them from up here, too. 

“So, you guys are looking great! Never thought I’d say this, but I am loving the old look making a return.” His hands did more tricks than usual, keeping his swords flowing like an intricate dance. There are multiple soldiers practically hounding him yet he’s fending them off almost gracefully.

“Can’t you stupid children stay out of our way for one night! There’s great evil being put on the hold right now for your antics!”

“Hey, speaking of evil, what’s with the normal amount of eyes? Not that I’m missing the other option but- GAH!”

And yet, even with Leo’s skilled moves, he’s struggling to keep up with the two leaders specifically. I deadass would’ve been slaughtered by now if I didn’t listen to him about hiding. 

“We got some outside help. Now, stop askin’ annoying questions and maybe we’ll go easier on ya!” He swung his axe again, thankfully missing Leo.

I gotta wonder, from Mikey’s stories, they’ve fought the Foot Clan with ease several times in the past. Leo was doing fine just now, too. So why does it look like this could be his first time facing off the Lieutenant and Brute? Nobody’s perfect but I don’t think either of us expected him to lose his grace and become borderline clumsy against them.

Wait, no! Distractions! Leo can handle himself, I need to focus on my own task. Stolen thingie! But where the hell is it?

Just as I was about to think they left it in the truck like common sense would dictate, a soft, reflective red glow caught my eye. The moon was on my side tonight.

“There she is!”

Or maybe I was being too optimistic. In fairness, I should’ve known I couldn’t stay here for long.

It would be really fucking nice to turn invisible now. Sickles? No? Oh, okay, fuck me then I guess.

I hopped off the edge before they could reach me and slinked to the other side of the room, following the red gleam. Despite the sickles betraying me with horrific timing twice tonight, I got them to cover me long enough to reach the ruby ring the glow came from. The light bled past the folds of the drape covering their stolen prize. I lifted it to find a… weird mannequin bust? With arms. Decorated with several ornaments and jewelry including the ring. What the fuck are they using this for, a fashion show? 

I flinched to the sound of a loud thud paired with Leo’s groan. Flipping my head behind me, I saw him cornered against a wall, swords shielding him from the Brute’s axes.

“Okay, either you two got a lot stronger or my body isn’t what it used to be.”

I gotta calm myself down, Leo’s a trained ninja and will likely be completely and totally fine! A tiny slip doesn’t mean inevitable doom!

 

…I hope.

I turned my attention back to the mannequin thing to mentally measure its size. I’m fairly certain it’ll fit inside my backpack, it’s not too big. Just gotta get it in now.

Another sound interrupted me. This time, it was loud metallic clanking off the floor. Leo’s katanas…

“On second thought, maybe it’s both.” His weapons were away from him, too far out of reach. His voice sounded weaker, arms wrapped around his torso.

Oh no.

Neither of them were holding back. As soon as he was down, they were practically hammering at him. His arms were up, defensively blocking his head. I’m supposed to stay away from this. I’m supposed to listen and focus on my task. But I can’t stop my body from turning when I see something like this happening. 

He’s in the air now. I need to move. He’s being swung. I need to be faster. 

“Let this be a lesson, turtle. Our battles have drastically changed.”

The window shattered from the force of his body.

“LEO!”

I don’t remember ever sprinting this fast, but I was out the window right after through the very hole he created. The height couldn’t scare me if it tried. My arm outstretched, I caught him with one hand and had my sickle in the other. Careful to not dare mess up my timing, it snatched onto a power line just as my blades turned to rubber, thick enough to not get us shocked from the voltage. 

“N-nice… nice catch.”

“Thanks.” It’s harder to talk when I’m panting like a dog and trying to limit my shaking limbs.

His weight felt like it would rip my arms apart. I didn’t expect a giant muscular turtle to be light but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. Still, some-fucking-how, I’m able to keep us both hanging from the wire, comprehending the fact that we’re not dead. Thank fuck for Raph forcing me to work out sessions.

“You, uh, you doing good up there? You’re breathing kinda heavily. Hey, heavily! Didn’t even mean to make that one!”

“Leo I will drop you.”

He convinced me to suffer a little longer and try to swing him, giving enough momentum for him to catch onto the side of the neighboring building. Then, I swung myself, Leo catching me to soften the landing. We scampered up to the roof, coincidentally the same one we were on a while ago. 

“And literally back to square one. Fantastic.” He sighed, clearly annoyed by our failure. His attention quickly shifted once he noticed me rubbing my sore arms. “Hey, you okay? Want me to take a look at you?”

“Me? Take a look at yourself first, idiot!” 

I’m not gonna pretend I’m not in pain, but it’s nothing close to the tragedies on his body currently. His arms are bruised and cut from the fight. One was actively bleeding with bits of glass still stuck in some places. Luckily it was the only fleshy place he took damage on, everything else was protected, albeit a little cracked.

“It’s… It’s fine. My shell took most of the hit, anyway.” This bitch. “Besides, I’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

Despite his condition, he started walking to the edge of the roof, heading back towards the WTC.

“Where the hell are you going?”

“To get my katanas back.”

“Oh, no, no, no, you are not going back in there! Can’t you just make new swords or something?”

“And help the foot by practically gifting them Hamato weapons?”

“You said they’re made from your magic! Shouldn’t that protect them from other people trying to use them?”

“I don’t know, we only learned about this ninpo stuff, like, last year! I don’t know enough to be sure nothing will happen if I leave them with the Foot. I’m not doing that.”

“Well, I can’t let you go back.” I stood in front of him to block his path. “We can figure something else out but you are not going back in there! Look at you, it’d be crazy!”

“I was crazy once-” My hand shut his stupid, smug mouth before he could complete the ritual. 

“Leo, you were thrown out a window! You’re hurt!”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay! I’ve been through worse! I’m just gonna get my swords back, that’s all.” He put a hand on my shoulder and threw on a fake smile to comfort me. The blood is literally dripping down his arm as he did, defeating the point. I looked back at his eyes, not bothering to hide how furiously concerned I am. If I’m reading him right, he’s not oblivious to reality. He’s a medic, he knows it better than I do.

He took a shaky breath in. “Fine, you’re right that I’m a little hurt. But we can’t waste time patching me up, I need to get my swords! Rule number one of basic survival is never let the Foot come into possession with highly mystic material ever.”

“Then I’ll go while you take care of yourself.” 

“NO!” His head perked up as his eyes grew wider. He tried saving his initial reaction. “No way, not happening. It’s a safer plan if I go in, I’m more used to them” Safer for us or for just me. 

“And yet, you got beaten to a pulp, isolated from your weapons, thrown out a window, and are now bleeding with shards of glass sticking out your body. Did I miss anything?” He’s neglected himself all night being overly cocky and confident nothing bad would happen to him. That’s what’s led to him turning out like this! “They didn’t exactly go easy on you, Leo-”

“Then imagine what they’d do to you!”

His brows knit together, staring at me, not blinking. I guess my wish was granted since he finally stopped disguising his true fear.

“Salena, please. Stay here, I’m going in.”

I almost let him go. Almost.

Too bad for him, I yanked him by the mask tails and pulled his stunned face back to face me. 

“Hey, wh-”

“Alright, listen. I know whoever these guys are, they’re dangerous as fuck. I know I’m nowhere near as skilled of a fighter as you and I probably never will be. And I know I am way in over my head about this. But none of that matters to me.” 

He kept quiet. So I continued. “What matters is that I’m your friend. Friends don’t let each other jump into losing battles, okay? You’re hurt, Leo. Please, just let me help you.”

I looked up at the sky. The clouds are covering the moon now and should stay that way for a little while. I could take advantage of the newfound darkness. 

I stood on the ledge, mentally preparing myself to reignite the flames. Sure, I talked big about being able to handle myself and whatnot but I’m just trying to fool myself into thinking I’m not scared. If I can keep myself level-headed and use my sickles, I’ll be able to stay invisible for a short bit. If I play my cards right, that should be all I need.

I felt a hand grab my wrist. Turning around, I readied myself to once again reassure Leo I’d be fine but stopped when he put something in my palm. I recognize them, they’re tanto knives.

“Hey.” His smile is forced but not disingenuous. 

“You’ve got this.”

So off I went with the last little push I needed. The cool night air feels fantastically refreshing on my skin. Every leap leaves me more confident I’ll succeed. I have to. He needs someone he knows he can depend on. 

I scouted around and found an open window to sneak back in through. Judging by how crazy strong these guys are, my best bet is the element of surprise and for these oversized lethal boomerangs to actually work in my favor. Which they hadn’t before. But nothing’s ever hopeless. The reflection off the moon was their main source of light, with the clouds hiding it now and my knowledge of the floor’s layout, I think I might have a working plan this time.

I rushed over to the balcony I was at previously, this time being more cautious of any look-outs. There were three of them up here so I’m glad I didn’t choose the reckless route. I took my sickles out my backpack, breathed in, and turned invisible. A little harder to do since my nerves haven’t completely disappeared but it’s going smoother than before. 

I snuck up to the soldier at the back of the trio, covering his mouth and dragging him to the dark, knocking him out shortly after. His two buddies were a piece of cake after that, hit one with a blunt-force sickle and take the other by hand at the same time. No one noticed a thing. 

With the balcony cleared, I reclaimed my little sighting spot and looked over the entire floor, making note of every nook and cranny I could hide in. The clan’s focus changed since last time, they’re trying to get out as fast as possible. Seems like they’re taking Leo’s katanas with them since Lieutenant Itchy McSore-Throat was holding onto them.

“All of you hurry up! We must get out of here!”

I spotted the stolen mannequin in the distance. It’s actually not too far and surprisingly not removed. The two leaders seem distracted by someone. Perfect timing. I crept down and started taking out some more soldiers, listening in to the conversation at the same time. 

“What about getting all the mystic metal we can?” That’s a new voice.

“Forget the metal, we’ve got enough for today. We need to leave or that turtle will bring reinforcements!” 

“Yeah, sure, whatever makes ya happy, boss.” 

“You better not be questioning my authority.”

“Our authority, he means. We’ve had your type before, and they grew to be traitors. I suggest you don’t test the patience of the Foot ‘cause it’s growin’ thin.”

“Nice phrasing! Even if you shouldn’t have interrupted me.” I can’t tell if these two have workplace tension or workplace bromance anymore. “But he’s right. You’d do well to remember your place, rookie.” 

“Hey, I wasn’t tryna question anything guys. Just sayin’ maybe we should’ve planned this better in case we got caught.”

“So you may be right. We’ll keep it in mind but work on your delivery when it comes to criticism. Now quickly, go join the others.”

“Can I at least hold the magic swords?”

“No.”

She grumbled and left through the door, likely exiting the building. Her attitude was a pleasant surprise. I’ll admit, I kinda assumed all the Foot soldiers had brain-numbing levels of obedience. 

The clouds were clearing up, though. The moonlight brightened the room back up, I can’t use the darkness for cover much longer. Alas, if only I knew how to use my literal invisibility powers for longer than a few seconds but you know what? This is genuinely perfectly okay. I’ve taken out enough of them to only leave a few left standing, not to mention the majority of them are already out the building. I gotta take these freaks head on if I wanna get Leo’s swords. No more hide and seek.

I let the light illuminate me. 

“Hey guys!~” I waved gleefully as the Foot idiots finally noticed my presence. “Remember me? Hope it hasn’t been too long.”

“You!” The Brute turned to me first. “You’re the Hamato ally from earlier!”

“What are you doing here! Why have you returned!”

“You sure have a way of asking questions that makes them feel like statements. Anyway, I’m here to collect something you stole from my friend.”

He gripped the swords as he scowled at me. I held my own sickles tighter.

“You foolish child! You leave us no choice but take you out permanently.”

“Oh, really now? You and what army.”

I scoffed when I caught his expression change. Everyone looked at each other, noting how very few of them are suddenly in the room. So distracted they barely noticed me going for my first blow. 

He quickly got ready to block me with Leo’s weapon, absolutely bewildered when I only zoomed past him and sliced at the leg of another soldier behind him. It wasn’t too deep but poor guy was still rendered useless. I dashed to my left at another soldier, dodging his attack and punching right up his chin. 

“What’s going on!? Those sickles were dull the last time she used ‘em!”

 

“They must be mystic…” 

“Right you are, Lieutenant! I kept them dull on purpose, my mistake.” 

I threw a tanto at a cultist’s shoulder. 

“You threw Leo out a window. I think you can bear to see some blood.”

One by one, I went around the room, sprinting past anyone chasing after me and immobilizing anyone with their guard down. I got in a groove good enough to keep myself progressing along while getting out my rage. I wasn’t kidding before, I would’ve kept my blades dull again. I’m still careful to not do anything fatal but I’m not gonna be exactly merciful, either. They deserve this.

Fighting felt like dancing, gliding across the room in an energetic fashion. I’m not crazy enough to go for the Lieutenant or Brute which ended up being a plus for me. They was more than ready to protect themselves, but not their team. At last, I got them all exactly where I needed them. 

Alright, stay calm. Turn invisible no matter what.

My sickles shone with a pink glow, allowing me to disappear from their sight. I scampered past them, reaching the bejeweled mannequin behind them. It feels a little different? But there isn’t any concrete proof for this so my brain’s just tricking me. Whatever, no time to lose. I shoved it in my bag, getting myself used to the weight, and aimed a sickle at his arm.

 

“Where’d she go!?”

“Stay alert! Don’t let her catch you off guard!” 

A bit late for that buddy. 

My blade sliced through, leaving a massive gash on his arm. He screamed and dropped Leo’s sword. I ran through, catching it just as I became visible again. I snatched the other one as quickly as possible and sprinted to create some distance.

I held my arm up to my face, making good use of the wraps’ built-in comms. “Leo! Heads up!”

I threw a katana out the window, smashing the glass as it flew outside. I stopped in my tracks with a smirk. I knew we won.

I dodged the last attacks of the night, accelerating faster than I realized I could go. “Well folks, this was quite a fun match! Hope to never see you again!” Blue light sparked across my body. I leapt in the air, gave a quick peace sign purely to piss ‘em off, and bid my farewell.

“Toodles~”

Teleportation isn’t actually too bad if you know it’s coming.

The cool night air returned on my skin. I was floating for a few seconds before crashing to the roof on my knees. I didn’t even care about the pain, I was too busy enjoying the hug I received for my success! 

“I DID IT! I FUCKING DID IT! WOOHOO!!!”

“Celebrations later, escaping now! Come on!” 

Leo dragged me up and pulled us through another portal.

***

“We are the champions!~

“Gone with the losers ‘cause we are the champions!” 

I handed another slice of pizza to Leo, half the box pepperoni for him and the other half plain cheese for me. We already dropped off the mannequin back to the museum and I gave an anonymous tip to 911 so now we’re simply chilling on the roof singing to celebrate our victorious night. I’m honestly still hyper as hell over it.

“I can’t believe we actually did it! I can’t believe I actually did it! Salena one, Foot Clan NONE BABY, FUCK YEA!”

“Man, I am so happy you came out okay. You have no idea how relieved I was when I saw you again.” He bit into the cheese, the least stressed I’ve seen him all night.

I couldn’t realize it earlier but that hug he gave wasn’t for my success. It’s clear to me now.

“Leo?”

“Hm?” He looked towards me as he bit into the cheese.

“Thanks for trusting me.”

He mirrored my smile. “Hey, we’re friends, right? That’s what I’m here for.”

The spring breeze feels so sweet. The view of the city is rewarding as always. A safe city, a safe night. I can see why they’re so into this whole hero gig. Everything about this moment feels absolutely perfect.

Buzz! Buzz!

I swear to god if my fucking phone’s gonna ruin it again. I quickly checked the notif to see if it was anything important. To my surprise, it’s Jaiden.

They sent me a text. The first one in weeks. It’s a dumb meme I saw earlier today.

We used to do this a lot in the past. Whenever we got into a fight, it’d be our way of ending it. We could never stay mad at each other for more than a day. In the past at least.

I guess this means they’re not mad at me anymore.

“Everything okay?” Leo stared at me, probably concerned by my change in demeanor. 

I double tapped to like Jaiden’s meme and put my phone away, going back to normal.

“It’s nothing important. Just, uh, highschool stuff. You wouldn’t get it.”

He laughed “Oh, okay, well. I know I’m too fabulous to be the average, uncool, normal teen guy doing normal teen things like going to highschool that you want right now but…”

“If you ever need someone to lend a shoulder, you know who to call.”

He’s an idiot, but a very sweet one when he wants to be. 

“Thanks, Leo, but I mean it this time. It’s nothing.” I raised up my slice to request a toast of some sorts. “Let’s go back to celebrating, shall we?”

He let out a satisfied chuckle, returning my toast. I didn’t wanna let anything ruin the way I felt tonight, even if their text tainted the vibe a bit. But hey, it’s technically a win, too! I got my confirmation that Jaiden and I are indeed still friends.

Though I gotta admit, I’m not as happy as I thought I’d be.

Next Chapter

[beaft]

Hi and sorry in advance for using this as an excuse to rant a bit about Good omens 2! I feel the same, I binged it with my girlfriend and at the end we just sat in silence for a minute and then went "...what the fuck was that." It was so incredibly poorly written and plotted in many aspects, though I understand that if one doesn't love dissecting stories piece by piece to analyse it from all possible angles it could be hard to understand why some people are saying it's bad. I feel like it's comparable to a house that looks pretty but is build on really shitty foundations and has a lot of structural issues. Most people can't see anything wrong with it and find it good, but the people who know how those things are built can immediately see all the glaring issues under the surface.

In short, in my opinion a lot of this season's short comings hinge on it's complete lack of thematic coherence and structure, completely ignoring or even discarding what was at the heart of the original story. This season was a disjointed jumble of scenes and concepts that only superficially lead to other scenes that within the bigger picture had no weight at all, plot or thematic-wise. Once you start thinking back to some of the plot threads the show established to move the story forward it's almost ridiculous how little they actually meant for the conclusion. And I don't mean stuff that 'might be resolved in the third season'! Creating a miracle to keep Gabriel hidden from everyone? He could've hid in a closet and it would've had the same effect for the plot. Muriel being set to keep an eye on Aziraphale and Crowley? Nothing, no consequences, in fact Aziraphale fucks off on his investigation right after, which, by the way, served no purpose than to give us some exposition that in the end got re-iterated to us during Gabriel's flashbacks. He doesn't actually figure anything out in a way that impacts the story lol. Even the whole "we have to make these two women fall in love so that Heaven believes us!" is kind of just forgotten by the end of the story, and nobody holds them accountable to their claim. The character of Jim is completely non-existent for half of the season and has no emotional arc or impact as a character on Aziraphale and Crowley - he could've been a magical cardboard cutout that spouts funny lines every now and then. There were so many set-ups within this season itself that had completely lackluster or non-existing pay-offs it's actually kind of ridiculous.

So many of the things people list or write about when talking about this season are there in concept, but they're not acted upon in the writing. A prime example of this is the Aziraphale/Crowley and Nina/Maggie parallels that people are pointing out - but within the season's current day scenes there isn't any romantic or emotional development between Aziraphale and Crowley, and the story doesn't center itself around that parallel or development. The only scene I could think of that even remotely does something with that is the Jane Austen dancing scene - except where Nina and Maggie have a conversation about what is going on right in that moment and how they're feeling, Aziraphale and Crowley are as good as emotionally dead and then the scene already ends.

If you start breaking down the plot elements it could've been made so, so SO much more tight-knit and coherent by focusing on what was important - ergo the character's relationships now and the bigger plot beats. As much as I loved the flashbacks in season 1, in this season they merely serve to tell us what we already know about Aziraphale's and Crowley's relationship and to add some superficial and pointless context to the different locations Aziraphale visits. Another thing I think is a big difference between this season and the original story is that every character, every concept had a Point to it, usually a joke or some sort of funny commentary (whether it was good/actually funny is another thing entirely). That's what made it feel interesting and sharp, whereas the new characters in this season just kind of... are. If you break down the concepts to their bare essence, coffeeshop owner in a toxic relationship and record shop owner who has anxiety are pretty bland as character concepts go. Shax as a character is also just so... pointless lmfao. It's almost badly caricaturing the concept of Gomens demons, which are already caricatures, so the effect is somewhat reminicent of beating a dead horse long after it has died. Anyway, so sorry to clutter your inbox like this but I just needed to get this off my chest. It's so weird seeing the dissonance between what is textually there in the show and how people are reacting to it!

hi! i hope you don't mind but i'm posting this publicly because tbh you really hit the nail on the head with every single one of these points. the whole season felt like this:

over and over again a potentially interesting plotline would get introduced, and then the writers would kind of just. forget why it was there? best example is, as you say, the nina/maggie thing - originally it began as a cover story to explain away the Forbidden Miracle, but that quickly ceased to be relevant, and the "we need to make them fall in love to get heaven off our backs" became a half-hearted running gag that was returned to every now and again with increasing half-heartedness. no sense of forward planning, no callbacks or consequences, just the constant sense of frantic improvisation without an end in sight.

[lcandothisallday]

A Shot Worth Taking - Jeremy (WMCJ) x f!reader

Part 3 - First Date Continued

warnings: none

series masterlist!

Your date with Jeremy was going much better than you had ever anticipated. He was extremely charming and his jokes had you doubled over in laughter more times than you could count.

The way he smiled too, with his dimple showing made your heart flutter and put butterflies in your stomach in the best way possible. Simply put, it was very hard not to fall for him.

When it came time to pay, Jeremy flagged down the waitress and instantly pulled out his wallet to pull out some bills. Instantly you reached for purse. “We can split—”

Jeremy shook his head with a smirk. “What kinda gentlemen would I be if I didn’t pay for our first date?” he asked, causing you to smile shyly and pull back while saying a small thanks.

Jeremy nodded with a grin and slipped the amount into the bill book. “Now I don’t know about you…but I kinda don’t want this date to end yet so are you down to hang out some more?” he asked.

You couldn’t help the wide grin that made its way onto your lips. “I’d love that actually.”

“Great,” he mused. When the waitress finally came back with his change, the two of you got up but not before the waitress gave you an obvious once over before turning to Jeremy with a dubious smirk. “Whatever happened between you and Tati? Y’all would always come in here together—”

Jeremy felt like a deer caught in the headlights with the question catching him off guard. He looked at you shamefully before he turned back to the waitress. He wanted to cuss her out for being messy—obviously wanting to start something with the boring day she probably had. But it was completely unnecessary of her.

“Uhhh…we broke up…but that’s not really your business huh? Now if you’ll excuse us,” he mumbled, taking your hand and beginning to lead you out the restaurant. Once far enough out, he turned to you with the most apologetic look on his face. “Y/N I’m so sorry about that—I don’t even know why she felt the need to bring that shit up,” he groaned. “Just being fucking messy.”

“Jeremy it’s fine. Clearly she was just bored and wanted to rile you up for entertainment…makes sense why she kept looking at me funny the entire time,” you reassure. “Although I am wondering why you brought me to a restaurant you frequented often with your ex girlfriend…”

Your comment made Jeremy’s eyes widened, “it’s cos I know the food is good—it’s not—”

“Jeremy I’m only teasing!” you exclaimed with a laugh. “C’mon—I don’t care about that stuff—it’s not like I expect you to be some virgin,” you giggled reaching for his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s all good. I promise.”

Jeremy let out a breath of relief. “I just really like you…”

“That’s good…because I really like you too. Now come on—what did you have in mind?”

Jeremy grinned as he began to lead you towards his car. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” As you approach his little porche, your eyes widened slightly.

“This is your car? It’s so cute!” you exclaimed, your fingers tracing the smooth metal before you looked back at him and catching his awkward expression. “What?”

“It um…it belonged to my ex-girlfriend’s dad actually,” he replied, cheeks warming up as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Oh…”

“I’m not helping my case am I?” he asked bashfully, you shaking your head ‘no’ with a giggle. “Not really,” you teased. “How long did you two date?” you asked, testing the waters a bit.

Jeremy shrugged, fidgeting with the car keys in his hand. “Like six years,” he mumbled in response, causing your eyes to go wide and a ‘wow’ to escape your lips. “She didn’t like that I got back into basketball.”

You furrowed your brows. “That’s a dumb reason to end things with someone you’ve been with for six years,” you pointed out, clearly not knowing the full picture since he was leaving out some key details.

“Yeahhh…but that’s not important anymore,” he mused, wanting to move on from that topic and opening the passenger side door for you. “I’ve moved on to bigger and better things,” he mused, winking your way.

You giggled and stepped into the car, watching as he went back around to his own side and hopping in from the top. He settled in before he began the drive. You didn’t know exactly where he was taking you, but you welcomed whatever the adventure was with open arms.

He parked in front of the beach and hopped out of the car, you doing the same. "Alright...I'm thinking we go sit by the beach?" he suggested, although you had another idea in mind. You had taken notice of the basketball that sat in his backseat and the empty court nearby, so instead, you grabbed the ball and smirked as you turned to look at him. "How about you teach me a few things instead?"

Jeremy grinned and raised a brow at you. "Thought basketball wasn't really your thing?"

"Hmm but you're my thing and I wanna be able to keep up with your interest," you shrugged. "Also you seem to forget that me watching you play is what got us here on this date in the first place--"

Jeremy smirked. "Baby--just say you think it's hot watching me play," he shrugged nonchalantly with confidence. The way he used the term of endearment with such ease caused your cheeks to heat up. "Yeah what if I do?" you challenged.

"Then how can I deny such a pretty girl her request and desires?" he teased, causing you to roll your eyes and let out a laugh.

“Yeah yeah,” you scoff, tossing him the basketball which he caught with ease. He grinned at you with amusement before he began to dribble the basketball towards the court before he began with a light run and proceeded to finish with the perfect layup. He swung around and smirked before he passed you the ball.

“Know how to do a lay up?” he asked, and you shook your head.

“Just because I know the rules of the game doesn’t mean I know how to play the game,” you laughed. Jeremy grinned and shrugged, “that’s fair” he said, before he walked his way back over to you. He moved to stand behind you, placing his hands on your waist. His warm touch sent a pleasant shiver down your spine, and you couldn't help but lean into his embrace.

"Alright, I'll show you the basics," Jeremy said, his voice low and comforting. "First, you want to dribble the ball like this." He gently guided your hands to hold the basketball and demonstrated the dribbling motion.

You followed his lead, bouncing the ball with a bit of uncertainty at first.

"Now, when you're ready to go for the layup, take a step with your left foot, jump off your right foot, and extend your arm for the shot," Jeremy explained, demonstrating the moves as he spoke.

You nodded, focusing on his instructions. With Jeremy's hands still on your waist, he gently guided you through the steps, helping you find your balance and timing.

The first time you got it in with the correct moves, you squealed and jumped up in joy. "Did you see that?! I think I did that one perfectly!"

Jeremy laughed as he hummed in agreement. "I can see...you're a natural," he mused.

"Only because I have such a good teacher," you grinned.

"That was your plan all along wasn't it?"

You merely shrugged, although the smirk was growing wider on your lips. "What if it was? Wanted an excuse for you to put your hand on my waist," you mused.

"Ohhh...so it's like that?" Jeremy asked in amusement.

You pretend to think for a second. "Hmm--I think you're reading too much into it."

"Nah clearly I wasn't reading into it enough."

[jewishregulus]

hi hello hope you're well.... could i ask about alectolily like whats the dynamic like? i've seen you post about them and i really wanna know more

thank you so much for this . i cannot encompass them in one post but here is just a nibble .

ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THIS ENTIRE BLOCK OF TEXT ABT THEM ONFGFGG .. basically alecto has been cast out from pureblood society due to her family’s cowardly history and as a result is v poor .lily is one of the only people outside of her family who sees her for who she is and validates her identity outside of the performance she puts on. and simultaneously alecto is one of the few people who doesn’t put any expectations onto lily . she doesn’t need lily to do anything but be herself and lot lily that is so RARE, because everyone wants her to be a prodigy and to be this big savior and hero and she doesn’t want that!! she wants to do her own thing!! and then alecto betrays lily by joining the deatheaters and it’s the worst possible thing she could’ve done because this betrayal has already happened to her. so not only has she joined the hate group that wants to kill her, she made lily look like an idiot for trusting her . and alecto doesn’t regret it . she craves power and glory over even her own Actual desires . she wants her family to be safe and will do anything to put them back on the map. at a point they both end up just wanting to hurt the other so much they almost die, and then nurse them back to health just so the other can feel how Hurt they are. alecto by lily not understanding why she needs to do this and lily because she did it. they want to be the other’s punisher, and their savior. they want to be the butcher who takes the pig to his own table and cuts the head off in a clean go: a mercy not provided by anyone else but a death nonetheless. real toxic yuri. alecto and lily would go to eachothers houses over break during the hogwarts years (alectos father isn’t a blood supremacist, he put that behind him due to a bad relationship w his parents . they r normal until alecto hates how it has caused themto fall out of good graces and tries to fix it.) alecto talks to lily about her dead mom and lily tells her about petunia. they have a genuine cute romance to the point lily is so shocked their 100% doomed relationship actually meets doom. she was genuinely caught off guard and that’s the part she hates the most .

in like a modern muggle au tho i have a clear vision of lily being a successful author who interviews alecto: masters in arts and language for her new book and ends up becoming alectos accidental sugar mommy bc alecto is dirt poor in every universe. amycus calls her a sugar baby and alecto plucks a leaf off his favorite plant (a crime against him worse than death) . big fan of the sugar daddy/mommy is the bottom trope and that is them here . sorry sorry . alecto leading service top nation but only w lily .::: she wants Lily to feel amazing all the time and nothing else . but also it isn’t ur typical sugar baby arrangement where it’s all sex n stuff …. they have a genuine connection and lily pays her to go on walks around a park and to play with her and amycus’ weird pets and pays her a “room and board” everytime she stays the night . just because she can. and she loves alecto and wants to spoil her as much as alecto wants to spoil her. it’s the worst thing to ever happen to alecto bc she is chronically Anti “charity for herself”…. but lily gets what she wants !!! anyways they are deeply in love .

heres some goofy modern stuff

here’s some canon imagery

[i-heart-hxh]

Hello, how are you? I don't know if you've answered this or not (sorry if you have). Can I ask, why you love Hunterx Hunter (what made this series special to you)? Is it love at first read/watch for you? Do you also Yu Yu Hakusho at least half as much as your love for HxH? Who is the better antagonists & protagonists to you, from HxH or YYH?

P.s

Can you see your top fav characters from YYH being besties with your fav characters from HxH?

Hello!

This is a lot of questions to tackle, so I'll answer some in-depth and quickly touch on others.

It's hard for me to summarize why I love HxH so much, there are a lot of factors! I could go on about it at length easily, but I'll do my best to go over it briefly for this post. I actually didn't fall for it right away--I started it rather lightly and with the expectation that it probably wouldn't fit my tastes, as I'm picky and usually not big on shounen series (with a few exceptions). It wasn't really until late in Chimera Ant Arc that it went from a series I was enjoying but not totally sold on, to a series I love. By the time I finished the 2011 anime, I had cried over it several times and was fully sold. I only became more obsessed from there.

I think the two biggest factors of what make me adore HxH so much boil down to:

How much I love Gon and Killua and their relationship

How brilliant a storyteller Togashi is and how beautifully he writes characters and really just about everything, and how imbued with emotion and insight and philosophy the series is as a result

Both of these aspects are deeply important to me. It defied my expectations of it constantly, and as I've continued to revisit and analyze the series I've only found more and more to love and appreciate about HxH! It really feels like a series that's like a soulmate to me, as silly as that might sound--it just connects for me on so many different levels, and, even after almost 8 years now, I'm still constantly sustained by and enthralled by it.

I do definitely enjoy Yu Yu Hakusho too, although not to the same degree as HxH. You can actually read some of my impressions I wrote up a few years ago (when I first finished it) in this document if you'd like. It's a very charming series with great characters, and I had a wonderful time with it, but because it tends to play the shounen tropes more straight than HxH (HxH subverts and plays with them much more), I found it didn't fit my personal tastes quite as well. I still found a lot to appreciate about it, and it was fascinating watching Togashi's growth as a storyteller and seeing more of his tendencies and interests coming out in the series. I also do think (and this is backed up by things Togashi has said) that the Jump editors had quite a bit more sway over Togashi's decisions with YYH, and that affected his ability to tell the story how he wanted to fully--which lead to him seeking more creative freedom with HxH, and HxH becoming how it is.

Unsurprisingly with my deep and abiding love of HxH, I do connect with the HxH cast more, but I also found the YYH cast memorable, fun, and well-designed! My favorites in YYH are Kurama and, funny enough, Koto. But I like a lot of the characters, they're a good cast. I remember being very touched by the end of the Dark Tournament arc, beautiful stuff.

It's hard for me to envision my favs from both series meeting without putting a lot of thought into it, honestly, hmmm! It's a fun question, but I'm not sure I have a good answer for you right now, sorry!

Thanks for asking!