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#super brilliant awesome thing that came to my mind
I HAD JUST HAD A GENUIS IDEA tshirts but with swappable patches like crocs, they’re like the crocs of the shirt world
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evilwickedme · 1 year
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This wasn't asked for because nobody in their right mind would ask for this but this is a fic rec list of fics I cannot stop rereading
Just started yet another reread of Inimitable Verse by deniigiq and I fully plan on rereading their into the multiverse series which occasionally crosses over also - this is a Spider-Man/team red focused series, think comics canon infused early mcu-spidey since only homecoming had come out for a non substantial amount of time they were working on the series and the daredevil stuff is explicitly tv show AND comics. Also the multiverse series is how I got into Murderdock and therefore how I got into Spider Gwen
Unpretty's Sorrowful And Immaculate Hearts series which is just a loosely interconnected series of DC fics. My personal favorites are Empty Graves, in which Martha Kent keeps killing time travelers trying to kill baby! Clark; any of their clois fics but especially Third Wheel; and Anti-Social, which is a social media fic mostly about Tim and Bruce that made me cry laughing. Catch Bruce trying to get Walmart's employees to unionize. Also shout out to unpretty's only fic with Jason in it, it looks awesome but is tragically incomplete
This particular Reverse Robin AU which put in the work to reverse every single younger generation and is chef's kiss I LOVE this version of Tim he's wild
Both of Shoalsea's fics are in constant rotation for me I talk about Into The Brighter Night all the time in the tags of reblogs and stuff it truly lives in my head rent free. Anyway Tim gets kidnapped by aliens and the batfam have to watch as yj98 saves him and it's angsty and funny and such a good take on what could have been if the new 52 hadn't happened. And Compassion Builds No House is about Tim and Pru from Red Robin. Ugh they're both so good
Speaking of Clois (I did you've just forgotten this by now) brilliant (like a confession) by kathkin (penny-anna on the hellsite) is so fucking good I'm. Okay. Anyway it'll be listed as inspiration if/when I finally post my two person love triangle fic for them
I'm too anxious to catch up on this before it's done but jumble sale chic is hands down the best spideydevil fic series despite and because of the omegaverse
Make A Little Birdhouse In Your Soul is my favorite take on Jason, period, and has a lot of fantastic Damian stuff going on too. It's updating every few weeks still! Sometimes more often! I love you bacondoughnut it's me JustGail the person who will not stop commenting on your fic you're stuck with me forever
I lied above Rumspringa Murderdock is what got me into Murderdock but that series is second place. I found this one while scrolling through the tv show's mattfoggy tag, thinking I was safe
Speaking of Murderdock mattfoggy, The Lawyer All the Wickedness was written early on in spider-gwen's history and so diverges from canon really early in ways that I think are super interesting and creative
Oh also straight on 'til morning by merils (Tumblr url mamawasatesttube) does SUCH a great job unpacking Kon's trauma and building up healthy relationships around him including a budding timkon romance and yeah it makes me sad and happy at the same time
We're getting into poisonivory territory so just trust if you like the pairing and poisonivory is writing it you'll like it. Ok rapidfire
Like A Handprint On My Heart mattfoggy soulmate au with a twist
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Damijon future fic/au. Jon came back from the future when both of them were 19. Demisexual!Damian at its best. Damian's terrified of being abandoned by Jon again and it made my heart hurt
I feel like I've already recommended every JayRoy fic by poisonivory and genuinely I do reread them all, sometimes in order of publication if I'm in a particular mood. Maybe the one I've read most though is I've Got the Feeling You're the Right Thing After All which is about Roy and Jason starting a fwb thing while Roy still harbors old feelings for Dick. Can't see anything going wrong here lmao
Mmm this post is long enough so I'll leave it at just superhero fic for now but I do in fact have the ability to do a whole post just for the Witcher or Leverage so I might do that. Anyway thanks for following me on yet another burst of insanity it will happen again
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seelestia · 5 months
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who are a few mutuals that you appreciate alot? mutual appreciation day 🥰❤️😊🤩💐✨
OOOO FUNFUNFUN!!! thank u so much for sending this in and for essentially spreading positivity, nonnie. this is appreciated ♡ also, instead of strictly moots, i decided to extend my appreciation to everyone! moots, anons, friends and readers alike ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა
some odeliaesqué sappy appreciation under the cut:
@yvnaology - one of my fav facts abt yona was that she's one of the first moots i ever had on tumblr!!! and she's a lyney kisser and a fellow aventurine kisser (#taste). also she's so silly (/aff) and easy to talk to! like u'll feel at ease around her. she deserves good great and awesome things in life, so make sure to water ur yona daily with love <3
@solarisfortuneia - mika wished me congrats when i reached 1k and i still remember it till this day <3 she's friendly in a shy/modest way and suchsuchsuch a good writer! e.g. i cry over this every day actually. mika also has her silly moments sometimes too. someone save her /j
@floraldresvi - simply the sweetest & most supportive moot EVER! vivi is full of love and she's good at giving some of that love to others <3 her selfships are like bottles of serotonin to me. 100% would drop anything and everything in my hands to support her!!! and ik she'd do the same for me <3 mwah mwah 💐💐
@monicahar - the moot who comes online once in a while and drops absolute meals when she does. ate, left no crumbs 🔥🔥 also SUPER FUNNY!!! and unhinged, i'm concerned but amused at the same time. i hope she's having a nice break!! thank u for ur past & future services ma'am. we love u 🤭🤭
@milk-violet - MIREI !!! sunshine personified but also vv precious. i'm the leader of # protecc mirei squad (real). best person to have ever appeared in my notifs and i lovelovelove when her username pops up. take care & good luck with school! IK U CAN DO IT. remember what i said: slay before ur slayed 🗣️
@xianyoon - the butterfly moot 🦋 !!! both socially and aesthetically hehe. sosooso sweet & kind. has creative projects and executes them well at that too. i personally crown her as genshinblr's best hostess™! also, send her a moodboard and she'll cherish u forever - that's one of her love languages <3 ++ her pretty & aesthetic rb's are such a good refresh for my dash. love her for it!!
@hermosacolibri - the name, 'starlight' fits them sm bcs i feel like if we were to take a peek into their mind, stars will burst out!!! /pos (<- unique complimenting skills ik pardon me). their ideas are brilliant and i can tell they put their all into pursuing their vision <3 it's truly an honor to be a witness & reader. if u want to check them out, they write over at @/starlightlacrimosazpsff !!! ★
@wolfhookk - aaaaa ri !!!! booping her x1000 rn bcs i cannot believe boop trend ended when she came online. the discrimination 😔 /j i'll always remember ri as my first ever moot on here like first, 1st, #1!!! i forever thank her for swooping into my inbox back then and she's welcome to do that even now any time she likes <3
@kaiserkisser - skylia is the true angst consumer, the realest of it!! even in different fandoms LOL. she's nice (and gremlin-ish) when u get to know her more and she reciprocates energy really well! i'll never forget the disaster of boops in my notifs /lh
@callilouv - COOL MUTUAL ALERT !!!! cool art & cool interests. truly, picasso w/ the finger and fandoms!! idk if cal still draws with his finger dhjahshsj but still vv mega cool!
@manager-of-the-pudding-bank - the grandpas & old men kisser where art thou 💔 /j loqua has that awkward & silly rizz!!! idk if she still does wax stamps but i still think it's really cool. bcs qua's just cool in general !!! hehe
@calxlu - aaaaa vi!!! the one who enables my rambles and selfships shhshsh i am so thankful <3 rambler 🤝 rambler is the best. i love talking to her and it's super reassuring to know that it's mutual! even if i take some time but i always look forward to seeing her replies in my inbox. it's like we're penpals across the screen talking abt irl stuff and our f/o's ꒰✿´ ꒳ ` ꒱♡
& honorable mention: @/zhongrin. rin does not interact with minors anymore (which i respect and so should everyone!), so we count as former moots. but !!! i still think she's an amazing person regardless <3 (note: her blog is equally as great but plsplspls be mindful of her rules beforehand.)
brainrot anon - A REAL ONE!!! always there when i come back from the grave each time. i get reminded of them whenever i look at my inbox, it's an instinct atp. their brainrots are so fun & random (but that's a charm in itself /pos) !!! tbh i love elaborating them all so never stop sending the brainworms in <3 feel free to treat my inbox as a drop-off for ur thoughts LMAO /gen. come by again soon!
michiki anon - MY COUSINNNMNMN!!! i still love and miss when they'd come into my inbox to chat. it was so nice getting to know someone in a casual way <3 i hope ur doing well wherever u are, michikinon! i'm doing well these days and i hope u are too 🤍
rix anon - their series still has me FLOOOORED. i still think it deserves a proper platform than just thru my lil ol inbox. it deserves more recognition :( but just the fact that i got to help share their writing alone is an honor of its own!!! i hope ur doing well too, rix anon <3
++ everyone who has left a nice feedback / said anything nice in my notifs or my inbox!! even a simple 'cute' or 'this is good' or even just leaving a note means sososo much to me. i'm just a measly guy in my own little corner on this site, really - so thank u thank u thank u all !!! 🫂
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Fanartist Appreciation Post
I am super honoured that these amazing fanartists have created art of some of my fics - I wanted to feature them all in one place, as well as the links to their art you will find on my fics!
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Rope Burns / Adrenaline Crash The Batch rescue Omega after she is captured by bounty hunters. Seeing that she is injured, Hunter loses control and vows to hunt down her captors.
I love this piece of art by @collophora, the first time anyone ever drew art of my fic! Adrenaline Crash is one of my favourite Bad Batch fanfics I've written, and it was just so amazing to be surprised with this awesome piece of art immortalising Feral Hunter
The amazing @carhorno showed up in the comments of my fic and got to brainstorming an idea for a follow up, which I am very excited to be working on. She promised me art of our new, heart-breaking idea and here it is - a gut-wrenching piece of Omega and Hunter, ready to inspire my writing, as well as the awesome concept we developed for new fic Adrenaline Crash: Savage >:)
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Water Gun Fight The children of Pabu have a water gun fight
@the-little-moment and I go back to our shared Angstpril writing challenge under the name Little Kyber Thoughts (and she also designed the fabulous skull divider I use! ^_^ <3) But it was this light-hearted fic which inspired her to create this brilliant, tropical piece of art; I love the vibrancy of the colours, and Crosshair just waiting to terrorise everyone with a water pistol :P
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"Need a hand?" Crosshair struggles to manage a task one-handed. Wrecker is there to support him.
When this prompt came up for Summer of Bad Batch, @fanfoolishness and I both wrote about Crosshair coming to terms with his missing hand, and both of us chose Wrecker as the brother to comfort him. I was so honoured when she also illustrated this scene from my fic, perfectly capturing Crosshair's breakdown and just needing to be held by his brother - it's just how I visualised it, and I love it! :')
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Batch-mega Fullmetal Alchemist x The Bad Batch crossover fanart
I adore @paperback-rascal's TCWxFMA crossover series, but being unsure of the protocol about approaching an admired fanartist and saying 'I had this idea...', I drew it myself. I was so excited when they came back with a whole extra page of comic, and a snippet of narrative to go with! I'm sad that the preview shows my sketchy doodles instead of their amazing comic of Hunter waking from his nightmare, so definitely follow the link to admire their art!
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Fairground Date Hunter needs to take his mind off things, and taking Omega and Lyana to the funfair seems like the perfect day out. That is, until Crosshair makes an unexpected appearance.
When I wrote Hunter and Crosshair going through the pink-lit Tunnel of Love, who knew that @indigofyrebird had the character toys lying around, and the perfect neon light to recreate the scene! I would never have imagined that toy photography would capture this tender scene so well, but I love everything about this picture! <3
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R U Mine? (Laundry Day) A collection of short stories about Crosshair and Hunter's developing relationship.
Hunter forgetting to do his laundry until he's run out of clean clothes and ending up raiding Wrecker's wardrobe was the first thing I wrote for this 10,000 word short story. The amazing @indigofyrebird has been at it again, this time with an awesome hand-drawn illustration that perfectly captures Hunter's sulky scowl as Crosshair calls him out on neglecting his chores!
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scarletwix · 11 months
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omg hi its the anon who sent the jasico superhero au that was bouncin round my cranium u posted a response to back in like april if u recall i only just realised i never actually sent anything back but i was reading through my old reblogs and wanted to say the stuff u wrote fucks, like its so neat.
i love the groundworks for the worldbuilding stuff u have set up, mentioning unions and insurance stuff its so cool, and the way u gave nico like a kind of lois lane-ish journalist/possibly blogger idk vibe was stellar.
u mentioned debating whether nico would have powers, and id never considered it but immediately my brain went 'what if he doesnt at first, but gets them later on, has to deal with the implications of that on his life and such, and is just confronted with the truth of jason's secret identity, possibly without jason even knowing' idk u don't have to use that if u do wanna write more with it i just figured id share bc it just instantly popped up nagging my thoughts.
anyway yah it was super awesome to see the little idea that rolled around my mind half formed harassing me turned into something so brilliant!!!
(also ty for posting nimona stuff all over my dash ive wanted to watch it and u let me know that it actually came out lol)
OMG NONNY HI HOW DID I MISS THIS
WELCOME BACK TO THE CIRCUS this au has not left my mind literally every time I hear "Last of the Real Ones" by FoB my brain screeches away from whatever I'm writing and straight into jasico superhero au
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! That makes me so happy to hear :D as for the worldbuilding I was blatantly inspired by the book Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots, but I took it in a different direction. The idea of Superhero unions fascinates me, and looking at a world and going "how would people react if this became a normal thing" is something I find really fun when doing worldbuilding.
And yay! I struggled a bit trying to decide what Nico was doing and decided Journalism Major fit his vibes enough that I wanted to run with it!! I hadn't even considered the Lois angle but aslksdflfk that's so fun. Too bad his superman made a terrible impression ey?
also that is a DELIGHTFUL idea. I love having to explore the repercussions of suddenly being at the same caliber of power as the heroes he writes about, trying to decide whether or not he's going to DO anything about this information... Mmmm I love that.
I had given it a lot of thought and my main sticking point was "do I want Bianca to also be alive in this au" because my initial thought was that a lot of Nico's trepidation towards heroes comes from the fact that Bianca was one and was either injured too badly in the line of duty to continue heroing, or was killed outright. I thought it would be interesting to see Nico grappling with that aspect of his sister who he looked up to, and what that profession eventually cost her, especially if she was just too injured to keep going, which would leave room for Nico's initial hero worship of Tonitro while also giving him the skepticism of "this is an inherently unfair system." In the end it didn't matter much to the snippet itself, but if/when I go back and write more (I'll be honest it's not even an if or a when because it's just so much fun for me that I have written a few more little snippets here and there of the au, just nothing polished enough to publish lol).
In any case, I was thinking about Nico having powers at the time of the Tonitro & Waterspout teamup in the ficlet and that he could/would use them to try and find Jason and potentially even help with the evacuation effort. I've got half of a scene written in my head that I now think would work really well as an accidental-identity-reveal that Jason doesn't even realize has happened. That is such a fun concept nonny, tyty
Your idea super inspired me, and I have to thank you so much for sending it over!! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it as much as I do :D
(ALSO LOL I HOPE YOU GOT TO WATCH NIMONA what a good movie. So proud of Nate tbh like what a journey he's been on. I remember reading the webcomic on the Nimona website back in the day and it's wild to see how far he's come.)
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furballfaggot · 9 months
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hi and welcome to Giovanni's Bookshelf (formerly just the concept of a book club aptly named Champ's Book Club). because i do not learn my lesson about my more fleeting ideas. todays book, in the looser sense where the book is just a creepypasta, is
Has anyone heard of a pill called Ichor? - A.K. Kullerden
"EXCEL THINE SENSES"
a man named Dale becomes intrigued by a televangelist with strange mannerisms, orders mysterious pills, and he and his roommate Al end up in a deep rabbithole he's not sure if they can get out of. heres what i thought of it. spoilers under the cut!
BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE THIS BOOK CLUB: entirely blind to the overarching plot. read the pasta yourself and then come back here. this book club is pretty disjointed and i do not apologize. the pasta is also written really well and uniquely so i highly recommend. feel free to discuss the story in the notes! its a bit of a long read especially compared to most creepypastas but its absolutely worth it. and it doesnt even have any unnecessary slurs in it! (unlike SOME pastas *glares at glitchy red*)
READ ON?: at the very least creepypasta.com, not sure about anything else. i read it on my ipod touch. yknow how it is! tws for forced drugging, vomit, mind control, bugs under skin, and death. [🔗]
WELL WRITTEN?: yes
EASY READ?: depends on attention span -- takes at least an hour according to creepypasta.com
RECOMMEND?: absolutely. its wonderfully crafted and it had me hooked the whole time
a pill called ichor is told first-person through journal entries, transcribed conversations, and audio logs. right off the bat the descriptions of the strange mannerisms of the preacher on tv had me just as intrigued as dale. what was up with the scratching? what was the new box? why did he freeze like that? so many questions already. the way the whole bee and honey things unraveled were absolutely stellar. the imagery is so strong that i could vividly picture most parts of it each time they came up. the entirety of siphos is so wonderfully foreshadowed throughout and all ties up neatly in the end. carrie is admittedly kind of a nothing character but tbh i dont mind all too much? it helps with the worldbuilding and works as a nice foil to als feigned ignorance. the bit with the mention of the vacuum packing trash in als room is also brilliant -- i didnt think too much of it as i started my post-read skim to write this, but it clicked when i remembered that the ichor that kicked the whole thing into motion were also vacuum-packed. i love how even when al was on the fast track to Literally Dying in one of the most gruesome ways possible because of something so nightmarish dale still wanted to save his friend. and he did! wonderful. truly wonderful. the descriptions of the worms/siphos under the duos skin were also horrendous, but like in a good way. in an effective way. thinking on it now the mentions of the ancient hole-punched corpses could either have been that byron guy just Completely losing it or maybe like. the siphos breaking through the other explorers??? idk. my brain works sometimes. the realization where dale figured out the weird yellow shit in the ichor capsules was honey was also super well crafted, it felt so natural. and also shoutout to how dale surfs wikipedia and then infodumps about peru it was both a really effective and simple way to get exposition across and also very funny to me on like an inherent level. hes like "hey i might end up dying but uhhh heres some shit about mountains" and honestly thats awesome. autism slay. i know this sounds entirely incoherent but i am just Like This about things. AND THE PART WHERE AL FORCES A PILL DOWN DALES THROAT IN HIS SLEEP that kind of shit usually doesnt really do anything to me but ill be damned if it didnt here the stakes raising like that are insane. the words in the back of the brain are also super effective and i love the comment on how theyre like a waltz. fuckign awesome. the "first get outta my journal" bit was a much-needed bit of humor in the midst of the suspense and terror. beautiful all around. etc etc im tired suorry. very good. i cant put the whole plot in here bc the way its told makes my brain refuse to put it any other format bc i like the original too much and also im hoping anyone whos still reading might decide to pick it up and somehow immediately forget everything ive said here so they can still go in somewhat blind. bonus points for the plot starting a day before my birthday bc im biased like that. tee hee
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thewertsearch · 2 years
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Asks compilation: 09/05
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God ok that actually sounds like it would work really well. John would be a huge McElroy fan, wouldn’t he?
I just looked up the Washington accent to compare it to Griffin’s, and wow, my mental voice for John is completely different. I probably have all the wrong accents for these characters in my head, since I don’t have a clue which accent maps to which state. 
At least we’re all in the same boat about not knowing Jade’s accent - unless we learn where Grandpa grew up later on, since she’d probably have picked up his.
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Brilliant! Yeah, no, I’ve been trying to nail down that font for ages.
Dammit, I just realized I could have inspected homestuck.com’s source >:(
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It narrowly edges out Gen 4, for me. D/P/Pt were great, but Black and White were the games which really perfected the formula. I honestly don’t think they should have gone 3D, but whatcha gonna do?
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Oh my god, of course there are. I’m going to rewatch that show some day and lose my mind, aren’t I?
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Hey, thanks for the ask! 
I thought about this back when I was first starting the blog. I dunno, though. You’re really not missing much - my live reactions aren’t nearly as coherent as the writeups - mostly just a lot of ‘oh my god, what?’ moments. I write more articulately than I speak. Trust me on this. 
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I’m honestly impressed you came up with something more headache inducing than the bogo algorithm, which for the uninitiated literally means ‘randomly shuffle a list until it’s sorted’. 
aw fuck we’re getting a bogo modus aren’t we
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I like Bogleech’s writing, especially his creature design reviews, but I could never get more than a handful of pages into Awful Hospital. I respect his commitment to the stereotypically ‘gross’ organic aesthetic, but it kind of just squicks me out. Plus, I dunno. The premise is really dark, but the comic seems to be a full-on comedy. The dissonance just doesn’t really work for me. 
Still, though. Pokéween is some of my favorite writing on the web. Check out his stuff. 
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I’ve never been super into horror. Mind you, I like having something to listen to when I’m out on a walk, and I’ve heard good things about the Magnus Archives, so maybe this is my opportunity to give it another chance?
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No, yeah, we have a winner. Step aside, Broderick.
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I have come to accept that Hussie is just really prone to making unintentional references. When Dave Strider is one of your primary characters, you probably can’t avoid constantly referencing pop culture - even, it seems, accidentality!
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The Queen is dead! everything has gone to shit! Long live Jack the Ascended!  
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Haha, I never considered that tumblr’s format does kind of resemble John and CG’s inverted conversations, in a way. When you reblog a connected pair of joke posts, you even have to make sure to reblog them backwards, or you’ll invert them! 
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Ah, indie devs. Heads, they’re legends, tails, they’re assholes. 
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I’ve never played it, but it’s been sitting in my steam library for months! If it’s anything like Celeste, I should have started playing it yesterday. Lore is pretty much the only thing Celeste is missing - not that it needs it. 
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Those giant Underlings are nothing compared to what you see in Pipecorp. This is just another day in the office for Harold P. Egbert. 
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Awesome! Yeah, I already see why the comic’s music is so popular. And considering we’ve got Toby ‘Leitmotifs’ Fox on the music team, these are all sure to return. 
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So what, it’s like, Act 6: Act 1? We’re going to start recursing?
Don’t lie to me, guys. This comic is a fractal, isn’t it? It goes on forever, the sub-acts shrinking into the infinitesimal. 
I know not what awaits me. 
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Six, right? Based on the above ask, there can’t be room for any more, unless they shrink dramatically after Act 6. 
I have no idea how many sub-acts there could be, though. Once you pop open that can of worms, you can’t easily close it. 
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Done! From now on, all theoryposts will be tagged #theories!
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Yeah, noted! I didn’t expect Homestuck to require the equivalent of waiting for the post-credits scene, but here we are?
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In what sense? The Trollslum showed up pretty soon after Jade’s intro, and CG chimed in up not long after. The sense I always got was that Hussie improvised a lot of the comic, but maybe the trolls were a particularly spontaneous addition?
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Liveblogging a liveblog! I can get behind that. Yeah, like I’ve alluded to before, I’d be having a very different experience with this comic if I wasn’t reading it in bite-sized chunks. 
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Thank you!! I’m really trying to convey the same feelings that I’m getting while I’m reading this comic. I’m glad it’s working!
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Honestly, my guessing technique is essentially just throwing theories at the wall to see what sticks. 
I usually have like, two or three explanations for a a given event in the comic, which means I can be eerily correct and ironically wrong about the same thing -  or ironically wrong twice over, as is probably more likely.
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proserpina-magnus · 3 years
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hi🥺 I’ve got a super cheesy request, but whatever haha can I request a one shot James x fem reader where she is really really stressed all the time over really small things that may not even happen and James tries to calm her down and remind her that everything is going to be alright?
Oh and I just wanted to say that your writing brings a lot of comfort in my life. Thank you so much and you have a real gift for writing!!!💞
Thank you so much for your request, also im gad my writing can bring you comfort!! This was an awesome request to write and i hope you enjoy this!
Distress [ James Potter ]
Word Count: 1812
[ Warning: female reader, stressful/intrusive thoughts, worrying, James Potter being a dork, Kissing, description of distress and panic, slight mention of blood/bruises, petnames such as "love" "baby" and "princess", napping together ]
You flip onto your back, the sheets and pillows under you. You fussed messily, limbs sprawled out on the bed as you try and stop yourself from yanking your hair out. Recently, your thoughts had been consuming your mental state to a point where all you could do was worry about it.
You try and get dressed, brushing out your hair in a small rage as you felt a tangle of hair. You almost broke down crying at the small inconvenience, but you sighed unhappily and slipped on Jame's jumper. The jumper felt huge, it enclosed you with warmth and the slight smell of Jame's cologne filled your nose.
You sighed in relaxation, finding some peace in the jumper. You kept thinking about James, smiling as you fixed your outfit. Once you had finished, a small thought crossed into your head. 'What if your shoes are untied and you fall?'
The small thought made you spiral, walking down the steps carefully with your eyes glued to your shoes. You kept glancing at them, not looking away from them as you made your way to the dining hall.
"There's my girl," Jame's voice rose to catch your attention, you looked up from your shoes and let them look into James's comforting stare.
"Good morning," you mumbled, sliding in between Sirius and James as you felt a strong arm wrap around your side. James pulled you into a side hug, kissing your forehead gently.
"Morning my love, did you sleep well?" He asked, helping you fill your plate with breakfast foods. You leaned your head on his shoulder, a stronger scent of his cologne filling your senses. You relaxed slightly, escaping your thoughts for a hot minute.
"I slept okay," you sighed, remembering how you couldn't fall asleep until late in the night because of your cautious thoughts.
"Only okay? That's not good, how about after class you go and take a nap in my dorm?" James suggested, his hand on your jaw as he tilted your face up to look at him. His worried eyes looked over your face, seeing how tired you looked.
"I'm fine James, promise," you assured half-heartedly, you remembered you had a small quiz in Transfiguration. The thoughts started instantly, abruptly like bombs as they piled you with terrible thoughts. 'What if you failed? What if all the studying was for nothing?'
"Okay, if you're sure. You wanna hear about the new broomstick that is coming out?" James asked, a small sigh on his lips as he knew you weren't exactly telling the truth. James was aware of your stressful demeanor, he tried his best to distract you, but it seemed to be doing the opposite.
"Sure," you say, listening to him ramble for the next few minutes about the broomstick. You listen mostly to what he says, but his words don't make sense to you. You just nod and ask questions, finishing up your breakfast.
'What if he gets hurt next quidditch match?' The thought was hurting your head, making you gulp. Jame's loved quidditch, but it was such a competitive sport, it scared you sometimes.
You fixated on the thought, your mind flashing with images of James bleeding and bruised, your heart started to race. James was easy to read your expression, his hand on your knee to give it a quick rub for reassurance.
"You okay love?" He asked, you gave a small nod and grabbed his hand with yours. You squeezed his fingers pretty tightly, not wanting to let go in case he left and got hurt.
"I'm okay," you say, but James doesn't believe you. He lets you hold his fingers, giving you a small smile. He kisses your head, leaning down to whisper a small, "nothing going to happen, princess,"
"You don't know that," you tell him, leaning closer to him as everyone around you gets ready to head to class. You quickly move away, standing and flattening your outfit so it wasn't crumpled.
James follows, along with his other friends as you all began to walk to your first class. James pulls you back slightly, making you both walk slower so everyone walks ahead.
"What are you worrying about? I promise you I can debunk it," James promised, his fingers wiggled between yours as he started to swing your hands together. He slowed his pace, making sure that he was walking at your rhythm.
"What if my shoes get untied and I fall? And what if you get hurt during a quidditch game?" You say, not believing that he could possibly find a way to fix your thoughts. But James only smiled and pulled you to the side, stopping near an open area.
"Sit on the ledge," he says, helping you up on the ledge. You watched him crouch down, giving your knee a small kiss.
"Well, I can help your first worry, I can simply just cast a spell to make sure your shoes stay tied," James chuckled, a wide smile on his face as he beams up at you. He takes out his wand, muttering a small spell as he taps your shoes.
"And the second worry?" You asked, happy that you had someone to soothe your thoughts. You felt a lot better at the small spell James casted, feeling safe.
"Lucky for you, I'm the best at quidditch, so if I was to get hurt, it would totally be on purpose," James said with a cocky smirk, leaning up to kiss you gently. You pushed yourself onto your feet, leaning into his body to get closer.
"And I can assure you, love, I will never deliberately put myself in pains way when it comes to quidditch," He muttered against your lips, pushing his fingers along yours. He brought your hand to his lips, giving it a small kiss.
"Only quidditch?" You asked, wondering if James would hurt himself for the greater deed. Sometimes, you thought that James was too forgiving and daring, he would do anything for the people he loved. It made you worry.
James didn't respond, looking at you with soft eyes as he debated his response. He knew he wouldn't lie, so he simply pulled you along the corridor.
"Come on love, let's get to class," James says, as you both head to Transfiguration, you remember the quiz you had and started to panic slightly. The stressful thoughts beginning again.
"What if I fail the quiz?" You asked him frantically, changing the subject to another of your worry's. You felt a small dread at the fact James would hurt himself for the greater good, but you knew you couldn't change him, so you simply sighed and tried not to think about it. Your brain focused on the quiz, images of failing grades flashed through your head. You bit your lip, chewing on it anxiously.
"We studied all yesterday! There is no way you will fail, you're just too brilliant," He assured, kissing your head as you both settled into your chairs. You looked at him, not believing his words. James only gave you a generous smile, he knew you would pass the quiz.
"Hey, even if you do super bad, which you won't! Your grade won't change that much, it's only worth 10 points, it won't affect anything!"
Realizations hit you, making you relax in your seat. James was right, the quiz wasn't even worth that much and you both did study. You could recite the whole transfiguration textbook back to front, there was no way you could fail.
You felt a strong wave of proudness wash over you, there wasn't any possible way you would fail. Confidence filled your veins, a proud smile on your lips as you shared it with James. He only smiled back, mouthing a small 'I believe in you' and that was enough for you to believe his words, you wouldn't fail.
During the quiz, you felt like you were answering every question wrong. You kept crossing out answers then filling them in again. Your page was a mess, full of scratches and messy words. You sighed quietly, your forehead pressed into your hand.
You finished anxiously, passing in the paper. You bit the inside of your cheek, knowing that you couldn't have possibly passed. You almost felt like crying when the thoughts kept pouring into you, the day hasn't even started yet and you were completely exhausted.
"See, it wasn't that bad!" James says while you both walk to Potions, but you only shake your head and hold back stressed tears. James frowns, rubbing your forearm as he pets your head, he tried his best to soothe you.
"Oh love, there isn't a need to shed tears over it! You probably did great," James tells you, you both walk into the potions classroom, settling down near a desk in the back.
"No James, I didn't! I'm going to fail the quiz, I kept scratching out my answers! I didn't know anything," you quavered, feeling emotionally drained.
James picked up on your struggle, a frown on his lips as his hand came to pat your thigh. You let your head fall against the desk hard and you hear James wince at the sound, his hand on your back.
"After this class, I'm going to take you to my dorm and you can get some sleep okay?" James stated, rubbing your back gently as he watched you with saddened eyes. James wished he could take away your stressful thoughts, he hated seeing you worry.
"I'm fine," you lied, not even trying to cover up your obvious distress.
"No you're not princess, and that's okay. But you have to take care of yourself," James worries himself, his hands twitching. You look up at him through your eyelashes, heaving a small sigh.
"Okay," you mumble and the class continues. The hour passes slowly, James doing most of the classwork as he lets you lean against him. The only thing keeping you from spiralling and having a mental breakdown is James kissing your forehead periodically and his sweet words.
Your eyes blur for a few moments as you let James lead you through Hogwarts. You don't remember how you got here, but you laid in James' embrace, his hands in your hair as his warm blankets swallows you in sleepiness.
"What if I sleep through my next class?" You asked, your body twitching as you move to get a comfortable position. You felt tired, but thoughts kept your attention.
"I'll stay awake, I'll make sure you get to class on time," James kisses your head, his fingers massaging your scalp in a wonderful motion. You lay completely into James's body, letting your eyes close.
"Go to sleep baby. I've got you now," James whispered, you felt your nerves relax. Before you knew it, you fall asleep against his chest, curling yourself closer to your protector.
208 notes · View notes
earliebirb · 3 years
Text
nosedive
steve/tony, fluff, (newly) established relationship, 3250 words
Tony stares absentmindedly out the airplane window as he puts his phone up to his ear, watching people run back and forth, performing last-minute engine checks. Some of the guys look sweaty and out of breath.
From the comfort of the air-conditioned Stark Industries private jet, he feels a slight twinge of sympathy for the people having to suffer in the humid summer heat.
He loosens his tie and sinks deeply into his seat, closing his eyes with a massive yawn as he listens to the ringing tone. He hadn’t been able to sleep very well throughout his five-day stay in Tokyo, too anxious about the contract to rest properly. 
The ringing tone goes on for a few more seconds before ending with a click, replaced by an achingly familiar voice greeting him in his ear. 
“Hello?” 
Tony’s eyes spring open. Outside, an aircraft marshaller walks by, speaking rapidly into his walkie-talkie.
“I had a blueberry muffin for lunch today. One single blueberry muffin.”
“...What?”
“It didn’t even taste that good. I couldn’t finish it. Too dry.”
“Tony, that’s not good. Is that all you had for lunch? You should really eat—”
“The meeting went well, by the way. Mr. Watanabe finally signed the contract, everything went as planned. My ride to the airport, however…”
“I told you things would go smoothly, you had nothing to worry about. You’re a brilliant negotiator—”
“The traffic? Fuck. I had to keep shifting in my seat to avoid pins and needles.”
“That sounds awful, are your legs okay—”
“Did you know that Tokyo is number nineteen on the list of cities with the worst traffic congestion in the world? I know that, because I looked it up on the way to the airport. But boy, did it feel like it deserved the number one spot. I think I lost feeling in my ass.”
“I did not know that. And, uh, is your ass okay—”
“Thank God for my private jet. These plush seats are the best things I’ve ever spent my money on.”
“That’s objectively not true, and you know it—”
“Then again, I think these seats in particular were Pepper’s choice? We remodeled the airplane’s interior like… two years ago. I couldn’t be bothered to meet with the airplane seat people and I just told her to pick whichever looked best. I had much more important things to tend to, like sewing up the holes in JARVIS’s Christmas stocking.”
“I am concerned about how you sort your list of priorities—”
“Hm, that’s right. I think it was around two, three weeks before Christmas and I didn’t want JARVIS to be upset about the whole stocking thing, you know?”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t have—”
“Also, you’re right, the single blueberry muffin was a bad idea because now my stomach won’t shut up. So I’ve ordered some pasta for my in-flight meal. Robbie’s making it, you’ve met Robbie—”
“I’ve met Robbie, yes, he’s—”
“Larry’s replacement after he resigned. Gotta say, I was sad to see Larry go. Guy worked for me for seven years. But then there was that thing with his grandma, and he had to leave, so… But! Robbie makes a mean carbonara, maybe even better than Larry, don’t tell Larry I said that—”
“I don’t even know Larry like that, how would I—”
“Mr. Stark, we’re ready to go.” The pilot—Paul—emerges from the cockpit, staring at him in anticipation.
Tony nods and makes a few rapid gestures with his free hand that he supposes Paul is only able to interpret perfectly after years and years of working for Tony. The gestures roughly translate to something like “Copy, I hear you, just let me wrap this up and then I’ll let you know when I’m done. Capiche?”
Paul—bless him—just gives him a curt nod and retreats back into the cockpit. 
“Anyway,” Tony takes a deep breath and puffs his cheeks out with the exertion of his exhale, “I called because… I got a feeling, Steve.”
“A… feeling?”
“Just— A gut feeling. A feeling in your gut. Inside of me. Like a hunch?”
“Okay,” Steve says patiently, his voice low and warm, “what are you feeling?”
“I… got a bad feeling. Today. A few hours ago. The feeling came to me when I was sitting in traffic, and I just— I feel like something bad’s gonna happen today, Steve. I can feel it in the air. In my heart. In my gut. In my joints.”
“Your joints? Like… the feeling old people get when it’s about to rain?”
“Okay, maybe not in my joints. Also, are you calling me old, grandpa?”
“I did not, you told me you felt something in your—”
“Anyway, so yeah. Where was I? Oh, right. Feeling. Bad feeling. Like, like, I don’t know, something bad’s gonna happen. Like an accident. Like a plane crash.”
“God, please don’t say that. You’re scaring me, Tony.”
“And I guess, I just called because I… I feel like I need to do this before the plane crashes and I die a violent and fiery death.”
“Nothing bad’s going to happen, Tony—”
“Like, if I didn’t do this today, maybe I’d never get to do it, you know? And, uh, okay, I’ve honestly been ranting to stall for time, but the longer I keep it in the more nauseous I feel, so maybe I’m just gonna do it now so I can die in peace—”
“Do what? And stop saying that—”
“Look, I’m trying to be brave and honest here and— Wait, actually? Maybe I’m being a coward because if the plane actually does go down, I won’t have to face the consequences of my actions, so I guess I’m just going to say fuck it, and say that I love you.”
“The plane is not going to— Wait, what?”
“I, uh. Love you. I’ve known it for a while now. And, uh, I know we’ve only been dating for like, a week, but—” Tony blinks. They’ve only been dating for a week. 
“...Fuck.” Tony can feel his own pulse starting to race. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“Tony?”
They’ve only been dating for a week. What is he doing? What the hell is wrong with him? Normal people don’t do this. 
“Fuck. Shit, I mean— Uh, I’m sorry. That was super weird, huh?” Tony laughs nervously. He closes his eyes, gritting his teeth and cursing his stupid brain. Of course it’s weird. He always gets too attached to people way too quickly. No wonder Pepper was his only long term relationship. She was the only person who could put up with him—everyone else just got weirded out. “Uh, see you tomorrow? Or not. Fuck, sorry, I’m just gonna hang up before this gets—”
“Tony, wait.”
“...Yeah?” Tony says, hyper-aware of how breathless he sounds. His heartbeat is ringing in his ears. Everything is going to be fine. Right? Right. The worst thing Steve could do is… break up with him.
Oh, God, that is the worst case scenario. He really should’ve just kept his stupid mouth shut. 
“Tony, are you freaking out? I feel like I can hear you freaking out from all the way over here.”
“No, I’m not, of course I’m not. Who says I’m freaking out? You have no proof. I am calm, I’m calm as a clam, is that the saying? Did I get it right? Or was it happy— Anyway, I am absolutely calm, I’m the calmest I could possibly be. Any calmer and I’d be asleep. I’m—”
“Tony. Breathe.”
Tony forces himself to drag in a slow breath as he grips the arm of his seat with his free hand, focusing on the soothing hum of the airplane’s engine.
“Look, Tony, I—”
“No, listen. I’m sorry I jumped the gun, I hope I haven’t weirded you out or anything. You really, really don’t have to say it back to me. I mean it.”
“Tony—”
“No, in fact— Please don’t say anything. It’s fine. Let’s just pretend this never happened, okay?”
“But—”
“Drop it, Steve. Please?” Tony pleads. Clearly, his brain hadn’t been firing on all cylinders. That is the only reason that could explain his temporary lapse of judgment. “Look, I feel like talking about it more right now is going to send me spiraling into a panic attack.”
“...Okay. Fine.”
“Thank you. Uh, I’ll see you when I get home. If I get home. If the plane doesn’t crash. Haha.”
“Would you please stop saying that? It’s not funny.”
Tony latches onto the change in topic like a lifeline. “It is objectively true, you know. In order for me to be able to see you tomorrow, the plane has to land safely, and unfortunately, some things are just beyond my control. Like, who’s to say the plane won’t explode mid-air and—”
“The plane is going to land safely and you’re going to come back home to me in one piece. This is non-negotiable, Tony. You hear me?” Steve demands, his voice all hard authority and no-nonsense, like there will be Consequences should Tony fail to comply. 
As if he could ensure Tony’s safety with the force of his willpower alone. 
Come back home to me. 
That sounds good. Really good. Tony closes his eyes and pictures Steve’s baby blues in his mind’s eye. Warmth flowers in his chest.
“I hear you.”
“Great.”
“Awesome. I, uh, I gotta go now.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow.”
“See you.”
Tony hangs up and lets Paul know that he is done with his phone call. The jittery feeling left over from his call with Steve refuses to leave him, however, so he pulls up the drawing application on his phone and begins sketching something just to give his brain something else to fixate on.
He tends to lose track of time when he is hyperfocused on a project, so he isn’t exactly surprised that the next time he becomes aware of his surroundings, the plane is already well up in the air, his sketch of what looks like a flying coffee pot is almost finished, and Robbie is placing a plate of spaghetti carbonara on the table in front of him. 
“Spaghetti carbonara. With extra cheese.”
Tony’s mouth waters as he eyes the mountain of grated Pecorino Romano sitting atop the pasta. He sighs dreamily and smiles up at Robbie.
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“Enjoy, Boss.” Robbie grins and slips back into the kitchen.
He only realizes just how truly famished he is after taking his first bite, and proceeds to finish the rest of his meal with gusto. Afterward, he spends the majority of the remaining flight time sleeping, the result of post-carbonara food coma and his sleep-deprivation finally catching up to him. 
It’s well past two in the morning when Tony finally makes it to his floor in the Tower, which is why he is surprised to see Steve sitting on his couch, one of Tony’s fantasy novels open in hand. 
“Steve, what are you doing here?”
Steve’s head snaps up at the sound of his voice. Tony frowns. “Actually, why are you awake at all?” He is usually an early sleeper, unless—
“Nightmare?” Tony gives him a sympathetic smile. It wouldn’t be the first time. In the early days of their friendship, Tony and Steve would sit together in the living room whenever they had trouble sleeping, talking to each other until the sun came up.
Steve shakes his head, closing the book with his eyes still trained on Tony. “No, I was just… waiting for you.” Tony blinks. 
“It’s…” Tony glances at his watch. “Half past two. In the morning.”
“I know, I just…” Steve stands up, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. He ambles over before coming to a stop right in front of Tony. “I wanted to see you.”
Tony stares at him uncomprehendingly. “You’ll see me later anyway.”
“I couldn’t wait any longer. I didn’t want to go to sleep without seeing you first,” Steve says, low and earnest. His gaze wanders around Tony’s face, as if he were cataloguing each and every facial feature and trying to locate any changes he might’ve missed during his absence.
“Oh.”
Steve steps closer, arms snaking around Tony’s waist and pulling him close. His next words are whispered against Tony’s shoulder.
“I knew you’d make it home safely.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“You were wrong.”
“I was… wrong.” Tony swallows. “Uh, turns out the bad feeling completely disappeared after I woke up from my nap on the plane, so I suspect that perhaps the bad feeling I got was due to my severe hunger and sleep deprivation. I mean, I’ve heard about hallucinations caused by hunger or exhaustion, but this was—” 
Steve presses a soft kiss to the column of Tony’s neck, effectively cutting off Tony’s ramblings.
“Tony,” Steve whispers against his skin.
“Yeah?” Tony squeaks.
“Please don’t call me before a flight and say that you think the plane is going to crash, ever again.”
“Right. Noted. I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” Steve says, pulling away slightly and loosening his hold around Tony.
Tony allows himself to relax, letting out a quiet sigh. This thing with Steve is so new and delicate that every single physical contact still sends his heart fluttering, butterflies going crazy in his stomach.
Which makes, in retrospect, his abrupt love confession—as truthful as it was—that much more insane. God, Stark. Never do that again.
Except, it turns out that Steve only pulled away to slide his hands down the back of Tony’s thighs, wrapping his hands around them, and then lifting him up without warning.
Tony yelps, and in his alarm, promptly locks his ankles around Steve’s waist. When Steve begins moving, Tony quickly wraps his arms around Steve, resting his chin on Steve’s shoulder.
“Uh, Steve?”
“Hm?” Steve says, calm and nonchalant, as he begins walking away from the elevator. 
“Um— Wait— My suitcase—”
“Leave it. It’ll still be there in the morning.”
Tony blinks, staring dumbfoundedly at his lonely suitcase, abandoned by the elevator. It becomes smaller and smaller with every step Steve takes. 
“Where are we going?”
“Your bedroom.”
“Why are you carrying me there?”
“Because I want to.”
“You know it’ll be faster if you just let me walk, right?”
“Maybe. But you won’t be in my arms.”
“Um.”
“Bear with me, will you? I missed you.”
“I, uh, missed you too.”
Steve hums, satisfied. Tony lets himself settle more comfortably in Steve’s arms.
When Steve has successfully carried him to his bedroom, Tony fully expects Steve to deposit him on the bed. 
That is not, in fact, what happens. 
Instead, Steve turns around and begins walking backwards towards the bed before sitting down on it. Tony, still seated on his lap, swallows and pulls back slightly to look at Steve. 
“Look, Steve, as much as I’ve missed you, I’m kind of tired right now. I mean, don’t get me wrong. This whole carrying thing? Great. Very romantic. Ten out of ten. But I’m just not in the mood for sex, you know? Like, I’m not even sure I would be able to get it up if—”
“We’re not going to have sex.”
Tony blinks.
“We’re not?”
“We’re not. I’m just here to tuck you in.”
“Oh.”
Steve reaches up and begins undoing his tie. After setting it aside on the bed, he begins to unbutton Tony’s shirt. He takes his time, one button at a time.
“So…” Steve begins with a deep breath as he unbuttons the final button. “Did you mean, uh, what you said to me? On the phone?”
Tony closes his eyes, feels his own cheeks heating up. “Steve—”
“I’m sorry, Tony, I know you told me to drop it. But— I feel like if you did mean what you said, I owe it to you to… set the records straight.” When Tony opens his eyes again, Steve is looking up at him, blue eyes solemn.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… We have only been together for a week. Well, eight days. In fact, we’ve only been on one date. And it was interrupted. By giant lizards.” Steve chuckles incredulously. 
Tony remembers that day very well. They were in the middle of dessert at Tony’s favorite Italian place when they received the call to assemble—something about giant lizards wreaking havoc in Central Park.
The lizards had green, gunky blood that got into the nooks and crannies of the suit. It had taken forever to clean.
“But Tony…” Steve gathers the material of Tony’s unbuttoned shirt in both of his fists, pulling him closer until their noses are only inches apart.
The second their eyes meet, Steve smiles the sweet, lopsided smile that never fails to make Tony’s stomach flip.
“I need you to know that… I didn’t have to date you to know that I loved you. I figured that a long time ago.”
Tony stills, breath frozen in his lungs.
“I guess, what I’m saying is… I love you too. I’ve loved you for a very long time, Tony. Even way before—” Steve breaks eye contact, looks down as he clears his throat. When he speaks again, his voice is tight. “Way before we got together. I’m talking… years before.”
Tony still finds it hard to breathe. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” Steve says, the word more breath than sound. He meets Tony’s dazed gaze. “So you don’t have to worry about… jumping the gun. Not with me. I’m in it for the long haul.”
“...Okay.”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Tony feels a lightness growing inside of him, spreading outwards to his extremities.
“Good.” Steve smiles, warm and impossibly fond.
“...Glad we’re on the same page.” Tony’s gaze drops down to Steve’s lips.
“We are.” Steve inches closer, nose brushing Tony’s. He then tilts his head ever so slightly and takes Tony’s lower lip between his, kissing him so tenderly Tony’s heart feels like it’s about to burst with it.
Steve’s warm hands slide up Tony’s naked back under his open shirt, sending goosebumps breaking across his skin. Tony buries his hands in Steve’s hair and relishes the feeling of the soft strands caught between his fingers. They stay caught up in each other for a few moments, capturing and releasing each other’s lips until the need for breath becomes too unbearable.
They break apart eventually, accompanied by soft chuckles. Steve smiles up at him, lips slick and cherry red, courtesy of Tony. He reaches up to caress Tony’s right eyebrow with the pad of his thumb, fleeting and affectionate.
“Get some rest, okay? You must be really tired. I should probably go to bed, too.”
Tony looks down at his lap, clearing his throat. “Uh, I know that we haven’t done this before, but…”
Steve waits patiently for Tony to gather his thoughts, hands stroking up and down Tony’s sides.
“Do you want to stay with me tonight?” Tony finds the courage to meet Steve’s eyes, holding his breath.
Steve’s blue eyes are gazing at him intently, looking at him like he’s the only person in the world worth his sole, undivided attention.
Tony swallows. “No sex. Just to sleep. If you—”
“Yes.”
“Yeah?”
“I would like that very much.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Tony feels his own lips slowly curve up into a smile, wide and unbridled. 
“Good.” Steve nods, lips twitching, his eyes never leaving Tony’s. 
Tony grins, feeling near giddy with delight. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
“We are, sweetheart.” Steve looks up at him, blue eyes fond and smile radiant. “We definitely are.”
179 notes · View notes
coepiteamare · 4 years
Text
depth of field
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pairing: yoongi x female!reader genre: angst (are we surprised), fluff, reader is an actress, yoongi is photographer warning: a lot of feelings, uhm there’s like 2 lines about sex but it’s not super explicit, bad break ups, not beta read, heartbreak,  header credit: lovely isa! she’s so talented please check her out @monvante​  word count: 9.5k (how and why this became the longest thing i’ve written, i don’t know) rating: sfw though slightly mature (2 lines about sex but not explicit) collab: the valentine’s day collab with a bunch of awesome writers! please check out everyone’s stories! 
summary: yoongi is a nature photographer and you’re an actress who’s spent her entire life in front of the cameras. when he’s hired (against his will) for a photoshoot, he’s not quite expecting you: all smiles and charm and mystery. (alt: you laugh, and yoongi hears the night sky crumble into a thousand shooting stars. he fumbles with the settings, his heart rattling in his chest like the camera in his hands, but for the first time, the picture doesn’t do the sight in front of him justice.) A/N: this is....so late because i am big dumb + life changes + writing is hard. i have extremely mixed feelings on this one, but if you do read it, i hope it makes you feel something. if you listen to epik high, a lot of this was written while listening to “sleepless in _________”. 
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[Triptych: Sleepless In The City.JPEG]
[alt.image: Black and white triptych of a view outside a bedroom window. The position of the shot is the same in all three: all of them are directly facing an open window depicting the Seoul skyline. Towards the bottom of the picture, the edge of a bed can be seen: a plaid blanket with a light coloured bed frame. Right below the window is a dark wood dresser with a glass of water on top. At the center of the frame is a square, side hung window with light coloured (white) curtains on the sides. The first frame depicts a light blue coloured sky. There’s a lens flare at the top right of the corner. The second frame depicts a gradient sky. There’s light from the buildings shining through. The third frame depicts a darker sky, but the building lights are still on. The glass of water lies in the same position through the pictures, with little to no change in water amount.]
There’s a loud bzzt bzzt coming from the side of his bed as sleep clings to his eyelashes and glues his eyes shut, exhaustion still running through his veins. His fingers fumble, groping in the darkness, for the source of the noise until his fingers clasp around his phone and silence it. He rubs his face in his pillow and lets himself settle in again, sleep creeping back when—bzzt, bzzt—there’s another round of vibrations from his phone. Yoongi knows he turned on the do not disturb mode, so he contemplates answering as his fingers make contact with his phone, before pressing the side button and turning it off. 
He shuts his eyes, but sleep doesn’t call his name this time around. Someone else does, as the door swings open.
“Yoongi!” 
Yoongi groans and pulls the covers over his head, letting the weighted blanket settle around his body, but Hoseok peels it off his body without a struggle. 
“You could have called when you came back,” Hoseok opens the black out curtains, afternoon light flooding through the window and making Yoongi’s vision dance. 
“You could have called before you barged in.” 
“I did,” Hoseok settles on the edge of his bed, laughing when Yoongi kicks him off, “you didn’t answer.” 
“I was busy.” He sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes, the afterglow of his dreams fading from his mind. 
Hoseok looks at the suitcase still packed at the corner of his bed, at the instant noodle cups on the counter. “I see that.” 
Yoongi shrugs and reaches for the camera bag on his nightstand, fiddling with the zippers and refusing to meet Hoseok’s eyes. 
It’s quiet before there’s a sigh that paints the silence between them. Hoseok reaches his hand out, eyes a little soft, smile a little apologetic, and Yoongi gives him the camera. 
“So how was Greenland?”
“Cold. Colder than here. Not green at all.” Hoseok laughs at that, and perhaps it’s the weather, the lack of people Yoongi has seen the past few months, or Hoseok’s sunny disposition dispelling the shadows, but there’s a small warmth that blooms through Yoongi. “It was nice though. Nice pictures.” 
“I can see that. Did you have an exhibition in mind for these?”
“No. I just wanted a change of pace for a bit.” he clears his throat, trying to unstick the words clinging to his esophagus. “New environment. Clear my head. Look for new inspiration.” 
Hoseok hands him back the camera. “I signed you up for RKIVE LAB’s Valentine’s Day exhibition.”  Yoongi stops fiddling with the buttons and grips the camera  a little tighter. “Portraits of love. Pictures of people required.”
“I don’t take pictures of people.”
“You used to. Before.” Hoseok doesn’t say it—knows to shut his mouth even before Yoongi glares at him—but the presence of the words stains the air like an unwanted lens flare smudged across the picture. The weight of it lingers, glaringly obvious in the silence, as heavy as the blanket curled up at Yoongi’s feet. 
“Used to. Not anymore.” 
“That doesn’t mean you can’t do it again.”
“And that doesn’t mean I want to. Besides, I’m not ready for another exhibition.” 
“Yoongi,” Hoseok takes a seat on the bed and this time, Yoongi doesn’t chide him for it. “Your last exhibition was a year ago. You stopped photographing people for 8 months. 4 months ago, you decided—out of the blue, mind you—to pack up and visit Greenland, 2 weeks before your exhibition. Not only was PR an absolute nightmare, but you also scared me. I was worried about you.”
There’s a sense of guilt that trickles through him at Hoseok’s words. Yoongi hugs his knees to his chest and tucks his chin over them. He’d sink into the floor if he could, let it swallow him whole if it meant he could avoid the conversation, but knowing Hoseok, he’d continue, even when it closed back up. 
“You need to let go,” Hoseok squeezes his shoulder. 
“I need to sleep. I’m still jet lagged.” 
“It’s been a week since you’ve come back!” 
“Exactly,” he pouts, and tries to reach for his blanket, but Hoseok gently slaps his hands away. His voice softens when he opens his mouth, insecurity painting the edges.“I just don’t think I’m ready for an exhibit. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.”
“I think you just need to try.”
The sigh that leaves his body doesn’t do much for the heaviness that he can’t seem to dispel. He’s tried. Tried to take pictures, tried to photograph people, but he doesn’t know how to capture them without the lens of heartbreak, without finding pieces of his ex hidden in filters. He’s tried to forget, tried to remember, tried to drown everything out to the bitter taste of alcohol, and nothing worked. He tries, and nothing works. 
“I don’t know how to take pictures of people anymore,” Yoongi says weakly. 
Hoseok’s smile is bright, too bright, the picture of false reassurance. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve already made a call.”
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[Ready Or Not.JPEG]
[alt. Image: An out of focus, blurry, god shot, full body photograph of a girl. She wears a short red dress with thin straps and black platform boots. There’s a pink and green image/texture projected on top of her as she poses with her arms stretched over her head. The woman is not at the centre of frame, but more towards the right. The photograph appears to be taken hastily, as if the photographer was falling down when taking the shot.]
Yoongi’s forgotten how much light is involved with studio shoots: the moment he steps into the studio, there’s a flash of bright light, and there’s small spots of light dancing in the corner of his vision. He wants to go home, curl back into his cotton sheets, and hide under the covers. 
It’s convenient, he’ll admit. Outdoor photography, especially nature photography, means hours and hours of planning ahead, of trekking into the wilderness and adjusting lenses and camera angles, and tripod placements to get the perfect shot, only to have something—be it the sun, or a bug, or an animal, or a tree that decides to fall at that moment—interfere and ruin the moment. But indoor photography means that everything gets to be controlled, adjustable to his whims.
Yoongi fiddles with his camera settings, finger nervously itching for something to do in the unfamiliar environment. He’s not sure if he likes these kinds of photographs, the ones scripted and tweaked until perfection is smudged against the frame of the picture. He likes spontaneity, likes the unpredictability of nature, but he also likes the idea that everything can be adjusted, picture perfect, to the way he wants it. (No one leaves, no one hurts. Just pictures. Just his ideas.)
“I didn’t know we were getting a new photographer.” 
He spins around and almost stumbles backwards at the sight of you. He could easily have deemed you as one of the set pieces: clothes perfectly pressed, skin glossy, not a hair out of place. You're brilliant and dazzling and beautiful, pressurised to perfection, and Yoongi doesn’t know if he likes that. Doesn’t like the crisp edges of your pants, the sharp angles of your shoulders. 
“My name is Y/N. It’s nice to work with you.”
He stares at the hand in front of him for a second before wiping his palm on his pants. Your smile doesn’t fade as Yoongi gingerly shakes your hand. “Yoongi. I’m just here to watch Vante on shoot. I haven’t photographed people in a while, and our agent thought it would help me to watch him in action.” 
The way your eyes sparkle, light up brighter than the studio lights, feels uncanny: he knows he’s seen it before, but he’s not sure where. It stirs up a familiar feeling in his tummy, like the anticipation that builds just as he’s about to press the click of a shutter. 
“I’m sure you’re a lot better than you think you are,” your smile is warm, but it sends a chill down his spine. It feels wrong, like he’s stuck in the wrong picture frame, the wrong background. The ground is blurry, his head is light, and when he blinks, everything feels cold. 
“You’re a lot better than you think you are, Yoongi. I’ve seen the photos. I know you,” his voice is warm, and Yoongi can hear the smile in the way he grips his hands. “I want to see the exhibit you put up, and I know other people will too.” 
“Hey,” there’s a jolt of electricity when you touch him. He blinks, and your face is in front of his, brows knitted. “You okay? I lost you for a moment.”
“Fine,” his voice is scratchy, so he coughs to clear it. “I’m fine. Just-uhm-it’s been a minute. Memories. I haven’t stepped foot in a studio for a while.”
“You must have loved it. Taking pictures of people,” when he tilts his head and tries to make sense of your words, you smile and let go of his shoulder. “You wouldn’t have had such a visceral reaction if you didn’t love it. I’m a firm believer that the things we love never leave us. So you’ll find that spark again. I believe in you.”
When the shoot starts, Yoongi moves around, trying to remember what it was like to work with other people other than him, what it’s like to capture the soul of a human being through a split second. But his mind is still standing where you left him, trying to digest your words to the tune of shutter sounds and someone else’s voice. 
All throughout the shoot, he wants to puke, wants to unclog the memories that won’t drain and be forgotten. But they keep playing—over and over and over—and refuse to stop. He talks to Vante in a daze, but he’s unable to wake up from the voice that he hears over and over again—you’ll find that spark again, Yoongi. I believe in you—until your voice cuts through the fog. 
“Wait!” he grabs your wrist, and quickly lets go when you turn back, eyes wide. “Wait. i-uhm-have an exhibition and I was wondering if you would be interested. In being the subject.”
“I’m flattered, but-” you pause and bit your lip, eyebrows furrowed, and there’s that feeling again, the click of a puzzle piece falling into place: everything feels all too familiar and foreign at once, like a dream he knew long ago, a photograph he’s taken and forgotten about. Jamais vu and deja vu all at once.  
It’s stupid, he knows. But there’s something about you that he doesn’t know how to let go. He’s not sure he’s ready to let go. 
“What’s your exhibit on?”
“Love.” He takes a sharp breath in. The word feels a sucker punch to the gut, like touching a wound that hasn’t healed. “What it means to fall in love.”
He knows his face gives away more than he wants to, but you don’t press him for answers. You continue to smile and ask him other questions about his photography instead, but something about the way you pretend like everything is fine reminds him of him, and everything hurts more. He answers the questions, tries to see you instead of his outline over yours, but still sees him in the way your eyes smile, in the sharp raise of your brows, and the quick way you navigate his defenses and gives him his space. 
“I don’t know if I’m ready for an exhibit.”
“I don’t think we ever know if we’re ready for anything,” you smile, and he feels nauseous again, like something is trying to crawl out of him. He hears the voices in his head crash over him like a wave, drowning out the sounds of everything and everyone else. 
How do you know you’re ready? He hears his voice wobble from the weight of his sorrow, quiver from the pressure of composure. He can’t meet his eyes. 
“I don’t think we’re ever ready for anything, Yoongi. But we don’t know until we try.”
“But we do it anyway. Because we never know until we try, right?”
“Right,” he repeats soullessly. (He wasn’t ready then. He doesn’t know if he’s ready now. He doesn’t think he’ll ever be ready to move on.)
“So I’ll do it.”
Yoongi snaps out of his reverie at your words, blinks away the fog. “Pardon?”
“I’ll do it. I don’t want to be the reason you don’t do this,” you purse your lips. “I do have a favour to ask though.” 
“What is it?”
The smile that spreads over your face, slow and cheshire, makes him grip his camera tighter. “How do you feel about going to a party?”
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[Are You In Love.JPEG]
[alt image. Nighttime. A girl in a white dress on a rooftop with skyscrapers behind her. Her hair is blown back by the wind. Although her face is mostly turned away from the camera, there’s a hint of a smile on her face. Her eyes are closed as she spins around, dress billowing around her. The ends of the dress are unseen because the photograph cuts off at what would be her knees to show the cityline behind her. The skyscrapers are out of focus, blurry, so the girl is highlighted. Despite the lights in the background and the moon in the corner, she is the brightest piece in the photograph.]
Yoongi has never been a fan of parties or crowds. He doesn’t like the rush of people, of bodies pressed against each other as they slide across the floor; he hates how the lights are too dim and too bright. It’s too loud, bass amplifying his insecurities and dampening his social skills. 
Even at this gala, stuffed with people with important positions and famous titles, where the music is moderately loud and the tables are posh with red velvet tablecloths, Yoongi feels out of place. His glass flute feels awkward in his hand, tie a little too tight no matter how much he pulls it down. He knows he doesn’t belong here (or there or anywhere. It was always him who belonged and Yoongi who followed): security had stopped him before he entered telling him “paparazzi not allowed,” and gave him a once over when he fished out the invitation from his pocket, hesitantly letting him enter the venue and side-eyeing him the entire time. Minutes tick by, and there’s only so many hors d'oeuvres s he can devour, so he pulls out his phone to send you a text of rushed excuses (i have food poisoning. My pipes burst. My car broke down?) and hasty apologies. Just as he manages to get halfway to the exit, squeezing in between crowds, he sees you. 
A smile dawns over your face, and all his insecurities melt into the background. “I’ve been looking all over for you”
He points towards the buffet at the back. “They have good crab puffs.” 
You laugh at that, and he feels his cheeks stretch into a smile. The silence that hangs over the two of you now feels comfortable, like the world is dimming down to highlight you both, and Yoongi takes the moment to watch your eyes sparkle under the crystal chandeliers twinkling above you. You look at him, quirk an eyebrow and nod towards the exit. “Want to get out of here?” 
“Yes please.” 
You grab his hand, lace your fingers with his, and pull him up the stairs to the roof, letting go to run to the edge. He feels where your palm was in his, the loss of your warmth, and wants to reach back out to you. 
“How pretty.” The wind is cold, sinking teeth through skin and tearing through hair, but you cross your arms and fight back, planted firmly where you are to look at the view beneath you: small glimpses at people living their lives. 
Yoongi can’t take his eyes off of you. “Yeah. Pretty.”
“I like coming to the rooftops at parties. Sometimes, when the world is too loud and too much, I go up to the rooftop and I just stand here. ” your teeth chatter, and Yoongi rushes to take off his coat and drape it over your shoulders. Your fingers brush against his and something about you, he realises, feels like a fever dream: hot, hazy, and electric, even in the bitter chill of the winter winds. “I come up to the rooftop and I just look at people living their lives and wonder what I would be doing if I wasn’t here.”
Something about the way you look, empty and hollow, carves a hole in Yoongi’s chest. His fingers itch to reach for the shutter, bring it back to his eye and catch you in his view, but he fiddles with the camera strap around his neck instead. “What does it feel like? Being at the top?” 
What does it feel like? To be at the top? Yoongi writes and deletes over and over and over again. 
Your laughter sounds as bitter as the wind, but your smile is still fixed in place when you turn your body to meet his. “Like a rollercoaster. Only it’s going backwards as it goes up, so I can see the floor, see the bottom. I am always aware of how far I have to fall. I see the damage before it’s done, so I am always anticipating the drop.” 
Your shoulders sag, his jacket slipping down, and Yoongi, for a moment, thinks he sees stars glimmering in your eyes, catching the light of the city and threatening to fall. But when he blinks, all traces of it are gone and you’re back to the girl in the ballroom, smile shy and coy and knowing. 
“So what about you, photographer? What does it feel like to be in love?” 
His brows furrow and there’s a flush of heat blooming on his cheeks. His heart beats a little faster, staccato against his ribcage, like it’s trying to outrun the shame of being discovered. He’s not sure how you know, so all he can do is stutter. “I don’t-I mean-”
You raise your eyebrow, quirk your head to the side. “Isn’t that your exhibit theme? Explorations of love?”
“Oh,” before he can stop it, a film strip of memories starts playing through his head, snapshots of a relationship shelved in the back of his closet. It’s a slow slide show that sticks to his throat with every image, printed and smudged into the corners of his thoughts. He feels the corset of his ribcage tighten until he’s breathless, so he looks everywhere. Everywhere but you. “I don’t really know what love is supposed to feel like anymore.”
When your hand gently presses against his chest, Yoongi’s eyes widen, feet gently fumbling backwards from the chill of your fingers. “Does it hurt here?”
“What?”
“Are you heartbroken?” 
The words fall off your lips casually, like you were asking him how he took his coffee (no sugar, no cream) or how he liked his steak, and not plunging into his insecurities the way the cold of your fingers sink into his skin. The two of you blink in silence as Yoongi struggles to find the words. Everything feels wrong, his tongue twisting and falling to form the correct sounds—
“Stop thinking about it. Feel it here.” you press a little harder against his chest, “Are you heartbroken?” 
(Empty coffee cups, songs unfinished, laughter in the walls that he’s unable to scrub off. Yoongi remembers all of it.)
“Yeah.” it’s quiet, his voice stuck in his chest, but he sees the corners of your eyes soften and knows you hear his honesty over the howling wind. “I am.”
You retract your hand and hug his coat a little closer. “I don’t think there’s just one form of love, just as I don’t think there’s just one way to love someone. We love differently, and we love different people differently. Heartbrokenness is just another form of love. Just because they’re not there doesn’t change the way you love them or the fact that you love them. It just means all the love you have to give is still sitting here,” you bring your hand back to his chest, cover his heartbeat, “with no place to go. Isn’t that love?”
Isn’t that love? Seokjin asks him, sitting in the corner of Yoongi’s room. The sun casts a golden glow over his skin, kisses his dimples, and Yoongi swears Seokjin has always been more ethereal than mortal. “You take photos and bring me food when I forget to leave my desk because that’s what you know how to do. I write you songs and love letters because that’s what I know how to do. We say I love you in different ways, but does that make it any less love?
“I guess it doesn’t make it any less love.” 
You look his way and laugh, brilliant and dazzling and beautiful, and nothing in the sky can compare: not the moon, nor the comets, nor the galaxies. You laugh, and Yoongi hears the sky crumble into a thousand shooting stars. He fumbles with the settings, his heart rattling in his chest like the camera in his hands, but for the first time, the image through the lens doesn’t do the sight in front of him justice. 
But he tries anyway. He presses down on the shutter and tries to stuff your laughter into a freeze frame, even though he knows it won’t compare. 
It could never. 
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[____Struck.JPEG]
[Alt Image: A girl sits with her chin over her knees next to a floor length window as a rainstorm blurs the background into hazy lights. The lighting is dark, but there’s a flash of lightning outside as it lights up the girl’s face. She stares outside her window, at the sky, deep in contemplation.]
Yoongi finds that Seoul sparkles when you’re next to him. Even the bitter winter winds that blow through his parka can’t steal the warmth of your hand in his when the two of you walk through the streets. The two of you start to spend more time together, getting food and eating in your apartment and taking pictures of nature. You’ll have glasses and a cap and a mask on, and there’ll be more of you he can’t see than he can, and still he finds you to be the brightest star in the night sky. But he likes you best like this: dressed with a smile and his t-shirt, face free of the traces of your day, in bed with him. He’s not sure when he’s found himself to be at home in your place, but he finds himself there instead of his studio apartment. Outside the window of your penthouse apartment, he can see the Seoul skyline and skyscrapers: if he looks down, he can see smudges of people walking through the streets, living about their daily lives. 
Sometimes, he’ll wake up in the middle of the night to find you sitting on the floor, against the floor length window, looking at the world below you. 
“Come back to bed,” he’ll murmur, sleep still fogging his vision, and you’ll smile, set your tea on the nightstand, and wrap your arms around him as he pulls you closer to him until the andante of your heartbeats lull him to sleep. 
Tonight, however, your head is leaned up against the glass, watching as the rain pours down, and there’s something about the moment that makes Yoongi reach for the camera to take a quick shot. He knows the lighting is off and the shadows are dark, but something about the way you’ve tucked your knees under your chin and folded in on yourself makes you seem so small, so different from the girl he sees on the billboards and magazine covers and television shows. 
You turn around when the flash goes off. “I didn’t know you were awake.” 
“The thunder,” he explains, just as another flash of light strikes through the sky. You hum, but don’t move towards him: this time, you look back out the window. He’s tempted to wait for the lightning to strike again so he could have the shot of your face illuminated in light, but the image through his viewfinder looks so different from what he’s used to, so he takes the camera with him and sits down across from you. He leans his face against the cool of the glass.
“Hey,” you smile, but it doesn’t reach your eyes. He sees the shadows under your eyes, the build up from over night shoots, and it tugs his heart. There’s something beautiful about you like this, in the normalcy. 
“Hey,” the two of you sit in the silence for a minute. “Penny for your thoughts?”
Another flash of lightning, then a roll of thunder. “Just thinking about how many people are out there, just living their lives. I wonder if they all know me, if they have an opinion of me, if they’ve seen me act. I wonder who I am to them, if I am anybody at all.”
“What do you mean?”
You pull your fingers away from the glass, but don’t look at him. “I feel as though I am always playing a character. So, I wonder what character they know me as. If they would be interested in knowing who I am.” 
His hand reaches out to yours, and he moves his body closer to yours, until your knees are knocking against his and your legs are entwined. “I’m interested.” 
Another flash. You smile, but it fades as quickly as the lightning does. “What about you? Anything on your mind? You seemed pretty distracted earlier.”
It’s Yoongi’s turn to not meet your eyes. There’s a slew of umbrellas below, a bunch of colourful blobs against the pavement. (Seokjin liked the rain. Do you like the rain? He’s not sure.) 
“It’s nothing.” He can’t meet your eyes. 
“Is it hard to let them go? The one who broke your heart?”
Yoongi hears the way your voice softens, the way it carries through the room gently, the same way you asked him if he was heartbroken up on the roof weeks ago. You’re always a little more perceptive then he gives you credit for, a little too good at reading in between the lines. He lets out a shaky breath. “Yeah. Yeah he is. I still think about him sometimes. Sometimes, I still hear his voice in my head.” 
He feels your gaze on him, but neither of you say anything for a while. 
He knows you have a busy day tomorrow, jam packed with schedules and meetings and shoots and bits of sleep in between. (Not that your days are ever not busy. You’re always running from here to there, a blur of motion in the screenshots of his memories.) But the two of you just look out the window, at the storm that refuses to quell, and listen to the rain fall. 
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He wakes up next to the lingering warmth of your body heat, your shampoo still clinging to the pillows and sheets. There’s not much to do today, so he takes his time getting ready to go back to his apartment and edit. Just as he’s putting his toothbrush into your toothbrush holder, his phone starts to vibrate.
Before he’s even said hello, Hoseok’s voice cuts through the phone. “How’s your exhibit coming along?” 
“Good morning, Hoseok. How was your sleep? Mine was lovely, thank you for asking.” 
There’s a sigh that comes through the phone. “I slept great. So how’s your exhibit?”
“It’s coming along.”
“Word on the street is that you’re getting close to Y/N.”
He catches a look at himself from the entrance mirror and is glad Hoseok can’t see him right now. There’s a small constellation on the dip of his collarbone from a couple nights ago. “We’re working together on the exhibit, yeah.”
“Yoongi, I’m serious. I’m glad that you’re editing and taking photos; I really am. I just think—if you are more than just coworkers—you should take it slow. You remember what happened last time-”
“It’s not like that this time Hoseok.”
“I know. But it’s happened before. You always fall too hard, too fast and then you don’t know how to dig yourself out of the hole when it’s over. “
Yoongi gently shuts the door behind him, shoves his free hand into his coat pocket. “When do I need to send you the pictures?” 
Another sigh. This one is heavier than the other. “Next Friday.”
“Alright. I’ll see you then.”
“Just take care of yourself, Yoongi.”
“I know,” there’s a hum from the other end before he presses end call. “Trust me, I know.” 
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[Love Looks Pretty On You.JPEG]
[Alt Image: A girl turning around to smile at the camera as she holds the hand of the photographer. There’s a lens flare at the upper left corner of the picture. She glows as she smiles, sunlight hitting her cheekbones. The picture is a bust shot, and though the girl is in the centre of frame, she is slightly out of focus: the photo is mainly focused on the interlocked hands due to the depth of field.]
It’s strange how in love you are with the mundane. You like coffeeshop dates, holding hands in public, and the ability to walk down the streets without covering up your face, things Yoongi has never thought twice about. He prefers time spent in doors, tucked away with food and natural lighting. But you prefer the outdoors, the sun on your face, even if it isn’t the great outdoors. No, you like pavement and parks and everything in between if it means you don’t have to cover up. 
“I’ve never really had that,” you told him once, mouth stuffed with street food. “I’ve always been conscious of the way people look at me, how they’re going to view me, and the eyes. I’m always aware of people’s eyes on me. Growing up in the spotlight, working in this industry for so long meant I don’t get to have the normal things in life.”
So he tries to take you out more, though more often than not, it ends with the two of you running away from shadows and bright lights. More often than not, the two of you find your way to his or your apartment, tucked away from the eyes of everyone else with take out spread across the floor. He dreads the moment you pull your hands away from him, when the hands on the clock move too quickly for his taste. Tonight, however, he has you all to himself. 
So, he takes his time: delicately arranges the bouquet of purple across your chest and up your thighs, gently plucks your moans from your lips, and plants kisses on the field of your shoulder blades when the bloom of pleasure becomes too much. 
Your chest gently rises and falls under the white sheet, while his heart rapidly flutters inside his ribcage. Before he knows it, his fingers are on camera, trying to immortalise the moment before time takes it away from him too. 
When the shutter goes off, you bring your hand to his, pull his body to yours, and nuzzle your face in his shoulder. “So.”
“So?”
“Exhibition soon. Have you figured it out?” You pull back and trace your finger along the constellation you drew on to his chest. “What it feels like to fall in love?” 
He’s not sure. It feels fast: time seems to slip through his fingers when he’s with you. It feels slow: every moment is a picture frame, a freeze frame of a small infinity. It feels quiet: neither of you are loud, reveling in the silence and the quiet, sharing the same breath. It feels loud: you smile and he hears the sirens go off, ringing his mind until it’s drowned out by the pounding in his chest. I don’t know. It just feels different with you, he wants to say, but it sounds stupid in his head. It’s similar to how he felt like with Seokjin, but brighter, a saturation of colours and experiences. 
“Feels like you,” he tugs you closer. 
His brows furrow when you reach away from him, and he tries to pull you back: he reaches for your hand, but you slip away from him with a small smile. “Tea. I’ll be back.” 
He hears the pitter patter of your footsteps as you walk into the hallway, and he waits for you to come back. He waits and waits, until his eyelids grow too heavy.
When he blinks again, the light is shining through your curtains. The blanket is tucked under his chin, but the bed is empty. He rolls over, but it’s cold. 
The pillow doesn’t smell like you.
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[Apparition.JPEG]
[Alt Image: A picture of someone’s eyes. The eyes are staring directly into the lens. One eye is lighter than the other, due to the angle of the sunlight. Although they are in the center of frame, the face is turned slightly to the side, as though they turned around for this picture.]
It gets harder and harder to meet you through the interstices of your schedule: you text him less and less, and he finds himself trying to find every possible reason to see you. 
Did you eat? 
Are you free anytime soon?
I miss you.
Every short text finds an even shorter response, crammed between short breaks. He spends more time fiddling with his phone, shooting up at the glow of his screen, than he does with his camera. His camera sits on his nightstand, untouched for the past few days: every time he tries to take a picture, all he can see is you. You laughing at dumb cat videos he sends you. You squealing in delight as the unpredictable Seoul weather brings rainfall. You leaning your head against the glass, lost in thought. 
He sees you in unfinished pizza boxes and unfinished netflix shows and half empty mugs strewn around. He finds you in everything. So when you show up at his doorstep, pizza box in hand and hat over your head, he almost dismisses you as an apparition. 
You stick your foot in his doorway to stop him from shutting the door. “You’re not kicking me out so soon? Not when I brought pizza?” 
He takes the pizza box from you, still a little unsure if you’re real, but then you call his name.
“Hi Yoongi,” you smile, and it’s so much prettier than he remembers. He knows you’ve had a long day—eyes glazed, shoulders drooping, smile falling—and something about the way you’re trying to hold your smile makes a corner of his chest squeeze tighter, until it hurts to breathe. He’s not sure what to say, not sure how to move past the breathlessness, so the two of you wordlessly chew on your pizzas. 
When the tension grows thick, the silence hard to breathe through, the clump of feelings in the pit of his stomach feels harder to hold on to, so he blurts out, “I love you.” 
His confession rings through the room, echoes in the silence, and crashes against your chest. Though neither of you say anything, he continues to hear the ripples in his head, his voice repeating over and over again. You don’t look at him, and his leg won’t stop bouncing, his hands won’t stop fidgeting with the camera settings. 
“I love you,” he says once more, just in case you didn’t hear it. He hopes your silence is because you didn’t hear it the first time. He knows better, from the way you bite your lip (your nervous habit) to the way you shrink into yourself (another tick he’s noticed). 
“I should leave. I have an early shoot tomorrow.” you stand. The smile plastered on your face makes him want to hurl, too reminiscent of your first meeting when you held him at an arm’s distance. When Seokjin held him at an arm’s distance, right before he told Yoongi I don’t think I’m the person you’re in love with. I don’t think this is going to work out. When Seokjin smiled and told him I’m sorry but wasn’t sorry enough to answer the phone when Yoongi’s heart was bloody and broken and drenched in alcohol. 
“But I love you,” it’s quiet and hoarse this time, and Yoongi doesn’t know if you can hear it over the sound of his heart breaking, but you turn around. The smile on your face—brilliant and dazzling and empty—burns something in him, the hollowness of his chest suddenly swelling with rage.“Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“That,” Yoongi motions to you, brows furrowed and anger coating his tongue. “Stop looking at me like I'm a screenplay and a set, like you’re trying to read me and understand what I want. I don’t want anything from you.”
“That’s ridiculous. Everyone wants something.”
“Fine. I want you to be you. not what looks best on screen, not what you think I want you to be. But you. I want you to be you.”
“What’s that supposed to be like? Being me?” the anger lacing your voice, the way your smile drops quickly off your face, makes Yoongi’s anger fizzle out into a cold chill. “You don’t realise how biased the camera is, how you’re seeing the picture the way you want to, the way you want to frame things? Tell me you look at me and you don’t see what could be changed. that you don’t see how you would adjust the exposure, how to narrow or widen the depth of field.”
Yoongi doesn’t say anything, mouth glued shut and sticking together with shame. There’s a heat licking up his neck to his cheeks that burns through his skin and into his chest that only grows hotter when you continue. 
“My job is to give people what they want, squeeze myself into a character and a script. Become a fantasy they can project on. I’ve spent my entire life being different people and fitting myself into the role they want me to play. I don't exist, Yoongi. I only exist between action and cut. I am constantly in some form of a take. I am constantly shooting different movies for different people, being the different characters they want me to be. You want something from me too, Yoongi. Don’t you get it?”
He forces himself to look up at you. 
“Did you like me for me, Yoongi?” You tilt your head, eyes tired. “Or did you like me because something about me reminded you of your ex?”
Yoongi recoils, hurt spilling out of his veins. He opens and closes his mouth, but nothing falls out. Instead, it’s another roll of memories that plays through his head. 
I think we should break up, Seokjin tells him and Yoongi drops his fork. When you look at me, it feels like you’re seeing someone else, a version of me that exists only in your head. 
Who are you seeing when you take a picture, Yoongi? 
Who am I to you? 
What do you see through the lenses?  
When you smile this time, it’s more of a grimace, like his silence gives you an answer. Your eyes fall to the floor, shoulders trembling as you laugh humorlessly, and you start to leave.
Yoongi tries to say something—anything, the correct thing—and frantically pulls at his brain. “But I love you.”
That makes you stop. You stay at the doorstep, hand gripping the doorknob, but don’t turn to face him. He waits for you to say something, anything, for you to turn around. But you don’t. 
You open the door and close it behind you, never looking back. 
He’s alone again. 
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[alt.image: A black square. Darkness. The absence of light. The shade of broken heart. Is it nothing or everything? Is it too much or too little?]
Everything about you is intentional, from the tilt in your head (precise and exact, calculated) to the gleam in your eyes. The way your lips curl as you smile. 
He wonders if his broken heart was also something written into the script, if he was playing the role of a character he never signed up for, if his broken heart was something you calculated from the very start, just like the angle of your head tilts and degrees of your smile. 
His camera suddenly feels all too heavy, too fragile, and too much like his heart. If he wasn’t a photographer, would he have met you? In another world, would he have seen you through the view of his camera, just a subject and nothing else? No coffee dates and rooftop talks, no heartbreaks? He grips his camera tighter, and a flare of anger rushes through him, filtering every other thought and piercing through his vision. When he blinks and the lights settle, there’s a dull sense of pain near his foot and a dent in the wall. 
There’s shards of broken lenses on the floor, but he shuffles back to bed, sob clawing at his throat. 
Maybe you were like a film camera, brilliant and beautiful at first glance. Until the film is dipped into chemistry and developed and the errors are hung out to dry. 
So why does it hurt so much? 
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There’s a loud bzzt bzzt coming from the side of his bed as sleep clings to his eyelashes and glues his eyes shut, exhaustion still running through his veins. His fingers fumble, groping in the darkness, for the source of the noise until his fingers clasp around his phone and silence it. He rubs his face in his pillow and lets himself settle in again, sleep creeping back when—bzzt, bzzt—there’s another round of vibrations from his phone. Yoongi knows he turned on the do not disturb mode, so he doesn’t contemplate answering when his fingers make contact with his phone, pressing the side button to shut it off. 
He shuts his eyes, but sleep doesn’t call his name. Neither does Hoseok.
Instead Hoseok gently shuts the door after slipping off his shoes at the entrance. He makes his way over towards the bed, and Yoongi pulls the covers over his head. He waits for the tug, but it doesn’t come. Instead, there’s a gentle dip to the side of him when Hoseok takes a seat, silent. 
They sit like that for a while, Yoongi gently breathing—up and down, up and down—with a chest that feels broken and a heart that rattles inside his ribcage. He still feels the hum of alcohol in his system, sloshing in his lungs as they rise and fall.
“I’m sorry, Yoongi,” Hoseok’s voice vibrates through the silence. “I’m sorry you were hurt. But you can’t keep yourself holed up.”
Yoongi shifts under the blankets, but doesn’t say anything. He wonders if sleep would drag him under if he pretended long enough. His head is throbbing, and he wants another drink, but he knows Hoseok won’t let him while he’s still here. He knows because the last time he was heartbroken, he shut himself inside his apartment for two months until he was more alcohol than water. He stopped going out, stopped answering phone calls, stopped taking pictures because everything reminded him of Seokjin. 
Now that his camera is broken, he can’t be reminded of you. He drinks up until he can forget, until the film of memories is damaged, so he can fall asleep. When he wakes up and he remembers you still, he drinks up again to forget, shot after shot after shot. He doesn’t want to remember. 
“I called RKive. Told them you weren’t doing it.”
“Okay,” he whispers. Yoongi’s so tired and his head hurts, and he just wants to get this over with as quickly as he can so Hoseok can leave and Yoongi can pour out his sorrows into a shot glass that never seems to run dry. 
I don’t want to be the reason you don’t do this. 
He wishes he could stop hearing your voice in his head, stop seeing you in every corner of his room, stop smelling your perfume on his sheets. He just wants to go to sleep, dream in black. Stop remembering you. 
“I’m sorry, Yoongi.”
“Okay,” he whispers. 
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Are you heartbroken?
“Yeah,” the tears fall and his shoulders shake when he sobs. “Yeah, I think I’m heartbroken.”
“Oh Yoongi,” Hoseok hugs him close, and Yoongi lets out the wail that’s been stuck in his chest the past week. For the first time, he wants to let go instead of take in, so he weeps into Hoseok’s chest, until his throat is dry from the sounds it’s making. His body trembles from the stuttering in his chest and the remnants of his sobs. 
“I just want to stop hurting,” he hiccups into Hoseok’s shoulder as Hoseok gently pats him on the back. 
“I know. I know.”
“How do I stop hurting?”
Hoseok gently peels himself away from Yoongi until he’s looking at him directly in the eyes. “You have to learn to find closure. Whether that’s talking to her, making art, or just going about your routines until it doesn’t hurt anymore. You have to try.”
“What if I’m not ready to move on?”
I don’t think we’re ever ready. But we do it anyway. Because we never know until we try, right?
“Moving on isn’t a step; it’s a goal, Yoongi,” Hoseok squeezes his hands. “You can work towards it. But it’s a conscious choice we make and conscious steps we take. And when you make those steps, it gets easier to breathe and visit places you used to. And one day, you’ll look around and realise that you’ve done it. Maybe not completely, but enough. But you can’t just hole yourself up in your apartment or flee the country. You have to try.”
Hoseok’s eyes are soft when Yoongi looks at him, and Yoongi understands that he’s never allowed himself to move on from Seokjin, just slapped a bandaid over his wound and pretended it didn’t exist. When he met you, he used you as a gauze to staunch the injury and called it healing. He didn’t notice that he bled all over you, didn’t see that you were bleeding over the red of his blood on your wounds. You were trying to tell him you were hurting, and he was too fixated on how similar you were to Seokjin, how he found love again, to hear. 
“Hoseok,” Yoongi reaches out for his arm, squeezes his hand. “I want to do it.”
“Do what?”
“The exhibit,” his voice is muffled under his insecurities, but he wants this. “I want to do it.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he lies. “I think I need to do it. For me. To move on.” He’s not sure if he’s ready; he doesn’t think he’ll ever be ready. So he takes the step anyways. 
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Yoongi knows Hoseok is thrilled: he hasn’t stopped smiling since before the exhibition, when there was a crowd of people outside waiting to enter the exhibition, and even before that, when Yoongi was collecting the photos and taking more. Yoongi’s worked tirelessly through the nights to meet the Valentine’s Day exhibit deadline, but now that he’s here, he’s a little proud of himself. 
He should find Hoseok, tell him thank you. He should also talk to Namjoon, the owner, and congratulate Jimin, Namjoon’s assistant, on a successful exhibition. He should talk to Jeongguk, the painter, about the rose installation piece that’s at the centre of the gallery. He should talk to Vante about the giant photograph of a bird’s eye view of Seoul. He should, but he’s looking for you. 
You were the only guest he wanted to invite, even when Hoseok raised an eyebrow at him and asked him if he really wanted to do this. (He did. He texted you over the course of two weeks and deleted each message before it was sent. In the end, he sent you his heart the old fashioned way, with stamps and an envelope, and sealed it with the hope that you’ll receive it in time.) He doesn’t think you’ll come, so he tampers down the anticipation, tries to not look for your laughter or hear the way your eyes form crescents when you smile too hard. Despite the invitation, he doesn’t know if he’s ready to see you again, so he tries to keep himself busy and talk to the visitors about the pictures. He tries to not think about you. 
But it’s hard when you’re all he has up for his exhibit, when your face is at every corner. When you’re all he’s been able to think about. 
And as it slowly starts to get closer to the close, he tries to not be disappointed. He puts on a smile and asks Jeongguk about the sun and moon holding hands, discusses lighting techniques with Vante, and manages to make Jimin beam with pride when he compliments him about how nice the exhibit set up is. 
When the clock strikes 5, Yoongi packs up his camera and tucks it into his bag with his disappointment and begins to head out. 
“Take care, Jimin.”
“Bye, Yoongi!” Jimin chirps. “By the way! There’s a lady in front of your exhibit. I think she was captivated by it; she’s been standing there for the past half hour if you want to talk to her!”
A very familiar silhouette greets him. 
“I didn’t think you’d come.” 
You don’t turn around to face him, just stand there looking up at the picture of you smiling at the camera with the covers pulled up to your chin. He hears the people in the background, the faint hum of murmurs and laughters, but you stand there, quiet and arms crossed. He takes a step towards you before shuffling back to his original spot, shifting his eyes to the portraits before him. 
At first glance, you are the same girl in the portraits, but the longer he looks at the portraits, at you from the peripherals in his vision, the less the two of you look alike. The girl in the photographs is soft and bright and sunny, draped in warm light and colour corrections, saturated in happiness. The girl in front of him is worn down and exhausted, cloaked in disguises and fronts that she doesn’t have the strength to put on properly. “I remember this day, but I don’t remember it like that.” You nod towards the picture in front of you. 
“What’s it like? In your memories?” he asks, and wants to take it back. There’s too many questions bubbling inside of him—Did you love me? Do you remember how I smiled when you did? What do your frames of memory look like? Do they look like mine, painted in a golden filter?—but he doesn’t know how to develop them into words. He’s not sure he wants to compare the photographs of your memories in the fear it’ll corrupt his. 
You’re radio silent, so he stands there, shuffling his feet back and forth as his heart drops with each second. He understands what you meant, back at the rooftop, when you had said about riding a rollercoaster: he sees the answer to your question before you’ve spoken, sees the damage he’s caused through the lens of hindsight. Yet some part of him still wants to hear the words from you. 
“I don’t remember a lot of it. I remember it was going well. And then I just remember the hurt. I remember realising you saw someone else when you looked at me, just like everyone else. How I wished I could take back everything from the beginning. I wished I could take back the first time I met you. What would it have been like if I had said no? Would it still hurt?”
“I’m sorry,” his hand reaches out for you automatically, too used to the warmth of your body and the lull of your heartbeat to alleviate the stiffness in his chest, but he pulls his hand back as he realises there is too much space between the two of you: he’s not sure if you want to shorten the distance, if you want him at all. 
“Why did you say yes?” he asks instead of what he really wants to ask. “To this. To being the subject. You could have said no.”
“I could have.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“Because you seemed genuine.You looked like you were genuinely looking for a reason—for something, for anything, for purpose—and I liked that. I haven’t met a lot of people like that. Genuine. Earnest.” Your body turns to him, but your gaze is still brushing against the floor and clinging to your hands. “I think a part of me wanted, desperately, to be the source of your purpose. So I let myself believe that you genuinely wanted me for me.” 
“I think I loved you.”
“I think the both of us were looking for someone to love,” the corners of your mouth wobble, a pale imitation of the blown up picture of your smile on the wall. “Maybe that’s why it didn’t work. Because we were blinded by our desperation.” 
He doesn’t have anything to say to that. The way you look—so curled up in yourself and so vulnerable—slowly makes him realise there’s so much to you he wasn’t able to see. Were there more moments you tried to open up to him, only to have him turn a blind eye because he was still thinking about Seokjin?
“I wish I had met you later. Maybe in a different universe, you and I have a different story line, one where when you and I meet, I have learned to accept love and you have learned to accept heartbreak. Maybe we would have been ready for each other then.” Your smile wobbles, just as it did last time, and Yoongi’s heart wobbles too. When you start to walk away, he tastes the bitterness of his memories surfacing. 
“Wait!” he reaches out and grabs your hand, squeezes it a little too tight. When you turn, eyes wide, it feels like a scene he’s seen somewhere before, a picture he used to know. “We could. We could start over. We could make that universe this one.” 
“I don’t-I’m not following.” 
He drops your hand and offers you his. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Yoongi.”
“Yoongi, I’m not-”
“What’s your name?” 
“Y/N,” you tentatively take his hand and shake it. 
“It’s nice to meet you for the first time. This is my exhibit,” you smile, head tilted in confusion, but the light in your eyes is warm, so he keeps going,” and I was wondering if you wanted to get coffee? 
You bite your lip, but don’t let his hand go. He tries to keep his smile on his face, but his heart is beating with the force of a supernova and he feels his nails cut through the skin of his anticipation. When you look down at his hand, he knows you can feel the tremors that run through it, the electricity of anxiety crackling through his veins, but he keeps his eyes on you and the way your eyes search his for clues, for cues and stage directions. 
“Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that,” you smile, and it feels like the first time he’s seeing you. 
He’s not sure, this time, of the damage: he’s not sure he can anticipate the fall, the wreckage caused. Doesn’t know if he wants to. 
It’s a brand new film strip. A new camera. A new storyline. 
He’s never been more ready. 
250 notes · View notes
crinkle-eyed-boo · 2 years
Note
i need you to understand how excited i am about this new fic. mine would be you is my favorite fic in the entire world. i found it during quarantine and have been in love ever since. i harassed so many people into reading it because that’s how amazing it is. even made a trailer dedicated to it on my old tiktok account😭 i love your work so much and it deserves so much praise. is this one going to have art to go along with it like mwby?
Ahhhhhhh! I’ve seen two MWBY trailers on TikTok, one set to “Exile” and one set to Blake Shelton’s version of “Mine Would Be You,” which one did you make??? I fucking love them both, and I wish people would be less shy about tagging authors when they do things like this, because it’s like…the highest form of praise to me. Like my art made YOU want to make art about it???? It blows my mind. Thank you for sharing my fic with others, MWBY really has spiraled to something so much bigger than I could have ever dreamed.
(It’s partly why I’ve had quite a bit of anxiety when it comes to writing TBH because how do you follow that kind of success? How do you push yourself to be better? How I would love to sit down with Harry and Louis and talk about shit like this.)
Arise, Fair Sun was originally supposed to be part of last year’s Reverse Bang, so it will have art, but it will be in a different style than the MWBY art. The prompt came from the brilliant minds of @indiaalphawhiskey and @myfineline and they have been SO PATIENT with me as I’ve struggled in writing. @myfineline’s art contribution will be a playlist (which I’ve been listening to it as she builds it, and it’s awesome) and @indiaalphawhiskey will be making gif sets with dialogue FROM the fic which is like, art I’ve dreamed of getting, so I’m super excited. They will also be doing moodboards for me!
I’m so happy that people are excited, it really is a wonderful extra push.
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chatonne-rousse · 3 years
Text
Seventeen Reasons, Maybe More
Chat Noir has one request. It's a simple request, really, one he doesn't understand Ladybug's reluctance to grant. He just wants Multimouse to come back as part of the team once in a while. He's absolutely sure she would be an amazing hero, and he's going to tell his partner exactly why, as soon as she arrives for patrol. He's practiced this. He has a list. There's no way she can say no! Right?
Written at the request of @jennagrinsoverml.
Read it on Ao3 here.
***
Three things happen in quick succession. Ladybug lands on the roof, her yo-yo retracts with its telltale zip, and Chat Noir springs to his feet.
He's waited nineteen agonizing minutes for his partner to arrive, though that's partly his fault for getting here so early on her solo patrol night. He just...he has something he needs to say, and he's ready to say it. He's been ready.
"Hey, Kitty. I thought it was just me tonight. Everything okay?" Ladybug cocks her head and looks at him with mild concern. She seems to have already assessed that he's physically well and has moved on to trying to figure out if the same is true emotionally. She really is a wonderful partner, and he loves her beyond measure. That's why he doesn't understand why he even needs the list currently burning a hole in his pocket.
He smiles, hoping to put her at ease. That'll make this easier. Hopefully. "I'm just fine, LB. But I was hoping we could talk."
"O...kay," she says, her brows furrowing further. "What is it?"
Chat takes a deep breath, lets it out through his nose, and sets his shoulders, determined. "I think we should bring back Multimouse."
Any trace of worry slips from her face in an instant. She pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes. It's her turn to take a deep breath.
He waits, impatient and a little nervous. This isn't an auspicious start.
He resolutely ignores the fact that her pose reminds him of his father, mulling over his son's perceived transgressions with annoyance just before he relegates Adrien to his room for an indeterminate prison sentence.
Yeah, he's not focusing on that. Ladybug is not his father. He chooses to defer to her because she's proven to be a brilliant strategist, but he has no intention of prostrating himself in submission to one more person. If they're supposed to be equals, he deserves the chance to plead his case, at the very least.
She opens her eyes and lets her hands fall to her sides. He doesn't see a refusal in her expression, neither is it a look of capitulation. But that's okay. He has his list.
"Chat, we've talked about this," she says wearily, shaking her head just a fraction.
"I know we have. But I still think she would be an incredible addition to the team, even if it's just temporary." Ladybug opens her mouth to speak, but Chat barrels on. "You don't know Marinette, My Lady. Not like I do. She's so smart and creative! She comes up with plans to help people all the time. She thinks quickly on her feet and--" He stops when his partner snorts.
One eyebrow arched in derision, Ladybug huffs another laugh before muttering, "If she's on her feet at all. That girl is clumsy."
His blood turns to ice. "What did you say, Ladybug?" He himself is surprised by the timbre of his voice, deep and even and just hinting at the wave of defensive anger he's actively holding back. His partner is even more surprised.
"Oh, Kitty, I'm just joking!" She waves her hands in supplication. "Marinette and I are friends. I'm just as clumsy as she is, and she knows it." Ladybug smiles and his ire dissipates as quickly as it came. "So do you, in fact."
"Of course. I could never forget the first time I met Miss Maladroit."
"Don't I know it." Ladybug rolls her eyes, folding her legs beneath her to sit cross-legged on the roof beside him. She gazes up at him, eyes shining, and pats the spot next to her.
Whether the decision to place herself in a position beneath him was deliberate or not, it doesn't escape Chat's notice. It also doesn't feel right. He lowers himself to the roof beside his partner, back to equilibrium. Sort of.
"So, Chaton," she says, bumping his shoulder playfully. "You were extolling the virtues of our mutual friend Marinette?"
His cheeks heat. "I don't know that I was doing that, per se. But I stand by what I said. She's pretty awesome. And she would make the best teammate. I know she would."
Ladybug is silent for a long moment before she sighs heavily. "Chat, I know you want to bring her back, but it's just not a good idea."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, My Lady." He unzips his left side waist pocket and produces his handwritten list with a flourish. "It's a great idea, and I can prove it."
She blinks.
He continues, undaunted, as he unfolds the paper and snaps it crisply. He chooses to ignore his partner's facepalm.
"Number One: Marinette is smart."
"You already said that." Her voice is muffled behind her hand but he can still understand her. Also, just because she's right doesn't mean he plans to respond.
He has a list to read, after all. He does skip numbers four, seven, and twelve, since he already said she was creative, helpful, and quick-thinking. Chat is so glad he made the effort to put this together so he didn't forget anything. And Plagg made fun of him for spending such a long time on it!
"...and finally, Number Seventeen: Marinette is a super fast learner, and I know she would be a pro at this in no time."
In his mind, he can hear Plagg's drawl from over his shoulder as he completed the list last night.
"Hey, kid, you forgot Number Eighteen: Marinette looks really good in grey and pink."
"Come on, Plagg," he sighs in exasperation. "You know it's not like that."
"So you don't think she looks cute as Multimouse?"
A pause. "I don't think I've ever said either way whether I did or didn't."
"You're barely making sense, kid. Also, you're blushing."
He scowls. "Don't you have some Camembert to stink up my bedroom with?"
Plagg produces a piece of cheese from seemingly nowhere. Adrien wrinkles his nose in disgust.
"I can have my cheese and watch your disaster unfold at the same time, don't worry."
Ignoring his kwami, he carefully folds the paper and tucks it in his desk drawer. He'll have to remember to put it in his pocket after he transforms tomorrow. He smiles, thinking about the possibility of working with Multimouse again if he's able to convince Ladybug. Marinette is such a great friend, and this would be the perfect chance to spend more time with her...even if she won't know exactly who she's hanging out with.
"Oh, kid," Plagg laughs, snapping Adrien from his reverie. "You're a mess. I love it."
Adrien rolls his eyes good-naturedly. Plagg is a pain in the butt, but life would be so boring without him. "Love you, too, buddy."
Chat looks from the folded paper in his lap to his partner, awaiting her response. Her expression is unreadable but she seems to be trying to read him very, very carefully.
"Chat Noir," she says at last, "are you in love with Marinette?"
"What?" he sputters. "How did you get that from anything I said?" What was wrong with everyone? If he had a nickel for every time... Chat shakes his head. "No, LB, I'm not in love with her. Marinette is a very good friend."
She lets out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, she's got a couple of those."
Chat smiles warmly, happy at the thought that even Ladybug knows about their friendship. It's so important to him, whether hero or civilian, on her terrace or in class.
"You know you’re the only lady for me, Bugaboo, but it’s funny," he says with a wry laugh, "she actually reminds me a lot of you. One time I even--" He stops himself just in time. Ladybug doesn't need to know that tidbit from the Heroes Day picnic. He shrugs, still grinning. “The pigtails and blue eyes don’t help, I guess.”
Her eyes search his again for several long, almost uncomfortable moments. He hopes she finds what she's looking for. He couldn't be more sincere about this.
Finally, she sighs and asks, “I know she’s your friend, Minou, but have you considered her safety?”
Oh, he has that one covered. "Did you miss Number Three: Marinette is brave? She's stood up to bullies and authority figures and...and even really strict parents,” he says, ticking each example off on his fingers. “Not everyone can say that."
Ladybug stares at him for a moment. “How do you even know all those things, Chat?” She facepalms again and shakes her head. “Wait, no, don’t tell me.” She sighs again. “This is...a lot.”
To be quite honest, he doesn’t know why he wants this so badly. He cherishes the moments of fun with his partner outside the heat of battle (though even akumas can be a sort of thrilling fun of their own) and would happily share the role with just her, the red and black yin to his black and green yang.
But Adrien hasn’t been able to shake the memory of his friend’s bright smile and brighter spirit, her bravery in the face of unknown adversity, the way she executed that brilliant plan with Ladybug so perfectly that day, with no previous training whatsoever. Sweet Marinette, kind and just and selfless, was meant to be a hero. He knows it. And it isn’t fair that Ladybug is refusing to give her another chance just because of a misunderstanding.
He knows that if the roles were reversed, Marinette would fight for him. She’s amazing like that. This is the least he can do.
“Bug?” Chat asks quietly. He watches Ladybug’s hand slide down her face before her eyes meet his. “I know you’re the Guardian and not me, and I respect that. I really do. But please, My Lady, could you trust me, just this once, to choose a hero? Please?”
Her face falls, stricken, and his heart squeezes in his chest. He hadn’t meant to upset her. His mind is suddenly awhirl with how he can do damage control on the situation.
But she speaks before he can. “Oh, Kitty,” she breathes. “I do trust you, I promise. I know it must not seem like it sometimes, and I’m sorry.” She huffs a breath and looks down at her spotted hand where it now rests on his steel toes. “Being the Guardian is really difficult. These are big decisions, and…” She trails off, then looks up at him again.
Once more, her eyes search his. Once more, he wonders why she’s so reticent about what seems like a great suggestion for a hero.
He doesn’t understand why he’s had to fight so hard for this, when he knows that Marinette is a friend of Ladybug’s, too. None of it makes sense.
But as usual, he’ll defer to his partner. He’s said his piece on the matter.
“Okay,” she says at last, with yet another sigh.
A giddy glee rises in his chest and sings through his nerves as his face lights with a grin wide enough to make his cheeks ache.
“Thank you, Bugaboo!” She winces at his volume, so he tones it down. He can’t tone down his excitement, though. “This is going to be amazing! I can’t wait to tell her!”
“Calm down, you crazy cat,” she admonishes, though she’s fighting a smile. “I need some time to think about how we can do this, and we’ll have to have rules. Don’t look at me like that, Chaton, you know it’s true!”
He waves a gloved hand. “It’ll be fine. It’ll be more than fine. You’ll see, My Lady! You won’t regret this!”
For just a moment her smile looks more like a grimace, but when he blinks, that strange look is gone.
He stands, reaching out a hand to help his partner up as well. As she brushes herself off and reaches for her yo-yo, she watches him tuck the list back into his pocket.
“I’m still annoyed that your suit has pockets and mine doesn’t.”
“Isn’t your yo-yo equipped with infinite storage?”
“Pssh. That’s beside the point.”
After a beat of silence, their shared laughter echoes across the rooftops.
Ladybug unhooks her yo-yo and prepares to zip off for her slightly-delayed patrol. “Good night, Kitty,” she says warmly. “Marinette is lucky to have a friend like you.”
“Good night, Bug. And...thank you.”
She nods once, and then she’s gone.
Chat Noir sits down again, his feet swinging idly from the edge of the roof. He could - and should - go home, but the thought of his lonely bedroom is less than appealing. He’d love to stop by a certain pink, flower-filled terrace on the way back, though he doesn’t think he could keep this news a secret, and Ladybug clearly needed time to plan. He isn’t sure why it requires a plan, but, well, he’s not the Guardian. There’s probably a lot more to it than he’ll ever know.
He thinks of his dear friend and how excited she’ll be to find out she has a second chance to be a hero. He thinks of the fun they’ll have on a cat-and-mouse chase (he laughs out loud at his own joke) across rooftops on patrol, the pastries she’s sure to bring for them to share, the warmth of spending time close to someone he cares about so much.
He can’t wait to tell Plagg the list actually worked!
When he stands up a few minutes later, his heart is light. He can face returning to his lonely house knowing that he’ll see his friends tomorrow, including a soon-to-be part-time superhero. And best of all, by trusting his choice, Ladybug trusted him.
It’s late and he should probably be quieter, but as Chat Noir vaults from the rooftop toward home, it’s with a loud whoop of pure joy.
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lovelivingmydreams · 4 years
Text
The guy from the foodcourt
So @reddstardust made a few really cool doodles. And one made me want to write this. So show them some love as well! Enjoy!
This is part of this bigger story, first chapter here
Nico groaned in frustration and banged his head on the desk.
There were piles of discarded notes around him. Why was this so hard?
“Okay so change of medium didn’t help,” Félix relented. Nico could hear his creativity was getting frustrated as well, though he was trying to stay positive for his sake.
“All it did was desecrate some poor tree’s memory,” Alejo pointed out in dismay.
“I’ll recycle the paper,” Nico sighed. What to do?
“It’s cramped in here. And too dark,” Alejo complained trying in vain to get comfortable on the windowsill since there was literally nowhere else for him to sit.
He had a point. The window didn’t exactly let in a lot of light and the lightbulb wasn’t helping that much.
“That’s it! A change of scenery! Brilliant idea!” Félix grinned at his opposite/partner in crime.
“Hm… I don’t know about brilliant, but it’s okay,” the darker facet agreed.
Nico nodded. Maybe he could go to the mall…
“Who knows! The people passing by might yield inspiration!” Félix pointed out eagerly.
“But we gotta focus. No side trips, no distractions. We get there, we get inspired, we write the song and we’re out. No shopping. This song has to be done by the end of the week or Diego is going to get mad at me for not keeping you two in check!”
Alejo always turned just a bit darker and scarier when he drew a line in the sand.
Félix put a hand on his heart and raised his other, palm facing Alejo.
“I swear on my spectacular spectacles, my tense friend. No unneeded distractions.”
“By Aphrodite’s hairbrush!” Félix exclaimed, his star shaped frames shifting to hearts.
“Nooo!”
“Just look!”
Nico had just sat down and looked up under ‘mild’ encouragement from his creativity, who also covered his hormones. Well his desire for romance and other… Well desires in general. Success, love, happiness. All that stuff.
Right now his attention, and therefore Nico’s, was drawn by a handsome stranger ordering food at one of the shops in the food court.
“Just look at him! He’s so cute!” Félix gushed. And Nico couldn’t disagree. He was very handsome.
He also looked rather tired.
“We don’t have time for this. Besides he doesn’t look in the mood to be bothered anyway,” Alejo argued, though Nico could hear a bit of doubt. The guy was really cute.
“Maybe bothering him will get him in a better mood? Let’s take a chance, what do you say?”
“We don’t even know if he’s gay!”
Félix clapped in delight right as Alejo groaned at his accidental rhyme.
“No distractions, you promised!” his inner edgelord insisted as the man sat himself down at a table and Nico went back to his blank screen.
“But love!” Félix whined. “Can’t that be the only exception?”
“Not when we have people waiting for a new song! Maybe if we get at least an idea down, then we can think of talking to the guy. If we can find a non-creepy reason to do so.”
Félix groaned but relented his frames going back to star shaped.
“Very well! Brainstorming time!”
Nico wrote down at least a hundred beginnings of ideas already, but most seemed to be at least somewhat related to the cute guy sitting a few tables away.
“Come on royal pain! You are killing me here!”
“Maybe if I could just chance a glance at him? He might be our muse!” Félix pleaded.
“That makes no sense.”
Before the argument could escalate Nico’s food arrived.
He was honestly relieved. He could put the laptop away for a bit and just let his thoughts go free for a moment. Hopefully not drifting towards…
From the corner of his eye he could see the guy get up. Welp that didn’t take long.
“He’s coming over!” Felix declared triumphantly.
“You don’t know that! Don’t get Nico’s hopes up!”
Nico tried to focus on his food, but it was impossible not to sneak a peek as the guy passed by. Oh, he did not mind that view either. “Look away before he sees!” Alejo hissed.
“He looks so fine!”
“He could still be a jerk. Or already dating someone. Or straight!”
“Oh come on Misery Business. There is nothing straight about that guy. My gaydar is on point and he is 99% gay. And if he had a boyfriend, he would be here with him. Or he’d at least be in a better mood,” Félix argued.
“One, you do not have me convinced gaydar is a real thing. Two, there are a ton of situations where he could have a boyfriend while also being here alone and in a bad mood. Having a relationship does not join you at the other person’s hip and it does not get rid of all the bad things in life.”
Alejo had a point there…
“And again, we should try to work on the song!” Another good point.
“Please, my dearest Paramour. One more look.”
Alejo sighed. “Fine! Just one.”
And so Nico looked up and…
“Oh god! Eye contact he caught you!”
“He’s looking back! Maybe he wants you to be looking at him!?”
“Is he looking at us? Maybe there is something behind us?”
Nico looked back, he couldn’t see anything much of note. But when he looked back at the stranger he was no longer looking at him. It was like he never even really noticed him sitting there.
“By the frozen head of Disney!” Félix exclaimed. He was clearly upset. He only made morbid Disney references when he got really down.
Alejo sighed a little relieved, but put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It’s fine. Let’s finish our meal and maybe we can come up with a song idea? Then after we can try and talk to him?”
“Would you really?” Nico thought it was awesome that his creativity and his anxiety got along so well. They looked out for one another. And pulled pranks on him and his other facets. They were a terrifyingly efficient team.
“Of course. Now what do you say?”
Félix nodded. “Let’s focus.”
And Nico got into the zone. The whole mall seemed to disappear around him except for the food in front of him. He knew he wanted to make something about mental health. He just didn’t know what aspect of it yet.
Then suddenly he heard a loud crashing sound nearby.
He looked up and could only just see a figure in an upturned trashcan.
Poor soul.
“Same,” Alejo smirked as he returned their attention to their work.
But that… Was actually not a bad idea.
“It’s a metaphor for life!” Félix gushed!
“Like how not dealing with an issue head on can cause it to pile up and before you know it bam! Disaster.”
“Are you trying to say something about…”
“Order 96!? Anyone?” Nico’s head snapped to the food stand and then over to the table where the mystery guy had sat earlier.
“Noooo!” Nico shared the musician’s sentiment. The handsome stranger was gone.
“He left without his food?” Alejo frowned. Nico got up and approached the table, indeed, the number 96 was sitting there abandoned and forgotten. He’d missed his chance. Now he’d never know.
“Would bringing him his food be an acceptable excuse to talk to him?” Félix asked desperately.
“Um… Yeah, sure. That’s probably the only reason we can justify chasing him down,” Alejo nodded nervously.
So Nico claimed the food and started walking around hoping to spot.
“Adonis at 8 o’clock!”
Nico’s head snapped in the direction Félix had pointed out and there he was, looking like the day had somehow gotten worse since Nico first noticed him.
Should he…?
Félix looked pleadingly at Alejo who sighed. “Well? Are you waiting for a written invitation or what?”
At that Nico immediately ran up to the guy. “Uh, Hey!” he called out still not sure what he was going to say.
When he came to a stop in front of him he realized that first and foremost he needed to catch his breath. It took him a second, but when he did he righted himself and gave the guy his best smile.
“There you are,” he sighed in relief. “I was afraid you’d left.” And that would’ve blown.
“You almost forgot your food…”
“He’s even cuter up close,” Félix sighed dreamily.
“He’s staring at us like we have two heads. This was a bad idea,” Alejo cringed.
He was staring at him kind of funny. Come on something to talk about… He really whished the guy was wearing a bracelet or anything of note to start a conversation about other than a bag of boiled carrots. And his sad look from earlier.
“Brilliant! Ask about that! Show how caring you are.”
“Well… We don’t have anything better so…”
“You looked really upset so I figured it might be some kind of comfort food or something. You mind kind of telling me about that?”
Please?
Nothing happened. Still staring strangely spooked at him. “Abort mission. I’m sorry Félix but this is not going to end well if we keep pushing!” Alejo rushed.
“Oh, very well. Goodbye handsome stranger,” Félix allowed reluctantly.
“It’s okay!” Nico rushed shoving the bag of food towards the stranger before he could do something to embarrass himself more. “Uh, it’s probably a bit too nosy for me to ask anyway.”
“Uh… Yeah!” The stranger replied, god why did even his voice have to sound so pleasant? And that while he was clearly 100% uncomfortable talking to him.
“Super nosy!! What’s wrong with you…man?” Nico would take offence, but he could see that the stranger was desperate to get out of the situation as fast as possible.
“We made him feel worse,” Alejo sighed guiltily.
“We didn’t mean to!” Félix argued.
“Does the intention matter? Look at him?”
“Ahhh, yeah… sorry about that. Have a good night.”
And so Nico turned around and walked away a little disappointed.
Neither Alejo nor Félix had much to say now, just allowing Nico to feel for a minute. And then he heard shoes squeaking and a voice behind him. “Uh…”
He looked around. The stranger. “Did he change his mind?!” Félix squealed.
“Maybe he just realized he was kind of rude and wanted to say sorry?” Alejo reasoned.
“Hey,” he greeted the stranger expectantly. He still looked really tense.
But now he was at least smiling. And it was a real cute smile.
“Hey…” he waved before showing him the bag of carrots. “Do you want this food? I… don’t.”
“What?” Félix and Alejo chorused confused and Nico couldn’t help but laugh.
“Then why did you buy it?” he asked.
The stranger looked away nervously and rubbed at the back of his head as he stammered trough his reply. Sending Félix into a squealing frenzy. The words cute and precious and all kinds of variations could be heard.
“Oh y-…pah-uh…Well it’s probably… you know, maybe because I was trying to see your backpack…”
Nico blinked confused as Alejo was trying to figure out what was so special about it. “Just ask him!” he eventually hissed as the uncertainty got to him.
“Wh-uh, my backpack?”
The stranger was still avoiding his eyes most of the time, a slight blush showing up on his cheeks.
“Yeah… I-I wanted to see if you had any… pride pins…”
Nico could only half follow the strangers explanation about not wanting to bother him because Félix was screaming and Alejo was screaming.
“Gay! He’s so definitely gay!”
“He wanted to know… He is interested!?”
“Oh gods, oh gods, this is amazing! He is so wonderful and earnest and just look at him he’s so worried he’s being weird! Just aaaah!”
“Which would’ve been amazing because I think you are really… cute.”
And then everything went quiet. Cute… He thinks I am cute…
“Don’t just stand there say something!”
“Oh… my… gosh…”
“Not that!”
“You should’ve just said ‘hi’!”
And the shy hopeful smile he got was just the most beautiful thing in existence.
“Oh-oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I had writers block anyway.”
Alejo gave Félix a playful shove at that.
“Oh! Uh… w-what were you trying to write? Uh, Misterrrr…?”
“Shut up, stop being adorable, my heart cannot take it!” Félix gushed.
Nico laughed. “Mr. Flores. Very formal of you! Uh… You can call me Nico if you’d like.”
The man laughed back, still a little tense but much more at ease than earlier.
“Mr. Sanders! But you can call me Thomas.”
“Thomas,” Félix repeated with a sigh, clearly halfway a plan to write an entire song just around the name alone somehow.
“To answer your question. I was attempting to write a song,” he explained as he led them both to the nearest table. He was planning on staying for quite a bit longer.
“Oh! I like… songs.” Nico smiled a little to himself, he wasn’t looking at him but he could already discern the little mental ‘are you kidding me?’ Thomas was thinking to himself at that answer. Nico, or more specifically Félix, had a suspicion of what he meant.
“He’s an artist too!!!” the master writer exclaimed.
“We don’t know that,” Alejo insisted.
“What’s yours about?”
Ah if only he knew the answer to that. “Uh… I don’t know yet. I- I think I like the idea of someone’s life…” No not quite. “or an aspect of their life feeling like… a trash bin.” Thomas’ face at that wasn’t encouraging, but he wasn’t finished explaining yet so the idea wasn’t a complete loss yet.
“And- and the waste keeps piling… and piling up… until it inevitably… spills out… into the rest of their life.” He smiled at Thomas expectantly, hoping he’d like the idea at least a little.
His face became deadpan though and just as Nico started to worry…
“You saw me knock over that trash can didn’t you?”
Oh, my… “That was you!?”
“We could’ve been his hero?” Félix whined.
“He would not have liked us seeing him like that. Imagine if it were the other way around?”
Félix shivered and nodded in understanding.
As it was the realization that Nico didn’t have a clue until now, and he’d had outed himself as ‘the trash man’ was clearly embarrassing enough on it’s own.
“OH- gosh… yes. Dang it!” he confessed as he hid his face behind his hands.
“Are you okay?” Nico asked earnestly though he couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice or face.
Thomas was laughing as well. “Nothing but a bruised ego,” he assured him.
Félix huffed. Nico knew that to him a bruised ego was a serious condition that should not be glossed over. But Nico kind of liked that Thomas was able to laugh at the situation already.
“Sorry if my song explanation… uh, hit a little too close to home.”
Thomas’ earnest smile melted his heart.
“No, it’s fine. It’s true! I do tend to… waste a lot of opportunities in my life.”
“Was that a pun?” Nico’s facets asked shocked.
“Well,” he smiled as he took the bag of carrots. “Let’s not waste this one,” he suggested.
Next chapter
Nico’s head and heart were buzzing with excitement the whole rest of the day when he came home he threw himself on the couch. 
“AAAAAAAH!” Félix and Alejo screamed in jubilation.
“An actor and a singer?” Félix gushed.
“And he has good taste in music and in movies,” Alejo pointed out.
“He did a tour with his own musical! Is he even real?”
“How was he so modest about it?”
“Would it be okay to look him up?” the boisterous facet wondered, phone already in hand.
“Well, he said it was fine if we did… but maybe not right away?” the usually restrained man was vibrating with a mix of happy and scared nerves.
“I need a minute…” Nico sighed dreamily.
“Oh. Of course. We’ll be right here when you need us,” Félix assured him as he and Alejo retreated to the mind to tell the others all the details they might’ve missed.
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werewolf-cl4ws · 3 years
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Random head cannons for my AU because these require oddly specific questions I don’t think I’ve ever seen ask memes have.
A lot of these I do have something to back them up with, but others it's just logical hilarity to me because I can.
Kitty!Sonic:
- absolutely mistrusts/gets annoyed by anyone that is an "authority figure" (i.e. adults "in charge", leaders, etc) but does nothing to actually be useful. As a kid he was always told to listen to the adults because "they know best", but after the coup and seeing a good number of adults doing everything in their power to just save their own hides or hiding, it fucked him right off. Only adults he’s ever respected were his uncle and Rosie (Rosie took some time to gain that trust though because why the hell is she teaching us maths when people need help???). Bookshire is another but he does fight Bookshire on occasion because Sonic hates fussing with medical stuff.
This carried on into his own adulthood, and it’s hilarious whenever someone points out he’s the adult now as it sets off his aversion to being older, but if he has to be called an adult then damnit he’s gonna be a USEFUL one at least.
And yes he has confirmed on many occasions that he can and will flip off King Acorn if he plays up. What's he gonna do, ground him? Arrest his for treason? He flipped off Robotnik, he ain't scared of no thing.
- his uncle was brilliant with robotics and mechanics and science. Sonic has literally zero idea about any of those. And yet he’s weirdly good at chemistry. But he doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to use this so no one knows this, but Rotor has come by chemistry formulas mysteriously solved if he leaves them out on his workbench after a night of wracking his brains over why something isn’t working. How does Sonic know this? Nobody knows, Sonic will never tell either, and will deny he’s even good at it.
- he’s also very good at physics, in that he knows exactly how to break physics to do impossible shit. He’s great at figuring out just what angles he needs to shoot himself into to get the most air time, how much speed and lift to land in the exact spot, etc. It all happens automatically to him (it has to, going at the speeds he does there’s literally no time to plan this shit) but if someone asks him he will actually figure it out in the spot with freakishly good accuracy, and can do it not just with him being the projectile but any object (he has worked out perfect catapult trajectories before and it still baffles everyone to this day). Again, he doesn’t know how he knows this, will never tell anyone he knows how to do this, and will deny he knows this.
- he’s also good with musical instruments. Obviously his favourite is the electric guitar, but if you give him a sheet of music and at least an hour to mess around with the instrument he’ll work it out. Getting to watch him play the violin is a rare but delightful treat. This is his special interest, the thing he would have gotten into if the world hadn’t gone to shit. He doesn’t get to indulge in it as much as he’s like but he loves music and could ramble about it for hours on end if given the chance.
The con of this though is that he's really good at identifying music, including ones from operas and orchestras. Sally takes great delight in making him identify both because he does get embarrassed about it, but his pride doesn't allow him to just not pick them out.
- he likes to cook, but he prefers recipes that allow him to leave things to cook without him needing to watch it once it’s prepared. So baking, roasting, slow cook stuff like soups and chili, that’s his jam. Anything that’s gonna be a long haul he has to be basically trapped in his hut to do it without wanting to go nuts (so extra cold days where being outside would be hell are good cooking days).
- during the summer he sleeps in a hammock. During the winter he sleeps in a bed and practically buries himself in blankets.
- loves bubblegum. Gum balls, sticks of gum, whatever. If it’s gum he loves it. Unfortunately it is non existent thanks to the coup (shelf life of gum is terrible) so finding any that’s not terrible is an amazing day.
- milk and cookies is oddly a comfort food to him. Something about the simplicity of it just works for him, and ridiculously shit days are made better by it. Default choc chip cookies work best.
- he hates spiders. More specifically, he hates when you see a spider, look away, then look back only to find the spider is gone. Spiders themselves don’t bother him until they do that, but once they do he has to fight himself to not just set whatever building or dwelling he happens to be on fire in order to solve the issue of having to deal with it later.
- he’s about .0001 seconds away from just walking away into the forest and never coming back. He won’t do it because he honestly doesn’t want to abandon his friends… but he’s so close to just becoming a cryptic in the forest. He has wandered off before when things get super annoying, but someone always drags him back, much to his endless frustration.
Sally:
- can’t cook for anything. Sonic has seen her burn water. Toast somehow always ends in fire. No one ever attempt to drink her coffee for your own sake.
And yet somehow she makes really, really good pancakes. Like ridiculously good. She makes them very rarely because she’s always busy with something and has been banned from all kitchens, but when she does they’re amazing and no one can figure out how this happens.
- if she’s snacking on nuts or anything that doesn’t go soggy (like hard/dry fruits, or extra crusty breads) she will sometimes keep some in her cheeks. Not to the point that her cheeks will be bulging with them, but if she’s working while snacking she will just stash some away so she can focus on what she’s doing, and then when she’s done just finishes those off. This only happens when she needs to focus so she’s pretty discreet about this and has perfected talking/quick chewing with them if someone interrupts her.
- she loves video games, but because they’re so hard to come by thanks to the coup she doesn’t get to play as often as she’d like. She knows Sonic, Tails and Rotor has some stashed away and has played them on the sly, which has left them wondering how their high scores got beaten or how new levels have been unlocked. Though she has to be careful about this because if she’s left alone with them long enough she will just play them until either she finishes the game, or someone physically drags her away from it. This is probably her only weak point in terms of something that can just pull her away entirely from everything.
- she is very, very neat… only because she literally doesn’t make a mess of anything thanks to her one-track mind. If she’s working on a plan or something that needs a lot of research she will basically just make a pathway to her desk and bed and leave everything else undisturbed. She will still shower, only because the shower is just another place for her to think without interruption. This is a big factor on why she can’t cook for shit, too. She just… doesn’t. At all. Because she’s gotta work. Work is life because they may literally die if she can’t figure plans out
- she is genuinely fascinated by legends and myths, which we see a lot of in SatAM. Although she does sometimes dismiss some legends or myths as just stories, if she finds anything that even hints at it being real, and if time allows it, she will chase it down. If it’s anything that might be especially useful in their fight she will go for it after doing a ton of research to make sure she’s got every angle and possibility down. The researching to that extent is due to her own perfectionism, but also because if the expedition turns out to be a bust it could mean time that should have been spent on something else/time being away from the village for a crapshoot.
Sonic and Sally as a couple:
- they don’t use pet names for one another… until one of them is absolutely pushing their luck with the other. Pet names = stop it.
- Sally did once call Sonic a shit-weasel out of anger during such a scenario, and then was immediately apologetic for it because that was Too Far™. Sonic said that made him fall in love with her all over again and it was an awesome insult. Pet names are still a no-go though.
- they live together and everyone thinks it’s Sonic that would be the nightmare to live with.
It’s not.
It’s Sally.
Sonic does get messy and likes to live in organised chaos, but Sally just has the worst sleeping habits (she doesn’t sleep), functions mostly on auto-pilot (the amount of times she eats the last of something but leaves the box it came in/was stored in for Sonic to find drives him up the wall something shocking all because she’s just vaguely thinking "I need food I suppose" alongside whatever she’s doing at the time), and if she’s working on something big she will spread herself everywhere (including Sonic’s bed if he isn’t in it or on it in some way).
Sonic won’t move out because he genuinely thinks if he did Sally would never sleep at proper hours or eat like a regular person unless he monitors her. Plus they actually really do like each other’s company and do miss one another if they aren’t in the same space in their down time. But Sonic is constantly amazed at just how much of a gremlin Sally can be and no one believes him.
- Sally takes great delight in this and amps up her gremlin behaviour because of it. If she does this in front of anyone else it just gets encouraged. It’s okay though because Sonic knows how to be a bastard so it’s a constant battle of who can out bastard or out gremlin who.
- they sleep separately (see aforementioned sleeping habits of gremlin ground squirrel), but on occasion will share a bed. Or share the couch. Sharing will almost always result in Sonic being used as a pillow/mattress but he’s fine with it, as long as it means Sally’s sleeping and they get to cuddle ‘cause cuddling is great.
- Sally loves puns. Sonic has begged her not to say puns. He secretly loves them but he hates that he gets them (temporarily forgetting your own language, then relearning it is a trip and picking up the puns does things to his head). Sally does not stop the puns. This has led to Sonic almost achieving his goal of becoming a forest cryptic as he does just start walking out when she starts.
- this is kinda canon but I like to joke that they are actually legally married and this happened during their zone-hopping adventures. But the marriage itself happened in the most mundane way for the most mundane reason, and yet it is legally binding and they do actually have wedding rings from it. They don’t wear the rings but they do carry it on their person at all times, and pull them out just to blindside people with them because it’s funny.
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swordofpevensie · 4 years
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request by: @actualrulerofdead : May I request a Peter Pevensie/non-binary reader romantic imagine? So with they/them pronouns? Love your writing!!!
warnings: an idiot who doesn't care about pronouns and is disrespectful.
 a/n: @actualrulerofdead thank you sooo much for your patience, kindness and also for answering my questions! i really can't thank you enough for your patience. i sincerely hope you like it! // and i put this very handsome gif of william here but if you want, you can imagine him younger.
• You started working in a cafe when you started college. That cafe was Peter’s favorite, he went there alone to study, with his friends or siblings.
 • The first time you saw each other, Peter was in the cafe with his siblings. They were all drinking coffee and talking, laughing. You entered to the cafe to begin your shift and Peter saw you. But you didn’t see him because you were a bit nervous for your new job.
 • You started working immediately but Peter was watching you, thinking that he was very subtle and unnoticed but Lucy’d already seen him.
 • Peter told his sibling he’d get a coffee but his coffee cup was half full. This was the moment when Lucy told Edmund and Susan that Peter was looking at you. Then they all started to watch Peter, they were having fun.
 • Peter approached you and casually wanted an espresso. Although you were super nervous you managed to give him the espresso perfectly. You expected him to leave after taking his coffee but he didn’t. ‘’Hi,’’ He said softly. ‘’Are you new here?’’ You answered him you chatted for a while about college, your job and coffee types. All he could think was you were amazing and he wanted to talk with you more.
 • Therefore he asked you if you could spend time together after your shift was offer. But you declined him, you weren't ready to let new people come into your life.
• You thought you got rid of him but no, you were really wrong.
• Peter liked you, you were easy to talk, got a very good sense of humour and kind. He saw how you treated other customers after him. He liked that kindness so much.
• He said okay to rejection and didn't insist, he took his coffee and went back to his siblings. Susan and Lucy were giggling and Edmund had a smirk on his face.
• After that day, Peter came to the cafe every single day. Some days, you wished he'd stop because he was very cute and handsome, a total distraction honestly. And as even the owner of the cafe knew him, he was very welcomed in the cafe.
• He didn't force you to anything tough. He had casual chats with you, didn't try to flirt with you. Yes, he liked you but he didn't want to make you uncomfortable or nervous.
• But Peter knew how to be a tease. He was so handsome and so gentle. He knew how to play the game, get your attention. You really wanted to meet him properly but you were scared.
• One day, after taking his espresso, he thanked and winked at you. “Okay,” You thought. “That's it. Why am I holding back? What can I lose if I just let him into my life?”
• “Does your offer still stand?” You asked suddenly. He smiled and his face started to shine. “Yes,” He replied. “It always does.” You nodded. “Then I accept it.” He thanked you and you were really surprised. Why and how was he so kind?
• After your shift is over, Peter was waiting for you outside. “Hi,” He said, smiling. “Thank you for accepting to spend time with me.”
• “Thank you for wanting to spend time with me.” You replied as you both smiled. Then you started to walk aimlessly. You walked in the street, close to each other, just talking. Peter sometimes pointed to a park saying “This is where I used to play.” or a patisserie saying “They have the best cupcakes ever.”
• Honestly, you hated him because he was so cute and irresistable.
• Honestly, he liked you because you were so smart and cheerful.
• You felt so good with him. It was like you'd known each other for so long. The conversations you had were so smooth. He was an easy person to talk, share your opinions with.
• As you had to study, you said you should go. He asked if he could take you to your dorm but you said no because it wasn't that much far and you needed to be alone to think.
• Peter kept visiting you at the cafe. He was flirty this time. He always thanked and winked at you when you were giving him his coffee, he always complimented you about anything, like “Your necklace is pretty. That shirt looks so good on you. You look very awesome today. Wow, you are brilliant, really.”
• After sometime, you realized you liked him but you decided it would be better if you didn't do anything about it. But Peter noticed something was different, for example the way you smiled or looked at him. Your eyes and your smiles were welcoming, so warm.
• And he made his move and asked you out because he just wanted to be with you and didn't want to wait longer.
• He took you ice-skating for your first date. He helped you skate but neither of you were that successful so all you did was just laughing. Then he bought you hot chocolate and you walked in a park. The weather was cold a bit but it felt good. He told you about his siblings, his college life, his childhood, his dreams. You talked about same topics too. But there was only one thing you didn't tell him but you didn't feel ready yet.
• Weeks later, he said Lucy was coming to cafe to meet you. Well, you thought it could be a great time to inform him about your pronouns. So you told him that you prefer they/them pronouns and would like to be called “partner” instead of boyfriend/girlfriend.
• You were scared of his reaction because your former partner kept using the other pronouns and didn't even respect your identity.
• But Peter was... Just Peter. He softly said “Okay. If I'd used wrong pronouns before, I'm so sorry.”
• You really hated that guy sometimes. He was just perfect and you were afraid of falling love with him (I mean, if you already hadn't).
• When Lucy came, he introduced you as his partner and informed Lucy about your pronouns. Lucy liked you so much and you liked her too.
• After informing him about your pronouns, Peter was very protective of your pronouns. All of his siblings learnt your preference. Whenever someone used a wrong pronoun, he corrected them. And when someone was disrespectful, he'd get angry and protective. He was about to get into fight a few times, if you hadn't stopped him.
• He didn't have the courage to say it loud or to you but he liked you so much that all he wanted to was to make you happy. According to him, you were such an amazing person and deserved all the happiness in the world.
• And he made his best to make you happy. He was really successful. He always kissed your hands, your cheeks, hugged you and kissed your hair every time after your shift was over, he took you to your dorm, helped you study, he'd bring the books that he thought might help you, he loved giving you his jacket. You'd never felt loved like that before.
• One day, you decided to come out. He was so loving, gentle, caring and his reaction to your pronouns made you feel safe. You trusted him and you wanted him to know.
• After college, you said you two needed to talk and he immediately asked “Are you alright? Is there anything wrong?” You said everything was alright but there was something you needed to tell him. You went to a park and sit on a bench.
• You were nervous, to be honest, but he took your hands, kissed them and told that you could tell him anything, he'd always support you.
• Then you came out. You spoke too fast because of the stress. He smiled gently and repeated everything slowly. “Am I not mistaken, right? Do I understand correctly?” He did his best to understand your feelings.
• “And?” You asked. “What do you think?”
• “It's not about what I think.” He replied. “As long as you want me by your side, I'll always be there for you.”
• Of course you wanted him on your side. “Then,” He said, kissing you, “I'm here for you.”
• Peter was truly amazing. He educated himself, always made you feel good about yourself, he was even more clingy, he never stopped showing his love physically and verbally.
• “I have to work, let me go.” He held you tighter. “There's no way I'm letting you go.” “I'll be fired because of you!” “Okay, I'll let you go only if you give me a kiss.” How could you reject him?
• Everything was truly amazing. Peter and you, your college and work life. Until one day, some jerk in your class used a wrong pronoun and when you corrected him kindly, he said your voice sounded female and he wouldn't correct himself.
• You were really upset and angry but you didn't want to show it to Peter, knowing how protective he was. But the moment he saw you, he knew something was wrong. He asked you, however you didn't respond. Then he said he'd wait until you want to tell him.
• He did what he said. But at the same time he bought you your favorite dessert and a cup of tea. He waited siletly and patiently but made sure you were safe and warm. He gave you a blanket, brought your earphones in case you wanted to listen music, kissed your forehead.
• After some time, you felt ready and gained strenght to talk about that person.
• Oh, he was mad. He was truly mad. You'd never seen him that angry before. He looked as if he could kill that guy at the moment. But then he pulled himself together and gave all of his attention to you.
• He took you his arms. “I love your voice. I love it when you speak and share your brilliant ideas with me. I love it when you make a joke, share a memory with me, tell me about the last movie you watched, your opinion on someone's new album, the last thing you learned in the class. I love your voice so much and I know my life would be awful if I didn't hear it. Some people choose to be idiots and I know nothing will change if told you not to mind them, but I'm here for you and your voice brings joy to my life, okay?” He kissed you. “I love everything about you, so so much.”
• And you two lay down there, he hold you tight and turned on TV to watch your favorite show. In a short time, you found yourself laughing, speaking, giggling.
• The next day, before your class began, that disrecpectful guy apologized to you.
• After your classes was over you went to the cafe and Peter was waiting there for you. You told him what happened but he didn't seem surprised. “Does this have anything to do with you?” You asked suspiciously.
• “I have no idea what you are talking about, darling.” He replied but he was smiling.
• He took you into his arms while you were smiling and saying “I'm so lucky.”
• He kissed you. “But I am the luckiest.”
hello there! i hope everyone is fine. oooh i'm really excited to share this with you. please tell me what you think. i hope you like it!
here is my masterlist.
i do not own the gif.
love, andrea.♡
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Fic Recs/Mandatory Reading for Reddie fans
Here is an incomplete list of some of my favorite Reddie fics on ao3, because i cannot get over the sheer talent of this fandom’s wonderful writers! A lot of these are the Greatest Hits that you’ll find on almost every fic list, but that’s why I consider them mandatory reading. like if you haven’t read some of these, what are you doing?
the years go by like days by georgiestauffenberg, rated M
the 27 years in between, but better because richie and eddie stay together. every time i think of this fic, i think of that lady gaga meme where she’s like “brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, etc” and maybe it’s bc this is one of the first reddie fics i ever read, but this one is always gonna be my favorite
broken record by spunknbite, rated E
the mother of all time loop fics. every reddie veteran gets chills at the phrase “the house on Neibolt was still standing”
literally everything by stitchy
like seriously just clear a few days bc you’re not gonna want to stop reading this author once you start. no other author has made me literally fucking cackle in one paragraph and sob in the next like this one, pls do yourself a favor and devour all their works like i did 
the night we met (take me back) by camerasparring, rated E
ch2 fix-it where eddie shows up at richie’s door alive and with no memory. great slow burn with a wonderfully conflicted richie, 10/10
let’s hear it for my baby! series by cloudings, rated E
OOOOOOOHHH boy! a modern teen!reddie grindr AU that’s both steamy AND sweet?? more like a fucking blessing amen hallelujah
a heart that laughter has made sweet by marjaani, rated E
another lovely teen!reddie fic that’s got it all! sweet, stupid boys, humor, a teeny bit of angst, and some 5-alarm fire smut with some top eddie, as a treat
keep talking. i’ll keep walking toward the sound of your voice. by theappleppielifestyle, rated T
angst with a happy ending is my favorite, and this one is just fantastic. so sweet, so sad! and stan is featured as eddie’s afterlife buddy and idk about y’all but i cannot get enough of stanley uris in my reddie fics. read this, then read all this author’s reddie fics, they’re all amazing
collateral by loosecannon, sheepknitssweater, rated E
a post-ch2 fic that i guess could be classified as fix-it, BUT with some very interesting twists. they beat the clown, everyone lives, but no one really gets the tropey happy ending. the WIP sequel is also incredible and i live for the updates.
the greater fool  series by mischiefmanager, mostly rated T with some E
this is a series i’ll reread a lot bc it’s so fucking good. follows young reddie into early adulthood, mostly a bunch of cute shit where they figure out themselves and their relationship. also contains the single best teen reddie fic in existence, he came in through the window, but reading the whole series is a must
brokeback derry and everything else by Amuly, rated E
27 years in between, richie and eddie reconnect in their 20s and meet back up in derry twice a year to remember and love each other before going back to their lives and forgetting. so much pain. there’s a lot of sweet stuff in there, but you can see shit’s gonna get complicated from miles away and the anticipation almost gave me stomach ulcers (in a good way). ultimate angst with a happy ending.
let me name the stars for you by playedwright, rated M
speaking of angst with a happy ending...Martian AU!!!!! this one fucked me up in the best way, i literally called my roommate at 2am to vent to her about my emotions after reading it. i go back and reread chapter 8 just to be overwhelmed by it, and it makes me cry every time. plus, there are awesome sequels/companion pieces in the series! read this, i beg you!
walk through fire for you by hyruling, rated T
unwind after all that angst with some cute, drunk, confused eddie being very upset when he finds out richie is engaged. richie only teases him a little before pointing out the matching ring on eddie’s finger. 
in the heat of the summer (you're so different from the rest) by kaboomslang, rated E
post-ch2 slow burn with tags that really say it all, including but not limited to: eddie moves to california and richie is a mess, Eddie Kaspbrak’s Hot Girl Summer, and cute middle aged man dates
pivotal moments by danfanciesphil, polypocket, rated E
high school reddie has a sort of fwb thing goin on, but emotions get in the way. featuring wonderful bevchie friendship, hella miscommunication, cute double dates, high eddie, and a happy ending
like a bullet in the back by jerry_duty, rated M
adult idiots in love! a personal favorite trope of mine! slow burn with a fair helping of angst but a really great ending. richie stays with eddie in new york while he’s there on business, and it takes these losers SO LONG to figure it out but the way they dance around it is very cute
no sense of living without aim [WIP] by liesmyth, rated E
richie and eddie meet on grindr in the 27 years between and hey, whadda ya know, they fall in love! i really love this fic but i’m pretty sure it’s been abandoned. i’ve had it open on my phone browser for like 3 months with no update but i still check it regularly bc i’m pathetic and this fic is just so good i’m DYING to know what happens next so read at ur own risk
a strange sense of familiarity [WIP] by Katranga, rated E
another “they meet and fall in love without remembering” fic, and even though it’s not complete yet, it gets regular updates. oh, also, i’m obsessed with it. they’re long distance fuck buddies who can’t admit they’re in love, and then they get hit with the childhood memories! and everyone lives! what’s not to love!  also PLEASE read kisses take like mint and every other reddie work by this author, they are all fantastic
adult friends by sudowoodo, rated T
AU where adult reddie meet at a first aid seminar for work (immediately fall in love), become friends, become best friends, and finally get to be happy. has some super repressed eddie and intensely pining richie, which is always fun, and genuinely made me laugh out loud. also please check out this author’s other reddie fics, there’s some super sweet kid reddie in there that really warms the heart
the mind's a funny fruit by joldiego, rated T
eddie wakes up barely alive in derry, has 0 memory, calls himself richie, and moves in with some lesbians. an absolute must read that ought to be on every reddie fic rec compilation. i read this a long time ago and just thinking about it makes me want to read it again.
now what i'm gonna say may sound indelicate [WIP] by IfItHollers, rated E
it took me entirely too long to find this fic since i joined the fandom, and it’s truly a fucking masterpiece. it’s almost at 200k now and still unfinished, and the slow burn is excruciating, but this is a legendary fic for a reason. eddie spends the first chunk of this fic in the hospital recovering from the massive chest wound, and then he and richie move the recovery to ben’s cabin in the woods. the author’s notes for each chapter are a story in themselves
signs of a new lifetime by swordfishtrombones, rated T
one of the sweetest, most romantic reddie fics i’ve ever read. a fresh take on a classic concept: post-ch2, they’re in love, they haven’t said/done anything about it yet, BUT!!! it’s not angsty! they are all cute and giggly like “you say it first!” “no, you say it first!” and it makes me fucking MELT
broadcasting tower by swordfishtrombones, rated E
back-to-back recs from the same author! bc i love these fics so much! sort of similar to the last one in that they both know what’s up and just haven’t said it, but this one’s got the angst! i didn’t know when i read it that it was the same author as the other fic, and i thought how funny, i found another reddie author that perfectly captures this pair in such a wonderfully romantic way! i also just noticed there’s a follow up to this so now i have to go read that immediately
eurydice; the original comeback kid by Vulcanodon, rated M
for the love of god please read this and the other work in this series. it’s a ch-2 fix-it with some intense action sequences and major pining, and it has haunted me since i first read it
love on the telephone by tempestbreak, rated E
okay this one is really just 30k of pure smut but it’s also so sweet and features a mini sexual awakening for eddie and some insecure richie with an emphasis on how much they love and trust each other. also it doesn’t hurt that the smut is fire, like does anyone else want that twink obliterated, or is it just me?
the boy who loves you by candlejill, rated E
eddie lives, richie confesses, things are chill and then they’re not. richie’s career flourishes, which is always nice to read and is what ultimately catalyzes eddie’s gay awakening and realization of his love for richie. it’s got some sad angsty parts and a very sweet ending, and it up there as one of my favorite reddie fics of all time
richie and eddie break up [WIP] by skeilig, rated M
a refreshing and realistic take on life ch-2 for the losers, because being in love at thirteen doesn’t mean you can fall into a perfect relationship at 40. i’ll admit, i’m hoping this will ultimately be a “richie and eddie get back together” fic, but it’s still a very good read (and often very funny in the second chapter) at the moment in the midst of their break up
september 1989 and everything else by pineapplecrushface, rated T
cute kid reddie figuring it out and making me smile. the follow up to this and the after derry series by this author are also personal favorites
go west by ssstrychnine, rated T
road trip fic! an absolute work of art slow burn with teen reddie in the 90s. it’s so beautifully written i just wish i could go back and read it for the first time again
the edification of eddie kaspbrak by tozier, rated M
character study with some incredible fucking prose, my lord it gorgeous. explores how eddie learns about love as he grows up, and it’s super fucking sad sometimes bc the poor boy doesn’t know how to have the things he wants and i just want to give him a hug, but it’s really a spectacular fic
circular motion by sinchronicity, rated M
soulmate!AU that follows book canon and even though it’s been a long time since i’ve read it and the details are fuzzy, i remember absolutely loving it and thinking it was incredible
tell me you know by RichiesToesHurt, rated E
college losers with some severely pining and jealous richie with a lovely ending 
predicament bondage [WIP] by dgalerab, rated E
i resisted reading this fic for so long, recently broke and binged all of it, and now i’m like frothing at the mouth for updates. richie’s a closeted actor/comedian who meets eddie, a professional Dom, when he needs help researching a role. they become friends, they develop crushes, richie realizes he’s a sub, and it’s just so much fun to read
there’s a lot more fics to rec so i might add on to this in the future, but in the meantime my biggest tip for for reading fanfiction that took me embarrassingly long to figure out: focus on the authors! if you read something you like, check out the rest of the work by that author bc odds are you’ll like that too. i mentioned it in a few specific works above, but check out the authors catalogues for these fics. if i included every work by these authors that i loved, this list would be miles long
feel free to add on any great stuff i missed, there’s sure to be tons of it!
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