#sure this parallel has been done before but Yeah...

[coldasyou]

and I ain't gotta tell him, I think he knows

fuck it if I can't have him

[bigtreefest]

Cinnamon Rolls

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: Steve has to decide which is the lesser of two evils: waking you up from your nap, or letting the cinnamon rolls in the oven burn.

Word count: 1,686

Content/warnings: fluff! Kissing, cooking, Steve being too perfect and sweet, tickling

A/N: hehehe, thanks to @thezombieprostitute for always indulging my thots and whims, especially regarding my love for cinnamon rolls and cinnamon roll-like men.

Comments, reblogs, and asks are especially appreciated!

Dividers by @mikeykuns

Main Masterlist

You looked over the back of the couch and towards the kitchen in the open living area of the cabin you and Steve were staying in for the weekend. Tony had insisted, of course, that the two of you take some time off and away from the city, which at this point, didn’t take much convincing, even for two people who worked themselves to the bone as much as you and Steve.

The past three weeks had been grueling, as you guided Steve and the rest of the Avengers through a mission in a South American city via coms. It was a series of sleepless nights and food rations, but worth it for the safety of the world. Both you and Steve were willing to pay that price, but afterwards, somehow Tony talked you into taking him up on his offer for alone time in his remote property upstate.

It was nice, but cold, which you would’ve complained about if you hadn’t had a personal heater in the form of your super soldier husband. The same man who was bent over the oven right now, sliding in a tray of something that he wasn’t letting you see. What you were happy to look at in the meantime, though, was that ass, somehow still so plump and prominent in a pair of flannel pajama pants that you’d hardly seen him take off since you’d gotten here. One of your favorite sights, that probably would be until the end of time, was Steve when he was relaxed and comfy. And you knew he loved to see you the same way, wearing a pair of old sweats and his Army hoodie that he’d gotten soon after joining this century.

The view earned him a cat call whistle, and when he stood and closed the oven door, you were sure the blush on his cheeks wasn’t just from the heat in the kitchen. It was nice how much you could still make him a little bashful after all this time.

You watched his eyes, full of amusement and affection as he rounded the corner of the couch to move towards where you were curled up in a blanket by the fire.

“You gonna tell me what you and those buns have got cooking, good looking?”

Steve let out a lighthearted chuckle and the corners of his eyes creased, still as beautiful as ever. He shrugged as he lifted the soft throw blanket and settled in against the armrest before gesturing for you to snuggle up to him.

“No way. It’s a surprise. You can guess once it’s done, though.”

You sighed as you laid a hand and your head on his chest, adjusting until you were comfortably laying with him, legs tangled. Steve reached for the book you had turned upside down on the coffee table to keep your page and looked over a few lines.

“The Hobbit, huh?”

You nodded, the rustling sound of his threadbare hoodie on your ear just covering his faint heartbeat.

“Yeah, Bucky lent it to me.”

Steve exhaled a laugh through his nose, a boyish grin rising on his face. “That’s the least he could do. Punk stole my copy back in the day, then gave it to some girl he never saw again after he was done.”

You smiled in response to the way he reminisced about the old days. You absolutely loved when Steve would bring up his childhood memories. They were so different from yours, yet so full of parallels. Kids will be kids, after all.

You put your chin on his chest to look up at him, met with sparkling blue eyes, reflecting the bright light that bounced off the snow outside the windows.

“Of course he did. He was a charmer, wasn’t he?”

Steve leaned down for a kiss as you stretched to meet him.

“For sure. Not as much as me, though, of course.”

You playfully rolled your eyes along with him. “Right, of course. I’m sure you were a real heartbreaker back in the day.”

Steve’s eyebrows lowered and the corners of his lips turned upward in a sarcastic smile. “Left and right.”

You placed a reverent kiss on his sternum before resettling yourself on his pec, squishier than usual from not having been to the gym in a few days. It was perfect.

You smiled to yourself. “Well, I’m glad those days are behind you.”

Steve brushed a hand up and down your back. “I’d never break your heart, you know, I’d rather work to fill it with love every day. Forever if I can.”

Steve always knew exactly what to say to have you blushing, too, even if it was unintentional. The words that spilled out of his mouth warmed you from the inside out with how sincere they always were. You patted his belly gently, “and I hope to do the same for you.”

Steve hummed before he held the book back up in his line of sight.

“Glad we’re on the same page. Speaking of which, you want me to read for you?”

You nodded again, tucking a hand up under his hoodie, warming your cold fingers against his abs. “Mmmhmmm.”

Steve cleared his throat and began, his voice a smooth, deep rumble conducted through his chest and across your body. It was one of the best sounds, one of the best feelings, to be curled up close to him and taken care of. Cherished.

The gentle cadence of his voice carried in the cozy air around the couch as your breaths began to even out. Steve sensed it as your body relaxed into his, fully softened in a light slumber. He finished the page he was on just to make sure you were fully out before marking where he stopped and placing your book back on the table. He continued lulling you to sleep gently, his blunt fingertips drawing circles between your shoulder blades. Steve basked in the sunshine of enjoyment that came from how safe he knew he made you feel.

He sat there for a second, satisfied with everything in his life. With you, everything hard he’d gone through before was worth it. Nothing could break the feeling of fullness in his heart.

And then he smelled it. The cinnamon rolls. How long ago had he put them in? He craned his neck to look at the timer on the stove. They were just past halfway done. And Steve would rather die than move you right now when you were so peaceful. He considered his options and pulled out his phone.

Tony, can you remotely turn off an oven up here?

No. What part of ‘everything’s off the network except whatever you bring up there’ did you not understand?

Steve sighed to himself. He thought Tony was joking. Could he actually have a place somewhere so disconnected? He knew there was at least a Wi-Fi router, but really? Nothing else? Tony Stark has changed.

Why? Doing something else that’s keeping you from the oven?😏

Yes. But not like that. Steve rolled his eyes and opened up a different text conversation.

Sam, can redwing open doors?

Yeah, but the door probably won’t close again. He’s got lasers. You need help?

Steve sighed again. That wouldn’t work either.

No, I’ll figure it out.

One more try. Maybe Bucky and Nat?

Hey. Either one of you close to Tony’s place in the mountains? I got a favor to ask.

No. We’re at dinner in the city. Why? Everything ok?

Steve bit his lip in contemplation.

Yeah. Nothing I can’t handle. Thanks anyway.

He locked his phone and set it on the coffee table next to your book, running a hand over his face. He could do this. Maybe he could carefully carry you to the kitchen, just to take them out, then go back to the couch? But would that disturb you too much?

Maybe he could stuff pillows into his spot and you wouldn’t even realize you were clinging to something else. Yeah. That could work.

He looked back over at the timer on the oven. It had just reached two minutes left. Okay, he was gonna do it. Just move carefully and quietly and quickly to hit the button so the timer didn’t startle you awake.

But it was too late. Before he could even move a muscle, you were stirring. Eyes still closed, your nose rose to the air, taking a deep breath of the scent that had permeated the cabin. A smile took over your face and your eyes finally fluttered open, landing on Steve. Your voice held a light rasp to it.

“Cinnamon rolls. My favorite.”

Steve nodded. “Uh huh.”

You shifted to straddle his waist, arms clinging around his torso. “Cinnamon rolls made by my favorite cinnamon roll.”

Steve laughed at the long running joke of what you always called him, moving to sit up, big hands holding you steady against him. He stood with your body wrapped around his and made it to the oven before the loud beeping started, shutting everything off and setting the tray on the counter.

“Of course, darling.”

He set you on the granite beside the stove, kissing your nose at your whine at the loss of his touch. He opened the fridge and pulled out a container of cream cheese icing he had made, setting it in your hands as he sifted through the drawers for a knife.

You took off the lid, swiping a finger through the frosting and sucking it off with a moan.

“Dang, that’s good.”

You scooped up another bit, holding it out for Steve, but when he opened his mouth, you booped it onto his nose. With a giggle, you went to kiss it off but Steve was too quick, whisking you away back to the couch.

“Ohhh, you’re gonna get it.”

Before you knew it, you were kicking and laughing so hard that your stomach hurt, surrounded in a world of love and warmth with your husband. Even though this was a short trip, every day with him felt like this on the inside.

Bonus A/N: ohhhh sweet Steeb. Gimme this cinnamon roll🥺

Taglist: @hawkeyes-queen @ronearoundblindly @mercurial-chuckles @steviebbboi @thiquefunlover63

[atalana]

also as a further addendum to my bill made a huge mistake underestimating stan post - i was recently listening to the commentary for sock opera

and like everyone and their mother can draw the parallels between ford/dipper and stan/mabel, it's one of the major themes of the show

bill gets the first half of the equation just fine - he thinks dipper can be manipulated in exactly the same way as ford, and while dipper will grow past that by the end of the show, in this episode, he's right. the best ways to get dipper to do what he wants, are to tempt him with all the secrets of the universe, and to remind him that he doesn't owe mabel anything, when mabel's done nothing but hold him back and cause trouble for him. it's probably exactly how he talked about stan to ford back in the day, who was still nursing those grudges and wanted to be the one to discover things no one else had

but the fun thing alex hirsch mentions in the commentary for that episode, is that bill doesn't see mabel as a parallel to stan (bc lbr he barely even recognises stan as a person). he sees mabel as a parallel to himself. yeah dipper and mabel are a good team together, but ultimately when it comes down to it, mabel is a powerful creature of chaos who would choose her own happiness over anyone who relied on her. (alex hirsch at this point jumps into bill's voice to say "how about instead of doing something lame, you do something fun, and crush whoever you want in the process!", and that bill genuinely thinks that is going to work, because it would work on him)

he doesn't expect mabel to destroy all her hard work and crush her own dreams just to help dipper. when he says "who would sacrifice everything they worked for just for their dumb sibling?", he's speaking from experience. he wouldn't. ford didn't. given the type of people bill considers worth talking to, i doubt he's ever come across that type of loyalty before

but the audience has, plenty of times, and will see it even harder by not what he seems. because while mabel does have some of the anarchy and selfishness bill sees in her, that kind of loyalty is a huge part of what she shares with stan

and like in a lot of the commentaries the writers say they weren't sure at first if bill would be the big bad, or how exactly the ending would come together, but in retrospect it never could have been anyone else, and there never could have been anyone but stan to defeat him

because so much of this show is about the relationships between family (including found family), what you would or wouldn't give up for them, but then how much better your life is when you value those relationships over temporary personal gain

so of course the main villain is someone so incapable of understanding that that he is utterly blindsided by the person who embodies it the most

[samthestrangerthingsfan]

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: friends-to-lovers, mutual pining, lots of parallels, reader is a lil down on herself but don't worry, eddie is down bad for her.

Warnings: swearing, mentions of weed and smoking, smut!! 18+, minors DNI.

AN: do i write 90% of my fics based on what pops into my head when i hear a certain song? yeah. also this is only half edited bc life. enjoy bbs <3

“Okay, okay,” You laughed. “One more hit then I’m tapped out, Eds.”

Eddie grinned, speaking through a half-held breath. “Oh no, Sweetheart. New stuff hittin’ a little too hard?”

You inhaled deeply, passing back to him what was left of the joint. It went straight to your head, and you flopped back, laying comfortably on Eddie’s bed.

Eddie inhaled, following suit, making your body bounce as he hit the mattress.

“Shit,” he mumbled. “Feel like I’m fuckin’ flying.” He grips your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. “Don’t let me float away, okay?”

You smile at him, taking in how fucking beautiful he looks under the dim lights in his bedroom.

“Never. You’re stuck with me, Eds.”

He looks down at you, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. He took you in like he'd done 100 times before. Eyes trailing from your nose, to your eyes, landing at your mouth.

So fucking beautiful.

“Good," he breathes, pulling you in closer. "Just the way I like it.”

Eddie let go of you hand, only to wrap his arm around you and pull you into his chest. He placed a kiss to the crown of your head, "This okay?"

It's all I want. You think.

"Or do we have to get up and go watch that cheesy chick-flick I promised we'd watch.

You sighed, fiddling with the hem of your denim skirt. "I'd stay here all night if you let me."

That's all I want. He thinks.

Eddie leans back a bit, looking down at you. He's not sure if it's the weed making his so emotional, but he swears he could cry just looking into your eyes. "What am I gonna do if one of these dates you keep going on works out? What if someone takes you from me?"

He tries to sound relaxed, but the truth is, the thought keeps him up at night. There’s gonna be a guy that steals you away from him one of these days. Someone who can give you everything he can’t, someone brave enough to open their mouth and tell you just how much they love you.

and it'll crush him.

The laugh that escapes you is a cynical one, "Eddie, I've been on three dates with three different men, and I've gone home alone each time."

"So?" He asks.

"So," You scoff. "It means no one is interested in doing anything with me."

It’s true—to you at least. The guys you’d gone out with were either not looking to be tied down, or ran once they met you. The last guy thought you’d be easy because ‘the freak’s best friend has to be a freak herself right?’

The dates were a distraction for you. As your heart pined over the one guy you could have it all with, it was breaking too. Eddie hadn’t made a move on you—ever, and you weren’t brave enough too.

So the two of you sat in limbo, completely unaware that the other person was right there with you.

Eddie sits back, releasing you from his arms. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" You ask, sitting back as well.

"That. Act like you're the problem, and not these shitty fucking dudes you keep going out with.” Eddie tried to control his tone, but his temper got the better of him. He cursed at himself for it.

Jesus H. Christ, Munson, get it together.

You push back from him fully now, "Eddie, the common denominator is me. I-I'm fucking broken or something."

“Stop that.” He seethed.

It’s a command—a tone you've heard him use with Steve, or Dustin, but not you.

Never with you.

Eddie stood as you sat up, hanging your legs off the edge of the bed.

"What--"

He turned back and got to his knees right in front of you.

“Stop talking about yourself like that. It’s fucking ridiculous.”

He was close to you, and with him on his knees, his gaze was just at your eye level. “You’re not broken. There's nothing wrong with you, you’re—you’re fucking perfect.”

“Eddie…”

“No, no, just…just shush for a second.” Eddie moved his hand to your cheek, his thumb sweeping across it gently. “You think all this shit about yourself and it’s just not fucking true. I wish, for a second, you could see yourself how I see you. I fucking adore you.”

You feel the warmth of his breath on your nose. His large hand on your cheek warms you, and you lean into the touch, closing your eyes.

Everything is Eddie in this moment. He’s invading every sense you had.

It’s overwhelming.

You can feel your eyes brim with tears. “You don’t have to say that, Eds. I’m okay. I’m just…I’m lonely, that’s all.”

Eddie’s breath caught in his throat. He watched you, he saw the tears hidden beneath your lashes. How could you not see it? See how you were…everything to him?

His mind stopped for a moment, deciding whether or not to take the leap, to risk it all and not run for once.

Fuck it.

“I’m right here, Princess. I’ve been right here.” He leans his forehead on yours.

You exhale his name, “Eddie,”

“What,” he’s quick to ask. “What is it, Sweetheart?”

Your on fire with how close he is to you. But he doesn’t mean it, not in the way you hoped he would…does he?

Your eyes open, seeing his beautiful brown ones searching your face for some kind of clue as to what you’re feeling. You clasp your hand on top of his. “Please,” you beg. “Please don’t say things you don’t mean just to make me feel better. My heart can’t take it.”

He laughs softly, bringing his other hand up. He’s cradling your face gently, “Oh, Honey. You have no idea just how much I mean it.”

Eddie is overwhelmed with you. You’re everywhere, and he can’t fucking think straight. Probably a good thing right about now, because he’s about to do something he never thought he’d be lucky enough to do.

“Can,” he clears his throat. “Can I kiss you, Baby?”

With zero hesitation, you nod, earning a chuckle from Eddie.

“Gotta use your words, sweet thing.”

“Yes,” it comes out as a plea. “Kiss me...please.”

Warm warm warm.

It’s all you feel when he leans in. Then his soft lips are on yours, all the while he’s holding you as if you’d be the one to float away.

Eddie kisses you like he’s done it a thousand times. Like he knows your lips and the pattern that drives them crazy. He’s trying to tell you everything he’s been too afraid to say since the moment he met you.

There’s no one but you.

You’re everything.

I love you, please, let me love you.

Regrettably, you pull away. Breathless from the kiss, but also how surreal this moment is.

“I-I,” you sigh, touching your forehead to his. “I’ve wanted to do that for forever.” It comes out as whisper. As if you’d scare him away if you said it too loud.

Eddie smiles, a relieved laugh passing his lips. “Yeah?”

You nod, “Yeah.”

It’s quiet for a beat, Eddie is looking at you so softly and with such care.

“You’re so beautiful.” He says with all of the conviction in the world. “My pretty girl.”

“Am I?” You ask. “Am I yours?”

He nods, "If you want to be." He moves his hands, resting one on each thigh. He rubs them absentmindedly, likes he's trying to flatten the goosebumps that had prickled across your skin. “...and I’m yours. You've got me, Honey.”

Eddie's grin was still a shy one. You brush your hand across his face, pushing back any stray hairs. "Eds?"

He grips your wrist gently, placing small, tender kisses along the inside of it. The gesture is so simple, but it sends a heat through you like you've never experienced before.

"What is it, pretty girl? Whatever you want, whatever you need...it's yours."

You intertwine your fingers with his smoothly, "You, Eddie. Need you. Wanna make you feel good, Eds."

Now it was his turn to get goosebumps.

"Fuck, Angel. You can't just say that to me." He breathes.

Your bedroom eyes blink twice, "Please?"

A strangled moan vibrates from his chest, "Who am I to deny the fair maiden what she asks for?" Eddie stands, holding out a hand for you.

You're pulled to your feet by him, and he's looking at you through a brand new set of eyes. "One problem with that though, Princess. You come first."

You gasp as his hands take purchase of your ass, pulling you into him. "If anything, and I mean anything is too much, or too weird, you tell me, okay?"

You're nodding again, and he tuts at you. "Uh-uh. Words, baby."

Your arms fall around his neck and you press your body against his. "Yes, sir."

"Ho-ly-shit." He moans. "Yeah, I'm gonna kiss you now. Cool? Cool."

He's hungrier this time, kissing with teeth and tongue as his roaming hands explore your body.

"Eddie, Eddie..." You breath through swollen lips. "Too many clothes."

"You a mind reader or something?" He jokes, ripping the t-shirt from his body. His body was a work of art in more ways than one, and seeing it now, like this, made you crave it all the more.

You watch as Eddie falls to his knees, "Can I?" He asks, pulling at your skirt.

"God, yes."

He unbuttons the fastener, pulling the distressed denim down until it's pooling at your ankles. Eddie then came face to face with your black-lace covered heat.

"I-I'm dead right? I've died and now I'm at the pearly gates."

Your hands cover your face, "Eddie! Stop!"

He stands quickly, "No, baby, no. God, please don't hide from me." He pulls your hands away gently.

Your shirt is next to go, and so is the matching bra. Eddie pulls his pants down, leaving his boxers on.

"Lay down for me, Princess. Wanna take care of you.”

The timber of his voice makes you tremble. Once your comfortable on the bed, Eddie climbs on too.

“Now, I know this is all new, and we’re figuring things out as we go, but…” Eddie pauses, laying on his stomach between your legs.

He starts kissing his way up your legs. “I’ve been dreaming of eating this pussy for a long, kiss, long, kiss, long time.”

You’re so turned on you can barely speak, but you manage to get out a quiet. “Well what are you waiting for?”

Your thong is thrown into parts unknown, and Eddie starts to feast like a man starved.

“Eddie, fuck—“ his tongue explores your heat. His hands hold onto your hips as you grind down onto his mouth.

“Uh-uh, don’t hold back. Wanna hear you, Princess.” He dives back in, lips sucking on your clit, pushing you closer and closer to the edge. He slips in one, the two fingers. Pumping and curling them slowly until he finds the spot that makes you see stars.

The fire in your belly is growing and you feel your legs start to shake. “Holy fuck, Eds—Eds I’m gonna cum!” Your hands take purchase in his hair, giving it a sharp tug as you feel the heat engulf you.

Eddie eats your pussy, drinking you in as you cum.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” You release your grip on his hair as you come down from your high.

Eddie crawls up your body, kissing you. You taste yourself all over his tongue. “Don’t be sorry, Baby. Let’s me know you’re enjoying yourself,” he kisses you once more. “Plus, I kinda like it.”

You’re both breathing heavy.

Now it’s his turn.

Your hands touch his shoulder, pushing him gently. “What’re you doing, pretty girl?” He asks softly.

When Eddie’s leaned back against the headboard, you pull his boxers off. Pink, uncut cock springing from it's confines.

God damn...he's fucking huge.

"Gonna ride you, Eds. Let you feel what you did to me." You climbed on top of him, "Can I do that? Can I make you feel good?"

Eddie's nodding, not sure what part of you he wants to look at more.

"Uh-uh," you tease. "Use your words, Handsome."

"Fuck," He breathes. He palms your bare chest, moving the pads of his thumbs over your nipples. "Do whatever you want to me, use me, I'm yours." He leans forward, hot mouth latching to your other breast.

You sit up, allowing Eddie's hard length to slip inside your aching cunt. The sheer stretch and size is enough to snatch the breath from your lungs.

"Eds...Eds, shit. S'big." You moan.

His eyes close as he bottoms out inside of you, "So tight. Fuckin' pussy was made for me, she wants my cock. Won't let it go. She greedy, baby?"

You adjust to his size filling the void inside you. Eddie hold your hips as you begin to ride him, helping you to keep a steady rhythm.

"Look at you, Princess. Cock-drunk already, hm?" He teases.

Eddie is whispering praises as he fucks up into you.

Such a good girl.

Taking me so well.

My pretty girl.

Mine.

Eddie's pace quickens, and you feel the tremble return to your legs.

"Eddie, fuck, I--"

"I know, Honey. I can feel it, feel you squeezin' me. Let go, Angel. Go on, cum for me."

His words are like a spell.

You cum harder than you did on his mouth, and this time, it's his cock that's drenched in your essence.

"Gonna cum, Sweetheart. Where--"

You're entirely lost in everything Eddie. "Inside me, Eds. Fuck, please cum inside me."

"Shit, shit, shit." Eddie's moves become erratic. Sloppy thrusts chasing his release, and when he does, he all but growls in your ear.

He's breathless and spent, but his arms wrap around you. Eddie holds you, softening inside you. He kisses the center of your chest, the trail making its way across your shoulder, up your jaw, and to your lips.

"Hi." He says quietly.

You giggle softly, "Hi."

"So uh, not sure if this is a good time or not..."

You kiss his nose, "Hmm?"

"I-I...I love you. I don't know, just felt like someone should tell you, might as well be me." Eddie's big brown eyes search your face for any sign of regret or discomfort.

Nothing.

You kiss him deeply, "I'm glad you told me, otherwise I'd be sitting over here, in love with you, looking all silly by myself."

Eddie holds you tighter. "You, you love me?"

You giggle, "Edward Munson. I love you."

He pulls you closer, "You love me." It's a statement now.

Eddie lays his head against your bare chest. "I'm gonna get you cleaned up in a second, Sweetheart. Just wanna hold you for a little."

Rubbing small circles on his back, you kissed the top of his head. "I'm not going anywhere, Handsome."

[fanfictiongirlie]

Twilight: The Human and the Wolf Chapter One

Click here for masterlist

Parings: Paul Lahote x OC (First person, no use of Y/N)

Description: Bella Swan's twin moved to Forks with her sister. Whilst Bella falls for a vampire, her twin falls for a wolf. The story runs parallel to Bella's story in Twilight. But following her twin and her life with the wolves.

Rating: Eventually explicit.

Warnings: Nothing in this chapter.

Chapter One - I Met A Cute Guy

Bella and I were the new kids, it was awful, being the shiny new toys, but we'd survive it. I was Bella's twin, I was younger than her by a few minutes, but sometimes, most of the time I felt like the oldest twin. She made sillier choices than me, but I still loved her for it. Our first day at Forks High School, had been, weird, everyone knew our names, and stared at us, even now, as we were sat in the school café, surrounded by a large group of, I guess our new friends, everyone starred. 

"Who are they?" Bella asked, I followed her eyeline to see a group of people walking into the building. I stared at them as Jessica explained who they were, they made me feel uneasy, they looked...amazing.. perfect even, I felt stress in the depts of my heart as they walked further into the room. I watched Bella's face, she looked incredibly curious, almost like she couldn't stare away. I shook my head softly and moved back to my sandwich. 

"That's Edward Cullen, he's gorgeous of course, but don't waste your time...He doesn't date" Jessica keeps talking, I roll my eyes lightly, these people couldn't be that interesting surely "Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him" Jessica said the last part like she had personally been rejected from this Edward Cullen. I glance over to the group again, they were pale, and beautiful, but something made me turn away, something deep inside of me.

"Good thing I wouldn't be interested in him" I smirk, still not understanding the excitement over this boy.  

"Oh come on, don't be a buzzkill...Edward Cullen is the best looking boy here" Jessica adds, she was looking at me like she couldn't believe me. I laughed softly at her shocked face. 

"I'm sorry, he's just not my type" I add, rolling my eyes slightly, I looked over to the group again, my eyes staying on Edward Cullen for a second, he was beautiful yes, but really not my type. I liked the blonde boy more.. But not enough to feel giddy inside. 

I watch as Jessica gapes at me, like I had said the most outrageous thing "Not your type? How can you say that, he's dreamy" She sighs happily her eyes on Edward. 

"Not everyone has the same type you know" I say my eyes rolling once more, I couldn't help it, the sarcasm was too strong within me, I turned to Bella to see her still staring at the boy "Bells, what do you think?" 

I watch as my twin hesitates, her eyes shifting between Edward and myself, she looked uncomfortable, which admittedly was normal for Bella. 

"He's....good-looking, I guess" She answers, I eye her up, she was lying. Her words were reluctant, her tone unsure. I shake my head softly not pushing the subject any further, once lunch was over Bella walked to her Biology lesson whilst I walked to my English lesson. I sat with Ben, a boy from the group at lunch, he didn't say much to me, which I was thankful for. 

Once school was done for the day Bella and I walked to our cars, well her truck, my car, I had worked my ass off to get it, and it was my pride and joy, it also meant I didn't have to join Bella and my dad when we first got here, I drove myself, yeah the drive took me a day, but it was fun. 

"Was your day okay?" I asked Bella, I leant against my car and looked at her. Bella nods as she unlocks her car. "It was okay...Biology was kind of weird"

"Weird how?" I ask. I watch as she hesitates for a moment before responding, her expression reflects a hint of bewilderment. 

"Well my partner was" She trails off, her voice becoming quieter as if to avoid any unwanted ears from hearing her next words "Edward Cullen"

"Oh...and how was he weird?" I ask, suddenly feeling overprotected, I looked over to the Cullens in the car park, but Edward wasn't there. Bella glances around, ensuring no lingering eyes or eavesdropping are nearby. She lowers her tone, speaking in a hushed tone. 

"I don't know...It was just strange being paired with him. He barely spoke a word, and his expression looked like he was annoyed by my mere presence, almost like he couldn't stand being around me" She explained. I cocked my head confused, of course Bella would think like this. 

"Aw Bells, he doesn't even know you, I wouldn't worry...I said to Jacob I'd come see him, why don't you come to La Push with me?" I smile softly. A small grateful smile forms on her lips, she looks a little calmer now. 

"No you go ahead, I said to dad I'd have dinner with him at that diner" She explains, I nod and tell her goodbye as she drives off, I climb into my own car and drive out of the wet car park, the rain came down heavy as I drove, I finally reach Billy and Jacob's place, I park my car and get out. 

I hear laughter drifting from the backyard, so I walk around, hoping to find Jacob, I smile when I see him with two other people, I feel a little nervous, but overall I was good with people, the complete opposite to my sister, naturally. We didn't even look alike, Bella looked more like our father, whereas I looked more like our mother, my eyes were blue, Bella's were brown and straight, my hair was darker and curly, like my dad's. 

"Hey Jacob" I smile softly to the boy, he looked so different, I had seen him in passing the day Bella and I arrived in Forks, that was when I promised to come see him. I visited Forks more often than Bella, and with that, I spent more time with Jacob, but each day recently, he looked different...Teenage boys I guess. 

Jacob turns to me, a wide grin spreads onto his face, he tosses the football to one of his friends, the shorter one. Both his friends were grinning at me, their smiles goofy. 

"Hey" Jacob called, running towards me, he hugged me tightly, swinging my feet slightly off the ground, I squealed and held on tightly. 

"Hey, sorry I didn't mean to crash" I say, looking at him as he puts me down, as my eyes flicker to his friends.

"Nah, it's cool, this is Quil and Embry" He says, both boys wave as their name is called. I smile softly to them, feeling a little awkward. I shrug it off. "We're gonna play some ball, you wanna join?"

"Sure" I smile, Jacob smiles in return, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. Quil chimes in excitedly, eager for another player apparently. 

"Hell yeah!" He calls. We play with the ball for a few hours, throwing it to one another, kicking it around, we weren't really playing a game, more just trying to keep the ball in our possession. Jacob, Embry and Quil played enthusiastically, their competitive nature fulling their every move. I keep up with them easily, despite the friendly competition, there's a constant stream of laughter and the banter throughout. Time seems to fly by as we lose ourselves into the game. We finally stop when it starts to get dark, I stop playing smiling softly at the boys. 

"I better get going" I say, it was nearly dark. Dad didn't like it when I was out too late, and I still needed to fill up with petrol. The three boys say goodbye, looking disappointed that I had to leave. I pop my head in and say goodbye to Billy and finally I get to my car. I start driving until I find a petrol station in La Push, I fill my car up and then walk to the little shop to pay, as I open the door I bump into someone, I shake my head slightly and look up. 

"I'm so sorry!" I groan slightly, the boy I bumped in too was muscular, and hurt as I bumped into him. I looked at his face properly, taken back slightly, he was...pretty. He seemed to be around my age, he had long-ish hair, and cute doe eyes. 

"No worries" He says casually, his voice smooth and easy as he grins at me. I say sorry again as I walk past him to pay for my petrol, when I walked back outside, I see the boy again, his motorbike was parked next to my car as he washes the window of his bike. 

"Hey again" I smile softly. The boy glances up from his bike to me, a faint smile appears on his face. 

"Hey" He responds, his attention now away from his bike and on me. He leans against his bike, smirking at me. I lean against my car and blush slightly, his eyes racking over me. 

"Sorry again, for earlier" 

The boy shrugs off my apology, he seemed relaxed and nonchalant, unbothered by our earlier encounter. "It's cool, accidents happen" He says with a casual tone, his gaze leaving mine as he looks over my car, his eyes move over my car before moving back to look into my eyes. 

"Nice ride, that yours?" He asks. 

"Yeah, worked my ass off saving up, but yeah, all mine" I say proudly, tapping the car fondly. The boy looked impressed, a hint of respect in his eyes as he looks over my car again, he lets out a low whistle. 

"Impressive, took me forever to get this bike" He says, patting the bike's seat, the black leather gleamed in the night air. 

"Totally worth the pain though..." I say smiling, I introduce myself, telling him my name whilst smiling at him softly. His eyes sparkled as the moon hit them, it made me feel giddy inside. 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Paul" He says in a casual, easy tone. 

"Nice to meet you, Paul" I smile softly "I better get going" 

Paul gives me a small nod, he returns the smile, his gaze lingering over my face for a moment until he spoke again. 

"See you around" He says in a soft, almost wistful tone. There's maybe a sense of reluctant acceptance in his words, as if he wished I would stay a little longer with him. I shook the thoughts from my mind, feeling silly. 

"You too, Paul" I smirk as I climb into my car, feeling the blush creep over my face. I look at him again, leaning on his bike, his arms crossed over his chest as his gaze doesn't stray from me. 

"Later" He says quietly, his voice barely audible over the sound of my engine starting up. As I drove home I felt a little flutter of excitement as I thought about the boy I had just met. The memory of the short but intriguing encounter with Paul remained fresh in my mind. I found myself replying the brief conversation in my head, feeling a mixture of curiosity and intrigue about the brooding, motorbike-riding boy. 

I parked my car outside the house, blocking Bella's truck only slightly, when I walked into the house I saw both Bella and my dad sitting in the living room together, I smiled brightly when I saw them. 

"Hey you two"

They turned to look at me to greet me. My dad smiled warmly and Bella gave me a small, soft smile. 

"Hey kiddo" My dad smiled, I rolled my eyes a little at the nickname "Did you have a good day?"

"I did, thank you" I responded, a small blush creeping over my cheeks again. I cursed myself inside, I blushed way too easily. My dad of course noticed, he always did when I blushed. 

"Someone's looking a little rosy. Had a nice time with Jacob, did you?" He asked, I grimace a little when he thought I was blushing due to Jacob. Jacob definitely fit the 'kid brother' category, he wasn't crush worthy to me. 

"Oh yeah, Jacob...Yeah it was fun, I met his friends; Quil and Embry too" I answered, I had momentarily forgotten I had seen the three boys today, my brain was overcome with Paul until dad mentioned Jacob. My dad chuckled slightly at my answer, I felt a little bubble of anxiety, I really hoped he didn't think I fancied Jacob or something, he would definitely tell Billy and I really didn't need that. 

"Just hanging out with the boys, huh? Nothing else interesting happen today?" He asks. 

"No, nothing" I answer very quickly, I then look over to Bella, who was smirking at the conversation, I used my eyes to motion that I wanted to speak to her upstairs. She quickly realises what I meant and gets up from the couch to follow me upstairs. Once we were out of sight from our dad I grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly upstairs to my room, it was directly opposite hers. 

Once in my room I shut the door and looked at her, the blush coming over my cheeks again. 

"I met the cutest guy" I said quietly, still worried our dad could hear us. Bella looked at me confused at first, but at my mentioning of a boy she suddenly looked excited. 

"A cute guy, huh? Do tell!" She grins, as she gets herself comfortable on my bed. I sit in front of her and grin some more. 

"His name is Paul...He's so cute, we spoke for like five minutes, so granted I don't think it counts as meeting someone, but he's cute" I ramble slightly, Bella listens intently, a mischievous look flashes over her eyes. 

"Hm, a cute guy named Paul...And you're crushing on him already after only five minutes?" She teases, a smirk on her face. 

"Yeah" I giggle softly. 

"Must of been a special five minutes"

"Maybe Bells, he's a cute guy I'll probably never see" I mutter a little sadly. Bella and I chat for a little longer until our dad was finally telling us to go to bed as we had school the next day. We giggled and chatted for longer until finally, we both went to bed. 

(I do not consent my works to be posted anywhere else, by anyone other than myself)

[taiey]

a minor analysis of Manepear's manipulation (mane-ipulation)

A few thoughts to frame the discussion: Clownpierce has the mace; Clownpierce has not yet died. Clownpierce doesn't log on very often, and of everyone on the server Clownpierce is closest to Kaboodle.

With that in mind... 1hr 13min into 'A New Leaf..?', after a lot of open honest conversation about the war, morality, honour and Mane's potential as an interior decorator, Kaboodle brings up her constancy towards Clownpierce and Manepear starts telling her she should put herself first, because Clown doesn't.

He starts with the basic, obvious facts: Clown doesn't log on very often, he's never attacked Mane for her, he's never sacrificed himself for her like she has for him. Even... Woogie..? backs him up on all that.

Then she starts bringing up counter-examples and he pushes back, with subtle mis-framings like "it would have been easy for him to say I searched for Mapic on purpose so that I could get back for you" when, like, I saw that video and I bet you did too, he said that to Mapicc, and not to Kaboodle. Or brushing off that time he did fight Mane's team as if there's "10 people he knows he's not going to get targeted and if he gets a kill on Main and Flame that would be huge for him", when, uh, it's not that Mane has specific knowledge that the other group chat was considering jumping Clown for the mace earlier in the day, but I do feel that dynamic is sufficiently common knowledge.

I've actually had this thought before because I thought that he was, I was, I was confident that he was betraying me cuz I was thinking like "why would Clownpierce betray and and use everybody except for me? how does that make any sense? why would I be the only one?" and it doesn't make sense like nothing would make me special

Drawing parallels digs into her fears without him directly saying she's not special so as to elicit sympathy and not offense. (and pay no attention to the dissimilarities in their relationships to clown)

I think it was easy for him to defend you from Subz because he knows that he can kill Subz but if it was me in that situation I'm not so sure if he would he would have done the same thing

(y'know i didn't actually notice at the time that uh that's a very different line than his Subz Glazing to Zam&Mapicc)

Mane: did he leave my alliance or did I force him out? Kab: you did force him out Mane: he didn't have a choice not to choose you Kab: yeah that's a horrible... Mane: [crosstalk] he could have at least shot me a DM—wait! Oh my gosh! I just remembered

Things I did not notice on first listen: sorry, when could he have shot you a DM? When you turned on him?? No, no, that segue makes no sense. Mane absolutely did not "just remember". DMs only came into this because he wanted a segue into: his climactic reveal.

When I was looking for your base, I told him about my, my plan to find you using dogs, and he was telling me how to do it more efficiently.

So. Let's look at [the screenshots that i copied off someone else o7]

The first thing that stood out to me, as I was watching the stream, was this: Mane says "he was telling me how to do it more efficiently", and then he lets Kab stew in that for a bit, and then he sends her these screenshots. The framing is set up. But there is not one line in there that is Clown giving Mane advice on how to track her.

The nearest he gets to advice is "she knows when you do tho". Mane glosses that to Kab as "he was telling me exactly what not to do as well", but listen: look at it. The closest he gets to advice is: maybe don't track her. Maybe you shouldn't even try.

Mane asked "what should I say", he relates it like it's another example of advice, which looks like it could lead to advice, and then the screenshot cuts off. And... it's shorter than the first one. We know for an absolute fact that the height is not limited by, say, the height of the screen. It cuts off there because whatever comes after that does not back up the narrative Mane's selling her.

Laughing about her, saying she's scared: it's emotionally affecting, but it's not actionable information. It does not help Mane find Kab. All it does is give the feeling that Clown is on Mane's side.

After exiting the conversation Kaboodle grieves to chat about it; she starts off thinking of it as"actively telling Mane how to find me is, is..." but a few minutes later she's caught on to "if you look at the messages he's not actively selling me out"; she has prior history of coming back the next day going hang on...

Very interested to see how far she gets with it. That thing with the dogs was streamed live; I watched it. The memory of it tickled at my brain, so after today's ended I tracked it down, and found:

Clownpierce: Did he find the manepears? What? Kaboodle: So all the manepears teleported to me when they hit, when he hit them. Clown: [AWKWARD LAUGHTER] Kab, fearless: I'm thousands of blocks away, I'm really far away. Clownpierce: Maybe they... they sometimes do move in the direction they teleport to, maybe he knows the location. Maybe - maybe move around.

Clownpierce was DMing Manepear saying "ok good idea"—and then, on a call with Kaboodle, telling her Mane's tactic and what to do about it.

:)

(He doesn't maximally betray Mane, he doesn't tell her he knows Mane's doing that or tell her before it starts happening; there's a degree of trying to stay on both sides. But he isn't neutral, and he is ultimately, materially, on Kab's side.)

I, like Kaboodle, saw Manepear's "removing all netherite" video and really enjoyed it (the twists genuinely surprised me) but there was this doubt where—videos and not streams usually feel this way to me—I wasn't sure whether, to convince the server that he wasn't the guy on his friend's account, he had to actually convince them. I just knew that was a kind of story he wanted to tell, and hoped he'd try it on Lifesteal.

Now, though, I believe it. I've seen maybe two other fandom people even doubting this. I believe he did because I see he can. And oh my goodness I love it.

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

Classic You

|| Parallel Powder x fem!reader

|| Warnings; season two episode seven spoilers, reader has a nightmare, nightmare comfort, Powder comforting reader, mentions of death but only from the dream, short drabble

|| Summary; when reader wakes up screaming, Powder helps her out.

Requests closed!

Started; December 16th

Finished; December 16th

HurtCember2024; Day 13, Nightmare

~~~

Powder wasn't even sure what was happening or how it happened. One moment, she's peacefully asleep next to you. The next, your scream cuts through the air. Startling her awake. Sitting bolt up right in panic.

"Huh-? Wha-? Babe?" Her eyes go to you, softening a bit when she sees your panicked state. Worry laced over her eyes. Powder's hand rests to your shoulder, gently guiding you against her," hey, hey shh. You're okay. Only a nightmare."

"You were- you were-" the words couldn't even get out of your mouth. The image replaying in your head. Powder had died in your nightmare and you'd been powerless to stop it. Tears rolled down your cheeks, shoulders shaking through your sobs. Your face buried into Powder's neck.

"I've got you, I'm right here. See? Feel my hand?" Powder spoke slowly, softly. Trying to ease you back to the present. Her hand giving your upper arm a firm squeeze. Powder watched your chest begin to settle back into its usual rhythm. Steady, gentle, calm.

"There you go.. that's it," she murmured. Encouraging you to continue what you were doing . You could only nod, throat feeling tight. Clinging to your girlfriend like your life depended on it. You were scared that if you let go, you'd loose her. Even if that was a completely silly thought. Powder would never do that to you. Once you fully calmed down, her hand cupped your cheek. Looking into your eyes. Those gorgeous, captivating eyes that Powder could just get lost in for hours. She has before, too," better?"

"Yeah.. yeah, a little," you replied. She relaxed at that, Powder's thumb brushing against your skin as she just held you. Held you close and tight. Assuring herself that you were okay. When she'd first heard your scream, Powder's mind went to all the worst cases possible. But, it had only been a nightmare that got you like that. You weren't physically hurt.

"Wanna talk about it?" Powder asked, giving your forehead a gentle kiss before you buried your face back into her. Her hand resting on the back of your neck. Giving a small, comforting squeeze. Her arms never leaving from around you.

You told her everything that happened in your dream. From what led to her death down to the actual death. Going over everything, trying not to let your emotions get the best of you. Talking about it made you want to cry again. You weren't going to. You refused to; Powder had already had to help you once. In your mind, it wasn't fair to make her do it again. You'd already interrupted her sleep as it was-

Her sleep. You paused mid ramble and looked up to her, frowning a bit," I'm sorry.."

Powder looked a little startled, confused even. Why were you apologizing to her? You hadn't done anything wrong," why are you apologizing?" She asked.

"I woke you- and you have that project to work on tomorrow for the competition," you sighed. Slumping against her.

Powder relaxed, holding you close. Scoffing a bit," that's what's got you all worried? You had a nightmare and you're more focused on me? Classic you," she murmured. Giving you a brief kiss," I'll be okay. Besides, I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway without making 100% sure you were okay first. Because what kind of girlfriend would I be?"

You were smiling now. Her words always had a way of doing that. Like she just knew what to say to make everything go away. It wasn't long before the two of you were back asleep.

[heartsickspider]

in another life; in every life (arthur morgan x reader)

a/n: idk if i really believe in the multiverse/parallel lives, but the idea of two people finding and choosing each other over and over again? my inner helpless romantic is SCREAMING. so here's a lil something about that with arthur :') tags: arthur has tb (i'm sorry </3), soft angst, hurt/comfort, grappling with mortality in the gentlest way possible, cosmic soulmates type beat

the stars gleamed in the navy blue twilight, twinkling as they welcomed the moon into their night sky. the air was cool and quiet, the stillness broken only by the crackle of the dwindling fire and arthur's soft, uneven breaths.

you couldn't help but steal the occasional glance at him as you idly whittled away at some wood with your knife. he was focused, eyebrows furrowed and jaw set as he meticulously polished his favorite revolver. you knew that look all too well. he was lost in his head again, thoughts gnawing at his conscience in the same way the illness was slowly withering away at his body.

he'd rarely talk about it, not directly anyway. said he didn't wanna cause you pain, as if watching him unravel before you hadn't already imprinted a permanent, dull ache in your chest. as if ignoring it made it any less real.

the silence stretched on, comfortable but not quite peaceful. you continued to pick away at the wood to form some sort of figure, the rhythmic scraping lulling you into a hazy state. today's ride had been long, and your body was desperate for a hot bath and his familiar arms holding you close.

"y'ever get the feelin'," he said suddenly, setting the gun aside, "like you've lived something before?"

you blinked, his low voice bringing you back to the present. "how so?"

arthur's gaze was focused on the dying embers that gently illuminated his tired features. "don't make sense, but sometimes i feel like we've done this all before. lived this life... the same, but different somehow."

you stared at him for a long moment, hands going still as you realized what he was getting at. arthur had never been one to believe much beyond the physical. notions of the afterlife or fate were foreign to him, silly ideas to be scoffed at. and yet, here he was, contemplating something so far outside his usual ways of thinking. the clumsy half-carving fell forgotten in your lap as his words slowly settled in, soft and steady, easing the weight of your weary heart.

he shook his head, a rasped cough escaping his chapped lips. "it's damn stupid, i know."

"it's not." you reached out, intertwining his calloused fingers with your own. "sometimes i can't help but feel like i've known you forever."

his eyes finally met yours, flickering with vulnerability and a hint of relief. "yeah?"

you nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "i like the sound of that," he murmured as he gave your hand a soft squeeze. "maybe in another life, this all goes different."

you let out a soft hum and gently ran your thumb across his scarred knuckles. "how would you like it to go?"

he looked up at the stars, glowing brighter now that the sky had settled into an inky black. "reckon it would be just us," he explained quietly. "none of this running and surviving. a small piece of land, a few animals. that's all i want."

the simplicity of his wish struck something deep within you. he was a man riddled with sin, yes, but surely not beyond forgiveness. it was probably foolish to think that way. he'd spilled more blood than several lawmen combined, participated in cons that ripped apart innocent lives.

and yet, all you could see was the man before you. the one who carried the crippling burden of shame and regret like it ran through his blood. the man who stood by those he loved in the name of loyalty, without question. the one who, despite his fragile state, fought every single day just to keep breathing for you. wasn't that worth something?

you leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his stubbled cheek, letting your lips linger just a moment longer than necessary. "we'll get that," you whispered as you pulled away, just as the fire finally flickered out. "i can feel it."

[gallapiech]

Give it up for art post number 3 for Highway of Hedoism!

[READ IT HERE]

+ some bts stuff because i enjoyyyyy doing that :)

Not much to comment on this one lol, it's a little rough I suppose. I think I prioritized quantity over quality here and that's definitely something I would've done differently if I could go back in time.

I'm still not sure it gets the image across? I hope it does. Sorry if it doesn't ehe...

I don't actually have a sketch for the outside one! I made it pretty fast and in one sitting lol.

a mimir. I loooove parallels! When we were discussing moments to be drawn I thought it would be really nice to have a little nod to their first time sharing a bed and seeing how much their relationship has changed over their journey!!

One of the issues I ran into while working on these is my struggle to keep the style consistent enough lol. ofc artists are their own biggest critics so maybe it bothers me more than it bothers everyone else ehe. In the end I do really like this one! Maybe a bit too cartoony? I hope it's not too distracting LOL!

I remember when we just started working on this I had asked Rory if they could get matching tattoos because I looooove that. But she was one step ahead of me and had already planned it hehehe ♥ We discussed some possibilities of their spelling qualities before settling on the current ones. I hope you enjoy the shoddy linework LOL I made sure to write them both with my non dominant hand. I also thought it would be funny if Ian wrote his name and then thought "fuck wait, i gotta add C for Clayton." And then quickly tried to squeeze it in. 🤣 (Also, once again me forgetting about clothing. Thank you Rory for reminding me about the bathrobe 🙏

Yeah. uh. I think mickey looks nice in this one :)

I think there will be one more art post after this one! The last one,,, aaahh! The end is nearing. I hope you're all enjoying the fic! I've been immensely enjoying reading everyone's reactions to it! Thank you so much for all your kind words ♥

[kanmom51]

Jikook car drive to CT

I think that before I dive into the actual car ride I have to set a few things straight.

Did you guys notice they chose to ride together? Shock and awe...

Lmao.

Just a little stab for all those who were nitpicking at them back in 2021-23. Yeah, you's that were all about "but they don't ride in the same car anymore", or "they aren't addressing each other or reacting to each other on SM", or whatever other kind of insecurity for some or just outright malice from others.

JM and JK are the same JM and JK they were before the hiatus and solo paths. Same same. With adjustments having to be made to a new reality of not spending close to 24/7 together. Adjusting to their crazy busy solo work and schedules. Adjusting to learning how to be alone when you are used to not being, because your significant other is submerged in his work while you are not. With adjustments to not having ot7 as their protecting glass closet. When you are used to being together close to 24/7 and circumstances change and you can't anymore, as a couple you need to adjust to that new reality and sometimes it's harder on one of you than the other. Not because you don't love each other or need each other equally, but because you are different people and adjust differently to this new reality.

And in the reality of these 2 young men, well it has been apparent since the beginning of 2023 that JK was the one that was struggling most with these changes. I'd say that this is can be a huge clue to his neurodivergence.

When we look at these two young men, whom I believe to be 2 queer young men in a long term loving relationship, not only do we need to look at them within the context of them being in one of the biggest if not THE biggest band in the world right now, living in a still mostly homophobic society and at the time were looking at enlisting for their 18 month military service, a military that still outlaws sexual relations between men.

This has to be understood while looking at Jikook throughout the years and in 2021-2023, things changing after creation of Hybe, going public, trying to buy out SM and the whole saga with MHJ (which was going on since Oct 2022 behind the scenes).

That's a good starting point understanding them in 2023 and going into watching Are you sure?

But that's not all.

There's more.

Seeing some of the reactions, comments, posts I feel the need to say this as well:

JM and JK are human beings.

They aren't characters in a drama.

This isn't The Bold and the Beautiful, JK not Ridge and JM not Brooke or vise versa (seriously, just picked the parallels because of the current hair colours). They weren't married and divorced ending up with others and then married again and divorced and with others and just going on and on and on. Ups and downs, ins and outs, together and parted. This is real life, not a TV show. Not only would their love not last that (and they clearly love each other), their interactions, their dynamics wouldn't just stay the same same. Not to mention what it would have done to the band and their own relationships with the others. They wouldn't survive it nor would the band. So don't create drama where there isn't is what I say.

What I see is a pretty much levelled long term couple. With relationship bumps in the road, adjustments, frustrations, moods.

I also see 2 queer young men who due to the reality of 2023 have close to zero camera time in one frame. And it shows.

But mainly I see LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE FOR EACH OTHER.

On top of that I see both of them feeling physically unwell. Poor JM with his stomach issues and bursting pipe (yes I just said that, lol), and JK who has been ill for days, had to go to the hospital for treatment before his solo debut performance, for that performance to be fucked up by the weather. Man was definitley still unwell the whole time constantly sniffling and coughing. And JM worrying about JK's health is another indicator as to it not being nothing.

Bottom line: these are real life people with their own different characteristics, feelings, stress, anxiety, illnesses and the runs.

Not that they didn't know there will be cameras, they were well aware of it, but looks like JM was initially a little shocked to see just how many of them.

Even with the cameras and initial apparent awkwardness, not with each other, but with the whole "it's just the two of us on camera together, no other members to buffer", they are at ease with each other, smiling and giggling.

And even with the cameras and that on one hand need to say things but on the other need to still be wary of what you say and not to say too much - something they are expert at, even if it's been a while and takes them a bit to get back on the wagon with. Even with that they go back to that very jikooky type of formal - informal interaction with each other, JK 'forgetting' JM is the hyung out of the two (like I said, same same).

We have JM's cheeky comment about spooning JK if he's cold, one he insisted on implementing that same night. Mics on, cameras obviously on, but us not allowed to see a thing (and I will talk about this in another post - the whole "if there's nothing to hide how come we didn't get to see one of the apparently funniest moments of the trip, one that the the two and those around them couldn't shut up about?" (phew, that was a long question).

We also get a cute JM looking out for JK's health turning on the heat in the car, turning on his seat heater (without JK knowing about it, lol).

As a whole, those two in the car sounded like an old married couple. I was watching laughing the whole time, the whole thing feeling too familiar, lol.

But I know what you are all waiting for.

More so those that love to question their relationship.

Let's get on and discuss the car convo some are stressing over.

This:

But wait.

Before I talk about it, there's one more word I want to mention.

CONTEXT.

Context is EVERYTHING.

We all know that, right?

And what is the important context here?

Well, first of, this is all in front of the cameras.

Secondly, we ALL KNOW that even with their crazy schedules JM and JK DID GET TO SEE EACH OTHER in those months counting up to this trip, in private, just the two of them.

We know from them that they were together drinking the night before Hobi's enlistment, for example. We know JM was at JK's before JM left for London end of May, JK 'complaining' about having to change the way JM adjusted the mood lamp. We know they are the closest duo in the group, but beyond that, those two are just super close. We know that JK went live basically every time JM left for overseas and was overjoyed when JM showed up in his comments (including his comments during the mukbang live and perhaps coming over after he finished his schedule). This is before this trip. Let's not mention (or maybe let's) the flirt-fest we got in the JK in bed live that came shortly after this trip.

One other huge thing we seem to forget is that:

This is an edited product we are seeing.

Not a live discussion.

And even if it looks like the conversation is somewhat flowing, when you look really closely you see that there are cuts cuts cuts. Some might just be change of camera angle, others are real cuts where you can see that whatever was said was not said at the same time as a flowing conversation.

So, if you look carefully you will see that the first part of the discussion and the part where JM brings up V are not exactly in one flow. That there is a cut between what JK says, and we will get to that, don't fret, and when JM brings up him facetiming with V and what follows.

The start of it is also not clear. If what JM says about not going somewhere together in a while is the start of the flow of conversation, then the clip they are showing us of them in the car driving in the streets of NY is not connected to that, because the conversation continues when they are already out of town. 2 possibilities here. Either that was the start of the convo and for some reason they decided to show the car driving in NY even though the convo happened with them out of the city already. Or, once again, my point that maybe the convo isn't in one flow - even that first part of it. That JM did say what he said when they were still in the city and then their conversation following was edited in a way that we didn't get much of it until they were already out of the city and JK says what he says.

Reason I bring this up is again to emphasize the fact that as much as we are let in, we are still getting an edited product.

You know, same edited product that cuts out their flirty playful bedtime toothbrushing session.

I also want to bring this up, because I basically agree with much of what @shellbells-things the importance of them needing that getaway together (in this post):

This was written with the official translations in mind.

But you see, this is not what JK said.

The actual translation is basically JK calling out JM for not seeking him out enough!!!

And we also have this from @haedalkoo (thanks you for this post💜):

And why does it matter? Why do these different translations matter? Because they tell us a totally different story.

In the first you have JK saying that when one of them is busy, even though the other is not, he does not tend to call/reach out to the one that is busy. Basically this could be read as them not making an effort to contact the other even when they had time on their hands to do so. And perhaps that is why there are people up in arms about this, although my take of it is that even if this was the correct translation, which it is not, that understanding, that conclusion, would have been a very superficial one, disregarding the context of those two, who they are, where they are and what they are doing, as mentioned above.

In the other, what seems to be the more accurate translation, we have a salty boyfriend complaining about his partner not reaching out to him when he's busy, but also not reaching out to him when JK is busy, even if JM is not as busy.

"Your busy you don't seek me out, your not busy you don't seek me out"...

Now let's look at what JK said within the context of it all.

This isn't about them not seeing each other, not being in touch at all. Being estranged. Losing contact. Like so many want it to be about, given that would be so much more dramatic and 'interesting'.

This is about it not being enough for JK.

Enough being the key word.

JM and JK are different. They are both highly driven, and when JK has a JM by his side, said JM is a catalyst and has JK as driven as him. But you see, they weren't together. JM, being the workaholic that he is, highly driven with his work, having to give not 100% but 1000%, could easily lose himself in that work. And as much as he loves JK, or perhaps even more so because he's crazy about him, he can't have him around as a distraction. So, in a sense, when he works he can get lost in that work and that leaves little "free" time to spend with the person he loves, the person that loves him, the person that needs him. Same person that was REALLY struggling at the start of 2023 while JM was too absent. Again, that does not mean that JM was not spending time with JK. It was just not enough. Especially while JK was sort of lost at that point in a sense that he had no clear path set for himself. JK is different in the sense that JM is kind of his blankie, his anchor, his safe place. He needs JM around even when he is up to nothing (see JM's "he comes to my room to lie on my bed and do nothing" from the LA live 2021). And having him around is a need. Do we remember crying JK at the end of his lives on White day 2023. Heart wrenching. And again, it's not that JM doesn't need JK, he does, but a. his need is different to JK's, and b. JM was super busy at the time while JK was doing basically nothing.

And when JK was busy, well I'm guessing that JM was giving him the space he thought JK needed to work. But obviously this wasn't what JK wanted.

This saltiness is all coming from the same person that says he doesn't answer his phone calls or reply to texts. The person that JM complained when he doesn't answer his calls. With all that he still needed JM to reach out. He needed to know that JM is thinking about him.

This conversation isn't about them not seeing each other. It's about not seeing each other enough. It's about JM not seeking JK out as much as JK needed him to. And it's about them not being able, for whichever reasons (exterior or self inflicted) to do exactly this. Be out and about together. The two of them. This is exactly what you do in a healthy long term relationship. You talk. You are open. You tell your partner how you feel and what you need.

And you know what JK sounded like to me?

He reminded me of this JK:

The JK that even though he had already scolded JM he couldn't just let it go. That even though JM apologized several times and explained himself, he just couldn't let it go because it was weighing on him, that choice that he felt JM made.

And I know, I just know, that this conversation we got in the car was not a one of. That "Your here. Finally" we got from him at the end...

He needed this to happen, for JM to make this happen.

I will also add, even though I cannot go into too much detail at this point, that I feel that the : "You're here. Finally", has so much more sub context to it within the way they had both handled 2022-23 and that adjustment to the new reality. Not about it being easier for one over the other, but more so about how they handled this "apartness" that was kind of forced on them.

Anyway, that "finally", that was it for me. Seeing. No. Feeling how this was weighing on JK. Feeling just how important this was for him. JM making that effort and showing up for him like he did.

I hope that I have managed to get the message through. I will drill it in with my three keywords to this post:

COUPLE

CONTEXT

ENOUGH

I will end this by saying this:

Read that convo as you will, see those two as you will. At the end of the day not only did they CHOOSE to do this again and again (even with the little time they still had with their crazy schedules and upcoming enlistment). Not only did JK say he wanted to keep going with this until they are 50 years old. But they also CHOSE to enlist together. To be TOGETHER for those 18 months of military service. CHOOSING to do so knowing that meant a harder service and placement.

At the end of the day they CHOSE EACH OTHER.

And they will keep on doing so!!!

[cowboyidiot]

ok listen yes the stevebucky orpheus/eurydice parallels on this website are good i won’t deny it but literally all of them are wrong because if someone is orpheus in that relationship it’s bucky. the minute they’re separated it’s steve that’s one step behind. they’re torn apart by war/death/hydra/themselves and bucky gets there first every time so all bucky can do is keep going and look back and steve continues to follow. it’s only that looking back is the thing that saves them in the end like steve is the one who has to follow bucky to war in the first place but they make him a dancing monkey and he’s nothing to them but everything he’s not and what actually leads him towards anything at all is the fact that bucky needs him in this singular moment so actually fuck all of that this is the impetus to finally try and escape out of hell so he follows him to the factory and only one of them can get across the beam safely to escape but bucky won’t leave him and instead looks back no not without you so of course steve follows and just when it seems like they could actually walk out of this together or at least follow each other and walk side by side again bucky falls so steve follows too and suddenly he wakes up seventy years later and it’s just like before when there was nothing that felt real but this time the weight of the entire world is on his shoulders and everyone expects just as much from him as he does of himself and there’s no bucky and nobody sees steve rogers they only see captain america and it’s his job to be the one leading but that’s not fully possible because he’s the one that’s lost but then bucky is back and of course his reappearance was going to be intertwined with the moment where everything unravels and steve starts back on the walk out of hell but steve didn’t seek him out bucky finds him and steve unknowingly follows on both the roof and on the highway and yeah it’s that moment where bucky looks back at steve and doesn’t know him that makes steve feel like he’s dying and maybe they won’t ever escape but that’s not where it ends for them because it all goes back to the fact that even though bucky didn’t even know that he could look back his first real choice is to do exactly that and look back at steve who the hell is bucky the man on the bridge who was he but i knew him and they take that away again and he looks back at steve anyway and after they stop insight and the world is falling apart around him steve won’t go anywhere if bucky can’t look back at him bucky has to be the one to lead them out of there and he does that when he pulls steve from the water and tries to drag him on the walk out of hell again but then bucky hides and tries to pretend he’s not looking back tries to let steve go because he’s not worth following but steve follows anyway and no matter what he tries to do bucky looks back he’s been piecing together everything in secret this whole time with his little notebook and the museum and his memories he tells steve he doesn’t have but of course he does of course he was looking back not knowing for sure if steve was following and of course steve followed without knowing for sure if bucky was looking back hoping that they could finally walk out of this together like they were in the beginning that’s what they do when it comes down to it. that’s what they’ve always done from the point of their separation, since all of this started. welcome back orpheus and eurydice.

[inhuman-obey-me]

Celestials and Saltiness: Lessons 48/49

HAHAHAHA of course while we had irl stuff going on and couldn't go through the lessons for a couple weeks, was when the Big Stuff drops. But we have caught up, and hoo boy, there is plenty to discuss. So let's discuss! Strap in, it's a long one.

(MAJOR spoilers for NB lesson 48/49 below the cut)

The Situation

Let's start with what's actually happening. Hey, remember when the devs decided Simeon is a human now as punishment over the whole stealing the Ring of Light situation? SURPRISE, they've decided he's becoming a demon after all! You know, like all of us fucking expected of what happens to angels when they are punished and fall? Yeah, that.

As it turns out, despite the whole "I'm human now" gradual reveal across two whole fucking seasons, they've now decided this has been going on since basically all the way back to his human world cafe days in OG Season 3 to say he was starting to become a demon even back then, or at least so Solomon theorizes. So...basically the entire length of his "human" punishment thus far. Cool, cool, we're sure that's totally not a retcon due to the devs realizing they wrote themselves into a corner. Definitely had a plan all along, that's why they bought themselves 2 seasons of Nightbringer time travel shenanigans of time before getting into this. Totally.

Anyway, setting aside the salt (for now), we are told that this demonic aura has been starting to appear whenever he feels deep emotions, somewhat similar to how power manifests for the brothers. Solomon tells us that it's because Simeon has a unique ability to access his latent power - which is an interesting little tidbit to note, as it implies that they took away his angel powers but he has his own inherent powers which he was just never able to access until now. We have long held the headcanon that God artificially limits angels' power, so it's very interesting to us to see that it may be suggesting something similar here.

On a related minor worldbuilding note, this does confirm the detail that celestial power has a distinctly opposite feeling than demonic power, meaning that their magic and powers are not neutral. And we also get an in-game reminder that demons do not like angels, so in this situation, it would be expected that an average demon might think an angel deserves to fall and want to torture/kill them if given the chance.

By the way, all of this is going on during the Science Fair Chemistry competition specifically, which is...an interesting parallel to say the least. Chemistry is the science concerned with matter -- including its composition, structure, and how it changes down to the molecular level. We've always been of the opinion that Simeon just turning into a human was odd as it's been established that demons and angels have different physiology in comparison to humans (like how Demonus can get both demons and angels drunk, but doesn't affect humans). Simeon turning into a demon with the absence of his angel powers makes sense.

Celestial Realm Reactions

Now, the consequences.

First, let's look at the political implications. Diavolo, Barbatos, and Lucifer know that this does not bode well for relations between the Realms. After all, what will the Celestial Realm think, having one of their own turning into a demon after they sent them to the Devildom for the exchange program? Especially considering everything that happened with Lucifer and the Great Celestial War, it would be very easy to point a finger at Diavolo and the Devildom for being a corrupting influence.

Lucifer also mentions that Simeon is currently not allowed through the gates into the Celestial Realm without first obtaining forgiveness. However, that status as a human is an ongoing punishment (think of a kid being grounded by parents), not a one-and-done thing, opening up an implication that this transformation is not necessarily intended to be permanent. That's also totally not a retcon, we're sure! If he turns into a demon, that challenges the supposed punishment and calls into question which realm actually has a claim to him -- in a situation where both answers would have precarious implications for Diavolo's peace plan.

So, that's the Celestial Realm as a whole, on a political level. But let's take a look at the individual angels we know too, shall we?

First, there's the big question mark of Michael. We know that he's the one who called Simeon back to the Celestial Realm about the Ring of Light, and we also know that he is in fact the one Simeon stole it from. However, Lucifer assumes Michael is planning to bring Simeon back to the Celestial Realm when he gets the chance, so it seems like he was not actually the one to decide on this punishment and may actually be working to end it. And interestingly, this would not be the first time Michael has acted on his own to seemingly try to cancel out a punishment from God -- as a reminder, he also went off to the Devildom disguised himself as Raphael to try to invite the brothers back at the end of NB Season 1!

Considering Lucifer's insistence that Father would never forgive him, plus his Cocytus punishment at the end of NB Season 2, it does seem like Michael probably didn't have permission from God to go inviting them back. If he's also looking to reverse Simeon's punishment, that would show a surprising rebelliousness from the top angel of the Celestial Realm! So it will be interesting to see how Michael's role in this whole situation unfolds.

Then, we have our sweet baby angel Luke -- who ends up crying himself to the point of passing out when he finds out. He's grown a lot since he first arrived to the Devildom, no longer thinking that all demons are inherently evil monsters -- but he's still very proud to be an angel. He loves Simeon dearly, as the one who has acted as a parental figure of sorts for him this entire time. Luke is adamant about protecting and helping Simeon in any way he can, even if he's not sure what can really be done.

However, this sets up quite the conflict for the poor boy. He was too young to know Lucifer and the other brothers at the time of the Great Celestial War, so this is his first time reckoning with an angel he's known personally becoming a demon. And on top of that, this began with the Celestial Realm's decision to punish Simeon for taking the Ring of Light -- saving MC and Lucifer, and stabilizing MC's "ring" to essentially save all of the Three Realms.

In other words, Simeon is becoming a demon now for saving everyone. So it begs the question -- will Luke, who has unquestioningly believed in the Celestial Realm until now, start seeing his home in a different light after all of this?

Then there's the next-youngest angel, and the newest in the cast -- Raphael. We didn't see too much of him, but we get enough that it's clear he's not taking this news well either. It's assumed he was suddenly called to the Celestial Realm because of this development, though we don't know exactly what they say to him about it, and when he returns, he's in a daze. We see Mephistopheles being the one to actually first run into him and try to talk to him, but he is mainly met with a very out-of-it angel, and he then takes him out to have his family's special Demonus because it's clear Raphael is distressed. In another scene, we see Thirteen run into a now spaced-out Mephisto and he asks her a "hypothetical" -- what happens when an angel reaches their limit? Also, Solmare, are y'all setting up RaphaelxMephisto as a ship?

And then, of course, we have the angel of the hour -- or rather, ex-angel. And Simeon's reaction to this change is...not so bad, actually. It's one of understandable confusion but also a kind of near acceptance. We've always been convinced that the reason Simeon was demoted after the Celestial War was because he stayed neutral and refused to fight. And how Simeon discusses the past in Lesson 49 suggests similarly -- he has always had regrets over not joining Lucifer, because he couldn't. Now that it seems he is possibly turning into a demon, he can't help but wonder how things could have been different if he had.

He mentions how he feels less unsure about this than turning into a human, as he always did want to be closer to the brothers, and didn't like that he was different from them. In that sense, turning into a demon doesn't seem so bad to him -- though he also doesn't have control over these powers yet, so he needs to be careful. And, if you choose the "are you a bad boy at heart" option, he mentions that maybe his loyalty to the Celestial Realm is lacking -- pretty understandable, after all he's seen from them and all they've put him through...!

And Then There's the Shady Sorcerer...

Now, that's all complicated enough for that delicate, delicate balance between the Celestial Realm and the Devildom, but let's not forget there's one more realm in the "Three" Realms, with one very conspicuously powerful representative here in our cast.

And so, where is Solomon in all of this? Well, we know he placed a protection charm on Simeon to protect him when it was thought that he was a "defenseless" human, so that even if a lesser demon messed with him, they'd be in for a world of pain. He was also, it seems, the first one to notice Simeon starting to transform into a demon, but kept that information to himself until confronted about it. Lucifer opens up to us that he can't help but wonder if there's some kind of connection between the sorcerer's activities back in the human realm and Simeon's predicament, feeling some doubts even if it seems everyone relies on Solomon and trusts him. And after all, Lucifer would be a demon with a good reason to distrust Solomon, since the sorcerer has long been after a pact with him, even on top of all the many powerful pacts he already holds with others.

Lucifer brings up some of his concerns to Solomon by asking him why he's been going back and forth to the human world so much -- to which Solomon answers that's making some preparations for unlikely scenarios. He insists it's not important, but we wonder...

Back in OG Season 2, Solomon knew about MC's "ring" which was putting the Three Realms at risk, and he secretly swiped the Night Dagger from the Reaper's Cave as a potential solution. His top priority, as we've seen, has always been protecting humanity from the battling influences of the other two realms. We know that's also part of his mysterious deal with Nightbringer.

So what possible plans and preparations could Solomon be making, and for what unlikely scenarios? Another war? Another imbalance of power? We'll see what awaits with this whole new situation...

[highpope]

Biker!JJ x Reader

based on this ask, thanks anon!

warnings: swearing, motorbike racing/stunts, scared reader notes: i don't even know what this is, i got carried away. enjoy

“Okay, odds,” your friend Sarah had said when the two of you sat down on the risers. You had both decided to get last minute tickets to the bike show that was touring through town. Neither of you were that interested, but thought it’d be fun to see the race and some stunts. 

“Odds what?”

"What are the odds you go into that?” She asked, pointing to an area outside of the track. There was a giant metal sphere that had two bikers riding inside. They moved, calculated and confident in circles, going upside down and crisscrossing. 

Your mouth basically fell open, “None. Absolutely not.” 

Sarah laughed, “C’mon, humor me. Pick a range.”

You sigh, “one to one-hundred.”

“Really?” She looked at me like I was the one being unreasonable. 

I nodded and started counting down from three. 1…2…3… “Sixty-seven.”

“Sixty-seven.” 

“Fuck,” you mumbled. 

----------

And that’s how you found yourself standing off to the side of “The Globe of Death,” waiting for the attendant to let you in.

You sighed as you wiped the sweat off your palms on your jeans. The sun had gone down the whole way now, leaving the beach illuminated only by the spotlights set up by the tour around the racing track and the neon lights on the bikes. At least that meant no one could see how scared you looked. You can’t believe this was happening to you. “Alright, sweetheart” the man called out to me, “you done this before?” You shook your head, breathless.

“Just stand right on the X and don’t put your arms out.”

Okay, duh. You just nod, unable to speak without fear you would call the whole thing off. “Alright, Maybank! She’s all yours!” The man yells as the hinge to the dome starts to lift. 

You carefully step inside, taking the hand of the rider to help pull yourself up. You mumble a “thanks” that you’re sure no one heard and stand on the green tape in the middle of the dome. It was even bigger on the inside. Incredibly intimidating.

You couldn’t see any of his other features, but his deep blue eyes met yours instantly. He winks and you're not sure how you know, but you can tell he’s smiling under his helmet. Your cheeks blaze red as you divert your eyes.

Maybank revs the engine on his bike and the crowd outside goes crazy. He accelerates, building momentum as he drives around the walls. You jump, caught off guard, the countdown drowned out by the noise. The whirlwind of neon blue lights that outline the bike fly around you in circles. At first the stunts are more careful, staying quite a large distance away from you as he rides up and down the walls of the dome. In an instant he’s closer, almost parallel with you. If he reached out he could grab your arm. The thought alone makes you feel nauseous. Everything starts to blur as you feel yourself panic more and more. You needed to get out of here. The biker gets closer, making the crowd gasp and your hands shoot up to cover your face. No, no, no, no, no. “Hey, hey!” Someone yells. You slowly drop your hands from your face to see that everything has stopped. The music is still playing over the speakers, but the crowd is no longer yelling and the engine of the bike has been turned off. You lift your head to see the rider has removed his helmet and is looking right at you. 

“Are you okay?” 

You shake your head, “No.”

“We can be done.” He answers flatly and you feel yourself getting a little disappointed. Maybe at yourself for giving up so quickly or maybe something else.

“Uhm. We don’t have to be.”

The blond turns back to look at you, “yeah?”

“Yeah. I just… I’ve never done anything like this before.”

He laughs, “I can tell.” His eyes trail down your body before coming back up to your eyes. He doesn’t seem to care that you’ve noticed. “I’m not going to hurt you, ya know?”

“Promise?” you whisper. It felt like a prayer.

He laughs again, his dimples in his cheeks poking through. “Yeah. Promise, pretty girl.”

You nod, suddenly calm, despite the heart attack you’re feeling at the sudden attention.

He runs a hand through his hair as he moves to stand closer to you, making it stick up in all different directions. 

“You can lift your arms,” he says, his hand brushing against my forearm and guiding my arms to extend above my head, “If you want. Or you can keep them straight against your side. I’m just gonna go for a few more minutes.”

“Mhmm” you hum, nodding.

“Yeah? You’re good?” 

“I’m good.” you confirm and watch as he smiles back at you. He gently brushes a strand of hair back from your face, tucking it behind your ear before speaking gently, “Okay, princess. Keep your arms up nice and pretty for me, yeah?”

He pulls on his helmet again and climbs back onto his bike. You straighten up, a sudden rush of determination to get through this. Or to at least keep his attention on you.  There is a clear countdown this time before he starts off, going in circles around you. He starts to pick up speed, flying around, but his eyes lock on you in the middle. One of his arms stretches out to your waist, his palm gently brushing against you as he drives. You can’t help but smile now, heart all but lurching out of your chest. When he pulls back, you quickly lock your arms back at your side. Just like he promised, you’re only in there for a little bit more as he does his last trick. He moves from being parallel to you, to riding up and around the globe, flipping upside down for a second before repeating it on the other side of you. He does this a few more times as the crowd cheers him on. 

When he finishes, he slows to a stop and gestures to you. You awkwardly wave back to the crowd as they cheer even louder. 

You can see Sarah waiting at the entrance to the dome, practically jumping up and down as she screams. You laugh fondly and move to exit. A hand hovers on your back as you step out, landing on the mat with a thud. “That was awesome! You’re insane!” Sarah yells. The biker climbs out behind you, pulling his helmet off and handing it to his team.  “See, told ‘ya I wouldn’t hurt you.” He winks and you practically melt. He extends his hand for you to shake, “JJ,” he says softly. You smile back and take his hand.

[pandapetals]

You

worst logan/wolverine x fem!reader - time travel, TVA mentioned, mentions of death, ansgt, cute ending, humor, wade being wade, logan brooding, no y/n used, no reader description

Logan misses you so Wade comes up with the idea to time travel to get you back.

prompt idea from @Silverskyeline from their logan promptober: #13-time travel

Three months. That’s how long it had been since Logan had saved the universe—or something like that. The details didn’t matter much anymore. What mattered was the gnawing emptiness that sat heavy in his chest, like a dull ache that wouldn’t go away no matter how many beers he downed or how many bad guys he took out. He’d found a new sense of purpose in this twisted, chaotic world, and somehow, he’d gotten used to Wade’s constant chatter and bizarre group of friends. But there was something else, something that ate at him in the quiet moments.

You.

Wade had joked about it endlessly. “Why not just find her here, Logan? This universe has gotta have a version of her, right? You could shack up with Variant Reader. Hell, maybe she’s hotter here. I’m talkin’ straight out of a sci-fi romance novel—bam, instant chemistry.”

Logan’s jaw clenched every time Wade brought it up. It wasn’t that simple. It never had been. Sure, there were probably a thousand versions of you across a thousand different timelines, but none of them were you. The you from his world. The one who had been by his side through hell and back. The one whose laugh he could still hear on the edges of his mind, echoing like a ghost.

The one who had died in his arms.

He could still feel your weight against him, the warmth of your skin fading, and how your hand gripped his for the last time. No, another version of you wouldn’t cut it. He didn’t want a copy, didn’t want some echo from a parallel world. He wanted you—the real you, the one from his universe. The one he’d failed to save.

“You know, you’re brooding again,” Wade said, as he strolled into the dingy living room where Logan sat, staring into the abyss. Wade plopped down on the couch beside him, tossing a crumpled bag of chips onto the table.

“Not brooding,” Logan muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.

“Sure, sure,” Wade replied, leaning back, his legs spread out comfortably. “That’s exactly what a brooding person would say.”

Logan’s jaw tightened, the familiar tension rolling through him, but he didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he stared down at his hands, the scars, the callouses. He’d given up on getting you back. He’d given up on fixing the past. You couldn’t fix what was broken beyond repair. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself but the ache wouldn’t go away.

“You ever think about... I dunno, doin’ somethin’ about it?” Wade’s voice was oddly soft like he’d turned off the constant barrage of sarcasm for a second.

Logan’s eyes flicked to him, narrowed. “And what the hell do you suggest I do?”

Wade’s eyes gleamed with something that could only be described as dangerous mischief. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe steal a little something from the TVA and go back to your world? Grab your girl. Do the whole dramatic, ‘I can fix it’ time travel shtick?”

Logan stared at him, not sure whether to punch him or actually listen. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yeah, but I’m an idiot with connections,” Wade grinned, his face lighting up like a kid with a new toy. “Come on, you’re the Worst Wolverine—do something reckless! What’s the worst that could happen? We screw up the timeline? Big whoop. I’ve messed up all sorts of timelines. This is about love, Logan. Your love. Let’s save her.”

Logan’s first instinct was to tell him to shove it, but the words didn’t come. Wade, annoyingly, had a point. He’d done reckless things before. Hell, he was born reckless. Deep down, the thought of seeing you again, of holding you and knowing that this time, he could change things—that temptation was too strong to ignore.

“You’re insane,” Logan finally muttered.

“Yeah,” Wade replied with a grin. “But I’m right. Now come on, Wolvie. We’re going time-jumping.”

Hours later…

The device Wade had stolen was small, about the size of a smartphone, but the power it held was unmistakable. It buzzed in Wade’s hand as he fumbled with the buttons, grinning like a madman.

“This baby can take us anywhere, anytime. The TVA will never know what hit ‘em,” Wade said, tossing the device up and catching it again.

Logan eyed it warily. “You sure this thing works?”

Wade’s grin widened. “Nope though it did when I went looking for you but isn’t that the fun part? It’s like roulette with time travel—what could go wrong?”

Logan growled, his patience already wearing thin. “This better work.”

Wade flicked a button on the device, and the air around them shimmered, crackling with energy. “Buckle up, buttercup. We’re about to do the impossible.”

In a flash, the room disappeared, and the world twisted around them. Time felt like it stretched and snapped, pulling them through threads of reality. The familiar weight of Logan’s past pressed against him, a reminder of everything he’d lost.

Then, with a sudden jolt, they landed. The air was still, thick with the scent of pine and earth, the same world Logan had left behind now what felt like a lifetime ago. His universe.

“You’re up,” Wade said, his voice suddenly serious. “Let’s get your girl.”

Logan stood frozen for a moment, the weight of the past pressing hard against his chest. He had fought through hell to get here—watched you die in his arms, lost everything—but this time, he wasn’t going to fail. He couldn’t.

A familiar scent that tugged at memories he’d long buried came floating back. His eyes scanned the surroundings, and then he saw it—the small, familiar cabin nestled between trees, its outline just visible in the distance. He hadn’t seen that cabin in years.

Logan’s heart thudded in his chest, a mix of hope and fear twisting in his gut as he started toward the house. The memories rushed back—the sound of your laugh, the way you’d tease him about being too serious, too gruff, the way your touch had always managed to pull him out of his own darkness. It was all there, sharp and vivid, like a wound that had never truly healed.

Behind him, Wade’s usual sarcasm was noticeably absent as he followed a few paces back, keeping his distance for once. “I know this part’s gotta be rough,” Wade said quietly, uncharacteristically somber. “But hey, we’re here. You’ve got a second chance.”

Logan’s fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. “Yeah,” he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. “Let’s just hope we’re not too late.”

Wade shot him a quick glance, his eyes crinkling behind the mask. “Looks like you’re right on time, bub.”

As Logan reached the front door, his hand hesitated for just a second, hovering over the worn wood. The weight of it all—your death, the years of grief, the hollow ache of trying to move on—threatened to choke him. He had come all this way, crossed through time itself. The thought of seeing you again, alive, before everything went wrong, was almost too much to bear.

He knocked, his knuckles brushing lightly against the door, the sound barely registering in the stillness.

Moments passed, and then the door swung open.

There you stood, just as he remembered—no, younger. Alive. Your eyes were bright, your smile lighting up your face for a brief second before it faltered, your brows knitting together in confusion. The years had done nothing to dull your beauty, and for a split second, Logan forgot why he was here, lost in the sight of you standing right in front of him.

“Logan?” you asked, your voice laced with confusion as your gaze flicked from him to Wade, who was standing just behind him. You took a step back, your eyes narrowing as you studied him closer. “What the hell is going on? You just left for work an hour ago.”

Logan’s heart pounded in his chest, the realization crashing down on him. This wasn’t after your death. This was before you both had gone to Xavier’s mansion. Before everything had spiraled out of control. You didn’t know him like this—older, broken, haunted by your death. At this moment, you still thought everything was normal.

You were still his.

Your gaze darted back and forth between him and Wade, clearly trying to make sense of what you were seeing. Logan, standing here, looking years older than he should, and some guy in a red-and-black suit with twin katanas strapped to his back.

“What’s going on, Logan?” you asked again, your voice sharper this time. “Why do you look—older? And who the hell is this?” You gestured to Wade, who, of course, couldn’t help but pipe up.

“Oh, hi there!” Wade waved, stepping forward with a dramatic flourish. “I’m Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, aka the best third wheel in the multiverse. Also, lover of chimichangas, breaker of fourth walls, and your new best friend! But, uh, let’s not focus on me. Let’s talk about you and this dashing, future version of your grumpy man over here.”

You blinked, clearly thrown off by Wade’s antics, but your attention snapped back to Logan, eyes scanning his face, searching for answers. “Logan... what’s happening?”

Logan swallowed hard, his mind scrambling to figure out what to say, and how to explain. He wasn’t supposed to be here, in this version of your life. But here he was—too late to turn back now.

“I—” Logan started, his voice rougher than he intended. He cleared his throat and took a small step toward you, his eyes softening as he met your gaze. “It’s me. It’s really me. Just... from a different time.”

Your frown deepened, confusion turning to concern. “Different time? What are you talking about?”

Wade clapped his hands, stepping between you and Logan. “Okay, here’s the quick version—your Logan, the one who just left for work? Still the same guy. But this Logan?” He pointed at the older, worn-out version of Logan standing behind him. “He’s from the future. The, uh, really messed-up future where you’re... not around anymore.”

Your eyes widened, and you took another step back, the color draining from your face. “Not around? What—what do you mean?”

Logan’s heart twisted as he saw the look of fear flash in your eyes. This wasn’t how he wanted to do this. He never wanted you to know the pain he’d carried, the loss that had nearly destroyed him. Yet the truth was staring him in the face, and there was no avoiding it now.

“I lost you,” Logan said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting yours, full of the weight of everything he’d been through. “In my timeline, you’re... gone. And I couldn’t save you.”

The silence hung heavy in the air, the words crashing over you like a tidal wave. You stared at him, trying to process what he was saying, but the confusion and disbelief were still etched on your face.

“I don’t understand,” you whispered, shaking your head. “How... how is that even possible? How are you here now?”

Logan ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tight as he tried to find the right words. “It’s... complicated. Time travel. Multiverses. The usual bullshit. But I’m here because I couldn’t live with the fact that I lost you once. I had to try to make it right.”

Wade, standing off to the side, piped up again. “And that’s where I come in! I helped your boy Logan here steal a little something from the TVA. Long story short, we’re here to change the future. No biggie. Just saving the universe...or rather your love life.”

You blinked, still reeling from the revelation. “So, you’re from the future, and you... lost me because I died?” Your voice was soft now, almost hesitant as if you weren’t sure if you wanted to believe it.

Logan nodded, his throat tight. “Yeah, and I’m not letting that happen again.”

For a long moment, the three of you stood in the small living room, the weight of what Logan had just revealed sinking in. You glanced from him to Wade, then back again, the shock slowly giving way to something else—something softer, but no less intense.

“So, what now?” you asked quietly, your voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling beneath the surface. Your eyes darted between Logan and the stranger in red, trying to make sense of the impossible situation in front of you.

Logan took a small step closer, his rough fingers brushing against yours, that familiar warmth you’d always known now somehow different. Older. More worn. “Now, I make sure this time... I don’t lose you.”

You stared at him, your heart pounding. His voice was full of something raw, something broken that you’d never heard before. You shook your head slightly, frowning as you instinctively stepped back, the distance between you suddenly feeling vast. “By... what? Logan, you’re scaring me. You just left for work. How is this even happening?”

Logan’s gaze dropped to the floor for a second, as if trying to find the words, his jaw tightening as he wrestled with the weight of what he was asking you to believe. When he looked up again, his eyes were darker, filled with that familiar intensity—but beneath that, there was fear. The kind of fear he never showed anyone. “This... this ain’t the same me you saw leave an hour ago, darlin’. I mean it is…I lived through what he did but I’m the future him that now lives in a different universe…Wade’s universe. I came here because I lost you. You’re gone.”

The word hung in the air, heavy and sharp, and you flinched at the sound of it. Gone. It didn’t make sense. None of this did. You could feel your pulse quickening, the overwhelming weight of confusion pressing down on you as you tried to grasp what he was saying.

Your hands curled into fists at your sides. “Logan, I—this doesn’t make any sense. I don’t understand. You’re standing here, older—different—and you’re telling me I die? How am I supposed to believe that?”

Logan took a deep breath, his fists clenching as he stood there, the frustration and desperation building in his posture. “I know it’s a lot to take in. Hell, I barely believe it myself sometimes. But I came back because I couldn’t live with it. I watched you die, and I couldn’t stop it. I can’t let that happen again.”

You blinked, the reality of his words crashing down on you, but it only made you take another step back. The man in front of you was Logan—his voice, his mannerisms, the way he stood—but he wasn’t the Logan you’d kissed goodbye just an hour ago. He wasn’t your Logan.

Wade, leaning casually against the doorframe, finally broke the silence, his usual snark softened, but was still there. “Look, I get it. This is a whole lot of ‘what the hell’ to process in one go. I mean, multiverse shenanigans? Time travel? It’s practically a soap opera. But here’s the deal—this version of Logan? He went through hell for you. He’s here now because he doesn’t want to lose you again.”

Your eyes snapped back to Logan, and you shook your head, a pang of anger and disbelief rising in your chest. “You want me to just leave? Leave everything—everyone—behind and follow you to a universe that isn’t even mine?”

He stepped forward, but not too close, his voice low, almost pleading. “I know what I’m asking. And I know it ain’t fair. But I’m telling you, you die here. You die because of the decisions we made—because of me. I’ve lost everything, and I can’t lose you. You have no idea what it’s like... watching the person you love die in your arms.”

You flinched at that, the vulnerability in his voice cutting through the whirlwind of emotions you were feeling. It was the most honest, most broken you’d ever seen him. Logan, the man who always carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, was standing in front of you, asking you to believe the impossible.

But you couldn’t just go. Not like this.

“I can’t,” you whispered, shaking your head, tears pricking the corners of your eyes. “I can’t just leave everything behind. This is my life. My world. You—you’re not even my Logan. Not really.”

Logan’s expression tightened, his hands clenching at his sides as he struggled with your words. “I am him,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m just... a version that’s been through more. But I’m still him. Still, the man who loves you.”

You swallowed hard, your heart twisting at his words, but the fear and confusion were still too strong. “You have to understand... I can’t just walk away from my life. From everything I know.”

The room was heavy with silence, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on both of you. Logan stood there, his shoulders slumping slightly as the reality of your decision sank in. He looked at you with an expression you’d never seen before—one of utter defeat.

Wade, sensing the tension, chimed in again, his voice light but more subdued. “Well, you know... no one said time travel was easy. But hey, Logan’s got a point. He’s been through hell to save you. So... maybe give it some thought?”

You let out a shaky breath, glancing at Wade before turning back to Logan, your voice was soft but firm. “I’m sorry. I can’t go with you.”

Logan’s eyes met yours, the pain and frustration in his gaze unmistakable. He swallowed hard, nodding once, his voice quiet. “Yeah. I get it.”

For a moment, neither of you moved. The distance between you felt insurmountable, like a gulf neither of you knew how to cross. Logan’s chest rose and fell with slow, measured breaths as if he were trying to keep himself from breaking down.

Finally, Logan turned toward the door, his movements stiff, like every step away from you was physically painful. Wade followed, tossing you a small, sad smile as he trailed behind.

“We’ll, uh... see you around, I guess,” Wade muttered, his usual humor dimmed by the weight of the moment.

Logan stopped just before stepping outside, glancing back at you one last time. His voice was low, almost broken. “Take care of yourself.”

And with that, they were gone.

The door closed softly behind them, and the silence that filled the room was deafening. You stood there for a long moment, staring at the door, your heart still racing as the reality of what had just happened sank in.

Logan stood frozen just outside the door, the sound of your voice still echoing in his mind. His fists clenched at his sides, his body tense, the weight of your refusal sinking in deeper than any wound he’d ever taken. He’d come back for you, risked everything to save you, but it wasn’t enough. You weren’t ready. You didn’t understand yet.

Wade stood beside him, watching Logan with a mixture of exasperation and something close to sympathy. He sighed, then gave Logan a firm pat on the back, the sound breaking the heavy silence around them. “Look, I know that was rough, buddy,” Wade said, messing with the TVA device in his hand, flipping it over a few times. “But don’t go all mopey on me, okay? We’ve still got options here. You know, time-hopping’s our thing now.”

Logan didn’t respond right away, his jaw clenched tight as he stared at the ground, the weight of his failure pressing hard against his chest. Wade, undeterred, continued fiddling with the device, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Hey, how about this—what if we find her a little older? Skip ahead a bit. Maybe then she’ll get it. Maybe then she’ll understand everything.”

Logan’s eyes narrowed, his voice a low growl, thick with the frustration he couldn’t quite shake. “No, Wade. She’s right. I’m not her Logan. Not anymore.”

Wade raised an eyebrow, glancing up from the device, clearly unimpressed by Logan’s sudden bout of self-pity. “Oh, come on. That’s your big takeaway? That you’re ‘not her Logan’? What does that even mean? You are literally the same guy, just... y’know, a little more weathered. A little more world-weary. A few more emotional scars. Same heart, though.”

Logan let out a long breath, his gaze flicking back to the door. “No. Not to her. She’s right. I’m not the same man she said goodbye to. She doesn’t know this version of me... and she shouldn’t have to.”

Wade paused, his fingers still playing with the TVA device, his brow furrowing in thought. He looked at Logan, then back at the door where you were still standing on the other side, clearly trying to figure out how to process what had just happened. Finally, Wade shrugged. “Okay, fine. I get it. You’re all wrapped up in your self-loathing schtick. But here’s the thing—you love her, right?”

Logan’s jaw clenched again, his eyes darkening as he stared ahead. “More than anything.”

“Great! Then what’s the harm in giving it one more shot?” Wade gestured toward the device in his hand, a sly grin spreading across his face. “We just hop forward a little. Find her before everything goes to hell. You get to explain things when she’s had a little more... life experience under her belt. Maybe then she’ll be able to see things a bit clearer. You know, give us a chance to make it all right.”

Logan’s brow furrowed. “I can’t keep dragging her into this. Into my mess.”

Wade shook his head, clearly unimpressed by Logan’s resistance. “Dragging her into this? Pal, you’re trying to save her. From a future where she dies, remember? If I’m not mistaken, she probably wouldn’t mind a heads-up.”

Logan shot Wade a glare but didn’t say anything. He knew Wade was right in his own irritating way. If there was even the slightest chance of saving you, of fixing the broken future where you didn’t survive... he had to try.

But the thought of seeing you again—closer to the version he’d lost, but still not quite there—filled him with dread. How many times could he ask you to trust him, to follow him into the unknown, before it became too much for either of you?

Wade sighed, clearly sensing Logan’s hesitation. “Look, I’m not saying we go all ‘Back to the Future’ and mess with everything. But we know where this ends if we don’t try something. You’ve got one shot to get this right, and we both know you’ll regret it if you walk away now.”

Logan’s shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of everything pressing down on him, but the thought of losing you—of standing by while history repeated itself—was unbearable. He couldn’t live with that.

With a deep breath, Logan looked up, his eyes hardening with resolve. “Fine. If we do this, we do it right.”

Wade’s grin spread wider, his fingers flying over the TVA device as he punched in the new coordinates. “You got it, Wolvie. Just sit tight, and we’ll fast-forward to a different version of you and Reader—before everything went to shit, but close enough that she knows the stakes.”

Logan stared at the house one last time, his heart twisting. He could feel the clock ticking, the weight of what he was about to do sinking in. This wasn’t just about saving you—it was about giving you a choice. One that hadn’t been taken from you before.

With a crackle of energy and the hum of time bending around them, Wade hit the button, and the world twisted, pulling them through the strands of reality once again.

Moments later…

The world settled around them with a familiar jolt, the air crackling as Logan and Wade materialized just outside Xavier’s mansion. The sky above was overcast, casting long shadows over the once-majestic grounds. The mansion itself looked worn, the stone walls weathered by time and battles long past. Overgrown vines snaked up the sides of the building, and the lawn, once meticulously cared for, now grew wild and untamed.

Wade let out a low whistle, his eyes wide as he took in the scene. “Shit, when you said your universe was dark—I thought you were joking,” he muttered, running a hand over the peeling paint on the front gate. “This place looks like a haunted house.”

Logan didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed on the mansion, his body tense as memories flooded back—memories of fights, of pain, and you. He wasn’t here for nostalgia, though. He was here for you. And this time, he wasn’t leaving without you.

“Come on,” Logan growled, his voice low as he gestured for Wade to follow. “We need to find her. Stay quiet.”

Wade gave a mock salute, though there was an uncharacteristic edge to his usual banter. “Quiet as a ninja, got it,” he muttered, following close behind as they slipped through the gate and toward the side of the mansion.

The halls of Xavier’s were as eerie as the outside. Dust coated the floors, and the once vibrant school now felt like an empty shell. Logan’s boots barely made a sound as he crept through the corridors, his senses on high alert. He’d spent enough time here to know the layout by heart, but the silence now felt unnatural.

They moved carefully, sticking to the shadows, and avoiding open spaces. The last thing Logan needed was to draw attention. He wasn’t here to fight—he was here for you. His breath hitched when he caught a familiar scent. Your scent. You were close.

Wade, who was somehow managing to stay quiet for once, followed his lead. “You smell her, don’t you?” Wade whispered, his voice a low hum of excitement. “I mean, I know it’s weird, but also kinda cool.”

Logan shot him a glare, his hand tightening into a fist. “Keep it down.”

They moved quickly, making their way to the back of the mansion, where the garden lay hidden behind tall hedges. Logan stopped short as soon as they reached the garden gate. There you were—sitting on a stone bench, your head buried in your hands, your shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

Logan’s chest tightened at the sight. He’d imagined finding you a thousand different ways, but not like this. You were crying, and the sight of your pain twisted something deep inside him.

Wade hovered behind him, peeking around the corner with wide eyes. “Well, this just got depressing,” he muttered, though his voice was softer now, like even he understood the weight of the moment.

Logan didn’t waste another second. He stepped forward, his boots crunching softly on the gravel, but you didn’t seem to hear him. You were lost in your grief, and it broke him to see you like this.

Hey.” Logan’s voice was low, rough around the edges, and his hands balled into tight fists at his sides as he stepped closer. Despite the tension in his body, his gaze softened, almost tender. “Darlin’, it’s me.”

You flinched at the sound of his voice, your head snapping up as recognition flickered in your tear-swollen eyes. Confusion and something else warred on your face, your breath catching in your throat. Your hands, still trembling, swiped at the tears clinging to your cheeks. “Logan?”

He nodded, swallowing hard, the words stuck in his throat. “Yeah. It’s me.”

Your brow furrowed, and you blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what you were seeing. “But... you just left with Scott.”

Logan shifted, struggling to find the right words, his mouth opening slightly before closing again. Wade stepped forward, and the moment your eyes landed on him, something shifted in your expression.

Your breath hitched, and you gasped, eyes wide. “I remember you. You... you came to me years ago. You told me I was going to die.”

Logan’s chest tightened, the guilt hitting him like a punch. The raw pain in your eyes was unbearable, and it twisted the knife deeper. He clenched his jaw, cursing himself silently for burdening you with that knowledge. His voice was barely more than a rasp. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you that.”

You let out a shaky breath, your fingers twisting in your lap as you looked down at the ground. “It’s been eating away at me,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “That thought—knowing I’m supposed to die. It’s been... it’s been gnawing at me, Logan. I couldn’t forget it, no matter how hard I tried.”

Logan stepped closer, kneeling in front of you, his rough hands gently reaching for yours. His touch was warm, and grounding, and you felt the familiar strength in it—strength that had always been there for you. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice low and steady like he was anchoring you to the present. “You won’t die. I won’t let that happen. That future—your future—is not set in stone. If you come with me, I’ll make sure of it.”

Your eyes searched his face, still full of doubt and fear. “How can you be so sure?”

Logan’s grip tightened on your hands, his gaze unwavering. “Because I lost you once. And I’ll be damned if I let that happen again.”

You swallowed, the raw sincerity in his voice hitting you like a punch to the gut. For years, you’d carried the weight of his words, the dread of knowing your time was limited. And now, here he was—older, different, but still Logan. Still, the man who had always protected you, no matter what.

“Come with me,” he said softly, his eyes pleading with you. “Let me fix this.”

You hesitated for a long moment, the fear and confusion still swirling inside you. But there was something else now—something that felt like hope. Maybe this was your chance to rewrite everything.

Finally, you nodded, your breath shaky as you met his gaze. “Okay,” you whispered. “I’ll come with you.”

Logan’s shoulders sagged with relief, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to smile—just a little. “Good,” he muttered, his hand coming up to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing away the remnants of your tears. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”

Behind you, Wade, who had been watching the entire exchange with uncharacteristic silence, suddenly cleared his throat, his grin audible in his voice. “Well, isn’t this just heartwarming? I gotta say, I’m feeling all kinds of emotions right now. Mostly pride, though. Maybe a little indigestion.”

Logan shot him a look but didn’t bother snapping back. Instead, he turned his attention fully to you, his hand still resting gently on your cheek. “We gotta move. You ready?”

You nodded, a mix of fear and determination in your eyes. “I’m ready.”

As Logan helped you to your feet, Wade clapped his hands, already fiddling with the TVA device. “Alright! Time to get the hell out of this dreary timeline. Next stop: the future!”

The familiar hum of the device filled the air as Wade activated it, the world around you beginning to shimmer and shift.

Logan tightened his grip on your hand, his eyes never leaving yours. “This time,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the crackle of energy. “I’m not losing you.”

The world around you dissolved in a crackle of light, reality-bending and twisting as the TVA device did its work. The sensation of time slipping beneath your feet was disorienting, like being pulled through water. Your grip on Logan’s hand tightened, his solid presence anchoring you in the midst of the chaos.

Then, with a sudden jolt, the world reassembled itself. The hum of the TVA device faded, replaced by the familiar sounds of the city—traffic, distant voices, the buzz of neon signs flickering against darkened streets.

You blinked, trying to steady yourself. Wade was already bouncing on his feet, grinning like a kid who’d just snuck into a candy store. "Ahh, home sweet home!" he declared, spreading his arms wide as if the sprawling city before him was some grand prize. “Welcome to my universe. Where the pizza’s greasy, the banter’s cheesy, and I’m... well, me.”

Logan’s grip on your hand hadn’t loosened, his eyes scanning the surroundings. It was different from the quiet, overgrown garden you had just left behind. This place was loud, chaotic, and alive with neon-lit signs casting sharp shadows across the alleyway they had landed in.

“Feels like we stepped into a bad movie,” Logan muttered, his voice low but steady. He’d forgotten how loud it was here.

Wade scoffed, waving him off. “Oh, come on. You know you missed this. It’s got charm! Personality! Maybe a few unsavory characters here and there, but hey, that’s what makes it fun.”

You glanced around, trying to take it all in. This wasn’t your world, wasn’t the life you’d known. The noise, the lights—it was overwhelming. You pressed closer to Logan, feeling the tension in his body. He was trying to stay calm for you, but you could sense the protectiveness radiating off him.

Wade, ever the tour guide, spun on his heel and gave a mock bow. “Alright, before you two lovebirds get all sentimental, we’ve got business to attend to. Namely, making sure you don’t end up six feet under, Reader.” He glanced at you, his mask hiding his expression but his voice light. “Or, you know, saving you from some tragic multiverse death scene.”

Logan shot Wade a look, his jaw tight. “Enough. We’ve got her here. Now what?”

Wade shrugged, tapping the TVA device like it was a toy. “Now? We keep her out of harm’s way. Get her situated in this lovely slice of chaos I call home until we figure out if the TVA is gonna kill us or not. We’ll call it a ‘lay low and don’t die’ strategy.”

You took a deep breath, the enormity of everything settling in. You were in another universe—one that wasn’t yours, with Logan slightly older and different, and Wade, this oddball mercenary who seemed to live for chaos. You looked up at Logan, your fingers still intertwined with his. “What happens now?” you asked softly, your voice a little shaky.

Logan looked down at you, his expression softening for just a moment. “I hate to admit it, but Wade’s right. We need to make sure you’re safe and figure the rest out later.”

Wade, ever the jester, clapped his hands. “Perfect! Now that we’ve got a plan, how about we head to my place? It’s not much, but it’s got... well, it’s got walls. Mostly.”

Later…

Wade kicked open the door to his apartment, revealing what could only be described as a disaster zone. Pizza boxes, empty chimichanga wrappers, and questionable stains littered the room. The couch looked like it had seen better days—possibly in another century—and the smell of old takeout hit your senses immediately.

“Home sweet home!” Wade declared, tossing his weapons onto a pile of laundry in the corner.

You stepped inside, your eyes wide as you took in the mess. Logan followed close behind, his brow furrowing at the sight. “You live like this?”

Wade shrugged. “What? It’s got character! Besides, who needs cleanliness when you’ve got... chimichangas?” He winked at you, clearly pleased with himself.

You glanced at Logan, and despite everything, you couldn’t help the small smile tugging at your lips. Logan gave you a soft look, shaking his head. “Do you stay here?”

Wade threw his hands up in mock protest. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. I offer you guys shelter in the finest apartment in my universe, and this is the thanks I get?”

Logan ignored him, turning to you. “I do but we can find somewhere else.”

You shook your head, your heart still racing, but there was a warmth in Logan’s voice that settled you, like an anchor pulling you out of the swirling confusion of this strange new world. “No, it’s fine,” you whispered, offering him a small smile. “We’ll be fine here.”

Logan’s lips quirked in a barely-there smile as his hand slid to the small of your back, a subtle gesture that let you know he was with you—no matter how strange or chaotic things got.

A few days later…

Adjusting to Wade’s universe wasn’t easy, but having Logan by your side made it bearable. The city around you was loud and overwhelming, but every time you felt like you were losing your footing, Logan was there—a solid, steady presence.

The two of you had carved out a small routine in the chaos. Most mornings the two of you sat on the couch watching television. It was comforting to be with Logan who offered you a small, almost imperceptible smile. 

One morning, after flipping through the channels, the two of you cuddling on the couch. Logan glanced at you, a rare softness in his eyes. “You’re adjusting,” he said, his voice quiet but warm, like he was proud of you.

You smiled, though there was still an edge of uncertainty in your chest. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this place.”

Logan reached out to brush a stray hair behind your ear. “You’re doing better than I ever could,” he said, his eyes lingering on you, full of that familiar protective intensity. “It’s not the world that matters. It’s that you’re here. With me.”

You swallowed, feeling the weight of his words settle over you like a warm blanket. Logan didn’t say things like that often, but when he did, it was always enough to quiet the storm inside you.

[littlekiara96]

Hey, Penacony spoilers ahead for up to the end of 2.3. THEORY AHEAD. (kinda crack, kinda not, I'm talking about Gallagher)

Y'know, it's funny how Gallagher, a History Fictionologist, told like 1 lie.

And then, Mr. Reca, a Memokeeper, told some guy "Love the unknown" once.

Like, guys, switch places, please. That would make more sense.

I remember when I found inconsistencies with how people treated Gallagher; one of two Bloodhounds "recognising" him, another Bloodhound going "Who?" and then the receptionist at the Family's mansion acting as if he's some important person who's rarely sought out by people?

I swear, this still makes no sense... unless......

And Reca is sometimes a well-known director. Sometimes a self-proclaimed one.

Chabro and Aideen? Love the guy. Nobodies? Who does this dude think he is.

But hey. You know what makes me go "What the HELL is going on here"?

I have two questions.

Why "Mr. Reca"? And not Mr. Reca?

How the hell does this guy know about Gallagher AND HIS DEATH.

Okay, so I guess this Reca is indeed a Memokeeper who uses camera and film to record (rec - Reca) stuff and retell stories. He should be the same Memokeeper Black Swan mentions at the Studios.

And I suspect this censored movie to be his work.

Hey, remember who did so much to make sure that some people's names and true stories would be restored?

Yeah, funny coincidences.

And then, nobody remembers Gallagher, ironically. Except us, Nameless.

And except Reca, SOMEHOW. (Aideen. Gallagher is the guy thanked BEFORE YOUR OWN BRAND, DID YOU EVEN WATCH THE MOVIE.)

But ultimately, Aideen is right. Gallagher wasn't made to be remembered.

Sorry, I mean, "Gallagher the History Fictionologist" isn't meant to be remembered.

We know "Gallagher" is fake. And I'm not just talking about his appearance; ALL OF HIM is fictional. He is a character, a role. And like any role... there has to be an actor playing the part. The person who came up with "Gallagher". The person who is still there once the character isn't needed anymore.

The person we didn't see when "Gallagher" disappeared off-screen.

And I guess that person would also be the real Gallagher... The one who was so loyal to Mikhail.

Or... was he all that loyal to Mikhail?

There's something so fickle about calling an unshakable loyalty "imaginary". I know it's meant positively here, but it's so easy to turn this upside-down...

I mean, the purpose of "Gallagher" was to fulfill one promise to Mikhail. And once that has been done... the real Gallagher could do whatever, afterwards. He's free of his role as "Gallagher" the History Fictionologist... who did the exact opposite of what a Fictionologist would do...... by restoring the truth of the past.........

Gallagher is the worst at his job, isn't he. Almost like he should be a Memokeeper, instead.

Anyway. I have a technical question.

Where did Reca get the memory segments to recreate Firefly for the Scorchsand Venue movie?

I see two possibilities:

Got them from someone else (Aideen, other witnesses, maybe from the surroundings themselves?)

Himself

In the first case, it makes sense, I have no further question.

In the second case, though... When did Reca meet Firefly? Did he need to actually meet her or would just seeing her from afar suffice? Depending on the answers to those questions, things might get complicated.

Okay, it's time I stopped beating around the bush. I've been drawing mirrored parallels between "Gallagher" and "Mr. Reca" from the very start of this post. You're probably guessing what my point is by now.

But first... Remember Sleepie? a.k.a. Dormancy?

Poor thing came to Scorchsand searching for Gallagher...

But there was no trace of him there anymore since... before Sleepie arrived... Right?

And there's no way Gallagher would still be around... Right?

... why would you say that if you know your whole being will disappear once you're done with your final task...

i mean, it's not like there was yet another Hound statue in Dreamflux Reef, next to the three epitaphs of the Nameless, right?! Grmbl...

Remember when Himeko said "In the end, we still failed to figure out his true identity, or if he was even a "living person"? Because I SURE REMEMBER.

Anyway, we don't know where Reca was when Sleepie arrived at Scorchsand, but-

I think it's safe to say that they interracted to some extent.

BUT that's in fact still not what made me go "WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS GOING ON HERE???!!"

Remember how the movie started?

With the phrase: "Even now, the world is still filled with characters that we've played."

The hell do you mean by that, Reca.

And it ended with the phrase: "We will keep playing our roles, drunken and foolish in the moment, playing at life but never thinking to celebrate it." Then the credits roll.

Heyyyy, I know someone else who talks about celebrating life. And used bits of other people's lives to create a whole new "character". Kinda like how you can pick pieces of different stories to make a whole new story. Or movie, for that matter.

And hey... Reca told us "My lens is upon you… Don't let me down. And more importantly, don't let the audience down."

You know who told us we had interesting life stories? YEAH.

Hey. Let's go back to Brina. The receptionist.

You know how we could easily explain this?

If the real Gallagher's full name was Gallagher Reca.

Or maybe "Mr. Reca" is just yet another pseudonym. I mean, why would he credit himself as "Mr. Reca" and not Reca. That's fishy.

ANYWAY, this theory has been on my mind for maybe 4 months now, so I'm glad I've finally manage to write all of my thoughts down.

[lalithemidnightmuse7]

People love Kendall Roy for the same reason they hate Alicent Hightower—because they both show weakness. But in our modern society, weakness in a man is romanticized. It makes him human, someone to sympathize with, to “cuddle” because he’s just so babygirl. That’s why people love Aemond and Daemon too. But weakness in a woman? Unacceptable. You are not to be welcomed into the club. That is misogyny—loving and forgiving men for the exact same things we shame women for.

Kendall and Alicent have so many similarities, so many parallels, yet the fandom perceives them completely differently. And the fandom is dominated by women!

You say Alicent was a horrible friend to Rhaenyra, that she betrayed her by not telling her about being sent to Viserys. And yeah, that was awful. But what did you expect to happen? PEOPLE RELATE TO THIS THINKING OF HIGHTSCHOOL DRAMA IT'S NOT. They were ladies in a court ruled by men. Alicent was a 17-year-old girl whose only family was her father—a father she feared. She had abandonment issues. And you think she was going to say no to him? That she was going to stand up for herself when she had never been allowed to before? When she knew that hating it wouldn’t change a thing? She had no power. She wasn’t a princess. She was a girl trapped in a situation she couldn’t escape, and yet people have zero real sympathy for her.

Why? Because she should’ve stood by her friend? The same friend who had firsthand experience of how powerless women were but still chose to blame her? Who knew Alicent’s nature, knew she wasn’t power-hungry like Otto, and still turned on her? But somehow, that same friend found it in her heart to forgive Daemon—a man who had been nothing but monstrous for years.

All the hate for her because she was horrible to Rhaenyra—when Rhaenyra left her alone when she needed her the most.

And then there’s Kendall. A man who, like Alicent, was put into an oppressive system, struggled with loyalty and duty, and made morally complex choices that could be seen as betrayal or survival. But he gets forgiven. He gets pitied. Because he sheds a few tears. Because the show lets us see his suffering. But Alicent’s suffering? Her self-blame, her low self-esteem? Completely ignored.

Alicent was a bad mother? Sorry, when? Where is the scene that makes that obvious? Was she a great mother? No. How could she be? She couldn’t even protect herself. Her first enemy was her own father. Then her husband. Then her only friend in court, who saw her as nothing more than a political obstacle. She spent her whole life being treated as a piece of meat, and now she has to watch her eldest son turn into a monster.

Ignoring his crimes—yeah, that was horrific. But you really think telling someone in court would’ve changed anything? This was a world where such crimes were brushed off and forgiven when committed by commoners. You think they would’ve imprisoned a prince? That Viserys would’ve done something? That the other lords would’ve cared? His reputation was already known all over the kingdoms—and nothing happened.

Meanwhile, Kendall, a man who is also not a great father—who barely sees his kids—is still given the benefit of the doubt. Because he’s trying, right? He’s struggling. But Alicent? No, she’s just a failure.

And Rhaenyra? Was she a great mother? Did she not worsen her sons’ claims by leaving the court? Did she not use them as pawns in her political games? Did she not marry Daemon knowing how that would look? Knowing exactly the kind of person he was? A murderer. A Targaryen supremacist. A man who requested blonde virgin girls in brothels.

But sure, tell me more about how Alicent is the real villain here.

And of course, you would hate Alicent. She doesn’t align with the vision of the loved women of today’s society. It’s so much easier to root for Rhaenyra—the rule-breaker, the tragic feminist icon. And I agree. But can’t you see? Didn’t it mean anything to you to see Alicent dead in that bed with her much older husband who cared nothing for her? Who used her for the sole reason of having children? Who would’ve cut her open too to take what he wanted?

Didn’t it mean anything to you to see the blood on her fingers, knowing exactly what that meant? To see her selling the only thing she could barely call hers—her body—to Larys? No sympathy? Nothing at all?

Also...if you really want to stand morally , you should only stand with kids, smallfolk and heleana.