#that goes against every law of this world okay

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 727: The training camp's first battle!!

Pag 1

1: Oh, Touji-kun

Thank you so much for this year, too

2: Everyone else has already started running

Yeah, I was a little late with preparations

You have some lively first years

Thanks

3: It's the third time you stay here, so you can just park wherever

Thank you so much

4: It started already?

The “training camp”

5: It has already started

Pag 2

1: The first battle that will decide the Inter High's positions

3: The first “buddies battle”!!

Pag 3

1: E.... everyone has to pair up... choose their “buddy” and run, that's the rule of this training camp...

Huh.... Murakami.... your....

2: “Buddy”....

7: Is the second year Kaburagi-san!?

Pag 4

1: But... wait, our partner... shouldn't it be.... a fellow first year... huh!?

2: Can he do this!?

4: After all, before the start, Naruko-san only said.... “choose a partner among these people”!!

5: But the idea of choosing a second year senpai....

He played that card?

6: I didn't have good results in the first years' race

7: During the first years' race, at first, when Kinaka said we should accelerate

Pag 5

1: A small fry just fell, should we accelerate a little, Murakami-kun?

He's a nice guy. I think this pace is fine

I stopped Kinaka from accelerating and shaking off Rokudai

2: Now I regret being “nice”!!

5: After that Rokudai followed us on the mountain and the was at the top on the climb!! And even though he retired after that

6: He joined as a member in the qualifiers and his results were recognized!!

Seeing all that, I

Pag 6

1: I swore I would never show mercy to anyone!!

2: He opened them!!

Murakami's eyes!!

3: Let's go , Kaburagi-san

Let's quickly get rid of those who get in our way!!

But wait, why did Kaburagi-san pair up with Murakami

4: Uh... Murakami, you said “those who get in our way”....

No but Kaburagi-san is so fast!!

Pag 7

1: He got ahead of the line in a second!! And Murakami followed him!!

3: Please accelerate!!

4: Wait, Murakami! Oi, stop! That guy participated in the Inter High last year when he was a first year....

And he competed for the sprint line on the first and third day, too....

No, wait-

If you accelerate now, we....

Pag 8

1: Houru-

Pag 9

1: aaaaaaaagh

2: This is bad, waaaa

Follow them!! We have to follow them

Don't get left behind!!

Pag 10

1: Don't get lef.... ugh- waaaaa

So fast!! Dammit!!

3: Amazing!! So this is Kaburagi-san's acceleration!!

The legs that during the Inter High fought on par against Hakogaku!!

4: If I didn't know the timing and didn't bring myself as close to him as possible to cut the wind resistance, I would have been left behind too!!

5: But other than me, the other first years

Pag 11

2: Yes, we got rid of them!!

3: Haha.... hahaha!! I'll go to the Inter High!! That's why I joined Sohoku!!

4: Next, the second years... and then the third years!!

Pag 12

1: Straight road!!

2: Kinaka and Rokudai!!

They sticked close to us on the opposite side!!

Pag 13

1: You're keeping up, Rokudai!!

Somehow.... yeah, teh!!

2: You two again, dammit!!

They're entering the climb, teh!!

Pag 14

4: What a relief... they're not attacking on the climb for now....!!

Yeah

It's tough to keep up with that pace

5: But they'll attack at some point, so don't relax your attention, Rokudai

Yeah, teh

6: I'll keep an eye on Murakami's movement, if he starts moving I'll give you a signal!!

I'll leave it to you, teh!!

8: But Murakami's facial expression is difficult to read!!

Pag 15

1: First lap, clear!!

2:  1)Kaburagi; 2)  Murakami; 3) Kinaka; 4) Rokudai

3: Kaburagi, Murakami, me, and Rokudai!!

We cleared it almost at the same time!!

4: Suddenly.... the first lap was so hard? Kinaka-kun

5: Ah... well!! It's probably gonna get harder from here on

Look, behind us, there are no

6: first years following!!

Pag 17

1: Dammit!!

Wa-

2: Kinaka-kun is a road racer, so of course he turns around to check behind at key points!!

And since Rokudai clings to him, he looked behind too!!

3: That was our sign to accelerate, Kinaka!!

I told you I would show no mercy!!

4: Let's keep going like this, Kaburagi-san!!

Pag 18

1: We left them behind!!

Murakamii!!

2: Hahaha.... like this, I'll be the top among the first years....!!

3: Hahaha the top!!

4: Danchiku....

6: This is bad!!

Pag 19

1: It's- it's okay, Kaburagi-san! Danchiku-san said he'd just be a little late and come with Kanzaki-san's car, didn't he?

2: Yeah.... you think he will really come, Murakami?

3: He will definitely come!!

Yes!! And he'll be as healthy as ever!!

4: I believe so!!

5: Yeah!! You're right

You're a nice guy, Murakami

6: Ah but we promised I'll be your temporary buddy until Danchiku-san comes

Honestly, I'll be sad when he comes!! I really want to run all 1000km with Kaburagi-san!!

Pag 20

1: Just until Danchiku-san comes, is that okay, please

Hm... well anyone will do, if it's not Danchiku..

2: Until then, thank you!!

What do we do next?

Let's keep going atthis pace, please!!

5: Ah?

6: Danchiku-san?

7: No.... he won't come, right?

Even I can see that his condition is bad

Pag 21

1: He has a serious innjury or some other problem, right!?

2: He won't come, that guy!!

3: You and me will keep running like this until the end, Kaburagi-san!!

Pag 22

1: Can you see it, Danchiku?

2: Those guys are struggling to understand the course

3: … yes!!

[hurtspideyparker]

Thinking about restless spirit Tony Stark who just can't move on to the after life.

The first thing he does once he realizes he's an apparition is check on Pepper and Morgan. True to their word, they're okay. He watches them for a bit but feels this deep unrest pulling him away from the quaint home he yearns for.

There's a deep wrongness within him, some unfinished business that draws him back to New York.

He fears for a moment that it's Peter- but no, it can't be him. He'll be in Massachusetts right now, attending MIT as a freshman. There isn't a doubt in Tony's mind that his little genius is already making his mark.

Still, he follows the pull of his spirit to some dingy Queens' apartment he's never been to before.

It's deep in the night yet the apartment is empty. He looks around a bit, his body phasing through anything he attempts to touch.

It's small and dirty. There's old coffee cups on the desk, alongside a couple GED manuals. Great, the universe thinks he has unfinished business with some broke high school dropout.

He's pondering how he must have screwed up this kid's life; was it the Avengers, Stark Industries? Maybe his old playboy lifestyle is finally coming to bite him in the ass.

His contemplation is cut short by the sound of the window cracking open.

It strikes Tony for a moment that maybe he's stuck on Earth to be a guardian angel, Iron Man living on as some invisible protector against whatever creep is sneaking into people's windows. It doesn't make much sense considering the whole non-corporeal thing, but he still stiffens like he's ready for a fight.

He sees a man- no, a thing? A creature maybe, or an alien. Even in death Tony can't escape being one of Earth's mightiest heroes.

The creature is shrouded in darkness, something slick and bald crawling inside the room with terrifying grace and silence. It shuts the window with a soft kssssh as the seal is formed.

And then it pulls off its mask.

There, with the click of a table lamp, glows the face of Peter Parker.

He's definitely older now; sturdier shoulders, a rugged set of his jaw, hair tamed to something semi-professional. Still present, though, are those gentle brown eyes.

Nothing makes sense right now. Why is his kid here, in this apartment? Surely May wouldn't allow this. How many tenant laws does this place break? Where are his little sidekick friends? And on what planet would Peter Parker ever need a GED?

Tony's getting angry now, watching Peter move around the tiny space. He changes out of his costume and into pajamas. That spider suit isn't Tony's suit, it looks like cheap craft store fabric.

The kid opens a small freezer and pulls out the singular bag of peas that reside in there, pressing it against his ribs while he goes to pop some bread into a toaster.

Tony takes note of every glimpse he gains into Peter's life. Empty cabinets when he reaches for a jar of peanut butter. A fridge housing nothing but condiments and energy drinks when he goes to grab jam. A drawer with two spoons, no forks, and a paring knife which he pulls out and sticks into the strawberry jam jar just as the toast pops.

This is all so wrong.

Tony's outrage is coming to a rolling boil. Peter deserves the world- he was gonna give him the world. He couldn't wait to send Peter to MIT and show him off as his protégé. Tony was gonna fund his projects, tease him about pretty girls, maybe even see him step back from Spider-Man and act like a normal college kid. He wanted to see him flourish and grow up. It was all he could think about when Peter turned to dust between his fingers; he should be goofing off with his friends at a mathletes meeting, or building Legos, not fighting an intergalactic war.

Tony couldn't even conceive how much went wrong to end up here.

Alone. Broke. No school. He didn't even have his Stark suit to protect him. Everything that made him him has been stripped, leaving him in this shallow box with scuffed paint and hollow cabinets.

Tony can feel the violent rage burn deep in his spirit as he thinks about it.

This is why he's here. He can't let his boy live like this, wasting his potential to be some villain's punching bag. Where is everyone? Does no one care enough to stop this? The fury that builds in Tony is dangerous, wondering why a dead man is the only one who cares about the teen's life right now.

Without thinking Tony's hand reaches for the GED textbook, a mocking piece of work that laughs in his face, and throws it at the stupid little kitchenette that's mere feet from the bed.

It sails across the room with surprising speed before it's met with a thunk against Peter's palm, hand reaching out to catch it from the air before it collided with the toaster.

Oh.

Peter sets the book down and immediately picks up his web shooters, eyes darting furiously to every corner of the tiny apartment.

"Who's there?"

Tony steps a little closer but Peter's eyes just look right past him.

"C'mon Pete, c'mon. I'm here, I'm right here."

Tony looks for something else to grab. He swats at a hopefully empty coffee cup on the wooden desk, but his hand just passes right through it.

"Shit," the hope Tony felt waivers slightly and he tries again.

Nothing.

Peter is searching his apartment now, making sure the window is secure and feeling around every crevice, bookshelves, under the bed, in the top corners of the room. Searching for something nefarious, tech maybe.

Tony hits the cup, again and again, frustration building up and up and up till-

The cup flies across the room, Tony and Peter's eyes track its movements as it bounces against the ground and rolls to a stop.

"Shit," Peter breathes out.

Tony walks up to Peter now, standing before him.

"Figure it out. Think kid, you've met aliens, gods, magicians, surely ghosts aren't too far fetched."

Peter closes his eyes. His posture straightens, Tony watches him take a deep breath in as the hairs on his bare arms stand on end.

Peter's eyes blink open, and they're looking directly at Tony.

Tony smirks, "that's it."

Peter turns around and picks the cup off the ground, running to his desk with it and ripping a piece of lined paper out of a notebook and scribbling furiously on it.

Tony walks over as Peter places the cup in the center of the paper.

On the left is the word YES in bold print, NO on the right.

"Okay, okay okay. So, move the cup if, if you wanna talk. Um, is there someone in the room right now?"

Tony reaches for the cup, an intense glare as his fingertips graze it gently. It shifts minutely towards the YES.

"Shit! Shit. Sorry, whew. Okay. Are you friendly?"

Tony moves it to YES again.

"Are you a, um. Person? Like not an alien?"

YES.

"Are you wearing tech, invisibility suit or your molecules are uncalibrated or maybe it's a portal thing like, multiverse shit is happening again, a mirror universe! Oh, maybe a..."

Tony let's a frustrated sign. The kid is too practical, logical. He needs to think like a non-genius.

"... could be. Or, or maybe you're just a ghost-"

Tony perks up and immediately swats the cup, causing it to fly off the desk towards the YES.

"Oh. Oh that's... kinda normal. Or maybe really weird? I mean... I certainly have some ghosts in my past."

Peter picks the cup up and puts it back on the desk.

"Do I know you?"

YES.

"You said you were friendly, and I'm not getting any danger tingles from you. I'm gonna start with people I know are dead, cuz I just really hope you're not a... new ghost. Um. M-May?"

The boy's voice cracks on the word and Tony freezes. May is dead? Tony starts to fear that things are a lot more wrong than he previously thought.

Peter's breath catches and Tony realizes he's waiting, dying for an answer, and quickly pokes the cup towards NO.

Peter's shoulders sag.

"Uncle Ben?"

NO.

"T- Mr. Stark?"

Tony grins, "now we're getting somewhere!"

YES.

Tony is going to have his work cut out for him, but being here with Peter just feels right.

Peter breaks out into a matching smile.

"Wow, okay. I think I'm gonna need more paper," he says as the boy gets to work making a more complex system than YES and NO.

Tony watches on proudly, reminiscing about all the great Peter was and all the great he still is, despite his situation. Whatever this is, they'll figure it out.

Together.

[juyeonszn]

(NO) STRINGS ATTACHED

PAIRING lee hyunjae x f!reader

WORD COUNT 5.58k

GENRES smut ﹒angst ﹒fluff

WARNINGS 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, mature language, strangers to fwb to lovers, a few timeskips here and there, hyunjae is a manwhore but what else is new, he’s also a criminal justice major so, mentions of alcohol, mentions of roblox? idk, reader is lowkey horny as hell 😭, handjob, oral (m!receiving), mentions of sex in various places, hyunjae is an emotionally constipated idiot, juyeon appearance crowd cheered, also cha eunwoo appearance but crowd did not cheer, hyunjae goes through the five stages of grief, no foreplay but what can u do about it, marking, unprotected sex (wrap before u tap u know the drill), cowgirl position yeehaw, creampie yeehaw, little bit of cockwarming st the end ngl

SUMMARY becoming friends with lee hyunjae after his valiant attempt to save your life (stopping you from drunk driving) was certainly not on your year’s bingo card. also not on your bingo card? waking up in his bed every other night following, but it’s not like you’re really complaining.

MORE bruh. first of all. i’m so sorry this is so late. 😭 second of all, NOT ONLY IS IT A DAY LATE, BUT ITS ALSO LIKE AN HOUR AND A HALF LATE 😭 my time management was not all there this past weekend, and also due to some unfortunate decisions on my part, this fic was delayed a bunch but WE ARE SO BACK pls. i hope u all enjoy this bc i kinda hate it and im sad bc i was so excited for it and its nothing like how i wanted it to be… pls rb if u liked it 😿 also this is lowkey for izzy bc we’re both going through insane hyunjae brainrot rn..

SERIES MASTERLIST

PERM TAGLIST @winterchimez @maessseongs @itsbeeble @zzoguri @deoboyznet @cloverdaisies @vernyangel @ericlvr

TAGLIST @millksea @from-izzy

In Hyunjae’s defense, he didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

When the two of you first met, he really was just trying to be a gentleman. He’d always been raised as someone who should do the right thing without expecting anything in return. He prided himself on sticking by his mother’s lifelong wisdom.

Okay sure, he might’ve had a few slip ups here and there in the form of random girls he’s hooked up with, but could you blame him? He was a university criminal justice major after all. There’s no harm in a little one-night-stand fun. Learning the ins and outs of the world of law and order was soul-draining enough without the freedom to stress-relieve whenever he felt fit.

Right. Back to you.

Your first encounter took place at the Tau Beta Zeta end of semester party. The fraternity had been working towards securing their victory against the KAT sorority just so they could host the damn thing. Hyunjae had yet to find a girl to entice him for the night, instead bothering some of his frat brothers. For example, Jacob Bae, who had just won the IST University boys’ volleyball team a championship title.

He could’ve gone after Lee Haeun, Jacob’s ex, but he had higher standards than that. There was also the incident earlier that day, while setting up for the party. He tried making a move on the KAT president to piss off Sangyeon, but that ended up failing. Honestly, he didn’t even care much about sleeping with anyone at these things anyways. Usually pretty girls came up to him first, but then ghosted him once they realized he wasn’t looking for anything serious. That was the only reason why his rap sheet was so long. He’d never intended on being the resident fuckboy.

Hyunjae remembers spotting you across the room during one of the numerous rounds of beer pong that night. Rather than Juyeon refereeing with Younghoon like they normally did, he stepped in to let the younger male enjoy the party with his girlfriend. The current match-up was Sunwoo versus Changmin with their respective partners. He had glanced up after witnessing the soccer prodigy miss a cup, making eye contact with you accidentally.

You tucked some hair behind your ear, bringing your drink to your lips and taking a sip before looking away. Your friends had sucked you back into the conversation you were having, effectively blocking Hyunjae’s chance to shoot any shots. He quickly got over it upon witnessing Changmin and Sunwoo arguing over the game, egging them on like the instigator he was.

Most people would’ve thought that was the end of it. Just a fleeting glance at each other, dozens of people standing between you. In hindsight, Hyunjae partially wishes that was where your story ended. You would’ve just been another girl to him, a stranger he saw once and never ran into again.

It’s funny how the universe works in strange ways.

By two in the morning, when over half of the partygoers had left the TBZ house, Hyunjae felt his social battery reach empty. He woke up earlier that morning to study for his Victimology final and felt drained by the time he walked out of the lecture hall. (He knew he aced it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t mentally taxing.) He was just about ready to call it a night when he saw you sitting on the bottom step of the stairs, blubbering into your phone about something.

“What do you mean you left?” You wail, cheeks stained with mascara streaks. “I don’t care about your boyfriend! I’m too drunk to drive home and you were supposed to be my D.D.”

Your words are slightly slurred, a hiccup following your last sentence. Damn, you were cute even when you were crying like a baby. Hyunjae observed as you argued with who he assumed to be your friend over the phone, exasperated by the end of it. Despite not knowing a single thing about you, not even your name, he decided to step in and offer aid.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you saying you’re too drunk to drive yourself, and as a TBZ member I just can’t let that happen,” he extended a hand to you. “I’d be more than willing to let you stay here until the morning, if you’d like. You can have my room and I’ll just crash in one of the others.”

Your lower lip quivered, as if you were on the verge of even more tears. You sniffle when you respond, eyes doe-like and glassy. “R-Really? You would do that f-for me?”

“It’s a better alternative than taking a rideshare home alone while drunk,” he nods. “And I’m definitely not letting you drive anywhere yourself.”

Hyunjae doesn’t know why he felt so protective over you. The thought of some potentially creepy man taking advantage of you because you were under the influence didn’t sit right with him. He poked his cheek with his tongue, hand still outstretched to you. You took it gently, allowing him to guide you to his bedroom. He grabbed some of his clothes so you could be comfier and gave you a washcloth so you wouldn’t go to be with your makeup on. He felt better knowing you were in the safety of his fraternity house rather than anywhere else. It kind of pissed him off that your friends would leave you to fend for yourself like that.

The next morning, you came down the stairs drowning in Hyunjae’s clothes, rubbing at your eyes sleepily. You held the heel of your palm to your temple, wincing from the headache no doubtedly caused by your hangover. It was around 11 AM when you woke up and most, if not all, of his frat brothers had already left to head home for the holidays.

You found your knight in shining armor sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, a mug with the default male Roblox face in his grasp. He was scrolling through his phone mindlessly, taking sips of his coffee every now and then until he heard you. He spins around in his chair, offering you a warm smile.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you rest okay?” He asks, getting up to grab you your own mug.

Your cheeks burn up at the nickname. The whole situation is still a bit odd to you. You knew of Lee Hyunjae through the grapevine (every other girl at your school), yes, but you’ve never held an actual conversation with him before. And now here you are, taking shelter in his home and sleeping in his bed. It was sweet of him to be so hospitable, though. He could’ve kicked you out and pretended you didn’t exist.

“That’s probably the best I’ve ever slept in my life,” you laugh to cut through the tension. “Thank you for keeping me alive last night. I feel indebted to you forever.”

“It was no problem, at all. My pleasure, actually,” he grins, passing you a mug filled with fresh coffee. “By the way, I never got your name.”

“It’s Y/N,” you tell him, mouth pulling into a smile at the cup he just gave you, which happened to be the female adjacent to his. “Hyunjae, right?”

He doesn’t know if he should be embarrassed by the fact that you already knew his name or not, but given his previous reputation, he thinks it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. He clears his throat and nods as he drinks more of his coffee. He tries to distract himself from the weird feeling bubbling in his chest with how cute you looked in his clothes.

“Do you not have any plans for the break?” You switch the subject, noticing that the house was empty for the most part.

“Nah,” he shakes his head. “I’m from here, so it isn’t really much of a drive to visit home. I’ll go over on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years but that’s about it. Other than that, I like to enjoy having the whole house to myself.”

“Woah, me too! My friends are all from out of town though, so I’m usually really lonely. It’s always so odd thinking about how this is just a stepping stone for people’s lives and I’ve been here all of mine.” You stir some cream and sugar into your coffee, pursing your lips. “So, I take it you’re not doing anything today?”

“Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada,” Hyunjae leans back in his chair. “I’ll probably just watch some movies and call it a day. What about you? Any plans for the break since all of your friends are gone?”

“I have just as many as you.” You sip on your beverage.

“Well, the couch space next to me will be unoccupied if you’d like to join me.”

“I think I might take you up on that offer.”

You feel like maybe this was some sort of elaborate scheme to trap you. Your eyes kept flickering from the TV to his profile, entranced by the blue light illuminating his features. You wanted nothing more than to claim your seat on his lap and ride him into the sunset like a gallant steed, which was ironic considering the way the two of you met.

It’s in the middle of the third movie that you finally feel yourself grow restless. No way could you sit beside Lee Hyunjae, spend the whole day with him, and not jump his bones. It was, like, the most obvious thing to do. It was Lee Hyunjae. Did he expect you not to?

He feels you squirming next to him, glancing at you from the corner of his eye. In all honesty, he’s surprised he’s abstained from touching you this long. From the moment he saw you in his clothes this morning, he wanted you underneath him. He doesn’t know how to initiate anything without seeming too forward though.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to make much effort on his part.

You place one of your hands on his thigh, dragging your nail along the seam of his sweatpants. He turns to you with a raised eyebrow. All you can do is bat your eyelashes at him innocently.

“You know, Hyunjae, I never got to properly thank you for your act of nobility last night,” you start, fingers creeping up higher. “And I just thought of something that I think we’ll both like.”

He doesn’t have the strength in him to restrain himself after that, pulling you into a heated kiss. He nips at your lower lip and tangles his tongue with your own, getting easily lost in the spellbinding of your touch. Your lips trail along his jaw and down his neck, hooking your fingers into the waistband of his pants. You suck deep marks into the skin of his pulse point while simultaneously palming him through his underwear.

You’re moving fast, but you’re on a mission. You’ve been waiting for this all day, you can’t imagine slowing down now. It doesn’t appear that he plans on stopping you either.

Hyunjae throws his head back, hissing when you discard his boxers. The cool air of the house hits his cock at the same time you bite down on the divot where his neck meets his shoulder. Your hand gently wraps around his length, thumb running over the slit to collect the precum that’s formed there. He watches in a trance as you go on your knees between his legs.

You press a sweet kiss to his tip before taking him into your mouth. He groans, twisting your hair around his wrist so he can control your movements. Hyunjae doesn’t think he’s ever wanted head this badly in his life. He’s always been a giving person, always providing the pleasure for the girl he was with. There were only a handful of times that he’s ever been on the receiving end and none of them were memorable. But this time is different.

For some reason, you’re the only one who’s ever been able to get him this riled up this quickly. You’re still relatively a stranger to him, and even though he’s had plenty of one night stands, it’s unlike any of the others.

Your throat relaxes so you can swallow more of him, tongue swirling around the tip. He’s the biggest guy you’ve ever been with, making things a little harder for you, but you were never one to back down from a challenge. And getting Lee Hyunjae to cum from the work of your mouth alone was the ultimate reward.

Hyunjae moans when your attention focuses on his sensitive slit. The sound is music to your ears, goading you into continuing your task. You gag around his dick and tears prick at your eyes when he pushes your face down further, your nose brushing the lower part of his abdomen. One of your hands wanders, tracing and scratching his abs as the other jerks him off.

He swipes away some stray tears with his thumb, bucking into your mouth and hand. “Fucking look at you, taking me like a good girl. You’re so filthy.”

You whine, squeezing your thighs together for your own friction. You can wait, though, entirely too focused on getting him to finish. You’re thankful it isn’t that much longer until he does, painting your lips and cheeks with his release when you pull off of him to press a cute kiss on the same spot. He knows he finished too fast for someone of his caliber, but he doesn’t have it in him to care.

“You’re so hot,” he brings you up to connect your lips once again.

It was very easy to fall into a habit after that.

Throughout the entirety of the break, Hyunjae would call you over or vice versa and you’d rock each other’s world’s. It was practically an entire month of fucking nonstop. You’d done it in the TBZ house living room, in his bed, in the kitchen, in the shower and every other surface you could think of. Your own apartment had been christened plenty with your sexcapades also. Both of your cars had seen you naked too. But the most memorable place had to be his childhood bedroom the night of Christmas. He went to his parents’ for a couple days and hit you with that 3 AM “You up?” text when his libido couldn’t quell. That was probably the quietest you’d ever have to be.

Hyunjae had to explain to his mom that no, he hadn’t gotten mauled by a wild animal in his sleep. It was harder coming up with another plausible lie to cover the source of the hickeys on his neck, but he’d rather tell his mother something stupid than the fact that he was an insatiable freak.

When it came time for everyone to return to school for the spring semester, you’d deluded yourself into thinking there could be something real between you and Hyunjae. I mean, what else were you supposed to do? This gorgeous man had spent almost every single day of winter break with you, even if it was mostly for the sex. That wasn’t all you did though. You shared meals together and talked about your life goals. You truly got to know him better than just the hot frat guy who’s made his rounds with girls on campus.

However, Hyunjae did not think he was ready for that level of commitment.

After spending a month with you and learning all of your little quirks, he thought he was going insane. He’d been in situationships in the past and none of them ever ended well, especially because they always caught feelings. He didn’t want the two of you to fall down the same path. But he noticed the linger of your touches and kisses and the way your eyes sparkled when he spoke. He didn’t want to be the one to break your heart.

He just couldn’t see himself getting into a serious relationship. He was preparing to apply for law schools and get his shit together. He didn’t think he couldn’t handle throwing a girlfriend into the mix. Even if it was you. Bold, pretty little you, who had Lee Hyunjae wrapped around her finger without trying.

Things come to a speeding halt for both of you halfway into the second week back.

Hyunjae was walking out of his Crime Mapping II lecture when he saw you chatting up Cha Eunwoo outside of the building, giggling and being all touchy with him. He doesn’t know why he feels so… stuffy… when he sees that. He doesn’t know why it makes him mad. He doesn’t know why it feels like his heart has just been stomped on a handful of times.

He walks over to you and clears his throat, hands shoving into his jacket pockets. He tries to ignore how cute you look in your puffer coat, nose rosy from the cold. You pause in your conversation to say hi to him before resuming whatever you were saying before. It was like he was invisible.

“I gotta go, but I’ll see you in class tomorrow?” You tuck some hair behind your ear, smiling at the male.

“For sure. Talk to you later, Y/N.” He says, waving as he takes off.

Hyunjae starts in the opposite direction wordlessly, leaving you to stumble behind him like a newborn deer. He looks upset about something, but you’re not sure if you should ask. When you finally match his pace, you frown, tapping his shoulder.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Since when were you friends with Cha Eunwoo?” Hyunjae blurts, tone catching you off guard. You blink at his outburst.

“For a while, I guess? We’re in the same department and we’ve had a few classes together. Why? Is that a problem?” You stop your steps, forcing him to do the same.

“No, why would it be? I’m not your boyfriend. You can talk to whoever you want.” He backtracks, realizing the connotation behind his question. Shit, why does he not think before he speaks?

“You could be,” you shrug, gaze casted downward to avoid his stare. “You could be my boyfriend.”

Again, because he’s a stupid boy, he chooses not to use his brain in such a critical situation. “I don’t want to be. You can date him for all I care.”

Hyunjae didn’t want to be the one to break your heart, but he knows he did when he sees the flame in your eyes die out. He thinks he broke his own too, chest constricting when tears well up in the corners. You wipe your runny nose with your gloved hand, sniffling with a scoff.

“Fuck you, Hyunjae,” your voice is surprisingly calm, and that scares him more. “Fuck you and your stupid fucking commitment issues and your lack of empathy. Stay away from me.”

He can’t even think of something quick enough to stop you. Of course, his mind runs at a million miles a minute when it’s the worst time. But when he needs it to work most, it fails on him. That’s exactly his luck.

He just stares as your figure gets smaller and smaller, getting further and further away from his reach. His stomach feels ugly, twisted in a way it shouldn’t be. Maybe it’s because he’d considered you a close friend at this point, and now there’s no way you didn’t hate him. He told you things that he hadn’t even told his brothers, things that he hoped would never see the light of day. He’d spoken his insecurities out into the world and you were the one he let see that vulnerable side of him. He had something good going for him finally, and he went and ruined it.

Who could he be mad at but himself?

When Hyunjae sees you again, it’s been at least a week since your argument in the middle of campus.

He’d been beating himself up over the fight the entire time. Numerous what-if scenarios ran through his mind when he should’ve been sleeping. He wonders what he could’ve said to make everything turn out differently. Had he just told you what was bothering him, told you about that icky sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, perhaps you wouldn’t have walked away.

He’s pretty sure you’re doing it on purpose. You avoided him until you knew you’d definitely see him, and then you’d flaunt yourself to purposefully piss him off. Despite only knowing each other for a little over a month, you had Hyunjae read like the back of your hand. You knew he was stubborn and had to be pushed into admitting he was wrong. He’d never outright confess to his mistakes unless you backed him into a corner and forced him to.

So you can imagine his reaction when he saw you walk into that week’s TBZ party with Cha Eunwoo around your shoulders.

If Lee Hyunjae had any faults, it was that he was too prideful. He realizes this when you stroll right past him, ignoring his presence. You giggle at something Eunwoo said as you grab some drinks. There’s no way you aren’t doing this to get on his nerves. Especially not in that outfit.

His grip on his cup is not normal, he knows that. But it’s not subtle if anyone notices and when Juyeon of all people points it out, he knows it even more.

“Yo, dude. Are you good? You look like you might kill somebody if we’d let you.” The younger male pats his back.

“Honestly, no, not really. But there isn’t really anything I can do about it.” Hyunjae huffs, welcoming his defeat with open arms.

“You can talk to me about things. It’s kinda weird but I always feel like getting out your thoughts is better than internalizing and blowing up randomly.” He says after a moment.

“I guess I’m just confused why I’m so jealous of something that isn’t mine.” The heart to heart with his frat brother follows the entire five stages of grief, starting with step one; Denial. He’ll keep denying the real reason he feels the way he does.

“Are you talking about that girl you were messing around with during break?” Juyeon asks, bringing his cup to his mouth. “And the fact that she’s here with Cha Eunwoo?”

Step two; Anger. His cup snaps and the sharp edge of the plastic scratches the inside of his palm. “Why would I be jealous of her being here with him? I could give less of a fuck about that. She’s not my girlfriend, she can do whatever she wants.”

He raises an eyebrow at how defensive his senior gets, lips quirking up. “Sure, Hyunjae. You’re not jealous. But you’re acting like it and you know you are.”

“Well,” step three; bargaining. “I’m not not jealous, I just— I don’t know. I’ve never been on this side of the situation before. Am I even allowed to be mad about it?”

“I mean, it’s a little unconventional, but yeah, I think you are. You spent the better part of a month getting to know this girl. You’ve seen her in ways other people haven’t. Even if you weren’t going into it with the intention to start something, I think it’s hard not to want anything after. Unless you’re completely heartless. But you’re not exactly The Grinch, so.” Juyeon sounds too wise for standing in the middle of a frat party.

“Nothing’s gonna happen now, though. She hates me and wants nothing to do with me because I screwed up.” Step four; Depression.

“You don’t know that unless you make an attempt to fix it,” his junior sighs. “Look, she’s gonna keep projecting how upset you made her if you aren’t gonna do something about it. But there’s a high chance that she’ll forgive you if you’re just real with her.”

And last, but not least, step five. Acceptance. Lee Hyunjae has finally accepted that he’s not an emotionless robot incapable of producing feelings for someone. He takes Juyeon’s advice right then and there, deciding that this is something he has to do immediately. (He also knows how much you can drink at these things and he preferred that you were sober when he spoke to you.)

He thanks his friend and sets off to search for you in the sea of already drunk university students. He’s anxious. He’s never been the type to have serious discussions about anything, really. He assumes that it stems from never seeing that in his own parents. They loved each other, yeah, but they never really talked about difficult topics with each other. Or, in front of him they didn’t.

Hyunjae thinks he might throw up when he finds you in the other room. Cha Eunwoo is still glued to your side, but he’s hardly paying attention to you, talking to his friends. You look bored, like you were waiting for something— or someone— to save you. This was his opportunity.

Your eyes widen when you see him heading straight for you, swallowing thickly. There wasn’t any route of escape so you were stuck having to deal with him. In all honesty, the hurt was still very fresh for you, and you weren’t sure you could handle talking to him yet.

“Can we please talk? I need to tell you something,” he yells over the loud music.

“Why should I listen to what you have to say?” Your tone is shaky, wavering slightly, but you’re grateful that he can’t hear it with how voluminous this party is.

“Y/N,” he pleads almost, eyes communicating what you needed to hear. “This is important.”

You concede, sneaking from Eunwoo and following Hyunjae blindly. You could be getting whisked away to your demise, but the former hardly even notices, too engrossed in whatever he was saying to his friends. You’re a bit apprehensive when Hyunjae takes you into his bedroom, biting your cheek when the memories of what you’ve done in here come flooding back to you.

“Okay, I don’t know how to put this into a coherent thought,” he turns his back to you.

“Can we just get this over with? You don’t want me, remember? I don’t even know why I’m giving you the time of day—“

“Of course I want you,” he exclaims, spinning around and pinching the bridge of his nose. “God, are you blind? It’s so obvious that I’ve wanted you for so long, Y/N. I’m just stupid and I fucked everything up, because I was scared that things would change and I’m afraid of change. That’s the reason why I have commitment problems. I don’t want to commit myself to something just for everything to change in the blink of an eye.”

You shut up after that, your heart skipping in your chest. This was what you wanted. You wanted a messy confession. Something that told you it wasn’t all in your head. That you weren’t making things up. That he felt the same way you did.

Your lips collide in a rough, desperate manner. Hyunjae’s never had a way with words, so kissing you with every ounce of longing in his being and holding you like you’d disappear any second was his outlet. This was how he could show you his true feelings. Your heart rate transitions from your pulse point to your ears, amplifying with each suck of your bottom lip between his teeth

You’ve done this so many times before, but it will never be the same as this one. No one could ever make you feel the way Lee Hyunjae does. It might be crazy, but it only took a month for you to realize that there will never be another for you. The conversations that trickled into early hours of the morning following going at it like jackrabbits were perfect to you. They weren’t ideal, but they were enough.

The two of you walk backwards until he’s sitting on the edge of his bed, your knees on either side of his lap. You cup his jaw in your hands, grinding down on him every time your lips move together. Hyunjae’s fingers dig into your sides and push up the material of your dress. He’s moving fast, rushed like you might decide you don’t want this and walk out of his room.

You can’t really blame him, your pace disorganized with only one goal in mind. Neither of you could be bothered with the foreplay, too needy and craving the touch of one another as quickly as possible. You part from him to pull off your dress, eyes fluttering shut when he starts leaving a trail of kisses down your stomach. He doesn’t want to waste time commenting on the fact that you were braless underneath so he busies himself with pecking the tops of your tits. Your fingers card through his hair with an extended sigh, noticing how long it’s gotten since you first met.

Hyunjae pushes his pants down his legs as you yank his shirt over his head, reconnecting your lips. He uses his ring and middle fingers to shove aside your underwear, discarding his own shortly after. Your mouth nips and bites your favorite places on his neck, ensuring you mark the surface so everyone knows who he belongs to. You were the one who acquired the key to Lee Hyunjae’s heart.

Your teeth sink into his skin the moment he slips inside of you, both of you moaning when he slides right into your cunt like he was meant to be there. You whine when he bottoms out, your sensitive clit bumping into his pelvic bone. You’re so warm and inviting, Hyunjae feels like he’s falling under a spell. Just being inside of you feels like a form of hypnosis. If it was up to him, he’d stay here forever, content to sit with his cock stuffed in you without interruption. But you both yearn for more than that.

He tightens his grip on your hips, bucking upwards into you and watching with heavy eyes as a whine spills from your lips. You look so fucked out despite him doing absolutely nothing to you yet. He thrusts up again experimentally, grinning when your upper half knocks into his.

“Feel good, baby?” He coos into your ear, nipping at the lobe and the area surrounding.

You nod with a whimper when his cock brushes that sweet spot deep inside your pussy. “Mhm, feels so— fuck, Jae, want it harder.”

“Anything for my pretty girl,” he smiles into your skin.

He increases the speed that he fucks into you, pinning down your hips so you can’t move and all you can do is take it. It’s like you can feel him in your abdomen, his cock plunging in you so far. You’d think after a month of fucking practically every day, you’d be used to his size by now. However, that was just not attainable. You don’t think you could ever get used to how big he was, how thick he was.

The force that he drives into you with is unmatched, miles apart from what he’s given you before. It’s like he wants to burn the shape of himself inside you, so you never forget that he’s the one making you feel like this. Nobody but Hyunjae can fuck you this well.

He moves you further up the bed, flattening his feet on the mattress and laying down so he can press deeper, a new angle that has your vision going blank. You don’t think twice about the volume of your cries, letting him know how good he’s giving it to you. You’re encouraging him, wanting him to get cockier so he can keep fucking you into oblivion. Your fingers grasp at the sheets beside his head for support.

Hyunjae’s nails impress crescent shapes into your waist, his mouth returning to your tits so he can leave his own marks all over your chest. It’s when your clit rubs against his lower stomach again that you let go, your orgasm crashing into like a train. It winds you, ripping your breath from your throat and stealing your oxygen. He’s close behind, the feeling of your walls clenching around him in rapid intervals triggering his own.

He fills you up nicely, both of you releasing guttural groans at the sight of his cum dripping out of you. You’re too exhausted to get up, collapsing on top of him. He doesn’t mind, more than happy to stay buried inside of you even if you didn’t do anything.

“So…” You start after a bit of silence, drawing unrecognizable shapes on his chest. “You’ve wanted me for so long, huh?”

“Shut up,” he laughs, eyes closed while he recuperates from using all of his energy on you. “This is still new for me.”

“I know, Mr. Emotionally Constipated And I Don’t Date ‘Cause I’m Going To Be A Big Fancy Hotshot Lawyer,” you tease, pecking his lips and then his nose. “I must be extremely special to be the one who changed your mind.”

“You’ll be the death of me, you know that right?” He shakes his head, brushing some of your hair from your face. You smile down at him with an unfamiliar fondness in your eyes.

“Why else do you think we’ve gotten this far?”

© juyeonszn. do not steal, claim, or repost.

[tossawary]

Sasuke not wanting to be a warrior and giving up on his revenge against Itachi is wildly OOC without some really strong push for this change, which is why I lean towards an SI-OC for a House Husband Sasuke AU, because the amount of trauma and pressure that canon Sasuke is suffering from all angles is intense. But the way that I could MAYBE see canon Sasuke giving up on recklessly focusing on revenge against Itachi is if there had been other survivors of the Uchiha massacre.

Like, okay, I understand that the Uchiha massacre was the plan of a couple different puppet masters, so it's not going to make sense. (Massacres do not, as a rule, ever "make sense". They are bad full-stop.) Part of the goal here is obviously to just get rid of the Uchiha clan and the potential threat that they pose to future plans.

But Sasuke could have just died on some random mission as a genin and then what? What if Madara and Obito lose? This is an incredibly violent world filled with incredibly clever ninja, it's unreasonable not to be concerned about any of them being offed randomly by accident. People like Danzo and Zetsu then have no more new Uchiha children to use and to harvest if anything goes to shit. And their stupid plans are often so overcomplicated that there should be a high chance of things going to shit!

They have cloning, of course, but secret cloning operations are probably expensive and presumably have a relatively high failure rate, and require the cooperation of people like Orochimaru and Kabuto. What if you just don't have the material left for a good cloning process?

Itachi is in a really weird position here and I do not well remember all of the different puppet strings that are being pulled here. I assume that Madara and Obito wanted all Uchiha dead for some reason? But I would have assumed that people like Danzo and the Third Hokage would have preferred to leave most of the children alive to mold into a new generation of Uchiha soldiers. I vaguely remember something about Danzo maybe being prejudiced against the Uchiha? (EDIT: Yeah, Danzo probably doesn't want any kind of law enforcement looking into his shit and the Uchiha are the cops, but that doesn't fully explain why he would want to get rid of all of the Uchiha children too.) So maybe Danzo wants them all gone too, and everyone is just forced to leave Sasuke alive because they know Itachi WILL go more insane than he already is if Sasuke bites it in an "accident".

"The Uchiha were planning a coup" is such an unsatisfactory explanation for the actions of a lot of these characters. It is IMPOSSIBLE for every Uchiha to have been 1) an adult, 2) a ninja, and 3) someone who voted for a coup and participated in it. We know ninja like Itachi and Shisui felt more loyal to the village itself and they couldn't have been the only ones. Uchiha have been defecting from their clan in order to join the village instead since Uchiha Hikaku abandoning Madara for Senju Hashirama after Izuna's death and before the creation of the village.

And we know that this is a sexist, patriarchal world! There would have been some men who would have decided the course of action FOR their spouses and their children, if the spouses and children were aware of this ninja operation at all. EVERY single disabled and elderly person in the clan was in on it too? EVERY civilian? Since Hashirama, NO Uchiha has ever married outside of their clan? Okay, I can buy that the Uchiha clan would be incredibly controlling regarding their bloodlines, yes, and I know that they were being isolated and that the more "progressive" Uchiha with outside lovers were probably being killed off by their enemies. Fine. Maybe all of the other adult Uchiha were cooperating and had impossibly good information security, let's pretend that's true.

But that still leaves the issue of the children! Would an isolated Uchiha clan trying to orchestrate a coup not be super controlling about encouraging their members to get into "good, traditional families" and make more "loyal Uchiha soldiers"? Fascist states often get really weird about that kind of thing. Sasuke cannot have been the only young Uchiha child at this point in time! It would be... REALLY weird if he was.

(Itachi is not heroic for this. It is a TRAGEDY. It is horrifying. There are no heroes in this part of the story and the best that I can say for Itachi is that he was another victim of really weird and twisted circumstances.)

Anyway, I think it would be fun to have an AU where Sasuke is left as the clan head of a bunch of children, at least 10 of them or so. He's the oldest among them at 8-9 years old. (I'm pretty sure that other fanfictions have done this before. Someone must have done this concept before.) Everyone expects Sasuke to just dump the children on some village caretakers so he can pursue his ninja career, in order to become the new powerful protector of his clan and murder his brother, but MAYBE this situation is something that would make canon Sasuke decide against all manipulation that he can't actually afford to chase Itachi.

He still wants to be super powerful, of course, so that he can murder Itachi if his brother ever comes back, but otherwise? Rebuilding the clan is more important. He's staying at home for his training and accepting parentification with wide open arms and a deep scowl.

(There is the danger of ROOT making off with Uchiha children, which is also unpleasant to think about.)

I think it would be funny for Naruto to deal with the fact that his rival has been a dad since the age of 8-9 years old. (Sakura: "IDIOT. How did you not KNOW that??? EVERYONE knows that!")

I also think it would be funny if Sasuke, when he was annoyed with Kakashi's bullshit, unconsciously pulled out a squeaky tweenage Disappointed Dad Voice to express his frustration with his teacher. (Sasuke: "Do you think that it helps anyone for you to behave this way???" Kakashi: "Hm, there are many things that I don't like about this.")

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

An exclusive deal

Written for @astrangersummer, week 12

Prompt: not-date

Rated: M

Words: 1,778 (also on AO3)

Relationship: Steve/Eddie

Tags: No UD AU; Future fic; Record label owner Eddie; Waiter Steve; Sex work; Attempted non-con (mentioned); Protective Eddie; Possessive Eddie

Notes: Previous part | Part 1

Eddie has been fantasizing about Steve Harrington for as long as he can remember. 

There was nothing tender to it in the beginning. Eddie was well aware of high school hierarchies and the unspoken laws of small town life. He was a freak who listened to the wrong kind of music, who lived on the shady end of town and sold drugs from his run-down van. He’d never amount to much in life. 

Steve on the other hand? Perfect, pretty King Steve with his rich parents, the big house, a different girl on each arm every weekend? That boy was destined to go far, everyone in Hawkins knew that much. 

Eddie was not an idiot. He knew that there were worlds between the two of them. There was no way in hell Steve would ever be his. And so he contented himself with imagining how that soft, smooth skin would feel under his hands, how those lips would taste as he sucked and bit at them while Steve moaned into his mouth. How the muscles of those perfect thighs would shake, wrapped around his waist or slung over his shoulders as he slowly reduced the King to a whining, sobbing mess.  

Eddie booked it out of Hawkins the second he finally had his diploma in hand. He never once looked back. He still thought about Steve, occasionally. 

It was only after they met again, years and miles away from that wretched place and with their positions in life all but flipped that Eddie's fantasies took a different turn. 

Suddenly, Steve wasn't just an unattainable pretty face floating past in the hallways, but an actual, real person. Still floating, mind you, now on roller skates while waiting tables, but a person no less. A person with a past he refused to discuss. A person with a stubborn streak for miles and a beautiful, snarky sense of humor, and a soft, vulnerable side he was desperate to protect. 

And suddenly, without warning, Eddie’s feelings shifted. Suddenly, he found himself preening at each glimpse of that smile, found his chest growing warm and tingly every time Steve accepted his tip money or leftover food.

Suddenly, the very thing that had always been a distant daydream seemed possible, and suddenly, he found himself craving it with a burning urgency that startled even himself. 

He wanted Steve to be his. 

And now, Steve is here in his apartment, shifting on the sofa so that he can lean further into Eddie’s space.

It's everything Eddie has been thinking about for weeks. Having Steve here, in his living room, close enough to feel his body heat, close enough to touch.

Except this is not a date. 

“Ow, fuck,” he hisses as Steve touches a piece of alcohol-drenched gauze to his split lip. “That hurts!” 

Steve scowls at him. 

“It wouldn't hurt so much if you could stop fidgeting for five seconds” he scolds, but his touch goes more gentle. “We need to clean this before it gets infected.” 

“Well,” Eddie says, “Maybe I’d stop fidgeting if you were more careful.” 

Steve rolls his eyes, putting two fingers to Eddie’s chin so that he can keep his head in place. “Stop being such a crybaby. I swear to God, I've babysat four-year-olds less whiny than you.” 

“Yeah, well,” Eddie snarks. “I doubt the four-year-olds ever had their heads bashed in trying to protect you from some sleazy, wannabe rapist in a dark side alley, so there.”

Steve freezes. 

“Shit,” Eddie says, fighting against the rapidly rising urge to punch himself again. He's probably mildly concussed already, God knows he can do without extra hits. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-”

“It's okay,” Steve says, but his expression has become guarded and distant again. Before Eddie can stop him, he stands, snatching the first aid kit from its place by their feet and carrying it over to the side table standing a small way off. A tense silence settles over the room while he turns his back, pretending to organize the contents, and Eddie wrecks his brain for something to say to lift the mood.

“Who was that douchebag, anyhow?” is what his mouth settles on. Steve's shoulders go rigid, and scratch that, Eddie clearly hasn't been punched enough yet. 

“Dunno,” Steve mutters, just as Eddie is considering whether to bash his stupid fucking head against the sofa table or the nearest wall. “I don't ask their names, usually.” 

Eddie can practically feel how the remaining color drains from his face. 

“Wait, whoa,” he blurts. “Hold on a second. Their names? As in plural? What the hell, Steve?” 

“Oh, for fuck's sake.” Steve slams the first aid kit shut so hard the plastic cracks, and whirls around. “Don't act so shocked. You think I'm getting by on waiting tables alone? Please! We're both grown-ass adults, don't make me spell it out for you.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Eddie screeches. His hands are shaking, he can hear his own blood in his ears, and apparently, he's gotten off the sofa at some point, because he's on his feet and Steve takes a step back as he advances on him, bumping his ass against the table. “What are you even- … You can't do that.” 

Steve's eyes go hard. 

“Why not?” he asks, and the aloof tone and stubborn jut to his chin remind Eddie painfully of the first time they met again at the diner. “What's it to you?” 

Everything, Eddie wants to say. It's fucking everything to him, because Steve is everything, and the idea of Steve with anyone else makes his blood boil and his stomach twist.  

“I just…” he stutters instead. “I don't- … I don't get it. Money's a little tight, so you thought it would be a good idea to fuck strangers in an alleyway?” 

Steve flushes and sputters. It would be adorable, under any other circumstances, if Eddie could feel anything but helpless rage right now. 

“I don't fuck them,” he says. “I just …” 

He trails off, blush darkening by about five shades. His eyes stay glued to one of the framed band posters on Eddie’s wall as he forms a loose circle with his thumb and fingers. He does a vague, jerky up-and-down motion, once, before he lets his hand flop to his side. 

“Sometimes I suck ‘em off, but only if they're nice and pay extra.” 

Eddie stares at him. Maybe, if the situation was any different, he'd find it funny how Steve can't bring himself to say the word handjob, but will casually talk about sucking someone off for a bit of extra money, but right now, all he wants to do is scream. The thought of Steve on his knees in that dark, stinking side alley, of that pretty, pink mouth opening for some other guy's cock, fills his mind with dark needlepoints of red. 

“Are you fucking serious?” His hands have found his hair, pulling on a fistful of curls until his scalp stings. “That's- … Shit, that's dangerous, Steve. Do you have any idea what-” 

“Oh, wow!” Steve throws up his hands and laughs, but there's no joy in it. “It's dangerous? Really? Well, thank you for telling me. What would I ever do without you?” 

“Well excuse the fuck out of me,” Eddie snaps, and his voice rises dangerously. “Like what, I'm not allowed to worry about you?” 

“No, you're not!” 

The words bounce unpleasantly off the walls of the living room. They feel like a punch to the gut, and without his conscious doing, Eddie finds himself stumbling a step backwards. Steve takes in the shock on his face and huffs. 

“You're not,” he repeats, more calmly this time, and somehow it's even worse the second time around. “You don't get to- … fuck, Eddie, I dunno what you think this is, but we're not- … You're a customer. I serve you food, you pay me. You tip well, so I'm nice to you, but that's- … We are not friends. You don't get to worry about me, and you most definitely do not get to tell me what to do or not to do with my body, okay?” 

Silence settles between them. Somewhere outside, the sound of sirens slices through the night. 

“Okay,” Eddie says. “I'm- … okay.” 

Steve nods. His breath is coming in ragged little puffs. 

“Okay,” he repeats. “Good. Thanks for helping me out.” 

Panic clawing at his chest, Eddie watches how he turns, picking up the bag with his roller skates from the floor. He wants to shout out, wants to tell Steve not to leave, wants to lunge and hold him back and never let him go again. 

But he can’t. This is not a date. They’re not friends. Steve isn’t his, and he can't tell him what to do, can't protect him, can't do anything but pay him for his service and hope that-

“Wait.”

The word is out before the thought fully settles. Steve turns on the threshold of the living room, eyes weary and tired. 

“What?” 

Eddie doesn't allow himself time to pause. If he did, he'd think about what a horrible idea this is, and he doesn't have time to second-guess himself now.

“How much do you make with that little side hustle of yours?” 

Steve shrugs. 

“Depends? I have a couple of regulars, but-” He cuts himself off and Eddie can see how he reels himself back in, how his shoulders go rigid and his expression closes off. “Why should I tell you?” 

“Because I'll double it.” Eddie means to sound bold and confident, but he nearly barrels over himself in his haste to get the words out, and his voice cracks pathetically on the last syllables. A disbelieving little smile twitches over Steve’s face.

“You'll what?” 

“Double it,” Eddie repeats, more firmly this time. He finally finds the use of his feet again, bridging the distance between them with a few quick steps. Steve’s smile drops. “No, screw this, I'll triple it. You want me as a customer, I'll be your goddamn customer. On one condition.” 

Steve's shoulders bump against the doorframe as Eddie steps into his space. For a second or two, Eddie thinks he's going to bolt - run right out the front door and into the darkness, maybe disappear from Eddie’s life forever. But he stays. Stays close enough for Eddie to see how his breath hitches in his throat. Close enough for Eddie to see the temptation in those gold-flecked eyes. 

He knows he has won before he even says it, and it fills him with a grim, possessive satisfaction. He's probably a horrible person for it. 

“I want this to be an exclusive deal.” 

To be continued ...

Tag list: @p0lybl4nkk @fairytalesreality @colidamae @dissociatingdemon @steddhie

@formosusiniquis @steddiehasmywholeheart @ellaelsinore @rozzieroos

[pinkiedev]

How a Tiny Travels (Ideas)

Climbing:

Ofc every tiny needs a good way to climb, and my primary thought goes to grappling hooks fo sho. Probably made out of actual fishing hooks and attached with corded string XD

Maybe customized shoes with sticky/grippy bottoms like those people who use suction cups to climb skyscrapers XDDD

awhh would a tiny have a little case of gripping chalk so they could hold onto handholds better when climbing?

Somehow an equivalent of a parachute in their backpack in case of a big fall XD. Like basically just a handkerchief that billows out and is attached to the sack with a few strings

Via giant. Period.

But to elaborate, one option is on the shoulder ;3. Tiny can lean against giant's neck or hold onto their ear/earing for stability

The hand. Obvi. Shenanigans have a high chance of ensuing.

Chest pocket. Mmmghhh. AKA the nap spot.

Lawful Chaotic of hoodie pockets, Chaotic Neutral of backpack side-pockets, and Chaotic Evil of pants pockets XDDD

On top of giant's head. Very comfy, much floof. Giant probably will not appreciate the amount of hair pulling that will most definitely be happening up there

Fast Travel:

Roomba. (juuuust make sure tiny can't get sucked in underneath *thumbs up*)

Toy cars except the remote is set up on the car's dash so tiny can control it themselves ;3

Stairway bannisters - AKA the forbidden slide for going from an upper floor to a lower! (And a guaranteed way to give a giant a heart attack! <3)

Pets. Kitties or doggos. Risky beezneez this can be, but the rewards are pretty stellar if tiny makes a good fren outta them~

In the air:

BIRBS - highkey could be scary cuz some birds definitely look like they'd monch on a tiny, but the image of a tiny riding on an owl's back is just - so cute to me

Balloons. Unghhghhhgh. Supervised by their giant ofc. It'd be like a whole hot air balloon except it's just a helium one cuz tinies weigh literally nothing. And a whole paper basket to tie at the bottom for them to ride innnnn yesssss

A drone??? Somehow??? hA like a mini plane/helicopter for tiny

One of those gliding suits like a flying squirrel XD

-

Mannnn this. Why can't I be in a world with tinies, huh????

... I WANNA BE ONE OF THEM OKAY TRANSMIGRATE ME ALREADY

ehehe ignore that. Uh. Ye so here've been a buncha travel methods that I've thought of for a tiny! ;D

[syrupfog]

Penguin can’t help but be a little disappointed when he finds out Killer’s age. 

The thing is, it’s not a big deal. In any way. They’re practically the same age, just like how Penguin and Shachi are practically the same age, and in a world where every year you’ve managed to stay alive is a gift, Penguin knows he’s lucky to still be here, fighting alongside the best crew in the world. 

It’s just that, well, Penguin is old. 

Not in that way where he’s hit middle age, or crested the hill or whatever.

But in that way where he’s always been old. He’s always had Shachi, for as long as he can remember, and he’s always been the older one. 

Then along comes Bepo and Law, and suddenly— although, sure, Law’s the captain— Penguin finds himself responsible for three kids instead of one

Not that he would ever tell Law he views it like that, but— it’s hard not to, when he’s watched him grow up, helped keep him steady in tough moments. 

It was always Penguin’s job to look after Shachi, and then it became Penguin’s job to make sure everyone was fed and together. And sure, he’s managed to take a back seat as the crew’s grown, but it’s a joke that comes around every year when his birthday does, that he’s the elder, the old man. Even after Jean Bart joined, the jokes persisted, and they just— wear on him a little.

Maybe Penguin’s tired.

When he started seeing Killer— in back alleys for sloppy neck kisses, first, and then later Officially, mingling between each others’ crews— Killer had just seems so larger than life. Literally. The man has a good few inches on him in height and even more in width. Penguin had just assumed, naively, that Killer was older, too. He acts as the older brother to a lot of his own crew, after all, barking orders and keeping them in line when they pull dumb shit. 

And Penguin feels stupid now for assuming it, but he had really liked the idea.

The idea that he’d found an older man. That he wasn’t the Adult anymore, that maybe he could just.. relax. 

So when he learns the truth, that Killer is Shachi’s age, he freezes for a moment. Has to rewrite their relationship in his mind. Feels that weight of responsibility again.

Killer, ever perceptive (damn him) (love him) picks up on his turmoil. “That okay?” he asks. “You upset I didn’t mention anything when my birthday happened?” 

“Well, yes,” Penguin says, because it is March now. “But I mean, that’s not—“ he draws a frustrated breath. “It’s fine.”

Killer gives him an unimpressed look. “Never known you to stop talking before the important bit,” he says. “What’s actually wrong? You’re not robbing the cradle, we’re the same age.” 

“We’re not the same age,” Penguin exclaims, kicking his feet up in the air.

Killer’s face goes carefully blank, which Penguin knows from experience means he’s trying not to laugh. “Okay,” he says slowly. “You’re right. You’re an old man compared to me, aren’t you?” 

Penguin somehow, at the ripe old age of 29, feels like the oldest guy on the Grand Line.

“Yeah,” he says. “I am an old man compared to you.” 

Killer huffs and stands up, dislodging Penguin from his lap, although Penguin squeaks in protest. 

“Peng,” says Killer. “What’s the actually about?”

“You’re making a big thing out of nothing,” Penguin says, but under Killer’s withering look he acquiesces. “I’m just— I’m always the old one, alright?” 

Killer raises his eyebrows. “I wasn’t aware you had that many previous relationships.”

“I haven’t!” Tugging on his hat, Penguin looks up, up, up from his spot on the bed to Killer’s face. “I mean, like, in life! I’ve always been the old one. The— Ikkaku calls me the mom friend.” 

Killer nods, thoughtfully. He grabs two flasks of water and tosses one to Penguin before returning to the bed. 

“Okay, so you’re the mom friend,” Killer says. “You’re not the mom boyfriend. I don’t need one of those.” 

Penguin snorts. “I’m sure you don’t,” he says, thinking of the way Killer manages to manipulate Kid into eating vegetables against his will.

Killer downs his flask and Penguin watches his throat hungrily. 

“What’s the problem then?” He asks, throwing the empty container aside. 

Penguin fiddles with the cap of his own. “There’s really NOT one,” he says again. “It’s just a, like, personal problem.”

“Mhmm,” Killer hums. 

“It’s like, I just— it’s selfish,” Penguin says. 

“Mhmm,” Killer hums, again. 

“I just want to feel like I’m not the responsible one, for once,” Penguin rushes out, voice getting squeaky, before he throws off the cap and gulps down the whole flask.

“Slow down there,” Killer says, pulling the drink away from his lips. “Okay, sure, that’s understandable.” 

“Is it?” asks Penguin. He doesn’t feel like it is. 

“Sure,” says Killer. “So with us, don’t be the responsible one.”

Penguin frowns. “I can’t just turn that off.” 

“I think you did just fine right up until you learned I’m the younger one,” Killer points out. 

“Y-yeah, but—“ 

Killer, in one fluid motion, surges over Penguin, capturing both his wrists in one hand and straddling his hips, pinning him to the bed. “If you don’t feel like you can stop being the responsible one,” he says, “I’ll just take the choice away.” 

He pulls Penguin’s wrists up the bed until his arms are taunt. Penguin’s face feels like it’s on fire. He tips his head back in order to slide his hat further over his eyes. 

“How’s that sound?” Killer asks, his breath ghosting over Penguin’s neck. “Can’t worry about being responsible if you’re not able to do anything either way.” 

Penguin might combust, actually. Definitely. “Yes please,” he squeaks.

Later, after Killer’s carried Penguin and his jelly legs to the bath, he starts making notes of what mental load Penguin carries. Because hell if he’s going to let HIS boyfriend get too bogged down in being the adult. 

Even if Killer does love having an older man.

[not-goldy]

the thing is I'm sure jimin was suffering too during the months jungkook was working nonstop like july,september,october,november

I'm sure he missed jungkook just as much he's just way more lowkey about it and would never showcase it online

just different types of people

I don't disagree

He's either better at pretending things don't bother him when they do or better at processing negative feelings as and when they arise because if it were me, FAM🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The whole world is about to know.

The in laws will know

The siblings will know

The ancestors will know

The pastor will know

Even your therapist will hear about it.

I'll call into radio shows and air our business cos you are not about to make me the broken hearted girl😌

And missing someone who isn't reaching out to you is a whole other level of pain Jesus 😕 💔

Forget the ego

It's your self respect vs your emotional needs and feeding one destroys the other. You don't know pain till you've been put in that tormenting situation.

And it makes a lot of sense why dude keeps complaining about chronic loneliness dude been repressing so much it's alienating😭😭😭😭😭

I want to go to therapy with Jimin😭😭😭😭😭😭

There's a lot we both need to work through

And I feel he's wrapped himself in so much principles it's barring him from expressing certain things certain very human things that's now working against him.

He set himself up and now he gotta hide certain things and certain feelings

Imagine telling Jungkook he's childish for throwing tantrums when he misses you- now you gotta be the better person and live as an example when you in the same situation otherwise you no better🥴

Imagine constantly setting yourself up like that. Imagine feeling you have to be the better and bigger person in every situation because you feel your whole life is an example to others.

He has that first born curse and 1st born syndrome. He expects too much of himself and he's allowed those around him from the BTS group to his fans to have the same high expectations of him.

I'm not mad at that except it can be draining and exhausting and a lonely experience cos not too many can relate.

And people wonder why his solos are the way they are constantly making up ridiculous unsustainable unattainable standards for both him and others to follow, constantly putting him on a pedestal and acting shook if he goes off even a little bit.

Meanwhile he's only human and humans aren't perfectly flawed. ITS OKAY TO HAVE FLAWS you know??

I'm glad Jk spoke about Namjoon admitting he didn't know what to do with Jk. When it was happening and I spoke about it people came for me. I recall people making such a big fuss about me saying Namjoon gives of elitist energy (much like PJMs) and was constantly having at it with Jungkook because he wouldn't fall in line while Jimin would.

I said this before, Jimin made his leadership so easy for him because people like that do not stirr shit up. They are predictable easy to manage and easy to deal with.

And I recall saying they were constantly looking up to Jimin to set the pace and keep Jungkook in check and how that was a lot for a teen- because Jimin was a teen too.

That expectation of perfectionism is crazy. I'm not a fan of anyone who expects that of Jimin- particularly his solo stans. Namjoon can get away with it, he's tall.

Dude didn't want to be bothered he just wanted an easy tenure of office and Jungkook was anything but. It's why he will always write him letters and always invest energy into repairing their dynamic and why he would always feel he owes Jungkook an apology.

And Suga is right in telling him never mind. Embrace your self the whole of yourself it's okay to make mistakes it's okay to be flawed

You don't gotta live life in a constant teacher mood where you feel every aspect of you is a curated lesson for others.

And I'm glad he explored this theme in his 1st album but please Jimin, let's go to therapy 😩

We have so much to work on baby

Or who knows, may be he's just super human and I'm wrong🥴

[nicoline1998enilocin]

Up to snow good! 🎄 | Christmas Special

Pairing | Husband!Dad!Young!Tony Stark x Wife!Mom!Fem!Reader

Word count | 4.5K

Summary | This year, you're spending Christmas at Howard and Maria's house, and it is bound to be a Christmas you'll never forget. From unexpected guests to snowball fights, and from some spicy moments to cuddles with your Munchkins, it'll have everything and more you could (or couldn't) want out of a Christmas at your in-laws.

Rating | Teen (T)

Warning(s) | Established relationship ~ Husband/Wife, use of nicknames ~ Sunshine, Love/My Love, Little One, Munchkins, references to breastfeeding

A/n | I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas this year, and I will celebrate it by gifting you all this gift in the form of Young!Tony and his family. This fic is dedicated to my best friend @ccbsrmsf1! Carol, I want to sincerely thank you for everything you have done in the lead-up to not only this fic, but everything else you do for me and my blog! I love you 3000 ❤️

Events Masterlist | ''You're my one-in-a-lifetime-person | @marvel-smash-bingo

Banners: @vase-of-lilies | Divider: @firefly-graphics | GIF: Owner

Main Masterlist | Tony Stark Masterlist | AU Masterlist | Part 2

It's the day before Christmas, and outside is a layer of snow that has fallen overnight, transforming the surroundings of your house into a true winter wonderland. The sun shines through the window, casting a golden hue over the entire room, Tony and yourself. He has pulled you against him for much-needed cuddles and soft kisses in the morning, his favorite way to wake up.

"You're beautiful this morning, Sunshine. Even more than usual," Tony whispers between soft kisses peppered over your cheek and jaw, his hand gliding over your waist and hip before softly caressing the big scar on your tummy. It will always be a reminder of one of the scariest yet happiest moments of your life: the emergency c-section that brought your beautiful son Paxton into this world. He also lets his fingers glide over the tattoo on your thigh with all the names of your little family: Tony, Hudson, Orion, and Paxton, surrounded by beautiful flowers. It's one of his favorite pieces that you have on your body, and he can spend hours telling you what he loves about every tattoo that found its home on your skin.

Your hand is threaded in his long locks, gliding through the silky strands as your fingernails rub softly over his scalp, making him feel utterly relaxed. Mornings like these are a godsend, and you are eternally grateful for every morning you wake up next to one another.

"I may be beautiful, but you're my one-in-a-lifetime person, Tony. I'm so grateful to have had the privilege of falling in love with you and building this amazing life with you," you tell him, and you see tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Those deep, dark brown eyes always look at you with pure adoration. The eyes that always look at your kids with proudness and a love that goes deeper than any other love you will ever know. The eyes that have you falling in love with him every single day, again and again, day in and day out. You can always get lost in his deep, dark brown eyes.

"I love you so much, Sunshine." "I love you too, My Love," you tell him as you wipe his tears away, followed by a small, lingering kiss on his forehead before he pulls you impossibly closer. His nose buried in your neck as he let out a deep sigh, melting into your embrace.

No words are shared between you for a while, and it's okay. Tony's hand is rubbing circles over your lower back while your fingers are scratching his scalp softly again until it's finally time to get up and get started with the day. Tony wiggles out of your grasp before giving one more kiss and getting up to get your youngest son, Paxton, for his morning breastfeeding.

"I'll be right back, Sunshine; you can just stay in bed for a little longer," he says before he gets up, and since he's only in a pair of boxer briefs, you can't help but look at him in all his glory. Broad shoulders, a small waist, a plump, round butt, and legs for miles. When he turns around, you can see every ridge and muscle of his chest and abdomen and your not-so-secret favorite part, his delicious and prominent bulge in his underwear. You're very thankful he's been attending the gym for an upcoming movie.

"Don't drool too much, Sunshine, or you'll get dehydrated," he says with a wink after he puts on his glasses and runs a hand through his messy hair. He bends over to put on a pair of sweatpants, and after, he walks out of the bedroom, leaving you to squeeze your thighs together for just the slightest bit of friction and relief. You sit up against the headboard to get comfortable and ready for the alone time with your son.

Meanwhile, Tony finds a sleepy but happy Paxton in the other room, who is always excited to see his Dad. Even though Hudson and Orion have a clear preference over who their favorite parent is, Paxton has no preference and will always be equally happy to see you both.

"Good morning, Little One! How did you sleep?" Tony asks with a big smile as his son happily swings his arms at the sight of his Dad. A big smile is on his face when Tony reaches into the crib to get him out for some cuddles.

"Look at you, you're growing up so fast! Before we know it, you will be just as big as your brother and sister," he says as he places some big kisses on Paxton's cheek, making him giggle uncontrollably, which you can hear in the main bedroom.

"Alright, let's take you to Mommy so you can have breakfast; how does that sound? Are you excited for cuddles with Mommy?" and with another happy wiggle, Tony takes him to you, his happy noises carrying through the hall and over to the bedroom, making you smile widely at the sounds.

"Look who's here?! It's Mommy!" Tony says excitedly as he hops Paxton carefully up and down on his hip. As he walks through the door, the smile you have is only growing wider. Paxton is already a morning person; you will never get enough of his antics. His enthusiasm is infectious and never fails to seep into every fiber of your being.

"Hi, Little One! Did you have a good sleep last night? You're such a big boy now that you're sleeping in your room," you tell him as Tony hands him to you, and you hold Paxton close for some cuddles, too. It's your standard routine in the morning: first, some cuddles as you're both waking up, and after about 5-10 minutes, it's time for his breakfast, though sometimes you skip the cuddles if you're very uncomfortable from the night before.

He doesn't always seem to drink as much each time, so it's always a surprise how he will do it, but lately, he has been drinking a lot, and he is growing rapidly as a result. Not just in height, but he's also getting a lot chubbier as time passes.

Paxton has his arms wrapped around your neck as he cuddles you, and Tony gives one last kiss to both of you before getting the twins out of bed and ready for breakfast. Paxton latches on this morning without a problem, and you get to read a bit while he has breakfast. It's some simple quality time, but you will cherish it for as long as it will last because you won't have moments like these for much longer.

"How are my two favorite Munchkins doing this morning?" Tony asks as he swings the door to their shared bedroom open. They're already awake and playing with their stuffed animals together.

"We're good, Daddy; we're playing Doctor with our stuffed animals," Hudson tells him as he rubs some sleep out of his eye. Tony sits down on the bed next to them, and they both crawl onto his lap for their daily session of cuddles in the morning, and he peppers both their heads with a generous amount of kisses.

"Shall we get ready to go to Grampa and Glamma?" After a few minutes, he asks, albeit reluctantly; they pull themselves away from Tony to get themselves dressed, and he lets them do their thing as he is going to get ready, too.

When he walks into the bedroom, you look up at him with a small smile and push your glasses back to the top of your nose as they tend to slide down while reading. Paxton is still having his breakfast when Tony bends over to capture your lips with his, biting your bottom lip playfully before pulling away, leaving you wanting more.

"You shouldn't tease your breastfeeding wife like that, My Love; it's not fair," you say with a slight pout, and Tony chuckles before he kisses it away and walks over to the walk-in closet to find his outfit for the day. He's opting for a simple outfit since you'll spend a lot of time in the car, first to drive to Howard and Maria's house, and after you have dropped off the kids, it will be time to pick up your Mom and her boyfriend, Jackson.

Paxton appears to have impeccable timing today because as soon as Tony is dressed and ready to go, he is done with his breakfast, and you're burping him before he can change his outfit. When that's done, Tony is taking him for his change, and it's time for you to shower and get dressed. You wear a comfy outfit, your hair loose around your shoulders, and your glasses to finish it off.

''Oh wow, look at you this morning! You look gorgeous,'' he says before pulling you in for a kiss, which you happily reciprocate. Not long after, everything is ready to go, and you're on your way to Tony's parents, where you will be staying for the next two weeks. The drive is longer than usual with all the snow outside, but the kids are kept busy in the backseat, and Tony's hand is lying on your thigh as you read some more. You've found a thrilling book and are looking forward to finishing it.

''Alright! Who's ready to see Grampa and Glamma?!'' Tony asks excitedly as he turns into the driveway of their house, and the twins cheer excitedly. Paxton coos in excitement, even though he doesn't know what's happening. You can't help but chuckle at their happiness, and when the house comes into view, you instantly feel like you're coming home. They have taken you in as their daughter from the moment you met them, and you wouldn't have been where you are today without their support. You are nothing short of grateful for it.

''It's nice to get the blood flowing in my legs again! I love to be here, but I honestly wish they lived much closer,'' you tell Tony. Your leg had fallen asleep several times, and no matter what you did, you couldn't prevent it from happening repeatedly. The snow sounds crispy under your boots, and the endorphins flow rapidly, especially when you see the twins run through it before throwing snowballs at one another.

Maria hugs everyone as soon as everyone is inside, but she hugs you a little longer each time. You have spent many nights discussing motherhood and how difficult it can be, especially while your Mom lives in California. Each time she sees you, she hugs you for a few more seconds, gives you an extra reassuring squeeze, or gives you a small to let you know everything will be okay. You love her like you love your own Mom, and even though she will never replace her, you treat her like she very well could be.

''How're you doing, Sweetheart? Especially seeing what happened last year,'' she says, referencing the fact you were about to go into labor around this time but eventually had to have the c-section.

''It's a lot harder than I thought it would be, but Tony is taking excellent care of me, and all three of the Munchkins are keeping me busy too, so I have enough distractions,'' you say with a smile and a chuckle. You love them to bits, but they can sometimes be a handful or two. It's a good thing you have someone like Tony as your husband because he's willing and able to help you whenever and with whatever you need at any given time.

''Are you ready to pick up your Mom and Jackson, Sunshine? The twins are playing hide and seek with Dad, and I just put Paxton down for a nap; he was almost sleeping in the car, so I figured I'd put him down for an extra one today,'' he tells you before standing next to you and pulling you close by your waist. A tender kiss is placed on your temple as you nod, letting him know you're ready to go.

After you let your Mom and Dad know you were pregnant with your little twins, Hudson and Orion, your parents have practically no contact with you. Not that your Mom wanted that, but because your Dad thought it was very stupid of you to be pregnant at such a young age and while you're still in college as well.

You did not know that Tony contacted Virginia to let her know how the pregnancy was progressing. It was about three months before you gave birth that she finally got the courage to leave her husband and start over again. She has always kept in close contact with Tony, and when you were nearing your due date, Virginia flew to New York to be close.

After the divorce, she was alone for nearly five years until she met her new colleague at work, Jackson. They hit it off instantly and were practically inseparable from day one. When they eventually started dating, you were over the moon and couldn't be happier for her.

Today will be the first time everyone will meet Jackson, and even though you've seen him and talked to him on video calls countless times, it's still a big hurdle for you to overcome. He's the complete opposite of your Dad, and even though that does reassure you a lot, you're still nervous, and Tony can pick up on that.

''Everything will be fine, Sunshine. I'm with you the entire time,'' he says as he rubs your thigh with his thumb, effectively calming you down. The drive to the airport is long, but with each mile, you're getting closer, and you're also getting increasingly anxious and nervous.

There's so much Tony wants to do and say, but he knows all he can do is be there by your side. It pains him to see you like this, but you have gone through much worse and come out stronger on the other side, so this won't be any different. When you arrive at the airport, Tony can find a parking spot close to the entrance, and now it's all about playing the waiting game.

''Can we get a pastry and some tea before we head to the pick-up terminal? I'm feeling a little nauseous, so I hope it'll help the feeling go away,'' you ask him, and that's precisely what you do. You have opted for a simple but delicious-looking croissant and your favorite tea while Tony sips some black coffee. You still don't know how he can stomach that stuff, but as long as he likes it, you will let him do his thing.

Between small bites of the pastry and even smaller sips of tea, you're starting to feel a little better, and the color that had previously almost disappeared from your face is slowly returning, the healthy flush on your cheeks making Tony feel better, too. He's always worried about you, but this eases his worry and makes him more relaxed.

''You're doing better already, aren't you?'' he asks between the sips of coffee, and you nod as you start to feel like yourself again. The feeling of a stone in your stomach has lifted, and even though you're still nervous, you're doing much better than before.

Before you know it, it's time to head to the pick-up terminal, and your gaze is fixed tightly on the sliding doors. Tony is standing behind you as he pulls you close to him, his hands resting on your hips while yours are in your pockets to stop you from fidgeting too much. Your eyes are trained on the glass doors, and as soon as you see your Mom, Tony lets you go, and you fling yourself into her arms while sobs leave your chest.

''Oh, Buttercup, everything's okay! We're here, Sweetheart,'' she says, rubbing her hands over your back to calm you down. While you and your Mom are having your moment, Jackson has made his way over to Tony to introduce himself, and the two men are already starting to get to know each other a little.

''Hey, it's so good to meet you. I'm Jackson, Virginia's boyfriend,'' he says with an outstretched hand, which Tony takes in his, and they share a firm handshake as he introduces himself as your husband, and he can't help but let the warm feeling envelop his chest as he talks about himself that way.

Once it's finally time to head back to Howard and Maria's house, you're in the backseat catching up with your Mom, and Jackson has taken the passenger seat next to Tony. They're already talking about everything, nothing like the two have known each other for years.

It didn't take long for the twins to warm up to him, and eventually, they managed to drag him outside and into a snowball fight, which everyone joined except for you. Paxton was just about to have his second feeding of the day, so you opted to sit in a rocking chair in front of the window to oversee everything and still enjoy what was going on.

Tony constantly glanced your way and even shot you a wink, making you melt. Eventually, he came in to check up on you and prepare the soup for dinner.

''How're my beautiful wife and adorable son doing?'' he asks as he's crouching next to you, his thumb rubbing softly over Paxton's head as he looks at both of you with pure adoration.

''We're doing great, and I'm pleased the twins are getting along with Jackson. He's so sweet with them; it's honestly like they're his grandkids,'' you say as you look at how he interacts with them now that they're both hanging on one of his legs. Tony agrees before getting the dinner ready for everyone, and the rest of the evening is spent eating dinner, cuddling on the couch while watching Christmas movies, and drinking hot chocolate.

The following day couldn't arrive quickly enough for your liking because it's officially your son Paxton's first birthday. You and Tony started the morning off in each other's arms and between your thighs while sharing memories of your son and thinking about how they always grow up so fast.

''Are you getting the birthday boy out of bed or-'' but before you could even finish your sentence, you could hear Maria over the baby monitor. You should have known she would be the one to wake him up on his birthday, and you shake your head as a chuckle escapes.

''We should have known,'' you say as you glide out of bed before putting on a pair of panties and one of Tony's shirts. He has worn it recently, so his scent is still heavily embedded into the fabric, and you feel happy as the soft fabric envelops your body. You put on your glasses and go over to his room, too, already hearing his happy babbling on the other side of the hallway.

''Good morning, Birthday Boy!'' you say excitedly as you walk in, and Maria is dancing with him as she softly sings for him. He's laughing and babbling excitedly, and when you walk into the room, you take him from Maria's arms for some much-needed cuddles. You sit down in the big armchair in the corner to be comfortable while you feed him, and that's when Maria is going to finish the cake and prepare breakfast for everyone.

By the time you're finally going downstairs after feeding and changing Paxton before getting changed yourself, everyone is already having breakfast. When you're about to pull back a chair to sit down, Tony pulls you onto his lap instead.

''It may be Paxton's birthday today, but I am going to take extra good care of you today too, Sunshine,'' he says before popping a juicy strawberry in your mouth, and you let yourself happily melt into his embrace. He feeds you your breakfast, and no one even bats an eye at the sight; they're used to both of you being practically conjoined at the hip.

''I love you so much, and thank you for thinking of me as well today,'' you whisper as your head is on his shoulder. He turns his head to brush his lips over your forehead lovingly.

The celebration is, of course, entirely over the top because Maria can never do anything halfway, and when it's time for Paxton to do his cake smash, you can't help but tear up at the sight. There's a number one written on the cake with icing, and that's when you realize your youngest son is finally one year old and growing up far quicker than you'd like him to. A tight feeling in your chest clutches you onto Tony, who pulls you tighter against him.

Before you know it, the cake is smashed, and everyone has a piece of it, which everyone happily gobbles up, though Tony can't resist feeding you. He has always enjoyed caring for you in every way imaginable, and this isn't an exception. He's ensuring that even though today is all about your son, no one forgets the tough time you've gone through.

After this, it's time for more Christmas movies, and Tony has situated himself in one of the corners of the couch so that he can stretch his legs out in front of him, ready for you to sit on his lap to get some cuddles in. His hands are splayed out over your stomach under your shirt, and his thumbs are softly rubbing over the scar. It has always been your biggest insecurity, but you have learned that you don't need to hide it from anyone over time.

''You're magnificent, Sunshine, the scar on your belly doesn't suddenly make that go away,'' is just one of the things Tony tells you daily, and over time, you have started to appreciate his words and the scar adorning your body. It has become just as big a part of your body as every one of your tattoos, and there are many of them.

After a little while of sitting like this, you even fall asleep, which is more than welcome since you had an awful night. You had a terrible nightmare that kept reoccurring every once in a while, and you sat up straight with a scream, and Tony was instantly there to calm you down and ground you.

''Hey, it's okay, Sunshine, nothing will happen to you. I'm here with you,'' he whispers as he grabs your hands, squeezing them reassuringly to show you that it's not real and that he's there with you now. You managed to have a dreamless sleep after that, but you didn't have many more hours of it, so you're glad to be able to take a nap in the safety of your husband's arms.

Once dinner time rolls around, you're already awake, and you have helped Maria out in the kitchen with your Mom, making it a lovely afternoon with the girls while Tony, Howard, and Jackson are having some alone time with all three of the kids. Tony is feeding Paxton a bottle this time while Hudson is playing with Jackson, and Orion is busy teaching Howard a trick she learned at school.

''Is everyone ready for dinner?'' you eventually ask, and everyone almost runs to the table as they're drooling over everything the three of you have made. The entire table is filled with delicious food, from homemade bread to different varieties of meat and salads, but before everyone can start, you want to give a small speech.

''Before we all eat this delicious food, I want to tell you all how thankful I am for all of you. Hudson and Orion, you are the two best twins I could have ever wished for, and you make each day just a little brighter with your happiness. I love you both with all my heart. Paxton, the little birthday boy, you're the light of my life, and I can't believe we've gotten so lucky to have you as our son, though you can stop growing up now!'' you say, and everyone bursts out into laughter at this.

''Mom and Jackson, thank you both for being here for me no matter what. I know it's not easy to live on the other side of the country, but seeing you two find love after everything you have both gone through has me believing in true love and soulmates. I found mine a long time ago, and I want both of you to know how proud and happy I am for you two to find your way to one another finally, and I can't wait to see what your future holds.''

''Now, it's time for the people who took me in like their daughter: Howard and Maria. From the moment I set foot into this house, you have welcomed me with open arms, and there aren't enough words in the universe to express my gratitude. Life may not have been easy for any of us, but I do know that without your love and support, none of us would have been where we are today. So thank you, and I love you both deeply.''

Then it's time for the last person, your husband Tony, the man you love more than anyone in the entire universe.

''My Love, my rock, my dearest husband, I want to start by saying how much I love you. You have shown me what true love is after everything that happened to me, and for that, I cannot thank you enough. You have helped me learn to love myself again and to be proud of myself and what I do. You have helped me to rediscover myself, and I am so happy to have done that with you by my side,'' you say as you start to tear up a little.

''From the moment we first kissed during the spring dance, I knew we were destined for each other, and my god, I'm so glad to have found you. I get to kiss those lips every day and look into those eyes as well. You're the love of my life, my soulmate, you're my lobster!'' you say as you wipe your tears away, and everyone laughs at the FRIENDS reference you just made.

''Thank you for all the beautiful moments we have had together and for being by my side during the not-so-beautiful moments. I couldn't have gotten through them without you, and I love you, Tony. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us, but I'm willing to find out with you by my side. I love you, and I can't wait to grow old with you,'' you finish and he gets up to capture your lips with his, leaving you breathless.

''I love you so much, Sunshine; thank you for being the best wife, mother, and best friend I could ever wish for,'' Tony says, and after a few more kisses, it is finally time to eat dinner, surrounded by the people you love most.

Christmas has turned into your favorite time of the year, and it's all thanks to the people around you. What you don't know, however, is that your favorite holiday might quickly be replaced by another one that will be unforgettable.

To be continued...

[akookminsupporter]

Long story short:

There's been seemingly a coordinated smear campaign going on across weibo, Twitter, YouTube and other platforms. The focus right now is accusations of Bang Pd and Hybe being associated with the Dahn World cult.

People are saying GFriend and Le Sserafim were used to spread cult messages and they are trying to connect it to BTS through Cyber University (where many idols goes btw). Akgaes and antis are also going after individual members. Especially Jimin, Jungkook and Yoongi.

This is one of the articles, written by one of the same Allkpop writers who dragged Jimin during FACE era: https://twitter.com/allkpop/status/1784464197868564781?t=sYUHfcXb-ceA_fJh1dchQA&s=19

BigHit came out with an announcement about hiring an external law firm to bring down whoever's behind this and spreading it. After this many of the original posters across Twitter started deleting their posts. But it's still everywhere.

Thank you for the summary of what's going on, Anon. Here's to you getting BTS concert tickets at a LOW price in 2025.

Okay, but I don't understand why this ended up with BTS being dragged into a mess that has nothing to do with them in the first place? This started with the lady from the coup, right? Why did BTS end up being the bad guys again? Why does BTS always end up being the villain of every K-pop story?

It makes sense that BigHit decided to hire an external legal team instead of using HYBE's or even their own agency's. Hopefully, they'll take action not only against people within Korea but also outside of it. It's about time BTS stopped being dragged into troubles that have nothing to do with them.

Also, people defending that lady just to attack BTS are truly pathetic.

[katiemay-025]

Sympathizer

~~~~~

summary: you’re a capitol citizen and grew up in the luxury of it so when a certain charming victor starts popping up way more often than you want, a confrontation turns her whole world view upside down.

wc: 4k

warnings: mdni, use of y/n, prostitution and sex work, angst, I think that’s it? Let me know if I missed anything.

~~~~~

Victors were a touchy subject for you. While everyone talked about the new victor like celebrity gossip, you kept quiet. You kept quiet mostly because if you opened your mouth, people would quickly realize that you did not like the victors. Seeing them like us bridged the gap of the lesser. The more they were welcomed to extravagant parties, the more people forgot they were from the Districts. These very people descended from the rebels that nearly wiped all of Panem out during the rebellion.

If anything you were weary of the victors, they won their respective hunger games. They were the strongest of the strong. It would be very easy for them to rise up against the Capitol especially if they gained a following. Some were good at that, and others just fell into addictions.

Finnick Odair was the newest victor, winning at a shockingly young age of 14. He was the same age as you and everyone you knew from school girls to grown married woman swooned over him. Some of the boys did too. And worse, was your older sister and mother, who made you gag as they talked about his physique during dinner.

It was nothing new. Every single person around you speculated that Finnick was originally Capitol but kidnapped to the districts and made his way back. You knew better, his distinctly sea-green eyes, bronze skin, and his salt ridden hair with its curls were features from District 4. Regardless of where he was born, he was raised in the districts.

During the 66th games, he peacocked his way around charming more and more of the capitol citizens. He certainly did not talk like a 15 year old, but hey no judgement in his taste of people, you liked older people too. Okay there was a little bit of judgement in this whole endeavor, everyone he was talking to was an adult. You were sick to your stomach that everyone would overlook his age because of his looks and charms. Absolutely disgusting.

None of this should be working because if it escalated, it would be everyone else getting punished not Finnick. You guessed by the way he was preening around, District 4 didn’t teach their kids about any cordial laws. Add that to the long list of reasons why you didn’t like the Districts. Or maybe he knew the rules and just created a line for when he could sleep with them.

You were right, partly. During the 67th and 68th games despite being underaged there were pockets of the sponsor parties and banquets where he would disappear. Girls and woman would come back throughout the day and immediately people would speculate what they had done and who they were with. Most of it landed on the victors but you had also noticed Finnick’s disappearance and reappearance around the same time as some of the woman. Who even goes to a private apartment to play board games. They were definitely sexually intimate. All of your food threatened to come back up at that realization.

A few days later when the woman was in tears, it brought you joy. What did they expect? That a District man would swear fealty to them? He was 16 for crying out loud, no way he was looking to settle down. Finnick Odair would sleep around with the Capitol citizens and leave them in the dust for another hot thing to play with. It would never be love. Joe could they all be so stupid?

If you could, you would never be at these events, you’d much rather stay at home and read a book. Unfortunately, things don’t always turn out the way you want them to. Your sister brought you to these things for her benefit and you were forced to tag along.

The consultation was that you’d get pretty good food and catering at these things. You’d grab a few plates and slowly make your way to an empty balcony. Eating with the company of sky line. It was too bright for stars to twinkle in the sky. Though Venus would keep you company for a few hours after the sun set. The victors knew not to talk to you. You weren’t going to spend your money on anyone from the Districts.

So here, at the beginning of the 69th games and the pregame party, you found your place on the third floor balcony. Technically it was off limits but no one checked past the second floor which is covered in peacekeepers, though it was easy to sneak past them. Only this time, when you pushed the door open, you saw someone standing there in your spot.

You recognized the dirty blond hair immediately. It was wild but natural. Few people had their hair color the same as when they were born. Most of them dyed it. No matter where you went, it seemed like he was following you. His head turned part way to identify who had just walked in with his peripheral vision.

You kept your eyes on him, boring a hole into his neck. If he was going to try to charm you into bed, you were ready to turn around and leave. Finnick didn’t speak and neither did you. He just turned back to the skyline in silence. Seeing as he wasn’t going to leave, you found your way to the cement railing on the far left and ate your food.

When your feet got tired, you pushed yourself up on the ledge and laid on it. The ledge was wide enough for you to lay down and have room to roll onto your side. You stayed on your back feeling the wind dancing with your dress.

You could feel a pair of eyes stare you down. Sure enough when you opened them, you were met with green eyes against your brown ones. Finnick had his eyebrow perked towards you with his hand hesitantly on the ledge next to you. “You don’t need to worry.” You said.

You grabbed his glass cup and threw it over the ledge. Finnick scrambled to get it but was much too slow. There was a small zap and the it bounced back, trailing the same arc. You caught the glass before handing it back to him.

“Oh.”

With that small interaction, you left without a word. It always starts off as a small interaction and you would not stick around to fall victim to Finnick Odair’s harem. It would have been so nice if that was the last interaction you had with him, but the next day, he was there again in silent company. And again the next day, and the day after that and the day after that.

This year the game dragged on. It had been a week and there were still 10 tributes left. The balcony was a tolerable routine. He’d be there first on the far right and you would take your place on the far left of the balcony eating quietly. Then there was a period of time where you laid on the ledge. You’d lay and Finnick would stay standing. He would leave first and you would stay up there until dawn. It’s what you did anyway when he hadn’t found this place.

You never thought you would miss his company when he didn’t show up the next day. Outside of the male bravado bachelor, he seemed content with the peace, not needing constant attention from a Capitolite.

It was the next day when you got home in the early morning did you figure something was up. You ran into your sister stumbling into the house the same time you did. While you were great at sneaking around, your sister wasn’t. In her blissful state, she made a ruckus going across the hallway.

Your parents ran into the hallway, your dad holding a baseball bat and your mom behind him. You ran your hand down your face as you both had to explain where you were. You held up the book from your bag and said you got carried away reading. They believed you even though you hadn’t read a page of the book at all, mostly because all you ever asked for were books.

Your sister on the other hand was too giddy to keep a secret. “I was with Finnick Odair.” She said. You smaller your head towards her direction. You were silent as your mother cheered and pulled her into her room to talk about it. Your blood boiled and again the next day at the balcony he didn’t show. Meaning your sister was with him.

Old habits die hard. Finnick Odair was always going to be a player. You weren’t really surprised. The door opened early in the morning and you saw Finnick at the door with tears in his eyes when you turned. You couldn’t help but smirk with you back to the railing watching him. He had finally gotten a taste of his own medicine.

“You know, I’m not surprised. One weeks isn’t enough time to change a habit, but of all the people, did it really have to be my sister?”

His green orbs met your brown ones. Finnick stayed quiet as he moved towards you ignoring the glares you were giving him. He stood next to you leaning against it. He looked out to the skyline before saying, “It’s not like I have a choice in who I sleep with.”

“Please.” You jeered. “You’re Finnick Odair you can sleep with anyone.”

“No. I can’t. It’s the Patrons choice to-“

“Patrons? People have to pay you to sleep with you? God that’s so low of you.”

“Not me. I don’t see a dime. It all goes to President Snow.” He croaked. Not trusting his voice, he turned it into a whisper.

“What?” Your eyes widened and your body ran cold.

You see his shoulders visibly lift as if the weight he carried was off now. Finnick cleared his throat as he blocked away his tears. “I was considered desirable after winning The Hunger Games he sold my body. I thought- I thought I could get away with not doing it but I’ve cost him money this past week and he’s not happy with it. He’s going to kill Annie.”

At the mention of her name. Finnick broke down. You never saw him like this. It was like the girls he had ‘left’ in the past bawling their eyes out. This time you felt it, the despair and heartbreak. He had snot falling out of his nose as he buried his face in his hands which was gross but a large difference from everyone else who was in tears. Finnick tried to fight it but he couldn’t. You placed your hand on his shoulder and he collapsed to the floor. You made sure his fall was saved by guiding him to the ground. He gripped at your dress and sobbed into your shoulder.

You watched the red beams of light illuminate the building and the blue sky reveal itself. Finnick had yet stopped crying so you pushed him off your shoulder and slapped him across the face. “Pull yourself together. She’s not dead yet.”

“How do you know?”

“Because if Annie is dead, then how will he keep control over you?” You questioned. The realization hit you that President Snow was holding him hostage. From the countless books you read, you knew that when you love someone, you strive to protect them and you’d do anything. This was the same thing. President Snow would be a fool to kill everyone Finnick loved, because he would no longer have the leverage on him.

A calm went over the boy, he looked at you half relief look on his face. Terror washed over him. “He won’t kill her, but that doesn’t mean he won’t torture her.” Tears streamed out of his swollen eyes again. There was quiet mumbling for Annie. So much for pulling yourself together. You thought.

An old lady found her way onto the Balcony and you recognized her as Mags one of the oldest victors. She nodded towards you and pried Finnick off your tear stained shoulder.

The first thing you did was storm home. You found your sister fast asleep in her bed which gave you the opportunity to snoop. Her journal wasn’t much help, it wasn’t mostly the things she did with Finnick. Next was your joint bank account. Your father had given the both of you an allowance during the Hunger Games season. Although you had never spent money during the season, you kept track of the numbers. In the day of the reaping your dad transferred 10,000 dollars to the account making the total 37,257 dollars. With the luxury items, clothings she bought along with the food, you should have 32,007 dollars left but you only had 20,007.

There were two journal entries that described your sister’s intimate nights which meant Finnick’s price was 6000 dollars a night. You scoffed.

You melded into the chair in your sister’s room. When she woke you were already staring her down with your arms crossed. “So, Finnick Odair.”

“What about him?”

“You saw him again last night.”

“Yeah I did.”

“Is he a good kisser at least?”

“Oh he is amazing! He’s charming, handsome and so good in bed!”

“You’re not afraid he’d break your heart?”

“No he won’t. He has a history of it but I’m certain I can really get to him.”

“With what? Money? I know about the transactions.”

You watched her face pale. It confirmed your new disgust towards anyone that’s said they slept with him. Finnick Odair was telling truth. It was as if your worldview crashed and burned. Never in your life would you imagine someone from the Districts being more honorable than the Capitol, hell, your own sibling for crying out loud. He was just a poor boy not much older than you who was forced to be pimped out. Tears welled in your eyes and it got hard to breathe. You pushed it away opting to glare at your older sister.

Now she knew that you knew she essentially paid for her pleasure with him. The guilt would eat anyone alive. “Look I know this looks bad, but I’m making it up to him.” She trudged to her closet and brought out a box of pearl necklaces.

“That necklace is 12,000 dollars?”

“No are you crazy? It’s 5,000 a night for him and the necklace is 2,000. I’m going to use another 5,000 tonight.”

“Bribery?” You disapproved your brows furrowed “That’s sick. Do you think after prostituting him that throwing money at it would suddenly clear your mind of the guilt?” Your sister grabbed at your arm begging you not to leave. She wasn’t the first person to have slept with him and if she was feeling the guilt, then others were too, Especially when he was a minor.

Just like you didn’t want anything to do with the districts, Finnick wouldn’t want anything to deal with the Capitol. They could live with their guilt for all he cared. You gave him props for his morals. At least that part he could control. What was in it for him now that Annie’s life was in danger and all these people were meeting with him not so secretly now that he’s of age. “He’s not going to accept a guilt ridden gift. This dude is consistent.”

“Then what do I do to make him stay with me?”

“How the hell would I know? Go ask him what he thinks is worth all this.” You spoke before leaving her room and storming to your own. Your heart beat painfully in your chest as you placed yourself in Finnick’s shoes. You took slow deep breaths to calm yourself and blinked away your tears.

The next morning Finnick walked onto the balcony after another long night better composed than the last time you saw him. He stood next to you again and you barely noticed him as you were rethinking your entire life. The District 4 victor pulled out a rope to fiddle with, tying and untying knots.

“What did you tell your sister Y/n?” He snapped you out of your catatonic state. Literally, Finnick snapped in front of you to get your attention.

“Basically to find another way to your heart other than guilt ridden gifts.”

“Well, it was genius, making her ask me what I thought was worth that interaction.”

“What did you say she could repay you with?”

You watched the smirk appear on his face as he clasped his hands behind his back. He leaned over, his lips close to your ears. “Secrets.”

“That’s good. The Capitol citizens always have something to gossip about.” You said unblinking.

“Are you okay?”

“Currently rethinking my entire life. Damn it Odair.”

“Yup, this world’s a fucked up place.” Cheering could be heard in the streets followed by Claudius Templesmith announcing the Victor of the 69th Hunger Games. “I have to go.”

“Yeah. You go do what you need to. I’ll be here.” Finnick nodded at your responds before pocketing his rope to leave. You grab at his arm handing him your mobile phone number: an advancement the Capitol had compared to the telephones attached to the wealthy district houses. “Tell me if Annie is okay.”

“Okay.”

Finnick told you Annie was fine and that brought relief to you. That is until the 70th Hunger Games. The female tribute from District 4 was Annie Cresta. As she was 18, no one volunteered for her.

Snow rigged the reaping and he was a moron. You didn’t admit it to Finnick but you hoped Annie died in the arena. Nothing against her but it would save Finnick a lot of trouble. It would save Annie the trouble too. Being crowned the victor was a curse you found out. You had never been in love so it was easier for you to come to that conclusion. You had a whole argument about Annie’s life with Finnick and he chose to sacrifice his autonomy for Annie. Anything and everything for the person he loved most. It was a powerful and tragic love.

You were with him when the gamemakers deployed an earth shattering shake. Cracks ran up the dam in the mountain until it cracked open spewing water out of it. You watched as the entire valley flooded sweeping away any trees rocks and tributes down the hill. Most of them drowned and it came down to a handful of tributes bobbing on the surface trying to keep themselves afloat.

You and Finnick both stood watching the screen intently. You tried stepping on his toes to keep him from falling apart but even that didn’t work. You were in the private tribute quarters in the tribute center and Finnick wailed in Mags arms.

Annie was a great swimmer but after hours of treading and fighting the current even strong swimmers like her was staring to become fatigued. She was bobbing below the surface in a desperate attempt to latch onto something to float. You gave him a long look before heading down to the sponsor party. You said you were never going to waste money on these things but now you poured all you had into it. Your sister wouldn’t be pleased but who cared at this point.

It was late game and the sponsor items were extremely expensive. Most of the other patrons had frozen their donations because the rage of Mother Nature didn’t care about the tributes, ramming them into arena walls, crushing them under debris, choking them in the rapids. It was the worst game you’ve ever seen. The sponsor window had also closed down donations. You slammed the nearly 50,000 in cash in front of him ignoring his word. “Is that enough for a buoy for Annie Cresta?”

“No. A buoy big enough to support someone this late in the game is nearly 10 times that amount.”

“Is there anyway I can lower the price?”

“No there isn’t.”

You sighed turning away. “Unless…” he started. “A pretty thing like you sleeps with me and it’ll be free of charge.”

You glared at the man in the window. He clearly had not been laid in years. Oh god did you hate the capitol right about now. “Fuck it.” You climbed over the window and kissed him hard. You really hoped this wasn’t in vain as you slammed the metal window behind you shut and took off the guy’s clothes. Hang in there just a bit longer Annie.

You panted on the floor of the check out booth as the man punched in the order for Annie’s buoy. A log shot up from the current nearly stabbing Annie on the way. And it couldn’t have happened a moment sooner. She showed signs of giving up. It landed and the girl scrambled to it holding on for dear life. You heard two canons in succession as the other tributes became to fatigued. Annie was announced the victor and you felt a weight lift off your shoulders. You were ecstatic sighing in relief.

Annie was a strong swimmer and probably could have kept going, but you gave her better odds with the wooden log. Finnick almost lost someone he loves while 23 of the other tributes had family waiting for someone who would never come back. 23 kids for 70 years plus another 24 kids were ripped away from their family and friends by the capitol for the sake of entertainment.

“If you tell anyone about this. I’ll kill you.”

“Are you kidding? I’m not telling a soul. If they found out I gave a gift without money I’d be killed.”

“So we agree. We never speak of this again.”

He nods, too full of himself to know you would keep this interaction in your back pocket in case you needed him to send something else.

You head back to the training center and Finnick burst out the double doors in happy tears. He spots you and takes your hand bringing you into the car with him. The two of you went to the hospital and you watched as he went into the room where Annie was.

“Annie.”

“Finnick.”

She flew into his arms and held him tight. Finnick supported Annie while caressing her head. Your heart swelled at the reunion. The District 4 duo would have stayed like that longer if it weren’t for the doctors needing to do a psyche analysis on Annie. Finnick wouldn’t let her out of his site and so he went to.

Finally alone with the gravity of what you did for them rushed back to you. Tears welled in your eyes but any guilt quickly left your body. You did what had to be done to save Annie and by proxy, Finnick. You finally truly understood him. Why he did the things he did for those he cared for, because you cared for him now. While he was here in the Capitol, you’d watch his back.

The rebels were long dead and the districts were collectively punished for actions they didn’t commit. You were wrong no one deserved this. No one deserved being exploited for surviving a brutal traumatic event. You watched two people your age and younger meerkat have their entire life fall apart. It was unfair. Maybe there was a reason for the rebellion in the first place if all this horrible stuff happens because of the Capitol’s existence.

[heavenlythea]

you are love and you are loved

out of all of the possibilities, all of the potential scenarios it was you who came into existence. all that is, great I AM, the God itself chose to experience life through you specifically. you chose to experience life through you. instead of being nothing, you chose to experience filling your lungs with fresh air and hear beautiful melodies and smell lovely flowers and have thoughts and feelings and friends and feel love. instead of just being love, you chose to experience feeling loved.

your whole existence is an act of love. you did not throw yourself into an alien world filled with strangers and circumstances that are always against you. you gave yourself the whole world. you gave yourself an infinite amount of realities with which you can fill your life. and all of those realities are not just yours, they are you. you are all of the people and opportunities and love and flowers and melodies.

and since you (the God) love yourself so unconditionally, you are allowing yourself to experience absolutely anything from great love to great pain and your world is responding to you to deepen your experience. just how you can feel that the world is always against you, you can feel that the world is always supporting you no matter what because at the end of the day, it's not the world, it's you and what you're choosing to experience.

now, i know that it's not easy to relax yourself into love. it's not easy to expect support from the same sources that used to throw punches at you. but that is okay. it's okay to be scared. it's okay to feel uncertain. by embracing where you're at, you can ignite real love and strength within yourself. but it's okay to be scared first.

i do believe that embracing the law of assumption goes to a certain extent hand in hand with self-development, but the law goes much further. self-development is about getting rid of limitations so that it's easier for you to see that you are loveable. but unconditional love is about embracing that you are loveable even with your limitations. actually, that's what you came here to experience, you are supposed to have limitations, if you weren't you wouldn't be a human being.

you can receive love and support of your whole reality even when you're scared. you can receive love and support of your whole reality even if you don't think you deserve it. you can receive the love and support of all of existence simply because you exist. your existence is proof of that. if you wouldn't be worthy of unconditional love, you couldn't exist. the idea of someone unworthy of love and support simply doesn't exist.

allowing love into your life even just a little bit makes you better naturally. it makes you lighter. it makes you closer to your I AMness. and it's a point that you have to eventually arrive at anyway. you can't keep on "getting better" to deserve your own love in the form of your dreams. you're running like a hamster in a wheel for something you deserve without the effort. that is acting out of fear, not out of unconditional love.

you will always have imperfections. you will always make mistakes. you will always get scared every once in a while. that's why true love is unconditional because it loves regardless of any conditions or circumstances. being perfect is not the goal because then you're still just conditioning the love.

all of your role models, idols, celebrities, CEOs, presidents, models from photos on ig and pinterest, or whatever are still imperfect. they get scared, they have things they're ashamed of, they may feel unloveable or unworthy sometimes, they did or went through some really bad things, but they don't let it stop them from living life the way they want to. and you don't have to either.

you are love and you are loved. the love of all of existence is your own love. your existence is proof of it 🤍

[im-writing-extra]

tee hee guys I know I say it every time but I’m living my best little life writing this. I’m so serious, this brings me SO much joy and ik it’s silly and whatever but I don’t care!!

in case u didn’t know, in this house we stan the Jedi. there is no Jedi slander here, they are sweet beautiful people (with flaws, okay, I’m not blind) but they really are keeping peace in the galaxy. and people get weird about their attachment rules but that’s because over time the intent of the law gets corrupted by the letter of the law. and that’s just life.

anyway Jedi good Sith bad idk how to make it more clear😌

table of contents

chapter 6 - quiet treason

Morning comes far too soon. It’s not unfamiliar to wake up next to Yord, but what is unfamiliar is the way he brushes the hair out of your eyes with the softest smile you’ve ever seen. That’s all it takes to remind you that yesterday was no dream.

“You’re awake,” he says, voice rough with sleep. You groan.

“My bones hurt,” you say, and it’s the understatement of the millennium. Every single nerve feels like it’s on fire, your muscles are tensed to the breaking point, and it feels like a herd of banthas are running inside your head.

Yord sits up to get a better look at you, concern etched on his face. “You don’t look well,” he says, and you frown.

“Thanks, Yord. Sorry I don’t wake up with perfect hair like you.”

Yord half-reaches for his hair, self-conscious. You can practically hear the words, you think I have perfect hair? but instead his hand changes direction to touch your forehead. It’s soothing, the cool of his hand against the warmth of your forehead.

Except you run cold-blooded. His hand should feel warm.

“You’re burning up,” he says, throwing off the blankets. “I’m calling Dalphri.”

You reach for him, but catch sight of your left hand in the process. You gasp.

“Yord!”

He’s back at your side in an instant, and you thrust your hand to him, palm up.

“Oh,” he says, voice catching in his throat. “That cannot- that cannot be good. I’m sure Dalphri will know what to do. You’ll be all right, I promise. You’ll be all right.”

He reaches for his comm, still in his cloak from yesterday, and it lands securely in his hand. You’re barely aware of his call back to the temple as you stare at your palm. The gash has crystalized, white minerals sparkling along the edges. Black veins pulsate from the cut and up your arm before becoming diluted in your bloodstream.

“…Thank you, Knight Ameras,” Yord says to the comm, turning it off. “We’re going outside,” he says, pulling on a shirt and trousers before helping you into your undershirt. You groan again, whether at the prospect of moving or the fact that Yord is now in a shirt, you’re not entirely sure. But you comply and let him lift your arms as he slides your top carefully over your head.

He asks, “Can you stand?” and you shrug. 

“Won’t know unless I try,” you say, except the words don’t actually come out and the world goes black.

—

You wake up to the entire world ringing. You’re no longer in your undershirt, instead wrapped in your cloak with a heavy weight on your chest. Everything is pleasantly cold; soft snow tickles your lashes as it drifts down onto your face.

“…Not sure when she’ll wake up,” comes Yord’s distorted voice. You’re coming back into your senses, buried from the neck down in a snowbank to regulate your temperature while he speaks on comms nearby.

“Hey,” you croak, and he turns to look at you. Relief doesn’t come naturally to him; his emotions are carefully trained to lie beneath the surface, but you’ve known him long enough to see the knot between his eyebrows loosen ever so slightly.

“She’s just woken up, Master,” he says. “As I was saying, I believe we will need more surveillance on this mine. This is a corrupted vergence, and-”

“Corrupted?” interrupts Master Vernestra Rwoh. “And the two of you just happened to come out unscathed?”

“Unscathed, they were not, Master Rwoh,” comes Master Yoda’s calming voice. “A debrief, we shall have. Trusted, these knights are.”

You sigh. Master Rwoh is one of the best Jedi Masters the Temple has produced in a century, becoming a knight at a mere fifteen. And yet, you wonder if perhaps that weight of responsibility is too much for her. If she is too paranoid, so bent on preserving the perfection of the Order that she has forgotten its true place in the galaxy.

“Excellent it is to hear you are well, my padawan,” Yoda says, and you crack a smile. He’s the only one who could ever get away with calling you a title below your rank. It’s a sign of affection and for you, a bond of family.

“Hm,” you rasp out, and you barely hear his chuckle before he and Master Rwoh sign off.

“Yord,” says Master Battchi.

You frown. You hadn’t realized he was on the call. In fact, you’re not sure who else had been on the call. It stands to reason that if three members of the council were there, the rest could have been as well.

“I wanted to speak to you on a personal matter,” Master Battchi says. You do your best to tune out what he’s saying, instead trying to focus on the snow around you. Your temperature is going back to normal, and you wiggle your hand to see if you can feel the crystals there. You’re not sure if it’s your imagination, but you think you feel a crunch.

Your ear picks up Master Battchi saying, “I just want you to be mindful of personal attachments,” and just like that, you’re hyper-focused.

He continues, “Events like this can put great strain on our minds. Emotion clouds judgement, and there are some judgements that cannot be undone. I have seen many a Jedi slip due to hasty actions.”

“I understand, Master,” Yord says. “I have not allowed my emotions to distort my decisions. You have taught me well; this assignment was highly eventful, and my concerns lay in making sure that we did not lose one of the best swordsman the Jedi have seen in a good long while. She is a great asset to the Order, and I would hate to be the one responsible for losing her.”

“Good,” replies Master Battchi. “As long as your concerns are not emotional. Yord, I shall see you soon. May the Force be with you.”

“May the Force be with you,” Yord responds. He clicks of the comms then finally turns all the way toward you.

You, meanwhile, are having a hard time understanding what you’re hearing.

“Yord. You just lied. And you lied well,” you say, incredulous. 

Yord never once wavers in intensity. “I want you and I want to remain with the Order. I will not sacrifice one for the other. I will do whatever it takes to have both.”

You’d kiss him, except the Jelucan colony is beginning to appear around you. You settle for a half-smile instead. He feels your forehead, nods in satisfaction, then stands. “More Jedi are coming to help contain the mine, and to help you find another one to sustain your lifestyle. I’m happy to answer further questions in an hour, once my partner is in a more stable condition. The Order thanks you for your cooperation, and we hope to help you move forward as soon as possible.” Yord bends, scoops you up out of the snow, and carries you back to your housing.

“What happened to my shirt?” you mumble, snuggling as close as possible.

“You threw up,” he states. “It was disgusting.”

—

The flight back to Coruscant is a blur. You have no memory of the Jedi sent to remain on Jelucan or of getting on the ship; you barely remember a worried Dalphri Ameras poking your arm and attaching you to all kinds of machines.

“We just need to keep her stable until we get back to the medical wing,” she tells Yord. “No, don’t touch that!” She swats away a med droid, then apologizes. “I’m sorry, I just need you to keep an eye on her vitals. This is a discipline in which I’m not well-studied.”

“Apology accepted, Knight Ameras,” beeps the droid. He moves to hover in a corner, watching the ebb and flow of your vital signs.

Something’s in your right hand, and you grip it trying to figure out what it is. Everything is so… hazy.

“Hey, I’m right here,” says Yord, his face coming into view. “I’m not leaving. You’re going to be all right.”

You try to smile and tell him, I know, silly, but something Dalphri has given you hits your system and you black out once more.

—

You wake abruptly, with the strangest feeling that you’re being watched. Things are clearer now, and you can tell you’re in the Jedi Temple’s medical wing. But you could’ve known that by the sterile smell alone. It’s never been a particular favorite place of yours, but you’ve spent a good amount of time here while Dalphri studies and schemes so you’re familiar.

You roll your head to the other side of the bed and come face to face with a group of younglings.

“How-“ you ask groggily, but are interrupted by a Caphex closest to the front.

“Do you really have kyber crystals in your hand?” she lisps.

“Are you going to build another lightsaber?” asks a Quemerian, head sticking above the group.

“Can you teach us how to fight? Master Sol says you’re the best-”

“Can I be your padawan? I’m still little, but Master Poof-”

“Why does Master Yoda talk like that? Can you-“

Their clamoring is sweet, but overwhelming. You’ve always liked younglings, with their wide-eyed optimism and eagerness to learn. There’s a part of you that considers teaching in the temple one day, if you were ever asked. You’re fairly certain Yoda will at some point, and although younglings lack the technical skill with a saber that padawans possess, there’s something satisfying about teaching them the foundations of Jedi combat.

You smile and open your mouth in hopes that a response comes out, but you’re saved by someone loudly clapping their hands.

“All right, everyone out! You’ve disturbed her enough. I’m sure she’ll come see you when she’s good and ready.”

The younglings groan, “Jecki,” in unison but they file out without further complaint.

Jecki steps forward, previously blending in with the group of younglings. “Hello,” she says. “How are you feeling?”

You squint at her. “What’s happening?”

“Master Sol sent me to check on you,” she says.

That makes sense. But- “Why were the younglings here?”

Jecki grins. “No one’s allowed to see you except members of the Council and even then, I think Knight Ameras would put up a fight. She’s so cool. Did you see she pierced her lekku?”

“We pierced her lekku,” you correct. “And anyway, what does that have to do with the younglings?”

“Master Sol isn’t allowed to see you so he sent me. I figured that I could let them in, they’d cause a scene, and then I’d be your saving grace and kick them back out. That way if Knight Ameras comes back you can tell her that I was actually helping enforce her rules,” she explains.

You take a moment to study Jecki. She seems familiar, and as you take in the orange markings on her pale face, you try to remember why. It’s not until you note her horns that you realize why.

You laugh. “I know you. You tried to out-argue Yord in front of Master Sol.”

Jecki shrugs. “Almost had him too. I see how I could have won in hindsight. Next time I suppose,” she sighs.

You laugh again. “He would not shut up about it. I think he was impressed, but don’t tell him I said that. I’m doing well, I think? My hand is still weird but my veins have receded.”

Jecki opens her mouth then shuts it just as rapidly.

You raise an eyebrow. “You want to see it, don’t you.”

“Very badly,” she responds. “Just so I can give Master Sol a… detailed report.”

“Whatever you say,” you tell her as you unwrap the bandage. “But if Dalphri comes in and sees this, we’re blaming it all on Imanu Venez. You know him? Not sure exactly how to pin this on him, but he’s our fall man.”

Jecki nods and leans closer. “That’s weird,” she says in awe. The crystals have closed the gash, forming makeshift scar tissue. You clench your hand expecting a crunch of rock against rock impeding your movement, but it feels like normal. The veins extend to your fingertips and wrist, no longer up your arm. You touch it gingerly. 

“It went all the way to my chest,” you say. “I’ve never heard of anything like it. You can touch it if you want.”

Jecki reaches with her index finger for the largest crystal closest to your thumb. “Feels strange,” she says. “It’s like- it’s like I can feel the Force through it.”

You like Jecki. Maybe it’s because she’s gutsy enough to go against Yord, willing to blame a Knight she doesn’t know for trouble she’s definitely caused, or the youngling Sol chose on a private mission to check on you. It’s probably all of those things. You watch her as she gently pokes at your hand in fascination and think, do I want a padawan?

The question remains unanswered as Jecki asks, “You know how the Sith can bleed a kyber crystal?”

You nod.

“Well, what if that happened to you? I don’t mean that you’re a Sith,” she hurries on, “but rather the opposite. As in, the Jedi version of bleeding kyber? Or maybe it bled you? I’m not really sure, it’s just a working theory but I promise it’s a positive one.”

You pause to consider the implications. Certainly other Jedi have been cut by their kyber crystals in the retrieval process. And you’re by no means the first to be called by two. Jecki’s hypothesis would mean something about the purity of your heart, of your commitment to the Jedi Order- a level of commitment you’re not sure you possess. 

“Jecki,” you begin slowly, “I understand what you’re saying. But I do not believe that applies to me. I would believe it if it were about a Jedi such as Master Yoda or Master Sol, but as interesting as your theory is, I do not believe it is possible in my case.”

Jecki tilts her head. “Isn’t it?”

The door swings open, silhouetting a furious Dalphri Ameras.

“What the actual kriff is going on in here?”

Without skipping a beat, you and Jecki reply, “It’s Venez’s fault.”

next chapter

[alexanderlightweight]

I feel slightly greedy prompting three weeks in a row, but I just read the new chapter of Elysium's Tears that you uploaded to a03 and it is utterly incredible. To put it lightly.

If this plot bunny inspires you at all, I would absolutely adore the chance to read a snippet in that universe of Ragnor and/or Cat seeing Malec together for the first time - just the sheer craziness of them seeing a nephilim, one of the Clave's most valued treasures, not to mention the whole Lightwood thing, happily collared and kneeling at their best friend's feet, casually informing Magnus of secrets the Clave would straight-up murder to keep while just ... nibbling mango from his fingers.

(That was a very long run-on sentence, apologies. Also, I was mostly just going for vibes not specific plot points in that promptlet. Also, again, three weeks in a row so feel free to ignore ❤️)

hey Laws, feel free to prompt every week and you know i love vibes! this was a lot of fun and definitely is going in the next chapter of elysium's tears though i'll probably need a magnus redecorating his loft scene at some point lol. this is cat's pov because it was more fun that way! i hope you enjoy it! thank you for prompting

lumine

-

It’s been nearly three weeks since Magnus all but dropped off the face of the world.  Normally, Cat wouldn’t be so concerned if it weren’t for the fact that he’s been asking for her help securing an absurdly long list of rare potion ingredients.

It’s with a case of beer and a box of snacks that she portals over to his place, only to be gently redirected by the interior wards.

The primary wards still allow her access, but she’s portaled into what Magnus was once planning to use as a greeting hall. She wonders just what spell, potion or sex experiments Magnus is conducting that require such an elaborate and delicate array.

It’s with growing amusement that she taps her foot and counts out just how long it’s taking Magnus to respond. The amusement turns to concern when she feels Magnus’ magic reach out with intent, demanding she prove her identity to him in a way he rarely feels the need to use.

It’s without a second thought that Cat reaches back, letting Magnus weigh her soul against his knowledge of her and his magic presses against her, almost in relief.

“Cat—” Magnus murmurs and his voice is hoarse and he looks tired and worn but smug.

Magnus looks victorious, in a way Cat has never seen before.

“You’re okay?” She asks, because that will always be the first and most important question. Anything else can alway wait.

“Oh Cat, I’ve never been better.”

—

The amount of layers and traps that she has to step through is intense and Cat resolves to make Magnus visit her until he’s finished with whatever he’s doing.

“Alexander is resting at the moment—” Magnus is murmuring though he’s quite forgotten to explain just who Alexander is. It could be anything from a weekend frolic to a new snake or a stray cat that Magnus has gotten attacked to.

“And Alexander is?” Cat asks leadingly but it goes nowhere because Magnus just barks a laugh, a sharp, dark noise of pure avarice.

“He’s mine Cat, in a way I didn’t think could ever be possible.”

Magnus opens the wards and finally lets her through the last step and Cat walks in and stares. Magnus’ entire loft looks different, a fortress on the outside and an oasis of luxury on the inside. There are chaises and sofas and thick rugs with plush cushions and throws. It looks decadent and soft in a way Cat doesn’t normally associate with Magnus.

On one of the thick rugs, shirtless and dappled in lurid bruises and golden sunlight, a young nephilm lays sleeping. He’s aesthetically pleasing and is defined in a way that says he is heavily trained and very capable.

Cat waits for a moment, trying to understand how three weeks could possibly have turned into something like this and then she sees the nephilim wake up. Unfairly long lashes flutter and Cat sees a glimpse of icy blue, and then she sees it.

Lines upon lines of hoarfrost blue, the silver of an angelic power Cat only barely managed to witness and she understands exactly why Magnus’ lair is warded so thoroughly.

“How did you get him here?” Cat finds herself asking because it’s one thing for Magnus to try and lure in a nephilim curse with Elysium’s Tears. Magnus would think nothing of seducing such a person, not if it would give him a glimpse of something to look forward to.  It’s the layout, the way Magnus is covetously watching his Alexander’s every breath.

Something else is going on beyond a glimpse of what could be.

Magnus walks over and kneels, reaching down to kiss Alexander’s sleeping for, biting his lip until the bluelight fade and he groggily nuzzles into Magnus’ chest.

“Lovely, I’d like someone to check you over. Hmm, sweetheart?”

Magnus’ voice is soothing and sincere and tinted with a jagged edge of possessiveness.

“Oh—” hazel eyes blink at her, awareness growing. “Cat, then? It’s early to meet her. This isn’t normally one of her days off.”

It sends a chill up Cat’s spine to hear such a remark, especially when the only reason she’s free is because she used magic to get the day off.

BEcause she wanted to check on Magnus.

“All the better, Alexander. A fresh start for you, another difference to what you saw.”

Cat finds nothing truly wrong with him, besides the fact that whatever horror resides in his body and eats away at the future is a ravenous beast.

“He needs to eat more.” Cat murmurs, low because Magnus’ Alexander only stayed awake long enough for Cat to finish her work and now he stretched out across Magnus’ lap. His long legs thrown over the sofa arm and his face burrowed into Magnus’ stomach.

“Alexander does have a habit to miss meals when he dreams.”

Magnus gives her a pointed look and Cat knows exactly what he means.Then he rubs his hands through curls and tugs on them until he’s being pouted up at.

“A snack, Alexander.” Magnus croons, like he’s taming and rewarding some fierce, snappish beast. “Try, for me.”

His boy is exhausted, from the dreams or whatever left the bruises across his body Cat doesn’t know. She does watch, surprised as Magnus summons a bowl of frozen mango. His boy whines at the cold, unable to bite into it and insstead he licks and suckles from Magnus’ fingers. It takes him and agonizing amount of time each piece and his lips and swollen from the cold and from the way he’s making obscene, slick noises, his tongue must be numb as well.

Magnus doesn’t seem to notice how amorous their actions are. All of his focus is on his Alexander, feeding him each piece in such a cruelly intimate manner. It takes forever, the sun stretching high and falling low and then Magnus’ boy falls back asleep, suckling the juice from Magnus’ fingers. Magnus chuckles, something dark and ravenous as he presses his fingers even deeper into his boy’s slack, trusting mouth.

“He’s so good for me—” Magnus is murmuring, almost as if besotted and enchanted and there’s something feral in his tone. “He brought me information that has me, for the first time, ahead of my father.”

The shock of it hits Cat like a glacier pool and she copartmentalizes quickly, locking it away as she tries to focus on Magnus.

“So you’re

“I have all of my magic back again.” Magnus bares his teeth in a snarled grin, “ those pieces I sacrificed to hold him in Edom, it’s all been returned to me. We struck a deal, rather than have my strength be tamed by chaining him.

“Incredibly.” Cat finds herself saying, “I’ll let Ragnor know. You’ll tell us, when you’re ready?”

Magnus nods and leads her back to the entry hall and then he pauses and as she’s about to step through her own portal he interrupts the silence.

“I didn’t find him, Cat.” Magnus lets out a sigh, wonder in the hoarse edge of his breath. “He came to me. Surrendered himself to me and let me stop him from leaving, let me keep him and bind him and he adores me for it. Would worship me in gratitude because he knows I will never let him go.”

Cat nods.

This is all they’ll need to speak of, for now.  She’ll check on Magnus on and off, check on his boy as well, but in the meantime she’ll let Magnus lay his webs and string his boy up and so tightly bound that he can’t even blink without Magnus knowing.

After all, it’s what makes Magnus happy.

[tinylongwing]

For the top 5/top 10 meme: top character arcs!

Oh jeez! Okay this is awesome, let me dig deep into my brain. Also there's no way I remember every character arc I've ever witnessed so this is just gonna be the first good ones that come to mind, haha.

For my Lord Huron folks, I'm going with Lee Green as one answer. Girl!! You champion! Takes off on her own to try and make a career work for herself in the big city of Los Angeles after bailing on 1960s Detroit and her loser boyfriend. Winds up hooked on vide noir while in the clutches of Z'Oiseau who basically just collects pretty girls as temporary trophies because he's some fucking cosmic horror creep I guess, but somehow she gets out of that? Kicks her addiction, takes back her stage name and releases multiple albums and lives her dreams. Lee, how did you manage this when basically every other character winds up dead or suffering or missing. Good heavens.

And no okay I can't resist, I'm putting another LH-er in here because my boy Johnnie Redmayne is too ridiculous. Is this even a character arc? Yes. Kid lives a life of joyous violence and hedonism in a gang, risk-taking coupled with a need to support his friends and family monetarily leads to his kidnapping and murder, but then he's like fuck that, death sucks! I don't want to die, that's boring and also getting murdered via cosmic horror drug overdose is a real big nightmare which probably unlocked some really terrible secrets he'd rather not reflect on. Nope, better to just come back, now undead, out of sheer stubborn refusal to accept death! That's way cooler. Party on, haunting desert travelers forever. Child, you're doing great and I support you.

Okay, One Piece is also like ridiculously chock full of amazing characters with the world's most unnecessarily fleshed out and traumatizing backstories, and everyone who knows me knows that I'm very much here for Trafalgar Law. Yeah yeah, and Rosinante, but look, Law is the actual major character here who grows so much as he sees his whole world burning down around him as a child, goes from self-destructive and nihilistic to learning to trust and love people again to the point where he will always put himself in harm's way before even letting anyone touch a hair on his crew's heads. Such a wholesome goth. So much found family.

Having relatively recently watched Twin Peaks (FINALLY I know) I have to put Dale Cooper in here. This is not a positive character arc, this is a man whose joy and brilliance and successes against some really dark forces led him to thinking he was capable of anything in the pursuit of justice and truth. Turns out that was probably wrong! Whoops! And now he's possibly doomed? Look, the ending of Twin Peaks is massively open-ended but Cooper is very much a deeply tragic character and I'm kind of obsessed with tragedy and bad endings.

And I'm going to stop at five or I'll never get any work done, so fifth here will be.... hm. You know what, Seo-bi from Netflix's Kingdom. I can't get enough of characters in a scientific or medical sort of role in period dramas, I think that's very very good (and Goodsir from The Terror was a very near fifth choice here for some similar reasons). But I love Seo-bi in particular because she has knowledge, she uses it, she perseveres despite so many challenges including politics and also literal zombies, and the show continually throws a couple of characters at her that look like they're supposed to be love interests and she's always like NO! Fuck off! I'm doing important medical work here, I have no time for kissing!!! And that's very powerful of her and I love that for her so much. I'm sad that this series appears to be on hold maybe forever now.

[tinycurlyfry]

OP Chapter 1081 Spoilers

Okay now that the official translation is out I have so much to say ;;;;;

Yes it’s going to all be about Law and the Heart Pirates, I am DEVASTATED

Other people have said it too, but the thing that really gets me is just how much Law can NOT catch a break and keeps ending up losing or nearly losing what matters most to him AND HE’S NOT EVEN TRYING TO GET THE ONE PIECE !! Outside of knowing what it is, I mean. He’s not trying to be the strongest, or the king of the pirates, or become an emperor of the sea. He just wants to know about the history behind the origins of his name and what secrets the World Government goes to such lengths to hide from the world. This man’s new purpose in life now that he helped take down Doflamingo is to figure out who he is and why it seems like he keeps being kept alive; To try to figure out who he is or what those who came before him believe he represents. It’s just that his pursuit after the secrets of the world’s history keeps putting him in the path to collide with the most dangerous people in the world!

What he wants more than anything however- what we’ve seen time and time again- is keeping his crew safe. They are his family, the Polar Tang was his HOME. This man has already lost his place in the world TWICE. Has lost those he’s considered family TWICE. And even though I believe- I HAVE to believe- the Heart Pirates will ultimately be okay, Law thinks he’s left them to die. And my god thank goodness for Bepo because Law would have absolutely gotten captured or killed by Blackbeard and BB or any of his crew getting the Ope Ope no Mi would be SO CATASTROPHICALLY BAD! 

Law didn’t even pick a fight with this man!! He didn’t initially want to fight Blackbeard! They were just coming out of fighting against Big Mom an Kaidou, Law during which was like ‘the things one has to do just to learn about history!’ (Though yes, I do think Law cared about helping the people of Wano. He is a kind person and a doctor after all). BUT when we first see the Heart Pirates in their run-in with Blackbeard THEY’RE TRYING TO ESCAPE! Law didn’t want to get his crew in that fight!!! But when it was obvious there was no getting away he did what he does best and went into strategy mode to guide his crew through the fight. If they were going to be forced into a battle against Blackbeard and his crew, might as well take the information from the poneglyphs he has. To at least maybe have this be a step towards his goal.

But the last thing he wants, the thing he fears more than anything, is putting his crew into danger. This man is ready to sacrifice himself for their safety at every turn. And then he has his ship destroyed. He cannot even use his powers to save his crew from being stranded deep under water, (some of them) likely to drown if BB’s crew don’t get to them first. Bepo has to get Law out of there by force not just because Law is severely injured and thoroughly drained of energy from his fight against Blackbeard, but also because Law would absolutely get himself killed to save even one of his crewmembers. To not lose another family member.

I am so pained to see the Polar Tang destroyed. Again, I have to believe at least a number of the Heart Pirates are okay, but my god I hope Oda gives this poor boy a break?! I don’t know if Law and Kid are going to meet up, or if Law will get the Pluton now that his own ship is destroyed (and maybe Law is back on a revenge track) or if it’ll be through Law that stumble upon who this ‘man marked by flames’ is, but MY GOD I hope Law gets to have a happy ending. It would be so fucking heartbreaking if after all he’s been through, after all he’s lost, after all this time of just trying to keep those he cares about the most safe and to know why he’s still alive, he dies or loses everything once more. If he meets his end sacrificing himself or dying before he gets to live the life of freedom and happiness Corazon died to give him I am going to be RUINED.

A small part of me wants Luffy/The Straw Hats to find out what BB did to Law and go APE SHIT, but more than anything I just want Law to finally find happiness and the ACTUALLY KEEP IT!!! Stop having his crew/family taken away from him!!! This man has already had so much tragedy in his life he doesn’t need any more!

I do not know if this is Oda building up to a defeat for the Straw Hats as well, Luffy and Zoro being members of the worst generation like Kid, Killer, and Law or if this is Oda emphasizing that Luffy is on the level of the other Yonkos now and on a different level than Kid and Killer. The Straw Hats already had a moment of major defeat in Sabaody and Luffy has been built up so much for coming end-game fights against the World Government, Shanks, and Blackbeard that I’m inclined to believe Egghead isn’t going to end horribly for them, but this truly is the first time since catching up that I am so scared/anxious to know what’s going to happen next and I just do not know what direction Oda is going in.