#the important thing here is that i gotta try way more types of juices

[muckmagister]

what's your favorite kind of juice?

i think upon this often and yet the answer evades me.... i must try more juices. every juice.

that being said, orange juice is an obvious classic, just a fantastic juice honestly, i can't say it's my favourite but it's definitely one of my most common juices. my other common juice is a combination called "byron breeze", which is 15% pineapple, 1.5% lychee, 1.5% calamansi and 81% pear. and it fucking SLAPS, definitely doesn't just taste like pear or pineapple it's surprisingly great.

there's another brand that does fantastic combination juices but they only sell them in 400ml glass bottles and don't get stocked many places😭 but when i can i always try and get a new flavour and they're all so good, like. apple & guava, apple & mango, apple & pineapple, apple & peach, apple & blackcurrant, apple strawberry & grape. wow they almost all have apple huh. it's all great. there's the tropical cocktail flavour too which is also great i just don't actually know what's in it fkjsksjs

the only juices i don't like are when you have like, a plain mango or peach juice but it has an almost syrupy consistency, hate that. there are other even more rare circumstances like a combination juice that added mint (wasn't great imo), or if you taste it and you can just tell the fruits weren't ripe enough

now... my dark past; plain apple juice and i have history. when i was younger, like real early teens, apple juice was my blood. my parents stopped buying the stuff cause i'd guzzle it all before anyone could have any, and i mean like. 2 liter cartons in a day or two. so of course i started buying it myself with my allowance. this continued for far too long. my parents began threatening to ban me from buying it myself. i was unstoppable. until eventually disaster struck, my body itself decided to step in and out of the blue it very quickly went from being a heavenly ambrosia to making me feel like vomiting from just the smell. and so it was: for years afterwards i couldn't get a whiff of apple juice without feeling incredibly ill. i have since recovered but now apple juice is just an alright juice to me nothing crazy like it was.

[lampmanliveblogs]

Season 2, episode 20. The penultimate episode of the season. Am I ready for this? Probably not, but whatever, let’s just go!

If you are only just now joining me, be sure to check out the two previous posts I made. In one of them I go over some of my theories and predictions for the finale. In the other, I tell you about the exciting game we’re going to be playing together during these two last episodes of the season.

Now. Let’s do this.

The portal has been moved to a cave in the head of the Titan by now and an abomaton is making the last few preparations.

I’m gonna be honest with you guys, the only reason I decided to grab this particular screenshot was because I noticed no less than four faces hidden in this image.

This really is it, huh? The end of the world as we know it.

We get a short scene between Belos* and The Collector. The Collector is impatient, begging to be freed from his eternal prison, with Belos countering that the draining spell has to work first. We get to see more of The Collector’s childish personalty, as they talk about all the games they wanna play. And this is the guy who’s apparently responsible for wiping out a race of island-sized giants.

(*sidenote: I kinda wanna start referring to Belos as Philip. Eh, I’ll wait and see. If Luz ever calls him Philip, I’ll start calling him that too)

Belos mentions that he doesn’t want to make another grimwalker until he’s dealt with Hunter, so I guess we can rule out other grimwalkers appearing. Unless Belos has reason to believe Hunter is dead I guess, but let’s not delve too much on that hypothetical.

It seems that Belos intends on returning home to the Human Realm once it’s all over, which makes sense I suppose. Gotta bring the good news right? The thing I’m wondering though is how long exactly he expects to survive there. Even without the violent mutations his barely human body goes through, he still relies on absorbing palismen life force to survive. There are no palismen in the Human Realm, so I imagine that he’d eventually run out of juice to keep him going.

(which may or may not be how he ultimately dies)

((I think Belos is gonna die, btw. i think i’ve mentioned it before, but just in case you forgot, or missed that post, or this is the first liveblog of mine you’re reading)

(((the jury is still out on the collector’s final fate)))

Another thing that I thought of while typing this: I’ve speculated that The Collector is going to betray Belos and not kill all life in the Demon Realm. But this could go the other way too; Belos might betray The Collector and not release them. Or at least try to keep him sealed, at this point I think it’s safe to say The Collector is going to be set free.

Oh, and another another thing I realized when looking at this screenshot. I wonder if the creepy robes and hoods is to make it easier for the animators to draw large crowds? I imagine that with how diverse the Boiling Isles are, any shot of a large crowd would be a nightmare to draw. Dressing everyone in single-colored robes makes that easier. I think, I don’t know all that much about animation.

Clouds on the Horizon

I’ve already gone over most of my predictions in a previous post already and I don’t really have anything to add as of now based on the title or what I’ve seen so far.

We can see some abomatons being loaded onto an airship while Odalia talks to Kikimora. I honestly did not expect Odalia to really be important, but who knows, maybe she will be.

Amity, Edric, and Emira are here, with the intention of telling their mom about the draining spell.

Emira points out that Odalia won’t believe them, which I could see her not doing, she is pretty stubborn. However, Edric follows that up with that even if she does believe them, she ”won’t care.” Which… yikes. Belos plans to kill everyone. Odalia’s no saint, but I don’t know that she’s such a  bad person as to not care at all about her kids and husband dying. And if nothing else, she is part of everyone, surely she has some sense of self-preservation? Even a lot of hardened supervillains know that there is no profit to be made in the destruction of the planet; it is very bad for business.

…or maybe she really will be that evil. This is the season finale, the Day or Unity is here, anything can happen and everything can change. I gotta keep my mind open.

She mentions a new product… that they’re going to test on Kikimora. Or maybe Kikimora will test it? Maybe it’s like an abomaton mech or something. That might actually make Kikimora somewhat threatening again.

(Odalia called Kikimora a gremlin. Is that her species… or is gremlin an insult on the Boiling Isles too?)

[solomonish]

Dork Solomon Agenda

You say sexy shady sorcerer I say nerd and love of my life

Solomon is a sad lonely little man why just wants a genuine connection us that so much to ask???

No but seriously like. It's totally fine if you hc Solomon as this man-turned-lowkey-sex-god with a million succubi and more at his whim whenever he wants and would be a tough one to put the ol' ball and chain on like to each their own for sure! But that's not MY hc

(Thats not to say my hc means he doesn't ever engage in casual sex like that and wanting a genuine long term relationship at some point [or finding out thats what you want when you meet someone] are not mutually exclusive yknow)

So like Solomon isn't the type to be short with you or keep you at an arm's length (i mean...u get what I mean. Once you're close enough and all that jazz) or get annoyed by you wanting to be affectionate?? Hello??

He LOVES the little things you do (some on accident tbh). You feeling affectionate today and give him a kiss or three on his face before you leave to go to your separate classes? Adorable, he's fallen in love again. You do that thing where you like.. forget how to walk straight and just accidentally bump into him? No come back he likes being close to you :( He doesn't SAY these things but there's a light, airy laugh he has that gives him away.

If you're ever facetiming he will say "boo!" when you connect instead of just. Greeting you like a normal person.

His fuckin. His devilgram name is monSOLO. My mans is a star wars fan!!! I dont know any of The Discourse bc I'm not super into star wars myself but he has IN DEPTH opinions about the movies. Seriously rivals Levi in this aspect. Please make time for movie nights where you watch the movies together 🥺 especially if you haven't seen them before he'd love to convert you 🥺

Didn't Solomon also have a thing for TSL??? Or am I just imagining it??

I feel like his ideal date would be exploring something new, whether its this new spooky forest or "hey have we been down this alley before? Let's check it out!" but ideal date number TWO is movie night. Even if it isn't Star Wars. He likes to sit on opposite ends of the couch throwing popcorn into each other's mouths (and big candies like peanut m&ms where you both have almost choked before) and maybe a footsie war if he's feeling real devious. Then at some point you grab a blanket and snuggle up to him and you both fall asleep on the couch

Simeon yells at him when you leave because there's popcorn EVERYWHERE

LOVES when you laugh super loud. Idk man he just thinks its great when you have such unbridled joy and then he laughs too 😊 not as loud though he's more of a quiet chuckle kind of guy (most of the time).

Is friends with Asmo so is extremely great at slumber party gossip. Catch him in his pajamas, cross-legged on the floor while clutching a pillow to his chest and listening intently to you rant about the brothers.

"Come here I have a secret to tell you" (blows air in your ear) "okay okay I'm sorry but come here again" (blows air on your neck) "okay okay last time! I actually have something to tell you. Please? Its important...." (kisses ur cheek) "like u a lil bit xo"

Never the type to send "good morning beautiful" or "good night 💞" texts. Instead he'll send you something at 4 am like "the infinite cosmos will eventually swallow whole all familiarity and life as it is now presently known and despite the adaptations humans or demons or angels could make i will still have to adapt and face the world as an alien in the realm I love so dearly. Funny how the strongest of beings bow to the whim of space and time. But sometimes my eternal journey doesn't seem so daunting when I realize that with my everlasting life will be the memory of you no matter how distant and the survival of the vessel you loved...."

And then at lunch that day when the brothers pull you away he'll send you a picture of the lasagna they're serving with "this kinda looks like you? Don't worry I'd still hit it" and then two minutes later "you not the pasta"

Is the type to think randomly "oh damn I love you so much" but has an impressive filter about it. Or he thinks he does until Luke grumbles "ugh get a room thats the fifth time you've seen that since monday" ok, sometimes he has a good filter about it

He can't help it! Sometimes you just say something really smart (or something SPECTACULARLY dumb) or you do something cute like lean on him or smile a specific way or-

Sir.....you're head over heels sir :/

The type who would go to a playground at night with you and just swing on the swings talking about life

Wants to have a secret handshake with you!!

If you're ever on a road trip with just the two of you, you can get him to join in on the terrible singing but he'll be a lot quieter than you

Also will only join in if he isn't driving. If he is and you aren't talking, he's just humming underneath his breath. Will drum on the steering wheel though

Cooking

(Yes, it gets its own section because MAYBE I'm obsessed with the idea of MC teaching Solomon to cook and the food still turning out terrible but at least it isn't a void when MC is helping)

The type to flick water at you every time he washes his hands. Will chase you down just to do it.

"Hey, tilt your head back and open your mouth MC" (proceeds to dump too big a handful of shredded cheese in your mouth)

100% the type to lean over you just to hinder your cooking abilities. Who cares if the sauce splashes he's tiiiired.... you'd let belphie do it :(

Puts a hand on your lower back when he passes behind you. Hopes you'll lean into it/step back and offer him a kiss 🥺

Believes in always having a proper table setting. Prepare for whatever juice they have (or water) in wine glasses if you're having a nice-er meal

Under the assumption that a spell ruined his sense of taste (and not that he's just bad at cooking) he hates spicy food. He can feel the burn but he gets none of the flavor??? Wack. Don't hurt him like that MC. If you do because its hilarious to watch him try to be cool about it he will pout

Gets cheesy aprons. He just likes them.

Will hit you on the top of your head with a whisk to hear the noise it makes

Will buy every kitchen hack tool there is. A ketchup dispenser that looks like a gun? He's got it. A fish that helps you squeeze out the egg yolks? Yes! A dinosaur soup ladle? You bet! Pizza scissors? A tool that makes hard boiled eggs into cubes? Something that's gotta be like 200 years old and no discernable purpose? Absolutely! He wants a hot dog toaster. Do they even have hot dogs in the devildom?

Will sneak bites just because it bothers you

Overall

Look at him. He hasn't had friends in centuries. He's playful!

Look at his DEVILGRAM NAME

His funky little WAND

This is a man who is a huge nerd, thrives off of cliches and just wants to have a good time. So let him! Its mentally exhausting having those pretenses up all the time.

[twstarchives]

Ace Trappola・Voice Lines

Additional Voice Lines: Dress-Up Groom Event Card

School Uniform - R

Unlock Card “Don’t drag in any kind of trouble again, alright? ‘Cause I’m not helping you out this time!”

Groovy “It’d get exhausting always being so serious about everything, wouldn’t it? You just gotta be efficient about things ♪”

Home Setting “Let’s take it nice and slow today!”

Home Transitions “Something’s always going on whenever I’m with you. Seriously, it doesn’t ever get boring.”

“Hm? I don’t really hate school. It’s not like I need it, though. Haha! If I didn’t go, I’d just have nothing to do.”

“Professor Crewel called me over when I ditched class duty today... He gets so intense when he’s scolding his students!”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Oh, you’re finally here. So what’re you doing right now? C’mon, pick something~”

Home Taps “It’s kinda nice that our outfits are already picked out for us everyday. If we got to wear casual clothes, we’d have to spend some time trying to put together an outfit.”

“My dreams for the future? Nope, don’t got any! Striving hard to achieve your dreams is so... bleurgh, I can’t do it. It’s just not my thing.”

“Yeah, yeah, what do you want with me this time? You’ve got some serious dedication to this whole prefect thing.”

“I’m glad our dorm color is red. I like red. It stands out, it’s stylish, and it fits me nicely, doesn’t it?”

“Alright, alright, stop pulling so hard; I can hear you just fine! ...So? What is it?”

PE Uniform - R

Unlock Card “I’m pretty confident about my reflexes. Wanna take a look at my magift skills?”

Groovy “You can tell just by looking at me that I’m the type who hates losing. Come do some intensive training with me!”

Home Setting “It’s not good for you to just be standing still like that!”

Home Transitions “I seriously can’t handle Coach Vargas. He’s so intense and conceited... It’s tiring just being around him.”

“I have a lot of fun in the basketball club. I get along well with upperclassmen from the other dorms too.”

“I think sports and magic are kinda similar. I mean, you’ve gotta put all your effort into both of them everyday.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “PE class is about to start soon. You’ll get left behind if you keep moving so slow~”

Home Taps “Did you already eat yet? If not, let’s go pick up something from the store. It’s boring being cooped up inside all the time.”

“No way. I don’t even have to ask; I can tell just by that face that whatever you have to say is something real troublesome. Don’t tell me.”

“I don’t wanna turn into some macho guy who’s totally ripped, so I can take it easy with my training.”

“Cater actually has pretty good reflexes. I should ask him for some Flying tips later.”

“Ahaha!! What do you want~? You keep poking me in the side over and over again!”

Lab Coat - SR

Unlock Card “Working together’s really important. ...So anyway, let’s do our best on this assignment!”

Groovy “It’s fine to slack off just a little. Just do your best not to get caught.”

Home Setting “What, you’ve got a question? Alright, you owe me one.”

Home Transitions “I saw Deuce in the library looking really serious about something. I guess he’s studying for our next test.”

“Hey, did you finish the homework? Let’s do it together if you haven’t yet. That way we can split the work and get it done faster.”

“Sometimes there are potions with effects that make you think ‘What would you even make that for?’ I’d never wanna drink one, though.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “They don’t call Night Raven a prestigious academy for nothing. I gotta study sometimes too or I’ll get behind.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Why do you have so much motivation for your classes? Don’t tell me you’re actually planning on making Grim a great mage, or something?”

Home Taps “The Headmaster really shows up and vanishes at the most unexpected times. Yesterday it almost gave me a heart attack when I noticed he was sitting behind me.”

“Be careful if you come across any talking flowers in the Botanical Garden. People say they’re really mean.”

“Potions are so nasty. And yet in the Queen of Hearts’ country, they were supposed to have tasted like things like pies and juice...”

“What do they even do at the science club? Trey invited me to stop by earlier but it seemed boring so I said no.”

“Ah, I seriously can’t deal with intense people. Go do that kinda stuff with Deuce, not me!”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Have you gotten everything ready for our next experiment? I’m kinda worried about how slow you are.”

Ceremony Robes - SR

Unlock Card “Wearing these feels kinda... ah, don’t laugh at me! You’re not one to talk either!!”

Groovy “Hehe! I give off that prestigious Night Raven College! vibe, don’t I?”

Home Setting “Don’t cause any trouble today!”

Home Transitions “Hah... Why do the teachers have to talk for so long? It’s so boring. I wish they’d  wrap it up in three minutes flat.”

“What kinds of things do you guys have celebrations for where you come from? Do you celebrate Unbirthdays?”

“Before enrolling here, I thought these clothes looked so old-fashioned, but now I think they’re very fitting for a mage. Heheh.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Oi, Prefect. Grim starts causing all the mischief he wants whenever you’re not here!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Tada! I pulled a hedgehog out of my hood...! Wait, I messed it up. Magic tricks using living creatures are really hard.”

Home Taps “If you’re free, how about we go to the lounge? Well, the only thing I usually do there is play cards though.”

“Doesn’t this school have a serious lacking of entertainment?! There’s absolutely nowhere to have fun! What about a café? Or some live shows?!”

“My shoulders feel kinda stiff... I’m really not good at formal things.”

“I think my brother was even happier than my parents when they found out I was accepted here. He’s an alumni from the same dorm as me.”

“No, you can’t sleep right now! You were dozing off in class the other day and even I could tell from sitting behind you!”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Oh, perfect timing. Could we have a card game tournament at Ramshackle tonight? ...It’s fine, no one’ll find out!”

Dorm Uniform - SSR

Unlock Card “My winning trump card is the Ace of Hearts!”

“I’d rather not get all heated and serious about things. ...Hey, are you even listening?!”

Groovy “You want to come to Heartslabyul? Haha, we’ll always welcome you!”

Home Setting “Let’s hurry and get this done!”

Home Transitions “Wanna go to the Unbirthday Party together? I promise there’ll be a delicious tart. ...I can’t promise the Dorm Leader will be in a good mood, though.”

“I know a magic trick that can make multiple cards appear from just one. Wanna see?”

“Euegh... I ate too much pie and now I’m so full... Trey’s sweets are just so good; I couldn’t stop eating.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Prefect-! Come help me take care of the hedgehogs we use for croquet!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “So? How do I look in my dorm uniform? Handsome? ...Er, complimenting me that much would just sound like a lie.”

Home Taps “I showed the Dorm Leader a card trick and it actually surprised him. That felt nice ♪”

“If I was put in a different dorm... mm, I can’t even picture it. I guess Heartslabyul just fits me the best.”

“The freshmen have four people per room. It’s crowded, but it’s always full of energy so it’s a lot of fun. You should come hang out sometime.”

“Red vests are part of both our school and dorm uniforms, but the ones we wear with our dorm uniforms also have a traditional pattern associated with the Queen of Hearts on them.”

“Hey, now even you are acting just like Grim does; stop it! This keeps getting more and more out of hand.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I wish you were part of Heartslabyul too. You don’t get the thrill of wondering when your head’ll get chopped off anywhere else.”

Duo Magic Ace: “Oi, Deuce! You better not just drag me down!” Deuce: “You’re so full of yourself! Who do you think you’re talking to, Ace?!”

Birthday Celebration Outfit - SSR

This card was only obtainable during Ace’s birthday event (Sept 18 - Sept 25, 2020).

Login on Birthday “Hey Prefect, do you know what day it is today? It’s not an Unbirthday... It’s Ace’s birthday! Which means I’m the star of today. What should I do for it~?”

Unlock Card “Today I can have the first slice of cake without worrying about losing my head, right?”

“Hey, what’re you gonna get me for my birthday? Oh, if you’ve got no idea, a cherry pie would be nice~”

Groovy “Having a giant party isn’t as bad as I thought. Thanks for coming to celebrate too!”

Home Setting “This get-up’s so embarrassing! It’s screaming ‘Look at me!’ way too much.”

Home Transitions “This heart-shaped pin is reaaally sparkly. It’s kinda intense with how special! it looks.”

“When I was at my club earlier, the soles of my basketball shoes fell apart. Floyd has a good sense of style; maybe he’ll give some to me as a gift~”

“I don’t mind Cater posting pictures of me on Magicam... but I don’t know how to feel about him tagging it as ‘Acey’s Growth Record.’”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Sorry, but we can’t have an Unbirthday Party today. ‘Cause today’s my actual birthday!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “After the party, can I come over to Ramshackle? Let’s invite Jack and the others and play cards till it’s morning.”

Home Taps “When I was little, my older brother one time blew out the candles on my birthday cake. We got into huge fight after.”

“I’m only one year older now, but everyone’s making a huge celebration out of it... I’m not saying I hate it, though~”

“Deuce said he’d treat me to whatever pastry I want at the school store! Hahaha, let’s ask him for the most expensive one. You in?”

“My brother’s not the only one good at magic tricks in my family; my dad’s really good at them too. On our birthdays, he used to show us tricks using gift boxes.”

“Aghgh, I get it! We’re done saying ‘Yes, Happy Birthday!’ ...It’s kind of really embarrassing...”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I can ask you favors since it’s my special day today, can’t I? When you finish that assignment, come join the party!”

Duo Magic Ace: Ortho, wish me a big happy birthday! Ortho: Happy birthday, Ace Trappola!

Lv Up “Oh, this feels kinda nice!”

“Yay! Level up!”

“I gotta get even further ahead of everyone else.”

Max Lv Up “This feels incredible. Now that I’ve got this, it’ll probably be a lot easier for me to back up a certain someone who can’t use magic.”

Episode Lv Up “Ahaha! So these kinds of things can happen too. I always thought people like you would be the ones I’d get along the worst with, but I guess not! ...Just messing with you.”

Magic Lv Up “I could win against the Dorm Leader now that I’ve got this power, right? ...Oh, what I said just now is a secret, ‘kay?”

Limit Break “Whaaat? Aren’t you expecting too much from me? Well, alright. Guess I just should just work a little harder!”

Groovy “I’ll keep showing you more and more of my cool side, so look forward to that!”

Lesson Select “What class are you doing? Hurry up and pick. I’ll be sleeping straight through any one you pick anyway.”

“You’re so enthusiastic about this... Okay, okay! Stop pulling on me so hard!”

“Make sure to keep a close eye on Grim during class, alright, Prefect? He tried ditching earlier and the teacher got mad at him.”

Lesson Start “Let’s get this over with!”

Lesson End “It’s done~! Ahh, I’m tired.”

Battle Start “Okay~ I’ll make you all hit rock bottom!”

Battle End “Nothing to say about it. I won!”

Other

Profile Quote “Man, the Queen of Hearts is so cool! Nobody would obey a queen who’s just kind all the time, right?”

January 2020 Trailer “Ya better not be late! Or the scaaary queen will chop off your head!”

Countdown Poster “Stop daydreaming. Don’t you know you can get lost in the rose maze?”

Take His Hand “Let's head on over there!”

Player Birthday Wish “Eh? Was there something going on today? ...I’m just messing with you! It’s your birthday, right? Of course I remembered. Happy birthday, Prefect.”

Valentine’s Day Gift Letter (2021)

These letters were originally in English. I didn’t translate or edit them in any way. They came with official merch from Aniplex, and are not present in-game.

Hey you, Thanks for the present. But what’s up with the sudden gesture? Are you trying to apologize for something here? …JUST KIDDING! I actually need to talk to you about something, too. See you in class later!

[twilightprince101]

That's right, we got TWO Bugsnax OCs!! This fandom/game has lots of potential for stuff and has really been bringing out my creative juices! So allow me to introduce to you Gramble Gigglefunny's punk ex-childhood friend, Skatey Skitterlock!

Skatey and Gramble used to live in the same neighborhood when they were younger. Because of her personal life and being exposed to the world from a young age she's always been the rebellious type. She fights for the right stuff and does her research, but tends to do it in a more... direct manner, as she sees that as the most efficient way of getting her point across.

She and Gramble were reasonably close back when they were kids, Skatey helping bring out his more adventurous side, but after accidentally landing him in hot water with his family the two fell apart. Now, after years of being on her own, she finds out that Gramble accepted an invitation to Snaktooth, and decided to try and follow him to make amends and reconnect.

Once again below is an interview following a layout prompt from @cosmicheartz, so go check them out and feel free to shoot an ask if you're interested! I'm hoping to do more with her in the future!

Who are you? Name’s Skatey Skitterlock. I’m uh, a lead protest activist.

( What kind of things do you protest for? ) Oh you know: preventing the hoarding of cash, homeless’ rights for living, ensuring corporate fuzzhats stay in their lane, the usual.

( Does that bat have anything to do with the ‘protest?’ ) What can I say? Grumps are a lot more willing to listen with a bit of ‘encouragement~’

Why come to Snacktooth island? I’m sure you’ve met Gramble by now? You know, smaller guy, lives in the barn, a little too into the walking food? Him and I actually go back a bit. We fell out of touch a while ago, so when I heard he was going to this little island getaway, I decided to tag along to catch up!

( Gramble never mentioned you when saying why he came. ) He didn’t…? Well, my decision to come along was a bit last minute, I did come in one of the later boats when the island had open invites. He was caught a bit off guard when I first showed up, but we’re, somewhat cool now.

( Why did you and Gramble stop talking? ) ...look I know this is just how you do things, that this is your job, but I’d appreciate it if you stopped while you’re ahead, alright? I think you’re smart. Don’t prove me wrong, for your own sake.

Thoughts on bugsnax? They’re… okay I’m just going to be frank with you: I think they’re weird and I don’t like them. I hate how they skitter around, it’s freaky how they talk without mouths and the whole transforming thing is just… Eugh. Shelda had the right idea trying to ward people away from them, I don’t understand why anyone would want to eat them, much less treat them like pets.

( Aren’t Bugsnax the only food source here? ) Not entirely. There’s some actual fish farther out in the ocean if you look hard enough, plus the sauce that Wambus grows. It’s actually how Gramble and I manage to stay alive on this grump-forsaken island. Troubleham and I even have an agreement: hang out around his crop to scare off Snax, then Gramble and I get first sauce pickings.

( Bugsnax are scared of you? ) Bash an entire population of white strabbys into mush and I think anyone would be.

Why did you leave town? I left soon after Gramble did. After the whole incident with Wabus I knew he’d probably need someone watching his back. Especially when I realized that Wiggle tagged along.

( What’s up with Wiggle? ) To give an extremely condensed version, I’ve noticed how she eyes Gramble’s pets. As much as I’m against the whole thing Gramble has going on, they’re important to him. Gotta give him some space to work though stuff, and that means keeping them out of that has-been’s maw.

( What stuff is he working through? ) *Quiet growls, alongside the patting of a metal pat.*

Any info on Lizbert? Peh, Liz. Honestly I don’t know what the other grumps decided to follow her here. I’ve met people like her in my business, and trust me when I say, she just brought everyone out here to make herself feel better.

( What makes you think that? ) Well let’s consider the facts here: She recently got labeled a fraud from her Grumplantis debacle, she drags pathetically weak grumps to an island where nobody has come back from, and--despite the fact it could’ve made things easier for everyone--she never bothered teaching anyone else how to catch Bugsnax. Do I need to spell it out for you?

( I do need your opinion on the record actually… ) Sigh. She put herself as the only food source on this entire island, making everyone here depend on her. All Lizbert did was create a problem only she could solve. Why do you think everything fell apart the moment she vanished? She’s no brave adventurer, she’s just another dime-a-dozen big shot looking to stroke their own ego, nothing more.

( What do you think happened to her? ) I overheard Cromdo talking about how Lizbert might’ve stolen the boat and dragged Eggabell along. As much as he annoys me, I don’t think he’s too far off. From my experience, when people in power are put under pressure from those below them, their first instinct is to turn tail and run, even if it means selling out the people you claim to care about. I don’t know when we’ll see those two again, but I promise that when I do, it won’t just be her tusks being broken.

That’s all my questions Skatey, you can put down the bat now. Yeah yeah, I get it, I’m not the nicest Grump in town. But honestly, somebody on this island needs to hold those two accountable. What Lizbert did was immature and really hurt people here, her own friend probably the most. The poor guy really idolized her and does nothing but try and care for others, then the minute things turn south she abandons him!

I respect Filbo's attempts to keep everyone together, but after trying to chase after Liz for so long he barely sees anything in himself. Somebody needs to be angry on his half, so it might as well be me. It's the least I can do for him.

[diyunho]

The Joker x Reader - “Trapped” Part 5

Almost one year ago, someone tried to kill The Joker in a speeding car and Y/N pushed him out of the way, getting hit instead. With a fractured skull and broken bones, she was out of business for 6 months; when she finally recovered, The Queen of Gotham wasn’t the same anymore. Trapped inside her own mind and exhibiting severe cognitive impairment, Y/N’s life switched upside down without any hope of ever returning to normal.

Part 1    Part 2    Part 3    Part 4

4 Months Pregnant

“I need customized stickers that say Baby On Board for my purple Lamborghini and the other cars I drive,” The Joker growls at his own idea whilst sharing it with the person fulfilling his wacko trades: Franco Rossi, the leader of best underground supply chain in Gotham.

“When would you like them ready Mister J? After Y/N gives birth?”

“Nope! Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?...” Franco hesitantly inquiries about the sudden emergency since he can’t understand why The King of Gotham demands them so fast.

The Joker hates explaining yet certain people are obtuse thus they necessitate enlightenment.

“Y/N’s pregnant: when she gets in a car, the baby is also. Baby on board! Hello??” the father-to-be loses his temper.

Who can argue with The Joker’s logic? Nobody. It sort of makes sense anyway.

“Of course, Mister J. I’ll have them ready. If you drop by after 6pm, I’ll have your guns ready too.”

“Perfect!” the Joker hangs up among the ruckus coming from the office near the kitchen: sounds of shattered objects and yelling alert Richard aka Panda you’re at it again. He nonchalantly passes by in order to deliver the items to The Clown.  

“Your drinks Mister J,” he gives one cup with Starbucks caramel latte to his boss and the other is placed on the table. Why does your boyfriend require 2 identical containers? It won’t take long to solve the mystery.

“Are the lids glued?”

Strange question but there’s a purpose in it.

“Yes sir. How is she doing?”

“She’s hormonal: breaking things makes her feel better which reminds me we have to hoard porcelain objects for her to wreck. NO glass!”

“Sure, I’ll tell the crew,” Richard leaves the kitchen while texting Frost. “Hulk needs more to smash,” he types the code name they gave you in the last weeks although The King knows about it: J’s the one that came up with it.

“Hey Pumpkin,” you are greeted as soon as you pop up from the office. “How’d it go?” he scrolls down on his phone and takes a sip of hot liquid.

“Ugghh!” a frustrated Y/N swings the yellow teddy bear The Joker stole for her on their first date, hitting his hand in the process. The drink flies near the fridge and splatters on the floor with minimal damage: only a tiny puddle instead of a disaster, that’s why the lids are glued.

Safety measure for The Queen’s unpredictability.

J grabs his reserve cup of coffee, paying attention now hence he dodges your renewed attack and keeps his coffee intact.

That’s why his drinks have the lids glued, in case you catch him off guard the second time it will result in negligible destruction.

It happened before.

“I don’t think so Princess,” The Joker strong grip on the container calms you a bit because you won’t be able to win this round. “Are you hungry?”

“No,” you pout and sit in his lap.

“I bet the baby is,” the secret weapon is unleashed: J discovered such a gem by accident and it works like a charm. How can Y/N say “no” if the baby is involved? She can’t.

A plate filled with a bunch of your favorite breakfast food is placed in front of you and strangely enough you’re instantly hungry.

“Extra bacon,” he purrs. “Plus chocolate dip and honey mustard for your pickled cherries. I added peanut butter olives as a bonus.”

In your defense, you’ve been having weird cravings lately.

You place the toy on the chair nearby and start eating, ogling a Joker texting back and forth with his business partners. He chews the morsel you just offered and shivers: waffle dipped in clam juice is disgusting. Maybe he should look at the food you shove in his mouth.

“Gross,” J washes the terrible taste with coffee and gets a kiss for encouragement, yet he’s aware of the connotations. Another kiss confirms it.

Let’s put it this way: besides the hormonal episodes and food demands, The Queen has had a fresh type of craving recently - The Joker kind.

More than usually.

That’s why he has to clear it up.

“I’m flattered for being the center of attention; we gotta keep in mind that contrary to the popular belief, I don’t have unlimited stamina, Pumpkin.”

You nod in agreement and unbutton his pants, then unzip them also.

“Y/N, pay attention!” J insists since you don’t give a damn about his woes. “Think about it as a two way street: The Joker Street and I Want To Break Things Street. Are you with me so far?” he double checks.

Why is he yapping so much??! I guess you should make an effort to comprehend: he’s even doodling patterns on his phone to emphasize the speech.

“When you get hormonal, Princess, let’s try and walk on the I Want To Break Things Street instead of The Joker Street, hm? The Joker Street is sometimes closed for repairs until further announcement.”

OK, OK, this is a lecture. Something about a Joker Street, he seems upset he doesn’t have one…?... Right?...

If you were him, you would be pissed Gotham didn’t name a street in your honor when you’re so important for the town.

Another peck on his neck, then your lips go down his collar bone.

“You’re not paying attention, are you?” J mutters when it’s clear his shirt won’t remain on his body for too long.

“I am,” you defend yourself.

“Oh yeah? What did I say then?”

“Ummm…” you try to piece together words among estrogen taking over. “No Joker Street?...”

“Bingo, that’s it Princess! No Joker Street, correct! Choose the other street, yes?”

This time he kisses you, excited his idea was well received when in fact, both parties are referring to unrelated concepts.

“Wait,” J dodges your touch, “Richard is calling.”

Because he’s on the phone ignoring Y/N, she is ensuring a nice surprise for later; concentrating to the maximum to avoid misspelling, the following message is sent to Franco Rossi from her cell:

“Make a landmark sign that says Joker Street.”

The King’s conversation is prolonged more than anticipated until he discerns you’re not wiggling: you feel asleep, softly snoring on his shoulder and he definitely can’t afford to wake you up.

The doctors said your body is trying to cope with the pregnancy the best way it can: if you doze off at random hours it means you ran out of fuel and you should rest. After cheating death and surviving the accident, the future mother is at high risk of serious complications which is why each day could lead to unforeseen problems.

The Joker rises from the chair holding you in his arms and after a few steps he realizes it’s difficult to walk: thanks to his unbuttoned and unzipped pants, they keep sliding lower and lower. There’s no way he will make it upstairs so maybe the sofa in the living room is the best option. He almost trips thus he begins to drag his feet on the carpet, the pants at knee level now.

“I’m reduced to a piece of meat,” J grumbles, finally making it to the couch and placing Y/N on it so she can have her power nap.

*************

6:02pm

You accompanied The King to a meeting with Seraphim, the best hacker/strategist J uses: they’ve been plotting for a while concerning D.A. Kevin Winchester. The politician is becoming a huge pain in the butt for Gotham’s underworld and something must be done; either annihilation or blackmail, it truly doesn’t matter since he’s bad for business. Due to a total lack of interest in the subject, you are exploring the surroundings quite angry The Joker dragged you here.

Luckily there’s stuff to do.

Bam! you punch the fragile glass sculpture and it splinters into a million pieces on the lavish marble floor.

Seraphim jumps at the noise, immediately recognizing his beloved possession:

“That’s…,” he gulps, appalled. “That’s a Vitriol!”

Yup, the one and only Degas Vitriol, the latest sensation taking the art universe by storm.

“She’s hormonal,” J sneers. “She breaks shit!”

“That’s valued at 150,000 dollars!” the hacker breaths in much needed oxygen regarding the atrocity unfolding at his hideout.

“So??!!” your boyfriend sucks on his teeth, irritated. “Serves you right for buying that asshole’s artsy fartsy crap!”

The Joker actually has 4 Vitriol masterpieces at the mansion yet you were strictly forbidden to destroy them, alas he gave you the office for your rampages.

You continue your exploration as they talk about God knows what until you perceive an alarming detail: Seraphim is literally screaming having a gun pointed at J.

You sneak behind him then in a split second you strike the pistol out of his hand and your fist lands on his temple with such brutality it knocks him out unconscious.

“What the hell are you doing, Y/N???” The Clown hisses at your erratic behavior.

“Hm?”

“What are you doing??!!!” he repeats, annoyed.

“S-saving  you…,” you stutter, confused on why J is mad. “He was yelling and…mmm, had a gun,” you wince in pain because your knuckles hurt from the impact.

“The guy’s half deaf and sometimes he raises his voice without noticing, or did you forget??!! Now I have to wait until he comes to his senses and that’s a waste of my time, Y/N!!! Seraphim wasn’t threatening me, he was showing me his newest collectible!!! I suppose someone with half a brain can’t acknowledge the mess they’ve created!!!”

A lot of accusations thrown your way still… the last sentence brings tears in your eyes.

“I…” you bite your lower lip. “…I don’t have half of brain…”

“Wanna bet??” The Joker bites more instead of leveling with your logic: you though he was in danger and took action. If it was a real emergency, yes, you would have been the hero; it’s not and apparently he can’t appreciate your fast intervention in these circumstances.

“Y-you’re stupid…” you whisper, frustrated. “You don’t understand anything…”

Here it is -- the cataclysmic event of the century: someone called The Joker stupid. He’s beyond outraged with nothing better to utter besides a very childish:

“You’re stupid!”

Y/N turns around and stomps out of the house leaving a trail of destruction outside: she slaps the bottled water out of The Shark’s hand, kicks Panda’s shin and snatches Frost’s donut basically inhaling the sweet treat.

“I want to go h-home!!” you shout and enter the first vehicle you see, slamming the door so hard the window on the passenger side cracks.

“Jesus…” Jonny mumbles and being the sensible man that he is you are offered the whole box of pastries he purchased for his family. He can acquire more, but there’s no way in hell he wants to endure Y/N in the state she’s in.

Gotta keep Hulk calm somehow…

**************

3 Hours Afterwards

You sulk when The Joker strolls in the master bathroom frantically searching the cabinets.

“Did you see my shaver?” he asks.

“Hm?”

“Did you see my shaver?”

“I…I wouldn’t know. I only have half a brain,” the surprisingly eloquent phrase queues J his woman is holding a grudge for his earlier statement. Why wouldn’t she? He was a complete jerk.

At least you didn’t catch on to the obvious: The King of Gotham doesn’t own a shaver; hair just grows on his head.  

He glimpses at Y/N soaking in the bathtub with a kid’s book in her left hand and the right hand fingers sunk into a bowl filled with ice placed at the edge of the Jacuzzi. The Joker leans over and switches your book since it’s upside down.

You huff at the unwanted help and stare at the pictures expecting he’ll look for his shaver and disappear.

You’re not that fortunate today.

“Imagine my surprise when I drove the main alley and detected a sign that says The Joker Street,” he brings up the topic.

Franco Rossi was super-efficient …sadly you ordered the item before J ran his mouth at the hacker’s place, otherwise you wouldn’t care he wants a street with his name.

“You said no… no Joker Street,” you stammer. “Now you have one,” the bitter tone makes him roll his eyes: Y/N’s brain got what it could from his monologue, he should have known better than to make it complicated.

“Excellent…” The King starts rubbing your tummy, “… precisely what I was aiming for. I’m washing the baby, not you!” he underlines when you move farther from him.

You scrunch your face displeased but let him do it because it’s for the baby.

“I know what you’re doing,” Y/N gives him a cold gaze. “U-using the baby… I’m not stupid!”

Busted, The Joker thinks. The schemer in him won’t accept defeat though.

“I didn’t say you were.”

“Yes you did!”

“You said it first!!!” he reckons, antagonized. “Therefore two stupid people put together gotta make up for a smart one!!’

“I… I don’t wanna make out…” you frown at his suggestion.

The Joker sighs, deciding not to correct the trajectory of your judgement; it sure sounds like an opportunity.

“Why not?”

“I’m tired and…and I h-hate you,” your heavy eyelids close.

“Both viable reasons, even if I have to admit you striking Seraphim like that got me quite worked up. He’s no small fry! I had to wait for one hour for him to recover; you got a mean punch, woman! The more I reflect on it, the hornier I get. Which reminds me, Pumpkin: guess what?... … … I’m hormonal too.”

No answer, Pumpkin’s out.

“Of course nobody gives a damn if I’m hormonal!” he complaints while grabbing you from the bathtub. You cling to him for a few moments prior to drifting back into your dreams.

“Thanks for getting me all wet,” J snarls at the cruel reality of having his favorite Prada suit ruined.

“You…you’re welcome…” his Queen replies in her sleep, somehow her mind clutching to reality amidst pure relaxation.

This is what two hormonal individuals are reduced to: one’s dozing off, the other is suffering in silence, although being the proud owner of the tiniest road in Gotham compensates for the mishap.

It’s a two way street.

 Also read: Masterlist

You can also follow me on Ao3 and Wattpad under the same blog name: DiYunho. 

[scentedsongrebel]

Decisions (2/2)

Pairings: Bucky Barnes × Fem! Reader

Summary: The aftermath.

Warnings: Language, fluff, angst, so many feels, extra drama, in accurate descriptions of airport and flights... tell if I miss any.

Word Count: 6021

Written for @anika-ann​‘s #challenge500ann

PART 1 

SERIES MASTERLIST  MAIN MASTERLIST

My love,

I would start by saying I'm sorry. I am really sorry that I am running away from fulfilling my side of the deal but after months of trying even if it was just to piss you off and in a way make you come back to me I have realized something. After having hated every thing that I loved about you, after hating myself for loving you like I do, I have realized something.

I have seen the power of unrequited love, I have watched it in the cheesy movies we watched together in the darkness of my living room couch. I have seen one person chase after their love who does not return their feelings until a single situation forces them to confront feelings that existed but they just couldn't see. I have watched as at the end our protagonist takes his lover’s hand and rides off into the sunset. And somewhere, I have tried to do the same thing. I thought that making you jealous, pushing your decisions in your face, taking Nat  to the places you wanted to go, do things with her that were ours, will give rise to the big realization on your part and you would come running into my arms.

But ours isn't that love is it? Ours isn't unrequited. I'm not the only one in love am I? For us as I now realize is that I have always loved you more. From the day I saw you steal fruits off Mrs. White's tree to the day Nat finally introduced us and I accidentally spilled orange juice all over your pretty green flower dress, I have always inevitably been attracted to you and while you were not to me. While I watched you join the drama club and never missed a show that you were a part of, even the time when you became a tree in the background of some show I don't remember because all my attention was caught by the tree trying and failing to keeps its branches straight, you were never pulled towards me like that. 

You didn't run the short distance between us to jump into my arms when I returned from my short stint at the army.You didn’t miss my smile when I remembered home in the middle of a battle field. I did not join your mind alongside your family as the reason you held onto life after an explosion in your car. 

You did not spend sleepless nights wondering about what the hell was going on with you.

The problem never was that my love was not reciprocated, it was in fact reciprocated but the reciprocation was never strong enough. You never loved me as much as I did. You never felt the need to fight for me. And maybe I would have lived with it because I would have never understood what that even meant.

But now? Now I don't think I can. I don't think I can be near you and not see the love of my life, not loving me enough to want me no matter what. I can't be with Nat. Not because I love you and it hurts to be with anyone else, which of course is a factor. But because I don't think I can let myself love someone after realizing the harsh reality about reciprocation.

I can't be the one to dive in nose deep and realize the other was just taking a dip. I can't love someone because I have already drowned and I don't think there is any saving left for me.

So I am done chasing you. I can't do that to myself anymore. Don't worry about Nat, I have instructed Steve to take her in with him and Peggy and help her heal from the pain I have inevitably caused her. Steve would do that for me.

For you my love, I do not blame you. Nat is your sister, she is your family and I know how important she is to you. But I hope you will understand why I did what I did. I hope someday when we meet again down the road, you will see why I couldn't do it.

I’m gonna go stay with my Mother and Becca in Chicago for a while. Maybe find a job there, a new house? Start over.

I hope you find happiness in your life even if its with someone else. Us was just not meant to be.

Best wishes,

Your James.

----------

Tears freely fall down your eyes as you read the letter and sobs take over your lips.

Bucky left. You pushed him so much that he couldn't take it anymore and he left. Left all the madness, all the pain. He left thinking that you never loved him enough, that you never felt the pull.

In your effort not to hurt your sister you had done something else. You had hurt the love of your life. Pushed him away, forced him to leave the city and start over.

You can't blame him can you? After all it was all your fault-

"Will you stop it" Nat pinches the skin on your arm and you wince

"What?"

"I know the self hatred going on in your brain" She crumbles the letter Bucky wrote for her after having gone through its contents "We need to get to the airport as fast as we can"

"But Nat-"

"Shut up and get your phone. I'm driving you to the airport"

She runs towards the table you grab her car keys and cell phone as you stay glued to you position

"What is happening?" Steve looks around at the two of you, his eyebrows knit together

"We're taking Y/n to the airport so she can propose to Bucky"

"What?" You and Steve ask at the same time and Nat rolls her eyes, ignoring Steve and turning towards you

"He already did his proposing, we can't expect him to do it again when you are the one that said yes and then bailed. You gotta show him you are serious about him"

"Nat-"

"You wanna marry him or not?"

"Yes"

"Then you gotta propose and apologize" she pulls of her coat off the hanger and runs out the door before screaming behind her

"Y/n get your ass over here quick and Steve I will leave you behind if you don't hurry"

You and Steve stare at each other before something in you snaps as you finally realize the situation you were in.

You grab your phone and coat and rush out the door, Steve following close behind, grabbing the house keys and running after the car, screaming for Nat to just wait for a second for him as she starts the car the moment you get in.

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

"Wow. This is so exciting" Steve is typing on his phone in the back seat as Nat speeds through the traffic.

"Steve" you whine "Can you not. I'm really nervous"

"I'm sorry. Its just" Steve grins at you through the front mirror "Bucky has no idea what's coming for him."

"You think he'll like it?" You ask biting your lips nervously

"Like it? He loves you Y/n. He's gonna cry right in front of all those people. He's been dying for you to come to your senses"

You wince as Steve goes on about how Bucky has been so depressed and irritated lately. How every time he opened his mouth which was very rare it was to curse you for stealing his heart, for doing whatever the hell you were doing to him.

Nat notices how uncomfortable you get as Steve goes on not realizing that he may be saying a little too much before Nat shoots him a look and he suddenly stops

"Oh no no" he tries to go for a save "No Y/n I didn't mean it like that-"

"Stop"

"Thank you" he sighs in relief, looking at his phone "I'm gonna shut up now"

"That's good" Nat says as she taps her hands on the steering wheel and waiting for the traffic to clear out "Who are you texting any way"

"Peggy" he replies, looking at her through the front mirror "She's very invested in this story"

"What?" You look at him with your eyebrows knitted together

"Well she cares about Bucky too"

You nod your head and look ahead as the traffic stats to clear out and Nat takes the turn towards the airport.

"5 minutes out" she announces, trying really hard to stay within the speed limit

You take several deep breaths as you decide on the right course to take. Should you just get down on one knee and propose without a ring? Should you pull him aside and just talk to him? Should you run to him and just kiss him senseless?

The questions fly around in your head and maybe that is why you don't realize when Nat pulls over in the airport parking area and shakes you by the shoulders to catch your attention.

"Y/n we're here" she says and you look at her fearfully

"What am I gonna say to him?"

"Whatever is in your heart when you see him" She pats your shoulder in reassurance "Now come, lets move"

All three of you quickly make your way towards the main entrance of the airport before a thought pops up in your brain

"Wait, I need a ticket to get in"

"Okay, I will just get to the cheapest ticket" Nat says but before she can run to buy a ticket Steve stops her

"He may have already gone through the security check. The check-in closes in five minutes"

"Yeah so Y/n will check-in for her flight and meet him"

"No, you need to board the flight"

"What Steve are you really that stupid?"

"You think she will just show up and he won't go to Chicago" Steve glares at Nat "If you don't know, he is really angry. I think he would not listen to you and leave regardless. You need to get a seat on the plane right with him and convince him. And also its a huge airport, how long do you plan on looking around for him?"

"Steve is right" You nod your head "I need to go to Chicago with him"

Nat shakes her head as she sighs

"How the hell are we gonna procure a ticket to a flight 5 minutes before check-in is over?"

You take a deep breath and.close your eyes, trying to run the different scenarios through brain.

Maybe buying the cheap ticket to somewhere else is the best plan here? You would have to run as hell and find him and make him stay. Or you would have a follow him to Chicago on the next flight.

But how were you gonna find him in that city. Maybe Steve could give you his mother's address and-

"Peggy got you a ticket"

Steve says, pulling you out of your thoughts

"What?"

"Peggy booked a ticket when we were in the car. Here."

Your phone beeps and you pull it out to find a message from Steve and you look up at him

"Its the ticket" Steve says and then screams "NOW GO. WHY ARE YOU STANDING HERE"

You blink before taking Steve in a soul crashing hug and kiss his cheek.

"Thank you so so so much for marrying Peggy Steve. God I love her"

And then you pull away and dash towards the entrance missing Steve muttering something about thanking him for being a good friend too

"YOU GOT AN ID?" Nat screams after you and you pat your pocket, pulling out your driver's license

Nat sighs, moving to stand closer to Steve as the two of them watch you show the ticket on your phone to the guard and darting inside the airport

"You think it will work?"

"I hope so"

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

You bend down to rest your hands on your knees as you try to catch your breath. Running and finishing the check-in just seconds before it closes really does good in increasing the adrenaline supply in your blood stream.

You take a glance at the clock on the airport wall and sigh, after collecting your boarding pass and going through the security check, you had just a little more then 20 minutes to boarding.

Finding Bucky in this huge airport did seem like a child's play from the outside but now that you stand, looking at all the signs, even finding your gate seems like a chore.

You did forget the airports were the most stupidly complicated things in the world. You make a mental note to gift Peggy a very expensive birthday present for this. And also to thank Steve for bringing her in your life.

It takes you well over 10 minutes to understand where exactly was where you needed to go and another 10 before you do reach there and by that time, the flight is already linning passengers for boarding.

You look around, trying to locate your favorite mass of brown hair as the line starts moving forward.

And with your fast beating heart and cloudy vision, it was getting harder and harder to spot Bucky in the crowd, lining to board the plane. Seems like the plane was in full capacity.

You sigh. Why the fuck is everyone going to Chicago?

You move closer, deciding to joint he line yourself before the familiar beefy body catches your eye. Bucky stands at almost the front of the line with his shoulders slumped and a duffel back thrown over his shoulder. His eyes are in front of him and you just can't stop yourself from screaming his name

"BUCKY!!" You scream and immediately bring your hands to cover your mouth. What the hell was wrong with you?

The entire airport including Bucky turn to look your way but you keep your eyes on him as his meet yours.

His ocean blues widen to the size of saucers and you just know the speck of green has become more prominent.

His eyebrows furrow and his face scrunches like he wants to say something before he shakes his head and keeps looking your way, still confused.

You try to action for him to come to you could talk and for a minute there it seems like he would run out of the line and just take you in his arms before the passenger behind him reminds him to either move forward or get out of the line which seems to lift up his daze as he shakes his head.

He moves ahead in the kine, showing his ticket to the man at the front and then he looks back at you as he enters the boarding bridge. He gives you one last look before he’s walking towards his flight.

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

You sit on your seat watching Bucky as he sits on the window seat of his row which is two ahead of yours on the side of the plane.

Your wishes to every god you could think off for a seat next to Bucky unfortunately did not come true. Its like even the gods know how horribly you screwed up and want you to do it all by yourself.

The moment the seat belt sign is off, you pull yours off and make your way towards Bucky's seat, taking a deep breath.

"Umm Mam?" You ask the middle aged lady sitting on the middle seat of his row besides him

"Yes?" the woman pushes her specks closer to her eyes from where they had fallen to the bridge of her nose, her hair tied in a bun that rests on the base of her neck

"Umm would you mind if we trade places?" You ask, shooting her an apologetic look

She furrows her eyebrows together and looks over behind your back

"Which one?"

"The one there" you point at it "Its the corner seat, better than the middle one, am I right"

You try to laugh and she shoots you a suspicious look

"And why would you want to change places?" You sigh, taking a deep breath, trying to avoid eye contact with Bucky who now looks over at you in irritation, having pulled out his ear plugs but before you can answer the woman’s question Bucky interrupts

"Please please don't trade places with her" he begs the woman and she turns to him "She's been following me"

Your jaw touches the floor as you give Bucky a dirty look

"I'm not following you!"

"Then why do you want this seat?" Bucky glares back at you and you try to quell your anger. You are here to win him back, if he wants to call you a stalker then be it. At this point, with the amount of hurt you’ve caused him. He is allowed to call you whatever he wants. "Mam, if you want a good seat, I'll trade places with you but please don't let her sit besides me"

"James" you sigh

"That's enough mam" the young man on the corner seat in Bucky's row interrupts and with a jolt you realize that all the passengers were watching you and from the corner of your eye, you can make out the stewardess making her way towards you.

This is just great. You shoot a last glance at Bucky who looks away the moment your eyes meet

"Mam I would have to ask you to go back to your seat please" the stewardess calmly asks you and you close your eyes and nod your head 

"James, can we please talk"

You try one last time and when there is no reply from him, the lady besides him asks you to leave him alone and you sigh and start moving towards your seat.

You still had 2 hours before landing time but all you could think about was what you can do next.

Bucky didn't want to talk to you. How in hell were you going to convince him to listen to what you had to say? Once you landed you knew he would run away and you would loose him in the crowds. This was your only chance.

Beg him, romance him, get your man Y/n.

A voice suspiciously sounding exactly like Nat rings in your ears and you sigh, closing your eyes

They can't throw you out of an air-borne plane. Maybe ban you for life but they can't throw you out of the plane while in the air. Maybe permanent road travel will be your punishment for what you did to Bucky. 

You keep an eye on the back of his head, waiting for the perfect moment before fate seem to have taken pity on you and the woman besides him stands up to use the rest room.

Perfect

You discreetly stand up and quickly make your way towards his seat and try to get in when the man on the corner seat interrupts

"Excuse me, you can't come here" he starts to say and clicks the button to call the stewardess but this is your only chance and so you take a deep breath, keeping your eyes on Bucky's ocean blues that always calm you. Ocean blues that are narrowed right in this moment.

"I love you" You say and ignore the commotion that has inevitably started "I love you. And I made a mistake. The biggest one of my life"

A single tear falls down your left eye followed by one from the right as you continue

"Please forgive me. Please. I love you"

The stewardess has made her way towards you and is trying to pull you away from Bucky who looks at you with utter pain in his eyes but says nothing

"I promise I won't ask you to go to Nat" You try to rush the words out, ignoring the people and the air hostess warning you of consequences "I just wanna talk please just one conversation and I would leave"

He shakes his head and looks out of the window as you are pulled away

"I did think about you when you were gone. I did attend all your track events just secretly" you say, one last attempt to get a reaction and when he whips his head to look your way, you know you were successful

"I have been an idiot and I am responsible for every pain that you are going through. I am responsible for all this and I take the responsibility but please, please give me a chance. Please forgive me. Talk to me"

You realize every eyes are on you as the stewardess have stopped trying to pull you away as tears fall down Bucky's eyes.

"James Buchanan Barnes" You inhale, carefully stepping closer to him "I love you, I love you more than Tom loved Jerry, more than-than- I'm sorry I just- I can't remember any lovers, just a second"

You hold up your finger in panic and see a hint of a smile at the corner of Bucky's lips that is quick to go away as he sternly stares back at you.

"Romeo and Juliet" a young girl whispers in your ear from behind you and You thankfully nod your head

"Yes! i love you more than Romeo loved Juliet, and even though those two never got a forever, maybe we could. Maybe we could have our finite infinity together. Because I can't do this without you. Because since we were kids I have felt this pull too, this attraction that gave me sleepless nights"

"How do I know you won't run away the first chance you get?" he asks harshly and you move closer, getting in the row and seating yourself on the empty seat besides him, the man at the corner moving away to give you space to get in

"I don't know" you say, trying to stop the sobs that try to break free. Your face is caked with tears and Bucky brings his hand closer to your faces and wipes those tears with the sleeve of his shirt

"Y/n" he exhales your name in his deep hoarse voice and places his hand on your cheek "Why are you doing this?"

You close your eyes as a tear falls down Bucky's cheek. You've only ever seen him cry all of three times since the day you guys met. What did you do to him?

"I love you James. I want you. I'm so so sorry" you whisper, bringing you hand to his cheek and wiping away the tear. He gives in to your touch and closes his eyes

"You're not gonna ask me to get back with Nat?"

A sob breaks through your mouth and you shake your head "No"

"How can I trust you?" His deep blues now stare at you and you try not to blink as several more tears start forming in your eyes. "How do I know you won't run away the first chance you get. How do I know you won't break my heart again?"

"I don't know" You cry and he shakes his head "What do I do? How do I make you believe me?"

"I don't know" he sighs and takes a deep breath, pulling harshly at his hair "God Y/n what are you doing to me?"

His voice is frustrated and you wanna tell him that that's exactly what you've been thinking. What the hell were you doing?

"I was sure about my decision about leaving and starting over and I'm leaving you to be with Sam. He is perfect for you. He likes to read books, and he watches the same boring shows and the same boring documentaries with you and he hasn't spent his entire childhood in a rivalry with you. He is perfect for you"

"But I want you" You whisper and he closes his eyes

"God, I so wanna believe you right now" he whispers in pain

"Then believe me. I love you. Marry me"

"I-I can't just-" he shakes his head and takes hold of your shoulders "Why? Why now"

"I talked to Nat"

"And she said it was okay?"

You nod your head as he shakes his

"So you're not here because of your own self?"

"What, no James of course I am"

He shakes his head

"You are here because Nat told you it was fine. Not because you were ready to be here for me no matter what"

"James thats-"

"Y/n please just" he turns away from you and looks out his window "Just go home and leave me be"

"James" you whisper "I can't I love you"

He sighs and growls in irritation

"What if Nat comes to you tomorrow and says she changed her mind?"

"What-"

"What if she tells you she loves me and she wants me? what would you do?"

"I-I" you shake your head "She won't do that"

"I don't care what she would or would not do. Just freaking tell me what you would do?"

"I-I" you stutter, trying to think of what to say before he nods his head

"I have my answer, you can leave" he turns away

"James"

"I can't do this Y/n" he groans "I can't be with you because every second I would be afraid that you would leave me the moment you get the chance"

"I won't-"

"I can't possibly know that"

"I'm telling you that. I won't leave ever ever again"

"Y/n, my love. Our love was never strong enough if all it took was the fear that Nat would hate you to leave me. If it really was that strong then you would have told her about us and convinced her to accept it"

"James" he places his finger on your lips

"I love you" he whispers as fresh tears start to form in his eyes "I love you with everything I have my love but you don't. These past two months made me realize if it was that easy for you to let me go while I kept fighting that maybe your feelings were never strong enough. I can't live with the fear that you would just leave me again because you don't love me enough"

You openly cry as he touches your cheek one last time before closing his eyes and leaning his head against the window.

You turn to look around and find the eyes of every single passenger on you guys. The stewardess have started to wheel their food trolley but their eyes are on you too as they look at you with pity

So now they all know how big you screwed up too then?

You take a deep breath, looking towards your seat where the lady previously sitting besides Bucky sits. You decide to apologize to her and maybe to every passenger on the plane and get to stand.

This was over. Your love was over. You just lost one of the best things that happened to you because of your stupidity. You ruined everything.

 Don’t let your love get away Y/n

You turn to look his way one last time and that is enough for your heart. For it decides this wasn’t it. He said he loved you right? Then you need to prove to him that you do to.

"Is anyone ordained here?"

You look around at the passengers of the flight as Bucky's head whips you look your way

"Y/n, what are you-"

"Proving to you how serious I am about this" You say resolutely and then look around the flight again "Is anyone ordained here?"

A young girl, seemingly in her late twenties raises her hand, wincing slightly

"I got ordained to marry my friends"

"Oh great" you clap your hands together as Bucky looks at you open mouthed "Will you be willing to Marry us if this Man answers my question"

She hesitantly nods her head before giving you a small smile

"Y/n what the hell? What question?"

"James Buchanan Barnes, ever since I met you for the first time when you spilled that stupid orange soda down my favorite dress, I have hated your guts. I have hated them more when despite your stupid teasing,I still found myself attending your games secretly because I was supposed to hate you. 

I hated you when I missed you terribly and spent sleepless nights worrying about if you were safe in Afghanistan. I hated this invisible string that was pulling me to you. 

And I made the biggest mistake of my life and I’m sorry. Maybe I would never be able to make up for what I did to you, the pain I caused but please please give me a chance. 

I know I have never shown you but my love is not weak. Its strong enough for me get run over here just to get you back. For me to propose to you in the air and wanting nothing more than to be yours. 

So please please give me a chance and Marry me”

You take a deep breath as you pull out a candy from your pocket and Bucky stares at it wide eyed.

"I don't have a ring currently but please accept this candy as a token of my love" you whisper and he keeps staring at the candy "This is me telling you that even though I don't need you like oxygen, I want you and I choose you"

Bucky closes his eyes as a single tear falls down one of his eyes. He shakes his head before opening his eyes and aiming the deep blue into yours. They shine as his lips take up a hint of a curve

"This is a forever thing Y/n" he says from his seat "You can't back out, I won't be able to handle it"

"Never in my wildest dreams will I back out" you whisper and bring the candy in front of his face.

He stares at it for a second before smiling and taking it from your hand and putting it in his mouth, sliding the wrapper in his pocket.

Rounds of applause fill up the plane as Bucky bites the things in his mouth, breaking it into pieces and then taking your lips in his, effectively sharing.

You laugh as he whispers yes against your mouth again and again.

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

We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January

This is our place, we make the rules

You rest your head against Bucky's shoulder as he holds your hand, the his other arm gently guiding your body along with the music.

The windows are tinted with the early January snow in your suburban New York city home. The little droplets of snow shine with the ferry lights that adorn the windows from the outside.

And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear

Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?

The little wall behind your back, directly in Bucky's line of site is bejeweled with memories of your time together.

The little Y/n riding her bike without training wheels for the first time with Nat, Steve and a grumpy Bucky posing for the camera in the background.

The young Bucky in his ninja spy costume with his arms around Steve's shoulder who himself is dressed in his Captain America costume. Nat stands besides Steve with a toothy grin, showing off her rabbit teeth and her Black Widow costume, with you beside her, waving shyly at the camera with a smile, proudly showing off your Witch attire.

A candid of Bucky and you around the age of eleven, eating your pieces of cakes at Steve's birthday party, sitting on the opposite corners of the couch.

A picture of you from when you were dressed as a tree, holding branches in both your hands.

A picture of Bucky before his Trek meet.

A picture of you in the driver's seat of your mother’s car as Nat sat on the passenger seat, trying to teach you how to drive, taken from the outside by Bucky who had refused to come anywhere near the car you were driving.

A picture of Bucky in his uniform with his mother, sister and all of you along with Steve's Mom as you bid the two of them goodbye with pearls in your eyes that you had denied having when Bucky had teased you. All of you seeing Bucky and Steve off as they leave for service in the army. 

A picture of you and Nat in your dorm room, with Nat pointing at the mess that was your side.

One of Bucky smiling for the camera as Steve clicks the first picture since he was discharged from the hospital after his arm injury. Nat and you standing to the side and watching him.

A picture of you and Bucky with his lips on your cheek as you smile for the camera, the Ferris wheel in your background. Taken by the old woman who offered to click your picture.

A selfie taken by Bucky as he sits on the edge of the bed, with you making faces from behind.

A picture taken by one of the fellow passengers on the airplane of your impromptu wedding. You two sitting on your seats, holding each other's hands and maintaining eye contact as the girl marries you, standing behind your seats.

Another one from the Chicago Marriage Registration office, taken just after you made it official.

One from the reception of your wedding you had to have after Bucky's mother freaked about not having gotten to see her son get married. And also because you both wanted to show each other off. And because Bucky wanted to see you in a dress as you walked down the aisle to him. And because you wanted to see him standing there waiting for you.

A picture of your honeymoon on Hawaii as you sat on the sand, your back against his bare chest and his legs opening to fit you in against him and his arms around your body, fingers playing with the strings of your bikini.

Another of the two of you bathed in sweat and breathing heavily while lying against the wall that read the top of the empire state building.

One of you hugging Steve from the side as the two of you look at the young boy in his arms, both with traces of salty streams down your cheeks, Peggy sleeping in her hospital bed in the background.

One of the two of you sitting down on the floor, leaning against the several boxes, completely exhausted on moving day.

A picture of Bucky sitting on your office desk, proudly showing your name stand to the camera.

And another of Bucky with tears streaming down his eyes as he shows Steve the ultra sound picture of your little girl.

One of Nat protectively holding your stomach and pushing Bucky away as he frowns at her, you laughing heartily.

One of your heavily pregnant self standing beside Nat in her wedding dress with you in your maid of honor dress, Bucky holding little Grant Rogers in his arms on your other side as Steve and Peggy stand besides Sam in his Groom outfit.

An empty frame waiting for the birth of you little princess to house the first family photo.

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close forever and ever?

And ah, take me out, and take me home

You're my, my, my, my lover

A calendar is sitting on the kitchen counter behind you, a little heart on the date just 2 days from now when your little girl is due to join you.

Bucky slowly twirls you, staying mindful of your bump as he brings you back in his arms before carefully bending you just a little and placing a soft kiss against your lips before gently placing his hands on either side of your stomach and bending down to place a kiss right there as you smile and hum with the song playing in the background.

Life was good.

END

[peachy-inserts]

HCs for Todoroki, Deku, and Bakugou on their reactions when their (s/o) is ill, but trudges through their ailment to support these guys (despite the boys’ protests not to) in the Sports Festival and passes out in the audience due to the illness and fatigue, resulting in quarantine, please?

Sorry for the wait! God… you can really tell I don’t write for Bakugou enough by how off topic I am. I just have so much to say about this lovable dick that I don’t typically have the opportunity to 

Warnings: Cursing

Midoriya:

When you first began to show symptoms of sickness, Deku became a worrying mess and found himself slacking off on training despite the sports festival being so soon

Not that he really needed it, but it’s Deku

Like I said before, he’s a total worrywart. We know this about him! No matter what it is, he is an absolute anxious mess. You’d better not tell him that you came out to watch him anyways!

He knows how much it means to you, and while you got good seats as a result of being in general studies, you could always watch it from home! It was broadcasted nationally, and it’s not like you would miss anything; they did a pretty good job covering all of the details!

We’re gonna go with the scenario where you don’t tell him you came out to support him, because if you did he simply wouldn’t participate until you caved in. Deku is a chaotic force of good and more importantly, incredibly fucking stubborn. I know he’s a sweet boy, but good God he does NOT take no for an answer. Kid doesn’t listen for absolute shit!

In the middle of the festival, he notices a little bit of a commotion in the crowd but shrugs it off; he’s gotta make sure he impresses you, since you’re supposedly watching him on the television!

It’s not until afterwards that he hears about it, being informed that you’ve been put on quarantine as well

Let’s just say he is heartbroken. More than anything, he was looking forward to coming back to the dorms to pay you a visit and relax after a long, tiring day. With the sports festival off of his chest, he can take care of you without being so stressed about it… Except, that’s not the case

Since you’re contagious, you’ve been sent to your own house. That way the sickness doesn’t spread, and you can be properly taken care of

As soon as he gets permission to, he is on his way! ...Only to be greeted at the door by a family member who shoos him away, since you are quarantined after all

Deku would (impatiently) wait it out with you, trying to make it as easy as possible. He’ll run to all of your teachers collecting work, and even try to do some of it for you. He does spend a lot of time studying, after all, so you don’t have much to worry about

He had the next two days off after the tournament to recuperate and rest, which was spent almost entirely on FaceTime with you, showing you his new injuries (we all know it happened, the boy has no rationality), trying to help you with your makeup work by the tutoring the best way he can, and fawning over your tired but loving expression. Actually, mostly just that last part

Delivery man Deku! He’d pick up all of your favorite snacks, candies, and bottled drinks, then deliver them personally to your house. Being shooed away the last time though, he opts to leave them in a woven basket with a poorly tied bow and a note in the bottom, which is just for you

Todoroki:

While he would be worried about you, he ultimately believes that it’s your decision on what you do. If you wanna come to the sports festival and watch him he won’t stop you, but he can at least try and persuade you by telling you just how he feels about it

That’s not to say he isn’t disappointed, though. Like Deku, he wouldn’t know that you had passed out until after the festival; either because he’s so focused or even because he’s just too dense. It could even be a combination of both, knowing him

Shouto would be quick to chastise you, almost akin to Bakugou in the way he wastes no time in telling you just how you fucked up. However, he’s still timid and suffers from commitment issues stemming from insecurity and his upbringing. He’s just as quick to apologize, sighing and wishing you get wells from the bottom of his heart

The sports festival is long off of his mind by now; to be honest, he didn’t really care about it in the first place. Whether or not you saw it is beyond him, although he appreciates the thought

He knows better than to try and come see you while you’re quarantined, but he doesn’t really give two shits. If he gets sick that’s his own problem, so he won’t stand for being denied time with you; he’ll at least take precautions and wear a mask, though. 

Besides, you’re in this situation because of him. Even though he stands by his stance on this being your choice, he still feels deep down like it’s his fault

Shouto is sort of the awkward type in this stage of your relationship, so he won’t necessarily go out of his way for you. He’d gather your work for you since he’s still at the school, but if he’s unwelcome in your home due to the sickness he won’t fight it or show up again. 

Still yet though, he misses you and is worried more than he would like to admit. Lots of random calls and texts from him

He would spend all day looking for those cutesy heart edits and sending them to you, or finding shitty memes and teasing you over them, saying it reminded him of you

ONE MORE THING: He’s sappy as shit, and being inexperienced and sort of isolated from society in a way (he didn’t even know what a concert was) he’d try and stick to cheesy romantic ideals. This man would write you a whole ass poem to give to you with some chocolates whenever you returned to the dorms, waiting on your bed

Bakugou:

The most assertive in telling you to stay home. He’s hyper aware of your sickness and how it spread, but most importantly aware of how badly it’s going to affect you. Let him catch you coming anyways and he’ll kill you

Because he’s so knowledgeable on the topic, he’s easily the most worried by far. It’s not that he’s scared for your safety so much, but more so your general wellbeing. Katsuki is miserable whenever he’s sick, so the thought of you going through the same thing is almost agonizing for him

He acts like a total mom and you can’t change my mind on this. Also, I don’t agree with fanon Bakugou being arrogant and hateful towards his s/o. This man is putty in your hands, and although he acts annoyed at times he prioritizes making sure that you’re comfortable and know how he truly feels. He’s always had trouble communicating his feelings because of his relationship with his mother (we all love her but I will die on this hill) and as a result of it, is honestly terrified of fucking up and losing you by being too closed off

Anyways though, back to the point: he would be a total mom when you’re sick! Bossing you around, don’t do this, eat this, breathe some of this in, here, have some tea- It’s honestly exhausting having to listen to whatever miracle cure he’s concocted for you next, but you know he at least means well. He really does go above and beyond for his s/o, especially when they’re unwell. The most important part in a relationship to him is being able to lean on each other when you can’t stand up on your own, and by God he’ll carry you for as long as you need him to. Literally and figuratively 

I know I’m going off on a tangent but I just have so much to say about my interpretation of Bakugou: he’s the boyfriend who insists on trying to fix all of your problems instead of just listening to them, and it’s one of the most frustrating things

ALSO BAKUGOU DOES NOT, CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, CALL HIS S/O NAMES LIKE ‘IDIOT’ AND ‘BASTARD’. HE DRINKS HIS RESPECT (WOMEN) JUICE

Katsuki is very intuitive; even though you most likely lied about staying home to get him off your ass, it doesn’t take long for him to know that you’ve come anyways, and HOOOO BOY is he pissed (not that he’d ever take that aggression out on you, though. He’ll save that for the finals)

His head is swirling throughout nearly the entire tournament, and he’s thrown completely off of his game. On a typical day, he’d be trying to show off for you and flexing whenever he can while flawlessly demolishing his opponents, but this time he only makes it into the top ten

He can’t stop stealing glances into the stands, his mind wandering into the empty seat beside you and dying to know whether or not you’re okay, all while absolutely fuming. More than anything, he’s mad at himself. It’s been proven to us time and time again that he tends to blame himself for things, and takes it way too personally, to the point of being self destructive as a result of a sweltering, nasty inferiority complex

Immediately after the tournament, when he’s released and free to head back to the dorms and rest, he sits down in the locker room and calls your cell. Two times, three times, and finally four times with no response. Ok, now his heart rate is shot

By the time he finally comes into contact with you he’s in a cold sweat, brow furrowed in aggravation and concern; a strange mixture. Calm him down, let him know you’re alright, and assure him that you’re perfectly safe and comfortable at home, well taken care if

Once that’s over with, expect a lengthy lecture about the dangers of exposing yourself while you know you’re sick, thoroughly chastising you and expressing just how worried about you he truly is (Seriously guys, if you’re sick even in the slightest STAY HOME)

Like Deku, he would want to spend as much time with you as possible, even if it’s over FaceTime. He tends to be a little paranoid over germs, though, so since it’s not like you live together he won’t pay any visits to your house. Quarantine means business! 

However, though, he will prepare a nice little surprise in your dorm room for when you come back. A carefully decorated array of dried flowers, candies, and small snacks. Katsuki prides himself in all that he does and strives for perfection in every aspect of life; this is no exception. He lives to impress you!

Once you’ve beaten the worst of the sickness, he cracks down on you and will begin to act like he’s a professor on Zoom; man schedules FaceTime meetings between the two of you for him to catch you up on everything that you’ve missed. Let’s not forget, he’s at the head of his class and devotes a large portion of time and dedication into his academic studies

[second-chance-stray]

RP Log: Riylli, Rising, and Cravs rethink a plan.

(Rising Lotus) Help me come up with a name for my Shiny Marill (Cravendy Hound) meryl streep (Rising Lotus) Mmmmmmmm nah (Riylli Aliapoh) azumeryl streep (Cravendy Hound) sdfs azumeryl

Riylli Aliapoh waves to Rising as she enters the room. "Hey, you finally made it!" She says, despite only arriving herself only about a minute ago. "Okay! Now we can finally start! The goal for tonight is to figure out a way to deal with that Rot lady! And maybe get a little drunk. But just a little, got it?"

Cravendy Hound sweeps a neat pile of sawdust into the corner and then disappears into the back to put her broom away. Contrary to Riylli's suggestion, she comes out with her arms full of bottles.

Rising Lotus walked in and immediately took a seat at the bar, leaning back against the counter. "Do you think it's a good idea to plan while drinkin'? Also you missed bar night last night!...well I 'spose you didn't miss much though. Slow night."

Riylli took her seat beside Rising. "...Wasn't really in the mood." She muttered, waving her hand dismissively. "And were only gonna get a little drunk, remember? Just enough to spark our creativity!"

Rising Lotus shrugs and give Riylli a dismissive wave. "Don't worry I get it, between Mivo an' Mayumi. Nothin' wrong with takin' a night to yourself, you were missed though." she gave Riylli a smile and a thumbs up, spinning on her stool after to eye up the selection.

(Riylli Aliapoh) ("Only a little drunk")

Cravendy Hound deposits everything on the counter, leaving scant room for cups. "Just enough to spark our creativity, aye."

Riylli Aliapoh 's ears folded back a bit at that, not sure how to respond. "I'll... Show up for the next one then... But you better keep those two away from me, got it?" She said, turning to grab whichever bottle nearby had 'Mead' written on it

Cravendy Hound: "A guy came in and showed us 'is lack of eye. Pretty gross." Cravs turns to open the cabinets behind her and places a stack of empty cups at the far end of the counter.

Riylli Aliapoh: "W...Why'd he go and do that..?" Riylli made a face of disgust at the thought. It was probably for the best that she had not been there

Rising Lotus: "Aye he did, looked super gross...though I guess Crav's asked him to show us, an' your not NOT gonna look at that if given an' opportunity right?"

Cravendy Hound: "I told 'im to! Wanted to know if it was just for show," Cravs laughs. She ducks down for a second and pulls up a set of ingredients - frozen pineapple, oranges, cherries and a bit of mint. "...I nearly died gettin' these pineapples awhile back, so. 'ere, I'll make us somethin' tasty."

Riylli Aliapoh stuck out her tongue at Rising. "No way, that's gross!" She grumbled, taking a swig of her bottle. She raised an eyebrow at Cravs' words. "...How do you almost die gettin' pineapples?"

Rising Lotus "They better be tasty if you almost bit it tryin' to get 'em. An' I suppose they could fallen on her, prick her with them pointy parts." she thinks for a few moments. "...do pineapples grow on trees? I know those hard brown things do.."

Cravendy Hound 's mouth sets in a hard line. She pointedly ignores Riylli's question and focuses her attention on juice the fruit.

Riylli Aliapoh gives Rising a worried look at Cravs' reaction, but decides to change the subject. "...Anyroad, all that aint important. We gotta figure out a plan to deal with Rot after all! So... Uh... Any suggestions..?"

Cravendy Hound: "They grow in bushes, actually."

Rising Lotus "So they ain't related to pine trees or cones at all then? Why they called that then?" considering she forgot why they were here before they started drinking, it looked like it might be a long night.

Cravendy Hound: "Well, speakin' in a general sense...we could do somethin' legal, illegal, or in between." Cravs pours a bit of pineapple and orange juice in a glass full of ice, and then dumps the rest of the ingredients in. Vodka, cherry, mint. "I....I don't know, actually? Just know the bush they grow outta doesn't look like a pine tree."

Riylli Aliapoh: "Focussss" She hissed at Rising, shooting her a glare. "Pineapples aint important right now! Aint you supposed to be the smart one outta all of us?"

Cravendy Hound: "Oy, and why ye gettin' 'ung up on the 'pine' part? What about 'apple'? Doesn't look or taste like an apple at all!"

Rising Lotus looks at Riylli for a few moments, the turning to Cravs. "... I don't know if that's a good thing, I mean.. smart enough to not do some of the dumb shit you to do I 'spose...but I guess that's jus' cause one of us has to be alive to take the other two home. Huh."

Riylli Aliapoh: "Wha-? I don't do dumb shite! You've seen my magic, I'm really smart!" She insists, immediately getting sidetracked as well.

Rising Lotus "...you're right... it doesn't taste or look like an' apple...an' I think we all only are smart in like, some very particular areas really. I mean I dunno, I never felt that smart...cept for like fishin' an' fightin'."

Cravendy Hound: "Oy, we're 'ere to talk plans, right?! So come on! Drink up, and get those juices flowin'!" Cravs pushes the bottles aside and deposits cocktails in front of Rising and Riylli.

Riylli Aliapoh eyes the drink suspiciously, but eventually gave in and replaced her mead. Her ears flickered as she tasted it, looking up to grin at Cravs. "It's good! I was worried it was gonna be all bitter like that other stuff you... Er... L-Like other drinks. In general. Y'know..."

Rising Lotus took a long drag from the drink, giving a nod of approval. "What other stuff you drinkin'? I mean I 'spose a lot of booze is bitter." she took another swig, blinking a few times afterwards. "...plannin' though...I think we ought to be careful, loanshark types aren't shy when it comes to doin' nasty things to folk they don't like."

Cravendy Hound: "Is knowin' magic a measure of smartness? Like, couldn't ye just use it on instinct? Then it'd be dumb magic." Cravs rambles as she picks up her own glass to sip on. She beams at Riylli's compliment. "Aye, can't beat a good fruity drink every now and again."

Riylli Aliapoh: "Of course magic is a measure of smartness! All the big mages are real smart folk, like that leh-vee-yur guy!" She said, before suddenly shaking her head. "Wait, no, planning dammit! I say the best way to get rid of her is by gettin' the law to lock her away, like Cravs planned. Just... think we should go about it a different way."

Rising Lotus: "I'm sure she's in the pockets of some of the Yellow Jackets though, coin is worth more than justice most the time. Used to hear 'bout it from my ma all the time growin' up. She'll weasel her way out probably."

Cravendy Hound nods to Rising's words. "Aye. The type where if ye cut off one head, two more will take its place. We definitely should avoid killin' anyone, cause that'll just make things worse."

Riylli Aliapoh glares at Cravs. "Of course were not killing anyone! Were the good guys, we don't do that kind of junk." She said, crossing her arms defiantly. "She can't be in the pockets of ALL those... 'yellow jackets' though, right? Just gotta make sure whatever we pin on her can't be covered up"

Cravendy Hound: "Lever-err...? That's the pipsqueak that was responsible for all that Crystal Brave stuff, right? Or was it...Urrre-ranger." Cravs rubs at her temples as she tries to recall. So much had happened while she wasn't 'paying attention.'

Rising Lotus "That an' we'll probably be arrested ourselves, along with what Cravs said of course!" she took another sip. "Hmm... most folks like her, place to hit where it'll hurt would be her wallet." she rubbed her chin "How many ways does she got gil comin' in?"

Cravendy Hound: "That was my main goal, actually. If people know she's sellin' stolen goods, then even if she pays off the Yellow Jackets, 'er reputation is sure to tank. And then, she won't 'ave the cash or time to mess round with Baldur."

Riylli Aliapoh takes another sip of her drink, clearly enjoying it judging by the way her ears wiggled. "...So how do we go about doin' that? Steal the stolen stuff from her? Or... Set a trap maybe..?"

Rising Lotus "Maybe get somethin' everyone will know will be stolen? Then when she tries to hock it she'd get caught?" she shrugged,  nearly draining her drink with the next sip. "Jus' need to make sure it's somethin' big...but somethin' she wouldn't recognize." she nodded a few too many times at her words, must of been a strong drink.

Cravendy Hound: "...if we steal the stolen stuff from 'er, then it'll just look like we stole it. And I don't think she'd be bold enough to try to sell somethin' that's well known."

Riylli Aliapoh: "...Then... What if we try buyin' somethin'? But set it up so the yellowjackets are there to see it happen?"

Rising Lotus shook her head "Naw, we'd never know if they'd be on her side or not..

Rising Lotus leand on elbow as she ponder, sipping up the remnants of her drink. "What... if...we trick her into stealin' from another type like her...someone more powerful?"

Cravendy Hound: "...It /could/ work. But she sells spice, so 'ow could we prove it was stolen? A bag of salt is as good as any."

Riylli Aliapoh thinks for a moment. "Well... What if it aint yellowjackets..? What if we used the wood wailers? Or the brass blades? Theres no way she'd be in the pockets of those guys, so... If we pull her out there with good enough bait..."

Cravendy Hound raises a brow at Rising's suggestion and thinks to herself. "Might blow up in our faces, but that's an interestin' idea."

Rising Lotus: "I mean that's an option, but she probably has a pretty set territory right?" she slid her glass forward towards Cravs, not so subtly wanting a refill. "It's have ta be somethin' big to bring here out here or in Thanalan."

Cravendy Hound: "Hm, well. Brass Blades ain't worth a penny, but the Wood Wailers might be stiff enough. Problem is gettin' 'er all the way out 'ere." Cravs refills Rising's cup.

Riylli Aliapoh seeing Rising do it, Riylli outstretches her cup as well for Cravs to refill. "Well, you were tryin' to get her attention with milkroot weren't you? I'm guessin' that's what that toad ooze was for at least..?"

Cravendy Hound pours Riylli a generous refill. "Aye, well...the toad ooze is supposed to be the bait. Somethin' that my friends would steal and then peddle to Rot."

Rising Lotus happily retrieves her glass and takes a sip, smacking her lips together after swallowing with a refreshed sigh. "She we still try that? I mean I 'spose we never got a chance to see what happened. Otherwise is there any other powerfull folks that we could trick her to steal from?"

Cravendy Hound: "It'd be more like, convincin' my friends to steal from someone powerful, and then hopin' Mindred buys it 'ot. Lady doesn't steal stuff directly...which means there's a risk that the blame'll end up fallin' on my friends instead."

Riylli Aliapoh noticably winced a bit as Cravs mentioned her friends. "W-What if I tried to sell it to her instead?" She speaks up suddenly. "She doesn't really know me, and everyone thinks Keepers are all criminals anyroad."

Rising Lotus grimaced at that idea. "I dunno, she did meet ya after all... an' you didn't come of as the most...knowin' 'bout business..ish." she hiccupped after getting to the end of her sentence, following it with another swig. "I 'spose if anythin' it is an' in with her..kinda..connects us an' Heartwood too though."

Cravendy Hound gives Riylli a long, hard look, and then finally shakes her head no. "Ye don't look the criminal part of ye ask me. And...I'm worried. Wouldn't we only be able to pin it on Rot if ye actually committed a crime?"

Riylli Aliapoh: "If she thinks I'm stupid, that just means she'll suspect me less!" Riylli insists, "I could easily find somethin' she'd want. I don't even gotta get it myself! Theres this little... Well... A black market I guess is what you'd call it. It get's pretty regular raids from the wailers, but everyone always ends up there again after a bit. If she's there when a raid happens, she'd get locked up for sure!"

Riylli Aliapoh: "I'm a Keeper. That makes me the 'criminal type' in most peoples eyes. Just ask Mivo"

Rising Lotus still looks a bit hesitant. "Do you think she'd go that far out Cravs? An' if this all happens, an' she does get locked away, how she gonna know that...err I mean, How is she not gonna suspect somethin'? She does know who ya are an' stuff, might send some of her lackeys after you, us, your clan."

Cravendy Hound picks up the carafe and tops of Rising's glass absentmindedly...pouring until it overfills. Somethings itching at the back of Crav's mind. "Do ye go to these black markets often? Riylli, do ye...are ye wanted?"

Cravendy Hound: "If we could get Rot to go to one of these black markets, it could just work. But I agree with Risin', it seems risky, and it could come back to bite ye Riylli."

Rising Lotus wasn't paying attention until it ran over her hand. "Hey, HEY!" she quickly reached her hand over to push Crav's hand back enough until she wasn't spilling, flicking her soaked digits in the woman's direction before sipping from the very top of her glass.

Riylli Aliapoh: "I-I do not!" She said quickly. "It's just... Before I started my adventurin' work... My clan didn't exactly have enough gil for medicine and stuff. So... We'd go sell pelts and stuff there... Gridania wouldn't let us sell with them, so we didn't really have a choice... But we never did anythin' bad! All our stuff was caught fair and square, no poaching or anything!"

Cravendy Hound: "...Oh, blast it." Cravs looks around for a towel to soak up the mess.

Riylli Aliapoh: "And if she gets caught up in a raid, theres no way she could blame that one me! We'd just... have to figure out a way to time it somehow... I'm sure someone in Heartwood must have connections, right? All we need to know is when, then we just gotta set up the deal!"

Cravendy Hound lets out a sigh. "Well, Riylli, ye sound used to dancin' round the Wailers. But if ye ever end up tossed in gaol, Risin' and I would be 'appy to pay the bail. Right?" She glances over at the other Roegadyn

Cravendy Hound: "We'll need a real good bait to lure Rot all the way to Gridania /and/ to a black market."

Rising Lotus "I 'spose it sounds like the most...thought out plan we've had all night." she shrugged, sputtering into her drink a bit at mention of paying Riylli's bail. "What? I mean, sure...long as it ain't way expensive or nothin'. How much it cost to be black market sellin'?" she cocked her head as she pondered what they should try to sell. "Well, what she like outside of her normal dealin's? Does she collect anythin'?"

Riylli Aliapoh crosses her arms. "They could never catch me." She mutters, turning away as she let the other two discuss bait

Cravendy Hound: "If the bails too expensive then we could..." Cravs punch a fist into her hand, and then cracks her knuckles. "...but, quietly."

Rising Lotus: "We'd need to pick a bit first before we go out an' steal somethin'." she glances around Crav's room. "...or maybe borrow somethin'? I'm sure we must have somethin' 'round here folks would want to get their hands on."

Riylli Aliapoh turned her head back. "H-Hey! Even if the wailers are mostly a buncha racist assholes, ya still can't do stuff like that! I said they won't catch me, the shroud is my territory remember? Even the Keeper's they got in their ranks wouldn't be as fast as someone who lives out there"

Cravendy Hound: "Anyway, 'ow we gonna lure Rot to the market? Sell stuff so cheap that she 'as to go check it out? Or, maybe if we find someone she trusts, and convince 'em to bring 'er there."

Rising Lotus grumbles "We need to get somethin' she's interested in! That'll bring her in, maybe tell someone she knows 'bout it so she'll come all this way." she took a long drink, mumbling into her drink about repeating herself.

Riylli Aliapoh: "Rising's got a point. Somethin' around here should spark her interest. She sells spice you said..? I bet Luma has some of that!"

Rising Lotus: "Or maybe somethin' really out there...folks with lots of money like weird dumb things."

Cravendy Hound: "Interest is one thing, trust is another...Rot's gonna be cautious, especially outside of 'er territory." Cravs crosses her arms and leans back as she tries to rack her brain people she could pull a favor from. "...Do ye think Momori might know Rot?"

Riylli Aliapoh: "Well... She seemed a bit sketchy, but I only ever met her once or twice. You guys'd know better than me"

Cravendy Hound chuckles a little when Riylli brings up Luma. "HAh! Bakin' and usin' spice is different from sellin' it! But...ye know. Haila might 'ave somethin' cool to sell."

Rising Lotus sneered. "I don't like the idea of ownin' her any favors...but aye Haila might have somethin' she'd be interested in. Or maybe some Gobbie stuff, sure some of that weird metal junk probably is expensive."

Riylli Aliapoh: "But he'd still HAVE some! And probably some rare Golmore stuff too since he's with Haila! I bet that'd get Rot's attention for sure!"

Cravendy Hound: "I'd gladly owe a favor to Momori if it means we can get Rot to come, cause I'm still not sold on the whole 'us sellin' crap to lure Rot' front. Wouldn't random people also want to buy shit?! What if she doesn't come and we just end up makin' a profit?"

Cravendy Hound blinks at at the mention of Golmore. "H-huh?! What in the bloody 'ells is Luma and Haila gettin' into...Bah. The less I know, the better."

Riylli Aliapoh: "Well... First we just gotta find out when the next raid is comin'. Once we know that, then we can figure out a way to convince Rot to show up on that particular night. Dangle some bait in front of her she can't resist! I can make sure it don't get sold to anyone before she arrives so she gets caught red-handed"

Rising Lotus "You know how she is, you sure you want that? Probably end up.. takin' one of your limbs or somethin' after sayin' she jus' needs a hand with somethin'.." she rubs her forehead " After the other day when all that happened I jus' wouldn't trust her."

Cravendy Hound opens her mouth, about to say something to go against Rising's concern...but can't find anything to say. It was true - the lalafell was objectively shady and untrustworthy. But it was those same qualities that made her think Momori would be able to pull the strings necessary to get Rot to show up.

Cravendy Hound: ".....Yeah, well, if she takes my 'and, then I can get a cool robot one."

Rising Lotus pounds her fist on the counter. "You ain't losin' your damn hand if I can help it!" she exhaled through her nostrils sharply. "Ngh..well if we are gonna go through her...maybe I should be the one to ask. She don't know much 'bout me, don't need her usin' your reputation in Limsa against ya." she drummed her fingers on the counter while she nursed her drink.

Riylli Aliapoh raises an eyebrow, but tries to stay on task. "Well... If one of you gets Momori on board, and the other gets some exotic spice, I can focus on finding a seller at the markets we can trust. Then we just need the info on the next raid's date! Momori claimed to have ties to the alliance, so maybe she has connections in the wailers as well?"

Cravendy Hound wags a finger at Rising. "There's no point in worryin' about somethin' uncertain! Damn lalafell might not even be able to 'elp us, so...Let's start by figurin' out about the raid and gatherin' stuff to vendor. The frog ooze can be our first product. I gotta get rid of the stuff somehow."

Riylli Aliapoh grins, clearly rather pleased with how this evening had turned out. "Gimme the toad ooze, it'll be real popular at the market since it makes milkroot crazy potent, so it'd make a great bribe to get a merchant on our side!"

Rising Lotus grumbles more as she finishes up her drink. "Well if we are gonna talk to her let me know an' I'll find her an' ask her..while avoided kickin' her 'cross the room." Her face was looking a bit flushes after she finished her second (and a half with her sloppy top off from Cravs) drink.

Cravendy Hound points at a barrel in the corner with her shoulder. "Ye can pick it up whenever. Just don't open it...apparently, agin' it makes it more potent, as well as smelly."

[joonclouds]

The Price Of A Wish | 3

 The third time you meet Jung Hoseok, you realise the last ten years has done nothing to the way you were drawn to him, with a force as sure and inescapable as gravity.

CHAPTER INDEX

Hoseok x Reader

Genre: Idol!Hoseok, Chaebol!Reader, OT7 bangtan show up too, Slow Burn, Unrequited feelings, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Fluff, (we might include some other things later let’s see)

_________________

You meet Hoseok for the first time when you’re seventeen. It's in the early days of March - you remember because it's the time where Spring isn't quite here yet, so the evenings are still chilly. Getting to wear your favourite sweaters a few weeks longer is something that you still get a small thrill out of. You're a lot younger, a lot less jaded than you are now.

Leaning against the wall a ways off from the main crowd, you watch the guests in disinterest. It was laughable for a party of forty, at most, to rent such a colossal space. Surely even if it was a selection showcase, it was excessive.

Your family’s attendance to an event meant no expense was spared. The dress code is smart casual but a grand hall has been rented, with towering ceilings and a sprawling expanse of space. There was a live string quartet and champagne and little degustation canapes. Everyone talked in hushed voices, as if afraid to disturb the air around them. And what were they feeding with these canapes? Mice? You can’t even have real alcohol, just this stupid fizzy grape juice in a fancy glass. You think about the amazing grilled cheese that Madam Han, your housekeeper, makes and you groan internally, wishing to be anywhere but here. You’re sure your face says just as much.

“Yup, me too.” Turning in surprise, you find someone next to you.

His height is the first thing you notice. A good head taller than you are, and all black looks good on him, a silk shirt hanging loose and ripped jeans tucked into boots. He looks familiar, but you can’t put your finger on it yet, so you shelve that thought for later because well. There were more important issues at hand.

As a general rule, you thought all that "love at first sight' type thing was bullshit. You didn't buy into that sort of malarkey, and even if you did, it’s not something you got to have. But what was a girl to do in the face of .. well, a handsome face? Despite the remnants of stubborn pre-teen chub around his cheeks and a smattering of acne on his chin - things you're sure he'd grow out of in time - he's just your type of trouble.

Maybe you didn't know that yet, but all you do know is that when he turns slightly to give you a half smile, you freeze and your heart jumps like it's about to launch itself out of your body.

“Well. Someone's having fun.” He clarifies, fiddling with the stem of his champagne flute. You quickly look away, but not before noting his similarly bored demeanor.

"As much fun as you are, clearly."

“Yes, this is a riveting time.” He deadpans back, and the snicker he garners out of you breaks the ice like sugar glass. The both of you return to surveying the small crowd, but make no move to leave, enjoying the feeling of sharing in a certain kind of disjointed camaraderie. What is it they always say about shared trauma?

“You’re old enough to drink?” You tilt your glass in the direction of his.

“I’ve been old enough since three years ago. But legally, no. This isn’t alcohol.”

You sigh, but then a thought pops into your head. “Wanna sneak into the kitchen with me? The servers often leave the open bottles unattended.”

“Not your first rodeo, huh.”

“And certainly not my last. I can’t wait to be legal so these things become more tolerable.” You take another sip of your non-alcohol.

After a moment you ask again - “So? Kitchen?”

“You have no idea how much I wish I could, but this night is a sober one. Nerves and alcohol don't go well together for me.”

“Aaaaaaand he turns out to be even less fun than this party.”

This earns you a chuckle from him. It’s warm and inviting, a little buzz of electricity in your veins. Feels like if you’d been drinking actual champagne that evening. He nudges your shoulder playfully with his own when you cross your arms and angle your body slightly away in a small show of sulking.

“I have no choice, cowboy. I’m the showhorse. Gotta do the parade if I want my scholarship."

“Ah, Jung Hoseok.”

The puzzle pieces fall into place and you give him another once over out of the corner of your eye, this time with more recognition than before. Now you knew why he looked familiar - the identities of the artistes were all kept secret until after the selection showcase, but since you were your father's daughter, you'd seen the lineup beforehand.

"Yup, that's me." Hoseok downs the rest of his drink, grimacing. "And this entire thing is a show by a pretentious businessman who's already decided who's going to be selected."

"Looks like it's not your first rodeo either, you know how this works."

"Boy, do I."

"So why stay sober for it anyway?"

"I like dancing."

Hoseok's answer makes you go quiet. Whatever sarcastic banter you had lined up was halted in the face of such a simple, honest admission.

After a moment, he adds - " and I have a feeling it might reflect badly if I turned up tipsy to my first performance in front of the panel of directors.”

You shrug. "You know what they say about brooding artists and alcohol."

Suddenly, a thought comes to him. “Wait. You know me?”

He turns to you, and you can see him trying to figure out who you are, why you know him but he doesn’t know you.

“Of course I know you.” You state a matter-of-factly. “Jung Hoseok, the parading showhorse.”

“And you’re…. Mirae? The….cellist?” He takes a wild guess at one of the other performers in the showcase lineup that night.

“Nope.” You reply, popping your lips in amusement when you realise he has absolutely no clue who you are.

"You're not competition, are you?"

"Wrong again."

Hoseok squints in confusion and turns fully to face you, taking you more seriously now. “So who are you?”

Leaning in closer to him you tilt your glass in the direction of where the biggest group of people congregated in the middle of the room, deciding to at least have a little bit of fun tonight if you couldn't get your hands on the drinks. Albeit at the expense of someone else’s embarrassment, but it’s not like you two were close anyway. Consider it a trade off of sorts.

“See that man in the gray suit?”

“The CEO of Aurarts?” He frowns slightly. “Why?”

“He's the one who gets to decide if you get your scholarship or not, right?”

“Yes.” He drags the syllable out hesitantly. “Where is this going?”

“Well. In the direction of him being my very pretentious father. I'm sure you'll know my name soon enough.”

The colour drains from Hoseok’s face.

“Fuck-“ He begins, but quickly catches himself and bites his lips together when he decides that swearing in front of the daughter of the business magnate he just badmouthed, and who is coincidentally also funding his scholarship, isn’t the best first impression.

“Sorry. I. Uh.” He rubs the back of his neck with one hand. Gone is his easy charm - he’s now visibly perplexed, turning red and refusing to make eye contact. It makes you giggle, a bright pealing sound that seems to cut like a warm knife into butter. As it happens, the emcee’s voice crackles to life over the speakers, cutting your laughter short and inviting guests to take their seats as the performance is about to begin.

"There's your cue, and mine."

You sigh, quite content with your fun for the evening; Hoseok is pretty cute when he’s flustered. He's opened and shut his mouth three times and still trying to find a way to dig himself out of the hole he's in, so you decide to put the poor boy out of his misery and leave first. Pushing off from the wall, you offer him a small wave and mouth a ‘good luck’ over your shoulder. He manages a tiny wave back.

Between accompanying your father amongst the guests and making small talk with them after the performances are over, don’t get a chance to talk to Hoseok anymore for the rest of the evening. Sometimes you catch a glimpse of a silky black shirt and a charming smile, but not long enough of a look to know if he was looking back.

But you do get to watch his performance - it’s the last one of the night, and you don't know if it's intentional, but they’ve saved the best for last.

Hoseok walks onto the makeshift dancefloor, barefoot, and one more button on his shirt undone. Perhaps you didn’t notice it before, but there is a power with which he holds himself in his beginning pose, facing away from the audience, stance wide and hands crossed in fists behind his back. His head is turned, just enough for you to see his side profile, and you know he sees you sitting in the front row. You feel a shiver of excitement at the base of your spine. It pulses in rhythm to the opening beats of the dance track.

When he starts, you understand why he’s in tonight's lineup. Each movement of Hoseok’s body is fluid but perfectly controlled, matching the heavy bass tempo on the dot. Never early, never late. The music slowly starts to pick up, and his eyes turn dark, expression changing with every turn of the music. Joy, fear, passion and desperation tell the story of escape from old demons and rebirth into a new self. As everything reaches a crescendo, it’s like his presence expands into the cavernous hall that seemed to swallow every one of it’s tiny guests earlier, filling the space until you felt like the walls might burst.

One fist clenched and shaking in the air, Hoseok ends his performance kneeling atop a raised dais in the middle of the stage. The air is so silent and heavy with awe you can hear his laboured breaths. His smile is so bright and victorious, you think you might be dreaming when it is literally blinding you in the shine of spotlights. It's then you realise he's actually got braces on. Your heart gives you a quiet, endearing sigh, and you agree with her.

Applause erupts, a standing ovation is given. It takes you a little longer to collect yourself, but you stand with the crowd too, and clap until your palms heat and sting.

He’s not dancing to the music, you think. He is the music.

_________________

PREV | NEXT

A/N: And with that we’re all caught up with the chapters I’ve also posted on A03! You can check me out there if you prefer A03 hehe. Will be releasing future chapters at the same time from now on. Hope everyone is having a  ✨great day✨ xoxo

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Rating: G

Chapter Summary: Nathalie and co. crash the party. This time, Alya is the one with the backup plan. Meanwhile, Ladybug and Adrien are both stupidly in love.

Word Count:  4294 | Chapter 4/4

Notes: Last chapter of the fic for @marinetteplztakeabreak commissioned through @mlbforblm!  The drive is over, but please check out the blog to see what everyone else has created and how to stay involved!

XXX

“I am telling you!  If you did not RSVP, you do not come in!  That is the rules!”  Philippe spread his arms wide, blocking the entrance to the rink.  Nino could barely see him through the crack in the double doors.  Philippe was a cool dude, but he wouldn’t last long against Nathalie, Adrien’s bodyguard, and tablet-Gabe himself.

Nino was tempted to go out there and turn the tablet’s power off, just to see what Nathalie would do.  But he didn’t want to get Adrien grounded for the next millennium.

Plus, he wasn’t supposed to be seen at all.  Kagami and Wayhem were on stalling duty with Philippe.  Nino just had to make sure that Nathalie wouldn’t find any trace of Adrien when she eventually forced her way in.

“They’re gone.  Finally.”  Chloé reported.

Nino nodded.  He’d seen a red blur leave through the window.

“Rose, Juleka, and I hid the presents behind the skate rental booth,” Alya said.  “Kim ate the rest of the cake, and Luka took XY to make out in the bathroom.  That should cover all the loose ends.”

“Why are you telling us that?”  Chloé gagged, and Alya rolled her eyes.

“Because XY’s obviously the weakest link here.  You said you caught him posting photos on Insta, right?”

“I did.  It’s a good thing you put me on the job.”  She flipped her hair.

Not that it mattered in the end, because Nathalie had found them anyway.  But the rink looked about as innocent as it could get.  With the presents hidden, the laser lights turned off, and generic pop music playing, they could’ve been a bunch of dudes on a regular Friday evening.

“Anyway, we’ll all be safer if XY isn’t here to spill our secrets for a little while.  You better go too, babe,” Alya said, squeezing Nino’s hand.  

“Go where?  Apparently Luka and XY called dibs on the bathroom.”  Besides, he’d planned this party, and he was going to see it through.  It was time to break his three-year-long failure streak.

Alya sighed.  “I’ll be ready to pay your bail, then.”

He gave a weak grin.  Like Adrien, he was still seventeen.  They couldn’t actually arrest him, right?

Considering the Agrestes were loaded, he wouldn’t take his chances.

The doors opened.  Nino did his best not to scowl at Gabriel’s face on the tablet.

“What gives?”  He asked, pretending like he hadn’t put weeks of planning into this moment.  “Did you get mad we didn’t invite you to our sweet party?”

“So you admit it,” Gabe said coldly from the screen.  Nathalie remained as still as a statue, like she was only there to display her boss’ face.  It was pretty creepy, honestly.  Adrien’s bodyguard was normally silent anyway, so that wasn’t as unnerving.

“Admit what?  That we know how to have a rad time, and you don’t?”  Nino put his hands on his hips.  His tone might be pushing it, but if he acted too nice, Gabe would never buy it.

“That you threw a birthday party for dsfkslksdkfklfdfk when I have repeatedly sdlfdsfsllkdf express disapproval.”  Gabriel’s face glitched out a few times, his voice blurring to something like a keysmash.  

Nino bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.  Man, he owed Max big time for this.

“Birthday party?”  Wayhem frowned.  He was a better actor than most of them.  “I didn’t hear anything about a birthday.”

“Today is my son’s sdsaskdlfirthday.”

Wayhem’s head tilted.  “You have a son?”

Nino choked.  Okay, maybe Wayhem was trying too hard, but the look on tablet-Gabe’s face was priceless.  If only he could convince Nathalie to take a screenshot.

“It’s Adrien’s birthday, dude.”  Nino punched Wayhem’s arm.  “We just couldn’t invite him, remember?  ‘Cause his dad’s a buzzkill.”

“I took him out for birthday orange juice to cheer him up,” Kagami told Wayhem, but her words were really directed towards Gabriel.  “A poor substitute for a party, but it was the best I could do.”

Gabriel’s eyes flickered, as if scanning as much of the rink as his screen would allow.

“Search the area.”

Adrien’s bodyguard nodded once, not that Gabe could see him from his angle.  Then he went off to inspect the rows of chairs.  At least he wasn’t starting with the skate rental booth.

“Be careful with my rink!  Don’t step on the ice without proper skating equipment!”  Philippe shouted.  

“Weren’t you listening?  He’s not here, dude—sir,” Nino corrected.  Not that it mattered much.  He’d already been as disrespectful as he dared. 

Gabe’s face glitched again.  “Where is my son now, then?”

Alya shrugged.  “Probably on his way home, right?”

“Alone?”  He practically snarled.  The tablet froze for a moment, catching his mouth open in an unflattering frame.  Maybe Nino could sneak his phone out and take a picture if he couldn’t get a real screenshot.  “Why wouldn’t he call his bodyguard?  Have you all dslkfddfsjljfdls irresponsible—”

“He’s with Ladybug, dude,” Nino interrupted.  Adrien’s bodyguard was getting close to the skates; he couldn’t afford to stall too long.  “He can’t get safer than that.”

For some reason, that only seemed to make Gabe seethe more.  But a neutral expression quickly replaced it, so maybe Nino was just imagining things.

“If sdlfkdfs your idea of a trick, you’ll have to—”

Kagami’s phone dinged.  Silently, she held up her screen to the tablet.  Nino couldn’t see what it showed, but Gabe’s mouth finally shut.

“Nathalie.  Return home at once and sdlfjkdssdls Ladybug has delivered my son safely.”

Nathalie’s expression changed for the first time, her eyes widening.  “But, sir, aren’t you already at—”

“Kskdlfskfl at once.”  The screen went dark.

Nathalie sighed, like Gabriel had taken the last bit of her composure with him. 

“Enjoy your not-birthday party,” she said in monotone before exiting the rink, her heels clicking against the concrete floor with each step.

Adrien’s bodyguard jogged after her.  His face was bright pink—he’d just come out from investigating the boy’s bathroom.  XY must have been useful after all.

Nino whistled once the adults were gone.  “What did you show her?”

Kagami held up her phone for him.  Adrien’s face was squished next to Ladybug’s in a selfie he’d posted to Instagram.  Her smile looked a little more hysteric than Alya’s Ladyblog photos could capture.  Actually, it looked kind of familiar.

But Nino didn’t think too hard about that, considering the caption Adrien had typed.

Escorted home by my favorite superhero!  I couldn’t ask for a more miraculous birthday present!! <3

If Ladybug looked awkward, it was probably just embarrassment at how cheesy he was.

“How did you get that so fast?”  Nino frowned.

“I messaged Adrien while you were stalling.  Unfortunately, he’ll have to return home to maintain the illusion.”  Her brows pulled into a scowl.  “I should have created a contingency plan for this.”

“What?”  Kim shouted.  “But I haven’t even won my bet!”

Alix cackled and stretched out her hand.  “Pay up, loser.”

Juleka ran her fingers comfortingly through Rose’s hair.  Max frowned down at his computer screen.  Others were murmuring to each other, looking downcast.  All of them knew how much work Nino and Kagami had put into this party.  All of them knew how much it meant to Adrien.

“Come on, we’re not giving up that easily!” Nino insisted.  “There’s gotta be some way to keep fooling Nathalie.  What if Max hacks the sound system again?  We can make it sound like he’s in bed snoring, or something.”

“Guys?”  Alya stepped up, waving her phone at the two of them.  “I have a better idea.”

XXX

Marinette.exe had stopped working.  Thankfully, Ladybug.exe could still run on backup power.  She tried to keep her cool as she swung them up onto the roof of the rink.

“Wait,” Adrien said before she could cast out her yo-yo again.  His breath was close to her neck, ruffling her pigtails. She did her best not to shiver.

“We need to get you away from here. Just in case,” Marinette said.  The silver limo was still parked below, but she had no idea how long it would take for Nathalie and Adrien’s bodyguard to leave the rink.

“They won't see us up here.  I can’t leave without making sure Nino is okay.  Last year, my father almost got him arrested.”

Marinette winced.  Of course, Adrien didn’t know that “Ladybug” was there for his previous almost-birthday-party, close enough to see the bruises on Nino’s arm.

“I hope he’s alright too,” she said quietly before gently setting him on his feet.  His arms were still secure around her neck, and his ring was a shock of cold where it brushed her skin.

His ring.  She’d never seen him without it.

“I—sorry!”  Adrien practically yelped when she did shiver.  His arms slapped back to his sides.

She couldn’t do anything but stare as red spilled across his cheeks.  It was him.  It had to be him.

Ladybug.exe was beginning to shut down too.  Maybe Max could reinstall her software.

“Ladybug?”  Adrien swallowed.  “We should probably hide a little bit better…”

“R-right!”

She let him pull her flat against the roof.  They laid there on their stomachs, her arm pressed to his, their fingers still twined together.  His silver ring gleamed against the red of her suit.

How was she supposed to breach the subject?  “Oh, by the way, I know you’re Chat Noir?”  It was his birthday.  He deserved a perfect identity reveal, not just her stupidly blurting whatever came into her head.  

His phone beeped, startling her.

“Sorry.  Kagami said to keep my ringer on in case of an emergency.”  He fished the phone from his pocket and set it on the roof.  They were close enough for Marinette to see the message from Kagami on his screen.

“She needs us to take a selfie?”  Her brow furrowed.

Adrien shrugged.  “It must be important.”

They sat up, still holding hands.  Her blush probably matched his by now, but if he hadn’t let go, why should she?

She shuffled closer to him, until her chin was resting over his shoulder.  Just so they would both fit in the camera frame, of course.  Not because she wanted to press her cheek to his, feel his blush on her skin.

Yeah, she wasn’t kidding anyone.  Except maybe him.

“Smile!”  He said, holding up his phone.

As if she could not smile when breathing in his radiant, carefree, dreamy scent.  When she knew more than ever that they were made for each other.

Her grin still looked a bit too wide in the photo, not like his perfect, brilliant smile.

“You’re still that happy?”  She couldn’t help blurting.  She had his model smiles memorized.  This wasn’t one of them.  It was too genuine, much more so than her tense grin.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”  He looked up from where he was typing out a caption.  “I get to spend my birthday with my—with my favorite superhero.”  His smile twitched, almost becoming a familiar smirk. 

She blushed, even though Chat Noir had said more flirtatious things to her than that.

“But your party might be over.  You didn’t even get to open presents.”  Which reminded her, she still had his present in her yo-yo.  Now didn’t feel like the right time to give it to him, though.

“The best present is how much my friends thought of me.”  He squeezed her hand.  “And I wouldn’t worry yet.  Nino and Kagami probably have a plan for this.”

His phone rang.  Nino or Kagami already?  Was the coast clear?

But the contact on the screen wasn’t either of them.

“Alya?”  Adrien asked after picking up.  “Is everything okay?  Nino didn’t do anything crazy, did he?”

Marinette strained to pick out what Alya was saying on the other end, but it was too muffled.  Adrien’s eyes widened.

“Uh…” To her surprise, he held out the phone to her.  “Alya wants to talk to you.”

Marinette blinked before holding the phone to her ear.  “Hello?”

Alya didn’t waste time with introductions.  “Sorry to interrupt your date, but I know a way we can save Adrien’s party.  Can I borrow the fox miraculous again?”

XXX

Alya played a few notes on her flute, and brilliant light streamed from the end.  It coalesced into Adrien’s sleeping form, nestled beneath the covers.  So realistic.  His back even rose and fell with the illusion of breath.

“Amazing,”  Marinette whispered as she crouched in Adrien’s windowsill.  She tried not to fidget as she kept lookout—not that Nathalie should show up anytime soon.  Even though Marinette had stopped to pick up Alya’s miraculous, they’d easily left the Agreste limo behind in the Friday evening traffic. 

Alya strapped her flute to her back and nodded.  “Probably a waste of effort.  I doubt Nathalie will even pay attention.”

Marinette sighed.  She was probably right.  If only she could take Adrien away for longer than one evening, one birthday party…

Soon.  Even if Adrien had to spend his days here, she would make sure his nights were full of freedom and laughter.  

Full of love.

Just as soon as she found out the best way to reveal her identity.  It was only fair, now that she’d figured out his.  And then everything would be perfect, and they’d go on dates in the park, and she’d sew him sweaters to wear over his suit, and he’d crack puns and she’d pun back, and— 

“You alright there, Ladybug?”  The faux eyebrows on Alya’s mask drew together.

“Yep!  Doing great!”  She grinned, face heating.  She had to be careful.  If she daydreamed too much in front of Alya, her friend might puzzle out her identity, too.

“We better go then.  Don’t want to leave your boyfriend waiting.”  She winked.

Marinette gaped.  “What?  He’s not—I mean, I wouldn’t mind if he was, but—”

She couldn’t date Adrien as Ladybug.  She’d known that even before she agreed to come suited up to his party.  But she hadn’t realized just how much of a mess it would be if Alya thought Ladybug was dating Adrien, and then Marinette showed up with him at school.

“It’s okay.  Practically everyone’s had a crush on Adrien at some point.  But Ladybug?”  Alya stepped close, then swung her legs over the windowsill so they were sitting side by side. “If you really want to be with him, you’d better love him, okay?  At least as much as my best friend does.  And I’m not sure that’s possible.”

Her face heated, but from what?  Embarrassment?  Intimidation?  She was being ridiculous.  Alya was comparing her to herself!

“I—I promise I’ll take his feelings seriously,” she said quietly.

Alya nodded.  “Well then, let’s go.”

With that, she leapt off for the next rooftop.  Marinette lagged behind for just a moment, though, glancing back at the illusory Adrien.

“He means everything to me.”

XXX

Adrien paced on the roof after Ladybug left.  He wasn’t sure what she was doing with Alya, or how they were going to keep Nathalie from realizing he wasn’t in his room.  She was Ladybug.  She always had a plan.

He did kind of wish she’d remembered to take him back inside first, though.

“So you’re just gonna sit out here?  You’re missing your own party!”  Plagg said, flying out of his hoodie.

“It’s alright.”  He swung his legs over the edge of the roof, kicking slowly back and forth.  The party had been amazing, and while he did want to be back inside, this was nice too.  The evening air, the bright moon, the phantom memory of Ladybug’s hand in his.

Did she actually like him?  Him?  No way.  She’d said she didn’t want to kiss him, and she’d acted a little bit off all night.

Maybe that was why he waited up here, rather than transforming and climbing down.  Somehow, he felt that if he could see her just one more time, he’d be able to understand.

His phone beeped.  He checked it immediately, heart pounding.  Was Ladybug okay?  Had her and Alya’s mysterious plan failed?

No.  It was Kagami, just checking on him.  He breathed a sigh of relief and began typing a reply.

“Boring.”  Plagg sighed.  “Wake me up when we get back inside.  I didn’t even get the chance to check out the cheese table.”

Adrien smiled and patted him as he snuggled back in the hoodie pocket.

I’ll be back soon, he typed.  Just waiting on Ladybug.

She left you up there?  Kagami sent back.  I’ll come get you.  Philippe is showing me a way up.

His eyes widened.  That fast?  Well, Kagami was never one to hesitate.

He didn’t even have time to write a reply before Philippe’s head poked up through a hidden trap door.

“Ah, there you are!  The man of the hour!”  He smiled.  “Your friend is looking for you.  She’s waiting below.”

“Thanks.  I’ll be down in just a second.”  He waved back, then turned his gaze to the horizon.

“Don’t take too long.  She’s very concerned about you.”

Kagami was always looking out for him.  It warmed his heart, even as he felt guilty for missing the party she’d planned.

“I won’t; don’t worry.”

Philippe disappeared down the hatch, and sure enough, Ladybug didn’t keep him waiting much longer either.  She dropped Alya off at the front door before swinging up onto the roof.

“You should be safe now,” she said with a smile.  “Your father will never know you’re here.”

He smiled back, suddenly overwhelmed with just how much he loved this girl.  Not only had she come to his party, she’d gone out of her way to make sure he didn’t get in trouble.  

Of course, Alya had helped with that too.  He’d have to thank her when he got back inside.

“Thank you, Ladybug.”  He fought back the urge to take her hand again.  He didn’t have an excuse this time.  Besides, he was around her all the time as Chat Noir; he should have enough practice keeping his hands to himself.

She just smiled back, looking as strained as before, like a balloon about to burst.

“Are you okay?”  He asked, reaching out vaguely before letting his arm fall back to his side.  Hands to himself.

Because she didn’t like him.  Probably.  Even if his love was like a drum beating its way out of his chest, so loud she’d have to be deaf to ignore it.

She laughed with her head in her hands.  “Why does everyone keep asking that?”  

“Um… because you’ve been acting a little bit weird all night, and if I did anything to make you uncomfortable, I want to be able to fix it.”

“You?”  Her head popped back up, revealing wide eyes.  “Worried about making me uncomfortable?”

“Uh… yeah?”  He wasn’t suited up, and “Adrien” didn’t have years of familiarity to fall back on.  Each casual touch could be misconstrued.

This time, her laugh was real, echoing over the traffic below.

“You’re too nice, you know that?”  She finally said.

“Um… thanks?”

Real eloquent, Adrien.  He was pretty sure he’d started the last three sentences with some variation of uh.

“I mean it.  You’re always too nice, and you’re always here for me, and I—I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner.” She hiccuped, and—and was she crying?  

“My—” he cut off before he could say my lady. 

But she just smiled, even as tears trickled down her mask.

“Your lady.  Yeah.”  She giggled, though a wet sniffle interrupted it.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all emotional.  I planned out a whole speech on the way over, and then I saw you and it just—woosh!  Gone.” 

Your lady.  His… but then she…?

“You’re so cute when you figure things out,” she said, reaching out to take his hand.  “I hope you’re not disappointed.  I wanted to give you a more dramatic reveal, but I—I just love you so much, aaaaaaand I wasn’t supposed to say that yet either.”

She smacked her forehead with her free hand.  He was still gaping, his soul practically leaving his body.

“How could I ever be disappointed with that?”  He breathed, looking between her eyes and their joined hands.  He gave hers an experimental squeeze, and found that she squeezed back.  Sparks went off from his fingers to his toes.  “My Lady, this is the best birthday present ever.”

That was a lie.  She threw her arms around him, and that was the best present ever.  Every heartbeat was better, and better, and soon he was laughing and breathing in the scent of her hair, and she was laughing back and squeezing him so tight he could burst.

“I love you too,” he said against her neck.  “Obviously.” 

“Obviously,” she huffed.  “It wasn’t obvious to me.”

“Well, I’ll make sure it will be from now on.”  He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against hers, to stare into her eyes.  A few freckles spilled out from under her mask.  He’d never been close enough to see those before.

“I’d appreciate that.”

He could’ve asked when, or how, or why she’d fallen for him.  What happened to the other boy she used to talk about? 

But that all faded in the face of her lips brushing his.  Hesitant at first, then wanting, needing.  This was better than anything he could’ve asked for.  A giddy laugh burst from his lungs to hers, and she pulled back.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly.  You probably weren’t supposed to laugh in someone’s mouth while you were kissing them.  “I got a little too excited.”

“Adrien.”  She cupped his cheek in her palm.  “Never feel sorry for being happy.  Or excited.  I’m so excited I could die right now.”

“Please don’t.”

She chuckled.  “Anyway, as much as I just want to keep kissing you, I should probably give you your real birthday present.”

He blinked.  If she had more in mind for him than that, he might actually die.

She flipped open her yo-yo and pulled something from inside.  A little vial?

“I remembered you saying that you hated Adrien: the Fragrance,” she started, rolling the glass between her fingers. A pinkish liquid sloshed inside.  “So I found out some scents that you like, and I put something together.  Making cologne is a lot like making the potions for our kwamis.”

“You… made this?”  He accepted the bottle, unscrewing the top to take a whiff.  It did smell wonderful.  Like roses and strawberries, with just a hint of rain.  Was it magical, like the potions she could create?  “This is amazing, my Lady.  But… when did I tell you I hated the fragrance they made me advertise?”

She smiled.  “That’s the other part of your present.”

His eyebrows creased, but before he could ask for clarification, she whispered, “Tikki, spots off.”

He stared wide-eyed as pink light washed over her.  When the sparkles faded, he gasped.

“Marinette.”  Her name tasted sweeter than the smells she’d mixed just for him.  “Marinette.”

He couldn’t say anything else.  His face was sore from smiling so much, but he couldn’t stop.  Ladybug was Marinette, and she loved him!

“That makes sense,” a voice said from behind him.  He almost screamed, but Ladybug—Marinette—slapped a hand over his mouth first.

“Kagami?”  She gaped.  Her hand fell from Adrien’s face, giving him room to turn around.  “What—what are you doing up here?”

Kagami crossed her arms over the lip of the trap door.  “Adrien didn’t come down.  Philippe told you not to take too long.  But I understand why you did.”  She nodded, as if thinking to herself.  

Adrien locked frantic eyes with Marinette.  Just because she was okay with revealing her identity to Chat Noir didn’t mean she’d be okay with Kagami knowing too.

“You… um… so how much did you…?”  He trailed off.

“I was waiting for you to finish kissing.  I’m told it’s impolite to interrupt.”

His eyes widened.  She’d been watching for that long?  He hoped she wasn’t upset.  Even if she didn’t like him romantically, it might still be awkward to watch him kiss someone else.

Marinette was bright red, but she cleared her throat.  “You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“About your secret identity, or about kissing Adrien?”

“My identity,” she said quickly, looking more and more mortified by the second.

Kagami grinned.  It was a rare expression on her, but all the more special for it.  “I was only teasing.  Of course I will guard your identity with my life.”

Marinette smiled gratefully.  “Thank you, Kagami.”

“You’re welcome.  I’ll tell the others Ladybug dropped you off, so you were able to make it after all.”  She took a step down the ladder, before pausing and poking her head back up.  “And Marinette?  Thank you for taking care of him.”

“Of course.  He means everything to me.”

His heart warmed at the praise, at the way she said it so matter-of-factly.  

Kagami disappeared back down the ladder, leaving him and Marinette in silence that somehow felt both comfortable and vaguely awkward.

“So, uh… you don’t mind if people know that we kissed?”  He asked cautiously.

That finally made her laugh again.  “Of course not.  I was… well, I was hoping you were going to be my boyfriend.”

“Yes,” he said quickly, as if she’d change her mind.  “I mean—please let me be your boyfriend.  That would be the best birthday present ever.”

She took his hand again and squeezed it tenderly before slipping his cologne vial into his hoodie pocket.  He’d dropped it at some point while they were kissing.  Plagg, blessedly, did not complain, even though the little bottle probably bonked him on the head.

“Then happy birthday, boyfriend.”

[apathycarestostudy]

Motivate me to get my butt in gear friend !! Uni opens again in a month !! Must finish syllabus before then !! Must stop reading fics and being in denial! Help! (P.S ily :p♡)

Hello hello love. Here are some tips I think will help, mixed in with a bit of nagging, wrapped up with some tough love!

So here we are. First, I’d like to commend you for recognizing that it’s time to get back on the hamster wheel so soon. You’ve a month left, which is ample enough. 

Don’t beat yourself up with time lost

You might be thinking you should’ve gotten up sooner, or done more, or done something some time ago. That doesn’t matter anymore. Yes, I’m an advocate of owning up to your faults, but for one second - recognize it, acknowledge it, and then move the hell on. Never mull on it unless it poses a problem and mulling on it would fix it. So stop all those thoughts - make a firm decision that you will drop all berating, toxic, or otherwise negative thoughts at the door. It won’t go away soon, you’ll need to keep stopping yourself mid-thought, but try to get it down. It’s a simple thing to start with, and I believe you can do this much. My mom always tells me, once someone apologizes, take their apology and leave it at that. The resentment won’t go away quickly, but release it. And I believe when you apologize to yourself, you should forgive yourself, and release.

So please release it.

The three Ps I just made up - paper, pen & plan (or phone, pad & plan)

I tried lmao. Phones be ruining everything. If you didn’t get it tho, by pad, I meant notepad or memo or whatever’s on phones these days. Specialized apps, all of it. It’s just that none of them started with a P and I -

Get your preferred medium of...recording stuff, and don’t make a plan. Yet. I want you to write down a list of things you need to get down before the month is up. A sentence per task. For example:

Get more connections on LinkedIn

Save up 20% of my allowance

Finish a writing commission

Finish a course I signed up for

(..........)

So something like that. One liners you need to finish up. And then don’t plan yet. After you’re done listing everything that needs to get done, you split the page in half (or just write it next to it in parentheses on your phone like this) and write “constraints”. Not emotional ones at first - try and write a logical constraint. Like for the course I signed up for, the logical constraint would be I have no time for it anymore because I got something better - an internship opportunity - and the emotional constraint would be I’m not interested in it anymore, or I don’t wanna lol. So write up some logical constraints. Is the workload a lot? Are you family members sending you off to do stuff for them and you have no choice but to do them and forsake your time? Do you not have an empty notebook to get started? These are all valid hurdles you may face.

Now, if you have some that have no constraints yet, write your emotional ones. You don’t want to. You’d rather do something else. Fanfiction. All of that. 

Look back at your list. What’s causing the emotional ones? How can you get rid of the logical ones? Remove them, run away from them, address them, or ignore them - pick one.

Now, plan.

Distractions

So when I feel like I should get up and do something, I’m learning to seize that feeling prematurely and do it. I say prematurely because you know when the thought matures, you’re gonna talk yourself out of it or dismiss it, so you gotta grab that as soon as it crosses your mind. How to stop doing what you’re doing immediately? Remove access to the distraction. And I don’t mean use those apps - although if it works for you, go on with your bad self. If not, do the old school method of throwing your phone to the roof of your cupboard. 

Yeah. I had this period of time where nothing stopped me from indulging in fanficion - not even deadlines and consequences, which are the biggest things that drive me to do stuff, and the only way I could get over it was to throw my phone over the cupboard. I gave myself a hurdle to stop me from pulling it back towards myself, and not only that, imagine the shame of getting a chair, dragging it all the way to the cupboard, climbing up on that thing, and then pulling your phone down - just squeezing lemon juice in your damn eye and living with that burn. So, put a hurdle up.

(cupboard = dresser btw, not sure which word y’all use so)

You don’t need a whole lot to get started

Going back to not having an empty notebook. There was a time I needed one to get started, but I didn’t want to go out and buy one, and so I kept putting off my work and blaming the fact that I don’t have a notebook. You don’t really need the notebook to get started. I could’ve easily pulled out my laptop and used One Note or MS Word or whatever if I really wanted to work. I mean I hate using digital stuff, but I could’ve sucked it up if I really didn’t want to go out and really wanted to work. The right answer was I really didn’t want to work, not the notebook.

Just start. Screw the notebook, screw your shitty pen, screw the messy table - just start. Shove all the mess to the edge and cram your arms in that tiny space and just start. You don’t need highlighters or a bottle of water or quiet time or the lights dimmed three notches down or your face moisturized or your plants watered - just start.

Not saying all of that is unnecessary, or wouldn’t help, but when it comes down to it, you don’t need all that to start. Don’t waste your time preparing to study or work. Just start.

Just start. Get your scrappy paper that’s 1/4 cut in a weird angle and just start.

One thing is better than nothing

I know I’ve said that a whole lot. A WHOLE LOT. But it’s true, and you truly need to take that to heart. If you’ve scratched one thing off your list, that’s good. 

But here’s what I’d do if I felt like I needed to do more.

First, seize that feeling. Next, do more. Start a little mantra of, “Just one more!” and do it like you’re taking one more cookie out the cookie jar. One more cupcake. One more chip. One more practice question. Romanticize it. Say it like you desperately want it, even if you don’t and do it. Oftentimes it’s the start that has us feeling some type of way, but once you accept what it is - as in you start eating it a little more quickly - you’ll sink into it and release that feeling. Next thing you know, you’ll find yourself done with one more thing.

Still tho, one thing today is one thing off your plate. Celebrate that, and promise you’ll do one more - at that moment or some other time.

Lesson from Naruto: give yourself a self-rule!

So there was this character in Naruto that was a total failure. He didn’t make it into the ninja academy, so he decided to give himself a self-rule: “If I run 500 laps, I’ll be accepted as an alternate.” which means he’ll be placed as a back up in case an already accepted student drops out. His father finds out, scolds him, and says that’s not a self-rule. That’s a wish. A self-rule doesn’t involve anyone else. A failure to accomplish what you say is accountable to you. Not circumstance, not anyone else. 

His father says, “Because of that [a self-rule on your self only], you are able to gather your strengths and focus on your efforts...That is how a self-rule works!” So how does the character change it? “If I can’t do 500 laps on my hands, I’ll do 500 push-ups!”

You see what I’m going for? 

I am not saying do 500 laps on your hands - this is a ninja anime we’re talking about here - I’m saying apply a self-rule that keeps you accountable and feeds into your efforts. Say, “If I can’t do ten practice questions, I’ll do ten rounds of this example question!” Give yourself an alternative you have to do if you fail your first attempt, and have it be of the same magnitude. What happens if you can’t do both? Keep adding on of course! The character would say, “If I can’t do 500 laps on my hands, I’ll do 500 push-ups! And if I can’t do 500 push-ups, I’ll do 500 sit-ups!”

Limitations exist, and you may not be able to get it the first few times, but eventually, the character manages to do 5000 laps - and he falls tiredly into his father’s waiting arms.

Just a little nice bonus I thought would be fun to add. I do something like this, but not as well thought out of course - I’d say something like, “I’ll do process design questions right now, and if I give up half-way, chemical separation processes is waiting for me.”

I thought I’d stop here because it’s getting kind of ramble-y and I think this’ll be enough of a push to get you started. Maybe not a push even - a nice little pat from your friend that’ll evolve into a push by your fine self. You can do it. Just start LOL.

I’mma end this with a positive note from that same episode of Naruto. Here’s a quote from that father to his son when he asked him why he was so chipper when he failed so much and couldn’t be “strong” (as in overcome the obstacles in his way). I see this in our lives, be it with friendships, biting your tongue when your boss yells at you, or giving up after failing a class.

“True victory isn’t about winning from someone strong. It’s about defending what’s important to you!”

[dreamonhunters]

dyin’ ain’t so bad, not if you both go together

tw // major character death, graphic depictions of violence, guns, blood, references to drugs

yet another birthday present!! happy birthday to @aw-jus-let-em-try ! rizz i love you so damn much and i’m so grateful to call you my friend!! ♡ i do hope you enjoy immortal javid as much as i think you will 🥺

read it here on ao3!

Jack Kelly died when he was twelve years old.

And again, when he was thirteen.

There’s a tombstone that says he died when he was fourteen, again at sixteen, eighteen, nineteen, and the one on his twenty-first birthday that he doesn’t talk about because alcohol poisoning isn’t a very cool way to go.

Different names, of course. He’s many things, but stupid isn’t one of them.

There’s more. Jack remembers each and every last one of them, vivid technicolour in his mind. Some of them are lost to time now, forgotten and unrecorded. Never been one to keep his legal documents in order.

He’s twenty-two now, and the tally on his chest — emblazoned on the soft flesh over his heart, dark against tan skin — says he’s died twenty-seven times.

He’s lived more lives than years.

Fingertips graze over those dark lines. A blessing and a curse. Jack Kelly is unbreakable, because his life isn’t so fragile. You fear nothing and nobody when you can’t be destroyed, when the light behind your eyes can never be extinguished.

He hears shifting beside him, and his eyes flicker over to the bed. Expensive sheets cover a man’s sleeping form, curled on his side, one arm resting beneath his head. Softly illuminated by the rising sun, filtering through the cracks in the blinds.

David is beautiful when he sleeps.

Jack lets out a soft sigh, allowing the fabric of his shirt to drop back down. Turns to watch his lover sleep, a small smile tugging the corners of his mouth upwards. He’s a lucky, lucky man, truly. People like David Jacobs don’t fall for Jack Kelly. But neither of them should exist, because they both died a long time ago, and so Jack doesn’t look at the improbability of it anymore.

“Mornin’, sunshine,” he murmurs. Davey mumbles something unintelligible, rolling over onto his back. “C’mon, we got work to do.”

“What time is it?” Davey asks, voice still thick with sleep. Blinks blearily up at the ceiling, letting his eyes adjust to the change in light.

“Half seven,” Jack answers, without glancing at the clock on the wall. Doesn’t need to, because he wouldn’t get up any earlier than that without six alarms and a strong cup of coffee. “Think Finch an’ Albert are up. Heard ‘em bickering.”

“Unsurprising.”

He laughs, turning to lean against the wall. Davey rolls back onto his side, and that little smile lights up Jack’s world. Reminds him why he fell in love with this man all over again.

“You’re so fuckin’ gorgeous,” Jack murmurs.

He laughs, shaking his head. “No need to flatter me, Jackie. I’m getting up.”

“Not flatterin’. Admiring.”

Davey pushes himself upright, stretching his arms. Arches his back until Jack hears that satisfying crack, the type you get from a good stretch. “You’re sweet.”

“Don’t you know it, sugar,” he murmurs, moving across the room to press a soft kiss to Davey’s lips. “C’mon. Up an’ at ‘em. We got a deal to close.”

Davey’s laughter fills Jack’s ears as he waltzes out of the room, rolling his shoulders back. Shoots a tired-looking Racetrack his trademark grin as he passes. Albert and Finch are still bickering in the kitchen, although they both look a little more animated now. Romeo’s head rests on the table, a glass of orange juice long forgotten beside him.

“Mornin’, lads,” Jack greets. Uncharacteristically cheerful for this time of morning, but he chooses to ignore that minor detail.

“Mornin’, boss,” Albert drawls, mimicking Jack’s tone in the most obnoxious manner possible. “Didn’t think you were gonna make it.”

“I ain’t that lazy, Al,” Jack deflects. “Gimme a break.”

“You want coffee?” Finch offers, placing his own mug back on the counter.

“You already know I do.”

“I don’t think Jack can function without his coffee,” Davey’s voice chimes in, and Jack turns to see his lover standing in the doorway. Leaning against the frame, small smirk tugging at his lips. Cocky. A quiet challenge, just between the two of them. The top of his shirt hangs open, unbuttoned. Unusual for Davey, but more than appreciated.

“Good mornin’ to you too, David,” he drawls playfully, turning back to smile at his boys. “What’s got you lot up so early?”

Finch groans, sliding a cup of coffee across to Jack. “Ask me after.”

“Someone’s cheerful,” Albert comments, earning himself a sharp jab to the ribs.

“Racer had another stupid idea,” Louis mumbles, somehow managing to avoid eye contact with anyone as he enters the room. As he always does. “And you know he isn’t gonna just give up on it.”

Jack simply laughs, sits himself down beside Romeo. “Rise an’ shine, Juliet,” he teases, nudging the boy’s shoulder. He stirs, grumbling something under his breath. Still doesn’t lift his head.

“We’ll be out most of the day,” Davey adds coolly, retrieving the milk. “Got a deal to close.”

“Anything important?” Finch asks, head inclined slightly towards Davey as he rejoins Albert at the table.

Jack shakes his head, jaw cracking as he yawns. “Nah. These guys ain’t regulars. That’s why I want more money off ‘em.”

“And you think tha’s gonna work?” Albert questions.

“You know me,” Jack smirks. “I don’t take no for an answer.”

“And we don’t have long,” Davey reminds.

“That we don’t,” he agrees, draining his cup. “Laters, boys. Don’t burn the house down.”

“So keep Race away from the toaster? Got it,” Albert teases, earning himself a dark glare from the blond.

He follows Davey out of the kitchen, and maybe he’s lagging behind just a little to admire his lover. Not that he’d admit to that.

Davey and Jack have always made a good pair. Maybe has a little something to do with the fact they slept together on their second meeting, but Jack likes to gloss over that fact. It’s not the most romantic story, but it suits them, he thinks. Jack was never one to beat around the bush.

“You sure we shouldn’t bring Racer along?” Davey asks, voice betraying just the slightest hint of anxiety. They’re in the garage now, with Jack making a beeline towards his preferred vehicle. “He’s the talker.”

“Nah. I got this, Dave, don’t worry ‘bout it. You know I got a way with words, an’ you’re not exactly quiet.”

He doesn’t have an answer for that. Doesn’t really require an answer, really, because Jack’s right, and they both know it. They’re equally as competent, and sometimes it’s nice to have something for just the two of them.

They don’t talk while they drive. Jack doesn’t have anything to say, and Davey doesn’t like to be disturbed when he’s at the wheel. A quiet hour to prepare themselves, mentally and physically.

Jack fiddles with his glock. Flicks the safety on and off, that soft clicking a small distraction for his mind. Davey would complain if he weren’t so focused. Occasionally, he’ll hum quietly to himself, break the silence for a few fleeting moments, and it’s nice. Pleasant. Comfortable.

Davey pulls up a few blocks away, rests his arms on the steering wheel. Jack knows that expression. Steeling himself.

“You ready?” Jack asks softly, leaning over to press a light kiss to Davey’s cheekbone.

“Mm,” he answers, not meeting Jack’s eyes. He needs these moments. It’s a little harder for Davey to create that mental separation.

They stay there for a short while longer, listening to the other’s breathing. Jack waits for Davey to unbuckle his seatbelt and pop his door open, taking another deep breath as he steps out. And he follows his lover’s lead, tucking the glock into his waistband. Insurance, more than anything.

Davey’s by his side in an instant, the back of his hand brushing against Jack’s. He resists the urge to intertwine their fingers, just for those few fleeting moments, because he doesn’t quite need that physical reassurance anymore.

You can’t hurt Jack Kelly, and you can’t hurt David Jacobs, because every time they come right back. Death has no permanence. Blink, and they’re awake, side by side, gasping for that first breath all over again. A blessing and a curse.

Jack’s fingertips trace the tally on the inside of his lover’s wrist, a feather light touch. Davey isn’t so laidback, however. He explains his fears quietly, when it's just the two of them in a darkened room, bodies pressed against each other. Every death marks one closer to the end for him. A fear that one day this little performance will come to a horrifying close, and suddenly the fragility of life will become all too real. There has to be a limit to their immortality, he insists, even if Jack disagrees. Just how far can they push it?

His head turns, steely blue eyes meeting deep brown. “Be safe, Jackie,” Davey murmurs, eyes filled with a concern most people wouldn’t quite understand. When you don’t quite fear death, your biggest fear is loneliness, Jack realises.

“Don’t gotta tell me twice.”

A modern office building towers above them, morning sunlight reflecting off the large glass front.

“Little bit more than I expected,” Davey murmurs, and Jack shrugs. Punches a code into a small keypad, buttons glowing blue beneath his fingertips. Not a single smudge on those glass double doors.

“Hey, they’re payin’ us good money. I just want a little more, y’know?”

“As always,” Davey sighs, with that faux irritance that Jack knows and loves.

A voice crackles over the little intercom, a female voice. “Who’s here?”

“Jack Kelly and David Jacobs, here to see Mr. Pulitzer?” Jack asks, that usual drawl disappearing from his voice. He means business.

There’s a soft click. The doors slide open, and the pair step into a modern lounge area. “Floor twenty-seven,” Jack murmurs, shoes clicking against the polished marble floor. Nobody else around, no other sounds.

Davey doesn’t speak, follows Jack into the elevator silently, leans against the cool metal railing as they ascend. His brow pinches together with a silent anxiety. Gets like this every time. The doors slide open.

“Kelly. Jacobs. Good to see you again,” a smooth voice greets. Pulitzer is a tall man, greasy hair that’s greying at the roots and bright blue eyes that crease up a little when he smiles.

“You too,” Jack smiles, lips pulled into a tight grin. False, a little too strained around the edges, but only Davey would pick up on that. “This ain’t gonna take long.”

“I’m sure it won’t,” Pulitzer mutters, turning on his heel. Leads them towards a door, right down the far end of the hallway. Too polished and perfect. Their footsteps echo as they walk. Holds it open for them. Davey shoots him a small smile as Jack sits down.

“So,” Jack drawls, leaning forward. Long arms cross on the edge of Pulitzer’s desk, one hand coming to rest under his chin. “I got bad news. We’re gonna have to up rates, ‘cause suppliers are screwin’ me over.”

“Is that so?” he asks, leaning back in his seat. Davey’s fingers hover over his own gun, just a little anxiety settling in his gut. “Who supplies you, may I ask?”

“Smaller cartel across town. The Delanceys.”

“Interesting.”

Pulitzer drums his fingertips on the desk rhythmically. A dim sound, and somehow it echoes in Jack’s brain. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, hyperaware of the way his clothes feel against his skin, the weight of the gun on his hip, the gentle sound of Davey’s breathing somewhere close behind.

“How so?”

There’s tension in Jack’s shoulders. Something in Pulitzer’s expression just doesn’t sit quite right with him.

“I just so happen to know a certain Morris Delancey. And I just so happen to know he hasn’t changed his prices in four years.”

Shit.

There’s a predatory grin on Pulitzer’s face, toothy and shark-like. Jack doesn’t like it one bit. Can’t think of a way to talk himself out of this one, and Davey isn’t forthcoming. He’s a deer trapped in the headlights, waiting for Pulitzer to finish him off.

His brain doesn’t quite register the gun, or the shot that fires off, or the smell of smoke that fills the room. Dimly, he registers the sound of a body hitting the ground, and he already knows it’s Davey. Doesn’t have time to react, because his vision is hazy as a second bullet pierces his own skull.

There’s a sudden moment of peace. The darkness envelopes him, like an old friend, a comforting embrace. Fleeting.

And then there’s agonising pain, splitting his skull straight down the middle. Because recovering from death isn’t a painless process, of course not. There has to be some kind of drawback to immortality. Every single time, your body has to rebuild what is broken from the inside out, bring itself back from the end, and that’s no easy feat.

Maybe that’s why Davey’s so afraid it’ll all be over one day. That there’s a limit, and one day his body will give out, unable to muster the strength to rebuild itself once again.

Jack isn’t so sure.

When his eyes reopen, he feels concrete beneath his fingertips. Gunpowder on his tongue, blood stuck between his teeth. Coppery. Licks his lips, sore and cracked. Darkened sky, the few stars you can see despite the city lights glinting overhead. Distantly, he can hear cars, somewhere far below. A rooftop.

How fitting.

He’s alive, all over again, and he lays there for a few quiet moments. Feels the way his chest rises and falls with each breath, how he can move each finger independently. The ground is scratchy against his skin.

Davey’s there, and he sits up a little too fast. Chest heaving, eyes wild. Some things never change.

“Hey, calm down,” Jack murmurs, slowly easing himself up. “You’re fine. We’re fine. It’s good.”

“This time,” Davey whispers, voice cracking just a little on the second syllable. “This time, Jackie.”

“An’ that’s what matters, ain’t it? This time? I don’t give a damn about next time, ‘cause it ain’t happened yet.”

Davey shakes his head, still trembling. “I don’t know how we live like this.”

“‘Cause if there is a limit, we ain’t gonna find it by standin’ still,” he answers. “C’mon. You’re gettin’ yourself all worked up over nothin’. We’re alive, Dave. Who gives a shit about this ‘limit’?”

“I do.”

Jack sighs, moves his hand to rest on top of Davey’s. Familiar touch. Smooth skin beneath calloused palms, worn rough from years of firefights and underhanded tactics.

“Let it go, Davey. We’re okay.”

“This time.”

“Sure, this time. An’ all the times before.”

Davey’s still shaking. Slowly, carefully, Jack pulls him a little closer. Intertwines their fingers. Matching gold bands gleam in the streetlights.

“You still got me, ain’t ya? And I ain’t goin’ nowhere without you,” Jack reassures. There’s a smile on his face. A different look, softer behind the eyes. Silent promise, just between the two of them. “I love you, David.”

“I love you too,” he replies. Breathy. Eyes still wide with shock, heart still racing. It’ll take a while for him to calm down, back to that trademark neutrality Davey’s better known for.

Jack lays back down. The concrete isn’t comfortable, but he doesn’t really feel like walking back. They could be miles away, for all he knows. Dark eyes fix on the stars, lips twisting upwards. Innate comfort. A ghost of a smile.

“Sleep here tonight, Dave. They ain’t gonna miss us.”

He silently shifts closer, rests his head on Jack’s chest, lets his lover hold him close. There’s no words. Doesn’t need to be, because they understand each other perfectly without the need for words. Davey drifts off first, exhausted from the whole ordeal. And Jack feels him breathe, feels his heartbeat, feels the warmth of his skin. Calm.

He’s alive, and real, and in a strange way it feels like he’s never been alive at all.

Jack has died twenty-eight times. Davey’s on fourteen.

One more strike over his heart.

[flower-of-the-desert]

Thoughts on My Engineer ep2

I cant tell if Bohn is a disaster gay or a very confident gay

either way though boy knows what he wants and he just goes for it

good for him

and his boyfriend

the looks on Bohn’s friends while they’re watching him with Duen are making me crack up, they’re so freaked out

oooh, there he is! Mr Hot Tattoo

spoiler: by the end of the ep I might be a little bit more in love with him

another spoiler: when I watched the scene where Duen’s friends realised he wasnt with them I was kind of confused because they acted like they lost a baby

having seen the whole episode now I understand why they acted like that

they did lose a baby

Bohn does have some good boyfriend genes though, giving his shirt to Duen, waiting for him to wake up, mooning over him every chance he gets, etc

sidenote, but isnt Duen going to treat his wound at some point or?

“Are you angry? I’ll give you two kisses” I dont know what’s happening there but I need it right now

I liked the little callback to their first meeting and how Bohn now just expects to get punched in the face at some point and is prepared for it

he’s also determined to guilt-trip his way into this relationship and by god, he’s going to do just that

I also like that he told Duen not to buy flowers from the street kids so he wouldnt get hurt again

see, good boyfriend genes

another sidenote but the show logo is very pretty with the dreamcatcher and the colours and all

also nice how Duen asked him what kind of flowers he wants because 1) it shows Duen is also maybe sort of developing an interest and 2) it gives us the opportunity to see the exact moment Bohn developed a bike kink

“If you’re going to gossip about me, you ahouldnt do it in the group chat that I’m still in” I cracked up at this scene too

Duen’s dad is so painfully heteronormative that I’m almost looking forward to him meeting his son’s boyfriend

I hope the scene is more lighthearted than angsty

also if he doesnt at least faint dead on the spot what even is the point

LOL at Duen’s friends betting on what his problem is this time and my man Ram collecting all the money

told you he’s gonna be my favourite by the end

and we havent even reached the scene he won me over completely

Duen is so adorably baby-ish

I dont know if it’s the acting or what but I’m not bothered or annoyed by his antics as I usual am with characters who are this type of naive and foolish

but with him I’m just like aww, that’s cute look at him drinking his juice

is that how Bohn feels?

the first of my two favourite scenes of this episode - friends defending friends against mean girls, love seeing that

not love seeing female characters portrayed like that though and like the slight undercurrent of slut-shaming wasnt cool at all

Bohn’s ex? or whatever she was seems like the type that’s gonna cause problems and honestly I’m not looking forward to that

“I dont like commitment” my friend. over here in my country we call that foooooreeeeshadowing

I like the whole phone metaphor thing and how it shows that Bohn and Duen think alike and are able to understand each other without trying

and yesss, we got my second favourite scene and the moment Ram got me - I love how he defended Duen and protected him and brought up such a good point of Bohn using him to get back at his ex and like I dont think I’ve actually ever seen another story (be it show or fic or whatever) where the friend of the main character doesnt push him towards their love interest; because usually supporting characters like the friends are used to push the two leads together to move the story along regardless of how the leads actually feel at the moment and I’ve always hated that because it’s such a cheat way to get them closer and has no emotional resonance or importance and I always get pissed off on behalf of the character being fored to do something they dont want to do (you know, like those plot points where the character doesnt want to go out but their  friends force them to because they gotta meet their love interest at the club and the author cant figure out how else to get them there?)

so to see Ram not only defend Duen but also take him home and refuse to leave him with a guy he doesnt know? AMAZING

10/10 best scene of the ep hands down

[in-class-daydreams]

Parlay (Kuroo x Reader) | Ch. 3

Pairing: Kuroo Tetsurou x Reader (ft. Roommate Kenma)

Word Count: ~2400

Genres: Fluff, angst if you squint, general buffoonery

CW: Some swearing, but otherwise none!

Summary: (Y/N), a first-year student attending Tokyo U, is living with her best friend, Kozume Kenma. Little did she know, her life would be turned upside down after being exposed to Kenma’s volleyball teammate and close friend, Kuroo Tetsurou. One wrong move, and the parlay’s stakes only get higher each time.

Chapters: First | Previous | Next 

Honestly, Kuroo dreaded 2:00 pm every Tuesday and Thursday. His lecture was two and a half hours long, and it was in one of the school’s bigger lecture halls, meaning he spent two days a week sitting at an itty bitty desk in an overcrowded lecture hall. It was always hot and muggy, and there’s always that one guy that you can smell three rows back. It honestly can’t be that hard to take a shower once a while, right? Personal hygiene. What a concept!

‘Before making assumptions about a person who smells - like thinking they don’t shower - consider their living situation and the fact that not everyone has access to--’ A memory from a conversation with Bokuto flashed through his mind. He begged the Bokuto that lived inside his head to please shut his piehole.

In retrospect, he really should have taken an easier class, but no. His academic advisor had strongly advised against taking an easier class to fulfill this requirement because it wouldn’t ‘enrich his academic talents.’ He could just hear his teammate’s irritating tone.

“Don’t worry, Tetsu-Chan! It’ll be a good challenge for you!”

‘Good challenge’ his ass. He really had to stop trusting other people’s judgement.

Despite his admitted hatred for his 2:00 lecture, at least he and Bokuto got to chat beforehand. The frat boy had a class at the same time: Women and Politics in Continental America. According to him, so long as you did your work and ‘are at least a somewhat decent person,’ the class was relatively easy to get a quality grade in. So while Kuroo was dreading the next two and a half hours of his life he’ll never get back, Bokuto could talk Kuroo’s ear off about his “Owlets” without a care in the world, that bastard.

“Bruh, they’re so cute! We played freeze tag for warm ups today ‘cuz they’ve been good all week and, man, little kids are hella fast!” Kuroo cracked a smile at that. Bokuto loved both volleyball and kids, so when he started working as a youth instructor at the sports center, the guy was living his best life. About halfway through hearing a story about the Owlets dogpiling on Bokuto, Kuroo heard a group of girls giggling a little further down the hallway.

There he saw Kenma’s cute girlfriend making an exaggerated sad face. Her surrounding girlfriends were half laughing and half consoling her. They patted her back and he could vaguely hear ‘next time, next time!’ and ‘--boba right after?’

As they got closer, he heard one of the girls chime in, “Hold on, we can’t go right after. That guest speaker for Native American Lit. is speaking in Ballroom One at six.”

“Oh yeah... After that, then?” another girl offered.

(Y/N) shook her head, “I promised I’d pick up a shift at Chisai at 5:30,” she told them apologetically. Her friends collectively booed as Kuroo pushed off the wall he was leaning against.

“I’ll see you at practice, man.” Bokuto paused his story. They gave each other a bro-nod in farewell.

“Okay, ttyl.”

Kuroo halted in his tracks, “...did you just say ttyl out loud?”

“It’s easier that way. My kids like it!”

“They’re nine, Kou, they like everything you do.”

“Nine is a very enriched age and it’s important that we don’t undermine the abilities of--”

“Whoops, gotta go!” Kuroo speed walked in the direction of the group of girls. Bokuto went out of his way to stay “woke” - his words, not Kuroo’s - and it made him a great guy, but Kuroo could only handle so much social consciousness. (Y/N) noticed him before he reached them.

“Oh, Kuroo-san! You have a class in this building?” For someone he’d met only once before, she looked happier to see him than a lot of people normally would. Did she look at everyone like that?

He gave each of the girls a charming smile. Several of them looked from (Y/N) to him, wide-eyed. In all objective terms, Kuroo knew the effect he had on people. He was used to people of all genders’ gazes lingering on him. After all, he was the whole package: tall, handsome, charming, and it was obvious he drank Respect Women Juice every day.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he nodded his head towards his lecture room, “Not my favorite class this semester.”

“Well, I’m in this class, too. If we sat together, would it be less agonizing?” she asked. Before he could answer, she turned to her friends, “I’ll see you probably tomorrow.” They said their goodbyes, and a few of them flirtily waved Kuroo goodbye. In return, he gave them a sly wink, “Ladies.”

“If you have other friends in this class, though, I won’t be offended at all if you sit with them,” his attention snapped to her. He held the classroom door open and gestured her in. She unthinkingly led them to the same side of the room as the one Kuroo usually sat, a few rows ahead of his normal seat.

“Actually,” he said, “All my friends were smart enough to take other classes,” he laughed. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to sit next to a such a cute girl?” he gave her a cute wink.

‘What a flirt,’ she thought.

“Is that your signature move?” she teased.

Kuroo put a hand to his chest in mock offense, “Move? A gentleman doesn’t use ‘moves.’”

“Are you a gentleman, then, Kuroo-san?”

“If you wanted me to be.”

“Cheesy.”

“Don’t worry. I get worse over time.”

(Y/N) mentally cheered. If Kuroo was flirting with her this blatantly, surely he must have a feeling that she and Kenma weren’t serious. Then, Kenma would have to admit that she wasn’t oblivious and she’d win the bet!

Kuroo’s voice broke her out of her thoughts. “But don’t think I’m trying to steal you from Kenma. Bro-code is sacred text, you know.”

Oh. Well. That’s okay! He might not figure it out right away, but surely when he sees that Kenma doesn’t care one bit that he was flirting with his ‘girlfriend,’ he’d figure it out eventually! ...right?

“Don’t worry.” She replied, “He couldn’t care less.”

The professor walked in about 2 minutes before the class officially began. The man in about his mid-40’s cracked his RhedBhull energy drink and chugged the whole thing in one go. Crushing the can in his fist, he tossed it into a nearby trashcan and started plugging the projector cable into his laptop. In a way, Kuroo was glad even the professor was having as much of a hard time with this class as much as he was.

While he’d been watching the professor prepare himself, he hadn’t noticed the girl next to him pull out a notebook, two mechanical pencils, a big eraser, a set of highlighters, some gel pens, and some sticky tabs. At first he thought she was the type to make pretty notes and not actually learn anything, but as the class dragged on, whenever he glanced at her notes, he noticed that her diagrams were frighteningly detailed and every bit of information had its place. He didn’t want to be that guy by constantly looking at her notes, but even the comments in the little text bubble she drew made more sense than anything on the lecture slides.

Leaning in towards her, the taller male whispered, “I’m sure you don’t need the help, but do you want to study together sometime?” No answer.

“Kenma can come too, if you’re worried about him getting the wrong idea.” Nothing. Was she ignoring him? Had he somehow managed to offend her? He was nearly offended until he realized that nothing was affecting her at all. Not when someone sneezed or when the glass side door slammed loudly and nearly everyone jumped out of her skin. Save for her hand working like a machine, she hardly moved. Just her hand and her eyes flitting up, down, up, down, up, down from the projector to her notes. A tornado could rip through campus and Kuroo wasn’t entirely confident that she’d move.

‘Cute.’ Kuroo shook his head at his own thoughts. Sure, she was cute, but she was as off-limits as possible.

‘Though,’ he reasoned, ‘Being friends isn’t a crime.’

Lost in thought, the end of the lecture came sooner than anticipated. Twisting in his seat, his spine made a loud crack. Ah, the ripe old age of 21. In his defense, the chairs in the lecture hall weren’t exactly ergonomic.

“I doubt that’s a healthy noise for your spine to make.” She peered at him over her bag as she gently organized all her pens into a baby pink pencil case with little green aliens on it.

‘Cute,’ he thought.

“Thanks! It was a gift,” she chirped. He blinked.

“Huh?”

“The pencil case? I got it as a gift.”

It took Kuroo a moment to register what in the world she was talking about. When the realization dawned on him he mentally kicked himself.

‘I said that out loud???’

They headed outside where the sun had nearly set. She asked him what his plans were later on, and he mentioned his volleyball scholarship.

“Wow! It’s super competitive just to get on the team here. Congratulations!” He chuckled at her enthusiasm and thanked her for being so encouraging.

“So…” she trailed off for a moment, “You’re Tooru’s teammate, then?”

Kuroo gave an ugly, barking laugh.

“Yeah. Not sure if that’s good or bad. He’s the best setter I’ve ever met, but he’s also super cheery and will smile while he roasts you within an inch of your life.”

They both chuckled. (Y/N) looked at the ground shyly and said in a small voice, “Yeah, that sounds like him.”

“You know each other?” it suddenly occurred to that she and Oikawa were on a first-name basis. “You a fangirl of his?” he teased.

She squeaked. Waving her hands in front of her frantically, she said, “No, no, no! I just-- We just-- We both went to Seijoh, that’s all.” Kuroo was mildly offended that she thought he’d believe such a poorly delivered lie, but he decided to let it go. For now. Changing the subject, he said,

“So, where are you headed? Practice to watch your boyfriend?” She tensed, then quickly relaxed.

“I’ve never been to a practice since I always seem to have a shift at the same time. I have work at 5:30 today, actually.”

“You’re walking around when it’s this dark?”

“It’s only about a 20 minute walk from here. Don’t worry, I have pepper spray.”

“Mildly comforting, but not much. If you don’t mind, I could walk you there?”

His gesture was rewarded by an adorable eye smile, “Oh, that’s so kind of you. Okay, if it’s not too much trouble.”

On the walk there, she told him all about Chisai Tea House and about Grandmother, the sweet old woman who owned it.

“I worry, though. Gran is getting old. She’s not in a condition to work all day like she does.”

Kuroo looked up at the darkening sky, “When people love something, it’s hard to pull them away.”

“Mm, don’t I know it?”

Kuroo asked what kinds of things Chisai served. Besides dim sum, of course.

“What people order just depends on what they want at the time. There’s no ‘good’ thing to get because everything’s amazing! We make traditional green teas, Korean songpyeon, khao neeo mamuang, and don’t even get me started on the har gao and sumai, and all the dim sum stuff. All of our recipes have been passed down through families for generations.”

Around 5:20, she stopped at a door along the line of shops. The place was bustling with customers, and the air around it smelled of sweet treats and green teas. The whole place had a traditional Chinese feel. Through the windows, the busy place looked busy, but peaceful. On the tables nearest the window, he saw moon cakes and songpyeon that made his mouth water.

“Thank you for walking me to work! If you have some free time, would you like to come in for something to eat? My treat?” she offered.

“I wish I could, (Y/N)-san, but I have practice--!” Kuroo choked on the word. Practice! How could he forget? He’d been going to volleyball practice on weekdays since he started high school!

“Is there something wrong?” the shorter girl asked, concerned. He shook his head.

“Not at all. Thanks for keeping me company,” he winked. He didn’t want her to feel like him being late was her fault, so he waited until she was fully inside the tea shop before he turned tail and hauled ass. The gym was about a 10 minute walk, so there was a chance he could make it.

After some hardcore sprinting, the boy almost cried tears of relief when the building finally came into view. He flung himself through the locker room door. Inside, he saw all his teammates finishing up getting dressed, putting on knee pads, tying shoelaces, the like. Every head turned his way.

“Bro! What’s-- Hey! Why are you all sweaty?” Bokuto shouted from the far end of the locker room. Kuroo meant to respond, but he found himself completely out of breath. Volleyball players might not be cut out for long distance sprinting. At least, he definitely wasn’t.

“Overslept?” Iwaizumi clapped his teammate on the back as he brushed past him through the doorway.

“You know coach doesn’t like it when people are late to practice. Better hurry up, Tetsu-chan!” Oikawa said in a tone all too gleeful to be genuine. Forcing his legs to move, Kuroo stumbled as he yanked his shirt off and ran to his locker while simultaneously trying to shimmy his pants off. Bokuto came up beside him during his frantic clambering to get ready.

“What happened, man? You don’t usually get here this late?”

Kuroo glanced over his shoulder at his friend’s worried expression.

“I’m good, bro, I just...” he panted, “I just lost track of time.”

“M’kay, if you’re sure everything’s Gucci?”

“Yeah, man, I’m good.” The wing spiker nodded and headed out the door. Alone at last, Kuroo stuffed his feet into his shoes and rested his head against his locker for a moment. Next time, he’d stop creeping on Kenma’s girlfriend and focus on making it to practice on time. This wouldn’t happen again.

~~

(A/N): At last! We have tapped into the interactions between Kuroo and (Y/N)! And yes, the Bro-Code is very important! (Well, I'm female, but I’m fully aware of how it works lol). Please continue to give/leave your feedback and thoughts on the story! Be sure to check out the Tumblr/Wattpad for more updates! Thanks and see y’all soon!

- Admin Kiwi-Chan

(A/N): Yeeeaaaaaa boiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

- Admin Mango-Chan

~~

Taglist: @joyful-jimin

[jokertrap-ran]

(未定事件簿) EVENT!「消失的黄金」 [Tears of Themis] EVENT: The Lost Gold Translations (Tutorials + Misc Part 1)

Includes bby Chu Dai’s teachings, Sang Ge’s ...well... and Item Pick-up Scenarios with NXX!

*Tears of Themis Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *The tracking tag for ALL Event Stories will go under: #Tears of an Event

Misc Part 1 | Misc Part 2 | Misc Part 3

⊳⊱[Tutorial]⊰⊲

Chu Dai: There are some mysteries hidden in some places on the Island! You can explore the challenges and find unexpected discoveries!

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NPC: Wait a minute, Miss—

MC: What's the matter?

NPC: Do you know how to get to this place on the map?

MC: Sorry, I'm not too clear about it...

NPC: Just as I thought...it's impossible to attempt bypassing the BOSS to obtain the treasure beyond...

MC: BOSS?

NPC: The guy beside the big boulder over there knows how to get across, but it's very difficult to get any information out of him.

MC: Why?

NPC: Because the existence of a BOSS is to obstruct people, of course! Only the Protagonist can defeat them!

MC: Huh...

NPC: Right, how about you try your hand at it? Maybe you're the Protagonist of this world!

NPC: Even if you're not the Protagonist, you must be at least an Advanced NPC! I'm sure someone like you can get something out of the BOSS!

NPC: Please! If you help me ask him how, then I'll tell you...the secret of this world...

MC: (This person's really weird... Neverminded, I'll just go over and see what's going on...)

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Chu Dai: You'll receive some tasks in each map. You may also receive side tasks in addition to the main tasks that you have to complete, so please actively complete the tasks!

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BOSS: Alright, it's my loss this time. The correct way is to the north, right beside a couple of coconut trees!

MC: Okay! I'll head there right now!

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MC: There's something over there that looks like a box...

MC: It's a Supply Box! How lucky!

MC: I should pay more attention next time to see if there are any of these boxes lying around, since finding one's a score!

MC: Right, I should hurry back and tell that person the right way out of here.

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Chu Dai: After opening Supply Boxes, completing the Debates and the main tasks, the progress of your exploration will increase accordingly, so please pay attention to it~

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MC: I know how to get there now. Just follow the road North of here.

NPC: What!? You succeeded so quickly...

NPC: I'm sure it must be because I'm a cannon-fodder NPC... That's why everything goes wrong for me...

NPC: I'll hold on to my end of the promise since you've helped me. Come closer, let me tell you about the secret of this world.

MC: The secret of this world?

NPC: We're actually living in the world of a book... No, maybe even a game!

NPC: And we're all NPCs, so we can't go against the laws of the world...

NPC: But an opportunity has presented itself!

NPC: There's a magic on this Island that can change one's fate. So long as we can master it, we'd be able to master the laws of this world!!

NPC: Okay, I've gotta go real quick—— This is the only chance I get to transcend from an NPC to a Protagonist!

MC: ...I should hurry on my way too. I've got business to take care of.

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⊳⊱MC [Broken Telescope]⊰⊲

MC: A Telescope? There's also a skull symbol on it. Was its previous owner a Pirate? 

MC: The lens is broken... Pity that it can't be used anymore.

MC: Well, it's not a bad souvenir to bring back with me.

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⊳⊱Lu Jinghe [Climbing Rope]⊰⊲

Lu Jinghe: A Climbing Rope? What's such an important tool doing here?

MC: Is it really that important? This Island doesn't have terribly high Mountains, so I it shouldn't be that big of a problem if someone dropped it, right?

Lu Jinghe: It's not a matter of whether or not it's being used now.

Lu Jinghe: A Climbing Rope is very important to Climbers. It's not an exaggeration to say that it's essentially their lifeline.

Lu Jinghe: After each successful climb, the rope records how many falls it has endured and whether anyone had stepped on it...

MC: You mean, like a Rock-climbing record?

Lu Jinghe: That's not all. It's also used to determine the condition of the Climbing Rope itself more accurately.

MC: Do you often go Mountaineering? You seem pretty knowledgeable about this things.

Lu Jinghe: Of course! I love all adventures!

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⊳⊱Sang Ge [Rope Doll]⊰⊲

MC: A doll? No, but this one looks a little weird...

MC: Are the patterns on its body letters? "GM"? ...what abbreviation does this stand for?

Sang Ge: "GM"!?

Sang Ge: There are really laws of the world on this Island!

MC: Laws of the...world?

Sang Ge: I said so before, didn't I!? That we were living within a book!

Sang Ge: It's possible that we aren't even people in a book! We might even be just part of a game's story!

Sang Ge: In this world, the GM's commands will be the truth and law!

Sang Ge: I'm right! The magic that can change one's fate truly is here!!

Sang Ge: Finally...my days as a NPC are finally coming to an end! HAHAHAHA—

MC: ......

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⊳⊱Xia Yan [Rain Boots]⊰⊲

MC: Why's there a pair of Rain Boots here? New ones, too!

Xia Yan: They're probably something that the Organizer put into the Supply Boxes. Although, I don't know why it's been dropped here either.

MC: Xia Yan, do you still remember back when we were little that we'd put on Rain Boots, grab our umbrellas and stomp on rain puddles together?

Xia Yan: Of course, I do!

Xia Yan: We'd get our clothes absolutely drenched every time and end up secretly throwing our clothes into the dryer before auntie found out.

MC: And we were so proud of ourselves for having fooled mom too.

MC: Thinking about it now, mom probably saw through us and knew, but chose not to say anything.

Xia Yan: Yup.

Xia Yan: Speaking of which, there probably will be places where we'll have to wade through water, so let's take it with us. It might come in handy.

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⊳⊱Xia Yan: Hunting Trap⊰⊲

MC: Is this a Trap for Hunting-use? There's still a feather inside. Is it a Pheasant's?

Xia Yan: Looks like someone can't stand eating Hardtacks anymore and started eating game.

MC: Last time, you said that Hardtacks tasted just like wall shavings... What an appropriate representation it is indeed.

Xia Yan: I seem to recall a certain someone being super eager to try them. Given up already?

MC: ......

MC: I just wanted to try what you've always been eating for so long. Can't I?

Xia Yan: Sure, of course you can. But now that you've tried it, don't ever eat them again.

Xia Yan: Want snacks instead? I've brought Jellies, Chocolates and Cakes with me.

MC: Why did you bring those with you here? You even packed canned food in. How heavy are all of these, exactly?

Xia Yan: Don't worry, it's not heavy at all. Come on, oh great Lawyer, let's start digging in!

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⊳⊱MC: Brass Key⊰⊲

MC: A key? What does this belong to?

MC: If it's the key to the Treasure Chest hidden on the Island...

MC: Wake up, stop dreaming. Pies don't just fall from the sky.

MC: Looking at the workmanship of this key, I'd say it belongs to the Prison Fort?

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⊳⊱Mo Yi: Insect-repelling Herb⊰⊲

MC: This grassy herb has a nice fragrance; I wonder what it's called?

Mo Yi: It's a kind of Insect-repelling Herb native to Nosta Island. It can be ground, and it's juices used to repel mosquitoes by applying it on one's skin.

MC: Wow, that's awesome! You even know a Herb that's native to this Island!

Mo Yi: I just have a little interest in Botany.

Mo Yi: I skimmed through some information regarding the Island before I came, so it left some impressions on me.

MC: Skim...? You must be the type of person who engrains everything they see to memory, right?

Mo Yi: Don't be absurd. I simply have the habit of choosing what to remember, as the situation requires.

Mo Yi: And now, it looks like I didn't make a wrong choice there.

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⊳⊱Mo Yi: Ultra-bright Flashlight⊰⊲

MC: An Ultra-bright Flashlight?

Mo Yi: There's still quite a lot of battery-life left in this thing.

Mo Yi: Take it. You can use it as a weapon when necessary.

MC: ......

Mo Yi: Don't worry.

Mo Yi: I'll never let us be placed in any danger. Not under my watch.

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⊳≫Complete Event Story ≪⊲