#the universe in motion verse

[bylightofdawn]

El's Fanfiction Post

A repository of my various Star Wars series and one-shots as well as other fics I've written for various fandoms.

STAR WARS FANFICTION

Between the Stars Verse

Stars and the Spaces Between  Major Relationships:  Jaster Mereel/Plo Koon, Jaster Mereel & Jango Fett, Jaster Mereel & Plo Koon Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings:  Some violence,  major canon divergence. This is a bastardized combination of old Legends Canon and Disney Cannon Summary: A Jedi and a Mand'alor find themselves thrust into an untenable situation where they have to put aside their theological differences in order to survive. In doing so, they learn maybe they have more in common with one another than either thought possible.  Word Count: 22,623 Chapters: 5/5 Status: Complete Link: Here

Finding the Middle Ground  Major Relationships:  Jaster Mereel/Plo Koon, Jaster Mereel & Jango Fett, Jaster Mereel & Plo Koon Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings: None to speak of, Mandos being Mandos, some fluff Summary: The continued adventures of a Jedi and a Mand'alor navigating the tenuous edges between friendship and a slow-blossoming romance Word Count:  8,375 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

Seeds For the Future  Major Relationships:  Jaster Mereel/Plo Koon, Jaster Mereel & Jango Fett, Jaster Mereel & Plo Koon, Additional relationships to be added Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings: Mandalorian Civil War, some political drama, some violence and angst. Summary: Jaster Mereel was always going to go down in history as being either one of the best or worst Mand'alor. At the end of the day, it depends on which part of the political spectrum you fall. When he brings Mandalore to the table to hold talks on potentially opening Mandalore's borders to the Galactic Republic and their ancient enemies, it met with mixed reactions. This only further emboldens Death Watch to step up their attempts to disrupt the peace talks and could ruin any hope of Mandalore stepping further onto the galactic stage. Set against this political nightmare is the continued relationship between the Mand'alor and his secret Jedi lover. But secrets are prone to be revealed at inopportune times. Word Count:  196,215 Chapters  40/40 Status: Complete Link: Here

Tend to the Flame (and worship the ashes) Verse

A Fragile World Between Sharp Teeth Major Relationships: Commander Cody & Clone Trooper Slick, Commander Cody & Captain Rex Rating: Teen Tags & Warnings: Angst, hurt and no comfort for a sizable chunk of the fic. Some mild gore in relation to medical crisis but nothing overt. Lots of anger and dysfunctional relationships. But it will have an eventual bittersweet happy ending. Summary: Making the conscious decision to desert from the Empire was perhaps the most terrifying choice he’d ever made in his entire life. But Cody finds life on the run harder than he ever expected. When he's at his lowest, a helping hand is offered to him, but it's not one he is willing to accept so readily. Can two clones who hate each other's guts find their way to common ground and maybe even a place of healing, or will they kill one another first? Word Count: 25,109 Chapter: 8/8 Status: Complete Link: Here

Flickers in the Storm (inside of me) Major Relationships:  Alpha-17/Shaak Ti Rating: Mature Tags & Warnings: Some sexual content, Post Order 66 canon divergence AU, Sexual exploration, Demisexuality. Tooth-rotting fluff. Found family Summary: Two years after Order 66, during the middle of the worst rainy season on Felucia, an Alpha Class ARC trooper and the on the run Jedi he's been protecting navigate the murky waters of their relationship. A clone should not want his Jedi but Alpha-17 has always been an unusual clone and Shaak Ti has never been your average Jedi. Word Count:  6,834 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

What comes next? Major Relationships: Commander Bly/Aayla Secura & Quinlan Vos/Asajj Ventress, Rating: Gen Tags & Warnings: Angst. Grief and mourning, post Order 66 and all the trauma that comes with that. Some minor suicidal ideation. Summary: A Jedi and a clone commander, two men broken by lost love and grief try to find forgiveness in a universe where such things are hard to find. Word Count: 2,859 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

What We Left Behind

Major Relationships:  Delta Squad, no pairings just all the Delta Squad feels Rating: Gen Tags & Warnings: Post-Canon: What if Sev ended up joining the Rebellion, Reunions, Walon Vau's zero percent approval rating Summary: “This better be life or death, I was in a karking meeting with the general.” The years being a rebel hadn’t done a lot to soften the more jagged and sharp edges of Sev’s personality but his second in command was made of sterner stuff. “I know, boss, but we need you down at the shuttle bay now. A bunch of guys dressed up in Mandalorian armor showed up here demanding to see you.” His second in command said, sounding remarkably calm all things considered. Few things managed to fluster Arani Vane, a trait Sev greatly appreciated in his second. “Fierfek, on my way.” Word Count:  7,629 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

Turning the Pages Verse

The Promise of the Future Major Relationships: Commander Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi  Commander Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings:  Modern AU, copious amounts of mutual pining and people being dumb. Ship teasing and never quite managing to cross that line Summary: In the waning days of the war, Cody and Obi-Wan are tentatively hopeful for the future. Until news of Qui-Gon's death reaches them and that hope turns to despair with the realization that everything they'd been hoping for was now in jeopardy and the future is suddenly very uncertain. Word Count: 4,124 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

It Only Knocks Twice Major Relationships:  Commander Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi  Commander Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Commander Cody & Ghost Company Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings:  Modern AU, copious amounts of mutual pining and people being dumb, poor communication skills, eventual people get their shit together, happy ending. Summary: A decade and three thousand kilometers later every time Cody saw the sun sparking off of that familiar shade of burnished copper, he found his eye drawn to it out of habit alone. He'd spent three long years trying to follow flashes of that bright reddish-gold hair stuffed hastily under a helmet across a battlefield, it was just habit by now. One that wasn’t easily broken even after a decade apparently. Cody caught the flash of bright hair from the corner of his eye but this time, when he turned to look instead of seeing yet another unfamiliar face, his eyes caught in profile a face he hadn’t expected to see ever again. Word Count: 34,487 Chapters: 8/8 Status: Complete Link: Here

Far From Home  Major Relationships:  Waxer/Boil, Waxer & Boil & Numa found family. Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings: Modern AU, Found Family, technically clonecest but neither are related in this fic. Summary: Boil finally comes home after retiring from active duty to be with his husband and his adopted daughter. If only the universe would cooperate with that end goal. Word Count: 4,505 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

Not a Clockwork Romance  Major Relationships:  Commander Fox/Quinlan Vos, background Commander Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander Bly/Aayla Secura Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings: Modern AU, Fox and Quin's terrible emotional intelligence,  Enemies, to fuckbuddies, to something more? Poor communication skills.  Summary: Fox and Quinlan have been secret fuckbuddies for a while and that has worked for them up until this point. But when the lives of their closest friends grow and mature, they are forced to examine their own relationship in a new light. Maybe they both want something more than just a quick roll in the hay but good luck getting either of them to admit that. Word Count: 11,942 Chapters: 3/3 Status: Complete Link: Here

The Universe In Motion Verse

Stars and the Spaces Between Song: Sun Major Relationships:  Jaster Mereel/Plo Koon, Jaster Mereel & Jango Fett, Jaster Mereel & Plo Koon Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings: Some violence,  major canon divergence. This is a bastardized combination of old Legends Canon and Disney Cannon Summary: A Jedi and a Mand'alor find themselves thrust into an untenable situation where they have to put aside their theological differences in order to survive. In doing so, they learn maybe they have more in common with one another than either thought possible. Word Count: 22,623 Chapters: 5/5 Status: Complete Link: Here

Finding the Middle Ground Song: Mercury  Major Relationships:  Jaster Mereel/Plo Koon, Jaster Mereel & Jango Fett, Jaster Mereel & Plo Koon Rating: Teen  Content Warnings: None to speak of, Mandos being Mandos, some fluff Summary: The continued adventures of a Jedi and a Mand'alor navigating the tenuous edges between friendship and a slow-blossoming romance Word Count:  8,375 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

Flickers in the Storm (inside of me) Song: Venus Major Relationships:  Alpha-17/Shaak Ti Rating: Mature Tags & Warnings: Some sexual content, Post Order 66 canon divergence AU, Sexual exploration, Demisexuality. Tooth-rotting fluff. Found family Summary: Two years after Order 66, during the middle of the worst rainy season on Felucia, an Alpha Class ARC trooper and the on the run Jedi he's been protecting navigate the murky waters of their relationship. A clone should not want his Jedi but Alpha-17 has always been an unusual clone and Shaak Ti has never been your average Jedi. Word Count:  6,834 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

Seeds For the Future  Song: Earth Major Relationships:  Jaster Mereel/Plo Koon, Jaster Mereel & Jango Fett, Jaster Mereel & Plo Koon, Additional relationships to be added Rating: Teen  Tags & Warnings: Mandalorian Civil War, some political drama, some violence and angst. Summary: Jaster Mereel was always going to go down in history as being either one of the best or worst Mand'alor. At the end of the day, it depends on which part of the political spectrum you fall. When he brings Mandalore to the table to hold talks on potentially opening Mandalore's borders to the Galactic Republic and their ancient enemies, it met with mixed reactions. This only further emboldens Death Watch to step up their attempts to disrupt the peace talks and could ruin any hope of Mandalore stepping further onto the galactic stage. Set against this political nightmare is the continued relationship between the Mand'alor and his secret Jedi lover. But secrets are prone to be revealed at inopportune times. Word Count:  196,215 Chapters  40/40 Status: Complete Link: Here What We Left Behind Song: Mars Major Relationships:  Delta Squad, no pairings just all the Delta Squad feels Rating: Gen Tags & Warnings: Post-Canon: What if Sev ended up joining the Rebellion, Reunions, Walon Vau's zero percent approval rating Summary: “This better be life or death, I was in a karking meeting with the general.” The years being a rebel hadn’t done a lot to soften the more jagged and sharp edges of Sev’s personality but his second in command was made of sterner stuff. “I know, boss, but we need you down at the shuttle bay now. A bunch of guys dressed up in Mandalorian armor showed up here demanding to see you.” His second in command said, sounding remarkably calm all things considered. Few things managed to fluster Arani Vane, a trait Sev greatly appreciated in his second. “Fierfek, on my way.” Word Count:  7,629 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

One-Shots

Dulce et Decorum est Major Relationships: Commander Cody & Captain Rex Rating: Teen Tags & Warnings: Post Battle of Geonosis, the horrors of war and how terrible clone lives are. Summary: To a clone, the best sort of death is to die for their Jedi and for the Republic, that is something that has been told to them since they were decanted. Over and over again like a mantra until it is woven into the fabric of their very realities. But after their first taste of battle, a young clone is forced to face the fact that maybe there should be more to their lives than to just die for the Republic. Word Count: 5,012 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

How Quiet Its Death Major Relationships: Commander Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi Rating: Teen Tags & Warnings: Major character death, nothing but angst and pain found here, bad ending. Aftermath of grief and violence. Summary: A fleeting reunion twenty years in the making, yet it's the very last thing the man simply known as Ben Kenobi these days had expected to happen one fateful day in the dusty streets of Anchorhead. Word Count: 5,774 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

Safe in Your Hands Major Relationships: Commander Grey/Depa Billaba Rating: Explicit Tags & Warnings: Explicit sexual content. This is smut with some illicit fluff mixed in. A hint of femme domme Depa. Summary: Reunited with his General after six long months of separation after the disastrous battle of Haruun Kal, a clone commander and his Jedi general have face uncertainty of the future and seek to reaffirm their relationship which has been damaged by time and trauma. Word Count: 9,655 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

The Art of Decompression Major Relationships: Commander Fox/Unnamed Lover Rating: Explicit Tags & Warnings: Explicit sexual content, Light dom/sub, praise kink, come marking, a love note to Fox's fat tits Summary: It was a bad habit he’d begun and one he wished he could kick but it always seemed to build like an itch under his skin that would not go away until it had been scratched. After a few minutes of consideration, he pulled out his comlink and dialed an all too familiar number. Word Count: 4,712 Chapters: 1/1 Status: Complete Link: Here

Those Who Made It Home Major Relationships: CodyWan, Cody & Rex friendship. Rating: Teen Tags & Warnings: Aftermath of temporary character death, trauma, terrible mental health practices. Drinking to cope,It does have a happy ending. Summary: The price of waiting too long is that one day it might be too late and then you are left with a lifetime of regret. When Obi-Wan is seemingly killed by a sniper's bullet, Cody is left to pick up the pieces. This is the Deception Arc from mainly Cody's POV and the fall-out from that deception. Link: Here Status: Complete Word Count: 19,528 Chapters: 5/5 Status: Complete Link: Here

FINAL FANTASY VIII FANFICTION

Making Bets With the Devil Major Relationships: Rufus Shinra/Reeve Tuesti , Rufus Shinra & Reeve Tuesti, Rufus Shinra & The Turks Tseng & Reeve Tuesti Rating: Teen Tags & Warnings:  Post-Meteorfall, Enemies to Friends to Lovers,Gray Morality, Angst, Blending elements of the OG Game and the Reboot Games, Angst with a Happy Ending, The long and winding road to redemption . Summary: In a post-Meterofall world, Reeve Tuesti tries to sever ties with Shinra in order to make his own way into the world. Rufus makes him an offer he cannot refuse. The offer of a full year of financing from the SEPC if he can prove he can stand on his own two feet without the help of Shinra.

What he didn't count on was a slowly budding relationship between himself and a man who might be the literal devil. Meanwhile, Rufus Shinra is dealing with the depressing view of his future and his seemingly painful inevitable death, and perhaps through Reeve he might actually have a second chance at making amends for the mistakes he's made in the past. Not that he can come out and admit that because Rufus Shinra isn't the kind of man who lays all his cards on the table. Word Count: 17,978 Chapters: 4/6 Status: WIP Link: Here

WITCHER FANFICTION

Tomorrow May Be Too Late Verse

Maybe Tomorrow is a Better Day Major Relationships: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Gallatin, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach & Gallatin Cahir, Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach & Emhyr var Emreis Rating: Teen Tags & Warnings:  Heavy Angst, Season 3 Spoilers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Temporary Character Death, Alternate Universe - Time Loop Summary: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach finds himself cursed to relive one of the worst days of his life. In the process, he goes a little bit mad, but maybe, just maybe, he will find a way of escaping his own personal hell with his sanity and Gallatin's life intact. Word Count: 14,568 Chapters: 6/6 Status: Complete Link: Here

Tomorrow May Be Gone Major Relationships: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Gallatin, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach & Gallatin Rating: Teen Tags & Warnings:  Canon-Typical Violence, Medical Inaccuracies, Injury Recovery, Developing Relationship, Witcher Season 3 spoilers Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gratuitous Amounts of Pining Summary: Cahir and Gallatin travels have taken them to the shores of Thanedd where they are caught up in the aftermath of the Coup. Cahir is gravely wounded in the fighting, and it's up to Gallatin to keep him alive. The road toward recovery isn't easy but the shattered trust between them is mended along the way. Maybe there is still hope for them after all as they try and navigate these new waters. Word Count: 18,107 Chapters: 8/8 Status: Complete Link: Here

[parcfermekisses]

Kinktober – Days 9/10 Stripping: Pato O'Ward / Álex Palou

It’s absolutely not the sexiest strip show Álex has ever seen. And it’s not even as if he’s seen a lot of strippers. Sure, he's been on the obligatory getting-married-boys’-night-out-to-the-strip-club, which isn’t really his thing because women aren’t really his thing, but they have an ease and a rhythm that’s – maybe, perhaps – slightly lacking from the current show.

There’s also the run of the mill definitely-not-stripping that happens in locker rooms, which isn’t really his thing either because getting caught staring in there is— no. Sure, there’s some trying to impress each other, but it’s not serious and – maybe, perhaps – Pato is taking this strip tease a little too seriously.

He’s enthusiastic though, and honestly? That’s more than enough for Álex. He could watch Pato wiggle and twirl and unbutton and discard forever. Not to mention he’s allowed to touch, if he wants to, and that’s … everything. 

He reaches out and wiggles his fingers until Pato twines his into them, then pulls him nearer, head tilted up and Álex is smiling, spreading his arms, bringing Pato closer still, until – maybe, perhaps, absolutely, definitely – Pato’s close enough to kiss. 

[quranindex]

Discover Quran Verses about #Universe Motion @ https://quranindex.info/search/universe-motion [35:41] #Quran #Islam

[dvrcos]

Andrew Minyard mic’d up if aftg took place today and the Foxes did social media promo

Andrew absolutely refuses to be mic’d up for a long time

When he finally agrees to do it it’s during a game against the Jackals

Everyone is sure it’ll be a bust and they won’t get much of Andrew actually talking

But to everyone’s surprise, Andrew turns his inner monologue outwards and doesn’t shut up

He commentates the game from his perspective

‘And there’s the son of Exy Kevin Day running the ball up- and oh yeah no he’s down for the count’ *huffs a laugh through his nose*

‘The other fuckers have the ball now, if my brother dearest let’s them get it to my goal I’ll kill him’

And when the opposing teams striker trips Aaron up and gets past to Andrews goal he shuts them out of course

‘He’s dead. Find a new backliner coach’

When he gets bored of the game and the backliners are keeping the ball away from his goal he starts to sing

He does a full rendition of “Life is a Highway” because Neil and him watched Cars on the bus ride to the game

And he gets into it

He makes the guitar noises with his mouth and everything

He even sings it in the best low, country voice he can do

He interrupts himself in the middle of the song suddenly, feeling the need to give his full synopsis and review of Cars

‘If I was the stupid fucking car and I fell out of my sentient truck/trailers ass I would keep driving in the same fucking direction. Simple’

‘Josten would do the same thing as Lightning McQueen. He would fuck up an entire town, he’s already done it once actually, when he came here.’

‘Stupid junkie, I hate him’ he adds but there’s a fondness in his voice

‘How do the cars reproduce? Are there humans in this universe that build cars and then make them sentient? Do the cars bang?’

Halfway through his rant one of the strikers gets past Matt and Aaron and he doesn’t even stop talking when he smacks the ball halfway across the court

When the other teams strikers start breaking through the backliners more frequently Andrew doesn’t even seem to care

He just swats every attempted goal away, squawking a quite ‘mine’ like the seagulls from Finding Nemo after hitting each one

Mine *smacks* mine *swats* mine *swish*

He keeps his goal almost completely shut down the entire game, spare a few times when the other team can get the ball past him because he’s not paying attention

‘I wonder what coach is buying us for dinner after this. I hope it's good since we’re’ *his goal lights up red* ‘Oops, anyhow it better be good, I’m working my ass off out here,’

‘What if we all started moving in slow motion. Josten and Day would look stupid running up the court like that,’ *a ball flies past his helmet* ‘If we were in slowmo I would’ve stopped that’

He plays the entire game (Renee's out with an injury) and he shuffles through doing all this the entire game

He sings verses of whatever song pops into his head

He reviews the movies he’s watched recently

He commentates the game in his dry manner, listing off every stat he knows about the other team and then explains why they still suck

He makes fun of his Foxes and the other team

He talks about his random hypotheticals

All while keeping the goal almost perfectly defended against the other teams strikers

When the game ends and the Foxes are loaded back up on the bus they listen back to the recording of Andrews mic

And they’re shocked that he doesn’t stop talking once the entire game

They listen to his entire recording on the ride back to campus

All of the Foxes are laughing the entire time

Even Neil is smiling (even though he’s used to this version of Andrew that is weird and likes to ramble)

When they post his mic’d up highlights to their social media it goes viral

It’s their most viewed and liked mic’d up video

Their fans are begging for more of Andrew mic’d up but he refuses to do it again

He got the enjoyment out of doing it once and doesn’t feel a need to do it again

The foxes do start to pay a little more attention to what Andrew’s saying while in goal (and all the time)

Aaron Mic’d up

[padfootagain]

Love in Verses (I)

Chapter 1 : ‘And that orange, it made me so happy, as ordinary things often do just lately’

Hi, everyone!!! I’m so glad to finally start posting this series! I know I’ve been talking about it for a while, and I thank all of you for being interested and even excited about it! I hope you won’t be disappointed!

The first chapters will set the plot into motion, of course, we need to get the story going!

I hope you like this series! Tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader (professor!AU)

Warnings: slow burn, angst, hurt, hurt/comfort, tooth-rotting fluff in later chapters, some scenes in later chapters will have heavy sexual themes even if it’s not explicit nsfw description, so minors here

Summary: Your life seems perfect. You're engaged, your career is thriving as you become an assistant professor at Trinity College, and this Andrew Hozier-Byrne you're sharing an office with seems to be a nice guy you hope to call a friend soon. Life seems to be smiling at you... until everything goes sour. When your fiancé breaks up with you, your perfect world shatters. And when your colleague also gets his heart broken soon after, your shared office seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. But Andrew seems determined to mend your broken hearts... Will things finally go according to plan?

Word Count: 3502

Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s masterlist – Main masterlist

The Orange

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange— The size of it made us all laugh. I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave— They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy, As ordinary things often do Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park. This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy. I did all the jobs on my list And enjoyed them and had some time over. I love you. I’m glad I exist.

Wendy Cope, The Orange and Other Poems, 2023

There was sunshine upon the Liffey that morning. A scent of new beginnings in the air, a whisk of excitement in the breeze.

You took a deep breath before entering the college grounds. This was what you had worked so hard for, for so long…

You were finally working in a university, you were a researcher, you would be teaching to younger generations about your passion. And every time you thought about that truth, that new reality, your heart made a happy jump, and a grin formed on your lips.

You were there. At long last. You had a teaching position, you had money for your research, and you had this at Trinity College, no less.

For now, there were no students, the grounds were empty, filled with nothing but old stones, bending trees and sunlight. The year had not begun yet, it was still the early days of August, filled with warm weather, summer storms and a tinge of sun here and there. It seemed that your first day was one of those sunny, warm days that felt too much like vacation time to work. A good omen, if you had ever seen one. A good omen for your life that seemed to fall perfectly into place these days. Professionally, you were achieving your goal today, with this position in the best university in Ireland. Your family was proud, and so were you. And on a personal point of view, you were engaged, to be married to a successful man. You glimpsed at the diamond on your finger. You didn’t have a date for the wedding yet, but you were aiming for spring of the coming year. Frank had proposed during the summer, while you were on a trip for your vacation in Wales. You smiled at the memory. You were lucky this year, your life was perfect, or at least, successful. You were ticking all the right boxes. What else could you ask for?

You walked between the still frames of Edmund Burke and Oliver Goldsmith, stepping finally on the grounds of Trinity College. And you took a deep breath as you stepped into the entrance hall, crossing the building to reach the first courtyard hidden inside. You gathered your thoughts, tried to slow down your beating heart that was pounding with nerves and excitement.

You were to meet one of the fellows of your department, Professor O’Connell. You had never met the woman, but she seemed kind enough on the phone, if strict in her tone. You checked your watch, but you were still seven minutes early. At least, you would not make a bad first impression because you were late…

You hurried under the archway at the centre of the yard, glancing at the forbidden green grass on both sides, and the tall buildings that surrounded it. You tried to calm yourself, thinking that you were an assistant professor already, even if this was your first stable job, that you knew what you were doing, that the papers you had already published were proof of your academic success and your worth as a researcher. You could do this. You could do this…

You walked towards the English department with hesitant steps, trying to follow directions on the various signs scattered across the grounds. A fifty-something woman waved at you from afar though, she seemed to be waiting in front of a building. You smiled, hurried towards her, hoping that you were not mistaken and that she was, indeed, the woman you were looking for…

“Y/N Y/L/N?” she asked, and you nodded your head with a grin.

“Yes! Professor O’Connell, I assume?” you answered, offering her your open hand, which she took with a smile.

“Oh, Lydia is more than enough. How are you?”

“Grand… grand…”

“Welcome to Trinity, I guess. I’ll guide you for a quick visit of our building, and then leave you in the competent hands of our HR department for you to sign off some paperwork. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

She guided you across the large stone building in which you would be working from now on. You easily got lost in the maze of corridors, staircases and halls you were crossing. Still, she showed you the cafeteria in which you were introduced to a few of your new colleagues, some of the classrooms, and finally she guided you to the HR, where a middle-aged woman gave you some paperwork to sign.

Lydia was waiting outside, ready to guide you to your office. A new maze of corridors opened before your feet, but you said nothing, figured that you would eventually get used to it. You took a turn to the right to another corridor, headed straight for the door a few steps ahead. Wooden, with two plaques fixed on its surface.

Dr. Andrew Hozier-Byrne

Dr. Y/N Y/LN

Your heart skipped a few beats at the sight of your name there, engraved in copper.

“You’ll be sharing your office with another of our assistant professors,” Lydia explained. “Andrew arrived last year, he’s working mostly on 20th century literature… but I’ll let him talk your ears off about his research.”

She knocked, didn’t wait for a response before opening the door.

The office was tiny, to say the least, but it was enough for the two desks and chairs set there, a wardrobe and a few shelves. There was a poster of Johnny Cash on one of the empty spots on the white walls, and a large window facing the door, behind one of the desks. The other desk was set on the left-side of the room, a tinier window behind it.

A man was sitting in the chair behind the desk in front of the larger window, and he looked up as the door opened and Lydia walked in, you following close behind.

“Good morning, Andrew,” Lydia greeted her colleague with a smile. “This is Y/N, our new assistant professor, who’s going to share your office this year.”

Andrew’s eyebrows arched slightly, although he still gave you a warm but shy smile, standing in a hurry. You couldn’t help your surprise as he stood up, towering you with an intimidating height. He seemed to have long hair, that he had tied in a bun. You studied his features, something kind and gentle made his hazel eyes shine, a short beard coloured his cheeks. He readjusted his glasses, as he quickly stepped around his desk. He was wearing a black turtleneck and dark jeans, there was a brown jacket thrown on the back of his chair.

You looked up at him as his smile widened just a little, still polite but with an extra-touch of kindness now. His body was intimidating though, and the fact that he was handsome wasn’t helping. He bent to avoid the lamp that was hanging from the ceiling.

“Of course! Erm… hi, nice to meet you,” he greeted you, offering you his open palm, avoiding eye-contact. You weren’t expecting how soft his voice was, how quiet his tone sounded. If his height gave something intimidating to his appearance, his voice countered that feeling, and you immediately felt more at ease.

“Hi! It’s very nice to meet you too, Andrew!”

“Alright, I’ll leave you to settle,” said Lydia, addressing you. “My office is down the corridor, if you need anything. But I’m sure Andrew can help you with the rest. The HR gave you everything you needed to access a computer?”

“Yes, I’ve got everything.”

“Good. Settle this morning, we’ll have a talk about your research this afternoon. The meeting for the upcoming year and classes is set later this week, you’ll get all the information you need for your teaching then.”

“Alright, thank you so much.”

She gave you a bright smile, before walking out of the room.

You were left alone with Andrew, who gave you another shy smile, rubbing at his palms.

“Erm… right… obviously, there is a large selection of desks you can choose from in this room,” he joked, his tone still stern, and you noticed how he was biting the inside of his cheek.

But you laughed good-heartedly at his joke, and he raised his eyebrows at your reaction.

“Hmm… I guess I’ll take this beauty over there,” you said, dropping your bag on your desk.

“Good choice,” he nodded, fleeing your gaze again. “Erm… I’ve emptied a couple of shelves over there for you too, and made some room in the wardrobe as well.”

“Thank you,” you smiled up at him and caught his eyes again, noticed their pretty hazel shade.

You turned on your computer, looked through your papers for the password that had been given to you so you could log in.

“So… what’s your research about?” he asked, a little awkward, shifting his weight while burying his hands in his pockets.

You noticed how he was bending his head and shoulders a little, as if to look smaller than he was.

“I work on feminism and the use of the female gaze in literature, as opposed to the male gaze.”

He raised an eyebrow, and you noticed how his gaze lit up with interest.

“Oh… that’s so interesting!”

You were surprised by the earnestness in his tone. The academic world was a particularly misogynistic one, after all. Most men in your field were enemies rather than allies.

“Yeah… I… I think so too,” you smiled, cursing yourself for your naïve answer. “I mean… If I chose to work on that, it means that I’m interested in it, but…”

He chuckled, the sound as quiet as his voice. You were still surprised by it, by the contrast it offered to his intimidating stature.

“Totally, yeah…”

“What about you?”

“20th century literature… mostly modernism and contemporary poetry. So… Lots of Joyce, Woolfe, Heaney and the likes.”

“Nice! That sounds interesting.”

“I mean… I teach a lot about modernism, but my research is more focused on poetry, especially poets who are currently writing.”

“That’s pretty rare, to have scholars studying contemporary art, instead of… dead people.”

You both chuckled at that.

“Yeah… but I… I mean… I value a lot the political weight of art, so… I find it more interesting to study something that talks about our current problems, rather than the problems from… four centuries ago or something...”

“Can’t argue with that,” you nodded.

You exchanged a smile, noticed that Andrew was relaxing as well by now.

“Erm… I’ll let you settle down, but… tell me if you need anything. Oh, and…”

Andrew nodded towards an empty frame tugged away against the wall, in a corner of the room.

“There’s an empty spot on the wall, feel free to hang something you like in it. As long as it’s decent enough.”

“Oh… I will refrain from a poster of my naked celebrity crush then,” you joked, making Andrew laugh again.

“Please, refrain. Although, I will accept your latest pagan ritual to summon Chtulhu or something…”

He tensed again, bit the inside of his cheek, as if he regretted his joke, but you laughed, and he seemed a little surprised by it.

“Dully noted… so, I can bring my pentagrams at work?”

His smile widened.

“Feel free to do so. I can produce the goat for the sacrificial ritual, if you need.”

You chuckled again, and Andrew bent his head, but you noticed the way his shoulders relaxed.

“Right, sorry for the weird humour,” he apologised anyway, and walked back to his desk. “Tell me if you need help with anything. I have a couple of things to take care of, but I can show you around if you need.”

“Okay, thank you! Yeah, that would be grand! And no need to apologise, I have a rather dark humour too.”

You exchanged a smile, before both of you would focus on your computers. You managed to log into almost everything, started to create documents and files for your research, downloaded a few articles that you needed to read this week.

It was almost noon when Andrew looked up from his screen again.

“Erm… is everything alright for you?” asked Andrew, his voice still as quiet.

“Yeah… erm… I just can’t log into something.”

Andrew stood up, bent to avoid the lamp again.

“Can I take a look?” he asked softly, and he walked around your desk when you nodded.

He helped you log into the software you needed, showed you a couple of things that you would need to use often.

“Would you like to get lunch?” he asked you with a timid smile.

You answered with a bright smile.

“Yeah, sure!”

“Did you bring some food?”

“Erm… no…”

“That’s fine, no worries,” he chuckled at your sudden hesitation. “We have a cafeteria in our building, for the staff. But it’s more suited for a coffee break than anything else. You can’t buy food there, except for a few snacks from a vending machine. There’s an electric kettle, a coffee machine… there’s a microwave and fridge too, if you… like… want to bring your own food. But nothing to make proper food. We can go to the cafeteria on the campus, though.”

“Okay, that would be nice! Are you waiting for anyone else for lunch?”

But Andrew shook his head.

“Most people in the department are gone to a conference in Cork for three days,” he explained.

“How come you didn’t go?”

But Andrew merely shrugged.

“I wasn’t invited to be a speaker, and to be honest, it was mostly about subjects I’m not particularly interested in. Besides, someone had to stay behind to keep the new lecturer company,” he smiled with a tinge of mischief, and you liked the sight.

He waited for you to gather your things, and you walked together out of the building. Andrew showed you around the campus a little bit, mainly the library and a couple of buildings where you could be asked to teach. You followed him to the cafeteria as well.

“Do you eat here often?” you asked, as you took a look at the food that was available that day.

“When I can. It’s not bad. But students come here too, so you should come only if you can avoid the worst of the crowd. As this year hasn’t started yet, we’re in the clear for a few more weeks.”

You ordered a sandwich, while Andrew bought a salad, and you walked together to one of the many empty tables.

“Lydia told me it was your first job as a professor?” asked Andrew, before sipping on a glass of water.

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve obviously been teaching and working in research for a while, but it’s my first year since I got that title,” you answered with a smile.

“Have you talked about your classes with Lydia yet?”

“No, not too much. I should be able to create a couple of lectures based on my research, but for the more… general stuff, nothing.”

Andrew nodded.

“Yeah, you might inherit some of the classes no one really wants to do, as you’re the newbie.”

“Did it happen that way for you?”

Andrew nodded again, but shrugged right after, swallowing a mouthful of salad.

“I mean, you’ll stay in something you’re used to, don’t worry. But a lot of people are holding the classes they enjoy teaching. You’ll have a limited choice in your field.”

“Any class that you’re hoping to drop?”

“One of them is bound to religion and religious references. I should be able to pass it to someone else this year. We’re exchanging. I’ll get a class on Yeats instead, which is much more in my area of expertise… and interests.”

“Not a religious guy, are you?”

He chuckled.

“Not really, no.”

He didn’t elaborate on the subject, and you didn’t want to push him, happy enough that your colleague and office-roommate was talking to you and acting with benevolence.

“Where did you teach before Trinity?” you asked instead, changing subject.

“Cork for a while, but my partner works in Dublin so I really wanted to move back on the west coast. And then I had the opportunity to come to Trinity last year, when I got the rank of assistant professor, so I didn’t really hesitate. What about you?”

“I taught for a while in Belfast, and they offered me a job when I became assistant professor. But I really wanted to teach at Trinity, so I applied and… got the job! My fiancé is working about halfway between Belfast and Dublin anyway, so it didn’t change much on his side.”

Andrew nodded.

“Relationships can be tricky with academic jobs, especially with how few the teaching positions can be.”

“Yeah, that’s for sure.”

You had gotten a yoghurt for dessert, and Andrew some dry fruits. He handed you the packet, a questioning rise of his eyebrow as a silent enquiry. You smiled, opened your hand and he poured some fruits in your palm.

“Anyway, I hope you’ll get interesting classes, and especially that you can teach about your research. Aside from being interesting for you, I think it’s important to develop what you’re working on in our field.”

You smiled, and he seemed to notice, giving you an awkward smile of his own in exchange.

“Thanks. I think so too.”

“But I have a more important question to tackle.”

You raised a questioning eyebrow, inviting him to go on.

“What poster are you going to put in that empty frame?”

You couldn’t refrain a laugh.

“I have no idea,” you admitted.

“Well, think about it. The decoration of our office is at stake, that’s serious business.”

“Of course, of course. Definitely my number one priority.”

“Good, it should be. My Qi is very sensitive to that kind of stuff.”

You both laughed, and you felt yourself relax again.

You had a good feeling about Andrew, about your shared office, about your new job, about this whole life that was ahead of you.

The world was smiling to you, even the weather was on your side. What could possibly go wrong?

You were so excited to go home and tell everything to your fiancé. Frank got home before you did, you lingered a little longer than anticipated because you asked Andrew questions about how the university worked, the power dynamic in the department, the people you should avoid and those who were nice to talk to. And you wanted to tell Frank about Andrew too. You were so relieved that the colleague sharing your office was nice, kind even.

When you stepped inside, Frank was watching TV. He had ordered some takeaway, and was eating in front of a stupid show that was on, more focused on his phone than on the tv anyway. He jumped when you entered, put his phone away in a hurry.

“Hey, babe!” you greeted him with a grin, bending to kiss him as he sat on the couch.

“Hi! I ordered food for tonight,” he said, nodding towards the Indian food that was scattered across the coffee table.

“Nice!”

“You’re home late.”

You grinned, nodding your head.

“It went amazing!” you jumped up and down excitedly. “First, a senior professor, Lydia, came to pick me up and showed me around. She seems very strict, but nice as well. Apparently, as long as you do your job well, she’ll be on your side. I went to the HR to sign some papers, and…”

You noticed that Frank wasn’t paying too much attention anymore, so you rushed your explanation.

“Anyway, I’ve met a few colleagues, and especially Andrew! We’re sharing an office. He’s been of great help throughout the day, and he’s very sweet! Which is surprising given that he is quite literally a giant!”

“You’re sharing your office?”

“Yes!”

“With a guy?”

“Yes. His name is Andrew! He’s been teaching at Trinity for a year.”

You noticed the way Frank refrained from making a comment, knowing you would call him out for being jealous. You refrained a sigh.

“He lives near Dublin with his partner too. He’s specialised in poetry.”

Frank seemed to relax, and you struggled not to be annoyed by his reaction.

“It’s grand that your first day went fine, babe,” Frank gave you an earnest smile.

“I’m just so relieved that the guy sharing an office with me is not some… misogynistic gobshite. I mean, I don’t know Andrew very much, but he seemed to be more on the feminist side of the spectrum, so I’m sure we’ll be able to get along.”

“That’s nice.”

He didn’t ask any further question but he was still looking at you. You sat down next to him, and he handed you some food he had ordered for you. It wasn’t your favourite, but you liked it.

He opened his arm for you to settle against his shoulder, and you happily obliged. You thought about all the details you wanted to say, but knew would bore him. You chose another question instead.

“What are you watching?”

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Also don't think anyone has said this (thats a joke) but like, art styles aside:

The animation, expressions, movement, everything of ATSV is IMPECCABLE.

Like insanely, ridiculously, almost mind bogglingly good.

[This is a MEDIUM length post]

The main strength is the Emotion -

In terms of animation, the range of emotions Miguel is capable of expressing is like... crazy good. Gwen's emotions ARE UNSPEAKABLY IMPRESSIVE.

LIKE...ANIMATING HER FUCKING BREATHING???? AND BLINKS!! AS AN EMOTIONAL CUE. HELLO???!!

And the movie hinges on this - almost every scene has an emotional cue that HAS to hit. Whether is Jess's looks of hesitation or Peter B.'s looks of horror.

And this may seem like the most ridiculous comparison ever made but like...

The Bee Movie and Across the Spider-Verse came out FIFTEEN YEARS APART.

THE BEE MOVIE...THIS MONSTRASITY that has plagued humankind - was made less than two decades from THIS:

The fact that we progressed that far as a society (pun intended) in that short of a time will never not baffle me.

I genuinely cannot name any other animated movie that:

Has multiple styles throughout the duration

Can seamlessly change styles without the viewer immediately noticing (like Gwen returning to her universe)

Show two or more animation styles on screen at the same time (and no, Roger Rabbit and Space Jam don't count - that's half live action lol)

Just off the top of my head - ATSV shows up to three styles in one scene: I'm mainly thinking of the scene that shows Hobie (customized - style 1), Peter B. (standard - style 2), and Miguel (a light stylized - style 3).

It can be brought to four if you want to count Miles/Gwen, though their style isn't visible.

I can think of a couple scenes that genuinely blew me away in terms of animation -

One being Rio's 'What-EVER?!' because of the little stance correction and head bob she does, because it's such a natural thing to do. And it adds so much to an already perfect line.

It's something someone would genuinely do IRL without even noticing.

Another I LOVE is Pavitr and Hobie roughhousing.

Like, I can't yell about these five seconds of animation more.

It's SO fluid it looks like Motion-Capture and I left the theatre googling is any Mo-Cap was used in the movie (and from what I can tell - no, it's all original animation).

The way Pavitr falls to the side and bumps them - This not only being a natural reaction to Hobie and his weight, but it also LOOKS natural. So much so you can see it affect Hobie's model too. The movement has kinetic energy on both models -

Which is AMAZING CONSIDERING THEY'RE ANIMATED ON LIKE FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES.

In this shot alone, there's the guitar, vest, AND Hobie, all of which have their own animation rules. Plus the outline on his guitar AND him. And then there PAVI too, who's running at a higher frame rate, touching and interacting with Hobie.

So much so that Hobie's model nearly wraps himself around Pavi. Pavi's hair is moving, Hobie's guitar is moving, there's movement in the background - and it looks GREAT.

PLUS THE CAMERA IS MOVING AND GOSTLING. IT'S NOT A STATIC SHOT. The models and camera are moving AS IF THEY'RE REAL when they're not.

That's - My..I CAN EVEN COMPUTE THAT.

But by far, I think the range of expression used on Miguel is like... Chef's kiss.

(of course I was gonna trick you into reading another post about Miguel. Uh-huh that's what's about to happen)

Like... are you kidding me?

NAH DEADASS ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????

The whole later half of the movie hinges on Miguel looking buckwild crazy insane and they NAIL that. And like-

Oh my god what the actual fuck

?????????????????????????? I........ I have nothing to add. After that picture......Nah... LMAOOO

(left: actual photo of Moche watching this happen)

But Anyway chile, This movie is like.. genuinely a modern marvel.

If Marvel gave Tim Gunn 4 billion dollars and five years, whatever live-action rendition he would have made would not even compare to ATSV on any conceivable level - that's how good it is so jot that down.

And like...don't even get me started on Hobie..his design..his representation...girl I will start crying in this Arby's do not play with me

I just felt that needed to be said.

you get what I'm saying yall know what I mean iight coo

Here's a picture of Hobie to cleanse your palette.

Bye.

[nickeverdeen]

If you're still doing Legend of Korra requests, please can I request a Korra x guitarist!reader who has been working on a song ("until i found her" inspired me to ask this) to give to Korra, and performs it for her under the guise of needing feedback, and when positive feedback is given, reader admits that it was written for Korra?

Thank you and I hope you have a nice day!

This is extremely short and I truly am sorry about that

————————————————————

Melody of Love | Korra x guitarist!reader

In the quiet solitude of your room, you, an aspiring musician with a deep admiration for Korra, sat with your guitar in hand. A gentle strum echoed through the space, setting the creative energy in motion. The desire to express your feelings for Korra through music ignited a spark within.

As you tuned the strings, they pondered the essence of Korra – her strength, resilience, and the unspoken connection that seemed to bind them. Each chord played was a reflection of the emotions swirling in your heart. The lyrics began to take shape, inspired by the Avatar's journey and the uncharted territories of your own feelings.

With every word crafted, the you aimed to capture the spirit of Korra – the bending prodigy, the compassionate leader, and the person who had managed to touch your soul in a profound way. Verses and choruses unfolded, creating a melody that mirrored the ebb and flow of emotions.

The room became a sanctuary of creativity, emotions pouring into the song like ink onto a canvas. You marveled at the power of music, how it could transcend spoken words and convey the unspoken truths of the heart. The process wasn't just about creating a song; it was a journey of self-discovery, an exploration of the uncharted territory within yourself.

Hours turned into days as you refined the composition. You strived to make the melody resonate with Korra, hoping that the song would convey the depth of your feelings. The guitar strings vibrated with every emotion, and the lyrics became a testament to a love that dared to be expressed through the universal language of music.

In the quiet moments between verses, you envisioned presenting the song to Korra, wondering how she would react to this heartfelt melody crafted exclusively for her. Little did you know that this musical creation would become a bridge, connecting your hearts in a way that surpassed words alone.

———

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the Air Temple as you stood at a distance, captivated by Korra's training routine. The sight of her muscles flexing with each movement, beads of sweat glistening on her skin, sent a flush creeping up your cheeks.

As Korra concluded her training session, you nervously shuffled your feet, unsure whether to approach her. However, before you could make a decision, Korra noticed you and approached with a friendly smile.

"Hey there," she greeted, a playful glint in her eyes. "Enjoying the show?"

You chuckled, your cheeks still tinged with embarrassment. "Uh, yeah. You're quite the sight to behold."

Korra's eyebrows lifted in surprise, but she took it in stride, her fingers fixing a few strands of hair that clung to her forehead. "Training gets messy sometimes."

You nodded, finding it difficult to tear your gaze away from her. "Messy or not, you're amazing out there."

Korra's grin widened, and you felt your heart race. Encouraged by the casual banter, you gathered the courage to share a more personal side.

"I've actually been working on something lately," you admitted, gesturing toward the guitar strapped across your back. "Mind if I play it for you?"

Korra's eyes lit up with curiosity. "I'd love to hear it!"

Finding a quiet spot, you began to play the song you had composed with Korra in mind. The melody resonated through the Air Temple, and you stole glances at Korra as you played.

Once the final note lingered in the air, you looked at Korra with a mix of excitement and nervousness. "So, what do you think? Any feedback?"

Korra's face softened into a smile. "That was beautiful, really. You're incredibly talented."

Buoyed by her positive response, you took a deep breath. "Actually, there's something else I wanted to say. The song... I wrote it for you."

A brief silence stretched between you two, and panic started to creep in. You began apologizing, thinking you might have overstepped, but before your rambling could continue, Korra closed the distance and kissed you mid-sentence.

Your eyes widened in surprise, but as the warmth of the kiss enveloped you, words became unnecessary. When Korra finally pulled back, she grinned, a playful sparkle in her eyes.

"No need to apologize. I've been hoping you'd say something like that for a while," Korra admitted, her thumb brushing against your cheek.

Speechless and blushing furiously, you found yourself caught in the magic of the moment. The Air Temple, a silent witness, seemed to hum with a newfound melody – a melody of shared feelings and the beginning of something special between you and the Avatar.

As you and Korra continued to talk, laughter filling the air, you realized that the song you had played was more than notes on a guitar; it was the soundtrack to the blossoming connection between two hearts

Yours and hers

[boneblushed]

But on a Wednesday, in a cafe

muggle!au, James x fem!reader, I’m going through a really tough break up right now so writing this = therapy

I’ve been spending the last eight months / Thinking all love ever does / Is break, and burn, and end

Perhaps you should be used to it by now, this never-ending chasm of pain that begins and ends at the base of your ribcage.

It’s a deep, aching hurt, the kind that promises to linger until you’re forced to surrender. A draught of cool air pulls through your chest, alerting you to the tired heart squeezed within it. Every time you think about him—about the life you shared—it breaks and splinters, rocketing another of its shards into the surrounding structures. A dreadful pang.

Who knew love could hurt this much?

It’s taken a while for your heart to look the way it does. A few weeks ago, it was held within your shaking palms, wrung through with desperation as you begged him to return. Here… take it, please? It belongs to you… it’ll always be yours.

Prior to that, when the aching wounds were still fresh, you wove bandages from hopeful ignorance, fastened them with blind faith. No, love couldn’t possibly be as fickle as he was making it out to be; you couldn’t let yourself believe it was, you’d simply have to bide your time until he came to his senses.

Until he told you how wrong he was, how much he didn’t mean any of it. Of course I didn’t fall out of love with you, of course that can’t just happen; I love you, I’m sorry, forgive me?

And pathetic as your broken heart is, you would be ready to do so, no matter the stakes.

It makes you stomach roil as you think back on it now — the power he had over you, how callously he wielded it every time you spoke. Has. Present tense. The fissure deepens.

It’s terrifying, how quickly your world can shrink into nothingness. Once upon a time, you’d considered him your soul-mate—your person—and now it’s as though the pair of you are strangers, even less than.

It’s true what they say, indifference pierces deeper than hatred. After all that you’ve been through with him, all that you’ve shared, how are you supposed to simply move on and find love elsewhere?

The cobblestone path you walk along is well versed with your rumination. A quilt of autumn foliage crunches underfoot, a petrichor rich scent present in the air. Every shop window you pass boasts Thanksgiving deals that you ‘just don’t want to miss!’; it’s nauseating as much as it is heart-breaking, having to do the holidays without him for the first time in six years.

It’s probably pity more than it is fate that leads you to the new cafe in Godric’s Hollow — you’ve shed far too many tears for the Universe to bear, plagued with motion sickness from how quickly your sadness turns yearning again.

You miss him. It’s right there in your eyes, how much you miss him. James’ on barista duty whilst his colleague Remus mans the register; the latter may discern the melancholy in your features, but it’s James who recognises the exact significance of it.

He’s been through it before, you see, with Lily Evans. His gaze softens, dappled brown eyes falling over you in paces, and he wracks his brains for things he’d have wanted when he was going through the worst of it.

Except, the one thing he wanted no one could realistically give him — Lily. Who’s your mystery boy? Is it truly as over as your eyes say it is?

“Uh, hey,” you greet. Your voice doesn’t crack as much as it’s barely loud enough to register.

“Hey,” Remus responds, sending you a small smile. Playing it cool whilst his knee nudges James’ under the counter. “What can I get for you?”

“Just an iced latte please,” you answer. “With oat milk, if you have it.”

Remus punches in your order as you reach for your wallet. The cappuccino James’ making overflows.

“Shit!” He curses, jerking back his hand hastily, the skin scalded. Droplets of burnt coffee fly onto the machine as he shakes them off.

You startle, turning to look at him. “You alright?”

“Coffee’s on us,” James replies, reaching over Remus to cancel the order. His peripheral vision catches the incredulous look he sends him, but he thinks it a disservice to look away from you in this moment. The melancholy in your eyes ebbs a little. James’ heart soars.

“Really?” You ask, your voice a little louder now.

“Oh yeah,” James responds, faux-serious. “You’re our fiftieth customer today.”

“You’re lying,” you say, a flicker of a smile on your face.

James shrugs, grinning handsomely. “D’you want the free coffee or not, oat milk?”

You raise your eyebrows in response, pretending to zip your lips and throw away the key. James nods approvingly.

He discards the dregs of the cappuccino he was making, starting anew with his gaze flitting over to you intermittently. You watch the trees sway through the high windows to the left of you as you wait, your hands clasped in front of you, one wrist held in a palm. He knows, as he watches you, that you have to go feel all of the pain to see a way out of it.

So he keeps his mouth shut for now, and hopes this cafe will become a regular haunt.

Weeks, a month, two passes. He takes it slow. He thinks your dreadfully pretty but that’s besides the point right now; when he was grieving his relationship with Lily, all he wanted to do was mope and be left alone. No number of Sirius’ “friends” could quell that deep, overwhelming hankering in his chest.

“Hey,” you greet one day, resolute.

James raises his eyebrows at you. Remus is off sick. “Hey?”

“I’m paying today.”

James snorts, shaking his head. “No way.”

“I’m tipping heavily,” you warn.

“Wow,” James sighs sadly. “Like you would any other employee, huh? And here I thought we were friends.”

“Shut up.” You scowl. Not really; it baffles James, how your features can still look so sweet when they’re contorted all angrily. “You’re right. You don’t even need this job.”

The thing about James is, his family owns half the establishments in town square. He’s one of those enigmatic personalities that you’ve always known to rule your hometown; around when you are, dancing around the corners of your gaze, kind and ever-present but never very important. Until now.

He grins handsomely, dropping into a curtesy. He oozes fondness and it makes you forget things often. “Nepo baby at your service, sweetheart.”

“That’s what I don’t get about all this,” you say. “You don’t… why’re you wasting your time here? Is this gig just a way for you to pick up chics?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“James.”

He grins wider, raising his arms in surrender. “Full disclosure?”

You cock your head to one side, intrigued. “I’m listening.”

“Well… it actually started as a way to fill my time,” he answers, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. “I went through a pretty tough break up last year, and I couldn’t bear to be sat at home hurting over the same shit over and over.

“So dad got me this gig. I didn’t even get paid in the start, honest. I barely did anything; made like, one coffee over eight hours. But I was around people, and that helped. I don’t know.”

You swallow. It sounds far too familiar to your own circumstances, and a distant ache rings through your chest — a reminder. “I know the feeling.”

“And then I met Rems, and introduced him to my mate Sirius,” he continues, raising his eyebrows. “Turns out they’re fucking mad for each other, who’d have thought it? And it just reminded me… I don’t know, that there’s still hope.”

Another pause. You know what he means, but you want him to say it anyway, for your own sake.

Your lashes flutter closed. “Hope?”

“To love again. Eventually.”

His rough timbre reverberates through your insides. You nod, slowly, and when you open your eyes, unshed tears darken your lashes. James frowns, but he doesn’t intervene. He knows this feeling; his own heart mourns its melody.

He hands you your coffee soundlessly.

“Thanks,” you says, your voice cracks.

When you turn around, you know you’ll be back tomorrow. And then the next day, a few days after.

You aren’t sure when you start believing it too. But slowly, slowly, without even knowing you are, you begin smiling more. Ruminating less. No one’s ever given you this many free coffees in the past. James’ tally surpasses your ex-boyfriend’s by week four; the small talk’s more about you than about him, and he learns your quirks with this startling sincerity that you didn’t think you’d ever experience again.

The more you see of James, the more you recognise how much love your past relationship lacked. Strangers, friends, more than. All you did was blink.

Though of course, you’d be lying if you said the melancholy didn’t wax and wane, flow through you in waves that make your entire being crash ashore.

James knows this. He still feels the odd pang of heartache at the thought of Evans.

On Christmas Eve, the air feels different. The melted snow in your hair glistens in the warm light of the cafe, and for the first time since he met you, James sees it reflected in your gaze.

“The usual?” Remus asks in lieu of greeting.

“Times two, if possible Rem,” you say. You turn to James. “Coffee?”

James startles for a moment before he regains his composure, his wide, brown eyes falling over your in paces. You’ve always been breathtakingly beautiful, but something about your features seems different now, better.

Softer. Healed.

“You’re paying though, right?” James asks, faux-serious.

“I see,” you reply, folding your arms across your chest. “As long as it’s not a date, you have no problem paying for things?”

“Shit,” James wolf-whistles approvingly, jumping over the counter so he’s standing right in front of you. You gaze tilts, messing with your centre of gravity. “This is a date, huh?”

You raise your eyebrows. “Do you want it to be?”

James raises his in tandem. “If that’d make you happy.”

A pause. “You know,” you say quietly, breaking eye contact. “After my break up, I didn’t think anything’d make me happy ever again.”

James’ features soften. He reaches forward and cups your jaw, returning your gaze to his. “And now?”

“Can’t you see it in my face, James Potter?” You smile poignantly. “Yes is the answer to your question, by the way. It’d make me very happy.”

Behind you, Remus begins to clap. James groans and drops his head to your shoulder, deftly flipping him off. “Don’t fucking start, Moons.”

“Are you kidding? Coffee’s are on me, by the way. Pads is going to fucking die when he finds out.”

But on a Wednesday in a cafe / I watched it begin again

[anime-greek]

(Verse!AU) ‘Before The Battle’

Cassie and Gen!Mikey

Fanfic under cut

Mikey felt extremely nervous as he walked up to Cassie with a plate of the food. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but guessed it could be because she was kinda far away from the group, standing next to the key in the dark night. She was also staring at him the entire time he walked up to her.

“I brought you food if you want some.” He told her as he lifted it up to her.

She glanced at the plate before looking back to him. “No thank you.” She declined.

He lowered the plate. “Are you sure? We have a big day ahead of us in the morning.”

“I am sure.”

Mikey pouted as he stared at his plate. The both of them remained in silence for a bit.

She noticed something off.

“You did not come here only to offer me food, did you?” Cassie asked him.

His pout deepened as his grip tightened against the plate more.

“I just..” he sat down on the steps while setting the plate aside, “I'm having a difficult time dealing with the idea that any of us Mikeys would betray our siblings like yours did.”

“That is how alternative universes work.” She stated.

He looked at her fully. “But, you’re sure the story is right?”

He saw Cassie’s own grip tightened against the end of the katana as a small frown formed on her.

Mikey attempted to save face, “I’m only suggesting that—!”

“Are you trying to insinuate that my life is a lie?”

“No! No! I’m saying that uh-“

“Young Michelangelo..” She cut him off as she squatted down to be closer to his height. “Each universe is seemingly different in one way or another. With something as little as a choice B is picked rather than A from a being as small as an ant; to it something as big as being an entirely different race rather than being a mutant turtle.” She gestured her hand towards the campsite. “Out of all of the possibilities you have seen and heard on your journey, what you had found the most difficult is that one of yous out there has joined the side of the Krang?”

Mikey looked down at his lap, as one of his hands rubbed against his wrist. “Well, since you put it that way..” he glanced to the campsite, where the others were still chatting about, before he looked back to Cassie. “You know, you talk really wise for someone so young.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m over six—ty years old.” She caught her words for a moment.

Mikey made a choke noise. “Well—You look good for your age!”

She seemed confused by that statement. “Thank you.”

As she stood back up, Mikey grabbed the plate and held it out to her again.

“You sure you’re not hungry?” He questioned. She shook her head. “Not even tired? I’ve been told resting and recharging can help for a coming battle”

“I am sure.” She responded. Mikey seemed to deflate that.

Cassie did a head motion to the camp this time. “That older you, with the tied up hair. He’s your mentor?”

Mikey shrugged. “In a sense, I guess so, yeah. He tries to be when he can.”

“He reminds me of my own Michelangelo.”

Mikey couldn’t help but give a puzzled frown at that statement. “In a good or bad way?” He asked.

“Depends on your view of good and bad. I can sense how powerful he is; close to how mine was before.. all that.”

“Their power is almost the same?”

She pursed her lips before speaking again. “From the last time I saw him. He has likely gotten stronger since then. I am sure of it.”

Mikey began to feel doubt and worry sink in. He stood up.

“I’m..going to go back now. Should..should rest up before the morning, y’know?” He said.

“Very well.” Cassie lowered her head in a bow. “Enjoy your rest.”

Mikey returned the bow and began to walk back to the camp. Halfway he turned back around and saw Cassie staring at the key with an apathetic face, while mumbling something, seemingly to herself.

[scribespirare]

ummm so your bio says requests are open and u were talking about alpha miguel and omega miles could u maybe write about them?

Oh hell yes!! It's been ages since I got a request this is gonna be fun >=3

"Jesus Christ can you chill for, like, two seconds?"

Miguel's gaze snaps away from the man he'd just sent running, down to Miles. His snarl relaxes by the most minuscule of fractions, which Miles takes as a good sign. But his red eyes narrow in annoyance, which Miles knows definitely is not.

"Sorry," Miguel says with zero remorse, contrition, or believability. His voice comes out all gruff and slightly slurred through the barrier of two sets of fangs: one Alphean, one spider. "But you have got to be smarter about-"

Miles flaps an errant hand at him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah my pheromones bring all the spiders to the yard, I know, we've been over this a million times-" Miguel's eyes narrow to slits, the red barely visible now, and Miles quickly tries to backtrack "-aaaand I appreciate that! I really do! You're looking out for my best interests and all that, I just, you know, can handle myself! I mean I beat y'all once and-"

Apparently done with his shit, Miguel leaps down from his work platform, performing a perfect superhero landing that normally Miles would drag him over the coals for. But today he bites his tongue. And is very glad that he does when Miguel stands and immediately grabs Miles by the nape, hauling him in close and leaning down to kiss him.

Miles melts into the embrace with a happy if a bit confused hum. The thick fingers on his neck press lightly at the pressure points there, and Miguel's thumb slides along the curve of his throat to brush his scent gland. It's almost enough to make Miles forget about Miguel's stupid Alpha posturing from moments before.

Almost.

One of the things that most of the spider-people share that Miles does not, is their second gender. Well, those of them with a second gender anyways. Boy what a shock it had been to learn that some universes don't have them.

All of that is to say though that most spider-people are Alphas, through and through.

Not Miles though. Another sign that his is a destiny that he has chosen, not one he was given. And he's proud of that, really! It's just kind of hard to navigate spider society sometimes when few people are expecting the scent of young, recently-presented Omega to waft among them. It's...caused problems.

And then there's Miguel. Huge and brooding and so fucking territorial that Miles doesn't know if he should kill or jump the Alpha. Maybe both. They haven't been together for very long, but it's long enough that Miguel is getting increasingly incensed at the various spider-people that follow Miles around anytime he visits HQ. It's equal parts hot and annoying. Like, Miles has saved the entire multi-verse. Twice. He can handle a few knothead Alphas!

But tell that to Mr. Snarls over here, still kissing the daylights out of Miles. By the time Miguel pulls back Miles is breathless and a touch lightheaded.

"This," Miles says, panting, and holds up a finger up to motion between them, "does not let you off the hook, mister."

"Cállate, pup," Miguel responds, squeezing at Miles' nape. "If you didn't want to see me be jealous, you should have come in alone. I know you're capable of sneaking around unnoticed, why do you insist on letting half the Alphas here trail after you like lovesick puppies?"

"Maybe because I already have to lie about you being my Alpha, and I don't want to have to sneak around to see you on top of that."

Miguel softens. "You know that's-"

"I know," Miles cuts in, reaching up to touch Miguel's face. And he does. Miles is only fifteen and Miguel over twice that; they know how they look from the outside. So they've kept this under the tables. No bonding, no marking, no scenting. Not until Miles is older and more prepared for the consequences. And he gets it, really, he's as eager as Miguel is to be bonded.

But Miguel growls, suddenly pissed all over again, his teeth visibly gnashing. "No, you don't! You don't get it. Watching all these Alphas flock to you, but not being able to claim you, prove that you're mine, tell them that they need to back the fuck off? It's hell, Miles. ¿Que quieres que haga? ¿Sólo mirar?"

"No!" Miles protests, but Miguel steamrolls on.

"How would you feel if you saw me surrounded by Omegas all the time? Would you want to be told that you're overreacting-"

"Collar me!" The words are out before Miles can stop them and he cringes back, eyes shut tight as if against a physical blow. But none comes, of course. Their days of violence are mostly behind them.

When he opens his eyes, Miguel is staring down at him, brow knit in confusion.

"Collar me," Miles repeats, a little unsure. When his Alpha doesn't respond Miles licks his lips and continues, calming the longer he speaks. "We can get one of those collars for unbonded Omegas, no tag, no engraving. But it'll be yours and we'll both know it. Maybe we could personalize it or something too. And it'll keep Alphas from ogling my neck. Deal?"

Up until now Miles has refused to wear a collar; he finds them primitive and old fashioned. Why the hell should he have to hide his neck? Just to appease the egos of a bunch of Alphas? Fuck that!

But now that it's not a collar meant to protect his modesty or some shit, but a symbol of a relationship? Well. The Omega in him practically preens at the idea of getting to wear a mark of ownership from Miguel.

And if the way Miguel's pupils are dilating he likes the idea too.

"Christ, pup. No sabes lo que me haces," he rumbles, all low and throaty in that way that makes Miles shiver. "Yeah, let's get you a collar. But first-"

Miguel tugs Miles close again and, with zero hesitation, sinks his teeth into Miles' throat. Miles yelps at the sudden pain but it's gone as quick as it came, Miguel's lips and tongue kissing and sucking at the same spot until Miles' knees go weak.

When Miguel decides he's done, Miles is wet and trembling from head to toe. He reaches up to touch what he knows is going to be a massive bruise very soon, "What-?"

"So you can't take the collar off once I've got it on you," Miguel says, his smirk showing off his fangs.

It takes Miles a moment to process, then his jaw drops. "You dick! We don't even have it yet, how am I supposed to go anywhere with this!?"

Miguel just laughs and tugs him close again.

[pattypanini]

Lay All Your Love On Me

Chapter 1- Trust Fund Baby

Josh Kiszka x Reader

Word Count: 2,257 (Short one, sorry guys)

AN: Hi everyone! Here is the first chapter of Lay All Your Love On Me from me and @mar-rein12! We hope you enjoy and please leave comments or feedback, we want to learn on what we can do better. This is a short one so prepare for more chapters soon!

Warnings: 18+, Angst, Flirting, Cursing, Degrading, NO smut yet... be prepared for the near future though.

Late March 2023- Spring Semester- Junior Year

“Okay let's run that scene one more time. We're gonna pick up with y/n’s first verse and continue through it. And please, more passionate guys give me some emotion. And 5, 6, 7, 8…”

The instrumental begins to play and you prepare yourself for the worst scene with the most insufferable guy you’ve ever met, Josh Kiszka. You get uncomfortably close to him, getting ready for one of the more enjoyable parts, pushing him into the artificial rock wall. He takes an extra step towards you, closing the gap even more. You push him hard and begin to sing and Josh gives you a cocky ass grin as he props his body up against the wall, watching you intently as you walk towards him. He’s disgusting.

You reach up to grab his face. Slowly, but painfully, you drag your hands down his chest not being able to ignore his toned body beneath his thin, white shirt. Without a doubt, your disgusted look was written all over your face and was easily recognized.

“CUTTTT. Stop the music.” Dr. Coleman, the director shouts, slamming her papers onto the table in front of her.

The music stops and Josh lets out a frustrated groan and both of you turn to Coleman who is furiously walking towards the stage, flailing her arms.

“What the hell was that? Sky and Sophie are madly in love, you both look like you're about to throw up on each other. We have been working on this since February and you guys still can’t get your shit together.” She slams her hands on the stage looking up to the two of you.

You look to Josh to get a read on him, seeing if he agrees or not on what Dr. Coleman just said. Turning to him, inconspicuously, you see a look of annoyance.

Since freshman year Josh has always thought he was the best thing since sliced bread. He thinks he should either have the lead role, or that the other actors around him weren’t good enough to work “alongside him.” And that may lead back to the fact that his daddy gives a generous deposit to the music department at the University of Michigan every year for the musicals. Josh has always been told that he's been the most talented man anyone has ever seen, by directors, family, and many others. But to you, he was just an egotistical, trust fund baby. 

“I don't even want to see the crawl, something needs to be figured out here before we move on next week. There is no chemistry or love, I'm not buying a bit of it. We're done for the day, rest up for next week everyone.”

As everyone begins to clear out Josh looks at you and furrows his eyebrows, “Yeah mama, why don’t you love me?” His hands clutching his heart. “Show me some love y/n.” A shit-eating grin plastered across his face. 

“Fuck you.” You mutter under your breath as you walk away from him. 

“I know you want to.” You hear from across the stage while grabbing your stuff. Without looking, you knew his body would show he was enjoying the moment way too much. Cocky little shit.

“Y/n, get back here. Rehearsal is not over yet for you two,” The director motions to Josh. “We have a long weekend since everyone is off on Monday, so you two NEED to build a connection with each other, hangout or something, or else someone is losing their part.” She says sternly and begins to walk away leaving you two to talk it over.

“... Its not gonna fucking be me, so you better start lovin’ on me, y/n.” Josh whispers, feeling his warm breath against your ear.

“In your dreams, Kiszka.” Rolling your eyes towards him, grabbing your bag and leaving before this situation could get any worse. 

As you walk back to your dorm late that night, you prepare to be interrogated by your curious roommate, Charlotte. Putting in the pin to your dorm you walk into the shared living space and see Charlotte working on her English paper that she, of course, pushed off until the last minute. 

“Procrastinating again I see?” You joke as you put your backpack near the door. 

“Of course, what else would I be doing? But now I have an excuse to stop because I need to know the tea. How was the rehearsal?” She says shutting her laptop and turning herself to you on the couch. 

You debated lying to her and just saying it was good and move on, but you needed to rant.

“Pretty awful actually. I’m being threatened that my role might be given to someone else.” You flop onto the couch next to her. 

“What! Why? I thought you were perfect as Sophie?” 

“I am.” You try not to sound cocky. “But my ‘love interest’ and I don't seem to have the connection the director is looking for.”

“Josh Kiszka?” She says with a smirk.

You roll your eyes, knowing what's about to happen.

“But he's sooo hot, how could you not be attracted to him? I’d kill to be in your position right now.”

You weren’t going to lie. He was a very attractive man, but he's so stuck up.

“He’s such a dickhead, Charlotte. He's too cocky for his own good. And I know that if the chemistry isn’t there it'll be my part taken away, not his, since his dad practically buys his parts for him.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“The director wants us to get to know each other and form some type of ‘connection’ but I don’t see that working out.” You scoff.

There is a moment of silence before it is broken by Charlotte's horrifying idea.

“You guys could fuck, break the tension a little, you know?” She says elbowing you in the side.

“WHAT, no fucking way. I don’t want to even kiss him in scenes, let alone fuck him.” You think about the idea and have to physically stop yourself from gagging. You cringe, as a shiver travels down your spine.

“Well I would gratefully take the part from you to get a little Josh action, or from any of the Kiszkas.” She giggles. 

You begin to think about it and a pang of jealousy washes over you. You didn’t know why, but you didn’t like the feeling. 

“I’ll figure it out, I might have to be the bigger person and reach out to him over the weekend.” 

You grab your bag, dropping it off in your room and walk to your bathroom, needing to cleanse yourself of the negative energy from tonight. As you begin to take off your clothing, you think about what Josh would look like without his shirt on during the actual performance. 

It's one thing to feel what's underneath, but seeing it is another. Subconsciously, you get a shiver all over your body, hardening your nipples. What is going on?  You never thought about him like this. Maybe because you really never thought about him much at all?

Freshman and Sophomore year had been a breeze, only having to play side characters, but this is your first main role as Sophie. 

When Coleman came to you before winter break and told you about the spring musical that would be put together by her with her ‘best students’ you got excited. You were happy to be considered one of her best. You studied that movie and musical all until the last moment before auditions that were held a week before winter break was over. They were very small due to the limited people chosen to get a chance at a role. You and Sophia ‘Bitch’ Michaels, or that's at least what everyone in the theater department liked to call her, were trying out for Sophie. When the cast list was posted on the department's website, you were ecstatic. But some weren’t. You got many threats from Sophia that night, but that was shortly followed by you blocking her number. 

Not having many roles in romantic plays you were inexperienced, but in real life, it was no problem. Most weekends, you often wake up to new, unfamiliar faces in random beds, but it wasn’t any secret. You wanted to have fun in college and get experience with lots of people, and didn’t mind that people knew. 

You wondered if Josh knew. But why should you care? You never cared if anyone else knew, so he's no different. You hop into the shower, having many thoughts about the night and what would happen in the future. As you finish rinsing the soap off your body, you wrap yourself  and hair in a towel. You step out from the shower and scurry back into your room.

Your room showcased you perfectly. Many posters of your favorite musicals and some dance awards you earned throughout highschool. You connect your speaker to your phone and play some music quietly to not disturb Charlotte from her work. As you close out of Spotify you look to see one notification on messages. 

11:12pm Josh: So do you want to figure this out or do you want me to text Coleman now and start looking for a new lead, or do you want to do that yourself?

11:16pm y/n: Simmer down Josh. It's not my problem, I have to work with a pretentious piece of shit! 🙂

11:18pm Josh: Someone seems to be bratty this time of night.

11:19pm y/n: Did you text just to be an ass or did you actually have something important to say?

11:22pm Josh: Well I was going to see what you wanted to do about this so we don’t have to find someone new for your part.

You scoff at the fact that he's so confident that it would be you getting booted.

11:24pm y/n: Oh so you don’t want me gone, is that so?

11:27pm Josh: I just don't want to have to learn how to work with some new moron that doesn’t know how to act for shit.

11:28pm y/n: Aw so cute Josh, you admitted I can act 😘

11:30pm Josh: Don't get a big head y/n. So what do you want to do?

You sat there and thought about it for a moment, and it always went back to Charlotte's comment earlier. 

“You guys could just fuck, break the tension a little you know?”

11:39pm y/n: Do you wanna go out or something? We can go to that bagel place down on the main street, their everything bagels with lox are so good.

11:41pm Josh: That's so cute y/n, you wanna go on a date with me? 😏

11:44pm y/n: Well do you have a better idea?

11:48pm Josh: You can come to my place, work on some stuff. We can watch the movie so you can see what real passion and love looks like, seeing that you’re the ‘campus slut.’

God he's awful, but this role is important to you. 

11:51pm y/n: Jealous that you don’t get any Josh? Are you pussy deprived?

11:57pm Josh: So when do you want me to send the text to Coleman? Now or do I wait til tomorrow?

11:58pm y/n: Fine, when do you wanna do it? 

12:01am Josh: Tomorrow at 8. I live in the apartments next to the dining hall, apartment 322. My brother will be gone at band practice, so we will have the place to ourselves. 

12:03am y/n: Okay, and how long will he be at ‘band practice’ for?

12:04am Josh: Well his BAND PRACTICE is from 8-10, and then he’s staying at his friend, Scotts, apartment for the night to work on some music or something. 

12:06am y/n: Was that orchestrated by you?

12:07am Josh: I’ll see you tomorrow at 8, goodnight.

As you stare at your phone, you are in disbelief at the conversation you two just had. There was tension, and not the kind you had expected. As you sit in your towel, you're brought back to reality when you realize Heartbeat by Childish Gambino is playing.

“I might just text you”

You thought over how he was making you think and feel…

“Turn your phone over”

Things you didn’t want to feel from him…

“When it's all over”

You had a feeling of desire…

“No settling down,”

A feeling of wanting to be desired…

“My text go to your screen”

Specifically…

“You know better than that”

From Josh Kiszka.

“I come around when you least expect me. I’m sitting at…”

You quickly shut out of Spotify knowing that was your sign that you were done for the night. You change out of your towel and into your Michigan T-shirt and plaid PJ pants. 

You walk out to see if Charlotte had retreated to her room or was still working on her paper to share what had just happened. 

“You still working, Char?”

“I think I’m done for the night, I’ll take the points off for not having citations.” She laughs while closing her laptop. “ Did you reach out to Josh?”

“No…no not yet. We’ll see what happens tomorrow, I guess.. Good night Char.”

“Night y/n.”

With that you tuck yourself into bed with one thought only, Josh Kiszka.

[quranindex]

Discover Quran Verses about #Universe Motion @ https://quranindex.info/search/universe-motion [35:41] #Quran #Islam

[thisbarbiereallylikesbirds]

Why Tang Shen is soo interesting to me

Okay with all the Nameless Trio content I’ve been posting I feel the need to let you guys know why I find Shen so interesting. This may be a long one but I have LOTS of thoughts so please hang tight.

“If we interfere Splinter will never move to New York and buy four baby turtles”

Donnie in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) S3 E19

First of all Shen is literally the reason the story happens in most iterations. If it weren’t for her death, Hamato Yoshi likely never would’ve moved to New York, never bought the turtles, and they never would’ve gotten mutated. Without her there’d be no story. And yet she’s barely ever mentioned in canon.

Now I could talk for ages about fridging women and why it’s a stupid out-dated, over-used, misogynistic trope. And I’m not even going to pretend that’s not what happened to her. But one of the main problems with fridging is the fact that after the woman’s death sets the plot into motion (usually for some sort of love interest) she’s eventually forgotten by the plot. Women in fiction deserve better treatment than that. Real women deserve better representation than that.

However there’s another way that characters who die before the story starts can be utilized. One that I’m absolutely OBSESSED with. And that is the idea of haunting the narrative. Two of the best examples that I can think of are Mara from She-Ra and Caleb Wittenbane from the Owl House. Both characters are dead before the series begins. For a while the only way that we know about them is through what the other characters tell us. And, of course, this is a very biased view of the person. Sometimes it’s very one dimensional. 

But even though we know almost nothing about them, they linger. They are everywhere in the story. So many things only happen because of them. Memories of Caleb are everywhere in Phillip’s mindscape. Hunter’s entire life is dictated by the memory of a man who died hundreds of years ago. And even the door, the things that brings Luz the the Boiling Isles and sets the whole story into motion only is opened for her because Caleb stole it from Belos and buried it in the backyard of his family home. We don’t know much about Mara but we know that Adora is in a way doomed to follow in her footsteps. 

“In every other universe Gwen Stacy falls for Spider-Man. And in every other universe…it doesn’t end well.”

Spider-Gwen in Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

So we’ve talked about out-of-universe stuff. But what about what’s in the actual story? Due to the crossovers we know that all the iterations of TMNT sort of exist in the same way all the universes exist in the Spider-Verse world. They all have their own dimension. I can’t help but think of the parallels not only between the worlds but the characters who live within them. Gwen Stacy dies in every universe but one. She knows this. Unfortunately, the universe where she survives isn’t exactly kind to her. She loses her best friend. She loses Miles. She loses her father. She loses any chance at having a normal life. 

In 2012 the turtles have a conversation with Shen where she is trying to pick between Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi. Of course they don’t know this at the time, but one of the choices will lead to her death. However, it will also lead to the world being saved from a variety of threats. But what if she did know? What if Shen knew that she would be sacrificing herself? What if she knew that in every other universe she was doomed to die? In every universe but one, that is.

Tang Shen is never said to be dead in ROTTMNT. But we only see her once in a movie poster. We know she exists but she has no relevance. As far as we know, she’s out there living her best life. So what is she like? What would a person be like in the one universe where she gets to live?

I really hope this wasn’t too long but thank you so much for reading this whole thing! If you want some content about Rise!Shen then visit the Nameless Trio tag on my blog, she’s one of the three main characters in that au.

[lillotus17]

INTERTWINED Headcanons (Spidermen!ENHA)

HYUNG LINE'S IN DEPTH BACKGROUND:

"All right, let's do this one more time."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hyung line's personal background story! TBH, it's literally a summary of the Spider-Man movies. Heeseung's summary is based on Tom Holland's Spider-Man... etc. So if you've watched any of the Spider-Man movies then you get the gist of it! I added some twists though! I also didn't intend for Sunghoon's part to be that long but here we are LOL. This was actually because Gwen's background in spider verse was short so I wanted to fill in the gaps as I pleased!

NOT PROOF READ: Apologies for any grammatical errors, my loves!

HEESEUNG:

In Heeseung's universe, he was approached by Kim Namjoon (Tony Stark) and recruited into the Avengers temporarily.

He went through literal hell and back. He blipped the five years in his universe.

After the death of Mr. Kim, he did everything he could to be the friendly neighborhood spider-man.

Then the whole Mysterio scandal happened and his identity was revealed.

Nothing seemed to work out for him though. He lost his older brother, Seokmin, trying to save his universe from clashing with other universes.

That's how he met Jay. Heeseung's best friend Jeongin accidentally summoned the wrong spider-man from a different universe.

Yunjin, their other best friend (and Jeongin's girlfriend), had to take away the sling ring from him.

Heeseung's one-sided feelings for her didn't go unnoticed by Jeongin but Heeseung was nothing but supportive for his best friends.

Innie was so grateful to have a best friend like Seung.

Which is why Yunjin and Jeongin were devastated when Heeseung told him what he had to do in order to save the universe.

He had to make everyone forget about him.

After a few months, he finds Jay inside of his apartment. And Hee wonders how Jay managed to get back into his universe.

After a turn of events, he meets Jake and Hoon, along with a few others. Eventually the four of them end up in Y/N's universe.

JAY:

In Jay's universe, he lost his older sister Jihyo. She went out searching for him after they had a fight. She was stabbed in a robbery gone wrong.

He was is such a dark place after that. He went out every night trying to find his sisters killer.

His best friends, Sunghoon (Harry Osborn) and Jake [Gwen Stacy (platonic)], were so worried about him.

Eventually when he started to get more involved in crime fighting.

During the whole Dr. Connors trying to turn all of New York City into lizards, Jake catches Jay in his Spider suit without his mask.

With the help of Jake they saved New York City (because Jake was an intern at Oscorp).

At the end of graduation, they find out that Sunghoon is sick. Hoon asks Jay to get in contact with Spider-Man because he needs his blood. It doesn't work out though.

Sunghoon finds, what he believes to be, another way (a serum) to live but that also doesn't work out.

And Sunghoon becomes Green goblin.

Jay and Jake try to save Hoon, that's when Hoon figures out that Jay is Spider-Man.

They fight, and Jake gets in between them but he falls off the clock tower doing so.

Before Jay can save Jake it's too late.

Hoon's serum didn't work either, rather it intesified his illness and he eventually succumbed to his sickness.

Jay lost both of his best friends.

A few years later, when he's making his rounds of the city, a bright orange spark just randomly appears in front of him.

Then it moves in a circular motions and become bigger and then next thing he knows its a portal.

That's how he meets Heesung.

JAKE:

Jake is really smart. He earned a spot at Brooklyn Visions Program at NYU. His parents were so proud.

Was really close to his older cousin Felix.

Was bitten by a radioactive spider when he and Lix were messing around in the abandoned subways lines.

Was learning how to to get his powers under control.

Met Sunghoon for the first time in his literature class.

Sunghoon had a leaf in his hair and when Jake went to get it out, his hand was stuck to Hoon's hair...

Like his hand would NOT unstick and it resulted is hoon getting an impromptu undercut at the nurse's office.

Started off on the wrong foot.

Then Jake met Spider-Man!Christopher Bang from a different universe???!!!

Chris finds out that Jake is just like him (spidey-tingle and all) and then offers to teach him how to use his powers.

They also try to figure out what Chris is doing in Jake's universe.

In turn, they find out Hoon also has spider powers and is from another universe.

Upon learning how the merging of different universes started, Jake also finds out, the hard way, that Felix is involved.

Felix is the Prowler, working for King Pin. Just when Lix is about to off Spider-Man!Jake, Jake takes off his mask.

Lix pauses and panics and lets go of Jake and then next thing Jake knows, he hears a bang and Lix is falling into his arms.

Lix doesn't make it :(, Jake's cop dad spot them and Jake has to move quickly.

He goes back to his dorms, Chris and Hoon and are waiting for him with their other spider hero friends and they tell Jake that he shouldn't come and fight with them. But Jake is supposed to be the one that shuts down all the portals so that no one gets left behind and dies from not being back in their own universe.

Jake get webbed down to his chair, not able to move.

While he's struggling to escape, his dad comes to deliver the news about Lix. Cue the emotional and motivational speech from dad.

Jake gets free, powers are under control and he's off to save his spider friends!

Long story short (not really), he wins! Friends? Back home! Portals? Shut down! King Pin? Defeated!

Then a couple months pass of him being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man when randomly, when he's in bed, he hears Sunghoon's voice calling out for him?

SUNGHOON:

In Sunghoon's universe, his dad is the chief of police.

Sunghoon was a well known figure skater!

Hoon just really wanted to make his dad proud.

Then he was bitten by a radioactive spider.

Thus becoming Spider-Hoon!

As chief of police, his dad DID NOT approve of Spider-Hoon!

This made Hoon feel guilty for his double life, so he kept it a secret so as long as he could.

Sunghoon was best friends with Lee Heeseung but because Hoon started to pick up Ice skating they drifted apart for a little bit.

Only talking and hanging out every now and then.

Heeseung would get picked on a lot by his school mates.

Hoon tried his best but Hee asked him not to get involved with his life anymore. This really upset Hoon.

The bullying gets bad and Heeseung snaps. He steals the serum that he and Dr. Connor's were working on at Oscrop and injects himself.

Everyone at school sees him (hee) as worthless and all his life he's just wanted to be seen as something more. Something special. Like Spider-Man.

Hoon was interning at Oscorp and on the day Hee injects himself with the serum.

Then there's crashing and people screaming and running.

Hoon springs into action and bumps in a 9 foot lizard. He doesn't know it's Heeseung.

Hoon gets hurt and Hee retreats. Hoon dips as soon as he hears sirens and his dad's voice.

Heeseung comes up with a plan get revenge on the classmates that have done nothing but torment him. He also planned to turn all of New York City into lizards just like him.

Meanwhile at home, Hoon's dad tells him that Heeseung's aunt contacted him. He tells Hoon that Heeseung and Dr. Connors have been missing since the lizard appeared at Oscorp.

Hoons panics. He remembers talking to Heeseung about the serum that they were working on. How it was supposed genetically repair the human body... like a lizard.

Hoon also remembers that Dr. Connors lost his arm in a car accident.

Hoon suspects that Connors injected himself with the serum to some how regrow his lost arm. He also wonders if Heeseung figured out what Connors was up to and as a result was taken by him.

Did Connors need Heeseung alive? If so, what for?

Too many questions race through Hoon's mind and he's off into New York's sewage system.

He stumbles upon the lizard's lair. He starts to dig around when he hears a groan. He runs and prays its Heeseung but he's shocked when he sees Dr. Connors, severely injured.

Connor's tells Hoon that he was kidnapped by the lizard to make adjustments to the serum and build a diffuser.

Hoon asks about Heeseung but all Dr. Connor's can mumble is "He's gone" to Hoon.

Before Hoon could press any further there's a crash in the lair and he see the lizard.

They fight and the lizard gets the upper hand. It takes the serum and diffuser. Poor Sunghoon is so stresses about saving his beat friend and the city.

Hoon asks Dr. Connor's where the lizard is headed.

That night Heeseung planned to use the diffuser as Oscorp. He thought it would be perfect because Oscorp was host a fundraising Gala to restore and repair damages the building had suffered.

Elite families and honorable guests would be there... includig his tormentors.

Hoon's dad, as chief of police, was an honorable guest and present at the Gala. Hoon was expected to be there as well and he shows up in his suit as a cover.

He's on edge and when his dad asks him what was going on with him their conversation is cut short by screaming and running.

Hoon's dad springs into action and tells Hoon to get out of there. When his dad is out of sight, Hoon changes into his spider suit.

Hoon is searching for the lizard and sees his dad fighting off, then his dad is knocked out by it. Hoon rushed his dad away from the fight then goes back to find the lizard.

Cue more fighting. Hoon manages to get the upper hand this time and web shoots the lizard. It loses it's balance and falls and with it the ceiling and roof falls too.

The lizard is crushed and Hoon watches in horror as the lizard transforms into human. It's Heeseung.

Hoon sprints and is on his knees crying.

"What did you do, Hee?" he's sobbing.

Heeseung tells Spider-Man, "I just wanted to be special like you".

Sunghoon tells Heeseung that it's him, that he's spider-man.

And Hee tells Hoon that he'll be okay. The Heeseung's eyes close and he stops breathing.

And Hoon lets out a heart wrenching sob.

At this point, Hoon's dad is awake again and worried about him so he goes to look for Hoon.

When he enters, he sees spider-man's back and face mask off but he can't quite see Hoon's face.

he tells Hoon to freeze but Hoon quickly grabs hi mask and makes a run for it.

His dad chases after him telling him to stop but then freezes when he sees Heeseung laying in a pile of debris.

Hoon and his dad are mourning. HIs dad blames spider-man for Heeseung's death and swears to get justice for Heeseung.

Hoon is just broken at this point. He feels so helpless and alone.

He doesn't really do the "friend" thing.

Jump to a year later and he's in a different universe.

And he meets Jake.

Previous | Masterlist | Next

TAGLIST (OPEN): @praliliaaa @clara12o @llvrhee

comment if you'd like to be added to the taglist!

A/N: I apologize for the painfully slow updates everyone! I have a lot on my plate and I'm taking summer courses!

[bluejutdae]

• Stray Kids as University Courses I'd create based on them | OT8

genre: comedy, is “list” a genre?

a/n: this is just me being silly and thinking “if I had to hold a lecture about skz, what would I do?”

Chan

Leadership Philosophy - A deep dive into the world of leadership philosophy as demonstrated by Bang Chan, exploring interviews, quotes and insights.

Minho

Elegance in motion - Exploring a compilation of Lee Know's dance breakdowns, examining the elegance and precisions in each movements.

Changbin

Changbin's unreleased rap verses - An analysis into the mysterious world of unreleased rap verses by Changbin, exploring the creativity and intensity behind the scenes.

Hyunjin

Behind the lens - A course taking a tour of an exhibition showcasing the stories behind each moment captured by Hyunjin.

Jisung

Multilingua Wordplay - Follow the trail of multilingual wordplay in Han's lyrics, exploring the depth and nuances of his songwriting.

Felix

Sunshine Chronicles - An in-depth academic journey through performances, interviews and pivotal instances that shape Felix's charismatic impact within the realm of the music industry.

Seungmin

Harmony Heaven - An analysis of Seungmin's acoustic sessions, discovering the soothing harmonies he creates through the study of dissected performances.

Jeongin

Maknae Anthology: I.N's vlogs and adventures - An exploration of vlogs and adventures of the maknae, offering a glimpse into his boyish world and experiences beyond the stage.

[asexual-abomination]

This is the first part of a rewrite of the series that brought attention to my blog in the first place! When I wrote this series originally, it was at midnight when I couldn’t sleep because I had COVID, so I always wanted to come back and rewrite it with a clearer mind.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, cause I’ve been real stressed about university, but waking up to new notes on this blog is always a highlight of my day! I have so many WIPs for hxh, Overwatch, ff7, the batfamily, and now the spider-verse movies, but I’ve been struggling to complete them to an extent that I feel is worth posting.

Please leave a comment if you want me to rewrite the rest of the series!

Platonic!Yandere!Phantom Troupe X Autistic Reader (Soulmate AU)

Content warnings: Yandere, vague mentions of violence. Read at your own discretion.

“To my dearest soulmate.-“

No, too affectionate.

“To my soulmate, I am incredibly excited to welcome you here-“

The sentence is jarring, start with an introduction.

“To my soulmate, my name is YN, and I am so excited to finally have the chance to communicate with you!”

Good enough. You were so happy to be writing a letter like this, being able to rewrite and start over as often as needed, without the pressure of saying it right in the first try.

Having finished one sentence, you sighed as you looked down at the number of things you had crossed out before it seemed right. Then, you turned to your notebook, where you had spent years collating everything you wanted to put into this letter, trying to find some inspiration for what to do next.

“I have been awaiting this day, carved into our bodies, for my entire life.”

Was that too formal? Too strong?

Ugh. This was hard.

You despised knowing nothing about your soulmate, the enigma of their identity making them feel otherworldly and strange. Without knowing even the slightest bit about who they were, you had no frame of reference for what they would consider too much or too fast, leaving you to blindly feel your way towards a half-coherent letter.

Jo was sat across from you, in their favourite shabby armchair, pretending to watch the football you had put on for background noise, and not-so-secretly keeping an eye on you. From your dejected sigh as you curled up on the sofa, your childhood friend could tell what was bothering you from a single glance.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, they’re your soulmate, they’ll love you no matter what.”

“But they shouldn’t!” You sighed, “I want to impress them, make them feel welcomed and happy!”

“And that’s what I’m gettin’ at! Their personality must be suited enough to yours that they’ll find your way of doin’ things loveable!”

You grumbled with no coherent response, looking again at your paper.

They’d find your way of doing things loveable.

You could work with that.

“I hope that I, and my friends, can make you feel happy and welcomed in my home. The time we will spend, with our bodies swapped, will be precious, and there will never be another time like it in our lives. You are precious to me.”

Your lips tugged downward in a frown at the last line, the irritating thoughts about potentially annoying your soulmate flooding you again. You had just let the pen run wild, trying to encapsulate even the smallest fraction of your feelings about the situation, which always ended up feeling like too much as your emotions overwhelmed you.

Just as you considered scrapping the whole thing and starting again from scratch, Jo caught your eye with a stern glare, as they always did when you doubted yourself.

“I have longed to know who you are for years; your mystery has entranced me. I want to see the destiny the universe has seen fit to bestow upon us both."

As you relaxed into the motions of the pen, the waterfall of words falling from your fingers, you stunned yourself with short poetic verses.

"Even though romance holds no place in what has been destined for us, I want to make you so happy that you may bear your heart to me as I may for you. Please take care of my body while you have it. I hope that one day I might trust with this on more than just blind faith.

All my love, from the bottom of my heart, your soulmate."

It felt weak. You felt weak.

Was it really right to say you loved someone you hadn't met? Even as soulmates, it felt like a betrayal.

"Hey Jo, do you mind reading through this for me? If I keep looking at it, I'll either throw it away or throw up."

"Ahh, YN, you know I'm not so good with words and that stuff, yeah? That's your job, ain't it?"

"Oh, hush, I've read your poetry, you big romantic!"

"What?"

You quickly hurried past them, dropping the drafted letter onto their lap before heading to the kitchen. Your hands were shaking; you needed to get some water before you passed out.

Your breaths were coming short as you downed a second glass of water, one arm shakily holding the lip of the sink for support as the anxiety began to weigh on your mind. You had less than a week; on this Sunday evening, you'd lie in bed and wake up in the body of your soulmate. It was Tuesday evening, the soft autumn air swirling dead leaves outside your window.

A phone began ringing in the living room, so you set down your glass on the draining board and began heading back through, only to realise the call wasn't for you when you heard Jo's voice.

"Yeah, I hear ya. No need to yell, old man... Oh, shut yer trap; you know I'm only half joking... You know I said wasn't working tonight... Yeah, yeah... You piece of shit! Fine, I'll be there, but you better be payin' me double time for this shit."

Jo rounded the corner, grumbling under their breath. They paused at your side, leaning in slightly to speak, the smell of beer on their breath and thankfully not overwhelming.

"Listen, yer letter was grand, okay? You've got a talent for these sortsa things. I've gotta head out, alright? Probably won't be back until morning. I'll bring you back something nice alright, repayment for skipping what should have been a nice night together."

"It's alright, really. Just take care of yourself, okay?" You reassured them.

They walked out into the biting chill, heading down a dark alley like it was their own front door.

--//--

Chrollo looked himself in the eyes, the cold water he splashed on his face dripping from his hair.

He had felt strange the past few days, like something was clinging to the back of his mind, tugging his attention away from his work. As if a song was stuck in his head, but he couldn't remember the melody.

The Mediterranean heat must have been getting to his head; that was the only explanation. He composed himself, wiping his brow before he went to slick his hair back, turning his focus to the heist he and the Troupe would be carrying out that Sunday.

--//--

The week had been long and stressful for everyone involved. You tried not to be too much of a perfectionist, but you wanted to make the best impression possible.

The morning of the day you would switch was upon you, and you came downstairs to find Jo asleep on your couch, as they often were. You smiled at their sleeping face, very peaceful compared to their usual furrowed brow.

Their face was made up of sharp lines, almost geometric perfection, except for the mess of freckles covering their cheeks and forehead, adding just a hint of softness.

As you prepared breakfast for the two of you, Jo woke up with a sleepy groan, trudging over to the kitchen counter.

"Today's the day, huh? The last day of me being your best friend?"

"Jo! Don't say it like that! I'll always love you, you know that!" You defended yourself.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm just joking. You deserve to be happy with your soulmate."

You frowned at that again, remembering the situation with Jo's own soulmate. You had both been so excited to look her up after the switch, only to discover that she had died in a sudden car crash within an hour.

After that, they became much more clingy with your time. When they were around, at least. They had also begun taking on many more "jobs" that took them far away.

You sympathised with their situation, but you could tell they harboured jealousy for your soulmate.

You sat down on the couch, breakfast in hand, as Jo came to sit at your side. You flicked through channels on TV, trying to alleviate the awkward tension that fell over the room.

"Listen, I'm not jealous."

"It's okay to admit it; I can understand your perspective! But you can't keep me from my soulmate!"

"No, it's not that! It's more that I'm... paranoid."

"Paranoid, about... what, exactly?"

"About your soulmate! I can't explain it, but I've got this bad feeling!"

"A bad feeling? What kind of bad feeling?"

You learned a long time ago that Jo's intuition was often correct, but were they really concerned or just trying to pull you and your soulmate apart?

"I just said, I can't explain it! I just don't want anything bad to happen to you!"

You sighed as you felt that both of you were becoming too worked up.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you. I think... we're all quite stressed right now. Let's have a proper talk when we're not all so high-strung."

"Yeah, yeah."

Today was gonna be fun.

--//--

Chrollo smiled at the carnage surrounding him, watching as his friends unleashed their power on these pathetic guards. They heard the approaching rumble of reinforcements, which, by their calculations, should contain the man they were after.

His incredible enhancer ability would be handy for Chrollo, so they had spent days sieging the fortress he defended. As Nobunaga took to whittling down the primary reinforcements, Chrollo found himself distracted once again. That strange feeling in the back of his head, the itch he couldn't scratch, saying that something was wrong.

He shook his head to free himself of these thoughts, as the intimidating man faced him, seemingly unaware of exactly who he was fighting.

--//--

Despite your small fight with Jo, the day had gone well. You had prepared several cakes, which you poured plenty of love into. You also wrote your letter into one coherent piece and placed it in an envelope, which you taped to inside of your bedroom door.

A group of your friends arrived, all bearing various snacks and drinks to add to the table. As the conversation began to flow, you anxiously reminded them of the careful limits you had gone over for what they were allowed to say to your soulmate. They all laughed and smiled, promising to go along.

Almost on autopilot, you turned to Jo for reassurance, and they were in a good enough mood to laugh softly and promise to keep the others in line.

You knew Jo wouldn't go back on their word, no matter their personal feelings about the situation.

With everything laid out enticingly on a coffee table, you retired to your bedroom for the night, your gut swirling with anxiety and excitement.

You laid back on your bed, crossing your hands across your stomach. You had until exactly 21:29 to wait for the switch.

Looking over at the clock you had bought for this express purpose, you saw 21:27.

It'll probably feel like forever, you thought, plenty of time to get comfortable.

21:28

That's fine; you took a few deep breaths, settling down into your pillows. You closed your eyes softly.

Breathing deeply. With your eyes closed.

In, and out, in, and out.

Curiosity got the better of you.

Your eyes snapped open, turning back to the clock, getting to see just the slightest glimpse of 21:29 before everything changed.

--//--

Chrollo sighed from the driver's seat, just a straight highway unfolding seemingly infinitely in front and behind him. Confident in his ability to avoid traffic by instinct, he allowed his eyes to drift to the clock on the screen, 00:28 blinking back at him.

That time bothered him.

It wasn't unusual for him to stay up past midnight, more common than not, in fact, but that itch he couldn't scratch, that sweet song that slipped his mind's grasp, was back in full force, making him grit his teeth in irritation.

He returned his eyes to the road before him, though he only caught a glimpse of the asphalt-laden horizon before everything changed.

--//--

In a moment, you felt everything shift. You could feel it down to the change in the structure of your skeleton. Every muscle was different, every sensation infinitely sharpened by the new body you inhabited.

You felt that you were sitting, not lying down. You saw that you were looking out at a road.

And then, finally, you realised you were driving the car.

It was common knowledge that the swap allowed people to speak in the native tongue of their soulmate, but you wondered if you would be the first to discover that the same thing applied to driving skills.

You focused on the road and on keeping your breathing steady, aware that a panic attack here would result in much more than a headache and a sore throat in the long run.

Once finally began to calm down, you briefly peeled your eyes off the road to look your soulmate in the eyes in the rearview mirror. His grey eyes were striking, and his raven black hair was slicked back to his head, revealing a strange tattoo in the centre of his forehead. He was quite attractive, all things considered.

You felt a brush of air across your chest and again glanced down to notice you were completely shirtless, other than a feathery collared jacket that did nothing to hide your soulmate's toned body. Definitely a bold outfit choice, but you couldn't deny that it suited him well.

After a few more moments assuring yourself of the safety of the road, you tried to look at the other passengers of the car. You had seen them when you looked at yourself in the mirror, but you couldn't bear to think about them at that moment.

In the passenger seat was a pink-haired woman, her face stoic as she stared ahead. Behind you was a grumpy-looking man with black hair leaning into the window. In the centre of the backseat was a blond man with a cute face, tapping away at a modified phone of some kind. Furthest from you, behind the passenger seat, was a gruff-looking man with slicked-back blond hair.

None of them seemed to have noticed a change in their driver's behaviour, so you had a few more moments to collect yourself before you spoke up. Although you were still grappling with the fact that your soulmate had entirely forgotten about your switch, you didn't want to waste your time.

"I don't know... quite what's happening here, but I'm this person's soulmate."

You could taste something sweet with just the slightest hint of bitterness on your own breath.

The car had been silent before you spoke, but the silence grew heavier. Now every eye was on you, and you almost wished you hadn't said anything, that you had let the switch play out in complete silence before returning to your own body.

"What?" The taller blond man finally replied.

"I'm... their soulmate? Did they not tell anyone?"

"Boss had a soulmate?" He turned to the other blond man, ignoring you completely.

"Not as far as I know!"

"Look at me."

That last bit was said by the pink-haired woman next to you. With no small amount of fear in your heart, you ripped your eyes away from the road to look her in the eyes. Her cold, calculating eyes pierced you through and through. After what felt like aeons that she spent observing you, she let out the slightest gasp.

"You're not lying."

As soon as you had the reassurance that they believed you, you looked back at the road, relieved to see no danger.

"Are you serious? Are you messing with us, boss?" The black-haired man spoke, his tone rising to aggression.

"Calm down, all of you! This is the boss's soulmate, obviously!"

"But why wouldn't he tell us at all? This is crazy!"

"I don't know! Maybe he wanted to test us?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but what's going on here?"

The pink-haired woman turned back to from where she had been scolding the other passengers, sighing before she spoke.

"Look, sorry about all this ruckus. It's just that we're pretty close to our boss, and he never even told us he had a soulmate!"

"Seriously? Weird..." You trailed off, unsure of how to fill in the dead air.

"My name's Machi; what's yours?"

"I'm YN. Who is this?" You asked, gesturing slightly at your own body.

"Oh right, our boss's name is Chrollo. In the backseat, there is Nobunaga, Shalnark, and Phinks." She pointed each one out to you.

Behind you, Shalnark and Nobunaga were whispering to each other as they looked intently at Shalnark's phone.

"And where are you from, YN?" Shalnark spoke up again, a bright smile on his face as he watched you through the rearview.

"I'm from CN; where are we right now?"

The conversation continued like that for some time, with simple back-and-forth questions. Jo had advised you not to share too much sensitive information, and you couldn't help but get the inkling of a feeling that they were right.

The way that Shalnark would ask you questions before he immediately turned back to his phone alighted some anxiety in your gut, so you tried to turn the conversation back on them.

"So, you say that my soulmate here is your boss? What do you do?"

You didn't miss the beat of silence, but you tried to give them the benefit of the doubt that they had been put on the spot.

"We're traders, mostly," Shalnark started, "We travel around, buying and selling antiques and treasures and stuff!"

"Wow, that sounds like fun!"

"It can get tiring sometimes, but it's really fulfilling!"

There was a breath of relief from the car before Nobunaga spoke up, excitedly telling you a story of a time they had visited your home country for their business. Finally, it felt as if the atmosphere was relaxing, with everyone joining in to add details to the story.

You smiled softly, relieved that you no longer felt like an insect under a magnifying glass. It was pitch-black outside the car, and there were very few other cars on the road, so you felt safe enough to relax your grip on the steering wheel just a touch as well.

As you leaned back in the driver's seat, listening to Phinks avidly tell you about the food they had enjoyed in the capital of your home country, you felt the night's excitement finally hit you.

And how unlucky that you had just relaxed when you suddenly found yourself back in your own living room.

--//--

Chrollo snapped awake in his place, feeling that he had gone from his spot sitting to lying down in the blink of an eye. Immediately, he threw himself into a standing position, assuming the car had been surprise attacked.

At the same moment, he reached for his knife while attempting to summon Bandit's Secret. His anxiety only heightened when he realised that he had neither.

Finally trying to observe the situation and pinpoint his potential attacker, he slowly began to piece together what was going on.

He was in a neat bedroom and had been lying in bed. On the bedside clock, he read 21:29 in red blinking letters.

Oh shit.

Oh fuck.

His soulmate.

Ten years ago, he had made sure that his soulmate date was entirely obscured by his spider tattoo, going as far as to go to a different tattoo artist than the rest and killing them afterwards. He had to protect his soulmate, lest they be used against him. But in his attempt to defend them, he had completely forgotten to prepare anything.

Shit.

He looked around the room, trying to get his bearings now that he wasn't in danger. A mirror poised on one wall allowed him to observe his soulmate. He ran a hand over his cheek as he watched the skin move in abject fascination. All these sensations were raised in intensity; even in this body without Nen, he felt everything to a pinpoint. He suddenly became aware that he could taste a tiny bit of mint; they had even taken the time to brush their teeth to ensure his comfort.

There was an envelope taped to the inside of the door, obviously meant for him. Picking it off the door with an uncharacteristic level of gentleness, he sat back down on the bed to read.

The letter nearly sprung tears to his eye; how blessed was he to have someone so passionate! He could feel the depth of emotion poured into the letter, the way you spilt your heart out on the page.

He sat on the bed, eyes scanning over every line, reading and rereading the poetry before him.

"Do you think they're okay? I heard some movement inside, but it's been silent since. Do you think they fell and hurt their head?"

"Ugh, I'll knock and go check."

It hadn't occurred to him that there would be other people here - just another example of the care and thought you had put in.

He opened the door to a freckled face, who wore an expression of surprise as their hand was still in the air, having been about to knock. Immediately, he turned on the charm, knowing he could at least cover up for his lack of planning on this end.

"Oh, sorry about that; I didn't realise I was expected!" He added his best chuckle, followed by, "My soulmate is quite the poet; I've been entranced!"

He waved the letter to show it off before stepping past the newcomer. But he stopped briefly while he was right next to them. He could feel it.

The cold, calculating look in their eye, the robust build, the scars along their hands. They were from Meteor City.

With a polite nod, he continued into the living room, though he could feel that person's eyes on him the whole way. He was greeted with three cakes and a wide selection of snacks and drinks. He cursed that you wouldn't be getting such a cosy reception on your end.

The conversation flowed easily as soon as he introduced himself; everyone was excited to tell him things or ask him questions. He easily lied his way through questions about his profession; it was like second nature to the charismatic thief. Everyone in attendance was charmed by him except that damn person from Meteor City. Just as he began considering if he might have to kill them, they leaned forwards, interrupting another one of your friends.

"You smoke?"

Chrollo had smoked once or twice in his youth but had never had a taste for it. He shook his head no, hoping they would drop it there.

"Too bad, 'cause I do, and I want a private chat with you. Step outside."

With their authoritative voice, he knew he was not avoiding the following conversation.

The biting chill on his cheeks felt much sharper than usual, his own body having learned to withstand much harsher conditions. However, he was scarcely given a moment to enjoy the sensation before Jo interrupted.

"You're from Meteor City."

"I'm aware."

"Hmph. Are you a thief?"

"Of course, aren't you?"

"My work isn't the prettiest, but I'm not that low. I owe that to YN."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They lifted me up and out of that place of their own goodwill. When I escaped that place, we met by chance, and they offered their hand to give me a new life. They're the reason I stay on the straight and narrow. I'll do anything to protect them; you should know that."

"I will, too; surely you should know that. I'm their soulmate."

"And you're also a thief. Probably a prolific one, from how easily you lied about your career. I want to protect them for their sake; you just want to protect them for your own sake. You won't be taking them anywhere; I'll steal them away where you'll never find them again if you try."

"That's quite the threat; are you sure you can follow through?"

"I'll have to, for them."

Chrollo chuckled at this silly notion. As if they could really do anything to take his soulmate away now that he knew they were here.

He watched Jo's silhouette retreat back into the warm light of your home, a smirk spread across his face at their sheer bravery, before everything changed.

--//--

Snapping back to your own body, now standing, was jarring, to say the least. Jo looked over their shoulder at your gasp as you nearly lost your balance, rushing over to catch you before you hurt yourself.

"Oh, hey there!" You laughed, looking up at them.

"Hey." They sounded standoffish, but their smile was undeniable.

"What are we doing outside?"

"Oh, I just wanted a smoke, and he followed me to chat."

You couldn't smell any smoke in the air, and you felt like something was being hidden from you, but you were just so tired and happy to be back that you chose to push that down for now.

"I'm gonna go to bed. Can you tell the others to go home? I need to just lie down ASAP."

"You got it. I'm gonna have to head out again soon as well, so I'll see you again whenever I get back."

--//--

"So." Machi started, addressing the newly-returned Chrollo, "What was that all about?"

Everyone was hushed, awaiting the boss's answer.

"You already know that was my soulmate. I had... forgotten to tell anyone."

More silence flooded the car as the other members of the spider internally debated whether or not they wanted to risk their necks by making a joke.

"Well, you'll be glad to know we're on the right path to get to them!" Shalnark cut in with his usual cheer, hoping to distract from the current situation.

"Really?"

"It'll be a few days even if we pick up the pace, but Feitan is currently in that country and can start keeping an eye on them ASAP. I'm concerned about their safety, especially considering their medical records."

"There's no need for too much worry," Chrollo said calmly

"What do you mean?!" Nobunaga was incredulous; how could the boss take his soulmate's safety so easily?

"Someone is protecting them already, someone we'll have to take care of, but a valuable protector, for now, all the same."

--//--

Thanks for reading!