#to be fair it was all weekly prompts

[doodlesdreaming]

While going through a rather large chunk of artblock, I attempted a OCtober challenge on Twitter, hoping maybe it'll help.

....how I was able to get through it all is beyond me. X'D

[bcyhoods]

WITH FIREWORKS! STEVE

synopsis : after a date at the carnival, steve gives you your first kiss! (prompt: “was that your first kiss?”)

word count : 1.6k

author’s note : repost from my old blog! i fixed her up a little bit, endured changing past to present tense just for you so….

“Those games were totally rigged,” Steve huffs as he prods at the small teddy bear clutched in his hands.

You’re situated on the hood of his car, smiley lips tinged blue thanks to the half-eaten cone of cotton candy in your hands. Steve stands in between your legs with a pout as his free hand rests beside your thigh, finger itching to graze your skin as it taps the metal of his car. The summer sun has just dipped below the horizon, but his face is illuminated by the multicolored lights of the fair behind you. Even with a sullen attitude, he just looks so pretty.

It was only your third official date — excluding the weekly, hour-long visits to Family Video, which Robin made sure to tease him for — and Steve figured it was time to rattle his feathers, so to speak. He wanted to impress you by showing off his athleticism, and carnival games provided an exemplary opportunity to do just that.

He envisioned your arms full and occupied by the array of giant prizes he won for you. You’d watch with an endearing grin on your face every time he beat a game. The night would end with your arms thrown around his shoulders and the perfect kiss that had you both swooning.

With fireworks in the background, obviously.

But luck had strayed far away from Steve Harrington’s side. Far, far away.

“Oh, they were, were they?”

“Definitely. ‘You can only throw it with an underhand,’” Steve mocks the game attendant with a husky voice — a terrible impression, really, but he knew it’d make you laugh. “That’s a made up rule. For sure. I’ve never heard that rule before. Ridiculous.”

The boy sighs defeatedly, letting you take the bear from his hand before running his fingers through his, now disheveled hair. The brown locks had endured the torment throughout the night as he increasingly became more and more stressed. And he didn’t want to admit he was embarrassed, it felt entirely dramatic and silly. But he was, and the way he avoided your gaze while his teeth worried his bottom lip was enough of a tell.

He laughs meekly at himself and squeezes the bridge of his nose. “Sorry, I was trying so hard to win one of those gigantic bears — too hard.”

You hum as your eyes scan over the stuffie. It was no bigger than the length of your hand. Its body was stiff and straight and a tuft of cotton spilled out from under its right arm due to a couple frayed stitches. The ribbon around its neck was barely being held together with a glob of hot glue.

“I like this one, it’s cute.” At his scoff, you double down, “I’m serious! It’s got a lot of charm to it. It’s perfect.”

You move your attention from the bear to Steve only to find that he’s already looking at you. His gaze is incredibly soft, smile lines decorating the corners of his lips as his tongue is coyly tucked into his cheek. His eyes are brimming with love, you think you might burst the longer they’re on you. He finally lets himself graze the skin of your thighs as a subtle thank you. The attention was all-consuming, it made it hard for you to focus. It was hard to do much of anything really, with him looking at you like that.

Quickly, you clear your throat and look up into the sky in abrupt thought. “I think I’m going to name him…Eve.”

“Eve? Eve the bear?”

“Mmhmm,” you affirm with the wave of the cotton candy, “Eve ‘The Bear’ Bearington.”

A huff resembling a short laugh leaves his mouth as he drops his chin down. Lowly, he mutters, “You’re unbelievable,” before looking up at you again with a doting grin. He moves to shake the bear’s hand gingerly, holding it between his thumb and his index, and bowing his head.

“Nice to meet you, Eve. You’re looking a little rough, bud. Bad hangover?”

You scoff and protectively pull Eve into your chest as if it were a child. The chuckle that reverberates through his chest encourages your heart to dither as heat rises to the tips of your ears. “That was very rude, Harrington,” you reply, feigning shock while trying to fight off the smile creeping onto your lips. It doesn’t work.

“What? No, Eve didn’t think it was rude. I’ve been there before, I’m sure he appreciates my empathy,” Steve argues, eyes momentarily flitting to the cotton candy that sat untouched in your hand for the past few minutes. As he nonchalantly stretches his hand out to pull a piece of the sweet, you move your arm out of his reach.

He glares at you with a tilt of his head. You raise your eyebrows to challenge him.

“Bullies don’t get sweets.”

A small gasp emanates from him before his lips are twisting into an impish lopsided smile. He tsk’s and takes a small step back. “Well, that’s too bad…because it just tastes so,” he looks away innocently, “…much,” he pauses.

”…Better!” He lunges forward earning a yelp from you as one arm wraps around your waist while the other moves to grab at the cotton candy. His fingers curl into your sides, eliciting a fit of laughs and giggles to fall clumsily from your sugar-coated tongue which makes it that much harder to fight against him.

Albeit, you don’t cease, pushing against his shoulder and still trying to stretch your arm as far away from him as possible. But it was no use as he slightly lifted you up off the car for just a moment to pull you flush against him. Your legs reflexively wrap around his hips and once you drop the bear, your unoccupied hand grips a handful of his polo for stability. The action had taken you by surprise, being too distracted to push him away when he ducks his head down to take a bite of the candy floss.

“Yup, just as I thought. Ten times better,” he preaches, letting it dissolve on his tongue to savor the flavor.

You’re sure you look a mess. Your eyes must be glazed over complimented by your lips still parted in shock. Your chest is rising and falling in a quick, inconsistent pattern as you try to collect yourself. Again, Steve has thrown your train of thought completely off course.

“You suck,” you manage to say. It was a lame attempt at an insult. But the words were practically dripping with adoration, all he could do was smile.

“Yeah?”

You nod meekly.

You’re certain he can feel your heart thumping wildly against your ribcage, certain that even through the background carnival noises and both your uneven breaths, he could hear it, as well.

And despite being so sure of your dumbfounded expression, Steve thought you looked so beautiful like this. In disarray, your sweater fell off your shoulders to hang loosely on your arms and your hand is holding his shirt so tightly like it was a lifeline. His eyes dart to your lips to trace over your cupid’s bow before glancing back up to find your eyes.

And you thought he looked just as pretty. His nearness was entirely disorienting. You could smell the saccharine hint of stolen cotton candy mingled with his ever-prized Calvin Klein cologne. His hair had fallen handsomely over his forehead. The moles and freckles scattered across his face are more fascinating than ever as you count them until you reach his lips. How soft and inviting they looked.

You’re so completely enamored, you don’t even register when he leans in, brushing his lips against your own in a feather-light kiss. Your breath hitches in your throat and before you can even bring yourself back down to earth, he begins to pull away.

“Sorry, I thought…”

He moves to step away from you, but your legs tighten around him to keep him in place as your fingers wrap around the wrist on your waist.

“No! I’m sorry, I…it was nice, it’s just I haven’t…I mean, I’ve never…” You swallow down a lump in your throat as you feel your eyes start to water.

The second you glance up to gauge his reaction, you regret it. You watch his eyes widen in realization and feel his grip on your waist go slack. Hiding your face behind clammy hands, you groan and drop your head to his shoulder. Your entire body felt like it was on fire and you wished the floor would open up and swallow you whole.

“Was that your first kiss?”

You nod timidly, dragging your hands down to your lap to wring out your fingers, your gaze immediately following. And Steve is not malicious, he’d never laugh at you, but you feel just a little mortified that you froze up.

“Hey,” he cooed, delicately cupping your cheek and lifting your head. “It’s okay. Don’t be embarrassed.” The words are hushed and soft, a sweet reassurance that causes your insides to melt.

“Was it…was it good?” he asks.

The question makes you giggle, “I dunno, I didn’t really get a chance to return the favor.”

He nods, the beginnings of a wide smile slowly making its way onto his blushing face. “Right…do you maybe, wanna try again?”

You mirror his expression before you’re the one leaning in this time, a kiss that he reciprocates feverishly. His lips slot against your own as his arm tightens around your waist once more. Your fingers dip into hair and he hums against you at the feeling before pulling away.

You giggle at the dazed look on his face and his kiss-bitten lips.

“How was that one?” he asks, eyes shamelessly journeying over your face.

“It was perfect.”

[hopelesslyromanticshark]

HII okay so ik this is a bit of a weird request (or maybe im js rlly anxious rn for some reason??) BUT i was wondering if u could do like little head canons of Leo and a female reader who has like, a really deep country accent IYKWIM?? PLS N THANK U dont rush or anything js a small request🫶🫶

✮⋆˙ howdys, yeehaws, and cowgirls; leo valdez x western! daughter of apollo! reader blurb

content: leo valdez x western! daughter of apollo! reader blurb warning: lanauage and stereotyping (?) of texans but it's okay yall will get over it author's note: as someone from rural california (yes ive been trying to gaslight you guys into thinking i live on the beach when really it's three hours away stfu) and literally just went to a school sanctioned line dance that is quite literally more anticipated than prom, i feel more than qualified to answer this prompt lmao. ive seen a pair of cowboys more than once everyday my whole life. for FUN kids i know raise pigs and cows and lambs and shit and then sell them off at fairs. also do not stress bby, this wasn't a weird request at all! in fact it was so good i made a whole blurb lmao. ALEXA play my childhood country playlist, thank you miss girl. 10 year old me knew good music when she heard it okay, stfu. OH AND PLAY COWBOY CARTER WHILE YOUR AT IT YALL COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE BEYOUNCE LEAVE MY GIRL ALONE FRFR you just dont wanna admit the albums good smh

to say leo missed texas, would be a lie. there was a deep ache in his chest to just go home. it was a strange feeling, considering he couldn't remember the last time he was in that state, as the foster system was eager to drag him all over the country. he missed the sticky and dry heat, he missed the longhorn cows that always seemed to be in the roads, and what he missed most of all was whattaburger. him and will mourned the loss of the beloved food chain weekly, if not daily. but, he only ever mentioned these feelings around will and simply in passing. he didn't think people would understand why he missed the state who's accent he tried his best to rid himself of.

which is why, when news spread of a new camper from texas, leo was buzzing to meet them. what was failed to be mentioned in the rumors, though, was the fact that you were a girl and also drop dead gorgeous. he was staring at you in a way that would have his mother smacking him upside the head, cursing him out in spanish. it took a bit for him to introduce himself, his nerves allowing his accent to slip through occationally.

"are ya from texas?" you asked, eagerly, your eyes brightening in a way that had leo's knees buckling. your voice, oh gods, your voice-

"yeah," he breathed out, bordering on a coo as you cheered.

"finally! and here i thought there were no cowboys left in new york," you teased, poking his chest with a finger before someone from the hermes cabin was calling you over. you flashed him a smile brigther than the sun on a hot texas day and scampered off, your cowgirl booties with bows clanking to the beat of leo's heart as you went.

from that day forwards, it was hard to see you without leo close by. finally, someone else to talk to about texas. sure, will was great, but he was a busy guy with all his medical stuff and boyfriend. and your voice left leo like a fly to honey. it was sexy and got him hot and heavy. but, it was also a comforting dialect that had him thinking of childhood, sweet tea, and sweltering heat.

and then you were claimed by apollo, only a few days after your arrival. i guess apollo has a thing for cowgirls, and leo couldn't relate to the god more if he tried. leo was slightly worried that you'd turn out just like will, locked up inside the infirmary, destined only to share passing comments of missing real texan barbeque. but, then you came up to leo during lunch, blushing as you admitted that you fainted when kayla pressed the scalpel into your hand. and leo laughed, and silently thanked his lucky lone star.

then the more musically talented apollo kids caught wind of the fact that you sang in your church's choir as a kid and nearly blew the whole camp up in excitement. something about wanting to do a country performance for camp but never having a lead singer with the accent as they'd rather jump into the sea of monsters in speedos then listen to will attempt to sing. naturally, you were more than happy to sing, excitedly telling leo about the country songs you were picking out, even letting him request a few of his childhood favorites.

and as you were prancing around on that slapdash stage with your siblings, singing proudly into a mic with your accent clear as day, leo fell a little bit more in love with you every note. and he fell back in love with texas, too, and everything it meant to him - everything he knew it meant to his mom. every twang of your voice and every playful tip of your cowboy hat had him thinking of how much his mother would have loved you or how he had wished the two of you could have met. nevertheless, he was laughing and singing along, front and center with will, there arms thrown around each other. they both wore barely thrown together western outfits, thought will had a hat, that despite leo's begging, he wouldn't give up.

at some point in the show, you were singing of coca cola and tight shirts, kneeling near the edge of the stage. leo was entranced as you locked eyes with him, just barely computing that you took your hat off and set it on his curls before jumping back up to your feet, singing about wanting to be wherever your boy was, throwing a wink to leo over your shoulder.

and gods, you were hotter than the blazing texas sun in the middle of summer, that much leo valdez was sure.

[astrangersummer]

Welcome to A Stranger Summer!

What is this? A summer-long Stranger Things centric fanworks creation event with weekly prompts through the months May, June, July, and August.

How do I participate? By creating! There are no sign-ups involved. Once things are in full swing, I'll assign a tag for works to reblog them here.

What type of fanworks are accepted? Anything, really. You can write, draw, sing. Whatever you feel like creating in relation to that week's prompt is fair game. There are no minimum or maximum word counts.

What are the prompts? Prompts will be submission based from now until the second week of March. The prompts with the most submissions will then be listed and available.

Do I have to do all of them? Absolutely not! Just pick and choose which ones speak to you. Maybe that's all of them, maybe that's only one. There are no requirements or limitations.

Is this ship-centric? Nope! This is fandom-wide for ships or even no ships if that's what floats your boat instead. The only rule here is that there are no adult/minor creations with the intention of them being shipped together.

Question not answered here? Send an ask!

[paintingwhiteceilings]

My request is completely self-indulgent but if you want to can you write for seventeen reaction to their S/O preferably she/her pronounce but u can change it you want having a twin brother?? Also I apologize if by any chance you see this request repeated multiple times in your inbox it’s just my internet connection being slow and weak asf 👎🏽

❃Seventeen and their S/O’s siblings❃

Ahhh so sorry this took as long as it did! I had a crazy few weeks and somehow my asks ended up under a pile of notifications. I mayyy have changed the ask to a general sibling prompt. I don't really know any twins so I don't think I could successfully write that kind of sibling dynamic repeatedly and get away with it. Instead, I included a variety of different sibling dynamics (with a couple of twin brothers); I hope you don't mind!

Scoups/Seungcheol:

❀ When you finally decided to introduce Coups to your older siblings, you hadn’t really been worried about whether they would like him or not. After all, he is very responsible and mature, being in charge of his twelve younger members; it wouldn’t be too difficult for your older siblings to trust him with their youngest.

❀ What you hadn’t been expecting, however, is for them to love him and treat him as if he was their own younger brother. Being the youngest in his own family and, let’s be fair, a pouty, whiny baby in Seventeen, he easily fell into the role of the youngest once he shook off his initial shyness and your siblings ate it up.

❀ Even worse, where you often struggle to get your siblings to do anything for you, all Coups has to do is pout or act cute, and they will sacrifice the world for him. They will even offer to pay for his meals and take him out to fun family activities regardless of whether you are able to make it. You’re half convinced Coups has become the favourite because he has no problem with spending an insane amount of money on your family, and he refuses to let them pay for anything.

❀ Yeah, needless to say, you’re feeling a bit salty about the whole situation. That was until Coups took you to meet his family, and you immediately became their favourite adopted child; it felt like the universe had righted itself once more.

Jeonghan:

❀ You regret introducing Jeonghan to your twin brother; for the past few hours, during your mandatory weekly family game night, he has been whispering in your ear that you should tap into your twin bond so that you can predict your brother's strategy. Jeonghan is absolutely adamant you two have a telepathic bond; he won't listen to you repeatedly telling him that you can't read your brother's mind just because you are twins.

❀ He will definitely try to figure out how to use the twin exploit to his advantage. Jeonghan will find a way to use this newly discovered information for chaos, either to prank someone else or to get his hands on new teasing material from the person closest to you.

❀ He will absolutely try to convince his members that he just happened to stumble on your male doppelgänger if you look anything alike, exclaiming in wonder that you two have even been born on the same day. Truly, what a coincidence.

❀ Overall, he would become such good friends with your twin brother; Jeonghan has such a charming and calming personality that it is difficult not to get along with him. Jeonghan also strikes me as the type of person who would put a lot of effort into getting along with their significant other's family, spending time with them whenever he can in order to maintain a good bond. 

Joshua:

❀ Joshua is the prime example of the naive only child unprepared for the stuff that siblings put each other through. Sure, Joshua technically got saddled up with twelve brothers after joining Seventeen. However, he didn’t have to deal with siblings and their shenanigans for most of his childhood, leaving the concept of fighting over the last piece of cake, not because you want it yourself but because you don't want your sibling to have it, a bit foreign to him.

❀ He is trying so hard to maintain the peace when you and your younger sister get into another heated argument when you discover she has borrowed a piece of clothing of yours without asking. Your parents love him, as when he is around, they can finally take a break and let him defuse the situation.

❀ Your little sister adores him, too; Joshua has a lot of arts and crafts days with her, where he teaches her how to make bracelets and knit scarves. They even made you a bracelet together; it almost made you forget about her remarks on how Joshua is her favourite older sibling.

❀ At this point, your little sister listens more to Joshua than you. Whenever you want her to do something, and she isn't listening to you, you have now resorted to simply calling him. For some reason, his asking her in a sweet voice to let you use the bathroom seems to work without fail.

Jun:

❀ It doesn't really matter whether you have older or younger siblings; Jun is THE person to bring home. On the one hand, when it comes to younger siblings, he is their favourite playmate and the person they turn to for advice. When it comes to older siblings, on the other hand, he will be cherished and loved as if he were their youngest brother.

❀ He truly shines when it comes to younger siblings, though. Jun is shameless when he plays with your younger siblings; he will crawl over the floor as if he is a snake or meow like a cat for hours on end. His acting skills are definitely paying off, and he will fully commit to whatever role your younger siblings need him to play. In all honesty, he enjoys playing with your siblings as much as they do; he is such a kid at heart.

❀ Jun is also THE person for advice. He never judges them and he is always willing to hear them out about whatever is troubling them. It doesn't leave the room either. He will never share whatever they confided in him with you unless they specifically have told him it is okay to do so.

❀ Honestly, your siblings will be threatening you to not break his heart or break up with him. They adore him and have already begun planning your wedding; you're stuck with him now.

Hoshi/Soonyoung:

❀ Initially, you were incredibly worried about introducing this delusion tiger man to your older sister because you were sure that she would ask you whether you wanted to date a madman. You forgot, however, that Hoshi can be incredibly shy when meeting people for the first time. He is so timid, glancing over at you for assurance every so often, that your sister has to pull you aside to ask whether this man truly is the same insane one you have described in your stories.

❀ He acts shyer and younger around your older sister, reverting to his younger brother role, and she dotes on him so much. He gets a lot calmer around your sister, and quite often, he tends to sit back to watch the two of you bicker back and forth, reminding him of his older sister.

❀ In your sister's eyes, he is the perfect boyfriend for you. He always texts her whenever he wants to buy you something, double-checking with her whether you will like the gift. Their private chat consists mostly of your sister sending him gift ideas based on what you mentioned or looked at during your last shopping trip.

❀ You have repeatedly told her to stop supporting his delusional tiger agenda. Whenever she sees anything tiger-related, she makes sure to buy it to gift to Hoshi the next time you meet up with her. She even goes to the extent of scolding you when you tell him to knock it off.

❀ After he gets more comfortable and his crazy side comes out to play, she will lean over to you to ask whether you have replaced him with a clone.

Wonwoo:

❀ Wonwoo can be incredibly introverted and shy, so when you proposed introducing him to your twin brother, he had a full-on mental breakdown, pestering Mingyu constantly for advice. He knew that you were very close to your twin brother, and it would mean the world to you for the both of them to get along nicely. He couldn't afford to mess this up.

❀ Initially, the meet-up was incredibly awkward, neither saying very much and, instead, sending you countless help-me-out glances. Fortunately, you knew exactly what topic to bring up to get the two socially inept souls talking: video games. You hadn't been particularly worried about the two not getting along, knowing that both of them were enthusiastic gamers.

❀ Nevertheless, a part of you slowly started regretting bringing up video games. The two had been discussing LoL and PUBG strategies for the past hour, and even though it was interesting, you would appreciate the occasional change in topic.

❀ Even worse, after the two of them exchanged user names, you now have to share your boyfriend with your twin. At this point, Wonwoo is spending more time with your brother duoing on Valorant than taking you on dates.

Woozi/Jihoon:

❀ All the training Seventeen has given him, preparing him for the day he would get a significant other with siblings, has been for nought. He still acts like he has never seen a child before upon entering your house. He is so worried that he will mess this up that you can see his hands shaking as he stares at your younger siblings.

❀ Fortunately, Woozi has a superpower; he is loaded and doesn't care to spend it on himself. The moment he offers to buy your younger siblings food with his black card is the moment he becomes their all-time favourite person. Armed with this valuable information, he spoils them rotten; your siblings only have to mention something or point at something in a display, and he will almost trip over himself to get it.

❀ You have tried getting him to stop, as you don’t want your siblings to continuously expect expensive gifts, but Woozi refuses to listen. Just as he does with Seventeen, he treats them like his own family, ensuring that they know he treasures them by burying them underneath a pile of gifts.

❀ One of your younger brothers is convinced he is Iron Man or Batman because someone that rich surely must be a superhero. You may have accidentally let it slip and told Woozi. He has never been more determined to empty out his bank account.

DK/Seokmin:

❀ DK is one of those people that is immediately loved by your family. He is such a sweet and happy person; how can anyone not fall in love with him? DK, in addition to that, is one of those types of people who want to be close to their partner's family and dedicate a lot of time to hanging out with them.

❀ He is perfect boyfriend material when it comes to dealing with your younger sibling, spending hours and hours playing hide and seek with them. In all honesty, DK is far more energetic than your younger siblings, and after spending an afternoon running around with him, they always immediately pass out.

❀ DK is so thoughtful when it comes to older siblings. He makes sure to put reminders for their birthdays on his phone, and he always seems to remember whatever they briefly mentioned wanting for a gift during a conversation five years ago. Does your older sister like theatre? Well, guess what. DK somehow managed to get his hands on tickets for that new popular musical. He only spent the past five hours calling every actor in his contact list to ask whether they could get him in. 

❀ DK would absolutely love to have a big in-law family with many older and younger siblings to surround him. The constant chatter and energy remind him of Seventeen, and, in his opinion, nothing beats that. 

Mingyu:

❀ Hear me out. Mingyu is husband material and the dream of every mother-in-law. That being said, your siblings at first couldn't stand him. It wasn't even anything Mingyu did, but from the moment he stepped into your house and met your mother, she completely fell in love with him.

❀ She keeps comparing Mingyu to them. They can't escape her mentioning Mingyu and his amazing qualities in every other conversation, resulting in a bit of resentment. “Mingyu would cook for me.” “I wouldn’t have to ask Mingyu to put his laundry in the basket.” “Mingyu would at least offer to help me clean the house.” 

❀ They would have been able to ignore her if the guy had any flaws, but no, the guy is tall, handsome, rich, talented and intelligent. They begrudgingly admit that maybe they could be more like him, and the world would be better off for it. They also have to begrudgingly admit that they too, are completely charmed by Mingyu.

❀ Poor Mingyu thinks that he has done something wrong and that they absolutely hate his guts. However, when Mingyu reveals he had a rough week due to an insane amount of random hate comments on his Instagram, they surprise him by declaring war. They have been fuming behind their laptops, insulting anyone who dares to hate on Mingyu. It made him tear up.

The8/Minghao:

❀ He was incredibly anxious when you wanted to introduce your little sister to him; sure, he is good with children, but he never had to deal with younger siblings. Even within Seventeen, he is one of the younger ones, and he already struggles to keep up with the chaos of his twelve members, lovingly (but harshly) scolding them whenever they tired him out. What if he accidentally loses it when your little sister bounces off the walls and insults her, forever damaging her self-esteem???

❀ Well, he had nothing to worry about. Sure, it takes him a second to realize that philosophical discussions with a barely ten-year-old won’t work, but the moment he discovers that your sister likes dressing up and drawing, he knows he will do fine.

❀ He organizes an entire fashion show for her and helps her assemble the most stylish outfits. Every morning, your little sister forces you to send Minghao pictures of her outfits, and he never fails to send a heartfelt compliment back.

❀ Moreover, Minghao spends many afternoons teaching her to throw paint at canvases. One of the paintings hangs proudly in his apartment for everyone to see, and another has replaced you as his phone background. You would be upset if it wasn’t so adorable.

Seungkwan:

❀ Seungkwan fits right in with your older sisters. Maybe it is because he has two older sisters himself, but somehow, it's as if he always has been a part of your family. You feel like he broke a record as he got them to love him in less than five minutes.

❀ The three of them have a private group chat where they share the latest tea and gossip. Neither party knows any of the people the other mentions. Still, whenever anything remotely exciting happens, it will be discussed at length in the chat.

❀ Recently, they have upgraded to calling, and Sarah-from-work's not-so-subtle move on their married boss may have interrupted your date. Then again, you were quite invested in what Sarah-from-work did this time as well, making Seungkwan put them on speaker.

❀ He is so comfortable with your sisters that they have no issue roasting each other. The moment they hurl an insult at you, he has got your back, ready with an arsenal of embarrassing moments they entrusted him with. It never fails to make you love him more.

Vernon:

❀ When you told your older brother that you had a boyfriend, he was ready to give them a good talking to, intimidating them the way an older brother should. However, the moment you introduced Vernon to him, his entire game plan went out of the window. Your brother quite quickly realized that Vernon had drunk enough respect-women-juice that he would never intentionally hurt you.

❀ Moreover, the two of them connected over some obscure film that you had never heard of. They spent most of the evening discussing what they thought of its plot and how the cinematography masterfully added to the atmosphere in the scenes. You could tell that your brother was impressed by how well-articulated and well-thought-out his points were.

❀ At the end of the evening, your brother has completely forgotten about the if-you-hurt-my-sister talk he was supposed to have. The two of them even make plans to go to an indie film that is releasing in art cinemas next week.

❀ That being said, I do not think Vernon would be the type of person who needs to be best friends with your siblings. Sure, he would want to be friendly with them and would not be opposed to the occasional hang-out, but he wouldn’t go out of his way to do stuff with them one-on-one.

Dino/Chan:

❀ It doesn’t really matter whether you have younger or older siblings. Dino is used to both. He grew up with a younger brother and is fully aware of how annoying they can be and how much responsibility you feel towards them as the older one. Dino also has had to deal with twelve annoying older brothers who don’t let him breathe.

❀ Bro is ready with the quick comebacks. Do your siblings want to tease him about something potentially embarrassing he did? Good luck. His members have completely desensitized him. Do your siblings betray him in a game of Risk? He won’t get upset; his members have tried sacrificing him in games even when it wasn’t needed.

❀ Your siblings can’t help but be impressed by how witty and quick he is. When he mentions it to his members, they have the audacity to tell him that this has been part of their plan all along. He definitely believes them when they argue that all the years of teasing and borderline physical harm were for the day he would meet his partner’s sibling, easily able to remain calm regardless of whatever teasing remark was thrown his way.

❀ “What if my partner would have been an only child?” They suddenly get really quiet. The wall has become interesting.

masterlist

[dianneking]

On The Seashore (Brienne x Reader)

Hi all! For my weekly fic challenge, @scream-queenlover suggested this prompt (#2584) @promptsforthestrugglingauthor :

"I'm tired of adventures. How about we just get married and stay home?" "I'm sorry…did you just fucking propose?”

You and Brienne have been adventuring together for years, and while you enjoy the friendship and camaraderie that the two of you share, you can't help but wish for more, maybe…but is it in the cards?

Tags: Brienne x Reader, AU - Canon Divergence, Swearing, Brienne is an adventurer, Aroace spectrum, Brienne is on the aroace spectrum,  Friendly Banter, Dialogue-Heavy, Queerplatonic Vibes, Second Person POV, Reader is a woman.

I am not sure how it turned into a queerplatonic fic with a Brienne on the aro/ace spectrum but hey, happy belated aro/ace week. Link to AO3 in the title below:

On The Seashore

“I swear, if I have to shake sand from my boots one more time, I'll snap.” You grumbled, pulling once again your weathered traveling boots on your feet. 

“Might I remind you that getting this close to the coastline was your idea, milady?” 

“Brienne, it's been three years we're on the road together, how many times do I have to tell you to just call me by my name?” 

You could see her lips slightly tilting upwards and you knew her dry wit was about to come out to play once more.

“One more time, milady.”

You snorted. “One more time, my ass. I haven't been a lady since we took to the road. Just a common adventurer, that's all.”

“There's absolutely nothing common about you, milady, and if anyone dares to even imply anything of the sort, I'd be ready to duel them.” 

“Yeah we've learned that in Sandstone with that one guy who was a little bit too friendly…”

“He grabbed your arm!” 

“I know but we were trying to keep a low profile and you beating him up didn't really…”

“He insulted your honor! And mine too!”

You sighed. “Yes I know. Let's try not to beat anyone up in this village though. I'd like to lay low for a while.” 

“Well we still have half a day of walking in front of us before we get there, that is, if Your Grace doesn't keep stopping every ten minutes to shake sand off your precious feet.”

“Well excuse me for not wanting the whole beach in my boots.” 

The two of you kept going towards the village, bickering as you had become accustomed to over the time spent together. 

“This must be heaven!” You kicked your feet up, forgetting your previous adversity for the sand, your boots next to your wicker seat in the cool shade of the palm trees. 

“You have pretty low standards for the afterlife, milady, if all you require is a seat in the shade.” 

“Brienne! Was your mission successful?” 

You looked up at her silhouette, the sun behind her transforming her short hair in a golden halo. She looked even more like a goddess than usual.

“I have drinks and I have work opportunities so yes, I'd say my mission was indeed successful. And no duels yet, so you can rest easily.”

She handed you a tankard, keeping the second one in her hand. 

You lost no time chugging down the first half in a long sip.

“Ahhhhhh now that's something that was sorely missing in my heaven. A drink! I could kiss you right now, Brienne!”

She did not reply, taking a sip of her own tankard, but as she sat down in the wicker chair next to your own, you noticed her ears were slightly pinker. How had she managed to get sunburned in such a short time? Oh well, she was very fair-skinned so it probably took very little. That might be why she always had her hood or her helmet on most days. But the Dornian heat and the quiet reputation of this village had convinced even the uptight Brienne of Tarth to lighten her kit. 

“So you were talking about work?” 

She swallowed her drink and replied, her voice uncharacteristically flustered:

“Yes. Hmm, well, they're looking for night guards for their granary. They've had quite the bountiful harvest and they want to keep it safe until the village fair.”

“Are there actual threats to the granary?” 

“Not really. Seems to be mostly a precaution.”

“So a cushy gig. How's the pay?” 

“Not great, but they'd let us stay here at this cottage on the beach for free and add one golden coin each per week.”

“Sunshine, the seaside, free lodging and decent pay? Sign me up for life!”

“What about your beloved adventures? What about being a free spirit and roaming the world?”

"I'm tired of adventures. How about we just get married and stay here?"

The silence that followed alerted you that something was wrong. You turned to your companion.

“Brienne?”

She was looking at you as if you had sprouted a second head. 

"I'm sorry...did you just fucking propose?”

Woah. Brienne of Tarth, swearing? That was almost unheard of from your very proper companion, and only in very serious situations. 

Not that you’d mind. Marrying her, that is. Quite the contrary. The past three years had easily been the happiest of your life, and you knew it had to do with her. Her constant presence by your side, her dry humor, her unwavering support and loyalty…she had become a column you hadn’t even realized how much you were leaning against until you took a step back and allowed yourself to admire her. And she was beautiful. Gods, was she beautiful. 

You set your tankard down beside your chair, and turned to her, lifting your chin, fixing your eyes in hers with equal parts trepidation and boldness. 

“What if I did?” 

“This is not a subject for jesting, milady!”

“Who said I was jesting? And for all the Gods, stop calling me milady like I am some sort of court princess.”

“But you cannot...We wouldn’t…We’re two women!” 

“Believe me, I noticed.” You smirked up at her, letting your eyes roam her tall figure, allowing her to see the appreciation in your eyes. She spluttered, her face turning a bright red that had no correlation with her previous sun exposure. (Had her reddened ears from before also been…oh. Well. Who’d have known. You might even have a chance then.)

“Milady! I…That’s not appropriate! The law doesn’t-”

“Brienne. For once, this is not about the law, religion, traditions, nor customs.” You stood up, and placed your hands on the armrests of her seat, boxing her in. Tall as she was, her head was level with yours. You had never been so close to her. You could see beads of perspiration crowning her forehead, you could drown in the blueness of her eyes, wide open in shock, both at your boldness and at your closeness.

She hadn’t pushed you away though. That had to count for something.

“Brienne?”

“Y-yes?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper, hesitant and softer than you’d ever heard before. This was not Brienne the warrior speaking. She was Brienne the woman. 

The woman you’d fallen for. 

“I am going to tell you something. You just say the word, and we won’t have to talk about this again. We’ll go back to our adventuring as it was before and nothing will have changed. But I don’t want you to think this is some sort of joke. I am serious.”

She nodded, and you could see her lower lip quivering slightly, and her eyes widening even more. 

“There’s nobody else in the whole world I would like to spend the rest of my life with. Nobody else I would gladly take an arrow for, nobody else I want to guard my back as I guard theirs. If there’s anything that the past three years have taught me is that my days of lonely wandering are done, as long as I can have you by my side. Would…would you consider becoming more than just traveling companions?”

She bit her lip, and let her gaze drop to her knees, as if unable to look you in the eyes anymore.

Oh. 

The silence stretched for what felt like ages. The usually pleasant sounds of waves crashing against the seashore and seagulls crying out to each other felt like a dissonant song to your ears, when all you wanted to hear was her voice.

But you guessed her silence was telling you all there was to know. 

“Very well.” You tried to keep the disappointment out of your voice as you straightened up, hands detaching from the wicker armrests, setting your companion free once again. “I’ll just… go check the water’s temperature. Be back in a bit.” 

You almost scoffed at yourself. Sure. Check the water temperature. Like you gave a damn about the ocean right now. It could all dry up for all you cared. 

You resisted the urge to kick at the sand in anger and frustration though. Mainly because you knew Brienne could be watching you, and you wanted to keep what little decorum you could. How could you be so stupid? To think that she might return your feelings, that you might have a chance with her. Ha. Clearly the blazing sun of Dorne had burnt off your common sense. 

You let the cool seawater lap at your bare feet, forcing yourself to look at the horizon and take a deep breath of salty breeze. 

It was okay. You’d gone through heartbreak before. You’d move on. 

Another deep intake of breath.

You would not allow those tears that you felt prickling at your eyelids to fall. You were a grown woman. An adventurer. Not a silly girl with a crush. 

A third breath. You closed your eyes, focusing on the sounds of seagulls, trying to shove all the feelings back in the little blackened and beaten container you called heart. 

“Nobody has ever told me that.”

“HOLY SH- Brienne, you almost gave me a heart attack!” You twirled towards her, a hand on your chest as you tried to get your breathing back in control. How a woman of her size had managed to sneak behind you without you noticing was a testament both to her athleticism and to how out of it you were.

She pinned you with her gaze, hard and unflinching. The soft, blushing Brienne was gone. This was Brienne the warrior, once again. You realized you had fallen for her, too. 

“Nobody has ever…wanted me.” She said that as if it was part question, part accusation. You didn’t know what to make of it. You shrugged.

“Well, apparently they’re all dumb as rocks and with no functioning eyes.”

She snorted. An inelegant sound that you found as endearing as the rest of her. 

“Seriously, Brienne. You probably have a lot of people that admire you from afar. I’m just the one with the least amount of self-preservation instincts of them all.”

“You seem to have been doing pretty well so far.”

“Well, if you don’t smite me for daring to punch above my weight, I should live to see another day!” You smiled up at her, cheekily, trying to lighten up the mood. You weren’t going to give up on the friendship and camaraderie you two had built together just because your advances had been turned down. A fool, you might be, but not an utter imbecile. 

You could see her lips pull up at the corners in a tiny but unmistakable smile at your antics.

“There it is! The smile of mercy! I shall live somewhat longer! Yay!”

She shook her head and gave you a small shove, almost throwing you completely off-balance. 

“You’re impossible, you know that?”

“I’ll take impossible as a title over milady anytime, so yep, that’s who I am! Also, please don’t throw me into the ocean, I can’t swim.”

“You can’t?”

“Nope! I’m a land rat, not a sea rat. Can you?”

“Of course! Everyone on Tarth learns how to.”

“Well, you’ll have to teach me at some point, but throwing me in is not how I’d like to go about it, thank you very much.”

Her hand landed on your shoulder, gripping it strongly, and you looked up to see that the smile had gone, and her expression was now closed off, and serious. 

“I…wouldn’t be opposed to it.” She ground out, as if it was physically difficult for her to even say it. 

“To teaching me how to swim?”

“No, to a… relationship. I…I like to spend time with you.” She looked like she was telling the truth but also like she was extremely uncomfortable doing so. You felt your heart break again, this time for her.

“As do I, but we can still have that. This is not an ultimatum, Brienne, I would never put you in that position.” Just the thought she would be willing to start a relationship she clearly wasn’t keen on not to lose your company was…both horrifying and heartwarming, to be honest. 

“It’s not that. I…I am not good with…romance. It doesn’t come as easy to me as it seems to be for other people. I don’t know how to go about it.”

You put your own hand on top of hers, on your shoulder, trying to find the right words.

“Hey. There is no right or wrong way. And there is no hurry. We can give it a try and see where it goes. If not, we’ll just be good friends that adventure together, alright?”

She seemed to ponder this, her eyes on your hand covering her own. You gave her the time to do so. 

“I would like that.”

You smiled tenderly up at her. This was so hard for her, always used to be the paradigm of perfection, of valor, of morals. The fact that she was able to challenge herself enough to go out on a limb with a relationship for you, of all people, made your heart skip a beat in your chest. 

“We will take things as slowly as you’d like, and you feel free to tell me at any time if you’re uncomfortable, okay?”

You could see the tension leave her eyes, and her face opened up in a hopeful smile. 

“You’d do that…for me?”

“But of course! We have all the time in the world, milady!” You smirked, throwing the title back at her and seeing her resigned grimace at the nickname.

“No more miladys, alright?” 

“That’s what I’ve been saying for years! Now. That drink is getting warm and that’s not something we can allow. Shall we?”

You gallantly offered her your hand to hold in a very bad imitation of a nobleman asking a woman at court to dance.  She shook her head, but accepted your hand, and you both turned your back to the sun, looking at your conjoined shadows on the sand in front of you with a look of incredulous joy on both of your faces. 

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[starlingflight]

Ginniversary Drabble 2

Prompt: B7 - All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way

This was the hardest prompt ever!

AO3 or read below:

The door to Harry & Ron's room burst open and a whirlwind of red hair and glitter flew inside. 

“Oi!” Ron sat up abruptly, glaring at Ginny. “Have you ever heard of knocking?” 

Ginny rounded on him, the gold tinsel draped artfully around her neck was at stark odds with the bleak surroundings of Grimmauld Place. 

“I'll knock when you stop taking my things!” She declared, plucking the copy of Seeker Weekly Ron had been reading while lounging on his bed right out of his hands. 

“You've already read it!” He protested, reaching for the magazine. 

Ginny practically danced out of his reach. Harry could see the indecision in Ron's face as he contemplated whether this was worth getting up for. 

Instead, he frowned at Ginny. “Why do you look like a fairy threw up on you?” 

“It's Christmas, Ron!” Ginny's tone made it abundantly clear that this blunt answer should be sufficient to explain her decision to apparently bathe in glitter and drape herself in enough tinsel to be mistaken for a Christmas tree. 

“Yeah, the season of goodwill,” Ron shot back. “So maybe you should share your magazine with me.” 

“Ask nicely and maybe I will.” 

Ron's only response to this suggestion was a scowl. 

Ginny ignored it, turning instead to Harry, who had been watching their argument silently from his own bed. 

“You live with Muggles.” 

“Thanks for reminding me,” Harry replied dryly. 

“Who's Anna Karenina?” 

“I–” Harry frowned, wherever he'd been expecting Ginny to go with her observation of his living circumstances, it wasn't this. “Why?” 

“I just heard Hermione quoting her to Sirius in the hallway… I wondered who she was.” 

“I don't think she's real,” Harry said, trying to remember why the name rang a faint bell in his memory. “She's from a book, I think.” 

Ginny snorted derisively. “Must be an awful book. I didn't have a clue what she was going on about.” 

“Why?” Ron sat fully up now. “What did Hermione say?” 

Ginny took a deep breath, standing up straighter, mimicking Hermione's perfect posture without fault. “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” 

“Bloody hell, Hermione,” Ron said, voicing Harry's thoughts exactly. “That's a bit heavy; Sirius is finally looking more cheerful, he doesn't need that.” 

He was already rolling off the bed, shaking his head as he reached for the door handle. “I'll go and get her.” 

He hurried through the door without a backward glance, intent apparently on saving Sirius from Hermione's literary analysis. 

“Don't you want to join him?” Ginny asked, turning to smirk at Harry. “Aren't daring rescue missions sort of your thing?” 

He smiled, relieved. Ginny hadn't appeared to hold any sort of grudge after he'd carelessly admitted to forgetting about the unpleasant events of her first year yesterday, but he'd been expecting her anger to last at least a bit longer, and hadn't exactly sought out any conversation with her just in case. 

“I'm going to sit this one out,” Harry said, waving a hand at her glitter-covered form. “It's Christmas; I'm on holiday.” 

She laughed. “Well, I'll try not to get into too much trouble until New Year, in that case.” 

“Thanks, I'll let you know when I'm back on duty.” 

Ginny nodded, already turning to follow Ron out into the hallway. She paused at the door, turning back to look at Harry over her shoulder. 

“I'm making Christmas cards,” she said; the reason for all the glitter finally became clear. “I know it probably lacks the thrill of whatever you and Ron were doing, but you're welcome to join?” 

Harry laughed. “I'm not sure Christmas cards fall into my skill set.” 

Ginny merely shrugged. “You taught me impediment jinxes, I'll teach you proper stamp placement, sounds like a fair trade?” 

Harry hesitated for a moment more, a thousand reasons not to accept Ginny's offer running through his mind, but he really was in an excellent mood since the revelation that he wasn't being possessed by Voldemort, and it seemed like a waste of a perfectly good December afternoon to remain locked in this dreary bedroom. 

Nodding wordlessly, he climbed off the bed, meeting Ginny at the door. 

She didn't move right away. Leaning past Harry, she threw her copy of Seeker Weekly back on Ron's bed. 

She shrugged at the questioning look Harry gave her. “It's the season of goodwill.” 

[eggymf-archived]

no place like home;

ft. garreth weasley with f!reader/mc (one-shot)

themes: hurt to comfort, angst to fluff, established relationship, aged-up characters, post-hogwarts, fiance!garreth, ex!dark!mc, slytherin!mc, 3rd person pov

warning: two idiots in love arguing, mc being the bigger idiot for once, implied traumatic events, implied violence, not spoiler-free, get a load of this sap

summary: she couldn't bear to make him suffer with every horrific danger that constantly chases her, hence she decides to run away one rainy summer night.

word count: 3.2k

a/n: happy weasley wednesday! this is my first entry and fic of garreth actually. i’ve decided to frankenstein the [lyric prompts] sent by @applinsandoranges​​ a while back along with the weekly prompt for weasley wednesday, “wet”. also, if you have read these two smut oneshots (pt.1 and pt.2), this fic features the same mc (just older). that aside, enjoy? :D

main masterlist || series masterlist || AO3

bonus: audio

It was during the summer of 1892 — the year when they finally graduated from Hogwarts. 

She never expected to be given the privilege of spending the summer after her 7th year with Garreth. It was undoubtedly what she truly needed: an opportunity to escape from the utter chaos of the life she has within her own family home in London: specifically her father's seething wrath after that stunt she had pulled, which almost destroyed their own family’s stellar reputation within the wizarding world's pureblood society. 

Family drama aside, not only was it the perfect time for her to rest and recuperate, but it was also the chance for her to contemplate the future now that she has broken free from the shackles of her responsibility as an heiress (temporarily, that is). Perhaps in the midst of it all, she could also make amends for her past wrongdoings.

Oh, but [what on Earth can atone for all the wrong things that she had done]? 

It wasn’t an easy task, to say the least, for the blood that was spilled on her hands all in the name of the greater good has long stained her psyche. There was an insurmountable amount of filth that resides within her as the vessel of accumulated pain, and all she could do was endure the ordeal. The moment she had made that dire decision in the repository during her 5th year, she was doomed to a life of loneliness, but all of that changed during her 7th year when the threads of her own fate were intertwined with his.

She never would've expected that Garreth Weasley out of all people would serve as the beacon that would lead her back to all that had been long forgotten — her own happiness. 

Truth be told, she wasn't the most forthcoming with the notion of romance in general due to her unsavory experiences and personal issues, opting to steer clear of the entire topic in general. In fact, she was better off alone, but for some miraculous reason, the fiery-haired male had managed to creep into her heart, taking his rightful seat on its long-abandoned throne. It was truly a mysterious outcome, for nobody would've foreseen the unusual relationship to even happen, much less prosper.  

A Slytherin and a Gryffindor; the celebrated hero and an aspiring potioneer. They were like day and night; the sun and the moon — ever so different, yet fell in love too soon. Perhaps the irony of it all was what truly brought the both of them together, regardless of all their atrocities, differences, and follies combined. 

But even the greatest of love stories always had their own fair share of trials and tribulations, and the silly, dramatic little tale of her and Garreth weren't an exception. She remembered it all vividly: the times when she'd discourage him from pursuing her, only for her to fall harder and harder for him in the end.

“You'll never know peace a day in your life once you decide to be with me, Weasley.”

“I'm not good for anyone, lest you want a head full of gray hairs before you reach the age of forty.”

“You're better off without me, I assure you.”

“Garreth, please don't. I'll ruin your life.”

Yet her words, no matter how grim, threatening, or incessant, would always be met with his adorably goofy little grin along with the same simple reply that held the undying promise of his devotion and loyalty.

“I know.”

If only things were that simple.

From this moment onwards, ["I know" is never good enough] — not when she's aware of the dire consequences that would soon follow should she decide to pursue the yearnings of her poor, naïve heart. It was too huge a risk to gamble the life of the man who had brought her solace and joy amidst the pandemonium that rages within her blackened soul, for he was all she had left — the only person who would never treat her as a pawn across the chessboard; her most trusted confidant, companion, and lover: her chosen family.  

The musical incantation of Vulnera Sanentur from his Aunt Matilda's lips was all that she heard whilst she silently wallowed in her own thoughts of self-blame, her eyes darting around the damaged parts of their humble abode out of pure guilt. She glances at Garreth's father, who winces as several hands aided him to sit more comfortably on the sofa. His younger sister and older cousins scampered around to repair the several damages within the house whilst checking up on the others after the incident.

It was an ambush by dark wizards: the ones who sought to covet the corrupted power within her. Despite her not being a family member of the Weasleys, they fought gallantly alongside her, defending her as if she was one of their own. Although they are well capable of empathizing and understanding her prior violent display of magic within the heat of battle, it did not quell the bubbling shame that stews within her being. 

It was almost the norm for her to be targeted by the enemies that she had made in her past battles, but to be attacked while she was in Garreth's family home? To put the Weasleys in danger? Preposterous. Utterly preposterous. She'd never forgive her enemies for it. Hell, she'd never forgive herself for it either. 

The warmth of Garreth's palm on her arm startled her from her train of thought whilst she was in the middle of repairing the broken walls, offering her a kiss on her forehead the moment her head turned. 

“Garreth…” her voice, uncharacteristically small and hesitant, trails off while he cups her cheek, tracing his thumb over her delicate face as a form of reassurance.

“It’s not your fault, so please don’t think about it too much, alright? We’ll handle it from here,” he reassures.

Despite her evident disagreement with her fiancé's words, she bit her tongue, not wishing to add any more fuel to the fire. She gave the Weasleys one final glance as she headed to the kitchen to help his mother prepare their dinner for tonight while the others focused on either healing their mild injuries or fixing the damages within their house.

The Weasleys were a beautiful family. It was the ideal family that she would truly love to be a part of in a heartbeat: they were kind-hearted, selfless, and honorable, never swayed by the adversaries that came their way. It was for this very reason that she decided to protect them with all that she has, and she would never allow a single soul to harm even the hairs on their head even if it means that she has to bring herself out of the picture in the end.

Thus, she has made her final decision. 

[She's only safe when she's alone], just as they'd be a whole lot safer without her presence. She could easily slaughter anyone who stood in her way without fear of disappointing anyone with her ruthlessness, and none of her loved ones would be used as ammunition to make her submit to her enemies’ bidding. This painful choice was truly for the best — such as the fate of all fallen “heroes” who walk a lonely, dark path.

Yet despite all the danger he'd have to face and the sought-after coalesced filth of humanity that literally resides within her, her departure was Garreth’s greatest fear.

It was on the same day of the incident that he received the heartbreaking news in the middle of that particular rainy night. His sister was about to pay her a visit for their usual heart-to-heart session, only to find out that she was no longer in their home.

“Gone? What do you mean she’s gone?!” he bellowed, fear lacing his voice as he sped towards the guest room with soft footsteps trailing after him.

“Garreth, I'm sorry. I went to her room and—”

Not giving his younger sister a chance to finish, Garreth barged into the guest room with evident panic, only for his heart to sink at the sight of a room that was entirely bare of her belongings except for a note that she had hurriedly scrawled before she left.

I'm sorry. I love you.

Garreth quickly ran down the flight of stairs and straight to the exit of their home. The shouts and cries of his name fell on deaf ears as he bolted out of the house, racing into the chilly night with a million panicked thoughts buzzing unpleasantly within his head as raindrops drizzled upon his form.

[She had his heart, and he could only hope that she wouldn't hurt him] permanently with one measly written goodbye. He was angry and dismayed with her drastic decisions that lacked his consultation, but he simply couldn't allow all that they'd built to just disintegrate in a blink of an eye. She was, after all, his dearly beloved — the person he'd give his all without a second thought.

As soon as the thunder rumbled, he hurriedly took out the piece of parchment that she had left, casting a tracking charm with his wand. The piece of paper immediately bursts forward, leaving a trail of glittering golden dust for him to follow before the increasingly damp piece of parchment falls to the ground. The spell worked, and it only meant that she hadn't wandered off too far.

He knew exactly where she was from where the trail was heading. With the location clearly visualized within his mind, he apparates to their usual spot, hoping that she was still within the particular vicinity.

Needless to say, he was right.

There she stood in front of the tree where they often frequented for their usual picnics — the place where it's usually just the two of them, gazing upon the meadows of the countryside whilst enjoying the summer breeze. She looks upon the ring that was on her left hand, admiring the ruby and two small diamonds that glimmered under the moonlight. With great reluctance, she attempts to slide her engagement ring off, intending to keep it within their box of little keepsakes before she leaves, which was contained within the tree's hollow.

Amidst the soothing pitter-patter of raindrops, the sound of an audible crack was soon heard from a distance followed by several thuds of footsteps, effectively stopping her. She whips her head in the direction of the sudden noise, only for her eyes to meet a pair of emerald-green orbs. 

[Sometimes, she forgets that she was his] — he'd always find her wherever she may be simply because he knew her that well. She should've expected that he'd figure out her whereabouts within minutes after she had left the Weasley family home. He was, after all, her dearly beloved — the keeper of her heart; the one who knows her better than herself.

“Blast, I shouldn't have loitered around…” she thought ruefully as she faced him completely, a shaky breath escaping her lips as she braced herself for an earful. Instead, he runs towards her with a relieved expression, pulling her into his embrace before kissing her fervently. 

As if it were right on cue, the rain began to pour harder, just like those dramatic little romance novels written by Muggle authors. His touch, although scorching against her cold, damp skin, brought relief to her mind, body, and soul. 

It was only he could bring her such solace, nobody else.

As soon as his lips parted from hers, he grabbed her bag nearby before turning to her direction once again with a tired sigh. Before she could retaliate, he swung his arm around her, engulfing her in his arms before apparating back to his home — specifically into the living room, where the rest of the family was awaiting their return. A blush crept up to her cheeks upon feeling their eyes on her and Garreth, who held her by her waist. The both of them were soaked to the bone with their clothes and strands of their hair clinging uncomfortably onto their skin.

Wordlessly, Garreth set her bag on the ground before flicking the tip of his wand at both of them, casting a drying spell before making his way to the kitchen. She winced at his deathly silence, while the others glanced at each other with an evident grimace as well.

“... Alright, you lot! Off to bed, we go. Come along now!” his mother urges, pushing the other family members right towards the staircase, much to his younger sister's and cousins' chagrin.

“But mum—!”

“Shhh!”

She received several apologetic looks and pats of good luck from his cousins, for she was obviously going to need it. Garreth was upset — abysmally upset to be precise. It was a rare occurrence, but whenever it happens, it was a painful punch to the gut.

Silence looms over the living room, the thumping of footsteps dying out as they scamper to their bedrooms, leaving her and Garreth alone on the first floor of their home.

“Garreth…”

Silence.

“Garreth, please say something?” she pleads, all to no avail. He remains tight-lipped, averting his gaze from her as he grabs the nearby teapot to pour each of them a cup of tea.

She hated it when he was like this, but his reticence was definitely warranted. She sighs in defeat, finally deciding to stop beating about the bush.

“... The attack from earlier—”

“—Was, again, not your fault. And you ran away because you didn't want any of us to get hurt. I know that,” he cuts her off bitterly before he sips his cup of tea in hopes of calming himself down. 

“Then you're aware of the dangers, Garreth. You've seen what they're capable of. You've experienced it for yourself.”

“Yes. So?”

“So why did you bring me back? You know that chaos ensues whenever I'm around, and it's never the good kind.”

“Really, now? Seems like a pretty peaceful night to me until you decided to leave,” he sarcastically snapped, much to her exasperation.

“Garreth, for god's sake—”

He slams his cup on the countertop, nearly shattering the object. His frown deepened, finally looking at her with a glare.

“A note with no explanations? Sneaking out right under my nose? Is that how trivial our relationship is to you?” he asks with a tone mixed with anger and hurt. She visibly pales at this, panic evident within her eyes that he would even think of such a thing.

“Garreth that's not—”

“—what you meant? Oh, believe me, I know. But it certainly feels that way and it's really upsetting. I'm not mad though. I could never be mad at you, but I'm sick and tired of you pushing me away at every bloody inconvenience!”

“I'm doing this for your sake! As long as I'm around, you and your family will always be—”

“I didn't ask you to play hero for us!”

“So you'd rather thoughtlessly sacrifice everyone else just to keep me around?!”

“YOU'RE MY FIANCEE FOR GODRIC'S SAKE!” 

She was stunned into silence by his raging outburst, all retaliations within her head immediately disappearing as he ran his mouth, pouring out every single trace of frustration that had accumulated within his chest.

“Don't you know you're just as important as everyone else in here?! I know what I signed up for — mum knows, dad knows, my little sister knows, every single relative knows! You're already a part of this family at this point!” he continues exasperatedly, running his fingers through his hair out of sheer agitation. “Gods, you’re always like this! I hate that you feel the need to constantly tell me I shouldn’t be with you! I’m still here, aren’t I? Is that not enough for you?!”

She looks away, letting out a shaky exhale while she clenches her fists, her eyes becoming glassy with tears. His heart was thumping loudly, his chest heaving as his emotional hurt slowly descended from its peak. His glare soon faltered the moment he realized the aggression of his words, his fiery anger slowly dissipating as he stared at her with guilt simmering within his gut. Her eyes were downcast while she chewed on her lip, desperately keeping her emotions under wraps while placing her arms gingerly around herself to soothe her nerves.

With an aggravated sigh, he gently pulled her into a warm embrace. She whimpers at his display of tenderness despite the prior exchange of heated words, finally letting her tears run free as she wraps her arms around his waist, a string of apologies pouring out from her lips. He pressed his lips at the side of her head before parting from her as he cupped her face with both of his hands.

“Darling, listen to me. Look at me.”

She acquiesced, her bleary sight slowly trailing up to meet his verdant-hued eyes, which gazed upon her with pure love and adoration despite his recent display of anger. 

“I know I may not be the best man for you, but you best believe that I'll do whatever I can to keep you safe. When I swore to you that I'll accompany you to the ends of the earth, I meant every single word,” he whispers with heartfelt sincerity, wiping a stray tear away with his thumb. “But all I ask of you is to please have a bit of faith in me; in us — that we’ll manage all of this just fine. Please, I love you too much to let you go...”

“But… Your family…” she meekly sobs.

“Then we'll live alone together, just the two of us.”

“But what about you?”

“Then I'll be stronger for you! Hell, I'll beg Sallow to teach me how to duel better if I have to so please…” he begs, his voice cracking. 

“Don't ever leave again. Stay with me until the very end.”

At that moment, she finally caves into her heart's desire, standing on her tiptoes to urgently plant her lips on his without hesitation while his hand flew to the small of her back, the other placing itself at the back of her head to press her further into him. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally parted, gazing at each other's eyes with a smile of relief etched onto their faces. A surprised yelp escaped her lips as he scoops her up into a bridal carry, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck.

“Well then, now that's done and settled, let's get you to bed, shall we?” he grins, his anger completely appeased by her response.

“At least let me bring my bag upstairs first, love. I need my clothes,” she laughs.

“Clothes? For what?”

“...To change in?”

“Oh, trust me. You won't be needing them tonight,” his voice drops into a teasing whisper. 

Her eyes widened, warmth creeping to her cheeks at his insinuation. He chuckled at her reaction, planting a kiss on her cheek before heading upstairs with her in his arms. The tense aura that loomed over the entire building was now completely gone, her soft giggles of sheer elation filling the halls before a peaceful silence ensued the moment the door to her room was closed shut.

Like the moon and stars that reside in the night skies, this was where she truly belongs — right in the arms of her dearly beloved; her most cherished abode.

[andypantsx3]

hi andie!

do u have any tips for corporate girlies? my friend is starting out in the corp world !! and got a lot of reality checks over how harsh and 'corporate' it is :((

Ohhhhh my god yeah corporate culture sucks!! It's just a bunch of adult babies using fancy words tbh lmao, acting like we're going to war and/or curing cancer when we're really just launching a product no one wants or needs lol.

Not sure what industry your friend is or what role she's in but here are some general tips, starting with practical project tips to more personal/sanity check tips lol.

Make sure you understand your organization's goals and success criteria. This is so basic but in order to understand what leadership cares about and how all the different project components fit in, you're going to want to learn what are all the active projects, who owns them, what success is being evaluated on, and how those performance indicators are being calculated. I work with some people who have no idea what is going on (which, fair) but it ends up creating a ton of churn and can look super bad for them if they are not in step with what our corporate overlords expect from them.

Clear communication is key. Never have I ever encountered more communication issues than working in corporate; people often have one image in their head of what a task looks like where their partner teams might have another, and if you don't outline all the key details together, you could end up delivering something unusable. If you're an individual contributor (aka a task doer), make sure you ask clarifying questions of the project leads if they haven't specified (like, what testing environment something needs to be deployed to, what are the release gating procedures, what is the expected timeline, etc). If you're a project manager, make sure you're clarifying those details with stakeholders and passing that information to your team; prompt your team to ask questions even if they seem clear, and make sure you get that info for them ASAP!!

Documentation is crucial. If you make an implementation decision, document it. If you have a delivery, document it. If you have a process for anything, make sure you document it. If you have a meeting, get those notes out. If you have an agreement with stakeholders, make sure you get it in writing and get them to sign off on it!! Information is key to helping other people understand what you are doing, why you are doing it, what the expectations were from other related parties when you started doing it, and how it can be improved if needed. If you're a project lead or manager, start a folder or repository somewhere for all project communications, keep all your emails & slacks with stakeholders (because they will come back being snotheads and you can politely whip out receipts). :3

Be proactive. Observe the kinds of questions leadership asks, understand their concerns & needs. Then proactively make sure you are addressing those things in your work and/or in your reporting. For example, if you're reporting on a release failure in a weekly business review, make sure you call out things like: 1) what you tried to do to prevent failure, 2) what the ultimate blockers or root causes of failure were, 3) what your learnings were from that failure, 4) what you are going to do to fix it, and 5) what the revised ETA is. That way, even though things didn't go your way, leadership understands you are on top of things and proactively working to solve problems.

Understand priorities & tradeoffs. There will come a time where you have conflicting demands on your time. Work with your manager or org leadership to understand what projects are higher priorities than others, and do not be afraid to escalate to your manager or above if progress is threatened or if you need to clarify. For example, Project A is high priority and Project B is medium priority, but the project manager from Project B is all up in your business asking you to deliver something or investigate something that you don't know if you have time for. Loop in your manager to determine if someone else can take Project B, or inform them that doing B will impose these anticipated risks to A; are they comfortable with that? Then you can circle back to Project B to deliver the news that you're working on A, your manager has suggested this revised timeline or other POC they can work with, and if they have concerns they can escalate. (Usually this shuts ppl up :3)

Improve processes. I cannot emphasize this enough but try to think about how to do things better the next time around, even if things went solidly to plan. Do not get defensive about your work or the quality of your work; always be thinking (or asking other people) about how time could be cut off of something, what processes could be put in place to minimize touchpoints or decrease risks. If you can, try to impose this mindset on your team & ask for project retrospectives, and take specific action items out of those retrospectives! Trust me it makes things so much clearer and easier in the long run if you work to make things better over time!!

Get a mentor. Find someone who has the job you want to have or who seems to know the things you want to know about and ask them to work with you on that! Tell them what your goal is, whether to develop a special skill set to move roles, or develop a specific understanding of a project or concept, and ask them to help you develop a plan to get there. Set up regular time together and goals to work towards in that time. This helps you learn things faster and gives you someone who can vouch for you when it comes time for yearly feedback, role changes, or promotions.

Create a personal portfolio. Keep track of all the things that you do; all the projects you are on, what your role is, what you were responsible for delivering, and what resources you created as part of that, whether it's project wikis, some script, etc. Keep your manager aware of it so they understand your value and have visibility on your work; you can leverage this when it comes time for role changes or promotions. Additionally try to make sure you're working on high viz or high value projects; this gives you even more leverage!!

Do not tie your self worth to your performance or your job title. At the end of the day capitalism sucks, corporations are evil, and none of this shit matters. Even if you don't do something well once, you can improve in the future, and even if your company doesn't see it/isn't a good match for your skills, you have value!!! They profit from keeping you underpaid, stressed out, and dejected, but you are not just a 'resource' or a cog in a machine. You are a person; you will make missteps from time to time but you bring more value to this planet and the people on it just by existing than these capitalist enterprises could ever. Do do not burn yourself out trying to please them, keep yourself open to other job options, and make sure you have a good friend/family support structure in place to reality check you!!

Idk how helpful this was but I hope there was a little something in there that your friend could use. If she has specific questions on anything I'm happy to help out too lol; that might give me more idea what specific aspect she is struggling with & how to help!

[parachutingkitten]

Plastic Women: So, what is my point?

A note for those who somehow would like to hear more from me about the video

The mega video started out as a final essay assignment for a children's media college class. The prompt was ten pages on a topic related to children's media that tied into one of our weekly discussions. Being as obsessed with ninjago as I am, I was obviously going to write about it, and one of our weekly topics had to do with children's media's relationship to gender. I had a lot of thoughts on the female characters of the show, so I decided this essay would be a good opportunity to get those off my chest. Plastic Women: Female Representation in Lego Ninjago was the end result. It was a good essay- maybe I'll post it some time. The only problem was that my initial first draft was nearly a dozen pages long- and I had only just finished my thoughts on Nya. I decided that a paper analyzing the arc of the central female character would be perfectly adequate for the assignment, tightened things up a bit, and submitted it. I knew as soon as I did that the rest of my thoughts would have to come out- and that's what the four hours you've(presumably) watched is.

Being that the original point of the essay was to fulfill an assignment requirement, pinpointing the end goal of the video was a weirdly difficult struggle in the production process. I knew I had a lot of thoughts about the women, I knew it felt important that they get out into the world, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Why is this so important? What's my point in making this? Why do I have this drive behind things? I offer up a couple explanations in my video. Part of it was to help improve consciousness of these issues, to stress that female representation is actually important in male targeted media. To help encourage better practices for the show's future, to get people think analytically about the media they consume. These explanations seemed to satisfy me, and I still think they're all very important and valid, but even as I sat down to record the outro, there was this nagging feeling that I hadn't quite gotten to the core of why I was making this. What was driving me to put in a year and a half of effort, scripting, refilms, and endless, endless editing in order to get this out? Because while I do care about all of those things, it doesn't ignite that same passion source of where this video is coming from.

Unfortunately, the realization only really hit me after posting the video- after reading the comments. Unfortunately, the negative ones. I don't want to overstate how much hate the video has gotten, it has been widely well received, but I have my fair share of suspected (or self described) children and pre teens calling me an idiot for overthinking things in the comments. Some of these are obviously only responding to the title and thumbnail, and it's quite fun to scroll through the comment section and point them out. But of the people who have the most plausible deniability for actually watching at least part of the video, the most common criticism was by far the run time. Why am I dedicating this much time to a show which is obviously not a raging hate letter towards women? I'm labeling this thing as sexist when there's a whole season of the lead female fighting sexism. There are so many worse things that might deserve this run time, but ninjago can not be that bad. This is obviously ridiculous.

Now there are a couple of responses I have to this sentiment. First of all, the series is insanely long. I have to not only analyze, but explain all 15 seasons for those who (understandably) haven't watched it all or aren't as obsessive as I am. That's gonna take some time regardless of what angle you're doing a deep dive on. Have you seen the length of some of the show recap videos alone? Second, the video as a whole is a retrospective, not purely a criticism. I spend quite a bit of the run time praising the things which I do like and shrugging at things I think are passable. Third, I state up front that I am purposely looking for all interpretations of the text, because they are all interpretations that a young audience could potentially take away. Even if it's not surface level, if it's one or two layers down, I'm still interested. That means it's not logical to blanketly call the show sexist, because it's not openly promoting these ideas, and that was never my goal, I think I made that clear. In many ways I believe that if this were a "Ninjago is sexist" video it would be a lot shorter. Part of why the runtime is so long is because there is a great deal of nuance to how this show treats its female characters, and nuance takes time. If it were as simple as "Ninjago is obviously misogynistic" I would point to the problem spots and we wouldn't need a discussion. I wouldn't have to analyze. It would just be a statement of fact. But that's why the video's title is much less specific and accusatory. "More misogynistic than you remember" is a lot more open ended. It has some misogyny in there, and it's more than your child brain likely noticed. That doesn't mean it's necessarily overwhelming or defining for the series, it just means that it's there- and that amount is going to differ depending on the viewer and their personal interpretations of the text. I for one thought that the Racer 7 plot line was an obvious dismissal of female struggle, but apparently it's not as clear a universal a reading as I thought. Maybe it's my life experience as a women in a male dominated field that put that front and center under a undeniable spotlight for me, but that doesn't mean that's the universal experience of the show, nor should it count against the show so strongly as I feel it.

But this criticism is finally what made it click for me. I'm not criticizing the show because it's obviously sexist. Quite the opposite. I'm criticizing it because it is trying to not be sexist. I'm criticizing the show because it wants to be progressive, it's trying to include female characters, it is including messages and plotlines specifically to try and uplift women- and it's failing.

I am past the point of feeling the need to point out that andrew tate is wrong for seeing women as lesser. That's not an interesting take, that's not a new idea, and if you need that told to you, you are likely beyond help from a youtube video. I am not here to dabate if female representation is valuable, I am taking that fact as a given because it is a conclusion which I feel is inherently correct. If you have not yet come to this same conclusion, the purpose of this video is not to convince you that it is. That can be someone else's job. This is not a 101 class, it's got some prerequisites, because without them, you aren't going to appreciate my points. I am interested in giving ideas to people who already know their basics. It's not my fault if you're a few decades behind in your ideas on film theory. The efficacy of what constitutes positive female representation has already been debated and outlined for decades by people much smarter than me. I am not here to make their points, I am here to make my own.

I'm not here to point out the problems of blatant sexism, because that has been litigated to death; I'm interested in the problems of sexism today- because yes, even when sexism isn't blatant, it's still a problem. I am interested in breaking down subtle sexism. Accidental sexism. Systemic sexism. Sexism from people who are trying to be inclusive, because they are the ones who will actually take feedback. The sexism that is baked into our media culture, so deeply ingrained that it seems rather acceptable to show sexual assault on a kid's show. I am interested in why a show which so obviously repeatedly tries to incorporate feminist ideas into its plot can so easily rid its female characters of agency. It's not that I made the video to say something about ninjago, it's that I made the video to say something about sexism in media, and used ninjago as my example. It. Is. Everywhere. And perhaps even worse, it is ridiculously easy to accidentally end up in your work.

I do hint at these ideas throughout the run of my video, but I really wish I had known this was where my drive was coming from at the outset, because if I had, this idea would be pressed constantly. Tropes older than the film medium seep into the most basic of plots and position females in passive roles by default, and if you don't know that, you are going to ingrain these ideas into your work. It might not be blatant, it might be quite subtle, but it may also snowball into something egregious, like happens in skybound. It was supposed to be a season (partially)about fighting sexism, but ends up framing our lead female as an object, removing all her agency, and turning our leading man into an extremely objectifying character who never grows out of his possessive behaviors. Like I say at the beginning, this is a cautionary tale. It's active proof that doing the bare minimum in not being offensive in female representation requires an amount of effort that many people don't realize is necessary. It is almost never that the show outright says something sexist, it's that the plot structure and character progression do not think to include its female characters. It is not the text, it's the subtext. And you might not think that subtext is influential, but the very fact that you think it's not is the most terrifying thing about it. Our brains absorb so much more than we know, and the fact that these patterns and stereotypes are seeping in subconsciously without our recognizing it, is perhaps even more dangerous than outwardly sexist media in some cases. Consistency in these patterns is bound to rewire your brain- and you won't even notice.

That's the point I think I failed to emphasize throughout the run. How easy it is. How ridiculously easy it is to fall into these problems. "it's like you see sexism everywhere!" well, yes. It is everywhere. That's the point. It's baked into our culture. It's a corner stone in our media. It's systemic. That's the problem- that it's near impossible to find something that doesn't have it because it's a founding principle of most of human culture. That's why reverse sexism is not nearly as big a deal btw. Sure, shows aimed at little girls have a lot of underdeveloped male love interests, but they also haven't been stuck in that position for centuries upon centuries of human storytelling.

I don't feel the need to prove that the label of misogynist or sexist is befitting of the whole series, because for one, it's not, and for two, that wouldn't do anything. Ninjago is a symptom of the problem. It is not the problem in and of itself. Blacklisting it for being bad doesn't help anything, and I think I made it abundantly clear that was never my intention or desire. My intention was to show you just how prevalent this casual sexism can be. How this subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) undercurrent can be found in something as unexpected as a children's show which actively brags about the strength of its female characters. The goal was to open your eyes to how consistent it is, even if it's not potent. It was to lay out how the patterns tend to present themselves, so that maybe you'll be able to better identify them elsewhere. Because they are elsewhere. They're everywhere. It may not be in as high a dosage as it used to, but collectively it is still a staggering, saturating amount. And if you are an artist looking to make something that doesn't have this subtext, I'm here to warn you that it is likely a steeper up hill battle than you initially presume.

Misogyny is everywhere. I just happen to know a lot about ninjago, so that's where I chose to go in depth in breaking it down. It's a case study- and I think a quite interesting one with a lot of nuance at that. It's what I felt I could contribute, and I have to believe that's enough to justify its existence.

[celiamae99]

JJ Maybank x Reader

Pt 2!

Warnings: mentions of self harm, reader has anxiety and depression, swearing, therapy, sexual assault, Rafe being a dick

Mature readers ONLY. 18+. I will check profiles periodically and will block minors bc this post is MA!

You sat in the therapists office, hating that you were here. You had been going weekly because Sarah made you. She drove you to and from appointments, making sure you would go to the appointment.

Your therapist was nice enough. She knew how hard life was for you and she gave you grounding tools to help with your anxiety, which was now more manageable. She helped with the depression and managing thoughts. You created a routine you stuck to religiously. You were doing better. You weren’t suicidal anymore.

Once you left, you got back into Sarah’s car.

“So,” she prompted. “How was it.”

“It was fine. We talked about a new breathing exercise. And we talked about what to do when I see JJ again.”

“Did she tell you not to slam the door in his face?”

“I opened it back up!” You defended. “I didn’t think it was him and I wasn’t ready to see him. I did apologize.” You told her guilty. In all fairness, it did shock you to see JJ on the other side of the door.

She gave you a look and you turned the music on. Taylor Swift was playing, per usual, and you let the music hit your soul.

“Who could ever leave me darling? Who could stay?” You harmonized with the music until Sarah pulled up in front of the auto body shop where JJ worked. “What are we doing here?” You asked, mildly panicking. You didn’t want to see JJ. You guys hadn’t spoken in days.

“His bike is broke and if I don’t pick him up he’ll go home and Luke is out of prison.” She told you and you groaned, annoyed that there was no way out. JJ would not be going home for any reason you decided but that did not mean you wanted to see him.

“Hey,” JJ said getting into the car. “I need food.”

“We can go to The Cut.” Sarah said, driving off. “We can get take out and watch movies tonight.”

“I can’t,” you said quickly, trying to think of an excuse.

“And why the fuck not?” Sarah demanded. She wanted you and JJ to get back together and there was no rhyme or reason why you couldn’t go and she knew that.

“Because, I have to…” you thought quickly. “Study for History.”

“We don’t have a history test until next week.” JJ deadpanned. Well, shit.

“You’re coming and that’s final.” You rolled your eyes, sinking into your seat and turning up Sarah’s music so you wouldn’t have to talk.

“I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the pray.” You sang quietly.

Once you guys got to The Cut, you ordered your food. As you were about to tell Kiara’s dad what you wanted, JJ spoke up. “She wants a bacon cheeseburger, no onion, extra mayo.” You and Sarah stared at him. “Fries for the side.” JJ gave you an award winning smile that made you a little dizzy.

As the food was being prepared, you were startled when the bell dinged, signaling somebody coming in. It was Rafe, Kelce, and Topper. You sucked in a breath and instinctively moved closer to JJ.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here, boys?” Rafe smiled wickedly and you gulped.

“What do you want?” Sarah snapped at her brother angrily.

“What do I want?” He asked stepping towards you. “I think we all know exactly what I want.” You shrank back.

“Fuck off Rafe, nobody wants you here.” Sarah told her brother.

You were no stranger to Rafe and his antics. He had been flirting with you ever since you and JJ started your separation. Tried desperately to get into your pants. Touched you every chance he got.

JJ clenched his fist. This wasn’t good. JJ had a temper and you knew he would get the shit beaten out of him if Rafe said something about you.

“Come on, princess. You’re not with you’re little progue anymore. Why don’t you come on over and I’ll show you a damn good time.”

You were frozen in place but managed to say, “No.”

Rafe sneered at you. JJ got ready to punch him but you grabbed his wrist.

“It’s not worth it JJ,” you told him. “Please, let’s just go.”

JJ stormed out of the restaurant and you followed him to Sarah’s car, she stayed to yell at her brother and get the food.

“Don’t,” he said before you could say anything. “Just don’t, Y/N. Okay? You’re going to say you’re not worth it and it’s not true, okay? You’re worth it and no matter what terms we’re on, I’m going to fight for you.”

You stared at him, mouth agape.

“So I may not have fought him this time but I can promise you, if he lays a finger on you, I’ll kill him.”

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Instead of a low key night, you guys decided to go to a keger. Which in retrospect, you should’ve known it would be bad.

You were in pretty deep, dancing with some girls from school when a body pressed harshly against yours. You turned around fast and saw you were face to face with Rafe. You tried to move away, but his grip on your arm was too tight. He dragged to you over to a empty area.

“Let me go,” you cried trying to tug your arm out of his reach. “Rafe! Let go!”

“No can do princess.” He said breathing heavily on your neck and you cringed, hating this more than anything you’d ever experienced. You shoved harshly at him but he wouldn’t budge. “I’ve wanted you for a long time.” He ran his free hand along your back side, and you cried out again. “And now,” he said gripping you tightly, “I’m going to have you.”

Before things could go further, Rafe was shoved out of your way. You gripped your arm to your chest. You breathed in and out, rapidly; you tried to catch your breath. “JJ!” You screamed at him. “JJ stop!”

John B, Sarah, Kiara, and Pope all ran over at the sound of your yells. Topper and Kelce came too. Pope and John B dragged JJ off Rafe and Topper and Kelce helped get Rafe on his feet.

“That little slut wanted it. You left her and now she’s open for grabs.” Rafe spewed running his thoughts together unintentionally. “She wanted it, alright?” You we’re crying, clutching on to Sarah.

“Let me at him!” JJ bellowed. “I’m going to kill him! I’m going to fucking kill him for touching my girl! John B, let me GO!”

Once the Kooks left JJ stumbled towards you.

He grabbed your hips gently and pulled him to you. You searched his eyes before wiggling out of his grip and running towards your house. You couldn’t do this. You couldn’t handle any of this. All the people, all the emotions. You couldn’t. So you did what you did best, and ran. You were done fighting.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

You slid down the wall of your bedroom, tears escaping you. You wanted JJ but you knew he didn’t want you. He just didn’t want Rafe to want you. And Rafe, oh God, Rafe had… you looked at your wrist and held it to you.

You felt JJ slide down next to you. “I should’ve killed him.” JJ said bitterly, kicking the floor.

“I don’t want you in jail.” You whispered.

“I know we’re complicated right now Y/N, but I promise you that he won’t touch you again.” He vowed to you. You glanced at his hand, which the skin was broken open and bleeding. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he reached over and tucked hair behind your ear.

“I know,” you said softly, gripping his good hand and squeezing softly. “Now, let’s clean up your hand.”

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

Once you guys had settled down, your thoughts started racing again. What was going to happen? You admitted that you loved each other, but did that mean he wanted to get back together? Yes, you were ready but that didn’t mean he was. It also didn’t mean he was ready to take on your baggage. He had his own life, own problems, he didn’t hear you adding in to his plate. Before you could spiral further, JJ started talking.

“I meant it when I said love you.” He whispered, rolling over on the bed so his face was hidden in your neck. “I’ll always love you. I always have.”

“I meant it when I said I love you.” You told him back. “You’re my favorite person JJ.”

“I took time, I found myself, and I’m still working on me but I’m better.” He said honestly. Hoping that this would be the last time he had to beg for you.

“I have too. I’m still in weekly therapy.” You whispered softly. “That might have to happen for a while.” You said guiltily. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. Therapy is not something to be sorry about. Ever.”

“You don’t need my baggage on top of what you have JJ. I’m a mess. I always have been and I probably always will be.”

You closed your eyes, screwing them shut. You didn’t want to see JJ’s reaction. JJ kissed up your neck softly before pulling away and looking at you.

“I’m ready if you are.” He said looking deep into your eyes once you opened them. “But I’m also willing to fight for us. And I’m willing to wait as long as you need me to. I don’t care about your baggage. It’s the least of my problems. I always want to take care of you. And I always will.”

“I can’t do a break again.” You told him seriously. “It wasn’t right for us to break the way we did and I’m stilling hurting from that.” Your voice cracking. “I know you wanted what was best for us, but it wasn’t what was best for me. We work through our problems JJ. We always have and we always will.”

“We can work out our problems together.” He promised. “As long as you stay in therapy as long as you need. And you are honest with me when shit hits the fan.”

“And as long as you tell me when you’re dad is back and when you’re spiraling.”

“Deal.” He promised.

“Pinky promise?” You raised your eyebrows at him and held out your pinky.

“Pinky promise.” He said wrapping his pinky around yours.

[autistpride]

Autism Acceptance

Prompt day 6: April 6

Amnesia AU

Word count: 1500

@wolfstarmicrofic

Remus was worried that his parents would say no. That they wouldn’t even listen to what he had to say and shut the conversation down. Remus knew he needed less support than he used to, but he was doing so well.

Remus had scripted his pitch in his head daily, sometimes multiple times a day, for the last week. As the number of days increased, so did Remus’ anxiousness. He began to pace and wring his hands. He started to withdraw and stopped speaking.

The change did not go unnoticed and finally Hope called a family meeting to have it out.

“Okay Remus, you’ve been wearing holes in the carpet again and I am pretty sure you should be wearing your compression gloves from how much swelling you’ve caused in your hands over the last week. What’s going on?”

Remus’ knees bounced and his hands clenched on the trousers of his pants. He took a breath and shook out his hands before he rose to his feet and started to move around the room in laps.

“I was talking with Sirius when we had our last date. We went to the skating rink and then had ice cream, you remember?” Remus asked pausing to look at his parents who sat together on the settee.

Lyall motioned with his hand to continue. Remus started to speak and then paused. He tried again and then again. His carefully planned out proposal instead fell from his lips in a single sentence that sounded more like a demand.

“Sirius asked me to move in with him and I want to do it!”

Sirius had asked him to move in with him and Remus wanted to. He wanted to so badly. They had been dating for three years now and while Sirius had his own struggles at times due to his traumatic childhood, he understood Remus in a way no one else ever had.

Sirius and him had met at an autism family event. He was there with his brother Regulus who Remus was sorta friends with already. Of course Remus hadn’t known that Regulus had a brother or that he was as handsome as he was until the day they met.

According to Regulus, it took Sirius two months to coax up the courage to ask Remus out. Remus didn’t believe him with how smooth Sirius was when he finally did ask. But apparently Sirius kept asking Regulus questions about Remus until Regulus got annoyed and dragged Sirius to their weekly autistic adult meet up at the library so Sirius could pester Remus instead of him.

“Okay,” Hope said softly from her place. Lyall smiled a half smile when Remus spun from his pacing and stared at her.

“Really?” he asked, surprised and trying hard not to let his excitement sound in his voice.

“Ya, really. You both have been together for over two years now. He knows your triggers and glimmers and I’ve watched him calm you down from a meltdown as well as support you through your shutdowns. Ya. I think if that’s what you both want, then you should do it. I just worry about your epilepsy dear.” Hope said honestly.

“Sirius knows what my tonic clonic seizures look like mam. He even went with me to my last EMU.” Remus pointed out.

“I know, but what if they get worse again?”

“Hope darling, you can’t keep Remus here forever just because you worry that someone else will ignore all the signs like what happened in the past. Sirius is a very kind and attentive partner. He won't hesitate to call Remus’ provider if he notices anything.”

Hope let out a sigh and stood, pulling Remus down to hug her. Remus mouthed a silent thank you to his da over her shoulder and Lyall returned the gesture with a thumbs up.

Now Remus just had to tell Sirius yes, pack up his stuff, and he would be all ready.

Two years later saw Sirius and Remus happily living together. Oh they had had their fair share of disagreements in the beginning. Remus has resorted to masking around Sirius because he was afraid Sirius wouldn’t love him if he saw the real him all day everyday and not just for their small dates and random sleepovers in the lounge of the Lupin home. This led to a slow shutdown. Sirius tried to communicate to Remus during that time, but Remus was nonspeaking and wouldn’t respond to Sirius’ texts outside of simple replies to questions like, ‘do we need milk?’ After five months, it resulted in a fight that blew up so spectacularly, Remus was surprised that the police hadn’t been called on them.

“Hey Sirius do you know if we ha-” Remus began to ask when his words stopped. His eyes blinked and his plate fell from his hands and clattered onto the floor before Remus shook his head slightly.

“What were you looking for?” Sirius asked as he knelt down to pick up the plate.

“Huh? I'm not looking for anything. Why do you have my plate?” Remus asked, annoyed and took his plate from Sirius’ hands and stalked back to the kitchen.

Sirius sat stunned for a moment before following Remus. “You were. You came in to talk to me about something. Started to ask if I knew if we had something but then you stopped.”

Remus blew the situation off, but the scene replayed in Sirius’ head over and over the rest of the day.

The next time it happened, Remus had been cooking. He was peeling potatoes for supper and that time Sirius ignored the forgetfulness and panicked over the fact that Remus had dragged the potato peeler over his finger and peeled some of his skin away.

The third time, Remus had just finished brushing his teeth and was putting his tooth brush away. Afterwards he argued with Sirius that he had not in fact brushed his teeth and proceeded to brush them a second time.

Multiple times a week Sirius noticed these little things. Forgetting to turn off the hob, looking for his shoes after just putting them on, feeding their cat Fidget two hours after feeding him the first time, and more incidents than Sirius could count of starting to say something and then just staring at Sirius for a moment and having no recollection on what he was saying or even wanting to say.

Sirius finally broke down and demanded that Remus speak to his provider. And despite telling Sirius he was worrying for no reason, Remus agreed and scheduled with them.

Three months more of waiting, where Sirius noted mentally everytime something would occur and then typing them into a long list in the notes app on his cellphone. Three months of Remus telling Sirius that he was wrong, that he didn't or wasn't doing something, and telling Sirius he felt fine.

Four months and another EEG confirmed that Remus’ epilepsy had gotten worse. He now had not one, but three types of seizures, and one of them was causing Remus to have a type of amnesia and the medication he was on was making the third type worse.

Five months and the medications Remus was on were completely different. It had taken a month to safely wean down on one medication and rise to a therapeutic dose with another. But the side effects of switching meds caused Remus to be irritable and lack any appetite. Sirius stuck by Remus’ side through it all and had taken to buying pizza once a week because it was the only food Remus would eat more than a few bites of.

Hope suggested and offered many times to have Lyall pack and move everything back into Remus’ old room so that Sirius wouldn’t have to deal with it. Each time though was met with a narrowed glare and a polite, “no thanks” from Sirius.

Six months and Remus was finally feeling more like himself, despite still not eating much. Remus had read over the list Sirius had made for his neurologist and apologised fiercely to Sirius for the way he had acted. He felt terrible and suggested couples counselling due to the fact that over those few months Sirius had withdrawn and seemed to walk on eggshells around him. Remus hated that he had caused Sirius to feel scared, gaslighted, and condescended to.

Nine months Remus and Sirius were communicating better. They had completed their couples sessions but both still continued on individually.

One year and the two were doing better than ever.

Two years on the new medication was also their seventh year together and one year with Remus’ seizures under control, Sirius insisted on a celebration with all their family.

Remus spent nearly a week pacing holes into the carpet anytime Sirius wasn’t home. He scripted his words until he knew them by heart. None of that practice mattered as Sirius and Remus proposed to each other at the same time. They said yes.

[sunnynwanda]

Uccellino

"So that's who you are!" Hero exclaims, stepping out of the shadows behind Villain with their mask in hand. How the hell did you get into my lair?

"Excuse me?" Is all Villain mutters, not turning around because of the lack of said mask on their face. They didn't bother wearing it at home, mostly for comfort, but also because Hero never dared to sneak into their lair.

"When you said your job was unconventional, I imagined a lot of things, but none of them included you battling me bi-weekly, Uccellino." The use of the nickname given to them by their lover stills the blood in their veins. Did Hero take them? Hurt them?

"What the hell are you talking about?" They snarl, fingers curling into fists.

"You still haven't figured it out?" Hero's voice is cheerful and, to be fair, painfully familiar when they speak softly instead of the usual anger-fueled snaps. "For a genius of a villain, you sure are quite slow, amore."

Villain froze. They could feel their heart pounding against their ribcage in an uneven rhythm. This could not be true. They could not be Hero. Not when Villain finally found someone they connected with so easily. So quickly. Come to think of it, that should have alerted them. They clicked too fast. Hell, they started living together after the third date!

Villain turned to face Hero, noting the satisfied grin on their handsome face. That damned enchanting smile that left no choice for them but to agree to a date. Just one, Villain had thought. What could go wrong?

When they had arrived for their first date, Villain expected to be bored within the first fifteen minutes. They ended up spending the entire night stargazing and telling stories from their childhood. The second time Hero asked them out was when they were ordering breakfast the next morning. Villain's mouth was full, and Hero had taken their silence as a yes and smiled. They couldn't find it in them to refuse after being graced with that smile. Not while they were battling the urge to grab their face and kiss those plush lips.

Needless to say, their second date ended with a heated makeout session in a closed art gallery that left Villain breathless and not minding a third date. They were too lovesick to realise it was moving all too fast. Hero had asked them over. They made a delicious dinner together and were supposed to watch a movie, a mutual favourite.

Well, they didn't get to that movie after they accidentally kissed Hero, who took the prompt, pinning them to the nearest wall and kissing them senseless. Senseless it was. Their entire relationship could be described by that word alone. They never got to leave that day, spending the night and the subsequent morning in Hero's bed. And the next night. Only ten days later did they realise they hadn't slept at home for almost two weeks.

They meet Hero's unwavering (and fond) gaze. "Did you know?"

"You mean from the start?" Villain nods tightly. Their head is spinning, but Hero has no business knowing that. "Of course not."

"Then why?" They question with a flat expression, and Hero isn't sure if they want to slap them or kiss their worries away.

"Then why what? Why did I ask you out?" Villain nods again. Hero rakes a hand through their hair to keep them busy and away from their favourite cretino. "I don't know, maybe 'cause I was attracted to you. Did that never cross your mind, amore?"

"Stop calling me that!" They finally snap, and Hero is thankful for the emotion. Now they know it wasn't an elaborate corruption plan on either side.

"I will call you whatever I feel like calling you." They claim smug as ever, taking a step towards their lover. Villain draws back a bit.

"Get out of my house!" They command, pressing their lips into a thin line. The demand is met with a look of utter resolution. "You have no power over me, Hero."

"You sure about that?" Hero almost purrs, sending a shiver down Villain's smile.

They reach them in two long strides, grasping their wrists and pressing them to their sides before Villain can react. Not that Villain could react while pressed flush against Hero's body with their lips within reach. Their gaze flicks down to Villain's lips, and that is all it takes for them to throw every inhibition out the window and crush their mouth against Hero's smiling one. Their now free hands move the mask away from Hero's face, discarding it on the floor. When they finally part, Hero's lips are red, swollen and smiling brightly. Villain can't help but reciprocate it with an equally giddy grin when Hero nuzzles into their neck, whispering softly.

"Cause you sure have power over me, Uccellino."

Masterlist

[sydsaint]

Baby Regal my boy!!!!!!!! <3

Summary: NXT!GM!Reader congratulates Charlie on winning the prestigious NXT Heritage Cup.

It's a busy afternoon in the arena for NXT. The show is about to go on the road, so a large batch of episodes are being recorded for NXT's weekly airing. You're sitting in your office going over the road schedule for the next month. You've still got to come up with about 10 more house show cards before you're done.

A sharp knock sounds at the door making you look up from your laptop. "Come in." You chirp, glancing back down at the screen briefly.

"YN, my dear! I hope that I'm not interrupting." William Regal comes striding through the door with his usual refined swagger.

"Mr. Regal!" You greet your mentor with a smile. "Not at all! Please, come in." You gesture to the empty chair siting in front of your desk. "What can I do for you?" You ask him.

Regal shuts the door behind him and makes his way over to your desk. You watch him take a seat in your empty chair and smile at him.

"Of course." You nod. "I'm just making up plans for the house shows that we've got coming up." You explain and turn your laptop screen so Regal can see it.

"Oh I was simply reminiscing about my youth with Shawn and a few other old timers when Mr. Michael's informed me that you were working." Regal explains. "So I figured that I'd come by and see how you were fairing, my dear."

Regal leans forward in his chair and retrieves his reading glasses from the front pocket of his jacket. "May I" He asks you.

"Sure. Go ahead." You nod and push your laptop closer to him.

You lean back in your seat and observe Regal as he looks over your schedule and notes. It makes you feel like a kid again, carefully waiting for Regal to critique your latest attempt at paperwork and other stuff.

"Well?" You eagerly prompt your mentor after a few minutes.

"An excellent job, as always my dear." Regal smiles at you and pushes the laptop back your way. "I doubt that I could have done a better job myself."

You smile to yourself and turn your laptop back around. "Thank you, sir. And how is your son? He's scheduled for a Heritage Cup match against Noam Dar tonight, isn't he?" You ask.

"He is, yes." Regal nods. "Charlie's quite excited about it as well." He informs you. "I can't thank you enough for giving him the chance to challenge for it. Makes me prouder than you know."

"Oh well, your son is an excellent competitor, Regal. It wasn't a hard decision picking him for Noam's next challenger." You shrug.

You and Regal chat for a bit longer and he suggests a few more match idea's before taking his leave.

"Well, it was a delight talking with you, as always, my dear." Regal rises from his seat and holds out a hand for you to shake. "I hope that I was able to help take some of the pressure off of you to come up with some exciting house show match-ups." He adds as you shake his hand firmly.

"You were a big help, Regal. Thank you." You smile at him. "Tell Dempsey good luck for me if you see him before his match." You add.

Regal nods again and heads out of your office. The door clicks shut with a small thud and you sit back down to get back to work.

Around an hour or so later you finally finish up getting the house-show schedule made and decide to take a small break. You head out of the office and down to the backstage are to see how things are fairing with the multiple tapings going on.

You get backstage and chat with a few of the staff about how things are moving along. And by the sounds of it, everything is going smoothly so far.

"That's great. And what match is up next on the schedule?" You ask the staff member that you've been chatting with.

"That'd be Dempsey and Dar for the Heritage Cup, ma'am." The staffer answers you. "They should both be headed down to the curtain any moment." He adds and nods to the curtain entrance on the other side of the room.

You nod just as Noam enters the room from the hallway with the rest of Meta Four at his side. Dar spots you and walks over with a confident smile.

"Boss! I wasn't expecting to see you down here. Everything alright?" Noam asks you.

"No trouble, Noam." You assure him with a smile. "I'm just checking up on the show before I get back to doing paperwork is all." You explain. "Good luck out there, by the way."

Noam nods, clutching his beloved trophy to his chest. "Thank you." He smiles at you.

Noam heads over to the curtain as his entrance music hits and you watch him disappear through the curtain. Seconds later, you hear the familiar sound of Regal giving someone one of his coveted pep-talks. You turn around and find him talking with Charlie as the pair come into the room.

"And you know that I'll be proud of you either way, son." Regal clasps a hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"I know, dad." Charlie nods.

You smile at the pair and keep your distance out of respect for the father-son bonding moment. That is until Regal spots you loitering nearby and beckons you over to them.

"Regal." You nod at the older man with a friendly smile. "Good to see you again, old man." You joke with him. "And, Charlie! Good luck out there with Noam." You turn to Dempsey with an encouraging smile.

"Thank you." Charlie matches your smile. "I hope that here in about half an hour you'll be handing me that trophy." His grins widens a bit as he winks at you slyly.

A laugh escapes your lips and you shake your head. "We'll just have to see who the better man is, I guess." You tease him right back.

Charlie's entrance music hits and he walks off through the curtain to join Noam in the ring. Regal steps over to your side and the two of you watch the match from the monitors set up backstage.

"You sure as hell taught him well, Regal." You comment on Dempsey's prowess in the ring.

Regal chuckles and nods. "Yes, well, I try." He muses. "You seem quite fond of Charlie, yes? He's told me that you've been graciously helping him make his way into the Heritage Cup contender conversation." He turns toward you.

"Well I wouldn't make anything of it." You shrug and scratch at your arm sheephishly. "You're the one that taught me to never pick favorites, Regal." You remind him.

"I believe that I taught you to never make it obvious that you've got favorites." Regal corrects you. "There's quite the difference between the two, wouldn't you say, my dear?"

You hang your head to hide a sheepish smile and nod. "I suppose so. My mistake, Regal." You shift your weight from one foot to the other.

While you're busy looking at the floor in shame the match out in the ring comes to an end. Your head snaps up and toward the monitor. Out in the ring, Charlie stumbles to his feet as the referee reaches over to raise his hand.

"Well well well, would you look at that." Regal smiles to himself. "It seems like my boy had it in him afterall." He muses.

"It appears so." You agree. "Please excuse me, Regal. But I do believe that I have a trophy to present to a new champion. You're welcome to join me, of course." You offer.

Regal shakes his head and steps away from you. "Go ahead. Let my boy have his moment." He insists. "There will be plenty of time for celebration later."

You nod and head out to the ring. You pass Noam and the rest of Meta Four on your way down the ramp and offer Noam a sypathetic smile. Vic hands you the trophy since it was sitting on the commentary table during the match and you bring it into the ring where Charlie is patiently waiting.

"Congradulations to our new Heritage Cup winner! Charlie Dempsey!" You shake hands with Dempsey before handing over the trophy.

Charlie takes his hard-earned prize and soaks in the cheers from the crowd for a moment. You step out of the ring and let him have his moment before Charlie joins you back on the floor and the two of you head backstage.

"Congradulations on the win, Charlie!" You set a hand on the back of Dempsey's shoulder with a smile. "I knew that you had it in you." You grin at him.

"I couldn't thank you enough for putting faith in me and backing me up to get me here." Charlie replies. "This is as much of a win for you as it is for me." He insists.

You laugh and wave your hand dismissvly. "Oh, all I did was point out the talent that you already had." You assure him. "You did all the hard work, Charlie."

The two of you get backstage and you let Regal talk with his son. While the pair are chatting and sharing hugs you check in with the backstage crew one more time. After you've made sure that things are still running smoothly you intend to head back to your office. But Regal stops you before you leave the backstage area.

"Oh, well I'm sure that our lovely friend YN would be happy to join you in my absense." Regal turns toward after looking at Charlie.

"Pardon?" You come to a stop in front of the pair.

Regal nods to his son before smiling at you eagerly. "I was just reluctantly informing Charlie that I'm going to have to decline his offer for dinner and drinks after the show." He explains. "I've got a prior engagment that I'm afriad I can't miss. Although, I don't suppose you're busy after NXT finishes up taping, are you, YN?" He asks you. "I'd hate to leave Charlie to celebrate such a big win by himseslf."

"Right." You nod, catching onto what Regal's trying to swing here. "No, I'm not busy after the show at all." You turn toward Charlie. "If you'd like to meet me outside my office after the show then I'd love to grab dinner, Charlie." You smile at him.

"Sounds excellent." Charlie agrees. "I guess that I'll see you after the show then, YN. Take care." He matches your smile before walking off back to the locker rooms.

You wait until Charlie is gone before you turn back to your mentor.

"You don't happen to be trying to set me up with your son, are you, Regal?" You ask him with a playful smile.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about, my dear." Regal smiles right back at you. "Do have fun at dinner, though." He winks before walking off as well.

[sobfultoast]

Hi! It's me who sent the request a few hours ago. Everyone makes mistakes and it's completely fine that you accidentally deleted it. My bad for being anonymous. 😅

Can I request the brother's reactions to MC who smokes/vapes?

Btw I really love your work!

THANK YOU!

•°~◇ Smoking ◇~°•

Prompt: Here are the demons' opinions on smoking/vaping, do they smoke/vape and their reactions to an MC who smokes/vapes.

+ Them supporting an MC who wants to quit.

A lot of demons smoke as it doesn't hurt them. It's more of a treat to them; a pack of 20 is the same price as a chocolate bar. Demons can get addicted to it, though, as it is shown demons can get addictions (Example being Mammon's addiction to gambling).

Vapes are a new trend in devildom and are ridiculously pricey. So, lots of demons stick to smoking rather than vaping unless they want to be trendy. Good luck buying a vape in devildom. They're like £60 for a standard vape.

As soon as you came to devildom, Lucifer made the house rule that none of the brothers could smoke/vape in the house. They were not happy.

(CW: Smoking, obviously; mention of health issues; Overprotective and worried demons; Addictions)

• ° ~ ◇ ~ ° •

Lucifer

Lucifer hates the fact that he smokes. He started smoking just after his fall. He and some noble demons were attending one of Diavolo's dinners. Everyone else was smoking. It was a sign of richness and luxury back years ago on earth, and that also translated to Devildom as well. Lucifer's felt pressured to also try them and has been hooked ever since.

He has to deal with 6 trouble magnets that he calls his brothers (7 trouble magnets if including you). Smoking helps relieve the stress of managing that. He is like that type of mum who has a glass of wine in his left hand and a cigarette in the other.

Lucifer isn't interested in vapes. It's nothing more than a trend that will pass eventually to him.

If you do try and hide the fact you smoke or vape, good luck. You can't hide it from him. He'll find out quickly, almost as soon as you arrive. Lucifer has weekly room inspections, and he'll sniff your hidden stash out like a blood hound.

Because he'll find out so early, he isn't really emotionally attached to you yet. All he does is go: "Tch... Not in the house." If his brothers find out the human smokes/vapes, they'll get all annoyed about why they have to go outside to smoke now. So, to at least make it fair, the same rule applies to you.

After a year, he regrets that reaction of his. He knows the risks it has to humans. It's why he made all his brothers go outside. He doesn't like knowing you're constantly at risk of health issues every time you take a puff.

He's worried. Unlike you, smoking doesn't harm him. Lucifer will be relieved if you say you want to quit. He decides he'll quit with you so you can support one another. You don't even have to ask him. Lucifer just wants to make sure you live a long life with him.

Mammon

Mammon smokes often. His go to is cigarettes and also cigars. Mammon is too broke to buy Vapes in devildom, so if you ever see him with one, it's most likely stolen. Probably from Asmodeus. He was in shock when he went to the human world and saw how expensive smoking is. £16 for a pack of just 20! What a rip-off! Grrr...

He had no clue that nicotine harms humans. So when Lucifer made a rule to not smoke in the house, he didn't understand. Mammon was not happy, so he tried sneaking around Lucifer. He was always caught.

Hiding it from Mammon is also very hard but not impossible. Your room is his room, and he has gone through "his" whole room a million times. He'll find it if you hide it in your room so if you hide it outside of your room, there is less of a chance. If he does find it, he won't confront you about it. He doesn't know it hurts humans. He just takes them for himself.

Mammon is always stealing his brothers' cigarettes and vapes, so he is also definitely stealing yours. The only difference between you and his brothers is that he'll actually share his cigs with you. Until he finds out about the dangers.

Smoking can be deadly to humans? And my human is smoking them?! Mammon is overprotective of you so of course he is against you using them! Mammon will pester you to stop it. He'll even help you himself by smoking yours before you! So heroic.

If you say you want to quit, he is very happy with your choice. He'll try and avoid anyone smoking around you, and Mammon never hesitates to praise you for your progress.

Will he quit with you? He'll try. He'll have a lot of hic ups. Temptation is everywhere in hell, especially for an impulsive demon like himself, but if it means he can support and help you? He'll try his damn best.

Leviathan

Leviathan doesn't smoke often. Levi only smokes when on the ships as everyone else is often doing it, and it relaxes him when surrounded by people. You can also find him smoking if his phone or handheld device dies when in public.

Levi doesn't vape, even if he seems like a type of person who would. They're just so pricy and such a normie trend in his eyes. He'd rather save up for merch.

He used to smoke a lot more in the past. There were a few times where he'd boxed himself in his room and went through a whole pack of cigs. When Lucifer opened the door, it was just 💨. Levi only did that because he had a social event coming up that he couldn't avoid but even with his anxieties, Levi soon decided to stop smoking in his room. It started to damage his merch! And because he is always in his room, he rarely smokes now.

Leviathan does know that smoking harms humans. When he found out one of his favourite human idols smokes, he was sending them spam letters to stop. What if your voice drops?! What if you get sick?! He was basically begging them.

Despite that, he does think it looks sorta cool in fiction. Like in those anime scenes where the badass character is smoking in the corner, looking super menacing. It's so edgy of them.

He probably won't find out you smoke/vape unless you deliberately do it around him. Since he is always in his room and there is no smoking/vaping in the house, he probably will never catch you if you hide it.

When he does find out, he is conflicted. He thinks you look sorta cool and totally understands if you're doing it to calm yourself. But, then again, he knows it hurts you! Levi doesn't really know how to respond so he just won't confront you about it nor bring up the idea of quitting. He doesn't want you to get mad or annoyed at him for whatever reason he can think of.

Levi will ask Satan for advice and does support you all the way if you do want to quit. He'll always keep his attention on your behaviour and will give you lots of praise and encouragement! Just look how far you got! He's so proud of you. It's okay to have setbacks, we all have them!

Satan

Satan smoked on the rare occasion. Satan never smoked in the house as well. He knew it was damaged and stains books, so he always went outside if he ever did. But when a certain someone made a rule to not smoke in house, he might have started purposely smoking around the house. Out of pure spite.

Satan stopped smoking around the house after the body swapped situation. He became so much less hateful towards Lucifer after that, and also so much closer towards you. Satan now avoids smoking around you and has always avoided doing it around cats. He knows what second hand smoke does to mortal creatures.

Satan is also another brother you can't hide it from. Satan is basically a certified detective. He'll catch on.

Satan won't pressure you to stop. He knows people smoke for all sorts of reasons. From addiction to coping mechanisms, everyone has a reason, and he understands that it is sometimes complicated.

If you tell him you want to quit or start showing any signs that it is affecting your lungs, he will try to suggest alternatives. Such as a vape that has low nicotine density or nicotine patches. If you're just doing it for the motion like some, he'll show you some vapes that are just flavoured vapour. Satan does lots of research into it, so he suggests the best things to try. He wants to make sure you take the best steps in whatever you want to do. He'll be standing right by your side.

Asmodeus

Asmodeus hates smoking. It smells awful. It makes people look awful as it makes your skin look bad and stains your clothes. He hates it.

Vaping is a totally different thing to him, however. It smells and tastes nice. His favourites are the cherry flavoured ones, but he'll also use whatever is popular at the time.

Asmodeus is frustrated that he can't vape in his room. It's his room! He does sneak a puff with his window open, and unlike Mammon, Asmodeus is rarely caught.

Asmodeus will find out if you smoke/vape from your scent alone. This man can tell you the name of the perfume or cologne you are using just from smell. If you've just smoked, he'll notice. He gives you his perfume. "Can't have you smelling so dreadful, darling! Here. Now you can smell as good as me!"

Asmo won't point out the vape smell as it smells better than tobacco. If it is one of his favourites, however, he'll definitely point it out. You guys have so much in common! He loves that one too!

Asmodeus does know smoking is a risk to humans but he just didn't care. It didn't concern him... Until he fell for you. Now it kinda does.

Out of the brothers, Asmodeus is probably one of the calmer ones if you vape. You both end up having a box of vapes that you hide from Mammon. Asmodeus wouldn't like it if you smoked though. Asmo really does hate the smell of them. Please avoid smoking around him. He gets enough of it from the clubs in his opinion.

Asmodeus is with you every step of the way if you quit. He'll keep his stash as hidden as he can from you and maybe even slowly stop using them as much himself. He pampers you and helps distract you from your addiction. Asmodeus is your biggest cheerleader throughout your journey!

Beelzebub

Beelzebub is the only brother to not smoke or vape. Even if he tried, he'll just end up eating it anyway... They do not taste good.

He thinks vapes smell tasty. Why are they always based as food? They get him drooling. He has eaten one of Asmodeus' vapes. Again, they don't taste good. It's a false advertisement.

It can be easy to hide it from beel. I don't see him picking up on it unless you have started dying after every run, but again, you could tell him it's just a human thing and he'll trust what you're saying.

Beelzebub does know it harms humans because of his body building classes. He has given some humans advice there and learnt that smoking damages your lungs from these said humans.

Beelzebub then began asking Belphie to avoid smoking around you. Beel didn't want you to get hurt at all. Just to find out you smoke/vape yourself. Why??? He just doesn't understand.

Beelzebub does ask questions why and still struggles, understanding why'd you do something that harms your fragile human body...

He will show distaste for it when he sees you doing it. Every time you take a puff around him, he looks like a kicked puppy. Beel doesn't like knowing you are hurting yourself.

If you decide to quit, he is very enthusiastic about that idea. He'll get you foods to distract yourself. He heard sunflower seeds and gum are food a lot of ex-smokers use as a distraction. Beel will also ask all his brothers if they'd also like to quit alongside you. If not, could they just avoid smoking around you. Beel just wants you to be okay.

Belphegor

Belphie smokes. He picked it up as a distraction to cope after the fall and found comfort in it.

Belphegor doesn't know it harms humans despite his knowledge about humans. When he was interested in humankind, we didn't know anything about cancer and etc. After the fall, Belphie lost interest and just didn't learn.

Belphie didn't smoke at all in the attic. Belphie was going mad, especially with the nightmares of Lilith. He didn't have Beel or anything other than nap. As soon as he gets out, he'll smoke in the house. Lucifer scolds him for it but why should he care? He was trapped in the attic for months. He doesn't even hide it. He literally pulled out a cigarette at the dining table during family dinner.

Hiding it from him is easy. When he does find out, he is confused about why you would hide it from him though? Even when he learns about all the harmful consequences, he understands why someone would smoke/vape so why hide it from him.

He is probably the most chilled brother about it. You two watch the stars with the reassuring yet cold breeze as you share a lighter for your cigarettes.

Belphegor does also vape. They're convenient. He doesn't have to roll or light anything, which his lazy self appreciates.

If you wanna quit, of course he'll support you. You can't smoke if your stuck napping with him, right? Belphie doesn't like the idea of quitting. Then again, Belphie dislikes a lot of things but he'll always do them for you.

•°~◇ Have a good day! ◇~°•

I don't know if this is what you wanted??? But I tried. If you have any criticism, just say. I've never done a request but I hope this is what you wanted.

I know I've been gone for a little while but life. I'm back tho 💪

[scifrey]

Somehow I wrote 137k words of The Sandman fanfic in the last 5 months. Behold: the result!

This has been an incredible journey - I decided to step back into fandom while I was waiting on some publishing info and news, just as something to do to keep my creativity sharp. The community and reception I discovered, however, has been astoundingly welcoming. I feel reinvigorated and ready to tackle my revisions on my next novel!

THE HOB ADHERENT SERIES

In which Hob Gadling's Stranger returns, they start a weekly hangout, Hob becomes Morpheus' Emotional Support Human (tm), Matthew bullies Hob onto a Docudrama TV series where Hob pretends to be his own ancestor, and Morpheus is the King of Repressed Symbolism.

Status: Complete

Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Includes some comics canon, and some fun cameos from the wider Gaiman-verse, but it’s not necessary to know to enjoy the story.

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Discussions of grief and in-canon character death.

Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Eleanor | Hob Gadling’s Wife/Hob Gadling (past)

Primary Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Hob Gadling, Matthew the Raven, Lucien | Lucienne (The Sandman), Mervyn Pumpkinhead, Patrick the Bartender, All the Endless Siblings, Rose Walker, Jed Walker, Lyta Hall, Daniel Hall, Orpheus, Lucifer, (plus some cameos from other characters from the Gaiman Television-Literary Universe)

CLING FAST

Hob Gadling is a clingy bastard, and he’s not ashamed to admit it. He clings to life. He clings to hope. He clings to his love of humanity. He clings to his Stranger. He also, unfortunately, has a habit of clinging to his name.

Which means, when the BBC is looking for a new pet history expert to appear in their educational docudrama series “Elizabethan Manor,” they’re overjoyed to find a professor who (according to their meticulous research) is actually descended from the Master of the National Trust building they’re filming in - Gadlen House.

Only Hob knows how right they are.

Picks up a few hours after the end of Season 01 Episode 6.

CARPE DIEM

Hob turns six hundred and sixty-six, invites some fellow Immortals to his pub to celebrate, and receives a gift from Satan themself. Or, the Key to Hell was always going to Be a Problem(tm).

Set between the epilogue and chapter one of Cling Fast.

HOLD TIGHT

Hob is tasked with his first quest as Vassal of the Endless, Morpheus is bad at using his words, Destiny thinks he's so clever, Desire makes a confession, Rose Walker meets her Uncle's boyfriend, and Lyta Hall punches Dream of the Endless in the nose. Or, the one where Hob Gadling turns into everyone's therapist, and honestly, he ain't mad about it.

Set at the end of Cling Fast - after the premiere of “Elizabethan Manor”, but before the Epilogue.

KEEPSAKES

Short ficlets set in the Hob Adherent world, based on prompts received from readers. Includes tales of how Hob and Eleanor met and wed, Hob being a badass at a Ren Faire, some hurt/comfort and sleepy smut, and the story of how Hob met Orpheus.

TAKE ROOT

A deleted scene for a sequel I ended up scrapping.