#two of whom can’t pay attention to anything for beans

[raraeavesmoriendi]

on this day I would just like to announce my eternal love and gratitude for noise canceling headphones

[katelyn--renee]

Out of the Fire (Part two)

Title: Out Of The Fire (Part two)

Fandom: Supernatural AU

Main Characters series: Reader, Lieutenant Firefighter!Dean Winchester, Lawyer!Sam Winchester, Jessica Winchester (Moore), Nurse!Lisa Braeden (Formerly Winchester), Ben Braeden-Winchester, Harper Winchester (OFC), Charlie Bradbury, Firefighter!Benny Lafitte, Firefighter!Jo Harvelle, Firefighter!Castiel Novak, Claire Novak, Mechanic!John Winchester, Firefighter Captain!Ellen Harvelle, Mechanic!Bobby Singer, Doctor!Arthur Ketch, Nick Vaught and many more!

Pairings: Dean x Reader (eventual), Dean x Lisa (past), Reader x Nick (past), Lisa x Ketch (current), Sam x Jessica (current)

Word count: ±2200 words

Series summary: A slow burn romance. Reader is trying to get away from her troubled past and start fresh; a new name, new town, new friends, and a new job. A clean slate. After years of planning and saving, she is able to open her own business. With the help of her best friend and business partner, Charlie Bradbury, and her new flirty firefighter friend, she is hopeful, even when disaster strikes and her past threatens to catch up with her years later. 

Part two summary: Flashback to when you first met your green eyed hero and their budding romance. 

Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fire or mentions of fire, fluff (so much fluff), angst, eventual smut, mutual pining, alcohol abuse, alcohol intoxication, mentions of domestic abuse (physical, verbal), mentions of miscarriage, mentions of adultery/cheating, mentions of death, dangerous or life threatening situations, stress, descriptions of injuries, blood, hospital scenes, character death. 

Author’s note: Here is part two! I hope you enjoy this chapter and all it’s fluffy goodness! :)

A special thank you to @that-one-gay-girl and @deanwanddamons for being the wonderful beta’s that you are! Your feedback is always appreciated! Check out their awesome work and spread some love!

All graphics and dividers done by me! :)​

If you like this story, please don’t hesitate to leave a like, comment and if you’re feeling extra generous, share! Your feedback gives me live and motivation! If you would like to be tagged in the series, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Thank you and let’s enjoy this ride together!

<<-- Read part one, here!

Out of the Fire Masterlist!

Interested in more of my work, check out the link below.

Masterlist

About five weeks ago.

The shop was busier than usual, but being the final days of summer, it was expected. It wasn't anything you or Charlie  couldn't handle, of course, but it sure did make for long days and even longer nights of cleanup. 

"Charlie, table two needs refills, table six never got their vanilla lattes, and table four is ready to pay." You announced as you joined your partner behind the counter with a handful of dirty mugs and plates, having just made one of many rounds through the seating area.

The two of you danced around each other gracefully, moving in harmony as you switched from one task to another. “On it.” She acknowledged, already preparing the missing drinks and throwing in a complimentary pastry for the mistake.

You set the pile of dishes down into the sink before turning to the next customer in line, flashing him a friendly smile. “Yes, hi, how can I help you?” You greeted urgently, looking up to meet a set of stunning green eyes. You faltered slightly, taken by surprise by his strikingly good looks.

He smiled, almost bashfully, as he began to place his order, seeming not to notice your hesitation. “A round of coffees, black, for me and my buddies ,” He motioned toward the booth near the large bay window which was occupied by three other bodies; two men and one woman, all of whom adorned matching uniforms. “Cream and sugar on the side. Oh, uh, larges… or eh, talls?” He added with a sheepish chuckle, clearly unfamiliar with the coffee house lingo.

You couldn’t help but giggle at that, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth to prevent yourself from smiling more and potentially embarrassing him. “Venti.” You corrected him playfully. You saw the confused look on his face, his head cocking like a confused puppy, before adding, “For our ‘large,’” 

You used air quotes to emphasize your point, rolling your eyes at the technical terminology. “It’s venti.” You saw it the moment he understood what you were telling him, and he chuckled again, not missing the way he ducked his head to hide the slight flush to his freckled cheeks.

 “Never too old to learn something new.” He chuckled again and winked at you, the gesture setting butterflies loose inside of your stomach. It was your turn to look away this time, your face hot with a blush. He fished his wallet from his dark blue cargo pants, looking at the assortment of baked goods.

“Throw in a few of those bagels and croissants, too, please.” He added, casting his gaze down at the display case once again. “Oh, and a piece of that cherry pie.” He added almost dreamily, pulling out a couple of twenties. 

Upon further inspection, you took notice of the soot and ash that dirtied his face and darkened his hair in certain places. He had dark circles under his gorgeous eyes, too, clearly exhausted after a long shift. You glanced in the direction of his crew members, finding much of the same. “Long night?” You asked, trying to be friendly as much as you were curious.

“I look that rough, huh?” He teased, a look of mock offense accompanying his handsome features.

 You shook your head, a smile still curving your lips at the corners, “Oh no, I didn’t mean it like that.” You clarified hastily as you calculated his order  into the register, making a point to leave off the coffees; it was the least you could do for him… eh, them, right?  

He winked again and laughed, the sound deep in his chest, assuring you that he was only teasing. “I know you didn’t,” The corner of his mouth turned up into a smile, his tongue darting out to wet his lips, watching your face and the way you tried to suppress your smile. “How much do I owe you, sweetheart?” He asked, glancing down at the display screen. 

The term of endearment made your heart flutter slightly, and you couldn’t keep the smile from creeping onto your face again. You swallowed the feeling down, pressing the enter key before you read aloud his total. 

“That’ll be $19.94, Mr. Firefighter.” He rose a questioning brow at the total, glancing up at the menu prices. “Coffee’s on the house.” You added quickly with a closed-lip smile, your eyes sincere. “It’s the least I can do for your services.” 

Several emotions seemed to make their way across his face, contorting it briefly before settling on gratitude. “Thank you.” He said, his voice genuine. He held out one of the twenty-dollar bills, paying for his order. “That was really kind of you, truly.” He smiled softly, glancing down at the name tag attached to your apron. “(Y/N).”

A smile formed on your lips before you could stop it, and your cheeks flushed at the way he said your name, your eyes finding the name embroidered onto the left side of his dark blue button-up shirt, opposite of a silver badge over his heart. Red patches were on either sleeve, proudly showing off the station they serve. “It’s no trouble, Lieutenant Winchester...” You promised with a sly smile. 

He laughed, appreciating your observation. “Dean.” He insisted as you accepted the bill. Your fingers touched, brushing against each other softly. The touch, however slight, was like an electric shock, igniting every part of your body. 

There was an annoyed grunt behind the firefighter, but the two of you paid little attention to it. You put the money into the till and collected his change, but Dean insisted that he didn’t need it. He walked backwards to his table, his bottom lip drawn up between his teeth. The two of you couldn’t seem to stop watching each other, nor did you want to, silently flirting with your eyes. 

You giggled when he bumped into an unoccupied table, watching as he almost knocked over its contents and awkwardly fumbled with the accompanying chair that nearly fell over. He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled self-consciously, trying to conceal his embarrassment. He ducked his head when he got back to his table, his friends giving him a hard time. 

He hid his face in his palms as a dark-haired man with scruff and blue eyes clapped a hand against Dean’s shoulder, booming with laughter. “Smooth,” You heard the blonde female tease, snickering at her partner. You watched them as you gathered up their order, blushing when you caught him stealing a few glances your way. When finished, you brought their order out to them personally, earning you another wink from the fireman.

The rest of the shift went by in a blur, unable to get those emerald eyes out of your head. Charlie had seemed to notice your distraction and, in perfect Charlie fashion, commented on it as you were closing up shop. “That fireman sure left his mark on you, huh?” She teased, a knowing smile drawing her lips up. 

You scoffed at her and tried to play it off like you didn’t know what she was talking about… and failing. “W-What? No - No, I - Who? I don’t know what you’re talking about, Charlie.” You muttered, locking the doors and placing the keys into your pocket.

She looked skeptical and cocked her hip, propping a hand there. “Uh-huh, sure.” She stated, waving her hands. “And I’m not the Queen of Mordor.” She said sarcastically, “Oh wait, I am.” She said exaggeratedly with her hands thrown in the air, referencing her extracurricular activity of LARPing. 

You rolled your eyes fondly at your best friend; she’d dragged you along to her LARPing weekends on more than one occasion, and you’d humored her, going along with it because it made Charlie happy. “You can’t fool me, sista, now spill the beans.” She insisted, following behind you with the broom as the pair of you cleaned up.

You sighed, wiping down one of the tables and the chairs that joined it, already knowing that you wouldn't win this battle against the feisty redhead. “I don’t know…” You hesitated, chewing on your bottom lip as you thought about the encounter. “I can't explain it, I don’t know how to explain it… but there was just something about him… y'know?" You recalled, picking up one of the chairs and putting it on the table. "I just… I can’t quite put my finger on it…"

Charlie giggled, "Bet you wish you could." She teased, clearly hinting at more than she said. You gasped and feigned innocence, throwing the towel at her. Charlie laughed more, catching the soiled cleaning cloth before it collided with her face. "Oh, come on (Y/N)! I know that look in a woman's eye. I’ve seen it dozens of times! You want him. Bad!"

She threw the cloth back, and you caught it with ease. "Jeez, you make me sound so desperate." You grumbled, not denying Charlie's observation, despite the dramatics. 

Charlie hadn't missed a beat, and she grinned, a cocky sparkle in her eyes. "So you do like him." She chimed accusingly, clearly happy to be right.

You rolled your eyes again, moving onto the next table as Charlie continued sweeping under the one you'd just cleared. "Okay. Yeah, fine." You admitted, "I thought he was cute and charming and sexy in that uniform," 

Charlie made an ‘I-knew-it’ face, but you continued before she could make a sly remark, "But it doesn't matter. It's not like I'm ever gonna see him again." You stated with a reluctant sigh, spraying down the next table with the cleaning agent, trying to hide the disappointment lingering in your voice. You began to scrub at a stubborn spot on the table, trying to distract yourself.

Charlie frowned sadly, reading into your mood, and leaned the broom down against the table before closing the space between you. "I'm sorry for being pushy. It's just that you work all the time. When was the last time you did anything for yourself?" You were about to answer when she held up a finger, "Other than this café. This doesn't count, this is work." 

She had a point. You couldn't remember the last time you'd done anything that didn't involve this little shop. "Exactly. I just wanna see you have some fun and that," She thumbed over her shoulder toward the door, referring to Dean, "was fun." You chuckled softly, your cheeks getting warm at the thought. 

"You deserve to live a little,” She put her arms on your shoulders and squeezed affectionately, “Especially after what that snake put you through." You frowned at the reminder, dread coiling inside of your stomach and a frown pulled at your lips at the mention of your ex, Nick. 

Like always, Charlie didn’t let you get too lost in your thoughts, "And who knows, maybe he has an equally attractive sister for me." She added with a playful shrug and a giggle, effectively distracting you. "Fate works in mysterious ways, sista; you never know what she might throw your way." She added mysteriously, wiggling her eyebrows for added effect. 

As it turns out, Charlie was right. Fate did work in mysterious ways because, in the weeks that followed, Dean continued to show up, sometimes with his crew, but mostly by himself. The times he showed up varied, depending on his work scheduled, which you soon noticed was quite busy. Regardless of the hour, he always showed. 

It wasn't long before you memorized his order by heart; a venti coffee, black, and a slice of pie; whichever flavor was baked for the day's special. The flavor never seemed to be an issue for the firefighter, but it didn’t take you long to realize that cherry was clearly his favorite, with pecan  a close second. 

The pair of you flirted and subtly got to know each other as time went on, teetering somewhere between acquaintances and friends. He’d flirt. You’d flirt. But it never went any further than that.

Charlie teased you about it the whole time, of course. She wouldn’t be your best friend if she hadn’t. You’d just roll your eyes or shake your head every time she’d urge you to "grow a pair and ask him out already." 

You wanted to. Of course, you wanted to; you’d be an idiot not to want that.

But you didn't, of course, because you were too embarrassed and too afraid to act on your feelings. You'd done that once before already, and you paid one hell of a price for it. Hell, in a way, you still were. Nick left such a nasty scar on your heart; you weren't sure if you could ever love again. You were in a constant state of fear, afraid of being hurt again.

Charlie, being the wonderful best friend that she is, always tried to remind you that love… true love… would never hurt you. That real love was the stuff of magic and fairy tales. That what you had with Nick wasn’t love. It helped, a little, but that fear never truly went away, you just sort of learned to live with it.

Maybe someday you’ll feel differently.

And there you have it. Part two is complete. I hope you enjoyed that chapter as much as I did. Awkward/adorable Dean is one of my favs. Haha. 

As always, thanks for reading! 

Read part three, here! -->>

Taglist!

Supernatural

@akshi8278​

Out of the Fire (series)

@vicmc624 // @anotherspnfanfic // @krazykelly // @compresshischest09 // @thefamilybusiness  

[survivingthejungle]

everybody wants to rule the world (ii)

(oh, finally it’s here bitch! u want some sadness?)

The next morning came and went smoothly, Genevieve continuing her typical routine of breakfast, walking Bambi and Tex, and then going to the gym to work out a bit and to keep her volleyball skills up to par. When she finally returned home it was already late afternoon, so she showered and made herself some lunch. Her aunts were off at their magic academy, and Ambrose and Sabrina were still out hunting for Herod's crown,  so Genevieve had the large Spellman house all to herself. After finishing her lunch and cleaning the dishes, she went to curl up on a couch in the family room to watch some TV before night fell and her family came home. About an hour into watching reruns of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Ambrose burst through the front door in a hurry. "You being chased?" she called. 

"No time to talk, cousin," he yelled back down, rushing down the stairs to the basement, "I've got something very important to study!"

:Have fun," she responded, voice softened. She pointed her attention to Tex, who was seated at the end of the couch where she was relaxing. "Y'ever wish you were a witch, Tex?" Genevieve said to him. "'Cause I'd love to know what's going on right now."

A few minutes later, Sabrina came in, seemingly worn out from trying to keep up with Ambrose. "Hey," she said, "You wanna come with us to the carnival? We're leaving in a few minutes."

Geneveive's mouth opened but nothing came out; she wasn't sure what to say in the moment. "Ah-" she started, nervous. "About that… I think I'm going on a date with your friend."

Sabrina's brows furrowed and she smiled a little, confused. "My… friend? Which friend?"

Genevieve struggled again to find the perfect answer. "Mmh.. Uh.. Y- You know the one," she responded, vaguely. 

"Wh- Caliban?!" she yelled in awe, eyes widened once she realized to whom her cousin was referring. "The one who's trying to take my throne?!"

"Don't yell at me like that!" she defended herself, "He kept pestering me and bothering me and I wanted him to go away so I said yes!" Genevieve shouted back. 

"Why the Heaven was he so intent on it?"

"Beans, if I knew, I'd make it stop!" Sabrina sighed in defeat, setting down her purse and kicking off her shoes before joining her cousin on the couch. 

"Well, maybe it won't be the worst thing in the world. I mean, me and Nick and everyone else are gonna be there, so at least you won't be alone. Plus, I know he won't be looking for the crown if he's with you."

"I guess," Genevieve conceded, shrugging. "I just wanted him to get off my case. It's one date, okay? Just the one. I'm sure I can scare him off by the end of the night."

"Aw," Sabrina laughed, "Don't say that! You're a catch, ‘Vieve. Of course he wants to go on a date." "Are you encouraging this?" They both giggled. "Nah, it'll be fine. It's no big deal."

— 

Sabrina was already dressed and prepared to go out, so she waited in Genevieve's room while she changed into something other than her pajama pants and a large sweatshirt. "I can't believe you're going on a date with Caliban," Sabrina repeated, exasperated. 

"Ew, gross, don't say it like that," Genevieve called from the bathroom where she was changing and deciding whether or not she would wear any makeup. "You make it sound like a big thing."

"Sorry." Genevieve stepped out of the bathroom, with just a layer or two of mascara, some concealer, and a bit of blush on her cheeks and nose. She had also changed into a white dress with small navy polka dots and a washed out jean jacket. "So did he say if he would pick you up?"

"Um, you know what? I have actually no idea," she admitted, sitting down on the edge of her bed and putting on a pair of socks. "I guess we're meeting there. I don't know."

"Okay. Well, Nick and I are gonna meet up with everyone soon, if you want to come with."

"Oh, I'll be fine. But thanks, Beans. I'm gonna let Bambi out for a few minutes and feed everyone," Genevieve decided. 

"Alright," Sabrina said, getting up and leaving her cousin's room. "Well, we'll keep an eye out for you." "Thanks. See ya soon."

— 

Thankfully, it was not one of the nights she needed to feed Rhiannon, because Genevieve was not particularly in the mood to have to throw a live mouse into the ball python's tank. For Tucker, she went to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of blackberries, romaine lettuce, and snap peas, threw them on an old plastic plate and set it in his tank for him to munch on as he saw fit. She changed Pico's water and put a few chopped up grapes and strawberries in a small dish in his cage. She called for Bambi to follow her downstairs and let the dog outside while she put food in her bowl and got her fresh water. When Bambi barked at the door to be let in, Genevieve was startled to find Caliban standing there as well. "Oh. Hi, Caliban."

"You look a little surprised to see me," he observed. 

"Well, you did show up sort of unannounced," she told him, letting Bambi inside and allowing him in, as well. "I thought you'd just find me at the carnival."

"Sweetheart, I may be a demon," he smirked, "But I'm not completely without my manners. It would be disrespectful of me if I didn't escort you."

"Oh, respect?" she wondered, setting Bambi's bowls down on the floor and going to wash her hands. "I didn't know that was something you were worried about." There was a hint of mock doubt in her tone. He smiled a bit more genuinely at this. 

"There are a great many things you don't know about me, Genevieve."

"Well, then that makes two of us." Once she had slipped on a pair of shoes and made sure that she had a handful of cash in her pocket, she turned to face him directly and actually give him her attention. "We're stopping to get coffee first, because I'm about to fall asleep."

"Whatever the lady desires," he agreed. They both left the Spellman house, Genevieve yelling a goodbye to her cousin before shutting the door behind them. 

— 

"Can demons have coffee?" she asked as they stepped inside the small cafe.

"We can have anything we wish," he told her, "But I can't say I've ever tried the drink before."

"That's tragic. Do you want some? I'll pay." 

"There's no need to spend your money on me. I'm made of clay, I'll be alright."

"Wow," she said in mock wonder. "Do you have any other personality traits?" He smirked (which seemed to be his default at this point), and Genevieve rolled her eyes. She turned and gave her order to the barista, handing over a few of the singles from her pocket and going to wait at the other end of the counter for her drink. When Caliban wasn't right behind her like she was expecting him to be, she turned back and saw him ordering as well. He pulled out a wad of cash from his back pocket and her jaw almost dropped as he turned and gave her a knowing wink. "You did not just,' she muttered, clenching her teeth and lowering her voice to more of a whisper, "make that money!"

"And what if I did?" he asked, enjoying seeing her get riled up.

"That's terrible!" she chastised. "That's like… cheating."

He gasped. "Have I done a bad thing?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You may not care about doing bad things, but I do."

"As you wish," he conceded. Once their drinks were ready, they headed out onto the street and in the direction of the carnival at the edge of town near the forest. 

— 

Once they made it to the entrance of the carnival, Genevieve was on high alert for any sign of her cousin or her friends. "So, Genevieve Sawyer," Caliban started, "How did a mortal like you come to end up living with the Spellmans?"

"Well that's kind of personal," she told him, refusing eye contact. "My dad and Sabrina's mom were siblings. They took me in when…"

"When what?" he asked, voice soft and genuine. 

"Um, my dad… died, and I would have been put into foster care. But Hilda and Zelda offered to become my guardians instead."

"Well what about your mother?" he asked. He had a feeling he may have been crossing a line, but he decided to ask anyway. 

"Let's not talk about it," Genevieve shot it down. 

"I apologize if I've upset you," he offered. He seemed like he meant it.

"It's fine. You didn't know. I just… don't like to talk about it," she explained. She quickly changed the subject. "How's the coffee? Are you a fan now?"

He chuckled, taking a sip. "I'll admit it's not bad," he said, looking down at her, "But I'm still partial to the blood of the damned."

Her eyes widened and she grimaced. "Ew!"

He laughed at her expression. "I'm only joking, darling," he reassured, still smiling. She scoffed and nudged him with her elbow. 

"Not funny, you punk.” She took another sip of her own drink before continuing. "You don't really— "

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "Must you always think the worst of me?"

She smiled playfully. "Well you don't give me much of a choice," she teased. The sun was beginning to set and the lights of the carnival became more vibrant as time went on. In the crowd of people, she spotted Sabrina's white-blonde head walking beside Nick. "Oh, look!" she pointed out to Caliban. Speeding up to them, Genevieve poked her cousin in the back, startling her.

"Oh! Hey, Geneieve!" she greeted. "Caliban."

"Your highness," he replied, bowing. Genevieve noticed a growing tension between him and Nick, and before things got out of hand, she interrupted. 

"'Sup, Nick?"

"Hey, Genevieve. How's it going?"

"Pretty good, I guess. How ya feeling?" she asked him, silently praying she wasn't stirring the pot. 

"Better, actually. Thanks to Sabrina." They smiled at one another as he put his arm around her shoulder. 

Genevieve didn't notice, but Sabrina did. When Nick wrapped his arm around her and made a lovey-dovey expression, Caliban looked longingly down at Genevieve. 

"Where's everyone else?" the older cousin wondered. Sabrina looked around. "Uh, Harvey and Roz are walking around somewhere. Theo and Robin are on the ferris wheel."

"Who's Robin?"

"New boy. They really hit it off." "Aw," Genevieve gushed, "I'm so happy for Theo! Good for both of them." She finished the last few sips of her coffee. "Where are we headed?"

"Carousel?" Sabrina offered.

"Yeah, I'm down. You wanna go?" she asked Caliban.

"I'll go wherever you decide," he answered.

She let out a small scoff. "How very noble."

— 

Something was off at the end of the carousel ride and Genevieve had no idea what it was. Caliban's entire demeanor had changed and when the ride ended, She decided to give Sabrina and Nick some space while she tried to figure out what Caliban was up to. She gently grabbed her cousin's arm. "Hey, we'll meet up with you guys in a minute," she muttered. Sabrina nodded in understanding. Once they were on their own again, she turned to Caliban. "Okay. What's up?" she interrogated. He was glancing around all over the carnival grounds, barely looking at her. She snapped her fingers in his face, gaining his attention. "Hello? What is going on?"

"Something's not right," he responded cryptically. "Someone's here who shouldn't be here."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's not safe for a mortal to be here for much longer. You should go home."

She glared up at him, eyes narrowing. "Oh, you think you can just boss me around, now? What's your deal, dude?" Instead of giving a snide remark, he grabbed her face in both hands and looked her dead in the eyes. 

"Genevieve. I'm not joking. Or lying. You really need to leave."

"No!" she shouted. "You don't get to tell me what to do, you spoiled little jerk! I came to this stupid carnival to have fun with my friends. You're not ruining this for me." She sighed out an angry breath and shook her face out of his hands, stepping back. "What is your issue? First you pester me until I agree to give you the time of day, and then all of a sudden you want me gone?"

"I don't want you gone. I want you safe, believe it or not. You're upset with me now but you'll understand later. There's really no time to explain, sweetheart." He tried to grab her hand, his face sincerely apologetic, but she pulled away with a disgusted look on her face. 

"No. Don't touch me." She paused as if to say something else, but decided against it; turning away from him abruptly and storming off into the crowd. 

 "Genevieve," he called. "Genevieve!" But rather than turn around, she flipped him off and kept walking. 

— 

Genevieve had gotten halfway home before Herod's zombie showed up and attacked Nick and Sabrina. She was too far away to hear the yells from the carnival grounds, instead caught up in her own thoughts and grievances. Stupid piece of shit, she thought. I can't believe I let myself get played like that. Who does he think he is? 'Go home, Genevieve'-- Man, fuck off!

Meanwhile, her cousin and her cousin's boyfriend were fighting for their lives from an undead evil ancient king. They tag-teamed spelling him and beating him up with whatever they could get their hands on, but they were fighting a losing battle. Sabrina was thrown to the ground, and suddenly looked up to see the boy her cousin was currently pissed off at. "Caliban! Help me!"

"Beautiful as you are, I am tempted," he sneered. "No. I think not." His face dropped. 

"What about Genevieve?" Sabrina yelled at him.

"I've taken care of her. This crown is my priority." And without another word, he transported himself back to Hell.

— 

After Nick went back to the Academy, Sabrina strolled right into Pandemonium and up to the bastard who had played her cousin and cheated in their quest. He was smug, wearing the crown and strutting like he actually ruled the place. "What does my lady think?" he asked. "It's just temporary until I win the infernal crown, of course." Before he could get another word in, Sabrina smacked him. 

"We could have died!" she shouted. "Why didn't you help us?"

"Help you?" he repeated. "This is a competition. I was watching you. Closely. When I didn't have my eyes on that cousin of yours— "

"If you were watching me, did you know King Herod was coming for his crown?" Sabrina asked, ignoring his backhanded comment about Genevieve. 

"My lady, everyone knows King Herod is a guardian. I assumed you would kill him. … Or he would kill you." He swiped some droplets of blood from her tip. "Or perhaps, you would kill each other. A true monarch knows strategy." He then spoke up loud enough for the whole throne room to hear. "Now, you didn't answer my question! The crown suits me, don't you agree?" Sabrina right-hooked him so hard that the crown came flying off of his head. 

"The first round's yours. Enjoy it. It's the last one you'll win." He was desperately trying not to lose his pride. "And I swear, I'll slice your throat ear to ear before I let you have my throne." She seemed as if she was done, but decided to add one more thing. "And if you ever come near Genevieve again, I won't have to. Because she will."

— 

After Sabrina had showered the blood and grime off of herself, she threw on her p.j.'s and headed to her cousin's room. Genevieve was laying on her pillow pile in a corner of her room, cuddled up with a blanket and Tex laying on her chest. Bambi was snuggled up against her side. She had traded in her dress and jacket for sweatpants and an old t-shirt; she rubbed her makeup off half-heartedly and tied up her hair on him of her head. "Hey, Vieve," Sabrina greeted softly, slowly entering her room. "Hi," she muttered. "Your stupid friend is a piece of shit."

"He's not my friend. And I know he is. He cheated on the challenge tonight. Left me and Nick pretty much for dead just to get that stupid crown."

"I wanna punch him."

"Don't worry. I did. Twice," she winked, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

"Let me get a few hits in next time."

"They're all yours." Sabrina then knelt to the ground and laid down on her cousin's free side, putting her chin on Genevieve's shoulder. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'm so mad at myself. I can't believe I let some piece-of-trash, lying, cheating, dirtbag play me." Sabrina said nothing, just rubbing her cousin's arm in an act of comfort. "If I ever see him again I'll hurt him."

"I know," Sabrina muttered. "You have every right to."

— 

While the rest of the Spellman household was preparing for the Hare Moon, Genevieve spent the day curled up in bed, cuddling with her cat and dog and reading books. At some point in the late, late afternoon, a familiar woosh of heat interrupted her lazy day. "How dare you," she began, setting her book down and picking up Tex, holding him close to her chest. "How fucking dare you show up to my house like you're wanted here." She stood up and walked closer to him, while he backed away from her rage-filled frame. "You complete jackass. You are such a piece of shit. You almost get my cousin killed? And you don't do a damn thing to stop it? You- what, you try to get on my good side, and seem so inconspicuous, just so you can spy on my family and cheat on that stupid fucking contest? And then you show up in my room the next day like this?!" She was shouting now. "Don't you even think of saying a God-damned word to me, Caliban! You skeevy little dirtbag!" She set Tex down on her bed so that her hands were free. "Get out of my room, get out of my house, get out of my life!" Genevieve threw her fists at him, hitting anywhere a punch would land. His chest, his arms, his face; she was going blind with rage. She continued moving toward him in her assault until he was backed up against her wall. The punches kept coming. "Genevieve, stop!" He shouted, trying to push her off of him. "Let me apologize— "

"NO!" she screamed. "Don't order me what to do! You don't get to apologize to me! This is beyond apologies! I don't give a fuck what you say to me, nothing will ever, ever cover this!"

"I know!" He screamed back. Her punches slowly stopped. "I know. Nothing I say will fix anything I've done."

"Then why are you here?!"

"No apology will ever be fit for you, but please, please let me say my piece anyway." She said nothing, so he continued. "I am, truly, genuinely sorry for betraying your trust. And I am sorry I left your cousin defenseless last night. There is no explanation I could give that you would see fit to accept. I will spare you the details of the reasons behind my actions. But please, Genevieve, please know that I never wished to cause you any pain. From the moment I met you, I never wanted to harm you. Knowing I have done so is the heaviest burden I will ever carry."

"Are you done waxing poetic now?" she asked, arms crossed, face void of emotion. He nodded slightly. "Good. Get out of my house."

"Gen— " She cut him off. "You have done enough, Caliban! Leave!" He looked at her longingly, with the saddest eyes she had ever seen, and conceded. 

"As you wish." He threw his arms up and was once again enveloped in a spiral of hellfire. When it dissipated, he was gone. In his place was a large, bright yellow sunflower. She picked it up apprehensively. Genevieve wanted desperately to throw it in the trash, or to stomp on it, or to shred it with a pair of scissors; in the end, she placed it gently on her desk and went back to bed, throwing the covers over her head and silently crying.

[wxsuthorn]

a sort of organised analysis of The Gifted characters

pt. 1: Pang

(this analysis includes episodes 1-13 of season one and 1-7 of season two, so it probably isn’t completely accurate, but i tried my best. also please excuse grammar or spelling errors that i might’ve made cuz i write these late at night when my creativity sparks lmao)

Characteristics and qualities in the beginning of season 1

Even in the very first episode, Pang already showed some idealistic qualities. He always thought that the school system wasn’t fair, and he always tried doing the right thing (or what he thought was the right thing). His idealism wasn’t as extreme in the very beginning of the show, since he wasn’t as confident in his abilities. He probably didn’t have much interest in changing the school system when he (and the people around him) saw him as a dumb kid from classroom 8. Getting into the Gifted Program was what affected his idealism to the point where it became a fault.

Before he discovered his potential, he was most likely very confused about his “academic rank”. He was in classroom 8, yet he was in the Gifted Program... but he hadn’t found his potential yet. I can imagine him questioning his worth and how significant he really was; he was also one of the first kids in the gifted class to outwardly express how they felt about the unfair treatment of the ordinary students compared to the gifted students. This was probably because he got to experience both ends of the unequal treatment, unlike the rest of his gifted classmates.

In terms of intelligence, Pang is street smart. In episode one he thought of a distraction to not get caught stealing the test. He also used the egg drop parachute to save his phone. He is innovative and can create ideas and identify problems. In episode one (again), he noticed that Wave was sweating and seemed weak. He also noticed Ohm’s bloody nose and Mon moving a locker full of weights. He was aware of shit... but he’s not very aware of other people’s feelings... at least not fully.

Pang’s friendship with Nac hits different after the pangwave fight but anyways... Pang knew that he didn’t use the cheat sheet, and he couldn’t tell Nac anything about the Gifted Program, so he probably didn’t fully understand why Nac was so upset when he technically did nothing wrong. Nac even said he wasn’t upset that Pang was in the Gifted Program. I think that’s why Pang never talked it out with him and just kinda exploded at him. Even though he may see himself as empathetic, it’s really just him being idealistic. He mistakes his ideals about equality for empathy, when, in fact, those are two separate things. When it comes to individual people, I don’t think he’s very good at understanding them thoroughly enough. Nac’s reasons for being upset with Pang are realistic and valid. He’s in class 1, Pang’s in class 8, yet Pang was the one who got into the Gifted Program. Nac gave Pang a cheat sheet, and even though Pang denies using it, he couldn’t really believe that he got in with the grades he has. And on top of that, Pang doesn’t even tell him what happens in the class. Nac feels used and excluded, but Pang wasn’t paying attention to that. He ended up blaming the unfair system, which was just a factor of the conflict, but never took a moment to look at what he himself could’ve done to help the conflict, or even what he might’ve done wrong. but issokay cuz pang is a smol bean and i love him

Characteristics and qualities in the middle - the end of season 1

Lets talk about Pang discovering his potential in episode 6. He first noticed it when he told Nac to bang his head on a metal bar. This wasn’t the first time he used his potential on Nac, though. In the first episode he used it on him and said something like “don’t talk to me ever again”, and so Nac didn’t communicate with again him until episode 6. This was when Pang used his potential on him saying “why can’t we just talk it out?” and Nac was finally able to communicate his frustration. Nac was blaming Pang for shit he didn’t do and it was unreasonable, according to Pang, but Nac didn’t know the full story. If you look at the way Nac sees things: Pang is in the Gifted Program, Pang used me to get into the program (because there’s no way he just got in without using my cheat sheet), I got punished when Wave provoked me and Pang tried playing hero, as if he was some perfect angel. Pang has new friends, he has no use for me anymore, I don’t need him either, I find new friends, Pang suddenly joins in, everything goes haywire, my anger and frustration towards him explodes, and he just ignores what I’m feeling and tells me that I’m wrong and that I’m an asshole. Like I did something wrong, and he’s perfectly innocent. Lmao Nac is salty af. And he has a good reason to be. Pang doesn’t understand Nac’s thinking, and on top of that, he makes almost no effort to understand. His beliefs blind him into thinking he’s done no wrong.

Now lets talk about his actual potential, and how it affects him. His ego and self esteem rises, but Pang doesn’t notice it. It’s explained in the end of season 1 that the reason Pang lost is because he wanted to do everything on his own because he thought that only he was able to defeat the director. His ideals and his ego are very closely connected. Pang teams up with Wave because he thinks that Wave will be the most useful to stop Director Supot. Now, I don’t think Pang doesn’t care about his friends, but his actions are neglectful. When Pang teams up with Wave, he tells none of his other friends about what he’s doing. He doesn’t tell Namtaan or Ohm, literally his two closest friends, and convinces himself that he’s doing it to protect them. News flash, he isn’t. He’s trying to be a hero. His ego rapidly increasing might be because of how he was constantly ridiculed when he was in classroom 8, and suddenly he gets this power that makes him “superior” to ordinary people. Another possibility is that his ego was already big, but we he only showed it/applied it when he was trying to take down Director Supot.

Now lets talk about the season 1 finale: Pang becomes aware of his ego through the director foiling his plan and humiliating him. This is a big part of his development as a character. Ofc in season 2 he still has a problem with neglecting and doing things solo, but he become a little more aware, and for 2 whole year’s he’s able to somewhat-effectively lead the gifted gang in their fight against the anti-gifted.

Characteristics and qualities in season two (up until episode 7) 

Lets discuss: Ms Darin. aka ms loser. Remember in the beginning of episode 7 where he trusted her cuz of what she said and he noticed her actions (oop remember this trait from before? he’s aware of shit!), but it turned out it was all lies. He eventually got back on track after Third showed him the truth, and was smart enough not to trust Ms. Darin after that. I wanna guess that the reason he started trusting Ms. Darin so easily (other than what she said and did) is because he was in distress from failing Korn and Time. He needed some support, and he wouldn’t let his friends support him because “im a hero blah blah blah i dont wanna worry my friends they dont need to help me with my burdens cuz i can do it on my own :D” season 1 Pang type shit. Ms. Darin was an adult who seemed trustworthy enough, plus Director Supot was gone, and he was the main antagonist in season 1, so isn’t everything only gonna get better now that he’s gone? Plus when Grace said that he sounds like the adults lksdjlkjslfjjsdf THAT HIT ME.

Now I wanna talk about him with Chanon. I’m praying that Chanon is pure and not corrupted because if he is he might’ve used Pang and might do so in the future too... but let’s not focus on that. Pang finally has a mentor-figure in his life that he looks up. Someone to balance out his ego and show him that he can’t do everything on his own. yeah that’s all i have to say about that.

Punn. “You’re done, Pang.” Yeah lets talk about that because holy mcnuggets. Punn knows Pang well enough to know how intensely idealistic and passionate he is. Once the director is gone, Punn is like, bitch u got nothing else to obsess over MOVE ON. He’s basically saying Pang’s existence was so heavily tied with fixing the school system that when eveything’s fixed, he’ll be “done.” It’s similar to Five from the Umbrella Academy, where his whole life was set on fixing the apocalypse that he felt that life had no meaning without an apocalypse to prevent.

Now let’s talk about PangWave... I truly believe that Pang sees Wave as his equal, as his friend, and as a person whom he cares for deeply. His ego and idealism, topped with all the stress he’s going through (by himself), are dangerous towards his relationships. Wave feels used by Pang, and explains how Pang only comes to him when he needs his help, and avoids him when he disagrees with what Pang thinks. Pang is so fixated on his ideals and beliefs that he will do anything to make sure they become a reality. He’s obsessed, and it’s sooooo bad for his relationships with others. It shows that even on Namtaan’s bday, he can only think about “doing the right thing”, because that’s his number 1 priority. PANG JUST GIVE URSELF A BREAK PLEASE TAKE A METAL HEALTH DAY JUST SLKJFLSDKJJD MEDITATE OR SMTH.

I could type for several hours longer but I think this is enough word vomit for this post.

Summary

- VERY IDEALISTIC !!!! TO A FAULT

- He has somewhat of an inflated ego, but uses his ideals and beliefs to cover it up and convince himself that he is a “good person”

- He overworks his brain by never thinking of himself or other people’s emotions and focuses on his idealistic goals and his idealistic goals ONLY.

- He’s very aware of the things’s around him, and is street smart, but he’s not as aware when it comes to other people’s feelings and thoughts.

- He cares for his friends, but his extreme idealism ends up hurting them, and in turn hurting himself and further encouraging him to self-isolate.

- Independent, but this is mostly due to him thinking that he can handle problems on his own and he doesn’t want to get others involved.

- He is becoming more aware of his wrong actions, hence him apologising to Wave about going after Korn without him, but not enough to actually prevent these wrong actions.

- didn’t talk about this much but GUILT!!! I can tell that he feels immense guilt (especially in the latest episodes) whenever one of his friends get hurt and he’s very involved in what got them hurt. However, when it comes to hurting people emotionally, his guilt is tricky to read. At least for me it is lmao. Cuz he doesn’t always fully understand his friends’ feelings because he can’t always admit that he’s done something wrong, but with the recent pangwave fight he definitely felt some type of guilt there. Or maybe it was frustration? idk skjdflajsdfl someone else step in on this one pls

- He needs rest and a mental break. And some therapy maybe? Like please can one caring adult help this poor child.

- His character is actually pretty consistent wow the writing in this show is great.

- a cute boi who needs a hug. Preferably from Wave and/or Ohm.

[housemartius]

i’ve had an hc that dakota is native american for a long time now, and after reading this awesome post i was inspired and like “what if he and piper were cousins??” so let me share some things i’ve imagined about them so far (warning: this is one long ass post):

- they were both born and raised in tahlequah, oklahoma (not in a reservation tho bc there’s no cherokee reservation in oklahoma, rick’s an idiot who doesn’t research anything)

- dakota is two years older than piper and that made him a bit overprotective of her while growing up. even when they were kids, piper got a lot of attention from mostly other boys (which would later make her feel super self conscious of her own looks) and dakota would pick up on her discomfort and shoo away all of them in an instant

- like seriously, he’s a pretty observant kid and piper would always flinch when a boy got too close for comfort. so dakota was always more than ready to help her out

- imagine how overjoyed grandpa tom was when he found out he was going to be a grandpa, twice, in such a short span of time. dakota had barely just turned 1 year old when tristan announces the woman he’s dating is pregnant tom cried so much, bless him

- now grandpa is no fool though. he knew something was up with the ppl his children were dating, he knew they weren’t ordinary folks. and he suspected his future grandchildren wouldn’t be exactly ordinary either. and how right he was

- just a few months after he was born in september 1992, baby dakota was taken on a little trip with his mom and grandfather around tulsa and they came across a huge vineyard

- it’s january and it’s hecking cold (like 50ºF/10ºC) and the vines, as you’d expect, are basically dead. that’s when something remarkable happens: the plants start to reach out towards dakota and the closer he is to them, the livelier they get

- grandpa is shocked to say the least but he plays it cool. he just turns towards his daughter and calmly asks “care to explain please” to which she then proceeds to spill the beans about how she met the roman god of wine whose son is currently being held by grandpa tom

- tom is really surprised that his daughter dated an actual immortal deity from ancient times, or that they even exist at all (he thought greek myths, and therefore roman by extension, were a bunch of bull). yet at the same time he’d been suspecting the dude wasn’t completely human for a while now...

- in the end he happily accepts both his daughter’s love for bacchus (if that’s even who he really is) and the son they had, and never loves dakota any less even now that he knows he’s a demigod

- except they don’t tell tristan bc 1. bacchus told dakota’s mom to keep it a secret (whoops), 2. tristan’s a skeptic who doesn’t believe in any kind of myths so what’s the point and 3. tristan’s sweetheart is pretty high guard about her own identity and grandpa’s noticed this and he thinks she’s hiding the truth from his son for a good reason (again, he is such a skeptical man, he’d probably think they were all insane)

- april 1994. piper is born and an almost 2 y/o dakota is finally introduced to the cousin he’d been hearing so much about

- both love their grandfather and listening to stories about their culture. and grandpa loves that his grand-kids are so keen on learning

- they live a pretty happy childhood overall. apart from dakota’s innate abilities to making vines grow whenever he walks by (though he remains oblivious to this bc his mom goes to great efforts to ensure he doesn’t find out so soon, he’s still a little kid after all), none of his other powers manifest all that much when he’s a toddler. and neither do piper’s

- ofc, being demigods they’re constantly exposed to the danger of being discovered by monsters but they luck out and continue living in ignorant bliss of their godly parentage

- they love being outside. playing, napping, talking, whatever it is, they don’t like being indoors. they’re always running around everywhere, climbing trees, rolling around in the grass, etc it’s a very rare occurrence when they manage to return home with clean clothes

- they just have a looot of energy and they like using it. getting them to calm down is a challenge in itself, they’re always goofing around. whether they’re having a nice family dinner (food fights tend to occur more often than not), or watching cartoons before bedtime (reenacting cool fight scenes is a must!)

- but then one day, just a few weeks after his 8th birthday, dakota shows up at tristan’s house with his mom and she says she needs to talk with his uncle and grandfather

- the kids are told to go play for a little while in the backyard to let the grown ups have some privacy

- dakota is uncharacteristically quiet. piper notices it right away, how her cousin’s shoulders are slacked and his eyebrows furrowed in distress. she asks what’s wrong, what happened to make him so sad

- “i have to move away” he says. piper is shocked, starts asking why. why, where to, and can’t the whole family go with him?

- “no. just me. somewhere far away”. “but why?!”. “because it’ll be bad if i don’t”

- the rest of the day goes by in a blur. piper can’t understand what’s happening. why does dakota have to go all alone? why can’t her aunt go too? why don’t her dad or her grandfather try to stop them?

(- later, when piper demands her dad for explanations, tristan only says what his sister told him: that dakota needs to go somewhere that’ll be better for him, that piper’s aunt can’t take care of him by herself. grandpa tom tells her the same thing whenever piper turns to him but he knows. his daughter told him the truth)

- saying goodbye is the only moment that seems to last an eternity though. piper is full on crying and sobbing, holding on to dakota with all her strength and begging her cousin to stay, stay and everything will be okay bc he’ll be with her and all the people who love him

- dakota cries too, though not as hard. he’s barely keeping it together but he’s the older cousin and he needs to be strong for piper

- inside though he’s terrified of what’s happening to him. to him and to his mom and now his dear little cousin and his uncle and grandpa. he wants to stay but bacchus was clear during his sudden unexpected visit: he needs to go to the wolf house right away

- his mom takes him there. this goodbye is even more terrible than the previous one. in the midst of all the crying he promises that he’ll be okay, that he loves her and will visit as soon as he can

- dakota hadn’t had the fortune (or permission) of visiting his mom and granddad back in tahlequah often. and the few times he had managed, piper had been away with her dad on his trips looking for a job as an actor in los angeles

- one day, now 13 y/o, he was at his mom’s place with his grandfather too, just sitting and talking and enjoying each other’s company when they decided it was time to tell him the horrible news: his grandpa had been diagnosed with lung cancer

- tom reassured him all throughout his grandson’s hysterics that he felt fine and that he was at peace with the situation

- and then dakota asked the dreaded question

- “... how long?”

- “... soon”

- when dakota made it back to camp he started asking around for possible cures, talking with praetors and centurions and just about anyone who might help him

- though in the end he didn’t find any medicine that could possibly save his grandfather

- and it’s not like the romans really cared for helping outsiders either

- the day he got the news grandpa tom had passed away, just a little over 2 months later, he refused to leave his bunk bed for the remainder of it and it took his two centurions to force him out of it the next morning

(- dakota swears that, out of all the days he’d felt the most lonely and in need of the warm comfort of his family, that had been the most painful one he’d endured in his whole life)

(- he also wondered if piper had known about their grandfather’s condition, and for one moment he actually hoped she didn’t just so she could be spared of going through the same despair he and the rest of their family had)

(- he’d also wished, more ardently than ever before, to be able to hug his beloved little cousin again just like he had so many times years before)

- fast forward to 2010. dakota is standing with the rest of the romans at cj, staring at a greek ship that quickly approaches camp

- his long time friend jason is said to be on board and dakota is just dying to give the dude the longest and most bone crushing hug ever

- plot twist: it’s piper who gets the pleasure of receiving the longest and most bone crushing hug ever. but she returns it tenfold rip dakota’s back

- their reunion was a hazard mix of tears, laughter and wrestling. he and jason happily gave piper a tour of the camp, though tbh she didn’t really pay attention to much, catching up with her fave cousin was obviously the priority

- during her quest to save the world, she iris messages dakota as regularly as she can and they talk for hours on end, sharing stories from their past, their family, their beloved grandpa tom whom they missed terribly every single day, everything really

- piper confides in him how much her dad’s lack of interest and pride for cherokee culture has rocked her own, how growing up with him so absent from her life and so worried with rejecting everything cherokee/native american related had made her feel so uncomfortable in her own skin

- dakota takes all this in silence and just lets her get it all out. he hears her every complaint and insecurity and fear. then he starts telling her the stories their grandfather had told them

- he tells at least 2 different ones every night they talk, always with a smile on his face, always trying to replicate the exact same tone and pace their granddad used

- and it eventually gets piper to smile too

- one night it’s dakota who confesses how much he regrets not visiting tahlequah more often, how he wishes he’d spent more time with thomas before he’d passed away, how he wished he’d been with him during those last few days if not to just hear him going on and on about cherokee myths like he loved to

- that gets piper crying in no time. dakota cries too. they just spend a good 10 minutes sobbing together through their reflections in the watery rainbow, neither saying much

- “i’m glad he told us. the stories i mean”, dakota says when they’ve calmed down. “feels like he gave us little pieces of himself bit by bit that’ll never go away”

- “yeah... it really does” 

- when the war’s finally over, piper and dakota visit each other often, though piper’s the one who goes to cj more often since dakota’s a centurion and has his plate full most of the time

- they’re still as goofy and energetic around each other as ever, like the time they spent away from each other was like clicking pause on a movie and now they’ve hit play and continued on from there

- still hate being trapped indoors. when there’s camp meetings they both need to attend they just can’t help but joke around. everyone else dreads going to those now thanks to these idiots

- dakota isn’t as chaotic as piper so he somewhat helps to keep that side of her in check

- when leo accompanies her during her visits though... no point in even trying to hold back this Mess, dakota’s tried before and it was the most stressful and tiring day of his fucking life

- piper constantly teases dakota about his crush on her half-brother michael. he very much regrets the day she ever saw how he acted around the son of venus (a blushy neck scratching mess)

- wow this is getting long fhdkds anyway!! they’re amazing kids who love each other to death and constantly support each other through good and bad times, and they’re proud af to be cherokee and they’ll treasure their beloved grandpa tom and his teachings till the end of their lives, and if anyone ever wants to hear a story, they’re the right kids to go to!

[jooheoniesdimples]

Leap of Faith (Alex Hogh Andersen)

Characters: Alex x Oc, bestfriends!lovers

Warning: Fluff, Smut

Words: 6,301

  You we currently lying on the couch with your feet up in your best friend Alex’s lap. Having the usual movie night in the living room of your shared apartment, the night started very promising, and it was…until you started watching some chick flick movie. The more you were watching the more you identified with main female character and it pissed you off.    You can’t help but run your fingers through your hair in frustration, a sigh leaving your mouth. Alex kept glancing at you wondering what was going on, but you chose to ignore it as you stuffed another pop corn in your mouth. As another annoying scene in the movie came up on the screen you dropped your bawl of popcorn on floor beside the couch and sat up  abruptly on your butt, removing your legs from Alex’s lap causing you to kick him lightly, shocking him a bit in the process. You apologised quickly as you crossed your legs in front of you.      ’‘Seriously, why can’t the parents and all relatives leave their kids alone to live their live as their wish? Why the fuck do they always have to stick their noses where they don’t belong’’ You exclaimed frustrated, waving your hands all around in air, rolling your eyes. Alex turned to you with furrowed eyebrows not understanding where all of this is coming from all of a sudden.    ’'What’s going on?“ He asked you concerned.    ’'This!”  You pointed at the movie. “What’s so wrong about being 26 and single?” You exclaimed, identifying perfectly with the female character. “My family is the same! They just won’t leave me alone,for god’s sake! Ever since I broke up with Ryan two years ago, I’ve been the black sheep of the family. 'Why are you still single?’,'When are you going to introduce someone to us’, 'Your younger sister is gonna get married before you, if you keep going like this!” You mimicked their voices annoyed beyond hell, causing Alex to chuckles at you. Oh how cute you were at the moment, he thought. He couldn’t stop starring at you as you continued to rant about your family.    ’'Like seriously, at the wedding of my cousin literally everyone at least once told I should be thinking about it too. It gets even better when I walk around shopping with my mom and we see some of her colleagues and they start sharing how they kids just got married. 'Isn’t it your turn honey?’ they would nudge me on the elbow winking at my mom. Thank god that at least she gets me and stands up for me saying that when the time comes it will happen, no need to force it.“ You sigh ’'It’s so annoying. Like, I’m still 26 for god’s sake, now is the time for me to do whatever I want, whether be it single or not. What is it with everyone up in my business about me being single. What does it fucking change for them whether I am or not?!” You sigh again, leaning back on the back of the couch next to Alex this time. He kept looking at you amused the whole time, thinking how adorable you looked frustrated over such small matters.   “Well, you shouldn’t pay attention to them. If you feel good single, then be single and when the right guy comes, then you won’t be. Why are you getting frustrated over this all of a sudden? It never bothered you before.” He turned to you with a sympathetic but assuring smile on his face.    ’'As you know I usually don’t, but I’m going home in two days for a week. A whole week where I’ll have to listen to them going on and on about it. I wish there was something I could do to shut them up’’ You sighed again turning to him, meeting his deep blue eyes trying to figure out something for you to help. You didn’t realise until now how close to him you were at the moment, but suddenly his musky and woody cologne hit your nostrils, causing the hair on you body to stand up. “I can’t really think of anything at the moment, but we have two days. I’ll help you figure something out, hmm?” He smiled. That damn smile was your doom. You had been weak on the knees for his smile for a while now, and to be completely honest, he was the reason you were single. Every guy you met you would secretly compare to him, but no one could even step on his little finger. His gorgeous eyes, his full lips, his broad shoulders and strong arms that melt you every time he hugged you. They way he treated you, how your humours matched perfectl. The way he made you feel when he would pull you gently on the inner side of the sidewalk when you were walking to keep you safe, they way he would always give his green Haribo jelly beans and Skittles to you, because he knew they were your favourite. They way you would catch his eyes on you at the other side of the room at a party as he was talking to someone, only to give you a sweet smile and turn his eyes away almost a little shy. Some times these looks made you feel like maybe he felt something more for you as well, but you never dared to dream that far. That never stopped you from getting small butterflies in your stomach every time he did all of those little things that made him so him and made you fall for him. You caught yourself blanking him out. You only nodded to his question in response, hoping he didn’t think too much of you starring at him. You tried to casually turn back to the movie that was running at the back ground and saw him doing the same with the corners of your eyes, exhaling quietly in relief to yourself. Just as you focused back on the movie, you guessed that while talking with Alex you had missed a steamy bed scene, because now the main female character was inspecting the hickeys on her neck in the mirror, when it hit you! Hickeys!    ’'That’s it!“ You exclaimed shocking Alex again, who looked at you like you were mad.    ’'What’s it?” He turned to you with curious eyes.    ’'Hickeys! If I have a hickey or two when I go home, I can all so casually flip my hair for them to see,“ you flipped your hair playfully ’'and when the questions start raining, I’ll just brush them off saying they’re from my boyfriend whom for now I’m keeping to myself and won’t introduce yet. That’ll shut them up!” You exclaimed slightly jumping on the couch in joy.    ’'Y/N, If you have no boyfriend to give you hickeys, you won’t have hickeys when you go home.“  He mockingly chuckled at you trying to get his point through to you, which made you still in you place for a second a sheepishly look at him.   ’'Yeah, about that.. I was thinking about how you could give me a few hickeys instead” You looked at him straight in the eyes, trying not to back down yourself. You sounded so confident in your head, but after saying it out loud you were kinda scared of his reaction. But nevertheless, you would keep your ground, it was the only solution you had.   “What?” He stiffened in place on the couch, looking at you like you were mad again. Million things were going through his head right now, trying to comprehend if what you were asking of him was true or if he was dreaming.   “C'mon! Who else could I ask? Besides, it’s no big deal, it’s just a hickey.” You moved closer to him taking his hands in yours, trying to persuade him. You were dying to feel his lips on your skin, and what better opportunity than this?  ’'Wouldn’t it be awkward?“ He cleared his throat looking away from you, his cheeks getting slightly pink. You were really asking him this question, he thought. It’s not like he didn’t want to, in fact he was dying to do so. And more. Oh, so much more. He was freaking in love with you. But he couldn’t bare it to get a taste of you, of your skin on his lips only to have to pull away and never feel you again. His heart wouldn’t take it.   ’'So, it’s not awkward to kiss me during a truth or dare, but when I really need you to do this for me suddenly it’s awkward?” You raised an eyebrow at him. The truth was, during that exact game was the first time you noticed him like you do now. The first time he made butterflies appear in your stomach. As soon as he was dared to kiss you, he didn’t even hesitate to do so as you were right next to him, taking you off guard. As soon as his lips touched yours something sparked in you and saw him in a different light. All the things he did suddenly could make your knees weak, head spin and before you knew it, you had fallen for him. Little did you know it was the same for him. That exact kiss changed everything regarding you. He turned to kiss you confident, with no worries. You were his best friend, a small innocent peck wouldn’t matter, you were still going to be his best friend. And it’s true. You still were his best friend to this day. But the way he saw you was different. Every little thing you did drove him crazy after that night. The way you would hum to yourself while putting on your make up in the morning, which he would see as the door to your room was always open by that time. The way you would always run your hand on his back as he laid on your lap during a movie or when he needed you to calm him down, the way you would take care of him when he was sick, how you always left the TV on his favourite channel when you turned it off so it would be the first thing to see when he turned it on. How you always joined him, in his car or yours, with the music loud and both of you would  sing out loud not caring about other people watching, but how sometimes you would just keep quiet and that’s how he knew something was really up. How you always tried to cheer him up, but you were just as capable of sassing his ass when he deserved it. And so many other things about you suddenly made such difference after that kiss a year and a half ago, that before he knew it he was head over hills for you. Earlier he wanted to suggest to at least play your fake boyfriend in front of your family, but as soon as he though about it he laughed at himself. Who was he kidding? Why would you agree to such ridiculous thing? But now the way you were holding his hands, asking him to give you hickeys sounded just as crazy. The closer you got to him trying to convince him, the more his nostrils filled with the scent of your skin that would chase him in his dream and get him wondering how soft your skin would feel on his. The closer you got, the more tempted he felt to give in and finally find out. And before he could stop himself, he barely whispered in response to you.    ’'Ok’’ He looked at your surprised eyes as if you couldn’t believe your ears. You were taken aback at first, not really expecting him to agree. Without giving him a chance to change his mind, the second you realised he had indeed agreed, you moved to straddle his lap to keep him in place. He looked at you surprised, a slight gasp leaving his lips. You thought you must have been too forward, so you just cleared your throat and spoke.      ’'I just..think this would give you the easiest access to my neck’’ You cursed yourself for your voice trembled a little, but you couldn’t help it, because exactly when you spoke he moved his arms to encircle your waist to keep you safe from falling.     “Are you sure?” He must’t have caught on it, because now he was leaning slightly towards you looking straight in your eyes, looking for a confirmation, while massaging your waist with his thumbs. It felt so damn incredible. You felt his hands through your tank top and your skin felt burning hot, you almost forgot to answer. You moved you hair away from you neck to make space for him to nestle in.   “Yes.” You answered tilting your head to the left, inviting him in. You were wondering if he was really as calm as he appeared to be, but the way his eyes darkened just before they fell from yours to your neck, the way his nostrils widened slightly and how his jaw tightened for a split second hinted that he might be just as nervous as you were. You closed your eyes waiting for him to dive in. He hadn’t even touched you yet, but just his breath on your neck was sending you into overdrive and you wondered if you could really actually handle this. He seemed to take his time and you opened your eyes to see what was taking him so long, when you met his eyes.            He was taking you in, how beautiful and hot you looked in his arms waiting to feel his lips on your neck and barely held a grunt, because he didn’t want to show you just how turned on he felt and scare you away.    They way he was looking at you got you tripping for a second, you felt so wanted and desired, it send shivers down your spine. Before you could dare dream further his eyes changed to a final questioning look, giving you a last chance to back out even tho his tightening grip on your waist told you otherwise. The anticipation was killing you. You gave yourself one last second to enjoy his gorgeous eyes before you nodded at him to feel free to go further. The second he dived for you neck and you finally felt his lips on your skin you lost it. Your breath hitched in your throat as you inhaled deeply, biting you lip to silence your moan. You felt him leaving open kisses on your neck, switching to soft feathery kisses, slowly going for your collarbone, then switching to the other side of your neck repeating his every little action, only going for it harder and gripping you tighter. You placed your hands on his shoulders for support as you arched your back, not being able to handle the sensation he was giving you. You felt his breath on your neck getting heavier and heavier as he was still leaving chaste kisses wherever he found fit, taking his time. Your breath getting heavier as well, you couldn’t help but squirm in his arms as he left soft smooches on your neck, your mouth shaping a silent moan. He was definitely taking his time, but you could never complain. Feeling him so close to you, he was so warm, his breath and lips on your skin, his tight grip in your waist, his thumbs massaging you sent you into overdrive as you felt your lower region starting to painfully throb. You had no idea how long you could this before saying a big 'fuck it’ to any doubts and thoughts, and moaning out loud giving into your senses.  The way Alex felt at the moment was indescribable. He couldn’t believe that you were there, in his arms, your body squirming at the way he was working your neck. Your scent, your soft skin, the way the tips of your hair fell over his hands at your back that arched in his chest, and your soft, almost silent, moans were driving him insane. He never in a million years thought that this would happen to him, that he would be holding you like this. He wished he could keep you like this forever, tangled in him, feeling your warmth.  As he kept exploring your neck, he found your sensitive spot, causing you to grip the back of his head and pull him closer to you as slightly roll you hips.You heard him grunt right after you gripped the undercut of his hair that was tied in a man bun and felt him still in one place and for a second you panicked that maybe you did something wrong. But then the way he kept you close, squeezing you in his arms, how he kept his breath heavy on your neck just breathing in and out at the back of your ear, his nose buried in your now messy hair, and most importantly when you felt something poking on your heat, you knew what was going on.    ’'Did this turn you on?“ With a heavy and shaky, curious and excited about this breath yourself, you pulled away to look at him slightly, but he wouldn’t budge, a bit too embarrassed to look at you. What would you think of him? You asked him for a hickey as a trusted friend and here he was with a raging boner poking your heat.   ’'Alex..” You tried again running one of your hand down his back while the other one massages the back of his head. “C'mon, talk me” You insisted with a gentle voice, trying to coax him, not scare him. You pulled away a bit further so you can cup his cheeks and make him look at you.   “How can I not be, when you’re so gorgeous and in my arms, with your hands in my hair while i’m kissing you neck?” He finally looked at you and you could see excitement, yet a little bit of fear and embarrassment in his eyes. His words made your heart skip a beat for a second. Sure, it’s not like he was confessing his love for you, but you never knew he thought about you this way. And they way he said it, the look in his eyes, god, you could melt.   “You think I’m gorgeous?” You smiled gently at him, assuring him you weren’t mad or anything. He sighed shaking his head a bit not believing you’re asking him this question. He leaned back on the couch taking you with him, his tight grip on your waist keeping your body against him, your chest pressed against his, one of your hands on the back of the couch, the other one on his shoulder, your heat on his.   “Have you seen you? I might be your best friend, but I’m still a man” his Adam’s apple bobbed and he pushed a piece of hair behind your ear, not daring to look in yours eyes. His gestures, his gentle voice, the way he avoided your eyes. Something was up with him and it made you imagine things. Things you wouldn’t dare to imagine. Things you weren’t brave enough to imagine. But you took a leap of faith anyway.  ’'Alex..what are you saying?“ You cupped his cheek encouraging him to speak, praying you weren’t making the biggest mistake in your life.    They way you were looking at him was so gentle he could melt. Your soft hand on his cheek keeping him in place, not allowing him to look away. Your eyes were encouraging him, it’s like you knew what he wanted to say, but did you feel the same way he did? Would you accept him if he told you, or would you look at him with petty eyes and try to sugar coat your rejection not wanting to hurt him. Because that was you, as sassy as you could be with his mischief ass, you also always took his feeling into deep consideration when serious matters were involved as you didn’t want to hurt him. And this was a serious matter. But what if, just if, by slight chance you felt the same and he screws up his chance by being a coward and hurts you in the process? He could’t live with himself. What if- what if this, what if that. He could be asking thousands 'what if’s and still be back at square one with your bright expectant eyes staring at him. With a final sigh he mumbled a quick 'fuck it’ before speaking.   ’'I’m saying I think you’re gorgeous and I’m in love with you” Founding an unknown strength in his voice he said it, looking straight into your eyes, into your soul. Your breath hitched again, your heart about jump out of your chest as you couldn’t believe your ears. He loved you too. He fucking loved you back. You couldn’t find your voice to speak as you kept looking into his eyes starting to blank out. He loved you back. Alex brought you back to him, when you heard him whisper.  ’'Say something, please’’ his arms tightening around your waist again.You blinked once, twice, your eyes refocusing on his again. You realised you haven’t said anything back yet and he was freaking out, panic evident in his eyes. You cleared your throat and licked your lips nervously, making him look at them involuntarily.   “I..I think you’re gorgeous too” You said diving for his lips as you’ve been dying to kiss him again ever since that fateful kiss you shared a year and half back. He had definitely not expected this as you felt him stiffen for a second and it took him another to realise what was happening. You were kissing him. Actually kissing him. Cupping you cheek, he returned your kiss immediately after he caught on and couldn’t help but moan at the feeling of you lips on his. You were both so lost in the kiss you almost forgot how to breath. You broke the kiss first, leaving him to chase after you as you did. You couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he looked, as he panted underneath you.  ’'Does that mean you..“ He left his sentence hanging, looking up at you waiting for you to finish it. ’'Yeah” You nodded without hesitation.“I’m in love with you too” You leaned in kissing his lips, cheeks, nose, forehead, down his cheeks again and back to his lips. His heart was about to beat out of his chest when he heard you saying it back. He swore he was the luckiest man on the planet. As you kept kissing, you couldn’t help but roll you hips on his. He lips left yours to release a loud gasp as your heat rubbed on his manhood getting him hard again. He dived for your neck again, pulling on the straps of your tank top down so he could kiss your shoulder as well, your back arching against his chest. When he was done covering every inch of your skin he traced kisses up to ear to ask you.   “May I?” He breathed, tugging at the hem of your tank top and you couldn’t have nodded faster mumbling a breathy 'Mhm’. He pulled it over shoulders and leaned back again as he gave himself a few seconds to admire you as you were up on his hips just in your bra and dark blue loose cotton shorts. “Jesus” He mumbled as he setup against you again kissing the outlines of your breast, his hands under your rib cage. Your right hand moved from his shoulder to take his left one and placed it on your right breast.   “Touch me.” You whimpered, your hips going wild over his, your heat throbbing over his clothed manhood clenching around nothing. He moved his other hand behind yaour back running his fingers up and down your spine teasing you, about to unfasten your bra, but then he doesn’t, while his lips couldn’t get enough of yours.     “God, I love you so much” He mumbled against your lips, sounding so sincere and sexy. You trembled again, moaning, taking control over his lips. Placing your hands behind your back at the bra you pushed his away to do the deed yourself making him chuckle in your kiss at your impatience. You couldn’t care less tho, you just wanted to feel him everywhere on your body, to feel his hot skin on yours. As he was kissing you he turned around and leaned you down on the couch with him now on top of you, your legs circling his waist. You pulled him even closer to you with your legs and felt his throbbing member against your heat, sending electric shocks up your body. Alex moaned grinding his hips into you repeatedly as his lips moved to your chest. Your hips bucked against his on their own when you felt him mounding one of your breasts with his hand while sucking the other, smooching all over it and biting its nipple. “Alex *sigh* god..it feels so..fuck!” You exclaimed when he bit your other nipple twice as hard. “I wanna touch you too” You moaned while reaching down to tug at the bottom of his t-shirt. He sat up grabbing his t-shirt from the back of his neck and pulling it up, the sight of it making you bite your lip. You couldn’t take your eyes off him. He was so godly sexy it wasn’t even fair.   “Like what you see?” He smirked down at you and you swear you could feel the Niagara falls between your legs.  ’’ I absolutely do’’ You sat up again and pushed him lightly to lie down on his back as you straddled him him. Your hips rolling on him, you attacked his neck wanting to return the favour, leaving open kisses wherever your lips took you, your hands roaming down his chest, lightly scratching him.  ’'Fuck Y/N’’ He felt your lips tracing down his chest, your tongue playing with his nipples, which turned out to be his weak spot judging by the strangled moan he released. You repeated your actions a few more times as his stomach contracted against your palms. You continued kissing further down as he watched you with half closed lids, his breath and moans coming out heavy. You bit the string of his sweats with your teeth and looked up straight into his eyes and pulled it up to untie them while never breaking eye contact. “Jesus Christ, fuck.. you’ll be the death of me I swear” He cursed as his hands went through his hair in frustration. It made you feel so proud of yourself, he was loosing his shit and you haven’t even touched him yet. You tugged on his sweats and boxers at the same time as you were loosing all you patience. Your heat was already painfully  clenching hard around nothing, aroused by the moans he was releasing. His member stood up and proud and your mouth watered at the sight, precum leaking from it. You blew a light breath over it and it twitched in response, Alex releasing the hardest grunt you’ve heard so far. You looked up at him and he was up on his elbows watching you intently as you took his member slowly in your mouth. The sight of you was enough to finish him, but he wanted to last longer, he wanted to enjoy you as much as he could. You slowly bobbed your head up down, taking your time to torture him. He was barely breathing, his stomach muscles contracting as you reached one of your hands up to scratch him lightly. You took him out again to lightly blow on him, then licked the underside from bottom to the top taking him with your right arm pumping him a few times. The moans he was releasing were so fucking sexy, you felt the need to rub your thighs together for some friction, otherwise you were going to go nuts. You took him in your mouth again, this time going all the way down  your throat and keeping him there for a few seconds, your gag reflex kicking, making Alex curse in pleasure as you lightly scratched his godly thighs with your fingernails simultaneously before gripping them and you felt him pulsating even harder in your mouth before you took him out, flattened your tongue on his tip before taking him in again. You felt Alex grabbing the back of your head for a second before he moved to your chin to signal you to stop.  ’'I don’t wanna cum yet’’ He breathed heavily pulling you on top him again to kiss you hardly cupping your ass and mounding it as hard as he could. He sneaked his hand in your shorts and started rubbing you through your panties. The sensation was good, especially after neglecting your heat for so long.  ’'Alex’’ You breathed against his lips as he kept rubbing you at all the right places before he pushed aside you panties to rub you painfully slow. He almost came feeling how wet you were.  ’'You’re so wet for me’’ He moaned, finding  your lips again. “Mhm, all for you” Nodding you moaned in your kiss. He pulled away to sit you both up and this time he picked you up as he stood up.  ’'What are you doing?“ You yelped and held onto him tightly, you hands around his neck, legs circling his waist. He smiled at you nudging his nose with yours lightly.  ’'Did you really think I would let our first time together to be on the couch?” He mused, shaking his head as he walked to his bedroom and the next thing you know he was laying you down on the bed while he stood up to pull you by ankles to the edge of the bed a bit stronger than he has been so far. “Wo!” You exclaimed surprised giving him an excited look as he smiled at you mischievously. You lifted you hands above your head as you enjoyed his light kisses on your ankles going gently up your tights. He took your shorts and underwear off and dived in, leaving butterfly kisses on each of the inner sides of your thighs, close to your heat, almost there but not quite. As much as you wanted to feel his lips on your heat, you knew you could’t take it anymore. If you didn’t feel him inside of you in the next seconds you were gonna go insane. “Alex” you moaned his name, as his started rubbing you heat again, teasing you, a wild smile spread on his face. “Yes, love” He looked up at you, expecting you to plead him to kiss you down there already. “Fuck me!” Your hips buckled in his face, your wet cavern dripping as you spread your legs wider and wider. He couldn’t look away from you, you looked like a goddess before him. “But I wanna enjoy you first” He pouted, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to refuse you. “Please. You can enjoy me later, but now I’m hurting already. Please, please” You buckled your hips again not being able to contain yourself anymore, one of your hands reaching out to him, the other one to your heat to play with your clit.  ’'Fuck this is so hot’’ Again, he couldn’t look away from you, feeling his member throb is anticipation himself and harder than it has ever been before. “Aleeex” You moaned again,to get his attention. “ You’re so impatient, love. I got you” He climbed on top of you, pulling you upwards on the bed and reached for his nightstand for a condom. As soon as he got one, he opened it and couldn’t put it faster on himself, meanwhile you going insane. As soon as he was ready, he nestled between you legs and looked at you once again, putting a piece of hair behind your ear. “Ready?” He asked, teasing you with his tip at you entrance. “Alex, I swear if you don’t get-ahh!” You moaned arching you back so up your chest was in his and he didn’t miss the opportunity to bite one of your mounds. “Fuck” you moaned again, one of your hands grabbing him at the back of his neck, the other one at his biceps, as he exhaled hard on your chest feeling your heat gripping his now still member tightly as you were still adjusting to his size. “You can move” You barely breathed and buckled your hips against him, raving your fingers through his hair which drove him wild. He started moving in and out slowly, enjoying how good you felt around him.  ’'God, you feel so fucking good around me, I’m not sure I’ll last long’’ He breathed in disbelief to himself. He can’t remember the last time he felt so good, that he almost came immediately. He has been dreaming about this for what it feels like ages, and he couldn’t believe you’re right there. On his bed. Under him. Where he had imagined you to be so many nights only to wake up in the morning without you there and having to take care of himself alone.  ’'Mhm, you feel ..so…amazing’’ You moaned enjoying how good he filled you up. “God, you have no idea how many times I’ve imagined this, Alex” You whispered in his ear. “Yo fill me up so good” you moaned.  ’'Fuck’’  He moaned when he heard you saying that. So he wasn’t alone imagining this.  ’'You have no idea how many times I touched myself dreaming about this’’ You continued, causing him to speed up in inhuman pace. You seriously were going to be the death of him. You had no idea where you were, all of this was too much for you, his body on top you, him going in out hitting that specific spot in you causing your toes to curl, your moans coming out breathless due to the intense pleasure.  ’'Babe, tell me you’re close. Please say you’re close’’ He pleaded desperately for you to cum.  ’'I..am. I’m..so..close just don’t..stop’’ You moaned between pants and your toes curled again when he repeatedly kept hitting that sweet spot inside you, while one of his hands found your clit to stimulate further. “God, Alex..I’-i–can’t! This is too much I-” You moaned loudly while he never slowed his pace. Was he trying to kill you? “Cum babe, let it go. C'mon” He urged you lovingly, his eyes never leaving yours. You closed your eyes in extazy as you he fucked you into oblivion and beyond, riding out your orgasm. He buried his face in you neck, kissing you as he took your left hand in his and placed it beside your head entwining his fingers with yours. You contracted your wall around him on purpose and felt him loosing his mind as the grip on your hand got tighter and so did the grip on your hip as he placed it higher on his waist to get more access and digging his fingers in it.  ’'Do that again!“ He chocked pleading. You did it again and again as he kept mumbling sweet nothings in your neck as he chased his high. ’'I’m cumming. Ah! Fuck, you feel soo good!” He dug his hand on your hip harder as he sped up. You used your free hand to scratch his back as he was cumming to heighten his senses as you kept complimenting him in his ear, making his orgasm last even longer. “I love you” he moaned in your ear as he kept cumming, before he buried his face in your shoulder biting it to get himself through. As the two of you calmed down, you felt him laying down on top of you, his weight feeling so good on your body. He was breathing down your neck, as you ran both your hand through his back and up in his hair, hugging him to your chest. After a few minutes however, it was getting hard for you to breathe as he was a lot heavier than you. “Babe, I can’t breathe” You muttered in his ear. He only mumbled slightly in agreement as he turned you both on your sides facing each other, not moving out of you, slouching down a bit to kiss you breasts before nestling his face there content in your warm hug. You felt him pulling the covers of his bed over you, before he tightened his grip on your waist. You stayed like that for a while and just as you were about to fall asleep, you felt him pulling out and getting up to throw the condom away before getting back in the bed with you, pulling you into his arms. “I love you” his smiled looking down at you. “I can’t believe you’re mine” He squeezed you tightly. “I can’t believe we were so damn oblivious for so long” You chuckled. “And I love you too” You kiss the side of his chest. “Well, at least now you won’t have to go home single anymore” He poked your side. “Oh, I am. Imma burn them on a stick a little more before I show them what a wonderful boyfriend I have and it was worth all the waiting” You sassed agitated again and he chuckled at your cuteness, pulling you even closer to him if it was possible. “Agreed”

[makeste]

some asks about BnHA 241 and 240 and then some random other asks

I agree with this completely, anon (especially given his attitude throughout the rest of the chapter), but I didn’t edit my initial response since I think there’s a good likelihood that he still deadpanned the line despite being 100% sincere. one could say he was Accidentally Sarcastic. anyways yeah, Todoroki Shouto is a disaster more at 11. 

(but also, he’s totally right and Bakugou is in full-blown denial over their blossoming friendship. because he already decided that they’re Not Friends, and thus he has to actively work to maintain that status now. which Todoroki is making very difficult these days! can you fucking do your part to keep the fucking rivalry going, Icy-Hot?? can you at least try?? why does he have to do all the work. sometimes he forgets for a moment and Todo catches him off guard and he responds normally without thinking and doesn’t realize it until later, and god. why is everything and everyone so stupid.)

I have not forgotten (though I did mix up Pixie-Bob with Mandalay though woop)! and that annoyed me too. we only have like six female pros out there as it is. why do half of them (looking at you too, Midnight) have to be mildly sex-crazed. I know it’s not serious and they’re not actually being serious, but still, is it really asking so much to get some female pros whose eccentricities are less specifically tailored to common male fantasies. you’re a fucking hero Pixie-Bob! you’re a fucking earthbender and you’re hot as heck. why are you so worried about not being able to Get A Man. with Mt. Lady it at least fits more with her general personality from what we’ve seen, I guess. anyways, y’all know I love like 98% of this series, but this is part of the 2%, so. it is what it is.

Tomura is Endgame Thanos, a.k.a. the most sinister and most genuinely frightening of the Thanoses. this really isn’t on track to end well sob.

ah, my bad. (regardless, it was still dramatic af.)

I think she’s a six-year-old (?? she seems six-ish, idk) girl who was terrified of her father and trying to stay under his radar (which was frankly the smart thing to do based on what we’ve seen), and was trying to teach her younger brother how to do the same, and I don’t blame her at all for throwing Tenko under the bus (if that’s indeed what happened); I’m sure she just panicked and didn’t mean it. she’s just a kid. -- was just a kid. anyways she was super cute and would have made a fucking awesome hero, and her death is easily the one I’m still the most raw about out of that whole fucking nightmare. I’m not getting over that. I want her to still be alive; at one point I was convinced of a conspiracy theory that AFO had secretly spared her too (because two Shimura heirs to manipulate are better than one), and Tomura only believed that she was dead due to his fragmented memories. but that seems less likely post-chapter 236.

so yeah, I’m still very upset about this. she was good and kind and loved her brother and had a lot of spirit and she did not even remotely deserve what happened to her.

thank you so much!! one of the best parts of fandom is interacting with other people and reading everyone’s different takes and theories. lord knows I miss a lot of stuff when I read, even when I’m trying very hard to pay attention. so I love when other people point stuff out and bring up ideas I hadn’t thought about.

also! without exception, every single person I’ve ever interacted with in this fandom on tumblr has been polite and courteous and civil as fuck, even on the occasions when we disagree, and I absolutely can’t take credit for that. people are just cool. so thank you everyone. (and particular shoutout to @thequietmanno1, who for some reason I can’t tag, but whom this ask is almost certainly referring to specifically.)

lmao anon this made my fucking day. thank you!!

all right, here goes!

a) this is possible for sure in that as a rule, I never put anything past AFO, and I don’t doubt for a second he’d be capable of this. but, it would kind of suck though. specifically it would suck for Tomura, who’s only just starting to come into his own at long last, and who has gone through quite a lot to get to this point. like, that would be devastating to see him reduced to a literal puppet after all of that. and if it did happen, I don’t know what the odds would be of him actually being “saved” after that (All Might at least would try, but I can’t see anyone else being concerned enough to bother. well except for the rest of the League, come to think of it. that could be interesting), and I’d be really sad if that ended up being how he went out. these things usually don’t end up working out too well for the body snatchee.

plus, this also hinges on whether or not AFO is capable of transferring his quirk to Tomura’s body. if not, there’s no way he’d take the tradeoff, regardless of how powerful Tomura’s own quirk has become at this point. that would just be a really bad deal. like trading the cow for beans, except these ones aren’t even magic beans, just like. normal beans. but if he does have a way of transferring the AFO quirk, then yeah. although he could take anyone’s body then if that was the case, and I can think of a few targets who just might be even more tempting than his protege. All Might’s protege, for one. ...you know what, this line of thinking is starting to get a little too horrifying so let’s move on to the other theory lol.

(b) a few people have mentioned the Shimura Momo theory to me, but to be totally honest, I can’t see much of a logical basis for it other than them bearing a slight resemblance and having similar hairstyles. Inko has also been brought up as potentially being related to Nana for the same reasons. it’d be cool, no doubt, but for me, I need more evidence than just that. I just don’t see how this would advance the plot or the characters’ storylines in any meaningful way. I guess it could potentially tie Momo in more to the central plot, but it’d be kind of a weird way to do it, idk.

then again I’m one to talk, because until fairly recently I was on board with Hagakure of all people turning out to be a Shimura (Hana, to be specific). she’s the traitor, she’s invisible, we never did find out what Hana’s quirk was, and this would mean that Hana was still alive this whole time which would be GREAT, because seriously fuck you Horikoshi!! but yeah that doesn’t seem likely now either. dammit.

anyway, so I’ll just say that both of these theories are possible, but for me personally, in order to be sold on a specific theory I need to be able to see how it logically fits within the storyline and how it moves the story forward. like, Dabi being Todoroki Touya is something I’m 100% on board with, because that’s an established mystery in the series (who is Touya, what happened to him, who is Dabi, etc.), and Dabi fits into place with the evidence we have, and it gives us a lot of Todoroki drama and gives Endeavor and Shouto a personal connection to the Leagu... Pliff. but for something like the Momo theory, I would need there to be some indication that there’s a third sibling we don’t know about, and some hinting about there being more to Momo’s past than we know, and right now I don’t see either of those things, so it’s hard to get on board. hopefully that makes sense.

anon I really like that you phrased this as an inevitability lol. (and I am 100% on board.)

assuming this happens at the very end of the series, I like to think Tomura and the rest of his gang will manage to “escape” the heroes (“oh no... Tomura... he’s getting away... this is awful... somebody stop him” meanwhile no one is making even the slightest effort to move lol), at which point they will live the rest of their lives happily ever after as Lovable Outlaws and All-Around Scamps. like, maybe they’ll still commit some crimes, but they won’t be like serious crimes or anything. they’ll have more of a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe, maybe. I want them to be happy and I don’t want them to go to jail even though they’re teeeeeeeechnically murderers, I GUESS (look, nobody’s perfect!!). but maybe they steal the occasional priceless artifact and inadvertently wind up saving the world. seems like the best compromise.

lol I don’t know what this means either. like in the way a Youtuber has their own brand?? or like Frito-Lays. idk all I really do is talk a lot about an extremely popular manga, so I don’t think that’d really count?? I’m fine with this just being a little tumblr discussion blog haha.

so I’ve gotten like a half dozen asks and messages about this lol. (someone actually told me a very specific detail about said past! so just to remind everyone, I’m spoiler-free on Vigilantes right now guys, I’m sorry. I know it’s no fun.) I regret to admit that I still have not yet gotten around to it. I don’t know what it is, but I’m having a lot of trouble reading new stuff right now. I tried to start the other new BnHA spin-off which @temperatezone told me about (and btw no I did not know about it, so thank you!!) (and also! BnHA has THREE SEPARATE FUCKING SPIN-OFFS right now, how fucking crazy is that. like, I don’t want to accuse a manga series of literally trying to take over the world, but!! seriously that’s just insane), which has an amazing premise, but I haven’t had time/been in the right mindset to start that yet either. it sucks. I’m sorry. I’m working on it. ;;

press f to pay respects to what could have been, guys. they literally had it all. class, an ironic acronym, you name it. and now it’s just PLF. the Iron Patriot of villain organization names.

[la-fille-en-aiguilles]

The Beautiful & Damned (2/7)

Female Reader x Young!Remus Lupin | Female Reader x Young!Sirius Black

Chapter 2: No, Definitely 

A/N: Thank you so much for taking your time to read this, and for your feedback. I love hearing from you guys. 

Not much action in this chapter - calm before the storm. I hope you enjoy!  

New to the series? - Accio First Chapter! 

(Please note, that in this story there are no indications of reader’s skin, hair or eye colour. Blake Lively is simply featured in this gif because I think her very beautiful)

With music blasting and lights dimmed in the room full of blues and silvers, the party was in full swing. Leaning onto the backside of a couch, Remus slowly took a sip from his butterbeer, barely paying attention to the lazy conversation he’d been sucked into. From the corner of his eye he noticed James make a terrified face, obviously illustrating McGillan’s mask of terror once he found himself hanging head down from the Astronomy Tower. The students surrounding them, at least two thirds of whom were Ravenclaws it’s just so appeared, roared with laughter. Smiling almost automatically, Reus nodded slowly, not even knowing why. The truth was, the gesture comforted him.

Remus was never particularly at ease in the room full of people, but tonight a different kind of anxiety coursed through his body. The truth was, Lupin was restless. The mere idea of you walking through the door a couple of feet behind his back made his skin shiver. 

Get a goddamn grip, Remus commanded himself. Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm... Act normal.

“I wonder what’s taking Padfoot and Siren so long,” James spoke once the awing crowd of students dispersed. “It’s a good thing Ravenclaws hated their prefect, otherwise nobody would have let us in here without those two lovebirds...”

“Friends,” Remus heard someone speak in a rough and nearly angry voice. When James’ eyes fixed firmly on his face, he suddenly realized he was the one that spit the word out. 

Moony cleared his throat, adjusting the collar of his light sweater. 

“They’re friends,” he repeated quietly. “You think someone caught them on their way here?” he changed the subject skilfully. 

James narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously.

“No, otherwise we’d all be discovered already. Are you sure you don’t want to share anything, Moony? Anything at all?” James’ gaze was quickly becoming difficult to endure, and Remus’ brain was frantically trying to come up with a neutral answer to the provocation. 

“I...” Remus finally spoke, staring at the bottom of his plastic cup, when suddenly his chaotic train of thought was brought to an abrupt stop.

Like a touch of wind caressing the tops of the Forbidden Forest’s pines, a soft whisper rolled across the room. It even seemed that the music played a lot less loud now, the party coming to an almost complete standstill.

“They’re here”, was all Moony needed to discern for his heart to start beating double time. As if in slow motion, Remus turned his head to get an eyeful of the entrance, the plastic cup groaning as he clutched it tightly.

Overwhelming sensation of beautiful awe settled over the entire place. Looking at Sirius and you standing in the doorway was like looking at a constellation of stars. His heart sank in a wonderful ache. 

Skin like silk over glass, passion and wit that turned your eyes into the orbs of merciless fire, soft cushion of your rosy lips… Every single detail of you, it cut him to the very core. He felt exposed, raw and pure, watching you throw your hand holding a bottle of amber liquid up in the air, everyone cheering loud at your gesture. Sirius half-smirked, his hand snaking around your waist so spontaneously, like it always belonged there… Moony couldn’t feel his chest, his heart threatening to bash its way out of his ribcage as Black and you exchanged bright glances, plunging headfirst into the crowd of admirers. 

All these hours of anxious drinking and pacing around weren’t going to amount to anything, he knew it now. He always knew it really, but for some reason couldn’t let go of that twinkle of hope, sparkling every time you smiled at him, or whispered his name. 

It was decided. He was going to spend all his life getting over you. In silence. Without a single living soul knowing what kind of dreams he went through on the nightly basis. 

“Earth to Moony!” James roared into his ear, proper deafening sound. Remus winced, but quickly got a hold of himself. “Are you even listening to what I’m saying?”

“No,” Lupin answered without thinking. “I mean yes!”, realising from the quizzical look on James’ face that his response was out of line, Remus blurted out. “You know what, Prongs, I’m actually not feeling very well…”

With a serious expression taking over his features in an instant, James put a hand on Remus’ shoulder and squeezed it lightly. 

“You are chasing heartache, my friend,” he observed, following Remus’ stare, fixed on you, surrounded by the usual group of admirers, Sirius’ hand making its home on your delicate, naked shoulders. 

“I am not,’ Remus said. 

I definitely am, Remus thought. 

It was at that very moment that his eyes met yours. Silver fire swallowed by a frozen lake. For a moment, Moony panicked: they seemed to see everything he was trying so hard to hide. Out of breath, Remus turned away, and slamming his plastic cup on a nearby table, power walked out of the room, followed by your confused stare, a warm smile slowly disappearing from your face. 

James scratched the back of his neck, shaking his head. You threw him a questioning glance, but before you could get an answer, Sirius leaned closer to your ear. 

“I told you so,” he whispered. You looked up at him; his stormy grey eyes emanated sadness and a fair dose of encouragement, but also a sentiment of understanding. Padfoot’s eyes were indeed the window to his soul. 

You quickly looked away and didn’t answer. Before you could go off and hide in a group of people who couldn’t even aspire to know the real you, Sirius grabbed your hand and interlaced your fingers, giving them a reassuring squeeze. 

“Talk to him,” tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, he caught your eyes and gave you a soft smile. 

“I can’t,” you bit your bottom lip hard, searching Padfoot’s eyes for support. “I can’t, Sirius, not tonight”, you pressed, watching a knowing smile bloom on his lips.  

“Tomorrow morning, then”, giving you a quick forehead kiss, Sirius led you straight to Lily, Marlene, James and Peter. 

Party rolled on smoothly. Music roared on like thunder, and the crowd jumped to the rhythm in huddled groups, like Bertie Bott’s Beans, shaken in their boxes.

Accio Chapter 3: Misread  

My Beautiful Taglist (please, hit me up should you want to be tagged or untagged):  @jackie-houston, @justducky0423, @zakthedrak, @marauder–harder, @davros2004, @firefurr, @heyjess-marie, @kapolisradomthoughts

[lilhemmo]

Mobile Masterlist

If you want to just scroll through everything, my tag is: /my-writing

If you want to send me feedback/requests, feel free to go to MY ASK BOX

HERE is the link to my Wattpad account. I have full multichapter WIP’s that I post there, as well as a compilation of the one shots I’ve posted here.

Everything I write is safe for any age/rating practically. I will put the ratings and warnings in each summary so you will know ahead of time. 

Thank you so much for your continued support and requests! I hope you guys enjoy reading! x

Most recent update: June 4, 2019

L U K E    H E M M I N G S

- Lilies and Lattes:  Summary: You’ve had a soulmate tattoo since you could remember, but there’s no way it’s right. You’ve never been to Seattle, and you don’t plan on going. Word Count: 6.2K | Rated: T+ (heavy language, sensual scenes, alcohol)

- Double Shot: Prompt is - “Why are you so jealous?” Summary: You’re the manager of Bean There, Done That Cafe when you notice a certain blonde orders one too many shots of espresso. Word Count: 2.1K | Rated: K - Art and Whiskey: Prompts are - “You’re lucky you’re cute.” and “I’m too sober for this.” Summary: You attend the Hemmings Corp. annual Christmas party and meet a new friend. CEO!Luke AU. Word Count: 2.7K | Rated: T+ (language, alcohol) 

- More Creamer Please:  Summary: Luke is a famous CEO and you work for a magazine that makes money off of his late nights and poor decisions. You try your hardest to keep him out of the bad spotlight, but your boss has other ideas.  Word Count: 14.2K | Rated: T+ (language, alcohol, sensual scenes)

- Only Time Will Tell: Prompts are - “You come to my room and wake me up at 4 am to cuddle?” and “What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.” Summary: You and Luke have been best friends since the womb. Now you’re all grown up.  Word Count: 2,800+ | Rated: T+ (language, alcohol, emotional)

- Playing Catch Up: Prompt is - “Well. Yell, scream, say something. Anything.” Summary: You knew Luke before the fame. What does that mean for the two of you when he’s become an international popstar? Word Count: 1,600+ | Rated: K

- Woman Up: Prompts are - “Where do you think you’re going?” and “I need some time.” Summary: Something is wrong with you and Luke. What you had was strong, special. Now you’re not so sure. Word Count: 2,000+ | Rated: T+ (alcohol, language)

- Stray Hairs:  Summary: Luke’s hair is annoying him, so he asks you to braid it. Word Count: 250+ | Rated: K

- Just Admit It: Prompt is - “I think you’re just afraid to be happy.” Summary: Luke is too honest sometimes. (Gender Neutral Reader) Word Count: 1,000+ | Rated: K

S W E E T   P E A

- the forbidden fruit: Summary: When Hades is cast away to the Underworld for his own protection, he discovers a mortal with whom he has a connection. She is most definitely not what he expected. Word Count: 15K+ | Rated: T

- death & promises: Request is - “Royal!AU + Fake Marriage” Summary: Prince Sweetwater, known to you as Sweet Pea, has been your best friend since before you could remember. It’s time for you to get married to a prince so you can become queen, but that means that you and Sweet Pea will no longer be allowed to be friends. So, how do you solve this? Just pretend to marry Sweet Pea. Problem solved... or is it? Word Count: 4.9K+ | Rated: T

- bloody knuckles: Request is - “Scars + Bathtub!fic” Summary: Sweet Pea is used to patching you up, but with every scar and every bruise, he begins to fear more for your future. You shun him for trying to put a stop to your boxing career, and in giving you space he also allows you to fall further into self-destruction. Word Count: 3.3K+ | Rated: T+

- war in switzerland: Request is - “Flirting Under Fire + Bar!AU + Injured!fic” Summary: It’s been a while since you’ve been back to Riverdale. You thought you’d never go back, if you were being honest. But something draws you back, and Jughead thinks you need to celebrate at the Whyte Wyrm, which has recently become Switzerland, a place of neutrality. Until a fight breaks out. Word Count: 2.4K+ | Rated: T

- marked for the kill: Request is - “Roommates!AU + Dancing!fic” Summary: One night, after being marked as a sacrifice for the Gargoyle King, you’re forced out of the Northside. Your wandering for a new place to lay your head brings you to the nastiest part of the Southside - where the Ghoulies have secretly set up home. As they wave knives in your face and threaten to take your life, who will come to your rescue? Word Count: 3.2K+ | Rated: T

- the both of you: Request is - “Pregnancy!fic + Anger Born of Worry” Summary: You have a big secret you need to tell your Serpent husband, but will you be able to when he doesn’t come home one night? A call from FP brings you to Riverdale General, where the love of your life lays battered and bruised. Word Count: 2.3K+ | Rated: T

- i’ll always be with you: Request is - “Baby!fic + Fake Dating” Summary: After the father of your child left, the only constant that remains in your life is Sweet Pea. Over the years, he helps you when you need a hand planning your daughters birthday party, but it’s not uncommon to be mistaken for a couple. Sweet Pea just rolls with it. Word Count: 2.1K+ | Rated: T

- despite it all i loved you anyway: Request is - “Arranged Marriage!AU + Love Confessor Trope” Summary: You are betrothed to Prince Sweetwater. Of course, you believe he’s just like all the others - only here for your hand in marriage to take over your kingdom and call it his own. However, during your courtship leading up to the wedding, your forced courtship turns into something more. Word Count: 5.5K+ | Rated: T

B U C K Y     B A R N E S

- Dissension: Summary: You and Bucky hate each other. But you know what they say - everything changes when you’re dead. MULTICHAPTER | BUCKY X READER

- Slowly, And Then All At Once: Prompts are - “I shouldn’t be in love with you!” and “I just did some calculations, and I’ve been able to determine that you’re full of shit.” Summary: You’re the nanny of a successful single father. All of a sudden, you can’t imagine living life without him and his daughter. Word Count: 2.2K | Rated: T+ (language, sexual allusions)

- Gunpowder & Silk: Prompt is - “I’m the tailor who always makes/hems your nice clothes but I don’t know you’re the head of the mob so why are the police barging into my shop?” Summary: Riley runs a tailoring shop. Mr. Barnes runs the mob. MULTICHAPTER | OC

- Denial: Prompts are - “Just admit I’m right.” and “How many fingers am I holding up?” Summary: Bucky is your sparring partner and you’ve taken one too many hits with the metal arm. Word Count: 900+ | Rated: K

- Incidental: Prompts are - “I know it’s three in the morning, but I can’t find my cat.” and “Every time I see you, I fall in love with you all over again.” Summary: The five times Bucky had to make an excuse, and the one time he didn’t. Word Count: 9,000+ | Rated: T+ (language)

- Broken: Prompt is - “Ignore me, I didn’t see anything.” Summary: You’re complaining, Bucky is listening. Word Count: 800+ | Rated: T+ (alcohol, death mention)

- Not Quick Enough: Prompt is - “Almost Kiss + Anger Born of Worry” (BuckyNat) Summary: The one time Natasha wasn’t paying attention, it almost costs him his life. Word Count: 1,000+ | Rated: T

- Nepenthe:  Summary: Soulmates weren’t real, the Soldier had decided. But, if they were, his was going to be very disappointed. Word Count: 1,800+ | Rated: T+ (violence, language, alcohol) MULTICHAPTER | BUCKY X READER

- Unfair: Prompt is - “You want to know what happened to me? You! You happened to me.” Summary: You’re sick and tired of Bucky’s suicide missions. You decide to call him out on it. Word Count: 1,000+ | Rated: T (language)

- I’ll Take Care of You: Summary: You’ve always been overly attentive to Bucky. You overhear him complaining about you one night so you decide to take a step back. Turns out he actually misses you. Word Count: 2.3K | Rated: T

- Confessions: Prompts are - “The door is over there.” and “I don’t believe you.” Summary: Bucky has loved you for a long time, but for some reason you won’t believe him. Word Count: 1,200+ | Rated: T+ (language)

- Blessings: Summary: You’re going to get a raise, but Bucky doesn’t like how you got it. Even so, a beautiful thing comes of it. Word Count: 2,500+ | Rated: T+ (language, sexual references, alcohol)

- Reinvented:  Summary: You and Bucky attend a summer concert, and he asks you to dance. Word Count: 1,400+ | Rated: T

- Ice Water: Summary: Bucky is stubborn and so are you. Word Count: 1,300+ | Rated: T+ (language, emotion)

- I Offer You a Lifetime: Prompt is - “I have loved you my entire life.” Summary: You and Bucky have known one another for a century.  Word Count: 1,500+ | Rated: T+ (sexual allusions)

- Absent: Prompts are - “Please....stay...” and “If you really love me, you’ll let me go...” Summary: Bucky goes on a mission. You don’t think he’s coming back. Word Count: 2,300+ | Rated: T+ (language, violence)

- Battle Armor:  Summary: You’re all alone on top of the roof of the Tower, and an unexpected visitor joins you. Word Count: 1,600+ | Rated: K+

- Free Falling: Prompt is - “I wanted to go on the ferris wheel but there has to be two people per cart and now we’re stuck at the top.” Word Count: 1,400+ | Rated: K

- Void: Prompts are - “Where were you when I needed you?” and “It’s time to say goodbye.” Summary: This conversation between you and Bucky is difficult, but it had to happen. Word Count: 1,400+ | Rated: T+ (alcohol, language)

- Teeth:  Summary: You don’t smile. Until there’s one exception. Word Count: 800+ | Rated: T+ 

- Winter Winner: Prompts are - “I came here to win you back and dammit, I’ll do whatever I have to do.” and “What are you doing here?” Summary: Bucky doesn’t like the way he feels when he sees you with someone else. Word Count: 1,100+ | Rated: T+ (sexual implications)

- All Mine: Summary: Bucky has a tendency to get jealous.  Word Count: 1,800+ | Rated: T+ (language, sexual references)

- Undeserving:  Summary: Steve tells Bucky that he should just go after you, but Bucky isn’t so sure. Word Count: 1,400+ | Rated: T

- Worthy:  Summary: Bucky is always questioning why there is a random hammer lying about during their “family meetings” in the Tower. Word Count: 500+ | Rated: K

- History in the Making:  Summary: Bucky puts his years of history to good use by helping you with your homework. Word Count: 1,000+ | Rated: K

- Get Bent: Prompt is to use the phrase “Get bent.” Summary: Mario Kart can be vicious. Word Count: 400+ | Rated: K

D E C K E R S T A R

- i belong to the devil: Prompts are - “Huddling for Warmth + Established Relationship” Summary: Chloe becomes much more gutsy the moment she finds out she has The Devil on her side. Word Count: 656 | Rated: T

- demons in the night: Prompts are - “Erotic Dream + Sleep Intimacy” Summary: Chloe isn’t used to sleeping with The Devil. At least, not yet. Word Count: 656 | Rated: T

P E T E R     P A R K E R

- Self-Destruct: Prompts are - “I’m not alright! Okay? Are you satisfied? I’m not alright.” and “The problem is I don’t think I can stop thinking about you.” and “Pretending not to love you was the hardest thing I ever had to do.” and “You saved me from myself.” Summary: Peter is suddenly absent from your life, and you’re not sure you can handle it any longer. Word Count: 1,200+ | Rated: T+ (violence, blood)

- Doctor Darling: Prompt is - “You’re bleeding all over my carpet!” Summary: This isn’t exactly how you thought you’d find out that your boyfriend was the webslinger that New York couldn’t stop talking about. Word Count: 1,500+ | Rated: T+ (blood, language)

- Why?: Prompt is - “Why are you like this?” Summary: You’re not sure why it has to be Peter that is always sacrificing for the greater good, for the world. You don’t know if you can take it anymore. Word Count: 250+ | Rated: K

- I’m New to This: Prompt is - “So you hate me now too? Join the club.” Summary: You’re not sure how, but you’re pretty sure you’re jealous of Tony Stark. Word Count: 1,000+ | Rated: T

- Webslinger: Prompt is - “See, now was that so bad?” Summary: You take a ride with the webslinger of New York. Word Count: 500+ | Rated: K

K A S T L E

- by your side now and forever: Prompt is - “Hospital!AU + Secret Relationship” Summary: Karen is tired of playing sidekick. Word Count: 900 | Rated: T

- i found my savior in a bar: Prompt is - “Fake Dating + Holiday!fic” Summary: Karen is being stalked by one of her exes, and she picks the protective looking guy at the bar to be her savior. Word Count: 800+ | Rated: T

T O M    H O L L A N D

- Daddy Issues:  Summary: Tom through the stages of becoming a dad. Word Count: 500+ | Rated: K

- Oh My Darling: Summary: Tom really does love calling you ‘darling’. Word Count: 1,000+ | Rated: T (sexual innuendos)

- Please?: Prompt is - “I need you to forgive me.” Summary: Monopoly is a relationship ruiner. Word Count: 150+ | Rated: K

L A N G D Y N E

-  perfect timing: Prompt is - “Coffee Shop!AU + Mutual Pining Trope” Summary: Two people with matching schedules end up bumping into one another in the coffee shop. Word Count: 1,000+ | Rated: K

-  warm in the snow: Prompt is - “Secret Relationship + Royal!AU” Summary: Hope loves the snow. She also loves the servant boy. Word Count: 700+ | Rated: T+

-  i will save you from yourself: Prompt is - “Historical!AU + Bodyguard!fic” Summary: Ser Van Dyne is in charge of keeping Prince Lang out of trouble. Word Count: 500+ | Rated: K

B E L L A R K E

- RECOLLECTION: Prompt: “I don’t remember that!” Word Count: 250+ | Rated: K

- Silent Love: Prompts: “You’re special to me.” and “I can’t stand the thought of losing you.” Word Count: 500+ | Rated: K

- my skin burns: Prompts: “Soulmate!AU + Royalty!AU” Summary: Clarke is betrothed to a man she does not know. So what becomes of the relationship when she realizes he may very well be her soulmate?  Word Count: 700+ | Rated: T

- keep my secret safe: Prompts: “Detective!AU + Criminal!AU” Summary: When Detective Blake shows up to the scene, a certain blonde is cleaning her knife and restocking her gun. It’s another chance to put her where she belongs. Word Count: 500+ | Rated: T+

R E Y L O 

- unexpected allergens: Prompts: “Flowershop!AU + Hospital!AU” Summary: When a stranger falls unconscious in Rey’s flower shop, she thinks it is her responsibility to make sure he gets to a hospital safely. Word Count: 600+ | Rated: K

[ultimate-miles]

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man (2014-2015) - Not with a Bang, but a whimper

Post Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #19, Miles Morales’ written career as Spider-Man has not been great. After fridging one of the only central supporting female characters in his cast – Rio Morales, his mother – the state of the narrative became preoccupied with manpain, and framing the grief of a teenage boy as, in the words of Miles Morales, someone who “didn’t understand what it meant to be Spider-Man” (Ultimate Cataclysm: Spider-Man #1), which required his entire supporting cast to shame and emotionally manipulate him back into the job. 

If there was any good that came out of the last five issues of UCSM, it was probably the introduction of Ultimate Cloak and Dagger and Ultimate Taskmaster. 

Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man, unfortunately, offers very little in the way content improvement outside of one side story and its art direction. Otherwise, it doubles back in circles on subjects and issues that should’ve been laid to rest and ends on an inconclusive whimper.

Ultimate Spider-Man #200 + #Issues #1-7

Death in comic books means nothing, and holds no weight unless you’re a wildly unpopular (or non-white) character that any given publication is looking to get rid of in order to appease their narrow minded (and white) audience. When the Ultimate Marvel universe was created, one of the creeds it presumably lived by was that “death mattered”. When a character died, it would mean something, it would impact the narrative, and every character that died would remain dead.

It’s a shame, then, when they chose to stick their guns, they let Jeph Loeb decimate almost half of the Ultimate Universe’s roster in one of the uglier displays of wanton violence, sexism, and just plain shit writing, with the 2011 “Blockbuster Event” Ultimatum. Ultimatum more or less ensured, despite maintaining the promise that no one would return from the dead, none of the deaths mattered – a lot of it was just Loeb masturbating to his own cruelty if we’re being honest.

With the “Death of Spider-Man”, Brian Michael Bendis added salt to an otherwise unhealed wound that was Ultimatum, which wasn’t even a year old at that point. To his credit, he made Peter Parker’s death matter – book ending it with the first villain that more or less was responsible for the creation of Spider-Man (Norman Osborn) – with reverberating consequences throughout most surviving series in the UM. Yet, following the introduction of Miles Morales – the new and Black Spider-Man (reportedly meant to honor Bendis’ Black children, whom I pity) – you could tell, in the years preceding the removal of Peter Parker as the protagonist of the Spider-Man title, Bendis was regretting his decision.

After a 160 issue run (where Peter made actual appearances and was the protagonist until his death), the questionably numbered Ultimate Spider-Man #200, once again sees Bendis fantasizing about what he might’ve done had he not killed Peter Parker and replaced him with Miles Morales. Most of the original cast of characters that were central to Peter Parker’s story – plus Miles and Ganke – gather together at the Parker House at the behest of May Parker and Gwen Stacy (who appears to be a creep perving on underage teen boys no matter what), to commemorate the life of the late Peter Parker. Considering the previous three iterations of “Memorializing Peter Parker” in the UM, Ultimate Spider-Man #200 brings nothing new to the table, but should’ve been a red flag to anyone paying attention to the declining quality of Miles’ title.

Miles’ final title in the Ultimate Universe, Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man, begins with the reintroduction of a supposed-to-be-dead Norman Osborn – in the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D. – and two generic Spider-Man copycats robbing banks. There’s nothing really of note to say about the first seven issues of this thirteen issue title. Bendis decides, with the Ultimate Marvel universe doing the death rattle, to undo the death of both Osborn and Peter Parker – with Peter getting a half-assed excuse for his being brought back from the dead (to sum it up: “because reasons”).

I don’t think a Spider-Man comic has made me quite as angry as this series has. In the moment I read the issue wherein Peter Parker tells Miles, “It’s time for the Original Spider-Man to get back into the game”, I could’ve torn the book into shreds and smote its ruins if I thought it was going to hurt Marvel’s sales and not be an even greater waste of my spent $3.99.

“I can’t believe we’re beating this dead horse again” was what I was thinking and I just stopped buying the book altogether. I think that the first step to mine ceasing to see Miles Morales as a legitimate character, but wasted potential in the hands of non-Black creatives. I only ended up reading the trades for the sake of reference and fact checking and it’s only this year, three-four years after the fact that I bothered to do that.  The only thing worth noting about the first seven issues of this title is that it sets up the last four, which are even worse.

Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man #1-3 + Issues #8-9

Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man is one of seven miniseries titles part of the “Blockbuster Event” known as Cataclysm, which sees Ultimate Galactus (or 616 Galactus, I’m not sure which tbh. There’s very little difference between the two when you get to the nitty-gritty) attempting to destroy the 1610 universe and devour it all. You get the distinct feeling that, before someone came up with Secret Wars, Cataclysm was meant to be the true end of the Ultimate Universe – but someone upstairs changed their mind and rendered it to a mere false start. Long story short: The grand majority – if not all of – the Ultimates (the Avengers of the 1610 universe) are killed or sent into the void with Galactus by Ultimate Shadowcat – who is later hailed savior of the world. The All-New Ultimates are formed. 

Das it. 

But, within Miles’ slice of the Cataclysm story, Bendis finally decides to focus on the elephant in the room: Jefferson Davis and his open and his fantasy xenophobia toward superhumans and how it has literally silenced his own son from admitting to his double life as Spider-Man. Moreso since the death of his mother, Rio Morales, at the hands of Ultimate Venom. I’ll be perfectly honest – I don’t think Jefferson Davis is a great guy – I actually ended up liking his no-account brother (Aaron Davis, gone too soon) far more because he was upfront about his ideals and his mission statement. He never pretended or tried to be a better person. He was just rotten and enjoyed it.

For that one piece of sage advice Jefferson offered Miles in the earliest tenure of his first title, Jefferson is the perfect example of a man who expects his son to “do as he says, and as I do”, but expects no consequences visited upon him whenever he dehumanizes people. He’s a walking metaphor for the heterosexual Black father who spews homophobic slurs in casual conversation around their gay daughter or son and I’m sure as hell that was intentional despite the incompatibility of the allegory.

Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man doesn’t do much to repair his character, if anything it makes him thrice times worse. When Galactus starts wrecking all of New York City and Brooklyn, Miles, Bombshell (Lana Baumgartner) and Cloak and Dagger, struggle to save the people caught in the monster’s wake – all while recounting where they were when the Ultimatum event occurred.

In Miles’ flashback, we see Jefferson lose his head over the knowledge that the title wave was caused by a mutant (Magneto), all while loudly proclaiming everyone stuck in traffic was going to die. The most important nugget of information taken away from Miles’ flashback is the knowledge that his father more or less promised that he would abandon or disown Miles if he ever found out his son (then, probably only 11 or 12 years old at the time) was a superhuman. 

I never had much sympathy for Davis (I tolerated him because of Rio), but the moment Miles tries to convince his father to come with him out of the city to safety, and Jefferson decides to blame a now fourteen year old Miles for the death of Rio and Aaron, I just outright hated him. Cataclysm: Ultimate Spider-Man is not a bad read all things considered. It tells its story concisely and never loses focus of its characters in relation to the catastrophe. The downside is that you have to read the rest of the Cataclysm series to know what was going on. I’d probably recommend you read it, especially since it ties into two issues of The Ultimate Spider-Man. 

The conflict between Miles and Jefferson is left hanging until issues #8 and #9 of Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man – also known as “The Only Redeeming Thing About This Comic Book Title”. The eighth and ninth issues of MMTUSM sees Jefferson Davis finally owning up to his past and basically just spilling the beans about his life as a criminal with Aaron and how he became involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. during the 80s – when Miami Vice, Jerri Curls, House Party Flattops, and ill-fitting suits with shoulder pads were all the rage – and how he met a young, already-at-it, Nick Fury. 

The complete tonal and visual shift in the issues are a welcome respite from the Peter Parker nonsense of the previous seven. The story arc, “Miles Morales: An Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.?”, carries with it the kind’ve of visual flair I see a Tim Sale illustrated graphic novel (like Spider-Man: Blue or The Long Halloween), but it’s still David Marquez illustrating the story from beginning to end. 

It’s got the look and feel of a pulp novel, or one of those old newspaper comic strips where the spots of the print were obvious through the inking and character sketches. The narrative, which sees Jefferson and Aaron working for smalltime criminals to Jefferson’s eventual graduation to protecting the Kingpin (with a minor explanation as to why he loathes mutants), is, in my opinion, the highlight of a story that could’ve worked as a full-fledged miniseries about the Jefferson brothers.

My only quibble with the framing of the narrative is that the early inclusion of S.H.I.E.L.D makes Jefferson look more like the unwilling participant of crime he was manipulated into thinking he had to do for “the greater good”, as opposed to some young blood who didn’t give much thought to right or wrong (which is how the early issues framed it) before he had an epiphany. I always assumed the crime came first, then S.H.I.E.L.D, then Rio. Honestly, if you’re at all interested in this storyline, just look for the single issues and don’t buy the trade. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.

#Issues 10-13

Marvel and its twisted, present-day romantic relationship with Neo-Nazism is a fairly ironic one, given most of its early artists were white Jewish dudes with alternate names designed to explicitly hide their Jewishness on account of antisemitism. But, I suppose the publications preoccupation with Nazism to begin with (even if it was denouncing it) would’ve inevitably steered its future publishers to romanticize it in the end. I mean, that’s what happened after all.

You know shit it bad when Marvel wants you to pity [white] characters like Grant Ward of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D for joining a Neo-Nazi group, despite the repeated and angry affirmations of protagonist Daisy Johnson, who flat-out reminds the audience, “You are a Nazi if you join Hydra”, who is undermined anyway by the narrative that continues to bleat, “pity the Neo-Nazi.”

Brian Michael Bendis, in all his infinite lack of wisdom, decides – the biggest way to differ Miles Morales’ love life from Peter Parker’s, is make an underdeveloped character, his girlfriend, Ultimate Kate Bishop, a member of Hydra. Miles’ white girlfriend rides on the agenda of the Aryan Ideal and white supremacy. Brilliant.

The Ultimate Spider-Man issues, #1-#4 and #7 prelude the last four issues with Miles deliberating whether or not he should tell Katie Bishop about his double life as Spider-Man. Instead of being supportive, everyone from Ganke to Cloak and Dagger warns Miles against telling her, thinking it would be a bad idea. He does it anyway, Katie panics and runs away. 

The aforementioned issues give the reader a glimpse into Kate’s life with the Bishops, with one conversation with her older sister casually mentioning that “they” would have to kill Miles and the seventh issue concludes with her uttering the phrase, “Hail Hydra.”

If The Ultimate Spider-Man had something to say about the issue of Nazism, especially in relation to Miles’ life as a Black teen – or the cautionary tale of “you never know someone until…”, then I could maybe understand the decision to make Kate Bishop (a wildly popular Avenger in the 616 universe, be she an adult or a teenager) a Nazi.

But, it doesn’t, it basically does exactly the same thing Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D does with the Daisy Johnson/Grant Ward dynamic. The narrative depicts a “Sympathetic Nazi” (Katie) trying to explain their position, and a furious significant other (Miles) outright declaring their relationship is over. Only, where AOS more or less dragged that subplot out to its natural conclusion (“Sympathetic Nazi” isn’t really sympathetic and dies), 

The Ultimate Spider-Man did nothing to that extent. Readers barely have gotten to known Katie Bishop since her introduction in issue #23 of UCSM. She was given no time actually to be anything other than “Miles Morales’ girlfriend”. And when it comes right down to it, the Hydra subplot was nothing but an excuse to bring Dr. Doom into the narrative at the last moment. So, the “My Girlfriend is a Nazi” storyline just falls flat.

On a smaller note, the way the last couple issues decide to use Judge – the minor character from Ultimate Comics Spider-Man – is sigh inducing. It’s like Bendis realized his book was coming to an end and figured the best way to a handle a character that barely had any face time since the first twelve issues of the UCSM, is to just plop him in the middle of the story with his already knowing Miles is Spider-Man. 

But, he does it in a way that, if you removed him from the story, nothing would change. It’s a superfluous addition and kind’ve discourteous, especially since Bendis doesn’t do anything with Judge later on in Miles’ new 616 title, the unfortunately named Spider-Man.

Outside of issues #8 and #9, Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man is a sad conclusion to Miles Ultimate Universe solo-title career. It reminded me why I stopped reading his title four years ago, and knowing that none of his recent stuff isn’t any good either kinda makes me glad I made the decision so early on.

[millennium-thejiaqiverse]

Chapter 3: One Unusual Paper

Summary: What does the birth of revolutionary technology bring along with it? It certainly has a big impact on the world and the the ones whom brought this technology to everyone. Let’s introduce the center stage technology in this chapter—the chips. Find out how they changed Miles’s home world. Hey, I don’t only cover the magic topic, behold as civilizations develop technology-wise.

“This is the first time I take my exam at another school, ever! So exciting!” Phillip is ultra-excited. “Calm down dude, haven’t you been at our school already on Orientation Day? I mean, we checked out the exam hall together.” Adele pets Phillip’s back, “besides, you’re from Dawn City Academy, probably the coolest school ever.” “Meh, pretty sure that’s just our schools reputation,” Philip snickers, “I don’t see what the fuss is about.”

Miles is sitting next to the windows of the shuttle, looking out to the cityscape. Sitting right next to him is Nick, who’s focused on his tablet.

“Remember that one past paper in which life literally gives you lemons?” Rose starts the topic. “Yes, that’s a good one. What do you do with a crate of 30 lemons in one and a half hours?” Elly asks with a laugh. “Start small businesses like everybody did in that one particular group we studied—every one of them was an inner entrepreneur, they used the weather, what’s trending, blah blah blah; plus each of them could really think out of the box. Hey do you think our exam group would also coincidentally take the same approach like they did? We all have the same paper and we prepared as a group, it’s possible.” “That’d still be too much of a coincidence, as we’ll be separated into individual cubicles.” Ryan shakes her head.

“Hatch Station 50,” an announcement sounds as the shuttle makes its stop, “welcome to our SCI (Suspended & Concealed Islands, the “sky” above the ground-level city parts), you may switch to the Gate’s shuttles at this station.”

Looking at the Gate’s giant ever changing spherical hologram logo, Miles sighs a light sigh.

Ever since the great idea of the tech company Quartz took off (tiny chips connected with the brain, which serve a main function of allowing users to quickly and effectively research and access information with their minds), society changed drastically; and now, there is the Gate—Dr. Mary Millward, Miles’s mom, one of the most prominent Inventors ever, founded this company with her team. She brought forth a tech revolution, largely increasing the reliability and security of the chips and the internet system. Through this competition, Quartz is now obsolete, the Gate takes over and keeps on growing, building the SCI and who knows what next.

“Yo Philip, the animator guy’s from your school right?” Tinaye asks. “The animator guy?” Philip repeats while thinking. “You know, the guy who made a short animation to express how mankind’s coexistence and co-development with Mother Nature is important, in 1 hour 30 minutes?” “Oh you meant Ian!” Philip snaps his fingers, “that guy’s legendary. He’s not from our branch though, our branch is the one with the infamous ‘party kids’.” He winks. “Sounds like fun!” Rose says. “Hey I think we’re here.” Elly tells everyone. “Station Sky Secondary School. Dear passengers, may I have your attention please,” an announcement comes up, “we are now on school ground; midterm exams are in progress, please do not disturb. Station Sky Secondary School.”

Philip, Adele, Miles, Nick, Rose, Elly, Ryan and Tinaye all get off the shuttle after it makes its stop, Tyler is already there, waiting at the front entrance of the school.

School is open for students to do their assignments from 0:00 to 23:50 every day of the week, except Orientation Days. With the chips being long implanted in everyone by now, teaching students time management, how to utilize knowledge and work as a team becomes the main focus of all schools. Before their midterms, each student must complete all 9 personal assignments and 3 group assignments they have relating to the subjects they pick, with help from their class tutors. Students are allowed to do their assignments at anytime they wish to. Some finish their assignments lightning fast, days or even weeks before midterms, like Lisa, the girl who arrives last with a shuttle going a different route.

Rose happily greets her, “Lisa, you made it!” “Of course,” Lisa smiles charmingly, “we are one of the 11:00 groups, shall we head inside?” “Great idea,” Rose agrees.

“Welcome to the 11:00 midterm exams. Please go to your corresponding cubicles. Note that you may no longer enter the exam hall after the start of an exam, or leave the exam less than half-an-hour before the end; you must not have any unauthorized material or equipment with you; any attempt of tempering with the examination programs will result in immediate disqualification...”

There are two 11:00 papers (paper A and B) assigned to the students. The 10-student-study-groups will be mixed together when assigning their cubicles so the students next to every student would be working on a different paper. Everyone is suited up in their gear and logged in to the VR system to do the 5 minutes pre-exam warmup. After making sure everything’s fine, the invigilators start the exam. “Good luck!” Nick says last minute before their individual cubicles are sealed off. “Good luck guys!” Rose follows suit.

For this exam, Miles enters a small brightly lit room, which appears to have only a desk in the middle. The door vanishes after he shuts it. A piece of blank A3 paper lies on this desk, with a pen on top of it. Miles waits for a few minutes, only to realize the usual bell followed by an announcement of what he needs to do to complete this exam never came. This is new. Miles turns over the paper only to confirm both sides of it are indeed completely blank, holding the paper to the light reveals no hidden messages. He looks around the room to find nothing, then inspects the lone desk and finds no details that deserve attention; he then looks at the pen, and notices a small dial with numbers 1 to 9 at the end of it, the little red pin currently pointing at the word “off”. Miles doesn’t want to rush to work on the blank paper or do anything else in the room, a girl failed her exam and had to repeat a year in the past, just because she didn’t pay much attention to what was required by the exam that had been announced to her, resulting in her misusing her provided materials big times.

After waiting for another few minutes and still no bell or announcement, Miles starts to be worried. He decides to just turn the dial on the pen, as soon as the pin points to “1”, a screen in front of him that he previously thought was a wall turns on. Miles is very surprised to find himself looking at Nick, flying a swarm of drones, looks like he’s fixing some pretty broken light panels under one piece of the SCI. It looks like some aircraft has bumped into the panels. Nick seems to be getting on pretty well with his exam. Miles smiles a little, thinking about how Nick always says he wanted to be a SCI engineer or beyond after he graduates from school, this exam must be easy for him; but what about the others in their group when faced with the same problem? Miles knows for sure not all of them enjoys this line of work. Wait... This study group is supposed to be working on the same exam, judging by what Miles’s doing now, at least he doesn’t have the same exam as Nick. Does everyone have different exams now? This hypothesis is (kind of) proven as Miles turns the dial to “2”, he sees Rose on screen, trying to cheer up this old man who looks worried and angry with something.

After turning the dial and seeing all others in his study group doing completely different things, and still no bell or announcement to tell him about his exam, Miles is needless to say stressing out. What does he have to do? Is he supposed to observe his group and note things down? Is he even supposed to be working with that piece of paper? Reviewing the past papers Miles finds not one is quite like this one! So many aspects are different and new. Miles considers hard. Another thought comes up, perhaps his hypothesis is wrong, perhaps everyone in the group does have the same exam taking place in identical small rooms, they would just think the others don’t when they see what’s on screen. If that’s so, this exam is an unexpected mindf*ck situation. More importantly, should he write these guesses down when he still doesn’t know what the exam’s about? Miles is astonished to find out he’d actually be more certain of what to do when faced with magic stuff, i.e. time travel, etc. than now, when faced with this unusual midterm exam.

“Well I’m definitely not expecting this from school!” Miles can’t help but murmurs. “What was that?” Adele, currently on screen, stops her work with the blue palo verde beans and says, “could you please repeat? I didn’t catch that.” “Adele?” Miles asks, “is that really you? Can you hear me?” “Yes I can, is this Miles?” Adele says back, “how are you making the announcements?” “I am?” Miles gasps. “Yeah, the announcement bell rings every time you talk... kinda annoying.” Adele explains. “Hold on a sec,” Miles requests and dials to “1”, “Nick, can you hear me?” Nick jumps a little, turns his head and has this weirded out look on his face. Miles bursts out laughing at this, “wow, I don’t know if I’m supposed to be doing this...” “D... did you hack the program?” Nick stammers then calms down, “but you don’t seem to be disqualified, that means you probably didn’t. What’s up?”

Poking around, Miles learns that he can not only observe but also talk to everyone in his group through announcement (but he can only talk them one at a time when they’re brought on screen); the others cannot hear or talk to each other though. As he asks on, he learns that same as him, no one has heard an actual announcement about this exam, they’re just doing what their “friends, coworkers or bosses” from the VR asked them to do and assuming that’s how they’ll be given the exam tasks now. Then he also learns about some specifics on what everyone’s doing.

It is quite clear now that no announcement would indicate to Miles what tasks he’ll have. It is around this time Miles notices the dates and time in the lower right corner of the screen, he checks with everyone and now knows in this simulation everyone is working on different tasks on 9 different days, spanning 2 weeks. Miles goes through all nine work environments one by one and inspects everything closely.

Tyler has the earliest date of all, he is in a great mood, happily setting up a drip irrigation system for this huge garden and getting ready to have some planting drones plant flowers when he’s done. “I see you’re doing very well with the garden,” Miles watches the drones place the plants down one by one orderly, “who’s garden is this?” “It’s the Wales family’s,” finishing with the irrigation system, Tyler starts to check the little garden maintenance drones’ condition, “they have an awesome house. I still find it strange they have no surveillance drones flying.” Temporarily, Miles forgets about his blank A3 paper as he starts thinking about this clue. He remembers hearing Rose say she’s helping with a Mr. Wales with his charity, and she noticed the guy’s father was unhappy.

“Well, keep up the good work.” Miles says to Tyler then connects with Rose, “Rose, how’s the charity going?” “So-so,” Rose shrugs, “I’ve came up with some fresh ideas though. How’s your assignment.” “I can’t say because I’m not sure what it is.” Miles says, “say, did Mr. Wales or his dad tell you why they were upset?” “Not really, guess it’s too personal,” Rose shakes her head, “but the dad was super ticked off about their home surveillance system, he says someone shut it off? Wouldn’t say who.” “That could be why there are no surveillance drones!” Miles exclaims, “I just have a feeling Tyler worked for the same Wales family as yours, if so he worked on their garden on March 3rd.” “Could be,” Rose nods. Miles keeps on connecting the dots, Ryan and Tinaye work at the same hospital, and they had this guy who swallowed a large diamond pendant with a ‘W’ engraved on it, and his last name is Kirkland, definitely not W-something. Did this guy steal the pendant? Rose continues with her job in the background. “I’ll leave you alone,” Miles hops onto someone else, “I wonder... does this ‘W’ stand for yet again the same Wales...”

“Did you say ‘Wales’?” Philip is now on screen, currently letting the tour group he takes care of roam around and shop, “this lady from our tour is telling everyone that she knew all about how some burglar stole a diamond family heirloom from a Wales family—her friends; she gossips that because old Mr. Wales weren’t happy to go public or see his son go to the authorities with this, only very few people’s heard of the incident.” “Ohhh shouldn’t have trusted information with that lady,” Miles teases. “Yea some people thrive on gossip. By the way, have you noticed this nice process bar that tells you the percentage you’ve completed on your exam? It’s a new feature.” Philip comments. “Well, I don’t see one,” Miles denies, “my interface is pretty bare.”

Miles next has a question for Adele, “Adele, where are these beans you’ve been testing found?” “The back of this dude’s pickup truck,” Adele quickly spits out her words as she hands in the DNA analysis and comparison reports she’s completed, “I heard this Pete Watt allowed a search of his home and truck without thinking when the police got him. Probably being arrogant because he’s one of the criminals we’ve learnt of who thinks as long as they don’t have a chip in their head the police will have nothing on them. Guess what, I’ve just proved he was near the Wales family’s house with some old-fashioned plant DNA testing. Totally inspiring.”

Nick has the latest date of all. Miles chats him up and learns from him that the broken panels he fixed was caused by police chasing the burglar Kirkland when he knocked into them with a helicopter; not causing a major damage to the SCI. At this point, Miles has a pretty good image of the sub-storyline of the 9 days simulated for this exam. Amongst it all, it seems irrelevant at first sight but Lisa’s been working on Kirkland’s older son’s braces, he does appear to be a little disrespectful; Elly’s watched Kirkland’s angel of a younger son at a daycare. Returning to what he has to do for his exam, although still not sure if what he’s seeing on screen is what everyone’s really doing, he feels that maybe that’s not the point here—maybe the purpose of his exam is to find out the connection that links everyone’s work, and appreciate how by simply doing their parts, they are pushing this simulated society forward. Some past papers had indicated ambiguous themes like this for students to find, Miles thinks this might be it. If that’s the case then this exam is quite easy but still fascinating in some ways.

Just as he decides on taking that approach, the screen Miles has been looking at divides into nine portions that shows everyone along with their progress bars. Miles finally hears the announcement bell ring, followed by a “students, you have 10 minutes left” announcement. A previously not so obvious pandemonium has now really broken out. “What the heck, how come the progress meter says I’ve only got 43% for all the work I’ve done?” Adele breaks down, “what have I been missing?” “Miles, are you there?” Nick only has a 48% up till now, “how’s it going with your part? I hope your doing alright.” Miles quickly checks everyone’s progress bars: everyone is stuck with 40-something-percents, no one has a score above 50%. It’s like everyone’s missing half their scores.

Watching everyone trying to boost their scores (a minimum of 60% is needed to pass the midterms), Miles falls silent, but not for long. “Can you all still hear me?” Miles clears his throat and reaches out. Everyone confirms. “I can see thus tell from your scores that it seems you’re missing parts of your exams, but don’t worry, I have an idea,” he proposes, “the reason I have a blank paper and a pen—as you all know—could be suggesting that I can come up with something to help you all. Maybe that is it!” Is this actually what he needs to do? Observe and help, instead of playing detective? Confusing! “What do we do?” Adele asks desperately. Miles proceeds to command the group, “Please work on the tasks given by the simulation, then clap your hands 3 times.” “What? Clap our hands 3 times?” Adele repeats. “I made my announcement, that could count as an exam task.” Miles hints. “Hey this might work!” Elly says then claps 3 times.

Everyone does what Miles asked and waits for their scores to go up, and of course, nothing happens. Miles face palms, ok, maybe that is a bit too far fetched... and too easy. “What now?!!” Everyone resumes panicking. This sucks, Miles thinks to himself, my plan failed, that means I’m still not getting what my exam is, in that case what if the approach of finding what connects everyone’s work is also false? There isn’t even a process/percentage bar for me to check on.

“5 minutes remaining.” Time flies when you’re trying to work things out. Not wanting his friends to keep losing their minds, Miles starts talking, trying out the theories he has is better than just waiting, “here goes nothing... All your parts have something to do with a stolen diamond pendant, a crime orchestrated by at least 3 people, that comes from what I’ve learnt from you. It started with someone in the Wales house disabling their surveillance system, and from the looks of it, Rose’s boss’s father, old mr. Wales had an idea of who it was or there’s family drama involved, hence he doesn’t want to get others involved; the family member probably handed the pendant to someone who’s driven Pete Watt’s vehicle to the Wales house then with the pendant in hand away from the Wales house. Watt himself, or Willy Kirkland could both be the driver. Kirkland was captured attempting to go somewhere with the pendant. He swallows it in an attempt to get away, only to be rushed into the ICU and have the pendant removed from his body. Taking on your tasks as you see them and completing them kept the story moving.”

Seeing no difference in the grades, and now everyone’s silent, Miles decides to calm his group more and go on trying different approaches, “to be honest with you all, I have no idea what to do with my part yet, I doubt my ever approach—this whole time I kept getting different ideas only to doubt and end up scratching them. Everything is so new on this exam, we are all doing different things, it’s just that I didn’t really take part in the big story you’re in, I have no process bar. All I can do is observe...” Miles pauses to think, then starts again, “Guys, I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked on your parts, there’s no way you can squeeze in any more tasks in this amount of time. We prepared well; if this is all real, seeing your excellent work today, these percentages seem fishy to me, they are likely fake or tempered with—not your real scores, maybe it’s just there to see if we’ll panic over them, we are in a simulation after all all this could be a trick; the point is, this whole exam could be messing with us. With all the new and different stuff, it’s trying to blast us with what we’ve never seen before, we have to take control by ourselves along with working on the more specific exam tasks. I think the key here is certainty, something I didn’t have up until now, something we have to decide to let into our minds. We’re encouraged to work on problems in our own ways on all the past papers we’ve done before this one, maybe this paper demands us to explore a new concept on top of that, a state of mind—believing that what we’ve done for this exam is sufficient, not doubting how you play your part. We have to beat the exam in a sense.” The group appears pretty convinced by him.

Guess this is the true stressful part of an unstandardized exam—anything can be accepted or not accepted as answers, you don’t know for sure if your efforts are enough. Miles clears his doubts and places the pen back onto the desk, on top of the blank A3 paper. The exam ends.

Leaving the exam hall, the group quickly meets up. “You guys ok?” Nick asks the group. “I never thought the percentages could be a hoax.” Lisa says. Miles doesn’t need to ask if the group was working on different papers anymore, what Nick and Lisa said and the rest’s silence were enough of an answer. “What percentages?” Bob approaches their group. “Your group had the easier paper Bob. So how did you guys do? I think I did fantastic this time.” Pete jumps into the conversation. “Our paper’s unique...” Miles looks at the two newcomers, realizing it. “Hey Pete... wouldn’t you know, this villain guy we had has the same first name as you, right guys?” Nick tries to lighten the mood for their group, “guys?”

Well, at least he tried.

“Dr. Mary,” a grader calls, “I have to inform you that Miles did not write a thing on that A3 paper...” he pauses, “well, this is unexpected, you tailored this exam just for him and it appears...” “He failed? No.” Mary rewatches the recorded exam for the third time, “no, his performance exceeded my expectations.”

Miles’s phone is blowing up with texts of excitement and congratulations from the group chat. “Turns out our scores were halved, Miles, you know you are a genius for noticing the percentages were fake right?” Nick calls him. “Well I did not feel like one during the exam...” Miles laughs. “Can’t wait to go to your late bday party and bowl!” Nick says. “Of course,” Miles says back, “and I appreciate how you tried to cheer everyone up enough to remind them of my bowling party back at school.” “More proof that you’re a genius,” Nick puts his thumbs up. “Not really, that’s just because we’ve know each other for more than 10 years.” Miles puts his thumbs up too.

@cadewrites

[eggsyunwincankillme]

No One Knows Part 1

Pairing: Eggsy X Reader

Warning: swearing, sexual themes

A/N: here’s part 1 I hope everyone enjoys this!! Reader is 21 when she gets pregnant. Eggsy is canonically 22 in the first movie (WE HAVE THE SAME BIRTHDAY??

Masterlist

Prologue 

5 years later

It was an average night filled with gross men who thought they were better than everyone, ogling the dancers in ways that made Y/N never want to be with another man ever again in her life. With a deep sigh, Y/N clocked out before the bouncer left. He was a big red headed man with a broken nose and deep blue eyes. She waited patiently at the door for him, pulling her coat just a little tighter around her.

He made his way over to him before they left the club together, him simply walking her to the bus stop and hailing a cab for her, but that was as far as he went. She got into the cab, waving him goodbye as it drove away. She sunk into the seat after giving her address. The ride was slow, but not because there were things that were making it slow, but because she was tired and she couldn’t get home fast enough. Her mom would still be awake, waiting for her to come home. Her bean would be sleeping after spending the day at school. She got out of the cab when it pulled up to her apartment complex and trudged her way up the stairs barefoot with her heels in hand until she came to her door.

Y/N sighed heavily upon entering her home and went to the kitchen. Her mother was asleep on the couch and she couldn’t bring herself to wake the older woman up. Poor thing shouldn’t have to go home so late. Y/N placed all her things on the small table in the kitchen quietly before making her way to her bean’s room. A soft smile crossed her face when she saw him sleeping peacefully, tucked into his covers in the most unusual way. She made her way to her son and sat on the bed. Tomorrow he didn’t have to go to school, so she could spend the day with him.

Gently, Y/N pressed a kiss to his forehead and got up to let him sleep. She closed the door silently behind her before she went into her room to sleep as well. She looked at the clock that read 4 am as she stripped out of her work clothes and into her pajamas. She sighed and stared up at her ceiling, thinking about how much like his father her bean was starting to look like. Drifting off, she dreamt of Eggsy and what he was doing currently.

She woke with a start when her alarm went off. Sitting up, the clock read 7:30. She wasn’t exactly sure how much sleep she had gotten, but she jumped out of bed to make her bean some breakfast. Y/N bounced around kitchen with a smile as she made breakfast, sipping on a cup of coffee. She only stopped when she felt tiny arms wrapping around her leg and a face pressing into her leg. She looked down to see her son hugging her sleepily.

“Mummy, I’m sleepy.” She leaned down and lifted him into her arms with a soft grunt. Pressing kisses to his cheek, she continued to cook with him sitting on her hip.

“You’re up early, Bean.”

“Missed you,” her son mumbled into her shoulder.

“I missed you too.” She put down her spatula to sit him at the table before serving him breakfast. She sat next to him and watched him eat slowly. Eventually her mother came into the kitchen for breakfast as well. She offered Y/N a smile before moving towards the coffee pot.

“How’s school been?” She asked, turning back to her bean.

“S’okay… My uniform ripped.” Y/N frowned slightly.

“How did it rip?”

“Kebause I don’t have a dad,” Bean looked up at her with innocent eyes and her heart broke.

“What do you mean, baby?” she asked, touching his cheek in concern.

“The other boys said that kebause I don’t have a dad that they push me around,” he replied quietly. She frowned deeply. Her son was being picked on? Because his father wasn’t around? How stupid. A look passed between her and her mother, who was quietly watching.

“Bean… you have a dad. He’s just not here…”

“Why?” he asked. She patted down his hair.

“How about… I tell you all about your father while we go get you a new uniform?” she said, smiling despite the fact that it upset her that he was getting picked on for something so small.

“Okay, mummy.” She pressed a kiss to his head and got up to get dressed.

~*~*~*

The stores that sold her son’s uniforms were a lot further uptown than her job, but she didn’t mind sitting on the bus, listening to her son talk about anything and everything. He could dress himself now and despite the fact that he liked vibrant colors, he still reminded her of Eggsy whenever he dressed casually and not in his school uniform. Y/N held his hand while they walked, passing several stores before going into the one she had found his school uniform in when he entered primary school.

Of course, Bean had to try things on as he was growing, but it still didn’t take them long to find some more outfits for his uniforms so he would have extras. It wasn’t exactly cheap either, but she never mentioned how much it made her cringe to look at the prices. She didn’t want her son to deal with the knowledge of them being tight with money. He had enough to worry about with his bullies and studies. They were walking back to the bus stop with bags in one hand while holding hands with their free ones, that someone was coming down the steps of the tailor's shop and almost ran over her son with their long legs. Luckily, she pulled Bean out of the way on time, but it caused her son to drop his bag.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there,” the woman said, dressed in a smartly dressed suit. Y/N shook her head, not angry with the woman.

“It’s fine,” she replied quietly as she reached for the bag Bean had dropped. The woman bent to grab it as well, getting to it first. She handed it over and Y/N took it gently.

“I’m sorry about that. I should have been paying more attention,” the woman said, smiling down at Bean who was hiding behind her leg.

“It’s okay, really. I’m just glad no one got hurt,” Y/N said, not seeing as the door to the tailor’s opened again.

“Roxy, Merlin said to… oh… Y/N?” That voice had her blood running cold and her breath caught in her throat. Slowly she turned her eyes up to see who she just assumed was not in London at all anymore. There he was, wearing glasses that she never knew he would ever need, dressed in the nicest suit she had ever seen. Instinctively, she pulled Bean a little closer to her.

“Eggsy?” Suddenly, anger welled in her chest, but she pushed it down. She didn’t want Bean to see her angry.

“Fucking hell, Y/N it’s been what? Five years? You look fucking great!” He trotted down the steps to stand in front of her. She grimaced at him as he cussed in front of her son and moved her hand to press her palm to her child’s ear so he couldn’t hear the words.

“Eggsy, control your language,” the woman, Roxy, said. She even smacked his arm roughly to make him stop.

“Why? I know her. She’s heard me curse a lot before now.”

“I actually would prefer you not to. Bean doesn’t need to learn those words yet,” Y/N said, gently moving her hand away from Bean’s ears.

“Bean?” Eggsy inquired quietly while Roxy grinned at the cute nickname.

“How cute!” Y/N gently moved Bean forward so he wasn’t hiding behind her anymore. Eggsy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and his mouth opened a bit as if to say something, but no sound came out. He stared down at the little boy, making Y/N uncomfortable.

“He’s a bit shy, but he’s very smart,” Y/N said, smiling down at her son proudly. Bean looked up at her confused before looking directly at Eggsy. Whom seemed to be trying to gather himself. Roxy bent down to her son’s level, smiling.

“Hello, Bean. I’m Roxy. That’s Eggsy. How old are you?” she asked, tilting her head. Y/N watched Roxy before suddenly it hit her. Had Eggsy left her for another woman? There was that anger again. She turned her face away, almost shaking in her rage. How dare he be excited to see her?

Eggsy seemed to get a hold of himself as he bent to shake the little boy’s hand. Bean seemed to pick up on her mood, looking up at Eggsy with a curiosity that he normally wouldn’t have towards any adult that he didn’t know well enough. Y/N turned to watch them, but instead of focusing on Eggsy at all, her attention was on Roxy, who was looking between Bean and Eggsy with a sharp look in her eye. Slowly, Roxy turned to look up at Y/N with a knowing look that made her feel very uncomfortable.

“I didn’t know you had a kid,” Eggsy said, standing up straight. Roxy followed him slowly, eyes narrowing at her partner in confusion. Then that knowing look came back.

“It was… certainly a surprise,” She murmured, not looking at him. Bean gently reached up to take the bag from her, only smiling when she allowed him to take it. He tugged on her hand after that.

“Mummy, you promised…” her son murmured. The adults looked down at him, only one of them knowing what the kid was talking about.

“I know, bean. Do you want to wait until later since we’re talking to Ms Roxy and Mr Eggsy?” she gave her son a nervous smile that he immediately knew his mother was uncomfortable where she was. But he wanted to know and she had promised.

“No. I wanna know where dad is,” Bean pressed. Y/N bit her lip, wondering why her son was pressing this. Was it because he could tell Eggsy made her uncomfortable? She looked back up at the two professionally dressed people in front of her. Roxy glanced at Eggsy, but otherwise remained impassive while Eggsy, himself was looking at her confused.

“Y/N, love, is his dad at work or something?” the man himself asked. Y/N looked downright ready to cry at that, frustrated. Who did this stupid man think he is?

“He left us,” she growled, tense and angry and ready to just scream at him. Both their faces seemed to fall and even though she knew Eggsy didn’t know he had a child, but Roxy certainly picked it up pretty easily. Y/N had made it along fine on her own.

“You can’t be fuc-… serious?” Eggsy said, stopping himself from cursing. Bean had stopped pulling at her hand to frown at her.

“I am. I have to get him home. My mum should be waiting for babysit,” she said, grabbing Bean’s hand and moving to run away from the situation in front of her. Eggsy jumped in front of her, stopping them from leaving.

“Wait, I could drive you home. We could talk,” Eggsy said, face hopeful. Y/N wanted to curse his attractive face because she knew that she would love to have a ride home without forcing her son onto a crowded double-decker. She visually struggled, wanting to decline because she wanted nothing to do with this man who up and disappeared from her life after getting her pregnant. Not that Bean wasn’t the best thing in her life, but she certainly hadn’t expected her life to take this kind of turn at twenty-one.

“Fuck,” she whispered so Bean wouldn’t hear her (and he didn’t), “Fine. I live in the same apartment complex. You remember where that is right?” Eggsy moved to the car literally parking right next to them with the biggest grin on his stupid handsome face. He opened the door for Bean to crawl in and took their shopping bags to put in the trunk. She moved to open the passenger door, but he was already right there, opening it for her. She gave him a sour look.

“Yeah, I remember. I went there after I got my job here, but you weren’t there.” Y/N got in the car, crossing her arms defiantly. She waited until he was in the driver’s seat to reply to him.

“Same complex. Had to get a bigger apartment to make room for Bean.”

“You weren’t at your old job either,” Eggsy pressed, starting the car and waving to Roxy who was on her way back inside the tailor’s.

“They wouldn’t change my schedule. I found a different job. Not far from here.”

“Oh yeah? What do you do now?” he asked, pulling away from the shop and starting on the way towards her home.

“I’m an overnight waitress. Pays better.”

“You’re being real short with me, Y/N/N.”

“Eggsy, you left. You didn’t call or text me. Your mum didn’t know where you were. After five months, it wasn’t worth waiting around for you because I knew you probably weren’t coming back. It doesn’t matter now. I had to provide for my son and I had no help from my parents besides my mum babysitting while I’m at work,” Y/N retorted, trying to keep her tone even so Bean wouldn’t pay attention to them talking. But he was. He looked between them as he listened to them.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t find you. It didn’t seem to stop you from moving on though. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be around for you. If I had known, I would have helped you.” Y/N rolled her eyes. If only he knew. Not that he deserved it.

“It’s fine. Water under the bridge, Eggsy. I’m just surprised to-” she stopped when her phone started to ring. She dug through her purse to find it and once she did, she picked up. Her mum’s voice came over the line, frantic and panicky. She soothed her mother enough to get her to explain what was happening, only to feel her heart stop. Slowly, she hung up and sighed, putting her head in her hands. Eggsy glanced at her briefly.

“Y/N/N, love? What’s wrong?”

“My dad has been sick for awhile, but… he had an episode and mom can’t watch Bean tonight. I can’t afford to call out,” she explained quietly. Eggsy reached over and touched her shoulder.

“Hey… I could watch him,” Eggsy offered.

“No, Eggsy… He’s just met you.”

“Yeah, but you haven’t. ‘Sides I’m a right gentleman now.”

“Eggsy…”

“Y/N, I’m serious. I usually don’t work nights and even if I do get called in, I can talk to my boss,” he pressed. Y/N bit her lip as she thought about it. She turned to look a her son, who was looking out the window with the seat belt properly buckled.

“Baby?” she called. Bean looked at her immediately. “Would you… would you mind it if Eggsy were the one to watch you tonight?” Bean looked over at Eggsy, who couldn’t turn back to look at him.

“Okay.”

“Are you sure, Bean?”

“Yeah. Kebause I like him,” Bean said quietly, little hands folding neatly in his lap. She couldn’t help but melt at his tone, wondering how she raised such a wonderful child. She turned to Eggsy.

“Then… I guess you can. Since he likes you,” She said, frowning at the self satisfied grin pulling at Eggsy’s face.

“I work from 6pm to 3am,” she said. Eggsy grinned at her, shifting a bit so he could look at Bean in the rearview mirror.

“We’re going to be right trouble, Bean. You and me. Right trouble.” Bean simply smiled back at Eggsy. Y/N was sure this was a mistake.

[soriseerakyra]

Nice to Meet You -4-

A/N: I’ve been in the middle of finals which is why I’ve been gone for so long :( sorry

Your accounting firm was in a large building situated nicely in downtown Gotham. Its location made for a beautiful view of the Gotham skyline as well as a dangerous journey home for anyone who didn’t watch their surroundings at night. Your bosses were pretty lenient as well. You supposed they fancied themselves the ‘modern’ sort. They opted for a set up without cubicles and instead built office floors with standing desks and the occasional bean bag chair, and kept the kitchen stocked with an abundance of free-trade artisan coffee.

 As you leaned carefully on of the thick glassed window-walls that allowed you to see the skyline, you flicked through your phone. Taking a sip of the cardboard cupped latte in your hand, you opened your Instagram app. Camille had been officially on maternity leave for two days, and while from the pictures she posted showed that she couldn’t have been happier, you were slightly miserable. It wouldn’t be right to say you were completely lonely, you’d gotten used to being alone and dealing with the reality of the alienated city life, but it was her that you missed. More accurately what you missed was quietly giggling to each other while the two of you people watched, mostly in a judgmental fashion. It was all in good fun for the most part through, most of the people that worked on your floor you liked. You may not have been the most social person, but you appreciated the fact that many here would have been willing to listen if you had told them your problem.

 You feel your lips pull down in a pout as another picture of Camille and her husband pops up on screen, this time his large hand placed lovingly on her rounded belly while she kissed his cheek and slyly peeked at the camera.

 “All right, this is sickening,” you say as you hastily put your phone to sleep and slip it into the pocket of your blue blazer.

 You turn your gaze out to the window again as you sip your coffee. Your eyes scan over the tall skyscrapers and then something out of the ordinary clicks in your mind. A familiarity works its way to the front of your brain while the word weaves itself deftly to the back.

 ‘smack’

 It was involuntary really, the contact that your free palm made with your forehead, but well deserved.

 “Oh, I’m an idiot.”

  ***

Majority of the time Bruce Wayne would say that he tried his best to run his company, well as well as he could, given his double life.  He remembered the names of his secretaries for the most part, but he supposed that was from doing thorough background checks on the people whom worked so close to his office rather than actually caring anything about them personally. The people whose names that he couldn’t quiet remember he would greet with a charming smile and enough attention throughout the year that many of his employees thought that working for Bruce Wayne “wasn’t so bad.” He even did his best to keep his eyes open during board meetings, he didn’t succeed most of the time but he always gave an effort.

However, there was one thing that he could care less about, paperwork. Hold up in lavish office, with a stack of files that needed his signature or documents that needed proper reviewing, he could not begin to give one iota of a fuck about what they said. In fact, for the past ten minutes he’d been hypnotized by the bouncing screensaver on his computer, something that he found vastly more appealing than the work he had to do.

 So, it was a relief when he felt the vibration of his cellphone on his thigh. He pulled the phone from his pocket and felt his brow furrow at the unknown number, however he answered it anyway.

 “Hello?”

 “So, you’re a pretty big deal, aren’t you?”

 His eyes widened at the voice before he let and easy smile slide its way across his lips. When he left the coffee shop the other night he hadn’t been expecting a call, and was happy that he hadn’t given his number out in vain.

 “Oh, what makes you say that?”

 “Your big stupid name plastered on the tallest skyscraper in the middle of downtown Gotham.”

 “Oh, so you noticed that, did you?” he said as he leaned back in his computer chair, paperwork forgotten. “If it makes it better, I didn’t design the building this way. My dad did.”

 “So, then your dad was the egomaniac.”

 “Precisely.”

 “Hmm, and you willingly admit this?”

 “I’m not one to hide things about my family.”

 “What about yourself?”

 “That’s a completely different story.”

 “I Imagine, maybe I can work out some of the things you’d like to hide about yourself over dinner.”

 He stood up and left his desk, slightly startled by the forwardness of the suggestion.

 “Why not?”

 “Good you can pick me up from work, I get off at 6.”

 “You aren’t going to tell me where to pick you up from?”

 “Use that brain of yours. I told you what I do and you know that I can see you or your building at least, it shouldn’t be that hard.”

 The smirk was so present in tone that the only way that it could have been more real would have been if he could see it in person.

 “Let’s see then.”

 ***

Bruce walked over to one of the large paned windows that opened to give him a more than lovely view of the city. While there were many accounting firms that dotted the city, there were few that garnered an unobstructed view of Wayne Enterprises. He caught the glimpse of a building that laid off to the right. A tall dark building decorated with gargoyles on its ledges. Ledges that he had often used to het a vantage point on the city. He also recognized it from a time when his father took him their when he was younger. Wayne Enterprises had its own accountants but Thomas Wayne had taught him the need to interact with the establishment, if only so you don’t piss them off.

 “You don’t seem like the type of person who’d work out at Wessler and Burns,” He said with a hint of playfulness in his voice. “To many suits.”

 “You’re right. I went in for an interview and I left with a restraining order. They call for new blood but when that blood has a cleavage the old farts can’t seem to keep their eyes to themselves. No offense, I know you’re not too far behind in the age range.”

 “I’m wondering if I should be offended. The youngest person with any value there is sixty.”

 “What are you? Fifty-Five?”

 “I’m definitely wondering if we should be going on this date.”

 “Don’t worry Bruce, I’m sure your old bones to can keep up with this young’un.”

 “The question is can you keep up with me?”

 “Who knows, I’ve been out of practice for a while.”

 “Don’t worry I haven’t.”

 “You old dog,” she said with chuckle in her voice, “Have you figured it out yet?”

 “I think so,” he stated as his eyes caught a glimpse at relatively new building that faced his own.

 “Good, because my break is over and flirting with an old man doesn’t pay the bills.”

 “I imagine it doesn’t”

 “Bye Bruce.”

 “Goodby-“

 The phone hung up.

 Carlisle and Preston accounting was a young firm for the city, having been there for about two years. It had sprung up on the west coast about ten years ago, and with an unusual swiftness for an accounting firm, opened multiple branches up and down the coast. This branch was the first on the east coast, and had likely brought Bruce Wayne’s date with it to the city. He’d found their unusual productivity strange, but there was nothing obvious or seemingly hidden that could be attributed to the success of the firm. Research had only turned up, that the CEOs Michael Carlisle and Jonathan Preston, regularly showed up at firms across the country and interacted as much as they could with their clients on a personal level. A relaxed working environment dedicated to the needs of the needs of workers in the 21st century made the seemingly boring profession more ‘sexy.’

 He leaned against his car, parked in front of the entrance of the building, hoping to catch a glimpse of the form that captured his interest.

 “So, you actually found it with your old man eyes.”

 The snarky familiar voice caught his attention as he saw the woman that he had been waiting for. He looked to his right and saw her approach, seemingly coming from a side exit rather than the front entrance.

 “Well, my building is the tallest in the city so even I can see something.”

 She smiled and then he noticed that her eyes flicked over his outfit.

 “I hope we aren’t going anywhere too fancy I am slightly underdressed.”

 He looked at her, blue blazer with a white blouse and jeans to match. If he took her to any of his usual establishments she would stick out like a sore thumb, they’d think he took her out as a charity case.

 “True,” he said thinking about their situation.

 “There’s not an Olive Garden in Gotham, is there?”

 “What is that?”

 She stared at him blankly, eyebrow raised lips quirked down at the ends.

 “You may be too rich for me.”

 “That has never been a problem for me.”

 “I imagine,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Listen, for now coffee will be our thing. And over said coffee we will eat small pastries and half-cooked microwaved breakfast sandwiches while I extol you the value of cheap carb loaded cardboard tasting Italian food and the like.”

 “Sounds thrilling.”

 “Trust me, when I’m done with you you’ll be addicted to breadsticks the same way most of middle America is.”

 “That doesn’t seem factu-”

 “Shhh, don’t question it,” She said as she made her way to the passenger side of his car. “Just let it happen.”

[shiningforvixx]

170608 - 용산 (Yongsan) Fansign (6VIXX)

This time around the members were in opposite order from the Ilsan fansign, this time going in birthday order from Ravi to Leo. Also, I don’t know if it was because I had coffee and was more alert than the Ilsan fansign, but I definitely had a bit of nervousness this time;; Plus I picked number 97 so I had plenty of time to grow more nervous. On the other hand, I should have had more time to try and calm down.

Honestly, there’s not that much to do while waiting to go talk to them, and I felt that more distinctly than last time because my number was so late (it goes to 100). I was taking some pictures while I waited, but mostly those ones don’t turn out well (in my limited experience).

Right before it was time to go up, I heard the Chinese girl next to me sigh again, so I turned to her and said “Nervous?” She said she was. Then I asked in Korean if she knew Korean, and she does. We chatted for a bit, and she told me she likes Hyuk. I told her I had nothing to say to Hyuk haha. She said she had nothing to say to Hongbin. Yeaahh, I get that;; Like. I tried to think of things to say, but nothing came to mind? I’m much better with letters I think. Plus they are cute boys, not even considering the fact that they are VIXX. You know? Just me? Anyway…

We gathered our albums and letters and numbers (mine was 97 if you recall) and went to the line to go speak to VIXX. I wasn’t too nervous anymore, but I mostly didn’t have much to say (except Leo to whom I had at least 3 things I wanted to say). The girl right in front of my new Chinese friend was the one that sometimes goes to fansigns and dances/sings for the members. I love that Ravi can’t even watch her when she does her littke performances. Well, thanks to her the line was moving slowly, so I pretty much had plenty of time (too much;;) to talk to them. (I know, how could it be too much? But I’m not great with rambling on about this and that in those situationsㅜㅜ)

Ravi is really a sweetheart. And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. He is so much more gorgeous in person! No matter how pretty the pictures, they don’t do him justice. (All the members are better looking in person, but I’ll never get over the amazement(?) I felt when I first saw Ravi up close.) So I went up to Ravi and gave him my letters. (I had 2 because one was art that I wrote on the back of and the other was my regular letter hahaha) I embroidered words on paper hearts for each member, and I embroidered “엉덩이 아빠”(Ongdongie’s dad) on Ravi’s hearts. (I stuck these hearts on the outside of the envelopes.) He read it out loud and laughed at it, so that was a great moment. I told him I’m going to busan and he said 수고많았어요(You’ve worked hard…sort of;;). I said Nooo, not reallyㅜㅜ Then I asked if there was anywhere worth going in Busan, and he gave me the most apologetic face and told me he didn’t really know. I never want to see Ravi’s apologetic face againㅜㅜ I don’t want to make him feel sorry for any reason. It almost hurt because he had no reason to be sorry, I was just saying words at that pointㅜㅜ Ravi should always only be happy. (Granted, Ravi makes great expressions during fansigns. I think he exaggerates his emotions so he doesn’t seem so worn outㅜㅜ) I had soooooo much time, so I also told him that he read my letter at the last Seoul concert. He said, “Oh the paper airplanes?” and did a little paper airplane throwing motionㅜㅜ I said yes, and that I was sorry that I called him 라바(Raba) in the letter. He said it was okay and held my hand while looking at me like…I don’t know? The face he makes that seems like he’s saying “It’s okay, I’m just grateful for your support”…or something. Anyway, it was a beautiful expression that made me very happy. (I just realized we’re idiots that were apologizing to each other for no reasonㅜㅜ)

(I always feel awkward with Ravi, but at fansigns I feel less awkward with him than I expect? I think the problem, if you want to call it that, is he has this image of being silly and playing around with the other boys? But he also can be very sincere? I am sort of the same way, and I feel like we both sway into sincere mode with each other. It would probably be less awkward if we could both be in fun mode, but alas, ‘tis not to be.)

Jaehwan…ah Jaehwan is such a cutie. That’s his job I guess, but still. I didn’t really have anything to say to him, but I had an idea of something to do. I asked him if he’d eaten, and he said yes. So I asked what he ate. He said 도시락(lunch box). I told him to eat “this” for dessert and proceeded to make 2 finger hearts and turn them into a hand heart, then offered my hands to him. He sort of laughed at me but took the “hearts” out of my hands and “ate” them. (In retrospect…no even at the time, I felt so dumb for doing that;;)

I had prepared something to say to N because he is great and perfect and deserves all the love in the world. I said 오빠, 저 궁금한 게 있는데요 (I have something I am curious about/want to ask). He looked up at me, and I said 못 하는 게 있어요? (Is there anything you can’t do?) I was trying not to smile, and he was doing the same. He promptly said 운동, sports. So I said noo~ Then he was like “Really? Okay ㅋㅋㅋ” I told him I am going to Busan and asked for a recommendation of where to go, and he recommended two places. The first I don’t recall, but the second was Haeundae Beach. (Because of him I packed my swimsuit and may even wear it for the first time in 3 years //ㅅ//)

Next was Hyuk and just… I don’t know why I feel so awkward with him? I think it might be the Ravi Syndrome again where he is more serious in person than with the members. Also he is a tiny baby but also a MAN?? So how do I deal with that??? I had super extra time, so I told him that I’ve been listening to 안아줄게 a lot and am looking forward to seeing it again at the Busan concert. He asked if I was going to Busan alone but then repeated the question in English. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand him, but I probably didn’t hear him. Ah… it may have been because I said, “Yes, I’m going tomorrow,” and he thought I was answering wrong. But…the ‘yes’ was directed at his question;; Sorry Hyogiㅜ

Bean…I love Hongbin, but there is also a level of awkwardness there. (I’m going to go out on a limb here and just say that perhaps I am the problem and am just an obnoxiously awkward person who projects that onto others;;) Anyway, I gave him my letter that had 친구야(friend~) embroidered on the hearts (on the envelope if you recall). He looked at it and said, “Oh, are we friends?” So I answered 네 (formal yes) again (like during the Fantasy fansign I went to), and I want to smack myself. The whole point of us being friends is to speak informallyㅜㅜ (Yes, I realize that’s technically not how that works, but 99% of the time I end up speaking formally anyway, as proven by my habitual 네) I said I was sorry that my letter was sort of long (it was 2 pages…which I can write to Leo easily, but not really the other members). He said it was fine and seemed sort of pleased actually? He even did a hand hold with me this time! Haha (I think all the other members did too, but I was paying attention to Hongbin because I remember specifically that he didn’t grab my hand at the Ilsan fansign.)

(A note on the letters that I should probably save for the end: I am pretty proud of myself for writing them all a good sized page of words. Not that they were great letters, but I did it. And as I mentioned, my letter to Bean was two pages, but that is because I was explaining how I became a VIXX fan in response to him asking me about it at the Ilsan fansign. Leo’s I of course wrote last because I can always ramble at him more. Poor guy;;)

Leo…I don’t even know. It was such a scramble of this and that. I gave him the same drawing that I gave Ravi. (It was a drawing of LR that I commissioned from the ever-talented and lovely @mireykim whose drawing is pictured above. You can commision her here! ) I told him I didn’t draw it and asked if he knew the artist. He said he didn’t…but maybe it’s just because he didn’t recognize that picture? Who knows. Then I asked him if he knew who a certain letter was sent to, and he said no. (The letter in question has a complicated backstory;;) I told him it was me, and he said, “Really? Thank you!” and grabbed my hand and like…wouldn’t let go? It was really precious and he was looking at me with such grateful eyes and I’m ready to die nowㅜㅜ I then told him that I’m the person that calls him 핑쿠핑쿠 왕자(pinku pinku prince) in letters. He sort of nodded, and I don’t know if it was in understanding and being like, yes I know that person, and it’s you! Or was the nod ah, yes… please let’s not speak of this again. Or perhaps the nod was just to placate me. We’ll have to add it to the drawer of “too many things that will have to remain unsolved about  Jung Taekwoon.” He also asked me where I was from again, haha;; Also, he commented (in English) that I am very tall. I was trying to tell him how tall, but I don’t think he heard, and we were talking about the next thing already. Later, I of course realized I should have sarcastically acted surprised that I’m tall. (If you are tall, you will understand what I mean. What are you supposed to say when people comment on your height? I do realize that I am tall, you know?) Also, why did Leo keep using English with me? Is my Korean worse than I think? Was he just being considerate/showing off? Not that I mind because I love his English. As long as he knows that I know Korean, then we’re fine. (I just remembered that at the end he said, "See you later (my name)!"ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ)

(It was frustrating when I was thinking later that night about all the things I could have/should have said to all of them in those awkward moments when the members and I stared at each other in silent panic not knowing what to say….I was probably the only one panicking, but…yeahㅜㅜ)

Let’s see if I remember the missions they had to do… One was Ravi had to do the 탕수육 game with a Starlight with the “word” 빅스타라잇 (VIXXStarlight) and the loser had to grant the wish of the other. (The 탕수육 game is the one where each person says one character/syllable in the word and the other person says the next part until someone messes up.) It was sort of a mess, but Ravi ended up winning. He said that his wish was to grant the wish of the Starlight, so she asked for a hug. When he hugged her Ken said it was too short, and the Starlights agreed, so he hugged her again for a tiny bit longer.

They played a concentration type game that I didn’t quite understand, but Leo lost and was supposed to come into the audience for a minute to have eye contact with us. Him being Jung Leo, however, he was going around really quickly and trolling people with their cameras and was looking at which memeber people’s video camera tripods were pointed at. He also said to not take pictures at one point because, once again, Jung Leo.

They did a game where they had to draw a square and triangle at the same time with both hands. Ravi emceed because (according to him) there was no way he’d be able to do it. Silly little Bean and Leo at the end weren’t very good, but Hyuk was surprisingly good, as was N. Ken…tried and wasn’t bad per se. In the end, N was chosen for first place, so he got to choose the two members who would have to do a pose to…show how close they are I guess? Show their chemistry? He chose Ravi and Hyuk, and when the Starlights had no suggestions for what pose they should do, he decided they should do the thing where they put their foreheads and hands together and then look out at the audience. It was great.

During question time, people kept passing on their questions, and I totally get it because what do you ask that is interesting and hasn’t already been asked before? One person asked if they had thought about their next concept. They were hilariously hedging about and ended up saying that it was a yes or no question and the answer was no. Of course they can’t tell us if they do have a next concept, but it was quite amusing nonetheless. Another person wanted to pass their question and N asked if they could word it as “Can I pass?” so that it could be a question.

At some point, Hongbin and Leo were completely ignoring the current mission/instructions and made paper airplanes and both threw them to see whose plane would fly furtherㅜㅜ

Also Leo kept yawning during the whole fansign. (Actually, they all looked pretty sleepy. It seemed like before each new person went up to get a signature, Ravi would reset his face into pleasant sort of smile so that he didn’t look super tired. Poor babiesㅠ)

I think I’m missing two missions but for the life of me I can’t remember them right nowㅜㅜ

[doctormelapples]

I want every personal

Sorry this took so long

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

erm, idk but I can list some of my favs? how about “Mr. Know-It-All” by Young The Giant, “Brain Stew” by Green Day, “Swimming Pool” by The Front Bottoms, “Tokyo Narita (Freestyle)” by Halsey and Lido, “Big Jet Plane” by Angus & Julia Stone, and “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Do they have to be alive?? How about Beyonce Twin #2

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

I’m sitting right next to a bookshelf wtf. Okay the first book only had a line 12, Book 2: “…glittering sceptres. These shones so brightly September had to shade her..”

4: What do you think about most?

I see photo opprotunities when I walk? like if I’m walking past a house I see the exact angle that I would take a picture of it with and what the frame and coloring would turn out to be? does that count?

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

Text or sc?? cuz idk on either tbh sc:goals text:theenks

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

Clothes

7: What’s your strangest talent?

I have none, so like,,

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

Girls are beautiful, Boys are beautiful, and so is everyone else

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

lol no

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

like yesterday probs

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

Strange? idk

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

When I was a child,,, marble

13: What’s your religion?

who’s that

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

being sad or taking pictures

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

behind absolutely

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

jesus christ

17: What was the last lie you told?

I have a headache

18: Do you believe in karma?

sort of, like maybe not the textbook definition but I do think that you get what you give to some extent

19: What does your URL mean?

listen,,, okay Doctor is because i like doctor who and melapples is a dan and phil reference, okay, i made it when i joined tumblr, I was young and unknowing, okay

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

weakness: I’m too emotionally soft; strength: whom’st’d’ve

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

Does phil count, phil counts? It’s Phil

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

almost

23: How do you vent your anger?

ahah, to the world and through tears tbh

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

I used to collect izze + snapple tops, then got bored

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

video chatting, I like seeing facial expressions

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

whom?

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

It took me FOREVER to think of a sound I hate, and like i had sounds i love when my fingers hit the keys. sound I hate: Fork schreeching on a plate; sound I love: laughs, soft sounds of fingers on skin, leaves crunching as you wak in autumn, or snow in the winter, wind, papers fluttering

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?

What if I had stayed at my old school

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

well not really, but aliens absolutely, like, there is no way the universe is so fucking big, and there isn’t life outside of earth

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

My window frame; a notebook

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

somebody is making pasta downstairs

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

what kind of worst? cuz like I believe that no matter where you go you can always get something out of it. Let’s go with my racist ass school

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

EAST

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

idk harry styles?

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

42?

how about: to know, be, see, and do what you want

36: Define Art.

Life

37: Do you believe in luck?

kinda like the same way I belive in karma

38: What’s the weather like right now?

It’s been rainy all day and we just had a rainbow. It’s cleared up now

39: What time is it?

1:23:09 AM

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

no

41: What was the last book you read?

A graphic novel called March about John Lewis

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

yeah actually

43: Do you have any nicknames?

lila bean

44: What was the last film you saw?

Wonder Woman pretty sure

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

all of the skin on my leg was scraped off once so

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

I’ve had a beautiful butterfly land on me during a meditation session once

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

strawberry milkshakes

48: What’s your sexual orientation?

I’m pan bro

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

yes rip how fun

50: Do you believe in magic?

in my hopes and dreams

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

no, I’m really bad at holding longterm grudges but you better fucking run for at least two weeks if u piss me off

52: What is your astrological sign?

scoooorrrrrppppiiiiooooo

53: Do you save money or spend it?

i save money highkey short term and mass spend it

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?

A swimsuit. oh shit no wait strawberry syrup for milkshakes

55: Love or lust?

lust

56: In a relationship?

damn i wish

57: How many relationships have you had?

3

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

nope

59: Where were you yesterday?

crying in bed all day tbh

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

my comforter that I’m sitting on lowkey has pink flowers on it

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

listen,,, fuck socks okay no

62: What’s your favourite animal?

cats homie

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

laugh at their jokes + be a pleasant person

64: Where is your best friend?

idk probably sleeping somewhere tbh

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.

i don’t pay enough attention soz

66: What is your heritage?

like,,? My dad is from finland probably but otherwise i have no idea, all my family tree has is slavery so

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

fuck dude crying

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?

smith

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

hell yes

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

idk i hope so

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

i like can’t really swim that well so like probably get the attention of someone who can and get the dog saved then go to work. but fuck that job tho

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

nah bro, i would try and accomplish everything i wanted, travel, be happy with family, and make friends happy, not afraid

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

trust

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

bills by lunchmoney lewis

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

or not?

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

trust, communication, known goals

77: How can I win your heart?

idk bro its pretty easy out here a-fucking-pparently

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

yeah for sure

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

Join theatre

80: What size shoes do you wear?

9.5 or 10

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

rip in pieces

82: What is your favourite word?

antidisestablishmentarianism

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

the image of the organ tbh

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

lit, tbh, rip, wild

85: What’s the last song you listened to?

star by brockhampton

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?

pink rn, it was just green, i fluctuate

87: What is your current desktop picture?

a picture i took of a car mirror in a violet sunset

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

trump probs but only if he is right next to pence that bitch will not be president

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

why are you sad

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

FUCKING RUN DUDE CLIMB OUT THE FUCKING WINDOW FUCK THAT SHIT NO GET OUTTA MY FACE FUCK

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

elements my dude. if I had to pick which one it would be wind probs

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

The half-hour where I thought I fell in love with someone before they broke up w me a week later

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

no

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

RIHANNA

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Prague 

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

probably, but not that i know of

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

omg yes don’t remind me

98: Ever been on a plane?

yups a few times

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

damn y y’all listening to me?

probs something like “jesus christ just shut up and listen to each other speak without jumping to fucking conclusions and preconceived notions of what other people are like kay?”

[fardell24b]

Lawndale and Sandi Griffin’s Genie - Chapter 2 - Part 1

Chapter 2: Friday Adventures

Friday February 19, 1999

Lawndale

1111 Glen Oaks Lane 4:30

Quinn awoke from a strange dream. ‘I don’t know what to make of that,’ she thought. She tried to go back to sleep.

 She soon found that she couldn’t so she decided to go down to the kitchen for a healthy snack.

However she found that she was not the only one who was up. Daria was sitting at the table reading a book and drinking from a cup when she walked in.

 “Couldn’t sleep either?” Quinn asked.

 “Something like that,” Daria said.

 Quinn grabbed some carrot sticks and poured some milk. She then sat down across from Daria and sighed.

“Something on your mind?” Daria asked.

 “Huh?”

 “You look deep in thought. You don’t usually look like that.”

 “Funny,” Quinn said, in her usual tone of voice. She then continued, more seriously. “It’s this situation you know? It is going to change everything! The Fashion Club, the social dynamic at school, the guys whom I date, possibly even all of Lawndale itself. It is frightening. It is as you said, Daria. The very idea of Sandi with a genie is frightening! The only reason why things weren’t worse yesterday is that Sandi hadn’t realised the full potential, and that Jean’s mischievousness is good natured,” Quinn said.

 “You are right. It is going to change everything. Especially if either Ms Li or Sandi’s Mom find out,” Daria said.

 Quinn thought, and didn’t like what she speculated (especially when she realised that Ms Li would use the genie to install more security measures for the school). “Dar-i-a! That is more frightening than with Sandi!”

 “Exactly, that is one thing that you have to bring up with Stacy and Tiffany when they get here at breakfast. I will be talking to Jane around the same time. We could then meet at the school and discuss our decisions,” Daria said.

 “Dar-ia! If I mention the possibility of the genie falling into the hands of either the principal or Mrs Griffin, Stacy would faint, and then she would be basically a wreck!” Quinn said.

 “Quinn, they need to be informed of that possibility, or your discussions may be for naught,” Daria said.

 Quinn was then in thought, for a moment and then spoke, “You are right, Daria, much as I hate to admit that. We may be late to school though.” She was sure that calming Stacy down would take up much of their time.

 “If you are running late, you can continue your discussion on the way to school,” Daria suggested.

 “I guess we had better and maybe Jeffy can give me a ride,” Quinn said. They talked for another minute about the situation.

  “But now I don’t feel like going back to sleep!” Quinn said.

 “Neither do I,” Daria said.

 “But what are we going to do for the next few hours?”

 “The same way we used to spend the wee small hours together when we were younger,” Daria said, as she stood up and went towards the living room.

 “Video games? Sure, though I am mostly out of practice.”

 “Which console do you want to use? The SNES or the N64?”

 “SNES?” Quinn asked, confused. She knew what N64 meant but ‘SNES’ had her confused.

 “You know, the Super Nintendo,” Daria said, as she pointed to where the system in question lay beneath the television and the VCR.

 “Oh, it’s an acronym! Duh, Quinn!” she murmured to herself. “Maybe the N64, but I am not sure what game,” she continued.

 “Ok,” Daria said, she unplugged the SNES and plugged in the N64. She and Quinn then played Mario Kart 64.

  324 Eichler Street 5:00

Stacy awoke trembling as she remembered the events of the day before. “It was just a dream,” she said. She then realised, “or was it?” she grabbed her diary and read the most recent entry.

“So, it did happen!” She fainted back into her bed.

 5 minutes later, Stacy came to. She remembered everything from the day before, from the incident at recess, to the conversation with Quinn’s mom. She re-read the diary entry.

 She knew that she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so she went down to the living room and took out the PlayStation. ‘I haven’t played this for a while. This will help me keep my mind off things until it’s time to go to Quinn’s,’ she thought. She found Final Fantasy VII and put the disk into the system.

  111 Howard Drive 5:30

Jane was in the kitchen, looking for an early breakfast, when her brother Trent entered after a night of practice with his band, Mystik Spiral.

“You are up early, Janie,” he said.

 “So are you,” Jane countered.

 “Practice ran late, or early,” Trent said. He saw that his younger sister was in thought. “Something on your mind?” he asked.

 “Oh, I told Tom about my 11th birthday,” Jane said.

 “Cool,” Trent said, as he remembered that day.

 “He thought so too. Anyway the problem is with the reason why I told him,” Jane said. Trent waited. “You remember the family we bowled next to, right?”

 “Yes, the daughter had anger issues,” Trent said, wondering where Jane was going with this line of conversation.

 “Yes. She is also the leader of the clique that Daria’s sister is part of,” Jane said.

 “What are you getting at Janie?”

 “Sandi was bowling next to Tom and I and she was bowling well. However I also remembered rumours that were going around school yesterday.”

 “Since when do you pay attention to rumours at school?”

 “Not often, but hear this. An extra floor appeared on the top of the science block yesterday! And the teachers don’t know how,” Jane said.

 Trent could see that that his younger sister was not pulling his leg.

 “So you are saying that this girl is involved in some kind of magic?” Trent asked, he had seen much of Lawndale in his 22 years, and some of what he had seen couldn’t be explained rationally...

 “Exactly, Daria’s sister and her not so tame pack of football players also mentioned a classroom full of water, when we passed them in the hall,” Jane said.

 “Something is definitely happening.”

 “Daria called late last night, she said that Quinn spilled the beans to her family. She mentioned a genie. She is coming over at 7:00 and then we are going to talk about the situation. It seemed like she was unwilling to trust the phone for some reason,” Jane said.

 “Is that it?”

 “Yeah,” Jane said, in thought about what Daria might be telling her when she came over.

 Trent was concerned for his sister. “Maybe I can get the old Atari out of the Attic and we can play something? Something to do, if you can’t get to sleep,” he said. Sleep was never a difficulty for Trent, narcoleptic as he was (Indeed the difficulty was staying awake for long periods).

 Jane briefly considered the idea. “That is a very good idea,” she said. Trent went out to the stairs. ‘Although I may be spoiled by the arcades and the Morgendorffers’ Nintendo’s,’ she thought. She then went upstairs herself and waited for Trent near the bottom of the attic stairs.

 Trent came down from the attic with a box with the 2600 system on the top of it. “Which game do you want to play first?” he asked.

  Jane finished connecting the Atari to the television in her bedroom. “Let’s see, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Trent! That is the worst game of all time! Why do we have it?”

 “Hmm, I guess that is why Wind said that the store was almost full of them when he bought it,” Trent said, referring to his and Jane’s older brother.

 “At least the first 2 are amongst the best games of all time,” Jane said, putting the Pac-Man cartridge into the console. ‘Of course Wind would get it,’ she mused.

 She and Trent took turns playing Pac-Man until Trent fell asleep and then Jane continued playing until Daria arrived.

  631 Bernstein Avenue 6:00

Tiffany awoke and looked at her bedside clock. ‘I may as well get up,’ she thought. She remembered the events of the previous day, from Sandi’s floating until her discussion with Quinn’s mother. ‘I hope Quinn and Stacy will know what to do,’ she thought. She thought about the ways that Lawndale could change as a result of Sandi’s finding a genie. All of the conclusions she reached frightened her.

‘I still have an hour until I have to go to Quinn’s,’ she thought. She thought of a way to occupy her time. She then recalled the old Sega, that was down in the den. ‘I haven’t played anything since I started high school,’ she thought.

 Tiffany found the Sega Genesis where she remembered it to be and carefully plugged it in to the den’s television. Certain that she had gotten the connections right she selected a game and plugged the cartridge in.

 She was soon playing the game, sending the character all over the screen. “Sonic is fa-ast!” she said with her eyes on the blue hedgehog...

  Varmittan Imperial Palace-Tree 6:30

“So it is a Genie!” the Varmittan Emperor exclaimed.

 “Yes. The younger of the two human children was quite adamant about that!” Captain Jaywi said, as he tried to contain his excitement.

 “I have read the archives, the previous mention of a genie in the ‘Pennsylvania’ region was in Oakwood, 30 years ago, 5 moon cycles before the humans made their first landing upon the moon,” the Emperor said.

 “What occurred?” Captain Jaywi asked, curious.

 “There was some chaos prior to the genie disappearing in the third day of the incident. Prior to that there was a sighting 60 years ago in Middlebury, but the information from then is fragmentary,” the Emperor said. Captain Jaywi knew why the information would be fragmentary, something to do with a War involving Europe...

 The Emperor and the captain continued their discussion before the Emperor sent the Captain back to Glen Oaks Lane.

  Tiffany looked at the clock as she switched off the Sega. ‘Yikes! I have to be at Quinn’s in 10 minutes!’ she thought. Just as well her house was only 2 blocks from the Morgendorffers. She went up to her room, grabbed her handbag and came back downstairs. “Bye, Mommy,” she said as she ran out the back door... She then went into the laneway.

  324 Eichler Street 7:06

Stacy looked at the time. “Oh no! I have lost track of time!” she said. She then saved the game and then rushed upstairs to get changed.

 5 minutes later she came down the stairs, turned off the PlayStation (and put it away) and then ran out the front door.

  Daria met Tiffany at the door as she was going out. “See you at school, Quinni,” Daria said.

 “Quinni?” Tiffany asked.

 “It is a nickname, like when Kevin calls his friend ‘Mack-Daddy’,” Daria said.

 “Only not so annoying,” Quinn said as she turned off the N64 and started walking over.

 “Oh yeah, like when my name is short-tened to Tiff.”

 “’Ari’, do you see Stacy?”

 Daria glared at Quinn for a fraction of a second before stepping out of the door, past Tiffany and looking up and down the street for Stacy. “She is nowhere to be seen. Does she always lack punctuality?”

 “In Middle School, she was all-ways, Tard-dy.”

 “She is usually the last to arrive at Fashion Club meetings,” Quinn said.

 “If I see her, I’ll tell her that you are waiting,” Daria said, as she set out for Jane’s. Quinn watched her sister walk out to the sidewalk before turning back to Tiffany.

 “Let’s go wait in the kitchen, we will wait for five minutes and then start our discussion without her.”

 “I hope she gets here soo-on,” Tiffany said as she closed the door.