#when in reality shes more a scared teenager than anything

[prommytheus]

dahlia hawthorne miss dahlia hawthorne.... + 66 or 17 ... pick ur poison >:0]

decided on 66, so as to not do a second sir chloe song lol

redrew her as the album cover, since it had always reminded me of her aesthetic anyway

[bloodyhoon]

7 minutes in heaven.

pairing: fuck boy! sim jake x female! reader.

genre: smut.

warnings: virgin reader, fuck boy jake is actually a gentleman, kissing, fingering, insecurity, mentions of crying, slight corruption kink. english is not my first language so there may be grammal or spelling errors.

words: 3.8K

note: i didn't plan for this to be so long wtf

The not-so-little get-together at your best friend's house had become interesting when someone suggested playing 7 minutes in heaven. Everything was calm, several couples had entered and left the small closet, some only came out laughing after the exact 7 minutes that had to pass and others came out somewhat disheveled and with their clothes out of place after more than 7 minutes locked up, clearly showing what they had done and earning shouts and whistles from those outside waiting. Your world came crashing down when the bottle spun and pointed at you on one side and Sim Jaeyun on the other, the hot best friend of the guy your best friend was fooling around with. You all knew that he was a fuck boy, very experienced when it came to girls and casual encounters, every girl who had passed through his bed would speak highly of the boy.

And then there was you, one day everyone just started believing that you were some kind of fuck girl because of a stupid rumor that started spreading at school, but that created a certain reputation for you that you liked so you didn't try to deny it and things simply got out of hand and suddenly everyone said they had sex with you. You personally were not bothered by those rumors because you and your close friends knew perfectly everything about you. And the reality was different, you were a simple virgin terrified of the idea of ​​being intimate with some idiot like the ones your best friend always talked to you about.

"Nice!" the voice of one of the girls in the group sounded over the laughter. "Jaeyun and Y/n, who would have thought? But I don't think it's their first time-"

"Actually it is, but I don't deny having waited for this moment" Jaeyun's voice was a little mocking. You looked up from the bottle in the center of the floor and met his smirk. You fought hard with yourself not to act flustered and blush at the attractive boy. After all, you had a reputation to uphold.

"Well, this game is already boring" Yena spoke with a fake yawn. She of course knew your true personality and your shyness, and she knew that you wouldn't dare be confined in such a small space with the boy. She also didn't want anyone to pressure you into it, so she knew she had to intervene. "Let's better play-"

"Come on, don't ruin the mood like that" the previous girl's voice sounded again. "They also seem very enthusiastic."

"I'm more than ready." Jaeyun leaned back leaning on his hands, waiting for you to deign to speak to him. When you looked at him again, he had one of his eyebrows slightly raised waiting for an answer from you. "Unless she backs down. Are you scared, Y/n?" Silence reigned in the place and everyone turned their heads quickly towards you, waiting for one of your strong sarcastic responses.

"Scared of what? I don't think you have much there that I have to deal with" you looked away, mainly so he wouldn't notice the nervousness in your eyes.

"Do you want to find out?" His tone of voice was provocative, forcing you to return his gaze. Everyone was waiting for your answer and you couldn't give them anything other than what they expected.

"Should I?" you smiled slightly at him. The other teenagers who were already quite drunk made some noises and provocative comments. Jaeyun stood up from his place with a sideways smile on his face and relaxedly putting his hands in his pockets, he pointed at the closet with his head. You sighed and stood up, but the arm of your best friend next to you stopped you, almost making you fall.

“What the hell are you doing, Y/n?” his panicked voice whispered to you, rising above the noises of the crowd. “Are you sure what you're about to do?”

"Damn it, no" you denied several times, closing your eyes. "What did you want me to do? I'd look like a coward-"

"And what are you going to do when you gets in there? He won't-"

"Y/n?" the boy's voice called to you, he was standing by the door of the closet that was for the game, looking bored. "Do you think we have all night? Although, you know I wouldn't mind." He winked at you.

"Okay, wish me luck" you walked away from your best friend showing a false confidence and walked towards the closet, entering with the boy walking behind you. You heard the door close and the sound of voices and laughter suddenly died away.

The space was small, with luck a person would enter next to the shelves full of clothes that were stored. There were some decorations and old toys that used to belong to Yena and her sister. Above the highest shelves, small Christmas lights hung that illuminated little creating a comfortable place. When you turned in your spot, Jaeyun's body leaned over yours and quickly analyzing your expression, he approached and kissed you. Your back hit one of the shelves and Jaeyun cornered you with his body, placing both hands on the sides of your head. Your heart began to beat quickly when his perfume flooded your nose and his lips devoured yours, practically forcing you to follow him, which didn't bother you at all. His lips were soft and had the taste of the sweet drink that everyone had been sharing earlier. His hands went to your waist, hugging you and taking you off the shelves, pressing your body to his. You relaxed a little in his arms when you noticed that he was just kissing and hugging you, and things weren't going to escalate. Or so you thought at the moment. The boy separated from your lips and his hands gently went down the sides of your body, positioning themselves on your hips.

"Do you really want to find out?" he murmured against your red and swollen lips. You didn't know what to answer and your heart continued to beat rapidly while the boy was still attached to your body. "Are you speechless already?" he let out a laugh. Your trembling hands rested on his shoulders and you looked into his dark eyes, which went from your lips to your eyes with deep desire. You let your impulsive thoughts win and you desperately attached your lips to his again, wanting to feel them on you again. He smiled in the middle of that kiss and brought his hands to your butt firmly. You were wearing a short skirt so one of his hands decided to go down the side and gently caressed your thigh, causing your skin to crawl. His lips were still glued to yours while his tongue and yours intertwined with each other. Your hands squeezed his shoulders tightly as his hand slowly began to move up the inside of your thigh.

"Jaeyun-" you broke the kiss and still with your eyes closed you tilted your head back. The boy took advantage of that movement, leaving a trail of kisses down your jaw to your neck, sucking gently and leaving a purple hickey. Nervousness took over your body and your heartbeat was erratic, you didn't know how to stop the situation that was beginning to get out of hand. You wanted to stop it because you didn't know how things would end, but you were embarrassed to separate him from you and that the boy would find out that you were nothing more than a stupid girl with a false personality. Your eyes filled with tears and a soft sob escaped your lips when his hand brushed your core over your underwear. He pulled away from your neck and looked at you ready to mock you when he heard you, but his expression disfigured when he noticed the nervousness in your body and your teary eyes.

"Y/n?" His hands gently grabbed your arms and he looked at you with concern. You shook your head and threw your head back, closing your eyes in shame. "Why are you crying? What's wrong?" His voice was soft, completely different from that flirtatious tone he used to have whenever he talked to a girl.

"I'm a fake" you whimpered, embarrassed. "I can't do this, I'm not ready" you denied several times. His brow was furrowed while listening to you, but still his hands caressed your arms trying to calm you down.

"Are you-" He thought about his words for a moment, you opened your eyes and looked into his eyes nervously. Your eyes had an innocent gleam that said everything your mouth didn't. His gaze completely scanned your body, which moved uncomfortably in his hands and he separated himself as much as he could from you, although the space was very small. "You're virgin" he didn't ask you, he stated it. He noticed it in your look, he noticed it in your reactions to his touch and the way you had hesitantly reciprocated when he kissed you without warning.

"I'm a liar, but I can't do anything about it, everything got out of hand" you shrugged and looked down at your hands intertwined in front of your skirt. "And this image they have of me gives me a certain... confidence in myself. A confidence that I never had" Jaeyun remained silent as he listened to you and you were dying of anxiety for whatever was next, whatever he was about to say, what would happen when you both got out of there and if he would laugh at you in your face and then tell everyone in the house. You heard him laugh and a knot formed in your stomach, but you snapped your head up when he approached you again and stroked your hair kindly.

"You're so cute" he shook his head several times, not believing the current situation and continued caressing you, forcing you to raise your head. He looked at you tenderly, his eyes with a shine that you had not seen before. The colorful but dim Christmas lights above his head flickered and gave him barely any illumination. It was a beautiful sight in your eyes because the boy was extremely attractive. "You have nothing to worry about, darling and you have nothing to be ashamed of either."

"Yena told me the same thing, but I can't help it, I feel stupid and now that you found out, I feel even stupider" you honestly wanted the earth to open up and swallow you. You didn't know how things would continue from now on, you didn't know what you would do or say when you came out, or what he would say or do too. You were completely nervous and scared, you felt like your teenage life had ended right there.

"Look at me Y/n" he asked you, placing a hand on your jaw and gently lifting your head. You looked him in the eyes again and waited for him to speak. Jaeyun looked at you for a few seconds and then smiled at you. "You can leave and I will make up some story without going into details, anyway it is not difficult to create a scenario with the things I would do with you, you are the hottest girl I have ever seen in my life, although now I can only see your real side that is so innocent and pure." He laughed when, under the dim lights above you, noticed your cheeks turning red. "Or also, you can stay and we can do something about it, give you something to show off and meet the expectations of those waiting for us out there. Also give you a little experience, what do you think? You choose, pretty." His hand rested on your cheek this time and with his thumb he brushed your lower lip.

If your heart was already beating rapidly, it was now out of control. You felt that your legs were shaking and you would fall right there because of nerves. You wanted to stay there with him and see what happened, your curiosity was great but your insecurity was even greater, you were inexperienced in the whole realm of intimacy and he was so experienced that you were embarrassed to do something wrong, but you longed for him to continue kissing you and touching you like no one had ever done before. Neither of you knew how much time had passed since you had entered the closet, but no one had knocked on the door so you didn't worry and continued on your own world. Jaeyun of course noticed how your head was going a mile an hour and caressed your cheek.

"Don't be afraid, if you say yes, we won't do anything you don't want to do and I'll stop when you ask me to" he assured you. He was trying to convince you, but only because he could see in your eyes the desire to stay with him and your body clinging to his involuntarily told him what your mouth didn't. He noticed that you didn't know how to say yes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked, waiting for your positive response. If you hesitated too much, he would simply back away and let you go.

"Please" you didn't try to hide the desperation in your voice that revealed how you wanted to feel his lips on yours again and he smiled sideways, nodding. He leaned over you and joined your mouths together, the kiss was gentle at first, a soft touch of lips testing ground. He brushed the hair from your face and tilted his face to the side, deepening the kiss as your mouths opened slightly and both tongues rubbed against each other. Your hands moved to his shoulders, drawing him closer to you to feel him pressed against your body. His hand went down the side of your body and grabbed your thigh, lifting your leg and positioning one of his legs between yours and lightly rubbing your crotch. It didn't make you uncomfortable, rather it caused shivers to run through your body. Jaeyun could feel your heart pounding against your chest and that also made his heartbeat quicken as he separated from your lips.

"Can I touch you?" The question left his lips like a sigh and you just nodded. "Use your words, baby."

"Yes, touch me" your voice was muffled as you once again felt shame take over your body, but he gave you a short kiss on your lips and smiled tenderly at you. He didn't want to be too intrusive, so his hand slowly entered the bottom of your blouse and caressed your waist, going up with caution and aware of each of your reactions, and brushed the lower part of your breasts. You had skin bristling and your body cold with nerves contrasted against his warm touch as you clung to his shoulders with slightly trembling hands.

"Calm down" he murmured against your lips. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No, no" you sighed and denied, convinced. He nodded again and cupped your breast in his hand, feeling your hard nipple underneath your bra. Your legs closed involuntarily and pressed his leg that kept them apart, he lowered his gaze and let out a mocking laugh.

"It seems like you want me to touch another part of you" his tone was mocking, but actually he was still analyzing each of your reactions and he didn't mean to make you feel embarrassed, he just wanted to play with you a little. "Do you want me to touch you there?"

"Yes, please" you responded quickly, your eyes squeezing shut to avoid his gaze. Your reactions drove him crazy, the way you moved desperately in your place and your cheeks were flushed waiting for his touch, how you asked please for everything.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop." he warned you. "Spread your legs a little, princess" you obeyed him and he undoubtedly brought his hand between your legs, caressing the inside of your thighs making you hold your breath as his hand began to go up to your crotch. "Breathe, baby" he giggled and you nodded too, laughing out of nerves. Jaeyun felt calm when he heard you laugh and regularize your breathing, noticing that you were nervous but comfortable with his touch, so with his fingers he touched your pussy over your soaked underwear. His eyes widened with some surprise and his breath caught in his throat. "Damn, why are you so wet?" he felt as if electricity ran through his body and was going to stop straight at his cock. He swallowed hard and focused on you.

"I-" a lump formed in your throat, you were so embarrassed you felt like you were going to cry and he noticed.

"Sh, don't worry" he assured you, with his free hand he caressed your face and kissed your cheek. "This is so hot. The way your body reacted to just a couple of my touches and how much you want me to touch you but your pretty little mouth doesn't dare say it" he left a peck on your lips. "But don't worry beautiful, I will become an expert in your body language." You felt like your heart was going to explode in your chest at his words, his voice and the way he said each sentence while his hand played with the elastic of your underwear. "Excuse me, I'm going to take this off" you nodded and he crouched down in front of you sliding your underwear down your legs, his fingers brushing your skin making it crawl. You didn't know where your underwear was after he stood up again and in front of you because your eyes were squeezed shut. "Open your eyes, Y/n" he asked, you took a deep breath and obeyed him. His eyes had a mischievous gleam as his lower lip was trapped between his teeth, looking at you with lust. He spread your thighs further, forcing you to open your legs a little more and his hand went to your crotch, sliding his fingers easily along the length of your pussy. You pressed your lips tightly, the shock your body gave from the wave of pleasure that grew in you as he caressed you. "It feels good?"

"Mhm" you nodded quickly and pressed your head against the shelves behind you, holding yourself tightly to his body.

"Don't hold back darling, I want to hear you" his fingers moved slowly but rhythmically in your core spreading all your fluids. "Let me hear how good you feel, don't worry about those outside, they must be drunk already and involved in another stupid game again to remember that we are here. Come on, moan for me." his fingertips probed your entrance and his middle finger slowly slid inside you. You couldn't stifle the moan that escaped your lips at the sudden intrusion, you felt strange but it was a pleasant sensation. It's not like you haven't touched yourself before, but his hands and fingers were clearly bigger than yours so it felt different. His fingers moved slowly inside you and you squirmed in place, digging your nails into his shoulders, thankful that he had his shirt on so you wouldn't hurt him, although he wouldn't mind at all.

“Keep going, please” you begged. He slid another finger inside you and your walls clenched as his fingers curled inside you, touching a specific spot that made your body shiver. “It feels good, Jaeyun.” When his name left your lips he felt his cock jerk and he thrust his fingers in and out of you, taking a faster pace inside your tight walls. You continued moaning loudly and this time you looked into his eyes, your eyes had tears and he didn't know if they were from pleasure or pain, so he stopped his movements.

"Relax, pretty" he caressed your face again and again slowly, you nodded and sighed. You both stayed still for a moment, you breathing heavily and him spreading kisses across your face to calm you down.

"Keep going Jaeyun" he put his fingers in you again and this time with his thumb he reached your clit, rubbing it in circles. Your mouth opened and your legs trembled from the strong shock of pleasure that your entire body received. "Oh God-"

"Feels good? Do you like it?"

"Yes, yes. Please" your eyes almost rolled back and your hips moved involuntarily to the rhythm of his hand and he knew you were close to your orgasm. "Don't stop."

"Whatever you ask for, princess" he continued fucking you with his fingers and playing with your clit quickly while in contrast his other hand gently removed the fine hair that fell on your pretty blushing face. "Are you going to cum?"

"Yes!" you almost screamed in pleasure and his fingers tightened in you, your body felt the wave of pleasure explode inside you as your head spun, your legs weakened and Jaeyun wrapped his arm around your waist to hold you tightly as his hand on your pussy slowed down their movements once your body relaxed. Your head fell against his shoulder and he rubbed your back, hugging you to him. "That was incredible" your voice sounded exhausted and you felt his body shake as he laughed. "Thank you" you murmured, separating yourself from him and meeting his dark gaze. Your eyes widened in panic and you stifled a gasp when he brought his fingers glistening with your fluids to his lips and inserted them into his mouth, cleaning them completely with his tongue.

"So sweet" a half smile adorned his face as your cheeks turned even redder. You didn't know where you got the courage from, but you put a hand on the back of his neck and pressed your lips to his, surprising him and causing him to moan that ended up lost between both mouths, while you could faintly feel a hint of the taste of your fluids on his tongue. He separated from you before everything got out of control again and looked at you from head to toe, adjusting your clothes and your hair so you can come out decent.

"M-my underwear?" you asked shyly, feeling very obviously that something was missing under your skirt.

"Ah, no" he shook his head. "It doesn't belong to you anymore, darling." You blinked in shock and then let out a laugh. Your gaze moved down his body and you noticed the very noticeable bulge in his pants.

“Oh, you-” he followed your gaze."Should I-"

"No. Don't worry" he reassured you."The important thing here is that you enjoyed yourself."

"But- I really want to do something about it" you were still shy and he couldn't believe it since minutes before he had his fingers buried inside your pussy and you had ended up trembling in his arms. He also couldn't believe how before entering that closet you had that arrogant look and your head held high, showing yourself confident and having everyone at your feet only to turn out to be all just a facade that hid a shy Y/n completely terrified of everything. Jaeyun definitely wanted to keep seeing those innocent eyes filling with tears from the pleasure your body had never experienced.

"Next time we will do something about it, rest assured" he winked at you and took your hand, you just nodded and followed him when he opened the door and you both left the closet -who knows how long later- and were greeted with extremely out-of-character comments from your friends.

I feel like this deserves a second part or I just feel like writing even more idk

send me request for zb1, enhypen and stray kids.

[jubileemon]

Loona started off as a fan favorite, but as the series progressed, some hate her for being your typical "misunderstood teenage goth girl" who is bratty, temperamental and mistreats others around her as little more than nuisances, even her adoptive father, Blitzo.

Background and Trauma

Loona exhibits a complex personality shaped by a traumatic upbringing. Her behavior is rooted in her experiences at the Hellhound Adoption Foundation, where she was raised by uncaring caretakers. Devoid of affection and subjected to violence for disobedience, Loona's formative years were marred by isolation and mistreatment. This harsh reality of her childhood in the orphanage left her with deep-seated trust issues and an inability to properly give or receive love, influencing her interactions with others, including her adoptive father Blitz.

The so-called "adoption center" looks like a cross between a run-down dog pound and a juvenile detention center, with most of the hellhounds Blitzo sees looking malnourished or deformed. When he sees Loona, her cellmate is threatening her with a bloody nail bat before she flings him at the bars, growling and then she starts crying, looking more like a frightened, feral dog than anything. The social worker's indifferent description of her in her emotionally dead tone doesn't help, saying all this directly in front of Loona's cell, and only highlights how lonely Loona's life had been for almost eighteen years.

Loona's living space gets more tragic the longer you look at it. The back and side walls are covered in tally marks scratched into the tile. And there's a typical "Hang in there!" poster ripped with obvious claw marks, making it clear Loona had long given up hope of being adopted into a family. There are some drawings on the walls of Loona with storm clouds above her head and a giant version of her stomping on a city. Either they were drawn by Loona in which case they show just how frustrated and fed up with the world she has become over the years, or they were drawn by the other hellhound kids who only see her as a vicious monster.

The fact that this place is essentially a pound and not an adoption place paints Loona's situation as much grimmer. They're not treated as individuals but as animals and would normally just leave as rescued dogs. When the social worker mentions that Loona will age out it's implied that it doesn't mean that she's exactly leaving safe & sound.

You can also see that Loona takes a look at her tally marks, and as it lines up with the social worker's statement on her aging out, it wordlessly states Loona knows about this. Whether she's put to sleep or kicked out ownerless, it's a cloud of pitch-black dread she can do nothing about except countdown to.

The social worker's dialogue makes it clear how hellhounds are treated in this world. They're not treated as sentient individuals; instead, they're valued for either being strong laborers or cute family pets. Loona is both strong and beautiful, but being a self-actualized person with internal struggles and self-preservation instincts makes her undesirable. For an imp, one of the lowest creatures in Hell's hierarchy, to be able to adopt a hellhound as a pet or servant shows that despite their strength, they're seen and treated as even lower than imps.

If Blitzo hadn't adopted her, Loona would apparently have "aged out of the system" and been "out of the kennel's hair". This could simply mean that Loona would be kicked out, but given a mix of how scared she looked, the way hellhounds are treated in this setting and what sometimes happens to real dogs when they're deemed too old for adoption…

Personality

Loona's past manifested in various aspects of her demeanor. Her reluctance to perform her job may stem from a newfound appreciation for freedom, contrasting with her previously constrained life. Her agreessive nature, particularly towards characters like Moxxie, can be seen as a defensive mechanism, a way to assert control in situations where she might feel vulnerable.

Blitzo's adoption of her before she aged out ensured her gratitude and was why she didn't leave him. But years of hardship have made it hard for her to open up to him properly. Despite her tough exterior, moments of genuine vulnerability reveal her social awkwardness and desire for connection, which she struggles to navigate due to her lack of social experience.

Loona is shown throughout the series to have a strong aversion to being touched, reacting either with threatening growls or violence. However, her aversion to being touched might've stem from her past in the adoption center, yet she can handle being touched when she's the one initiating the contact, as seen when she allows Octavia to hug her and then holds her hand through the portal. That being said, she never reacted aggressively to Blitzo's affections beforehand, so this felt out of place, even for her.

Social Skills

Loona seems to be hiding some deep insecurities and feelings of loneliness, having never had any friends before meeting Vortex and briefly glancing with visible sadness at a picture of an happy family in "Murder Family", which implies Loona does wish to have good relationships in her life, but is unable to due to her tendency to see the bad in people and vent out her frustrations on others, including (and, arguably, especially) those who try to be nice or fatherly to her, like her adoptive father Blitzo.

However, after having been friend-zoned by Vortex, Loona didn't resent him and kept in touch with him, becoming great friends with him and going to parties with him, which might be making her more open to people and less hostile, as she's gradually becoming less rude and apathetic towards her co-workers.

Father-Daughter Relationship

Blitzo is her adoptive father, but she almost always refers to him by his name since she doesn't like showing the fact that she cares about him. That said, there are times where she slips up: on Instagram, she was so worried about him being kidnapped that she straight out called him "dad", though she immediately tried to walk it back out of embarrassment by claiming she was just upset that food was running low in their home. In "Spring Broken", she was so flustered with seeing Vortex that she almost slipped and called Blitzo "dad" before catching herself.

Once, she showed to be more than capable of both showing affection to and taking care of Blitzo: when he became severely intoxicated at Vortex and Queen Bee-lzebub's party to numb his pain after having rejected Stolas, she drove and carried him back to I.M.P. headquarters, set him on the couch and covered him with a blanket. When Blitzo shared his insecurities regarding loneliness and asked her if she'd be by him once he met his end, Loona promised him she would, showing her seriousness and true care by willingly calling him "dad".

Sisterly Bond

For the longest time, Loona and Octavia never met each other, only being connected to each other through their dads being in a rather complicated relationship with each other. This changed one day when Octavia snuck into I.M.P.'s office to obtain her father's grimoire so she can watch a meteor shower on Earth on her own. Loona actually spots Octavia trying to sneak in, but deliberately chooses not to say anything (partly because of lingering anger from a discussion she had with her father earlier).

As Loona approaches Octavia when she finally finds her, she's incredibly gentle with the girl and even compliments her on her photos. Loona rags on Blitzo at the beginning of "Seeing Stars", even physically assaulting him. But on Earth, she ultimately does do what he wants in finding Octavia, confiding in her that she recognizes that Blitzo is trying to be a good dad to her. It's as close as Loona gets to admitting that maybe things with Blitzo aren't as bad as she's ever gotten.

When Loona asks Octavia if she's ready to go while extending her hand out to her, Octavia gives the grimoire over to Loona and hugs her, glad to have someone who listened to her and can relate to. Previous episodes have shown that Loona does NOT like physical affection, shown most often with Blitzo. Yet here, Loona accepts and even returns Octavia's hug with no resistance whatsoever. It's even better since Loona was the one who initiated the contact. She holds her hand out to Octavia twice as though to help her stand up and looks a little confused when Octavia instead hands her the book the first time.

Conclusion

So far, I can see that Loona's character among fans is kinda mixed. While some viewers are sympathetic with her traumatic past and understand her defensive behavior, others find her attitude off-putting, which is understandable. It's also understandable that due to her recent absence and lack of dialogues during the second season, Loona's VA was probably given time to grieve due to the losing her partner and probably a busy schedule with other projects.

[a-dumb-sarcastic-bisexual]

Long list of Nimona headcanons cause I didn't post yesterday

I feel like Nimona doesn’t really have great control of her shifting/strength when she’s experiencing really intense emotions 

When she’s angry or frustrated she tends to get bigger 

Sometimes it’s her whole body sometimes it’s just her arms 

She has a bad habit of breaking things on accident when she’s upset 

When they’re sad or hurt they’ll get smaller 

One time Nimona and Bal got into a really intense argument and Bal said something he didn’t mean and they shrunk like 5 inches and he knew he fucked up instantly 

When he gets happy or excited is when his shifting really goes haywire  

Sometimes when he’s really happy with someone he’ll subconsciously take on some of their characteristics 

Ambrosius complimented him one time and Nimona had his dimples for the rest of the day 

Bal fixed her headphones and she took on his laugh for two days 

At first it kind of unsettled them but they understood that it was just another way of her showing love so they got used to seeing their freckles on her face and hearing their laughs from her 

Bal needs glasses and contacts most of the time but he never uses them

He says glasses are a pain and he’s terrified of anything and everything near his eyes 

Ambrosius needs to do it for him because it’s easier for some reason 

He also has a bad habit of misplacing his glasses and recruits Nimona and Ambrosius to help him look for them the second they're supposed to leave 

Half the time they give up on looking for them and he relies on Ambrosius to help him read things 

He loves that man to death but if he has to read one more menu out loud he’s gonna lose it 

There have also been close calls where people tried to start a fight cause they thought Bal was glaring at them

In reality he was just trying to read the sign next to them 

No one should let this man drive he’s a terror to society when he’s behind the wheel

He always insists that he doesn’t need his glasses to drive 

Nimona offers to drive but no one lets them because the last time they were behind the wheel they aimed for a group of people yelling “That’s at least 50 points”

Ambrosius is the most responsible driver but as I said in this post that man can’t find his way out of a paper bag 

So his directions are always on and Bal always complains that he could find a faster way in his sleep

Ambrosius turns to him and says “Love you couldn’t find your hand in front of your face” 

And Bal shoved him so hard he almost crashed the carriage and his passenger privileges were revoked for a week

Both Bal and Nimona have resting bitch faces 

A lot of people think Bal is this mean horrible stuck-up person 

And then they talk to him for more than five seconds and realize he’s got a heart of gold and big puppy dog eyes to match

A lot of people see Nimona’s resting bitch face and get a little scared but they also have this thought of “but she’s just a teenager with a squishy little face how bad could she be”

And then they realize they’re talking to a chaos gremlin and the resting bitch face was there to protect them

Ambrosius has been trained not to frown in public 

This man puts Disney Employees to shame with his bright smile and his energetic personality 

But the literal second he’s home that mask drops 

Bal and Ambrosius are so used to this routine that they aren’t even fazed anymore 

But Nimona always pretends like they’re cutting the string over Ambrosius' head whenever the door closes 

It’s almost comical to see because the second they do it his face drops and his shoulders droop and his once energetic voice is a monotone mumble 

He’s not always like this tho being in the public eye just drains the life out of him

But when he gets to stay home with people who love and care about him he could put the damn energizer bunny out of business

[everydayyoulovemeless]

The reaction of the companions of fo3 to the fact that they are in love with Lone Wanderer? Please 🙏

Fo3 Companions Realizing They're In Love With Lone

➼ Word Count » 0.7k ➼ Warnings » Age Gap ➼ Genre » Romantic, Pinning

Charon opts to ignore it. He's got a job to do and is bound by contract. His feelings don't matter for this transaction to work and now is no different. Despite it all, he can't help but notice how much more inclined he is to be of service to you — always offering to take the night shift, or more aware of his surroundings than he normally would be. He's never been so fond of the person holding his contract and it makes him feel so conflicted. What would you say? Would you sell him off if you found out? He's a ghoul, for Godsake, what 19-year-old teen would want him?

Clover isn't sure how to act, so she'll act in the only way she's known how — sexually. She'll run her hands across your shoulders and whisper lowly into your ears just so she can get the message across to you, but in all honesty, she truly isn't sure what it is she feels for you. It'll take he a minute to sit down and think everything over before she comes to the realization that she's in love with you. Once she figures it out, she'll tone her erotic actions toward you down, opting to instead bring you flowers, or clean up around your home. She tries to mimic you in how you treat her, hoping that it'll eventually make you feel the same for her as she does you.

Star Paladin Cross feels a bit conflicted about her feelings for you as you're the kid she helped escort to the vault. She's well aware of her body modifications and the sheer age gap between you two and would, therefore, try to extinguish these feelings at all costs. You two weren't meant to be together, and she needs to get a grip before this turns into anything more than you and her being comrades.

Jericho doesn't care if you catch on to how he feels or not, he'll just pin you up against a wall and try to get you flustered. This has always been his way of showing someone that he's interested in them and he'll stick with this method until you say something about it. He's constantly in your face — whether he be throwing his arms around you or squishing your cheeks between his fingers. He loves the way you swat at him and the cute way you roll your eyes at his antics, however, he doesn't realize that he's in love until you get injured badly. Then reality will hit him and he'll (slightly) drop his douchy act and make an actual attempt at wooing you.

Butch tries to play it off and act the same as he always has, but every time he's around you he can't help but fall into a blushing, flustered mess. He's a teenager who's never actually been in love before, and he hates every second of it. Who do you think you are anyway? Walking around as if you're blissfully unaware of his feelings toward you. He gets meaner towards you — teasing you more often and tripping you whenever the chance arises — but it's only to help try and mask his intentions. He'll only put the pieces together when someone else tries to flirt with you, then he'll pull his pocket knife out, scare the guy off, and go right back to how he was before — a bumbling mess.

Fawkes knew he loved you the second you broke him out of that vault, however, he's well aware of how he looks and would never dream of putting you into a situation like that, so he keeps it to himself. He'll be polite to you — always opening doors and offering to hold onto the heavier items and weapons you may possess, but that's the extent of it. He's older than you and would hate to hold you down in any way, so he'll love you from afar and risk his life for you any chance he gets. It's the only way he can think of to pay you back for being so kind toward him.

[buckybarnesss]

Even the framing of that shot fucking kills me: the nogitsune confidently staring at Chris, almost amused, and then Derek comes into frame and he's visibly frightened

And he's not looking at Stiles. He's scared of what Chris is going to do TO Stiles. This is really his biggest fear, what he's been worried about this entire time. And what can he do??

the whole thing is just a masterful stroke on the nogitstune's part. it's torturing everyone in that scene including stiles.

like, of course it's obvious how these events hurt the sheriff. that's his child being tortured by an ancient creature and forced to do terrible, terrible things and also who is clearly becoming more like a walking corpse every minute. it used claudia's illness against both him and stiles to make them lose hope. how he maintained any composure i don't know. i'd be a fucking wreck of a human seeing my loved one worn like an ill fitting suit to prom.

for chris? this is a guy who we've seen intimidate teenagers for no real reason other than because he can. he's held scott at gunpoint for daring to be with allison and nothing else but he hesitates here. he hesitates despite hedging with derek earlier about what he would do.

this moment such an inverse to season 1 going all the way back to that confrontation in code breaker between chris and stiles.

i can guarantee chris was recalling it.

argent: let me ask you a question, stiles... have you ever seen a rabid dog? stiles: no. i could put it on my to-do list, if you just let me go. argent: well, i have. and the only thing i've ever been able to compare it to is seeing a friend of mine turn on a full moon. do you wanna know what happened? stiles: not really... no offense to your storytelling skills... argent: he tried to kill me, and i was forced to put a bullet in his head. the whole while that he lay there dying, he was still trying to claw his way toward me, still trying to kill me, like it was the most important thing he could do with his last breath. can you imagine that?

and allison? allison's already made the horrible decision of harming boyd and erica that started the dominos that led to erica and boyd being taken by the alphas and erica being killed.

now she's confronted with this monster wearing her friend's face toying with their emotions. she tries to subdue it but all that does is piss the nogitsune off and annoy him.

she's been manipulated by both kate and gerard to see her friends as being enemies when they weren't only to be faced with the reality of it here.

allison wants to save her friends so badly to make up for her mistakes but with this she might not be able to.

derek's position is just heartbreaking. this is really his greatest fear and failures playing out again.

we don't often see derek express fear. he usually expresses anger rather than let anyone know he's afraid but here? here derek is afraid.

3A set up that derek and stiles had become friends, that stiles had been working with him over the summer to look for eric and boyd, that derek trusted stiles so much it broke jennifer's magic over him ---

and the nogitsune brings itself to derek's loft for protection because it knows derek will do anything to protect stiles.

he's already lost so many people. he's had to mercy kill people he cared about before. again stiles is one of the few who know about paige, stiles witnessed what happened with boyd and peter and jackson. he knows all of this about derek which means the nogitsune does too.

i'm not really sure what kind of derek we would've seen if stiles had died due to the nogitsune.

of course the person often lost in the psychological warfare of the nogitune is stiles.

stiles had to watch all this. had to see his knowledge used against the people he cared about over and over. his hands and body used for terrible things. the nogitsune fed off that more than anything. stiles's fear and confusion and pain. stiles was dying.

it's why the nogitsune was the best villain lol

[eskymoos]

Captain Levi Ackerman after an argument with his teenage daughter

Based on a real story

No trigger warnings

A heavy rain painted the chilly night. The raindrops pattered on the windows of the small, compact houses in Trost. Levi's house was one of them. 

But he was nowhere to be seen. 

His daughter, on the other hand, was right where she wasn't supposed to be- leaned up against a wall outside the front door and watching the night sky turn white with each thunderbolt. The teenage Ackerman stood still, a cigarette squeezed in between her lips and her thoughts scattered all around.

Levi was far from a perfect father. He had many flaws and unreachable expectations. Sometimes he was too harsh and sharp when expressing his affection. He was a protective parent nonetheless. The kind that would always be there to speak up for their child and sacrifice everything for them.

That night Levi's daughter had gotten into an argument with him and left before things escalated. 

"Your head is always in the clouds," Levi snarled and she scoffed in disapproval.

"You know what? I can't have this conversation with you dad."

"That so?" He countered, a frail hue of anger lingering on his tongue. "Get out of my sight then."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Out of my sight." He repeated. "Come back when you can talk like a normal person."

And that's how she took his words to heart and left the house to take a breath of air. He was suffocating at times. Perhaps that's why she had hid her habit of smoking. If Levi learned about her accidental addiction he'd actually lose his composure. 

The girl continued bringing the cigarette in and out of her mouth until she heard the wooden door crack open as a dark figure emerged from within.

"That's not what I meant when I told you to get out." The Captain rasped.

"Dad– this is not what it looks like." His daughter leapt on the spot.

It was the worst possible timing. She knew the health expert her father was and how furious he would be.

But he wasn't. In fact, he seemed more collected than ever before.

The girl was dumbfounded, not knowing how to decipher his attitude.

Meanwhile the rain doused both their clothes and left them dripping wet and cold to the bone.

Levi reached out and wrapped his arm under his daughter's, bringing her under the roof where the water couldn't reach and ruin her hair even more. Before she could speak over him, he reached out and tossed the cigarette onto the paved ground before trampling it under his boot.

"I don't understand." She stuttered through her confusion. "Aren't you mad?"

"Are you disappointed that I'm not?"

"No, but you're scaring me."

Levi sighed and then took off his coat, slinging it over her shoulders so she'd take in all the warmth from it.

"Don't want you to catch a cold, kiddo," he explained, refusing to admit how suddenly his heart softened for her. She was his offspring, his treasure. A side of him regretted ever raising his voice at her while the other side of him was desperately trying to craft a way of disciplining her without pushing her away.

"You scare me too sometimes." He whispered, coming to terms with reality. "If you're going to smoke, smoke inside the house where it's warm. If you're going to cry, cry to me. If you do something stupid, you come to *me*. No matter how bad it is. You hear me?"

He demanded in hushed tones and brushed her damp strands of hair back. The girl nodded slowly.

"Good. I don't want some other scumbag out there to hear the things only your dad is supposed to hear."

"But you can be so impulsive, dad."

"I can be, yes. And I am sorry. I try not to take things too far so I will do better for you.'' He conceived, grasping her disliking for some things he does. 

''Thank you dad.'' His daughter betrayed the tiniest shade of happiness in a half-smirk. 

''Sure. You know I'd do anything for you.'' 

''Anything?''

When she asked that, he abruptly let out a groan. ''What? What are you thinking now?''

''Can I please come to the next expediti–''

''Can I please forget you even asked that? Absolutely not.''

''It was worth a try,'' the girl shrugged her shoulders as the two walked into the kitchen for a warm, delicious cup of tea. Perhaps things were not so bad. That was just how Levi lived with a daughter just like him. Another human being he created who bothered him at times with how identical she was. The daughter who rarely listened to him and whose affection was always expressed with actions and not words.

[liightsout]

the blue - part twelve

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✯ summary: waking up together, first dates, first kisses ✯

✯ pairing: daniel ricciardo x fem!oc ✯

✯ content warnings: light swearing ✯

✯ now playing: the alchemy - taylor swift ✯

✯ masterlist✯

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Mattie wasn’t sure how long she had been awake for. It felt like hours. The loud ticking of the clock hanging on her bedroom wall sounded quieter than it ever had, drowned out by the light snores from the man lying next to her. In reality it had only been a few minutes, she knew that, but time seemed to pass slower with the early morning sunlight peeking through her curtains. 

Soft exhales from Danny’s lips danced across her skin. He had found a perfect space for himself between her collarbone and jaw at some point during the night and hadn’t moved since. She didn’t mind. Their legs were still entangled from the night before. His arms wrapped firmly around her body, securing himself to her. She didn’t mind that either. 

They had stayed up the night before for hours, just talking and sharing secrets. Like small children at their very first sleepover. Newly found friends exchanging everything from favourite movies, first crushes and their deepest insecurities. 

Danny had spoken about his dreams of a big family one day. A dream that he felt wouldn’t be possible given his current lifestyle. Formula 1 athlete and dedicated family man was not something he felt he could juggle easily. He feared the criticism of the media that he already faced in his career. He didn’t want to bring up a child around that. 

Mattie praised him for that. It would be easy for him to have a family. To pick one of the many perfect girls that she was sure had crossed his path and to settle down. She could imagine Danny easily, a couple kids, a beautiful wife and a white picket fence. It would be easy to not give them the proper attention a family deserved. She felt it was mature of him to put that dream on the back burner, not many men would. Danny wasn’t like many men. 

She told him about her family; a topic she didn’t bring up easily. Explaining that she had been raised in a single parent household. Her Dad had left when she was 3, he decided having a kid hadn’t been the life he had planned for himself. 

She didn’t blame him anymore. Her parents had been teenagers when her Mum had fallen pregnant. A happy accident her Mum had always called it. When she was younger she blamed her Dad for leaving them. A bitter resentment that faded the older she got. 

With age Mattie realised that her father was just a kid himself, running scared from big adult problems. She knew the feeling. 

Her Mum had done more than enough for her. She had shown her enough love and guidance that she knew she hadn’t missed out on anything. 

Danny had listened to her recounting stories of her childhood. Baking birthday cakes, a different flavour each year. Creating make believe tales of princesses in castles being rescued by their prince charming’s. Hot summer days spent at the beach, with sticky cheeks from ice cream cones and sun cream. Not once did he offer her fake sympathy at a life he might have thought she missed out on due to an absent father. Instead he listened attentively. Instead he told her that her Mum sounded like an incredibly strong woman, just like her daughter. 

It was Danny groaning that pulled her from her thoughts. She felt his hands tighten around her frame and pull her closer than she thought possible, nothing separating them but the clothes on both their bodies. 

“It’s way too early for either of us to be awake” he spoke, his voice rough with sleep. His accent sounded stronger than it had ever before. 

Mattie let out a laugh and looked down at the man that had cocooned himself around her.

“It’s actually 9AM, which means you’ve missed your morning training session with Michael” she said, adding a mocking tut at the end. She brought her hand up to rest at the back of Danny’s head, scratching delicately at his skin, playing with the soft curls that lay there. 

“Nah it’s fine, I text him last night and cancelled, told him I had more important thing to do today” his voice trailed off toward the end as he let out a sigh, “please don’t stop whatever it is you’re doing right now with your hand” he said his voice thick with satisfaction.

She let her fingers move back and forth through his mess of curly brown hair. A satisfied hum left Danny’s lips as he memorised the way her hands felt against his skin. Their peaceful moment rudely interrupted by a loud banging noise at the bedroom door. 

“Urm guys, I actually dread to think about what is going on in that room and I am terribly sorry to interrupt whatever early morning escapades you’re getting up to, but I brought you coffee and breakfast. It’s in the kitchen for when you’re… finished” Adam’s voice travelled through the door followed by a booming laugh and the sound of his footsteps down the hallway. 

Mattie’s face flushed as the Aussie joined in with their friend’s laughter. She felt the urge to jump to their defence, to claim that nothing like that was going on. Instead she found herself caught up in Danny’s contagious laugh. She liked laughing with him. It made her feel lighter. 

Raising his head for the first time since he had awoken, Danny looked up at her blushing smiling cheeks, a dopey grin on his face. 

“Come on pretty girl, up and at ‘em. First, breakfast, and then I owe you a date.” 

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Mattie couldn’t recall a first date that she enjoyed. Admittedly there had been a few that had been nice enough, but never anything to write home about. She found that first dates consisted of awkward dinners, disappointing small talk and unwanted wandering hands. 

She longed for a man to consider her. To consider who they were going on a date with, and cater it just for her. She knew it was wishful thinking, well aware that dating in your twenties was comparable to a hellscape. She had decided long ago that the fewer first dates she went on, the better. 

She should have known a first date with Danny would be different. 

When he had first brought up the notion of a date on that FaceTime call she had been ecstatic. The thought of spending any amount of time with him was enough to keep her smiling for days. It was only when she had considered what a date with Danny would look like that she felt the nerves creep in. 

She hoped that Danny knew her well enough to know that the last thing she wanted was for him to make a big fuss. She didn’t want him to splash the cash like he didn’t have a care in the world. Sure, the finest restaurant in London followed by fancy drinks at a high end cocktail bar sounded nice, but not what she wanted. She didn’t need Danny to try to impress her like that. He’d already done enough, she just wanted to spend time with him. 

She should have known Danny knew her better than that. She shouldn't have doubted him like that. 

Giving no indication on what he had planned for the day, Mattie had agonised over what to wear. She eventually settled for a pair of loose fitting jeans, a chunky knit sweater and platform Converse. A perfect combination of comfy but cute. Hair and makeup was much easier now that Danny had seen her first thing in the morning. She settled for light makeup, a bit of blush and tinted lip balm. She wore her hair down, framing her face with natural waves. 

A knock at the apartment door signalled Danny’s arrival. He had left an hour prior, ducking out after sharing a breakfast muffin with her. Adam had given him the code to the communal front door before he left, “you might as well have it if you’re going to be here all the time” he had said. 

She found the Aussie at the door, a large bouquet of wild daisies in hand, “pretty flowers for a pretty girl” he had told her. She wondered if she would ever get used to how easily compliments would fall from his lips, always aimed in her direction. She doubted it. 

He grabbed her hand as soon as she had closed her front door and shouted a goodbye to Adam. With their fingers intertwined he pulled her across the street to the bakery. 

With a charming smile he walked up to the barista behind the counter and asked for a preorder for “DR”. The very same barista that had informed her about Danny coming into the bakery and asking what her favourite muffin was all those months ago. 

The barista, who she knew now was called Emma, raised her eyebrows at Mattie and shot her a wink as she handed over a large brown bag to Danny. Emma had been asking for updates regarding her “Australian hottie” on a regular basis. She had shrugged her off with a laugh each time and told her they were just friends and that she was reading too much into it. She feared she would never hear the end of this next time she came in for her daily blueberry muffin. 

Hand in hand Danny guided her to a sleek black Range Rover parked out on the street in front of her flat. He opened the passenger door for her and waited until she was safely buckled into the seat before handing her the brown paper bag filled with goodies. A swift warning of “no peeking” followed with a joking finger wag. 

In that moment she didn’t care what was in the bag. Her mind reeling over the small action of having a car door opened for her. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had treated her with such care and attention. 

Jumping into the front seat Danny handed her his phone with Spotify already open, telling her to put on whatever she wanted for their journey. The car’s engine roared to life and in no time he was expertly navigating the streets of London. 

Staring at the unlocked phone in her hands Mattie’s mind went blank. The small act of handing her his phone would have seemed so insignificant to anyone else, she was sure of that. To her it was huge. She recalled dating men for months that would refuse to even let her look at their phone screens, let alone hold their unlocked phone in her hands. Especially while they were too busy to see what she was doing with it. 

She knew that Danny knew that she would never snoop through his phone. That he didn’t need to worry about her looking for information to run to the gossip sites with. But this also told her something else entirely. This told her that he had nothing to hide. He wasn’t worried about some girl messaging him something incriminating while she had control of his phone. 

The short journey was filled with lingering eyes and bashful smiles between the pair. Danny’s hand had found its way to rest on Mattie’s thigh a few minutes into the journey. Her breath caught in her throat, his bold actions always catching her completely off guard. His fingertips flexed as he gave her a light squeeze every time he caught her singing along absentmindedly to whichever Taylor Swift song she had selected to play through the radio. She wasn’t a fan of long car journeys, but she hoped that this one lasted forever. 

Mattie had instantly recognised where they were the minute Danny had pulled the car to a stop. Her eyes lit up as she turned round to look at him in the driver’s seat. 

“How did you know Primrose Hill was my favourite place in the city?” she said with a suspicious glint to her voice. Danny shrugged his shoulders, feigning ignorance as a childlike grin spread across his cheeks.

Adam, she thought. She didn’t mind that he had told him. If anything she found it adorable that Danny had asked her best friend for ideas of where to take her. 

This was the kind of date she had always wanted. Someone who cared enough to consider her. Of course Danny would have worked out exactly what her idea of a perfect first date would be. She didn’t need to worry about fancy restaurants and awkward small talk over a bottle of cheap wine. 

The sound of her door opening and a large hand being offered to her pulled her from her thoughts. For the second time that day the pair walked hand in hand. She never thought her hand would ever fit so perfectly with another’s. It felt like he filled up all her empty spaces.

They spent the next few hours cuddled up next to one another in the grass overlooking the city. The baseball cap on Danny’s head shielded his identity from the rest of the world as much as it could. To any other passerby they would have looked like any ordinary couple enjoying a perfect midweek afternoon together. 

The picnic Danny had purchased contained her favourite sandwich from the bakery. As well as two blueberry muffins, just for her. She had argued that she didn’t need two and that Danny should have the other. He firmly declined and told her the other was for later on when she felt hungry. Plus he had bought his own chocolate chunk cookie. He made her pinky promise not to tell Michael. She vowed it was a secret she would take to the grave.

Mattie wasn’t sure if Danny was trying to be perfect, or whether he just was. Did he mean to exude such confidence and kindness, or was it completely natural for him? Over the short time she had known him he had always considered her thoughts, feelings and welfare over his own. Whether it was making sure she knew he thought she was beautiful, or random messages while he was away reminding her to eat dinner when he knew she was elbows deep in work. 

She wasn’t entirely sure where their relationship was headed, but she knew that she was far too deep to turn back now. Danny had made it clear that he liked her. She just hoped that he knew the feeling was mutual. For someone that read and edited novels for a living, she was struggling to find the words to tell him how she felt. 

“Do you want to come to Monaco?” the Aussie asked as he traced his fingers up and down her arm, creating goosebumps as he went. Mattie felt her eyes grow wide as she looked into his. 

“To the race, you mean?” she asked, seeking clarification. Adam had invited her to races before, ones that he could get team tickets for. Tickets were hard to come by and he was pretty far down the list in terms of ‘seniority’ so it was usually for one of the less popular races. Even then she ran the risk of getting bumped off the list if someone more important decided they needed a ticket for a friend or family member. Not that she minded, she was grateful to even have a chance at the experience. 

“Uh yeah, to the race. My parents will be there, my sister too, and her kids. I thought it’d be nice for you to meet them. I have a place there so you wouldn’t need to stay in a hotel… it’s ok if you don’t want to or you can’t, I just-” he paused as if he considered his next words. “I just want you to be there and I’d be so pissed at myself if I didn’t ask, or left it too late to ask and you couldn’t make it because of work” the Aussie rambled. He looked anxious. She rarely saw him like this and each time it left her stunned that anything could ever make him anything less than cool, calm and confident. 

She considered her options carefully. The last 24 hours had been a whirlwind. She knew in her heart what she wanted to say to the man sitting in front of her, with his perfect eyes boring into hers with unease. She had always believed in the power of words, yet she felt that there was nothing she could say that would bring justice to what she wanted him to know. 

Mattie lent forward and placed her lips delicately against his. She felt him release a sudden intake of breath, clearly surprised at her actions. Fuck, she thought. It was too much. Too sudden. She had gotten the wrong idea. 

Just as she started to pull away, she felt a strong hand at the back of neck pulling her back in. When their lips met a second time Mattie swore she felt every nerve in her body catch fire. Like a firework had been lying in wait somewhere inside her, only to be set off at the exact moment their lips touched. Like a twist of fate she had never seen coming. 

The feeling of his lips against hers was what she had always imagined a first kiss should be like. No awkward nose bumps or over eager tongues. Slow and meaningful. Danny’s lips moved with purpose against hers, capturing her bottom lip between his. 

Slowly they pulled away from one another. Mattie’s eyes opened and readjusted to the bright daylight around them. Hesitantly she looked to the man in front of her. Anxiety was no longer painted across his features. Instead, a warm smile that she had grown to love more than any other she had seen before. 

“Is that a yes?” he spoke, a teasing look on his face. Mattie felt the blush creeping up her neck and dusting across her cheeks. She couldn’t help the laugh that fell from her lips. 

“Of course it’s a yes. Are you sure? Monaco is a big deal, Adam’s always said before it’s one of hardest races to get tickets for” she replied. 

“You’re Daniel Ricciardo’s girlfriend, of course you get a ticket” Danny said easily. As if he hadn’t just uttered the craziest sentence she had ever heard. 

“Girlfriend?” Mattie choked out in response. She was sure he had lost his mind. Dating was one thing. Calling her his girlfriend was in a whole different category. 

“Oh definitely, pretty girl. I had pretty much decided that was going to happen the minute I laid eyes on you.” Mattie stared at him a little longer, her brain working overdrive to convince herself this was in fact real life. 

“I think it was the pink fuzzy slippers that did it for me, or the way you were ready to cuss me out thinking I was Adam” he casually replied. 

It was only when his hand found hers on the floor between them and he gave her knuckles a light squeeze she concluded that, yes, this was not a dream. Not even in her deepest slumber could her brain invent the shockwaves that she felt every time Danny’s skin connected with hers. 

“Does this mean I’m a WAG?” she asked with a serious look on her face. The laugh that escaped through Danny’s lips was loud and infectious. She decided then she never wanted to not know what it felt like to make Daniel Ricciardo laugh. 

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As soon as they had stepped into the apartment they had been bombarded by Adam. He declared that he had been bored all day without company and needed to be a part of whatever they had planned for the rest of their evening. They both agreed, but were quick to tell him they had no plans set in stone. 

This was how they had ended up sitting cross legged on the living room floor, building the Lego flower bouquet Mattie had purchased earlier in the week. She had been bored while the boys had been in Bahrain and was looking for a new hobby to pass the time. Plus, the flowers were cute and would look pretty on the desk in her bedroom. She thought that it would be a fun group activity for them all if she wasn’t going to build it on her own any time soon. 

Mattie diligently read the instructions and placed her bricks together as she constructed her part of the bouquet. Danny sat patiently next to her, far too distracted by how pretty he thought she looked as she focused on the task in front of her. 

Adam had rolled his eyes and mocked the Aussie for the lovesick look on his face, which Danny had shrugged off easily. He made it clear he didn’t care how he looked. He didn’t care how obvious he was being. He was infatuated. 

While the pair weren’t looking Adam found himself smiling fondly at the sight before him. It had been a long time since he had seen his best friend so comfortable around someone besides himself. Despite all the jokes he was truly happy that she was happy. 

“Adam, mate, you’re fucking terrible at this” Danny laughed as he watched Adam place the wrong bricks together for what felt like the hundredth time that night. The couple had finished all their pieces and were awaiting Adam to complete his. 

“Fuck off Danny, like you did anything to help! You’ve spent the last hour doing nothing but drooling over my best mate and telling her how amazing she is!” the Brit retorted in jest as he pointed an accusatory finger towards his friend. 

The pair continued bickering back and forth like siblings as Mattie scrolled through her phone. She had posted some photos on Instagram throughout the day. She didn’t often feel the need to post about her life online, but her newfound relationship with Danny was something that she wanted to share. It wasn’t bragging or attention seeking, just a need to show her friends and family how happy she was. 

She was liking a few comments left by friends when she felt her stomach drop. She had seen that Adam had posted about their Lego date to Instagram; omitting who exactly it was that she had been on a date with. What she didn’t see was that Danny had also posted a photo of said date to his Instagram account. 

It hadn’t taken long at all for the internet sleuths to work out what was going on. 

They had only been together officially a mere few hours and the vultures were already circling. Her follow requests on Instagram had shot through the roof, and her message requests had gone from having one zero at the end to having three. 

As she sorted through the comments she had been tagged in she felt her stomach drop for the second time. She felt as though she was on a roller coaster and hadn’t realised there was a second plummet coming, this one much larger than the first. 

The post she had been tagged in was from one of the F1 gossip accounts. Pictures she had shared of her and Danny were there for everyone to see and comment on. The very same page that had posted photos she had shared of Danny and Lando prior to the race. She knew that someone who followed her had shared them from her account without her permission, she just wasn’t sure who. The sting of betrayal hurt even greater now that it had happened twice.

Mattie hadn’t realised how silent she had been until she was pulled out of her trance by Danny’s hand against her thigh. She looked up from her phone to see concern etched across his face. She hadn’t noticed that Adam had excused himself a few moments earlier to take a call from Lando, leaving the pair alone.

“You’re scaring me a little here pretty girl, why are you staring at your phone like it’s about to explode in your hands?” he asked her softly. Mattie could feel the tears threatening to escape from her eyes. She decided it would be easier to just hand him her phone. She knew she needed to try and compose herself before she spoke again. She didn’t need Danny to see her pathetic and crying over this. 

Danny took the phone that was being handed to him and started scrolling through the page. Mattie watched as his face went from one of confusion, to anger, and then to concern. 

“It’s not really a big deal, it was going to happen eventually. I don’t care about people knowing that we’re together, I care more about someone betraying my trust like that… and that they took away our right to tell people when we wanted to. It’s fine, really, I’m ok Danny, I was just a little shocked at first” the words fell from her lips like a rapid fire stream of consciousness. 

She was very aware that this was the exact scenario that Danny had been worried about. That something would happen and she’d be sent running. She didn’t want him to think that that was what was happening. 

“Fuck, I’m so sorry Mattie. This is so fucked. I’ll call Blake now and see if we can get it taken down- I swear I’ll sue the shit out of them or something” Danny vowed. In the last 24 hours he had seen her on the brink of tears twice over bullshit his so-called fans had written about her on the internet. No fan of his would treat someone he cared about like this. 

He felt he was also to blame for this happening. He knew it wasn’t his fault that someone had shared photos from Mattie’s private Instagram account, but he should have known it was reckless to share the photos of their date to his. It was too late now, but the guilt was filling his stomach. 

Mattie could see Danny was spiralling; she knew the look well, she had worn it many times herself. As she gazed at the man in front of her she knew what she needed to do. 

For so long she had thought words were the most important thing a person could wield. Since meeting Danny he had shown her the opposite. He had shown her the truth behind “actions speak louder than words”. That was why she had kissed him earlier, she needed to show him how she felt, words weren’t enough. 

“Don’t do that. They can keep the post up” she said as she took her phone back from his hands. “Are you serious? No way baby, they can’t just invade your privacy like this and get away with it. I won’t let them” Danny spoke, she could hear the frustration in his voice. 

Her heart swelled at the sentiment. A man that would fight battles for her. That was what she had always wanted. Someone to fight her corner and defend her honour. Like the prince did for the princess in the stories she would dream of when she was younger. 

“This might be a little crazy, but you need to listen to me before you erupt and go calling lawyers and filing lawsuits… I think we should just announce it - a hard launch or whatever the kids are calling it these days” she joked gingerly. The confusion etched across Danny’s face would have been adorable in any other situation she thought. 

“I’m gonna take my account off private. They can’t share it without my permission, if I give them permission. It’s like, taking the power away from them or something. I don’t know, it sounded like a good idea in my head. If you don’t want to, it's-” the feeling of Danny’s lips crashing against hers for the second time that day cut her off. 

Maybe one day they’d kiss without the other making a bold statement first. Maybe, but not today. 

“Are you sure?” he whispered against her lips. She could hear uncertainty in his voice. Concern that she was just saying this because she thought it was what he wanted to hear. 

The answer was easy. She nodded and placed her lips to his lips. A soft hand against the side of his face was a welcomed reassuring touch. His lips caught her top lip in an attempt to create less distance between them. 

Neither of them paid attention to the sound of approaching footsteps from down the hall. 

“Guys, that’s disgusting, I don’t need to see this shit. Get a room! Lando, I”m coming over,  they’re being gross!” 

﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎

✯ authors note: hey guys!!!!! i am SO sorry this took me so long to write. i'm in between getting a new job and leaving my old one, and had some other life dramas going on that just made it so hard for me to sit down and focus on anything.

this is such a ridiculously long chapter, so if you made it to the end, honestly bravo!

i have full imposter syndrome and think this might be the worst thing i've ever written, but i needed to get it out so that i could work on some new chapters i have ideas for.

hope everyone's been enjoying the race weekend? i forgot how much i low key love sprint weekends (sorry max)

as always, all your comments/thoughts/feedback is so so so greatly appreciated and i love receiving them.

thanks for all your support <3 ✯

[the-lark-ascending69]

Ronance jealousy when the relationship is secret is exquisite. Boys flirting with Robin thinking she's single while Nancy seethes. Men suddenly trying to kiss Nancy out of nowhere, sometimes even succeeding, thinking she's up for grabs despite her girlfriend being right there - though she can't defend her as anything more than a friend. Maybe jealousy isn't the right word. It's an intrusion. It's men trying to come between them, even without knowing they're together, even thinking they get to want them and that they get to pursue them.

But I think it's even worse when the relationship is pretty much not secret. Maybe they're tired. Maybe they have their families to support them if something goes wrong, so they're not as scared. Maybe they still won't kiss or hold hands in public, but they don't go out of their way to quell any rumors because, why would they? They're normal teenage girls, they're not doing anything wrong. But they're such a novelty that everyone in school knows, and suddenly, when someone tries to flirt with one of them, it's inherently violent. Especially when the other one is right there. And she can say "excuse me?" and "she's with me. get lost" all she wants but she'll always get as an answer a "shut up. I'm not talking to you". This doesn't happen to boys. A young man wouldn't so openly try to get into a girl's pants with her boyfriend right there. He'd get his teeth punched in if he tried. It's a weird, hormonal mixture of fear, violence and respect, all things a teenage girl seems incapable of exerting. The thing with these people, which is worst of all, is that they're not even all that disgusted by them. If they were disgusted, at least it'd mean they aknowledge they're doing something. Their relationship may be detestable to them but at least they'd understand it's real. By pursuing them, it shows how, in reality, they don't think they're more than two friends playing family, or two frigid prudes so scared of relationships with men they come up with this little game to try to feel fulfilled. Confused girls at most who just need to be with a real man for once to see what they're missing. Or they don't even think that much about it - it's just a joke to them. They laugh at it. Girlfrends? Sure, whatever, now buckle up, Buckley!

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

Has it ever occurred to you that since Gwen hasn’t had a mother figure for the majority of her life and from the beginning of ATSV its kinda shown she’s been craving that type of guidance or even affection when she sees Jess for the first time, do you think that once the dust is settled between her and Miles and she finally gets to properly introduce herself to his parents, do you think that Rio can not replace Gwen’s mother but atleast fill in that gap in some way where she’s able to get some of the guidance she’s been looking for. Idk I just feel like the dynamic between the two could be interesting once they both get along with each other, hopefully this makes sense to answer.

Ohh this is interesting.

Now, hope you don't mind, but Gwen and Jess situation is something I wanted to talk about for a while, so, I will use your comment to talk about this.

I will do the Rio part too, but knowing myself, there is a chance that would end in a second post because I talk too much.

Let's go!

Now, do I think is this a joke? Yes, but I also think Gwen means it.

And look, this is not to say that you necessarily need to have two parents to raise a kid, I personally believe that one parent, if they provide the necessary attention and care to the child or children, could be an amazing parent and not let their kids feel like they are missing anything.

However, as discussed on this post, I mentioned why while George isn't a bad dad, sadly he is not the best parent for Gwen.

And here I also discussed why Gwen's mental health is a bit of a mess.

But to not sent people to do homework, let's give the cliff-notes version.

George is trying to be a good father, however between his job and his refusal to understand nuance, he has accidentally pushed Gwen away; even if maybe this could have been resolved if she talked to him in a normal situation, the fact that he did what he did in the beginning shows she was scared for a reason.

So that means Gwen has a gaping hole in what a role model and parent should be, since she needs more support. Of couse her Spidey identity is important to her (in fact she leans too much into it,) and having no one to help her on that complicated path doesn't make the situation any easier.

Enters Jessica Drew.

You know I found extremely telling that when Gwen sees Miguel, she is cracking jokes and not really taking his professionalism crap seriously; yet when Jess comes kicking ass with her motorcycle and she looks at her like she has seen the light.

Perhaps it had to do with her realizing this failed artist is more problematic than she expected, or the fact that Miguel was quickly disposed of by something she saw from a mile away; while Jess came putting the bad guy on a grinder and maneuvering a bike like nobody's business. Needless to say, Gwen is DEFINITELY impressed.

Once again, this plays almost like this is a dream come true for Gwen.

She hides it well for most of the movie as well as the previous one, but the reality is that underneath that cool exterior, this is a teenage mess with so much angst she is giving my teen self a run for their money.

Just like she craves companionship in the form of Miles as well as other spiders, she probably wants someone who can tell her everything is going to be okay or what they should do. Again, we may forget sometimes, especially with superhero movies where protagonists need to be competent despite their age most of the time; but Gwen is 16, 17 at the most; and has been handling this stress and turmoil for at least 3 years. That's a lot.

Top it with her dad not being able to emotionally support her, and the fact that she wants a mom becomes less a possible commentary about not nuclear families, and more of a likely possibility because the first 20 minutes of the movie gave us LOTS of material to show how mess up this is.

I think is a testament to the situation that she doesn't default to Peter B or Noir in the first movie, nor Miguel; she only seems to be interested in learning from someone when she sees Jess.

Is funny, but is also very painful to hear for me, as if you ask me she said it completely straight, and this just shows how much help she needs.

Granted Gwen said that accidentally and probably wouldn't have said it if thought about it first, but the fact that it slipped says a lot.

She desperately wants someone like Jess in her life, and to top it off, she probably wants that person as a maternal figure; probably someone to ask about techniques for defeating baddies and also who could talk about feelings without this person defaulting to work as a copy mechanism.

Feel free to call me crazy for getting so work up about a joke, but if I am honest other interactions really make me sell this idea for me.

Now let's talk Jess.

Literally what other reaction she was going to have.

We really never hear a definitive answer to the question, but I also think Jess didn't think too hard about it for a reason.

I am planning to go through some scenes of Gwen and Jess to dig deeper into their mentor/not-mom situation, but let's start with this.

Do I think Jess should have adopted Gwen? No, not at all.

Look I am a sucker for found family and adoption tropes, and I would had love nothing more than for Jess to give one dirty look at Gwen's dad, tell her she would be there for her, and take her away to a good home. That is not what happened, and I don't blame her.

She is on her way to having her own kid, she needs to be spider-woman and to top it all off, she seems to be kind of a second in command in a really big operation, where your boss is your friend who is also way too into his job and she probably is still there partially to make sure Miguel doesn't completely lose it. She has a lot on her plate as it is, adopting a traumatized teenager is a lot of work that shouldn't really be her job.

Do I think that means she has no responsibilities to Gwen? No, not really.

And this is largely why.

Okay, I will try to not go over every moment with them, as this is more about explaining their situation than a deep dive of every instance of their relationship, but this is a good kicker for the situation.

Jess immediately takes an interest in Gwen for the organization, now while I can understand that she based this purely on her abilities, I think a part of it was the comment Gwen made earlier. I think she sees in her someone who needs a steady hand and some support.

As a mentor.

This is going a bit ahead on the post, but let's establish that 1) This exists, and 2) Jessica got that idea EXTREMELY quick all things considered.

Here is where the responsibility part actually kicks in.

No, Jess doesn't have any responsibility to Mother Gwen in any way, regardless if Gwen needs one or not (she does,) but the moment she not only started to argue for her to have a spot in the organization, to take her in when the things in her universe technically imploded (which they are marginally responsible considering they came to clean this means and they only did it thanks to Gwen,) She implicitly accepted to look after her.

Okay here is where we need to talk a bit about tropes.

When you have protagonists that are teens or kids with powers, is inevitable that they will need to deal with dangerous stuff that no sane adult would let a real kid do, but is fiction so you kind of have to suck it.

This is a trope that I found kind of lazy even when I was part of the age demographic; which is why stuff like The Owl House with Eda was refreshing.

She was also a Mentor who was also not very responsible as a guardian, but she ended up growing into one, and even if she failed to protect her apprentice, she did try her damnest to do it.

Jess is not Eda, and she doesn't need to be, except that this story has proven to be aware that they are still teens.

Jess clearly recognizes this isn't fair for Gwen. We also see something like this in the first movie, with Peter B worried about Miles can or can't handle, while still letting them do stuff you wouldn't catch me letting my little sister get away with; they know that there are somethings someone at that age shouldn't just be handling on their own.

And Jess isn't exactly ice-cold about Gwen.

Jess took interest in Gwen's potential quickly, she looked after her, and quickly went to try to calm her down and support her during a very high tense and stressful moment. Even here is Gwen the one who ultimately moves away, not Jess, proving she could had try to stay close to ensure she was okay.

And this is something that shows that it kind of sticks.

While considerably harsher here than in her introduction scene, Jess is showing that despite her annoyance with Gwen, she still likes her. She never thought her relationship with Miles shouldn't be a reason not to have her on the team; she trusted a mission in the universe despite that, and also calls Gwen her star pupil, which I don't was sarcasm.

She also gives her an hour to fix this, which even if not much, is more than she could have given her.

I am not saying that Jess didn't look after Gwen, or didn't care about her beyond what she could do for the organization, however, it wasn't what Gwen needed.

Let's circle back to responsibility,

Jess is aware of what happened with her dad, she knows what Gwen lost, and she can probably imagine that a kid that lost her identity and her world like that on just one night can't be doing okay; yet nothing shows me she ever did anything about it.

Here is the thing, Jess doesn't need to be Gwen's mom, but she can't just insist to have her and be her mentor, and don't think about checking on her in something other than her kicking-ass abilities. Even if she doesn't want to deal with it, she should have either seen how to make her father see reason, or lock her in the room with the spider-man psych.

Considering how things go in this movie, neither thing happens.

And it feels more painfully obvious when you see how much Gwen tries to appeal to her emotionally.

In a vaccum, none of these are a big deal, but the more I think about it the more heartbreaking this is for me to watch.

This is why I find these to be such a big deal: Gwen doesn't like to do emotional shit.

I know, I probably repeated that more times than I can count; but let that sink in contrast to what's going on.

After Peter died, she decided to not have any friends because she couldn't deal with the grief, with Miles only getting past that rule because they are both spiders plus chemistry. And even then, when you see Miles asking if she is going to talk to her dad, she decided to crack a joke and brush the idea as swiftly as possible.

When her dad tells her about the break in the spider-woman case, she tries to brush it off with false enthusiasm at first, and then when she gives a more honest response is more out of bubbling annoyance that truly her trusting him with something.

She isn't baring her heart open in these moments though, let's not have it twisted; however, she is trying to use emotion as a way to appeal to Jess, which is not her first move with most people in general. Even when she is not actively giving her an in-depth explanation, in each of those moments she is giving the emotional context as to why this is so hard.

"You never got too close to someone?" -> "This person is important to me and this is hard for me, wasn't it for you?"

"But my gut says-" -> "I know this looks bad, and I can't explain how, but this isn't right, trust me."

"Tell him he is wrong!" -> I don't really need to explain this one, do it?

She continuously looks up to Jess to hear her out, and to understand what she is going through; she sees her and expects someone who can connect with her on that level and care about it.

But that's not what Jess does, because she is not her mom, she is her mentor.

For the most part, when Gwen tries to appeal to Jess emotionally speaking, Jessica shuts that idea down fast.

Now, I am going to preface this by clarifying that in real life, a mentor would probably check emotionally on the kid they are mentoring if only for the fact that when you are in charge of a kid, you should look after them. Fiction however is another ballpark, and technically speaking, a mentor shouldn't need to be doing something that is the job of the family.

A good mentor would probably understand their apprentice position and listen, since regardless of your years of experience, you can't just underestimate people or you will inevitably be surpassed. However, Jess isn't trying to be anything like that; she wants to teach Gwen her way, and her way says that emotions are kind of on the way. So regardless if it isn't what Gwen needs, she will insist on that.

I think there can be a way to accept emotions but also don't let them cloud your decisions, yet again, Jess is not interested in that, and I Gwen actually have normal, supportive parents (or even just one,) I wouldn't be so hung up about this. But she doesn't and Jess knows this.

Superhero or not, Gwen is just a teen, and shouldn't need to be living this, especially because I freaking doubt this is a canon event or something; with the resources they have, and the people they have on board, I can't believe there isn't a way they could have talk to Captain Stacy and made him see reason.

But they didn't, because they are more worried about spider-man duties than whatever is going on to the person under the mask, and for them, this is just what comes with the territory so you have the suck it up. Even if this is perfectly avoidable once you think of it.

That's something that I had been thinking about a lot while doing my post on the organization as well as the one with Gwen falling in Mumbatthan. The spiders are stronger together, and in general working as a team gives them not only better chances at saving people, but also helping with the stress they have and being there for each other. That isn't the goal of the organization though.

Miguel's mission is to preserve the canon and to put people from other dimensions back into their respective ones, anything else is probably secondary to him. Sure, if someone asks for help from another Spider I don't think he would stand in the way; except if it is a canon event, which in that case, he will probably say to people to suck it up.

The pain they have, the trauma they are suffering, while being together helps it was never the end goal to help with that, and there is no regard in avoiding said pain. This is a job first and foremost, which is the attitude Jess has.

Gwen is not her kid, or even a young student, she is a coworker; one that she needs to guide a bit, but her subordinate at the end of the day.

Sometimes the waters get muddier, on both sides if I am honest.

I will touch a bit on other scenes, but I wanted to bring up this one in particular because there is something that feels a bit more mother-daughter than it probably has any right to show.

Now I will be the first to admit this may be a me thing, I can be very formal in real life and that goes double with people who are older than me and in a position of power over me, the only exception to that rule is my current boss because he is the mythical creature of being a manager who remembers employees are people too.

Gwen is not like that, she jokes and doesn't give too much of a shit regardless if you are Miguel or a bad guy. However there is something in the way Gwen acts that feels she wouldn't be phrasing stuff like this if it was Miguel on the other side; again, back to her using emotion as a first resource rather than as a lashing effect of her anger.

Jess, while being kind of no-nonsense overall, is also not the most formal, because this is the spider society and Miguel had the bad luck to be the only straight-laced one while everybody else tries to be a comedian for the most part. But there is a way that she talks to Gwen that for me feels kind of like her not fully keeping this professional either.

I can't fully put it into words, so feel free to not make seriously on this one, but there is something about the way Jess is commenting on the situation that reminds me more of a mom than any of my bosses.

Then we have scenes like this.

I am sorry but this part really first like is a discussion between mother and daughter, even with contexts the way the scene delivers gives that energy.

This isn't exactly wrong by itself, nor is it truly that surprising. The boss I mentioned before had also mentioned off-topic that me and my other coworker (who is a couple of years older than me,) are almost like his kids, and we share an age range. However he doesn't try to parent us really, and even if some of the comments are very much 'now listen to me kids' he quickly remembers we are adults and would drop topics or decisions we made that I know wouldn't be his reaction has been one of the kids that are actually kids.

It probably has more to do with the way they talk and see people younger than them that any parental feelings, and none of this is really inappropriate.

Nonetheless, the fact that Gwen craves that motherly bond makes these interactions hurt all the more for me.

Gwen may not be under the illusion that Jess is her mom, but she's subconsciously looking up to her, and the fact that Jess acts like this, even if by accident, just feels into that mentality. The mentality Gwen has that maybe Jess will listen this time, that she will take into account her feelings and her opinion in her decisions; but she continues to not do that.

For the most part.

Is a bit hard to see with the resolution I have, but when Gwen is kicking and screaming while been taken by the machine, Jess's gaze goes in another direction.

I am sorry if this is feeling repetitive, I know this post is a long one (which is funny how this post created another 2 just so those topics wouldn't be here.)

What I am trying to say with all of this, is despite Jess' insistence this is just work, that Gwen is just her pupil and she can only do so much; Jess continues to have a soft stop for Gwen that let's her get away with things. Is kind of ironic how Miguel said Gwen was a liability for her feelings for Miles, yet couldn't even consider how feelings in general would get in the way, considering Jess assigned this mission to Gwen (which then she fumbled the bag and led to the Spot becoming an actual menace,) give her a second chance, and then apparently let her go.

(It is possible she is looking for where Gwen is going to tell Miguel, but I doubt it.)

I fully believe that by the third film, Jess will probably end up either switching sides or just letting Gwen do what she wants, and even if is the first scenario I think it would be via Gwen that happens.

But to wrap things up, if Captain Stacy is not enough as a parent for Gwen because he can't do that role properly, Jess isn't good enough as a parent for Gwen because she doesn't want that role, regardless of if she sometimes kind of acts like it.

I think their relationship is fascinating, and I would love to explore more of this connection in some way; if only because the complicated nature of it makes it all the more interesting for me, but in a nutshell, is this:

Jess: I wanted an apprentice, you wanted a mom. Gwen: Well I guess we are both disappointed.

(Sorry I couldn't help myself, OOF I wish I could draw well enough for this.)

Now, with my thoughts on Rio, I could probably put them on this post because is not that long, but it will probably feel off with all this commentary I had been making, so it would be in another one.

If you got this far, congrats on your patience, and thank you for reading!

[visforvengeance]

Melting like an ice cream

Requested by: no one :)

Notes: i've had this in my drafts since october. and i haven't written anything in soooo long. i love robin sm, she looks so pretty

Warnings: cursing. but i think that's it?

Robin watched as you sat with Chrissy, laughing at something she had said. In her head, she wondered what it’d be like if she was the one you were laughing at. And, then her eyes traveled down to your lips. How soft they were and the way the light bounced off of them because of the gloss you wore, the mint kind that made your lips tingle a bit when you applied it. 

Robin could look at you all day and never get tired. It had been like that for quite a while. You and Robin were friends at one point and then you started hanging out with different crowds. That’s what she tells herself to cover up the fact that she was in love with you. In reality, she was the one to push you away. She was scared, afraid that you’d think she was some kind of freak because girls made her brain fog and her knees weak. But, Robin failed to see that you felt that way too. She didn’t notice the way you stared at the back of her head in class, daydreaming. 

The bell rang and you began packing all of your things. You walked with Chrissy to class, passing Robin on the way. You gave her a smile, one that she returned. You missed the way she smiled at you. Big and bright, pearly whites beaming at you. It was a smile you never forgot. A smile you couldn’t forget if you tried. You’d do anything just to see it again. 

When you realized she was pushing you away, you tried everything in your power to hold onto her. Spending more time with her than you already did before, inviting her to places that Chrissy invited you to. Having stupid sleepovers every weekend, but it happened anyway. You didn’t know why it happened, you two were too close to just grow apart. You tried to talk about it with her, but she never gave a reason. 

Robin missed you every day. You were everywhere. She’d frown when she saw movies that she knew you’d like or when she smelled something that resembled the perfume you wore. Deep down Robin knew that you’d accept her, but her anxiety got the best of her. She just couldn’t bear the thought of you hating her. 

It’s safe to say that your friends were so fucking tired of watching you two pine after each other. When you and Chrissy would visit Family Video, Steve watched as Robin gazed at you, like some teenage boy ogling his crush. And, after you’ve chosen your movie and paid for it, Steve and Chrissy would share a look with one another. A look that said ‘we’ve got to get these idiots together or they’ll die’. 

Saturday night came around, you’d come to get your weekly movie. But, there was no Chrissy, only you. And, only Robin. Steve had gone to babysit his kids at the movies or whatever, Robin spaced out after he said she was closing up alone. You walked in, looking around. The store was empty and Robin looked so lonely. 

“No Steve?” You asked as you looked up at her. “No Chrissy?” She raised her eyebrow as she laid her eyes on you. You giggled and nodded. “Touché, Robin.” She loved the way you said her name. It sounded like some melodic song coming from you. You leaned against the counter, “anything new tonight?” She thought about the new inventory they received yesterday. “We just got a tape for Labyrinth. It has David Bowie in it,” she wiggled her eyebrows as she spoke. You playfully rolled your eyes, “I am not into him anymore. It was a phase, ok?” She snorted as she went to get the movie. 

When she returned, she began ringing it up. You thought that if you wanted to get answers from Robin, now might’ve been a great time. You hesitated before calling her name. “Robin?” She froze at the uncertainty in your voice. “Y-yeah?” You thought carefully about what you wanted to say. You didn’t want to upset her and have her shut down on you, that was the last thing you wanted. 

“Why did you push me away?” 

Her eyes widened as she looked at you. She didn’t expect you to ask that but it had to happen at some point. She pondered on if it was time she is honest with you. 

“Because my heart beats a little bit faster when I’m with you. And, I can’t help myself when I look into your eyes. And, you’re the last thing I think about before I fall asleep at night and the first when I wake up in the morning.” Her thoughts were rushing into her head and they were tumbling out of her mouth even faster. She felt hot and like she could fall out at any moment. She couldn’t look at you, but she kept talking. 

“I am in love with you. And I have been for a goddamn while now.” She expected you to call her names, slap her, or do something. But, not stand there looking at her the way you are now. Like you’re finally able to breathe. Like you could just kiss her. 

And, you did kiss her. You kissed her with all the might and love you could muster. It was sloppy and your teeth clashed together but she didn’t mind. When you pulled away, she followed. Your hand caressed her cheek so softly. She leaned into your touch, desperately so. 

“Robin,” she was swooning at how you said her name. Still lightheaded from the kiss you shared, she looked at you. “I’m in love with you too, I have been for a goddamn while.” She smiled. The biggest and brightest one that you missed so much. You kissed her again, this time much softer. “So, do you want to come over and watch this movie with me? Or, we can let the movie play while we catch up.” As Robin began to stutter, you smirked, “yeah, we can do whatever you want.”

Robin wasn’t religious, but she hoped and prayed to whatever god there was that this wasn’t some daydream that she conjured up in her head as she locked up the store. When you dragged her to your car, she knew everything would be all right.

[minhosimthings]

Je Te Veux:A Jay Fic

Chapter 1: Sugar Bowls and Handsome Strangers

Summary : Lee Y/N, youngest daughter of the Lee empire which rules of South Korea, meets a stranger one night at a party. Only fate knows what happens to both of them.

Pairings: Fem!Reader × RichHeir!Jay, includes rest of Enha. Mentions of Itzy, stray kids and other groups in the coming chapters!

Warnings: Mentions of food and alcohol, mention of bullets, reader fantasizing about Jay's fingers, Reader wears a dress and a sports bra.

A/N: This is my first work everyone! I don't have much experience in these things so please give me mental support. I'm just a delusional girl in my Jay era.

No poet, musician, lyricist, author, scriptwriter or painter could explain the love you had for Park Joengsaeng. And yet here you were standing in your garden,trying to deny your feeling for him as you ramble to your older brother.

You had met him at a nice little party hosted by your filthy rich parents. You were bumbling off on your own by the dangling lanterns when you noticed another boy fiddling with his glass of Champagne. He had a black Burberry suit on with an emerald brooch stuck to his breast pocket. And he looked like the most handsome person in the crowd of rich people and their snobbish children. After all, your parents were the owners of the biggest jewelry company in South Korea and quite frankly, the entire world. All of these old men and women and boys and girls dressed in silk and chiffon were the owners and heirs to luxurious companies. You had known every person at that party because of forced introductions from your parents, but still you had never seen this peculiar boy standing at the christmas tree all on his own. He looked simply dressed compared to all the other boys there, who were dressed in suits of reds, greens and purples with pearls hanging from their trousers and their necks. But yet, he stood out and looked more sleek than anyone else. And in a flash, his eagle- like eyes pierced yours and you were slightly startled. Who was this mysterious stranger and why did he make your soul leap up? You quickly looked at your Jimmy Choo heels and then at the skirt of you green Versace dress which your mother had finally allowed you to wear. The dress wasn't anything immodest. It was a half shoulder cotton dress, sparkly and knee length which attracted many teenage heirs who flirted shamelessly with you. Thankfully you knew how to get rid of them with your quick tongue and sharp wit, which your mother despised and you father was proud of. Although you thought that perhaps it was your brother, Heeseung who scared them off. Ah yes your brother. Mr Lee Heeseung, heir to the golden empire of the Lee Family which has been handed down for centuries. He was a charming young lad who had girls swooning over him 24/7. Unfortunately for them, he had a girlfriend, Shin Yu-Na of the silk empire of the Shin family. She was sweet, beautiful and the greatest future sister in law you could ever wish for. Your brother always had his gang of six heirs around him. They were his best friends from childhood as your parents were partners with their parents. You had met all of them and were on first name terms. Well, all except for one. Park Jay on the vast Park empire of weaponry and alcohol. He had a younger brother Park Sunghoon, who you were already friends with. But Jay was, invisible to say the least. You had never seen him in person and had only known him from what your brother spoke of him. Even your parents had never seen him. But you weren't curious. You were always focused on your writing career and plus, you had your brother's friends with you too. You mind snapped back to reality as your mother called you over to the champagne table. You looked to see where the stranger was but he was gone. Shaking your head, you led your way towards your parents, your brother, his friends and Yuna. All of then were sitting with their fancy suits and dresses and raising their glasses filled with bubbly alcohol to their mouths. You sat down next to Heeseung and Yuna and joined the conversation. Heeseung looked at you and remarked "Ah Y/N you've finally graced us with your unholy presence."

You playfully slapped his arm and turning to Yuna, you asked "How are you Unnie? How's Ryunjin Unnie?" Yuna answered "You brother has been spoiling me awfully after forgetting our anniversary. Ryunjin's fine. She's focusing on dance for now." You nodded and looked down the table to see Sim Jayeun or Jake, the eldest son of a vast empire of fuels, talking to your father. Next to them were Kim Sunoo and Yang Jungwon, step brothers who ran the cotton buisness in the country. Further down the table were Park Sunghoon and Nishimura Riki who was the youngest son of a Japanese empire who ruled over the ocean and its belongings.

Slowly you turned your head towards your father. You watched as from the shadows behind your father's chair emerged a boy in a black suit. It was him! The mysterious stranger! He slowly smiled at you and Heeseung as he made his way to sit next to Sunghoon, but not before giving a warm hug to your brother and muttering "it's been a long time brother". Heeseung and Yuna beamed at him while you looked at him more clearly this time. Gosh he was handsome. You wondered absent-mindedly of his age when Yuna leaned in and said " It's Jay. Thank god he came. Heeseung was dying. He's your age Y/N. And he's handsome. Might wanna think about something with him ya know?" You flushed red as you got up with everyone else to head to the dining table to for dinner. You locked your arms with Sunoo, who was probably the closest to you and questioned "Sunoo, why have I and hundreds of other guests here, never met Jay?" Sunoo looked at you with his fox eyes, smirked and answered "He's a mysterious man noona. The only people here who have met him more than one time are Heeseung hyung and Sunghoon hyung. They say he's shy and likes to keep to himself. Even I have only met him on three occasions. He is attractive though and your age, if you still want a ring on your finger." Sunno giggled under his breath and you playfully slapped his arm and went to sit down somewhere and pounce on your food. Unfortunately as you reached the table, Heeseung called out to you, motioning to a seat between him and Jay. "No, Oh no I can't sit next to him! I'm gonna puke" Your brain started on its anxious train of thoughts again as you sat down next to brooding man with dark hair and piercing eyes. You tried to avoid his gaze, but still couldn't help but look at his handsome arms and fingers that could keep you up all night. He ate his food with such grace that you thought he must have been brought up by a ballerina. You didn't try to talk to him and instead scanned the table trying to catch the eye of someone you know. You thankfully caught the eye of Jake and motioned subtly towards Jay as if to say 'help me'. Jake, however only smiled and proceeded to put mashed potatoes on Riki's plate all the while taking about how thin he's gotten. You rolled you eyes at the Mama bird Jake moment and instead reached across for the sugar bowl to top your tea with. As you sipped on the warm liquid, a soothing voice cut across and asked "May I please have the sugar bowl?"You looked to your right at Jay, who was looking at you with those beautiful galaxies in his eyes and extending a hand towards the sugar bowl. "Oh" you stole your eyes away from his and took the sugar bowl "Of course." You handed him the wooden bowl as your hands brushed against his and smiled as he thanked you and gave you a small smile. As dinner finished and the sugar bowl moment still lingered in your brain, you father called you and your brother and his six companions (including Jay) over to the wine fountain where their parents were also present. You walked along with Jungwon and stood next to Yuna and your mother as everyone engaged in small talk. Your brother took you in hand and guided you over to Jay who was staring at the skyline from the large glass windows. "Jay. I want to introduce you to someone. This is Lee Y/N, an aspiring writer and my younger sister" Jay turned to you and looked you up and down, as if checking a dress on a mannequin. He extended his hand and you shook it, taking note of the scars that decorated it.Turning to you, Heeseung said "Jay is the heir to the Park family and he's your age. He barely comes to see me because apparently his work is his lover." He shot Jay a smirk while Jay looked on nonchalantly. "He also wanted to be a writer you know? I wonder what happened to that dream." Jay furrowed his eyebrows and said "That dream is impossible to accomplish with what I do everyday. Plus, didn't you wanna be a car mechanic when you were younger hyung?" Heeseung chuckled and replied "That's exactly what Y/N says whenever I bring up her writing career."

Yuna came over soon and putting her hand on her boyfriend , she said "You mother is asking for you Seungie. Why don't we leave Jay and Y/N to chat for a while?" Heeseung nodded and left with Yuna by his side, but not before both of them threw you devious smirks.You awkwardly picked up two glasses of wine from a tray and gave one to Jay. He muttered a thank you and stared out the window again at all the bulidings. In an attempt to make conversation with him you started with the sentence "So, how are liking the party?". Jay looked at you as you mentally slapped yourself for asking such a boring question, but you couldn't think straight whilst admiring his visual. His stunning eyes and his glamorous hair, styled in curls and his eagle like stare put you in a bit of a temporary limbo."It's nice. Never been to one outside of my parent's parties actually. I usually just stay in the corners until everyone leaves and then I stuff myself with food up in my room", he confessed and you heart took a turn as you said "Me too actually. I just attend for the alcohol and to judge everyone's dresses". You hoped that he hadn't taken those last words in a wrong way but he chuckled and smiled. "Surprisingly you do the exact same thing I do." He sipped his wine again and you took in those beautiful fingers again wondering what they would be like inside of you. "So Y/N," Jay leaned against the window "I might ask you a boring question but what are your plans for the future?" You stole your eyes away from his lips ( with much difficulty) and replied in what you hoped was your normal voice "Well, as my brother mentioned, I do have plans to be a writer. I interned a bit as an editor at a publishing company. But my parents have hopes that I will run the designer part of the company one day. They seem to think I have a good eye for fashion, but in all honesty, I just know about a goose egg's worth about it." Jay's mouth twitched a bit as he asked "Did you choose the dress and shoes yourself?" "Yes. This is one of my most favourite dresses but unfortunately for my mother it's too 'distracting'. Thankfully she let me wear it." You took note of the small smiles Jay gave you in between sentences, which you hoped was him saying 'hey this conversation is interesting'.

Your brother soon came to get you as you had embarked on the very interesting topic of emeralds and sapphires with Jay."Hey lovebirds. The party's over and everyone's left. Well almost everyone" he said glancing over at the 5 boys trying to stack wine glasses. Your heart leapt again on hearing the word 'lovebirds'. Jay however looked unbothered as he kept his wine glass on the table and made his way to hug Heeseung again. "I'll see you tomorrow brother. Hopefully in better clothes. Miss Y/N" He said bowing to you. You bowed back as he took your hand and kissed it. Yep if you weren't in love earlier, you certainly were now. Jay made his way to the door with Heeseung's arm around him and you slowly made your way to Sunoo and the rest of the boys, all the while admiring Jay's broad shoulders. "I don't care what my parents say. I'm crashing here tonight in Heeseung hyung's room." Sunghoon stretched and put his arm around Sunoo, who started blushing like crazy. You smiled warmly at Jungwon who smiled back and glanced at Sunghoon and Sunoo, who you knew had a crush on the former. "Well if you all are gonna sleep here, shouldn't we ask our parents first?" You questioned Jake, who was busy wiping a stain on his white blazer. "You're right and we have already done that Y/N. All of them are getting drunk in the cellar now. I expect they won't wake up tomorrow that soon to discuss deals again." He wiped the sweat on his forehead and continued "I had hoped Jay would stay but seems like Heeseung hyung is already dropping him off." You don't know why but that sentence made you weirdly sad. "Noona, noona look what I can do" Riki's voice rang in your ears as he tried and failed to do a handstand. He stood up and looked at you with puppy eyes as Jake chuckled and whispered "He's had five drinks and he's already drunk. Kid has the lowest tolerance I've ever seen". You smiled to yourself and called Jungwon to take Riki upstairs to the guest bedrooms as Riki muttered something along the lines of "I can take care of myself Jungwon hyung. Let go". You prepared to go upstairs yourself as the oak doors opened and Heeseung and Jay stepped back in. You froze at the sight of Jay's messed up hair and his slightly opened shirt. Heeseung wore a proud look on his face and said "Well I managed to convince mr grumpy here to stay the night cause we need to discuss buisness tomorrow anyway so Y/Nah would you please take him up to the guest bedroom next to your room?" You threw a glare at Heeseung as he innocently smiled and pushed Jay towards you. "Of course. Come on Mr. Park." You guided him upstairs and showed him to the brown oak door next to the blue one with your name carved in. "There you go Mr.Park. I'm sure you'll be comfortable. Ring the bell if you need anything". You pointed towards the tiny golden bell attached to the door as Jay smiled and said "Please Miss Y/N. Call me Jay. Thank you for your kindness. I'll see you tomorrow." He threw you a wink and quickly shut the door as you went into your own room and kicked the air as you mentally fed yourself the delusion that Jay was definitely your soulmate.

The next day, you woke up in your bed and tossed around on your red pillows for 5 minutes before getting up and walking sluggishly to the bathroom. You definitely only had two glasses of champagne and a glass of wine last night but your head said otherwise. It was still 7:48 by the time you got out the bathroom and into your sports bra and gym shorts. You went down and were greeted by a very quite hall. You usually got up early to take a run around your garden and work out before heading to breakfast with everyone else. You made a mental note to remind Heeseung of his promise to play basketball with you today. You heard snoring noises from the other guest bedrooms and assumed that it was all the parents and their heirs crashed out from last night's party. Passing by Jay's room (and ignoring the urge to open it like those K Dramas you watch) you noticed it was locked from the outside. Your family's mansion had a unique key system where you could figure out when it was locked from the inside and when it was locked from the outside. Shrugging it off, you made you way downstairs, drank your very sweet coffee, ate a banana half heartedly and made your way out the doors. The bodyguards were still there and they smiled as you greeted them. You always had a great relationship with your bodyguards. Being the daughter of one of the most powerful people in South Korea meant that a sniper could be roaming anywhere. Your bodyguard, Chan, was six years older than you and a great father figure. He was always by your side and had even took two bullets for you once.

You started your run from the marigold bushes and decided to run to the koi pond today, five times more than what you had run two days ago. Plugging your ear buds in you put on the 5 Star Album (go stream it again and again) and picked up the pace as the beat of the song got faster. You had reached your favourite sycamore tree when you noticed a man doing push ups by the great chestnut trees. Curious, you abandoned your run, stopped your songs and silently creeped up and hid behind another tree. Then you recognised those beautiful curls of hair of Park Jay. That explains the locked door of his room! You admired his agility for a solid five minutes while staring at his biceps which were visible from the tank top he was wearing. While wondering how his arms would look wrapped around you, his eyes caught yours just as they did the night before. He got up from his position and exclaimed, with a smile, in that soothing voice "If you're done staring, you can come out from behind the tree, Miss Y/N". Startled, you bounced out from behind the tree and awkwardly stood there. "I'm sorry. I was on my run and usually no one's awake by this time. Bit surprising you got up this early from last night's party" You hoped that your reply was enough to satisfy him. He shot you a grin and said "Well I was just about to pack up and head back. But seeing as you're here, might you want to head back with me?". Your heart was going to explode like it does in cartoons when a character is in love. You muttered a small "yes" and waited as Jay packed up his bottle and yoga mat. You took note of his shoulders again. God, he looked like Achilles and Hercules combined.

The walk back to the mansion was surprisingly calm. You ambled across the grass and Jay walked in his usual collected manner, both of you not speaking a word to each other. You shot him tiny glances now and then and hoped that he hadn't seen you creepily staring at him every moment. You reached the mansion as your bodyguards opened the doors and you were greeted by loud chatter as everyone was happily breakfasting. You cringed and tightened your shoulders, thinking about how your parents would react to your sweaty self arriving at their front door, accompanied by your brother's best friend's sweaty self. Jay, trotted slowly towards Heeseung, grabbed a glass of water, muttered a 'your sister caught me in the garden' and disappeared upstairs. After he was well out of earshot, you mother, Sunoo and Sunghoon all said at once "What were you doing with Jay, Y/N?",whilst wiggling their eyebrows. Surprised at their syncronicity and annoyed at the question, you simply replied "I was out on a run to the koi pond and I spotted Jay doing pushups and then we walked back to the house together after sweating our asses off. Happy?" You glared at your mother and ran off upstairs to take a shower and change into much better smelling clothes. Reaching your door, you noticed a pink sticky note stuck on top of the carving of your name. On it was written, in loopy handwriting "Sorry for leaving you alone to deal with that. Wanna have a glass of afternoon wine to make it up to you?". It was signed 'Jay'. Your heartbeat ran an entire marathon as you entered your parchment covered room and went directly to the shower. You picked up your coffee scented shampoo and ran the lather through the strands of your hair. Wearing your tank top and bell bottoms, you went down to finally fullfill your rumbling tummy. Reaching the now, clean table with only one plate (yours) present, you picked up your fork and gorged on the scrambled eggs.

The rest of the morning went in a breeze as you (im) patiently waited for afternoon to arrive. Jay and the rest of the boys and your parents went off to the main hall to discuss buisness while you, Yuna, Riki and Sunoo, who had thankfully escaped from the meeting went out. Sunoo and Yuna went to buy earrings and you and Riki got stuck at the arcade, trying to win some fake gold coins (which upon learning that they were Taiyaki coupons, Riki became more determined). After Riki finally won the Pac-Man game, both of you sat down to take a breath and sip on your melted slushies. "So noona, what's going on between you and Jay Hyung?" Riki innocently sipped his drink while looking at you with his cheetah like eyes. You gave him a sour glare and said "Nothing's going on between me and Jay. We literally just met last night and fate was just cruel to me today that I had to meet him in the garden" Riki gave you a confused look and replied "But, doesn't Jay Hyung like you? He always drooled over pictures of you which he saw in Heeseung hyung's photos. Eh I don't know. I'm too young for this." He took a big sip of his red slushy as you sat there, dumbfounded and wanting to burst into a thousand paper pieces.

That's it y'all. The next chapter will probably be out in a while cause I also have some college work to do too. But I will release it from the grasps of my notes app soon. Look forward to it!!!

[matt0044]

So... “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is a bop, right?

It’s firmly supplanted “Let It Go” as Disney’s latest ear-worm until the next one comes along but it’s more than just a catchy ballard. It spells out how the Family Madrigal view him as a blight on their family name, especially when they’ve been a pillar of their community.

It also describes how rather than dealing with his problem and maybe helping him through it, they opted to just let him retreat into his room never to be seen again. Better to sweep it under the rug. However, this also proves to be a root in while the house is coming undone.

The message is clear: a family can’t stay as one so long as they can’t talk about their problems with each other. It’s why Mirabel doesn’t get a gift so she can be the outsider looking in.

Where is this going? Well... somebody just finished Voltron: Legendary Defender... and enjoyed it.

Here me out before you scroll away.

I had finished up to Season 7 along with Teen Titans three days before Season 8 dropped. I knew that fandom discourse would be a bear and opted to let the season simmer before I viewed it for myself a few Watch Lists down the road.

What I couldn’t have known was this overwhelming hate for Season 8. I was on Twitter where handles were being altered to include #FuckVoltron and the like. I glimpsed spoilers of what happened in the finale without getting into the dirty details.

Thus I decided to put it off until the heat died down. A whole half decade at that. With Fandom Drama down to near non-existent, I decided to return and engage with Voltron on its own terms from the start. No shipping drama, no expectations for how it should go, no accusations of problematic behavior and no Purple Lion conspiracies.

And... I liked it. I highly encourage those scared off by the drama or felt Season 8 did it dirty to give it a(nother) shot. It deserves a full on renaissance the way Twilight got.

Why? (spoilers ahead).

I was sold on Allura and Lance’s relationship. I loved how he went from being a flirt to genuinely admiring Allura as a leader and Paladin, encouraging her in the season 4 finale without trying to get anything out of it.

I liked the tonal shift around Season 7 where the ultimate Golion homage is made with the Space Explorers coming home to a war ravaged Earth.

I liked how human Lotor and Honerva were as villains coming after Zarkon. I can see why there’s a whole ass conspiracy framed around him actually being in Season 8. Also them taking that “Your mother was an Altean bitch” like and running with it for Hagger was brilliant.

Keith becoming the Black Paladin after Kuron’s reveal was well done and felt weirdly natural in retrospect. He feels like he can’t measure up to Shiro and learns more discipline from

Allura sacrificing herself to restore all realities felt a lot better with the knowledge of spoilers. It helps that the ending went with a more noble feel than angsty, showing how the Paladins strove make sure that her actions set an example for years to come.

I love that they got creative with the multiple alien species and kept the Alteans from being just humans in space like in the original. It really took inspiration from Vehicle Voltron with more aliens in the mix.

Shiro the Hero, as Crazy Coran put it. What can I say except that he’s the kind of character you call a Mary Sue if he wasn’t a guy. Always calm, always perservering, putting the mission first and being a pillar the team can lean on. He even creates his own Voltron out of the Atlas

Honestly, the whole Adam thing isn’t something I fully blame the writers given the producers pushing back. Mind you, I feel like Keith would’ve made a good endgame pairing with him if they had even out their ages when they first meet, both as teenage proteges.

Studio Mir was amazing, especially with the space battles. Honestly, if Robotech managed to make a comeback, I could totally see them being tapped to match the classic Anime style.

So... yeah. Voltron good actually.

[skylarsblue]

✦New Life from Old Battlegrounds✦

(SoapGhost Content based purely on a piece of fanart by a Twitter mutual. Will I make more than one chapter? Perhaps) ✧TW; References to past abuse(Simon), implied death during childbirth(Simon), reference to a domestic dispute(Johnny) ✧Fluff, Mild Angst, Single Dad!AU✧

★Link to Ao3 Ver : ★Link to fanart that inspired it

✧Meeting✧

John hummed to himself as he walked down the street, dodging people passing him and contemplating what to make for dinner. At the same time, he noted the things around him, thoughts bouncing from subject to subject as it always did. His mother used to joke that if he didn’t learn to contain his thoughts, one day, his brain would be sick of being in his skull and it’d escape. Bounce all over the room like he did. He gave a quick snort at the memory, making a quick note that he’d need to call her again, since it’d been about a week since he’d spoken to her last. It was still very odd being far from her. It’d been such a change from his original plan as a teen, though, he supposed his entire life at that point was far from his young plans for his life.

For starters, he’d been certain he’d be more in the military for longer than he was. He wasn’t completely free from government work, but he wasn’t a constant on-call soldier anymore either. Most of his job was paperwork now. Was it his preferred job? Admittedly, no. He often missed the days on base, the training, the adrenaline rush of battle. Not that he liked to complain, he had it good regardless, he felt so anyway. He’d always been the optimistic type. The way his job was now kept him home more, it was safer, the pay was good, and it was honestly nice to have access to food outside of MREs. He most certainly did not miss the MREs. While his teenage self, and himself in his younger twenties, flourished in the aggressive environment of war, he couldn’t keep that life. Thanks to another curveball from the universe.

John had never considered himself to be fitting of the definition “playboy”, though some of his extended family and exes disagreed. He had no issue with being tied down, though it always seemed it never lasted very long. Be it due to personal differences or the way the military kept him away. He always did his best to be a good partner, not perfect, but good. Still, the longest committed relationship he’d had lasted about two years and a couple months, and that had been when he was fresh out of his teens. All the poor experiences and seeming inability to keep a partner, he didn’t fear the prospect at all. He still looked forward to having a partner permanently one day, getting settled down and such. But that didn’t stop him from casual fun either. He never saw any reason why two adults couldn’t have fun for a night, and leave it there. The problem was really the risk that came with that kind of fun, specifically when his partner had the biological equipment for pregnancy. He’d had one scare when he was sixteen, but that also turned out to be his first experience with a cheating partner. Aside from that, he skated through his pleasureful escapades without problems. He was clean and childless.

Until he wasn’t.

He’d gotten a little too cocky with an apartment neighbor turned casual fuck-buddy, and he came home from a mission to a rather pissed off expression on her face and a DNA test in her hand. It wasn’t ideal by any means, both had agreed on that. It scared him to all death. But his mother had carried many children, and his father sunk in the lesson that it was a woman’s choice completely. He wasn’t carrying anything, his body wouldn’t be changing, so he left the decision up to her. She wasn’t happy with the reality but a heavily religious upbringing made the idea of an abortion out of her options, even if she was rebelling from the eye of God. He’d only nodded when she had said the thought of getting one made her sick. At first, the plan was to try at an actual relationship. They liked each other enough to have sex, he made her laugh plenty, she had a lot of sweet qualities John admired. But by the eighth month, whether it was hormones or the reality of a child weighing heavy on her mind, she’d turned into quite the she-beast, to put it lightly. To the point Johnny sported a new scar on the palm of his hand from a lamp being thrown at his skull.

It became very apparent a relationship wouldn’t work. However, John also couldn’t shake the attachment he’d grown to the child he’d helped create. The last month of her pregnancy was hell on his psyche, but he stuck it out in the hope he’d get to see the baby, even if he’d have to fight it out in a court. Something his eldest sister, Edith, promised to help him with, should it be messy. Thankfully for him, however, the mother really hadn’t been too keen on staying that way. It admittedly stung when she’d responded so poorly after delivering the child, even the nurse winced at her coldness. John got one hundred percent of the parental rights, however, without a court case or a fight. Even if the prospect of being a single father scared him halfway into an early grave. He had many nights where he stayed up on the phone with either his mother or his sister, needing both advice and pep talks. And he still held a pill of guilt from the one night he considered giving his new daughter up for adoption, truly worried he wasn’t cut out for it.

Though, much to the joy of his current self, he’d stuck it out. He had to change and sacrifice a lot, and every now and then, he had the wonder of what would’ve happened had he not taken responsibility. But the thought was often rocketed out of his brain by the simple image of his daughter’s excited face when he came to pick her up from school. A very small, old building, situated in Leek, England. When the baby had just been born and the situation was still fresh, he wanted to give the woman who’d given birth to his daughter to change her mind. So he’d stayed in England, albeit a completely different town. He wasn’t so open to the idea now that he’d raised her, but the town had charmed him, and he wasn’t hugely fond of the concept of taking his daughter out of her hometown. Even if he missed Scotland often. Though he did everything he could to ensure his daughter wouldn’t end up with an English accent. Had it taken a decent chunk of money to get a cable package that included Scottish channels with Scottish cartoons? Yes. Did he regret it? Not at all. Visiting his family for holidays also helped. His daughter, named Maisie, was very fond of her visits to the country. Part of him hoped it could set up for her being open to moving there when she was older, though he didn’t cling to that idea very tightly. He had plenty of time before her teen years. Or, at least he told himself that, even if she turned five at the speed of light. Much like his second oldest sister, Davina, warned him.

John jogged when he spotted the school just ahead. He occasionally drove the distance, but it often wasn’t worth the gas it wasted, not when he could walk the distance with ease. Children filed out to their parents, the sound of little laughter never failed to make John grin. He’d always loved kids, even before being a parent to one. Likely because of the large family he came from. After all, he was the fifth kid born out of seven. His mother was a triplet, and his father had six sisters. The family events were more like circuses with the amount of kids. Sometimes it was hard to get any attention at all. It didn’t affect his adoration for his bloodline though…excluding the occasional prick of an aunt or step-uncle. 

The blue-eyed man walked up to the school, whistling a tune as his hands came to rest on his jean-clad hips. It was warm for once, without a layer of overcast in the sky. John tapped the rhythm of a song stuck in his head on this hip, eyes scanning through kids, parents, and teachers. Stopping once to give an awkward nod and strained smile to a mom he’d met at a school event once. He averted his eyes quickly however. Not to throw a woman under the bus, but John wasn’t too fond of her less-than-subtle flirting she’d chuck his way whenever he went to an event for his daughter. He hadn’t dated since Maisie’s mother, for his own sake and hers. And even if that wasn’t a factor, he was about ninety-nine percent sure the woman was married. John was a lot of things, but a homewrecker certainly wasn’t one.

His brain flicked back on when he heard a familiar little voice shout a goodbye. With a genuine grin this time, John turned and spotted his little girl waving to someone. He let out a sharp whistle, something he’d picked up from when his father owned horses. Quickly, Maisie turned and searched for her father, breaking out into a look of pure joy. Little Mary-Janes clacked on the stone as she sprinted to him. John crouched down and held open his arms, ready to receive. As soon as she reached him, he hoisted her up high with a laugh, reveling in her joyous giggle. He brought her down and set her on his hip, supported by his arm.

“Didn’t you have a bow in yer hair when I sent ya here?” John questioned, and Maisie looked away. “Uhhh noooo?” She lied, making him snort. “Ya lil’ bugger, you yelled at me all mornin’ for not tying it right!” He playfully scolded, making her laugh as he pinched at her side, having her curl away from the ticklish feeling. “I kept the piggies in though!” Maisie retorted, touching the tiny brunette pigtails in her hair. They were a bit messy now, but to her word, they were intact. John sighed with a head shake. “‘Suppose you got a point there. Where’d the ribbon go then?” He asked, subconsciously taking her rucksack when she took it off and held it away from her.

With the pink strap over his shoulder, looking hilariously small against his frame, he watched her eyes grow with excitement. “I gave it to my new friend! I tied it around her wrist and told her to wear it until I could make her a bracelet.” The little girl explained proudly. The ex-soldier tilted his head with a little chuckle. “A bracelet huh? For a new friend? You must like her a lot. That’s a high honor, lass.” He commented. Maisie bobbed her head aggressively, showing she agreed quite intensely. “She’s my best friend now. She’s new to town too! She said she lived in Manchester before, but her dad didn’t like the school she was in, so they came here.” 

John hummed with a quick nod, showing he was listening. He adjusted her on his hip and opened his mouth to speak, ready to suggest a treat before they went home, seeing as how it was such a nice day out. But he paused when his gaze caught on a figure near the front of the school. There wasn’t really anything amiss at first. Just another parent picking up their child it seemed, based on the little blonde girl that was being cautiously lifted off the ground. But it was Maisie’s outburst that made his eyes stick. She pointed with a smile. “That’s my friend! Her name is Ellie!” The information barely registered as John took in the stranger.

Tall, broad, with an aura he’d only attributed to an animal before. A doberman-like intimidating energy. Dressed in almost all black with a black surgical mask across the lower half of his face. An image of intensity only broken by the soft, chubby features of Maisie’s new friend. Round and rosy cheeks with big eyes. John couldn’t look away from the man’s face though, noting a noticeable scar that ran to the stranger’s temple, barely clipping the end of his eyebrow and leaving a subtle indent in the short blond hair at his temple. Just as John was about to force his eyes away, the man turned slightly, and their gazes locked. Cliche and beyond cheesy, but John was suddenly stunned by just how pretty this man's eyes were. Instead of holding the borderline scary aura the rest of him did, they held a gentleness. Light eyelashes in contrast to cinnamon brown. There was a purple tint under the man’s eyes, adding to the naturally tired slope of his eye shape. John always liked eyes, he always found them his favorite thing to look at on people’s faces. Although here, he was suddenly very acutely aware that he had been straight up deadpan staring at a man he didn’t know for God knows how long. The man also clearly noticed, given the uncomfortable shift in his shoulders and the almost anxious glance away, only to connect back with John’s eyes. Obviously, double checking if he was meaning to stare at him. Thankfully, Maisie’s voice helped break John’s train of thought and pull him from his own head.

“Can Ellie come over?” Maisie questioned. “Huh? Oh, uh. We would need to ask her pa, bò.” Her father stammered a bit, looking down at her, although he was certain he could feel the other man’s stare still on him. Internally, he worried he’d already sealed in a bad impression. There was nothing more awkward than accidentally staring at a stranger for seemingly no reason, and then getting caught. “Well he’s over there, let’s go ask!” Maisie tugged at the collar of John’s shirt. He sighed quietly and took a second to prepare how he’d manage that. He debated if he should open with his name or just boldly state an apology. When he decided he’d figure it out once in front of the man, he took in a breath and readied himself to charm his way out of the awkward tension he’d just built.

However, when he looked up, fully prepared to walk toward the man, he was startled by the masked stranger being suddenly closer. A safe distance away but close enough for a conversation. Maisie didn’t miss a beat, waving happily at Ellie who returned the gesture albeit with less enthusiasm. John blinked before he coughed, rolling his shoulders and smiling. Needing to look up was something new. He wasn’t short by any means, and he’d met plenty of tall people, but there was something about the rest of his man’s energy that made his height seem all the more intense. “Afternoon, ‘m John, Maisie’s dad. Uh…sorry about the staring. Wasn’t intentional, was meant to be more of a glance and I forgot to move my eyes.” The Scot said with far less grace than he’d hoped for, he was even using his hand to talk, a habit he always had but that often worsened when he was nervous. The man blinked slowly at him before holding out a hand, which John noted was gloved, despite the warm weather. The gloves had bone detailing on them. 

“Simon.” Ellie’s father answered through a gravelly voice and thick accent. John silently hoped his relief wasn’t too visible as he reached to shake the extended hand, shoulders less tense. “Pleasure to meet’cha, Simon.” He said genuinely, letting his hand come to rest on the strap of Maisie’s bag. He inhaled to speak again, only for his daughter to cut in. “Can Ellie come over to play?” She asked quite loudly. John sighed and patted her on the arm. “It’s “may”, lass. Also say please, and don’t interrupt.” He said, voice soft as he reminded her. Though his tone was gentle, she straightened her back and quickly addressed him with an apology before looking back at Simon. “I’m sorry. May Ellie come over to play, please?” She asked, slower this time. Simon hummed and shifted his weight a bit. He looked down at his daughter, asking silently for her opinion. Ellie nodded with a shy grin. Simon looked to John again. “I’m not too keen on her being at stranger’s houses.” He said calmly. His blunt tone made Maisie deflate, taking it as a complete no. John did as well, but he was quick to offer a solution. “Well that’s alright. There’s a park near a shopping center nearby, Maisie goes there every weekend. If you have the time, maybe we could meet there instead. Let the girls play without havin’ to be at one of our houses.” 

Simon tilted his head back down to his daughter once more, Ellie nodded up at him again, this time her eyes wider and her head shook more intently. “That’ll do.” Simon replied calmly. Maisie perked up again, swinging her legs with excitement as John gained a smile of his own. He struggled to bring out his phone and unlock it with only one hand. Simon rose an eyebrow curiously until the brunet held out his phone, open to a new contact page. “We can work out the details whenever ya have a second.” John explained. Simon took the device carefully. He adjusted Ellie so she could wrap her short arms around his neck. John bit back a snicker when the little girl hung from her father’s neck, allowing him to have both hands free. With the freedom, he slipped off a glove so he could type in his number and his first name into the contact. Once it was done, he handed the phone back and let Ellie rest back on his arm.

“Alright then! That’s solved, just let me know when you get an opening in your schedule.” John nodded. Maisie was silently climbing up his form to get on his shoulders, something he adjusted to seamlessly while keeping Simon’s gaze. His legs turned and ready to leave. Simon tilted his head subtly. “What ‘bout your schedule?” He questioned lightheartedly. John chuckled. With one hand holding Maisie’s ankle, he gently bumped Simon’s shoulder with his fist. “I’ll save you a spot, sir.” He said cheerfully. Simon blinked and followed the Scot with his shocked eyes as John started to walk away. Maisie waved to Ellie and shouted a loud goodbye. Simon could feel the gentle touch through the fabric of his jumper long after it was gone, and it stunned him a bit. He blinked before sighing. “Bloody hell…” He mumbled before turning to walk in the opposite direction, keeping his daughter tucked in his arm. . ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Simon bounced his leg as the train shook on the tracks. He kept his gaze either in his lap or out the window, although acutely aware of his surroundings. He always was very observant, no matter where he went. He knew there were a total of twelve other people in his cab and he’d clocked one as an alcoholic off the bat. Spotting a hidden brown bag in the suited man’s bag, amongst various business documents and folders. The pristine suit and silk tie meant nothing. Simon was sure to sit furthest from that stranger, even if he’d been occupied with a meeting on his laptop. It wasn’t his business and he didn’t care to hear the stranger’s sob story, he didn’t really care. The detail-oriented system his brain operated under was built from training.

Simon needed to spot subtle dangers, it was the only reason he was alive to see anything at all. If his childhood strife wasn’t enough to train his subconscious on how to spot the incoming dangers before they occurred, allowing him time to prepare for the fallout or prevent the situation entirely. The years he spent in the SAS certainly did. If anything escaped his line of sight, people would be dead, his own life included. All it took was a single blindspot taken advantage of to send blood splattering to the ground. He’d seen it, he’d caused it. It wasn’t something to take lightly and it was a habit he knew he’d never get rid of. Not that it was a bad skill to have, it kept him alive, although there were days he yearned for a life more peaceful. 

He’d never been free from pain or trauma, if he wanted that, he’d have to reincarnate completely. Something he doubted God, if the being even existed, would be willing to give him. His father’s torment, however the most damaging on his mind when at its most malleable, seemed like the least of his mental struggles. Even if he still had nightmares where the feeling of a reptile’s dangerous and scaled lips touched his own. They paled in comparison to other images that would keep him up at night. The feeling of unwanted hands or the scent of earth mixed with a body’s decaying organs were by far the worst ones, though even those had gotten better. Mostly with time. They weren’t as frequent, thankfully. He had more recent agonies, ones that still stung like fresh. The loss of his entire family but the one man he’d disowned weighed on him heavily, the bruising ache of betrayals from people he considered friends. All these things only kept at bay from keeping himself busy, or, when they were at their worst, an uncharacteristically vulnerable discussion with his coworker and past superior. But all these things were years in the past. His most recent internal gash was only five years behind him, and while he’d begun to walk away from it, he still felt it burn under his skin.

Simon very rarely got close to anyone. Every time he did, it seemed they either died, grew to hate him, eventually betrayed him, or merely vanished. Sometimes he’d ask himself what he’d done to deserve it, occasionally he’d brood in a fit of emotional anger over what those who’d wronged him had done. Usually though, he’d bared with it, even expected it. Every individual he met, he readied himself for something to go wrong. It hadn’t been any different when he’d accidentally bumped into a woman at a library, almost knocking the poor thing over. He was exhausted and a bit woozy from some pain meds he’d been prescribed, thanks to a bullet wound that knocked him in his lower ribs.

She’d been nothing but benevolent, and to call her anything but beautiful would’ve been a crime. Simon had a brand new urge when she’d smiled at him, the urge to run, sprint as far as possible. Her dimpled cheeks, wavy & glowing honey-blonde hair, and kindhearted eyes squeezed the oxygen from his lungs, almost taking out his knees. She even helped him find a book he’d actually enjoy, which he did. It would’ve been bad enough with that one encounter, but then he bumped into her again in a cafe. This time, it was her who knocked into him, promptly covering his hoodie in tea, much to her horror. Simon felt nauseous when his heart stuttered, watching her apologize frantically and ask if he was okay, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, even when he assured her it was fine.

It was the third time, at a pub, that he learned her name. It was also that time that she’d graced him with her number. He didn’t contact her for a month. Even in the current day, he wasn’t sure what prompted him to call her. His apartment had just been so quiet, the rain so loud, and his heart heavy. Something about her sleep-addled voice must’ve flicked a hidden switch in his brain, because that phone call spurred a relationship. Not a whirlwind romance like in the movies by any means. He didn’t know how to treat her, and he pulled away from her frequently. She’d broken down in tears once when he’d gone a month avoiding her, having assumed she’d done something wrong. That night had ended with him held tightly to her body, earning a kiss with more emotion than he thought he was capable of.

It was the longest relationship he’d had. Technically speaking, given he didn’t really count the on & off situationship he’d battled with from the ages of fourteen to sixteen. All that had done was tell him he wasn’t straight, he hated disco music, and he wasn’t fond of the constant anxiety of his father’s heavy hand over a relationship that wasn’t even exclusive. It also was the kindest relationship he’d had, perhaps even on a platonic level. He could never wrap his head around how someone so gentle could exist. How a voice could feel like a blanket’s warmth on shivering skin, how a touch could feel so safe, or how perfume could be so intoxicating. He’d been so disarmed so fast it baffled him.

He’d known her for four months, dated her for two, and admitted he loved her the entire time on the third month. Coincidentally, the same month she’d shyly placed a positive pregnancy test in his hand. She’d been terrified to tell him, clearly. Probably because he’d been very avoidant on the topic of family, while she’d mentioned her dream of motherhood early on. Simon almost ran again, he’d gotten on a bus in the middle of the night when she’d gone to sleep. He wasn’t sure where, it was his apartment she was sleeping in. He was never sure how he’d ended up at the cemetery his mother was buried in, but it shocked him into going back home. His father was a stain on his DNA, a coward and a bastard. He already resembled the man, the last thing he needed to do was fall into the pit of spineless decisions the man had.

It didn’t scare him any less. Even when the idea of being responsible for a newborn had begun to lighten up, the worry something bad would happen only got heavier. He prayed for it to be paranoia as her stomach grew. He’d even asked whatever god that would listen to put the weight of anything awful to fall on himself, not her or the baby. And he cursed whatever God existed when her water broke far too early, and when it sent the sweetest woman he’d ever had the pleasure of meeting into utter agony. He always hated hospitals, and that hatred worsened when he had to carry her into the ER. He’d paced for hours. There was a risk of losing the baby, something that made his stomach twist. There was a risk of losing her, something that made his chest tighten. There was a risk of losing both, something that actually made him vomit in a trashcan near the waiting room. He couldn’t decide which was worse. 

Simon didn’t get to decide either. He’d been handed a tiny, fragile baby girl swaddled in blankets. She was beautiful, but the moment wasn’t sweet. When he made eye contact with the nurse, the woman’s face said enough, and for the first time in a long time, Simon sobbed. Enough for his entire body to shake. His coworker had to hold him that night, it was the only way to keep him together. “I’m sorry, Simon.” was all the bearded man could say, in a voice gruff from years of ordering soldiers and smoking, but filled with genuine heartache for the man broken once again.

His daughter, Ellie, came out fine. She was small and fragile, sure, but alive. Simon had to ask his friend if babies ever remembered their newborn phase, purely in fear that his child would remember him crying while keeping her swaddled up on his chest. He couldn’t even use the nursery he’d help make, he moved the crib into his room, right by his bed. Though, for the first month he didn’t even use it. He slept with the newborn on his chest, hands rested on her small form, just to make sure she wouldn’t vanish. He even became on a first name basis with the pediatrician because he visited so often, constantly burning with anxiety. The doctor told him to go to his own care physician and get a prescription for Xanax, lest he collapse from the stress. Having such a dramatic change wasn’t good for his health. His friend took it upon himself to make everything as easy for Simon as physically possible. From a shift in careers to watching the baby so Simon could finally sleep, even if he needed a mountain of melatonin to do it. 

He pulled himself together. Even if the time he’d spent with the angel he’d met at the library was cut short, something he somehow managed to blame himself for, up until his daughter Ellie was three. She was the spitting image of himself aside from two things, two things he treasured about her the most. In her brown eyes, the left held a split of color, bright green, the color her mother had. The other feature was a singular mole on her tiny shoulder, just adjacent to her neck, exactly where her mother had one. He always found himself softening when he was reminded of these two tiny details about his child. Even if Ellie didn’t truly understand why. It seemed the features she favored about herself were the ones that she shared with her father. Something Simon managed to find a bittersweetness in. 

He’d been so hesitant to send her to school when she became the right age. To the point he started her on half days, to get her acclimated slowly, but admittedly more for himself. It was fine at first. She had the occasional bad day, but she always attributed it to loud noises or lots of stimuli. It was when she turned four that she started coming home and telling him about the occasional mean comment. It wasn’t too bad, in her words. But the day he was called to pick her up because she was brought into a hysterical meltdown, a combination of some kids teasing her and a substitute teacher’s rough handling of her emotions, Simon had just about lost it. If looks could kill, his eyes would’ve been the equivalent of an air strike. He’d been ready to tear the old woman’s head off, and he’d never been closer to kicking actual children into the sun than that moment. 

The school had a habit of not helping when kids were bullied, and when Simon really looked at it, he realized the environment Ellie was always in. His apartment was cramped and dark, not to mention old. His downstairs neighbor was always yelling at his roommates, the upstairs one was a drunk, and the old lady across the hall never failed to make a comment when she caught Simon in the lift. The traffic was hell and the closest park needed a train to get to, since he didn’t like to drive. He had plenty of money saved, and when he asked Ellie if she would miss anything, her only answer was the birds that nested in one of the windows. 

So, he found a small home, packed everything, and took Ellie out of Manchester. He liked the ability to add more security immediately. No longer relying on a lazy landlord and a chain lock. He could secure every window and door and install a proper security system. Ellie was most fond of the dogs she’d seen being walked in the neighborhood, as well as the large window seat her new room had. The only one who knew about the address change was Simon’s coworker, the only one with a spare key too. In case of an emergency. He’d waited a full month before enrolling his daughter in school again, and he honestly would’ve waited longer, had Ellie not complained about the cabin fever. 

It was fairly close, but just a bit too far to walk to, hence why Simon took the train. The bus was also an option, but it was far too crowded for his liking when he’d seen the stop. He adjusted his mask when walking from the station to the school, the hand in his hoodie pocket held a small back of sweets. Something he grabbed for Ellie as a prize for going to her new school. He silently missed his balaclava. He would’ve worn it if Ellie didn’t remind him other kids would probably be scared of it, and he was intimidating enough on his own. As usual, he scanned the area as he approached. Counting every child and adult he could see. He slowed to a stop on the sidewalk, waiting patiently to see a head of blonde tresses tied in a bun with a white scrunchy, one with little ghosts on it. She’d begged for it when she saw it, and it was easy to pick out of a crowd. He relaxed when she came into sight, noting how she waved at a little brunette girl that ran away. 

Ellie walked to him briskly. Simon zeroed in on a red ribbon tied loosely around her right arm in an uneven bow. “Hi daddy.” Ellie said softly as she reached him. “Hi, squeaker. How was your first day?” He asked. He bent to pick her up when she raised her arms. “Good. I didn’t talk to many kids, but there was this one girl who was really nice.” She explained, then held up her ribbon-decorated arm. “She gave me her hair bow, said it was a placeholder until she could make me a bracelet. Her name’s Maisie, but the others called her MayMay.” Simon hummed in acknowledgment, face softening as she described it with a smile. It’d been the first time another kid had made an effort to befriend her, something that brought Simon a lot of relief. “So, I assume you had fun then?” He asked.

Ellie nodded again. “She taught me Scottish words. Her dad’s Scottish, she said.” Simon listened and nodded. He turned, ready to head to the train station again. He only stopped when he felt the shiver up his spine, a sixth sense he developed when in the sights of a sniper. He even looked at the builds first, checking the roofs. It was only when he looked ahead of himself that he saw who was staring. A brunet stranger with blue eyes and a messy mohawk. Simon blinked as the man gazed at him, noting the little girl in his arms. He looked around at his sides. Maybe the stranger was looking past him? No, no he was certainly staring at him. 

Simon felt Ellie tap him. “It’s okay, daddy. That’s MayMay, that man’s her dad.” She whispered. He looked at the man once more, seeing him now distracted by Maisie. He sighed slowly and looked at Ellie. “You want me to say hello, don’t you.” It was less a question, since he knew the answer, and more a statement. Reaffirmed by Ellie’s gentle nod. Simon let out a defeated sigh, and his daughter patted his shoulder in sympathy. She was well aware of her father’s introversion. Still, Simon walked up, though not too close. He could hear the little girl’s accent, mostly Scottish with a British twang of sorts. Maisie’s father let out a sigh and looked up, though clearly startled by Simon’s now closer proximity. A few seconds passed as the man took Simon’s form in, before he coughed and introduced himself, quickly followed by an awkward apology.

The man’s shoulders were tense, that was the first thing Simon noticed. He also noticed a scar on his chin, and along his right eye. And, a bit shamefully, he noted how tightly the man’s shirt hugged his well-built chest and arms. Simon wasn’t one to gawk but even he had to admit those biceps were impressive. He blinked, then held out his hand. “Simon.” He stated calmly. John relaxed and shook his hand. He looked ready to say something before Maisie cut him off, too caught up in her own excitement to remember manners. “Can Ellie come over to play?” She exclaimed. Ellie smiled at the enthusiasm and Simon could hear her stifled giggle.

John’s voice was gentle when he corrected his daughter, and Simon admired how Maisie immediately responded. Maisie asked again, and while Simon wouldn’t have any problem saying yes, he wasn’t going to agree without his daughter’s confirmation. He never liked the idea of forcing her to do anything she didn’t want to, if unnecessary. But she nodded when he looked down at her. He paused. The idea of letting his daughter go to a stranger’s house made anxiety pump into his veins, and while this man seemed nice, he didn’t want to give out his address. “ “I’m not too keen on her being at stranger’s houses.” He admitted. Honestly, he felt a pang of guilt when John’s daughter deflated. John seemed to as well, if only for a second, Simon caught the look akin to a dejected puppy. Really, the man had serious puppy eyes.

John bounced back quickly though, grinning once more with white teeth and a sparkle in his eye. …or maybe that was just the sun. Yeah, just the sun. “Well that’s alright. There’s a park near a shopping center nearby, Maisie goes there every weekend. If you have the time, maybe we could meet there instead. Let the girls play without havin’ to be at one of our houses.” The Scot suggested. Simon glanced at Ellie again, her nod was intense. He exhaled, she wanted to see the park anyway, better to do it with someone she was friends with. He remembered going to the park alone, it was not a fun experience. “That’ll do.” He answered, following the movement of John struggling to pull his phone out, and he was admittedly confused at first when it was held out to him.

Simon looked at the cracked screen protector as a new contact page stared back at him. John said something about working out the details. Simon bit back his apprehension and took the phone, adjusting Ellie. A silent code they developed, one of many, when he needed both his hands free for a moment. She secured herself around his neck and he let her hang off him so he could take off a glove. He tapped in his number and his name, all in lowercase. John’s grin was sunshine bright as he took the device back. Simon wondered if his cheeks hurt at this point while Ellie settled back on his arm. Maisie climbed over her father, something the man seemed unphased by, helping her adjust to be on his shoulders. “Alright then! That’s solved, just let me know when you get an opening in your schedule.” John said cheerfully. The longer he spoke, the more Simon could see this man spiritually being a dog. Probably a terrier of some kind. He was way too happy. Though, really, it was an endearing quality. Certainly more pleasant than the bitter old lady across the hall.

Simon had the faintest of smiles behind his mask as he jokingly asked the man about his own schedule, seeing him ready to leave. John chuckled and gently connected his fist to Simon’s shoulder. “I’ll save you a spot, sir.” He said. Fire radiated over the blond’s skin from where John had tapped him, and he felt the air suddenly vanish from his lungs, leaving him stunned. Even after John began to leave. “Bye-bye, Ellie!” Maisie shouted back, making the little girl wave back. Simon swallowed as the urge to high tail it back home filled his nerves. He pushed it down, not for the sake of seeming brave, but quite the opposite. He wasn’t going to feel that way again, he refused. Not so soon. But as he turned to leave, and he settled on the memory of a puppy-eyed gaze and bold grin, he was worried. Very worried.

"Bloody hell.” He whispered, hugging Ellie closer. The little girl rested her head on his shoulder, eyes shut. He let himself exhale a puff of anxious breath, feeling himself settle at the sight of her peaceful form. He’d be fine. They’d be fine.

[hinnyweasley]

@hinnymicrofic 4/10: scream

I just realized that I think the fic I wrote today actually fits todays prompt! content warning: mildly steamy due to teenage boy thoughts

"Breakfast is ready, dears. Ron, will you please go wake your sister?" Molly asked as she sat down a plate of bacon on the kitchen table before making her way to the garden.

"I'm not goin' up there! Last time she threw a book at me! Couldn't walk normally for a week," He protested through a mouthful of bacon.

"I got it!" Fred and George called in unison from the couch, rising with mischievous grins. "Oh gin-gin!" George sang as they climbed up the stairs. Suddenly an alarming sequence of bangs, screams, and crashes erupted from the floor above, followed by a pair of footsteps pounding the floor as the twins came running back down to the table. They each hopped into an empty seat on either side of Harry, stealing his and Ron's plates as they casually acted as though they had been there eating the whole time. A moment later a very angry, and wet, Ginny appeared in the doorway. Harry threw a hand over his mouth in an attempt to suppress his laughter as Ginny stood there, water dripping off of her pajamas and onto the hardwood floor.

The twins sighed, shaking their heads, as they walked across the room to where Ginny was standing. "Now Ginny, we've talked about this before. You're supposed to put your clothes on after you shower,"  said Fred quipped. 

"You absolute gits!" She barked as she lunged towards them. 

"Kids are so ungrateful these days, don't you think Fred? Here we are, trying to impart our wisdom onto our dear sister and she attacks us!"

"Right you are, George, it seems our little Ginnykins has forgotten her manners," 

"I'm going to kill you!" She shrieked. The noise must've caught Molly's attention because she now came rushing in to separate the three. "Now what on earth is going on in here?" She demanded, quickly turning to and casting a spell to dry her off. 

"The bloody prats conjured a rain cloud above my bed!" Ginny cried.

"Brilliant," Ron breathed.

The twins gasped in mock offense at the accusation, but before they could say anything Molly began, "You two are to apologize to your sister this instant. And you'll spend the rest of the morning degnoming the garden!" 

"We're so very sorry Ginny," Fred teased.

"Yes, our sincerest apologies. We do hope you can find it in your cold, dead, heart to forgive us," George continued, earning a growl from Ginny, before they departed. 

Ginny grumpily made her way to the table and dropped into the seat next to Harry, lightly brushing his arm in the process. The innocent contact sent a jolt of electricity through his body as he prayed the blush spreading across his cheeks wouldn't be noticed by her, or worse, Ron. When he could finally feel his heart beat returning to only slightly fast than usual, he turned to face her. "I don't reckon you're letting them off the hook that easily, are you?" He mused. 

A playful grin appeared on her face. "Hell no. Just gotta wait till mums distracted before I can strike back," She said as she filled her plate with bacon. "Plus it's more fun to wait. Let them be scared a couple days, then attack when they least expect it," She winked at him. He could feel the heat returning to his face, among other places, as his mind raced with different ways he could help her plan it, and how she would thank him afterwards. 

"Well whatever psycho plan you come up with this time, just please try to keep me out of it. I want to give them any reason to come after me next," Ron ordered, and suddenly Harry was brought back to reality and found he had never been more uncomfortable sitting at this table. 

[mckinlily]

Voltron post-s2 AU

Voltron fix-it in year of our lord two thousand twenty three? More likely than you think! Or rather, if I were writing Voltron after season 2, here’s what I’d do:

First of all Shiro doesn’t die. There also isn’t a clone arc because I could never figure out a path that totally satisfied me but that’s a me issue. Shiro does disappear at the end of season 2, but he gets sent to an alternate reality like in this post. Short form is that reality’s Takashi Shirogane was the Blue Paladin and died died ten years age. The alternate!paladins (inclusive of alt!Allura who is the Blue Paladin) are much older than their canon counterparts and low-key having a crisis about this baby version of their long-dead teammate suddenly dropped into their mist. Especially when they realize how traumatized and young he is—and utterly lacking in self worth. These older paladins cannot stand letting another Takashi Shirogane get himself killed and will do anything to ensure that doesn’t happen.

(Just so long as everyone’s conflicting trauma doesn't get in the way)

But while Shiro’s stuck in reality universe getting a crash course on self worth and YES you matter, don’t you dare freaking die (and also getting some helpful Voltron tips from much more experienced paladins) back in our OG reality…

The canon team is struggling.

They’re trying. But Shiro is GONE, and no one knows what happened to him. The remaining paladins are four teenagers who were thrown into a war without warning, have essentially been on the run ever since, and now just lost the only remaining source of stability they had. They’re scared, overwhelmed, and fighting like cats and dogs. Allura’s trying to lead them, but the hole that Shiro left is gaping and almost too painful to touch. It doesn’t help that Allura feels the personal loss keenly but believes to be an effective leader she has to put on a strong face. This causes certain paladins (Keith, it’s obviously Keith) to be furious with her, thinking she doesn’t care, and everything deteriorates from there.

In addition to the interpersonal issues, the Black Lion is offline. It won’t turn on—not for Keith, not for Allura, not for anyone. And they’ve all tried in desperation, but it won’t even flicker. As long as the Black Lion is unresponsive, they try everything they can think of, but they can’t find a single hint of a clue of what happened to Shiro or where he might be. And still, the Black Lion does nothing. So in addition to the terror and uncertainty in missing Shiro, they are now down a Lion and completely unable to form Voltron.

Not good. Especially not good because while Zarkon is down (though for how long, they don’t know), there are still plenty of Galra commanders who are ready and gunning for blood. Vengeance is swift and the paladins are only escaping by the skin of their teeth. The stress is putting even more pressure on the already flaring tensions and tempers in the wake of Shiro’s absence, and Team Voltron is in serious danger, both from the outside and within.

Then Lotor shows up.

Now this Lotor doesn’t have his generals, and it’s not entirely clear where he came from. He says he’s here to help. And he just so happens to have Altean heritage, which obviously interests and intrigues Allura. (He just oh so conveniently forgets to mention the tiny little fact that Zarkon is his father.) Allura, who is alone and desperately aching for support without Shiro, obviously jumps at the opportunity to connect with another Altean. 

The paladins are less charmed. Hunk is immediately suspicious. Lance is jealous of his apparent interest to Allura. Pidge is barely speaking to her teammates these days. She doesn’t give a shit about some random purple guy. Keith hates him immediately. Then again, Keith seems to hate everyone since Shiro has disappeared, so maybe that doesn’t mean anything. 

And look, Allura isn’t stupid. She knows she should be cautious. And she is. But she also desperately needs a friend, and Lotor steps up while the other paladins have been failing her. 

Obviously, they can’t hide the massive Dead Black Lion issue for long, and Lotor is very interested. But he keeps it cool. He talks Allura into letting him try. The other paladins are deeply unhappy about it but not too worried because obviously it’s not going to work, right?

Expect then the Black Lion lights up.

It’s only for a moment and then the Black Lion goes dark again. But it’s the most reaction anyone has been able to get out the Lion. 

And they’re desperate.

Keith is BEYOND offended at the mere idea of anyone other than Shiro being the Black Paladin and nearly splits from the team over it. It’s only Lance going after him and, in a surprising show of maturity, overcoming his jealousy and practically begging Keith to stay that keeps him from vanishing completely. He’s still furious though. Hunk is beyond anxious, and even Pidge, who has been trying to check out from all emotion and people up until now, is becoming suspicious and anxious. 

But Allura… Look, she’s the sole leader right now. She sometimes feels like she’s the only one who still cares about saving the universe from the Galra anymore. But she also is very aware that she is now solely responsible for the remaining young paladins. If she owes Shiro anything in his absence, isn’t it to protect the team he gave his life for?

And to do that…they need Voltron. 

So when Lotor confesses to her that he had felt the Black Lion but suspects the Black Lion was damaged in the last fight against Zarkon, she listens. Lotor has access to some rare surviving records of Altean alchemy. He says he has a spell that, combined with Allura’s connection to the Lions, could fix the Black Lion. He says if Allura helps him strengthen his connection to the Black Lion, he’ll help them fight the Galra.

And Allura… it’s not that she doesn’t want Shiro back, of course she’d rather have Shiro! She can’t trust Lotor like she knew she could trust Shiro (even if he is Altean), and the other paladins clearly don’t like him. But she’s all alone. She has to keep Shiro’s team alive for him. They NEED Voltron.

So, at night, behind the other’s backs, she preforms the ritual with Lotor. 

And it works. 

Lotor is now the Black Paladin. No, it’s not ideal, and there other paladins are deeply unhappy, but all the Lions functional. It’s the best option they have available. 

… Right?

(to be continued)