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#again ive been saying i need a friend who likes baking to complete me.
beelstoecrust · 3 years
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Reading you based on your obey me Kin
i will be ruthless and im not holdin back!! ok now say it with me😈
Lucifer
I kin Lucifer and I have a hard time reaching out to my friends for help even when i know i need it. I don't want people to get worried about me so i mask my issues and help everyone with thier issues, completely disregarding my own needs for a break. in the end i feel alone because regardless of saying im ok, i want someone to truly sit with me and ask me if im ok, but i fear that moment because im not used to dealing with my own issues
Mammon
I kin Mammon and i just want to feel seen and loved. sometimes i do stupid/dumb things to get the seratonin that comes from making people laugh. i feel like no one ever listens to me and it makes me feel insignificant and like the last one to get picked. i truly want to be myself and fear that if im not the odds one out by doing little dumb things people will think im essentially worthless and most likely think im borning. I have a hard time talking about my feelings and want to so desperately, that if i do i won't know what to say or where to start due to the many emotions i've bottled up throughout my life
Levi
I kin Leviathan and i have very bad anxiety. i have a difficult time making friends and part of that reason is bc im scared they already hate me or want nothing to do with me. I know my interests are different from what is considered the norm but i so desperately want to talk and ramble about said interest for hours to someone who will at the very least listen. I get bashed about the things i like by my family and although i dont show it, this hurts me deeply. I lock myself in my room and indulge myself in my favorite things bc each character makes me wish i had certain aspects of them and makes me wish i lived an interesting life but bc of my anxiety it's extremely hard for me to do so. Im also used to being the last one picked and often assume i will always be the last one picked no matter how many times im reassured and deep down i want someone to relish in my own interests with me and truly love and care for me
Satan
I kin Satan and i have a horrible realtionship with my father. I Loathe my father and the tension arises every time we a near one another. A part of me feels terrible that i loathe my father because i know he has his own mind and emotions and i want to forgive him for what he's done but in the end I know it's fruitless to forgive him bc he has put me through alot of pain and hurt. i wish things couldve been different and we couldve had a normal bond. I also hide my emotions very well and am ashamed of ever feeling angry bc it makes me feel like i am horrible person. im also not used to affection and have only ever seeked or felt genuine affection from my pets. I also fear as if i have no personality and that im boring.
Asmodeus
I kin Asmo and i feel like i need to act confident around others in order for them to like me because im too scared to show people my insecurities because i fear they will never view me the same again and leave me in disgust. I want everyone to like me and I also can't handle when someone doesn't want to be my friend or doesn't like me bc i feel if there's something wrong with me. the need to act confident and cute all the time makes me oblivious to the fact that my insecurities shine through at times and make me even more oblivious to the fact people like me for who i am, insecurities and all
Beelzebub
I kin Beel and i have some form of sepreation anxiety towards my favorite person. i often get a sudden fear that something bad will happen to my fav person even though everything is ok. I get made fun of or scolded by my eating habbits and it makes me feel absolutely terrible because i'm trying. i also care very deeply for my family/friends and will do anything for them. i place unnecessarily guilt onto myself and perfer to do so, so that no one else has to bear the burden.
Belphegor
I kin Belphie and i act as if nothing matters but i secretly am very worried and care alot about my friends/family. I also stay up very late because i feel like i have no control over my life during the day and for some reason i feel like staying up late gives me some kind of control. I also hide my emotions with a sarcastic tone and usually think about the the mistakes ive made in my past while i cry in bed. i dont ask others for help emotionally and i want someone to care and listen to me as well as to relish in a calm peaceful life.
/Undatables/
Diavolo
I kin Diavolo and i fear that telling ppl i care about them isn't enough to get the message across so i constantly gift people things in hopes to show them i care. i also fear gifting things too much drives people away from me, i also dont get included much with friends and feel as if i have done something wrong. i also feel very upset when a fun time is over because the feeling of happiness goes with that moment, so i constantly throw little parties and whatnot to relish in the joy but feel upset once it's over. i can also read people well and get put on edge or very cautious when i cannot read someone
Barbatos
I kin barbatos and i constantly take care of others never once letting myself take a break. I hide my emotions behind a smile in order to not worry others and because i dont want dont ppls sense of depency on me to be ruined. i rarely let myself take breaks bc i fear that i wont be there for the person i care about when they need me.
Solomon
I kin solomon and i usually supress my emotions to hide the fact im not very used to being shown affection and that im not as confident as i seem. I also am a very private person but the fact im so secretive makes me disliked by some bc they think i dislike them. i also wish my friends would include me in more events with them and when they dont i bury myself in an activity to hide the fact im upset about it
Simeon
I kin simeon and i want to know and make sure they everyone is ok. i know just how to push and pull people's buttons but i wont abuse this because i care about those people. i'm also very hard to read and perfer to give people advise rather than answers to their problems. The constant taking care of others makes me forget that i also need time to just myself. It takes alot and i mean alot to anger me but once it happens it's not very pretty.
Luke
I kin luke and I want to take care of everyone and often forget to take care of myself. People often dont take me seriously and so i often i find myself baking as a coping mechisim bc it makes me feel in control of little things. I also have a hard time admitting that i care about others and i'll unknowingly show my affection that i do care about them by giving them little gifts and advice. im also very oblivious to certain topics and are i get mad when i get left in the dark about certain topics.
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peachiikawa · 3 years
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Caged Bird | Prince!Oikawa Tooru x Reader
a/n: if you know anything about fairytales then you might realize that the reader has the flute of the pied piper, though modified for the story. been watching a lot of once upon a time and got the idea from the neverland arc. hope you enjoy!
word count: 1.9k
genre: fantasy, romance
trigger warnings: reader gets hurt a bit but nothing graphic
summary: oikawa has always lived a lonesome life in the cage that is his castle. one day he sneaks out and a beautiful melody leads him to you, a traveling musician. oikawa is about to find out that his luck is going to change for the better.
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oikawa gazed out over the town from his balcony
he let out a long sigh as he grew bored from his studies
“why the long face trashykawa?”
his bestfriend and knight walked up next to him and leaned against the railing
“oh you know, just bored of being in this castle. theres a whole town of people out there and im stuck in here. gets tiring after a while”
iwaizumi listened to his friend and nodded along to what he was saying
“then sneak out for a day”
oikawas eyes widened
“youd help me sneak out?”
“only if you come back by sundown”
so oikawa grabbed his cloak and thanks to iwas help got out of the castle
despite being born and raised in this town oikawa had no idea where he was
and after about ten minutes he was completely and utterly lost
until he heard the faint sound of a flute
he followed the sound until he ended up in the mostly cleared out town square where he saw you playing a small wooden flute for those who were present, though you had no audience
everyone walked past you as if you were invisible like you werent playing such a beautiful song
he approached you slowly and listened until you finished your performance
“that was really good”
you looked up at him and smiled
“always a pleasure to play for those who need it”
the bright smile on your face felt warm and inviting
like he was meant to be here
“would you like to take a seat next to me?”
you gestured to the spot next to you and he gladly took it
“so...whats your story”
hes hesitant to answer your question
“ill tell you mine if you tell me yours”
you set your flute down in your bag next to you
“well first of all my names y/n and my life is nothing too interesting. im a traveling performer and play my flute as a way to pass time and help those who need it. always come across the most interesting people this way”
traveling. thats something oikawa could only dream of
“so cmon now tell me about you”
he peaked at you through his hood
“ok but dont make a big commotion..im oikawa tooru”
you laughed a bit
“thats funny you share the same name as the prince”
you stopped laughing when you saw the serious look in his eyes
“oh..oh! im so sorry for being so rude!”
you started to scramble around when he grabbed your wrists to stop your movements
“shh yes im the prince but stop flailing people are starting to look”
once you had calmed down he went on
“ive been confined to my castle my whole life and stuck to certain rules i have to follow. it seems like even if i catch a break something else comes along. i have to stay this perfect image because im the prince and it just gets so lonely. its as if im a bird trapped in a cage and theres no way out”
ah so there it is
the reason he could hear your flute
you picked a flower that was growing next to you and placed it in his hair as you spoke
“im sorry your lifes been like that but oikawa, if i may be so bold, even a caged bird will become wise enough to break free. the dream of flying is too great to resist”
Once you had properly placed the flower you smiled at him before standing up from your spot and grabbing your bag
you then held your hand out to him
but he couldnt gather his thoughts
you were so bright it was almost blinding
“now cmon! lets go have some fun!”
he looked at the hand held out to him
and with a leap of faith, he took it
he was going to get out of this cage, this perpetual cycle
and finally add some meaning to his life
day after day you two spent your time together
oikawas days that were once filled with hollow words and empty actions were now filled with happiness
filled with you
and everyday slowly but surely he was falling for you
passing glances turned into prolonged gazes
his heart could no longer stay still around you
you became the key to his happiness
but for now...he had to be content with just being next to you
it would be too selfish otherwise
to ask you to stay with him here in the kingdom...he could never trap you like that
“so what are we doing today y/n?”
you were strolling through the town on a quiet sunday afternoon like you had the last few sundays
“how about we go to the bakery? theyre usually busy but since its sunday i bet its not as packed and then i want to take you somewhere”
he was curious as to what you had in store but decided against asking questions
so you two got some baked goods and headed out towards the woods
“cmon we’re almost there”
you pushed some branches and shrubs out of the way
and one eventually hit him in the face
“watch it y/n! i keep getting wacked by you”
you just chuckled a bit which oikawa had found adorable in itself
it made his heart slow just hearing it
“just come on!”
eventually you two made it to a clearing over a beautiful lake
he didnt know that there was something like this so close by
he was absolutely amazed by it
“take a seat oikawa! we can rest and eat here!”
this moment was just too perfect to him
with you here he felt as if nothing bad could happen
that if he only could see your smile everything would be alright
being content with just being at your side...was no longer and option
he knew that if he wanted this he needed to take his chance
“y/n”
your eyes were full of life and he couldnt help but feel so happy next to you
and before he knew it he was closing the gap between the two of you with a hand gently cradling your cheek
but right before you two could kiss you were ripped away from him
“dont you dare touch the prince commoner!”
oikawa frantically looked around as many of his guards came out of the brush
“get your hands off of them!”
you were pressed to the ground and the sight almost broke his heart
“sorry your highness but we’re under strict orders to bring you back and throw whoever was seducing you to leave the castle into the dungeon”
the guard that had been on you lifted you up like you were a sack and bound you by rope
you gave oikawa a final smile before you were taken away even though you were so banged up that it made him want to puke
he was speechless
this is what he was talking about
being so controlled and monitored made him feel so small and helpless
and he absolutely abhorred it
“your highness your mother is waiting for you in the throne room”
oikawa was beyond upset
this isnt how he wants to live
“mother how could you throw the only good thing in my life away!”
his mother sneered at his words
“only good thing? what need to you have for that filthy peasant! and how dare you cast me aside as if i hadnt given you everything you own, everything you are is because of me! i will not allow for any of this nonsense! now go wash up. and dont you dare ever leave the castle again and i forbid you from seeing that nasty peasant again. wasting your time with such a person...”
he gritted his teeth and was about turn to leave
his emotions were running too high
he wasnt himself and he knew it
but even so...he wont allow it to end like this
he was going to end it on his terms
“no”
“what did you say?”
he stood his ground
“i said no mother. im going to live the way i want and with who i want. ill gladly give up my title because frankly, i never wanted it in the first place. and dont you ever call y/n filthy or nasty again. their so incredibly kind and full of joy and laughter. i can only hope to be like that one day. so ive decided that im leaving. with y/n.”
as soon as the doors shut behind him he let out the breath he didnt even know he was holding
but it also felt as if there was a giant weight off of him now
“im coming y/n dont you worry”
it had been a couple hours since you were brought to your cell
you didnt have any major injuries, just a few cuts and scratches from when you were body slammed to the ground
“do you mind if i play?”
you pulled out your flute and the guard nodded
“thank you!”
you started playing and filled the cell you were in with a relaxing tune
“why do you play if it doesnt make noise?”
you stopped and looked at the spiky haired man who stood outside your cell
“it takes a certain person to appreciate its music”
he just looked at you as if you were crazy
but you continued anyways
until you heard frantic running coming from down the hall
“iwa you gotta let them out”
oikawa was panting trying to catch his breath
“dude no offense but your mom would kill me and you if i just let them out”
oikawa grabbed the key from iwaizumis waist before he even realized what had happened
“dont worry about it iwa. and dont worry about me. today i start my new life. it was good knowing you buddy”
they gripped hands the way they always had. A solemn but knowing look was shared between them
“if i had known me letting you leave the castle one time would lead to this...i would have done it a lot sooner. good luck out there bud”
oikawa quickly turned to you and helped you off of the ground
“you ready to run?”
he cupped your cheek and ran his thumb over one of the small cuts
hed be sure to treat that later
you nodded and leaned into his hand
“are you sure this is what you want?”
you were happy to leave with him
its more than you could ever ask for
“y/n youre the only person thats made me feel free. and by doing this i will be.”
you two finally got to share the kiss you had been deprived of and not only was it full of love but also full of hope for your future
“then lets go”
and you two sprinted off to your next adventure together
the flute you possessed was one he could no longer hear the sound of after that day
for it was enchanted, only to be be heard by those who were lost and lonely
with you he was neither anymore
and he couldnt be any happier than living out the rest of his days with you as a free man, a bird outside of its cage
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oh-for-fic-sake · 4 years
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Ghosting A Wayne
Masterlist
Warnings: Adult content +18 only!! Smut, Agegap, Swearing, A Little Angst?
A/n:Ok so this is the first real full smut iv done and im super nervous about posting this one i hope its good but if its shit im sorry hope you enjoyxx
After getting cold feet because of your own insecurities you get a visitor pick you up from work.
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Ghosting A Wayne
You sighed as you pulled out a batch of cookies from the oven placing the three large trays out on the cooling racks today was a baking day to fill the display out the front ,you'd been alone with your thoughts all day and were just about done, glancing at the clock you fist pumped the air. Home time. You quickly undone your apron hanging it on the hook by the kitchen door then called out to Tom that your shift was done.
After your first lunch date with Bruce you intended to leave it there but the man was very persistent... and charming somehow he'd managed to talk you in circles and wrangle a second date and third and forth. you'd canceled your fifth using work as an excuse and he bought it for about a week, then he began asking when you were free telling you to call him giving you his personal number which you didn't call.
That worked for about three days before he began messaging you about a date you replied with excuses it seemed to work until he showed up at the door to drop Damien round instead of Alfred, Jack had covered for you not letting either of them in saying you were ill. It wasn't that you didn't like him or anything you were scared, scared of getting hurt he was amazing a perfect gentleman he made you laugh he took you to fancy places but didn't make you uncomfortable even going so far as to berate another guest as he heard them make a comment of the restaurant 'letting anyone in these days' when he was returning from the rest room , you felt special and safe with him.
But he was The Bruce Wayne and nothing would ever come of it. Someone like you had no right to be with someone like him, he deserved a high class well educated successful woman not a minimum wage cafe worker who dropped out of college. You found yourself growing to attached to him and it had frightened you. Not only that but what would people say when they found out, probably think your a charity case or a gold digger you could see the headlines now ' The playboys new sugar baby' with photos of you plastered across the tabloids you shivered.
Damien had spoke to you about it he was far to smart for his own good telling you your being a 'stupid female' and that you should just talk to Bruce about it, Jack also scolded you for being stupid and letting your insecurities hold you back.
The boy had been soo happy for you when you were going out with Bruce, he admitted that he felt responsible for you being alone and not having friends or a boyfriend it broke your heart, hearing how he blamed himself for it, yes it had been hard taking on a 8 year old at 20 years old and yes you did need to grow up quicker then most and avoid the typical early twenties drinking and clubbing but you wouldn't change a thing. When he had brought it up you both had a heart to heart and you were gobsmacked at just how mature he had soundec. He told you that he didn't care about Bruce being Damien's dad or that he was older than you, he was happy that you had someone who made you happy and wanted you to got out with him again and be happy. The boys didn't understand.
"Tom I'm finished don't touch the cookies before they cool you can have one to test but that's it theirs 48 here I've counted, so if you have anymore I will know its you, you greedy little shit" you said opeing the door you walked straight into him he was wide eyed pointing out to the font over his shouldet. You froze thinking the worst it was gotham afterall.
"Oh my god tom?"
"You have.. Out the there.... Man front" he said not making any sense you pushed past him through the door
"whats wron-"
"y/n!" you snapped your head to the counter seeing Bruce standing their ignoring the odd looks he received from the other few customers scattered about in the cafe. You slung your bag over your shoulder cradling your coat in the other hand cursing quietly. Scanning the cafe for a quick exit wanting to run. There was one way in and out and he was between you and the door. Giving in you plastered on a polite smile.
"Bruce what are you doing here?" you asked tentatively due to the blank look on his face unsure what mood he would be in after you ghosted him. Making your way around the counter he followed on the other side meeting you at the end.
"I wanted to take you out, Jack told me when you finished so I thought I'd come pick you up for dinner" you felt the gazes in the room shift from him to you and the whispers started. Bruce held out a hand taking your coat from you while you tried to come up with a reason not to your anxiety screaming at you to run. You sighed at him biting your lower lip raw he lifted a hand pulling it gently forcing you to release it. He smiled meeting your eyes trying to calm you.
"Bruce I don't feel like going out tonight can we reschedule?" hooking his arm around your waist guiding you out of the cafe past the gossiping customers opening the door for the both of you pressing himself to your back giving you no room to bolt away. Hed catch you anyway.
"Good news, we don't have to go out Alfred is making us dinner back home, so we get to have a relaxing night in." you nodded as you left walking down the street feeling your nerves spike as you realized there was no reason to avoid this. He kept pace with you to the side arms ready to dart out and catch you as you glanced around a little skittish he ushered you into a ridiculously expensive Lamborghini and took off down the road.
"So that's Tom then? the one you were talking about?" he started you were confused as he acted like you hadn't been avoiding him for the past week and half you just nodded.
"Err yeah that's him we get along work really well, I was doing all the baking today couldn't handle the customers they were doing my head in." he nodded placing a warm hand on your knee running his thumb in small circles you took a deep breath.
"I know what you mean, had a lot of meetings today with a bunch little men wanting me to over invest in companies that wont last the financial year" you tensed as he left his hand on your leg still navigating the traffic, you tried to shift your led from underneath him but he just followed squeezing it lightly making your breath hitch and clench your walls tight.
"Sh-shouldn't you have both hands on the wheel in a car like this?" you asked quietly he laughed giving you a mischievous look then you screamed as he let go of the wheel completely still picking up speed quickly.
"OH MY GOD BRUCE NO!" you cried leaning over grabbing it yourself he just laughed out loud placing one hand back on it the other still resting on your knee.
"Its fine I could probably drive this with my eyes closed, it's nothing like my other car" he said cheekily as he made his way towards the outskirts of gotham you swallowed nervously.
"yeah please dont do that"
"Don't worry I'd never let anything happen to you sweets" you blushed as he used the nickname he'd given you onde he found out about your sweet tooth and the fact you do all the baking at the cafe.
"He says after driving without hands." you scoffed looking out of the window as the scenery changed. It wasn't long before you pulled up to the manor. It was impressive you'd only been inside twice whilst waiting for Jack to get his things he thought it was the perfect place to hid from his dentist and doctors appointments. Once out of the car he lead you inside where Alfred greeted you both.
"Ah Master Wayne dinner will take another hour or so I'm afraid and Y/n its lovely to see you again." Bruce gave you both a look seeking an explanation for the first name basis.
"Have you met everyone in this house before me?" he asked sarcastically you smiled at him before Alfred took your coats hanging them up.
"Well sometimes the boys play about getting ready so Alfred comes in for tea whilst we wait and I've met Tim he has come over a few times drank my whole pot of coffee and left." he grunted before leading you to a small sitting room off to the side.
"We will be in here Alfred call us when dinner is ready." Alfred nodded smiling slyly before closing the door leaving you in private. You sat down on the leather sofa a nervous wreck looking around the opulent room feeling out of place, he took a seat beside you offering you a glass of what you assumed was scotch he sat and leaned in next to you. Relaxing as he took a slow sip of his drink.
"Don't look so worried the boys explained for you. Your scared of getting hurt I can understand that I don't exactly have the best record but I'm not giving up as you can tell."you looked down into your glass a little ashamed as you heard hurt laced in his words.
"I-its not that, its me I.. I love spending time with you I really do... but I dont think you should waste your time on me... thats all" he frowned you sounded so ...defeated , he didnt like it one bit placing his glass down putting two and two together. That he didn't know Damien said you were being a 'difficult woman' and Jack had said that you hadn't dated since school and were afraid of being hurt he summarised that it was because of him but it sounds like there was more to it then that. Bruce took a deep breath regarding you carefully.
"Waste my time? why would spending time with you be a waste. There is something between us, I have never felt this type of pull to a woman before and I'm quite determind to see you if you havent already noticed" he said sternly you shrunk into the sofa he sighed pulling the glass tumbler from you hand.
"Whats really going on? we were going fine then you just pulled back. I want this, us and I know you do to but we have to talk to each other." You leaned forward locking eyes with him feeling overwhelmed you shook your head pulling back he followed leaning back pulling you across the seat wrapping his arms around you pulling your face into his chest holding you, you tried pulling yourself off of him but he was to stronger than he looked. You Gave up then took a deep breath endulging in the closeness breathing him in.
"Talk to me please" he spoke quietly into your hair
"I cant, I just cant, your-I, you need someone better. And if people find out then what will they think? that I'm a charity case some passing fancy? that you'll get bored with and you will bruce. When you find some older succsessfull women who equals you. someone that I can never be for you. I wont be good enough for you and you'll see it one day" once you started you couldn't stop as the words kept coming your fears poured out after being kept bottled up since that very first date.Fears of loving him and then him leaving, or of what backlash Jack could face if you were painted to be a whore trying to capture Bruces attention, the cps could investigate if it seemed like you were becoming a party girl like what Bruce typically dated. Then there was the fact that the school could start being funny if word got out that you and bruce were together. But the main reason was that he was to good for you and you knew it. You heaved a breath feeling lighter yet your stomach churned he had been quiet throughout and you'd gotten yourself worked up shaking from your anxiety feeling sick to your stomach.
"I'm sorry I know I should have spoke to you instead but I... I was scared that you were going to realize I'm right and leave ...so" he hushed you rubbing your back lightly causing you to shiver and relax onto his chest.
"So you left before I could?" you flinched then nodded it sounded so petty when said out loud he moved sitting up a bit more dragging you with him not releasing you for a second, he would have preferred if it had all been about his past but now realized you had low self esteem you had fears about the future, the age gap, Jacks future and how people would judge you all of these fear were to blame. And he understood it must be daughting, but what got him most was that you thought he'd let you deal with it alone , that you were so scared of loosing him in the long run you tried to walk away now and that was all the proof he needed that you did feel somthing for him.
"Tell me something does Jack have a problem with you being with me?" he asked you shook your head instantly.
"No he loves it, he wants me to be with you he saw how happy I was he has been pestering me to call" he pulled his head away smiling confusing you.
"I can tell you that Damien is thrilled he has even been bragging to his brothers that I've found the perfect woman and they cant wait to meet you by the way the
and he threatened me before every date to 'not to fuck it up' so let me ask another question if Jack, Damien me and you are happy what does anyone else's opinion matter? it's our life why should we make ourselves miserable over a few tabloids that can be taken to court and be corrected? and I do have reporters that I trust with these type of stories one is a very close friend who I could give an exclusive to before any rumors get around and the press make up some nonsense. Not only that I know Clark wold print the truth if he knew that it involved the boys being bullied in the school." he let you pull back shocked you didnt think he would want anyone to know, you thought hed be ashamed of you.
"wh-what?" it was bearly a whisper but he heard it.
"You heard me sweets, Clark wouldn't let me down not with this and there are other reporters who I've trusted to cover stories of the boys in the past one phone call and I would have everything sorted and anyone who tries to make this something its not will feel the full force of my legal team." he leaned in giving you no time to reply kissing you deeply invading your mouth moaning into you. His tongue dominated your mouth taking your breath away he paused pulling you to straddle his waist you blushed looking down at him.Trying to put your weight on your knees conscious of your weight Bruce not having any of that tugged harshly pulling your weight on his thighs.
"And as for finding someone better I doubt it. I've said it before and I will say it again I want you. Not some stuck up model who's one surgery away from being on botched. The day we met I was floored and for the first time I saw what I truly wanted for me and my family. And it wasn't some highly educated business woman, no it was a sexy little mama bear who treated my son as her own." you gasped as he brought your hips closer resting you on his crotch before leaning forward capturing your lips again this time slow and deliberate pouring himself into it you, you moaned quietly as he rocked you across his groin. Pulling back for air
"So little miss now we have all that cleared up is there anything you want to add?"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" you gasped out trying to collect yourself as you began getting tearful as you felt stupid for being so silly yet relieved that he hadn't thrown you out, he chuckled shushing you then moved biting at your earlobe .
"That's ok love I'm sure you'll make it up to me" he said kissing down your neck biting below your ear then lower to your pulse point feeling it race under his tongue before sucking harshly bordering on painful.
"o-OH Bruce" you gasped gripping his shoulder trying not to lean back to far and fall he noticed using and arm to hold you elbow resting on your waist curling his fingers into your low bun pulling slowly stretching your neck before him leaving marks up it you groaned closing your eyes trying to rub your thighs together as your pussy grew hot and clenched dampening your panties he ran his nose down your neck kissing your collar bone lightly.
"Aww sweety so desperate hm?" you whined squeezing his hips between your thighs again grinding softly against him he chuckled biting the top of your breast running his tongue along your cleavage unbuttoning your blouse with deft fingers then returned them to your hips pushing you harshly on his erection you cried out looking down panting as he dragged you slowly back and forth feeling him through his trousers was almost to much you fisted your hands in the crisp shirt covering his shoulders. He let out a breathy growl smug as you started trying to rock on him faster pouting when he held you controlling your pace circling you slow on his bulge dipping his thumbs into your pelvis tilting you catching your clit with every pass of your hips you shook your head eyes tightly shut.
"OH fuck shiiitt Bruce" he watched eyes blown as he built you up slowly drinking in your flushed face pouty full lips forming an 'o' as you let out high pitched cries his hands smothered your breasts squeezing them in his palms testing them before he tipped the cups down teasing your pink nipples to attention. You opened your eyes glazed over pleading with him.
"Please Bruce... I dont-fuck" you moaned high and louder almost squeeling as he pinched one of your nipples refusing to let go pulling your chest towards him by it until he could lay a sweet kiss to the other suckling catching it between his teeth nipping it letting go with a loud pop. You panted harder as he toyed with you, your body trembled as he pulled you closer to the edge your clit rubbed harshly against him and he growled relishing in the way your heat seeped onto him. He couldn't wait. He wouldn't. With a one sweeping motion you found yourself lying on the sofa with him hovering over you pulling your leggings down over your hips skimming your quivering thighs with his knuckles befor rubbing your calves and griping your ankles encircling them effortlesly, running his thumbs across the inside of them . Following bending as he went kissing your soft stomach and pelvis finally leaving a small kiss on your mound over your panties you moaned at that. He slipped your leggings off taking your flats with them you blushed as he stared seeing the wet patch you'd left on your panties crawling back up you exploring with his hands the whole way. Hooking a hand around to back of your neck he pulled you up into a bruising kiss needy as he angled his head to devour you deeper his other hand dragging your shirt from you by the back of the neck unclipping your bra and he went lowering you back down you blushed trying to cover yourself he growled pinning them beside you.
"Nooo you dont babe, let me see, show me" he ground out a deep gruntle sound that vibrated threw you trailing the tips of his fingers from your throat down in slow unpredictable patterns leaving goosebumps in his wake your nipples pebbled as he past them your whole body shuddered
"Fuck. Your stunning" you didn't meet his gaze it was to hot, posessive like he was claiming you already just with his eyes watching closely memorizing every freckle and mark on your skin, he let out a deep shuddering breath when you arched up inyo him as he fingered the bow on the waist band of your panties back and forth he brought his fingers lower and lower across your mound. You squirmed trying to buck up against him trying to get him where you desperately needed him whimpering pitifully. His response was to stretch out his fingers across your lower tummy and push you back down holding you still. You protested as his warm hand covered your whole mound and rocked forward trying to catch your clit on the heal of his palm that rested just out of reach.
"Such a greedy little thing. I think I'm going to have to work on your manners" he chided before using a hand to unbutton his shirt revealing a perfectly sculpted torso, you made a noise in the back of your throat that you didn't recognize at the sight of him, caramel skin taught over deliciously defined muscles and small thatch of hair disappearing below a teasingly low hanging trousers he let the shirt slide to the floor undoing his belt then slowly pulled his trousers over his hip grunting thrusting forward as it glided over his cock. You bit your lip still trying to move against his heavy hand he granted you a little mercy twisting as the wrist slotting his thumb between your lips seeking your clit and rubbing a figure 8 hard.
"AHH! F-Fuck BRUCE yes oh god-" you gasped deep breaths as he rolled your cilt around almost rough in his ministrations the fabric of you panties hieghtend the sensation you closed your eyes grinding yourself down on him tears leaked from them his other hand came up to your throat forcing you to face him.
"Look at me baby. come on let me see you... ah there she is good girl" he praised as you looked at him tears clinging to your lashes his hand still working you. Sobbing incoherently trying to buck up to him.
"OH fuck please-PLEASE let me come bruce please I'll do anything PLEASE" you breathed out hoarse gasping when your pussy weeped wetting the sofa below you he played you like an instrument taking you higher and higher you clenched and withered as you felt that familiar burn of an orgasm start in your lower tummy , almost cramping as it traveld lower to your pussy you chased it trying to rock harder just as you were at the presapice he stopped pulling his thumb away bit still pinned you down.
"AH! NO Br-BRUCE come back" you sobbed reaching out for him as your body hummed hot and quivering you gave up on finding his hand throwing yours between you trying to take over and force yourself over the edge. Soo close. Bruce was quicker catching them in one hand pulling them above you head. He watched waiting for you to come down from the almost high. Pouting all the way.
"You can count that as your punishment babe" he whispered huskliey into your neck kissing at the marks he has left. You cried out frustarated sweaty and exhasted.
"But im feeling a little mercifull tonight." you looked at him from below your lashes his heart skipped a beat seeing you look at him so needy and ready you looked so small,he could do anything to you right now but only wanted one thing. Shuffling back leaning down he placed an open mouthed kiss on your panties slipping his fingers in the sides draging them off before standing removing his boxers freeing his erection you gasped as it bounced up tapping his stomach ,hesitantly you reached out running a single finger along the underside from tip to base he jerked forward when you cupped him testing your grip befor stroking him he stopped you
"Fuck sorry babe but I cant wait." he growled out pinning you back down running his weeping head up and down your slit you tensed as he probed your enterance. Sensing your nerves he locked lips with you coaxing out your tongue sucking on it before licking in your mouth makeing obscene noises feeling you relax he took the chance and slowly begun stretching you around him ,you gasped at the slight sting pulling back rest your forehead on his grunting softly as he kept a slow steady pressure finally knocking his hips with yours you panted feeling your walls fluttering around him then squeezing
"shit Bruce" he huffed out a laugh flexing in response
"carefull there babe" you grunted feeling stuffed full as his head pushed against your cervix.
"Bruce please...HUrry up!" you clenched him stealing his breath from him he gave a playfull glare you felt a little tremor of apprehension as he repostioned your legs higher on his hips placing your heels into his lower back before plowing you into the sofa grunting and growling as his thrusts rocked your body you were by no means quiet as the veins on his cock massaged your walls with delicious friction he slowed then pressed himself tight against your clit rotating catching your gspot you bucked violenty against him head thrown back as you wailed he leaned up sucking and biting at your neck then resumed finding a brutal pace aiming for your gspot hitting it with pinpoint accuracy. You shook your head screaming out uncontrollably bucking begging for him to go harder, faster just wanting more. It wasn't long befor you saw stars letting out a silent scream tensing before you snapped cumming around him almost blinded as he rode you through it still hitting your spot faster if that was even possible before stuttering his hips holding himself tight locking you both together as he flooded you.
"OH GOD fuck FUCK yesyesyes good girl yes fuck" he moaned as you lay beneath him, limp body still quacking in the aftermath of your own end. He stayed still until he was soft catching his breath recovering before you removing himself he sat back on his knees watching as he leaked from you quick to scoop his cum and press it back within you, you whined still painfully oversensitive trying to pull away from his invading fingers. he chuckled as you squirmed utterly spent.
"nooo bruce" you whined as he prodded your freshly fucked pussy lighly grazing your abused clit causing you to whine at him pitifully jolting with every swipe.
"Aww baby are you sore?" you pouted at his words nodding he got up sitting you up handing you your forgotton drink you took it gulping it down ignoring the burn. he retrived his boxers throwing them on then a soft blanket covering you before scooping you up heading for the door.
"Bruce? what are you doing?" you asked gorgily already struggiljng to stay awake he leant down shutting you up with a kiss.
"We are going to bed you need some sleep before we continue." you blinked
"wha?" he grinned cheekily
"well how are we going to build up your stamina if we dont push past your exhaustion?" you almost cried just wanting to sleep.
"What about Alfred dinner?" you questioned
"He didnt make any I had to have a reason to get you here didnt I? he went to bed. and dont worry about Jack he is staying over in a room next to Damien's" you looked at him shocked
"What why was he here? do you think he could have heard me? bruce!" you panicked suddenly fully awake trying to wiggle out of his grip he laughed kissing your face.
"Oh my god what about our clothes? Bruce go back and shit we made a mess i need to clean that up..Bruce are you listening?" You created as he continued further away from the room youd just soild.
"he didnt hear you at all it was one of his demands when we planned this. And dont worry about the room or the clothes alfred will take care of it" he said scaling the stairs with ease taking you to his room
"planned? you who else knew? And what do you mean alfred will take care of it? no absolutly not that is embarassing" you argued as he kicked the door to his room shut behind him depositing you on his bed following you down landing above you kissing you again.
"me alfred damien and jack planned it but dick and jason knew too thats why they are scarce and alfred has cleard up worse trust me." he explained you stared at him in horror
"My little brother set me up with you?oh my god I'm not going to live that down and i need to clear that up its to embarassing for alfred to see" you cried he laughed out loud.
"Well I think its was worth it, and you can try and beat Alfred to it but that room will be ccleared up before sunrise and you won't be leaving this bed before then" he said snuggling up with you under the cover ,you made a noise as he tucked you into his chest his heart beat calming you making you drift into a peaceful sleep resting on his chest, feeling safe and sound wrapped up in him as he traced patterns on your back, sighing he was finally content a peace he hadnt known befor washed over him satisfied that he had found the woman that would complete his family, his chest swelled as he placed a kiss on your head. He wasn't ever letting you go now that he had you here. Glancing over at the clock, hed give you an hour or so to build up some energy before he woke you smirkjng to himslef planing all the wicked ways he was going to toy with you during the night. Oh yes the night was young and if Bruce had his way you wouldnt be leaving his bed tomorrow because you wouldnt be able to, thankfully you hade a few days off so he might let you recover. Then again he might not.
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skaldish · 3 years
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Heya! I‘ve spent my morning reading through your website and low-key your blog here and wanted to say that the way you describe Loki feels so weirdly familiar? like him being your Mad Muse resonated in a way with my experience as an artist that is somewhat similar to yours which got me thinking. some ideas or concepts come seemingly out of nowhere and get stuck until i get them out and many of them are to do with the human condition but also gender and living the true self kinda? but more like these characters feel actually alive and thus not wanting me as an author or painter to control them but to observe and conserve these observations. it often feels like a swirling mass of chaos in my mind with me racing behind trying to grasp what i see/feel (its all really vague and words are more feelings of the essence of whats said.)
If i understand correctly You often make a distinction between chaos and his trickery (i am so sorry in advance for possible weird-wording things, or completely misunderstandig you >.< english is my 2nd language) and for me personally, i delight in chaos and trickery, though not in a hurting others way, more in a good hearted fun for the shits and giggles kind? but i love chaos in the way i love a symbol, since chaos for me means change in a rather radical way but without any judgement. Things change and get chaotic but chaos itself feels more like possibility?
I have a bonus Loki-Story for you: one time he (i assume) probably annoyed a busdriver with a red light and i caught my bus after asking any god willing to help me catch that bus (it was urgent lol). I was so out of breath but the second i could breathe properly again i asked who to thank for the red light and i kid you not, i drove by a wall with a graffiti that simply said: Loki. made me chuckle ugly but i gave him the best part of my steak never the less, gotta say thanks!
There have been several of these happenings with other gods (Thor and Odin mainly but i caught a whiff of freya once while baking i think?) so now im at the point where i feel i should finally listen. Though i know nothing about working with the gods or magic ive always felt a pull to runes and even got an engraving set to make some myself.
After reading your introduction about deity work i kinda confirmed what i thought regarding knowing the basics of magic (mainly i wont use runes or magic until i know how to do it safely with warding and shielding, which brings me to my question:
Do you have any open source or freely online available sources for learning the basics of magic and getting familiar with deity work? (possibly even for absolute total beginners who boarder on dumb - hello adhd) Like how to shield/ward yourself and your house and how to cleanse. Same with sharpening the clairsenses. It sounds kind of easy when reading but when i try to actually do that i feel helpless and dont know where to start or what to do :(
I often see these things stated (on your page and in the asks you answer but also on any site regarding these topics as well.Saw this also on sunnyway when tring to read up on runes) but never really explained in a way thats friendly for beginners, and when i try googling (i am chronically out of moneys so i guess that has to do with it) all that comes up is wicca related stuff that makes me feel icky (the norse gods are generally the only pantheon and norse religion mostly the only religion that doesnt feel icky to me but that might be my catholic upbringing? the norse gods feel so healingly friend-shaped that it spooked me for years but im staring to fall in love with that. i do get its not always like that but having a kind of mutually respectful relationship with the gods is kind of all i wanted when i grew up). Im also too new i guess to be able to discern between norse practicioners and white supremacists and dont want to end up on a nazi page and learning from them :/ (Here in germany i mostly saw nazis and white supremacists wearing norse symbols which i guess kept my spanish-libanese-migrant ass away from norse paganism for so long bc i thought theyre the only ones who practice it and i really do not like the fuckers)
Thank you in advance if you decide to answer this! (And i apologize for the sheer length of this ask!!)
Sorry this took me so long to get back! If I’m not mistaken, you’re basically asking how to move from “theory” to “practical application” with paganism, magic, and spirit/deity work.
I had to sit with this for a while because I couldn’t think of an easy answer to your question, and maybe an easy answer simply doesn’t exist. For me, everything I know and everything I believe in was built upon a combination of a few things:
Introducing myself to different branches of magical theory and trying different things, even stuff that wasn’t Norse.
Familiarizing myself with MANY different spiritual and religious practices; how they work, their ethos, their worldviews, their metaphysical philosophies, and how they differ from one another.
Finding a reputable community of actual advanced pagan practitioners who gave me the tools I needed to rely on myself and helped me troubleshoot specific things.
Identifying how my clairsenses and magical tendencies manifest and working them out like a muscle, using Tarot to help confirm or refute my interpretations of experiences.
Learning to trust myself and my judgements.
Learning what bad communities look like.
Learning what Nazi-coded language looks like.
Learning what healthy relationships look like.
Trying things and learning from both my mistakes and successes.
This stuff takes months to identify and years to cultivate, and honestly the only way to do figure it out is to expose yourself to it.
One resource I started with that IS free would be Oven-Ready Chaos by Phil Hine. This is a PDF you can google and download that introduces you to the basics of Chaos Magic. Even if you’re not a chaos magician, it provides some good metaphysical philosophies that can be applied to basically any eclectic practice. This book was also the first time magic was presented to me in a way that made a damn lick of sense.
But that’s all I really have for you, unfortunately. Someday I hope to write more about this process of magical/pagan development, but I’m not at the point where I know enough about it to do so.
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thatsbucknasty · 4 years
Text
she used to be mine (vi) waitress au
pairing: Y/N x Bucky
summary: inspired by the broadway musical. Y/N Beck is a pie baking force to be reckoned with. She’s pregnant with her lazy ass husband, Quentin Beck’s baby. As everything around her turns upside down, Doctor James Buchanan Barnes charms his way into her life.
a/n: we’ll get a peek of Bucky’s pov here. Hope you guys are still reading this, and sorry for taking so long to update.
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chapter 6: a soft place to land
doctor bucky pov
-
I think I’m falling for her. The moment she walked into my office, holding that pie almost three months ago, I wanted to get to know her. I know I must’ve annoyed the hell out of her in that first encounter, I know I can be intense, but I couldn’t just refer her to a different person. I feel like we were connected, destined to meet. I’m a big romantic and I love how the universe works. I believe in my soul that we were not a product of coincidence or happenstance; maybe we’re not destined to be together but I’d surely love to just be her friend.
 Everytime she comes for an appointment I hope I’m cherishing her company as much as I should, or praising her talents because she deserves to know how amazing she is. And everytime I’m not in her presence I’m waiting  for the day I’ll get to see her again. Or hoping I’ll casually run into her at the market or in the street. Cause I’m stupid like that. Hoping some married woman, who’s also my patient by the way, will actually want anything to do with me. 
She’s sound asleep right now, and if things were different and she wasn’t in such a scary situation I might wish she’d wake up so I could tell her how beautiful she is to me and how much I want her to feel the same way I feel about her. But even if she’s had issues with that awful man, she’s still with him, so… I know it’s not going to happen and I’d just make a fool out of myself.
And where is that bastard anyway? His wife and kid are in such a vulnerable state and he’s nowhere to be seen! I swear if he comes here drunk, like she’s told me it’s his usual state, I’ll kick his pathetic ass. She deserves better than this. 
She listed a woman named Natasha as her emergency contact. A strange, scary woman indeed. She waltzed in here bossing everyone around, threatening to kill anybody who wouldn’t let her near her best friend. If I wasn’t scared for Y/N’s own life at the moment I might’ve laughed at all the interns she threw daggers at. The scary redhead went out to make some phone calls and get coffee, so it’s only me and Y/N, and the little nugget.
She looks so peaceful right now, so soft. I feel an incessant need to be near her and make sure she’s safe. Both of them really. It’s been a bad year for the both of us, that’s for sure. But all I care about right now is this woman, sleeping with an IV and a monitor by her side, and that tiny baby inside of her. I know they’re gonna make it just fine. I may be a little awkward and dumb when it comes to girls, but I’m damn good at my job, so for now, they’re both stable.
I’m falling for her hard. She baked me a pie and I couldn’t stop smiling once I was alone, just staring at it. The first pie she gave me wasn’t really for me, it was for Doctor Perkins. But the second one she made specially for me. I felt so proud that day, like I had discovered the cure to some major disease. She’s got me wrapped around her pretty little magical pie baking fingers.
-
y/n pov
-
I try to open my eyes and it’s taking an excessive amount of effort to do so. Everything’s too bright and I’m disoriented but I finally assess my surroundings and I realize I’m in a hospital bed. Oh god, my baby…
“My baby. Is it okay? I-” I whimper and try to call for somebody but there’s no one. How did I even get here?
“Y/N! You’re awake! Thank god!” Natasha and Wanda enter the room, and run to my side when they take in my panicked state.
“Nat, my baby? How is it? I don’t know how- I was- Please tell me it’s okay. I didn’t even get to give them a name yet. I-”
“Sweetie, it’s okay, shhh. You and the baby are okay. You’ve been here for two days, and we were so worried but Bucky said the worst part is over. Oh! That reminds me, Bucky said it’s a she! And she’s quite healthy, but you need to relax because whatever sent both of you here took a toll on your health and you need that to grow a baby, you know? You gotta take care of yourself, hon”.
I sigh in relief and try to relax back into the stiff hospital pillows. My baby is okay and it’s a girl. I feel like my heart stopped for a minute there but now there’s a sense of calm flooding me.
“Wait, you met Bucky?”
“Why yes, actually he wouldn’t leave your side but since Wanda and me are here, he figured you’d be more comfortable with a less crowded room”.
“Oh. That’s- um, that’s nice of him I guess”.
“Y/N? Would you like us to go fetch him?”
“YES! ...I mean, if you girls don’t mind”.
“Oh not at all. I’ll go, Wands you stay here to see if she needs anything”. Nat left the room and I suddenly feel so grateful to have such good friends in my life. I’d feel very pathetic if I was in the hospital by myself. No parents, no husband. No one else to worry about me and my baby girl.
“Okay, missy. I know you mentioned Doctor McDreamy was cute. But you never said he was THAT cute!”
“He is, isn’t he?” I feel my face heat up at her comment but it doesn’t matter anymore. They’ve met him and well, no one could hide that man’s handsome face.
“Too bad all of us are taken”. Wanda says while she cleans the chair by my bed with a wipe and sits.
Man, I gotta tell them what happened with Quentin, I feel like they’re gonna throw me a party or something. They really hate his ass.
“Yeah, about that…”
“Y/N, I’m glad you’re awake, how are you feeling?” Bucky enters the room and even though he has dark circles around his eyes and his face is scruffier than when I last saw him, he looks gorgeous.
“I’m good. Thirsty”. That’s all I manage to utter in front of the prying ears of my best friends, but I glare at them and Nat gets it.
“Oh would you look at the time, Wanda we should go back to the diner. Y/N, honey? We’ll visit after our shift’s over tonight, is that okay? You’re in good hands here, isn’t she, Bucky?”
“Indeed she is”. He says without taking his eyes off me, he smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes, he looks… concerned.
“Kay, see ya!” Nat takes Wanda by the arm and they almost jog outta here.
All of a sudden I feel extreme guilt. Bucky told me stress was bad for the baby and here I am. I feel like a child at the principal’s office. My eyes are welling up and I can’t even look at him.
“Hey, is something wrong? Are you in pain?” Bucky walks over to my side and takes a look at the monitor. I look up at him and he slowly reaches over to grab my chin. My heart does a little flutter and I hope the monitor doesn’t rat me out.
“I- I feel fine. But I’m so stupid. You told me stress was bad and- and I didn’t listen”, I can barely speak coherently in between sobs and jagged breaths, “I’m sorry- I had a huge argument with Quentin, he wasted all my baby savings and he’s having an affair, which I should’ve seen it coming, but I’m so, so stupid!”
Tears flow down my cheeks and I hide my face in my palms, then I feel the bed dip next to me and Bucky’s arms around me. He holds my back with one arm and the back of my head with another, whispering sweet words into my ear. I cling to his arms and let all my sadness and frustration be washed away by his embrace. We stay there for a little while and I try to mimic the rhythm of his breathing to calm myself down.
He’s the first one to let go and I hate to be parted from his arms, but he reaches over to wipe some stray tear and that tiny touch is enough to make me feel better.
“I just want you to know- you’re not stupid. Whatever reaction that you had and that led you here, it was completely normal. Y/N, if I may be so bold to say this- Quentin’s a lowlife. He doesn’t deserve you. I know you tried to work things out and gave him chance after chance because you choose to see the good in people, but you’ve had enough and you deserve more. You’re pretty amazing and the fact that you’ve been handling this pregnancy on your own since day one, makes you the strongest person I know”, he lowers his hand to my stomach and looks deep into my eyes, “you and that little princess you got there are alright now. It was just a scare. A very serious one, but you both are going to get through this in no time, I’m going to make sure of that”.
I smile up to him and he leans in to give my forehead a barely there kiss. Perhaps he’s right and things will be okay, maybe even more than just okay. There is hope in his eyes and in my heart, I can feel it.
“You should rest, I’ll be here, I promise”. 
Bucky takes my hand to his lips and sits in the chair next to me, still holding my hand and kissing it every so often until I fall asleep.
-
chapter 7: never ever getting rid of me
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heartbreakgrill · 4 years
Text
That Smile; Luke Hemmings
description: in which you’re a songwriter, working on Youngblood with 5sos, when a certain blonde catches your eyes.
a/n: there will be a part 2 for this!
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“AHHHH!” You threw your green mechanical pencil across the room. It bounced off of the wall, snapping in half, and landing in separate places. One ended up by the door by your shoes, the other on the couch, beside your purse, jacket, and water bottle.
A voice crackled through the speaker system, obvious laughter being bitten back. “Y/N, are you okay?”
You squeezed your eyes shut, hands in fists on either of your temples. You were on the floor, on your back, skinny jean clad legs sprawled out in front of you. Your t-shirt was ridden up on your stomach, revealing a thin strip of your skin to the room, which you were now realizing was freezing. Through welling goosebumps, you grumbled, “I’m never okay, Brad. You know this.”
“I had to check. We have legal obligations in the workplace,” he responded, this time chuckling throughout his spiel.
“Damn, OSHA,” you mumbled into your bottom lip.
Brad hesitated before his voice echoed back in, “They’re here, by the way. Making their way back now.”
“I’m not getting up yet. I’m still moping over my inability to properly write a single-“ your voice rose into a yell now, “fucking line about a stupid fucking boy!”
It was now that you realized the door to the studio was open with the head of receptionist Cindy in the room. “Is this a bad time?”
“I get paid to do this, I have no say,” you dropped your hands to your sides. “Let ‘em in.”
The four lanky boys shuffled in, two dressed like it was New York Fashion Week, the other two lazed about in sweatpants and hoodies. They stood awkwardly against the wall, unsure of how to go about greeting someone having a mental breakdown on the ground below them.
“Hello, I’m sorry, I’m trying to recover,” you began to sit up, back cracking in the process. You straightened your shirt out, catching eyes with the tall blonde. You swear, in the most cringey way, your breath caught in your lungs.
“You’re okay, we go through similar processes,” a curly headed, dirty blond remarked, giggling lightly.
“Yeah, I have plenty of photos of Calum laying on the floor like you were,” long fringe, bright eyes. Michael, perhaps?
You had familiarized yourself with photos of them on the internet, but were not at all confident you knew who they were. In fact, you couldn’t recall anyone’s name when the tall blonde who stole your breath offered his hand. You took it, your hand completely encased in his warm one. Without much efforts, he pulled you off the ground, nearly flush against his chest. But, you made sure to step back when you stood.
“Thanks,” you sighed, shuffling to the couch in your sock-clad feet. “Uh, I’m Y/N,” you introduced while clearing the seating area for them, “I’m sorry, I dont really know your names. Could you-?”
“Luke,” he stuck out the same hand for you to shake; you did.
Michael was who you suspected, Calum the jet black haired man Michael had mentioned, and Ashton the giggly one. You situated yourselves on the couches once you demanded they make themselves at home.
“So, this is your third album?” Of course you knew their music. If you were pairing with an artist on a new project, you had to familiarize yourself with their sound. You couldn’t write a Taylor Swift-like song for Lil Uzi Vert.
“Yeah,” Ashton answered, seemingly the spokesperson for the band. He was sat on the couch across from you, with Calum, Michael in the computer chair by the recording equipment. Luke was beside and, damn, did he smell good.
“What’s the motive?” They looked confused at the question, sharing a furrowed look. With a quick tuck of your legs underneath you on the couch, you launched into explanation, eyes moving from boy to boy. “So, you’re first album was very teen punk, kinda edgy, but safe with cute love songs and innocent forever young vibes. Sounds Good, Feels Good was super grunge with ballads about your actual feelings, a few love songs, and a handful of those same forever young vibes. It was, like, healing for you, almost. Like an album meant to truly introduce your fans to who you are. What do you want to say with this one?”
Luke cleared his throat beside you, “I dont know that we really have a vision with this one. We never really do.”
“Gosh,” you laughed, “no wonder they hired you guys a new songwriter. You have to have a plan! Otherwise it takes way too long and you have no idea what you’re doing. You’ve managed to do awesome without me, but this album, I promise, is going to be amazing.”
They, collectively, grinned at you. “I dont know about you, boys, but Ive got fucking chills!” Ashton exclaimed, shoving Calums shoulder, glancing at Michael.
You grinned back, proud with yourself and your words. You looked over at Luke who had a twinkle in his eyes, a smaller smile that seemed reserved for admiration to you.
-
You’d see that smile many times again throughout the process of writing their new album, later titled Youngblood after the first song you wrote together.
Ashton thought you were a bloody genius, as he would say, again and again.
“Its just a simple lyrical progression, Ash,” you coined his nickname a week into the process, “not that big of a deal.”
He still grinned, continuing to flip at your ‘talent’ with the randomest things.
When Youngblood, the song, was completely recorded and produced, you had a listening party in the small recording studio. You’d baked cupcakes and cookies for everyone, Calum had popped some champagne, and Michael brought his girlfriend along for the celebration.
You got along with Crystal well, chattering about makeup, music, and many other things before Brad came into the room with a frog shaped file USB. You stood from the couch beside Crystal and moved to stand beside Luke, who just so happened to be standing in the spot you wanted to. He smiled down at you, bouncing on his heels in excitement.
As Brad set up the file, Luke said, “The cupcakes are really good. As are the cookies, and the song. Everything, really.”
He was nervous around you. He was never nervous around girls. But something about your overwhelming talent, immense beauty, and super sweet personality made him jittery. He held tightly to his paper cup, nearly breaking in from his squeezing knuckles.
“Thank you, Luke,” you set a hand on his shoulder, prepared to say something else when the song began.
You’d heard it prior to this to ensure that it wouldn’t be utter crap. It was amusing and prideful for you to watch everyone’s jaws drops, to see Calum drop onto the couch with his head in his hands. Ashton danced around, Crystal leaned against Michael, praising his guitar and vocal bits. As the beat picked up and, soon, as it ended, Luke turned to you, lifted you in his arms, and spun you around. You were laughing, head thrown back, hands clutching at his hoodie-clad shoulders. When he set you down, you were still laughing, as was he. His laugh faded into that smile, that stupid smile.
-
The next time you saw it was halfway through the album. You had been losing sleep, between handling 5sos as a client and, now, Taylor Swift, who noticed your work through a friend. She wanted a new song, something uplifting and sweet. You agreed to help, not realizing that, now, you were overloaded. And, you weren’t able to devote your time to just 5sos.
One day, at the end of a long studio day, Luke noticed you on the floor of the recoding studio. Youd set yourself there when the boys starting gathering up their things, bidding your farewells with weary hands. Your eyes were no shut, hands resting on your stomach. Luke watched the boys leave and, having driven himself there, sat down beside you. He nudged your leg, gaining your attention through weary eyes.
“Hi,” he smiled, not quite in that way, but still sweetly. “Are you okay?”
“Stressed. Tired. Sick of writing. I haven’t been out with friends in so long and i want to, but all of my friends have normal lives with normal jobs. So they wont go with me during the week, and I cant on the weekends, because Ive been busy with Taylor Swift. God, never thought I’d say that sentence. Anyways, I just really want to get drunk and dance and then cry to someone about being sad, single, and so, so tired.”
“Well,” Luke resisted the urge to pick you up, place you in his lap, cradle you and coo you to sleep, “I’m sure I can urge Ash to have a party in his house. There’s plenty of people who dont care about their jobs or dont even have ‘em.”
You lifted yourself up on to your knees, “I would literally write you, like, an entire song if you got him to do that. I need a night away.”
“No need, I’m fine with one dance reserved for me,” there was the smile. “Oh, and a shot. We have to do a shot together.”
“I would do a million shots with you.”
He walked you to the parking lot, to your car, leaning against the door frame while you turned it on and buckled your seat belt. “Okay, so, Ill send you his address, and see you in a few hours?”
“See you.”
Now, what the hell were you going to wear?
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asimawv · 4 years
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I write and conceptualize story to music, so I’ve compiled a playlist of 30 Darkest Dungeon-specific songs that I listen to when writing (and subsequently re-writing) in no particular order, which I hope will help you set the vibe too. :+)
Names in bold are links for easy listening - tons of Hozier and Of Monsters and Men up ahead, five minute warning.
1. ‘Fire and the Flood’ - Vance Joy
If you listen to nothing else on this list, listen to this one - it’s the kind of song that’s made for movies about yearning. Folk influences, choruses of trumpets and vocal harmony, and instruments that are layered for a rich, resonant sound. This is the song I imagine Dismas and Reynauld horse-racing through a crowded outdoors market in the hamlet to, and the song I listened to nonstop freshman year when I first started writing The Myth of Sisyphus.
You're the fire and the flood And I'll always feel you in my blood Everything is fine When your hand is resting next to mine Next to mine You're the fire and the flood
The chorus is built around biblical allusions to the fire (the burning bush signifying first contact) and the flood (destruction of the first world), the beginning and end. Every line is similarly evocative of Darkest Dungeon in their simplicity (“I’ve been getting used to waking up with you,” etc.)
2. ‘Soldier, Poet, King’ - The Oh Hellos
By the title alone you can guess who this is for. Even the Guild quote for the Leper approaches these three things as the defining parts of his character (specifically it’s “a ruined man, a warrior, and a poet.”) This song coincidentally has an old world influence to it, with a Medieval Renaissance style from a guitar playing a lute-adjacent melody.
There will come a ruler Whose brow is laid in thorn Smeared with oil like David's boy, oh lei oh lai oh Lord Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh Lord Smeared with oil like David's boy, oh lei oh lai oh Lord
To be smeared with oil is to be anointed by a prophet and thus chosen by god himself to be king, just as David was and his boy after him (presumably Solomon). There’s something strangely wistful about the imagery, which is just how I like my songs about bygone kings.
3. ‘Exit Hymn’ - Bear Attack!
This song is about the end of the world in a version where everyone simply stands together in silence watching, rather than having the masses swarming in panic.
Lovely shapes to the world descending, Brothers and sisters. Lovely shapes to the world descending, Brothers and sisters Mute.
It defies Lovecraftian horror, which is based on the premise that “common human laws and interests and emotions have no validity or significance in the vast cosmos-at-large” - it flies in the face of existential nihilism and the despair that it should bring us. That’s why I like this song for deaths in the end-boss fight; it also has a special place for other death-related ideas, like full-party wipes - entire teams of people vanishing into the dungeons, gone insane, holding hands while the darkness surrounds them.
It’s a bare song which has a sanctity to it, mostly just piano and rain and human voices. Just what you would hear at the end of the world.
More under the cut:
4. ‘Pursuit of Glory’ - Jhameel
This song is laid-back. It doesn’t have the Homeric intensity that some of the other songs here do - it’s a guy with a guitar and vocal harmony. By god is it a great piece of writing though (all of Jhameel’s older songs have that quality to them), and all of it is evocative of Darkest Dungeon.
So many eyes set on the path to glory Too many ties, friendship is for the lonely Can't still my heart, my tongue has tasted folly Thirsty for art, hungry for power and money
This is a song for everyone in the barracks, especially the ‘laundry list’ of people and their approaches to the pursuit of glory.
5. ‘Good Old Days’ - Macklemore (feat. Kesha)
This fucker put a Macklemore song in here. I did, yeah. It’s not even the only song with Kesha in it here (I’m sorry.) 
It’s a sentimental pop song, and I am sentimental to a fault. This is Darkest Dungeon AMV material, and I always mishear one of the lines as “we were underground, loaded mercs in that 12-passenger van” so it’s here.
We've come so far, I guess I'm proud And I ain't worried about the wrinkles around my smile I've got some scars, I've been around I've felt some pain, I've seen some things, but I'm here now Those good old days
6. ‘Past Lives‘ - Kesha
Here it is, the other Kesha song - this was introduced to me by a good friend, also in a Darkest Dungeon context. There’s just something about the lovers spanning time trope and finding each other in one life to the next that is irresistible (for the obvious reason in the context of Darkest Dungeon.) It’s a soft song, totally out of place in Kesha’s typical discography, and has a line about losing someone to the crusades, so... you know.
There's just somethin' about you I know Started centuries ago though You see your kiss is like a lost ghost Only I would know But I, I keep on falling for you Time after time Time after time
7. ‘Viva la Vida’ - Coldplay
You cannot fight this. You know that this is the song for King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, you know it is. Did you know the official name of this genre of music is “Baroque pop”? Yes, that means more songs like this exist. You will live with this information now.
Don’t fight it. Just let it wash over you.
I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing Roman Cavalry choirs are singing Be my mirror, my sword and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason I can't explain Once you go there was never, never an honest word And that was when I ruled the world
Mirror, sword, and shield, the three other members of his party, his missionaries in a foreign field. Thinking emoji. I typed that out so I wouldn’t have a repeat of the crab emoji incident.
8. ‘The Boxer’ - Jerry Douglas (feat. Mumford & Sons, Paul Simon)
Partly inspired by the Bible, Simon & Garfunkle’s ‘The Boxer’ is a folk rock song about poverty, loneliness, and homesickness. It’s written and sung in a style that’s strongly reminiscent of older times, and the final verse about its eponymous boxer is particularly powerful:
In the clearing stands a boxer And a fighter by his trade And he carries the reminders Of ev'ry glove that laid him down Or cut him till he cried out In his anger and his shame "I am leaving, I am leaving" But the fighter still remains
This is what I use for Dismas’ life leading into organized crime and his foolish abandonment of stable job prospects in a half-baked bid for fame, as well as being punched down over and over again but with nowhere else to go. That last part is widely applicable across the cast.
9. ‘I Will Wait’ - Mumford & Sons
I am but a simple man. I see 'folk rock' and add it to my Darkest Dungeon playlist. This song I use for Reynauld - it has that sort of “salt of the earth,” somewhat biblical humility in its choice of words and style. 
Raise my hands Paint my spirit gold And bow my head Keep my heart slow
10. ‘Little Lion Man’ - Mumford & Sons
Have we not beaten this song to death yet? Can you blame us? This is the people’s song. We reserve it for all of our favorite fuck-up characters, as primal as Saturn devouring his son. We love this song. Jesus.
Tremble for yourself, my man, You know that you have seen this all before Tremble little lion man, You'll never settle any of your scores Your grace is wasted in your face, Your boldness stands alone among the wreck Now learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck
The line about learning from your mother in particular is why I think of this song for Dismas’ introspection, but I also associate it with the Hellion.
11. ’From Eden’ - Hozier
There’s too much Hozier in my playlists. There is so much of it, and it’s all important to me, says the hoarder. There’s something about profoundly intimate folk music that I love, and god put folk, R&B, blues, and alt rock into a Vitamix for 45 seconds to make Hozier.
Honey you're familiar like my mirror years ago Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword Innocence died screaming, honey ask me I should know I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door
‘From Eden’ is, according to Hozier, about idolizing someone from a distance, written from the perspective of the devil “looking longingly at something he desires - for everything that he does not have.” I associate this song with the Grave Robber for its playfully nihilistic tone - Audrey does say something to the effect of being left for dead by high society and the affectionate bordering condescending address is on-brand.
12. ‘Cherry Wine’ - Hozier
‘Cherry Wine’ is unabashedly about domestic violence, and its sincerity is heartbreaking, the sanctification of the blood spilled in the name of keeping her.
The way she tells me I'm hers and she is mine Open hand or closed fist would be fine The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine.
This song is strongly tied to the Vestal for me.
13. ‘Work Song’ - Hozier
A song about unconditional love - heaven and hell were just words, indeed.
When my time comes around Lay me gently in the cold dark earth No grave can hold my body down I'll crawl home to her
I think of this song for both Dismas and the Abomination - it’s a song about love transcending spiritual and even physical need, complete devotion, but something about it is also not quite right. It’s morbid and excessive, self-pitying, and almost ugly in its sincerity.
14. ‘Sunlight’ - Hozier
The strong gospel influence with the choruses, church organ, religious fervor - I think it makes a great song for traveling scenes and church/altar scenes.
I had been lost to you, sunlight Flew like a moth to you, sunlight oh sunlight Oh, your love is sunlight Oh, your love is sunlight (sunlight, sunlight) But it is sunlight
15. ‘Arsonist’s Lullabye’ - Hozier
The gospel this time is paired with electric rock instrumentation. Something about the lamentation is unapologetic and matter-of-fact in its disturbing inclinations - this is Paracelsus’ song. Arguably representative of Bounty Hunter and Flagellant as well.
Now that I think about it, it’s great for Abomination as well. Damn.
All you have is your fire And the place you need to reach Don't you ever tame your demons But always keep 'em on a leash
16. ‘We Sink’ - Of Monsters and Men
Of Monsters and Men are closer to the indie rock/pop spectrum with influences of folk, with much less biblical influence and more folklore-inspired lyrics. They make for great trailer and action songs.
We are the sleepers, we bite our tongues We set the fire and we let it burn Through the dreamers, we hear the hum They say come on, come on, let's go So come on, come on, let's go
In Lovecraft’s Cthulu mythos, dreams are how the Old Ones commune with humans on the earth’s surface while they slumber in the ocean depths (Cthulhu fhtagn meaning “Cthulhu is dreaming”); I like to think of the ‘sleepers’ as the heroes being tasked to “set the fire” and the ‘dreamers’ being the Heir and Ancestor driven by some unseen force to unearth the antediluvian underground.
17. ‘I Of The Storm’ - Of Monsters and Men
Very somber song, overwhelmingly piano and snare drum and vocals. Also a great death scene song, or for introspection around the campfire, or played to reveal a major event.
If I could face them If I could make amends With all my shadows I'd bow my head And welcome them
18. ‘King and Lionheart’ - Of Monsters and Men
My favorite OMAM song - it’s clearly written about two children, kind of reminiscent of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ in its fantastical nature, and very upbeat about the end of the world.
His crown lit up the way as we moved slowly Pass the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind Though far away, though far away, though far away We're still the same, we're still the same, we're still the same
This part is reminiscent of the Leper’s journey, but the mentions of taking over a town, howling ghosts, the end of the world, a black sea and creatures lurking below, etc. are all evocative of Darkest Dungeon.
19. ‘Little Talks’ - Of Monsters and Men
Also very upbeat for its subject matter - according to OMAM, it’s a narrative of a woman speaking with the ghost of her dead husband, or going insane and believing that she’s speaking with her dead husband.
Some days I don't know if I am wrong or right Your mind is playing tricks on you, my dear 'Cause though the truth may vary This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
The call-and-respond style of the song is haunting. I like this song for expeditions and afflicted heroes.
20. ‘Wolves Without Teeth’ - Of Monsters and Men
Suitable for both Occultist and Abomination, being consumed by an unseen and otherworldly force that inhabits them - well, maybe just rarely seen, in the Abomination’s case. Special mention to OMAM’s ‘Human,’ same conceptual backing but more raw.
You hover like a hummingbird Haunt me in my sleep You're sailing from another world Sinking in my sea, oh You're feeding on my energy I'm letting go of it He wants it
21. ‘Desierto’ (Original Motion Picture Score) - Woodkid
This is a full album, because all of it is dark orchestral cinema music described as ‘unsettling,’ with the sole exception of ‘Land of All,’ which has vocals to it. I reserve this album for writing fight scenes and for particularly unsettling events because it’s tense and wordless. I read Junji Ito to this soundtrack too, it’s insanely high-strung and discordant.
22. ‘Iron’ - Woodkid
‘Iron’ qualifies as Baroque pop - you might recognize this as the Assassin’s Creed: Revelations song. The large-scale, cinematic style of it and thematic lyrics make it great for writing about dramatic encounters or brigands.
This deadly burst of snow is burning my hands I'm frozen to the bones, I am A million miles from home, I'm walking away I can't recall your eyes, your face
23. ‘Never Let You Down’ - Woodkid (feat. LYKKE LI)
Another somber song, orchestral with some industrial noise in the mix - another great introspection song, or one for a scene with some hard decisions to be made.
Will you come along cause I'm about to leave this town In my eyes, a waterfall, all I can hear, a siren call Could you be waiting by the shore, oh I could drown without you Will you be holding out the line when I fall?
24. ‘Run Boy Run’ - Woodkid
Church bells, fast percussion, strong orchestral presence. For chase scenes, obviously, but great for fast-paced sneaking scenes as well. Also has a strong quasi-Medieval fantasy setting style to it.
Tomorrow is another day And you won't have to hide away You'll be a man, boy! But for now it's time to run, it's time to run!
25. ‘I Love You’ - Woodkid
Don’t let the scream effects and aggressive percussion at the beginning deter you (it kind of took me by surprise the first few times too) - it soon fades into more of the church bells and melodic string accompaniment.
Oh yeah, unrequited love song? It’s free (mental) real estate, baby.
Is there anything I could do Just to get some attention from you? In the waves, I've lost every trace of you Where are you?
26. ‘Vagabonds’ - Grizfolk
A rare departure from folk! Grizfolk is alt rock/indie pop. Stylistically it doesn’t match the feeling of Darkest Dungeon, but lyrically it’s almost 1:1 to arrival in the hamlet and the subsequent expeditions. Good song for writing about recruits bonding.
Oh this careless ground, guessing this is home now Oh in no man's land, at least we're still standing And we're all just fighting, some of us will not return And there's no redemption in trying to find your way out
27. ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ - Lorde
Great trailer fuel, if you’ve seen the AC: Unity E3 trailer with this song - I listen to an extended version when writing fights in the Guild, especially one where two heroes are beefing. It’s got a primal kind of thing going on. I also associate this song with the Arbalest - lyrically, it fits her backstory like a glove.
Welcome to your life There's no turning back Even while we sleep We will find you
Acting on your best behavior Turn your back on mother nature
28. ‘Torches’ - X Ambassadors
More alt rock/indie pop - kind of a rallying song for dark expeditions, hopeful but still somber in nature - some gospel elements. X Ambassadors’ more popular ‘Renegades’ is also a fun tavern song.
Come on, carry your flame Carry it higher Leave it in the darkness Carry your torches
29. ‘Passing Afternoon’ - Iron & Wine
This is a song I use for reconciliation or domestic scenes - Dismas with Junia in the garden, for example. It’s soft and kind of meandering, and features vintage piano - you know, the piano you heard in the basement of your church turned community center as a child.
There are times that walk from you like some passing afternoon Summer warmed the open window of her honeymoon And she chose a yard to burn but the ground remembers her Wooden spoons, her children stir her Bougainvillea blooms
30. ‘Some Nights’ - Fun.
You know this song, your mom knows this song, everyone knows this song from like, middle school. Thought it’d be fun to end this list on an uplifting and very popular song. This is the song that a Disney adaptation of Darkest Dungeon would use in the Training Montage™ - from the point of view of Reynauld. It hits all of the points - being their commander rather than their equal, his stern and antisocial zealotry with no true ideology behind it, the ghost of his wife.
Verse 2, starting with “Well, that is it, guys, that is all / Five minutes in and I'm bored again” is where I see it transitioning to Dismas.
Well, some nights, I wish that this all would end 'Cause I could use some friends for a change And some nights, I'm scared you'll forget me again Some nights, I always win (I always win) But I still wake up, I still see your ghost Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh What do I stand for? What do I stand for? Most nights, I don't know
_____
Well that’s all from me! Feel free to leave your own recommendations in the replies, and I’d love to know what you think about my personal picks. :+)
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Us and Andie Ch. 5
Summary: Bucky works as an Avenger because it’s what’s right. He feels he has sins he’ll never be able to make up for, but he’ll spend the rest of his life trying. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he comes across Andie, the daughter of recently divorced Y/N. The life he had once “maintained” in hopes of surviving changes as his heart warms for a tough-as-nails nurse and her wonderful daughter.
Word Count: 3227 words
Warnings: Reader and Bucky interaction! There is angst and mentions of abuse. 
A/N: There is a lot more angst in this chapter just because Y/N’s telling Bucky hers and Andie’s history. And guys - this divorce story is based off of real events from someone I’m very close to. I wish it wasn’t real, but it is. I actually downplayed it for this particular story. But single parents? Victims of abuse? They deserve all of our love and support because they work their asses off just trying their best.
Series Masterlist - Masterlist
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Seeing an Avenger run errands was something that one wouldn’t label as “normal”. Ever. A giant of a man attempting to squeeze past other shoppers in skinny aisles? Natasha quietly appearing wherever she needed to do something as simple as grab a carton of milk? And God forbid a billionaire playboy like Tony go shopping on his own for something as trivial as frozen pizza. In fact, Sam might have been the only Avenger that Y/N could picture and it might be the slightest bit, maybe just maybe, normal.
But this particular Avenger? Bucky? It seemed…improbable? Impossible? Inconceivable. That was the word.
Maybe Y/N needed to stop watching The Princess Bride with Andie.
She watched as Bucky looked over her list, grabbing things from shelves and tossing them in the basket. Several women had noticed him. It was hard not to. The guy was massive. And Y/N had to admit, it was nice having him around. It was weird – she barely knew anything about him, but he was determined to help her.
“Tell me something.”
Bucky looked up, raising an eyebrow as she grabbed two bags of M&Ms. One peanut butter, the other dark chocolate. He wondered if they were both Andie’s favorites or if one was maybe hers. “Like what?” He looked back at her, handing her the list before pushing the cart.
She started scratching things off, shrugging. “Something not related to Hydra? Or the Avengers?” As interesting as it now was to say she met with and hung out with the Avengers, she still preferred normal. There was no denying that. And the idea of knowing something like that about Bucky? The idea made her smile.
“I like sweet things.”
That wasn’t what she was expecting. Y/N stepped in front of the cart, hopping on it and allowing him to push her. “I need an explanation behind that. I thought everyone likes sweets. At least to some degree, right?”
Bucky pulled the cart to a stop, surprised when she hopped up. However, despite his surprise, he had to admit that it was cute. He’d seen her wild and worried, but Bucky had yet to see her relax. To act less like a mom and more like…herself? There was a better way to word that, he was sure of it. He crossed his arms and leaned against it, trying to find the right words before realizing he still owed her an explanation. “Hydra didn’t exactly go out of their way to give me good food. Mostly it was IV nutrients or stuff that could hardly even qualify as food.”
Her heart sank at that. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the hero gig. “Oh…”
“Yeah, so when I got out I just…I promised myself I wouldn’t live like that anymore. I want to enjoy things and it turns out sweets became one of those…things.”
Y/N smiled at that. “I’ll make those pancakes for you. That Andie likes so much.”
Bucky looked up at her, eyes wide and jaw dropped. She didn’t – “You don’t – “
“What, you’re the only person that’s able to do nice things?” She hopped off the cart, crossing her arms. “Not happening. Besides, baking is one of those things I do.”
“Even in that tiny ass kitchen?” Y/N gaped at him and he cringed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
But it turned out, Bucky’s apology wasn’t even necessary. Y/N was laughing and swatted his arm, earning a small jump from him. “Yes, actually, I do bake even in that ‘tiny ass kitchen’.”
Bucky felt something in his stomach when he heard her laugh like that. Not only was it sweet, but he was the cause of it. He was the cause of bringing that smile to her face. “How do you have the time?”
“I don’t,” she told him, still laughing without a shred of embarrassment. “But I make it. Whether it means losing some shut eye or not – the nurses are willing to pay me to make stuff for their kids’ bake sales.”
Bucky pushed the cart, absolutely dumbfounded by this woman. She had no superpowers, no abilities, and no reason to be such a good person. And yet here she was. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as good as you.”
Y/N laughed again, shaking her head. “I’m just trying to do my best, Buck. Whatever that is.”
Silence fell as they rounded the corner and went towards the cold section. Y/N was immediately rubbing her hands together, oblivious to the fact that Bucky was watching her. He wanted to tell her more, talk to her more.
“I also like goats.”
Y/N whipped her head around, already smiling at that new detail. “Goats? Is there a story behind this?”
“Um…after the Accords I went to Wakanda and that’s where I met Shuri. She’s the princess there…Really good kid. You’d like her. And…”
Bucky continued with his story. His movements became more animated and relaxed as she listened to him. It was a side of Bucky she never could have predicted. But it seemed the more time she spent with him, the more she realized there was a lot about Bucky she couldn’t predict. And a lot more that she wanted to find out.
-.-.-
After grocery shopping and finally dropping everything off at the apartment, Bucky insisted on taking Y/N out for food. It was a weird moment for him. Normally he stayed in, avoiding eyes and people that were far too curious. But this time that wasn’t the case. He actually wanted to be out. He wasn’t sure if it was because he wanted to be seen with Y/N or if he wanted to spoil her. Maybe it was a mix of the two.
“Here’s your order,” the waitress said, placing two burgers, fries, and two shakes on the table.
Y/N thanked her, looking around at the quaint little diner. How did Bucky find this place? “I feel like we’re going to be caught in this endless cycle of being too nice to each other,” she joked, taking a fry. She dipped it in her shake and took a bite, smiling when she saw that look of complete confusion on his face. Had he even heard what she just said? “Try it before you judge.”
Bucky snorted, but did as she said. What he didn’t expect was to actually enjoy it. And judging by the highly entertained look on her face, he wasn’t exactly hiding it.
“Exactly. So quit your judging.”
They were so at ease with each other. It felt like they’d known one another for years. “So…you asked me questions earlier. Can I ask you now?”
Y/N hesitated for a moment before forcing herself to relax. It was Bucky. What was the worst thing he could ask? “Sure, I don’t see why not.”
“…Why did you and Andie’s dad get a divorce?”
Y/N’s whole body froze when she heard that question. This was why she didn’t make new friends. New friends asked personal questions. New friends asked about that damn ex-husband of hers. But Bucky meant well…She was sure he did. She had to remember that he was from a time when divorce just wasn’t done.
And she was from a time when it was always done.
“Well…” Wow, things felt heavy. Her chest felt tight.
“I’m sorry,” Bucky murmured. He leaned forward when he noticed how quickly her body language changed. “I didn’t want to upset you. Or bring up bad memories. I just…” His tongue ran across his lip as he struggled to find the words. Why was he always stumbling? Why was he always at a loss for words? “I was raised in a time where marriage was it. You were stuck with it. And even though Hydra brainwashed me, it became one of those things that was kind of ingrained in my beliefs. Even when I didn’t know what those were.” He sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I was curious what would bring someone to end a relationship when they’re supposed to be in love.”
“Abuse.”
Bucky looked up, fixating on her features. There was only one tear, already fallen and gone. Strands of her hair fell in front of her face. She looked raw. His whole body was rigid as he repeated that one word in his head. Abuse. Who the fuck would abuse her? Who would be such a coward? She wasn’t a superhero. She wasn’t like him. Or a soldier or anything like that. She didn’t have a job that deserved cruelty. So why…? Bucky clenched his jaw at the sharp pain from his hair, realizing he’d been pulling because of his anger.
“Do you want the whole story?”
“You – Y/N, you’re under no obligation to share that with me.”
“I know,” she told him with the smallest nod. “I’m very well aware of that. And if it were anyone else, I probably wouldn’t. But I’m sitting across from a man who lived with seventy years of abuse. If anyone would get it, I’m pretty sure it’s you.”
He slumped in his chair, surprised that she would trust him with something like this. There was something about this that made him feel…pride? Confidence? Of all the people to trust, she was choosing him. And he never would have expected it. He never would have had the guts to believe it. Though first, he had to ask, “Did he hurt Andie?”
“Hell no.” The words were held with nothing less than total conviction. “I divorced him before he got the chance.”
“Why do I feel like there’s more to the story than that?”
“’Cause there is? My ex…” She picked at her food, suddenly losing her appetite. “God, he knew how to work the system. Played it like a game. He was verbally and emotionally abusive…Never touched me hard enough to leave a bruise. Just enough to make a point or get me scared.”
Silence passed for a few minutes. Bucky watched her, willing to listen to anything she had to tell him.  But just like any of the Avengers, that wall that she had torn down came right back up just as quick.
She shrugged, taking a sip of her water. Her stomach lurched. She felt sick. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does.” Bucky bit his lip, reaching across the table. His hand found her arm, squeezing gently. Learning about this, he had so much more to ask. Why would Andie try to see her dad? Why did Y/N wait till Andie was three?
“You’re not the first person to give me that look, you know,” Y/N murmured. A hollow laugh slipped free. She pulled her arm away from his grip, ignoring how comforting it felt. She hugged herself. “Part of my marriage included isolating me from my family. I was nineteen when we got married, so I didn’t know any better. God, I was so naïve. I was practically brainwashed into believing that was how marriage was supposed to be. I didn’t know any better and – “ She faltered, realizing what she had said. “I’m sorry, that was really tacky. I could’ve chosen a better word.”
Bucky frowned. What was she talking about? Oh. He chuckled, shaking his head. “If brainwashing is a good word to describe what you went through, then use it. You’re not hurting my feelings.”
She smiled ever so slightly. It hurt to see her like this. Looking so broken. Taking a shaky breath, she looked around at the near empty diner. The few people that were there weren’t paying attention to them. It was comforting. She felt like she could confide in him even with where they were. “I didn’t really care what he was doing to me, you know? I was numb after five years. I didn’t talk to anyone outside of his friends. It was just my life. But then I got pregnant with Andie. And he changed. He started treating me better…like I was a person instead of property.”
Bucky’s hands clenched on his thighs. Everything in his body wanted to move next to Y/N, to hug her and let her know that nothing that happened was right. But the way she talked about it? He knew she was aware. He knew she wasn’t that same girl anymore. God, how different would things have been if they had met all those years ago? “What changed?”
“I think actually having Andie burst some bubble of his. The reality of a daughter? Especially a mutant showing their abilities so young? He wasn’t prepared for it and,” she shrugged again, defeated. “He blamed me for her having a gift. I didn’t even care that she did, but when I reminded him that it was the male’s genetics that determined someone being a boy or girl? Someone being a mutant? That was when things went back to what I was used to. He didn’t drink or anything, but he was…so angry. And I wasn’t going to put her through that. She had just turned three and I filed. So then he threatened to take her from me.”
Bucky’s heart sank. How much of this was a reality for other women? How many women had to be as strong as Y/N? How many chose to stay? How many weren’t even able to make a choice? “How,” His voice caught in his throat. “How did you get him to…”
“To leave us alone?” He nodded, at a complete loss for words. “He doesn’t have to pay child support. And I have complete control of visitation rights. It mattered once, but not so much now. Andie…she wants a relationship, but it’ll never happen.”
Bucky ran a hand over his face, trying to wrap his head around everything. She gave up child support and was taking care of a kid while living in New York. On her own. Wow. He scratched his jaw, unable to wrap his mind around how someone could go through all of that. It was a different type of torture. Bewildered, he asked, “Why would she even want to see him?”
“Because he remarried,” she sighed. “And he has two boys. Don’t get me wrong, I am completely honest with my daughter about everything involving her father. I have raised her to be able to defend herself no matter what. She is very aware of everything.” Y/N hesitated, only able to imagine what could have gone on in Andie’s head the day her dad refused to meet her. “But she has a father who has no interest in meeting her because of things out of her control. He raises two boys and, from what I know, he loves them and his wife. He treats his new family great. At thirty-five, I still can’t help the sting I feel from that. I can only imagine what she feels.”
“She’s an awesome kid.”
Y/N laughed, tears welling in her eyes. “Yeah, I know. And she’s been wanting to meet him since she was eight. She’s been wanting to meet her brothers for just as long, but…”
“He won’t let her.”
It was a statement, not a question. He didn’t need to ask because the answer was so irritatingly obvious. What an ass. Andie was sneaking out to see what she was missing. She was trying to create a relationship with someone who didn’t want her. The thought of that, the realization, made him sick to his stomach.
Y/N let out a sharp exhale, realizing how heavy things had gotten. She had shared her story, sure, but normally in bits and pieces. It wasn’t normally such word vomit. “I can’t believe I told you all of that. It is nothing like what you went through.”
“Don’t start with all of that,” Bucky argued, shocking her into silence. “Trauma is trauma. Nothing makes what you and Andie went through any less valid. And you can’t argue. ‘Cause I’m the Winter Soldier and who better to ‘get it’ than me?”
She laughed at that, a hint of a smile reappearing when he threw her words back around. Oh, how surprising this man was. Taking a sip of her drink, she asked, “You are unnaturally kind, you realize that, right?”
“Or maybe I’m just less of a dick than the guys you spend time with.”
Y/N snorted, choking on her water and falling into a coughing fit as Bucky winced. Maybe that was too far? “That was great,” she told him, wiping away the tears that had fallen before.
In only seconds, she looked completely different. No longer broken. Any tension that had been there was gone. She was already moving on from it. Maybe that was because she already had eight years behind her.
Leaning back in her seat, she checked her phone. “I need to go get Andie from school.”
Bucky nodded, pulling out his wallet and dropping a couple twenties. “Do you want company?”
She smiled as they stood and made their way outside. As weird as it was to share something like picking Andie up, Y/N found herself wanting to. Andie liked Bucky. And Y/N felt like she could trust him. Especially after confiding everything to him. Honestly, she told him, “I would really like that.”
“Then lead the way.”
And she did. Her hand reached down and grabbed his, immediately catching Bucky’s attention and sending him on alert. He expected her to let go at some point, only making sure he stuck by through the crowds. And while he did his best to follow the route, memorizing it in case he would one day get Andie on his own, he was absolutely giddy.
She never let go of his hand.
-.-.-
That night, Tony was working late in the lab as always. While tinkering away at his suit, he had a hologram of a few documents pulled up. He was passively studying, something absolutely normal for him. It helped him focus. At least, that was the excuse he was giving himself. He preferred this sort of thing after all. But what he hadn’t been expecting was F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerting him of someone else’s arrival.
He looked up, swiping away the reports he’d been memorizing. Fixating back on the suit, he asked, “What are you doing here?”
Bucky didn’t say anything. He shoved a hand in his pocket, the other nervously running through his hair. He didn’t like the idea of coming to Tony for a favor. He really didn’t. It isn’t for you. It’s for Andie and Y/N. “You like Andie and her mom, right?”
Tony glanced up, lifting the goggles and propping them on his head. “Yeah. Y/N seems like a good mom and Andie’s been a riot ever since I met her.” He pushed the chair he sat in, rolling across the floor and landing at his desk. He set the tools down and rose to his feet, wiping his hands clean on his pants. He could always buy another pair. “Why, what’s up?”
“I have a favor to ask…”
Tony leaned against his desk. “For them? Name it.”
And Bucky did. He described everything he felt Tony needed to know. He knew the Stark had a big heart, witnessed how he had taken Peter under his wing. He wanted to do something similar for these two. And judging by the look on Tony’s face, he was more than willing.
-.-.-.-.-.-
Tag List:
@mr-robot-x​ @lets--be-honest @buckyssoul @purplekitten30 @amnahs9695 @booktease21 @niahmariec
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musicallisto · 3 years
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Hi Clara! Congratulations on 800 followers 💜🎉 Can I ask for a vanilla milkshake for Six Of Crows please? Firstly , Im bi (so I don't mind if im shipped with a girl or a boy) , mbti is ENFP , enneagram is type 6 and im a Libra sun , taurus moon and Sagittarius ascendant.
Personality traits : Im very extroverted , a "people person" and i enjoy being around a lot of friends. Im loyal to fault and very protective of the people I care about and im kind of the mom friend who always makes sure everyone is fine. I really like telling jokes and making people feel comfortable and im also pretty adventurous ( a live in the moment mindset). A lot of people ive met tell me that they found me intimidating at first but I have no idea why. Lastly , im quite stubborn and never back down from a fight .
Hobbies / interests: I love spending time with my friends and going to parties but i also enjoy spending some alone time listening to music (my favourite bands are the smiths , queen and the arctic monkeys) , reading books especially about astrology , conspiracies and mysteries or watching a show. I also really like anything that has to do with baking and i adore painting even though im not the best at it.
Physical traits: Im 1.53 (not sure how much that is in feet) , light brown eyes and short brown hair that ends right bellow my jaw. I have a few freckles on my nose and cheeks and a nose ring . I have a scar on my elbow from when I broke it and stitches on my knee ( I fell on a table when I was little).
I hope that is enough information! Thank you in advance and also take your time with this , I don't mind waiting💜💜 Congratulations once again 🎉💗
a vanilla milkshake coming right up for you, Jorja! I’m also an ENFP and a libra, so this was definitely interesting to write - but I think you would be a great match with the beautiful and mesmerizing nina zenik!
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I feel like your relationship would start with just a tad of rivalry at first - you have such similar personalities, what with being extroverted and enthusiastic partygoers who appreciate living in the moment and enjoy a little bit of attention
and unfortunately you’d meet in an environment where women are pitted against each other and encouraged to attract the most male attention possible instead of hoisting each other up - the House of the White Rose
Nina was so beautiful and mesmerizing in every way. she was this foreign, Ravkan beauty, the one men came from far and wide to admire, just to spend a night with her and succumb to her Heartrender powers
and, well, Onkle Felix and all the other dubious businessmen and women of Ketterdam thrive on that kind of rivalry - a pout and a determination of steel is always a good look on their girls -, so they’d fuel that jealousy by comparing you two all the time
Until one day, you overheard one of her conversations with Kaz - you didn’t pay them any mind most of the time, not thinking it unusual for the Barrel’s wicked son to visit a highly-demanded courtesan such as Nina; but your curiosity got the best of you, and you heard all about their plan to break a prisoner out from Hellgate, and how Nina had been an informator for the Dregs all this time
and an idea creeps up inside your mind - not the most glorious nor ethical one, you know it, but no one wins by being gracious and refined in Ketterdam
“I’m in.”
“I’m sorry, you’re in what?”
“Your plan with Brekker. You’re going to break someone out from Hellgate. I heard it all.”
Her beautiful face turns imperceptibly paler, and then the usual flush in her cheeks, so red and alluring, is back - her self-inflicted Heartrending magic, or just an extraordinary ability to hide her emotions?
“I have literally no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do. I won’t tell anyone if you let me come with you.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“Absolutely.”
“And do you really think Kaz will bother with deadweight? What good can you even do?”
“Oh, you’d be surprised at how useful I can be.”
Your faces are inches apart, and there’s a sense of tension that’s so very different from what you usually experience with her, so far off from the pointless and toxic jealousy they all exploit off of you
But when she understands you are not going to back down, she finally gives in, with a face scrunched up in disgust, and your heart soars. You’re finally breaking free from this hellhouse
And maybe, just maybe, you kind of enjoy the idea of spending more time with Nina and getting to know her better - you still seek for an olive branch between the two of you
And that’s how you become a honorary member of the Dregs, in a way
And you embark on the adventure that will lead you to the Ice Court in Fjerda, because now that you’ve started the adventure by assisting Matthias’ escape, might as well go all the way
(And you actually are a useful ally and fighter, actually, which leads the others to wonder what you might have been up to before you were a prisoner of the brothel)
But the one you grow closest to over the course of the mission is Nina, discovering hidden depths you never imagined in her
You help her sort out her conflicting feelings for Matthias, and her own apprehension at seeing where her magic may go
You’re here for her every step of the way, forming a strong bond of friendship, and then eventually, when you give in to years of bridled passion, romance
Which even the others had perceived long before it happened, even Wylan who typically is completely oblivious to these kinds of things
You’re here for here every second, every minute, when she takes the Jurda parem and all throughout her feverish sail back home to Ketterdam
It’s how she confesses she loves you, actually - under the clutches of the drug and in her confusion, but she still thinks it will all her heart, the withdrawal symptoms merely enabling her to speak her mind
But you just shush her and order her to go back to sleep, even if the idea of her loving you warms your heart more than anything has ever done
When she feels rested enough to leave her bed, back in Ketterdam, you’re eagerly awaiting her with a tray of pastries and, obviously, waffles
You swear her eyes light up like a thousand flares, loving and tender
That’s when she says it for the second time
“Oh, Jorja, I love you”
It’s unclear whether or not she actually means it or if it just escaped her, but you don’t push on. It will come when you’re both ready
Instead, you share a complicit look, and dig in. These waffles still need someone eating them, after all
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800 follower celebration
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nightingiall · 4 years
Text
head in the clouds: part iv
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{story page} // {wattpad}
Rory doesn’t want to get up. 
Her body is slowly waking from sleep, limbs heavy and sated, and to be quite honest, she’s too comfortable to move. Soft hairs are brushing softly against her arm. A warm weight against her head is shifting a bit. A heart beat is thumping quietly and rhythmically beneath her ear—
Wait.
Rory opens her eyes only to find that she’s not even in her own bed. This, admittedly, happens sometimes, but not often, and she’s about to catapult out in pure horror when she realizes that the bed she’s in actually belongs to none other than Niall Horan. 
She freezes, taking in her surroundings, mortification melting into confusion. She’s currently laying horizontally on the bed, head on Niall’s chest as he slumbers peacefully on his pillow, perpendicular to her. His arm is curled around her head, as though she’d been resting on it and slipped down to his torso instead. It’s only now that she realizes her hand is curled around his wrist, holding his arm close. Next to her is Spike, somehow curled into both of them. 
Rory has...no idea how they ended up like this.
“G’mornin’,” Niall is murmuring, voice raspy and deep from sleep, and Rory has to ignore the voice in her head that declares how absolutely adorable it is. 
“Sorry,” is what she blurts out instead, getting ready to shift out of his space but getting blocked by Spike, who’s watching her with that signature frown. “Am I crushing you?”
Niall chuckles under his breath and it’s all sleepy and impossibly cute and Rory thinks, Oh my god I am in so much trouble, because now she’s gone and gotten too close and there’s no going back now. “No,” he replies, bringing his other arm around her so he’s holding her to his chest. “You’re very warm. It’s nice.” 
She wonders if he actually realizes what he’s doing or if this is just that half-asleep delirium that happens when you’re drifting between that space of dreams and consciousness. But then his fingers start to curl around her hair, his eyes opening slowly as he tries to fight the temptation sleep must be calling him back into, and all she can think about then is how the morning light suits him so well, rays filtering through his window and washing him in hues of soft gold. She’s so distracted that when he smiles at her, she smiles back. 
The memory is coming back to her now, how they ended up here, and she finds herself relaxing against him as she tries to make sense of it. They’d been up late last night, cooking dinner, no alcohol involved. Rory remembers them trying to get Spike to taste something, chasing him all the way to Niall’s bed before they were able to coax it into the picky cat. 
Then they just...talked. About everything. About nothing. Rory learned about Niall’s family—just a dad and a brother—and his plans after the summer was over—take a gap year traveling the world, most likely, but he really wants to pick up more knowledge on baking all sorts of goods from across the globe. She told him about wanting to take a break for a year as well, about wanting to be an artist but her mom wanting her to do something practical, about feeling suffocated and unsure about everything now that college is over. Butterflies flutter in her tummy now at the memory of him holding her hand and looking into her eyes with a look of conviction, reassuring her that they didn’t need to have everything figured out right now, that everything would work itself out and be okay. 
The entire time, Rory didn’t think about last summer, didn’t think about her broken heart. In fact, her heart didn’t even feel broken anymore. The pieces were somehow mended back together, sealed tight with new memories of parties and laughter with Harry and Leslie, of coffee-drenched mornings with Gigi, of scorching lifeguard shifts with Niall. Of friends. Of happiness. Of that beautiful expanse of time in which her heart had quietly and decisively moved on without her noticing. And she learned how to laugh again. She learned how to be Rory again. 
And somehow, in the midst of all of that, she and Niall fell asleep, all wrapped up into one another. And it felt good. 
Now, he’s smiling that sweet smile at her, all sleepy eyes and messy hair, and she feels new and whole and completely content with where she is. 
“Wanna stay for breakfast?” he asks, one hand tracing circles into the nape of her neck and the other smoothing down Spike’s fur. “I make some mean pancakes.” 
And Rory thinks, what’s the harm? Breakfast sounds nice. Spending more time with Niall sounds nice. So she doesn’t have to think about it when she asks, “Got an extra toothbrush for me?” Niall’s smile grows a little wider at her words, and something smooth and warm slinks around in her core at the sight of it.
Oh my god I am in so much trouble, she thinks again.
Because Niall Horan smiles at her and all of a sudden she can’t think straight.
***
Rory thinks blue eyes are probably a bit hazardous. 
Specifically Niall’s blue eyes. Because she gets so lost in them that she’s nearly stepping onto Spike’s tail, and when she realizes at the last second, she ends up tripping over her own feet when she attempts to avoid hurting him.
And if she ends up spraining her ankle and Niall ends up having to give her a piggyback ride home, then his laugh is worth it. Gigi takes one look at her when they get there and Rory knows she will never hear the end of the I told you so’s. 
But there are 35 days left of summer, and...well, Rory doesn’t really know what to do with herself.
***
They’re in the dog days of summer. 
That’s what Rory and Gigi usually say when it gets to that point in the season where it’s so unbearably hot and sultry that even the guests don’t feel like doing much. August has finally descended on them and today, the pool is full of adults just lounging about, cold bottles of beer selling like crazy and everyone soaking up the last bits of sun before the summer ends, even though that is about a month away. Even the children are lazily drifting through the pool, ice creams melting near their parents on the loungers. 
Rory, for her part, cannot get a certain blue-eyed boy out of her head. It doesn’t help that he’s sitting on the lifeguard chair right across from her. He does this thing to stay focused, sings songs in his head, and when he does he always taps his fingers against his knees or against the arms of his chair or against his reusable water bottle to the beat of whatever it is. Recently, she’s been wondering what song is playing in his head, what that beat is that’s helping him stay focused on the people splashing about in the pool. 
But most of all, she can’t stop thinking of those fingers and how they felt when they were tangled up in her hair the other day. She replays the action at every waking moment, can’t sleep sometimes because the memory of warm, nimble fingers tracing shapes against the nape of her neck haunts her, like the ghost of what could be. 
She doesn’t realize that she’s sketching them until that familiar brogue is shouting, “Hiya, Rory,” and her concentration breaks. She quickly brings the sketchbook against her chest in her panic, hoping that Niall didn’t see whatever was on the page, which is irrational because he’s only now sidling up to her chair. “Jumpy today, eh?” he teases, signature grin on full display. “Whatcha drawing?
He reaches out to flip the book over but Rory hugs it tighter to her chest. “Nothing!” she nearly yelps out, voice all high-pitched and veering on the edge of panicked. She clears her throat when he gives her an amused look, amending her tone. “Um. Nothing. It’s uh...it’s not good.” 
He laughs and Rory feels her cheeks beginning to sting with that familiar burn. “C’mon, Rors, I’m sure it’s great.” Those stupid blue eyes glimmer in the sunlight and Rory really hates him right now. Really hates that he can have her feeling like mush just by doing the absolute bare minimum. She must send him some look though because he drops the subject with a huffed out “Fine.” Then he asks, “How’s your ankle?” 
Rory lifts her leg to look at it and, sure enough, it’s gone a bit swollen on her as she was too busy getting all distracted. She should probably get another ice pack on it. “Well,” she shrugs, trying not to flinch when Niall reaches out to gently press against it. “It doesn’t really hurt anymore.” 
Niall looks at her like he doesn’t believe her, grin sliding off his face only to be replaced with a stern line. “You should really get some ice on it, Rory.” It’s only now that she realizes how close he’s gotten. “It’s not going to get better if you don’t take care of it.” 
She huffs, rolling her eyes. “Okay, mom,” she says curtly, moving to slide off her chair and head over to her next post. As is customary between them at this point, she ignores his hand of help. Just her luck though, her ankle is still tender, and because she’s so focused on keeping her notebook hidden from him, she steps down wrong and her knees end up buckling under her weight as she hits the ground, Niall instantly reaching out to grab her arms and steady her. 
“You’re so stubborn,” he grits out as he helps her up, and this time he’s the one rolling his eyes at her. “Stay here. I’m going to get you some ice.” Rory watches as he motions to Zafar, who is behind him in the rotation, and Callie, another lifeguard who’s in front of Rory in the rotation, that he’ll be right back and scurries off towards the canteen where there’s a first-aid station. 
She huffs to herself as she tries to walk as normally as she can to her next post, but she probably ends up limping because even Callie is calling out to her asking if she’s okay. She waves her off, managing a smile as she gingerly hauls herself up onto the lifeguard chair, glad to be under the shade of the umbrella now. Her sketchbook, now laying closed on her lap, taunts her. Her fingers itch to open it and resume her sketch, but this is dangerous, dangerous territory. 
“I thought I told you to stay put.” Niall’s looking at her all exasperatedly as he hands her an ice pack. She takes it with a frown, a retort ready on her tongue, but it quickly melts away when she presses the pack to her ankle. The cooling sensation that runs through her is so soothing; she didn’t even realize it had been hurting so bad. “You better go straight home after this and get some proper ice on it.” Niall is crossing his arms at her now, watching her so seriously that it nearly startles her. “You can’t keep running around on it or it’ll never get better.” 
A rather enamored warmth runs through her at the way he so obviously cares, but she masks it with yet another eye roll. “But I was meant to stop by the kitchens to get more food for Spike—”
“Don’t worry about, Spike,” he interjects tersely, and Rory wants to reach out to smooth away the little wrinkle that has settled between his brows. “I’ll figure something out. But if you even think about stopping by with that ankle of yours then I won’t open the door for you and it’ll have been a waste of your time!”
Rory can’t help it. She breaks at that, a tiny giggle escaping her lips, and she can’t even be mad at herself for it because it makes Niall smile. “Fine,” she mumbles, defeated, because she can’t ignore the disappointment that settles over her now. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t look forward to spending time with Spike—and, okay, fine, Niall too—after her shifts. It gave her something to do now that she didn’t hang out with anyone else on the grounds, apart from Harry and Leslie when they’re free and Gigi when she actually shows up at their place. 
Niall notices her mood shift because of course he does, and he reaches out to playfully nudge at her, grinning as he starts to move towards his next post because he’ll get written up if someone important walks by and notices them having a conversation when they should be working. “Turn that frown upside down, beautiful,” he calls out when he’s halfway, winking for good measure, and the blush that burns through her this time is so unbearable that she nearly yells out at him to stop the compliments because she doesn’t know how many she’ll be able to handle. 
Luckily, or unluckily, for her, he swings himself up onto his lifeguard chair, attention returning to the people splashing around in the pool, fingers tapping against his knees as his song resumes in his head. 
As Rory opens her sketchbook to look at the drawing, she groans to herself. 
She hasn’t managed to draw in any distinctive features yet, but anyone with a brain would be able to tell it’s of Niall, lounging in his lifeguard chair, fingers of one hand wrapped around his bottle and the other against his knee, posture and build unmistakable. 
***
There are 31 days left of summer and Rory has got it bad. 
***
“What do you mean you told them!”
Rory is glaring and Niall is watching her sheepishly, pinpricks of red coloring his cheeks. Behind him, she can see Harry and Leslie chasing Spike around, the cat making a sort of indignant sound, Leslie knocking over a picture frame in the process. Rory huffs angrily at the sight. 
“Hey, don’t be upset.” Niall is giving her that wide-eyed puppy dog look and it reminds her of that night when she caught him sneaking around the grounds with Spike in a duffel bag. They’ve come a long way since then.
Rory opens her mouth to retort but is cut off by the sound of Harry bursting into a fit of laughter inside and she rolls her eyes. Niall almost smiles but a group of people loudly file out of the apartment across the street and his face changes into an unreadable expression. 
He cautiously looks around before grabbing her wrist and pulling her inside, shutting the door behind them. “The blokes next door made a passing remark one day that they could hear animal noises sometimes and I freaked out. So I asked Harry and Leslie if they’d stop by between their shifts to check on Spike sometimes to make sure he wasn’t too lonely. I didn’t want to bother you about it. You had to let your ankle heal after all.” He tries to smile at her but it looks a bit like a grimace as he anticipates the way she might look at him, but she only watches him warily. “And plus, Harry works in the kitchens so it won’t look suspicious if you kept going over to get food. This way there’s less of a risk of you getting in trouble too.” 
And, ugh, Rory hated how annoyingly endearing he was. It wasn’t fair! She was trying so hard not to fall for him and was hopelessly failing. And Rory did not like failing.
“Rors,” Niall murmured softly, voice syrupy sweet, like the slow pour of honey over Sunday morning pancakes, like the leisurely melt of ice cream sitting out on a hot summer day. He steps into her space the slightest bit, fingers grazing against hers cautiously, deliberately, before retreating a bit, as though remembering that invisible boundary between them. “Please don’t be angry. You know Spikey likes you best. Nothing can change that.” He seems to change his mind on the fingers front, boundary forgotten, because he laces his into hers for a quick moment, squeezing gently. “And that’s saying something because Leslie brought him toys.” 
Sure enough, Rory looks over to see Spike lazily prodding at a stuffed toy. As soon as he catches sight of her though, he plods over. It seems like the exercise has done him well because he no longer drags his paws as much and is all sidled up to Rory’s feet in a matter of seconds. “Hi, Spikey boy,” she murmurs at him, releasing her fingers from Niall’s in favor of kneeling down to smooth them across her favorite cat’s fur. And also because if Niall said one more word to her with his eyes sparkling the way they were then she would have had no choice but to kiss him and it was better if that didn’t happen. Especially not in the presence of their friends.
Above her, Niall laughs, and she can’t bring herself to look at him but knows he’s glowing. “See. He loves you most.” 
She’s somehow swept inside, Leslie cheering at the sight of her while Harry chastises her for not telling them about Spike sooner. Harry adores cats, always talks about how much he’s wanted one. Which is why when Spike continually ignores his approaches, Rory finds it endlessly amusing. 
“Niall, you’re so lucky you don’t have roommates,” Leslie says while petting Spike’s fur. “I can’t imagine how you’d’ve been able to pull this off with one. The other Shack boys aren’t like you.”
Niall laughs his big, buoyant laugh at that, and the sound of it seems to lure Spike close to him. Rory can understand, it makes her lean in to catch every expression of his too. “Well, I had one at the beginning of the summer but he had to leave and then never got replaced, so…” He trails off, shrugging, and they all lament at how lucky he is to not have to deal with another person in his space. 
By the end of the night, Spike seems to have gotten sufficiently acquainted with these new additions to his life, especially once he sees the way Rory and Niall interact with them. And when Rory gets used to sharing this part of her life that she’d been so protective over, she finds herself relaxing and laughing along too. 
Until there’s a knock on Niall’s door. 
They all freeze at the sound of it. Even Spike’s tail pauses in midair as he picks up on the sudden mood shift between them. Niall glances around questioningly, as though one of them would know who it is, before he gets up to answer. Rory feels like all the air has been sucked out of the room, feels as though they’re all collectively holding their breaths as they watch Niall look through the peephole. 
Then he laughs and the tension breaks. 
“I brought snacks!” comes a familiar voice when he opens the door, and when Niall moves aside, Rory is shocked to find that it is none other than her roommate. Sure enough, Gigi grins at all of them, holding up a box of sandwiches that must have been left over from a corporate event and a gift bag that clinks with the unmistakable sound of wine bottles. 
All of them except for Rory cheer when Gigi makes her way inside, heading straight for Spike to nuzzle her fingers against his fur. Harry immediately grabs the wine and Leslie makes quick work of the sandwich box as they head to Niall’s kitchen to get everything opened. Rory, for her part, simply looks at Niall, whose cheeks are already coloring with that familiar rosy tinge, with a look that says, Her too?! Because for something that they’re supposed to be keeping a secret, it seems as though more people have found out in the past three days than in the past few weeks. 
But either way, she’s not really upset. She just likes the way Niall’s blue eyes get all wide as he squeezes her fingers when he tries to console her.
***
“You have a crush on him,” says Leslie when they’re walking home. 
Rory just sighs, because her friends are smiling at her all knowingly, and she knows this is serious because they usually mind their own business. Well, except for Gigi, whose ears perk up at this conversation. So she asks, “How obvious is it?” 
Harry bumps his shoulder into hers, and when she looks at him, he’s grinning wildly at her, dimples pressing deep into his cheeks. “So obvious.” 
Rory looks at Gigi then, expecting the I told you so, expecting the forthcoming round of gloating because she called it. Instead, she receives a soft smile and a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’m so happy you’re happy again, Rory.” 
And she can’t help herself when she stops just to pull them all into a hug. Because there are 27 days of summer left, and some moments are meant to be savored.
--
tell me what you think! :)
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Dragon Dancer IV: The Dentist
The sun was up and the remnants of the days breakfast remained in the stacked bowls on the table.
Chu Zihang sat on the floor with Ru’Yi in his lap, holding a soft cloth ball. He tossed it a short distance away and she flopped over to crawl to go get it. She sat up, nice and straight, looked at him, raised her arms and threw it back, laughing and clasping her hands together.
Zihang reached for it and grabbed it, placing it in front of himself. She returned to him and they did it over again.
Zihang was trying to enjoy this time he had, but feelings of melancholy reached me from our soulbond. He knew that once the tracking signal was found, then the time he would have with his daughter would be ended, perhaps forever.
Everyone in this world had forgotten him. If he died now, much like Crow, Ru’Yi would forget him too. So between happy moments, his mood would crash, only for her smile to lift it again.
I left him alone with her to go visit Mingfei, first taking a stop by the kitchen. He was out of the clinic and trying to adjust to missing his arm. My Release skill had saved his life but also crippled his ability to self heal. It was hard not to feel guilty about that.
Zihang had kept the severed arm. It couldn't’ be reattached, but he didn’t want anyone diving into the plane wreckage and getting it to use it for alchemical purposes. It was a gruesome detail that I didn’t tell him about.
Being in the monastery had thankfully removed Mingfei from his drinking habit. I picked up some baked barley grain balls mixed with plum fruit to bring with me along with some tea on a tray.
I knocked on the door to his room.
“Come in!”
Erii was there with him. She’d not left his side. Turned out, Crow’s words to Mingfei, that he’d refused her, weren’t true at all. For her own safety, he’d blocked her from contacting him herself. As soon as she heard of our plight, she was delighted to be back in his company and the feeling was mutual.
Erii sat on his bed playing an online game of Street Fighter. The guilt welled up in me again as I realized his gaming days were pretty much over unless he could somehow learn to play with one hand. “I brought some cakes!”
He smiled at me and said, “Yeah sit it over there.”
I hesitantly walked over to the table where he had pointed next to him and came to look over Erii’s shoulder. Her crimson eyes were glued to the screen of the television. Her opponent couldn’t get a hit on her. Her reflexes were too good. Just before she won the match, he disconnected and forfeited the game.
Erii hissed her fury at the screen and Lu Mingfei snarled. “Again! What is with these sore losers!”
He looked at me. “Hand me one of those cakes will ya?”
I realized I’d set them on the wrong side of him! “Ah... sorry!”
“Don’t worry about it.” he mumbled, taking a bite. “They find that signal yet?”
I shook my head no.
Mingfei sighed. “Do we have a plan B if that thing has decided to stop transmitting?”
Erii looked up at him, silent. Her eyes shifted up and down his face, then they lowered. She put the game controller down and then she reached for a notepad and wrote. “Stay with Erii?” and held it in front of her face.
We all looked at it, somber.
I would be lying if the thought didn’t cross my mind. So long as we stayed in the town, we would be safe from EVA. Sailor Moon would keep transmitting false information. We would be dead on the record. Cassell would be taken over by the Gattusos...
...Anjou would die.
I shook my head. “Zihang would never agree to it.” I said quietly. “Susie... was his best friend. He wants to save Lancelot. He can’t just hide out here.”
Erii sighed sadly but she seemed to understand.
“Has he come up with a plan?”
“Yes,” I said, “But part of the plan is that you don’t know about it.”
“What? Ah... fine. He’s planning on leaving me here isn’t he?”
“He’s concerned about the woodblock sound. Once the first phase of the plan is completed, that should be taken care of though.” I smiled at him.
“I’m a liability... aren’t I.” He grumbled.
“Not necessarily... Anjou didn’t think so To him, you were hope. You’re hope to me too.”
He looked at me, his expression unreadable. 
“You don’t believe me but... that’s how I feel.”
He looked away and laughed. “Anyway. How’s Ru’Yi?”
“She’s upstairs playing with Daddy.” I took one of the cakes and took a bite.
He opened his mouth to say something but then paused. “You’re going too?”
“I can’ tell you about it.”
“Then I’ll take that as a yes. If anyone should stay here its you.”
“You know Zihang doesn’t leave chips on the table. He goes all in and he wins.”
Sailor Moon suddenly spun out of thin air, summoned by a holograph projector in the corner of the room. “I have detected and successfully spoofed the tracking signal.”
My heart dropped to the bottom of my chest and I jumped to my feet.
“The signal was coming from the one named Chu Zihang, he’s the one carrying the signal in his 31st Tooth, lower mandibular second molar.”
“He has a tracking signal in his tooth?” Lu Mingfei shouted.
I jumped up and hurried out of the room and up into the bedroom. I opened the door to see Sailor Moon delivering the news to Chu Zihang who was standing up, while a mewling Ru’Yi rubbed the ball on his leg.
He looked at me. “I’ll need the dentist to come here for the extraction.” He said.
“I will continue to transmit the signal per the parameters dictated in the signal -- Biweekly -- spoofing the coordinates requested.”
“The nearest dentist comes into town once a month. I’m afraid there’s a waiting list.”
“We don’t have that kind of time.” Zihang said, his eyes glowing with intensity. “Make it worth his while. Don’t worry about the cost. Once this is over, I’ll pay her back. Tell him to leave the anesthetic at home, I won’t need it.”
‘Contacting.”
“How are you just telling her what to do?” I asked, astonished.
Zihang crossed his arms over his chest. “I convinced Erii to give me Admin privileges.”
“You mean you can control the whole program?”
He gave me a solemn nod.
“What else have you done?” My eyes narrowed. 
He gave me a cryptic smile.
Chu Zihang was an agent who was frequently assigned tasks alone. He had a stellar perfect record of completion. Even when he was assigned to others, he ran off by himself and handled the entire assignment alone by his own ingenuity and skill.
The Gattusos had made a mistake the day they made an enemy of him.
Sailor Moon’s eyes refocused on us. “He’ll be here in two hours.”
“Once the tracker is extracted, I will put the tracker into you after reprogramming it to send its signals to my phone.” Zihang explained.
---------------
The Dentist arrived at noon. We met him in an outbuilding of the temple. He was short, thin, and a bit nervous when he saw that we were foreigners. He arrived in jeans and a t-shirt that said “Jump the World!” with a leaping platypus cartoon character on it.
Sailor Moon reassured him.
Zihang lay in an inclined chair under a bright light.  “Explain to him that the funds have already been transferred to his account. He should be able to retire in comfort. I’ll need to have the entire tooth extracted.”  
I glanced between them. “He is... licensed, right?”
“Are you sure you don’t want any anaesthetic?”
“No. I want to make sure this is done correctly. I can’t do that if I’m asleep.”
I sighed wearily and relented.
He dentist pulled on his gloves and prepared his instruments, all clean, stainless steel silver and wrapped in plastic. He pulled up a stool next to him.
I didn’t want to watch. I knew there was going to be blood and a lot of pain. At the same time, I didn’t want to leave him so I forced myself to stay.
The dentist opened up his mouth and braced it with a metal bar, stretching it so far open I winced. He then used a suction pump to dry the area.
He then began speaking in the Tibetan language, explaining something.
Sailor Moon translated. “There is actually an insertion in the tooth, a hollowed out cavity hidden by white amalgam. He should be able to use a local anesth-”
“No.” Zihang tried to say, though it was hard to with his mouth jacked open. I chewed my lip and the dentist flinched and then shrugged.
“Remove the entire tooth.” I said, firmly. I looked at Zihang. He would be the one able to extract the device without damaging it. It was critical to my safety. I wouldn’t leave it to others.
The dentist complied reaching for what looked like a silver chisel and started doing only what I could describe as digging into his mouth.
Zihang closed his eyes but other than that he didn’t move.
After a few seconds of that, he put it away, dripping bright blood on the tray, then he grabbed a silver pair of pliers, reached into his mouth with them and pulled.
I saw Zihang give a slight jerk. But that was all.
The dentist applied gauze and pantomimed that Zihang should bite down to put pressure on the wound. He set the extracted tooth on the tray and went to change his gloves.
“Thank you.” I told him.
He glanced up at me but didn’t respond back. He put away his instruments, zipped up his case and walked back out.
“He left us a few pain medications out of sympathy.” I said.
“Not necessary. He was very good.” Zihang said, still clenching the swollen jaw. 
“It didn’t hurt that much huh?” I smirked.
“I’ve felt worse. The swelling and pain should be gone in the next few days.” He sat up. “Meanwhile, I can prepare the device.”
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buggie-hagen · 3 years
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The space asks - do them all!
oh my goodness. okay, will do:
constellations: personality
ursa major: what are the character traits that define you the most? Both quiet and loud, sad and joyful, hardworking and lazy. paradox defines me.
ursa minor: do you have hobbies or interests that no one knows about? an interest that no one knows about is anime and manga.
draco: what is the thing you like least about yourself? my weight.
lacerta: what is the thing you like most about yourself? my smile.
cepheus: do you vibe more with the term idiot, asshole or dumbass? asshole.
hercules: how are you with people? who is your favourite person? it’s interesting because part of me is social shy, but generally i am warm and friendly with people. my favorite person is two rock people who live in a mountain.
lepus: what is your biggest flaw? my self-hatred.
corvus: what are 5 things you appreciate about yourself? 1. my reading 2. my theology 3. my seelsorger stuff 4. my mild interest in Japanese culture 5. that i don’t think politically like others
orion: what element would you like to be able to bend? fire.
hydra: are you the villain? i’m my own worst villain.
cassiopeia: take a random personality quiz on the internet and give us your result. the more obnoxious the better. no.
centaurus: if you could fist fight one historical figure, which one would it be and how hard would you punch them? no.
gemini: which character (fictional or not) is your spirit animal? Jughead played by Cole Sprouse.
lupus: which one do you identify more with: thoughtful idiot or thoughtless brains? thoughtful idiot. i guess.
scutum: you acquire a death note. what are you going to do with it? my understanding of death note comes from the anime of that name. so, if i found such a notebook, i would burn it so it would not be used to harm people.
Do you side more with the idea of Deontological Ethics or Utilitarianism? I don’t know these very well. I would guess I would have issues with both of them.
stars: interests
aldebaran: what is your most obnoxious interest? David Archuleta.
algol: favourite planet? favourite space object? I like earth because it has water. I like the moon.
61 cygni: favourite time period? probably medieval Europe.
castor: favourite band/artist? Currently, Winter Aid.
pollux: draw the art cover of your favourite album/song. Not right now.
riegel: put your music on shuffle and give us the first five songs.
“Have I Told You” by Matthew Mole
“A Song About Love” by Jake Bugg
“Waiting” by Jake Bugg
“How Soon the Dawn” by Jake Bugg
“Take Yours, I’ll Take Mine” by Matthew Mole
betelgeuse: which video games gives you nostalgia for a place you have never been to? n/a
agena: what is your favourite moment from a game? n/a
deneb: you can turn one book into a movie,tv show or video game. which one are you picking? The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
atair: why is your favourite book, well, your favourite? do you have a favourite quote from it? Right now I don’t think I have a favorite book.
prokyon: grab the nearest book, to to page 145 and give us the first sentence. i am not around my books at this moment.
acrux: where and when do you like to read the most? I like to read at coffee shops, and ideally the morning, but usually the afternoon.
spica: when do you consider a movie “good”? When it can make me cry.
antares: think of a movie which means a lot to you, now describe the first scene that comes into your mind! That scene from Love, Simon where Simon’s mom says, “You get to exhale now, Simon.” https://youtu.be/1QUzRn7yH6I
proxima centauri: if you would have the chance to travel the world, which places or countries would you like to see? Scotland, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand, Japan, China, Germany, Israel. Kazakhstan. Mongolia.
algol: you have to assassinate someone. which weapon do you choose? i don’t want to answer this questin.
mimosa: what do you associate with your favourite colour? the ocean.
sirius a/b: what’s your favourite sound and smell? favorite sound is trombone. favorite smell is fresh baked bread.
space objects: experiences
quasar: do you feel alone? absolutely alone.
pulsar: when do you feel truly alive? when i’m laughing.
wormhole: what is the shadiest/most illegal thing you have ever done? date a guy who grew mushrooms in his basement. (back in my college days).
black hole: what has hurt you in the past that you don’t want others to go through? my stepfather’s alcoholism. 
white dwarf: post a picture or video from your favourite trip! no.
nebula: what is an experience you would rather forget about? growing up. 
star cluster: what is something you have gained, something you have lost and something you let go of during the past year? in the past year i have gained some more confidence, i have lost any high anthropology that lingered within me, and i have let go of the idea that someone i love would fall in love with me.
planet: have you ever lost something important, such as your passport, keys or a phone? all. the. time.
moon: “A man is made of memories. It is all we are.“ (Lawrence) what do you think this means? Do you agree? I think it means that who we are is shaped by our past experiences. I agree, with the exception of how faith can shape you and that comes from outside oneself and not from the memories. 
comet: you have the chance to undo one thing or decision in your life, would you take it? If you are comfortable sharing: what did you change? I wish I had did my undergrad in geography. 
asteroid: have you ever lost a friend? do you wish you would still be friends? yes and yes/no
meteor: have you ever eaten dirt? if yes: on a scale from 0 to 10 would you do it again? no.
rocketry: academia
saturn v: what are you currently studying/what do you wish to study? currently am studying theology. i always am. i wish i could study geology.
delta iv heavy: what is your favourite thing about your degree course? well my last degree I completed as Mastery of Divinity in May 2019. I frickin’ love theology.
heavy falcon: what is a subject you are highly interested in but you would never study yourself? astronomy, just don’t have the time.
sea dragon: if money, admissions and other factors would not be a problem, where and what would you like to study? In the past, I would have liked to study abroad. either in Scotland or Germany.
atlas v: favourite theorem or concept? communicatio idiomatum
soyuz: language(s) you would like to learn? Spanish, Irish, Norwegian, Japanese. 
MECO: how do you take notes? Whatever my brain tells me to write down. I’m so good at it now I don’t know how I got here. I think I’m just good at distinguishing between what’s important and what’s not important.
SECO: what are your essentials for studying and note taking? coffee. excitement for the topic.
RCS: how do you stay focused and productive? coffee. when i can lower my anxiety levels i can focus better and be productive. basically, when i am successfully focused and productive i am methodical and categorical.
RP-1: favourite classes or subjects you took or are taking? music, Lutheran confessions, church history, geography, earth science. 
gas-generator cycle: what are the topics you like learning about the most? Lutheran theology. Biblical languages (though very painful). 
partial-flow staged combustion cycle: what are the topics that interest you the least? Math. Social justice ghouls.
full-flow staged combustion cycle: your biggest student-sin? as in something you feel guilty about? Back when I was in college I took a music class called Aural Skills and NEVER practiced my aural skills. I would do it now. 
RS-25: what do you carry in your backpack? books, weekly planner, laptop, pens, headphones, omeprazole.
RD-270: Do you need silence to study? or do you like to listen to music? if so, what is your go-to study-playlist? both. one of my favorites to listen to is the YouTube station “Homework Radio”
Merlin: what does your study-space look like? usually a coffee shop these days. also my office where i have access to my desk and my library. back in seminary, I LOVED studying in the Regenstein Library of the University of Chicago. So many cool places there to study.
Raptor: do you study at home or do you prefer to study at the library/in cafés? library/cafes. i never study and hardly ever read at home.
F-1: this is a free one. ask any question you’d like. what question do you have, dear one?
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70 Years of Grief
Request 
warning: language, angst, sadness
Summary: If you take requests could I request this. Bucky Barnes x reader, Steve Rodgers x (sister) reader. After Bucky and Steve fail to come home after ww2 y/n is driven crazy from the hatred she feels from being abandoned by her brother and left alone in the world she becomes an Assassin to kill those who ruined her life. 70 years later the avengers are sent to find an Assassin that has been killing for the last several decades only for Steve and Bucky to be horrified by who it is. (Codename reaper) 
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Do you know how hard it was? The entire world was celebrating the end of another great war whereas (y/n) was in her room grieving. All she wanted was silence. But everyone was so loud why couldn’t they let her be. 
Why did they leave her?
Bucky was drafted in, he knew months beforehand but didn’t say anything until the very last day when he left. Steve inlisted he left the day after Bucky no warning. One day he just can out with his bags packed and said he was leaving for the war and would be back when they won nothing else. Just like that, they were gone and she was left alone with no one.
They never came back.
-
“This is our Track it codename Reaper. She’s an assassin been working for a little over 70 years.” Fury said Shield had fallen and he was now working pretty much of the grid but there were few moments like this right now where he brought the avengers something he could not handle alone. “She started off sloppy leaving behind bodies and a big mess but over time she got better to the point she didn’t leave behind anything, not even the bodies. We don’t know how many people she has killed but we know it’s a lot  ” He showed a picture of a massacre then switched to a picture-perfect clean room.
“We thought she was killing at random but mostly at Shield as she was taking out our agents too. It wasn’t until after Shield fell that we discovered she had been taking out Hydra. She has been killing and stealing files for years. The Reaper is ruthless taking out men, women, and children leaving no witnesses behind. She was unseen and untouchable ...until recently” He pulled up a picture of her.
“Over the last couple of years, she has been slipping up. Leaving behind evidence, getting caught on camera, not erasing her tracks. We’ve got closer to catching her in these past few years than we have in decades. But she’s still just out of our reach. This is where you guys come in.”
He looked around the table Tony, Natasha, Sam, Vision, Bruce, and Bucky. The others were off on another mission. 
“We’ve got information on her next location. I need you guys to bring her in.”
-
“How long is this going to take,” Sam said as he was perched up on the roof across the street. Their target was in a bar sitting and drinking. She was supposed to be meeting someone so they were waiting for that person to show up so they could take them in too. It had been two hours but no sign of her visitor and she was still sitting there drinking.
“I don’t think this guy is showing up,” Natasha said in her earpiece Bucky was sitting across from her they were in the bar in a far corner undercover. They had been sitting here as long as her. “Let’s just take her”. The bartender leaves to go to the bathroom.
“She’s making a move,” Bucky says as he watches her gets up walking around the bar. She grabs a bottle off the top shelve and three small glasses she begins to walk over towards their table. On the inside, they were internally screaming and panicking but on the outside, they looked chill and badass.
She takes a seat next to Bucky putting three glasses down and pouring some drinks. “You’ve been here for what Two hours and you’re still not getting it,” She says looking at Bucky.
“What are we not getting?” Natasha asked but she completely ignores her.
“Who are you here to meet?” Bucky asks
“You” she smiles.
-
“So she wanted to get caught. But why?” Natasha asked as she looked into the interrogation room through the two-way mirror. After finishing her drink (Y/n) came in without a fight the only thing she asked for was for them to pay for her drinks. The only person she has spoken to so far was Bucky she blatantly ignored everybody else. He tried to ask her questions but she said she’d like to wait. Now they were waiting for whatever she was waiting for.
“Do you think it’s some kind of trap?” Bruce asked the whole situation was making him nervous.
“I don’t know. But she wants to be here and that’s a big red flag” Sam says. They were all just watching her.
“The others have returned and are on their way down. Vision is filling them in on the situation.” Tony came in with a tablet. “Holy shit...102″
“huh”
“That’s how old she is. She’s-”
“(Y/n)” Steve said as he walked in the room to see a woman beyond the window sitting in the interrogation room. He immediately smiles and tries to walk into the room but the others stop him.
“You know this chick”
“yes, It’s (Y/n) my little sister”
“what the fuck”
“I Want to see her” Steve starts to push past the others
“What the actual fuck,” Tony said still frozen in his place.
Steve Makes it in the room pushing past the others and stumbling in. (Y/n) just smiles watching as they struggle with him. 
“(Y/n), (Y/n), it’s me, do you remember me? It’s me” Steve said his voice cracking and eyes tearing up as he tries to move towards her.
“Hi Stevie, long time no see”
“You-you remember me?”
“On my 19th birthday, you baked me a cake. Even though you were a terrible cook. You messed it up so you ran to Mrs. Barnes and begged her to help you. You never told me but Mrs. Barnes did, she thought it was cute. We had my birthday at their house that night.” They both smiled at the memory. (Y/n) gracefully slipped out of the handcuffs that connected her to the table and opened her arms to hug Steve. He didn’t notice the others on the other hand did and were freaked the fuck out.
Steve brought her into a tight hug “ I thought you died. They said you were dead. They wouldn’t tell me what happened.” he pulled back from her and cupped her face tears of pain and joy in his eyes “ my god, what happened to you?”
“It’s a long story. I’m going to let your friends fill you in for now”
“But-” She kisses his cheeks 
“Go I think you’re in trouble” she laughed and pushed him away his friend dragged him out of the room quickly as he could. She waved him goodbye as he left whispering a soft “sorry“.
-
Steve sat on the couch head in his hands. The team had just finished explaining the history of his sister. He couldn’t believe his innocently pure baby sister had done such things. My god what happened to her. This couldn’t be her. But it was.
“When we brought her in the only person she would talk to was Barnes”
“Makes-makes sense” the others looked at him for a further explanation “Um... You guys dated back then...you planned to propose to her when you got back but you never did...go back...neither of us did. We left her alone Bucky, we left her alone. We left her alone for 70 years. And she became this”
“how is still here?” Natasha asked
“Hydra” Everyone, but Steve and Bucky, jumped up drawing their weapons. (Y/n) was found leaning on the wall arms crossed and relaxed despite the dangerous situation she was in.
“They took you too” his heart broke.
“No...I went willingly”
(Y/n) sat in a wheelchair in nothing but a tank top and panties being wheeled around. “How long will this take?” she asked looking back to Dr. Klah, the man who had brought her here. Everyone else here spoke Russian and didn’t understand her or pretended not to he was the only one to speak to her.
“Patience my dear. Perfection takes time” he chuckled
“I don’t want to be perfect I want to kill the people who killed my boys”
“And you will, little lady, you will,” he said rubbing her shoulders. He pushes the doors to the lab open rolling her in. Inside Doctors, nurse, and Russian military men were buzzing working and talking in a language she had yet to understand. “  You’ll be okay, little lady. Don’t worry”
They wouldn’t even let her walk to soldier picked her up and carried her to a cradle of sorts in the middle of the room. The doctors were talking around her as the poked needles in her two, three, four needles of clear liquid entered her. They then started strapping her down she glared at the soldiers who strapped her down. 
“This better work Doc. If I don’t like the results... you’re dead” She said as the cradle slowly closed. She is met with pay that starts in her spine and crawls slowly to the rest of her body but she doesn’t scream. Tears leave her eyes blood drips from her lips but she doesn’t scream. And that amazes them. 
-
(Y/n) wakes up and finds her self in a room on a cot with an IV sticking in her arm. She looked around the room there was a mirror and a sink and one single light that hang swinging slowly back and forth the shadows changing and waving lighting the little room. She rubs her eyes she stands up and looks at the mirror. The smart girl she is she realizes it’s a two-way mirror she didn’t question it she knew this was a shady business her brother had actually shown her pictures of the scientist who helped him and this guy wasn’t it. She assumed he would have killed her and she was okay with that she thought he would end her suffering but then he showed her something different. He really was something this doctor Klah.
She looked around the room again the walls were dirty green. Except for this one spot this large fainted red spot but it was more than a spot. She took a few steps back until her back was to the other wall then she recognized it. It was symbols a symbol she recognized she had seen before her brother had shown her.
Hydra.
Her expression didn’t change as she realized where she was nor did her emotions. She picked herself up and sat back on her cot and laid down. A few minutes later Dr.Klah comes in with two guards.
“Hello, Hello. Ms. Rogers. Wakey, wakey.” He said sitting down by her cot she doesn’t move. “ It seems like we might have another failed experiment and here I thought she would work. Considering her brother and all...Oh well. Get rid of gah.”  The doctor feels a sharp pain in the back of his neck and suddenly he starts coughing up blood before dropping to the floor. (Y/n) quickly tackles one soldier stabbing him with the same IV she stabbed the doctor in the neck with. Taking his gun she then shot at the other soldier who was too slow to move. She took their guns and she walked through that base killing every man and woman.
“That day I found out I had healing abilities. I can’t dead nor can I age. I'll be like this forever.”
“Why did you kill all those people?” Bruce asked then awkwardly shuffled back as all eyes were on him before turning to her again.
“They were hydra”
“Not all of them. Some of them were innocent civilians.”
“No, they were rapist, pedophile, thieves, murders, and abusers. The people I killed deserved it and will not be missed. I did it and I’ll do it again.” (Y/n) gave a small smile and walked away back to the interrogation room. Steve sat with a look of horror.
-
“What is going to happen to her?” Steve asked as he watched shield agents take his sister to an armored van in chains. Everyone was relieved she went willingly no one really wanted to fight her.
“For now, High tech prison. Later? Well, we’ll have to wait and see” Fury pat Steve on the back leaving him with those words as he walked away to supervise her transfer. 
Bucky came up next to Steve watching as the van slowly disappeared. He knew his friend was hurting but he had a question he was desperate to ask. And Steve knew it.
“Go ahead”
“Did I love her?”
“Yes, very much. You were going to marry her.”
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chanbangblog · 5 years
Text
ive only felt religion when ive lied with you- 1
A/N: (smut, Chan x reader, Canon compliant, fan/idol)
The sun peeped in at you through the small slit in the curtains. Your eyes fluttered open and then closed again. You laid there in a beautiful mix of sleep and awake when suddenly you realized you were late for work. You sat up and became perplexed at your surroundings, this was definitely not your room.
Wait, where am I… you started to wonder.
You looked over to see Robyn lying next to you, still asleep looking quite peaceful and hugging her Chimmy plushie. Then you realized you weren’t at home, and this wasn’t just any day, this was the day you were going to meet Stray Kids.
Your heart began to speed up at your sudden realization. You looked around the room and empty cans of hard cider littered the bedside table. Last night’s pad Thai was sitting on the dresser, probably harboring god knows how many bacteria after sitting out at room temperature all night. You felt a tinge of nausea at the thought of it, or any food for that matter.
Oh god. Am I going to be able to eat today? I have to eat, I’ll never be able to stand in line and make it through the concert if I don’t eat. Let alone have the strength to survive MEETING THEM at hi-touch.
You pushed your hair behind your ears, closed your eyes and focused on your breathing.
Not today, anxiety. It’s too early for this bullshit.
Your therapist had taught you to talk to your anxiety like it was a person. Speaking of him, God bless that man for listening to you over the past several months preparing for this day. You had drilled him for an endless amount of coping mechanisms in order make sure that you, quite literally, didn’t faint when you met the nine boys who seemingly occupied your every thought.
You rolled out of bed as cautiously as you could, so you didn’t wake Robyn. You walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Your hair was stuck to the side of your head and you had sleep still in the corners of your eyes. You decided to take a shower and think about what to have for breakfast.
The hot water beat into your skin and steam began to fill the bathroom. You inhaled deeply. Trying to focus on the present and not psych yourself out about the night ahead.
You’re just giving them a high five. Hundreds of fans will get to do the same. They definitely won’t remember you, you’ll blend in with the millions of other girls who are desperately in love with them.
 This thought calms you for a moment. Being rational in situations of stress wasn’t particularly your strong suit, so you were happy with this little victory.
When you got out of the shower you checked your phone. You had several notifications from Instagram from realstraykids. Hyunjin was posting selfies and talking about being excited for the concert tonight. Swiping through the pictures he took with other members, Chris got your attention. His hair was a golden blonde and was starting to grow so long, it looked like a borderline mullet with the way it was styled.
“Chris with a mullet steals my soul!!!!” you commented on the picture and then put your phone away.
You walked back into the room and Robyn was awake. You took one look at her and burst into the most high pitched squeal you could manage.
Well. Being calm was nice while it lasted.
“Good god, y/n. Are you gonna be like this all day?” Robyn asked, already looking done with your shit.
 Robyn didn’t originally stan Stray Kids. You introduced them to her after you got the tickets. You had been to kpop concerts with her in the past so she seemed like the obvious choice to go with you. You had invited Robyn over a couple months ago and had a “hard intro to Stray Kids” Youtube watching session. Which had included videos like “stray kids on crack” and “a super shitty and unhelpful guide to stray kids.” She eventually chose two biases, Minho and Jisung. When she had told you later that night you were overjoyed because you had predicted who she would bias.
“NO WAY!!!!” you had screeched, “I texted my friend earlier and predicted you would bias them! Just so I could show you when I was right!”
What could you say, you love Robyn, but she has a certain type that always wrecks her. Pretty baby faces and strong vocals. You couldn’t blame her though, they were both an excellent choice.
You snapped back to the present.
“Uh no. I’m calm, I just, uh… yeah I’m gonna be like this all day.” You confessed.
Thank God I have a friend brave enough to put up with me.
The morning went by faster than you thought it would. You all ordered breakfast and spent the morning watching Jinyoung’s new kdrama. You wanted to get to the venue early-ish because even though you had good tickets, you were still GA and didn’t want to be shoved completely to the back of your section.
 You had spent months picking the perfect outfit that you would feel confident in to meet them. It was May so you weren’t sure about the weather, but you decided to bank on it being hot outside. You chose a sleeveless shirt that was metallic gold, with a bow that tied around the front and buttoned down. You had also chosen a skort set that looked like a black mini-skirt but actually had shorts underneath and low-top combat boots to complete the look. You curled your hair and tried to give it as much volume as possible. Not that it would matter, you knew it would be matted to your head with sweat by the end of the concert. But hey, you gotta look good for the pics for the ‘gram, right?
 You arrived at the venue and was baking outside under the morning sun, it was sweltering, you didn’t expect this for May. Your skin was baking under the late spring sun. You definitely had a sunburn and had only been in line for an hour.
Why on Earth did I wear a tank top...I’m not gonna be able to raise my arm to high five them without the smell knocking them down!
Suddenly an image of Jeongin falling backward at the smell of your body odor made you laugh out loud. You could see the headlines now, “kpop fangirl’s body odor causes singer to faint.” I mean, it would be hilarious, mortifying, but hilarious.
The concert was a blur, as always. You sang along to all the words you knew and your voice felt hoarse towards the end. You couldn’t believe how close you were to them. The venue was much smaller than you had anticipated. The light was shining off of them and their sweat made them glisten. You were so close you could see their muscles rippling under their denim when they danced.
Felix began talking to the fans about how much he loves us and wants to keep performing well for us. Felix and Changbin are my biases so I was completely engulfed in his cute Aussie accent being spoken 40 feet from me. It was almost too much. The members were fanned out across the stage while he talked and Chris drifted over to the side I was on. The girls and boys around me went wild trying to speak to him but he probably couldn’t hear them.
Rude. My baby Felix is having a moment and y’all are acting like idiots trying to talk over him.
Robyn elbowed me hard in the rib.
“Y/n,” she breathed, “Chris is staring in our direction.”
 You looked over and locked eyes with him. You froze. You always thought you knew what you would do if you came face to face with one of your idols. But you were wrong. You didn’t feel the way you had predicted at all. You thought your knees would buckle. You thought you would scream or perhaps cry. But you didn’t. You couldn’t describe the feeling that came over you under his gaze. You couldn’t describe it other than feeling totally confident and empowered for the first time in a long time. You realized you needed to react before he looked away so you winked and attempted to look sexy. Then he raised an eyebrow at you, kept your gaze and went back to get in line for the next song.
WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT! WHY DID I WINK? WHO DOES THAT OH MY GOD.
You were going though it inside and Robyn could tell.
“Um, what was that?? Girl, you just had an interaction with him!” Robyn whispered in your ear.
 You looked around and none of the concert-goers around you seemed to notice. No one was looking at you. You began to wonder if you imagined it. Your cheeks were burning a fiery red and your stomach felt like it was being assaulted with a swarm of butterflies.
How am I going to face him at hi-touch after that?? God y/n you were supposed to try to blend in.
You told your inner voice to fuck off, just like your therapist had taught you. But the rest of the concert, you couldn’t keep your eyes off Chris.
   You were standing in line for hi-touch and your knees were buckling. You felt like your entire body was on edge and your insides were being electrocuted.
“You’re going to pass out if you keep holding your breath, y/n.” Robyn quietly reminded you. You suddenly realized you had been holding your breath.
“How did I get here? Maybe we should just run.”  You said in a panicked voice.
Robyn looked you up and down like you had just spoken another language.
“Y/n, we’re not being marched to our deaths, we’re meeting this band that you have been obsessing over for months! Get it together! Breathe!” Robyn said while starting to shake you.
She’s right. What the hell is wrong with you. You paid so much money for these tickets and your bank account is still recovering. You’re doing this.
The line was starting to move faster than you would like. You got closer and closer to where you knew the boys were standing. You saw them in the distance and suddenly realized how tall they were in real life. You should’ve anticipated this since you already knew you were shorter than the shortest member.
They’re just people. They’re just boys. You talk to boys all the time.
You started to calm down. Until you locked eyes with Chris in the distance.
What was it about his gaze that made you take on a totally different attitude and mindset? Five seconds earlier you were contemplating running again. Now it felt like all of Earth’s gravity was holding you here in this one spot, like this was the only place you were ever supposed to be at this moment in time. You felt confident under his gaze, you felt bold.
You’re still not sure what possessed you, but you broke the gaze to start searching through your purse. You found a receipt and quickly ripped a small piece of the end. The line was moving and you were forced to walk while ransacking your purse. You finally found a pen. You tried to be as nonchalant as you could so you didn’t attract attention from other fans.
As sneakily as you could, you quickly scribbled: Kakao y/n0325.
Good god, why did I put their debut date in my name on there…I’m such a psycho. That’s so embarrassing.
But you didn’t have time to ponder on that because it was almost your turn. You didn’t have a plan. You didn’t know how you were going to get this to him without being noticed, but you did know that it felt right and you wanted to do it. Chris was the last member in the lineup.
 Woojin was first. You had already planned out what you were going to say to each of them. You got up to him and his chocolate brown hair was gleaming in the fluorescence. Your hands met and you felt your mind go blank, he was smiling at you as you grappled with your words in your head.
“YOUR VOICE IS LIKE HONEY,” you blurted out, half-yelling at the poor man.
He just laughed and said thank you as you moved on.
Minho was looking at you smiling with his hand up. You didn’t struggle as long with finding words this time.
“I’m so proud of you, I love you to death,” You said as you passed by.
He laughed and said thank you in the cutest accent you’ve ever heard.
Changbin was next. Your bias, which made your thoughts become even more erratic than they had been before. You just started smiling uncontrollably and said “Hiiiiii, I love you Changbinnie” and he looked back at you fondly and said he loved you too.
You were face to face with Hyunjin before you realized it and my, was he good looking, it was like an angel was literally standing in front of you.
“You’re even cuter in person,” you said as fast as you could while touching hands with him. He just laughed and nodded in response.
You couldn’t think of anything else, your mind was at overload when you met Felix, Jisung, Jeongin and Seungmin. So you just told them you loved them as fast and as many times as you could.
When you got to Chris, you finally looked up at him and felt a shiver rip through your core. Your heart felt like it had dropped into your stomach. You felt like you were in an elevator that was falling down with reckless abandon. You raised your right hand up to give him a high five. Your hand was empty. But at the last second you switched and raised your left hand up as quickly as you could and the piece of paper was between your hands. You moved your hand slightly so he could feel it and finally spoke.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, but this just isn’t long enough.” You said with all the confidence you could muster.
His eyes sparked as he realized what you were doing. He moved his hand and quickly closed it and put it in his pocket.
“Oh yes, I agree,” he said, very coolly with that unmistakable smile that he always shows the world. The smile that you had become so fond of over the last several months. The smile that gave fans hope all around the world and now, at this moment, he was smiling because of you.
  For the second time that night, Robyn looked at you in disbelief as you rounded the corner in the hall way exiting the venue.
“Y/n, you’re the smoothest human alive,” she said with a shocked expression on her face.
You suddenly busted into cackling laughter. It overwhelmed you and wracked your body. Bubbling up from your core. You couldn’t control it. You’re sure you were unnerving everyone near you with your maniacal laughter. Everyone knows, nothing comes good after maniacal laughter. You laughed until your abdominal muscles ached, and tears were spilling down your cheeks.
“That was the best time of my life,” you said in between bouts of laughter.
Robyn started laughing too and you two called a cab to head back to your hotel.
 You tried not to dwell on your interaction with Chris. He had been nice and a bit flirty, but he was like that with all Stays. You had watched countless youtube compilations of your idols flirting with fans. It was normal. It was nothing special. That’s what you told yourself when you arrived back in your hotel room and your heart was still fluttering in your chest, refusing to return to its normal pace.
Hey, I’m going at my own pace, Chris would at least be proud of that.
You suddenly started laughing again at your own thoughts and told Robyn you were getting in the shower. She was probably very thankful for this, after the events of the day and the copious amounts of sweat you had shed. You turned on your slow kpop playlist and once again let the steam fill up the room while the water beat down on you. You put your head up against the tile wall of the shower and let the water envelop you.
 I had an interaction with Chris. Fans have interactions with their idols all the time at concerts. He was very charismatic, you already knew that. Stop overthinking it and just be happy you made these memories with them, y/n.
Your heart rate began to slow and you focused on the water and the steady hum the shower made. Tomorrow you and Robyn were going into the city and it was going to be a good day. You were going to have a good day with your friend and recount concert memories. Life was good.
You stepped out of the shower and grabbed your phone to turn off the playlist. Butterfly by BTS was playing and you were about to sing along for a few words when you checked your notifications.
You had a few comments on your Instagram posts but your eyes glazed over when you saw what was next.
A notification from Kakao, a notification from none other than Christopher Bang himself.
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lizzybeth1986 · 5 years
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What are your overall thoughts on Madeleine as a character including what transpired between her and Hana? I've felt iffy about her, but I'm not sure how to phrase that. I think you can better articulate and explain than I could 😅
Not to boast…but you’ve come to the right person (besides @callmetippytumbles who has made excellent points time and again about how the writing centers Madeleine in ways that they should have been centering Hana). I have written A LOT about that issue especially. Here are some of my meta on that if you’re interested:
Brushed Under the Carpet: Madeleine as an Alternate LI (this was written after TRR Book 3 Chapter 9, where they were subtly hinting at making them a ship).
QT on Book 3 Chapter 16 (Tbh thankfully the bit I was predicting here - Madeleine getting the coming out story that should have been Hana’s - wound up not happening, though part of it could have been from them having to scrap the entire idea after the backlash).
How Do You Fix Hana’s Characterization in TRR? (this essay listed a whole set of changes both to help strengthen Hana’s storyline and to give her the attention and validation she deserved but didn’t get in the actual story)
This replay to an ask posted after 3 of the 4 writers on the team claimed Hana was the kind of person they would marry.
A lot of this illustrates my problems with Madeleine on a level of characterization (and Tippy covers the aspects that deal not with Hana, but with Madeleine's half-baked redemption arc and how the narrative tries really hard to convince us that she does her job well, even when she isn’t doing it properly).
With regards to Madeleine herself, I feel like they started out fully intending that the reader hate her and view her as a rival, before turning the tables and establishing her as “innocent” of the conspiracy (though still extremely unlikeable). In narrative structure, the bachelorette chapter had a lot of striking similarities to the Lythikos chapter where you found out about Olivia’s painful childhood before she mocked Drake about his missing sister. I feel like the aim was to make us see Madeleine in a different light, while still remembering why we dislike her.
Somewhere along the line (with Hana’s chocolate scene) they went too far, and Madeleine went from unlikeable to completely repulsive. After that, the team attempted to completely backtrack, by cramming in a sympathy arc for her and after the “hazing process” excuse, what she did to Hana especially was never addressed again. Suddenly she was the patriot who would sacrifice her life and happiness for Cordonia, a figure to be admired and pitied. A woman who was immensely talented and did her job well [even when she actually didn’t]). Most of her characterization, really, consists of retconning.
But I have no interest in Madeleine, or her characterization. I just don’t. No, what I’m going to touch upon today is narrative treatment.
Rival figures are important in a story. They’re a foil to the main character: sometimes they exist simply to make the MC look better (ew), sometimes they’re there to show the MC what the larger society in their world is like, and what challenges they may face, and sometimes they’re an unexpected ally after the MC figures out the problem goes way deeper than the rivalry with them. So if you have a rival who behaves badly, treats the people around her badly? That in itself is not really a bad thing.
It makes me hurt for the characters at the receiving end, but as long as long as the narrative validates their experience on its own initiative, and allows them space, I will be fine. If I’m shown bullying and abuse in a narrative towards a character, I’m going to want to see the person hurting from this:
1. have support. Immense support
2. have a friend circle that will protect them and put them first
3. have opportunities to talk about what this is doing to them
4. have opportunities to push back against the bully
Personally the bully’s journey or whatever is of no importance to me. I simply don’t care. As much as possible I would not care about what grand monumental realizations they get behind the scenes, or what their rotten-egg-smelling guilt looks like. What matters to me is the person bullied. I need to see them win. I need to see them thrive. I need to see them receive support and validation.
One example I can give in terms of that being done well, is Penelope. Penelope is treated like a servant by Madeleine, called names, forever reminded she is good-for-nothing and useless and can’t do anything right. The bullying is constant and puts an already anxiety-ridden Penelope under additional pressure, to the point that when we meet her at Portavira in Book 3 she is VERY reluctant to return to court, and panics when certain things remind her of Madeleine’s behaviour. You have to coddle and cajole her with promises that Madeleine would never be able to do anything to her, and that she can bring her Emotional Support Animals with her to court. If we choose not to address her concerns, our friends will do it on our behalf. Drake Trauma-Minimizing Walker himself, is shown reassuring her the moment they meet in Portavira:
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So it is very possible, even if the rival/bitchy character is expected to not feel remorse, and still retains a huge portion of her bitchiness, that we can still get a satisfying arc where the person in pain has support and care, and can thrive.
In Penelope’s case, perhaps the only downside may be that, while the narrative is clear about Madeleine’s bullying and its impact on Penelope, it still keeps Madeleine comfortably away from this narrative so she doesn’t even have to engage with it. She herself doesn’t exactly face consequences. The truth doesn’t even touch her.
But we don’t feel the pinch of this, so much with Penelope… precisely because PENELOPE is validated, given support and is given the space to completely refuse to even go with them if the MC doesn’t make great efforts to support and be nice to her (this, even though she has herself harmed us). She is allowed to get upset if we even question her on not following the dress code of our bachelorette, because it reminds her of Madeleine’s. She is even “rewarded” with a guy, no matter which playthrough.
And not every character is going to be a Penelope who will require that level of coddling from other people. So it’s not always about the MC and others needing to constantly protect and reassure such people. Sometimes it’s just simply about whether said character is allowed to push back against the bully. Hana gets a small measure of this when she’s allowed (but only on one occasion, that too a 30 diamond scene that wasn’t even coded properly later) to tell Olivia exactly what she thinks of her (and Olivia is allowed to say shit about her even after that, without Hana ever being allowed the same space again).
Now the thing with Hana (with regards to Madeleine) is…that they could have easily given her space to push back. Easily given the MC opportunities to protect her. Easily ensured that Hana didn’t have to engage with Madeleine if she didn’t want to. Have her whack friends fucking remember what she was put through at least!!!
Let’s go through how that could have been done one by one:
Pushing Back: One of the most bizarre choices the TRR team made was the give the scene about Liam telling Hana he would get her back to court (ergo, that Hana returned through Liam’s help, not Madeleine as the latter kept claiming) to Drake! He gets to narrate this story to the MC, but Hana herself is never allowed to acknowledge the fact or even talk about it. If she were, she would have at least (at the very least!!!) been given chances to hint at Madeleine twisting the truth, implied as much to Madeleine or to the MC, pushed back in her own unique way. The narrative not only pushes the truth of her return in DRAKE’S scene…it also never gives HER the opportunity to do anything actively against Madeleine’s very obvious twisting of the truth. Just so that Madeleine would continue to have way more power over Hana throughout. The bullying occurs much before the incident in Italy, but Hana herself is expected to stay silent.
Support: Now it’s not as if Penelope gets to push back on her own to Madeleine during this time either (except for a few comments here and there). But Penelope does get plenty of support and eventually protection. Does this apply to Hana as well?
Technically, you could view the fondue party scene that took place after the “chocolate allergy” incident as “support” - but at best it’s very weak “support”, and at its worst it really just a scene revolves around all the other characters (especially around gaining Olivia’s friendship), with a hurt, frightened Hana hovering in the background of the scene.
The MC has the option (option!!) to “call Madeleine out” on the events of the previous night when they’re in Paris, but it mostly results in Madeleine pretending it was a test of some sort (which the MC never bothers to contradict even though she knows better). The best case scenario is, well, that…and the worst case scenario is that Hana never really finds out even that, up until the end.
Speaking Out and Validation: Not only does the narrative not address the bullying after it has happened (until the very end of the series), it uses Hana - the woman who was harmed - to minimize its impact as well. On the one occasion you actually do get to talk to her about the night of Madeleine’s bachelorette party, they make Hana say (if you state that you don’t remember anything from that night), that "the tequila brought out Kiara's mean side, and Madeleine's fun side". Madeleine’s “fun side”, presumably, involves her laughing over targeting, torturing and breaking the vulnerable women in her court I suppose. (also, way to do Kiara dirty while forgetting what Madeleine did, PB!)
Further ahead, the MC and her friends promptly forget about this - Hana is expected to help the MC extract important information from her without even bothering to find out if she is comfortable or not, for instance. The forgetfulness gets to the point where, in the epilogue, (when Madeleine repeats to Hana what she’d told the MC back then) the MC acts like it is the first time she is hearing about Madeleine’s intentions to break Hana.
So forget about getting validation, for a large chunk of the narrative Hana wasn’t even allowed to view her own experience with bullying as painful. And if anything, her friend circle didn’t mind putting her needs and comfort last when it suited them.
The biggest problem about the storyline that involves Hana and Madeleine is the question of who should be getting more space and development, and who actually does. The time and energy spent on Hana navigating a court like this which such threats over her head…is spent instead on literally everything else. The time that could have been spent working on Hana’s background and childhood history…was spent to build Madeleine’s redemption arc instead (ironically, Adelaide starts feeding us with that sympathy arc in Shanghai, Hana’s home).
Effort was spent on extolling Madeleine efficiency and great work, even though there was very little of it to be seen. Effort was spent on making Madeleine look patriotic and not power-hungry, in making it clear to us that her father’s rejections left an impact on her. Even the story involving her attraction to Hana revolved more around HER, not around the woman she hurt. Was the same effort put into exploring Hana’s own struggle in court? In how she feels when people hurt her? In whether she is comfortable doing certain things? I think we all know the answer to that.
The key to why I hate Madeleine’s story so much isn’t that she’s a horrible person. You can be a horrible person and still have a compelling story. You can be a horrible person, and unapologetic about it, but still have the narrative validate what the people you had harmed went through.
It’s that the narrative and team knows and acknowledges her toxic behaviour, but only for a character that they like. They conveniently decided to cherry pick who would be comforted and given reassurance, and who would be forced to praise her bully for her ‘patriotism’. I should have been spending way less time on Madeleine’s redemption and coddling Penelope, and more time on making Hana feel safe in a largely alien place where she has no one but us - and where she is staying only for our protection. My problem is that they didn’t consider Hana’s pain important enough to even address, much less validate.
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bunny-banana · 4 years
Note
For the director's cut thing, the story where Fabri asks Ermal out on a date but Ermal doesn't realize that? 👀
YO SO WE GONNA DO THAT OR WHAT
Its this fic btw if anyones curious.  
Chap 1
Even with closed eyes, he sensed the man lying next to him turn towards him but Fabrizio did not spoke immediately. No, he just stayed silent for a bit, Ermal wasn’t quite sure what he was observing but before Ermal could ask, Fabrizio broke the silence.
its u. he’s gazing at u, u idiot.
*
*
’You didn’t exactly give off the vibe that you’d say yes’
“What the fuck does that even mean? I don’t give off the vibe?!”
mr no-homo meta has NO right to be surprised at that. boy went into a panic attack every time someone as much as breathed the suggestion ofc fab was Anxious
*
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A certain Roman showing up at his doorstep looking like he’d belong to the Milan Fashion Week.A tight grey shirt whose top three buttons almost begged to be opened (yet remained miraculously, in Fabris case, closed!) clung nicely to the body underneath it. A very fine silver chain hung around his neck that perfectly fit with the rings and the watch on his hand.Instead of ripped denim, now tight & shiny dark jeans were worn and to round this look up, an impeccably tailored black, suit jacket was thrown over him.
so not to be Hoe on main but we all just love Sexy Fab.  but more so, i really thought Fabrizio would have put a lot of effort into dressing nicely this time around. Probably called a few friends, crying to help him. He just wanted Ermal to like his look. Which he did.   A lot.  again, outstanding heterosexual of the year, ermal meta is completely mesmerised by that look.
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“Well, well, Fab. Gotta say, this place is on a whole different level“ The curly haired man commented as he flipped through the menu.“You like it?”“How could I not?”
again, Fabrizio intentionally looking up a fancy place for their Date, something he actually felt a little bit uncomfortable about himself and wouldnt normally chose for himself. But then again, he was greatly relieved when Ermal actually did say he liked it.
*
*It felt.. nice. The whole evening was quite nice, Ermal had to admit, even with the unusual ambient.
Ermal is just honestly iconic in this fic. man enjoys fabrizios appearance, enjoys talking with him,  eating out with him, just spending time with him in general sooo much……and yet.
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Fabrizio tilted his head and was it the candle light or something else, but a intriguing shine filled his eyes.“I’d know something sweeter than this.” In the next moment, everything turned upside down when Fabrizio suddenly took his hand and intertwined their fingers, his thumb gently brushing over the back of the younger man’s hand.
THE COURAGE THIS TOOK. THE NERVES WHICH WERE WRECKED.  Fab really just went “ok here we go balls to the wall now or never”
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Chap2
“So, Fabrizio….Fabrizio likes me. Apparently.” It felt interesting to say it out loud. Ermal got a tingly feeling at the thought. So ..it was him who made Fabrizio blush earlier? Who made him nervous? And smiley?  Christ, he actually really wanted Ermal to like his outfit, didn’t he? A small smirk found its way on Ermal’s face. Who would have thought that he’d have Fabrizio Moro of all people wrapped around his finger.
erm: so im het
also erm: wow i really really like the fact that fabrizio is into me. its actually super exciting. kinda makes me happy in a way.
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“Wait, what?! I should ask him out?!”“Yeah? Isn’t that something you want?”Is that something he- But that would imply that he’d want to pursue Fabrizio, his very male, masculine, manly friend Fabrizio who was definitely not by any chance a woman. To have a relationship with guy that was …..romantic… and oh sweet Mother of God, sexual?!“I- I- I don’t know.”
so yeah, to get to the bottom of this, when you’re in the process of realising your own …..non-heterosexuality, its just A Lot to take in.  I thought, realistically, that would just be a bit too much for Ermal to take in at that moment. He had to process the mere thought of “yes, you could have a romantic relationship with this guy, since he’s into you. Its absolutely a possibility”. When you’re conditioned to think “i can only ever date people of the opposite sex” all your life, it takes a bit of time to get accustomed to new possibilities.
And then theres the sexual aspect which is like, on Jupiter, for Ermal’s current state of mind.
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Chap3
The video he currently was immersed in showed a slow-mo fight between a mongoose and a cobra that in all its intensity outdid any action movie in a heartbeat.
i remember watching that vid before writing that chapter and being mesmerised by it. u fucking go lil mongoose!
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[Bizio]: sorry i cant this weekend
First, i just love the thought of him being saved as Bizio on Ermals phone. Second, the reason why he replied so late was because he was wrecking his mind about it. Should he go? should he not? god, the thought of seeing ermal excited him and yet scared him. nonononno. he’s trying to get Over Ermal. He needs space. he is not ready yet.
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[Ermal]:Fabri!! Heard you’re coming up North! 😁 I have this excellent bottle of wine that a fan gave me the other day (don’t ask) so how about we open it at my place? I know you love a good wine 😉🍷
He couldn’t even slide the phone back into his pocket before it started buzzing. Surprisingly, the reply came almost instantly this time.[Bizio]:sorry no the schedule is pretty tight for me at the moment i dont think ill have much time in milan
i just image him getting the weirdest fucking fan gifts. also lmao the lightning speed with which fab replied. homeboy saw that wine would be involved and imemdiately thought “nononononono. worst case, my drunk ass might kiss him, god forbid. we are absolutely not gonna do that”
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[Ermal]:So I’m flipping through the channels at home and there comes a baking show and I wouldn’t normally stop to watch but you know what they’re baking? Those creamy pastry things we had in Lisbon!
Now the idea about the Pasteis de Nata stemms from a real life event! During ESC 2018 i slept at a friends house and since the contest was held in Portugal we decided to cook something portuguese. Thats what we did. They fucking slap. Also, one of the best weekends ive ever had
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*
However, this is how things continued as to all of Ermal’s messages, he’d receive rather uncharacteristically short replies. When he sent him photos he’d often not reply at all and even when he called Fabri didn’t pick.
Okay we have to image in WHAT kinda mental state Fabrizio is in that time. Boy is EMBARASSED to death. Then obviously, he is trying his hardest to get rid of this crush.  So he just isnt talking to Ermal at all. Which in turn makes him lonely and sad.  So then Ermal shoots him a message, sends him a picture and Fabrizio is immediately head over heels again. Which he shouldnt be. Bad Fabri. And the circle repeats itself.
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Fabrizio who smiled sweetly at the host, who hugged her tightly, who joked with her and oh, whose eyes didn’t stick to her face but wandered more and more south.
Dude honestly, Fab was not flirting with anyone. He was just being nice as he usually is. And we all know he a lil bit sleazy so yeah, he might have looked down once or twice. but he really was not flirting. It was just Ermals affection-deprived mind going berserk.
Also that was the first time Ermal witnessed Fabrizio being affectionate with someone else. And the contrast to that cold shoulder he received was just the last straw for him.
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*
“Why is he all smiley and lovey-dovey with her while he treats me as if I’m a war criminal?!” Ermal shouted the second the other line got picked up.“Uhm, hello? Maybe a ‘Good morning’ first of all? A simple ‘how are you doing, Sabina?’ would have been appreciated too.”
Damn bitch can ya greet ur sister first before going off smh
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And would it have been really that bad if Ermal had just held on to his hand? Let Fabrizio gently stroke him with his thumb, maybe even squeeze back while Ermal’s finger draws circles over letters that covered the older man’s knuckles.It would have been nice and Ermal would have liked it.
I think he just needed to see what he was missing out to realise what he really has always wanted. If things were to go back to normal, he would have never made any realisations.
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“Am I- Do I like Fabrizio?”
No, we dont ask what he is. Because thats for another time, a calmer time. Or maybe not at all. He doesnt know the answer to that question and its not important right now. All he knows is that despite it all, he likes Fabrizio.
*
*
The fact he was a guy was new, but those feelings involved weren’t.
I feel like this is just a very bisexual experience. At least to me it was. Its very confusing when u are genuinely attracted to the opposite sex, so you make the conclusion: you are obviously straight. Its not possibly that you are not-straight.  
Then u start feeling attraction to someone of ur own gender and its like “hmmm. Obviously this must be fake since we have established that Im genuinely attracted to the opposite sex ”
But the thing is..it aint going away. And then u think how you’d perhaps be down for sex, and perhaps be down for something more, and perhaps do all those nice things you would be doing with someone of the opposite sex.  
So yeah, its ..its really confusing and complicated to figure it out. And if you actually do have a feelings for someone it only makes matters more complicated ig
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*
“Jesus, I really do like him. Me. Liking a guy.”
Again, once u made That Realisation, its just the WILDEST thing in the beginning. a complete NEW concept being applied to yourself.
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“LISTEN CUT THE BULLSHIT I KNOW EXACTLY THAT YOU’RE HOME! OPEN UP OR I WILL STAND HERE ALL NIGHT I’M NOT FUCKING AROUND!” In addition to the knocking he now also started ringing the doorbell. He sure as hell wouldn’t move here until that door wasn’t opened.“I DONT GIVE A FUCK, I WON’T EVEN SLEEP AND NEITHER WILL YOU. I CAN GO ON FOREVER YOU HEAR ME, FABRIZIO MOBRICI?!”
Ermal is just unhinged in all my fics.
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Epilogue
[Ermal💛]: You ready?
Fabrizio added that heart right immediately after Ermal left his house a week prior.
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*
Ermal looked….cuddly.
So yeah we all know Fab isnt the keenest on fashion and shit. And i just though Ermal would want him to be as comfortable as possible on their date, so he was like “ay come casual” . and also, its sort of cute that Ermal lets Fabri see him so casual too, its sort of more private in that sense.
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*
And those were still the mild surprises, let’s not start with the downright shock he felt when his brain started providing words like kissable, attractive, sexy and hot during lonelier nights.
i have a fic for those kinda nights too
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“It’s not that far and God knows men your age need the exercise anyway.”
ermal just cant show affection like a normal person, he has to roast u even when he’s madly in love with u
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What followed behind the colourful door was a small chaos. Literally. People constantly coming and going, with buzzing voices chatting in every corner. They made their way half through the rather crowded establishment, got greeted by a waiter who rushed past them, before they finally spotted a couple leaving, liberating two chairs for them.
SO YEAH. the restaurant. it is loosely based on a place here in Vienna. Its pakistani food too, its a buffet, its kinda chaotic like described in the fic. also u can pay as much as u want.
i just thought, yknow, its home made cooking and its kinda relaxed and chill and casual and has a certain liberal flair to it. and i thought yeah that has fabri energy we gonna use that. also their mango rice puddings fucking slap
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*
Languages were not his forte, those belonged to Ermal, but Fabrizio ran through his options. It surely wasn’t French or Spanish, that he would at least recognise. German looked different too; they had those dots over their U’s and those curly B’s which allegedly weren’t B’s at all. Swedish? Danish? No. He’s been to Ikea often enough to know that his wardrobe wouldn’t be called Qershor. And Russian had different letters but maybe it was something similar to Russian?
Okay, so I’m a known Slut for Languages.  Fabrizio is not. I can pretty much recognise most European languages in written form at some point in a text. Fabrizio can not. Therefore writing this from the perspective of someone who really isnt into languages was kind of interesting and a bit challenging. I was just thinking ‘how would he recognise them when he isnt into them?’  And i think, in the end, i did it realistically.
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*
“Is it like..Serbian? Croatian? Or something?” He mumbled while putting a piece of eggplant in his mouth but quickly realised the answer when Ermal almost spit out his water from laughing.“No, definitely not. I can guarantee you, it’s very much not Serbian or Croatian ‘or something’.” Ermal chuckled with a bright smile, obviously enjoying their little guessing game. “But you’re close. In a way.”
This is SO embarrassing but this whole language guessing game was just a setup to an inside joke I have with myself.  So, for those who don’t know, I speak Serbo-Croatian. And I study Slavic studies. The first things they tell you in the first lesson of the Slavic Linguistics course is “Please, for the love of God, PLEASE, dont say Albanian/Hungarian/Romanian is a slavic language”. Apparently many europeans assume these languages are because theyre surrounded by slavic countries. BUT TO AN ACTUAL SLAVIC NATIVE SPEAKER, the difference is immediately obvious and so its quite comical when people assume theyre related languages.   So i thought the reverse would be kinda funny to Ermal too.
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*
“I can be anything the teacher wants me to be. A good student, a naughty student, whatever floats his boat…” He asked sultrily before winking at the man across of him whose higher brain functions seemed to have ceased at once and just gaped at him like a fish.
boys whole brain got fried when the sexiest man in italy started flirting with him. issokay, he was just shocked. fabrizio has never been flirty with him before, he’ll get used to it.
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*
“I was just trying to give you the best date that I could.“At those words, the Roman frowned however."Wait, this was a date?!”
im just an asshole honestly
*
*
They giggled as they finally closed the gap between them going for a slow and deep kiss.
i just love them being all SOFT and in LOVE
*
*
“Erm, I- I have an instore tomorrow, I better be well rested.”His counterpart just huffed and raised an eyebrow.“So were you planning on staying up all night, huh?”
Fabs horn dog brain definitively went HmmmmMmm this is nice:) ..could get even nicer:)  but no fuck, i have work to do tomorrow
*
*
“Love how you immediately forget about a good night’s sleep once you have a tongue in your mouth.”“Fuck off.”
He just got carried away as if u were complaining ermal smh
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"I bet on everything I have that your password is 'liberoanita1’ so yes, I actually can.”
Parents culture is just using ur children’s names as all your passwords and we all know Fabri is that kinda parent.
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All in All, i also wanna talk about how the epilogue mirrors the first chapter, but in a more successful light.
Fabrizio dresses for Ermal - Ermal dresses for Fabrizio
fancy place - more casual place
They take the car - they walk
Fabrizio takes Ermals hand on the open for everyone to see - Ermal takes Fabrizios hand under the table, in private
They eat their dessert seperately - they eat theri dessert together
they fall out - they become closer, kiss
they dont talk - they plan the next date
anyway thanks for reading and thank uuuuuu for this ask julchen
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