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zzzbookwormzzz · 10 months
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doodle
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talas-starlight · 2 months
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Scarred Spirits - Zuko x fem!reader (pt.7)
Summary: reactions from team avatar when they find out your ozais assassin
warning: mentions of scars, not very happy gaang, mean katara!, angst
masterlist: here!
most previous part: here! (all other parts can be found in my masterlist!)
authors note! hello!! idk if anyone will be reading this but if you are welcome!! i haven't posted to this series in YEARS so please forgive me as I'm very rusty at writing but please enjoy!
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Unified screams erupted upon Appa. “YOU’RE WHAT!”
“Aang what have you done! You literally let a murderer on Appa! She’s going to kill all of us! Katara was right, and I can’t believe I ignored her.”
“I KNEW IT! Quickly Aang, land Appa and let’s get her off!”
Unable to take it anymore, Toph lost her cool. “Can you knuckle heads shut up! I highly doubt that she will kill us, why the hell would she listen to you guys fighting all the time when she could end her misery by taking you out.”
Reality hitting Sokka and Katara, they finally piped down, allowing Toph to continue.
“Look, what you said is highly questionable. I’m not saying that I trust you, but you’re going to have to give us more information than that or else I’ll throw you off myself. Got it?”
You sighed. At least someone in the group had more sense. “Yeah, of course. What would you like to know?”
“Well for starters a name would be great. Oh and maybe, I don’t know, how and why you’re the Fire Lords Assassin?!”
You almost wanted to pull Katara’s braid for the irritating look of satisfaction on her face. “Right okay… well my name is y/n. uhhh and I was forced to become his assassin when he caught me after I broke into the palace three years ago.”
“That’s it?! Nuh uh lady. I know he’s the Fire Lord and had done some awful things but why would he do that to a child?! You’re either lying or somethings still missing.”
There was a lot to weigh up. To suddenly reveal everything about you would be too much and would get you thrown off Appa anyway. Yet to reveal nothing wouldn’t let you gain enough trust to even last a day. Leaving you to share the one thing you knew so little about yourself that you didn’t care if they knew and hopefully enough of a miserable, pitying tale that they’d let you off the hook for the time being.
“My parents aren’t in my life, they never were. I don’t know who they were or why they did it. All I had was my trainer, Zemin. In his time, he was the most notorious Assassin in the entire Fire Nation and when he retired, he never took on any students to carry on his legacy - if you could even call it that. Every other trainer was ecstatic because this meant that their students would earn the most bounties. Until there was me. I don’t know why he took me in… he just said that he found me as in infant and regretfully took me from an islands rocky shore maybe to sell me off somewhere. I suppose he realised he could make even more money from me if he trained me until I could pay off debt for him raising me. I did the one thing assassins could do, kill. All the money I ever earned from each bounty went straight to him. Luckily enough, I learned quickly, and I got to my final payment when I was 13, then he would have set me free.”
Horrified, Aang couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There was nothing like this in the Air Temples growing up. “Luckily enough?! How in any universe is that lucky!”
“Most assassins in the Fire Nation, and others, are stuck paying off their guardians or trainers well into their adulthood. Because of… certain tactics and advantages, I became quite popular if you could put it that way and most of the people, I had to take care of were…” Halting, you knew that if you verbally said some lives are worth more than others, Aang would probably go into cardiac arrest.
“Well, some had more people wanting them gone so the bounty was higher.”
“How does this have anything to do with you working for the fire lord! I don’t see why Zemin would let you go if you were doing so much for him.”
Your strength was fading. You hated yourself for how much you scretly enjoyed having people around that weren’t as idealistic as those in the Fire Nation.  “He didn’t. I got an anonymous mission to take out a high general in the palace. So high, that it was going to be enough for me to finish my debt.” After not being met with screams you felt reassured to continue…. they seem to be taking this well…
You took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “On my way out, I got caught in the middle of an Agni Kai. The fire lord wasn’t too pleased I killed one of his generals or interfered with punishing his son. Yet somehow in his psychopathic mind he saw it as an opportunity to pledge my allegiance to him.”
The silence amongst the group was short lived.
“YOU MEAN ZUKO?”
“YOU KILLED SOMEONE.”
“AND YOU ACCEPTED?”
You scrunched your face. Maybe this was a bad idea to tell them. But it was too late to go back. “Yes, it was Prince Zuko in the Agni Kai, that’s how he got his scar. Yes, Aang I did kill the general, but to be fair I haven’t killed anyone since then… And Katara if you were being tortured every day for 8 months, I’m sure you would wear down too.”
The waterbender was unsatisfied with your answer. “Unbelievable! Of course, you did! Everyone has a choice in this world, and you chose the fire lord. You’re nothing but a coward.”
“My life was on the line! You don’t know anything about me.”
“Oh please, y/n. I do. I know everything! Sure, you were raised to assassinate others, but you can’t expect me to believe you didn’t know what you were doing when you were standing before Ozai. I would have stayed in a life of suffering than go with him.” Shaking her head, she pierces you with a disgusted look, “You’re no better than Ozai. No better than Azula.”
As Appa continued to glide through the ever-ending expanse of the sky, it seemed nothing could break the suffocating tension that encompassed everyone upon his saddle.
Toph was the only one to speak up. “Didn’t you hear her Katara? She hasn’t killed anyone since then! She’s surviving. If you ask me… she’s braver than any of us, you never know what could have happened to her if she got caught not actually killing her targets!”
Irritated Katara only grumbled, turning away while leaving the two boys to think about how they felt about you. Despite giving them answers, they still had so many questions.
It was undeniably clear that Katara has made her mind up about you, and you were sure everyone else was the same despite the earth benders attempts at comforting you. Hence, as you sat there across from the four of them, you were the first to break eye contact, turning your head to the side as you searched for something to focus on out there in the sky. Bird, a cloud, anything. You didn’t have the heart, the courage, to argue against what she said.
Unknown to you, Aang shuffled closer to you scared that his angry friend might hear him going towards you. His words only just loud enough to hear above the wind he whispered to you… “Its okay y/n. I don’t really understand what you’ve done or what you’ve been through but when youre ready.. you can tell us.
That was the first time your heart ignited a comforting warmth.
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As Appas soft paws skilfully landing on the hard earth, you felt your heart drop inside you. What do I do now? Mind racing through all the possibilities, Toph seemed to have decided what to do before you could even stand.
“Hey! Come with me.”
Jumping off Appas saddle you landed on your feet with such a skilled silence, Toph had to sense your heartbeat to even realise you were next to her. Setting off towards where she’d set up her sleeping area, it was best you stuck closely behind.
“Don’t think about what Katara said, she doesn’t get it.”
“How so?”
Stalling in her tracks, she turned her unseeing gaze towards you. “She doesn’t know what its like to be born into a life that you don’t want. And she definitely doesn’t know how hard it can be trying to escape it.”
Unsure with how to reply, humming in understanding was the best you could come up with.
“Just stick with me and you’ll be fine. I know you most certainly don’t need me, but I’ve got your back.”
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The next day had gone by agonizingly slow. With Toph trying to teach Aang earth bending you were left to your own devices since Katara decided to tag along. Although you found yourself tailing Sokka as he went his own way looking for food unaware of your silent giggles seeing him get stuck in the ground.
“...big things eat smaller things. Nothing personal. But this time, it didn’t work out that way…I admit it, you’re cute…”
You decide to finally reveal yourself, tired of your lack of entertainment. “What are you doing down there Sokka?”
Letting out a girl like squeal, he’s horrified at getting caught in this position. “Nothing!”
“You look like you could use some help.”
“I don’t want help from you!” You dismiss it. Surely he has no other choice but to make himself acquainted with you.
“Yeah, right. It’s funny, you’re probably the third person that has ever said that to me. The second in about the span of 48 hours.” you cant help but divert your attention towards the cute animal annoying him. “Aweee look at this cutie!”
“Get away from it!”
“Why should I do that?”
“Because I don’t want you to hurt it!”
“Please, I actually quite like animals. They’re a lot better than humans anyway.”
“I- well… fine! Just go away?”
You scoff, “Why’s that?”
“I don’t like you!”
“Hmm… is that so.”
“Yes, of course it is!”
You’re done feeling sorry for yourself. “Are you sure you don’t like me, or do you feel that way because of your sister?”
“I- well… argh! Fine! I don’t know.”
“Well… why don’t you talk to me and work it out for yourself? If you still dislike me so much I’ll leave you be and get someone to come help.”
A  silence fills the distance between the two of you.
He sighs, caving in, “So.. this Zemin guy. Did he REALLY not give you a choice?”
Looking up, you stare at the clear sky. “I learnt early on in my training that I didn’t have a choice or options in life other than what he wanted. Any exercise I rushed through, half assed, or tried to skip through when he wasn’t looking came with consequences.”
“What kind of consequences?”
“The kind that keeps all of my clothing and bindings on so I don’t constantly get pitiful looks or too many questions.”
He scoffs, “prove it”
Staring at all your layers you sigh, “don’t say I never warned you.”
Peeling off all your layers one by one until your down to just your tank top and pants, you decide to take off your face mask last. Your eyes meeting Sokka’s, you notice him swallow thickly. But its you to break the ice first. “In all fairness, most of them are now from Ozai. The older they look… well I’m sure you can work it out for yourself.”
“b-but-“Fuck why did I have to make him uncomfortable.
Unable to take it any longer, you pull him out from the hole in the ground. “Its fine.”
You turn to walk away after helping him, but he grabs your scarred wrist, the feeling of the textured skin making him internally wince. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you expose yourself like that. Its horrible that you had to experience that… hell we look the same age!”
“Everyone is on different paths. Look, lets just forget about it..”
Sokka feels like he could bust into tears “No! you don’t understand. I’ve seen the effects of the fire nation… hell they took away my mum. I still remember it, sometimes I have weeks where I keep reliving it in my nightmares, only finding peace when im awake. Its like im being haunted. But- but you?! You have to face it whether you’re awake or asleep”.
Squeezing your eyes shut, you can’t handle the intensity of his words. Theres nothing you can do. Nothing you can say. You hug him. You don’t remember the last time you held someone. It feels weird, almost wrong. But as he squeezes you back, tightening the embrace, you understand one thing. You have an understanding with the water tribe boy, despite how dark it may feel.
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Hours pass by as you sit with sokka talking about useless topics until the other three join you once more. Feeling weariness in their gaze, you realise you forgot to put your layers back on. Now everyone can see your face and scars.
Only Aang has the courage to speak with you.
“Hey. Uhhh, y/n?”
“Yeah?”
“I just… I’m sorry for not speaking much with you since yesterday. I didn’t mean to, it was just a lot to process personally! Growing up with the Air Nomads, I was taught that killing is wrong and that under no circumstance should that be the answer. If I’m completely honest with you, I still stand by those teachings and to have someone who has… killed… so close to me and the people I care the most about is… unsettling.”
There it was. You knew despite how much he was trying; you knew he wouldn’t be able to see past what you did. What you are.
“I understand. I don’t blame you, or anyone for reacting the way they are, and I know what it feels like to want to protect those who mean something to you.” You glance at Sokka, remembering how he understood.
“Just… please understand that I’ve realised what I did was wrong and while I can’t change everything that I have done, I’m trying to move away from that way of life. I don’t want to be a killer anymore. I’m trying my best to fix it.”
“I know…. Its just-“
“You don’t trust me.”
“What?! NO! I mean…. I don’t know. You clearly have good inside of you but it’s hard to look past.”
“I get it. I’ll head off then, the world needs you Aang and I won’t be the one to stand it your way.”
“No! stop! Please! I know I said it’s hard for me to do, but I clearly see you trying your best. I know you won’t hurt me. I just… I suppose I need to open my eyes more. See you for who you are now, what you’re doing now.”
But what if you can’t? What if I’m still that person, no matter how much I try to shove it away. This is what I have been made to become?
“Okay.”
Letting out a nervous quiet laugh, he glances back to everyone. “okay well… lets eat!”
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Zuko stares at the sky in the heavy downpour. “You always through everything you could at me. Well, I can take it. And now I can give it back!”
Lightning cacks in the sky before his eyes.
“Come on!”
“Strike me! You never held back before!”
Met with only the sound of the world around him, he feels helpless. Lost. Alone.
Screaming out, Zuko falls to his knees as the rain and guilt encompasses all of his senses.
His voice scratchy from screaming, he can hardly croak out… “You never held back from her."
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taglist: ​​ @mangoberry43​​ @eridanuswave​​ @slythergirlimagines ​​​ @whiskeywinter89​​ @simplyfandomish @khaleesi-of-assassins​ ​ ​ @calciumcow @ilovespideyyy @callums-keith @nnon-it-up @blackhood5sos @chewymoustachio @tiffy119 @reclusive-chicken-nugget @lozzybowe​ @scarletemeterio​​ @simpinforsukka​ ​ ​ @sokkassuki​ @spearbatty @kaylove12
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Jealous Alejandro kidnaps Valeria's girlfriend (1.6k words part 4)
Summary: Valeria breaks into the headquarters of the Mexican Army in search of her wife.
TW: implied sexual violence, violence more generally (and Google Translated Mexican Spanish)
Note: I'm back from my home country y'all and free to write gay fanfiction once again. I'm working on the next part ASAP but I wanted to post this because you guys have been waiting forever. Thank you for all the lovely comments and the interactions!! means a lot to me that you guys enjoy reading this :>
Link to A03 Link to part 1, part 2, part 3. Next part: part 5
'Army soldier' was more than a type of occupation, more than any other job title; it was a lifestyle. It is truly a different way of life, a way of life that most people are simply not built for. A soldier's form - their straight back, their way of taking in the world around them within a second, their way of assessing everything as either hostile or neutral, their battlefield instinct - it all became an inseparable part of who they are. There is a certain instinct that gets drilled into soldiers, the instinct to act immediately and fast. The instinct to not think twice about running into danger. It is triggered immediately and triggered intensely. So when the emergency siren at the Mexican Army Headquarters wailed, the whole place came alive. No time was wasted before troops placed themselves in position. Snipers grabbed their rifles and headed for the rooftops, Captains and sergeants tuned into their mics, barking orders to their subordinates, assembling their troops as quickly as possible. Guards ran to their posts and pilots rushed to where their aircraft were getting readied by flying personnel, prepared to take off to gain an advantage in the airfield and a much-needed vantage point of what was happening. The armoury opened as many hands reached within for ammo and other equipment.
From the outside, it was a perfect scene of military efficiency and readiness. But from the inside, anxiety bubbled, threatening to cut loose.
"Why did this have to happen today of all days?" A soldier grumbled as he tightened his weapon belt.
"Someone planned this. It's the most popular day for annual leave," another responded as he grabbed his shoes.
"Dia de los Muertos," the first one said, his voice low and grim.
The Day of the Dead. Celebrated annually around November 1st but spanning over the course of multiple days. A day of celebration for life and death, a day to pay respects to those who have passed on. A time of parades on squares and community gatherings, with crowds of people in traditional costumes and painted faces taking to the streets to rejoice with others. A time when many troops were stationed outside the headquarters for public safety. A time, therefore, of relatively little staff being left behind to man the fort.
It was so perfect, Valeria almost giggled as she withdrew her knife from someone's body and let them drop to the floor.
She had infiltrated the headquarters from the underground tunnels that connected to some fields further out, which were created to be used in emergencies but had been long forgotten over the years. These were the same tunnels she took many years back when she wanted to see you on a day that she hadn't booked off. She would wait until most of the barracks were asleep before slipping away in the shadows, passing the guards and quietly unscrewing the lid that separated the tunnels from the world above ground. It was even more exciting once she taught you when and where to wait for her, at the end of the tunnel, among greenery and orange trees. Among the fields that you would lay on for the rest of the night underneath your blanket, touching each other's bodies and talking to the stars. Whispering how badly you'd missed each other, hearing the hum of insects in between short gasps and warm moans. Now, she had unscrewed these same lids and stabbed the person in front of her, dragging them out and passing the body along to the staff that followed her. They dumped the body back in the fields. Part of her found it annoying that these tunnels were always standing between her and her wife. And yet there was some charm, too. Travelling the bowels of the Earth for her love.
Having officially stepped on ground owned by the Mexican Army, El Sin Nombre and her people spread like a virus, taking down certain key spots and hiding bodies. Not enough damage to create immediate alarm, but good enough progress to feel confident about the next step. Her heart sped up in excitement as she thought of her wife, who was only one building and a lock away from her. And right in front of that building, was him.
Valeria looked out from one of the windows and saw Alejandro standing with his back straight, his face possessing a deep scowl as he conversed with Rudolpho. It had been many years since she last saw him, which was nothing memorable. There was no goodbye, no farewell. She had simply gotten up in the middle of the night and gazed at his face one final time; he glistened beneath the moonlight. He was younger then, his face smoother, his voice gentler; not yet hardened. A mass of muscle on a standard issue Army bed, he was unaware that the woman he loved was slipping right through his fingers. Unaware that by the time he woke up, she'd be gone.
There'd be nothing left behind to prove that she even existed. All of her things just went missing alone with her. She didn't even leave a picture behind to immortalise their love, to have something to look at during those nights when his heart almost gave out, when he realised that he was starting to forget what she looked like. That he could no longer remember her voice. Now, as she looked at him, she wondered why they even started a relationship in the first place. He was attractive, sure, but nothing special. Not like the woman in the box.
He was older now, his face more wrinkled. Valeria was raised with the idea that in women, this quality had the same visual effect as decaying fruit. When Valeria looked in the mirror and saw her signs of age - the smile lines that wouldn't smooth out when her smile fell, the lines around her mouth that could not be covered by cosmetics, the wrinkles around her eyes - it reminded her of something that was starting to fade. But in men, the quality was different, more merciful. More like maturing. It enraged her to see him getting older. To see him in the exact same place that she left him. The memories attached to this place were too much to handle. Memories of her younger years kept materialising at the edge of her vision, like a trick of the light; a shadow figure that kept pursuing. It used to be her, out there in the yard. Talking with Alejandro and Rudy, passing along jokes during a long day. But right now it was just the two of them, talking with ease like she had never been there at all. And right at that moment, as she gazed down at them, the alarm went off. What a glorious opportunity to have a front-row seat to witness Alejandro's reaction once she pulled the rug from underneath his feet. There was no more time to waste. She forced herself to stop gloating at these shadows of the past and to move forward. With each step, she got closer to her wife, her sweetheart. Valeria felt weightless, she felt herself glide through the space between herself and Y/N. She would pause here and there to ensure she did not reveal herself to her enemies. At times, she stealthily murdered someone who could have easily been her roommate back when she was a cadet. But that was another lifetime, a lifetime of making the wrong friendships and choosing the wrong lovers. She wasted no time on these obstacles. At last, her hand encircled the handle of the container. She pushed her weight into it and entered, ready for anything. Be it to murder a guard, or to embrace her love; her instincts were on the front seat. She could kill a hundred men if it came to it.
“Valeria. Bienvenida.”
The metal door crashed into the threshold behind her, the echoes reverberating, she felt, for eternity. There was nothing beyond these metal walls anymore, the whole world went silent. The wrath that burned in her eyes met the hatred that dripped out of his. Darkness met darkness; loathing encircled within their dark glares like an ouroboros, its dark scales flashing where the light hit it. Valeria and Alejandro were a perfect mirror, they were tuned into the same frequency, a frequency of violence. They were built of the same clay; two destroyers meeting at last.
He was right in front of her, waiting. Standing tall and armed to the teeth, Colonel Alejandro Vargas. Her jealous ex-lover, the kidnapper of her wife, the annihilator of peace, the snake that infiltrated the garden. The evil eye incarnate. And here was she, the abandoner, the backstabber; the woman lover.
“Y/N.” Valeria spoke with steel in her voice.
“Is no longer with us, I’m afraid.” The lines of his mouth fell into a pout, feigning sadness. Mocking her. “She’s not a fighter, like you or me. You know what happens to the weak here,” he scoffed. “What was it that you used to say? That the weak exist to serve the strong and die? Yeah,” he said diabolically, a grin etching itself on his face. “That’s what happened.”
She knew he was lying; Y/N walked this earth still. She and her wife’s souls were so intertwined, Valeria would have felt it if her wife was gone. Y/N could never leave without her heart knowing. Valeria would put her hand through fire to prove her conviction.
“If I thought she was dead, I would have shot you on sight,” she said. Her hand gripped a blade tightly, willing herself to stop shaking.
Alejandro laughed. “Oh, I didn’t mean she was dead.” His gloved hands held onto his vest as he looked down at her. “I meant that your wife served me.”
Unable to contain her wrath any longer, Valeria lunged at him with a scream.
tag list: @justmare @silas-222 @m0rganit3 @blarba-girl @sleepiemain @caffeineliker @ashy-kit @00ops1e @lesvii @therapyneeds @lez-zuha @starre-eyes @7smexy7diva @hello-kitty-festival @konigmeu @cassiecasluciluce @gay-ass-country-boy @starwars-theclonewhore @bi-witch-bxtch @somnoslvt @ashthepillow @b3ns0ne  @idiotwrites @danart501 @deakyspuff @mistresssiri @angethehimbosimp
thanks for supporting me!!
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crienselt · 2 months
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So a few days ago I saw someone (elsewhere) questioning Zutara fans’ excitement about the scarf scene. It wasn't a mean comment, more general curiosity. And well, I didn't have time to get my thoughts out then. But they haven't gone away, so I'm getting them out here:
Here’s what everyone need to understand about Zutara shippers. We were baited baaaad during the initial run of the show–from the magazines to the shorts to the trailers and how they were cut. And Zuko and Katara’s relationship on the show certainly underwent a lot of development and featured objectively emotional–if not overtly romantic–moments between the two. We were well fed, and we had reason to hope. Right up to the end, we had reason to hope.
The shipping wars were the shipping wars, of course, with all the usual tensions; there are always going to be overzealous fans of each (and any) pairing willing to get toxic. Generally, I think Kataang fans were always jealous of Zutara’s popularity and Zutara fans, post finale, were jealous of Kataang’s, well, canon status. But really it operated much the same as any other large fandom’s shipping wars.
And then came Bryke and the panel where they showed and mocked Zutara fan art, some of which had been created by teens if not straight up children. Then came their, “Come on, kids! It was never going to work. Zutara is just dark and intriguing.”* And the pièce de résistance, their telling Zutara shippers (specifically girls/women) that they were doomed to have failed romantic relationships. Like, what? The thing with the art was arguably cruel, and the rest of it was oh, so condescending. Just all around not well done. 
The after effect was that Zutara went from being simply a fanon pairing to a wrong pairing. The ATLA fandom at large became a far more hostile place for Zutara fans, who were now more commonly deemed delusional and viewed as lesser fans. The vitriol only got worse when the show came to Netfilx and the next wave of antis rolled up with their co-opting of legitimate socio-political terms to paint Zutara not just as wrong but morally corrupt if not evil. It’s all very puritanical.**
So Zutara fans need to be reminded that we weren’t delusional, and we aren’t alone. It’s why it means so much to know that Dante Basco and Mae Whitman shipped their characters. And that so many other VAs came out as Zutara supporters too: Jack De Sena, Michaela Jill Murphy, Grey DeLisle, Janet Varney--even the cabbage man. For it to be revealed that it was discussed in the writers room; that the writers fought over it; that it WAS a canon possibility. (And that writers Joshua Hamilton and John O’Bryan are perfectly comfortable admitting their preference for Zutara.) To know that the Elizabeth Welch Ehasz described Zuko and Katara as an “Avatar-style Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” in the script for The Southern Raiders, and used the phrase “Zutara-feuling synchronicity and cooperation” to describe their action sequences. To see Giancarlo Volpe, a Kataanger, admit Zutara might been the better pairing in retrospect and choose a quiet scene between them (to see their “chemistry”) as what he’d most look forward to in the live action adaptation. It’s why we cling to the artwork done by Korean animation director. We aren’t delusional. We aren’t alone.
But try telling that to the general fandom, right? Most are ignorant of a lot of this, particularly Hamilton and O’Bryan’s revelations re: the writers room. A lot of Zutara fans don't even seem to know. But being baited by Netflix on their official accounts? Oh, people see that. And we are reminded in a big way that we aren't delusional and we aren't alone. And everyone else has to remember it too.
So, of course, we're having fun clowning over the scarf scene. And I think most Zutara fans know we are clowning. I don't think most expect to get canon Zutara in live action because of one little scene or the fact that their Netflix icons are facing each other. (I headcanon that that was totally the doing of Zutara shipper on staff, though, lol. Because there are a lot of us, and we are everywhere.)
And this is okay. Zutara has been doing just fine as a fanon ship. Meanwhile, NATLA might actually do Kataang justice. It always worked better as a future ship. (Really all the pairings do. But I especially don't ever need to see another 12 year old kissing let alone making out, in animation or live action, ever again.) There's a reason Padme and Anakin don't get together in Phantom Menace, after all. Also, there's always the chance they could give us Dante's or Mae's headcanon of them basically suppressing their feelings and choosing duty over love/right person-wrong time. And the odds of getting some more moments to clown over are high enough. 
Anyway, TLDR: Zutara has been made to feel like an out-of-nowhere crack ship and the live action crumbs remind us that it is not. And this is at least partially why we are enjoying it. (Because, also, it's just fun!)
*Side tangent: I’ve never gotten this dark and intriguing comment. Even during Season 1, the height of the capture fic era, Zutara was always a ship fundamentally about hope, predicated on Zuko's redemption. (Back in the day, there were also plenty of antis arguing that there was no way Zuko would ever be one of the gaang.) And they say “intriguing” like it’s a bad thing? Are we not supposed to be interested in the relationships of their characters???
**There have been some very good think pieces written lately on late stage capitalism and consumption as morality. Worth googling.
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fernlessbastard · 8 months
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So, what's the deal with this tnt duo art?
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I've explained it in my reblog of this post, but I've decided to copy this over to a brand new post as well, because especially with qsmp happening I'm sure we have many newer people here who don't get what's the deal with this piece
Ok so first off: the artist is _olga.exe_ on Instagram (I think also on twitter but i don't use Twitter so you'll have to check that one yourself)
To the best of my understanding this art just came out around June 2021, which was immediately after the first Revivedbur/Quackity interaction. The first two or so months the ship was exclusively seen as a crack ship - I'm not fully certain why, I think it's just that quackbur before wasn't all that known and popular, so it seemed like it came out of nowhere to the majority of the internet (which, it didn't, holy shit, those sluts have been so gay with each other for so long). It also was a time when most people only began realising that ccQuackity was capable of serious lore, which most likely added to how the ship was seen. Even I myself actually was very hesitant to bring it up to my partner, when I began slowly getting into it - of course while simultaneously deluding myself that it's nothing more than a crack ship for me (@octobre-ackedia oh would you look at how we ended up--).
This art was one of the first pieces that were fully serious, and couldn't be construed in any way shape or form as /p, so it got picked up by people on twitter and memed on. Around September 2021 tntblr began reclaiming it (and if I remember correctly we had a boom of posts sharing the original artist about that time).
In this surge of new people beginning to ship those two that's been happening for the past year or so, I need you all to remember that quackbur started off first as a very underground ship that almost no-one spoke of, and then became a crack ship. The header on my blog doesn't come from a "ha ha funny" self deprecating meme. #twquackburshipping was a tag that someone seriously used to tag a post about how Eret commented on some tntduo/r tiktok.
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I get how easy it is to forget how anti-mainstream of a ship quackbur used to be (or simply miss that, if you're newer - which, for the record, no shame, I'm happy to see the new faces!), considering ccQuackity's endorsement of it in the last months of dsmp, not to mention what's happening on qsmp, but all those "omg I'm a quackbur shipper ha ha don't hate me ha I'm cringe I know" jokes used to genuinely not be jokes something like 1,5 years ago.
I hope this explains it thoroughly, and to everyone a little bit newer to the ship: welcome! Glad to see you here, remember to have fun, and if you've got any questions, feel free to ask me :]]
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tenpintsof-sundrop · 5 months
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My Top 10 Fics Of 2023
So, because it is the 'wrapped' time of year where everyone looks back on their year through playlists and other types of stats - I thought that I would look back on my year through something completely nonobjective and based on exactly 0 data - my favourite fics I have written this year that are based completely on my personal enjoyment of them.
Last year, I did something similar to this where I counted down the top ten fics based completely on data - how many notes each fic had gotten on tumblr. But most of the posts were shorter fics that I hadn't spent a lot of time working on that I wasn't very proud of. (Like the fact that my current most popular fanfic on my sideblog for fanfiction is the shortest in word count.) So I have decided to go over the fics that are the most popular in my heart - countdown style.
This year I have written 39 different fics and I have written over 395,000 words, and these are my favourite fics that I have written.
Honorable Mentions:
Black Suit - Emily Prentiss x Fem!Reader (2,900 words). One of the most well-rounded fics I have written in such a short word count. And just - look at her.
My Bleeding Heart - Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader (3,400 words). I have never used Death Eaters as the basis for angst in a fic and I had so much fun with it. Plus the kidfic fluff at the end was really fun too.
IFHY (I Fucking Hate You) - Abby Anderson x Fem!Reader (8,100 words). So @holy-minseok made a post about how there isn't enough fics with reader characters that aren't nice and sweet and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. Because I have so many fics with rude, toxic readers and this is absolutely one of them. This reader is a Grade A Bitch and that's a huge reason why I had so much fun writing it.
Better Than Sleeping - Jason Todd x Fem!Reader (5,300 words). This is some of the best quality smut I have written this year, hands down.
The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes - Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader (8,200 words). I love writing fics based on specific episodes of a show, and this definitely helped to fulfil my whump quota for the year.
Sweet Revenge - Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader (16,200 words). This is a fic that definitely converted me from a hardcore Abby girl into an Ellie girl. I am very proud of it. (And eventually I became an EllAbs girl, as god intended.)
Free Use Day - Poly!OG!Titans x Fem!Reader (14,300 words). This is probably my most epic and honorable of the honorable mentions. This is the first time in years that I have written such a long pwp, and it's written about some of my ult favs. So I fucking love it. (It came so, so close to making the top ten.)
(Now, onto the top ten.)
The Top Ten:
10. Dreaming Of You - Gar Logan x Fem!Mute!Reader (31,300 words)
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You and Gar have been best friends for a long time. Nothing could disrupt the harmony of such a perfect friendship. Nothing except maybe… your usually predictable powers going haywire and somehow showing you all of his heated daydreams about you. But he couldn’t possibly have romantic feelings for you. He couldn’t possibly want anything more than your close platonic friendship and the occasional steamy fantasy. Right? Gar Logan x Fem!Mute!Powered!Reader. Best Friends to Lovers. Smut and (Slight) Angst. Set during Season 2.
At first I wasn't even sure if I should put this one on the list, because it's technically a re-post, but I was like fuck it, I make the rules here. And the reason it's at 10 is because technically I wrote most of this in 2021 originally (though it feels like longer ago than that omg), but this year I heavily updated the fic, including writing some new scenes for it that flesh it out very nicely. To me, this is everything a good re-post should be. It cleans up what was already there and amazing about the fic and it enhances it so much.
I loved the concept of this fic from its core, and now I get to be so, so proud of the way I have enhanced it years later. To me, this will always be my core Gar fic (as much as I will always write more for him) - and it is something I am truly, genuinely proud of. If you love Gar and you love smutty fantasies involving him, I highly recommend checking this fic out.
9. No Brainer - Derek Cho x Fem!Reader x Melanie Cross (Mayhem (2017)) (7,100 words)
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When the ID-7 Virus, aka the Red Eye Virus hits Towers and Smythe Consulting, it throws the entire office building into chaos. With a mandatory quarantine from the CDC in action, that chaos builds in on itself, and somehow, you, Derek, and Melanie get everything that you want. aka You have something Derek and Melanie need. Derek and Melanie have something you want. You all agree to make an exchange, and everyone ends up more than happy. Derek Cho (Steven Yeun) x Fem!Reader x Melanie Cross (Samara Weaving). Co-Works to Lovers. Smut. Based on the film Mayhem from 2017.
This is one of my personal favourite fics of mine that I believe very few people following me have ever read. I absolutely love writing fics based on random one-off horror movies - I have way more in my drafts, and one of my goals for 2024 is to complete and post more of them. But one night I was laying in bed and I randomly watched this film because I knew Steven Yeun was in it. I had seen a lot of clips of him covered in blood and yelling, and I found him really hot in those clips, so I knew that I would enjoy the film. And I absolutely fucking did. Not just based on his hotness, but just - the entire film was so, so enjoyable.
Also, the ID-7 Virus, a fictional sickness that lowers your inhibitions (something that is shown in the film to work like sex pollen) is the perfect basis for a fic. So I literally started writing this on my phone before I had even finished watching the film. And I posted it a few days later. I think it's just pure fun. One of my favourite things to write about is a healthy combination of horror and sex, and this is definitely toeing the line perfectly in my opinion. If you haven't seen the film, I highly recommend it - watch it, and then come back and read this fic.
8. My Heart Is The Worst Kind Of Weapon - Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader (9,600 words)
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Ellie confronts your abuser, and after years of torment, you finally feel free. Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader. Strangers to Lovers. Hurt and Comfort.
This is a fic that is very close to my heart. Not only is named after a tragically underrated Fall Out Boy B-Side, one of my favourite songs ever, but it is a fic about conquering the abuse of a family member - and when I wrote this, it was coming from a place of the utmost sincerity.
I am someone who has experienced abuse from a family member, and it felt so entirely empowering to write this - to write about someone coming to your rescue so honestly. Someone rescuing you out of pure want, not because it's an obligation or a burden. But because they are compelled by their own morals and they feel that your abuse is a cruel injustice against the world. This and the companion fic I wrote for Abby with a similar storyline are two of the most important fics that I have written this year.
7. Ghosting - Mike Schmidt x Fem!Reader (3,700 words)
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Mike has been in love with you for as long as he can remember. For about as long as the two of you have been best friends. He always thought he would have more time to work up to confessing those big, dangerous feelings for you - until something more dangerous swooped in and stole any time he had left with you. Mike Schmidt x Fem!Reader. Star-Crossed Lovers. Pure Angst. Set during the events of the movie (and features spoilers for the plot).
I feel like this list would be incomplete if I didn't pick at least one of the FNAF fics that I wrote (and two of them ended up on here). With how much it was delayed, it was actually wild to see the FNAF Movie actually come to life before our very eyes, and it was amazing to actually write some fics about it. This is the first time (in a very long time) that I have written pure angst with no sense of fluff at the ending, and it was actually so much fun - it's fun to give into the darker side of a fic, and to write about the most torturous human emotions with absolutely no relief.
Also, I think dying in someone's arms (especially holding your lover or your would-be lover) is such a compelling trope and I loved writing about it. This was so much fun for me to write, and it was something so interesting to explore aside from the usual smut that I write.
6. From Your Lips - Jennifer Jareau x GN!Reader (3,000 words)
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After JJ is attacked by dogs on the Hankle farm, everyone is busy worrying about Reid’s missing status, but you take the time to check on JJ and try your best to calm her flustered mind. Jennifer Jareau x Gender Neutral Reader. Friends with Benefits. Smut and Angst. Set during Season 2, Episode 15.
This year, I had another large foray into the Criminal Minds fandom, and I wrote a JJ fic for the first time. And just in general, I am so proud of this fic. I think even for a short fic, it has such a great essence - again, I love setting fics during specific episodes, and I found it so fun to play around with the religious imagery and the religious themes already in this episode, as well as the imagery of rabid dogs.
To me, this is what truly makes fanfiction great - taking details of the canon, chewing them up like bubblegum and then adding something else in to make them your own. I had so much fun writing this fic, 10/10.
5. Love From The Other Side (aka The Golf Club Fic) - Abby Anderson x Fem!Reader (5,600 words)
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Abby kills the man that has been haunting your nightmares for years. You find it only fitting to give her a proper reward. Abby Anderson x Fem!Reader. Established Relationship. Smut. Set during The Last of Us Part II. (aka - the fic where Abby fucks the reader's pussy with the golf club that she used to kill Joel.)
So, as you will notice with this fic and the next one, 2023 was the year I truly said fuck it. There used to be a time when I was afraid to admit my weirder kinks and fantasies (like, I used to be afraid to even say that I read A/B/O), but then I realized that this is the freak-nasty website. And way too many people are shy. So I must be the one to provide the freak-nasty fics.
This is a fic I had in mind since the very first time I watched TLOU2 gameplay. And originally, it was going to be a simple, purely pornopraphic fic about Abby fucking the reader with the golf club - but as I was writing it, it turned into something that I find oddly beautiful. And (again, just like with the next fic) I find that writing about kinks in long-term relationships, especially the kind of relationships that have come to be co-dependent - it's like writing this toxic, cathartic poetry.
It's writing about two people who need each other but can be so horrible for each other - and it is one of my favourite things to write about because it's so damn interesting. This was a slay, and generally awesome because it was getting out an idea that's been in my head for years.
4. Damn The Man, Save The Empire - Vanessa Shelly x GN!Reader (6,100 words)
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Vanessa has always taken care of you. Since the two of you were kids, she has put her neck on the line for you, and you rarely knew how to return that epic kindness. One night, while both of you are raw and on-edge, the dark cloud of your strange past looming over both of you nearly swallows both of you whole - and once again, Vanessa is right there, taking care of you. (Dark)Dom!Vanessa Shelly x Sub!Gender Neutral Reader. Toxic Co-Dependent Relationship. Smut and Angst. Takes place before the main timeline of the film (features spoilers for the movie).
Again, like I said with the previous fic - this was one of my favourite fics to write because it is so delightfully unhinged. I really enjoy exploring toxic relationships through fiction because - for one, writing healthy, functioning relationships is not always interesting. And there is something so beautifully dark and poetic about writing two people who have grown into each other like twisted tree branches and need each other, but are so bad for each other.
And this year I have been exploring gender neutral smut a lot more. I used to always write fem reader smut as my default, but I have been having a lot of fun with the creativity of writing smut without describing the reader's body in detail. I love coming up with metaphors and describing around the body parts. I find it to be a fun creative challenge. Anyway - this was a lot of fun to write, and I highly recommend it if you enjoy reading darker fics.
3. Lessons For A Genius (Lesson One) - Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader (17,200 words)
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What could a certified genius possibly have to learn from someone like you? Turns out - a hell of a lot.  And the real ‘teaching’ started when your graphic explanations of slang toward Spencer for the sheer shock value of it turned into something a lot more… hands on.  Sub!Spencer Reid x (BAU)Dom!Fem!Reader. Co-Workers to Friends with Benefits. Smut. Set during early Season 2.
I feel like it would be a miss to make this list without mentioning a fic that I obsessed over for two weeks straight - a fic that drove me insane in the best way. Of course, there is also the sequel, but I personally prefer the first lesson. This fic has been brewing in my mind for a very long time, because it is painfully obvious to me that Spencer (in the early seasons) is an awkward virgin, and I have always wanted to ruin him.
This fic is a lot of my fantasies brought to life, and I feel like it's a really masterful painting of those fantasies - for once, without overly focusing on the murder mystery aspect of Criminal Minds fanfiction (which I have a tendency to get distracted by). I am really, really proud of this fic, and I know you guys enjoyed it. It is definitely a highlight of my writing this year.
2. Emergency Contact - Jason Todd x GN!Reader (10,500 words)
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After Jason miraculously comes home from his brush with Deathstroke, you’re both feeling it in very different ways. You have an unexpected physical wound from the battle, and he has many (very expected) emotional wounds. You help each other heal. Even if it’s very stubborn on both your parts. Jason Todd x GN!Powered!Reader. Enemies/FWB to Lovers. Angst and Hurt/Comfort. (Slight Smut). Set during Season 2, Episode 5.
This is a fic I have talked about a lot recently, because I have been working on the sequel. (I was hoping to get the sequel finished and posted before the end of December, but it's gonna be a longer fic, so it's looking like it's gonna be one of the first fics of January instead.) Anyway - to me, this is by far one of my best fics and one of my most important fics of 2023. This was battling for the top spot.
But even if it's second place, I am so incredibly proud of this fic. I think it's beautifully written, I am incredibly proud of the literary references I worked in with The Great Gatsby - especially because I feel like Jason would be the type to read Gatsby and compare himself to someone tragic and doomed like Gatsby (he would soo compare himself to Gatsby, especially because he was also a poor kid who was randomly sponsored by a rich man who saw potential in him). Overall, I just had a very distinct vision when writing the fic, and that vision came to life. And I really, really hope that my vision comes to life in the sequel too.
1. King For A Day - Poly!Golden Trio x Fem!Reader (22,400 words) 
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You have always had a special relationship with Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and the one and only Harry Potter. When you set out to help them find and destroy Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes, it seems that your intimate knowledge of them is the one thing keeping them together - until the unique dynamic shifts, thanks to one of those pesky pieces of dark magic. Angry voices carry, and it turns out - moans of pleasure do too. Poly!Golden Trio x Fem!Reader (Fem!Reader x Harry Potter x Ron Weasley x Hermione Granger). FWB to Poly Lovers. Smut (with a slight bit of Angst). Set during Deathly Hallows.
And finally, we get to my favourite fic of the year!!
So, I'm gonna be honest, a huge reason that this fic gets the top slot is because of my nostalgia for Harry Potter. This year was the first time in a long time that I have written Harry Potter fanfiction, and it felt like a reawakening of my soul. I was genuinely happy, and I was spending time enjoying concepts and characters that I have not thought about for a long time.
This fic in particular, I feel like I have been working on it for years in my mind. This fic is a culmination of all my thoughts about these characters, all my time in the Harry Potter fandom, and generally, I am so, so proud of it. I am proud that my love for Harry Potter has come to fruition in this form - a poly smut fic, something that is just so me.
Overall - I had such a great year chasing fic ideas that make me happy, despite the popularity of the characters or the fandoms, and I encourage you guys to spend 2024 doing the same. Cheers!
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Did It Even Mean Anything?
Words: 1682
Warnings: angst, breakup, being played, only dating someone on a bet, probably poor writing but whatever
STRANGER THINGS Masterlist Main Masterlist
Request: "Gareth and Jeff make a bet with Eddie about not being able to get a date or a girl in general. Eddie asked out the quiet girl thinking it would be an easy bet, but realize they have a lot in common. Maybe the next day at school she finds out about the bet from over hearing it from Gareth and Jeff talking to Eddie. Ending of their reaction is up to you."
I have such a love/hate with this trope dude. Like, I love it, but I hate it at the exact same time.
I also hated making Gareth be the dick that he is in this. I love that guy so much man.
*EDIT AFTER WRITING AND POSTING*
THERE WILL BE NO FUCKING PART 2! I WROTE THIS WITH NO INTENT OF ONE! THEN THIS BECAME MORE POPULAR THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD! AND PEOPLE WERE DEMANDING ME TO MAKE A PART 2 AND I WON'T FUCKING DO IT CAUSE YOU FUCKING DEMANDED IT AND YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT! PLUS, I WOULD PISS Y'ALL OFF BY MAKING IT EVEN SADDER THAN IT ALREADY IS! IF YOU TRULY WANT ANOTHER PART THAT'LL BE HAPPY, WRITE IT YOURSELF!
I'm not trying to be an asshole I'm just tired of people asking for it when I have told them in the comments AND THE REBLOGS that I wasn't sure about it. But now I've decided to not.
But please, read this and continue to like it.
Anywho, enjoy
Eddie smirked at Y/N as he leaned against the lockers next to hers. She was quiet. Well, more reserved than most of the other girls that he knew of. And he knew that she had a crush on him. "So? What do you say, princess? Tomorrow, 7 o'clock? I pick you up at yours?" She stared at him with wide eyes before smiling softly and nodding. Eddie let out a small laugh, "You gonna use your words, darling?"
She felt her face heat up before letting out a soft, "Yeah." She cleared her throat and spoke a little louder, "Yeah, I would like that a lot."
He smiled, "Good. See you then." She nodded as he walked away.
And as he walked away, she turned to her locker and grabbed all of her books and piled them into her back. She couldn't believe it! Eddie Munson, the guy she had had a crush on since she met him her Freshman (his Sophomore) year, had just asked her out. She was ecstatic.
But she was also surprised. Eddie knew who she was? They had only ever spoken to each other 2 times. One was when he had asked her for a pencil. And the other was when he had asked what he missed in Mrs. Click's class because he had missed the past three days.
But that was 2 and a half years ago.
However, she stopped her worrying and walked out to her car. Excited that literally anyone had just asked her out. But she was also nervous because she had never been on a date before. So she had no idea what to do or wear.
However, unknown to her, Eddie was walking into the Hellfire room with the biggest shit-eating grin he had ever had. He opened the door, and with his luck, only Gareth and Jeff were there. He slammed his hands down on the table. "You two boys now owe me a hundred dollars each."
Gareth raised an eyebrow, "Why's that?"
"Because I just got my ass a fucking date."
Jeff scoffed, "Yeah? With who?"
"Y/N Y/L/N."
His friends started laughing. "Y/N Y/L/N? The girl who had literally had a crush on you since she met you?"
Eddie smirked, "You didn't say it couldn't someone easy. So pay the fuck up." Gareth and Jeff looked at one another and Eddie groaned, "Now what?"
"Date her until the end of the school year and you'll get your money."
"That wasn't the original fucking plan!"
Gareth shrugged, "Yeah, but we realized that you'll just go on one lousy date with her. Maybe even try to sleep with her. Then toss her to the side. Because we all know that you can't commit."
Eddie groaned, "You guys are literally the fucking worst."
They both shrugged this time, "You chose to befriend us, Eddie."
Eddie rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He ran a hand through his hair, "So I just have to date her until May 25th?" The other two nodded, "Fine. I guess I can do that."
Unfortunately for him, he would realize just how much he would fall for Y/H/C girl he just asked out on a bet.
-
Eddie was sitting next to Y/N in the back of his van at the Drive-Thru. Neither were really even watching it as they were just talking to each other. He was surprised to find out that she liked a lot of the same things he did.
"Actually, Rocky Horror is gonna be showed a town over in two weeks. I was planning on going, maybe, if you wanted, we could go together." The smile on her face as soft as she asked him.
He returned the smile and nodded, "That would be fun." He leaned back, against the side of his van. "One question. Do you dress up?"
She laughed, "Of course I do! Usually I do Janet as that's all that I really have clothes for. But I recently found a old maids outfit that I'm gonna fix up to look like Magenta. Hopefully it'll be ready in time."
He grabbed a piece of popcorn and popped it into his mouth. "I bet it will be."
He laughed lightly and she smiled at him confused. "What?"
"I just...I don't get this. You're literally so...perfect. I mean. You're so nice, you like the same things as me, and you're hot." She felt her face heat up at the last comment. "You're like a dream come true Y/N Y/L/N."
She smirked, "What? Did you think that I was gonna like a lot of popular stuff?"
"Kinda?"
She laughed, "I do like some of it. There are some chick-flicks that I love. Some music. I just like whatever I like."
He nodded, "What's your opinion on DnD."
"I've never played. But it seems pretty interesting. I don't really understand why people say it's 'satanic'. And that people who play it are 'devil worshippers' and 'evil'. Games don't make being evil. It's what they're surrounded by that do it."
He smiled, "I like your thinking."
For the rest of the film, the two of them continued to just talk about different things that they liked. And Eddie continued to be surprised that the two of them liked the same things as each other.
But the guilt that he just asked her out on a bet grew more and more.
-
The two had gotten together in January and now March was ending and April was starting. Eddie had truly started to fall for Y/N after a week. But he kept feeling guilty that this all started because of a stupid bet he had made with his friends. He had felt like he was using her this whole time. But he knew it wasn't true. Everything he had said and done had been true. And when he told her that he loved her. He had meant it.
But he knew he would have to tell her the truth at some point. Even if he knew that he would hurt the both of them. But he wasn't going to do that until after he talked to Jeff and Gareth and called the bet off.
-
Y/N walked down the hall to the Hellfire room. She had to ask Eddie if she had left her jacket over at his trailer. But she felt her blood run cold when she overheard a conversation that she knew she shouldn't have.
"-You can't do that dude! You calling off the bet means that you have to pay us! I thought that you hated losing!"
"Yeah? Well I didn't plan on actually falling for her! I can't go through with the fucking bet! It'll just hurt her!"
"That's your fault bro. You knew that this could happen, but you went through with it. You asked Y/N out on a bet, knowing that you easily could fall for her."
She hadn't realized that she walked into the room fully until she dropped the books in her arms and the three boys turned to her. Guilt covered Eddie's face when he saw her. And he was barely able to get her name out before she ran out of the room. He cursed under his breath and turned to Gareth and Jeff. "The bet is over. I'll pay you two tomorrow." And then without even giving them a chance to respond, he ran out to find Y/N.
He had a good idea where she would be. He remembered something she had mentioned once about a place in the woods. Different than the place he would meet people for deals. She had shown him it once. And when he made it to there, he felt his heart break. He heard her crying. And it pained him to know that she was crying because of him. Because of what he had done.
As a twig snapped under his foot, her head snapped around. She wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Leave me alone."
"Princess-"
"No. No don't. Don't do that." She stood up, "Don't sit there and say 'princess' and act all innocent. Act-act as if...as if this isn't all a lie!"
He shook his head, "It isn't a lie! I do love you! More than anything!"
She shook her head, "I was nothing more than a fucking bet. You asked me out just so you could...could what? Get money? Prove that you aren't a fucking loser?"
"Y/N I-"
"Was any of it even real?"
"What?"
She walked over to him and poked his chest, "Any of it? Was. It. Even. Real. Did you mean any of it? Or was it all apart of the fucking bet?"
"I meant everything I said and did!"
She let in a shaky breath, "Why me? Why did you choose me to be the fucking victim?" She laughed, "Actually. No wait, let me guess. You asked me because you thought I would be easy. Because you knew I had fucking liked you for years. Am I right?" He stayed silent. She was right. He had originally asked her because he knew that she would say right. She let out a small, dry laugh. "I should have fucking known. It was all too good to be true. I mean, why else would Eddie 'the freak' Munson ask me out? Why else if I wasn't just supposed to be another notch on his belt?" She looked at him, "Well, go find yourself some other girl to fuck with. Because we're fucking done." She pushed past him, but not without saying, "God, I wish I never had been seen with the freak of Hawkins."
And he watched as she walked away and felt him heart tear into a million pieces. He knew he had fucked up. He knew he should have told her the minute he gained feelings. But he didn't and now he had fucked everything up.
And now the one person who he had actually fallen for, hated him more than anything.
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strawbeerossi · 8 months
Text
One Margarita
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Pairing: Fem!Reader x Luke Alvez
Description: When a popular tiktok song makes its rounds around the BAU, the poor men of the BAU have to listen to the women belt it out constantly.
Content/Warnings: Pure fluff honestly, the whole team is silly, the girls have fun, suggestive dialogue, dramatics of Spencer Reid
Word Count: 0.8K
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Another post I’ve had locked away for a while! Sorry for not posting this last night as promised, I had entirely too much to drink last night lmao.
Tagging my two besties @daddy-dotcom and @rainaaaskyy
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There were some songs that were just meant to be catchy, no matter how annoying they could be. The rise of catchy songs came with the likes of TikTok, especially when it is filled with people who get famous for dancing to the most random songs or it inspired artists get their work into the world.
Some songs were made for humor related purposes, which birthed some of the most catchy pieces of music that would have anyone driving the surrounding people insane. Case in point, Penelope came into work excited to show the girls of the office one song she found on the app. 
At first, they made fun of it and they all had their laughs, then the five of them put together a dance for themselves. That made the rest of the BAU endure the group acting like a group of teenagers who just had their favorite band release a new song that they needed to listen to until they got sick of it.
Spencer felt like he was going insane, Matt couldn’t help but laugh every time they broke out into their own song, Dave just thought they were insane but he found himself humming along with the girls, then there was Luke who thought it was the most amusing thing he’d ever seen. It was like Y/N would sing it everywhere and even if the song was one of the dumbest ones he heard, he’d admit that it was catchy.
That was why he’d belt it around their shared apartment, which would always result in the two getting into a laughing fit that left both of their stomachs hurting. He would even do his own improvised dances for each line of the song, which again, could have Y/N crying laughing. 
It was a slower paced day at the office, everyone getting caught up on the paperwork that they hadn’t gotten around to yet because they were caught in an endless loop of jumping from case to case. They had to work fast because evil never seemed to give them a fucking break.
So, it became bustling with everyone gathering up reports and getting ready to give them to Emily to have them finished and filed away. To nobody’s surprise, it wasn’t long until Tara was humming the familiar melody. 
“No. Please. I’m begging you..” Spencer groaned as he brought his hands up to cover his ears. “This is worse than prison. You know that? A million times worse.” They always appreciated the dramatics of Spencer Reid. “I’ll tell you whatever you wanna know, just stop torturing me.” He breathed out.
Luke was already laughing at the man’s actions. “You know they sing it because you have that reaction, right?” He asked, making Matt stop to lean against Luke’s desk. “He’s got a point, Reid. If you laugh about it, they will do it less.” 
Y/N was coming in from the kitchenette while shaking her head. “No such luck, boys.” She laughed as she was skipping to her desk. “I think you should embrace it, boy genius.” She had commented, ruffling his hair on her way to her desk with a smile. 
“I think you boys are just overly dramatic.” JJ piped in with her own opinion while heading over to her desk in order to finish the finishing touches on one of her reports. “No, we are not. That song drives me bonkers.” Spencer responded, his nose wrinkling as he was looking at the two men in front of him. “You’re telling me you like it?”
“It’s not so bad.” Luke responded while Y/N gestured to her boyfriend. “He sings it too! Don’t you, Alvez?” She smirked while lifting her coffee mug to her lips. “I do, yeah. It’s catchy!” Luke began to laugh as he put his hands up in self defense with a grin on his face. “We went out to dinner last night and I got a strawberry margarita and he started singing it!” Y/N emphasized while laughing at the memory of the previous night. 
“Make fun of me all you want but you weren’t opening your legs after that drink at all.” Luke bit back while chuckling as his girlfriend’s cheeks were red. 
“Give her one margarita and she’s going to bed.” He sang while the rest of the office was reduced to their own fits of laughter. “Face it, Cariña. Nobody is getting head or anything of the sort after you’ve had a sip of a margarita. You’re out of commission.”
Y/N was waving her boyfriend off while laughing. “You’re never getting head from me again, Alvez.” She teased while looking back at her paperwork. “You’ve ruined it for yourself!” She laughed at the male, who was putting his hand over his chest in a dramatic fashion. “That is the worst punishment ever! I’ll buy you a margarita after this as an apology.” He mused.
“Then I'll be happy while I'm going to bed.”
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miguelhugger2099 · 4 months
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Dr. Miguel O'Hara Everyone knows about the pretty boy at the lab, Miguel O'Hara. He's confident, intelligent and maybe not the friendliest. Also might be the loneliest. So, you decide to shoot your shot on a whim. No Warnings. First post, kinda nervous. Not proofread at all. Just something to get out my system. Word Count: 1,805
Breathe in and breathe out.
That’s what you told yourself as you clutched a stack of papers to your chest. You squeezed your way through a pack of people in the hallway, murmuring your excuses as your mind was somewhere else. While bumping into your boss, he requested your help on sending out documents as he was busy with other pressing matters. To keep your job, you smiled and accepted it with outstretched hands. The stack was heavy enough to make you huff and lug it against you for a more comfortable position.
The slight burn in your arms made you switch between the two sides of yourself and you became nosy to peep through the names on the documents. You noted that the papers came stapled together in packets along with names at the top left corner. Some names were recognizable and some were not.
Dr. Octavius
Dr. Connors
Dr. O’ Hara–
O’Hara.
Ah.
You stopped in your tracks as you stared at the name. O’Hara was no stranger by any means. Women and men alike would either fawn or scowl at the mere mention of his name. It was weird how popularity and gossip thrived even in the workforce but you quickly shrugged it off eventually. You'd' only been working at Alchemax for a few months now after moving to Nueva York from your hometown. Despite all that, you’ve gained the pleasure of eavesdropping on your female co-workers shamelessly talking hot gossip between themselves during lab hours about Dr. O’Hara. He was incredibly handsome, no doubt– you’ve seen him yourself. You two have passed by each other since your lunch breaks were fairly close to one another.
It was an uncommon hour, done at an earlier time than most so usually you’d be the only one in the breakroom to collect your lunch. He’d pop in the breakroom with a deep frown on his face, and his glasses sliding down to the tip of his nose. His large frame would swiftly move to the coffee machine and his broad shoulders would essentially cover the entire counter while the buzz of the brewing began. He seemed to be in his own world, staring intently as the brew dripped into his mug. When the machine notified him it had finished, he’d sniff his nose and push his glasses back up on his nose bridge before coughing slightly, taking his mug and exiting the room without another word. He was rarely ever around people and rarely ever smiling– always focused on his job.
His attractiveness was undeniable but he wasn’t much of a talker. You didn’t mind though. You weren’t much one either. So, even though there was a leap in your chest whenever your eyes landed on him, you never really did much outside of it. You’ve thought to yourself many times to maybe strike up a “hello” but even that felt too much. But today, in this moment, with his name plastered on the documents in your hand, you gained an impulsive urge to maybe, possibly talk to him.
There was a huge chance he’d reject you but the adrenaline of the idea was already seeping through your veins and nothing could stop you in this moment. So, you made your way doing your job to deliver these papers as you had a vague idea of where these scientists offices were with the help of a few people you asked along the way. The stack eventually became much lighter as you went through them and soon enough you got to O’Hara’s office.
You faced the door with his name engraved at the top. It was shut closed and you could vaguely hear the click-clacking of the keyboard. With a deep breath and a small pep talk to yourself, you gently knocked on the door with your knuckles. You heard a pause on the other end before the typing continued.
“Come in.” A gruff voice was muffled. You took that as your sign to enter inside, opening the door with a careful squeak on the hinges. Inside was a fairly large room, occupied with various beakers, labels and notes stuck on pin boards around the walls. It was best described as an organized mess evident when he stood up and plucked a clipboard from his other desk under the rubble of scientific clutter before sitting back down at his computer desk. If you hadn’t literally just heard him give access to enter the room, you would’ve thought you trespassed with the way he barely acknowledged your existence.
You craned your neck around to take in his space and ultimately settled your eyes on him. He glanced at both his clipboard and computer screen, probably typing up one of his written reports. You walked over to his side and neither of you spoke. In your mind, a part of you was wondering if this was a good idea and the other part of you realized that he is much much more handsome than the rumors let on. Sure, you’ve seen him but only at a glance. Up close, you noticed he had small wrinkles above his forehead that became prominent when he raised his eyebrows to fix the glasses sliding down his nose. His plump lips pursed slightly when he made a mistake on his computer, furiously pressing backspace. His hair was brown with a tinge of a red hue in them and a bit of stress gray strands of hair. Accompanying it was a small face with a sharp jawline and equally strong cheekbones. It was clear he took care of himself. He really was pretty.
He obviously felt you staring. The silence became unbearable when it was awkward so he coughed that sounded like a grunt. “Did you…need something?” He asked, glancing at you from the corner of his eye. His voice had a soft rumble to it, you noted.
You flinched softly, blinking as he popped you out of your thinking. You fumbled with the papers in your hands, quickly flipping through the files to hand him the one with his name on it. “Dr. Stone informed me to give you these copies of the recent results from the data collected earlier this week,” You offered it to him with one hand while your other hand held the rest of the stack against your hip.
He accepted the papers with a hesitant small nod, taking them carefully and placing it beside him by moving a few knick knacks away. He pushed his glasses back up with his index finger and gave you another neutral look. “Now if there isn’t anything else…” His eyes darted towards the door and back at you, his body prepared to turn back to his work.
“Well, there is this one thing…” You fiddled with the other papers in your hand nervously. “I was thinking maybe, if you'd like to have lunch with me one of these days.” You didn’t look at him, opting out for the colorful sticky notes stuck to the side of his monitor. You wondered what ‘call him’ was about.
He raised an eyebrow at you, his brown eyes studying your face carefully before speaking again. “Lunch?” He repeated, his tone was still on guard. “I don’t remember wanting to have lunch with anyone.”
You knew he was blunt so you didn’t take it too personally, but couldn’t he have been a little nicer? The confidence you had built up was slowly falling apart by the second. You stammered over yourself as you tried to explain with a crack in your self-esteem. “I didn’t mean to assume that you wanted to, just that maybe you’d like to. Although, I guess it would be presumptuous of me to think you’d agree to have lunch with someone you’ve never met before. But I thought it’d be a nice change of pace because I don’t have anyone to have lunch with either,” You realized how that came out and began panicking to explain your explanation. “Not to say you’re like me or anything! You probably have friends. Not probably, you do!” You rambled on and on, tripping over words and realizing that you should’ve never let that random impulse drive your decision making.
O’Hara stared at you for longer than necessary, his eyes looking at your face with a plain look but he was considering your offer. He turned back to face his monitor in his swivel chair, beginning to type again. Without looking at you, he spoke, “Alright. I’ll humor you,” He said. “We can go out for lunch tomorrow. For some fresh air and whatnot.”
A spark of hope bloomed in your chest. Despite the caution in his voice, a smile grew on your face. “Tomorrow? Yeha, great! I-I know this place–a cafe spot. You like coffee, right? They also have tea. They have loads of stuff–I can show you the menu!” Your voice got a bit loud from excitement.
He raised an eyebrow again, trying to hide his annoyance at your enthusiasm. “Coffee’s fine,” He said reluctantly, “but just that. I don’t waste too much time on lunch anyway.”
His annoyance went over your head and you mistook it for acceptance. “Sure! I promise it’ll be good,” You smiled at him. Looking down at the papers, you remembered the reason you were originally here for. “Well, I have to send out the rest of the papers, but I’ll be back tomorrow for lunch.” You let out a small sigh of relief and head to the door, waving excitedly. “Bye!” Giving him another warm smile before exiting the room.
O’Hara shook his head softly and continued working like nothing out of the ordinary happened. However, inside, he was battling with conflicting emotions. Part of him wanted to reject you completely, shutting you and anyone else from pushing his boundaries. This was work after all, but another part of him was curious. He’d seen you before but his brain just blurred your face out with the rest of his co-workers. He sighs and leans back in his chair with his eyes focused on the screen but not reading anything in particular. Taking off his glasses, he tosses them to the keyboard and rubs his face. The unease in his chest wouldn’t go away. It was uncomfortable and he hated it. But he already agreed to it so he had to suck it up. He groaned and picked up his glasses again, placing it on his nose and took a look at the packet of documents you handed him earlier.
Meanwhile, you had a pep in your step since you left O’Haras office. This was progress, you told yourself. For yourself and Dr. O’Hara. You hummed happily while delivering the rest of the papers, buzzing with excitement that maybe, just maybe, something good will come out of this.
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55sturn · 4 months
Text
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ BEEN AWAY
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↳ masterlist!
↳ summary: in which y/n grows tired of chris constantly being whisked away on business trips and taken to fancy parties every weekend, she knows it’s part of the job but it’s taking a heavy toll on their relationship and she can’t take anymore.
↳ pairings: chris sturniolo × female!reader
↳ warnings: swearing, chris is stressed and kind of a dick, mentions of parties, implied sex, i lowkey shit on laura in this sorry not sorry, angst angst angst, oh and more angst!
↳ important things to note: this is completely fictional, i truly don’t think that chris would act the least bit toxic, like the way i’ve portrayed him in this piece or at all!
↳ important notes pt 2: purple text blocks are the lyrics that each part are based off of. during the text section, orange text is chris, and pink text is the reader!
THIRD PERSON POV
“I KNOW I BEEN AWAY, I’M JUST TRYNA GET MY PAPER STRAIGHT GIRL.”
chris sighed as his phone pinged with another text from his girlfriend, with every imessage ping, his heart clenched tighter in his chest.
his trips, more so the business trips that laura and the rest of the triplets’ networking and public relations team were taking them had begun to cause a massive strain on his relationship with y/n.
he would bring her along when he could but laura, his manager was adamant that these trips were meant for the triplets to build their network, so that their brands, the collective one all three shared and their own personal brands could grow and flourish. laura felt that the triplets’ personal relationships had no place in their professional lives and often made a point to exclude their significant others and relationships when planning their trips and events.
so when a trip or event was labelled as something to do with networking, it meant that y/n couldn’t tag along. and most of the time, at these events, the triplets were meant to paint their faces with effortlessly charming smiles and flirt with anyone they could, to gain a good rep.
and while y/n know what those networking trips and events entailed, her knowledge didn’t ease the loneliness and heartache she felt when she’d open up her phone to see backstage footage of the events. her heart would drop as girls would attach themselves to chris, flirting and hanging onto his every word, watching as he’d give the same flirty smile back to them.
y/n sighed tapping cautiously through private snap stories of some influencer party that was taking place, all of the most popular influencers making an appearance and posting about it, per their managers’ requests. as she paused in the middle of larray’s story, she saw chris in the corner, clear as day, talking to some pretty little blonde thing whose hand was on his bicep. rolling her eyes, she opened her texts with her boyfriend.
START OF TEXTS BETWEEN CHRIS AND Y/N
Y/N: when are you coming home? i’m tired and i can’t sleep without you
Y/N: chris???
CHRIS: i know i’ve been gone a while ma
CHRIS: i’ll be home soon, just gotta make a couple more rounds and reach out to ppl and offer to collab
Y/N: you say that every time chris
Y/N: and then you don’t come home until 3 or 4
Y/N: i’m sick of it chris i’m done
CHRIS: come on ma you don’t mean that
Y/N: whatever just be quiet when you get home i’m sleeping on the couch
CHRIS: ma come on, i’ll be home soon
*read 12:31 AM*
START OF TEXTS BETWEEN CHRIS AND Y/N
“THEY JUST WANNA FUCK WITH YOU, CAUSE THEY KNOW I FUCK WITH YOU.”
chris sighed as countless articles flood his screen, random female influencers claiming to be in some sort of lowkey relationship with him, random male influencers trying to get at his girl.
he knew it was only because he had finally announced that he and y/n were together. she had her own fanbase prior to be connected to the triplets and it only grew, but the growth came with overly possessive and protective supporters. and it became like that for chris as well. in theory the over and slightly intense protectiveness was endearing, to an extent.
but the fans created these rumours and let them swirl as a way to try and debunk the announcement of chris and y/n’s relationship, almost as if their respective fans were gatekeeping the two.
“do we say something? should we say something?” y/n mumbled, her face tucked into chris’ chest as they talked about the things metaphorically floating around online.
“no.”
“why not?” y/n piped up, her tone almost defensive and accusatory as she pulled away from his chest, her eyes boring into his.
“they’re only doing it because it’s confirmed that we’re fucking with each other. they wanna mess with us, get under our skin, and cause a rift so that we break up so they can try and swoop in. it’s better to pay those rumours no mind.” chris spoke, his hand rubbing up and down her thigh, squeezing lovingly as his hand reached her hip, letting her know that it was okay.
y/n sat up for a moment, letting his words sink in before nodding and laying back down in her previous position, knowing that she had to trust chris.
“IF I PUT MY TRUST IN YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WOULD YOU JUST STEP OUT? WOULD YOU THUG IT OUT?”
“i need you to trust me y/n! can you do that? can you please just trust me or do you want out of this relationship?” chris yelled, pacing his room as yet another fight broke out between the couple, rumours of chris cheating had been rampant for the last few weeks and it was getting harder for y/n to decipher what was true and what was false.
“i don’t know chris! every day it’s something new about you and some other chick and it’s getting to me! it’s hard to see what’s fake and what’s real right now when the whole online world is against us being together!”
“why are you paying attention to what’s being said online when i am right here telling you myself what’s true and what’s fake?” he yelled back, running his hands through his hair as she cried on his bed.
“chris you literally have to flirt with girls at those parties, what’s stopping it from becoming something real?”
“i don’t know, maybe the fact that i’m with you and not them?”
“chris we met just like that, at some stupid fucking social media party!” she spat, climbing off his bed and grabbing her jacket as he scoffed.
“so you think that just because you and i met that way, it means that i’ll throw away a relationship that means the world to me?” he seethed, laughing dryly as she rolled her eyes.
“no i think that you’ll throw it away because it doesn’t actually mean the world to you.”
“the fuck does that mean, y/n?”
“actions speak louder than words, chris, and you haven’t done a whole lot to show me what i mean to you.” she whispered, grabbing the rest of her things that had been scattered around his room as he shook his head.
“where are you going?”
“i need some space to think chris, we’re not over, but i need to spend a couple nights alone at my place, to calm down and collect myself. you should do the same.” she spoke, her voice small and uneven as she quickly made her exit, leaving chris to think to himself as he flopped down against his mattress.
“DON’T GIVE MY SHIT AWAY, I’M JUST TRYNA GET MY PAPER STRAIGHT, GIRL.”
“c’mon y/n, can’t you just store it somewhere?” chris groaned, trying to focus on the email he was typing up while on facetime with his now ex-girlfriend, y/n who sat on the floor in her apartment, going through a pile of chris’ clothes and other shit that she had rounded up.
“chris i don’t want your shit in my apartment, it hurts to look at it.”
“well whose fault is that?”
“i couldn’t handle it chris, you know that.”
“i know ma, i’m sorry, i’m just stressed and trying to get this email to some fuckin’ company out and i-i can’t do it while you’re sitting on call trying to hide your tears while you’re going through my shit because i prioritized my job over our relationship.” chris whispered, his voice cracked slightly as he looked back at her, watching as she wiped her tears.
“it just hurts so much chris, we should’ve been able to make it through. our love should’ve been strong enough.”
“it’ll be strong enough one day, i just gotta-“
“get through this part of your job, i know chris.”
“so please don’t give away my shit. just store it somewhere until you and i can make it through, okay?”
“okay.”
“THIS PENTHOUSE VIEW AIN’T AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU. DON’T EVER HAVE TIME, BUT I CAN MAKE TIME FOR YOU.”
chris anxiously bounced his leg as he waited for y/n to arrive, he had flown her out to the city he was in for work, and as timid as she was about showing up, she pushed herself to go. she missed him, his smell, his smile, his touch. god missed his hands in hers as they tangled themselves up in the sheets. so instead of being stubborn, she boarded that plane and made her way to chicago.
she stood outside the penthouse hotel room that chris and matt had booked, she felt her stomach turn, she was going to see him again, and god she needed this. with a raised but shaky fist, she rapped her knuckles against the door.
chris and y/n had spent a few hours exploring the city, visiting all the touristy spots that she had been dreaming of seeing for years. once they got back, they both took a hot, steamy shower, and spent their time reminding each other how much they loved one another.
“the view is gorgeous.” y/n whispered, her hair and face tucked into one of chris’ hoodies over a pair of lace panties that left little to the imagination as chris’ arms were wrapped around her waist with his chin tucked into the space between her jaw and shoulder.
“so i talked to laura, told her that i’ll be booking my own networking appointments and trips from now on, i’ll run them by her of course but i told her i’m making my schedule now. and that you’ll be my plus one to every single event, on every trip. you’ll be a part of everything.”
“chris, what?”
“i don’t have much time myself but i made a promise to you and to myself while you were in the flight here, that i will be making time for you. you come before my job from now on.”
“is that why you flew me out here?”
“yeah. you’re my girl and you deserve my time and attention. i’m so sorry i ever made you feel like you didn’t. i love you, ma. you’re more important than flashy trips and parties.”
“i love you chris.” y/n cried, as she turned in his arms and pressing affirm but loving kiss to his lips.
“i got my paper straight ma, it’s our time now.”
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193 notes · View notes
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aita for not letting my friend join my crappy tribute band?
this happened a year ago but i still feel kinda bad abt it. i (14ftm at the time) and my friend, sarah (fake name) (15f at the time) met because we were in the same math class (this was fall 2022). we became decent friends, i never went over to her house or anything but we chatted during class about bands we liked and shit like that
then in spring 2023 i decided i was going to start a mcr tribute band. now i was a HUGE fucking mcr fan, i knew their entire discog (even the stuff that's not on spotify) and could give you a bio of each of their members, i knew all the fan injokes, etc etc etc. i asked some of my other friends (who were also huge mcr fans) to join the band and a few of them joined; to get other members i put up posters around town. the members we still needed were a lead guitarist and a drummer iirc
i told sarah that i was starting this thing because i was super excited abt it and she excitedly asked to join as the guitarist. now, a) sarah only plays acoustic guitar and doesnt have an electric guitar (or didnt at the time) and b) sarah is not a huge mcr fan. she knows, like, their most popular songs and that's it. despite this sarah will call herself "emo" as a joke (which is annoying to me, a Real EmoTM, but that's not what this post is about). i told her no you can't join because i'm looking for people who are like crazy fans (i phrased it a bit nicer lol). she asked a couple more times a few days later but i still told her no...i get that she wanted to join but again she did not know half their discography and i wanted the tribute band to play deep cuts. everyone else who joined was a huge fan like me
now a year later me and sarah are still friends (i took her to a meet me @ the altar concert recently which was fun) and the tribute band kinda fizzled out, we had a few practices over the summer but we had lineup and scheduling issues especially since almost none of us could drive lol
What are these acronyms?
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lcandothisallday · 1 year
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Okay jack concept here: the reader & him dated in the past but even though they broke up his family still talks to her & invite her to a gathering in hopes to get her & jack back together because they know how much they both miss each other & whatever they do works because in the end they’re back together
Promises - Jack Harlow x f!reader
note: damn this is looongg😅 sorry but uh i hope y’all enjoy. haven’t written anything in a MINUTE
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When you moved to Louisville in your senior year of highschool, you never expected to fall in love. In fact, that was the last thing on your mind, hoping to stay focused on your studies in preparation for university—but Jack Harlow was one persistent motherfucker.
“Come on Y/N!” Jack exclaimed as he chased you down the long school hallway, his hand reaching for your arm to stop you from walking away. The last bell finally rung and you were desperate to go home. “Why won’t you give me a chance?” he pouted, looking down at you adorably with his big bulky glasses and his curly hair pushed out of his eyes.
You let out a sigh as you stared up at him. You couldn’t deny that you thought he was cute…but he was the popular guy in school. This had to be some sick joke.“Jack…just drop it—”
“No! Tell me why first!” he insisted. “If you don’t like me or if you think I’m ugly then just say that! I can handle rejection.”
Upon hearing that, your eyes widened. “What? No! Of course I don’t think you’re ugly…I just…why me?” you ask with furrowed brows. “Guys don’t usually like me,” you sigh. “Plus I know guys like you. You’re a player. Only intrigued now because I’m new but when I give in you’ll use me then throw me to the curb for the next girl…that’s why I don’t wanna give you a chance.”
Jack licked his lips, his hands rubbing down his smooth face. “Well the guys where you’re from clearly didn’t have good taste…and I promise it’s not just cause you’re new. Just one date? I won’t hurt you…I promise.”
“One date Jack Harlow. We’ll see how it goes.”
And for the most part, Jack kept his promise. The years went on perfectly. You two managed to fall in love and he was all of your major firsts. You supported him all throughout his career but you always chose to stay private, not wanting to be in the spotlight or public eye which he supported.
And since then too, your relationship with his family grew exponentially. At first his Mom was a bit hesitant, fearing that you’d break his heart but the more she got to know you and spend time with you, you easily became the daughter she never had. She loved you like her own and it wasn’t quite a Harlow family gathering without you being there by Jack’s side.
However, it seemed as though everything changed when he did his Chicken Shop date interview. It was no secret that Jack had a major glowup and that interview in particular sparked the internet’s interest in the upcoming rapper, even being deemed as the new ‘white boy of the month’ and the internet’s boyfriend. That’s when the problems started.
Jack bit his lip in contemplation as he watched you get prepared for bed. You were standing in front of the mirror, finishing up your skincare routine by applying your moisturizer. Once done, you made your way into the bed and raised your brow at your boyfriend.
“Why do I feel like you have something you wanna tell me?” you laughed.
Jack took in a breath and ran a loose hand through his curls. “Look ma—the team thinks you should take down all of our photos together on insta.” You furrow your brows as you turn to look at him.
“Why?”
He lets out a sigh. “They think it’ll be better if we stay private for my brand—” You can’t help but scoff at his response. “Is that what you think too?” you ask him.
Jack groans, “baby it’s what’s best for my career at the moment…it’s better if people think I’m single to keep up that persona they’re going for. Plus you don’t even like being in the spotlight—”
“Yeah but I still like posting my boyfriend,” you interrupt with a frown. “Plus I’m already private on Instagram.”
“Ma, fans always find a way to get that shit even if you're super private,” Jack sighed. “Please baby? They really think it’s better this way. And it won’t change anything about us…I love you and it just means we get to be more private about our relationship without fans getting in the way especially with the sudden interest,” he persuaded sweetly—but it was more like manipulation unbeknownst to you.
You sigh before nodding reluctantly. “Okay…I’ll archive all of the photos of us,” you reassure.
Jack grinned as he swiftly cupped your cheeks and placed a soft kiss to your lips. “You’re the best ma.”
While it did partly not sit right with you that he wanted to hide your relationship from the public, you also heard many celebrity stories of relationships ending because of overbearing fans so you decided for the time being, it was the right choice.
As Jack gained more attention within the industry, he also gained much more attention from women which truth be told, was starting to become a difficulty.
Jack sat on the couch with his head in his hands as he rubbed his temples. “Ma you gotta calm down—”
“No I’m not gonna calm down! You were flirting with her on camera! I keep trying to be understanding of how all of this can help your career but you’re constantly direspecting me either by flirting with other girls or having them up all over you!” you exclaim. “It’s not fair to me.”
Jack let out an annoyed groan. “I told you it meant nothing but gaining a connection! Her team literally contacted me to do a song together so it’s obviously for work!” he yelled.
You take in a breath as your eyes collect with tears. “It still hurts to see Jack! You do it too much now--it's like you enjoy that extra attention,” you say with a shaky voice. “I don’t…I don’t wanna be private anymore. I want people to know you have a girl,” you sniffle.
Jack clenched his jaw and his hands balled up into fists. “I’m not doing this right now Y/N!"
“If you keep acting like you’re single then you’re gonna end up single Jack…”
“Yeah well maybe that’s what the both of us need right now.”
And just like that, a relationship that lasted nearly five years went down the drain and it hurt more than anything you’d ever experienced before. His family took it quite hard, having to get adjusted to you not being around anymore.
Whenever his mom would see you around Louisville, she always made the effort to stop you and spend however long just chatting it up with you. You thought it was adorable and it truly warmed your heart that his family still loved you despite the relationship ending but the reminder still hurt.
This time, you bumped into his mom at the grocery store and she wasn’t going to let you go easily.
“Y/N!” she exclaimed. “Haven’t seen you around in a while!” she continued with a hum. You let out a polite chuckle, hoping the conversation would end quickly.
“It’s nice to see you Maggie,” you say genuinely. “And yeah, I’ve been in and out of the city trying to find a job somewhere more exciting,” you chuckle. Since you didn’t really have Jack anymore to tie you to Louisville, you thought it was best to venture out more for work, either in New York or California.
Maggie frowned playfully, “then we’d be missing you,” she rebutted. You let out a laugh before shrugging. “Nothing keeping me here anymore,” you say, hoping she’d catch the tiny hint. “Even my parents moved back to where we’re from.”
Maggie nodded in understanding and the both of you enter a sort of silence before she spoke up again. “He misses you you know?”
You can’t help but scoff, shaking your head at her comment. “No he does not…he’s happy living the single life he’s wanted since he got signed to his label,” you mumble.
“Sweetheart—that isn’t true—”
“Then why hasn’t he reached out since then?” you ask, eyes beginning to tear up. “It’s been months and if he missed me then he would’ve done…something,” you sigh.
Maggie licked her lips and nodded. “Well we miss you,” she said nonchalantly. “I’ve gotten used to you being around so how about you come over this weekend for dinner?” she suggested.
You instantly shake your head. “I don’t think that’s quite a good idea—”
“You’d be coming for me. Please.”
“But—” as you go to reject once more, you knew that you couldn’t turn Maggie down. “Okay fine.”
Maggie beamed and reached to give you a hug. “I’ll see you Saturday at six then!”
Saturday rolls around and you approach the Harlow house with a heavy and anxious heart. You really didn’t want to be there but you hated to disappoint Maggie. You ring the doorbell and as always, she greets you with the warmest smile and hug.
You cautiously enter and slightly inspect the house for any signs that Jack was home. When you were pretty certain that he wasn’t, you let out a heavy breath of relief and aim to enjoy your time with Maggie.
Meanwhile, Jack, Urban, Druski, and Clay were all sat in the backyard of his home, chatting it up. It was dark out so it wasn’t easy to look out into the backyard from inside the house, but it was much easier to look into the house from the backyard.
“Bro…” Druski began, smacking Jack’s arm to get his attention. “Isn’t that your ex girl?” he asked, pointing towards the window that showed into the kitchen. Jack glanced over and his eyes went wide as he saw you laughing with his mom. “What the fuck?” Jack mumbled under his breath, getting up and storming into the house in frustration.
Upon seeing her son storm in, Maggie smiled knowingly. “Nice of you to join us Jackman,” she hummed.
“What the fuck is she doing here?!” he practically yelled, causing you to wince. Maggie stood her ground and looked at her son sternly. “I invited her to have dinner with us—”
“I didn’t know you’d be here,” you mumble quietly. Jack scoffed. “It’s my parents house—why wouldn’t I be here?” he spat back in question.
You take in a steady breath, your hands slightly shaking from the anxiety you were experiencing. As you go to respond, Maggie steps in. "Mind your manners Jackman. She came out of respect for me because I kept incessantly asking," she stated matter of factly.
Jack could only groan in annoyance, before he waved off his mom. "Whatever man--enjoy your dinner," he mumbled, causing his mother to raise her brows in questions. "Are you not joining us for dinner?"
The curly haired man let out a snarky puff of air before shrugging nonchalantly. "Nah--I've got guests in the backyard," he replied as he walked straight out.
As Jack walked back out through the sliding glass doors to the backyard once again, Urban shot up from his chair with wide eyes. "Dude! What are you doing back out here?" he exclaimed in question and shock. "All you've been doing the past fucking 6 months was sulk around and complain about missing her and now that you've got a chance right in front of you you're psyching yourself out?"
"It's not that easy," Jack mumbled while shaking his head with stubbornness.
“I don’t know what happened in there but this is quite literally your one and only chance to win her back otherwise—”
“Otherwise you’re gonna have to let her go completely,” Druski jumped in matter of factly. “Cos a girl like that sure as hell ain’t gonna wait up on a dude like you forever.” Urban agreed which caused Jack to sigh. He knew they were right—he was just to scared to admit it.
“What if she doesn’t want me? What if she’s been done with me?” he asked.
Urban smirked, “then she wouldn’t be at your house having dinner with your mom dumbass. Now go!” he exclaimed, pushing Jack back towards the back entrance of the house.
Jack slipped in and raised his brow when he saw his mom sitting at the table alone. “Where’s y/n?”
Maggie sighed and pointed towards the front door. “She’s about to leave—said she didn’t feel comfortable staying after upsetting you.”
“Shit,” Jack muttered under his breath, rushing to the front of the house and swinging open the front door. Luckily you hadn’t gotten far, just about to unlock your car and get in. “Y/n can we talk?” he asked exasperatedly, running a hand through his curls that had gotten much longer since the last time you’d seen him.
You let out a sigh and turn to face Jack. “You’ve already said all you needed to. I should’ve respected you and not come and I’m sorry—”
“But I’m glad you came,” Jack interrupted quickly. “I know I didn’t show it in there but I am…y/n I miss you,” he confessed quietly.
You can’t help but scoff. “Yeah well you have a pretty funny way of showing that—”
Jack furrowed his brows, “how did you expect me to react? You showed up unannounced and caught me off guard,” he defended.
You rolled your eyes and the both of you stood silent for a moment before Jack cleared his throat. "Do you miss me too?” he asked, his voice timid.
You let out a sigh. “Even if I did Jack we clearly don’t work.”
“My mindset on all of this has changed. Ever since I dropped the second album and finished up the tour, I realized this life ain’t sustainable and that I needed to be more lowkey…I think part of me needed to experience it first to know,” he explained with a sigh. “I’m sorry it took hurting you to realize that but I know now and I wanna pick up where we left off,” he breathed out, nervous that you’d reject him.
Your brows furrowed at his words. “You’re assuming I haven’t already moved on—”
“You wouldn’t be here if you did,” Jack stated confidently, standing tall as he reiterated what Urban had said earlier.
He had caught you slightly off guard with that statement, causing your face to heat up and for you to be at a loss for words. "T-That doesn't mean I'm ready to jump back into thin--"
"Do you love me?"
"Jack--"
"Y/N, do you love me?" Jack asked again, inching his way closer to you. "You're gaslighting me," you mumbled, narrowing your eyes as you peered up at him.
The curly haired man couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "It really is a simple question," he shrugged. You couldn't deny the heat that came from Jack's body as he moved closer to you, his piercing blue eyes fixated on yours. You could feel his breath on your neck as he whispered, "I want to hear you say it...I need to hear you say it," he sighed softly, damn near begging you at that point from fear of losing you.
Your heart was racing, your mind in a whirlwind of emotions. You wanted to say it, to scream it from the rooftops. But something held you back--the thought of him hurting you again or going back to his ways even after he claimed he worked on himself terrified you.
"Of course I love you," you finally confessed, looking away from him as your cheeks flared up with heat.
Jack's hand cupped your chin, turning your face back towards his. "Look at me," he demanded softly. "I want to see it in your eyes."
You met his gaze, and as the intensity of his stare bore into you, you felt a wave of desire wash over you. He leaned in, his lips dangerously close to yours. "Say it again," he breathed.
"I love you," you whispered, and before you could say another word, Jack's mouth was on yours, his hands roaming freely over your body. In that moment, nothing else mattered except the two of you, lost in a passion that couldn't be extinguished.
Eventually when the two of you pulled away, Jack kept close, resting his forehead against yours. "I'll be better to you, I promise," he spoke against your lips. "I ain't losing you again."
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●●●●●✧.*𝕭𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖋𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖎𝖓 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊✧.*●●●●●
◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙸𝚜𝚒𝚜 𝙳𝚎 𝙴𝚕𝚖𝚒𝚛◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦◦
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(female reader)
♡ I imagine the relationship starting as love at first sight (it might be cliche but I like it-)
♡ I have several different ideas of how you two met.
1. you were hired as Aisha's lady-in-waiting or nanny and bonded over a shared love for Aisha
2. you two met at a royal ball and he became intrigued by your uniqueness (because your quirky and not like the other gir-)
3. arranged marriage (this one is kind of unlikely because his parents don't seem like the type to force him to marry someone)
♡ I see this relationship falling into the sun and moon trope. His bright and cheerful personality perfectly complemented your calm and shy demeanor.
♡ When you first met each other, something about you caught his interest, the only problem was that Isis had no clue what that was.
♡ Thus began the crown prince's investigation. He made efforts to become your friend and learn more about you. As he got to know more about you, he slowly started falling in love.
♡ Despite his cheerful disposition, Isis is no fool. I believe that he would immediately be able to figure out when something is wrong and know just how to fix it. Whether it be offering a solution or just listening to your worries, this man has you covered.
♡ Isis is a very family oriented person, so having his family approve of you would be important. Seeing you spending time with Aisha would make him extremely happy. His two favorite people in the world are getting along?! Yippee!
♡ He learned flower language for you. And gave you a knight's oath. And rented out the empire's most popular restaurant for you.
♡ Everyone's jealous of you because this man is everyone's dream boyfriend. Literally memorizes everything you like and plans the most magnificent dates.
♡ This is kind of short but I'm proud of myself since this is my first Tumblr post. Have a nice day!
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redtsundere-writes · 6 months
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Out Of My League | Kayn Shieda / Rhaast
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Heartsteel!Kayn Shieda / Rhaast x f!reader
Part 2: Shotcalling.
Part 1. Part 3. Part 4.
Sypnosis: A chronically online girl trying to get out of the friendzone. Contents: Modern AU, High school AU. Friends to lovers. Fluff and some angst. No warnings. Word count: 6982 words. Author's Note: So... I wasn't going to post a second part but the guys in AO3 asked for it so here it is as well lol.
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Two months ago, you discovered that your weird online friend, Rhaast, was the famous Kayn Shieda, one of the most popular boys in school. Luckily, this dynamic change just strengthened your friendship. Now, both talked every time you ran into each other in the hallway and played League at night while criticizing people from school on call. You were lucky to have his attention, even if it meant that your jealous classmates glared at you every time you talked too much to him. You loved this new phase, but you knew it would end soon. 
The school year was a month away and that meant two things. The first one was that the famous annual talent show was approaching. It was a farewell event your school organized for the students. It was an important event attended by students and the general public. At first, it was meant to be a one-time event, but thanks to the great reception it became a tradition. Your math teacher liked to encourage students to participate, so he always gave extra credits to those who did. Credits that you urgently needed if you didn't want to take summer classes. 
So here you were, meticulously searching for a simple song that you could play and sing at the same time on Spotify. You weren't the best singer but at least it would be better than just boringly playing guitar. You were lying on a bench in the music room. That oasis where you met Kayn. That embarrassing memory had transformed into a nostalgic one. You were still an introvert and shy, but not with Kayn. 
"Found you," you heard Kayn as he entered the room with his characteristic velvety voice. 
Your heart skipped a beat mercilessly on your chest like the first day. Your hands started to sweat, so you quickly wiped them on your pants. Your lungs were feeling out of breath with every step he took towards you, but you quickly regained your composure. 
"What are you doing here?" You asked while putting your phone aside, pretending that his presence was no big deal. Kayn threw a soda can at you which you skillfully caught. 
"I didn't see you in the cafeteria, so I thought you'd be here," he said. Kayn quickly noticed your guitar. 
He was an observant man, he almost knew your routine by just watching your behavior. The guitar caught his attention because you almost never brought it to school, unless you participated in class and you didn't have music class that day. 
"Are you going to perform at the talent show?" You nodded and sat properly on the bench to drink the soda comfortably. 
"I have to do it if I want to pass math. I'll just play an easy song," you explained before taking a sip. 
"Heartsteel will also perform. That means we are rivals now," Kayn joked as he sat down next to you. You rolled your eyes. 
"It's not fair, you guys have practically have the contest on the bag," you said while frowning. He laughed at how cute you looked when you did that. 
"Do you already have a song in mind?" Kayn asked curiously. He had never heard you sing, so this new side caught his attention. 
"Yes, it goes something like this…" You replied before picking up your guitar again. Your fingers delicately positioned on the strings and you began to play a couple of chords to create a simple melody. 
"Two sides to a story, but never tell my side. Never been the kinda guy to stay inside the guidelines..." You rapped like Kayn did in Paranoia. He laughed when he heard you. Not to mock you, he just wasn't expecting you to know the lyrics. He couldn't stop smiling as you recited his part perfectly.  
"No one can replace me, baby," he commented sarcastically while applauding at your brief presentation. 
"I know, but I am a close second," you said pretending that your ego was as high as his. 
He watched you closely as you mocked his narcissistic personality. He liked that he could be himself when you were around, but he still couldn't let himself go like he wished. 
"What will you do without me?" He suddenly asked in a serious tone, completely changing the fun atmosphere you had created. 
"We've been online friends for 2 years, I'll be fine," you responded with the same tone as you noticed his concern. Kayn shook his head at the response. 
"You know it won't be like before. When I graduate, I will dedicate myself fully to my musical career and I won't have as much time to play or talk with you as we used to," he explained with a melancholic tone. 
The school year was a month away and that meant two things. The second thing was that Kayn, a senior student, would be graduating soon. You would no longer see him singing in the hallways, eating with his friends or playing basketball. Also, he had recently debuted with his band, Heartsteel, and they had recently released their first single. That would mean he would be busier with rehearsals, fan meetings and concerts. Just thinking about it saddens you, but you knew that he was fulfilling his dream and you had to support him. You still had a month left so you had to make the most of it. 
"You worry about nothing," you told him before nudging his arm so he stopped being so tense. 
"You know that I will always be available for you," you smiled at him so he would stop thinking about the future so could focus on the present. 
It was true that you always wanted to be by his side, but he was a star and you had to give him space to shine. If Kayn was happy, you would be. Even if it meant that your delicate heart would be sad in the mornings when you couldn't see him in the sky. 
The school day ended and you were heading back to the music room to retrieve your guitar. You grabbed the sheet music you had written during the break once Kayn went back to his friends, put the notebook in your bag and hung the guitar on your back. You left the room and looked out the window at a scene you hadn't seen in a while. 
Kayn was in front of a beautiful girl. You recognized her easily given her good reputation as the captain of the school’s volleyball team. With just a glance, it was obvious how good they looked together. Did you look like that next to him? Most likely you looked like one of his eager fans. 
She handed him an envelope decorated with hearts and kisses. She was confessing her love to him and he was receiving it. One after another, Rhaast used to tell you that he dated a new girl every week because “there's Rhaast for everyone,” or that's what he always used to say on call. You had already gotten used to seeing that scene in the distance many times when it came to the out of league Kayn, but this time it was different. Because you were close to him, you now felt like you had a chance to confess your feelings with ease and that's why you were jealous of the captain. Now you understood your jealous classmates, you had become one of them. 
If your time with Kayn was limited, you had to make the most of it. You had to confess no matter the outcome. Sure, you were afraid that he would cruelly reject your feelings but you didn't care. You wanted to tell Kayn everything your heart had been locking up since you first saw him. 
If you were going to confess, you were going to do it in Kayn's style. You were going to give him the best confession he had ever seen in his life, so you could stand out among your pretty rivals. You were going to write him a song and perform it in front of the whole school at the talent show. Did you know how to write a song? No. Were you ready to sing your feelings in front of a large audience? Also no, but that would be a problem for the future you. You had to do it to make the most out of the opportunity. 
You watched tutorials on YouTube on how to compose music, you researched how to write romantic lyrics, and you asked your friends on Discord what they thought of how the song was turning out. Some showed their support while others made fun of you, but that didn't matter to you in the slightest. Your confidence was the highest it has ever been and no one could take away your motivation. 
You decided to write a song about how Kayn made you feel every time you saw him, how you couldn't take your eyes off him even if you wanted to, and how you wanted him to look at you like you were the prettiest girl in the room. You wrote him a song to show him how bad you wanted him compared to the other girls. 
One night, Kayn sent you a message while you were focused on writing. You ignored your computer because you were repeating a verse that didn't convince you how it sounded with the beat. 
Kayn was in his dark messy room. The glow of his computer dimly illuminated his pale body. He frowned when he noticed that you didn't answer him as quickly as you usually did. He sent another message to get your attention, but this one was also ignored. “She better be showering or else,” he thought, annoyed. Minutes passed by and you showed no signs of life. Kayn had no choice but to send another message... which you didn't answer. This was really rare in you. “Is she mad at me?” he thought before starting to analyze everything he had said or done to find out the reason for your strange attitude towards him. 
“Damn, what did I do?” he asked himself, starting to worry. He got up from his gaming chair to walk anxious from side to side through the gloomy room. “Maybe she's talking to someone else,” he thought, looking at your Discord chat. Out of nowhere, a shirtless K'Sante walked into the room. 
"Hey, Kayn, can I borrow some of your shampoo? I ran out of mine," he asked with a towel hanging over his broad shoulder. 
"Do you think she hates me?" Kayn asked without taking his eyes off the unread messages. “What this have to do with shampoo?” K'Sante thought, confused. 
"Why would she hate you?" he asked, unsure if he wanted to participate in the conversation. 
Kayn trusted K'Sante when it came to talking about girls because he was the one who gave the best advice out of all the members of Heartsteel. 
"I don't know! I already sent her three texts and she doesn't answer me!" Kayn cried, desperate for attention. K'Sante sighed as he shook his head. 
"You're overreacting," he said, getting fed up with his friend's nonsense before closing the door. Kayn huffed and settled back down in front of his computer. 
Eventually you were able to rewrite the verse that bothered you so much and thus you finished writing the lyrics of the song. You checked your phone and were surprised to see Rhaast's messages. 
@Rhaast: League or what? (10:30 pm)
@Rhaast: Heeeyyyyy (10:38 pm)
@Rhaast: YOU CAN'T BE BUSY, I'M YOUR ONLY FRIEND!! 😞 (10:45 PM)
You didn't hesitate to call him as soon as you read those messages. Rhaast answered you almost immediately. 
"What did I do to deserve your coldness?" he asked, annoyed at you. “What's up with him?” you asked yourself. 
"Nothing, I was just busy," You said as you searched in your room for an excuse to give him other than “I was writing a love song for you.” 
"I was doing homework, Mr. Smith left us so many problems to solve," you said as seriously as possible to lie the best you could. 
"You better, you said you would always be available for me," Kayn refuted, less angry this time. 
"I'm sorry I have a life outside of you," you responded sarcastically. 
"I will always be part of your life!" he barked. Kayn was grateful that you couldn't see his cheeks slightly blushing for saying that so boldly. You smiled and shook your head. 
"Yeah, yeah... Are we going to play or are you going to keep yapping?" You mocked him before opening the game. Kayn sighed in relief after realizing you weren't upset with him. 
The talent show was two weeks away. You were practicing the song you had written in the music room. It was 5 pm. There were almost no students in school, so you felt comfortable practicing without interruptions. Your fingers slid along the strings to play the melody that you had worked so hard to compose. You sang what your heart wanted to say to Kayn but was too of a coward to do so. You were in your element.
"It doesn't sound bad,'' a voice said behind you out of nowhere. You screamed in shock and turned around quickly to see Kayn's friend, Yone, standing in the doorway. You were relieved that at least he wasn't your crush. 
You didn't know much about Yone. He was one of the popular kids in school thanks to his height, handsome appearance, and his piano skills. He was also a very important member of Heartsteel because he was the main producer and songwriter. You only knew that because Kayn talks about him from time to time to complain about how uptight and serious he could be.
"I'm s-sorry, I was-sn't expecting anyone here," you stubbornly said when you saw the handsome boy with white hair and red highlights, a perfectly sculpted face and a great presence enter the room. He approached you while analyzing you from head to toe. 
"Did you compose that?" He asked skeptically before taking your sheet music notebook. 
"Ah y-yes, it's the firs-st one I w-write," you responded, avoiding his intense gaze as he flipped through your sheet music and notes. 
Yone knew perfectly well who you were. You were Kayn's closest friend, which is already a pretty impressive title considering Kayn has no friends. He might have many acquaintances, but he could count his true friends with one hand. He knew you were nice, funny, good at playing League and liked to play guitar. Yone didn't really care, but Kayn couldn't stop talking about you. He was surprised at your apparent interest in writing music since his friend had never mentioned it. 
"Is it for Kayn?" He asked directly about the song. Your eyes widened at how quickly he deciphered the lyrics.
"What?! Of course not!" You blurted out blushing. Yone gave you a dubious look as he handed your notebook back. 
"By the color of your face, I can determine that you are lying" Your head fell in defeat. 
"Please don't tell Kayn. It's a surprise," You begged. Yone nodded in camaraderie. As a songwriter, he understood that songs are sacred and confidential until one wishes to share them. 
"Your song has potential, is it the one you will perform in the talent show?" he inquired. You just nodded. His serious expression did not allow you to decipher his true intentions. 
"Do you think Kayn will like it?" You asked him with a light blush running down your cheeks in awkwardness. Yone thought about his answer. 
"I've never seen Kayn listening to a romantic ballad, that sounds more like Ezreal's style," Yone answered as he approached one of the storage lockers in the room. The reason he was there was to get back some amplifiers he had lent to a classmate.  
"But I can help you produce something he will like," he offered before stuffing the amps into his backpack. 
"Will you really help me?" You asked excitedly. 
"I like supporting new artists and I think I can polish the rough diamond you have in your hands," he explained, pointing to the music sheet. You smiled and thanked his kind offer. 
And like that, the days went by. Yone would invite you to his production room from time to time to work on the song. Together began to change some verses so that the lyrics flowed better. Yone changed your acoustic guitar for an electric one. You recorded your voice while he worked on uniting all the sounds to create a song so you could proclaim your love. 
Both were listening to the final version of the song. It was direct and fierce. The sound of the guitar next to the drums was made to catch anyone's attention, but it would definitely catch Kayn's. When it finished, you applauded the wonderful job Yone had done. 
"It's such a bop!" You shouted excitedly, unable to believe that you were the one singing. 
"Kayn won't know what hit him when I perform this bad boy!" You said enthusiastically. Yone smiled softly seeing you with so much energy, something that was unusual in you. 
"Can I ask you something?" Yone said. You looked at him curiously.
"Why don't you just tell him this in private? Why composing  and singing a song in front of everyone? Doesn't sound like something you'd do," Yone asked.
"Because I want him to look at me the way I look at him when he's on stage. I want him to see that I understand him and that I'm cool as well so that he wants to be with me," you explained with a smile plastered on your face thinking about his reaction. Yone nodded before saving the song file to his computer. You got up from your seat to grab your things. 
"You have something else to do?" You asked him. Yone said no. 
"I'll treat you to a coffee, it's the least I can do after tolerating me these couple weeks," You invited. Yone giggled. 
"Believe me, Kayn and the guys are lucky they're talented." He said tiredly. You just limited yourself to laugh. 
Both arrived at a coffee shop near Yone's apartment and ordered delicious drinks. You sat on a comfortable couch to enjoy your coffees while bossa nova covers played in the background. You liked Yone, he could be serious and a little bitter, but he was very kind. It was like you were hanging out with a cat. 
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Yone asked while shaking his cold brew so that the ice would cool the coffee he was about to drink. 
Tomorrow was the talent show. Your nervous body was shaking but your mind was excited to finally show Kayn what you've been working on for him. 
"Yes, I'll practice all night and put on a nice outfit," you answered confidently. Yone sipped his drink as he watched you excitedly talking about your outfit choices. “I hope Kayn doesn't ruin it” he thought as he focused on seeing you smile. 
The bell that indicated the entry of new customers into the cafe rang. To both of your surprise, it was the other members of Heartsteel, Kayn among them. Your body froze and you looked at Yone worried but he was as calm as always. You tried telepathically telling him not to say anything about the song, but he already knew that. Sett became aware of your presence as soon as he entered. 
"Hey, Yone. I thought you said you'd be busy," Sett said as he approached you and the other members followed him. 
Kayn didn't know what to say as soon as he saw you sitting so closely to Yone. "What's going on here?" he wondered as his gaze bounced between you and his friend. You looked nervous, like you had been caught red-handed. 
"I was busy," Yone answered, pointing in your direction. 
"Doing what exactly?" Kayn questioned, placing himself in front of both of you. You were going to answer but Yone beat you to it. 
"I'm helping her with her performance for the talent show," Yone explained calmly. 
"That's true?" Kayn asked you directly with a grim expression. 
"Yes, he has helped me a lot," you responded nervously, which Kayn obviously noticed. 
He knew you were lying. You were a terrible liar. Kayn needed to know what was really going on. 
"Really? Because it seems like you lovey doveys are on a date," Ezreal stirred the pot without knowing. Aphelios whack him for saying such thing. 
Date. That was the word that broke Kayn. “Are they really on a date?” He thought as if he couldn't understand the situation when it was so obvious. Yone and you being alone, him suddenly being busy the last two weeks without telling anyone what he was doing, and that time where you took a while to answer his messages. It was as if Kayn had finally put the whole puzzle together but he was forcing pieces into the incorrect places. “They're dating” he convinced himself that what was in front of him was reality. 
"I have to go," Kayn said suddenly before quickly leaving the premises. No lame excuses, he just left. 
You noticed that something wasn't right when Kayn slammed the door of the establishment, so you got up and left after him without apologizing to anyone. You went out into the street and looked for Kayn to see which way he had taken. To your surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. “He's fast,” you thought before heading to the right… when Kayn had gone left. 
After not being able to find him, you sent him a Discord message to make sure everything was okay but he didn't reply. You decided to leave him alone and see him at the talent show. “Maybe he's just jealous that I became friends with someone else” you thought, trying to find the logic in Kayn's illogical behavior. 
The day of the long-awaited talent show had finally arrived. The school auditorium was filled with students, family members and journalists waiting to see an incredible show. Your nervousness and anxiety increased as soon as you entered backstage. Beautiful girls in pretty leotards, guys going over their lines and clowns bombarded your field of vision and you didn't know who to see. You held tightly the strap of the electric guitar case that Yone had lent you for the performance. You took a deep breath and entered the place. 
You ran into the Heartsteel members among all the contestants. Everyone was there except Kayn. “That's weird” you thought. Ezreal and K'Sante complimented your black dress when they saw you, you thanked them while stuttering because you hardly knew them. Yone asked you how you felt and you told him that you would do your best. 
"We'll go bowling after the contest, do you wanna come?" Ezreal asked excitedly. You looked around wondering if Kayn was coming. 
"Kayn is going," Yone commented to reassure you. In that case, you accepted. 
Just then, you heard Kayn's voice behind you... along with the laughter of a girl. He entered backstage holding the volleyball captain by the waist. They looked good together. Too good. Your breathing hitched and your heart broke when you saw them so close together. 
"See you later, beautiful." Kayn said goodbye to her as he released her so she could go with the girls in her group. 
Their gazes met. Kayn's heart sped up when he saw you in that pretty dress that allowed him to see your nice legs while yours felt like it was fading little by little. He approached you to look at you closely, trying not to say anything flirty.  
"First time I see you in a dress, good for you," Kayn commented, pretending he didn't care about your glow up. "That's all?" you asked yourself, remembering how indecisive you were picking out an outfit the night before. So much effort and all for nothing. At that unenthusiastic reaction, you only thanked in a whisper. 
"Hey, Kayn. You’re going bowling with us, right?" Sett asked. Kayn held his forehead dramatically. 
"Oh man! I forgot about it! I just invited a super hot chick on a date," he flexed. You couldn't keep listening to him. You needed to get out of there. 
"I'll go deliver my sound," you said before quickly leaving. You could feel everyone's eyes on you as you walked away, causing the anxiety to take over you. 
The Heartsteel members glared at Kayn. Everyone was confused by his asshole attitude. It wasn't new of him, but they had never seen him act like that with you. Yone was the one who was the most pissed off. 
"What are you doing?" Yone asked as he crossed his arms. 
“Nothing, I just said that I won't be able to go bowling tonight,” Kayn answered obviously as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. 
"Don't act oblivious." Yone scoffed, approaching him suddenly. K’Sante stepped between them to prevent the situation getting physical. 
"Guys, we just signed a contract, we can't fight now." K'Sante said trying to lighten the situation. 
"I didn’t do anything. I don't know why you care so much," Kayn said, ignoring his friend's comment.
"It's obvious you tried to hurt her," Yone said, pointing out his clear intentions. 
"Good for you. This way you'll have another excuse to go out with her," Kayn barked. Aphelios rolled his eyes when he discovered the reason for his attitude. 
"I knew it was about that," Yone said, walking away from K'Sante to make it clear that he had no intention of fighting. 
"If I had known you would act like an idiot, I wouldn't have helped her," he said seriously. Kayn was surprised to hear that. 
"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked, calmer, but still tense. 
"You'll have to listen to it yourself." Yone said before heading to one of the sound booths with Aphelios. Kayn just watched them in disbelief, still processing the information he had just heard. 
"Kayn, you must set your pride aside or it will eat you alive," K'Sante advised him before patting him on the shoulder a couple of times. Kayn felt lost. He didn't even know what he was doing or why he was doing it. 
Your mind was a mess. You hadn't stepped foot into the ring and you had already been knocked out. How had you gotten to this point? A few months ago, Kayn was just another cute boy and it was enough for you to just see him from time to time at school. Now you were here, holding back the urge to cry to avoid ruining the makeup you had done for him and that he didn't even appreciate. You were waiting for your turn to perform while you were tempted by the idea of ​​going home. “I'll just play and leave” you thought as you prepared the guitar. 
"You look nervous," someone next to you commented. It was Kayn. You dodged his gaze so he wouldn't see you sad. 
"I'm fine," you lied. He realized. “Now she is really upset?” he thought worried. You weren't just upset, you were disappointed in yourself. How could you be so stupid to think you had a chance just because you were talking to him now? 
"I like to think that I am in a place that I really like when I perform. Just think that you are practicing there and you will be fine," He advised you as he patted your head. 
Given the intimate move, you decided to take a peek at him. Kayn was smiling at you. This time it wasn't a mocking or flirtatious smile, it was a genuine and calm one. He was proud of you. Now you remembered why you had worked so hard on the performance. You wanted to see that look he was giving you in that precise moment. “Please never stop looking at me like that” you thought. 
The host brought you back to reality. Your turn had finally arrived. You took a deep breath and walked onto the stage. The applause of the audience received you warmly as you positioned yourself in the center with your guitar. You glanced at Kayn, who looked at you expectantly. “A place that I really like…” you quoted, thinking about the music room. You imagined yourself sitting on the bench with Kayn in front of you, waiting for you to play the first note. 
♫ This is the last chance. The only one where my soul overflows. ♫
Your fingers trembled as soon as you started, but you tried to maintain your composure. The drums sounded behind you so that your guitar was the center of attention and the piano accompanied your voice. The beating of your heart agitated you but the memories with Kayn calmed you. 
♫ Want to look you in the eyes. You are the lust that never managed to satisfy. ♫
Kayn watched you from the side, not believing what his ears were listening to. His eyes went up and down observing your anatomy. He wanted to tattoo your image in his mind so that he would never forget it. Kayn was speechless, but he didn't want to say anything because he just wanted to listen to you. 
 ♫ My engine revs when you're around. You set me on fire and I consume myself again. ♫
"She worked really hard on it," Yone mentioned approaching Kayn as music exploded from the speakers. Kayn looked at him stunned. 
"You knew," He said, finally completing the entire puzzle with the pieces in the correct places. 
"She composed it herself. I just helped with the instrumentalization," Yone explained without taking his eyes off you like a proud teacher. 
"We never went on a date. She's crazy for you," he continued. Kayn just smiled at that.  
♫ Give me a kiss, I’m only asking for one, my love. ♫
You sang from your heart. You no longer cared if Kayn stopped talking to you and left with the captain. You finally felt free. More than singing, you proclaimed each verse you had written with a passion that you didn't know you had inside. You loved Kayn, you loved him very much and you wouldn't stop loving him until he gave you a good reason to do so. You wanted to be always with him even if you were just friends.
♫ Stop my suffering. Stay with me. ♫
You played the last note and the applause rained down on you, but there was only one that truly mattered. You looked at Kayn applauding you, not caring if his hands were hurt from the impact. A sigh of relief escaped from your lips when you saw that he liked it.
You returned backstage to more applause coming from your classmates and Heartsteel. You smiled shyly as you placed the guitar on your back. 
"Wow, you really know how to rock!" Sett exclaimed, fascinated. 
"Thank you, I wouldn't have done it without Yone," you acknowledged him before looking at Kayn, making it clear to him that there was nothing between you. 
"You looked amazing, I knew you would do great," Kayn said before ruffling your hair in a friendly manner. You couldn't help but smile at the attention he was giving you. 
"Finally, what everyone has been waiting for! Let's welcome Heartsteel to the stage!" The host announced. 
"It's our turn!" Sett said excitedly as the members walked out onto the fierce stage. Kayn stayed back for a second.
"I want you to look at me," Kayn requested seriously before following them. You could only nod obediently. 
♫ Two sides to a story, but they never tell my side. Never been the kinda guy to stay inside the guidelines. ♫
The iconic melody began to play. The audience went crazy and people were singing excitedly. Several of your classmates crowded next to you to watch the performance. “Kayn looks great as always” you thought as you watched him rap with his cool flow. 
"I love you, Kayn!" A girl next to you shouted that you didn't see before because you were stunned by Kayn's performance. 
It was the captain. Kayn's girl. “Here we go again…” you thought before the avalanche of insecurities took over your body again. While listening to Paranoia, you realized something. “I already did what I had to do, now I can go home” you thought as you turned around and disappeared among the tsunami of students. 
♫ They prayin' for the death of the rockstar. ♫ 
The song ended. The members' ears were greeted by the roar of the public. Everyone was happy, even Kayn... until he realized that you weren't among the people applauding. You had abandoned him. A panic sensation took over his body and he needed to act immediately. He didn't hesitate to run off the stage to go after you. 
“You're so dumb, it's like you've never dealt with a woman before!” he thought, annoyed with himself before leaving the auditorium. His eyes searched for you in panic. If he let you go, he would lose you. He ran all over campus looking for you. He was grateful to have an athletic body so he could run at full speed after an energetic performance. 
He finally left campus and saw you sitting on a bench waiting for the bus that would take you home. You looked sad, as if you were holding back tears. Kayn ran over to you and pulled you out of your seat so you would get up. 
"I told you... to look… at me!" He said angrily with his voice cracking from fatigue. You were so shocked by the state he was in that you forgot you were about to cry. He was bathed in sweat, his hair was messy, and he had lost one of his piercings. 
"But I did see you, you did great," You said, confused. His hands wrapped around your wrists tightly carefully so he wouldn’t hurt you. It was like he was afraid you would run away again.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, catching his breath. 
"I'm going home. What are you doing here? The captain must be waiting for you," You asked, still confused. Kayn took a deep breath and looked into your eyes. He was ready to confess his crimes. 
"I lied. I don't have a date tonight. I was just jealous of Yone and wanted to make you feel the same. I'm sorry," He confessed heavily, feeling guilty for his actions. 
"What?" Your eyes widened at that unexpected revelation. 
"The girl is from my class and is a Heartsteel fan. She wanted help getting closer to Yone," he sounded like he regretted his actions, as if he were about to cry as well. You couldn't believe what you were hearing. 
"You look so hot. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you," he said with a mischievous smile as if that was going to fix something when you were still more lost than a child alone in a busy mall on Christmas. 
"What?" You repeated, not knowing what to say. Kayn took your hand and pulled you to him. 
"Let's go somewhere more private." He said as he guided you. 
The school was empty because everyone was in the auditorium. Kayn ended up leading you to the music room. It was becoming a habit for both to meet there from time to time. A custom that, unfortunately, would last only a little longer. You left your guitar in the entryway as you watched Kayn trying to find the best words to start the conversation. 
"Do you know why my relationships don't last?" He asked, embarrassed. 
“Don't say it, don't say it '' you repeated to yourself in your mind. You knew perfectly well the reason. His girlfriends didn't last long because he had a mad personality. You had listened to Rhaast complain about his countless girlfriends for over two years, thinking how lucky you were to not fall into his charisma. Oh, how the tables turn, huh?
"Because you are... an idiot?" You finally responded. “Shit, I said it!” You scolded yourself. Kayn let out a malicious chuckle. 
"An idiot you wrote a song for," He finished off and destroyed you. You felt like your soul detached from your body and it didn't know how to get back. Your head hang in surrender. 
"Did Yone tell you?" You asked with a thin voice. 
"In the end, I was right. You're crazy for me," he said, still smiling to himself, but his serious expression returned when he remembered why he had brought you in the first place. It wasn't time to flirt. 
"But you're right, I'm an asshole. That's why everyone cuts me off when they realize. I'm not patient, I'm rude, I hate a lot of people, I drive like a maniac, I don't like being bombarded with attention but I also don't like not being given attention, and well, you know, a lot of other things..." He explained, still embarrassed. This caused him to recap in his mind every girlfriend he had in the past. 
"Most girls approach me because of how cool I look and am, but they break up with me when they realize who I really am," he explained. 
He also explained that this not only happened with girls, but also with ex friends. He told you that he used to be in another band before Heartsteel and that they kicked him out because he was a “troublemaker.” It was the first time you saw Kayn open up in such a way. He finally felt comfortable enough to vent to you. 
"Then I met you. We've been talking for two years and you never judged me when I thought I could never change who I am. Today you showed me that I can. I just needed motivation to do so, and that's you," he said before reaching out to take your hands. It was something he had done before, but this time felt different. It's like he was finally holding a valuable and fragile object. 
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, it's just that I couldn't bear losing you like the others. You are the most important person in my life," he said as he tenderly caressed your knuckles with his thumbs. 
The information was still being processed in your mind. You didn't know how to react, you still couldn't believe that Kayn thought that way about you. You were relieved that you at least had a special place in Kayn's mind, in his heart you didn't know, but in his mind it was obvious. 
His hands cupped your flushed cheeks. Kayn looked into your eyes, then lowered his gaze for a second to your lips and then brought it back up again. His thumbs caressed your skin with a tenderness you didn't think he was capable of. 
"I want you to be by my side forever," He whispered so that you were the only person in the world who could hear him. Your heart began to jump with joy upon hearing that your most precious wish was being granted to you. 
His touch felt like a dream, his eyes gave you warmth and his words were full of hope. You whispered his name, letting him know that you wanted the same thing. Kayn bravely reduced the distance between you. His lips brushed against yours and you felt like your feet were no longer touching the ground. 
Kissing Kayn was like sailing through a storm. His kisses were fierce and volatile but his hands running along your waist gave you security so you could enjoy the adrenaline. You hugged him by the neck to get closer to him, melting into each other. Kayn deepened the kiss, causing you to step back until your back hit the wall behind you. 
Even though he already had experience with other girls, Kayn was enjoying every second as if it were his first time. Their lips moved in sync as if you had done this before. He didn't hesitate to stick his tongue inside your mouth which caught you off guard because you didn't have much experience, but you trusted him and just let yourself go. 
Kayn ran his hands over your body without any shame. He didn't care at all if anyone saw you, he wanted to enjoy that first kiss to the fullest. The fingers of his right hand tickled your hips while the other one grabbed your butt tightly. It was the first time Kayn felt so grateful with the gods to be with someone as cool and patient as you. 
"Kayn, don't do that... Ouch!" You scolded him as soon as he bit your neck. He coldly planned to leave you a deep purple hickey for everyone to see. You tried to stop him but the vampire didn't want to leave your neck alone. He only stopped because his phone started ringing. He reluctantly moved away from your neck to answer. It was Ezreal. 
"Hey, Kayn! Where are you?! We won the cont-!" Kayn hung up on him because he had more important matters to attend to. 
"Kayn! Don't give me a hickey! My mom can see it!" You scolded him as he looked at you tenderly. He couldn't take you seriously when your face looked like a tomato. He silenced you with another kiss that you gladly received. 
Finally, he was all yours. You have achieved it, how? You still didn't know exactly how but you were happy with the result even though you thought he was out of your league. 
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magenta-embers · 6 months
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My Jikook Journey
Part 2 of my intro.
From "multi-shipper" to "...wait a goddamn minute."
This will be a messy and detail-lacking overview because I could easily do an individual post on each thing I mention here and delve deeper (AMA!).
When I became an ARMY in 2018, I was excited about the treasure trove of fanfics now available to me. The ship didn't really matter, but my bias was/is Jimin (bias wrecker Tae then) so the very first fic I read was a vmin camping one (there was only one sleeping bag, gasp!). For me, shipping meant I'd read fanfics or save fanart of certain pairs together because in a fictional sense/in another universe, they make a good couple. I think this is a healthy approach, keeping that boundary between reality and fiction.
When I mentioned to my k-pop fan step-sister that I was reading vmin, she gave me a weird look. She said taekook is THE ship of BTS, which confused me because vmin seemed to be closer and have better chemistry than Tae and JK. Turns out, she was right. Searching by most kudos on ao3, you get a shit ton of taekook. I accepted it readily and just thought I must be missing something since I was a baby ARMY, so I read those super popular fics and started to enjoy taekook too. I started to focus more on them because... it felt like that was what I was supposed to do.
It's a common problem, isn't it? Baby ARMY who are open to shipping are quickly found and "guided" to taekook before they have a chance to glance in another direction. If they try, taekookers, who are the majority in the shipping sphere, will convince them that taekook is THE ship. Even if they aren't ARMY (my step-sister), they know that much. As a new fan, you just want to fit in, so you'll go along with what's most popular. Some people eventually find their own way, but many don't. Asking questions is vital, but if you do it aloud, you risk getting attacked by a small but extremely aggressive portion of the most infamous fanbase.
Even back then while just innocently reading any well-written fic I could get my hands on, I noticed that Jungkook was usually portrayed as a lot edgier and darker than he really was (manifested the 2023 JK aesthetic) and Taehyung was constantly portrayed as... Jimin. Especially in fan art. For some reason, a lot of the time, the appearance/vibe/personality of Taehyung was truer to Jimin than to himself, and that confused me. "Why not just make it Jungkook x Jimin?" I kept seeing them trying to force Taehyung into the dynamic that Jimin has with Jungkook when their own dynamic was perfectly fine.
Slipping down the pipeline, I started to watch taekook moments/analysis videos because I thought gotta be missing something, right? That's how I found out people are convinced they're dating, and it wasn't just a fun fic/art thing. The videos themselves were... something. There were just way too many red circles, too much slow-mo, and too much mind-reading going on for me to take any of it seriously. Plus, the moments that weren't exaggerated were just close friend skinship. Hell, Taejin were doing more sus shit together than taekook.
And yet people insist on taekook even when taekook do nothing to insist on themselves.
At this point, it was deep into 2019. Jikook were wilding in 2019. Even I was noticing all the... little things that made me raise an eyebrow. The touches that lingered just too long in rather intimate areas, the fond/awed looks at each other, the shameless flirting, the complete lack of physical boundaries, and the normalness of it all between them. That's telling. Even though I was mainly a taekooker with a shit ton of fanart and fics saved to my phone, if you looked at my liked YouTube videos around that time, I had jikook moments videos saved, not taekook, because their moments were just more fun/juicier to watch overall. They just interacted differently than they did with other members.
A quick example would be a video compilation of taekook holding hands. Sure, they're holding hands, maybe even interlocking fingers, but they're usually standing side by side and looking in different directions or just having a neutral expression. But if you watch a jikook one, not only is it much longer, but it's just different. I feel like I'm interrupting sometimes. Even in such a simple action like holding hands, there's a softness, an intimacy there that doesn't exist in taekook. Jikook wouldn't just be holding hands (usually for absolutely no reason), they'd be looking into each other's eyes, smiling sweetly, fully turned toward each other, attention completely captured by the other. How can I explain the look in their eyes? It just doesn't exist with vmin, yoonmin, jihope, etc.
Sidebar: All of those pairs have flirty/sus moments as most really close friendship dynamics do, but they're lighthearted to me and never invoked a true sense of.... whoa whoa whoa, hang on. If Jungkook and Jimin were my close friends IRL and I saw the way they are together, my alarms would go off. As either, "Oh my god, they're fucking," or "Oh my god, they wanna fuck each other." People always say, "Oh, Jimin's like that with everyone." No. No, he's not. Pay attention. Really pay attention to the differences in the dynamics between members. None of them have the "same" relationship. Especially pay attention to how the rest of the members react to Jikook.
Anyway,
So here I was noticing this... deeper intimacy in simple interactions with those two (because I'm a human being with eyes and life experience), and yet my Twitter timeline would just dismiss them entirely. "I love their friendship," "Wow their brotherhood is so beautiful," and "They're all so close," and normally these statements wouldn't bother me because technically they're true, but I started noticing that taekook or yoonmin would brush shoulders and everyone would be like, "Omg taekook/yoonmin married/boyfriends/real," over nothing. Their moments are cute/sweet/funny, but never more than that. The blatant hypocrisy did frustrate me a little, but ultimately I didn't overthink it; I didn't want to be delulu or look too deeply into anything because I still thought I must be missing something. Taekook is the most popular for a reason, right? Right?
But Taekook died for me when Tae told Taekookers to get out of their imagination. I respected that from him and took it at face value. It was the most aggressive shutdown of shipping we've ever had. I couldn't brush him off. It's disrespectful. He's uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, over the next couple of years, Jungkook and Jimin only got more suspicious in the minor interactions and in the big staple moments. Rosebowl. Hickeygate. Etc. Everyone was bending over backward trying to explain away the things these two did with each other, and it's always the same excuses. I was also trying extremely hard to think of any reason other than the simplest one because I didn't want to be delulu.
Because there was no way two members of a boyband were actually in a long-term relationship together. Especially in a conservative country.
Ridiculous. Unrealistic. Delulu.
I was basically telling myself in a mirror that they were just extra super duper close friends with muddy boundaries that meant sucking ears and giving neck hickeys was okay. I did allow there to be the thought that, maybe they're friends with benefits and that unavoidable intimacy now bleeds through into their regular interactions.
That opinion carried until 2023.
Isn't that funny?
2023.
The year so many jikookers gave up and bemoaned that those two weren't close anymore or had broken up is the year that finally convinced me.
What tipped me over?
Jungkook's vlives.
The way he kept watching videos of Jimin when he could just phone him. It reminded me of me watching Jimin, but I'm just a fan; I watch those videos because it's the only way I can appease my yearning to be close to and connected to Jimin, and absorb everything that he does or says or is.
Jungkook doesn't have that limitation, so why's he sitting there like a lovesick puppy with the fondest/most loving eyes when he could have Jimin over with just a call? Why's he sitting there looking like he's also yearning for something he can't have like us, the fans, when he can have it? He has Jimin's number. You don't need to watch yourself tease Jimin. You can just go do it. Just text him, bro.
It felt like he just wanted to bask in Jimin without interruption, without distraction, without having to force his attention elsewhere. Beyond being incredibly sweet, it also felt like Jungkook was making a statement, a point, because he kept doing it. Why? Is he somehow obsessed with his friend and bandmate whom he's seen almost every day for over a decade? If it was to promote him, he really didn't have to do all that? He didn't do it for the others, not to that extent.
Watching Jimin, talking about Jimin, singing Jimin's songs, fkn playing Letter on guitar. (The naked vlive flirting session? Lord, what.)
The man kept having vlives with a significant Jimin focus. He insisted on it enough times that it felt like he was trying to slap some sense into me. His insistence bothered me enough for me to finally do a deep dive into jikook.
Down the rabbit hole, I went. The more I learned, the more my jaw dropped. Where the fuck was all this info on my timeline when these motherfuckers were celebrating the most basic kpop boy interactions as if they were wedding vows? I even ended up seeing pictures/info we as fans were never meant to see at the bottom of that hole. If you know, you know.
Eventually, I ended up on this video (bless this fucking channel).
youtube
I want everyone to understand that I had zero knowledge of established relationship timeline theories. I went into this video blind, just trying to find the point in time when JK started to warm up to Jimin. That's not what I found. I found something so much better.
Especially 2013-2015 had me in awe. I think I cried. Jimin and Jungkook had a fattest, cutest mutual crush on each other. Absolutely. And because they were young, not that famous, and still rookies with media and camera training, we get a lot of insight into those two that we wouldn't get in later years when they learned how to mask and behave more "idol"-like. Jimin was especially loud, almost sadly loud. If you haven't watched the timeline of at least those early years, I implore you to. It actually blew my mind and broke/healed my heart. It's really bittersweet to see two teenage boys with little to no experience in anything romantic trying to come to terms with themselves while also coming to terms with each other. It's like watching a coming-of-age romance movie.
I saw clear shifts from when the relationship hit turning points in certain years. I proposed a timeline in my head based on that. Imagine my fucking surprise when I found out other people have also come up with timelines, and more surprising yet, they were all unbelievably similar to mine, down to what changed in what half of the year. I, who had no previous knowledge that this was even a thing. I just noticed it all on my own. We were all seeing the same thing. The same changes. No red circles, no slow-mo, no mind reading. It's all in the body language.
I panicked a little because overall it seemed too good to be true, so I reached out to a taekooker friend to send me her best evidence videos and receipts because I just had to make sure I wasn't going totally delulu here. I needed to see that the other biggest ship had interactions and moments on the same level with that same consistency, maybe even their very own relationship timeline to bring me back down to Earth. But... there's nothing. Really, there's nothing between taekook. Not one moment where I was like, oh? You'll find hours-long jikook content videos that are absolutely jam-packed with content, significant content, but that sort of depth just doesn't exist for taekook. Instead, you get conspiracy theories.
I watched most of the videos on that best of jikook channel and several other staple channels. It wasn't as if I bought into everything presented. I still rolled my eyes at many things that were blown out of proportion by some creators, and jikook isn't free from red circles and slow-mo and bullshit. And yet, I was still overwhelmed by the mountain of crisp receipts dumped on my head.
Jikook have much, much more solid evidence supporting the theory that they are together than evidence against it. I took the facts as they are, took my social experiences for what they are, took my psychology background for what it is, and concluded that they are most likely together, probability-wise. At the very least, they are the ONLY pair in BTS that have ANY legitimate possibility of being romantically involved. If jikook isn't real, then none of the other ships have any hope whatsoever, let's not kid ourselves. It's them or none of them.
They also have much, much more evidence that they are together than with any random man or woman you wanna throw at them. There needs to be valuable evidence or a total shutdown for me to tip the scale. I'm going to need Jimin or Jungkook to state, "I am not dating anyone at all," or "Get out of your imagination," or a bighit relationship announcement, or a clear video of lip-on-lip action or very intimate interaction with someone else.
Frankly, I don't give a single fuck about a grainy pic/video when it's 2023 and there's no excuse for that. I don't give a fuck who owns the same vase or cooking pots. I don't give a fuck if either of them hugged a woman. These are not evidence. These aren't even as good as the worst Jikook evidence.
At this point in time, Jikook is still the only viable option with the information we currently have available to us. This is my opinion and I stand by it.
At the end of the day, the thing I want most is for Jimin to be happy. Currently, it seems that Jungkook makes Jimin the happiest (as Jungkook says). As long as that holds true, I'll be here. If that changes at some point in time, I'd accept it.
But until that day comes, what the fuck else am I supposed to think?
E.
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auroraeternal · 6 months
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BLOODSUCKER UI
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This would be a long-read, sorry for that!
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I can consider myself one of the quickest creator of the most complete default UI for TS3 😅 But it would be impossible without help of @mookymilksims ❤ I used her BGM UI as a base, also for some reason regular method of creating DRs of loading screen doesn't work for me, so I used @justmiha97 Clean UI Loading Screen as a reference, what files Ii need to replace. And of course dino_rex with this thread on MTS. I also want to give a huge thanks for the testing and taking screenshots of the mod to @sagasimsworld and Mary_WW (she isn't on tumblr), because without them I couldn't find and fix most critical bugs in time. Also, even if most of the UI is replaced and it's fully playable, It's still need polishing and testing, so if you see any bug or some of the parts of UI that looks bad (e.g buttons that are near each other having different shades or smth like that), send me PM or ask with screenshots. Also this mod needs testing with different reshade presets, because I worry that some of them may enhance red colors of the UI and that may cause eyestrain. All screenshots are taken without reshade.
More info and screenshots:
Recolored most of the CAS, CASt, CAP, CAB (plumbots editor), Live mode, Build & Buy mode and Town mode (except map tags):
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Loading Screen is compatible with any language (but has only translated in english and russian in main file and ukrainian translation in separated package (AE_BloodsuckerUI_LoadingScreen_UA), that contains translated files only for english and russian version. For working ukrainian translation in english game you need font replacement (Montserrat).
Yeah, image that I used on loading screen is different from that one I showed you on this post (it's my desktop wallpaper now lol). It's because required image for ts3 loading screens is 1024x768, and when I resize original collage it became squished, so I added more images:
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In main file of the UI are added this mods, so if you have them, you need to remove it from your game: @fanaskhe-r update of More slots for topical details mod, cmar_nyc's Skintone Panel, Recolored version of Menaceman's Pets Relationships Icons (other relationship headlines recolored as well!).
I created my own replacement for occults in relationship panel, so @sweetdevil-sims icons or removing of halos isn't needed anymore.
For opportunities tab I used recolored correct Shang Simla Forbidden city icon by @thebleedingwoodland, and I definitely recommend installing the whole mod, just delete with S3PE opp_generic_china image so they wouldn't conflict.
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Icons are from Freepik. You are allowed to use them for creating "Minimalistic occult relationship panel" with vanilla UI or other UI default.
Also I created compatible and recolored versions for some popular mods, that replaces parts of UI, you can download them in ADDONS archive:
Recolored version of Expanded Tattoo module of Nraas MasterController (installation in Overrides, and don't forget about CmarNYC Tattoos File):
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Recolored and compatible version of @lazyduchess Catalog Search Mod (installation in Overrides):
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Compatible version of Arro's 4t3 Replacements of Seasons and Lunar Cycle Icons (3 versions, install only one in Overrides folder):
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Compatible and/or recolored versions of Gamefreak130 World Loading Screens Overhaul (Choose only one):
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Recolored @xiasimla HD icons (both regular and medieval). Totally optional.
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Not an actual mod, but desktop icons (.ico format) for TS3 with logo (2 ver.) and plumbob that I created for this UI.
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TOU
DOWNLOAD MAIN FILES | ALT
DOWNLOAD ADDONS | ALT
SIMBLR.CC DOWNLOAD
Credits: @mookymilksims, Fanaskher, cmar_nyc, Menaceman44, @thebleedingwoodland, Nraas team, @lazyduchess, Arro, Gamefreak130, @xiasimla for their mods; EA/Maxis, Freepik, Tumblr, Pinterest and Landing for images.
Used programs: Adobe Photoshop, Landing, S3PE, Notepad++, EasySTBL.
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Fully compatible and recommended UI mods:
4t3 Cursors by Arro (I don't want make my own custom cursors).
Arro's No mod info.
Nraas Portrait Panel.
Ingredients Thumbnails fix by @tasteslikefridge.
Equestrian Centre map tag replacements by Menacemen.
Rabbitholes Map Tags Visibility Changes.
Font defaults: Font replacement by @simstate and Bigger size font.
Defaults by @alverdinesims: Build Grid, Objects placement, Skill and progress meters.
CC Icons Defaults: Replacement or Completely Remove.
CAS & Stylist Room Defaults: Monotone by @agnelid, Different by @cherdawn66, Empty CAS/Stylist, Gothic by @bast-sims.
Moodlets Icons Defaults: 2t3, 4t3.
Traits Icons Defaults (except Social Groups): 2t3, 4t3, Medieval, Medieval LTR by @aprilrainsimblr.
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@pis3update @wanderingsimsfinds @bloodys-s3ccfinds @sssvitlanz @nightoccfinds @ninthcirclets3cc @kpccfinds
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