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#i have the final review tuesday but still
bronx-bomber87 · 9 hours
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Hello my wonderful fandom :) I CANNOT believe we are at the finale already. This season went by in the blink of an eye. I was VERY excited for this finale and what it would bring. They don't have a ton of moments. But the ones they do the writers made count. My goodness I was happy and hopeful after this episode ended. Hard to believe we won't see our babies on screen till 2025. *grumble*
D sent me something about that actually (thank you bestie) Here it be. A.H. saying he's pretty sure all networks are doing this mid season 18 ep start. One of the reasons being the Election coming up. They want to protect shows and their ratings from the debates, coverage etc. And those usually happen on Tuesday nights. Which is actually really intuitive foresight from ABC. So to protect our ratings and show I get it. Especially if we wanna lock down a S8. I don't love it but I get it. Anyways lets get to it shall we? My last "mini" thoughts of the season.
6x10 Escape Plan
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Always makes me nervous for Lucy going UC but still amazing to watch her in her element. Even if it makes my stomach tie in knots. Now maybe this is just me but Lucy seemed EXTRA uneasy on this OP. This is pure speculation on my part. But could be lending a little more credence to this not being the path for her? Just the feeling I got while watching her in these moments with with the kids in this one and the sneaking around.
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I will say I do love seeing Lucy with the kids. Gives us a glimpse into her as a mama. I'm liking what I am seeing. Can't help but have that thought. I really can't. Chenford has taken over my brain and I'm very ok with it. Smitty's text to Lucy did crack me up. 'Red incoming.' Gotta love Smitty. Lucy is giving me a damn heart attack being undercover though.
The panic in her soul is so evident the minute she sees Monica is approaching. The way she guides the kids out of the room. Then the sheer terror when the kids wanna take a shorter exit. She has to pivot and redirect them quickly. I feel like the pressure of this specific UC mission was getting to her. I really do. It was felt in all her movements and body language through out these scenes IMO. I could be wrong but it was just a gut feeling I got watching her.
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I think her expression in this scene after Monica departs is everything. Melissa be crushing it out here. Almost like she has to take a deep breath. Calm her racing heart down before unrooting herself from that spot to investigate further. I feel like her look of unease and panic here brings home the point I've been making.
Her questioning if doing UC is worth this stress? Worth the constant worry? Like I said back in my 5x20 review. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean it's meant to be your destiny. i.e. Lucy being a permanent U.C. Pretty sure her cover is blown after she runs right into him but she got the info she needed. At the expense of my own anxiety and worry though ha
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The look in this scene oh my lord. How can they have so much chemistry with just one look? Melissa and Eric are a damn treasure to this fandom. To this amazing ship. Tim saying 'It's good to have you.' That loaded look between them. *screams into a pillow.*
You know that man is happier now that she's folded into this OP. His eyes were on her from the moment she stepped on scene. Be more in love with her Tim please. Then sharing a look with Angela. I’m dying. Angela is us we are Angela. She is the fandom in this moment watching this exchange. *sigh* So good.
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Someone please tell me how do they look so amazing just standing next to one another? It's unreal how they can exude SO much chemistry just standing next to one another. Forever floored by the amount of physical chemistry these two have without even touching. It blows my mind in the best way.
Also I always enjoy me some Tim in T.O. mode it's sexy af. It revs my engine to watch him back in leadership mode. Not gonna lie. So very confident and sure of himself. Gah makes me need to cross my legs watching him in action LOL Sorry (sorta)Feral Caitlin made a return there haha But I do love seeing it. Like he’s getting his mojo back professionally. It’s nice to see. Does my heart good to watch it.
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Oh my word they haven’t really been alone to talk (not counting the hug last ep) since 6x06. I’m so happy. I was legit buzzing watching this. My heart Tim telling her he took her advice and went to therapy. Yessss been waiting for this to unfold. Was hoping when they got a moment alone he would tell her about it. Look at him taking the first opportunity they have solo to tell her this. The growth of this man is incredible to see. I'm so proud of him it's insane. He takes a beat and makes the best of their time together. Breaking the uncomfortable ice with it. *happy sigh*.
I'm so proud of him. I can't state this enough. It is NOT easy to have this convo let alone be the one to start it. Another way to see he's grown. Tim is tackling the conversation. Being the one to broach it. Not Lucy dragging it out of him. I love her telling him that's not normal what happened for him. Definitely hasn't been my experience haha I do love her following up her little joke with being serious. Wanting to encourage him to keep going. I love this. Doesn’t want him to think one bad experience will tar the entire profession.
Tim nodding with a smile asking her if she wants to know the irony of it all? Lucy of course does. Tim continues on that she was a good therapist. The sessions they helped him. Damnit Blair.... I do adore the way Lucy is looking at him while he speaks about this. That angry look she started with has softened quite a bit. Truly hope he continues in S7 and we get to hear about it. God I would love to see sessions. Some of my all time fav Beckett scenes in Castle's S4 was getting to see her sessions with her therapist. It's on my wish list. *fingers crossed.*
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His continued sharing with Lucy makes my heart so happy it might implode. Letting Lucy know therapy despite Blair being dirty has been good for him. She unearthed things he wasn't even aware of. I felt the same way too after a couple weeks. I felt more regulated tbh. I had massive sleeping problems from age 15 to when I decided to go to therapy in my 30's. After a couple sessions my sleeping issue's were gone for most part. I had been carrying my problems for so long. Like a pressure cooker with no release valve. So with no outlet they followed me into my unconscious and manifested into anxiety attacks. Couple weeks of sessions and my sleep issues all but disappeared.
Therapy when you truly lean into it can do wonderful things. i.e. Tim opening up to Lucy like this. Also look how SOFT Lucy looks with him as he bares his soul to her. I would be remiss if I didn't go in depth on this. The look of pride and love splayed all over her face is everything. Also reverence and love as well. This episode has a lot of loaded looks and I ate them all up. We started this scene with her face hard and holding a lot anger still. Then Tim melts it with his genuine vulnerability and sharing of what going to get help has done for him. Not only that but giving her props for the original advice in the first place. I'm beaming with delight.
We move onto Tim is being anxious his sessions are going be heard for evidence cause of the FBI investigation. Ugh. This kicks Lucy's brain into gear about that. Asking if he said anything revealing about her? His reply had me rolling. I adore him making a joke like this. Letting her know he mentioned ‘Freak in the sheets.' about her. I’m dying. I have no doubt there is some truth to that for them both LOL Look at our boy making jokes and getting her to laugh. God it was so so nice to see her laugh again. He earns a smile out of her too. The first time he's been the cause of that since her gifted her that KIA Radio in 6x05. I'm floating. They're both smiling by end of this scene. *sigh* We needed this.
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We got to see some BAMF Lucy in this moment. Something that just like Tim in confident T.O. Mode has been missing since 6x06. I love her being like take this guy my man is in trouble. Getting him dropped off and instantly taking off after Tim. Who is also trying to pull off some bad assery tbh. A little recklessly but that's why Lucy is coming after him.
She see's his play and wants to be there to back it. Literally waste's no time in pursuit of him. Peels right out of that damn laundromat after him. Tim's play going south VERY quickly when this guy catches on to him in the bed of the truck. Sends his gun flying and my heart racing.
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Adore the worried wifey look as she watches from the car. It's pouring out of her in that brief shot. Well done Melissa. Just like Eric she knows how to convey so very much with just a look. Lucy knows Tim is in trouble. That she can't just sit there in pursuit of the vehicle without helping him.
Especially after she watches him get pulled into the cab. Knowing that he is currently at a tactical disadvantage. No way in hell she is leaving him to fight this guy off alone. Telling Lopez to take the wheel as she makes her way out to help him.
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Lopez's face when she makes the jump is shocked and amazed. Lucy continuing her BAMF streak on this OP. I loved the surprised look on Tim's face when she first jumps on the truck. Like he can't believe she just risked her life to come help him out. He can't stay in the feeling long as she takes the guy out for them. But it needed to be noted his utter surprise she was there to have his back. Risked her life to do so. Such a bad ass battle couple. Back to back finales we get to watch them be poetry in motion in the field with a battle.
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Oh my lord what an epic scene to watch. Lucy jumping onto that moving truck bed to save her man. They take him down together. Their work dynamic easily coming back into play here. They don't miss a beat in this moment. Working as harmoniously as they always have in the past together in the field. I love the looks shared once they've stopped the truck.
Especially Tim's. He is so damn impressed with her. Always finds a way to blow him away with the bad ass she's become. Man is falling in love all over again. It shows all over the two looks he gives her in this scene. First one is his falling back in love again. I mean he already was but think sunk him deeper. Second one is more of just being in awe of her. The pride he feels watching the amazing cop she's developed into. I love these two so much.
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Let me start with how happy it makes my heart that Tim smiles when she walks up to him. Despite all the hurt just the sight of her elicits a smile out of him automatically. His walking sunshine. Love of his damn life. She truly is his happy place in human form. Lucy making a crack about him taking a half day. Their banter still simmering beneath the surface. It's a little subdued in this moment but it's alive and well with Tim's reply. He is ever the gentlemen letting her go first.
His elevator version of holding the door for her. That chivalry never dying with him. It's the little things. Can't ignore how Lucy is looking at this man the entire scene. From start to finish. With such reverence and love. Still so in love with this man standing in front of her. Lucy can't help it. She is a moth to a flame with him. Especially with Tim thanking her for saving his life. Let's delve into that a little shall we? Tim Bradford is saying he didn't have it. Admitting fault he would've lost that battle without her.
Saying not only did he not have it but Lucy did. That he wouldn't be standing here without her. Giving her the kudos and all the praise for saving his life. Far cry from 1x01 and his future reaction to that moment in S5. This is a different Tim we see standing before us everyone. The amount of growth in this moment is immense. Because not only did she save his life but she saved him in a deeper sense. Feels like it's truly hitting him like a freight train the impact she's had on his life. I think there is double meaning to his words above. It's what leads him into this next section below.
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The loving expression on Lucy's face when she replies ' You're Welcome.' That look of I'm still in love with you, I would do anything for you despite the hurt, and her realizing the deeper meaning of Tim thanking her. The growth she is currently seeing in him is prompting this soft/warm look and even softer reply. It's what encourages Tim to say his next portion. You can see him psyching himself up before he turns around to apologize. To own what he's done to them. To her.
Tim starts his apology by telling her he knows what he’s done (thank you lord for this) That he knows he ruined everything. You sure did babe...but you’re gonna earn it all back I know it. Lucy has the most loving and forgiving nature. The biggest heart. Also we can see there is still a tinge of anger to her expression at first above. So that journey will not be an easy one for Tim. Nor should it be. He has a lot to make up for. But my god will it be worth it in the end. I truly believe that. I'm going to be crying river's when we get there.
Look at how he has grown. Immediately spilling his guts emotionally to her twice in one episode. Not once but TWICE. Hell three times really. With saying she saved him and admitting fault to what he's done. I can't get over this. He had two really hard conversations with her in this episode. Swallowing that pride of his he's trying to hard to overcome. Doing this in order to communicate better with her. To show her he's putting in the time and the effort. To let her know he knows he messed up and is owning that. Something Tim wouldn't have done before. At least not easily. These are great strides for him. I couldn't be prouder of where they are ending the season for him. Imma need more therapy though in S7 you hear me writers?
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Tim thanking Lucy for extending him the kindness she has shown him. *my damn heart.* That he can never explain how much he appreciates it. That she could've easily turned on him and he would've understood. But that's not Lucy. We all know that's not who she is. Or ever will be. It's that forgiving nature of her's that is one of the many reasons Tim is so damn gone for her. I think there is once again a double meaning to his words. To me Tim is saying this is for far more than just post break up. It's for their entire relationship. Together/apart and especially when they were not 1-4. The kindness and the empathy she's aways shown him. Even at his worst.
Like I said earlier it's all hitting him hard. The place she held in his life for so long and the impact she's had on him. Imma cry. A giant epiphany moment for Tim I think. Maybe starting to slowly understand the unconditional love she has for him. This scene made me tear up. That anger that is still present melts away a little more for Lucy. If she continues to see Tim work on himself. He shows her his continued growth. No reason she wouldn't take this man back when he's put in the work to re-earn that place in her life. Tim saying he's gonna spend rest of his life repaying her back for said kindness. *screams into the void.* In whatever small doses she allows of course.
Respecting her boundaries and hoping she will allow him to do so. It's the sweetest most sincere part of his apology. The way she looks at him as he departs. *heart clutch* You can see he's stunned her into silence. But also Lucy can see the growth in him and it’s written all over her face. This is a fantastic way to end the season for them. It wouldn’t be right to get back together right now or even just a 'we almost died' hook up. (Wonderful fic's out there for that just recently BTW.) Just wouldn’t. As much as my shipper soul LONGS for them to be back together. Legit longs so much it hurts. This was a good way to end them for the season. With some hope, some growth and a path forward leading us to S7.
Some Final thoughts below. With a Chenford hug to this lovely fandom of ours.
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First off I want to thank you all for doing this not so mini review journey with me. I was nervous to do them. Even after doing 9 plus months of them with 1-5. This was different. It was first impressions. Hope you all enjoyed them. I'm more than happy to do this next season too. First impression thoughts for S7 as well if you are all interested. Let's move onto some final thoughts I'm having. You know months could pass by when we get to 7x01 in their timeline. I’m hoping he’s in therapy during this duration. Ready to prove he wants to earn her trust back. To earn her back. I don't think for one second that moment in the elevator is the last deep conversation they're going to have before we get a reconciliation. Tim has her love. Always has. Always will.
Lucy's decisions and responses in 6x10 show that. No matter what she loves this man. What he needs to gain back is her trust. To prove over and over again. He's there to stay. To show her through kind acts. To rebuild his rapport with her. I’m excited for that journey cause when we get there. *phew* God the fandom is gonna implode with happiness. It’ll be well earned. Their relationship is going to be even better with the growth Tim has done. (Hoping for some more for Lucy as well and getting the support she needs/deserves)We saw massive results in this episode alone. Can you imagine how it’ll be when they’re back together? *chefs kiss* it’ll make all the hurt and pain so worth it.
Getting emotional writing about this. This ship has a stranglehold on my emotions and I’m ok with it. Eric and Melissa love our passion for this couple. So I won’t be ashamed for the affect it has on me. I’m excited for s7. It’ll be a long hiatus. But we will get through it together. I will probably wait till mid July to do my thoughts fully fleshed out for S6. Think we all need time for finale to settle. For us too as well. I'm most definitely not ready to re-dive into everything just yet. Especially 6x05/6x06. But I'm hoping couple month hiatus for me will help with tackling that. Then we can start that journey for us all to go on with my deeper analysis.
As always thank you all for the likes, comments and reblogs. For being interested in my thoughts at all. It means the world you have no idea. Love this fandom, love this show and this incredible ship we are so fortunate to have. So once again thank you all for being on this journey of S6 with me. Like said earlier I’ll get started in my fleshed out S6 reviews come mid July. :)
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Side notes-Non chenford
Monica cleaned up a mess for Blair. Manipulated her by helping her most Monica thing I've ever heard. Glad to finally have answers to that. I knew it felt like manipulation. She had too much of a conscience to be dead inside and doing it for money. Sucks cause she is very good at her job. That scene with Aaron was a mic drop moment for him. So proud of how far he came this season as well.
Friggin Nolan never listens. And get shot for not listening. In the ass. Because he's a pain in one. Was apropos. Also he's right back to being a dumb putz to me. It was short lived john you made it half an episode before falling out of my good graces LOL
Once again music amazing for their final scenes whoever handled that this season crushed it. Bringing out all my emotions.
See you all later this summer for my in-depth ones. Till then be kind and rally around each other. Gonna be a long hiatus.
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polithicc · 8 months
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my boss just confirmed i am getting the big raise i wanted. funniest part is that i didn’t even ask for it. like i walked into my review with the number in mind thinking it would be too much and they would negotiate down but the first thing she said was “i want to get you to x salary this year and then y next year. is that ok with you?” like yeah bro i was ready to get only 2/3 of what i was going to ask for. anyway thinking of what stupid purchase i should make as a little treat.
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mysecretlittlelibrary · 10 months
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So Much To Learn
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader
Word Count: 4.1k
Warnings: a lot, again; Sub!Spencer and kinda mean dom reader, oral (f receiving), age gap (reader is 21), hand job/teasing, honorifics & pet names, marking a lot, p in v sex, they both talking diiiiirty, minor praise, risky sex, multiple orgasms, edging, squirting- I think I got everything??
Genre: Smut kinda fluff and like minor minor angst if you squint
Summary: You don't react well when you realize someone else is giving your professor boyfriend entirely too much of their attention
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A/N: technically this is a continuation of So Much To Teach but order is arbitrary lol
Part 1< >Part 3
***
The weeks after Spencer's confession in his office are- fun to say the least. Meeting in secret, teasing him in class, it's all very exciting. With finals just around the corner now though, you're not sure what it means for the two of you. Will he be interested in establishing anything solid with you once you're out of his class? Will things continue as they are? Will he toss you aside only to replace you with another student from another class next semester? The last possibility bothers you more than you'd like to admit. You'll have to find a good time to bring it up to him soon. Between preparing for final exams or papers and Spencer's near insatiable appetite for time with you there's never a moment you want to risk ruining with what will no doubt be an awkward conversation.
There's a slight knock on the door at the back of the classroom that interrupts Spencer's lecture and your wandering mind. Everyone turns to see another professor walk into the room.
"Oh shoot. I'm so sorry Spence I- I thought your class would be over by now." Professor Greene says. She has the decency to look remorseful although you've noticed her sniffing around Spencer for a little while now so you roll your eyes to yourself.
"Oh don't worry about it Professor Greene we're just wrapping up, come on in." Spencer says kindly. "Alright guys reminder, your finals are online and are due at the end of finals week- that's Friday in two weeks' time. We're not meeting on Thursday but next Tuesday for our final meeting time together I'll be having a review session. It's not mandatory but I'll be here during our class time to answer any last minute study questions you may have. I hope to see you next week but if not good luck on all your finals, if you're graduating congratulations, enjoy your holidays, and have a good day!" Spencer dismisses the class. Usually, you'd linger to drop by his office after class but with Professor Greene about to commandeer his attention, you're not sure if you should. Still, you take your time packing up your things while listening in on their conversation.
"I really am so sorry I interrupted your lecture, Spence. I just wanted to ask about the staff meeting I missed the other day." Professor Greene says.
"Oh don't worry about it, Professor Greene but I can email you my notes from the meeting real quick." Spencer says walking over to his computer.
"I've told you a thousand times Spencer call me Ellie." She says patting his shoulder. Spencer mutters something you can barely hear as you exit the classroom. You don't catch the way his eyes trail after you for a moment before he focuses back on sending this email.
"Y/n!" Matt calls pretty much as soon as you make it out of the classroom.
"Oh, hey Lewis. What's up?"
"Was wondering if you were free to meet up sometime to do some studying for the final? Ya know that way we can help each other with things that are confusing and anything we can't figure out together- we can bring up next week during the review session."
"Ya know what that's a great idea Matt. Why don't we do Thursday- since we don't have class we can just hit the library during that time." You suggest.
"Perfect. I'll meet you at the library on Thursday then." Matt smiles, rushing ahead to catch up with some friends. You make your way to Spencer's office like you do after every class although usually you walk together. Today you sit on the bench that's a few feet from his office and wait for him while reading a book.
"Sweetheart. I was wondering where you ran off to." Spencer says when he reaches his office.
"Didn't want to interrupt. She likes you, you know."
"What?" He frowns over his shoulder at you as he unlocks his office door.
"Professor Greene. She was totally flirting with you when she came in during class." You stand up and follow him into his office.
"Was she?" He hums.
"You're telling me you didn't notice?" You scoff.
"Do you want me to notice other women flirting with me?"
"I don't care, Spencer, you're not my boyfriend-"
"Hey, that's not fair." He frowns. You know it's not, Spencer told you early on the only thing stopping him from labeling your relationship was because of how risky it is to date your professor, but you're apparently facing jealousy and it's making you mean.
"I was only saying she's being really obvious. Whether you're interested or not though, is your business. I have some studying to do so I can't stick around today but I didn't want to disappear without letting you know." You say dismissively.
"Y/n," Spencer says softly.
"I'll see you next week." You tell him, turning on your heel. You need to get your feelings under control and quickly.
"I'm not interested in her. You have to know you're the only one on my mind." Spencer says before you make it out the door. You're not even sure what to say back, so you leave without a word.
You've never considered yourself a jealous or insecure person but for some reason, Professor Greene really gets under your skin when it comes to Spencer. Maybe it's because you know it would be easier for him to date her, she's close to his age and there's no taboo surrounding that pairing. That doesn't make feeling this way any less annoying. I mean- you've been ignoring her attempts at making advances at him for the past couple of months but you think the stress of exams and final papers is exacerbating a feeling you normally wouldn't even notice. Honestly, you have entirely too much else going on to be wasting time focused on staking your claim over a man that's only yours in locked offices, empty halls, and dark rooms. You don't fight over men, if Professor Greene can 'take him from you' she can absolutely have him.
By Thursday when you meet up with Matt, you've managed to knock those ugly thoughts of Spencer and Professor Greene to the back of your head, drowning yourself in studying and paper writing. You have no problems in Spencer's class, even before you were fucking him you had an A average so his final is the least of your worries but you know a review can't hurt. You spend way longer than the length of a class studying with Matt, he's a good student which appears to come with great effort on his part. He goes over things in such depth you're actually a little impressed and for a moment there you wonder what it would be like to pick the easy lover. Matt's kind, and attractive, and it would be much less complicated, no sneaking around- well maybe a bit but it would be for fun, not out of necessity. He'd walk you to class holding your hand, and kiss you on the quad, you'd probably adopt his whole friend group, they're athletes whose girlfriends always seem to be adored by all of them. It would be nice, it would be sweet. If things with Spencer do end at the end of the term you'll seriously consider falling for Matt. The version of reality where you end up with him sounds good. If only you'd realized it before Spencer caught your eye so severely. Would things be different? Would you be holding Matt's hand across the table right now? Sitting next to each other in class? Having him over to study late into the night until you'd have him just stay over because you don't want him to leave so late? It seems silly to spend so much time dwelling on a world that you gave up months ago. You blame it on the stress of the end of a semester.
When Tuesday rolls around you go to the review session knowing you don't actually have any questions but maybe someone will ask one you didn't think of that will come in handy. There are not that many people here for the review, some kids from other sections for sure, but still only maybe 20 of you in total. Spencer tries a number of times to catch your attention while he answers questions to gauge how you're feeling but you don't give anything away on your face. That is until Professor Greene walks in about halfway through the review session.
"Hi Spence! Sorry to interrupt, I know you're reviewing for finals and stuff but I ordered a sandwich for lunch and they gave me 2? I just thought I'd offer you one." She smiles as she scurries to the front of the room. Spencer catches the wry smile that just barely cracks your poker face for a moment and he's almost nervous to address Professor Greene.
"Oh- I appreciate it Professor Greene but I brought lunch, I always do. Perhaps Mike would like it if he's on campus? I know he usually buys food at the student center for lunch." He offers. Graceful rejection. Hopefully enough to keep you happy and put off his coworker at the same time. You make a point to not react outwardly but you do notice his choice to call her Professor Greene while calling another professor in the building Mike despite her giggling request last week to call her by her first name.
"Mike?" She blinks at him.
"Yeah he's- probably doing some grading in his office upstairs." Spencer smiles. "Anyone have any other questions for me?" He turns his attention back to the small group of students who mostly seem ready to leave after watching the exchange.
"The exam is a combination of multiple choice and short answer right?" A woman asks.
"Correct, just like your exams in class." He nods. "It- seems like we've covered all your questions guys so, I think it's okay for us to wrap this up a bit early yes?" Spencer asks. Professor Greene is still in the room but Spencer avoids her gaze diligently as the class murmurs affirmatives.
"Spence before you head off can I speak to you for a moment?" Professor Greene asks quietly while the rest of the room is busy packing up their things.
"Of course." He answers reluctantly. "Miss y/n, don't go far I have an assignment of yours I'd like to discuss in my office." Spencer tells you before you can even stand up.
"Sure prof." You drawl resisting the urge to roll your eyes.
"Look Spencer the sandwich was- a decoy. I mean they did give me an extra that I wanted to offer you but it was really an excuse to ask you something else." Professor Greene's tone is hushed as you and a few others are still milling about the room.
"Oh- well what is it?" Spencer asks though his gaze shifts to you every so often. You who sits so seemingly unbothered waiting for him, chewing gum, tapping away on your phone, not even looking their way although your ears are definitely paying attention.
"I'm having a little faculty get-together and I wanted to invite you personally."
"What, like going out for drinks?"
"Yeah exactly! Will you be there?"
"Uh- email me the details and I'll let you know."
"Awesome! I really hope to see you there Spence." She places her hand on his arm and he quickly walks over to his satchel to escape the touch.
"I'll- see what I can do." He mutters. "Is that all? I don't want to keep y/n waiting all afternoon."
"Y/n?" She frowns.
"My student? The only person in the room. Who I asked to wait up when I dismissed everyone?" Spencer frowns at her.
"Right! I guess I forgot. One track mind sometimes." She waves off with a giggle. How unnecessarily dismissive.
"Y/n. My office. Ready to go?" He turns his attention to you without even addressing her comment.
"Whenever you're done." You shrug.
"That would be now."
"Alright. Let's go." You stand up and exit the class before him.
"I'll see you at the gathering Spencer." Professor Greene says as he follows you out. You don't say anything as you walk down the halls with Spencer trailing behind. He thinks he handled that well but he can't tell. It's like you're being hard to read on purpose. He unlocks his office door and lets you inside before him, shutting it behind him.
"Look I-"
"I think you should go." You tell him first.
"What?"
"To her little get together. I think you should go." You shrug.
"You do?" He frowns which deepens when you nod. "Why?" He asks.
"It's good for you to socialize with your coworkers." You offer noncommittally.
"You're in a better mood about her today than you were last week." He says carefully.
"Is the door locked?" You ask him.
"What?"
"To your office. Did you lock the door?"
"Oh- yes. I always lock-"
"Yes is sufficient." You say sitting in his office chair.
"Sweetheart, talk to me, what's-" He stops when you hold up one of your hands.
"Spencer, drop to your knees." You say.
"What?" He blinks at you.
"It's a very simple instruction, I would expect a man with as many degrees as you hold would be able to understand a 4-word command."
"I understood it fine I just-"
"Then why are you still standing? If you understood it Spencer do it. I want you on your knees. Now." You cross your arms. Spencer slowly, unsurely, lowers himself to his knees, still by the door to his office. "That's better. Come over to me. And just so we're clear you'll have to crawl." Spencer bends and shuffles over to you on his hands and knees, gaze pointed at the carpet in his office. You've discussed the possibility of him giving up control a number of times but this is not how he expected today to go. When he's by your side you lift his chin up to force his eyes to yours. "Finals week starts in two days Spence, I've got three papers and two exams to think about. I don't have time to worry about if you're going to behave or not." You tell him.
"I-"
"Choose your next words very carefully baby they might just ruin your day." You warn him.
"I would never misbehave darling. My loyalties are to you." He says softly.
"Are you willing to prove that?" You ask.
"However you ask me to." He says immediately.
"I like that answer." You hum. You tug your dress over your head and drop it on his desk. "You can start by removing my panties with your teeth." You tell him. "Just your teeth. I want your hands behind your back." You add. Spencer shuffles forward and tugs at your underwear with his teeth. You move only when absolutely necessary to help but he gets them off after a few moments and holds them between his lips, looking at you for further instructions. "Good boy professor." You pull them from his mouth and drop them on the desk beside your dress. "You'll need your mouth free for this next bit." You say threading your fingers into his hair. "Your loyalties are with me you said?"
"Of course princess." Spencer's reply is breathy.
"Hm- no, not princess. Today you can call me mistress or your queen. I'll let you choose but only between those two. Anything else will get you in trouble and- today is not the day to get in trouble."
"O-okay, My Queen."
"Good. And as for proving your loyalties, you can begin with your head between my thighs, let's see how loyal you are." You spread your legs and tug at his hair still in your hand hard enough to shove his face directly into your center. Spencer is quick to react, his tongue laps up your juices as eagerly as you'd expect. He will regularly spend ages between your legs when he can just because he enjoys tasting you so much. Your back arches as he thrusts his tongue into your pussy feverishly. "Yeah, oh fuck, keep going. Show me- show me your devotion." You moan out as you grind against his mouth. Spencer groans into you as you pull at his hair. His tongue curls inside you just barely brushing against that spongy patch and you have to bite your lip to keep from squealing when he does. Spencer's nose nudges at your clit as he focuses his tongue on your inner walls until your legs stiffen around his ears. When that happens he drags his tongue up to your clit and focuses his attention there, wrapping his lips around the bundle of nerves and sucking on it while his tongue lashes it with figure 8s. You almost scream when your orgasm crashes into you, fingers tightening in his hair and your back coming off the chair as you ride the waves of your release. "Don't- don't stop Spence. Fuck- keep sucking my clit." You pant out. Your eyes squeeze shut at the almost painful stimulation, but you want a second orgasm from him before you let him up for air and you plan to get it. You swallow your whines from those first few moments of post-orgasmic overstimulation and force Spencer further into your heat, practically smooshing his face against you. Your moan when overstimulation gives way to pure pleasure again is enough to have Spencer clenching his fists as more blood rushes to his already painfully hard dick. It fills him with a new level of determination as he sharpens the movements of his tongue against you. Your second orgasm builds quickly, and within a few minutes, you're shaking again, this orgasm covering Spencer's face and even squirting onto his shirt. You pull his hair harshly enough to move him away from you as you take a few deep breaths. Spencer sits panting, covered in your juices, pupils blown so wide there's no trace of his hazel-colored irises. "Look at what a mess you are." You hum. "You look pretty like this."
"Thank you- mistress." His voice is hoarse.
"Strip and sit on the couch. You can walk this time." You tell him. He stands, though a little unsteadily, and walks over to the loveseat, taking off his shirt and then his pants before sitting down with his gaze trained on you. You take your time standing from his chair and walking over to him, detouring to grab your jacket that you'd tossed over your backpack upon entry. You won't put the dress back on for now, having totally soaked your lover you have no interest in walking out of here in a damp dress, but your leather jacket will be fine. Spencer watches you with rapt attention as you finally approach him, his dick is an angry looking red flopped against his stomach and his whole body is tense. You drag a finger across his thigh and then up the length of his dick, slowly, reveling in the way he jolts at the contact.
"P-please." He gasps out.
"Please what Spencer?" You tilt your head at him.
"I- I need you to do something my queen I can't- it hurts."
"Do something? I'm already touching you. You need more?"
"Yes mistress, please." Spencer's head is tossed back against the couch as you trace the veins along his dick lazily.
"You're a greedy thing." You hum.
"Please mistress- please my queen I need- god please sit on my dick. Need it so bad- need you. I can't- can't help it." Spencer grips the cushions beneath him tightly, desperately trying not to squirm under your touch.
"Only because you beg very cutely." You tell him swinging your leg over to straddle him. You grip the base of his dick in your hand and lower yourself onto him with a satisfied hum while he lets out a guttural sound that makes your walls clench around him.
"Oh god thank you, my queen. thank you, thank you. You feel so good." Spencer pants out. You brace yourself using his shoulders and set your rhythm, bouncing on his dick quickly.
"Spencer, you're not allowed to cum until I say so." You tell him, grabbing his face to make sure he's listening.
"O-okay mistress. Of course mistress." He nods frantically.
"Fuck Spence this is what you're good for, this is where you belong. Filling me with your pretty little cock, covered in my squirt, you're mine aren't you baby?" You huff as you ride him furiously.
"Yes my queen yes. I'm yours. Just yours. Only you get to use me, touch me, take me. Only you make me feel so good." Spencer groans. You feel his body tense up under you and slow your pace almost to a stop.
"Not yet Spence." You mutter sweetly kissing his neck. You stay there for a few moments, grinding against him as you take some time to litter his throat with hickeys of various sizes some of which are quite dark as well. Dark enough that you're sure he'll have them through finals week. When you're satisfied with the marks covering him you pick up your pace again and his small whimpers from your lips against his skin turn to full-blown moans again. "This time Spencer you can cum, but you ask first." You tell him. He nods at your instruction and while you should scold him for not using his words you'll let it slide considering how close you know he is. He barely manages a few minutes before he's stuttering out his request.
"C-can I mistress please can I cum?" He pants out frantically.
"Good boy. Yes you can." You chuckle airily at the relief on his face when you give him permission. You keep pace until heat spills into you at which point your hips slam down harder against him even when he begins hissing from overstimulation.
"M-my queen I- too sensitive w-wait."
"I said you could cum baby but I didn't say I'd be done with you. Today you're my toy and I'll use you as long as I want. So be good and let me play." You say, letting yourself relish in the feeling of filling yourself over and over, even as his release leaks out of you and makes his thighs sticky. You moan in surprise when Spencer's dick hardens again inside you. "Oh- fuck. Well aren't you just the perfect plaything- eager to keep your queen happy."
"I- I- yes mistress." He whines. You ride him for a while longer, taking all he has to give and then some. He fills you two more times before you're satisfied and you make sure you have a couple more releases of your own by the time you're climbing off of his completely spent dick. You walk carefully over to his desk and grab his pack of wet wipes before walking back over to him, cleaning up the utter mess around his thighs. If he didn't look so exhausted you'd have him clean the mess on your thighs with his tongue, but right now you think if you asked Spencer to do anything else he'd simply collapse, so you take a few wipes to clean up yourself once you're done with him.
"You were very good today Spencer. I'd say you more than proved your devotion." You tell him with a gentle kiss.
"You're mean when you're jealous." He chuckles breathlessly.
"So are you professor." You tap his nose and stand to dress yourself. You pick his clothes up from the floor and lay them on the arm of the chair for whenever he gets the energy to stand and dress himself. You find his lunch and set it out for him on the table as well while you're at it.
"Are you leaving?" He asks, barely able to focus.
"Well- I do have some studying to do. Will you be okay? Do you want me to stay?" You ask. You won't leave him if he's going to drop but you've set up food, cleaned him up, and made sure he knows he did well.
"I- I don't want Professor Greene you know." He mumbles.
"I know, that's why I think you should go to her gathering. With all those pretty marks on your neck, she'll surely get the hint." You say. You bend over and gently brush some hair from his eyes. "You make me feel so territorial." You mutter.
"I'm sorry." He pouts.
"It's not your fault, it's unavoidable but- I don't like hiding you." You say.
"I don't like hiding you either." Spencer takes your hand in his. You pause for a moment and sigh.
"Do you want me to stay with you, Spence?" You ask brushing your thumb against the back of his hand.
"Can you spare the time?" He asks.
"Sure. But at some point, we should talk about what the end of the semester means for us." You say. Spencer sits up and you sit on the couch letting him rest his head in your lap.
"When you finish all your finals I have a question for you." He slurs a bit through his declaration.
"Why not just ask me now?"
"I want your head clear." You can barely make it out, he's obviously falling asleep, your fingers against his scalp lulling him too quickly. You're still high off adrenaline now, not quite ready to sleep but you know you'll feel the effects of this later. Good thing tomorrow is study day and you can get away with not leaving your apartment.
***
A/N: I was gonna post this on Friday but I’m posting it early as a thank you for all the love on part 1 already 🖤
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poetrysmackdown · 9 months
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THE FINAL SMACKDOWN.
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Big congratulations to "The Two-Headed Calf" for a solid win over "How to Be a Dog" (and to our Third Place competitor, "Wild Geese")!
Thank you to all who participated. I had a lot of fun with this and I hope you guys did as well! I've said it before but I had no idea this would get as big as it did, and it's been truly heartening to see this many people engaging with poetry and getting excited about it. I'm personally grateful to all the folks I got the chance to discuss poems with, and everyone who challenged me to see these poems in a new light. Whether you were introduced to new poems or reunited with old ones, whether you voted with the majority or against it, I hope you got something out of this as well.
As promised, here is the grand stats spreadsheet. The smackdown with the highest turnout was the semifinal matchup "The Two-Headed Calf" by Laura Gilpin vs. "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver with 17,449 votes! In second place, Round 1: "Poem" by Langston Hughes vs. "A Meeting" by Wendell Berry with 16,690 votes.
Unfortunately my real-life responsibilities have hit me like a truck and I don't have time to do a whole post dedicated to reviewing more of it, but I hope y'all might share any insights you have below! I also included the word count stats on the "summary" page, as suggested in this ask by @puddinginthemix. Nevertheless, they don't seem to demonstrate a concrete trend in one direction or the other—the mean word count difference technically gives a slight edge to longer poems in competition, but with such an insane standard deviation as to render the whole thing silly.
On the topic of a sequel.
After some deliberation, I've decided I would love to do another one of these focusing on poems that are lesser-known on Tumblr! In a perfect world I would just jump right in again, but it's quickly becoming clear to me that I will not have time to sort through/pair submissions and then run the thing while balancing work and school in the upcoming semester. With that in mind, my plan is to run it over the winter holidays so I'm able to give it more of my attention. That said, I've already made the submission form, and I'm tempted to release that ASAP so that I can use any downtime in the fall to read, review, and structure things thoughtfully. I also just figure it'll get a higher volume of submissions if I release it now. I know it's probably not ideal, but would people be cool with me opening submissions earlier, even if it means there'll be a significant time gap between submission and competition? If so, I'll get that out no later than Tuesday, and likely keep it open for a few weeks (unless it gets, like, seriously swamped lol).
Lastly, I've still got some asks I need to get through.....they're still on my mind. I'll do my best to respond to everyone within the next week!
Thank you again to everyone who participated, it's been such a joy!
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A Guiding Hand 2
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No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.
Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, age gap, parental neglect, depression, inference of self harm, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.
This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.
Summary: your online academics are affected by your personal struggles but your professor won’t let you give up so easy.
Characters: Raymond Smith, Lee Bodecker in the background
Note: I think my back is ok now.
As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.
Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.
I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖
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Tuesday comes too quickly. You don’t sleep the night before. It’s more than just Lee and your mother arguing that keeps you awake. The anxiety of your meeting bears down on you like an open maw, ready to devour you.
You don’t expect it to go well. You’re not even sure why you’re doing it. 
That one thought repeats over and over. You don’t have to. You can cancel. You can make another excuse and stay a loser. That’s easy. Maybe that’s why it’s so scary. Because new things are hard. 
You languish in bed as the time ticks by. You got to get up and get moving. Soon, you’ll do something. Soon. 
You roil in the trepidation. Each move, each little thing, is a gargantuan task. You sneak out to wash your face and make yourself as presentable as you can. You waited too long. You have five minutes to put something on that isn’t wrinkled and stale. 
You put on a black sweatshirt, hoping the little balls of lint aren’t visible. Maybe you can get away with just turning the microphone on. You open the computer and shift in the chair. One minute. 
You find the email and scroll down to the link. You hover over it and stare. Noon on the dot. Your hand falters and you click the Zoom meeting. It opens in the browser and your breath traps in your chest.  
The little box in the corner is black as you leave the red line through the camera icon as the mic catches the rustle of your shirt. There’s a man on screen. He sits before an office backdrop but you can’t tell if its digitally generated or real. His blond hair is combed back and he sports a thick beard and glasses. He wears a wool sweater over a collared shirt and stares down the camera. 
“Hello,” he speaks, “anyone there?” 
You clear your throat and croak, nearly choking on your own spit.  
“Here,” you manage to squeak. 
“Ah, hello there, may I ask you turn your camera on?” His voice is low and lilted, almost smoky in a way. 
You hesitate and scratch your neck, letting your fingers wander up to your scalp. The itch spread, making sitting still unbearable. You wince as you hear someone in the kitchen, the fridge door closes heavily and a dish clinks on the counter. 
“Hello?” The voice comes again. 
You panic and hit the keyboard. You steady your hand and tap the camera, shying away as you slouch in your chair. The dim glow of your bedside lamp leaves you in shadow. Still, you feel exposed. 
“Better,” he says but with little enthusiasm, “well, I suppose we best get to the meat of things,” he adjusts his posture. 
“Okay,” you murmur and cross your arms, looking evasively at the wall. 
“Good to finally meet. I’m Professor Smith,” he introduces himself and calls you by name. 
“You too,” you utter out of courtesy. This is torture to you. 
“Now, you’ve done very well on your completed work,” his eyes scan as he looks at the screen before him, "you’ve shown improvement up until a few weeks ago. You do have a lot of potential to be successful here--” 
You nod and hunch down further. You just feel worse. You’re a lazy slob. You didn’t finish your work just like you never finish the laundry or cleaning your room. 
“Irene!” Lee’s voice booms on the other side of the wall and you wince, looking over your shoulder then back to the computer. You huddle closer, hoping he didn’t hear that. Your mother’s drone responds to the holler. 
“Perhaps it is the format? We could explore another option for your remaining assignments. I can accommodate where necessar--” 
“Fuck off!” Lee shouts and a loud bang hits the hallway wall. You gulp and your lips part. 
“Lee, please, I didn’t-- I wouldn’t--” 
“Should’ve known better than to trust a whore!” Lee barks. 
You cover your face and shrink down. No! Not now. 
“Is everything alright?” He asks and you separate your fingers, looking through them. You drop your hands and nod. 
“Sorry--” 
Another loud thump, this time against your door and your mother sobs loudly as she slides down the other side. You stammer and your lip trembles as you stare mortified at the lens in the frame of the laptop. This is awful. 
“What is happen--” 
You wiggle your fingers on the touchpad and hit End Call. You retract and wrap your arms around your head, folding over your lap as you rock. How humiliating. You can’t believe that happened. Well, you can. It’s what always happens. 
Your mother and Lee continue to argue, their fight just outside your door. You shake your head as you stay curled over. You don’t know why she does this. These men come around, call her names, knock her around, and she lets them come right back. 
A tinkling noise comes from the speaker. Professor Smith is calling you. You decline the call. An email chimes in at the corner. It’s from him as well. You see the preview, a response to his last email. 
‘Please respond or I will call authorities to confirm your saf....’ 
You click on the notification to expand the full message. You sigh and don’t bother reading the rest as you hit reply. 
‘Everything is fine. I will take the fail. Thank you.’ 
Another call comes in. Just leave me alone! You hit the red button again and delete his last email. And he calls again. Ugh. What does he care. You’re sure he has lots of students to worry about. Another email and another call. Back and forth until you accidentally hit the wrong key. 
He appears again, closer to the lens as his forehead lines, “hello, hey, hey,” he sits back, holding up a hand as you scramble, panicking as you fidget and try to figure out what to do, “don’t hang up, alright? Don’t, or I will be obligated to call the police.” 
As he commands you, your mother and Lee continue their sparring in the hall, voices raised though not as clear from the front room. You sniff and rub your cheek, soothing yourself as you bring up your other hand to chew on your sleeve. 
“Are you in danger?” He asked pointedly. You shake your head. “What is all that then?” 
He’s quiet and you are enveloped again in the chaos outside your room. You shrug and tilt your head to one side. You look down. 
“My mom...” 
He sighs, “look, I wouldn’t have taken the time to call if I didn’t think you could do this. Perhaps, this was the wrong avenue. So, is it possible we meet somewhere neutral. In person?” 
You shudder and sit up as much as you can, wringing your hands, “I... I... don’t drive.” 
“That’s alright, is there a library near you, yeah? I can find my way.” 
You frown and flick your lip under your teeth several times. You see yourself in the little box. You look scary as your eyes are pools of shadows. 
“Uh...” you pull your hands apart and open a new tab, happy to have your image off the screen. You type into the search. You think there’s a library close by. “Yes, um, there is...” 
“Send me the location. We’ll reschedule. When are you available? Thursday? I’m afraid tomorrow I’m booked up.” 
You switch back to the video call. You feel tears tightening your throat and ready to spring. You shake your head and paste the URL of the library branch into the chat. His eyes flit down to read it. 
“Thursday,” you repeat but it’s not as much a question as you mean. 
“Thursday is good. Can we do earlier? Ten?” He asks. 
You don’t know. You’re not used to making decisions. You don’t get asked for your preference ever. 
“Sure,” you answer, just wanting to end the call and hide in bed. 
“Alright, I’ll pencil you in,” he says, “shall I stay on the call until that...” he pauses as Lee continues to bluster, “subsides?” 
“No,” you shake your head. 
He stares at you, his forehead lined with disapproval. Why does he care so much? He doesn’t know you. 
“Are you certain?” He intones. 
You nod, “I have to go.” 
You end the call and shut the computer. Your stomach is a jumble and you’re jittering with adrenaline. All your life, you’ve hidden behind these walls; you’ve hidden all that goes on there. To have someone witness it is worse than the yelling and hitting itself. 
You ignore the chirp from the laptop and throw yourself into bed. Thursday. So, another torturous purgatory begins, waiting to face the professor and your incompetence once more. 
📓
Thursday comes too quickly. 
You sit in your room and convince yourself to go. It was easier when it was just a computer screen, though even that was difficult. Only for you because you’re so messed up. Because you can’t do anything. 
What else can you do? The whole night you were awake thinking about how you would tell your mother. If you flunk out, you default on the student loan and you’re even deeper in the pit. The true consequences of your laziness are clearer now and you can’t let your sloth bury you again. If you do, you may as well give up on everything. Even life itself. 
So, you have no choice. You’re being given a last chance. Again. You’d feel even worse for not taking it than you would for failing at it. 
You pull on a hoodie and grab your house key and your knapsack with your computer and notebook tucked inside. That’s all you really have. No phone, no wallet. Just the bare minimum.  
You shuffle to the door, standing just inside as you muster your courage. You check your digital watch, an old Casio you’ve had for years. The numbers are dim and hard to read in the dark. You have to get going. 
You emerge and go down to the kitchen to sneak a sip of water before you go. Your room is always so dry at night. You drain a glass and rinse it out, leaving it beside the sink. As you turn around, you hear your mother’s bedroom door and the slap of her slippers as she slinks in. 
“Ah, honey,” she smiles dopily. You can smell liquor from there. She might even still be drunk as her hangovers usually keep her abed. “There you are! Oh, gosh, are you going somewhere?” 
“Mm, library,” you answer, “for school.” 
“Oh, smart girl,” she slurs. You try to smile but it’s shaky and weak. Your mom tries, you know that, so you can’t hate her. “Can you stop by the shop on your way? I got a twenty. Wouldn’t mind some vodka.” 
You pick at a fingernail, “mom, I don’t... I don’t like buying that stuff.” 
“Mm, I know, but I...” she sways on her feet and belches into her fist, “never mind. I’ll just ask Lee when he comes by.” 
“He’s coming?” You ask warily. 
“Sure, sure,” she turns and staggers to the fridge, “he must be missing me by now.” 
She bends, leaning on the door as she opens it, and peruses the mostly empty shelves. You leave her and go down the hall. You grab your shoes and slip them on, once more stopping at the threshold. Keep going. You made it this far. 
You let yourself out and lock the door behind you. You take the stairs down to the first level and continue out onto the street. You keep to the edge of the pavement as you weave around other pedestrians that pass. 
Your lips move as you recite the directions to yourself. You were sure to memorise the route as best as you could. You get turned around but right yourself and make it to the corner when you can see the grey brick of the library. 
You wait at the light before you cross and your heart begins to race the closer you get. Oh no, you don’t know if you can do this. You want to just run away. What if he sees you and changes his mind? I mean, look at you. You’re not some perky coed, you’re... you. 
You stare up at the facade and the large letters over the entrance. You take the first step, then the next. You focus on that. Right foot, left foot. Little things, one at a time. You can do this. You have to. 
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scream queen !! . . . gojo x reader
one fall, geto and gojo team up to prank shoko and y/n for halloween. basically halloween inspired fluff!
fluff, gojo x reader, set during gojo's past arc, reader is a 2nd year student
by @cinnamon-girl-writes
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OCTOBER, 2006
As the day drew to a close, the Jujutsu High gymnasium was abuzz with conversation.
"C'mon 'Ko, how can you not like halloween?" Gojo persisted, "Slasher movies and candy and staying up past midnight?"
Shoko scoffed. "You already stay up way too late, idiot." Geto chuckled softly at their antics.
You poked the girl next to you and she almost dropped her cigarette from between her teeth. "Are you at least going to dress up with me this year?" You asked.
Shoko rolled her eyes. "Not a chance."
Geto leaned in, joining the conversation. "Why do you hate Halloween so much?"
Shoko sighed, stretching her arms out above her nonchalantely. "I don't know, I just never really enjoyed it, y'know? Like, we see enough scary stuff every day, right?"
You collectively nodded at her words. There was no denying that she was right; your lives were plenty scary on a daily basis.
Just then, the bell rang, signalling it was time for your next class session to begin. You all gathered your things and headed to the main building, dropping the conversation.
The rest of the day went on as expected, after finishing your lessons and training for a few hours you all retreated around the campus. You and Shoko lounged in the common room with Nanami and Haibara. Gojo and Getou, however, were no where to be found.
"Do you think we should go look for them?" Haibara questioned. It had been almost two hours since you'd last seen them at dinner and it was starting to get dark.
"No, if they need us they'll call," Nanami answered quickly.
You intervened, "I'm sure they're fine, wherever they are. Probably off causing trouble somewhere."
"Yeah, they're fine. So, what are we watching?" said Shoko.
You collectively decided on Corpse Bride, a halloween classic but nothing too scary for late on a Tuesday night. You always found you were most happy in these quiet moments, curled up on the couch of the common room surrounded by your friends and not having to worry about techinques or curses or surviving.
That all went away, however, when thirty minutes into the movie, you began to hear strange sounds. It started out as a scraping sound on the floor, almost as if someone was dragging metal across the ground. Then you heard a faint laughing sound. You turned to Shoko who was beside you and a giggle from her confirmed she heard it too. You assumed Geto and Gojo had scuffled in from a night of mischief and were making their way to bed. You shook your head, smiling to yourself. Although you'd never admit it, you enjoyed spending your free time with them, chaotic as they may be.
Suddenly, you feel a tap on your shoulder. You glance at Shoko, who's dead asleep next to you, and then Nanami, who's resorted to reading a book that's settled in his lap.
You turn to see the looming figure of a masked man holding a chainsaw-- and let out a blood curdling scream.
Shoko jumped from her place on the couch, landing ten feet away; Haibara fell backwards off the edge of the couch; even Nanami leaned away and grimaced.
Startled, you tried to compose yourself, but it was hard to do so in the dark room with adrenaline coursing though your veins.
As you were coming to your senses, the lights flicker on and you see two people in front of you: Gojo, with a Jason mask resting around his neck, and Geto, holding a camcorder which was currently pointed at Haibara, who was still on the ground. Both of them were laughing their asses off, barely being able to breathe.
You hear a groan from Shoko behind you, "Ohhhhh, what the hell?" A "Come on, guys" is heard from Nanami, but you're still too in shock to respond.
Finally recovering from their hysterics, the boys gathered beside each other to review their footage. You hear the faint sound of your own scream and Shoko's yelp being played back on the tiny camera screen.
"You-- y-you should've seen your face!" Gojo says between breaths.
Standing up, you rubbed your face, trying to recover from the trauma you'd just gone through. Gojo notices the look on your face and pulls you in for a hug which you reluctantly accept since you needed the comfort.
Plus, getting a hug from Satoru wasn't that bad either.
"Aww, I'm sorry Y/n," Gojo said, gently stroking your back, "I could make it up to you with a kiss later?"
This caused you to shove his shoulder playfully, feigning digust. "Seriously? Gross."
You were interupted by Geto, "After that stunt, I don't think Shoko will ever like Halloween again."
You laughed, and Gojo behind you chimed in, "It was sooooo worth it though! We're gonna have this footage for life!"
The four of you settled on the couch, waving Nanami and Haibara goodnight when they decided they were tired (more like tired of this bs).
Everyone ended up falling asleep on the couch, so when the movie ended, Gojo shook Geto and Shoko awake, shushing them when they moved to wake you. Geto gave Gojo a wink and Shoko glared warning daggers at him as they made their ways to their own rooms.
Ever so gently, Gojo picked you up in his arms bridal-style and carried you to your bedroom, laying you in your bed.
As you were being tucked in, you stirred, blinking yourself awake.
"Satoru?" you questioned in your half-awake state, "Did the movie end...?"
He smiled to himself, pulling the sheets up to your chin. "Yeah, time to go to bed. Goodnight."
"Okay. Goodnight, Satoru."
Oh, and you did end up getting that kiss.
---
NOVEMBER, 2017
The fight had been going on for days at this poin. Everyone was on their toes, anxious and wondering what to do in the midst of all the chaos. It left you and Shoko in a strange position:
Gojo was gone. Getou's body was taken over long ago. Shoko had gotten word that Nanami was gone, too.
You had left the fight to go to you and Gojo's-- no, your apartment in Shibuya to gather supplies: bandages for the injured, water, food.
As you turned the key to unlock your home, you forced yourself to stare at the ground. You couldn't risk glancing at a picture frame and seeing the smiling face of your husband staring back at you.
You gathered the few things you came for and threw them into a bag, shuffling around the kitchen. You made your way into the living room, thinking you might grab some blankets to comfort the injured. As you were walking, you stumbled into a cardboard box, kicking it across the room on accident.
A stack of discs spilled onto the ground. You remembered, then, that Satoru had brought them out to show his students some footage of curses to study various cursed techniques. Of course, he had never gotten to show them.
Thinking nothing of it, you knelt down to pick them up. They were all pretty standard, marked with dates or the names of curses. One in particular, however, caught your attention.
You read your lover's handwriting, scribbled in black sharpie:
Scream Queen!!! '06 >;)
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i99zhuo · 2 months
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Could u make a routine inspired by kazuha ?
How to live like kazuha ⋆𐙚.ೃ⊹🩰°。𓏲⋆𖦹 🦢₊˚ kazuhaism routine
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This is a guide on daily routines inspired by le sserafim’s Kazuha! thanks for the request, hope you enjoy it!!
content list (routines):
morning
study
workout
shower + self care
night
(_ _ ) . . z Z⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚୨ :★: ୧ ∗  ˖࣪ ໒꒱  ˚₊·
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✸ ꒰ morning routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆
🎀 Kazuha starts her days by getting straight out of bed! You can take a few minutes just to think about your dreams or to meditate but after you're done get up without thinking so you avoid lazyness. After, head to the bathroom to do your hygiene routine (washing your teeth, face, body, etc.)
After you do your skincare, it's time for makeup, if i had to describe Zuha’s makeup in a few words i would use ‘natural’ ‘light’ and ‘clean’, even tho she uses as many products as other idols I've already talked about (brow pencil, eyeshadow, base makeup, contour, lashes, eyeliner, blush and lip tint), her makeup still pretty much simple, like just to enhance her natural features.
🧸Time to get dressed, Kazuha usually wears tops or basic t-shirts with baggy sweatpants, the colors she wears the most are white, black and gray. stylize the outfit with a beret or sunglasses!
Finally for breakfast, a good option is to have a sandwich with coffee, however any recipe that includes a lot of veggies in it will be ideal! 
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✸ ꒰ study routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆
🩰 One of Zuha's favorite things is trying new things and showing progress! So always make sure to experiment with different study styles, techniques and resources. also, remember that progress is not about going from an F to an A, but about improving slowly and enjoying the path to your goals.
To learn and practice her Korean, Kazuha reviews vocabulary daily, using it on small phrases to memorize their meaning. As a visual learner, she also associates words with drawings and writes in her notebook often.
🥥 And to improve her English she usually practices talking with Yunjin. You can ask a friend to tutor you in any signature you feel you are lacking and make learning fun!
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✸ ꒰ workout routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆
🪷 Kazuha’s most famous charm is her healthy and beautiful body, as well as her flexibility. She workouts everyday in her dorm room, and has a lot of different workout routines, so I decided to make a schedule so you can try them all!
monday -> le sserafim workout (no jumps / low impact), Kazuha new abs workout and full body stretch.
tuesday -> le sserafim workout (short version), Kazuha upper body workout, stretch
wednesday -> le sserafim workout, Kazuha abs workout, stretch
thursday -> le sserafim workout, upper body workout, stretch
friday -> le sserafim workout, kazuha lower abs workout, stretch
saturday -> le sserafim (short), upper body, stretch
sunday -> le sserafim workout (no jumps / low impact), stretch 
🌷 Also, you can try and enroll in a ballet class, it's never too late to try!
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✸ ꒰ shower + self care routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆
Before taking your shower, take off your makeup with micellar water or an oil based cleanser. Then bath like you would normally do, but start your shower with lukewarm water and finish with a cold rinse!
🦢 Then use a soft foam cleanser to wash your face, let it air dry, and then use a gentle toner, calming ampoule and cream to set the moisture.
Now for self care, Zuha enjoys spending time doing diamond paintings or other kinds of diys, like decorating phone cases. She also videocalls her friends often in her free time, spending time with friends really helps with our mental health! You can also try and make little handmade gifts for your besties.
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✸ ꒰ night routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆
🐩 Dinner time! eat a yogurt bowl with nuts and honey (or any toppings you like) and eat it while watching youtube videos.
After eating she takes her journal and writes about her day and her emotions, she tries to be as concise as possible so no matter if she’s tired or doesn't have time she's still able to reflect on her day!
👛 Then she does her last review on the things she's studying, doing this before going to sleep helps you remember it better.
If she's with the members she will obviously watch a scary movie and have fun with her friends before going to bed!
💋 Finally stretch a little in your bed to be more flexible, have a better posture and to help you to fall asleep faster!
Good night!
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(_ _ ) . . z Z⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚୨ :★: ୧ ∗  ˖࣪ ໒꒱  ˚₊·
Heyyy tysm for reading hope you liked it even if it was a little rushed!
I closed my request cus I kept getting them and I really want to focus on the ones that I already have hehe but don't worry I will re-open them once im done!
Also while making this I noticed it was really similar to the how to live like Yunjin I was making sooo idk if I should finish it or not, what do u guys think?
anyways I think that's all
toodlezzzzz!11!!1
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yumeka-sxf · 6 months
Text
1-year anniversary post and future projects
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My blog turned 1-year old today! 😃 (I also have a new blog banner and profile pic for the occasion!) I was lowkey hoping I'd hit the 1,000 follower milestone before then, but I got close - about 890 followers as of now! I'm very humbled that so many people enjoy my SxF content ❤️ Thank you all so much for your Likes, Reblogs, and kind messages~ Even though I wish I had joined the SxF fandom sooner, better late than never! The series has been around for about four years now, which is still a relatively short time for a popular shonen manga. So I'm hoping there will be plenty more SxF content to indulge in for years to come!
As you've probably seen, I've been reblogging my Twiyor analysis posts as a build-up to my continuation of that project for season 2 of the anime. And I'm happy to report that my planned start date for new analysis posts will be Tuesday, December 12th! On that day I'll post the new installment, Part 19, with a new post each Tuesday after until I finish covering the season 2 episodes. I know it seems like I'm dragging it out, but it takes a long time for me to not only write each post, but to revise and proofread them as well...the more chances I get to proofread my posts over time, the better they turn out. I also want to make sure I don't get too far ahead of the current episodes (since I still want to make the posts manga-spoiler free as much as possible). Since season 2 is only going to be 12 episodes, there won't be as many posts as last time, but the topics are just as compelling! I've been so excited to finally delve into analyzing the cruise arc 😄
I should also mention that late December/early January are going to be very busy times for the fandom: there's the movie release, the game release, the season finale, another art book that I'll want to scan, and the light novel being released in English! Of course I'll be making posts covering all of this, as well as my usual merch and chapter/episode review posts. I'm also planning to do some kind of post mini-series for the game where I write about my experiences with it in a daily journal kind of format. We'll see...there's going to be so much to cover at the end of the year, I hope I won't get overwhelmed 😅
Anyway, thank you all again for a wonderful year of SxF goodness~ Here's to many more years of joy from our beloved fake family!
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GREENDALE'S 2nd TUMBLR ISSUE OF THE GAZETTE JOURNAL MIRROR!!
March 26 . 24. - a Quality publication of Greendale Community College
This issue's hot topics:
The REDSTREET SMACKDOWN: Greendale students' midnight brawls and mega bans
Leaked: timeline travel method: Vent, vent, voom?
1st Horrors Humans Answers
Notices we had to put in or the paper wouldn't run this week
THE REDSTREET SMACKDOWN
The owner of the popular bar on L Street has said it will be permanently banning all the Greendalians involved in the brawl late last night. 
The numerous bans follow a review of the situation which identified them all as equally responsible for the damages, losses and brutal attack of the bartender on shift that night.
Allegedly, the bartender, who came from the night with a severe black eye and several cuts, has also been banned as well as being fired outright. 
Separately, another bartender, ‘Jean’, has said he didn’t witness the entire event, just the final moments where they all "acted as part of the group". 
Other witnesses suggested a redheaded girl with ‘too many darn piercings’ was ‘vicious’ in her screaming match and was the one who took the first swing. 
An on scene reporter wrote that the bartender on shift argued back equally as viciously and threatened the crowd to take further action. All in all the row was said to have lasted no more than five minutes and yet the effects of it would cost the owner greatly. Our reporter counted a total of eight present during the dispute. This included Greendales’ own Troy Barnes, Abed Nadir and Vanessa Wright. It’s suggested that the others were also students but they were unable to be identified at the time. 
Total damages are said to be cash register breakages, several broken glasses and dents on a couple of chairs. The assailants also stole several bottles of wine and two shot glasses. 
Redstreet’s owner claimed he will not be pressing any charges on this occasion. He commented “if i went apeshit on every stupid drunken fool, I’d never have time to actually run the damn bar. It’s all show business.” 
He also told the team that Redstreet is opening a ‘Tapas Tuesday with ten percent taken (off the total price of the order, not including discounts and other offers and limited only to tuesdays)’ All are welcome except the blacklisted, including the newly banned assailants of last night. 
Leaked: ‘timeline travel method’, Vent, vent, voom?
Sources have suggested that the more surefire way to travel between the ‘timelines’ are by crawling through Greendale’s vents.
The ‘timelines’ themselves were discovered late last year upon the discovery of the ‘other timeline’, (also been dubbed the ‘superior timeline’ by some) rendering this the ‘prime timeline’. It was quickly realised by the sci-fi society members, namely one ‘Abed Nadir’ that there are possibly infinite other timelines out there. It was also discovered that Tumblr is a rare medium through which all the timelines are able to converge. 
While many claim to have undertaken this method to travel between them, the Gazette Journal Mirror stresses that this is still hearsay, and has yet to be directly confirmed by the paper. 
Although, with this new information to light, we urge you to keep a keen eye for the evil timeliners who have been sighted around campus and tumblr alike! 
Horrors Humans Answers 
hi! i have a crush on a girl, and i know she's gay, or at least queer, and she's been dropping some hints, but then sometimes she also says we're just friends and does friend-zone-y kind of stuff, and i'm not sure what to think or to do. please send help!
- angel lover
ANSWER: Hey, Angel Lover! This horrors human knows exactly how you feel! The lovesick feeling is bittersweet. But hang tight! Here’s my advice. Scenario One: You bite the bullet and just ask her out, you never know the outcome until you try - and as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Scenario Two: You ask a mutual friend if you know who she likes! That’s a sure way to know if it’s you, or someone else. Horrors Human wishes you the best of luck!
what’s the deal with the dude hanging in the east stairwell - scared student
ANSWER: Hi there, Scared Student! I’m here to say - Fear Not! You’re probably seeing things. Have you been eating funny brownies recently? There’s no one hanging in the east stairwell, silly! There’s no one there, see? No one there. No one there. No one there at all. anymore. In fact, we’re going to put a nice new vending machine right there next week! Enjoy! 
How to stop having gay thoughts -person in a study group who totally isn’t gay
ANSWER: Hello, Study Grouper! Sounds like you’ve got a classic case of denial. Though this may be tricky for you to come to terms with, my advice here would not be to try and stop yourself from having these thoughts but to take a step back and allow them to be there. Indulge yourself a little! Perhaps there’s a celebrity you’ve never openly admitted to liking, or maybe you’ve got a crush you flirt with? Get comfortable with yourself, Study Grouper! 
Notices (we had to put this in because otherwise they wouldn't let us run the paper this week)
GREENDALE’S THEATRE DEPARTMENT:  We are excited to announce their upcoming performance, ‘Anti Death Macbeth’, the tickets of which will be going on sale this Friday from the drama studio and reception. Don’t miss it. This will not be an ado about nothing! 
TEACHERS PAY: INTERVIEW WITH THE DEAN TO BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY.
NON-GLUTEN FREE RUMOURS: ‘Who on earth would trick people into eating bread with gluten in it?' Greendale's head chef and meal planner commented, insisting on speaking directly from rehab. And there you have it, human beings! We’re here to remind you that, no matter the rumours, the cafeteria’s Gluten-Free bread is indeed gluten-free!
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thelittlewriter · 1 year
Text
Recovery
Pairing : Bakugou x Reader
Previous Part
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When he woke up, it was already the afternoon. He could see it through the window. His body felt lighter. He was surprisingly still a little tired, but he immediately thought of you. He felt like he needed to get to you as early as he could. He knew he promised not to see you until tomorrow, but he didn't want you to feel lonely and he wouldn't stay long to let you rest. He just needed to see you for a moment. To make sure you were ok.
He couldn't look at his phone, the batteries had gone flat a while ago, and he didn't think about charging his phone. He did, as he got ready to go see you. He looked into the mirror. He looked better, less scary. You wouldn't send him back home right away.
When he turned on his phone, he thought he'd need to call his parents. They probably wouldn't worry too much, as nobody knew about the incident, but he still didn't say a thing to them for a week. As he turned his phone on, he looked at the date.
Wednesday.
He had left you on Tuesday morning. He had slept for more than a day. Tomorrow was today. He was supposed to come to see you this morning. He rushed to the hospital. He wondered if anybody came to see you today.
"You're back," the nurse said when he got into the building.
He nodded, as he came inside your room. It was empty.
"Where's Y/N ?"
Were you hurt ? He couldn't help but think about how frail you were when you were injured. How scared you were.
"Just running some tests. Don't worry, it won't take much longer."
He sighed in relief. He noticed this foreign feeling inside his chest. It was more than just worry.
"Maybe they were right not to let me back to work yet," he thought.
Whatever it was, he needed to sort it out quickly so he could get back to work. He looked through the window of the hospital room. The world didn't stop while he was here. He needed to go back out there.
"Guess who's here !" he suddenly heard behind him.
He didn't recognize this voice. He turned around.
"I can talk now," you said.
You were in a wheelchair.
"Only short sentences and not too much," the nurse who guided you here said.
The damage to your throat had really damaged your vocal cords. He still remembered how wounded you were, how scared you were. He closed his eyes for a second. You were fine now.
You stood up and walked to him. He could see you still had a little trouble walking but you were trying hard to hide it. You were feeling better, you could walk a little distance now so you didn't want him to worry too much. You took him in your arms. You would never admit it out loud but you had felt lonely these past days without him. Except for Hawks and him, you didn't have many people who would visit.
"Are you ok ?" he asked.
"What ?"
He cleared his throat.
"Do you need help getting to bed ?"
Oh. He thought you were holding onto him for help. You sighed. He was truly clueless.
"Yeah," you said. "Just a little help."
It was almost embarrassing how he was genuinely helping you. He made you sit on the bed and he sat on the chair. He wasn't saying anything, he was just looking at you. You had no idea what he was thinking about and you looked away, pretending not to notice.
You faked a cough to fill the silence and he jumped out of the chair.
"Does it hurt ?" he asked. "Do you want me to call a nurse ?"
"Relax, I just coughed a little. It's fine."
He sat back and looked down.
"I'm sorry, Y/N."
You frowned as he finally looked at you. You saw the despair in his eyes. The guilt.
"You got hurt because of me. I'm sorry."
You sighed. In class, you had learned about losing someone during a mission. You knew it could happen. You were prepared for this. But you didn't expect to see Bakugou feeling guilty for something like that. He was quick-witted, he was smart, and had the ability to review his past missions to improve. That was something you knew he could do, having worked by his side.
"It was not your fault," you told him. "You did the best you could with the information you had."
He didn't seem convinced.
"Tell me the truth," you said. "If it was any other mission, knowing the same information, would you do it again ?"
He frowned. He knew you were right. He was smart enough to know it was the safest plan. You didn't understand why he would blame himself when he had done everything he could.
"I would," you said. "I will do it again."
He nodded and you smiled at him.
The truth was that you were the one who made a mistake. You trusted the pieces of information you had a little too much and you got caught off guard. While the beating you took managed to buy the time to get those civilians out, you still got knocked out too fast.
But trusting him was not a mistake.
"Tell me," you suddenly said, wanting to change the topic. "What did you eat today ? The food here isn't as bad as we think but I'm still hungry."
He looked at you with a blank face, not answering.
"Hello ?" you said.
This time, he looked away.
"Don't tell me you didn't eat today ?" you asked.
It was true. When he woke up, all he thought about was seeing you. It had been a while since his last meal. He didn't even think about that.
You were about to scold him when you hear a gentle knock on the door.
"Am I interrupting something ?"
Your face lit up immediately. It was Hawks.
"I thought you got back."
"It's not really far," Hawks said. "And I had business here anyway."
Bakugou looked at the two of you. You looked very happy to see him. Happier than when he was there. He shook his head. He needed to chase those thoughts away. It didn't matter. It was good that you had someone to take care of you. The two of them had been the only person who came and see you. It was good for you that he was there too, no matter how weird he felt about that.
"I'm gonna buy a snack or something," he announced.
He felt a dark stare on his back. He knew it was you so he added :
"I'll cook myself something when I'll go back home."
And he left the two of you. He was happy that you had someone who would come visit, he was. But that feeling was eating all the good feelings he had. It was jealousy. There was no need to deny it. No matter how much he thought about it, the two of you never seemed to know each other very well during the few missions together. Were you the type to hide it ? He didn't know. He didn't know much about you. When he got back there, the two of you were still talking. He silently sat down. You were eyeing the small bag of potato chips he had in his hand. You didn't say anything about it, but you were looking at it so fiercely that he knew you wanted some too.
"I have to fly back home," Hawks announced. "Call me when you get out."
So he even had your phone number. He guessed the two of you must be really close. He was silently eating while you were looking at him.
"You're not getting any if you don't ask," he finally said.
"I don't want any," you answered.
He could tell by your face that he was a lie. He sighed as he handed you the bag. You shook your head.
"Stop lying and take it."
You shook your head again.
"You didn't eat all day," you said. "Even if you don't feel it, you are hungry. So I don't want any."
He smiled. Your face was painfully honest. You wanted to eat it too. But you wanted him to eat more.
"Thank you for being here," you suddenly said.
You weren't directly looking at him, just in his direction. You had a small smile on your face.
"It really made me happy."
He didn't say a thing but he could feel his ears heating up.
"You know, Hawks and I aren't really close. We just have a similar story. The commission rescued me when I was younger and that's how I met him."
Bakugou knew that you got in through recommendation but he never knew what it was about. He never asked.
"We don't have people around," you said. "So we are each other's people. We show up."
"Now, you have me."
You frowned and let out an embarrassed laugh.
"It's usually silly, like when I need help for small stuff."
You looked away.
"Still, I'm here. Even for silly stuff."
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Taglist : @zbeez-outlet​ @weebssecretattic​ @jihyuniepark​
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Hey ! I'm finally posting, I hope you liked it ! Thank you for reading and have a good day !
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blurredcolour · 8 months
Text
The Night Moves | Part One
The Night Moves Masterlist
Alternate Universe
supernatural!Bradley Bradshaw x Female Reader; supernatural!Jacob Seresin x Female Reader
Summary: An internship with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History should have been the highlight of your academic career. The perfect addition to your resume while you worked on your doctoral thesis. An interdepartmental assignment, however, sees your reality ripped apart by incomprehensible forces. Five tumultuous days will leave you forever changed and inextricably linked to two men born centuries apart.
Warnings: Angst, Language, Violence, Blood, Gore, Supernatural Themes, Historical Inaccuracies, Institutional Inaccuracies, Mature/Explicit Themes - 18+ Only
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Author's Note: Typically I provide sanitized versions of my more violent scenes however they are rather crucial to this entire series so please heed my warnings and do not engage with this series if you are not interested in reading blood and gore. Thank you for your understanding!
Word Count: 4053
-------------------------
-Tuesday-
The sound of fallen leaves skittering across the pavement behind you would have brought a smile to your face if the card reader at the staff entrance of the National Museum of Natural History would only function properly. You had tried sliding your personnel card marked ‘intern’ through it quickly, slowly, repeatedly, and every attempt ended in two buzzes and a red-light signaling failure.
You were expected in the lab in five minutes and at this rate you were going to be late – not the impression you were hoping to make on your first inter-facility project. You took a step back and inhaled deeply, turning your head to your right to appreciate the brilliant orange leaves tipped in red barely clinging to the trees on the boulevard. The days had been unseasonably warm lately, though the arrival of a crisp north wind was heralding a change. Grounded and refreshed you approached the card reader once more and pulled your keycard forward, the lanyard around your neck taut, trying a slow, smooth slide through the slot. The resulting chirp and green light had you sighing in relief.
“Finally…” You uttered and wrenched the door open, hurrying down the stairs and through the corridor to the room number that had been provided via email. Stopping just outside, you took a moment to fill your lungs with air and smooth your lab coat before stepping inside calmly.
While you had reviewed the parameters of the assignment numerous times, nothing could have prepared you for what was waiting in that room. A catastrophic fire in a Virginia church two weeks ago had unearthed a lead-lined sarcophagus, which initial investigations had determined dated from the War of Independence. It had been delivered to the department of forensic anthropology for examination on Thursday of last week and as the initial scans of the vessel revealed there were artifacts contained within, the project had expanded to involve the National Museum of American History as well.
While your position as an intern had not garnered you an invitation to the opening of the sarcophagus, you had been fortunate enough to be assigned with the initial cataloguing of the items found within. Nonetheless you were still taken aback by the sight of a mummified corpse laid out on a wheeled exam table with the rest of the artifacts set out on other tables beside. The most striking thing of all, however, was the utter lack of damage to the artifacts one would expect from them being locked in a box with a decaying body for two-and-a-half centuries. From your vantage point they appeared aged and worn, to be sure, but otherwise very much intact.
A chill rolled through your body as you stepped further into the sterile room, and you heard a poorly smothered laugh. Turning quickly toward the sound, you spotted two forensic anthropology interns, Brett and Raj, whom you recognized from the Smithsonian-wide orientation meetings in the spring.
“It’s freezing in here to keep the smell down.” Brett, a strawberry-blond with a smattering of freckles across his nose, explained with a hint of apology in his voice. “We don’t often get remains like this…”
“With so much meat on them, he means.” Raj, with his black hair falling carelessly into his eyes, clarified.
“Ah.” You replied simply, not entirely certain how to reply to a statement like that.
“There is clothing on the remains to be catalogued but we have a few more scans to run, would you mind starting with the other items while we finish up?” Brett continued, despite the callous nature of his colleague’s words.
“Not at all, the majority of it seems to be on the tables anyway.” You nodded, gesturing to the objects that had been unpacked by people high above your pay grade.
You stepped aside as they rolled the table past you and through the doorway, murmuring their thanks as they pulled a sheet over the body respectfully. Brett’s sneakers squeaked slightly on the tile floor, the sound fading as they grew further away.
 Accustomed to working with their belongings rather than the long-dead directly, you immediately found it easier to breathe as soon as you found yourself alone. You grabbed an unoccupied chair from the corner of the room, reaching down to pull the lever beneath to seat and raise it to its highest setting. Retrieving your laptop from your bag, which you left hanging on one of the racks of hooks in the corner, you set it on your makeshift workstation. You walked along the row of tables filled with items awaiting cataloguing to the furthest from the door planning on working your way back to the gap the remains would eventually return to.
Sliding on a pair of gloves from a box on the counter that ran the rear perimeter of the room, you carefully picked up a pocketknife from the exam table, turning it in your fingers slowly to search for any unique characteristics. The initials ‘J.S.’ were carved into the wooden inlay on the underside, which you quickly added under the item’s notes on your laptop.
Retrieving the digital camera from the deep pocket of your lab coat, you took several photos of the knife before repeating the process with a pile of British notes and coins, a clay pipe, a pouch of tobacco, and a small black ledger with pages of accounts that would need further study, before coming to stand in front of a British regular’s uniform jacket. A private’s rank from what you could tell at first glance. Looking back toward the door, you furrowed your brows in confusion having sworn that the corpse was wearing a South Carolinian infantryman’s jacket.
“Odd…” You murmured in puzzlement, turning back to the task at hand.
You were nearly through with the loose items on the tables when the rattling of caster wheels from the hall announced the return of Raj and Brett with their charge. They replaced the exam table to its original spot in the room, locking the wheels with a series of clacks before folding the sheet back to lay at the corpse’s feet.
“You’ve got it from here?” Raj asked halfway out the door, not waiting for an answer before he was gone.
Brett scoffed, shaking his head as he signed off for the both of them on a clipboard, setting it down on the counter beside the body before looking to you. “Don’t forget to fill out your portion of the paperwork. We’ll lock up when you’re finished.”
“Will do, thank you.” You nodded before taking a fortifying breath, reluctantly moving over to the exam table.
Your eyes immediately fell upon the blue coat with red lapels, confirming your initial glimpse. Dressed in the uniform of the South Carolina Continental Army, with the ivory breeches and tall black boots to match, the presence of the red coat in his rucksack was all the more mystifying. But the shape occupying the artifacts, though desiccated, was still undeniably human – a fact that was deeply unsettlingly.
Embarrassingly, your hands took on a slight tremble above your keyboard and despite all wisdom to the contrary you found your eyes drifting towards the deceased soldier’s face. Logic told you the twisted expression resembling pain was from the contraction of muscles as they lost their moisture, but it nonetheless evoked a sense of deep suffering. Yet despite the years spent in that metal box, silken strands of golden hair still framed his face, the longer pieces pulled back into a tight plait at the nape of his neck, barely visible from your current angle.
The only sound in the room came from the faint hum of the fluorescent lights and light-headedness washed over you as you realized you were holding your breath. Wrenching your eyes from that tortured look, your gaze ricocheted about the room for something safer to focus on before landing on the dull, mud-splattered leather of his boots. You took a breath and slowly typed the color ‘black’ before exhaling slowly and describing the worn condition of their soles. Another inhale and exhale bracketed your estimation of the shoe size.
Employing similar tactics, you worked your way up the articles of clothing, one by one. Inhaling, exhaling, typing, photographing. Given that you were not authorized to touch the remains, you had to rely on the visible angles of the clothing, crouching and stretching, craning your neck and circling the table to take in as much detail as possible. It was yet to be determined if further investigation of the remains, including cleaning of the bones, was warranted and it was entirely possible these clothes would remain on the body for reburial, so you were diligent in your work.
Well, as diligent as the oppressive feeling of ill-ease that was cloying at your senses would allow. So grateful to be finished your work, were you, that you ripped off your gloves and were almost halfway out the door when you remembered Brett’s instruction to sign off on your portion of the paperwork. Swearing under your breath you clenched your fists and forced your feet to turn back toward the body and retrieve the clipboard from the counter beside it. You hastily flipped through the pages, willfully ignoring the seemingly anguished face to your left.
The careless speed which you employed in desperation to remove yourself from that room was not without consequence; the fine edge of the top sheet of paper catching the plush edge of the pad of your index finger. You hissed at the sting as blood welled up immediately, snapping your wrist in a self-chastising movement, unaware of the scatter of droplets you sent through the air before pulling the wound between your lips to stop the bleeding. Setting the clipboard down on the countertop with a clatter, you rapidly initialled through all the sections pertaining to you before noting the time of ‘7:05 pm’ and signed out.
The day had melted through your fingers, and it was now well past the normal time you went home. Your feet carried you back up the stairs, moving just as rapidly as you had hours before, this time driven by a desire to leave that room and its corpse behind. The air outside was anything but fresh, the humidity so close to one hundred percent that moisture hung in the form of mist, thunder rumbling ominously in the distance. Yet you had never been so grateful to be outside. You eased the pace of your aching leg muscles, making your way down the street towards your regular building to hang up your lab coat, collect your things, and head home for the evening.
The tension in your shoulders eased with each step, the heaviness in your chest feeling lighter as the staff door to your usual place of work was in sight. You were nearly there when a hand fell heavily upon your shoulder, making you yelp and whirl back defensively.
“Where the hell is my body?” Raj sneered at you petulantly, the question so preposterous that you blinked up at him not fully comprehending it for several seconds.
“What are you talking about?!” You finally found the wherewithal to answer. “Right there on the exam table where I left –”
“This sort of thing might pass as humor in your building, but it is most certainly not funny, come with me.” He interrupted coldly and thrust an authoritative arm forward in a commanding gesture, leaving you no choice but to turn back toward the basement you had just escaped from. You had been so close.
Retracing your steps, with Raj’s furious form at your back, you were filled with a sense of foreboding as your keycard once again acted up. With an infuriated huff he swiped his card aggressively from behind you. Even the door bowed before his rage and promptly unlocked. He flung it open, and you flinched out of the way reflexively before darting through the opening, not wanting to fan the flames of his ire any hotter. You flogged your brain, begging it to produce a reasonable explanation for the problem he was presenting you with but all it produced was the unhelpful buzzing of fear in response to Raj’s threatening presence behind you and the memory of that tortured soldier’s face in the basement.
Yet he had spoken the truth. When you stepped into the room, the exam table was empty, the sight making your stomach fall straight through the floor. All the other artifacts remained saved the most pivotal. You turned quickly to defend yourself.
“I swear to you, I signed out at 7:05 and got the hell out of here. I couldn’t bear to spend one more minute with that body…” Your palms grew damp as you spoke, trying to focus on any possible, rational, logical explanations. There were few.
His dark eyes narrowed, looking you over, calculating for a moment before he nodded. “Well, your signature is the last on the sheet and now it’s gone. So, you’re going to help me find it. And if it wasn’t your poor taste then it most certainly had to be Brett’s. You take this corridor and I’ll take that one.” He gestured in opposite directions as he spoke, making your throat spasm anxiously.
“Are you sure, I don’t know this building very well –”
“Just get on with it, you’ve already kept me here late.” He snapped and turned, walking off in his chosen direction, leaving you to yours.
Swallowing dryly, you turned with trepidation before forcing one foot in front of the other, trying doors as you went. The majority of them turned out to be locked, your key card of no use in the face of a traditional keyhole, so you continued on further and further away from the stairwell, from Raj, from the exam room. Reaching what you assumed was the end of the building you turned the corner and felt the shock of ice water in your veins. A pair of legs, lying prone on the floor, sneakers on their feet, peered out from around the next corner in the distance.
“Brett…?” You called out hesitantly, voice cracking, as your memory summoned the image of his footwear from earlier in the day. Clearing your throat, you hastened your steps and tried again with more volume. “Brett?!”
Rounding the second corner the air was punched from your lungs as the torn flesh of his neck and the gush of blood from the wound filled your eyes.
“Oh fuck!” Your voice was high pitched and you would have mortified you in normal circumstances – yet these were anything but. You dropped your bag and yanked off your lab coat, viciously fighting with the sleeves as they snagged on your wrists until you finally wrenched the fabric free. Balling it up, you pressed it tightly against his neck in a pathetic attempt to staunch the bleeding and started shrieking for help.
Your voice was hoarse by the time you, at last, heard the sound of quick-paced footsteps and heaving breaths growing closer. The security guard who appeared from around the corner might as well have been a fleet of medics, for all the relief his arrival brought you. He quickly summoned an ambulance using his radio and dove in immediately to assist you in trying to stop the bleeding.
“Help is coming, Brett, hold on…” You tried to soothe the wide-eyed man, who’s mouth was gulping for air not unlike a fish out of water.
Futile gurgling sounds were coming from his throat, blood bubbling at the corner of his lips and you felt hot tears pricking at your lash line as you got a solid look at how dire his situation was.
“They’re almost here, just stay still…” You choked out, regretfully registering the splatter of blood droplets that had infiltrated the cheerful freckles across his face. “We’ve got you.” The acrid tang of panic flooded your mouth as his noises grew faint, the light in his eyes grew dim, his body grew still. “Nononono…Brett…” Your voice fractured as the tears you had been thus far keeping at bay flooded your eyes.
“He’s stopped breathing, there’s no pulse in his wrist.” You vaguely registered the voice of the guard behind you. “I’m starting CPR.”
As he began compressions there was a sickly crunch as Brett’s ribs snapped, a wave of nausea roiling through you before his body convulsed with each successive blow. All the manual beating of Brett’s heart achieved was to drive more blood from his neck wound, rapidly soaking through the wad of your lab coat and onto the institutional tiles of the floor.
Silent sobs wracked your body as you struggled to maintain pressure against the wound, the fabric in your hands quickly drenched as a flood of humanity poured down the hall. A firefighter was hauling you and your bloodstained hands out of the way, sitting you against the opposite wall beside the sweat-drenched and dazed security guard. It was not much longer before pair of paramedics arrived, all manner of life-saving tools employed on the horrifyingly motionless figure on the floor until the flurry suddenly stopped. They started pulling away.
You watched, numb, as two of the firefighters draped a sheet over Brett until one of the medics – a woman with kind eyes and an angular face with the name patch ‘Zambrano’ on her chest – was right in front of you, asking your name. You murmured it robotically before swallowing tightly.
“Is…is he…?”
“I’m so sorry. Can I give you a look over? Are you hurt at all?” She eyed the blood on your hands, and you shook your head quickly.
“It’s… it’s all… his.” You stuttered and wiped your eyes on your sleeves. “Oh god…” You whispered, looking up as several police officers crowded into the already cramped hallway.
The next few hours passed in a blur punctuated by brief moments of clarity – the medic helping you wash your hands, one of the firefighters wrapping a blanket around your shoulders when you could not stop shaking, Brett’s body being wheeled down the hallway, a series of questions from the police. It was past midnight by the time you found yourself leaving your building, forcing a half-disintegrated granola bar from the bottom of your work bag down your throat – not from hunger but because the rational side of your brain dictated you needed nourishment.
You barely registered the splash of water as you stepped off the curb onto northwest Madison Drive before frigid water seeped into your shoe. You looked down and sighed deeply as the moisture quickly dampened the fabric of your sock, lurching forward to avoid the puddle with your other foot. The Mall was eerily quiet, the only evidence of the tourists that normally occupied the space was the scattered trash in the process of being collected by a handful of sanitation workers.
The Washington Monument was illuminated a ghostly white in the distance as you came to the top of the escalators leading down to the Smithsonian Metro Station when your faculties at last returned to you; finally processing the fact that there were no trains after midnight.
“Fuck me…” You breathed and turned to trudge back to the street, shoving a hand into your jacket pocket to retrieve your phone, crying out as you crashed into the muscled bulk of a man clad in a brown suede jacket. You jerked back, feeling your centre of gravity tilt off balance as your body erupted once again into the shakes you had eventually subdued an hour ago.
“Whoa, sorry!” Came his gravelly exclamation as his hands gripped your shoulders, pulling you closer lest you fall backward down the escalators. “You alright there, sweetheart?” He asked as he guided you over to the safety of the grass, tilting his head to get a better look at you, revealing his face in the process.
You swallowed roughly taking in his kind, coffee-colored eyes, the curl of his chestnut hair, and the way his mustache caressed his upper lip. There was something soothing about his very presence – the warmth radiating from his hands on your shoulders, the hint of sandalwood in his cologne. The effect was calming, fortifying. You exhaled deeply in response to his question, the quivering in your muscles subsiding.
“I’m sorry it’s…it’s just been a day.” You shook you head at the inadequacy of your statement, watching his lips quirk up slightly in response.
“It hasn’t been day for quite some time.” He teased gently, releasing your shoulders now that you were steadier on your feet.
“Ha,” You laughed once and nodded in agreement. “You’re telling me.” Resuming your quest to pull your phone from your pocket, you finally succeeded, pulling up your rideshare app. “Missed the last train, and now…well my luck is consistent. The next available car is fifteen minutes away.” You submitted your ride request and let your hand drop to your side in defeat.
“Let me wait with you, it’s a lot quieter out here than I expected.” You eyed with warily a moment until he offered his hand to shake. “Bradley Bradshaw, pleased to meet you.”
You glanced between his face and his broad, extended palm before placing your hand in his, replying with your name as he wrapped his fingers around yours. His handshake was the right mixture of strength and confidence; not too aggressive but firm enough to raise the temperature of your skin.
“Let’s go sit on that bench at the bus stop so your driver can find you easily.” He gestured before guiding you in that direction with his hand at the small of your back.
“So, you expected it to be full of tourists out here even at midnight?” You asked, mimicking normal human conversation despite the weariness you felt all the way to your bones.
He chuckled and shrugged. “Not sure what I expected honestly, just moved here and came out to get the lay of the land.”
You sank down heavily onto the bench the instant the pair of you reached your destination and looked up at him with a tired grin. “Well, if you want to see the museums you’ll have to come when we’re open” You laughed, a thrill fluttering through your stomach as he grinned in response.
“Might just have to take you up on that.” He sat on the bench beside you, legs spread wide enough that his knee brushed against yours. “The way you said ‘we,’ I take it you work in one of them?”
“American History.” You nodded, clearing your throat as your voice still bore the aftereffects of prolonged shrieking.
He looked up at the row of buildings across the road before glancing at the same behind you, across the Mall, before mistakenly pointing at the Museum of Natural History.
“So close…” You smiled and gently guided his forearm to point at the correct building, swallowing tightly at the firmness of his arm, palpable even through the layers of his clothing.
“Aha, right next door to that one then. I was close. What do you do there?”
Unwelcome images of dead bodies and dying colleagues and lab coats soaked with blood flooded your mind and you shook your head, trying to clear it.
“It, it varies but I mostly deal with historical artifacts and do research for the permanent staff as needed.”
He nodded thoughtfully, looking up as a set of headlights illuminated the pair of you. “Your ride?”
You compared the license plate number on the car with that in the app before nodding and forcing yourself to your feet. “Hey thanks…thanks for waiting with me, you’re ok to get home?”
“Oh yeah, it’s a short walk.” He nodded reassuringly, leaning forward to open the car door for you.
Smiling weakly, you slid in, confirming your name with the driver as Bradley shut the door behind you. The car pulled away before you realized you had neglected to exchange numbers with the handsome man who had not only kept you from falling to your death, or at least grievous injury, but also waited in the dark with you until your ride showed up.
“Dammit! I just cannot win today…” You hissed, knocking your head back into the headrest in frustration.
-------------------------
Read Part Two
The Night Moves Masterlist
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minimoefoe · 12 days
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space babies and the devil's chord first watch thoughts
a couple of these are things i wrote down while watching but most is off the top of my head afterwards. will probs rewatch in the week and be more on it writing down thoughts etc
spaces babies
starting the episode with however many minutes of the doctor telling ruby his life story is... idk. defo didn't hate it but also it felt very powerpoint-y like they're just tryna get all the info out and hit the bases for the new viewers. which is partly understandable and i do think it make sense for the new therapised doctor to be willing to give out info about himself but that coupled with him giving her the key at the end of the ep is like hm i maybe woulda preferred her to find out misc stuff over time? not just have his life story dumped on her when they've just met??? idrk.
with prev eras, that stuff came over time or with 13 the fam finding out about where the doctor was from was a big thing bc it took a whole season and also there was meaning behind it, she was just telling them to get them to stop asking. where as this doesn't feel as deep? it felt, like i said, more about telling the audience than about anything else. even if it does make sense he'd be willing to be open bc of his new therapised self and also the fact him and ruby relate in certain ways so he might feel closer to her quicker
the exact same phone trick that nine did with rose is so... another thing that's like okay fine and also that rose scene was 19yrs ago now so it's not like it happened recently but it being by the same writer is like maybe think of something new. at least the scenes weren't in the same context like with nine and rose it was right after a fight but this was more chill
the doctor purposely scaring the babies was so 😭😭😭
the babies were so cute like. i low-key felt a bit teary when we first met them and they were saying about being alone or whatever it was
some review mentioned that the doctor said 'space babies' a lot and yeah he did and i noticed it every time and idk if that's bc of the review mentioning it or if i woulda noticed anyways but either way it was annoying
ruby sunday monday tuesday wednesday
fifteen and ruby have good banter idk i didn't list every moment but they're defo good together
gonna be real idk why they didn't just let that bogeyman die like. was he or was he not tryna kill them for half the episode. call him a baby but that is not a baby. that ending felt strange idrk
overall a good ep, gave it 3.5/5. has potential to be a 4/5 on rewatch but we'll see
the devil's chord
maestro i doubted you but i stan kinda
the scenes that were released as sneak peaks were WAYYYY better in the actual context of the episode
a susan mention in the year of our lord 2024 is craaaazy. loved it but again is like my first space babies point where it kinda feels like stuff is being revealed to kinda give new viewers back story?? but ALSO susan finally getting mentioned by name is great and what she deserves so idk
one review said ruby was 'casually bisexual' and i did watch these eps at 6/7am so maybe i missed something but.. i didn't notice a single bi ruby moment
maestro mentioning the one who waits at the end was like omfg can we be more creative. i am really into what this season is doing and the toymaker being maestro's dad is really cool but can we find ways of hinting at stuff that isn't literally just a character saying 'they're coming'. it's so lazy
not sure why there's been a six month time skip between episode one and two???? just to keep up with our time? very unnecessary and i feel like doesn't fully work bc ruby has FRESH companion vibes still (like how by now she would defo have found out that shit going bad in the past would fuck up her life in the future but she didn't) but we're i guess supposed to believe it's been six months? whatever
all the fourth wall breaking isn't my fave
why was there a song and dance at the end i know it was music ep but it felt strange/unnecessary
the doctor aggressively pointing the sonic at maestro was so funny like. worried ppl would play guns on the playground with the old sonic design and then you have the doctor do that lol very unserious
the next time trailer looked really cool i'm looking forward to more darker eps, these were mostly just fun
gave this ep 4/5. could go down, defo won't go up i don't think
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Psycho-Pass Providence:
my attempt to write a movie review.
I finally went to the movies and watched Psycho-Pass Providence with a friend last Tuesday. I knew the film would be packed with plot and action so we decided to see the German dubbed version. We just wanted to have a good time, and some nachos with cheese dip and beer. The cinema was maybe a quarter full which I don’t think is too bad for a weekday. There even was a girl cosplaying as Akane. I was pretty nervous the whole day. After reading so many negative reviews on Tumblr over the past few months, I prepared myself for the worst. Will Providence ruin this series for me? Is Shinkane dead? My friend encouraged me by saying, “watch the movie and form your own opinion”, and that’s what I did!
Providence is a diffuse colossus of a story but I liked it much better than PP3. The story is very action-heavy and plot-driven. You can feel the absence of Urobuchi’s writing because relatively little emphasis is placed on the emotions of the characters or their development. The dialogues are rather short and the action scenes quite long. Explosions and battles largely replace social criticism. Precious moments are few and far between. I think Ubukata came up with a really cool and offbeat plot, it’s just way too big for one movie. He should have made Providence into a series with many episodes, but that’s just my opinion. I can’t shake the feeling that he simply placed the characters into his massive plot as if they were chess pieces. Everyone does their job. They rush from one action to the next. Saiga is dead. On it goes. Akira is dead. There are no breaks. The ending is also very rushed and if I hadn’t already known why Akane shoots chief Kasei, I probably would have left the cinema with a massive question mark.
The Shinkane content in Providence is quite nice. And to say it right away: yes, I saw their hands touch in that bridal carry scene. It was very clear and less rushed than I thought. I’m just not sure if their fingers were intertwined or if Kogami had his fingers around Akane’s hand squeezing it. The phone call was also funny. My friend just sighed in her seat next to me and said a little too loudly: “I can’t believe Akane is in love with this clumsy idiot! Why can’t he just apologize?” Yeah, why? Akane hung up the phone and her face was so adorable. The romantic comedy was only perfect when Saiga cheered Kogami on in the elevator afterwards (“Come on, make an effort!”) and Ko acted like a petulant child (“I don’t know what you mean!”). Really, Ko? You were playing dumb in front of sensei? Was Kogami embarrassed that his former teacher was interfering in their relationship? However, these two were in dire need of counselling that’s why I found the idea of Saiga acting as their therapist quite entertaining.
I still don’t know what to make of Shinkane in Providence. I have too many thoughts and feelings, that’s why I’d like to deal with this topic separately in another post. Shinkane is not dead at all, but it hasn’t evolved either. Each of them basically does their own thing when it comes to work and I can’t shake the impression that Akane would have found Kogami rather unsexy if she had met him for the first time in PPP. I love Kogami, but he doesn’t contribute much to the story except that he saves Akane’s life in the end.
Now that I’ve seen the film, it sounds more than absurd to claim that they have no other relationship than a collegial working relationship. I mean, it’s obviously not work or a shared conviction that ties them together and makes Akane answer the phone late at night, but their old acquaintance. They have an unresolved personal conflict between them, and a wide range of unexplored emotions. All the social awkwardness fits in with that. And the creators even went one step further with the romantic scenes:
I already knew about the scene in which Kogami jumps on top of Akane (and between her legs) to protect her from an explosion but I didn’t expect the whole thing to play out in slow motion. Holy shit! My heart leapt. I mean, what am I looking at here if not a romantic subplot? You can see every detail crisp and clear: how his hands are embracing and protecting her head from the impact, how their bodies stick together rather indecently. And Akane and Ko don’t immediately get up and run, no. They stay put for the time being looking at each other and then Ko states the obvious like a brain dead fool: “It’s a dangerous place, we should retreat.”
Yeah, well… who would have thought that explosions and shootings would be dangerous? Kogami’s blood must have gone from his brain to some other part of his body, there’s no other way to explain this level of silliness. We’ve already seen Kogami protecting Akane from an explosion before. He threw her like a sack of potatoes in the movie but THIS is something else entirely. THIS is screaming “You’re the most precious person on earth to me”. Same goes for the bridal carry. The scene isn’t as rushed as their encounter in the wheat field, no. The animators kind of savour their last scene in Providence and you have to be wilfully blind to not notice Kogami’s affection for Akane or their touching hands.
I can understand the widespread criticism of Kogami’s strange behaviour in PPP. It’s not quite what I expected either, but I didn’t expect anything else. Sounds crazy, huh? I know. I don’t know if Ubukata’s writing style is to blame for Ko’s derailment. I guess the writers deliberately wanted to create some tension in the form of personal conflict which is a common and cheap trick that can also be found in romantic YA literature.
It is nevertheless credible to a certain extend. Kogami has returned to a world with a wall between latent criminals and citizens with healthy Psycho-Passes. Social conventions are a corset. They make us act differently. The fact that he doesn’t hit on Akane actually says a lot of good things about his character. He knows nothing about her life, except that it hasn’t gone down the drain yet. What role does he still play in Akane’s life? Does she even need his help? When you look at Kogami’s issue with addressing Akane properly, it becomes clear that he’s uncertain: kanshikan, omae, anta, yo. Akane has already gathered a team around her and Kogami is standing outside the door. He’s the odd man out. He’s also an incorrigible idiot who doesn’t have it in him to apologize.
They give each other nothing at first. That’s why I like the scene in the hospital so much because it changes their relationship for good. Akane’s visit is proof to Kogami that he is important to her. She cares about his health and she even takes the cigarette from his mouth. Akane also invites him to join her team (“We’re a team, right?”) and you can see the relief on Kogami’s face. After that, their interactions become lighter and more honest. Team PSB and Team SAD no longer go separate ways.
I really like the camaraderie between Kogami and Frederika. I found them both very independent in their work, which led me to ask whether Frederika is his boss at all. I read somewhere that they both have the same rank of “special investigator” which also fits in well with the way they talk to each other. I remember Akane asking Kogami during their phone call what Yabuki thought of his past actions. I guess that makes Shogo Yabuki his boss and Frederika his senpai? There was one thing that annoyed me, though, and that was that Frederika did everything her boss Yabuki told her to do. She even kept it a secret from Kogami that they were using Saiga as bait. Why didn’t she say “no” for once?
Providence has a few highlights that I just can’t leave unmentioned. It isn’t the best film, but it’s also not as bad as many have made it out to be. The scene in which Gino grabs Kogami by the collar, calls him an asshole and pushes him roughly against the glass pane of the office was quite the cliché. It could have come straight from a fan fic. Kogami remains calm and I don’t find him arrogant. Sugo tries to intervene, but I had the impression that it’s primarily Akane’s staged indifference towards Kogami that keeps Gino from exploding with rage. Gino pulls himself together the moment he sees Akane entering the office. If there’s one thing I love about their dynamics, it’s how they always try to protect each other in the most subtle but effective way. Gino is like the big brother we all want to have. He is by Akane’s side after Saiga dies and he reminds Kogami of the duty to not let Akane become a latent criminal. I can’t say often enough how much I adore Ginoza and his loyalty to Akane.
But Gino does not only protect Akane, he also saves Frederika’s life twice. These two have a little scene in Providence that I find cute. Standing amidst the ruins of the building after the battle, Gino asks Frederika how she is. She says “not too bad” while stroking her hair almost sheepishly like a schoolgirl. Is it the first time that a colleague asks Frederika about her well-being? Is this how things are at the SAD? I never saw Kogami turn around to look at her, even though she always saves his stupid ass from getting kicked. And her boss Yabuki only ever entrusted her with the most dangerous missions (aka “dirty work in the name of justice”). It really sucks to be a strong woman sometimes. It sucks when performance is always expected without complaint. That’s why it’s all the more refreshing when a hot guy like Gino asks if you’re still alive, right Frederika?
Overall, it was very cool to see Frederika on the battlefield since she’s quite capable and knows how to handle weapons. I didn’t like her passive role in PP3, where she just sat in her neat little office and gave orders. PP is kind of understaffed in terms of female characters so it was good to see Frederika having a more active role this time. I hope that in the future they will give her a backstory. It’s more the personal things that make a character interesting for me. I mean, what was her relationship with Yabuki? She shed a tear after his death, or was this just an optical illusion?
There was nothing to complain about the quality of the animation in Providence. It was first class. The wedding was beautiful and I really liked the colours and fireworks of the Chinese New Year festival in the streets of Dejima. It made a nice contrast to the gloomy dark dystopian world of Sibyl. The Chinese New Year also brings me directly to the scene that, oddly enough, touched me the most: Akira’s death. Atsushi Shindou shoots him on the roof of the MoFA as the fireworks go off and with his last words Akira says, “Take care of Kei, I want him to have a different life than mine.” It was a beautiful but also very sad moment. There were many deaths in the film but the pace of the story was way too fast for me to mourn them properly. It’s a shame, especially since most of the time was spent on action scenes. I don’t know how many minutes I watched Sugo trying to shoot a satellite out of the sky with his drone.
Saiga’s death is tragic but it has great influence on Akane. In the end, his last words (“justice and truth are multifaceted”) encourage her to stand up for her convictions and turn against Sibyl in order to uphold the law. I noticed that Saiga is already very tired at the beginning of Providence, as if he no longer expects anything great from life and prefers to pass the baton to the younger generation. Perhaps that is also why he tries to persuade Kogami to bury the hatchet with Akane. “You should apologize to her. Take this advice from an old man like me.” It seems that he wanted to leave the world in peace, knowing that he has given his students all he could give. So from that point of view, his passing is dignified. His hands are even folded and placed on top of his chest after he dies. I couldn’t help but think that it is meant as a religious gesture: that he will be accepted by God if not by Sibyl.
Sibyl is as disgusting as ever and that’s all there is to say. Their hypocrisy is simply unbearable. And then no one has the courage to stand up for the preservation of the rule of law – least of all the Ministry of Justice. What a joke! We also learn that it’s totally fine for Sibyl to give absolution and sovereignty to a group of criminals (the Peacebreakers) as long as they come from their own criminal ranks. Well, one crow does not peck out another crow’s eye, right? I don’t know whether Atsushi Shindou could be trusted or not, although he has pulled some important strings in the background. The old man seemed weary just like Saiga, but he thought very highly of Akane and campaigned for her in front of Sibyl which made him likeable in my eyes. He was also a good mentor.
I must not forget to mention the true antagonists of the story, first and foremost Tonami the White. He is the leader of the Peacebreakers, a group of former soldiers and mercenaries of Sibyl who see themselves in the tradition of a cult. They worship a similar AI like Sibyl that also has wired brains in boxes and they see it as their God and commander. The cult did seem rather bizarre and fantastic sometimes, but I got the impression that this is exactly Ubukata’s style.
Tonami is a despicable man. He tells Akane that despite his old age, he can still take on a young girl like her, then he draws a gun and starts to shoot her. Congratulations, man! She’s unarmed, and pulling a trigger is really not much of a feat. Asshole! He was clearly afraid that Akane would be superior in a fistfight.
I remember a heated debate on social media about whether Kogami should have killed Tonami or not. Well, I would argue that he had no choice but to shoot this man if he wanted to make sure Akane got out of there alive (“Protect Tsunemori!”). Akane looks relieved when she sees Kogami. She smiles at him as if she knows that her life is safe from now on. But then she continues to provoke Tonami with her words. The man points a damn gun to her head and she has already been shot twice and lies bleeding on the floor in handcuffs. Should Kogami twiddle his thumbs and wait to see what happens? Well, he does. But only for a moment.
Kogami’s face is empty while Akane is being tortured. It’s devoid of emotion, not even anger shows on his face. I was like: huh? I first thought it was bad animation or some artificial intervention to evade romance and keep the Kouakas from losing their minds, but in retrospect, it occurred to me that perhaps… Kogami is simply listening to the conversation in front of him? Akane and Tonami are talking about the Sibyl System and it’s true nature. They are talking about AI vs. humanity. They are talking about integrating this other AI into Sibyl and the boxes with the brains are standing just a few meters away from them. Snippets and fragments, but Kogami isn’t stupid. It was him who found a decapitated professor Stronskaya on the ship. Her head was taken away by the Peacebreakers and we later learn that her brain was put into a box for their AI. Kogami has been wondering for a while what kind of influence Akane has on the system. And even Tonami (who calls her “a witch that disturbs the social order”) is kind of astounded at what Akane knows and what she is capable of.
Kogami agrees with Tonami and then shoots him in the head. I really don’t know which part he agrees with. I can only explain it by saying that, unlike Akane, Kogami has lost faith in humanity. Kogami knows what humans are capable of and that they are easily corrupted. But he believes in Akane, so there’s that. It’s only natural that he would save her at any cost.
I didn’t perceive Akane as angry though. She knows Kogami well enough and wanted him to come with her on the mission. Kogami “breaking the law again” certainly saddens and disappoints her, but I don’t think she necessarily wants to enforce him. Atsushi Shindou shot Akira in front of Akane and she didn’t arrest him. If she were now to arrest Kogami, she would have double standards. I remember director Shiotani saying in an interview that Kogami voluntarily let Akane arrest him. Well, that actually sounds quite logical to me because I honestly don’t see Akane taking the initiative. But Kogami acting like a repentant little puppy in front of Akane, the “goddess and bodhisattva” he expects to make the world a better place? Yes, I can very well imagine that – only that at this point she is just a bleeding human being in his arms.
Akane’s incident was… wow. I knew what she was up to beforehand, but I still found the whole thing quite mind-boggling. Where did Akane get the gun she shot chief Kasei with? Everyone was looking forward to her inauguration. Gino, Sugo, Shion and Yayoi… they were watching it on TV. What has my girl done?
I wouldn’t go so far as to blame Kogami. There is a trend right now to make him the scapegoat for everything that happens to Akane, but somehow that is not right and would completely undermine Akane’s independence. There is no guarantee that the arrest and prosecution of Tonami would have worked. Sibyl is not a reliable negotiating partner. I think Akane chose a more effective way by immediately involving the public and getting them to discuss the preservation of the law. At least, it worked. But why the letter to Kogami? It wasn’t a tit-for-tat response. I think Akane wanted to say goodbye. She didn’t know what would happen to her or whether they would see each other again. These two threw their lives away and stood up for their beliefs in justice. Was it brave or was it foolish? Who knows. But the closing of a circle was pretty well executed by the creators of the series in my opinion.
I still have no clue why Kogami was released from confinement. I can only speculate that MoFA has negotiated a deal. I also remember that his Psycho-Pass was encrypted in PP3 and no longer accessible via Sibyl’s dominator. There is a strong competition between the ministries and certainly no help can be expected from Sibyl. Mika had to literally beg chief Kasei to allow her to send out a rescue mission for Akane who was already classified as a traitor because she went to take on the Peacebreakers on her own. Why would they let Kogami go, the traitor who killed a criminal pardoned by Sibyl in order to rescue the traitor Akane? No. He was released at the behest of MoFA. It is therefore not surprising that Akane has arranged the transfer of Gino and Sugo to MoFA. Nothing bothers Sibyl more than loyal dogs and I’m certain that these two would have been thrown into the isolation facility the moment Akane lost her position as inspector.
Okay, I’ll stop rambling now. I’d like to end this post with a quote from the friend who went with me to the movies. We saw Psycho-Pass together five years ago and I was very curious to hear her opinion. We both agreed that Akane's performance in Providence is once again superb. She’s a queen. One of the best female characters of all time. What she said about Kogami may irritate some but I can only agree: “It wasn’t his most mature performance, but in the end he could be relied upon!”
Providence was fun. It was okay. It wasn’t Psycho-Pass at its best but at least, it answered the question that has been on my mind for almost four years: what did Akane do that landed her in prison?
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soleilceirinen · 9 months
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Renaissance | teacher!Cillian Murphy x fem!Reader - Part 6
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Summary: you are an Art History student in your last year at university. Cillian is your teacher. A/N: in this story Cillian is about 20 years older than the reader. Everything happens in an alternative universe where he is not an actor or famous, he doesn't have a wife or kids like in real life. Also, English is not my first language, so sorry for any mistake! Part 5 - Cillian Murphy Masterlist - Part 7
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Unlike most people, you liked Mondays. To you, it meant the beginning of a new week, a reset. But this Monday was different and so far, you hated every second of it. 
After your kiss with Cillian last Friday, you decided not to go further that night so he drove you to your flat. Once there, you said goodbye with a bunch of tiny kisses and the promise to talk later but it never happened.
You had spent the weekend staring at your phone, waiting for a reply to the text you had sent him. It just said “Good morning!” and a flushed emoji but he never answered. So, considering his lack of response, you sent him an email with your project progress, to which he didn’t reply either. 
And now, you had been sitting in the classroom for forty minutes while listening to him talk about Margaret of Austria’s portrait collection. Forty minutes in which he didn’t look at your direction at all, as if you were invisible. 
You continued taking notes until the end of the lecture, breaking the paper sheet a couple times due to the pressure with which you were writing. When the other students had left the classroom, you walked to his desk to confront him. 
“Good morning, Cillian.”
He didn’t take his eyes off the papers and books scattered around his desk when he answered you.
“Mr. Murphy is the proper way to address me, miss Y/L/N. Can I help you with something?” 
You looked at him in disbelief. 
“Well, I texted you and you never said anything back, I was worried,” you admitted. He just shrugged dismissively.  
“There’s nothing to worry about. Do you need anything else?”
“Yes, Mr. Murphy,” you said bitterly, “I also sent you a few new pages of the project so you could review them and give me some feedback.”
Cillian sighed and leaned back in his chair.
“I looked over it, it’s okay but be careful with the paragraphs and the structure. If you need something else, my tutoring sessions are Tuesdays at 11 a.m. and Thursdays at 18 p.m., you can find me at my office.” He looked at you briefly, before saying “Have a nice day, miss Y/L/N.” 
You didn't know how to react to his sudden coldness so you frowned and left the classroom with the ghost of tears stinging your eyes.
The rest of the week went by the same way, with Cillian ignoring you and only addressing you to make a comment about your project. As far as you were concerned, you had no idea what could have caused that change in his attitude but it made you feel quite miserable, just to think of what could have been and wasn’t. 
After a long morning of lectures you were finally free to go and have lunch. You and Olivia had met to eat at a Japanese restaurant near the university. Once seated at your table, you noticed that she was quieter than usual. 
“So, how is everything going for you?” you asked. “Are you still seeing that guy, the artist?”
She frowned and shook her head. “No way. At least not after he painted my pussy on a 120 x 160 canvas and displayed it for everyone to see.”
“Well, I can tell you something, it was sold” you comforted her. “By the way, I thought you knew which part of you he was painting.”
Olivia groaned and hid her face in her arms. 
“He never told me, said it was a surprise. His favourite part of me, you know” she added, rolling her big eyes. “But let’s talk about something else, what about you? You look sad.”
You shrugged. “It’s nothing, I’m a bit overwhelmed with my final project but…” You stopped talking when you saw a group of people sit a couple of tables away. 
They were teachers, you realised since some of them had taught you in recent years, plus Cillian was among them. He also noticed your presence, you caught him looking at you but he immediately looked away. Olivia looked at you with half closed eyes and then she turned around to look at the teacher’s table. You grabbed her arm to make her stop.
“Don’t do that!”
“Why not?” she asked suspiciously while you tried to hide the fact that you were starting to blush. 
“That’s my final project tutor” you whispered. “Don’t look!”
Olivia made a face of annoyance at you. “If I can’t look, how am I supposed to know which one is your tutor? I’ll just take a little look, they won’t notice, I promise Y/N”, she assured. 
You nodded slightly, accepting the fact that they would notice anyway. “Okay. It’s the guy with blue eyes.”
After a failed, as expected, attempt to be subtle, Olivia focused again on you leaning on the table so that nobody else but you could hear her. “He’s handsome but he looks like he’s sucking on a lemon.”
You couldn't help but burst out laughing, narrowly avoiding choking on your soda. 
“Olivia!”
She giggled with you, satisfied with herself. 
“At least I made you smile.” 
The rest of the meal was uneventful, just you and Olivia catching up. It had been a long time since you had such a good time with your friend like this but sadly, it had to end. Otherwise, you wouldn’t get on time to work. Olivia led the way to the door, taking the opportunity to look closely at Cillian as she passed their table. You followed her, nodding in his direction as you walked past him. 
“Y/N”
You turned around slowly. Cillian was about to get up from the table, some of the teachers looked at you with curiosity and others with recognition. You smiled at them politely. 
“What is it, Mr. Murphy?”
“I need to talk to you”, he said. You wanted to slap him in the face, right on his stupidly perfect cheekbones. You felt your blood boiling with his audacity after ignoring you for a whole week 
“I’m sure it can wait until Monday, or you can send me an email. It’s very simple but I guess it’s up to you. Goodbye Mr. Murphy, have a nice weekend everyone.”
Later, you were sitting at the art gallery office with your final project opened on your laptop. On calm days like that, you used to take the opportunity and study. Maureen and Laura didn’t care about it. 
A knock on the door made you take your eyes away from the laptop screen. There was Maureen, with her blonde hair tied up in a messy bun while holding a plastic bag. 
“Good afternoon, Y/N. How are you?” 
“I’m fine, everything is quiet here. I was trying to write some more of my research but I think I’ll give up for today. What about you?”
She took a seat next to you and started searching for something in the bag while talking. 
“Don't get saturated, sometimes it is better to let a few days pass and return to the project with more energy and inspiration.”
You nodded in agreement. Then, Maureen took out a small photo album and started flipping through all the pages. 
“We want to make a video for the wedding with photos of us from when we were children and teenagers, you know, until we met. So yesterday I spent all day going through photo albums and came across this, I thought you might like to see it.”
She held a polaroid in front of you. Carefully, you took it and examined it in detail. In a handwriting that you recognised as Maureen’s, it said Summer ‘99. It wasn’t difficult to tell who they were since they looked the same, but younger.
“It’s you and Cillian” you stated. 
“We took that picture the summer after we graduated from university, we were about your age there.”
“So, you and him know each other really well or just as former classmates?” you wondered, still looking at the polaroid. She sighed. 
“We are very close, even though he likes to disappear from time to time.” She took out another picture and gave it to you, putting the other one back in the album. “You can keep that one, since you see Cill more than I do, you should have a chance to give it to him. It could bring back good memories, right?” 
You stared at the polaroid and nodded absentminded. From the corner of your eyes you saw Maureen get up after hearing Laura call her from the gallery, she gave you a little squeeze in the shoulder before disappearing. 
In the photograph was a young Cillian smiling from ear to ear, with messy hair and a sunburnt face, which surely would explain the amount of freckles he had now. Also, the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners was still the same, although more accentuated with the years. 
Despite all that had happened, you couldn’t help but feel a certain nostalgia. 
A sound coming from your laptop made you look, there was a new message from Cillian. He wanted to meet you in his office on Monday afternoon. Your answer was concise, just to let him know that you would be there.
Only then you were aware of the knot that had formed in your stomach. You were hoping for things to develop smoothly and go back to normal, as they were before that week. But just like it happened with your roommate Brad, deep inside you had the suspicion that what Cillian had to say wasn't good news.
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totally-squipped · 7 days
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fanfic rec thursday <3
reminder: fanfic rec days happen every tuesday and thursday!! feel free to recommend me a fic and I might put it on here !!! (recommending one fic every tues and thur is better than fic lists imo lol) (because then you have constantly updating recommendations!!)
today's fanfic rec is.... I Can't Miss You by happy_never_after on AO3!!!
main pairing: rich/jake !!!
word count: 103,655
desc:
What he wanted to say was 'I don't mind your lisp.' What came out was, "You look really pretty right now."
His eyes were slipping shut, but he could still see Rich's wide eyes and parted lips. Jake couldn't tell whether or not he was blushing, but he'd at least been rendered speechless.
If it were anyone else, there was no doubt they'd be punched. Jake got the privilege of the only response behind a whispered, "Okay."
"Okay?" he replied, his tongue heavy.
"Okay." --- Basically, Be More Chill but it's all from Jake's pov
Review: this is the fanfic that got me into rich/jake and it. is. amazing. this one isn't too popular, but it's angst with a happy ending. all of the slow burn was so worth it to read the final chapter (not going to spoil anything here because it's incredible and you guys deserve to read it for yourselves without me spoiling the ending ahhhh
the contrast between characters with/without the squip??? AMAZING. the characterisation??? INCREDIBLE. the proper depiction of Jake's mental health issues??? and Rich's??? asgdfhdfh this slow burn is the best thing ive ever read
gonna draw so much inspiration from this for my fanfics because dude. there was so much creativity and love poured into this fanfic that it makes me want to screammmmmm
(i got rid of the rating system by the way. because all of the fanfics i put on h(e)ere are going to be 5/5s)
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allandoflimbo · 11 months
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I  C  E    P R I N C E S S  13
Pairings: Popular Girl!Reader x Outkast!Bucky
Explicit Content - Smut - NO MINORS
Summary: 
Bucky Barnes is the quiet boy who gets picked on. 
The Reader and her friends run with the popular crowd at Stark High. 
As the Winter Ball approaches, she is partnered with Bucky Barnes for a class project. They grow close in an inadvertently secret friendship, which later turns into love.
Only catch is…she’s Steve Roger’s ex girlfriend, and before she was partnered up with Bucky, her friends had planned to use and turn Bucky into Stark High’s new it boy to try and get back at Steve; a disgusting bet. 
Another catch: She’s a figure skater at the town’s arena every Tuesday and Thursday nights. Bucky works part time at the rink resurfacing the ice. The other doesn’t know.
Modern AU High School fic - later goes into adulthood.
M A S T E R P A G E - FULL SERIES
Warnings: This story will have a lot of angst, a lot of fluff, a lot of cursing, and a lot of sex. Oral, praise kink, body worship, overstimulation, etc. you know me. There will also be loss of virginity in this. 
Please support your content creators and writers and leave a review.
P R E V I O U S   C H A P T E R
Song this chapter is based on is Red by Taylor Swift, but the Tyler Ward Version. (Because it's Bucky's POV)
This chapter is more angst than usual BUT this isn't the angst part I was warning about yet lol. I apologize for any typos. I just got back from vacay and I wanted to push this out for you guys ASAP.
Enjoy!
___
EVERYTHING still felt so surreal; and in the best way possible. The rest of the trip at the Cabin had gone well. Bucky was becoming even more comfortable with your friends, even almost calling them his friends at this point. Everyone except Murdock. You and Bucky ignored him and his brooding energy the rest of the stay there. After confirming everyone’s suspicions that you were in fact now dating, you both stayed glued at the hip. You ended the last night cuddling on the couch watching some action movie.
The next morning, Bucky had picked you up in his car for school. You shared a quick kiss as you buckled yourself in. The ride there had gone great as you both shared sweet words and hand squeezes. Sometimes even a thigh squeeze from the other.
You should’ve known it was going too well to be true. You and Bucky had gone separate ways for just a minute to go into your own locker to grab your things. On your back way to meet him at his, since you finished first, you had walked in on the altercation.
You felt your blood run cold as you watched Matt towering over Bucky. Bucky’s back up to his locker as he stared back at Matt angrily. There was already a little audience. Not big, but two or three other girls that were getting their own things in the locker next to Bucky’s.
“You think because you’re so quiet, Barnes, and because you put up this act that you don’t think I know what you didn’t do. That’s what.” You could hear Matt say.
There was something about Matt’s tone and words that set you on edge. Bucky’s jaw clenched.
“You need to stay the hell away from me.” Bucky says back, confidently.
Matt’s lips twitch and his eyes squint.
“Finally grew the balls to use your mouth properly?” He moved up even closer to Bucky, their faces now only inches apart, “That disgusting rapist mouth of yours.” There was a collection of gasps from the small group of girls and Bucky’s nose flared. You felt your own blood boiling now as you ran up to them, “I saw her damn neck. Hell, I heard her crying that night. You don’t deserve to be anywhere. Only place you deserve is behind a damn jail cell.”
You were disgusted by what you heard him say, and as you pushed a hand to Matt’s chest pushing him away from Bucky, you couldn’t help your temper.
“Get the hell away from him! Now.” You say through clenched teeth.
“Don’t worry, I have this.” Bucky says quietly, grabbing your hand and holding it in his. Matt’s jaw clenched. Bucky took a step closer to Matt, “I’m going to ask you politely once, and only once, leave me and leave her the fuck alone.”
You looked briefly at the girls who were still looking and you shook your head.
“It’s not true,” you say. You then look at Matt, “He’s right. Leave me alone. Leave all of us alone. I was willing to put up with it, but what you just said to him has crossed the line, Matt. He’s my boyfriend. Bucky is my boyfriend. I care about him. And about my hickeys? You want to grow up and ask my about them to my face next time since you’re so curious about being in my business?”
“You know I’m just trying to protect you.” Matt says.
“You’re doing everything except protect me or be my friend right now. Bucky didn’t do anything to me that I didn’t want. I don’t know what your problem is but you need to stay away from us.” You say with finality.
Matt shakes his head to himself, that fiery anger still in his eyes. He then moves at a speed that takes you a second longer to comprehend what he’s doing. He has Bucky’s collar in his hands and he’s pushing him up against the locker.
“Really, dweeb. You? You?”
“Fucking, stop!” You shout, pulling Matt off of him. Matt drops his hand like it’s burned and he steps away from you and Bucky abruptly. 
He’s breathing hard as he looks between you and Bucky and then he storms away. You and Bucky try to ignore the new stares from the hallway and you turn to face him. Bucky’s is still watching Matt walk away as you nuzzle your face into his chest, his right hand going to the back of your head.
“The hell is his problem?” Bucky asks quietly, completely confused.
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Bucky was nervous. He was also so excited and anxious. As he rolled his black dress shirt up to his elbows, he looked at himself in the mirror. He also looked all those three things. His blue eyes were brighter than usual and for the first time in a long time he felt comfortable in his own skin.
It was all because of you.
His heart skips a beat as he feels the little note in his pocket move around along with his ticket.
“Well, don’t you look sharp.” The sweet feminine voice comes from behind him and he turns around to meet his mother’s eyes. 
She was smiling at him knowingly, her arms crossed over her chest.
Bucky blushed. He walked up to his desk and grabbed his phone, sliding it into his back pocket.
“Thanks, mom.” He says. He walks up to his mother and gives her a kiss on the cheek, “You don’t think I’m overdressed for a play?”
His mother looked up at him and smiled. 
“Not at all. You have the note?” She asks.
Bucky nods.
“Yeah. Just like how dad did it.” He says with a chuckle.
His mom reaches up and kisses his cheek this time.
“She’ll say yes,” Bucky knows. He was sure of it, too. Him and you just…clicked. This wasn’t high school sweethearts. This was something else. Something stronger, “Drive safe.”
Bucky nods and grabs his jacket. He double checks he has everything he needs.
“Tell Y/N we say hi!” Bucky’s father yells out, just before the front door closes behind him.
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When Bucky parks at the school, he doesn’t hesitate one second after the car’s off to run to your side and open the door for you.
“Thank you.” You thank him softly.
He closes the door behind you. His eyes meet yours as he pushes one of your hair strands behind your ear and you swallow hard.
“You look gorgeous,” his eyes drifts down your nose, “You always have.” He adds quietly.
“Bucky.” You say.
His gaze returns to your own. You’re the one to initiate this kiss. Your hand goes to his peck and up his shoulder as your lips meet. It’s a sweet kiss. Innocent and PG13. He returns your kisses and you pull away with little smiles.
“Yeah?”
You could feel a tightness in your throat as you imagined yourself with him, many years from now, happy.
“Promise me that you’ll take me with you when you visit New York City?” Your question stuns him for a moment, and because of that he doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. He observes your face, dragging the backs of his fingers over the skin of your temple and cheek, “Please.”
He leans forward until his forehead is against yours. He brings his left hand to your waist and pulls you in closer to him. Both of your eyes close at the same time.
“I promise, Squirmy.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The play was adorable. You and Bucky loved every moment of it and you held hands the entire time. You didn’t let go of his hand once.
After the show, Carol meets you both at your seats and gives you both a hug, thanking you for coming to see her.
The night is a Christmas fairytale. 
Bucky tickles your waist from behind as you reach his car and you laugh out loud.
“Bucky stop!” You shout, giggling.
He does once he has your back against the side of his car and he’s staring intently down at you.
He leans forward and kisses you on the tip of your nose.
You giggle again. He kisses your right cheek, your cupids bow, and then your bottom lip.
“I’ve never felt like this. With anyone.” You say, dragging your fingers over his neck. He can feel the cute little ring you’re wearing on your pinky dragging over his skin and he loves the way it feels.
“Me either,” he whispers back. When he looks into your eyes this time there’s an intense look in them, “I want to ask you something.”
You feel your hear skyrocket.
“Okay.” You whisper back.
He smiles so sweetly as he looks down at your lips that you absolutely melt into your short red heels.
“Will you go to the Winter Ball with me?” You melt even more if possible and you smile back at him just as wide.
“Of course I’ll go with you.” you say quietly. You rub your nose against him and chuckle, “Yes. I’ll go with you.
Bucky nods and licks his lips. You watch as he reaches down into his pocket and holds something in his hand. Curiosity eats away at you.
“One more question,” he says. You nod, “Go to prom with me?”
You get so happy and ecstatic. So much that your hand wraps around the back of his neck and you let out a little noise of excitement. Prom. With Bucky. You’re forming your lips to say yes, duh, when you remember your promise to Steve.
Bucky’s looking at you, waiting for your yes, when he watches you dramatically deflate and your face falls. He feels his own dark pit in his stomach grow bigger as he realizes you’re not saying yes and you’re actually looking like you’re about to say no.
He frowns, swallowing the hard lump in his throat. 
“Y/N…”
“I—“ your voice cracks and tears bloom in your eyes. You wanted Bucky. But your promise, “I—” he catches on quickly and he lets out an exasperated sigh, through no fault of his own. Your hand drops his neck.
He didn’t expect thing. He doesn’t know what he didn’t prepare for you to say no. Maybe it’s because he was so sure it’d be a yes.
It’s prom for fucks sake. He’d remember that night for a very long time and he really wanted it to be with you, and now here you are, shutting that fantasy/dream down.
“I understand.” He says hoarsely. He didn’t expect his voice to sound so broken so he clears his throat.
“Bucky—”
“It’s fine,” no it’s not, “you don’t have to explain.”
“But I do. And maybe you can help me.” You say desperately, putting a hand up to his chest. He stares at you confused, and so emotional. He furrows his brows at you and shakes his head.
“Help you?” “Help me decide.” You clarify. He looks at you for a half a second longer before scoffing. It hurts, but you expected no less. So you continue, “Steve. I went out with him for years. He’s been my best friend for longer. We’ve always talked about going to prom together, we promised each other. A pact so to say. I can’t just break that, even though — fuck — even though I’d much rather go with you because what I feel for you—” your voice is the one that breaks this time and you sniff away tears that are starting to build up.
“Steve, the guy who cheated on you?”
“That’s not fair. You don’t know the story. You don’t know our story.”
Bucky nods, looking away from you.
“Right. The high school sweethearts.”
“Bucky—”
“Seriously, you don’t have to —” there’s a certain malice to his tone and you cut him off again.
“I feel stronger things for you than him. I want to go with you more than him. I want this with you. I want to say yes.” You say seriously, not looking away from his eyes once.
You and Bucky are both looking at each other heartbreakingly. He gnaws at his bottom lip.
“Then —” he starts and stops, “If you have to even think about it, I think my answer is already there.”
“That’s not fair.”
“I know it’s not,” he sighs and grabs your hand and holds it to his chest right above his heart, “but you said you made a promise, right?” His voice cracks again and you both hate this, “I feel the things you’re are feeling, too. About me, I mean. I also feel them for you,” he laughs humorlessly, “so much.”
You whimper.
“I can speak to him.” You say.
Bucky doesn’t know what to suggest or think about right now. Yes, he’d love for you to say yes and come with him as his date, but he’s surprised to a certain level that you’re even comparing what you feel with him to what you felt with Steve. Even if you did make a promise. He feels a frustration he can’t explain.
Which is why he pulls your hand off his heart and squeeze it once before letting go. It’s then that you feel the little paper in your hand. 
Your tear filled eyes look at the little white folded paper in your hand. You start to unfold it.
“Don’t,” he stops you, “you don’t have to read it now. Later, please. I know you didn’t say yes, but you did say yes to the ball, right? I still want you to have the note,  because I still mean everything in there. Your answer didn’t not change anything.” You nod your head, “Let’s take you home, Squirmy.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The car ride is mostly silent. Occasionally one of you will say a comment that makes the other chuckle, but it’s short lived. 
You know you just need the night to just let it all sink in, but everything would be alright.
When you kiss him goodnight, he kisses you back just as deeply.
Bucky watches as you walk to your front door. His head rests on his left hand, left elbow on his car door, and his right hand stays tight around the steering wheel.
He feels a sadness, jealousy, and anger he had never felt before yet in this relationship. Hell, he knows it’s only been a few days, but he could not take the feelings boiling inside of him. 
When he gets home and slams his own front door closed, his dad’s already yelling at him.
“Hey! No slamming doors, Buck.”
Bucky knows his father is right, he was raised better than that, but he was upset. He doesn’t even acknowledge him as he rips off his jacket and hangs it up on the mini coat rack.
Bucky walks into the kitchen for a cold water bottle out of the fridge.
“How’d it go?” He hears his mother ask from the living room. He knows what she’s asking. He’s also a bit disappointed because she should be in bed resting. She’s been out of her bed, which the doctor told her she should stay in, more often than she should be.
He uncaps the bottle and downs a few ounces. 
It helps only a little.
“She said no.” Bucky mumbles, voice wavering as he makes his way up the stairs and to his room.
He lets his door close quietly behind him, but he’s still feeling the same way.
He places his water bottle on his desk and stretches his arms out onto it. He takes in a deep breath and tries to calm himself down.
He was being dramatic. 
It’s just a stupid high school dance.
It’s just a stupid high school dance.
Feeling his nerves relax just slightly, he blindly reaches for his bottle, but the edge of it catches on his notebook, causing it to fall to the floor.
“Shit.”
Loose pages had fallen out at his feet. He bends down to pick it up and puts them properly inside. 
It’s when he lifts the last paper than he sees the beautiful rose from all those weeks ago that he had found at the rink. The one he had stored safely in the notebook.
Its color has faded now and it was dry. But preserved.
With delicate hands, he picks up the rose and places it back inside the notebook.
It’s then that he sees one of the pedals had fallen off.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
You regret opening the note the second you fall back behind your front door, thankful your parents had the graveyard shift tonight.
I’ve always hoped to live wishes and dreams I’ve only ever heard about 
To know I’m living that right now with you is the best gift i’ve ever received
I hope to keep living out my wishes with you and dreams if you let me
You’ll be my princess at the ball and prom, and I’ll be your prince.
I knew you’d say yes, because you and me, this is real. 
I’m not living a dream, you’re my dream.
You break down into tears.
_____
N E X T C H A P T E R
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