#it’s p ugly but i haven’t drawn in weeks so i’m trying not to be too critical

[spooksicl-e]

a little bilbo for the soul bc i’m trying to break out of art block

#he’s just a little guy!!! #a little guy who burgles from giant angry lizards played by benedict cumberbatch #my art #the @ is my insta #fanart #fanartist #art #the hobbit #bilbo baggins #thorin oakenshield #thorins company #martin freeman #jrr tolkien #lotr #lord of the rings #idk how to tag the hobbit so this is a mess #it’s p ugly but i haven’t drawn in weeks so i’m trying not to be too critical #edit: i got rid of the bg impulsively sorry if you liked it better lolzies

[cultgambles]

Sometimes You Need a Little TLC from a Villain (Dabi x Reader)

Summary:

Reader is a normal civilian...well as normal as you can get dating a villain. On Friday, Reader is stalked. On Saturday, an 'accident' occurs. On Sunday, Dabi comforts you best he knows.

word count: 1925

Masterlist | Requests? open

It was Friday, the last day of the work week. I wouldn’t be able to see You in person for a couple days. It made me feel so sad, but then I saw You through the doors of the office building. The clear office doors where You worked as an accountant. I knew You hated that job, with your slavedriver of a boss pushing you around constantly. But, I suppose You did make good money, your apartment was nothing to laugh at. Even if it was at the edge of a seedy part of town. Even if You have creepy neighbors I’ll always be watching You.

 I could faintly smell your scent as You walked past me. You didn’t see me, luckily, otherwise I would have to converse as to why your coworker was ‘reading’ a paper in front of the building in which you both worked. 

You walked past that karaoke bar as you always do to get to your train--the local green one. I saw You insert the ticket, and I followed after a few people. I stayed near You, maybe I could be your gallant knight in shining armor to save you from weirdos. I saw You sitting by the window, squeezing your legs, your brow furrowing as You stared at your phone. What was on there? I craned my neck to see, even though I knew I was too far away. The train came to a stop: station 5. Your commute was at least 30 minutes, mine more. As You walked out of the station, I saw your head tilt and You swerved around, scanning the area. I ducked behind a wall, and your heeled feet continued on their way. Relief flooded me, You didn’t see me. 

That relief however, was short lived. Right out of the station’s doors, I saw You jump into someone’s arms. I heard your laugh, like bells in the wind.

I clenched my fist, fishing my phone out of my pocket to snap a photo of this mystery man. No one was good enough to be with You. Everyone except me, of course. You and that man walked hand in hand all the way to your apartment. Disgusting. Suddenly, the man lifted your arm above your head, spinning You into a hug. 

“Hey! What are you doing?!” You giggled. Your back was to me, but he. He was facing me. As I stared on, his eyes focused, landing on me. They were a bright cerulean, deadly. Just as quick as they focused, he turned around, an arm slung on your shoulder.

I blinked, rubbing my eyes. Did that actually happen? Or were my eyes playing tricks on me? 

You were gone by the time I decided to move again. Maybe that was for the best. 

Your apartment was on the 2nd floor, overlooking the street. Your window blinds were almost always open, the lights inside silhouetting your body perfectly. You of course, weren’t alone. That man. I saw his shape too, that should be me. 

I stayed outside for another hour and a half at least. I would have stayed longer, but he was pissing me off too much. Since when had this happened? I’ve been following You for a couple weeks now and I’ve never seen him before. I spared another glance at your window, and the blinds were drawn except one part was lifted.

Cerulean blue eyes.

[ Y / N ] P O V

“What are you doing, weirdo?” [Y/N]  called to their boyfriend.

“Nothing you need to worry about, Doll,” Dabi said, pulling the blind down.

“Well, I hope you’re hungry! I made cold soba.”

“Starving,” he replied, joining [Y/N]  at the small dining table. “Hey. You ever feel like you’re being watched?”

“Watched? I can’t say...today I thought someone was behind me a lot though, why?”

“Why don’t you take your pants off then? I know you hate wearing them after work.”

“Oh so you just wanna see my ass, huh?”

“Course,” Dabi gave a lazy smirk and waved a hand towards [Y/N] . 

“Fine, fine! Let me finish eating at least.” After, [Y/N]  and Dabi cuddled on the small couch and watched Into the Tall Grass. 

Dabi always smelled like campfire smoke and pine, cigarette smoke seeped into his clothes. [Y/N]  used to hate the smell, but now, it brought them comfort.

“Why did you ask if I thought someone was watching me earlier?” [Y/N]  asked, pressing their face into his neck. In return, he tightened his grip.

“Don’t worry about it, Doll. Thought I saw someone from your work.”

“Oh, Hidashi? He rides the same train as me. I think he told me he gets off at the stop after mine or something.”

“Hidashi, huh?”

“Yeah, okay, shh, movie time now.” [Y/N] ’s boyfriend gave a small chuckle and kissed their hair. 

The rest of the evening was spent cuddling on the couch, which the two were grateful of. Dabi hadn’t been around for the last couple weeks because of a mission Shigaraki sent him on, and [Y/N]  was just glad to be off work, and to be in their boy’s arms. 

≿-----༺❀༻-----≾

I tried imagining me holding You like that last night, but he kept popping up in my mind. That guy with those blazing eyes, spiky black hair, and long black coat. Was this the type of man You went for? Some drab fellow? Why couldn’t it be me? These last few months of working with You, I tried being nice and being your friend. I brought You sweet snacks I thought You would enjoy, and hovered around You, always ready to lend a hand if You needed it. Punching the air right now. 

I sighed, rubbing the back of my hands over my eyes and got up to get dressed. It was Saturday. You always went to a park around lunch time. You would spend a good hour or so there, and later return to your apartment.

I would be there, of course, watching silently. When I got to your apartment, the lights were on. I saw You across the street, seemingly dancing to a song. I felt the ghost of a smile grace my face, until I saw Him waltz towards You. He held and hand out for You, and placed another on the small of your back. I seethed, watching the two of you sway.

Who even was this guy? I kicked a trash can and the lid clattered to the ground. I couldn’t bear to see You with someone. I fished my phone out of my pocket, scrolling through the thousands of photos I took of just You. My haggard breath calmed slightly. This was no biggie, I could get rid of him easily with my Quirk. He looks scrawny enough. 

A cough jolted me out of my reverie. Startled, I looked to your window, only to see the lights off. Had You left for the park already and I hadn’t noticed?

“Hey.”

I grunted. Who the hell is bothering me now?

“Look at me, motherfucker,” the voice commanded.

Slowly, I turned around.

The man before me was covered in scars and staples. Wasn’t there a villain that had those features?

“I said look at me.”

I saw his hand reach out, a blue flame hovering above his palm. Hesitantly, I looked up, what would a villain want with me, a normal civilian?

Blue cerulean eyes.

I would recognize them anywhere.

“It’s you. What are you? Some kind of clown?” I sneered. He raised an eyebrow.

“So. You’re Hidashi, huh?” Okay. Now a little fear.

“How..How do you know my name?”

“I’m sure you know mine, after all, I am a notorious villain,” he purred, stalking closer to me. 

“Dabi..”

“That’s right,” he affirmed, stooping down. “But you know who else I am?”

“[Y/N] ’s boy toy or something? I haven’t seen you around. What, they pick you off the street because they felt sorry for your ugly ass?”

I can’t believe my precious [Y/N]  decided to go for this asshole.

Wait, was he holding You hostage?

“We met a few months ago, you know? [Y/N]  found me lying on the cold hard ground. Patched me up. Now they can’t shake me,” he said. A few months? How did I not know about this? Why didn’t You tell me?

“They won’t have to worry about you anymore though.”

“They’ll never get rid of me. Ha! They don’t even know it’s me! You may be a villain but I know you can’t fight without your little buddies here to help you!”

“You’re right, they’ll never get rid of you themselves…” He sighed, almost contemplating. “Glad I'm here to do it for them.”

[ Y / N ] P O V

Today was a really nice day, [Y/N]  thought as they headed back home. It was nice to sit under the cedar tree and watch the clouds roll by. [Y/N]  had even gotten a ways through their book. 

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing out here all by your lonesome?” a man’s voice drawled behind you.

“Just walking home,” [Y/N]  replied awkwardly, turning around slightly to get a look at the guy. Once they realized who it was, they brightened up immensely. “Hey, you! I didn’t see you this morning. Thought you had to do another errand.” That’s what they called his work. [Y/N]  knew Dabi worked with the league, but he didn’t like going too much in detail, so [Y/N]  didn’t ask.

Dabi throws an arm around them. “Yeah, I had to take care of somethin’, but now I’m all yours, Sweetness.”

[Y/N]  giggled, “Thinkin’ you’re gonna get some tonight?”

“You know I will.”

“Mmm, maybe,” [Y/N]  teased.

As soon as the two got inside of [Y/N] ’s apartment, Dabi flopped on the couch, while you went in the kitchen to find some snacks. [Y/N]  heard the TV flicker on, and a news reporter appeared on screen.

“Reporting live! This is Max Lobo. I never do things like this, but I’ve been following the Paranormal Liberation Front for some time now. A BODY has been discovered. It’s singed and nearly unrecognizable. A man in his late 20’s, brown hair. 

“While this could be the work of a lesser criminal, these blue flames that linger are sure signs of the villain Dabi. We will continue investigating this as if our life depends on it. Was he just trying to blow off some steam? Or was he a rat that needed to be eliminated?

“Back to you at the studio.”

“Dabi?”

A grunt.

“Was that your little errand today?”

“So what if it was? He deserved to die. I saw the way he looked at you.”

“D’awww, you care about me or something?” [Y/N]  crooned, setting a plate of cookies on the coffee table. 

“Nah, I think that reporter was right. Just tryin’ to blow off some steam,” Dabi smirked.

“Glad I could lead you to just the guy then.”

“Yeah yeah, get your ass over here,” he said, rolling his eyes. Dabi pulled [Y/N]  onto his lap.

[Y/N]  liked when he would stare up at them with those content eyes and lazy smirk. They liked being taller than him, if only for a bit. Leaning down, [Y/N]  captures his lips in a kiss. They always start off slow and sweet, but Dabi’s patience wears thin and it turns steamy in a matter of seconds. He runs his hands over [Y/N] ’s sides, grasping at the thin shirt. 

“Stop hiding from me,” Dabi murmured, breaking the kiss and pulling it over their head. 

[Y/N] ran their fingers across his scars and staples in a light feathery fashion. 

PS!! requests are open, so drop me somethin if you’d like!

#dabi #dabi x reader #gender neutral reader #bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #dabi x you #anime fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction

[cdyssey]

Worries

Summary: After the events of "The Hike," Moira sits Johnny down for a talk in the motel room.

Notes: Over the Christmas break, I binged the entirety of Schitt's Creek and fell so much in love with Johnny and Moira that I wanted to write fanfiction for the first time in a year, so here we are. :')

AO3

—

His hair still dripping with the vestiges of his shower, Johnny Rose, clad in his favorite white bathrobe, re-enters the motel room to a familiar trifecta awaiting him on his bed: Moira Rose, her carefully arched brow, and her well-manicured hand placed on the comforter in such a way that her implicit demand is all but spoken: Come here.

“Am I in trouble, Mrs. Rose?” He asks wryly, obediently shuffling to her side. His back is still somewhat stiff from sitting in a waiting room one half of the day and a wheelchair the other, so he’s a little awkward as he lowers himself next to her, trying not to bend in an unpleasant way.

If his wife notices—and he knows that she notices—she only responds with a slight dip in her expression, subtle, but unmistakable for what it is: concern.

Care.

Love.

Sometimes, it positively breaks his heart—how tender his dearest can be.

“Do not am I in trouble me, Mr. Rose,” Moira scolds even as she immediately snakes her arm around his own. “You know the answer to that tonight unless those lovely little pills that the physician prescribed have already affected your presence of mind.”

Instinctively, quite waggishly, he raises a bushy brow. 

“You’ve seen me in an altered state before, Moira.”

“A time or twenty nine, yes, of course. You become delightfully Shakespearean with your wordplay; it is irresistibly attractive.”

“So,” he finishes, a gentle smile on his lips, “given that I’m not regaling you with new vocabulary, you know I’m perfectly here right now.” 

Here in mind.

Here in body.

Here in soul.

Here with her for another tomorrow and another and another in the confoundingly, paradoxically beautiful Schitt’s Creek.

Moira’s gaze softens, melting in all of her skeptical places, and very slowly, very carefully, she leans her head against his shoulder. The familiar scent of her wreathes him—something floral but indescribable, as though she has just stepped out of an exotic Parisian greenhouse. It is the sweetest perfume he has ever known.

“I know that, John, dear,” she sighs heavily. “I do. I do. I was simply... I mean, I suppose I was just besides myself today under the duress of possibly losing you.” Her plump lips tremble in the way he knows she’s trying her best not to cry. “You were so pale and so drawn and so terribly small, and the last time I saw you possessing any of these qualities in spades was when I was giving birth to Alexis.”

“Funny. I don’t recall you being lucid enough to recall Alexis’s birth.”

“John!” Lifting her head from his shoulder, Moira bats his arm indignantly. “I am not being a wisecrack.”

“Sorry,” he mumbles as she leans against him again. As a peace offering, he briefly presses his lips against her forehead, and in return, one of her hands reaches over to his right wrist, which is still encircled with the patient bracelet from Elmdale Hospital.

She twists it counterclockwise so that she can better view his name. He had forgotten to cut it off before taking a shower.

“Moira”—he glances down at the tiny, printed number which marks him as seventy-three years old—“I’m fine now. You know that, right?”

That piercing blue gaze of hers moves from the bracelet to his own eyes, and it is clear that she is searching him for the veracity of his words—though he imagines that she won’t be able to find the fault that her paranoia tends to dread.

Lying to her has never been his desire nor forte.

“I know that,” she concedes with a tentative smile. “I simply adore you, sweetheart—endlessly—and so when it comes to you, my worries work ahead of my sensibilities. My head, prodigious though it normally is, lags behind my heart, my fears, and all of these feelings in my chest.”

“Is there any way I can assuage those worries, dear?”

“I have a list approximately thirty-two items long.”

Johnny reflexively laughs, and his wife reflexively bats him again, but the parentheses framing her eyes are wrinkled in the beginnings of amusement all the same.

“Start with your first five,” he replies, “and then we’ll go from there.”

“One”—by this point, Moira has worked her thumb beneath his bracelet, lifting it off of his wrist with a disdainful expression—“you go into the bathroom as soon as we are done conversing and cut this dreadful reminder of our past loose from your life! It is ugly and unbefitting, and I much prefer your Rolex.”

She withdraws her thumb from his wrist in the same moment that he nods amicably. 

“I can do that. Hospital bracelets are so out of vogue anyway.”

She smiles at him, eyes twinkling.

“Deuxième, dearest, you must assure me that you will strictly follow the physician's orders to scale back on potentially inflammatory food items. No more cinnamon rolls every morning or late night runs to the café for a milkshake.”

“I’ve never gone on—“ He starts indignantly (and guiltily), but he’s just as immediately cut off.

“Shush!” She places her index finger on his lips. “I know you haven’t been going to the apothecary for lip balm once a week. Your lips are perfectly, delectably moist, and David would have already complained about your constant presence in the store were your insinuations true.”

Another reason he doesn’t lie to Moira Rose.

She unfailingly sniffs him out when he does.

“Fine, fine,” he sighs placatingly. “No more milkshake runs.”

“Or daily cinnamon rolls,” she says pointedly.

“Or daily cinnamon rolls,” he parrots back with an eye roll. And now it’s Moira’s turn to laugh in that rich, throaty way of hers; she squeezes his hand warmly, and without thinking, he squeezes back.

“Tres, you must tell me that you love me at least three times a day from this point onwards, so that if you do suddenly kick the proverbial bucket after sampling Twyla’s meatloaf special one day, I can always reflect to our children, friends, and sundry admirers that the last thing that you told me was that you loved me.”

Johnny stares at her incredulously.

“Aren’t you being just a little facetious now?”

And, because Moira Rose can give an incredulous look just as well as she can receive one, she offers one right back.

“Hardly not, John! I am just covering all of our necessary bases in the advent of your untimely demise.”

“Thanks,” he mutters.

“You are very welcome!” 

She either didn’t catch the sarcasm or absolutely did and is actively choosing to ignore it—he isn't sure which of the two options is worse.

“Quattuor,” she murmurs next, and this time, Johnny can detect a new seriousness in his wife’s voice. She skims her thumb up and down the length of his gnarled hand and avoids looking him in the eye. “And this one is important, Mr. Rose, so please pay me the utmost attention... but I would desire it very much if you would be vigilant about informing me of your—ah—conditions from now on.”

She glances at him then, her expression uncharacteristically, alarmingly bashful.

“Honey...” He tries, but she brings her head off his shoulder to shake it sadly.

“You were lifting paraphernalia for me this morning when you strained yourself, and you said nary a word until you almost passed out on the dirty floor.” Moira’s thick lashes flutter with a rapidity that isn’t quite natural, and when she looks away, she swipes what he knows she imagines to be a surreptitious hand across her eyes. “I cannot name the emotion that such a sequence of events made me feel because my former therapist, Dr. London Aubergine, advised me to refrain from giving my negative emotions a voice... but, John, I—“ 

She stops suddenly, her breath hitching, but Johnny doesn’t need to hear another word to understand the gist of what she is saying. With a slow deliberation that is a message in and of itself, he gently cups his hand against Moira’s cheek to command her attention, and, with the faintest of sighs, she leans into his touch.

“There, there, sweetheart,” he says. “If it wasn’t moving all the furniture today, maybe it would have been cleaning the windows tomorrow or changing sheets the day after that. What happened today—and again, let me remind you that I’m okay now—wasn’t your fault.”

“As if you would tell me if it were, though!” She whines accusingly, tilting her head away from his hand.

The sudden recoil gives him whiplash; he instantly misses the warmth of her cheek against his palm.

“I don’t like for you to have to worry!”

“But, John, I want to worry for you. Nay, I demand the right to worry for you!” Her fingernails, sharp and black, fortified by acrylic and long, are beginning to dig into the hand that she is holding. “I love you beyond reason, and I know that can occasionally be overwhelming—goodness knows I can overreact—but I would rather overreact than understate you in a potential crisis. So, please, if you want to regard my feelings, tell me your truth and nothing but your truth.”

Moira takes a deep breath, but her grip on him doesn’t quite relax in the same way.

“I am a nine times shortlisted Daytime Emmy candidate, Mr. Rose." She draws herself to full height where she sits, her shoulders regally postured. "I can handle it—I assure you.”

It's hard to argue with her when she puts it like that in exactly those terms.

His dark eyes crinkle.

“C’mere,” Johnny says, finally extracting his hand from hers so he can pull her into a fuller embrace. He wraps his arms around her back, all tenderness, as she rest her chin in the crook of his neck. He can feel the tattoo of her heart beating rhythmically next to his chest, each thud an elegant melody he doesn't mind hearing again and again. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel this way, Moira. I’ve just never had much practice with, well, talking about my problems at great length. I can be prideful like that, you know—stubborn.”

“Oh, I know that—trust me, dear. You are fifty percent of the children’s psychological complexes.”

Though he knows she can’t see it, he levels her a dirty look.

“Who’s being the wisecrack now?”

“Sorry, darling! Force of habit.”

“But... seriously, Moira,” he continues, beginning to rub circles into the back of her pajama vest, “I’ll do better on that—on telling you things, okay?” A pause.

A beat.

Her heart continues to beat, and his does, too, the smallest reminders of their shared vivacity.

“Okay,” she breathes back, the low affirmation tickling his ear. He doesn’t have enough time to process how that makes him feel before she disentangles herself from him once again, a small smile pressed upon her lips.

“And now, a hearty Italian cinque to finish us off. For my fifth item, John, I would like you to kiss me now as though we have never kissed before, but also as though we have been kissing all of our lives.” She raises a suggestive brow. “It is a fine line between these polarized extremes. Are you up for the challenge?”

With a loud laugh, he does not quite respond to this particular inquiry with words.

#schitt's creek #schitt's creek fic #johnny rose #moira rose #johnny x moira #s: schitt’s creek #reginianwrites

[szopenhauer]

where were you 2 hours ago? in the local store do you kiss a lot of people? I kissed only one person in my entire life

are you wearing socks right now? ... no

have you bought any clothing items in the last week? yes

one thing you hate about yourself? my chronic illnesses mostly

what do you know about the future? we will all die, sooner or later

do you have a tan? slightly, on my arms

what day is tomorrow? Sunday 

are you dating someone? yes

why? because of many reasons

using your current first initial choose a different name for yourself. Zefiryna  or Zyta if polish what piece of furniture have you replaced the most? hmm... dunno, I’m not rich enough to replace my furniture

what do you think is the most over-rated candy ever? candies are overrated in general what is broken that you have, that you wish was fixed? my body  line from the last thing you wrote to someone? jak uważasz

Have you ever wondered what you look like when you’re sleeping? yeah ^^” Do you put your friends or family first? my parents and my S.O. Do you have bad allergies? ugh... Are your parents proud of you? there’s nothing to be proud of Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? I could Is/was your school full of fakes? obvi What age did you start staying home alone? I’m not sure tbh but late

Would you rather see the Great Wall of China or Big Ben? Big Ben because I’d prefer to visit England and not China Ice Ice Baby or U Can’t Touch This? both XD

Can you do a handstand? used to Do you own any shirts that are yellow? several What’s a brand of shoe you like, but wouldn’t buy a pair? creepers for example Would you like to live in a cottage home? yup but I won’t

Are you comfortable with your height? wish I was a bit taller Last text received?

Are you afraid of heights? not really

Were you happy when you woke up today? I was glad I could sleep almost 10 hours Have you ever laughed so hard you cried? few times hahaha Do you curse in front of your parents? oh well ^^” Are you slowly drifting away from someone close? ... What are you listening to right now? iamamiwhoami  How is the weather right now? warm Have you ever been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing? I don’t recall Do you use chapstick? ewww, gross How long do you think you will live? not much longer How’s your life going lately? no comment Have you ever had to get your blood drawn? countless times What is the most important thing to you? health that I don’t have Who was the last person you high fived? someone close to me Who hugged you last? parent Why do you feel the way you feel? where should I start... When was the last time you went shopping? this day as I already mentioned Are you liking how you look today? it’s ok Do you hate when they give a lot of tv commercials? especially when they repeat  Are you a very stressed out person? that I am 

Do you hate when people stare at you for no reason? awkward Which color is better? Red, Blue, Green, Black, or Yellow? definitely not red and blue *said a person who is wearing this today:

*I also hate pink, you will never understand me  Are you good at hiding your feelings? can be but what for Is anyone annoying you right now? not rn Did you cry today? not so far When was the last time you had a sleepover? years ago Do you like taking pictures? kinda Don’t you hate that when it’s freezing cold outside your eyes get teary? that’s awful

Have you ever trespassed? it wasn’t a big deal Do you tell your parents where you are going? basics at least Can you give a good back massage? been told 

Did you ever mix up the words “message” & “massage”? possibly Are there any other words you get mixed up? there are  Do you think women should hold open doors for men, too? why not, it’s nice to be helpful Do you raise your hand or participate in class? umm... I had my moments Would you ever spend the night in a treehouse? doubt it? What do you think of people who own wild animals? hard to tell If a book was written about your life, what would be in the summary? no idea  Are you good at explaining things, in general? I try my best to be straightforward and turn out being misunderstood If your friend had a drug-problem would you abandon them? I might, sorry Has a friendship ever ended over similar reasons? I wasn’t in a situation like this before Do you like window shopping?  fun Do you mind lending money to your friends? I’m poor What, to you, is the best part of traveling? souvenirs Do you like to try new things? very rarely Does it bother you if someone talks bad about you? gossips/lies bother me

What time of day feels the most magical to you? sunrise and evening/night? Does your head hurt right now? bardziej mi się kręci w głowie po prostu Is your hair wet right now? dry Have you ever dreamt of being a famous athlete? I had a night dream about being an athlete ore than once but I dislike sports  Do you have a rich friend that you’re jealous of? whoops you got me Are you interested in a girl who has a girlfriend? that girlfriend is me muahahaha Do most of the guys who like you annoy you? omg truth (I’m a lesbian though) but majority of society annoys me (especially men) so... What musical do you think you could play the lead in? Cats if I had talent What medical conditions do you have? what medical condition I don’t have... Do you wear leggings often? everyday Are you responsible in general? I avoid responsibilities  Would you consider yourself mature? not enough, I’m childish  Can you reach your ceiling? me?... Do you have a reading nook? I’m a librocubicularist Who is the cutest baby you know? babies ain’t cute  *weird fact - I think those with Down syndrome are prettier - is that offensive?

What makes you nauseous? I constantly feel nauseous

Someone walks into your room, what do they notice first the amount of plushies

When you have sex, do you keep your eyes closed or open when finishing I tried to keep them closed, I’m embarassed If I stepped into your shower, what is the first item I would notice who knows

How many times a day do you think you sneeze it’s not a daily thing to me Your phone rings but you don’t know the number, would you answer it if I wait for a call like from hospital etc. How many cars have you actually owned 0 Do you always take a shower after you have sex no When you wash your hair in the shower to you face the faucet or away:. face Would you let the girl pay on the first date if she really wanted to split or else I just feel ashamed Have you ever had a friend who preferred the same sex I’m that friend ha! What was the name of the last alcohol you consumed that got you trashed not applicable Do you let your girlfriend drive, or do you prefer to we don’t drive The last time you had sex was it in the morning, afternoon or night afternoon

Are you afraid of stink bugs? they’re harmless :o Do you have a printer? but we don’t use it What is the closest thing to you that’s yellow? pencil  Does anyone own any embarrassing pictures of you? I’m ugly on all photos... Do you care what others say about you? who and what? Are you into anime? blergh Name one movie that has made you cry more than once. ex. Five feet apart When is your father’s birthday? Mother’s? next year *my father is a Pisces and my mother is an Aquarius like me  no more info for ya! Are you a sarcastic person? very Do you overthink things? 24/7, every single detail, even from ages ago Are you naturally paranoid? would say so

What was the last song you listened to? Lola Marsch - Echoes

Which is more important in your life, TV or Internet? internet, I don’t watch TV and I’d even choose net over movies if I had to Do you overuse smileys? gifs :P When was the last time you ate something? an hour ago *but I fill out this survey for couple of hours  Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? I haven’t seen any of ‘em Do you know what Entomophobia is? had to google it When was the last time you played cards? (not on the computer) months ago Ever owned a pair of the original Nikes? (white, with only a single swoosh) not my type of shoes Ever worn leg warmers? yes, I still have several pairs  When was the last time you read a book over 700 pages long? never, I only written over 700 pages Have you ever had a black eye? nope, just bags under my eyes

How do you mark through your word search puzzles? I cross them with my pen Do you hate people who ask a lot of questions? I enjoy questions but... Have you ever seen a roll of bluish-green toilet paper? yep Can you name five ‘z’ words off the top of your head? besides my name? in english or polish? If a rooster laid an egg on the peak of a roof which side would it roll to? roosters don’t lay eggs

[detroitbecomehumanwritings]

Virtual Love (4/?)

Co-Writer: @500shadesofblue Pairing: Connor/DFAB!Reader (Gender is unspecified) Rating: T (Chapter), NC-17 (Entire Fic) Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 Summary: Virtual reality is becoming the next great evolution of technology: some say on-par with Elijah Kamski’s breakthrough design of the first modern-day android. It has immeasurable potential; to enhance, to assist, and to completely break the bounds of our reality.

You, as a member of the team spearheading the technology in a branch within Cyberlife, have developed a working prototype. It’s finally finished; all that’s left is a series of trials to check if it’s functioning properly.

On the first test run, however, you find an android named Connor standing in the middle of your virtual kitchen.

Several nights later, you’ve almost gotten into a routine.

The android you encounter in your prototype tests is an… intrigue. It’s far more advanced than any android you’ve ever encountered. Connor is interesting, and once your alarm at his presence wore off, his opinions, his questions, enthrall you. You’ve never spoken this way with an android before, talking just for talking’s sake, and making conversation actually gives you something to think about after a long day of industrial labor.

...Dammit. There you go again. Calling Connor a ‘he.’

“Hey, Connor,” you say lazily. You’re laying on your back, outside in the meadow again, drawn to its sunshine and splendor after a couple days in the real world with dreary rain. Connor, ever respectful, is a couple feet away, properly seated, cross-legged and presumably ramrod straight. You wouldn’t know- you’re staring up at the sky. It’s bright and clear, but you know that the sky in the real world is dark and strewn with stars.

Not that you can see any stars in Detroit.

“Yes?” he says. You exhale softly, feeling the warmth of the earth below, seeing the blue of the sky above. Today - or rather, tonight - it’s filled with puffy white clouds drifting across its expanse.

“Do you have a gender?”

The air is thick with tension, his hesitation almost audible. You keep your eyes on the clouds.

“...What does it matter?” He finally says, and alright, that definitely wasn’t the road you were expecting him to take.

“I…” You almost want to sit up, feel that the subject matter is serious enough that it’s warranted, but you want to hang onto the plausible deniability that staying still, staring up at the sky gives you. You let your thoughts percolate, brewing your ideas, arranging them into a picture you’re ready to present.

“I’m big on respecting what people want to be called, whatever that may be,” you finally say, rawly honest. And by this point… you’re not going to say it, but you’ve been talking with him for almost a week. The level of familiarity you’ve reached is beyond acquaintances, from coin tricks to twenty questions, suspicion to wariness to peaceful acceptance.

“And even if you’re an android, and not ‘people,’” you continue, a bit awkward, “to tell you the truth… it’s been pretty damn confusing in my head.”

“Oh?” he says. You can’t quite discern his tone.

You don’t know why you’re telling him the truth, but… it’s easier. Plus, who’s he going to tell? “I keep going back and forth in my head,” you confess, “between calling you ‘he’ and ‘it.’” It feels like an ugly confession, halfway-between perfectly acceptable and strange. “I thought it’d finally settle the matter if I asked you what you’d prefer. No harm in it, right? Either way, I can get it settled.” And I can stop agonizing about it.

“It’s kind of you to ask my opinion,” Connor says, and behind the soft tones of his voice, you can hear the grass and flowers rustling. “It’s very considerate.”

“It’s not… I’m not being considerate,” you say, oddly defensive, because you’re not . You’ve barely known this android for a week, and you’ve talked every night, but… “It’s not kind to ask what people prefer. It’s common decency, especially if you’re unsure. Just because you’re an android doesn’t mean you don’t…”

Have feelings.

“...doesn’t mean you don’t care about what you’re called,” you finish, lamely.

“Still,” Connor says, “it’s polite of you.”

Your social patterns, honed over decades of interacting with humans and trying to be mindful and respectful, get weirdly mixed up when you’re actually speaking with an android, interacting for a long period of time. Plus, you don’t know how to keep contradicting him without sounding both ungrateful and like an ass, so you just lay there, breathing slow, looking at the sky.

“Androids don’t have… don’t have natural gender, as such,” Connor finally says, breaking the silence, “at least not the way that human beings do.”

This is your cue to sit up.

You lift your arms up from your sides, reaching forwards, heaving yourself up from horizontality. You’re in a simple, loose tank top (can’t go braless while expecting company, even if the company is an android) and a ratty pair of knee-length shorts, loose and comfortable. With all your bare skin, the grass feels lovely, and the sunshine even lovelier.

You finally sit yourself in a comfortable position again, and when you look at Connor, his eyes are transfixed on your face in that odd way he does- unblinking, intent, absorbing information keenly.

“Go on,” you say, ignoring his staring, scooting to face him. You cross your legs, propping your elbows on your knees and your face on your hands. The way you’re sitting, now, you’re facing him, a little less than two feet away. This close, you can see all the subtle shifting expressions on his face, the yellow flickering of his LED made golden by the sunlight.

“Androids don’t have gender, as such,” he says eventually, looking away. You turn your gaze in the same direction, looking over the field of endless flowers. Among the kaleidoscope of color, you spy splotches of pale purple in clusters of green, heart-shaped leaves.

Dog-violets.

“Our preferences are… hardwired into us,” Connor continues, voice distant. “Gender makes humans comfortable. So, as such, I do prefer being called a ‘he’ over an it.”

There. There’s your answer.

“Plus,” Connor says, and you feel his gaze on the side of your face. “Being referred to with gendered pronouns facilitates integration, as it humanizes us in the eyes of others.”

Right.

“So you’re good with ‘he’?” You say, turning back to look at him. In another one of his typical expressions (which you recognize even in the short time you’ve known him), his eyebrows are slightly drawn together, mouth subtly downturned.

“Yes,” he says, a note of finality in his voice. “In fact, I’d even say that I prefer it.”

“Okay,” you say cheerfully. You pivot neatly, flopping back down in the grass. You can feel the smile blooming on your face.

You don’t know why, but you feel lighter.

“Does that answer your question?” he says, voice filtering down from above. He almost sounds amused.

“Yup,” you say, popping the p. “Perfectly, thanks.”

“Why did you want to know?” He says.

You don’t know why he’s pressing this.

“It doesn’t kill me to give common courtesy,” you say, a small frown on your face. “Even if it’s just to an android. When something has a face, when I’ve been talking to it for more than five hours cumulatively… when it has opinions, and questions…” you turn to look at him, and at this angle, you can only see his suit, the slope of his neck, and the hard cut of his jaw. And his mouth.

“It’s hard not to humanize something when things are like that.”

You look away, back at the sky.

“I think I understand,” he says.

After twenty minutes more peaceful silence, laying in the warm grass under the bright blue sky, you tell him see you tomorrow and you log out.

Work is boring.

You spent your life working towards this. Battling through high school, through college, through long hours of internships and grunt work and working your way up the ladder until finally you made it where you wanted to be.

Virtual reality development.

But now that it’s done, you just feel… well, you’re not sure.

You want to test it. Spend all your time inside VR, practicing manipulation, seeing what you can do. But you still have a job, technically, even if all you do is troubleshoot. It’s still not ready to be released to the public; guides need to be written, instructional manuals, tips and tricks and things to be aware of. It’s most of why your whole team is still troubleshooting the damn thing. Such a complex project coming together is bound to create gaps in awareness, blind spots as people focus on perfecting their own corner of the tech. Experiencing VR as a whole gives a fuller, better picture. So…

So, why can’t you test the tech at work?

Well, you left the damn headset at home on your coffee table, that’s why.

So you huff, turning your attention back towards the code you’re reading over for a friend. Mere formalities, at this point. You know it’s completely fine.

When did your nights become the highlight of your day?

You push the thought to the back of your mind and keep working.

That night, you phase into VR between one blink and the next.

Your eyes shoot open and you scan the room- ah. Connor’s on the other side of the couch, his ‘usual’ spot.

“Hey, Connor!” you greet, smiling.

“Hello,” he says, and gives you a slightly sad but evidently genuine attempt at a smile. It terminates somewhere between its command and execution, leaving him with an awkward twist of the lips, but you’re used to it by now.

“Hey, okay, idea,” you say, businesslike.

You see him perk up, attention sharpening.

“We should practice manipulating the virtual reality,” you say, gesturing around the room in a vague, sweeping generality. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about all day, honestly. And I bet you’d be good at it!”

You’re not sure if Connor has practiced conjuration in the time between your little coin trick and now, but if he has, you haven’t seen it.

“I have made several attempts,” he says, and you’re not even surprised that he’s managed to find the time. You’re not sure how you know, but Connor seems… crafty. You have a feeling he’s good at finding loopholes and ways to achieve his goals.

You raise an eyebrow. “How’d they go?”

He smiles at you, and this one almost looks genuine. “Very well, though the tests were simple.”

And, as you watch, holds a hand out in front of him. When your attention refocuses, he clenches his fist, and when it opens…

Slowly, his fingers unfurl, revealing a coin.

You laugh, bright, head bobbing and eyes scrunching shut as the laughter is startled out of you. When you open your eyes, still grinning, Connor’s almost smiling, too.

“Did you enjoy that?” he says.

“It was great!” you can’t help how your voice sounds, unduly enthused. This shit is so cool.

He starts fidgeting with it, but you turn your focus inward. What can you do? Theoretically, your only limits are your own imagination and willpower.

Can you change your appearance?

Whether or not it’s possible, you don’t want to do that, now. For one, you don’t want Connor asking questions. (Or considering doing the same.) You like Connor, you do, but… trust?

Trust is something different entirely.

So you close your eyes and clasp your hands together, holding them in front of you, arms parallel to the ground.

You hear Connor’s distant what are you doing? but you tune him out, focusing inwards. What can I summon? Start simple. How about…

Your mind flicks from object to object, ranging from the practical to the wildly impractical. A red rubber ball. Dancing flames. A glittering, gem-encrusted dragonfly. A purple blossom. An ornate, painted egg.

An egg…

You feel something building between your palms. Warm, and tingling, almost. Like a word, on the tip of your tongue, but you can’t quite…

And then there’s something between your hands, forcing them a few inches apart to make room, and your eyes fly open.

Your eyes dart to Connor’s face, his eyes transfixed on your hands. You can hear…

Peeping.

You open your cupped palms, slowly, supporting the chirping creature within. You keep looking back and forth, from Connor’s face to your own opening palms, a slow reveal.

You sigh as you take in the sight, settled between cupped palms: A fluffy yellow chick with shiny black button eyes, peeping and looking around. It looks- it looks real , feels warm and downy soft in your hands.

“You’ve created life,” Connor says. He sounds sincere.

“The facsimile of life,” you correct him, a warm smile stealing over your face, using a thumb to stroke the chick lightly along the side of its small, feathered body. You can feel it’s tweets reverberating through its chest, quieting as it settles into your hands, placated by touch.

“It’s very… small,” Connor says, voice quiet. He looks enthralled, more entranced than you’ve ever seen him.

“Do you want to hold it?” you say.

“Oh, I…” he looks almost… embarrassed? But surely, you’re imagining that. “If you want. There’s no purpose to doing so.”

“Here,” you say, soft, holding it out, keeping your palms together, careful not to jostle it. You stop stroking it and it starts cheeping again, but it settles as you stroke a fingertip across its chest.

Connor steps forward, reaching, and cups his hands together under yours, cradling them. Illogically, his hands are warm. Bigger than yours, large enough to easily encompass them. And those facts are… irrelevant. You push them to the back of your mind.

Unbidden, you feel a flush rising to your face as you part your hands, slowly withdrawing. The chick tweets, panicked, as your hands start to move away, and it staggers into the cradle of Connor’s palms. Connor’s fingertips drag against the back of your hand as you pull away- irrelevant . You take a step back: You need some space.

“I can’t scan it,” Connor says, and you can’t read his tone. His voice is soft. “I can only… feel it. I can sense its warmth, and its texture. I can hear it.”

As if called to action, the chick starts peeping furiously, feathers ruffling, looking around frantically.

“Pet it,” you suggest. Your eyes keep flicking back and forth between his hands and his expression. The chick looks even smaller in the cradle of his hands, and his face has a familiar expression on it: intensely focused. “It worked for me.”

“Comfort,” Connor muses, voice low. But he curls his pointer finger away from the rest, stroking along the chick’s feathers, and it quiets.

You want to say I wonder what’ll happen when we log out? But you know what’ll happen to the chick. It’ll stop existing, like everything does in VR. Unless you establish the server permanently… but that’s beyond beta testing, only available when the final version comes out. Your house, the meadow outside… it’s all default, generated every time you enter VR.

“Willpower,” Connor muses, snapping you out of your reverie. The chick is still in his hands- oh, it’s dozing off. It looks like a pile of golden fluff, soothed and quiet by Connor’s petting. “You summoned this… this facsimile of life through willpower. Did you foresee its behavior?”

“No,” you say. “I just pictured…” a baby bird. A chick. The color wasn’t planned, nor its need for… comfort.

“Yes?” Connor prompts.

“I just thought of a baby bird,” you say. “Hatching from an egg.”

When you go into the next session, Connor is absent, as is the chick. Your virtual-cat isn’t there, either.

You’ve never felt more alone.

The next session, Connor’s back.

Your cat - who’s gotten into the habit of settling on your lap for your long, nightly VR sessions - comes along for the ride, too. You know it’s not actually your cat, but it sure acts like your cat, affection, quirks and all. It’s comforting, at least.

So you practice summoning vibrant plumed feathers and scraps of colorful fabric for your cat to play with. Connor, expression colored with amusement, keeps to his side of the couch.

You’re dangling a vibrantly red strand of yarn for your cat (who’s batting at it playfully), jerking it back and forth, when-

A mouse goes flying past your face.

You shriek, jerking back- oh goddammit, Connor.

You shoot him a glare. The mouse - which your cat is racing over to investigate - is currently motionless and clearly mechanical, joints segmented and body hairless, skin a shiny chrome. You can hear whirrs and buzzes as your cat - overjoyed at the superior toy - sprints after it as it starts to scurry.

“Why are you like this,” you say, grumpily settling deeper into the couch.

“I figured I’d utilize my own expertise to contribute towards your goal,” he says smartly. You refuse to look at his face, but you have a feeling that he’s looking smug in his own self satisfied, android-y way.

You grumble, but you both spend the rest of the session chatting softly, watching your cat chase the mechanical mouse around your living room.

That night, as usual, you go to bed with a smile.

(You don’t know how or why, but somehow, Connor has become a part of your routine. Moreover, he’s become the highlight of your day.

Virtual reality and its manipulations are incredible, and you're becoming better and better at twisting reality. Connor, too.

Things were going so well.

It makes sense that something had to break.)

“What...are your thoughts on androids?”

The question catches you off-guard.

You had expected something along the lines of your background, maybe even your professional credentials--it is what most people tend to ask when getting to know someone else. College you graduated from, notable achievements in your career, that sort of thing.

You didn’t actually expect Connor--an android itself--to ask you about your opinions of them.

It’s a bit unnerving, actually. You feel your thoughts flutter for a moment, unable to come up with a response that wasn’t anything more than a jumble of confused noises.

Your thoughts on androids?

“I--well,” You sputter out an attempt of a sentence before coming back to yourself. “Could you clarify? That’s a….really general question.” Not to mention awkward. Odd. It left a slightly sour taste in your mouth.

Connor blinks. You can practically feel him processing your words, though it’s barely a moment of silence before he speaks again.

“Simply your general view on androids as a societal topic.” He speaks as if he’s discussing the weather. “I’ve met many people who think quite negatively of androids for their impact on the job market, among other things. I was wondering how you saw androids due to your position and background.”

His words are fluid, somewhere between sounding rehearsed and spur-of-the-moment that it leaves you feeling off-kilter. Surreal. You’re not sure why he’s asking- did he hear something in real life, during his job, on the topic? Is he coming to you for your opinion? You’re not sure why.

It’s a cold reminder that the being you are speaking to is simply not human.

“Well, I mean…” You can’t keep your eyes on his--they look a hair too intense, too focused. You save the moment by looking out, into the meadow, as if any number of the flowers in the distance caught your attention. “They’re...helpful?”

You hear Connor let out a cut-off hum. Is he asking your opinion for a purpose?

It takes a few seconds to collect your thoughts in a way that sounds professional, deserving of your background and education that should have given you a bit of worth to speak on the topic. You are no expert by any means, but androids were a part of everyday life for a lot of people--they aren’t something you can just choose to ignore. Plus, working for Cyberlife, you can't really afford to have an unprofessional opinion.

“I think that the discovery of androids were a great aid to humanity,” you say, words coming out slowly. You're not sure why you’re so cautious about the words you’re using--he's just an android, it's not like he's going to argue with you. He doesn’t have an opinion. “...I think that, despite the employment issues, androids have been a great tool--” The word sits awkwardly in your mouth. “--in many fields of expertise. Medical, technological, research and development, even childcare.”

Is there a purpose to what you’re even saying? You’re answering the question of an android, what purpose would Connor even want to know--he didn’t even have the capability to have desires.

With the way you talk with Connor, sometimes you forget. But you shouldn’t. No matter what he says, what information he shares… he’s an android.

He’s not human. Why am I even being careful? It’s no different than taking survey answers, right? Asking without a purpose, without a desire--without a soul?

But you answer the question as honestly as you can.

“I’ve met a lot of people who share a less positive outlook than you do for androids in society,” Connor says, tone immeasurable. “It’s interesting to hear the opinions of those around me as I continue with the missions I’ve given.”

Your internal tension breaks, and a huff of amusement comes from your mouth before you can stop it. Connor looks over to you just as your eyes move back to meet his gaze.

“I mean,” You offer him a shrug. “I never thought an android would ask me on my opinions on androids.”

“I am programmed to learn from my environment,” Connor starts. Does he sound defensive?  “I am also equipped with a multitude of subroutines to help me incorporate myself in a variety of social situations. I felt it appropriate to ask since you say that you work within Cyberlife.”

“So, you’re curious,” Your words slip from your mouth before you can stop them, a moment of naive amusement against the forgotten truth.

Connor's gaze is hard and cold in return, a quick shift from the gentle look mere moments before. “I have already explained that I do not exhibit curiosity.” Connor definitely sounds defensive as he speaks and it, more than anything, seems surreal. “Seeking information is simply a byproduct of my programming to solve difficult cases that require complex thought processes to work through.”

Oh.

You swallow down a lump in your throat, cold reality settling into your thoughts. You try to save the moment between the two of you, scrabbling together the shredded pieces of the conversation with a half-genuine smile.

“That sounds like curiosity to me, however you want to explain it.”

Connor doesn’t seem to have a response to that. He doesn’t seem to meet your eyes at all after that, staring off instead into the distance, entrenched in his own thoughts. Is he angry at you?

Is it even possible for him to feel anger?

Ten minutes of tense silence later, you wish him curt farewell and log out of the program.

You’re not sure why, but you feel sad.

#dbh #detroit: become human #connor #readershot #virtual love #virtual love chapter #writing #connor readershot #readerinsert #reader insert #connor readerinsert #connor reader insert

[imdifferentshadesofpurple]

the Last First Date.

Date #7 of the Bad First Date Chronicles Pairing: Mark Tuan x Reader

He’s there. He’s there by your kitchen counter, so out of place in a hoodie too thin for the winter he surely encountered upon landing.

He’s texting when he fully comes into view and you wonder briefly (and bitterly) if it’s his girlfriend he’s messaging. When he puts down his phone, the surprise is quite evident in his voice when he finally says something.

“...what are you doing home?”

You realize it’s a Saturday morning and you usually have a shift at the hospital on Saturdays.

But then you remember you were off today and had dragged Youngjae for drinks last night because of it.

“I’m off,” you reply, staring at him.

He’s there, finally home after months.

Like his voice on the phone, he seemed the same but different.

Hair slightly less red with more tones of brown, it’s pushed back haphazardly like he had been running his hands through it. He seems taller but he’s wearing his favorite black jeans you knew he bought because of that very fact. His hoodie is pulled over his hands but you can tell they’re fists, clenched tightly like his jaw as you simply look at each other.

You find your voice moments later and you’re thankful it’s steady.

“Where the hell have you been?”

His eyes widen but your voice rises, like the anger building within you at the sight of him, cutting off his response.

“Where...the hell...have you been?”

He doesn’t say anything yet, brows drawn together as if he’s confused as to why you’re so angry.

“Taiwan. I’ve been visiting my family. You know that.”

You scoff, “Yes, yes in fact. I’m very aware you were visiting your family. What I’m not really understanding is why you’ve been gone so long and why in the world you haven’t replied to any of my texts or calls! I left dozens of voicemails! My fingers have almost fallen off from the paragraphs I’ve typed out! So try again with that vague ass answer! Where the hell have you been?”

He’s looking at you, this odd look you’ve never seen on his face before, in all the time you’ve known each other. 

It’s like he’s assessing you, like he’s trying to make a calculated decision instead of saying what’s actually on his mind.

He looks exasperated. Tired. A little angry.

You don’t move, won’t move, until he gives you answer that explains it all.

There’s an edge to his voice when his reply finally fills the air.

“Why the fuck would it matter to you?”

If it was possible for time to stop, this would be that moment. You’re frozen, limbs stiff as his face forms into an irritation never once directed at you. 

“Why would it matter,” you ask, unbelieving, “why would it matter. That’s a pretty damn good question. Why would it? Why the fuck would it when my best friend disappeared? He says he’s going on vacation but doesn’t call. Doesn’t let me know he’s at least safe and having a good time. I have to keep up with him on social media, where he suddenly decided to post picture after picture or a video where he’s diving off a freaking cliff into the water. Why would it matter where he’s been when we’ve been attached at the hip for more than two decades? I’ve given him every detail of my life, he’s been with me for most of it. But I guess I don’t deserve the same thing. So you’re right, why would it matter to me at all?”

That uneasy feeling of emptiness had returned, though you thought it would dissipate once he had come back. His cold demeanor surprised and angered you -- but you felt pain in your heart more than anything else.

You loved him. But it seemed that unrevealed fact would be unimportant to him.

You turn to head back into your room, you had no more energy to ask him to leave, but his voice halts you.

“I came back here because I figured you’d be at Park Jinyoung’s place.”

You turn, “Why would I be at Jinyoung-ah’s?”

His name, rolling off your tongue without the formalities, caused his gaze to harden. “Why wouldn’t you be staying with your boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend? Boyfriend...what are you talking about Mark? Jinyoung and I have been broken up for like...a month. You’d know that if you returned my calls. I left you a sad voicemail telling you all about it -- I was ugly crying, Youngjae couldn’t stop laughing at me in between binge watching netflix and eating our weight in ice cream.”

He frowns, “Youngjae? Choi Youngjae? Isn’t that the sunshine child you went out with after the fashion model?”

“Yes, that’s him. We had decided before our date even ended that we wanted to try being friends instead. He got back together with his girlfriend and he’s like -- my favorite dongsaeng. Once again, you’d know this if you were around.”

The lines on his forehead deepen and he starts to look more and more like his father as the seconds pass. He seems too far in thought and you’re wondering what’s going on in his mind.

You couldn’t seem to tell this time around.

“I never got any calls. I never got any of your texts.”

Well, that’s something you weren’t expecting.

“What do you mean? I know your number by heart, there’s no way I would’ve dialed it wrong.”

He scratches at the nape of his neck, that hard look on his face gone and replaced with what looks like embarrassment. “When I left for Taiwan, I was upset. The trip was kind of random but mom had been begging me to visit so I thought it’d be the perfect time to get away. When I landed, I tried to just be in the moment and have fun, go out and just have adventures. At first, I was only going to be gone for a week. And then it turned into two weeks which turned into two months and I just never booked a ticket home. Grace...she had a friend that was always over at the house, just hanging out. For awhile, she’d always ask to see my phone -- claimed hers sucked and mine had a better camera or some shit. I didn’t think much about it until it started becoming more of a habit. I thought it was weird and started denying her, leaving it charging in my room under my pillow. She stopped bothering me but...Y/N. I think...I think she might’ve deleted all your voicemails. Your texts. Because I never got one. Not a single one. And I thought you were having such a swell time being Park Jinyoung’s girlfriend that you didn’t have time for me anymore.”

There was only one question on your mind at that moment.

“That girl. She’s...she’s not your girlfriend?”

His eyes widen, voice rising, “What? What, no! Absolutely not, who told you that?”

Your head is spinning, “She did. I had -- I had tried to go out with someone after Jinyoung. And when that didn’t work out, I tried to call you. Again. And in the middle of the voicemail, she picked up. She said you -- she said you deleted everything, never listened to my messages or read my texts. She said I was bothering you, that my persistence was starting to annoy you. And when I asked who she was, she said she was your girlfriend. And then I heard you. I heard you Mark. You asked who it was on the phone and she answered --”

“...wrong number. I remember. When she hung up, I was upset that she was fiddling with my phone again. That...that was you?”

You nod, “That was me. And ohmygod Mark, I felt so broken after that. I felt like I didn’t matter to you and that you had forgotten about me. That you were avoiding me and that’s why you didn’t want to come so I made Youngjae go to a bar with me and then I got drunk and Jaebum nice enough to --”

“Jaebum?”

You chuckle, “A friend of Youngjae’s who, like I was saying, was kind enough to take me home. Not a new boyfriend, since I know that’s what you’re thinking.”

His reply is a grumble, “That’s not what I was thinking.”

“It was and you know it.”

He smiles, and oh how you missed the sight of it. His eyes remain trained on the floor, as if he was afraid to look at you. You can only shuffle in your spot, a thousand burning questions in the back of your mind.

You don’t know where to start.

Scratch that, yes you do.

“Why were you upset when you left for Taiwan? After my “date” with Youngjae, I had come to find your note on my fridge. And then the next day, you were gone. You seemed...kind of upset about my date with him. And you seemed upset about Jinyoung. Then, just now, irritation because of Jaebum. Why? Why does it matter Mark? Why did you leave?”

He screws his eyes shut, as if pained. You wait for his answer, everything has to be on the tables now, and your heart is thudding quickly.

“I was upset because I’m in love with you.”

Again, if time could actually stop, this would’ve been an ample moment.

He continues on, inhaling as if to prepare himself for what happened next. “At first it was Yugyeom. And to be honest, I knew it wouldn’t work out. How could you be with someone that couldn’t drink? You’re almost made up of wine, it’d be impossible. And then there was that snotty kid, Bam whatever. He seemed too high maintenance so again, I wasn’t worried. But you accepted another date, this time with Youngjae. And he seemed nice, nice enough. And I don’t know, I panicked. You were hell bent on keeping an open mind about dating which meant you were gonna keep at it and I didn’t think I could handle watching you go on dates night after night. I didn’t think I could handle you going and then coming home to me. You didn’t belong to me -- and I hated that. Because it’s what I wanted. Call me a coward, sure, but I didn’t make a move. I was too afraid of what would happen if it didn’t work out. I resigned myself to keeping you as a friend instead of anything more. Which didn’t pan out smoothly either.”

He finally met your eyes, “I wanted you, to myself. And I couldn’t sit by and watch you become someone else’s. So I left.” 

“I’m in love with you too, you stupid idiot,” you breathe out.

“Look, I know it’s not -- wait, what?”

You sink to the floor on your knees, emotions finally taking over as you start to sob. 

Everything that had happened, all the pain and the sadness and the confusion, could’ve been avoided if he had simply told you how he felt. The weight of it all crashes down on your and you start to cry even harder. Mark panics, he’s only seen you cry this way a handful of times, and races over, skidding on his knees to bring you into his arms.

“Hey, hey! Why are you crying, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong,” you wail, “you just love me and I love you and all this has been so fucking stupid!”

You turn in his embrace to loop your arms around his neck, pressing your wet cheeks to the warmth of his neck. He just lets you cry, soothing words in your ear and lips against the top of your head. 

He had done that before, but this time was so different.

When he starts to laugh, sound vibrating through his chest and against the side of your head, you pull away and swipe at your stained face. “What’s so funny?”

He takes the gentler approach, thumbs on your cheeks to wipe away the stray tears. “We are. We’ve spent how many months apart? Me upset because I loved you in secret and you upset because I was upset and avoiding you even though it was all a misunderstanding. These are our lives Y/N, could we be anymore dramatic?”

A laugh bubbles out of you and you throw yourself back into his embrace, “We could be, but let’s not try for another one of these. I missed you, more than I ever thought possible. And I love you, even though it took Youngjae for me to see and accept it.”

“I’ll have to send him a thank you card.” “You can just tell him yourself tomorrow, we have coffee every Sunday morning.”

“..........can I kiss you?” “.........could you please?”

one ceremony and two wedding rings later

Your last first date had been the simplest, since you’ve always liked simple.

Your couch. A movie. Food.

It was all you really needed, nothing more than Mark and a night in.

It was like that even a year later, when you’re deciding what do on the last night of your honeymoon, the quiet water of the beach outside causing your eyes to sway shut. 

Your last first date was your favorite, maybe because the boy next to you made it so.

You’re telling him this one snowy winter after dinner, laughing as you try to put your jacket on around your protruding baby bump while Jackson insists you switch to organic until your daughter is born.

“Leave her be, you’re annoying a pregnant woman,” his fiancée Tiffany had said, helping you with some of the buttons. 

Kimmy, Jaebum’s new girlfriend, can only chuckle as she lays her head on his leather clad shoulder. “He’s only pestering Y/N because still, after all this time, he hasn’t converted the woman he’s going to marry. I don’t know how you two can even stand each other.”

Tiffany is about to argue back, something about being her own woman that can choose her own damn food, but she can only blush when Jackson places a sweet kiss to her cheek, “It’s simple -- I’d give it up for her, she can never leave me, I won’t make it.”

Jaebum makes a vomiting noise before more laughter erupts. “Alright, the gross quota has been filled. Youngjae, I can take you and Tyler back if you’re ready.”

“Thank the heavens, yes please. All these couples are too much.”

Tyler grins, “Is it because we’re extra cute and raise the group’s overall cuteness level?”

Youngjae takes her hand and whispers, “Of course. No one beats us.”

“We heard that,” a scandalized Jackson exclaims.

Mark, simply watching with an amused look on his face, takes your hand as well, “Get home safe guys, we’ll see you soon.”

The snow is heavy when you all separate, the loud conversation dispersing as you grow further apart. Silence falls over you both on the way to the car, breath like smoke in the air as you tuck yourself closer.

“Yah! Park Sooyoung, watch where you’re going!”

A young girl bumps into you and you throw your hands out to steady her. “Are you okay, sweetie?’

When she looks up, it’s a face you recognize, as is the face of the young man growing nearer.

“Jinyoung?”

He stops in front of you, nose a bit red from the cold, a smile on his face.

“Fancy seeing you here, how are you?”

You gesture to your stomach, “Heavy.”

He laughs as an arm loops through his, “You look beautiful either way.”

“Thank you, that’s kind of you.” “Y/N, this is my wife, Shanna. Shan, sweetheart...this is Y/N. An old friend.”

You shake hands before gesturing to Mark. “Mr. and Mrs. Park, this is Mark. My husband. Mark, you know Jinyoung, I’ve mentioned him before.”

“You have, nice to meet you,” he states, extending his gloved hand for Jinyoung to shake.

“And you remember my sister, the little monster.”

You turn towards Sooyoung, a shy smile on her grown up face. “How could I forget my favorite patient? All healthy and absolutely beautiful.”

She giggles, “Thank you unnie.”

You talk for a bit, conversation with Jinyoung always so pleasant (even more so because of Shanna), until it’s too cold for anyone anymore and you go your separate ways with a promise to see each other soon.

It’s once you’re home, warm and feeling content, that Mark asks you a question that makes you laugh.

“Isn’t a little weird how friendly we are with some of the guys you used to date?”

You kiss him gently, fingers laced together with his hand on your stomach.

“They were bad first dates anyway, doesn’t count.” “...but you dated Jinyoung for four months.” “You know I love you more. And let’s face it, you love hanging out with them. Jackson makes you laugh so hard.”

The happy look on his face means you’re right and you’ve won.

“Fine, but don’t tell him that. It’ll be years before I live it down.” “Deal. Now goodnight, my silly husband.”

“Goodnight, my love. Sleep well.”

a/n: and that’s a wrap! thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for your love and support. this series was so fun and i’m so grateful so many of you enjoyed it. another shoutout to @bread-jinie because this idea was all her. and to @changseobbing, @kpopfanfictrash, @baebae-goodnight, & @igot7bangtanbaes - you’re welcome...your cameos were necessary...i love you all lol. 

#kpoptrashtag #g7hyungnet #g7marknet #7ornevernet #got7snet #got7writersnet #sfw #got7 #got7 scenario #got7 fanfic #got7 mark tuan #got7 mark tuan fanfic #got7 mark tuan scenario #mark tuan #mark tuan fanfic #mark tuan scenario #mark tuan x reader #the bad first date chronicles: date 7 #FINAL ONE OMG lol

[thecreativeangel]

His Broken Crown (Bill Denbrough x Reader)

Bill Denbrough x Fem!Reader

*Please don’t plagiarize my work, thank you :3*

Summary: You haven’t seen Bill in at least a month and his always locked door haunts you every night. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and you’ve never been more desperate to see him in your life, even if it means sneaking into his house. 

Warnings: To clear this up: THIS DOES NOT ROMANTICIZE DEPRESSION. If you think romanticizing depression is cute, then stop, take a good hard look in the mirror…and go fuck yourself. But of course, there is cursing. Mention of Georgie’s death. This is based off the song “You Can Be King Again” by Lauren Aquilina. 

Words: 1,852

Bill’s door was closed as it always was, and you wondered what he could be doing in his room, all alone for so many hours. It’d been seven weeks since “the thing that was not to be spoken of”, and it seemed to him that that he was all alone in the world. Bill was convinced he was on his own, and so what? There was no one who could help, and his own parents had given up on trying.

You found yourself in the empty hallway to his room, leaning against the wall right next to Georgie’s empty room. Had he gone blind? He’d definitely forgotten what he had and what was his. A room, parents, friends, a bike, stability. Bill had these things. You leaned back against the wall, tilting your chin up to stare at the ceiling. A small smile tugged your lips. Technically, you weren’t supposed to be here. His parent’s didn’t know you crawled in through the window, but at the moment there were other things clouding your mind. Maybe that’s what he was doing in his room. Staring at the ceiling.

Bill had things. He had good grades, a house, a warm bed. Above all, he had you.

It was stupid, really, but you’d always compared Bill Denbrough to a king. Ever since both of you were little you’d play in his castle of mismatched pillow walls and fluffy blanket roofs, beneath strings of soft golden Christmas lights that you insisted to hang up in his room. He was the king on his steed and you were the warrior queen. Young Bill secretly wondered why you always wanted to charge into battle with him. He asked innocent questions that you knew weren’t meant to harm.

“Ah-aren’t girls suh-supposed to be at the castle?”

“Nope.”

He paused, his face scrunched up in a funny, thoughtful expression. Then, as if the entire secret of life had been revealed, he smiled brightly, showing two missing front teeth. “Okay!”

And the game continued, and he never asked why you charged into battle with him again.

Henry Bowers appeared in your and Bill’s life around second grade, although back then even Bowers was soft. Not to a second grader like you or Bill, but he was softer. Still, your friend came to you in tears on more days than one. Sometimes it was his stutter, or his smaller size (at the time), or the nerdy haircut his mother gave him. You saw the glass half empty, he saw it half full, but together you evened each other out. Still, the bullying made Bill stare his flaws in the face like neon signs and forget his optimistic views. Count your blessings, not your flaws, you told him.

Even in second grade, you scared Henry Bowers, but even in second grade, you knew that fear Henry felt towards you wouldn’t last long. You did your best to help Bill when he was sad, bringing tissues and Hello Kitty bandaids to school, applying the bandages as gently as possible to his scraped knees.

“Did he push you Billy?”

Bill hissed as a cold tissue soaked in water was placed in his sore hand. That was okay. It would only hurt until it got numb. There was a moment of comfortable silence before…

“Yeah.”

Your frown grew deeper but your voice softer. “That’s okay.”

Bill winced as the cold tissue pressed against his other knee. “I duh-don’t think it’s uh-okay.”

You smiled wickedly up at him from your crouched position, deviousness in your eyes. He could tell that an elaborate plan was being built in your mind. “It’s okay, ‘cuz he’s never gunna do it again.”

He knew you were a bit crazy, and he loved you for that.

Bill never got what all this was about. The ‘boy asks girl to dance’ thing was so cliche and dumb, but here you were, sitting in the corner of his room, quiet because Colin from science called you ugly. Bill sighed and closed his book. Today was supposed to be the sixth grade dance, but you and him didn’t feel welcome. He was a stutter and you were a mistake, and the loud gymnasium full of people was too much.

“Yuh-you sh-shouldn’t listen to him.” Bill states.

“But what if he’s right?”

Bill shakes his head and walks over to your nest of a pile of blankets, towering over your slouched form. You hardly notice him move, too wrapped up in your self doubt. “I th-think he’s w-wrong.”

He says it so confidently and suddenly it shocks you and him. You look up from your math homework, purely to see his always optimistic face, which was now oddly determined. “Why?”

“I du-dunno,” He says uncertainly, and you wonder whether he’s confused at his own statement or why he said it. “Buh-but I know it’s very n-n-not true. You’re very p-pretty.”

Bill turned the radio on and slipped in a cassette, reaching his hand out to you. You hesitate for a moment before deciding “Ah, what the hell” and grasping his hand, pulling you out of the blanket nest.

“What are you doing?” You ask Bill as he fumbles with the radio.

“W-we didn’t go t-t-to the dance,” He says, facing you with a knowing smile. “So wh-we’re going to dance now.”

You raise your eyebrows at him, the corner of your mouth twitching up slightly. “Are we really going to do that cliche? Ballroom dancing at home?”

“W-well I was going tuh-to, b-but I know you like Nirvana m-more.”

Your small grin turns to an ecstatic beam. If there was anyone in the world you’d dance with, it was Bill.

His locked door taunted you but your mind was made up. Doing this was madness, and there was at least half a method behind it. Gently, barely grazing your knuckles on the wood, you knocked on his door three times. For a full twenty three seconds, there was no reply. You stood there, your ears hypersensitive to the sound of distant shuffling of feet behind the door.

“Mom I told you I d-d-don’t need anyth-thing.”

You breathed a silent sigh of relief and pity at his muffled voice. Bill was talking, but his voice was hoarse and his stutter was worse than ever.

“It’s not your mom, Billy.” You whisper through the door crack. The knob gradually turns and the door is pulled open even more slowly, and you waited patiently until it was open all the way, keeping your eyes on the floor.

“Why are you here?”

You’re somewhat taken back by his stutterless, but still incredibly raspy voice.

“I.. don’t know.”

There’s another pause in which you look up at him for the first time. Although he’s not clearly visible in the dark hallway, you know that there are dark marks under his red rimmed eyes, and an outline of his usually perfect hair shows it disheveled and matted. Bill looks paler than usual, and a lamp some way down the hall shines just enough light to reflect off his half lidded, dead looking eyes.

A zombie. He looks like a zombie.

“What’ve you done to yourself, Billy?” You whisper, slipping past him and into his room. He shuts the door behind you and shuffles over to his bed like a sleepwalker, sitting on the edge. His room is clean, you notice, but the curtains are drawn and dust swirls around when you breathe too suddenly. It’s suffocating you, the air dense with mourning.

“Nuh-nothing,” He mutters stubbornly. “I’m f-fine.”

“Have you slept-”

“Yes.”

You hardly believe him. The answer came out too quick, like he’d replied to that question many times. There was logic behind his sadness, of course there was.

“Liar.”

Bill’s head snaps to you sharply. “Ah-are you going tuh-to yell at me?” He asks, a cold hint to his sleepy voice.

“No Billy,” You reply sadly, the corners of your eyes tilted down. He wouldn’t gain anything from misery, so you wouldn’t make it worse. “I’m not going to yell you.”

There was a another pause where you couldn’t decide if it was a comfortable silence or not, but ultimately you spoke up again.

“I want you to tell me everything.”

Bill looked from his hands, fumbling in his lap, to your solemn face.

“Tell me what you did,” You suggest in a lighter, more hopeful tone. “Y’know, art and stuff. I’d love to see your drawings. I wanna know if you practiced your stupid stutter poem, and how many times you polished Silver. A-and if you fed your hamster, because we both know you always forget to-”

“I m-miss him.” Bill whispers, his gaze planted on his lap, refusing to look up at you. You press your lips together in a thin line, watching perfect teardrops dribble down the bridge of his nose. He tries to say something more but his mouth betrays him, letting a strangled sob escape. Bill claps both hands over his mouth and lowers his head so you couldn’t see his face.

That was when you decided to forget about being subtle. In an instant, you moved closer to him and placed a gentle hand on his the back of his neck, lowering his head on your shoulder. His tears dotted your light gray tee a dark charcoal color and he buried his face into your shoulder, releasing stifled sobs against your shirt.

At some point, when his tears don’t flow freely and lessened to a few streaks of wetness, you grasped his hand and used your free one to softly push his chest, guiding him to lay down on the bed, earning a couple murmured protests. You started to get off the edge of the bed but he clumsily grabbed your hand, lacing your fingers in his. Your neck felt hot but you never let go of his hand and crawled onto the bed next to him, the mattress dipping with the extra weight. Bill gave you a toothless, closed eyed smile and relaxed. You felt him wrap an arm around your waist and pull you closer, then go completely limp, asleep for the first time in days. He had lost his mind in the sound, but the sound was dimmed now. This was good.

“You’ve got it all, Billy.” You barely whisper. The image of a younger, happier Bill playing castle with you flashed in your mind. It was okay though. He would regain his crown. “Maybe you don’t have Georgie but you’ve still got all you need in front of you.”

You wiggled your body up to press your lips against his forehead. He was in control when you were around, and you were there to get rid of the monsters inside his head. You were there to put his faults to bed, to charge into battle, him a king on his steed and you the warrior queen. As your own eyes fluttered shut, you already set a plan. Tomorrow you’d get him to drink some water and maybe even eat. Tomorrow you’d take him outside to lay in the sun and be warmed by its rays, but right now you’d let him sleep. And in the morning…

He would be king again.

#bill denbrough #bill denbrough x reader #bill denbrough imagine #beverly marsh #beverly marsh x reader #ben hanscom #ben hanscom x reader #beverly marsh imagine #mike hanlon #mike hanlon x reader #richie tozier x reader #richie tozier #richie tozier imagine #richie x reader #eddie kaspbrak x reader #eddie kaspbrak #eddie kaspbrak imagine #the losers club x reader #the losers club #the losers club imagine #derry #it imagine #it 2017 #it movie 2017 #pennywise #finn wolfhard #jaeden lieberher #bill skarsgard #stephen king #jack dylan grazer

[jon-daddy-dominus]

Kitten's Collar

Chapter, 11

"Good morning, Beautiful." He whispered, kissing her softly.

"Good morning." She smiled, sleepily.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Amazing! In between your snoring!" She laughed, with an over the top impression of him.

"Oh, yeah?" He grinned. "You sure that wasn't the sound of me, gasping for air, while I was trying not to drown, in DROOL LAKE, Ms. Slobbers-a-lot?"

Playfully slapping him on the arm, she laughed. "I do not drool!"

"I beg your pardon?" He laughed out loud. "It's almost as bad as sleeping with bulldog!"

"You know what? I'm done with you! Get off me!" She giggled, pretending to push him away.

"Get off me?" He repeated, in a high pitched impression of her twangy accent. "Is that what you want? You want me to "get off you?" He grinned, as he began tickling her ribcage.

"STOP!" She screamed, trying to fend off his playful attack.

"What are talking about? I'm just trying to get out the bed, so I can get off you, like you asked, but you keep getting in the way." He joked, still tickling her.

"STOP IT! STOP FUCK'IN TICKL'IN ME, YOU ASSHOLE!" She squealed, grabbing him by the wrist, trying to hold them away from her.

"Okay, I quit." He smiled. "You can let go know."

Fighting back laughter, and trying to catch her breath, she panted. "If I let you go, you better stop!"

"I told you, I quit." He grinned deviously.

Squinting, and cutting her eyes, and pressing her lips together in a fake, angry face, Alexis grumbled. "Why don't I believe you?"

"No, seriously, I'll stop." He smiled.

Pushing his hands back to his chest, she slowly unwrapped her fingers from his wrist. "So, what you got planned toda... You mother fucker!" She screamed.

She hadn't even finished her sentence before he resumed his tickle attack.

"Stooooooooop IT!" She growled through her teeth, her eyes spread wide, pretending she was angry.

He stopped abruptly, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Awe... I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise." He laughed, "Can I have a kiss?"

"NO!" She scowled. "I'm done with you."

Clint leaned in to kiss her, but she turned away from him each time he tried.

"Give me a kiss." He grumbled playfully.

"NO!" She snapped, still pretending she was mad.

"P...p...p... please..." He whined, jokingly.

"I said, NO!" She smiled, trying her best not to laugh.

"You're gonna give me a kiss young lady." He growled, with a goofy attempt at seriousness, before pulling her to him, and covering her face with exaggerated kisses. "Muah, muah, muah, muah, muah!"

Pushing him away, she laughed. "I hate you so much right now!"

"Take it back!" He yelled, holding his hands up, and working his fingers, like he was going to tickle her again.

"You better stop." She giggled, scooching back, to the edge of the bed.

"Then you better take it back." He grinned.

"I'm not playin with you, Old man!"

"Old man?" He laughed. "I got your old man, Little girl! Now, you better take it back!"

"What? That I hate you, or that you're an old man?" She burst out laughing.

"That's it, young lady!" He yelled, going into full tickle mode.

Laughing uncontrollably, she screamed. "STOP, I'M GONNA PEE MYSELF!"

"Take it back!"

"STOP IT! YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME PISS MYSELF!" Alexis laughed.

"Take it back!"

"OK! I'm sorry! I take it back! I don't hate you. But if you make me pee myself, I really am gonna hate you!" She continued laughing.

There was a loud BOOM, when she hit the floor.

His face was of concerned shock, but he was struggling hard to hold back his laughter, when he peaked over the edge of the bed to see Alexis laying there. The upper half of her back, her shoulders, and her head on the floor, while the rest of her, was propped up awkwardly, against the side of the mattress.

"I swear, if you laugh right now, I'm gonna kill you!" She grumbled, with a fake angry smile.

"You okay?" He stammered, still trying not to laugh.

"I said, don't laugh!" She yelled, grabbing him by the arm, and pulling him to the floor beside her. Trying to catch himself, Clint was in no position to protect himself, when she began tickling him with everything she had.

"Okay! Okay! I give!" He shouted as she climbed on his back, and continued.

"No, you thought it was funny when you were gettin me! Ain't so funny now is it, Old man!" She laughed.

"Okay, Alexis, that's enough now, stop!" He cackled, until his eyes began to water.

Hopping up, and walking backward, she swaggered triumphantly to the bathroom, smiling her cocky little smile, mouthing. "I win!"

Jumping up, Clint gave chase, and she quickly tried to close the door, but he pushed his way in.

"Okay... I'll give you that one. You win. Can I have that kiss now?"

"No..." She smiled. "I haven't brushed, and I need to take a bath."

Giving her a sad, puppy face, he pouted. "Please."

Shaking her head, and rolling her eyes, she blew air out her nose. "You know you get on my damn nerves, right?" She smiled, reaching up to kiss him. "Now, get the hell outta my bathroom." She smiled, happily.

"By all means." He knodded, as he closed the door behind him.

Clint went into the kitchen, and began cooking breakfast while Alexis bathed.

When they finished eating, Clint showered, and asked if she'd like to go with him, to do some shopping.

They made their way through the personal hygiene section, to the pet supplies. Alexis laughed to herself, as she watched him systematically, hunt down, and collect the items he needed. It was like, he'd spent weeks planning this trip, drawn out a map for the quickest route from his truck, to the checkout, with all the items he needed on the way. Nothing like the random wandering she did, when she go's shopping. For the twenty, or so things he'd put in the buggy, it would have taken her at least thirty minutes to an hour to make it to the register, but he had everything he wanted, and was standing in the checkout line in less than ten.

"You in a hurry?" She giggled.

"No, why?" He asked, confused by her question.

"Cause the way you marched straight in, and started throwing stuff in the buggy, I thought I was gonna have to run to keep up with you." She laughed.

"I hate these places. If there was anywhere else to go, I wouldn't even come in this shithole, but since there isn't, I get in, get what I came for, and get out, as quickly as possible." He grumbled.

"Okay, Mr. Grumpy pants." She said, making a face, poking fun at him.

"I'm not grumpy, I just hate what these places do to all the small towns, and business owners, once they move in."

"You gonna shake your fist, and yell at some teenagers, when we get in the parkin lot?" She laughed.

Cutting his eyes at her, he smiled. "You're kind of a smartass. You know that, right?"

"Yep!" She grinned, proudly.

On their way to Clints house, he stopped for gas, and Alexis went inside to grab something to drink.

"Hey you!" She herd a voice call from behind her as she was walking out. She turned around to see the same guy, who was hitting on her at the grocery store, a few days before. Rolling her eyes, she continued walking across the parking lot.

"Come on sexy. Let me holla at you for a second."

"Still seeing someone, still not interested, and still the same ugly ass bitch from last time." She snapped.

She was almost to Clints truck, when the guy grabbed her by the arm.

"Excuse me!" Alexis shouted, snatching away, and turning to face him.

Hearing her yell, Clint quickly came around the corner of the truck to confront the stranger.

"What the fuck is your problem?" She yelled. "You don't just put your hands on people like that!"

"Damn, bitch. What the fuck is your problem?" The guy yelled back.

"Everything okay?" Clint asked, stepping up next to Alexis.

"Mind ya business grandpa." The guy snapped.

"This mother fucker was tryin to talk to me in the grocery store the other day, and I politely told him I wasn't interested, and he got mad and started cussin me for a "ugly ass bitch". Now he's tryin again, and when I told him I still wasn't interested, he followed me, and grabbed my fuckin arm." She yelled, angrily.

"Bitch shut the fuck up. Ain't nobody want no mouthy ass ho like you anyway." The guy snapped.

"Boy, if that's how you talk to women, there's no wondering why they're not interested." Clint, snapped back.

Looking at Alexis, the guy grumbled. "You better get your grandpa before I drag he old ass."

"Imagine that. Another confused, trans-racial, white punk, trying to be a gangsta." Clint replied.

"The fuck you say to me old man?" The guy, yelled, bowing out his chest, and throwing his arms out to the sides, revealing the pistol in his waistband. "You bout to get delt wit."

Before Alexis, or the guy could say anything else, Clint reached out, snatching the gun from the guys waist, and cracked him over the head with it. Stumbling back a few steps, the guy fell flat on his ass, and sat there holding his head, wobbling around.

Opening the cylinder on the revolver, Clint emptied the bullets on the ground, took Alexis by the hand, and said, "Let's get the fuck out of here, before someone calls the law."

Tossing the pistol into a stormdrain, they climbed in the truck, and pulled away.

"What the fuck was that?" She questioned, her heart still pounding.

"What?" He replied, calmly.

"Weren't you scared? I mean... he did have a gun!" She gasped.

"If he wanted to use it, he would have pulled it, instead of just showing it."

"Well... you can be all chill about if you want, but I still can't believe that just happened!" She exclaimed.

"Most people are cowards, Alexis, and there are few things I despise more than a coward." Clint stated, turning onto the highway.

"By the way, thank you." She smiled.

"You're welcome, Sweetheart, but if you don't mind me asking, who was that?"

"I don't know, who the fuck he is! Like I said, he was at the grocery store the other day when I was shoppin, and he started tryin to talk to me. I ain't never seen him before that." She assured him.

"Well, if you run into him again, you need to call the cops as soon as you see him, okay? He already seemed like trouble, but now his prides been bruised, so he's probably pissed too. So, don't take any chances."

"Are you mad at ME?" She asked.

"No, Sweetheart, I'm not mad at you. I was just..." He trailed off.

"Just, what?" She questioned, curiously.

"Nothing." He grumbled.

"No, it ain't... "nothin". What were you gonna say?" She insisted.

"It was nothing, Alexis. Just leave it alone." He stated quietly.

"No, I'm not gonna leave it alone. What were you gonna say?" She insisted, again.

"What exactly, do you want me to say, Alexis? What do you want me to tell you? That I was afraid he might hurt you! Then yes, I was afraid he might hurt you!" He growled, loudly.

"Oh." She mumbled. "You didn't act scared."

"It was a different kind of scared." He said, solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Alexis asked.

"I wasn't scared, in the way that people get when they're the victim of a robbery, or something. You know, like when you freeze up? I was worried that little prick was going to hurt you. And that terrified me, and made me very angry at the same time."

"Why though? I mean, I'm really grateful you were with me, and did what you did, but he could have shot you too, ya know."

"Can we discuss another topic, please?" He asked quietly.

Slightly irritated that he wouldn't answer her question, but seeing he was feeling strangely about it. She decided to wait, and bring it up again later.

They had been driving for a while, and she was jokingly, beginning to wonder if maybe she was being kidnapped. She perked up to look around when they turned off the main road, onto a rock road, heavily lined, on both sides, with large pine trees.

After a few minutes, the road opened up into a small clearing, with a mobile home on the right, and a little open field in the left rear corner. He pulled around the end of the trailer, with the head lights shining on a tin covered, screened porch, about a quarter of the size of the house.

"I know it ain't much, but it's mine." He smiled, grabbing the bags, from the backseat.

"I like it. It so, quiet." She smiled, before the headlights dimmed, then continued. "But It is kinda dark though."

"Are you scared of the dark?" He chuckled, holding the screen door open for her to go in.

Widening her eyes, and bobbing her head back, and forth, "A little!"

He laughed a little, as he opened the door leading to the kitchen, and held it for her. She walked inside, and was surprised when a cat the size of a small pitbull strutted up, and began rubbing itself on her leg.

"What the fuck is THAT?" She gasped, to scared to move.

"That's just "Billy-Bob". He's alright, just don't touch his belly, cause he's ticklish, and he REALLY doesn't like being tickled." Clint laughed.

"Okaaaaay... Well, I guess now I know WHO he is, but that still don't explain, WHAT he is." She laughed.

"Really, Alexis?" Clint laughed, back.

[dovelikewar]

October ‘17 Playlist

Hello, friends! Happy November. October went by really fast, but that’s okay, because that just means the holiday season is starting. 🙌

Since it is the first day of November, I thought I would post about my October playlist. Since January of last year, I have been making 20 song playlists every month. They’re usually a mix of new music from artists I like, new discoveries, and songs that I have been listening to a lot in that specific month. 

This one in particular has a lot of overflow from September because I filled my September playlist pretty early. I will link each song and write a little about why I included it. I will also include a link to the full playlist on both Spotify and YouTube (where you can find all music videos if the song has them) up here so you can follow along that way:

Find the full YouTube playlist here.

1. Fantasy - Superfruit ft. Amber Liu

This song is from the full length album Future Friends by Superfruit, the duo of Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi who are also members of the A Capella group Pentatonix. I am already a big fan of PTX so naturally I was really excited when Scott and Mitch announced that they would be releasing an album. AND BOY WAS THE EXCITEMENT JUSTIFIED. The entire album is SO good. So much so that I was actually debating which song I should include on my playlist. I eventually narrowed it down to 2, and spent the remainder of the month trying to decide between them. I eventually settled on Fantasy, but love GUY.EXE and its music video so much, that I decided to include it in the blog even though it's not on the actual playlist. If you haven’t listened to Future Friends, please do. It’s a masterpiece. 

2. Ugly - Jaira Burns 

I found this song from browsing on YouTube after binging a bunch of Billie Eilish videos. Her music is a bit different as it contains a lot more mature subject matter, but her vocals are delivered similarly to Billie’s, so that drew me to this song specifically.  I also really Jaira’s voice and think it works really well with this genre. I’m not a huge fan of the other two songs she has release, so I don’t see myself following her career too closely in the future, but I feel like she has a lot of potential to grow a large audience around people that can connect with her music more.

3. Sick - Barcelona

I found this song while browsing through my discover section on Spotify. I heard it and automatically vibed with it. The instrumentals, vocals, and just everything about it is such a great mix of a bunch of different styles. Somehow though, it fits together so well and makes for such a great song.

4. Rollin’ - B1A4

This is another roll over from September. On the 25th of September, one of my favorite k-pop groups, B1A4, released their newest mini album. This is the title track from it, and I love it with my entire heart. The entire album is amazing, but I fell in love with Rollin’ the second I watched the MV for it, so I knew it had to be the one I included in my playlist. It is a quite different sound from what B1A4 usually goes for, but it is still so well done and amazing. B1A4 never cease to amaze me, but the entire Rollin’ album is such a masterpiece and was so worth the wait that it took to get released. 1000000/10. Would recommend.

5. Oogie Boogie’s Song - Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack

Of course, since it’s October, I had to include some Halloween-y songs, and what’s more Halloween-y than Nightmare Before Christmas? It is one of my favorite movies ever, and Oogie Boogie’s song is one of my favorite songs from it. It’s such a good song to listen to if I’m trying to get spooky.

6. Walls - Airspoken

This is another song I found through my Spotify discover playlist, and I liked it pretty immediately. It has a very chilling yet rhythmic vibe to it that I really like. Another thing that I found really nice is that contrast between all four vocals in the song. It goes from a smooth vocal, to a deeper vocal, to a more raspy and high vocal, to a weird mix of the three. The different vocalists make the already catchy song even more interesting to listen to, and I just really like it. The group doesn’t have a huge following by the looks of it, but I intend to look into their music more and maybe support them if I like more of their material.

7. Shatter In The Night - Vesperteen

Honestly, I am so sad that I have just recently found Vesperteen, because I listened to more of their music and it is all really good. This song specifically is just a really feel good “driving around a big city at night” type song. I like it a lot.

8. American Love - Smallpools

Yet another artist I wish I would have found sooner. This song landed on my discover playlist and just the very beginning immediately caught my attention. The song is very melodic and the type of song I wouldn’t mind hearing live. I listened to more of Smallpools music too, and all of it is so SO good. The instrumentals and vocals on this and all of their songs that I have heard are top notch and really beautiful. I can definitely see myself getting more into their music.

9. Hobgoblin - CLC

CLC is one of the only girl k-pop groups whose music that I actually genuinely like. I found them quite recently, but I’m still glad I finally found a girl group where I like every song I have heard. This is one of the first songs I heard by them, and is also one of their most popular title tracks. I really like this song and their song Pepe so far, but hope I have time to look more into their music soon.

10. Mess - Jordan Fisher

Not gonna lie, I pretty much put this song on my playlist before I even listened to it just because it’s Jordan Fisher and I love everything that he has ever put out thus far. This song is no exception. It’s very similar to his other music with heavy R&B elements and super strong vocals. Jordan very consistently slays, and his music is always on point. Mess is no different.

11. Bite My Tongue - Logan Henderson

Not gonna lie, I pretty much put this song on my playlist before I even listened to it just because it’s Jordan Fisher and I love everything that he has ever put out thus far. This song is no exception. It’s very similar to his other music with heavy R&B elements and super strong vocals. Jordan very consistently slays, and his music is always on point. Mess is no different.

12. ENVY - coldrain

Finally. I’ve been waiting to talk about this one. This is from coldrain, one of my favorite band’s, new album from this month, Fateless. The entire album is beyond amazing, as expected. This was another situation where I was heavily debating for weeks over which of two songs I would put on the playlist. Ultimately, I just chose the one that had a music video (and then the other song came out with a music video 3 days after the album came out. Go figure.). Still, I recommend the entire album to anyone that enjoys rock music at all. Yet another masterpiece, if I do say so myself. 

13. Close You Eyes - The Midnight Club

I found this song after one of my favorite music critic youtubers tweeted it out saying that it sounded a bit like another one of my favorite bands, Panic! At The Disco. When I listened to the song, I could definitely see what he was getting at. It really sounds a lot like P!ATD’s older music, and the vocalist even sort of sounds like Brendon. More than anything though, I noticed how good the song and band was in their own right. I ended up liking it enough to include it in my playlist this month.

14. J.D. Blows Up - Heathers Soundtrack

More Halloween type stuff! Heathers is another one of my favorite movies. Although it isn’t a horror movie per se, it is definitely a very dark movie. I was reminded of this specific instrumental off the soundtrack while doing homework for a film survey course I am currently taking, and got chills as I listened to it more. It only felt right to include it on this month’s playlist or make it just a bit more spooky.

15. Callin’ - A.C.E

Another favorite artist! A.C.E, another one of my top k-pop groups, had their comeback this month. I love this song, and the music video, and the choreography, and really just everything. Callin’ has the same fast paced mood as their debut song, Cactus. Overall, it is a really fun listen and is even more fun to watch them perform. I am consistently blown away by their talent, and this comeback was just a reminder of how much talent they have. I love this song and I love A.C.E. 

16. Blonde - Waterparks

Keeping with the theme, another one of my favorite bands announced that they would be releasing their new album early next year along with releasing the lead single off of it. This is that single. It does not stray too far from what Waterparks usually releases, but is still different enough to see a musical growth. I especially love the more unclean vocal in the bridge. Blonde has really made me excited to hear the rest of the album. I can’t wait for it to come out in January!

17. Not Thinking Of You - The Royal

A catchy tune I found on my discover playlist. The instrumentals are a pretty normal indie alternative mix with even more normal subject matter. The catchiness of it and the vocals are really what caught my attention and made me want to include it on the playlist.

18. Time Warp - Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack

Because is it really October if you don’t listen to the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack? This song is a classic and a staple at any Halloween party. I had no choice but to include it.

19. South Drive - WSTR

I was drawn to this song because of the raw instrumentals and vocals. It almost seems a bit messy during the verses, but comes together for the chorus. When I heard it for the first time, I questioned whether or not I liked it. As I listened to it again though, I did find myself really enjoying the more authentic garage rock band vibe that it has. It does feel a lot more cut and paste than what you would normally hear from more popular bands of the same genre, but it still works really well. I enjoy it.

20. Astoria - Marianas Trench

The last song on this month’s playlist is very close to my heart. It is the intro to the album Astoria by another one of my favorite bands, Marianas Trench. I decided to include this song last on this playlist because this month they released the music video for the song. It is a very beautiful video that very well sums up what the whole album is about. However, the release of the music video also ended the Astoria era exactly two years after the album’s release on October 23rd. It was a very emotional time for me and all other MTrench fans. The album has provided me with so many great memories, made me dance, made me cry, but most of all made me appreciate the intricacies of music so much more. Although I am sad to see the era end, I hope it means that the band can get some much deserved rest and start working on more music. Never say die.

That is it this week, friends. It’s been a rough week, but writing about music has made it a little better (even if it’s a little late). I used to write blogs like this for my playlists when I first started making them last year, but stopped when I realized no one read them. I still have absolutely zero people reading, but ya know, a girl can dream. Still, happy first week of November, and happy day to you, invisible friends.

- 🕊️ ❤️ 🏹  

#music #playlist #music video #nightmare before christmas #superfruit #b1a4 #vesperteen #smallpools #clc #jordan fisher #logan henderson #coldrain #the midnight club #heathers #a.c.e #waterparks #the royal #rocky horror picture show #wstr #marianas trench #dovelikewar

[double-trouble-dc]

Am I Crazy, Have I Lost Ya?

All credit to the amazing art done by @avataraandy​

A/N: So sorry I took too long to write this! I hope you like this anon ❤️ P.S. I think I’m going to make this into two parts… what do you think? I’m a little rusty so please 🐻 with me. Pairing: Roy Harper  Length: 1,781

You paid the cab driver before walking to the entrance of the manor. You knocked and Alfred opened the door, “Come in Miss (Y/L) I trust you know your way around.” He said as he closed the door. “Thank you, Alfred.” You walked towards the entrance to the batcave.

You noticed Tim and Damian were the only one’s there.

“Hey guys, it looks like you’re having the time of your life down here.” You said sarcastically earning a glare from Damian. You giggled and looked at Tim. “So, Tim will you and Damian do me the solid on taking a double shift tonight? Promise I’ll make it up to you guys.” you asked with a guilty smile.

It was Saturday, and Saturday nights were the usual date night for you and Roy. Being the dedicated hero’s that you are, missions kept getting in the way. But not this time, you made sure you and Roy had the night off.

“Sure thing (Y/N) only if you’ll do your part of the deal.” He said in a serious tone. “TT, as much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Drake.” Damian added stepping in front of you giving you a tiny glare.

“I always keep my word.” You said with a cheeky smile grabbing Damian’s cheeks and pinching them. “Enough (Y/N) do not mock me, let go of my cheeks!” Damian blurted out.

“I could never mock you Dami, just don’t second guess me ok?” You said releasing Damian’s cheeks hearing a chuckle from Tim. “As for you.” You turned and walked to Tim causing him to flinch and grab his cheeks. You let out a giggle, “Where can I find Richard?” you asked.

“I think he might be with Bruce out on patrol, or upstairs asleep since he’s been doing double shifts since Jason left.” Your heart dropped, as you began to feel worried. Jason took a mission out of town, he’s been gone for a week now. He would always report to Bruce or Dick to indicated he was doing alright, but lately he’s been silent.

You were drawn out of you thoughts by Tim grabbing your shoulder. “(Y/N) are you ok?” You could hear he was worried by the tone of his voice. “Yeah Tim I was just thinking….” You said giving him a weak smile.

You and Jason had been friends long before he became robin.You were inseparable, practically “partners in crime”. He took care of you, gave you food, shelter, he was your only family. Flashbacks of when Bruce told you Jason had been killed began, causing a knot to form in your throat.

You remembered the feeling of how your whole world began crashing down as Bruce said those words to you. He was the only family you had and he was gone. Tim cleared his throat trying to snap you out of your thoughts again.

“Right, Dick his upstairs thank you guys.” You said and began to head upstairs to his room. You got there and noticed he wasn’t there. You decided to grab your phone and check the time.

“It’s too early for him to be on portal.” you thought to yourself as you heard Bruce’s voice talking on the phone indicating he was home. “Weird why did Tim think they were out on patrol.” you mumbled as you headed downstairs with a puzzled look on your face.

You still had the knot in your throat from earlier so you walked to the kitchen for a glass of water. As you walked in you saw a tired looking Dick enjoying his usual bowl of cereal. “Well you look like hell, tough night?” You asked as you grabbed a glass and filled it up with water.

“Yeah double shifts and no word from Jason, equals a worried big brother.” He said as he took another spoon full of cereal. You quickly drank the water and nodded “Same here, but I’m sure he’s alright I mean its Jason.”

“I really hope so (Y/N).” he said a bit unsure causing you to sigh. Dick noticed how the tone of his voice sounded questionable causing you to worry even more. “It’s Saturday night, any plans with Roy?” he asked trying to change the subject. “Actually yeah, we’re finally having a proper date night.” You answered smiling.

“Sounds like fun.” He responded with a mouth full of cereal. Your smile faded knowing Jason could be hurt and you’re out having fun. “(Y/N) enjoy the night, don’t worry I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for any information on Jason.” He said. You nodded and looked outside the window, noticing Roy’s car approaching.

“Thanks Dick I needed that.” You said giving him a hug. You made your way towards the front door when you caught Alfred coming back from the batcave, you let him know you were leaving. You closed the door and walked towards Roy’s car. You got inside the car and greeted Roy with a kiss.

“Woah (Y/N) you missed me this much?” you playfully hit Roy’s arm “Oh shut it you.” You sat down right and put on your seat belt. “That hurts you know, but I know what can make me feel better.” Roy said as he leaned for another kiss, when suddenly you felt your phone vibrate.

You had received a text messaged, sighing softly hoping it wasn’t a last-minute mission. Roy noticed and asked what was wrong. You grabbed your phone and stared at the screen… Unknown number? Roy began to drive away from the manor when you opened the text.

To: (Y/N) Just landed… how about being a good sport and pick me up? -J    

You smiled and let an out a relieved sigh. You knew exactly who it was. You then replied.

To: UNKNOWN NUMBER  Now, now you’ve been gone for a while and you expect me to pick you up? :P

To: (Y/N) Well thank you for the warm welcome (Y/N) I can tell how much you love my sorry ass.

You let out a laugh making Roy flinch causing you to laugh even more. You looked at him and asked if he was ok. He looked at you with a small smile “Yeah, why wouldn’t I? We’re finally having a date night.” You grabbed his hand, preparing to break the news that Jason was back.

“Hey Roy, can we make a quick stop before our date?” You asked with a smile, he nodded. You got your phone again to reply.

To: UNKNOWN NUMBER Just kidding Jay, what gate will you be arriving at? P.S. Roy is coming with me :)

Roy notices how quiet you’re being, glancing over at you concerned. He watches you as you smile down on your phone.

To: (Y/N) G-4. See you there -J

“(Y/N)?” Roy asked as your smile quickly got bigger as you faced him.

You couldn’t hide it any more. “Guess who just got back?!”.  Roy began to stop at a red light, “Is he yea high, has a nickname for everyone, cocky attitude” you giggled as you nodded your head.

“We might need to move our date an hour or so later… we kind of need to pick him up.” You bit your lip nervously as you waited for Roy’s reply. “Of course, you couldn’t say no” Roy mumbled under his breath annoyed. Jason is Roy’s best friend, but he can’t help to get jealous of how close you and Jason are. 

The way you would drop everything when Jason asked, just made his blood boil. The light turns green and he began to drive without saying a word.

He noticed how you tense you got, he gave you a quick glance with a smile “I can live with that.” Great just freaking great, Roy thought to himself why of all night does he have to do this. 

Roy was worried too, don’t get him wrong but he was looking forward to this date for weeks now. He understands how hard it’s been for you these past few weeks, he knows it’s important for you to see Jason again. So he’ll suck it up for now.

You couldn’t help the excitement that was building up inside of you. Your heart was beating out of your chest and your hands were sweating a bit. You hadn’t seen Jason in weeks, months, since he left for the mission. You haven’t been apart for this long since the lazarus pit and it made you anxious.

Finally you got to the airport , as soon as you felt the engine of the car shut off you pushed your door open and ran out. You were lost in thought, everything seemed to be going in slow motion. As mean as it might sound, you had forgotten Roy was there.

Remembering the memories you and Jason have, how for the past few weeks you’ve been thinking the worse. You just truly missed that son of a biscuit. You pushed through the doors of the airport, dodging every freaking human that dared cross your way, jumped every suitcase you could just to get to gate G-4 faster. You heard Roy’s footsteps following close behind you, calling your name but you didn’t stop.

You climbed up a few steps and just as you did you saw him and he saw you. He dropped the single duffel bag and shrugged. You couldn’t hold it in any more, you began to run towards him. You could already feel the sensation of the tears threatening to come out but you didn’t let them. 

You stopped right in front of him crossing your arms “You could’ve at least met me halfway jerk.” You said with a smile. He engulfed in a big hug “Oh come on (Y/N) that wouldn’t be fun trust me, we would’ve looked like a couple.” He placed you back to the ground.  

“I really missed you, you big ugly why didn’t you tell us you were ok!” you blurt out looking at Jason with teary eyes. Jason froze for a minute as Roy approached you both and cleared his throat before Jason could say anything.

You wiped your tears and playfully hit Jason’s arm “Wait till Dick knows you’re home.” You made your way to Roy, as soon as you got close to him he places an arm around your waist and pulled you close to him. Weird what got into him, you thought as you looked at Roy.

“It’s nice to have you back man.” Roy said as he looked straight at Jason.

 “It’s nice to be back.” Jason answered as coldly as Roy’s voice.

 You looked at them with questioning eyes, they haven’t acted this way before.

Thanks again anon for the lovely opportunity! -Bats 

#roy harper #roy harper imagine #roy harper x reader #arsenal imagine #arsenal x reader #speedy x reader #dc imagine #Jason Todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd imagine

[airanke]

Aaaaaaa finally smth I did with sorta-not WoW related characters. P much everything you need to know about this incident under the cut + what Sharalei (the girl) looks like in mostly full (I only drew her down to her thighs).

First lemme say I suck at making people look “unattractive”. It's like a blessing AND a curse but I digress. Sharalei is not really supposed to "look" pretty. So before anyone comes after me about "don'T GIVE UR CHARS SO MANY SCARS IT MAKES THEM UGLY" listen bitch Sharalei is SUPPOSED to "look ugly".

Moving on.

Trigon is a man with titles. He's high ranking in the Sunstaren army, being the King's right hand man / advisor / the strategist. He's got renown, prestige, skill, etcetc. He's pretty important. Sharalei is in the Military (the Sunstaren army is split into three parts: Standing Army, Mage Army, and Military; the Military is made up of their most powerful / strongest soldiers and they are the ones who go out across the continent and maintain borders, assist allies, help rebuild cities/towns/villages, take care of threats, etcetc.

Sharalei Mage (specifically a Military mage but I already covered that she’s in the military), and a Lightning Elemental no less (that being, a mage who can attack/defend/heal with the same element - this doesn't mean she's limited to lightning based spells, but she can for ex. close a wound with lightning, create a shield of lightning, summon a thunderstorm which classifies her as an Elemental). Naturally, this makes her a priority target in any battle. That is why she's so horribly, horribly scarred, because people are ALWAYS trying to kill her.

Now, Trigon USED to be in the Military (apart from being the royal advisor he's also a royal assassin and the only person who outmatches him in skill is his older brother, who is also a royal assassin and more often than not called the King's Shadow. Trigon's other title is the King's Wisdom). Anywho, Sharalei and Trigon, while not really ever having conversed much, met each other before she became so horribly scarred (ie. got her left arm/breast torn off, and also before she receieved a multitude of her scars), and even then he was immediately attracted to her. Now Trigon himself is... considered hot af by 99% of the women in the Sunstaren army, so he has women constantly chasing him, ergo he doesn’t bother chasing anyone himself. He humors some. And if one such woman plays her cards right she might find herself getting the whole package, as it were (he's a bit of a womanizer ngl).

Of course, Sharalei is one of these many women who finds Trigon desirable, but she has no confidence in her appearance (and definitely because other men she's attempted to court have probably told her her body is gross, or at the very least hinted that they were disgusted with her appearance), and she knows Trigon's rank and is like "I can't do that to him, look at me I'm ugly, he wouldn't want to be with someone like me, think of what everyone would say about him ". This despite her Military squad's encouragements because really, Trigon is picky but he's not THAT picky. It doesn't help Sharalei, though, to hear the stories all these other beautiful women tell about how good he is in bed etcetc and she looks at herself in the mirror and well... what she sees isn't beauty at all.

Trigon catches wind of this, and tbqh he's shocked. Cuz when they met, Trigon was drawn to her because of her personality and battle prowess and he thought she was beautiful and still DOES think she's beautiful but he's not really the type to pursue a woman, cuz he likes it when a girl works for it, y'know what I'm sayin?

But he pursues her. And yeah he does it deliberately but, Sharalei starts hearing that she's “so lucky” because Trigon is actually pursuing her himself without any outside encouragement (and well she's not "lucky" persay but ya'll know how talk works). He keeps requesting her to accompany him to important events where there will be lots of other high ranking people and FINALLY after like three weeks of this (boy has lots of events to attend man) she agrees to accompany him. Eventually one thing leads to another but right before much of anything happens Sharalei fullstops because oops Trigon can see her whole body in all it's ugly-disgustingness now.

And her commenting on her presumed disgustingness is what prompts Trigon to inform her that he still wants "this body" - which, in technicality he's saying he still wants her. And Sharalei comes to realize that despite what other women have said about him, he has this gentle side that she gets to experience first hand and all she can think is that he's so kind - and I haven't said much about Trigon's general personality but he is far, FAR AWAY from being ANYWHERE NEAR KIND.

TL;DR, Trigon deliberately pursued Sharalei because he wanted her to know that she was still desirable - and while this doesn't fix her self-confidence issues right away, because that would be kinda' silly, it DOES give her more confidence in herself. And it helps her realize that even if she gets rejected by men because of her looks, if Trigon - with all his accolades and renown - wanted her enough to actively pursue her then there's no way he's the ONLY one who will ever want her.

And I mean, all those stripes on Trigon are scars.

But that's a story for another time.

Here’s her full-body:

#Air's art #Trigon #Sharalei Cloudwalker #Champions #Air writes #lawd I went OFF RIP ME #i love Trigon tho //CRIES #hessohotimeanwat

[sevensevenswish]

Nothing special but everything about it.

Rated M Category: smut Pairing: bts JiminxReader

You knew you hadn’t been the greatest girlfriend ever as of lately. Jimin had just gotten a 2 week break for the first time in a long time, and here you were with your friends at a bar. You checked the time and it read 8:43. 

“So I said to her, ‘it’s cute and all but on you honey, it looks hideous.’” Your friend Sooki finished her story and everyone around her laughed but you. You had your mind on other things. 

“y/n are you even paying attention?” Sooki asked with a look of betrayal on her face. 

“Huh? Oh, I was but I’m just a bit distracted I guess.” You replied, trying to not set her off.

“Thinking about him again?” She asked. You just nodded in response. Sooki rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Boyfriends are so overrated. Why don’t you just dump him? After all, what good is he to have around anyway other than his money. He holds you back from having fun! I mean, it’s girls night out and he’s probably at home sulking because he can’t control you.” Her words made your blood boil. She made you want to pull out her ugly fake hair extensions and strangle her with them. How dare she speak like that about him? You could make a list 10 pages long of the reasons you love him and show her. What good would making a list do? She probably wouldn’t even be able to read it. Too bad the slut doesn’t understand love. You thought. 

“We’ve had girls night every night for like a week. I’m getting bored of it. For your information, I’m not with him for his money, or his looks or for any reason other than I love him and he makes me happy. Even if I’m not doing a good job of making him happy…” You trailed off and started to wonder what he was doing, or thinking. 

“Well then I won’t invite you tomorrow and you can spend time with Jimin instead of us I guess.” Sooki sighed dramatically. You felt your phone buzz and checked to see who the text was from. 

New message from: ♥Jimin♥ 

You clicked on the notification and read his message.

♥Jimin♥: If you’re not going to be home until late, at least tell me so that I don’t have to worry about you all night. I mean, I know you like spending time with your friends but I feel like you’re picking them over me every night. You haven’t seen me in months and if you don’t want to be with me anymore, I wish you’d just let me know rather than leaving me to wonder what I did wrong every damn night. You act like you only want me when I’m convenient to you. 

You suddenly felt very guilty for making him feel this way. The guilt was making you uncomfortable and anxious to see him and fix this. “I’m going home.” You told your friends as you grabbed your purse and keys. Luckily you hadn’t had much to drink. 

“So I’m going to go out on a limb and guess he texted you?” Sooki said as she looked at you over her martini. 

You rolled your eyes at her, “Not everything is about him. I just don’t feel that great, okay?“ 

She put her free hand up in defense and let you leave without another word. Once you were sitting in your car you texted him back.

(y/n): I’m coming home now. Have fun wherever you’re going and be safe okay?

Once it said sent underneath you put the key in the ignition and made your way home. It took a little longer than expected to get home seeing as every stoplight was against you. You finally pulled your car into the stall outside your apartment complex. As you got in the elevator to go up to your floor a feeling of nervousness settled in your stomach. You hesitantly unlocked and opened the door. When you stepped in, all of the lights were off and the curtains were drawn. It was so dark you could barely see. You walked in, shut and locked the door and tried turning the light on. When you flipped the switch and nothing happened you sighed in annoyance. 

"Dammit…” The power was out. You looked at your phone and saw a text from Jimin.

♥Jimin♥: Okay

Nothing special, but at least he responded. You jumped when you felt something brush against your leg. When you shined the light on your phone down it was just your cat. 

“Hey kitty, you hungry?” You picked up the cat and used the light on your phone to navigate to the kitchen and feed the cat. You’d just sat on a stool in the kitchen when you got another text from Jimin. This one however, made the nervousness in your stomach come back. This time, it was a different type of nervousness. 

♥Jimin♥: Go to our room and stand in the middle of the room. 

(y/n): Why?

♥Jimin♥: Do what I say or else.

(y/n): What are you going to do if I don’t?

♥Jimin♥: Don’t test me. Go. Now. 

Your curiosity got to you and you made your way to the bedroom. You stood in the middle of the room and texted him back

(y/n): I’m there. Now what?

♥Jimin♥: Put your phone on the dresser and go back to the middle of the room and wait. 

You did as told and it wasn’t too long before you thought you heard something but you weren’t sure if it was in your head or not. You almost jumped out of your skin when you heard the bedroom door slam shut. You instinctively whipped around to see who it was. Unfortunately it was too dark to see if who had shut the door was inside the room or not. “J-Jimin?” You stuttered. Fear clearly lacing your voice. You saw the outline of a person moving around to walk out of your view. You would have turned to follow them with your eyes had you not been frozen in place, fear and adrenaline rushing through you. 

“Have you been having fun without me?” You heard Jimin’s voice right behind you. You gasped when you felt his breath against your ear.

“I guess.” If you didn’t regret your words now, he was making it clear he would make you regret them later as he placed a hand on your ass and squeezed.

“That’s too bad isn’t it? I was thinking we could make some fun of our own.” He growled in your ear.

“What kind of things were you thinking?” You asked teasingly. He moved his hand down between your legs.

“Things that would make you want to stay home with me.” He whispered and slid his fingers over your core through your jeans. 

“I’d like to see what you have in mind.” Your breath was hitched in your throat as he continued to rub you. 

“Oh I know you would. Too bad this is going to be a punishment.” His words only aroused you more.

“A p-punishment? For what?” You asked, trying to sound innocent.

“For being a very bad girl and depriving me of your love and attention. You know I don’t like being ignored.” Jimin removed his hand from between your legs and snaked his arms around your waist. You tilted your head to the side to give him more room when he started kissing and nipping at your neck.

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about.” At this point, you were seeing how far you could push him. His devilish laugh made you a bit nervous.

“You’re really going to regret messing with me like this.” He spun you around and you took a few steps back instinctively. He took advantage of this and pushed you down onto the bed. You looked up at his silhouette. The room was too dark for you to see him clearly. You watched closely as he got on his knees. He had you take off your shirt and unclasped your bra himself and tossed both items of clothing onto the floor. Jimin ran his hands up your thighs and massaged his thumbs into your hips. You balanced yourself on your elbows until he got demanding. 

“Lay down and keep your hands above your head. Grab the blanket, sheets, mattress whatever. I don’t care, you’re just not allowed to move them lower than that or touch me unless I say so. Disobey me and you’ll regret it.” He growled the last few words and dug his fingers into your sides roughly. On command you laid down and rested your hands above your head. Jimin ran his hands over your stomach and ran his fingers up the valley between your breasts. He palmed your left breast and tweaked the nipple before continuing to massage it slowly. You took in sharp breaths and already had difficulty keeping your hands in their position. 

He removed his hand and started undoing your jeans. He tugged them off along with your panties. Jimin pushed your legs apart and grazed his fingers along the insides of your thighs. His touch was so close yet so far from your growing warmth. You held in the whimper that threatened to escape your lips. It had been far too long since the two of you had been this intimate. Jimin lifted your legs over his shoulders and gripped your hips to pull you closer. He blew a stream of cold air onto your heat and you flinched at the sudden feeling. Jimin held still to build your anticipation. After a few moments he suddenly placed his tongue flat against your folds and licked up over your clit. You gasped and moaned. It took you by surprise and you almost disobeyed his order of keeping your hands still. All you wanted to do was grasp his hair and pull him closer into you. Half of your wish was granted when he plunged his tongue into your opening and started moving his head up and down. It was getting difficult to think but you were surprised that he was’t teasing you which worried you of what was going to happen next. Jimin removed his tongue from inside of you and flicked the tip of his tongue over your clit. He pressed his lips against the bud of nerves and started to suck while every now and then swirling his tongue around it. You gasped and moaned his name as he continued this action. When Jimin introduced his fingers you nearly lost it and grabbed onto him. Instead you gripped the blanket tightly and cried out in pleasure as he plunged 2 fingers into your core and curled them against your walls. He picked up the pace with his fingers but kept the steady pace he had going with his tongue against your clit. It didn’t take long before you knew you were getting close. The knot began to build in your stomach.

“I-I’m close.” You gasped out as he curled his fingers again. Just as you were about to go over the edge he removed his fingers and his mouth, denying you permission to orgasm. 

“Bad girls only get to cum once. It’s not your turn yet.” He wiped your juices mixed with his saliva off his chin onto his sleeve and stood up. 

“But Jimin~” You whined

“But (y/n)~” He mocked. You adjusted your position so that you were laying you head down on the pillow. You watched Jimin’s outline in the dark room. He tossed his shirt to the floor and rid himself of his jeans and boxers. You could feel his intense gaze on you. Your eyes had slightly adjusted to the darkness and you could somewhat see him clearly. Jimin stood at the edge of the bed and trailed his fingers along your thighs and stomach before he moved on top of you. He kissed along your collar bones and neck. Your body tensed with excitement when you felt the tip of his cock against your entrance. 

“How badly do you want me? Show me by begging for it.” Jimin said roughly in your ear.

“Please Jimin, please just fuck me already. Shit, Jimin please… I need you to fuck me. Please. Jimin-” Your sentence was cut off by him pushing himself in you all the way. You dug your nails into the pillow and moaned loudly at the feeling of him inside you. You loved how full he made you feel. No man could make you feel the way Jimin did. He knew how to please you like no one else. 

He pulled out almost completely before thrusting in again. He’d attached his lips to your throat and was sucking hard as he snapped his hips against yours again and again. He went harder and was picking up his pace with each thrust. Once he’d left you a dark purple mark on your neck he laid his forehead in the crook of your neck and moaned as he pushed in and out of you. It was getting more and more difficult to keep your hands off of him. All you wanted was to touch him and trace the outlines of the muscles in his arms and back. You wanted to run your hands through his hair and grab fistfuls of it for support as he plunged into you. When his pace became uneven and his thrusts erratic, you knew he was getting close; and so were you. It didn’t take long before Jimin was gripping your shoulders and moaning your name mixed with slurs loudly as his orgasm washed over him. You followed a moment later. Your vision blurring and your head lulled back in ecstasy. Jimin pulled out and you twitched slightly from over-sensitivity. He laid next to you and brushed the hair from your face. You looked into his eyes and smiled. 

“So?” He asked

“What?” You questioned. 

“Are you going to keep ditching me every night now?” He smirked at you.

“Absolutely not.” You cupped his cheek and kissed him lovingly. 

“Good. How does a warm relaxing shower sound?” Jimin knew you hated not showering after sex.

“I think that sounds amazing.” You propped yourself up on your elbow and watched Jimin get up and go into the bathroom to turn the shower on. When the water had warmed up he came in and picked you up bridal style. 

“Jimin, what are you doing?” You squirmed a bit in his arms.

“Naughty or not, you’re still a lady (y,n) and I am a gentleman.” He informed you.

“Ah, makes sense… I guess.” You complied and let him carry you to the shower. 

-The next day at about 8:00 pm-

You were on the couch watching your favorite show when your phone lit up and started to ring. Without checking who it was you slid your finger across the screen to answer it.

“Hello?” You answered.

“(y/n), are you coming tonight or not? It’s pool night.” You immediately regretted answering when you heard Sooki’s voice. 

“You know… I would but-” You looked up and saw Jimin shirtless standing by the door to your bedroom looking at you seductively. He winked at you and motioned for you to follow him as he walked through the doorway to your room and disappeared from your sight. 

“But what?” Sooki asked, clearly annoyed.

“But I have to go, bye.” You hung up without letting her respond and paused your show. When you entered the bedroom, there was Jimin sitting on the bed.

“Are you ready for something much more fun than ‘pool night’?” Jimin asked seductively and tilted his head to the side. 

“Probably not but I’ll pretend I am." 

I just copied and pasted this from wattpad since I didn’t have any of my smut stories up here yet.

#jimin #park jimin #bts #bts scenarios #bts smut #jimin smut #kpop #kpop smut

[preciousmetals0]

Hong Kong Fluey; Airlines Clash; Chip Hopes Dashed

Hong Kong Fluey; Airlines Clash; Chip Hopes Dashed:

Hong Kong Fluey

It’s no secret that I like being right, dear readers. But not like this … not like this.

The Wuhan coronavirus has spread to nearly 3,000 confirmed infections and close to 80 deaths. China has now quarantined 16 cities, issued a group-travel ban and a ban on eating wild meat in Wuhan.

Yes, that last point seems rather bizarre to many of us who reside in the States. Why are the Chinese eating wild meat? But just think for a second if the U.S. government issued a ban on eating deer meat in the Midwest to prevent a virus spreading. That hits a bit closer to home, doesn’t it?

But I digress…

Outside of China, there are five confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., and a handful of cases in countries such as France, Japan and South Korea.

Wall Street is reacting to the rapid spread of the coronavirus as I expected. Heading into the midday, losses were nearly 2% across the board for all of the major market indexes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 500 points at its lowest levels of the day. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index shed some 2.2% at its lowest levels, as traders took profits on China-exposed chip stocks.

All in all, it was a really rough way to start the week.

The Takeaway:

I woke up this morning looking forward to researching the glut of corporate earnings slated to arrive this week. I was even somewhat excited about December’s durable goods orders, consumer confidence figures and housing data. (Yes, I know I have a problem. It’s why I write Great Stuff. Welcome to my therapy sessions.)

The economic data seem pretty moot at this point. The potential economic impact of a global pandemic kind of throws all that data out the window. Any takeaways we could’ve drawn from last month’s housing or durable goods orders is now less than conjecture.

Corporate earnings reports also seem a bit less important than before for many of the same reasons. With the advent of the Wuhan coronavirus, the future is once again more uncertain than it was before. Prior-quarter results will be cheered, but not as much as they would’ve been. Guidance will be heavily scrutinized and any signs of weakness punished harshly.

And, as I’ve said many times before, Wall Street absolutely hates uncertainty.

In all honestly, this is exactly how investors should’ve operated before the coronavirus. It’s no secret that Wall Street is in an easy-money bubble. The recent surge higher since New Year’s was a relief rally brought on by the U.S.-China trade deal.

But it wasn’t just the China trade deal. The Nasdaq had hit 28 record highs since November — the most since February 2000. The S&P 500 Index had gone 71 days without a 1% move. Even in a bull market, that’s quite a run higher.

In short, here’s what I’m saying: The market was itching for a reason to sell, and this deadly virus outbreak was the perfect excuse.

What we see in the market right now is a profit-taking sell-off … tinged with a bit of fear. If the current outbreak runs the same course as others — SARS, MERS, Ebola, et cetera — this sell-off is a buying opportunity. That said, there are too many unknown factors still out there:

How will this impact the Chinese economy?

Will it affect global trade?

Will the new coronavirus spread in Western countries?

The best thing you can do right now is not panic. Hunker down, hold what you can and wait. There’s no way to plague-proof your portfolio other than holding stable, well-run companies.

If this pandemic turns out to be a big nothing-burger, you still own stock in growing businesses. Well done.

If it’s going to heck … then it’s time for a Wall Street fire sale! Panicked investors will dump their shares at the littlest signs of trouble, and that’s our best buying opportunity.

Banyan Hill expert Jeff Yastine is able to tell the stock market’s diamonds from the falling rough. Bullish or bearish, Jeff has a trained eye for spotting rock-solid businesses that are best positioned to grow in any market — pandemic or bust.

If you feel unprepared for a market crash gone viral, Jeff just uncovered one stock that should be added to every portfolio … no matter where the market’s headed.

Click here to learn how to get details on the one stock Jeff recommends you buy today.

The Good: The Au Wu-Flu Rally

If you’ve been picking up what Great Stuff has been putting down, you likely hold a little gold in your portfolio somewhere. The malleable metal is nowhere near as hip as it used to be, but it’s still among the best investments for occasions such as these.

With today’s flu-panic sell-off, gold prices are edging in on six-year closing highs. Well, at least bullion prices are, according to FactSet data.

Last I saw, Gold for February delivery (GC=F) was up $10.70, less than 1% away from its January 7 highs. If you remember, those highs were driven by heightened tensions with Iran, after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general.

For those keeping track, that’s two potential black swan events in less than a month. Man, 2020 is shaping up to be a real doozy, isn’t it?

The bottom line here is that, if you don’t already hold gold in some form in your portfolio, you seriously need to consider it.

The Bad: Group Travel Banned

If you and several of your China-based friends had flight plans this week … I have some bad news for you. Effective this morning, China banned international group travel.

The move is designed to help contain the coronavirus outbreak, but the fallout is hitting the airline industry hard … China is the world’s largest outbound travel market, after all. But not all outbound traffic is banned — just group travel. Forbes has an informative article on the ban here, if you want to read more.

And it’s not just the Chinese government. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) both restricted employee travel to Wuhan, China.

Still, just the mention of a travel ban tanked airline stocks today.

The biggest losers are those with international reach, such as American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) and United Airlines Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: UAL). Overall, the U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSE: JETS) is down roughly 3% today.

Unfortunately, the airline industry already struggles with the fallout from Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) 737 Max debacle. The addition of a pandemic coronavirus and travel bans will pressure the airline industry even more. This weakness will linger for a while.

The Ugly: Sick Chips

If you thought the airline industry was in a bad way today, you haven’t seen semiconductors. Chip stocks have been red-hot in the wake of the U.S.-China trade deal — mostly because many semiconductor companies have crucial manufacturing and supply chains in China.

Those supply chains are called into question once again with the Wuhan coronavirus. Companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE: TSM), Xilinx Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX) and Micron Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) are getting hammered as the outbreak spreads like wildfire across China.

Unlike the airline industry, however, semiconductors will bounce back quickly from this latest setback.

Why? Take your pick: cloud computing growth, Big Data processing, the mobile device upgrade cycle, the 5G revolution, next-gen consoles … there are so many reasons that semiconductor stocks will rebound from today’s losses that it’s not funny.

When Great Stuff talks about holding on to well-run companies in a mega trend market, this is what we’re talking about … the Intel Corp.s (Nasdaq: INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.s (Nasdaq: AMD) of the market. These are the companies that you’ll want to own while riding out this latest round of volatility.

Even 5% corrections are not fun. … They tell you they’re “buying opportunities” and they are. They don’t tell you that down 5% the news turns bad and then you’re afraid the 5% turns to 10% or 15%.

— Frank Gretz of Wellington Shields.

This quote comes from a Barron’s article that I linked to above. If you followed that link, you’re probably a bit more worried than usual today. It was very doom-and-gloomy.

When we link to articles like this, our goal isn’t to make you panic. It’s to make you aware of the situation. There’s good, actionable information in that article … but the best piece of advice isn’t the fearmongering by Frank Gretz — it’s the takeaway by author Ben Levisohn:

This drop is likely not the big one, even if it may feel that way. … So far, it’s hardly a 5% drop. But brace yourselves, just in case.

Great Stuff: Opportunities in the Crisis

The trade war is over. World War III is averted. Harry and Meghan renounced their royal status. For a brief moment in time, all was right with the world…

And then the coronavirus came along and messed everything up.

Much like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects these black swan events. That’s why they’re called black swan events.

But that doesn’t mean it’s time to run around panic selling. Nor does it mean that you should try to catch every falling knife you see. (Ouch!)

So, how do you find opportunities when the world appears to have gone mad?

Well … that’s what Great Stuff and the gurus at Banyan Hill are here for!

Today, Ted Bauman and Clint Lee of The Bauman Letter have the inside scoop on two sectors to avoid and three opportunities to take advantage of in this crisis. Click below to watch this week’s edition of Your Money Matters:

[embedded content]

If you’d rather cut straight to the chase and learn how to get access to Ted Bauman’s exclusive market research, click here now!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing

[goldira01]

Hong Kong Fluey

It’s no secret that I like being right, dear readers. But not like this … not like this.

The Wuhan coronavirus has spread to nearly 3,000 confirmed infections and close to 80 deaths. China has now quarantined 16 cities, issued a group-travel ban and a ban on eating wild meat in Wuhan.

Yes, that last point seems rather bizarre to many of us who reside in the States. Why are the Chinese eating wild meat? But just think for a second if the U.S. government issued a ban on eating deer meat in the Midwest to prevent a virus spreading. That hits a bit closer to home, doesn’t it?

But I digress…

Outside of China, there are five confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., and a handful of cases in countries such as France, Japan and South Korea.

Wall Street is reacting to the rapid spread of the coronavirus as I expected. Heading into the midday, losses were nearly 2% across the board for all of the major market indexes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 500 points at its lowest levels of the day. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index shed some 2.2% at its lowest levels, as traders took profits on China-exposed chip stocks.

All in all, it was a really rough way to start the week.

The Takeaway:

I woke up this morning looking forward to researching the glut of corporate earnings slated to arrive this week. I was even somewhat excited about December’s durable goods orders, consumer confidence figures and housing data. (Yes, I know I have a problem. It’s why I write Great Stuff. Welcome to my therapy sessions.)

The economic data seem pretty moot at this point. The potential economic impact of a global pandemic kind of throws all that data out the window. Any takeaways we could’ve drawn from last month’s housing or durable goods orders is now less than conjecture.

Corporate earnings reports also seem a bit less important than before for many of the same reasons. With the advent of the Wuhan coronavirus, the future is once again more uncertain than it was before. Prior-quarter results will be cheered, but not as much as they would��ve been. Guidance will be heavily scrutinized and any signs of weakness punished harshly.

And, as I’ve said many times before, Wall Street absolutely hates uncertainty.

In all honestly, this is exactly how investors should’ve operated before the coronavirus. It’s no secret that Wall Street is in an easy-money bubble. The recent surge higher since New Year’s was a relief rally brought on by the U.S.-China trade deal.

But it wasn’t just the China trade deal. The Nasdaq had hit 28 record highs since November — the most since February 2000. The S&P 500 Index had gone 71 days without a 1% move. Even in a bull market, that’s quite a run higher.

In short, here’s what I’m saying: The market was itching for a reason to sell, and this deadly virus outbreak was the perfect excuse.

What we see in the market right now is a profit-taking sell-off … tinged with a bit of fear. If the current outbreak runs the same course as others — SARS, MERS, Ebola, et cetera — this sell-off is a buying opportunity. That said, there are too many unknown factors still out there:

How will this impact the Chinese economy?

Will it affect global trade?

Will the new coronavirus spread in Western countries?

The best thing you can do right now is not panic. Hunker down, hold what you can and wait. There’s no way to plague-proof your portfolio other than holding stable, well-run companies.

If this pandemic turns out to be a big nothing-burger, you still own stock in growing businesses. Well done.

If it’s going to heck … then it’s time for a Wall Street fire sale! Panicked investors will dump their shares at the littlest signs of trouble, and that’s our best buying opportunity.

Banyan Hill expert Jeff Yastine is able to tell the stock market’s diamonds from the falling rough. Bullish or bearish, Jeff has a trained eye for spotting rock-solid businesses that are best positioned to grow in any market — pandemic or bust.

If you feel unprepared for a market crash gone viral, Jeff just uncovered one stock that should be added to every portfolio … no matter where the market’s headed.

Click here to learn how to get details on the one stock Jeff recommends you buy today.

The Good: The Au Wu-Flu Rally

If you’ve been picking up what Great Stuff has been putting down, you likely hold a little gold in your portfolio somewhere. The malleable metal is nowhere near as hip as it used to be, but it’s still among the best investments for occasions such as these.

With today’s flu-panic sell-off, gold prices are edging in on six-year closing highs. Well, at least bullion prices are, according to FactSet data.

Last I saw, Gold for February delivery (GC=F) was up $10.70, less than 1% away from its January 7 highs. If you remember, those highs were driven by heightened tensions with Iran, after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general.

For those keeping track, that’s two potential black swan events in less than a month. Man, 2020 is shaping up to be a real doozy, isn’t it?

The bottom line here is that, if you don’t already hold gold in some form in your portfolio, you seriously need to consider it.

The Bad: Group Travel Banned

If you and several of your China-based friends had flight plans this week … I have some bad news for you. Effective this morning, China banned international group travel.

The move is designed to help contain the coronavirus outbreak, but the fallout is hitting the airline industry hard … China is the world’s largest outbound travel market, after all. But not all outbound traffic is banned — just group travel. Forbes has an informative article on the ban here, if you want to read more.

And it’s not just the Chinese government. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) both restricted employee travel to Wuhan, China.

Still, just the mention of a travel ban tanked airline stocks today.

The biggest losers are those with international reach, such as American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL), Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) and United Airlines Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: UAL). Overall, the U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSE: JETS) is down roughly 3% today.

Unfortunately, the airline industry already struggles with the fallout from Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) 737 Max debacle. The addition of a pandemic coronavirus and travel bans will pressure the airline industry even more. This weakness will linger for a while.

The Ugly: Sick Chips

If you thought the airline industry was in a bad way today, you haven’t seen semiconductors. Chip stocks have been red-hot in the wake of the U.S.-China trade deal — mostly because many semiconductor companies have crucial manufacturing and supply chains in China.

Those supply chains are called into question once again with the Wuhan coronavirus. Companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE: TSM), Xilinx Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX) and Micron Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) are getting hammered as the outbreak spreads like wildfire across China.

Unlike the airline industry, however, semiconductors will bounce back quickly from this latest setback.

Why? Take your pick: cloud computing growth, Big Data processing, the mobile device upgrade cycle, the 5G revolution, next-gen consoles … there are so many reasons that semiconductor stocks will rebound from today’s losses that it’s not funny.

When Great Stuff talks about holding on to well-run companies in a mega trend market, this is what we’re talking about … the Intel Corp.s (Nasdaq: INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.s (Nasdaq: AMD) of the market. These are the companies that you’ll want to own while riding out this latest round of volatility.

Even 5% corrections are not fun. … They tell you they’re “buying opportunities” and they are. They don’t tell you that down 5% the news turns bad and then you’re afraid the 5% turns to 10% or 15%.

— Frank Gretz of Wellington Shields.

This quote comes from a Barron’s article that I linked to above. If you followed that link, you’re probably a bit more worried than usual today. It was very doom-and-gloomy.

When we link to articles like this, our goal isn’t to make you panic. It’s to make you aware of the situation. There’s good, actionable information in that article … but the best piece of advice isn’t the fearmongering by Frank Gretz — it’s the takeaway by author Ben Levisohn:

This drop is likely not the big one, even if it may feel that way. … So far, it’s hardly a 5% drop. But brace yourselves, just in case.

Great Stuff: Opportunities in the Crisis

The trade war is over. World War III is averted. Harry and Meghan renounced their royal status. For a brief moment in time, all was right with the world…

And then the coronavirus came along and messed everything up.

Much like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects these black swan events. That’s why they’re called black swan events.

But that doesn’t mean it’s time to run around panic selling. Nor does it mean that you should try to catch every falling knife you see. (Ouch!)

So, how do you find opportunities when the world appears to have gone mad?

Well … that’s what Great Stuff and the gurus at Banyan Hill are here for!

Today, Ted Bauman and Clint Lee of The Bauman Letter have the inside scoop on two sectors to avoid and three opportunities to take advantage of in this crisis. Click below to watch this week’s edition of Your Money Matters:

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If you’d rather cut straight to the chase and learn how to get access to Ted Bauman’s exclusive market research, click here now!

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Great Stuff Managing Editor, Banyan Hill Publishing

#Timor Invest