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#like I can’t force myself to be buddy buddy with people I’ve know. for 3 months
reamed · 6 months
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Rlly bad day today
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graceshouldwrite · 1 year
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How to Finish Your 1st Draft (underrated tips!)
instagram: @ grace_should_write
Hey y’all :) Thought I’d revisit this topic because I have been writing later drafts and revision for the last 2 years—the last time I first-drafted was literally in 2020. I started first-drafting again late last year, and am still doing so this year. 
I’m still rediscovering my plotting/plantsing process, and thought that a refresher would help me, too. I hope you find this post somewhat useful (and that these tips aren’t just for delusional people like me)!
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1. Find your dedication
The dedication is so, SO underrated—many people think of it as just something you slap on after you’re finished the book, but I like to see it as also one more reason why you’re writing it. 
Maybe you wrote a book featuring a found family group of kids from slums because you yourself grew up in those conditions, or you know/sympathize with people who did. Making sure that readers facing a similar situation will feel uplifted when they experience your book could be something that motivates you to finish. 
For example, my working dedication for my current WIP goes something like this:
To anyone who has yearned for more and failed—all the part-idealist, part-pragmatist, ambitious, “average” kids who will “never amount to anything more,” I’m betting on you. Keep burning those dreams for fuel.  Cling onto them whenever you feel like you will become anything but great. Until you stop betting on yourself, it’s not over. 
As someone whose often struggled to fulfil my own visions, despite having a grand plan for my own future, I—like anyone else—have encountered lots of obstacles and learned to survive on my own. We’ve all learned resilience. 
This dedication reminds me who I’m writing for: myself, and anyone else who identifies with it. I hope that my book can inspire readers on the cusp of giving up. I hope this book can provide readers on their sigma male grindset with a thrilling rush that spurs them on even more. 
Whenever I feel unmotivated, this is where I go. And, for the most part, it works! 
(Of course, you can treat your dedication as a “work” of its own. Feel free to keep revising it and editing it until you’re happy with it)
2. Look at fan art
It can’t just be me who looks at fan art and gets inspired by specific poses or scenes and then adds those scenes into my book. Come on. 
Pretty straightforward. Just search up “fan art for _____,” fan art for a specific fandom you’re into, or even “character scene/pose ideas” on Google or Pinterest. 
Personally, I like doing this more than browsing those “book idea” posts that are followed with actual text explaining the idea—looking at art with little to no text can force you to do the work in describing the scene, pose, or character expression. 
These scenes tend to help you be specific, creating memorable scenes for your readers. Examples of inspiration I’ve taken from fanart is: 
A firework kiss scene
“I got your back!” type trope, where two or more characters fight back to back. IN THE RAIN! 
Gunfights! 
One character running away while slinging the other across their shoulder
Characters having fun at a festival while wearing flower garlands 
When you’re writing, this can motivate you to get to X scene faster, or to finish your book faster so readers can see your characters doing X thing. At least, works for me! 
3. Find ONE specific writing buddy 
Yes, the writing community is GREAT. But, it can feel a bit detached if you’re always only sharing progress with your large group of followers, instead of someone who knows your WIP inside out. 
Find one person or a small group of specific people. Tell each other EVERYTHING about your WIPs. This will feel a lot more personal, and specificity can also help you finish your book faster when they tell you to “finish writing this chapter to get to this scene!”, or when they hold you accountable to a group writing goal. 
You can also all form a group chat with daily progress motivation and trackers. Personally, NaNoWriMo forums are great for finding people to just overshare your WIP with and motivate each other. 
This way, you guys could also peer review your works periodically. Having another set of eyes on your draft—even when it’s not finished—could give you lots of ideas and guidance on plot direction, characterization, prose, etc.
4. Braindump while listening to a song / playlist
Write to the vibes. Literally just that. 
Are there any songs/playlists that really resonate with you or your WIP? Just play it, maybe even on loop, and type ANY ideas from prose to dialogue to scene ideas and themes. 
It could literally just look something like this (there is some purposefully bad writing just for this example): 
Listening to: [title of your song or playlist]
A: Never thought I’d see you again. B: I know you missed me. *sneer* (Dialogue snippet)
omg they bump into each other on the street and she spills her beer on him and her best friend senses the chemistry (Scene idea)
rivals to lovers (Trope idea)
SILK DRESS. FANCY CLOTHES. YES. (Character design idea) 
overcoming your greatest fear!!!!! (Theme idea)
It’s that easy. You got this, soldier. 
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I HOPE THIS HELPED ANYONE!!! Writing this definitely helped me LOL
Let me know if you have any questions through responses, re-blogging, or DMing me at @ grace_should_write on IG.  
Happy writing, and have a great day!
- grace <3
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r3d-f3rn · 1 year
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my study habits
i haven’t been focused or motivated recently, but once my schedule picks up again i’ll probably be doing better.
Pomodoro 50/10 - ok i didn’t know there was a name for this until yesterday, but this is the timing method i find best. 50 minute study, 10 minute break. bonus is on that break, i make sure to get up and move a bit. occasionally, and if my walking buddy is out of class, i’ll take a full hour and force them to go on a walk with me.
Body doubling - i only recently discovered this one, and i don’t exactly hate it. for those who don’t know, some smart person somewhere was like “hey, people especially with neurodivergence (such as i) typically do better focusing if someone is also focusing on a similar thing” or something like that. i tried this both with another person (i love my walking buddy) and following along a youtube video without music (reason why is following). i think, personally, it’s best i do it with other people in-person because even if they don’t listen (they usually do bc i have awesome friends), i’ll recount the information, which often leads to some connection i wouldn’t have made otherwise.
Music - what a shocker. for me, my music depends on the day: i recently got over a break-up so i’ve been playing a lot of shit-talking music (waterfalls coming out your mouth by glass animals <3) but i constantly make new playlists to keep in fresh. also, i just recently bought a pair of noise-cancelling headphones because they were 40% off, but if you can’t afford them you honestly can just play white noise very quietly behind your music (or ambiance idk i know ppl use rain noises). it works better for headphones, but earbuds work too. but yeah that’s how noise-cancelling things cancel said noise, life hack ig.
Environment - on really bad days where i need more than just a coffee and literally spend 2+ hours trying to focus to no avail, i’ll go to a local café (SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS !!), order a redbull spritzer and a cheap plate of food (to make up for the ~$8 well spent). then, i force myself to sit down for at least 2 hours. i think it’s me romanticizing being mysterious, but if it works then i’ll do it. if i need a break, ill give myself 5 minutes to discretely people-watch. once, i saw my middle-school math teacher while i was doing this and i just- i think seeing teachers in public is fascinating, but i think everyone’s a lil interesting so idk.
RITUAL - i think this one is most important, especially if your schedule is too chaotic to set out a decent study schedule. mine starts off with filling a bottle with cold, infused water (trying to reduce my sugar so i’m not always tired) and lighting a candle that i associate with studying. mine used to be this lemon scrub from bath&body, but i ran out so now i’m using some rose water one.
part of my lack-of-studying recently is that my study space fucking sucked ass (tiny desk, don’t ever get wall-mounted desks) but i have a new desk coming in on Tuesday so i just have to cope til then. plus, i just got a 60+ year old lamp from my honorary grandma and i’m just too excited that i get to rearrange my room. :D
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rwfanficrw · 7 days
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Beginning Cont. 2
So after digging more into POTS and getting on POTS tiktok, I learned that sadly it's so hard to get diagnosed that people can go YEARS without help.
So I rewrote some of the beginning and had them going through the same thing.
Beginning 3
(cont after they say they’ll take hhim to the doctor)
“What do you mean it’s nothin’?” Rowen exclaimed angrily. “He’s fainted on you three times in the last two hours!”
“His blood work is coming back perfectly fine minus a sodium deficiency. That can be fixed with a proper diet.” The doctor explains calmly nodding to Cye. “You could also be stressed or tired. I’m recommending you a weeks of bed rest.”
“A-A week? And that will fix it?” The water bearer asks hopefully.
“It should.”
“He can’t keep food down, what does he eat while “resting”?” Sage asks having to forcibly hold Rowen back from jumping the doctor.
“Soft bland foods. Treat this like you’ve got a really bad cold or the flu.”
Cye looks to the other two unsure how to respond. He was half relieved that maybe all it was, was a really bad cold or the flu.. but deep down, like the other two, he didn’t believe it.
“I am putting an appointment for a week from now. We will regroup and see how you are feeling. Complete bed rest, Mr. Mouri. No getting up unless its absolutely necessary.”
*~*
“That lady is crazy!” Rowen grumbled as he wrapped an arm around Cye’s shoulder walking him out of the hospital.
“Maybe a week in bed would help the symptoms? What if it is just a really bad cold?” The younger one offered nervously.
“Do ya really believe that? Have you ever had a cold or the flu make you faint without warning?”
“I-I don’t know, Rowen. I have to try.” He sighs frustrated. “I am upset that nothing else came out of it… no medicine or diet change, just rest. But I’ve got nothing else to do to fix it.” He then forces a smile as Sage pulls his car up.
He watches as the blonde gets out before opening the back passenger seat, “Here. I’ll drive us home.”
“Well at least you two won’t have to worry any more with any of this. I can take care of myself and you two can go about your normal lives.”
Sage and Rowen glanced at each other before shaking their heads. “No way, buddy. I’m not leavin’ ya. I don’t trust what that doc is sayin’.”
“I agree. We’ll try this bed rest out but with supervision. The last thing you need is to hit your head when you faint by yourself.” Sage nods as he helps Cye into the backseat. “Besides, you need someone to cook and clean for you if you’re on bed rest.”
“I-I couldn’t ask that of you and-“
“You didn’t ask. We’re volunteering. Sit back and buckle yourself in.” The bearer of halo instructs before closing the passenger door. “Now just close your eyes and relax. We’ll be home within an hour or so.”
Rowen gets into the front passenger seat looking into the rearview mirror as the youngest warrior attempts to do what he’s told. “Sage, hang on.” He unbuckles himself and gets out moving to the backseat. He moves to the middle and buckles himself in before he pulls Cye to his side, “Go on, Cye. Just rest. You don’t have to go through this alone.”
*~*
Sage lifted his eyes to the rearview mirror after hearing a moan of discomfort from one of the people in the back, “Cye? Are you ok?”
“…I’m alright. Just a bit sick to my stomach.” He admits quietly shifting uncomfortably in his seat leaning against Rowen some more.
“Is it flu sick or-?”
“Not really… it feels like motion sickness, but I’ve never gotten that before and we’re only on the city streets…” Cye sat up hunching over. “…S-Sage please pull over.”
“Right here?”
“Don’t have much of a choice-“ Rowen unbuckled his friend and opened the door on the side of road. He pushes him out onto the grass just in time for the water bearer to get sick. He keeps a hand on his back turning back to Sage worried.
The blonde took a deep breath before he unbuckles and gets out carefully before hurrying over to them. As he suspected not much came back up thankfully but his friend looked in agony. He watches as Cye leans himself back against the side of his car. “You ok?”
“…I don’t understand. I’m so dizzy all of a sudden.” Cye tries to force a smile so as not worry either one of them, “…I-I’m sorry…I think I’m going t-to pass-“
Rowen turns around just in time to catch the younger warrior as he sags to the side. “….its just the flu.” He states looking to Sage. “He just needs bed rest.”
The other doesn’t respond only sitting back on the grassy dirt side of the road. It obviously wasn’t the flu or a cold. He knew bed rest wouldn’t fix it, it probably wouldn’t even put a “dent” into the symptoms.
He should have said something. Should have stood up for Cye in front of the doctor. He should have joined Rowen when he got upset.
He lifts his head hearing the usual weak gasp then grown of life as the younger warrior starts to move again. He swallows his nerves and smiles as best he can getting up on his knees to help Rowen sit Cye up. “W-Welcome back. You weren’t out but a few minutes. T-Take your time.” His voice broke at seeing his friends usually bright green eyes were glazed over and unfocused.
*~*
Cye lifts his head off Rowen’s shoulder as he feels the car stop. It was a different stop that told him they had actually made it versus a stop light. His stomach was churning and he didn’t want to open his eyes but knew he had too.
He forced them open only to have the inside of the car start to turn in circles. He drops his head back to Rowen’s shoulder clenching his eyes shut. “You ok?” Rowen’s voice sounded far away, his heart beat was so loud it was over taking it.
He thought he had answered but he must not have. He felt movement then heard “Cye? Can you hear me?” Closer to his ears. He startled slightly but nodded.
He didn’t want to pass out again. His hands weakly clenched at the edge of Rowen’s jacket as the other started to move get out of the car. He vaguely heard “stay there” but his mind didn’t comprehend it.
Out of no where it got silent and he opened his eyes again but they weren’t focused. He couldn’t even see blobs. Just faded colors turning to black.
“CYE!?”
This time Rowen’s voice was loud and it hurt. He felt hands grip his arms as he’s pulled out of the car and sat down on what felt like the side walk. “Cye?! Buddy, can ya hear me?”
“Is he ok?”
“I-I don’t know. I think he’s going to faint again?” He heard Rowen explaining to someone else. He knew someone else was there, he could see their face… he just couldn’t think of their name. He couldn’t be rude and forget it.
“Cye? I want you to take a few deep breaths, if you can.”
The person’s voice entered his mind and he tried to obey and listen. If it helped him not pass out, he needed to do it.
“That’s it. Again.”
Slowly but surely the spinning started to slow down to what was his new normal. He didn’t feel as sick to his stomach either. He forced his eyes open expecting to see nothing but this time saw blobs and colors that finally focused. “…Ro…?”
Rowen appeared smiling relieved, “Hey buddy. You didn’t faint this time. Sage helped ya through it!”
*~*
“I’m going to go sit with him while he rests. I don’t think he wants to be alone and I don’t feel comfortable leaving him by himself right now either.” Rowen explains as he digs through one of the overnight bags by the couch. He pulls out a book and a sweatshirt for himself. “You’re welcome to join.”
“Thanks. I’m good. I’m going to start trying to come up with something he can keep down and call Mia and update her.” The blonde sighs as he pulls out a small notebook flipping through the pages.
“Whats that?”
“Notes on what he’s able to eat and what his body rejects.”
Rowen changes shirts before walking over to where his friend was reading the notebook. “You took all of these notes?”
“Do you have a better idea? I don’t like forcing him to eat something, if he’ll just get sick later.” He heaves a sigh resting his head against one of his hands. “I’m sorry Rowen. I should have stood up to the doctor with you. This makes no sense. None of his symptoms line up with a cold or the flu.”
“Don’t be sorry. Someone has to be level headed.”
“Usually that’s you.”
Rowen blinks before he shrugs grinning nervously, “Sounds like I lose my level headed-ness around Cye, especially when he’s hurt. That’s why we’ve got you.”
“Level headed or not… it makes no sense. I want to take note of how many times he faints, what he was doing, and what he’s able to eat and drink.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“I mean it. Any time he passes out, we need to write the time he passed out, what he was doing, and how long he was out. In fact..” Sage trails off and flips to the back of the notebook writing out a chart before filling in the last three. “I want to go back to this doctor with as much evidence as we can that this isn’t normal.”
“…right. I’m going to go check on him.” Rowen heads down the hallway not know what to expect. The other warrior could be just “fine” and moving about or he could be- “CYE? Ok ok, take it easy.” He runs over kneeling down beside the smaller one on the ground. He looks around seeing a water bottle on the ground beside them, a puddle under it.
He saw one sock was on and a leg was in the pants. He sighs sitting back placing a hand over the other’s back rubbing it gently as he hears a moan, “hey buddy.. you’re on the floor. I think you just tried to get dressed.”
Slowly Cye opened his eyes not moving from where he was laying. He clenched his eyes shut his shoulders shaking as he tried not to break down.
This was his 3rd time since leaving the doctor’s office. Today was not turning out to be a good one.
“You don’t have to hide it, Cye. I-Its…it’s okay. I’m here. I know it’s got to be terrifying.” He leans back against the wall closing his eyes as he listens to the bearer of Torrent break down as softly as he could. His hand moved up from the other’s back to his head, he kept his hand there hoping to give some sort of comfort. “I’ll help you figure this out.. Sage and I will. It won’t be like this forever.”
*~*
“Hey. I was wondering when I was going to hear from you. How did it go?”
Mia’s voice was the biggest comfort right now as Sage dug through the kitchen taking note of what food they had as well as medicines and drinks. “Not that great.”
“What kind of news did he get?” She asks worried.
“He got nothing. No news, no anything. Just told it was probably the flu or a really bad cold and to have 1 week of complete bed rest.” He sighed standing at the counter as he fills out the lists of things he needed to buy.
“How did Cye take that?”
“Not well. None of us took it well. He agreed to it, because what else do you say when a doctor gives you an idea? Rowen snapped at the doctor as soon as he heard her plan, I had to step in and stop him before she was sent to the Dynasty with a one way ticket. Cye didn’t say much until we got out.”
“Do you think it will help?”
The blonde lifts his head and looks around the half clean kitchen and clothes on the floor heading out to the hall. “…do I wish that a weeks bed rest would miraculously, fix it? Of course. It would be ideal.”
“..but.”
“Mia, there is no way this is a cold. He got motion sick in the car today, I had to pull over in mid drive for him to get sick. He fainted on the side of the road twice then once when we got back here. According to Cye, he’s never had motion sickness – ever.”
He hears Mia sigh and move in her chair. “Let me do some research and I can try and find some different doctors, would that help?”
“If you come up with someone different that would be great. I do want to force him to rest, I think it will help a little. I just can’t see it preventing or taking care of a fainting spell.”
“As my Grandfather would say “take lots of notes”.”
He grins, “Ironically, that is what I’m doing. I told Rowen, we’re taking notes of every single time he passes out. What he was doing when it happened and how long he was out.”
“Good. That will come in handy for the next doctor. Where is Cye now?”
“Hopefully resting. Rowen went back to check on him.” He flicks through his lists before holding the phone closer to his hear, “Mia, you said you were raised in France?”
“Born and raised, why?”
“Do you know of any bland soups or food that he could maybe keep down?”
“Is he still getting sick after each meal?” She asks worried.
“Yeah, he is. Do you know of anything?”
“I’ll dig through my cookbooks and look. I’m sure Cye won’t say it, but I know he’s grateful that you’re there.”
Sage smiles weakly, “That’s nice to hear. He tried to run us off after he was told bed rest. There is no way we’re just going to leave him when-“
He goes quiet at hearing Rowen call for him. “I’ve got to go. I think Cye fainted again.”
“Go. We’ll touch base later.”
Sage hangs the phone up before hurrying down the hallway towards the bedroom, “Rowen? Is everything ok?” He stops at the end of the hallway as he comes up on Rowen holding Cye up against him.
The younger warrior didn’t look coherent. He had that same glassy look as earlier when he fainted on the side of the road. He kneels down reaching out to feel for a pulse, “…his heart is beating so fast.”
“I-I know. He came back here I think to get dressed and fainted. I caught him on the floor and he broke down on me and when he tried to sit up he fainted again. I caught him mid fall this time. I’m not sure how hard he hit the first.” Rowen explained as best he can while trying not to panic. “S-Sage we can’t …we have to be here. He’ll injure himself really badly if someone isn’t here.”
“One of us needs to be by his side at all times.” Sage states sighing as he checks the water bearer over for any injuries. He gently moves the limp arms back and forth looking them over. “The fainting explains all of these bruises. I noticed them the other day and was confused on how he got them… it makes sense.”
“Do we move him to the bed or wait for him to wake up?”
Sage waves a hand in front of Cye’s face for a few seconds expecting some kind of response. He didn’t get one. “I don’t know how long it could take for him to come back. This one seems different than the others.”
“I know, that’s why I called you. It had already been 8 minutes since he fainted.” Rowen sighs as he gently pulls one of the limp arms over his shoulder, “Ok buddy. We’re going to help you to bed.”
Sage nods taking the other arm and together they lift him to his feet. They stagger as Cye passes out on them again going fully limp in their arms. “W-What the..”
“Did he just faint again?” Rowen struggled to look over to see. “He wasn’t even fully conscious this time.”
“Don’t panic.”
“How can I not?!”
“Rowen, take a deep breath. Let’s just carry him over to his bed. It could just be exhaustion.” The blonde tried to reassure him as they walked into the bedroom carrying the youngest in between the two of them. “Okay easy, easy..”
Together they eased the smaller warrior onto the bed and lay him back. Rowen moves down and bends his friend’s legs pushing him a bit more onto the bed. To their surprise they get a moan.
Sage glances down taking note of what just happened. “Cye? You’re on your bed.”
“Ya fainted on me again. Twice.” Rowen explained as he finally lets go of Cye’s legs stretching them out before covering his lower half up.
Cye’s hands started to weakly grip the bed and he moaned again before his eyes opened. Rowen sighed with relief that they looked mostly focused, “Hey buddy.. can you see me?”
“Ro…?”
“Yeah, that’s right.” The archer sighed with relief as he curls up around him. “Just lay there and get your barings back. I’ll help you dress later.”
“…I-I can’t v-very well relax in jeans a-and a shirt, Rowen.”
“You don’t have much of a choice.” Sage interjects. “From the looks of the last two fainting spells. I think one of them hit because you were getting dressed.”
“Just take a nap for a few min. I’ll wake ya up and we can get you dressed. Okay?”
They heard a groggy frustrated groan, “…fine.” And then wait for a few long minutes before they hear his breathing level out.
“Don’t worry, I’ll sit here with him.” Rowen stacks a few pillows up behind his head as he gets comfortable. He keeps close as he moves around.
“Good. I have some things to do. Mainly picking up ingredients. Before I head out, I’ll give you that notebook. Start filling it out.”
*~*
Rowen lifts his head off the page he was reading and looks down. The younger warrior was starting to move again. He could feel a hand weakly grasping at his pants leg. He smiles, “Good mornin’ sleepin beauty.”
He gently pulls the blankets down and lets them puddle at Cye’s waist. “Take it easy, you’ve been asleep for almost three hours.”
“…t-three hours…” Cye repeated groggily as he tried to sit up. He wavered unsteadily the world spinning. He reached out in half a panic not expecting to feel all of this right away.
“Cye!? What part of take it easy, didn’t ya get?”
“I s-slept too long. I need to …to help Sage…” His voice kept dropping off as he tried to speak and ignore the dizziness. He fell back and was caught by Rowen who held him against his chest.
“You’re not helping anyone and you didn’t sleep too long. You’re on bed rest, remember?” The blue haired warrior cradled the other in his arms helping him get comfortable again. He only lowers his arms once he feels the other relax. “However, we do need to change your shirt at the very least.”
“…I-I changed earlier…”
“You didn’t complete the task, buddy. You fainted.”
Cye opens his eyes and looks down at himself. Rowen was right. He was still in his button down from earlier. He sits up slower this time before he attempts to unbutton his shirt. His hands were trembling too much to do it himself.
He feels hands sit on his own and looks up, “Let me help.”
“I-I can undress myself, Rowen. I’m not an invalid.”
“I never said ya were. You’ve fainted so many times, you’re hands are shaking. Let me help.” Rowen sighs as he hovers over Cye. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise. This will stay between you, Sage and I.”
Cye finds himself blushing a bit but nods quietly, “Oh alright..”
*~*
Sage comes down the hallway holding a tray in his hands. A bowl of soup, utensils, a cup of tea, a water bottle and electrolyte drink were on top. “Cye? Are we still conscious back here?”
“W-Who is this we? Are you fainting now?”
He laughs happy to hear the sarcasm in the other’s voice, “Ok, you. I’m guessing by your response that you are still conscious.”
He enters the room happily surprised to see Cye sitting up wearing his killer whale pajamas and …”are those dolphin slippers on your feet?”
This time the water bearer flushed a bit before a smile takes over, “Yes, of course! Kento found them for me when he went to China last year to see his family.” He slowly moves his feet, hitting them against each other. “They are nice and comfy.”
Rowen grins shaking his head, “Somehow, buddy, I’m not surprised by any of this. Oh, hey, Sage brought some food.”
While Cye sounded back to normal, he didn’t look like he felt well. His hands were shaking as he tried to stay up right and present in the conversation. Sage had gotten used to the dark circles under his friends eyes, or so he thought… he internally shivered at seeing the glazed green eyes look over at him.
Cye had been pale when they all met him. Kento always joked it made no sense that Cye didn’t tan like a normal person.. that he spent all of this time out in the water and never tanned for it. This was a different pale, he didn’t look well.
He startles at hearing Cye call his name, “Ah yes, I brought soup. If you can stomach it, it’s potato soup. Mia called me with the receipe, it’s from France.”
The other’s eyes light up as it’s set in his lap.
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Thoughts on “Stranger Things” season 4 part 2 under the cut. Read at your own risk, spoilers ahead.
1.) I absolutely loathed the Hopper/Russia subplot. What was the point? They kept escaping from (and then going back to) the Russian prison. Why? Genuine waste of screen time and it slowed everything down. Hopper should've died in the s3 finale. 2.) Hopper/Joyce felt way too forced. Didn't Bob die like a year ago? Cringe. 3.) It would've been better to have Joyce/Murray pull a buddy trope this season. Leave Hopper out of it. Have them form an, albeit weird, friendship without Hopper. (shout out to Zac for this one.) 4.) Vastly disappointed that One/Eleven weren't related somehow. I saw a theory about their similarities (re: how they use their powers; both using their hands as a “channel”) and it's simply what I've decided to run with and it's now firmly part of my headcanon. Even if they're not father/daughter, then they're somehow related. IDK, it makes sense to me. 5.) Speaking of which: who’s Eleven's father? It's been four seasons; I wanna know! 6.) I can’t remember what happened to Eight but I’d love it if they brought her back. Can we have an epic El/Eight reunion in s5, please? 7.) Argyle was the saving grace for all of s4. Somehow I've fallen in love with him. 8.) I don't think Max is dead. I think she's still alive somehow ... out there in the blackness. I knew they were gonna at least attempt to kill her off but I really don't think she's dead. Otherwise they would've done it in a more direct, permanent way. I really hope Lucas is responsible for helping to bring her back. They’re very cute together, I have to admit. 9.) WTH was the point of of Lt. Colonel Powell? Honestly? 10.) I think Will is, unbeknownst to him, being used by Vecna. There's still a connection between the two. 11.) Robin's one and only shining moment was visiting Pennhurst. Otherwise she's a wasted character. It felt like they were trying to recreate the El/Max dynamic from s3 just with older characters. 12.) And speaking of Nancy, she totally came into her own this season. I loved her take charge attitude and how she, honestly, thrived this go 'round. I'd love it if she pulled a whole "I'm a badass woman, I don't need a man, and I can take care of myself!" I have a feeling there's gonna be an ~epic~ love triangle going between her, Jonathan, and Steve. 13.) Eddie was fine. He wasn't great but he wasn't bad. He had his moment in the sun and had some funny lines. I did, however, like his redemption arc. 14.) Speaking of Eddie, there was ~that moment~ between Eddie/Dustin when they were preparing for the battle with Vecna and it was just ... mmmm ... a splash of awkward/cringe. I hope people don't start shipping a child (or at least someone portraying a child) and an 18/19/20 year old (29 in real life). 15.) Will is gay and I wish they actually had the balls to go there this season. They've been building it up since season one I feel like. 16.) I like Erica so much better this season. Definitely redeemed herself from annoying little sister/sidekick into full-blown main character energy. 17.) What was the point of Ms. Kelly? Why introduce her at all, unless you’re gonna do something with her next season. 18.) I love how the parents are still totally oblivious. Parenting of the 80's: either helicopter parents or oblivious. 19.) Overall I'd rank it 2.5/5 stars. It just felt like filler for season 5. I think they shouldn't have broken it up into two parts; it lost a lot of momentum between part 1 and part 2. 20.) Not really ST related but why does everyone fangirl over Finn Wolfhard? He looks like human spaghetti, I don't get it. 21.) Anyway, lemme know your thoughts!
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gammija · 3 years
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The final Web!Martin evidence list
Now that canon is done, and we’ve got word of god confirmation that Web!Martin wasn’t complete nonsense, I decided to go back to my lil chronological evidence list and actually clean it up a bit, delete parts that in hindsight weren't all that indicative, and put everything in a slightly more readable format. (Obligatory disclaimer that i don’t and never did believe or advocate for some kind of evil web!martin, and that I'm not intending to connect a moral judgement to martin (or anyone else for that matter) having some of these traits)
So here: The (hopefully, please) final list with Web!Martin Evidence! Presented in order of importance, according to. me
The final (hopefully) Web!Martin evidence list
(In order from most to least obvious)
Spiders
I mean, it’s called the Web. TMA reiterates quite a few times that Martin liked spiders. Sometimes it IS that easy.
MAG022: Martin: "I like spiders. Big ones, at least. Y’know, y’know the ones you can see some fur on; I actually think they’re sort of cute -"
MAG038: | Sasha: "A spider?" Jon: "Yeah. I tried to kill it…" [...] Sasha: [Chuckles] "Well, I won’t tell Martin." Jon: "Oh, god. I don’t think I could stand another lecture on their importance to the ecosystem."
MAG059: Jon: "I have done my best to prevent Martin reading this statement in too much detail. I have no interest in having another argument about spiders."
MAG079: Jon: "Apparently, biologically, his account of the spiders doesn’t make any sense according to Martin."
MAG197: Martin: “What? Because I like spiders? Well, used to.”
Lies and subterfuge
Martin is able to use lying and subterfuge to achieve his goals, and is called manipulative a few times.
Lies:
MAG022: Martin: "[He] became slightly more co-operative after I lied to him and told him that one of the upstairs residents had buzzed me in."
MAG056: Martin: "I lied on my CV."
MAG158: Peter: “But you said –” Martin: “Honestly, I mostly just said what I thought you wanted to hear.”
MAG164: Jon: "You – I actually believed you!"
MAG189: Martin: “Sorry. Sorry, John. Not sure how much everything up there actually understood what was going on. But, y’know, I didn’t want to take any chances so it made sense to… um…” Jon: “Put on a show?” Martin: “Yeah, basically, more or less.”
MAG191: Martin: "That's not true." Arun: "Liar!"
Subterfuge:
The plan in 118, which revolved around convincing Elias that Martin was only “acting out”, to create a distraction for Melanie. (Also compare the way he evades giving a straight answer here with the way Annabelle talks in 196.)
Working with Peter in s4 under false pretenses, to distract him from Jon and eventually try to learn what Peter wanted.
Manipulation accusations:
These, I know, are somewhat contentious, since it’s mostly villains saying this to him. I’m still including them, since
1): From a media analysis standpoint, being mentioned 3 times is a sign to pay attention, even when it may not be the full truth.
2): I only see it as describing Martin’s behaviour in the previous points, not as a moral judgement; Especially since he almost always ‘manipulates’ people in positions of power over him.
Still, if it bothers anyone, feel free to ignore these.
MAG138: Martin: "That’s it? No, no monologue, no mind games? You love manipulating people!" Elias: "That makes two of us."
MAG186: Martin: “I can be a real manipulative prick, you know that?” Also Martin: “Oh yeah.”
MAG196: Annabelle: “Because you always managed to get what you wanted through smiles and shrugs and stammerings that weren’t nearly as awkward as they seemed.” [SMALL SOUND OF MARTIN’S CONCESSION TO THE POINT] Martin: “Point taken.”
The Lonely/the Web
The Lonely and the Web sometimes affect Martin to similar degrees.
In season 3, when Martin is getting used to reading statements for the first time, most of them leave him emotionally affected: MAG084, MAG088, MAG090,
MAG095: Martin: “S-S-Statement… done.” [HEAVY BREATHING & TREMBLING AS MARTIN STEADIES HIMSELF] “I don’t like recording these. There. I-I said it.”,
MAG098: Martin: [Panting] “End of statement.” [Deep breath] “I, um, I think I might need to sit down. Oh. Yeah, I am. Right. I don’t, uh, I’m not really sure if these are actually getting easier or harder. I mean I don’t feel –”
Only the last two statements he reads are remarkably easier. This might be a hint that Martin is just getting used to reading them, but the quote from MAG098 seems to contradict that. Either way, it’s likely not a coincidence that those last two happen to be the Lonely and the Web:
MAG108: Martin: “Statement ends.” (exhale) “That wasn’t so bad…”
MAG110: Martin: “Statement ends.” [...] “I mean, I think it sounds like a Jurgen Leitner book. About spiders. Hm. Good John didn’t have to read this one, anyway. I know he’s not a fan. Although, this one wasn’t too bad, actually! I – yeah. Anyway.”
In season 5, there are two powers’ Domains that actually affected Martin mentally, as opposed to only physically: the Lonely’s, in 170 (and arguably 186), and, depending on your interpretation, in 172, when Martin went exploring without knowing why he did so.
Proximity
Martin investigates a lot of the Web statements during season 1 to 3 (in other words, when the archive team still researches statements). The only ones he isn’t mentioned in during this period are MAG019 and MAG020, when he’s being harrassed by worms, and MAG081, which Jon records by himself outside of the institute.
Most notably, he’s the one who discovered the statement in MAG114, ‘Cracked Foundations’, which is the one statement in the entire show that sets up the interdimensional properties of HTR.
The Web!Lighter passed through Martin's hands first, before he gave it to Jon.
Similarly, Annabelle mostly spoke to Martin in season 5, despite most other Avatars usually focusing on Jon.
Aesthetics
Apart from the above obviously Web related areas, there are some other aesthetics which are mentioned in connection to both the Web and Martin, throughout canon.
These are describing the Web;
These are describing Martin.
Tapes:
Martin is the only character to treat the tape recorders as friends - any other character is either indifferent, or treats them as enemies.
MAG039: Martin: "I think the tapes have a sort of… low-fi charm."
MAG154 Martin: “Oh. Hi. Hello again.” … (small laugh) “Sorry pal, false alarm this time.”
MAG156 Martin: “Mm? Oh.” [HE LAUGHS, GENTLY.] “Yeah. (rustling paper) I was going to read one. Hate for you to miss it!” [SHORT, FORCED LAUGH, AS HE FLAPS THE STATEMENT AROUND.]
MAG170 Martin: “Oh. Oh, hello. What’s this? Wow, retro! What are you up to, little buddy; just – listening? That’s okay. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”
MAG190 Jon: "[The tapes] seem to like [Martin]."
Retro:
MAG069: Statement: “I only saw Annabelle Cane once during this period. She wasn’t hard to pick out. She dressed like a vintage clothing store exploded on her, and her short bleach-blonde hair stood out sharply against dark skin.”
MAG160: Jon: “Anyways, don’t tell me the phonebox down there doesn’t appeal to your retro aesthetic.” Martin: “It – might. Maybe.”
MAG163: Annabelle/the Web callying Martin via an old payphone: [ A PHONE RINGS. IT’S NOT THE TINNY, ELECTRONIC SOUND OF A CELLPHONE – NO, THIS IS A TRUE, HEAVY, CLASSIC RING.] Martin: “Uh. John? Uh, J, John – the, uh, payphone that’s – here, for some reason – it’s ringing?”
Hatred of burns:
MAG067: Jack Barnabas’ statement: “I looked up and noticed within the corner of the room, where there had been a spider’s web this morning, there was just a faint wisp of smoke.” “Another held a bag that seemed to be full of candles, while a third had a clear plastic container filled with hundreds of tiny spiders.”
MAG139: Statement by member of Cult of the Lightless Flame: “The Mother of Puppets has always suffered at our hand; all the manipulation and subtle venom in the world means nothing against a pure and unrestrained force of destruction and ruin.” Agnes burned down Hilltop Road.
MAG145: The Web ties Gertrude to Agnes, stopping the Desolation’s ritual (the only Power whose ritual the Web is known to have prevented).
MAG167: Gertrude enlists Agnes’/the Desolation’s help in order to burn her assistant Emma, who was Web aligned.
MAG169: Martin: "Look, I just – don’t want to get burned, all right? It’s, it’s like my least favorite pain ever. [...] I, I legitimately hate burns, alright? They’re, they’re awful, and they scar horribly, and they just – it – it just makes me sick; I, I hate it. Hate it!"
Phrasing:
MAG039: Martin: "I’m trapped here. It’s like I can’t… move on and the more I struggle, the more I’m stuck. [...] It's just that whatever web these statements have caught you in, well, I’m there too. We all are, I think."
MAG079: Martin's poem: "The threads of people walking, living, lovi–"
MAG117: Martin: "This last couple of years, I’ve always been running, always hiding, caught in someone else’s trap, but, but now it’s my trap, and, well, I think it’ll work. I know, I know it’s not exactly intricate, but it felt good leaving my own little web. Oh, oh, Christ, I hope John doesn’t actually listen to these. “Good lord, is Martin becoming some sort of spider person?” No, John, it’s an expression, chill out! Besides, spiders are fine. I mean, yes, people are scared of them, obviously, but actual spiders, they just want to help you out with flies."
MAG167: Jon: “Methinks the Spider dost protest too much.” Martin: “Jon –” Jon: “Joking! Just joking.”
Personality:
How applicable these are depends heavily on how you interpret Martin's own personality, so your mileage may vary.
MAG008: Statement: “Nobody ever said a word against Raymond himself, though, who was by all accounts a kind and gentle soul [...]”
MAG123: Jon: "The Web does seem to have a preference for those who prefer not to assert themselves."
MAG147: Annabelles statement: "I discovered a deep and enduring talent inside myself for lying. [...] My manipulations were not intricate, but they were far beyond what was expected of a child my age, and I have always believed that the key to manipulating people is to ensure that they always under- or overestimate you. Never reveal your true abilities or plans."
Word of God and Annabelle
I kinda wanted to ‘prove’ that Web!Martin had quite a bit of evidence to back it up, hence this header being last. But of course, in this post-canon world, there are a few lines that most obviously confirm the theory:
MAG197: Martin is Web enough to be able to read the 'vibrations', like Annabelle, and see Jon and Basira (the latter being especially notable, as he hadn't known she was there beforehand): [CHITTERING, BUZZING AND HIGH-PITCHED SQUEALS CHANGE CADENCE] Martin: "Wait… Wait, hang on, is that him?" Annabelle: "Yes. I guess you’re better with the Web than we thought." Martin: "And – Wait, ha– No, uh… is that… Basira? He – He’s got Basira with him!" Annabelle: "Yes."
Season 5 Q&A part 2: Jonny: “Essentially, it was fascinating looking at the fandom and, like, the Web!Martin believers, because what they were doing was correctly picking up on hints dropped in the early seasons that were later, like, not exactly abandoned, but it was much more like, ‘Well, no, he does have like aspects of The Web to him, but he is moreover The Lonely.’ And that came about very… very organically, really. Because throughout Season 3 and going into Season 4, we had this conversation and we were like, ‘No, actually he's like-” Alex: “‘It can't be, it cannot be, it must be the other way round’ Yeah.”
(Note that they say “throughout season 3 and going into season 4,” which likely means that season 1, season 2, and at least part of season 3, aka half of the entire show, were written with Web!Martin as an intentional possibility.)
If you read all that, thanks so much! Obviously, Web!Martin never really came to fruition, so it's fine if you still don't like it. This is just a post explaining where it was coming from, at least for me and the other theorists I've spoken to.
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lubdubsworld · 3 years
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Change of Heart ( Taehyungx OC)
Pairing : Taehyung x OC Werewolf AU!!
Genre : Romance, Explicit Content.
Warnings : None. ( Some mild violence but mostly off screen ) werewolf sex, ruts, knotting etc
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3/ Chapter 4
[ Summary :
Times are changing.
After years of being oppressed, werewolves are taking a stand against humans , demanding equal rights and fair treatment. Heading the movement is Kim Taehyung, the breathtaking heir to the Kim fortune and one of the few remaining Alpha werewolves in the country. His disdain for the human race is well known and well warranted. They killed his family after all…..
He wants to change the world , to put humans in their place but when his five year old daughter takes a shine to their very human neighbor , maybe he has to start with a change of heart , first.  ]
Chapter 5
I found myself breathing through my nose, woozy and incoherent as the doctor fussed over me. 
“This is looking pretty damn bad, Dr. Jeon...” He was muttering while Jungkook sat next to me gripping my hands. My throat went dry at the words, fear making my heart jackrabbit against my ribs. 
“The bullet’s hit pretty close to artery near the clavicle, she’s lost a whole lot of blood. “
“Seo Joon’s going to prison for this... “ Jungkook swore, stroking my palm as I tried to stay conscious. 
“Tell me I don’t have to stay in the hospital for a long time...” I begged, desperate. 
Jungkook rolled his eyes. 
“You got shot... It’s not a playground scrape, Mirae....” Jungkook sounded exhausted. 
I nodded.
“ Whats going on with my father? Seo Joon was pissed off about something with my father....” I said, remembering the reason the wolf had been so pissed in the first place. 
“We’ll talk about this later- You need to rest and-”
“Just tell me damn it!!” 
Jungkook sighed.
“Your father got called out for trying to sabotage the vaccine drive going on on the island and he played the whole, ‘ why would I sabotage something my daughter helped make...’ card on TV. It’s had an effect....” 
I swallowed.
“What do you mean by effect?”
Jungkook looked a little angry now. 
“Can’t we talk about this tomorrow...you’re bleeding and hurt ...you need to fucking rest...”
“What’s going on...?” I demanded. 
“The weres don’t want the vaccine anymore. They think...well they think you may have tampered with it....” He looked uncomfortable and I couldn’t comprehend what I’d just heard. 
I stared at him, my jaw going slack in shock. 
“I’m not.... I have nothing to do with the vaccine...that is so far above my paygrade..I’m a lab tech..... what even-” I was too outraged to even think clearly. 
“People don’t know that, Rae. All they know is that they have always associated your father with bringing harm to the were community and somehow his daughter is here working on something that has the potential to both hurt and heal.....”
I bit my lips.
“He’s not even my real father.” I choked out. 
Jungkook looked surprised at that. 
“What?”
“It’s true. He adopted me because he raped my mom and she fucking killed herself over it. I was eight years old at the time and the bastard did not want any loose ends...” The words came out , bitter and edged with anger but it was an old hurt. An old rage that had long faded into a blunt sort of ache. I had been so young. Too young to fully comprehend 
Jungkook looked completely stunned.
“Fuck, I’m so sorry....”
“He wanted me to marry one of his anti-were associates . That's literally all he raised me for. When I refused , he cut me off completely. I’ve literally been on my own for years now and my job is the only thing keeping me from dying on the  streets....”
I hissed when the nurse touched my shoulder , the physical agony of my shoulder somehow intensifying as the nurse moved to finish dressing the wound. I would have to wear a sling next but I couldn’t even fathom moving,   let alone sitting up for that ordeal. 
The nurse gave me a slight smile.
“Your ribs are bruised again , this time its going to take longer to heal because one of them actually has a hair line fracture.” 
Great. That explained the woozy breathlessness. 
“It doesn’t hurt much...” I said confused.
“That’s because you’re on enough drugs to fell a horse...I’m actually surprised you’re still conscious.” Jungkook shook his head. 
“It’s just the adrenaline...that and the fear of being fired.” I muttered. 
Jungkook laughed a little at that.
“Don’t worry about anything. Just rest for a while and we’ll talk tomorrow , yeah?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up to fingers in my hair, soft and gentle. 
My eyes fluttered open and I felt my breath catch when I saw who it was.
“Yuggie ??” I croaked out, my brother’s face coming into focus as I blinked back exhaustion.
“Welcome to the land of the living...” He said softly, keeping his fingers on my hair, stroking the strands back gently.
“What..... how did you get here so soon?” I whispered.
“You’ve been out for forty hours, baby....” He laughed a little and I blinked, 
“I....I got hurt.” I whispered bleakly. My shoulder was still throbbing and the pain in my rib was now a bit more prominent. I took a deep shuddering breath. 
“I’m glad you’re here.... “ I whispered, lifting shaky hands to hold his face. 
“Dad called me. He wants you to come back home.” 
I felt my entire body going cold, hands going clammy at once. 
“That’s not going to happen.” I said sharply and Yugyeom looked worried.
“He’s really upset , Rae. Kim Taehyung winning the election was not a part of his plan and he’s desperate to try and cover his ass before he gets carted off to prison.” 
I blinked at that.
“what do you mean by prison?” 
“We can’t talk about this here. He’s not allowed on the island. None of his cohorts are. So he’s been trying to get you transferred to a hospital in Seoul. Jeongguk was the one who called me. They’re holding off on the transfer but ....you know how dad gets.” 
I felt my head pound . 
“What does he want me for?” I whispered in disbelief. 
“I’m not sure. But I think you should at least go see him and find out what it is that he wants.”
I shook my head .
“I’m not going anywhere near him, I’m-”
The door swung open and I found myself jerking in surprise, the movement jostling my ribs and making me wince. I felt my eyes widen when I saw who it was, fingers scrambling to grab Yugyeom . 
“Dad...” He whispered, sounding terrified and I felt that familiar jolt of sickening fear . 
“There she is.... my precious little one.” My father’s eyes held no emotion as he stared at me, lips curled in a perfect smile. He looked so much like a good guy that it was nauseating. 
I took a deep shuddering breath. 
“the management here is terrible. I had to petition the fucking courts to get a permit to visit my own daughter.” He shook his head as he made his way over and I lurched away instinctively. 
“I’m taking you home now. Bout time you came back to me.” He smiled, chillingly and I shook my head. 
“No...thats not going to happen. I’m an adult, you cannot force me to...” 
“You are my daughter. And you will be my daughter till you live. Cha Eun woo is still single. He’s looking for a wife and you were promised to him a long, long time ago. “ 
“Dad.... she’s fucking hurt...she got shot like three days ago can you not do this right now...” Yugyeon had stood up, reaching out to actually shove my father away and he looked surprised for a second. 
He gave Yugyeom a glare but my brother didn’t back down, towering over my father easily. 
“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to sound insensitive but it just worries me that my only daughter is choosing to stay in an island full of beasts and getting mauled quite often . Isn’t this the second time you got attacked in that same cabin, by wolves?” 
“that doesn’t mean you can just offer me as a gift to one of your buddies.” I hissed. 
“He’s one of the richest men in Seoul....you should be on your knees thanking me for letting you so much as breathe near him.”
“Isn’t he a werewolf?” Yugyeom frowned in confusion. 
My father shrugged.
“I’ve since learned that your sister has a preference for them. Well if she’s going to spread her legs for an animal, better an animal I happen to hold the leash to....” He stared down at me with calculated cruelty. 
The crude words made nausea rise up in my throat and I almost dry heaved. 
“You’re not pimping me out to serve your own selfish purposes.” I shook my head. 
“He’s here. Outside. He’s going to stay here and he’s going to bring you back to his apartment in Seoul and you’re going to stay there with him. End of discussion. Yeom, I want you to come back to Seoul with me now. “
Yugyeom looked torn as he stared at me and I bit my lips. Yugyeom was still a kid, still in college. He couldn’t afford to antagonize my father.
“I’ll be fine. Go ahead.” I smiled. 
“I’ll send Eun Woo in.... “ My father nodded at me and then sighed. “ contrary to what you think, I don’t want you to hurt. I’m offering you a good life. Marry the fellow and spend your days lounging around in luxury. Thats hardly a punishment now, is it?” 
I turned my head away in disgust. 
Less than two minutes after he left, I felt a hand on my arm and I jolted.
“Mi Rae ssi.... I’m Eun Woo.” 
I glared at the man in front of me, barely looking at him. 
“I have no interest in being your wife.”
He looked bored at my outburst.
“I have no interest in indulging your  interests.  Your father is paying me handsomely to take you off his hands and that's all I’m doing. If you happen to be good at taking my knot, that's just gonna be a pleasurable bonus?” He pressed a thumb to my lips, stroking the skin in an almost gentle caress.  . 
A knock on the door made him pull away and I glanced up, relief flooding me when I saw it was Jungkook. 
“She’s going to have to rest now, Mr. Cha. Her father told me that he’s arranging her transfer to Seoul but that's going to have to wait for tomorrow at least. “ He was staring at the beta with narrowed eyes and Eun Woo bowed lightly. 
He shot me one leering glance before walking out casually.
“So...fiancee huh? You’ve been holding out on me...” Jungkook whispered thoughtfully and I flinched.
“Didn’t know he existed till five minutes ago..” I muttered. 
“Are you in trouble, Rae?” Jungkook looked worried and I hesitated, before shaking my head. 
“I’ll be fine. I can handle him. I just hate the thought of having to leave the preserve... even if its temporary. But I don’t want to annoy my dad right now... He’s... He can be irrational and i don’t want him to take it out on the Preserve and do something harmful to the research program itself , just to be petty.”
It was exactly the kind of thing he would do, too. My shoulder still had a lot of healing to do and it was unlikely that Cha Eun Woo would actually hurt me , at least till i got better. My dad, for all his anger was still rabidly protective of what he considered his. And i was definitely high on that list. 
“So you’re going then?” 
I caught the hint of disappointment in Jungkook’s tone.
“Aww....is my poor Jungkookie gonna miss me? If I weren’t sporting a broken rib and a messed up shoulder, I’d definitely, at least give you a handjob…” I waggled my eyebrows. 
Predictably, his eyes went wide , lips tinged fire engine red in a second. 
“Wha- Shut the fuck up, noona” He whined and I laughed. 
And then I sobered up when he sat next to me, linking his fingers with mine .
“I’m serious, Jungkook. I’m gonna be just fine. My dad’s upto something. If I stick close, I can at least figure out what he’s planning. I don’t want him to hurt you guys.” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Right little firecracker his daughter is. So fucking pretty and man, those lips. I’d like to take a drink from that....” Cha Eun Woo gripped the shot glass hard, throwing back the whiskey with practiced ease. 
Taehyung struggled to keep his features neutral. 
“ Yoon Jae hyun’s daughter? From the preserve?” He had meant to sound casual but he sounded like he was being strangled. 
Eun Woo hummed.
“ Yeah....Her name is... Mirin....no wait ? Lirae? Mirae? ….. whatever. Poor thing. Apparently she has a tendency to get mauled by wolves too often. She was in bad shape when i saw her. “ 
Taehyung felt his heart lurch at that. He had wanted nothing more than to sink his jaws into Seo Joon’s throat, when he’d heard what had happened. If it weren’t for his abysmally packed schedule he would have rushed there as soon as he could. 
 As it was he had talked to a few of his acquaintances who were in prison. Seo Joon was going to go to prison and he wasn’t going to be coming out alive. 
“So, she just.,...agreed to marry you then?” 
“Not like she had a choice. The old man is going senile. Dude really thinks he stands a chance with his whole Reform Camps proposition. Wants to put weres in concentration camps.... What the fuck, are we in the middle ages..? He also thinks that betas are naturally resentful of Alphas or some shit. Kept feeding me crap about how you alphas want to subjugate the rest of us. Of course the fucker’s feeding into my Hotels and resorts so i just nodded along and agreed to his shit. Next thing I know he’s offering me his daughter in return to me being an ally in his campaign.. Figured I’d agree. See if i could get some inside dirt on him. I know you’ve been trying to bring him down for years, Tae...” Eun Woo gave him a reassuring smile. 
Taehyung felt a jolt of pride for the beta. Cha Eun woo had been a close friend of his from childhood and he knew he would never betray their kind. He had worked hard to earn his position as one of the biggest tech moguls in the country and he stayed true to his roots. Taehyung liked Eun Woo.
Admired him even....
But the idea of him touching Mirae.....
His claws nearly popped out at the mere thought of it. 
“And well if I get to fuck a nice little human bitch in the process, so be it right Taeh- Fuck!! “ Eun Woo jumped when Taehyung’s claw popped right out, shattering the beer mug in his hand and spraying both of them with the frothy liquid.
“Fuck...” Taehyung groaned and to his utter horror his fangs had dropped as well, his words slurring around the lengthened canines and he felt embarrassment flood his face. . When was the last time he’d popped a fanger in the middle of a fucking conversation....not since he’d been through puberty.
“Uh...you okay, pal?” Eun Woo looked worried now, beta eyes flashing green as he stared at him and Taehyung waved him off. 
“Be uh... Be careful with the daughter.” He muttered , trying to sound nonchalant. 
Eun Woo just waved him off. 
“Whatever , I know the type Tae. Likes a good, feral fuck from a wolf that knows how to give it to her good, you know?. Could smell her all over the alpha doctor who works there... Jungkook was it? Yeah... Girl gets around a lot, i could tell. And you can just tell that she’s going to be so fucking tight when you knot her you know, i mean human bitches always are but those hips just look like they-” Eun Woo stopped, stunned when Taehyung suddenly shoved the table away from him, hard. The older gripped the table and stood up on shaky limbs. 
“ I need to get going...” Taehyung fought the urge to shift, his wolf warring inside him, snarling at him to shift and leap across the table and devour the man across from them. To lock his fangs on the beta’s throat and rip his jugular out. 
 He’s threatening our mate...... He’s talking about what is ours....
The voice in his head was so clear and concise that he nearly blacked out at the very force of it. 
Eun Woo was saying something behind him but Taehyung was moving swiftly , stumbling to the bar where Jimin was taking one of the shifts.
“I need to go home...” Taehyung choked out. “ Call....fuck... Call my chauffeur.” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Pre rut symptoms....are you fucking serious...?” Taehyung growled at the doctor taking his vitals. the man, long used to Taehyung’s intimidatingly deep voice, merely hummed. The man had been one of his father’s dearest friends. And one of Taehyung’s most trusted confidantes. 
“You’re body believes you mate is around. A mate you haven’t yet claimed. It’s reacting to it.” 
Next to him Ji hyun was looking disturbingly excited.
“It’s not you.” Taehyung snapped at the tall woman who recoiled in shock. Taehyung felt momentarily bad but the truth was he had been trying to break up with Ji hyun for a month now. The model was just so shamelessly clingy it was getting to him. and he most certainly did not want her around if he was going into rut. 
What he wanted was a luscious, chestnut-haired human with ebony eyes and a scent like heaven. 
Fuck... he was burning up and his skin felt like it was stretched thin. 
“You need to leave Ji hyun. I want to talk to the doctor alone.” He demanded and the were bowed, moving out of the room quickly. Taehyung turned back to the doctor. 
“So what do I do?” He demanded. “ I don’t.... my mate died two years ago. “
The doctor sighed.
“She was not your mate. I told you that already. She tricked you. She was wearing your mate’s scent but it wasn’t hers...” The doctor shook his head. 
Taehyung growled. 
“I fucking know that..... And I’m gonna fucking bury Yoon Jae hyun into the ground for what he did to me..... But I need to have my senses about me if I want to do that...Him and his entire drug cartel is coming down.....But. That's not gonna happen if i go into fucking rut  now.. so close to me taking over office. So tell me how to fix this. “ 
“Who is the girl?” The doctor said casually. 
“What?”
“the girl who smells like your wife. Like your mate. Who is she?”
Taehyung sighed. 
“Its Yoon Jae hyun’s daughter.” He muttered. 
Dr. Lee’s eyebrows shot straight up to his hairline. 
“Oh no... do you think he .... again?” 
Taehyung shook his head. He had distanced himself entirely from Mirae just to make sure he wasn’t being pulled into another fucking trap. But so far , from what he learned, the drug did not work on humans. There was no way a human’s scent could be manipulated to fool his wolf.
And that meant that it wasn’t a trap at all. 
His wolf really did find a mate in a fucking human of all things. 
God, he couldn’t believe the sheer irony of this. 
“it doesn’t work on humans. It is her scent. She’s... She’s the one I want.... “ He groaned. 
The doctor chuckled.
“ You mean, she’s the one your wolf wants?” 
Taehyung frowned.
“Isn’t that what i said?” 
“No, you said she’s the one you want and it makes me wonder.....do you perhaps....care for the girl?” 
Taehyung shook his head swiftly.
“I barely know her...she...she used to look after Luna. “ He finished. 
“Luna...? Interesting. “ The man’s words carried a hint of amusement and Taehyung felt his hackles rise. 
“ What does that tone mean?” 
“I’m just saying.... You don’t let people watch Luna that easily. You’re fiercely protective of your daughter. If you let this girl watch her, you must trust her at least.” 
Taehyung sighed. 
“I.. of course i trust her …. she’s a good girl.  A good....person...” 
“ I would suggest spending your rut with her. Claiming her if she’s interested. With you being you, I doubt she’s going to refuse.” The older man’s eyes fairly twinkled, 
“I’m not knotting her when I’m on my fucking rut …” He snapped. “ I’ll likely break her in two. “ 
The doctor chuckled. 
“It wouldn’t be a very pleasant experience for her, yes. But ….there's no reason why you can’t make it enjoyable for her. “ His tone turned gentle and more serious. “ Listen to me Taehyung-ah...… There is a reason wolves mate for life. We are not meant to be alone. If your wolf has found a mate, he’s not going to let you function till you claim her. That's just the way our body’s are built. You need to talk to her. Make some sort of arrangement. You have three weeks at the most before your rut hits and trust me you don’t want to be alone when that happens. “ 
Taehyung felt his insides churn at the prospect. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“No fucking shit.... You couldn’t have just told me that instead of letting me mouth off about her like that ? “ Eun Woo groaned , watching Taehyung with guilty eyes. 
Taehyung brushed him off. 
“It’s fine. I just.... can you just...keep her at your place till she gets better. I’m ...not in a good headspace right now and i don’t want to hurt her. she needs to recover.”
Eun Woo nodded.
“The doctor says three weeks and she’ll be fine. I’m a bit busy myself so I’ll just arrange for her brother to pick her up. Her dad’s busy meeting some suppliers. I sent the details to your men.... Did they get it?” 
Taehyung nodded. 
“The guy’s a bigger idiot than i thought. He’s actually met a few of these dealers himself. We just need one of them to ID him and he’s going to get locked up for life.” 
Eun Woo nodded.
“Everything by the book, Tae. We stick to the laws....no  bloodshed without cause and no one gets hurt. He likes to hide behind the fucking law when he’s trying to destroy our entire species , we’re gonna use that same ;law to rail him to the ground .” 
Taehyung grinned. 
“ Not just on the ground, Eun Woo. I’m gonna be putting him six feet under.” 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The recovery from my shoulder was surprisingly easy compared to the bruise on my ribs. Movement was difficult and it definitely hurt but my pain threshold had definitely gone up. It helped that Cha Eun Woo had stayed away from me and Yugyeom was on a three week break . We crashed out at his apartment and It was like being a kid again. 
We spent the days lounging by the indoor pool or playing video games. Yugyeom was a great cook and he liked cooking. 
Two and a half weeks after I had moved in, I was finally out of the sling. The physiotherapist visited me at the apartment and after making me move my hands well, she gave the go ahead to start my normal routine ahead. 
“I still want you to take it easy. Your ribs are healed and so is your shoulder but no roughhousing.... I’m only saying that because i know how it is i when siblings live together.” She smiled and I laughed, nodding. 
“I’ll make sure she’s resting well, noona.” Yugyeom said seriously. 
I closed the door as the doctor left, smiling as I watched Yugyeom trip over my sling on the couch, when the doorbell rang again.
Surprised , I turned back tot he door.
“ Did you forget something, Unnie-?” I froze in shock. 
Kim Taehyung stood leaning against the wall, looking like he had run all the way from his home across the city. 
“Taehyung-ssi?” I stammered out, taking in the untucked shirt, sweat drenched hair and flashing red eyes .
“I’m.... I fucked up.” He whispered, eyes fluttering shut. It took me a second to realize that he was falling and instinct made throw myself under him, holding my hands out to catch him. 
Pain shot straight up my shoulder as it took the entire brunt of his weight. The pain only lasted a second though, because Yugyeom was shoving me out of the way and grabbing the taller alpha by the waist.
“Holy shit....is this Kim Taehyung?” He looked awestruck as he stared at him and I felt my heart race. Taehyung seemed conscious but his breathing was raspy. 
I pressed my palm against his cheek and his eyes fluttered open .
“I’m... I need you.” Taehyung growled right at me. 
Yugyeom froze next to me and I felt my throat go dry. 
“I... sorry?” I squeaked out. 
“You...need you....under me... fuck...” 
“What the fuck, Rae?” Yugyeom hissed , face turning red as he tried to maneuver the alpha werewolf to the couch . 
I stayed frozen, having no idea what the fuck was going on.
Taehyung scrambled to a sitting position on the couch, gripping the cusions and he was paniting, his eyes wild as he stared right at me. 
“Mine.” His voice was ten times deeper than usual, fairly vibrating with power and Yugyeom went completely still. He was shaking as he reached for me, the terror evident in his face. 
“Oh, shit... Rae...is he....? Fuck , is he -” My little brother sounded terrified and I pulled him behind me. 
Taehyung’s eyes flashed red again and then they shifted to my brother. His gaze narrowed and his mouth opened. 
There was a split second when I knew exactly what was going to happen and I whirled around , grabbing Yugyeom and shoving him straight into the hallway leading to the front door.
“ YUGGIE, RUN!!!”  I screamed with all my might, and behind me Taehyung let out a vicious growl, pouncing across the room at my brother. Yugyeom managed to avoid him by a hairsbreadth and instinct made him move faster to the door but he stopped near the door looking terrified but torn. 
“ Rae...come with me,...come...” 
I stared at the alpha on the floor, my heart racing. 
Taehyung was clearly fighting against the wolf in him, trying to stay down, on his knees, fingers gripping the carpet to ground himself but the little growls that he let out told me that it was a fight he wasn’t winning. He looked up at me and there was so much pain and contrition in his gaze that I felt my heart break. 
“I’m...sorry...” Taehyung gasped out eyes fluttering shut. He was panting harder now, fingers clenched into fists around the carpet and voice ragged. i looked up at my baby brother and he looked so young and scared that I couldn’t stand it. 
“Its okay.... just go... I’ll be fine...he won’t hurt me... Just go...” I whispered desperately and Yugyeom shook his head.
“No... No... you’ve got to come with me... Rae...Noona....”
He never called me noona. I realized just how scared he was and tried to comfort him, but wary of going near him, lest Taehyung attack him again. 
“Yugyeom listen to me carefully. He’s on his rut. He’s not gonna hurt me, he just thinks I’m his mate. If you stay here he’s going to see you as a threat, so you need to leave..If I come with you he will hunt us down....I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself. You just need to go.” 
Yugyeom nodded, moving to the door and I turned back, feeling my stomach clench when Taehyung’s claws came out, tearing through our rug with ease. 
I heard the door shut behind me and I stayed perfectly still. 
Taehyung was still trembling and he finally looked up at me. Now that we were alone he was distinctly calmer. 
“I shouldn’t have come here.” He rasped out. 
I nodded. 
“So why did you?” I asked, staring at him as he stumbled to his feet. 
“You smell ....fuck you just smell like. ....like...”
“Like your wife, yes.” I muttered . “ So you want me to be stand in for your wife tonight?” 
Taehyung’s eyes shot up to stare at me. 
“My wife .... she worked for your father.” He choked out.
I straed at him, the blood running cold in my veins. 
“What?”
“Your father hired her.... to get rid of me. She... used a drug . A drug that confuses a wolf’s senses. Makes the wolf think he’s found his mate. Wolves cannot hurt or live without their mates. Its important to us.  She...She got pregnant on the night we mated and by the time I found out she was already carrying Luna and there was nothing I could do....I couldn’t...it wasn’t even a fucking bond.... I couldn’t sense her...couldn’t feel her...couldn’t muster any kind of affection for her but ... but she was carrying my baby and I just couldn’t bring myself to send her away......”
“Taehyung...” I whispered, remembering how Luna had talked about her father not liking her mother. 
“Its not natural for a wolf my age to be without a mate. But ....that scent ....I... I never picked up on it with anyone else till I... “ He sighed. 
“Till you met me.” 
“Till I met you.” 
I stared at the floor. 
“I’m not.... I’m not actually in rut yet. It’s still a day or so away. i didn’t want to come here but.... I’m supposed to be taking over the office in three days. When I do, I can finally use my position to bring your father down. He is using his drug dealers and suppliers to mess with our biology and its ...something sacred to us. Wolves mate for life and to make a wolf doubt his ability to choose his mate is the worst kind of sacrilege.....”
“What do you want me to do?”
He stared at me....
“If I go into rut and I don’t have.... my mate ...it’s going to fuck me up. I don’t wanna go into the gory details but I most certainly will not be able to take over the office. ” He laughed without mirth. 
There was nothing else to be said , was there?
“You have no right..... asking me to do this.....” I whispered , angry . 
“I know.... I know and if you say no, I will walk out this door and you will never see me again.” 
I laughed. 
“I think you came here because you knew. “
He didn’t respond.
“You fucking knew I wouldn’t be able to say no to you. “ 
His gaze was steady as he stared at me.
“I’ll take care of you.... I won’t...this isn’t a one night stand or a no strings attached thing, Rae..... You will be mine. I’ll be yours. “ 
“And yet, your eyes tell me that there is nothing you hate more, than standing here asking me to be your mate......” I said bitterly.
He didn’t deny it. 
“Will you come with me , then?”
I stared at his handsome face , the surreal beauty of it. And I thought of my father and how he wanted only to destroy anything that he didn’t understand. If Taehyung was going to bring my father down , I wasn’t going to be the thing that stopped him from doing it. 
“Let me get my clothes.” 
AUTHOR’S NOTE : IT WAS EASIER GIVING BIRTH THAN WRITING THIS FIC 
just kidding i love werewolf tae. Please let me know what you thought uwu
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mediocre-writerr · 3 years
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invisible string [quinn fabray]
quinn fabray x reader
requested by anon: Hey, I love your writing and I loved Quinn Fabray's miniseries. Could you do a sequel to "Betty", maybe Quinn and the reader meeting in episode 100 and giving them a second chance? I would love :)
pt.1  pt.2 pt.3
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*not my gif*
There was once a old folklore. It once said that everyone had an invisible string tying one to their soulmate.
A simpler term for it would be fate.
That everyone decision, good or bad, would lead you to that one person.
The invisible gold string would drag you out of the wrong arms, wrapped all of your past mistakes, and chained your demons back. The one single thread would lead them to you, no matter how far you’ve strayed.
Not many people believe in it anymore because of the time. The time that it takes for the invisible string to tie one another together took far too long, maybe that’s why you didn’t believe anymore.
There you were back at McKinley High School. When Mr. Shue told you that the glee club was shutting down and you were having one last hoorah, you did not hesitate to book a first flight home.
Walking down the hallway with your classic olive green cardigan that made you feel like you seventeen again and straight back into the classroom that made you feel like home.
And there she was the beautiful blonde who held your heart and dropped it all at once, “Y/N,” she let out a breath as her eyes caught on yours.
“Hey Quinn,” you told her with a shy smile, “Long time no see,”
“Yeah, how has college at Penn State?” she asked as the two of you made small conversation in the middle of the choir room.
You shrugged, “It’s been nice, I don’t know if it’s everything I’ve dreamed it would be, but it’s good. How’s Yale?”
The two of you didn’t live far, it wasn’t all the way across the country. It was driving across a few state lines, but you never hung out. In fact, you barely talked after the two of you had broken up.
“Good, good. It uh feels like I’m missing something, but I don’t think I would change my decision,” she told you and you nodded.
She was about to say something else when you heard someone scream your name, “Y/N!” Sam yelled as he rushed over towards you.
You broke out into a big smile as he picked you up from off the ground, spinning you around and around. You let out a hearty laugh as he set you down.
“I’ve missed you!” he told you as he let go.
You smiled, “I’ve missed you too, bud. I wish our third musketeer was still here with us,” you said with a sad smile.
He let out a sigh, “I know, me too,” he turned to Quinn who looked hurt and jealous at the same time. Do you know why? No, but she always has been hard to read.
“Hey Quinn,” he said, giving her a tight hug.
She hugged him back with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, “Hey Sam, I’m gonna go catch up with Mercedes. I’ll catch the two of you later,”
You and Sam looked at each other with furrowed brows before eventually shrugging it off.
You thought that coming back here would bring back loads of bad memories from the cheating to the heartbreak to losing Finn, but it didn’t. As the day went on you remembered why you fell in love with her in the first place.
The way she sang, so full of heart. When she crinkled her nose as she smiled. Or how big her heart is for people she actually lets in.
And at first you weren’t too sure, but when the nostalgia of the club forced you guys to sing your iconic duet, it just hit you harder than before.
“I think we need the iconic rendition of Everything Has Changed from Quinn and Y/N,” Mercedes admitted and your heart immediately stopped.
You looked at Quinn who was already staring at you, like she was seeking approval, “Let’s give the people what they want,”
You grabbed your guitar playing the soft acoustic intro, as she stood on the opposite side of the room, both of you unable to look away from the other.
“All I knew, this morning when I woke is I know something now, know something now, I didn’t before. And all I’ve seen since eighteen hours ago is green eyes and freckles in your smile in the back of my mind, making me feel like,” she began to sing and you forgot how soothing her voice was. Like everything in the world kind of faded away at the sound of her voice.
As the song went on the two of you closed the gap between you until you were face to face. The only thing separating the two of you was the guitar that was wrapped across your body.
“All I know is we said ‘hello’ and your eyes look like coming home. All I know is a simple name and everything has changed. All I know is you held the door, you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours. All I know since yesterday is everything has changed,” the two of you sang.
You couldn’t tear your eyes away from her only doing so when they averted to her lips. Like two puzzle pieces that were supposed to fit together, you were about to connect when the sound of clapping tore you from each other. And with one last lingering look, you broke the gaze as everyone was clapping and smiling like we were all seventeen again.
You didn’t know what to do though. Finn was usually the one to give you advice, but he wasn’t here, so you did the second best thing. The boys locker room was empty as his football jersey hung proudly on the wall. The big number five just staring back at you.
“Hey buddy, I’m in kind of a dilemma right now,” you told him honestly, “And I really wish you were actually here to tell me what to do. You were always good at that,”
He probably would’ve chuckled at what you said, recalling the time where he told you to not eat that funnel cake on senior ditch day before the rollercoaster, but you did anyway and puked all over his shoes.
“I think I’m still in love with Quinn and that absolutely terrifies me. I don’t want to get hurt again,” you whispered, tears staring to sting your eyes when you realize he’s not gonna be there to hug you.
“I’ve been so scared to put myself back out there and when I do it just feels like no one compares to him. And God I wish you could be here right now to tell me what to do because you would know, you always did,”
That’s when you heard someone clear their throat. You looked to find the source of the noise, seeing Coach Beiste standing there next to the office door.
“Hey pumpkin, do you mind if I sit here?” she asked as she pointed to the empty seat on the bleacher.
All you did was nod, before wiping your eyes, “I’m sorry, I know I’m not supposed to be here,”
“Eh it’s okay. You aren’t the first girl who’s come in here to talk to him,” she told you with a shrug.
“Rachel come in here too?” you asked.
She shook her head, “Nope,” she popped the ‘p’ in the word, “Quinn, turns out she needed advice of her own and she asked him a question,”
“About?” you asked, curiously.
“I can’t tell you that,” she confessed. 
“Hey Finn,” Quinn told him, staring at the jersey that was hanging on the wall, “God I don’t think I ever stopped loving her. Actually I know I never stopped loving her, but I’m so scared Finn. I don’t know if she’ll give me a shot or anything, but I don’t want to hurt her,” she confessed.
There was a moment of silence, before she continued on again. 
“I’m so scared that I’m gonna hurt her again and she doesn’t deserve that. But if I don’t tell her how I feel then she’s gonna be the one who got away,” she contemplated it for herself for a second, “Do I have your blessing to love her again? I know how much she meant to you. If you do give me a sign, anything,” 
She sat there on the bench for a moment before something fell off the shelf. She let our a teary laugh, “Thank you,” 
After a little more time she left the room as Coach Beiste left her office to pick up the towel that she dropped. 
“I know I’m not Finn, but do you mind if I give you some advice?”
“Please, I really need it right now,”
She smiled, rubbing your back, “Go for it. If Finn was here he’d tell you something like ‘don’t give up on something that would be good for you’. And I bet if he could come down here right now and tell you one piece of advice it would be dont take life for granted. Don’t let the love of your life slip away like he did. I think that was his one big regret, not being with Rachel before he passed. I think he wants you to be happy,”
“And my advice the two of you are mature now. All of the negative emotions and feelings are easier to talk out now. So talk and just go for it, life’s too short to waste another second,” she told you and you smiled at her with teary eyed.
“I miss him,” I whispered, staring back at the jersey on the wall. 
“Me too, pumpkin, me too,” 
After a few more minutes, you hopped back onto your feet and went to find Quinn. You searched every hallway and every classroom for Quinn, but came up empty. Until you found her outside by the football field. There was a little tree made out in his honor, she was looking at it, just staring, contemplating everything.
“Quinn!” you shouted and her head shot up to the name of her voice.
You were making a bee-line straight for her, “Y/N are you-” but you cut her off and kissed her. Your hands grasping her cheeks and pulling her towards you. 
The two of you pulled away and looked at each other, “Everyone deserves a second chance,” 
“Are you sure?” she asked you, a small smile on her face.
“Very, very sure,” 
The invisible string tied her to you. 
284 notes · View notes
quicksilverrwrites · 3 years
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𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: peter maximoff x reader 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: it’s your first date with peter maximoff, and the tension between the two of you has been building for weeks. you share a passion like no other, and there's only one place this date can go: the dark back alley of the arcade, a place where no soul dare to go lest they bare the damned title of 'staff'. or quicksilver and scribe, i guess. you pick. 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 4.4k 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: 18+, sexual innuendos, peter and reader are early to mid twenties, british reader (sorry americans <3), make out scene and sexual attraction 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: the character that features as y/n in my fics is known by the mutant name “scribe” and is charles xavier’s niece.
Your date with Peter comes around the corner faster than you thought it would considering you’re not exactly the typical ‘student’ at Xavier’s School.
You’d thought it would take forever for the week to pass: typically, you spend your time waiting for your friend group to get out of lessons. You’re older, having graduated school when you lived in the United Kingdom, so the only lessons you attend are that of Power Efficiency, Mutant Physiology and Ethics, the latter two being optional and studied merely out of interest. The rest of your schedule consists of a lot of free time. You don’t work—with all the money you have, why would you? Uncle Charles keeps nagging you to do something with your time, something productive, but after what you went through in England with your father…
Making friends here was difficult enough. Dealing with your powers in a new situation—coming to this school—was enough. You’re not exactly an extrovert, either, which is why you’re so surprised that you and Peter click so well.
He’s eccentric and annoying and perfect. Okay, perhaps not perfect in a literal sense, but to you he is. Sure, his leather jacket kind of smells from age and sometimes he talks so fast that you find yourself struggling to keep up, but you find it endearing. And oh, those eyes—you could watch how they light up when he’s super excited about something forever, you think.
He’s the best thing that’s happened to you in a while. You wonder if Charles knew what he was doing when he made Peter your buddy upon your arrival at this institute, but in reality, you know it’s because you’re both the oldest students—almost-students?—at this school. Besides, Charles has seen the two of you work together as a chaotic duo, and you’ve heard the sighs and mutterings of the man when he’s been most exasperated because of the both of you. Why, you think, grinning at your reflection in the mirror, would he ever put himself through that chaos if he could avoid it? The first prank you articulated together was the beginning of many, and you’ve practically been inseparable since you first arrived here.
First it was friendship. Then… yeah, it didn’t take much at all to blossom into something more.
You look good, you think, smoothing down Peter’s Rush tee as it hangs oversized on your body. You look really good. Your style is what would be expected of Charles’ niece even despite the fact that you’ve only ever met him a few times in your life: classy, 10% preppy, academic to a fault. You typically match your clothes to the colour of your powers: blue, but azure in particular. Sometimes pastel blue. You’re particular like that. But tonight you’ve opted for something different. Something a little more… Peter.
Your hair falls naturally past your shoulders, and the cool sleeves of a black leather jacket—your father’s leather jacket, the only leather jacket you own—hang from your shoulders while the jacket itself stops at your thighs. It's too big for you. You’ve paired a black skirt with the shirt, but it’s free flowing and a soft material that practically blends in with Peter’s top. Your boots are chunky platforms, black, and this is the darkest your outfit has been in a while.
It still feels… you, though. It feels right. Maybe because Peter feels right, and you stole this tee from him after you stayed over that night in his basement when it was pouring with rain. You both knew you could’ve opened up a portal to get back to your dorm, but neither of you wanted that.
You both want this, though. You both want each other.
The very acknowledgement of that fact forces you to take a steadying breath in, but the sound of a knock at your door makes your breath stammer. You look at the clock frantically. Is he here already? You both agreed on seven thirty, and it’s only seven. You had a schedule. Arcade, dinner, and whatever was left for after. Maybe a kiss if you work up the courage. Your heart hammers in your chest at the thought. But—
“Ah—hello?” A familiar voice sounds from the door. You breathe a sigh of relief: Kurt. “I came to see if you needed help with anyzi—”
You cross the room to the door and open it before Kurt can finish his sentence.
Kurt grins. As usual it’s a sheepish grin, but there is excitement in his eyes.
“Excited?” Kurt asks. “I vould be if I vere going on a date with ze magnificent Quicksilver.”
You grin at him and roll your eyes, ushering him in the room before you close the door behind you. “Don’t say that in the hallway!” You scold him, not entirely serious. “Anyone could be listening.”
Kurt raises his eyebrows. “Could it be that you are embarrassed?”
Your eyes widen, brows rising too. “No! It’s just—it’s nice now that things between us are private. And… I want to take things slow. I’ve been on dates before, and when you tell people about it it’s always the same thing: when are you going to do this? When are you going to do that? I don’t want to be pressured. And explaining my reasoning to want to take things slow is almost as tiring as actually working myself up into confidence so that I’m not nervous the entire time—”
“You definitely seem nervous.”
You scowl at your friend. “I am not nervous.”
“Your cheeks are red.”
At that, you know your face is starting to flush as red as a tomato. “You are insufferable sometimes.”
Kurt grins. “A few weeks ago, I vould have been hurt to hear you say this.”
You scoff, batting him playfully on the arm. “Are you going to walk me down to the common room or not?”
Kurt’s face takes on an air of confusion. “Ze common room? Why there?”
You shrug softly. “Peter is meeting me there.”
Kurt’s eyes light up with amusement. “Ah,” he responds, and you know by the exaggerated upwards tilt of his head that the next words out of his mouth are going to be sarcastic. “Very discreet, yes. I bet he will bring flowers.”
You scoff once more, parting your lips in playful annoyance as you turn to leave the room, but Kurt appears in front of you before your hand reaches the doorknob. He opens the door, extends his hand to you when his back is pressed against it, and the bow he delivers is nothing but formal. Gentlemanly. He probably learned it in the circus. You give him a teasingly formal nod as you accept his fingers in your own.
The door closes behind you, locks with a wave of your hand, and with a deep breath, the two of you venture down the halls of the manor.
***
You hear the sounds of people cursing at Peter before you actually see Peter.
You and Kurt turn to look at the double doors which lead into the common room at the same time, but Peter comes to a speedy stop in front of the both of you before you can even track his movements… and Peter’s eyes glaze over your appearance, your outfit, as his face pales.
You smirk at the sight of it. You know he likes it. Likes seeing you in his clothes. He looked at you the same way when you first walked out of the bathroom attached to the basement in his tee and grey shorts after that night in the rain. He had slept on the sofa then, had given you his bed, but he’d mentioned to you a couple of days after that his sheets still smelled like a mix of him and you.
You knew then that he couldn’t get the image of you wearing his clothes out of his head.
His outfit isn’t a change from what he usually wears, but he still looks amazing. Hot. The sight of him takes your breath away every time you see him. Silver-and-black jacket, white tee with a band insignia on it, and leather pants with his silver shoes. You can’t forget the goggles on his head, either. But—wait, no, there is something different. A sort of smell.
“What are you wearing?” You ask, the end of your sentence tinged with laughter.
Peter glances down at his outfit. “What?” He asks, confusion—and the slightest bit of worry?—in his gaze. “What's wrong with this?”
“No, silly,” you laugh, “your aftershave. What is it?”
It’s the very definition of seventies musk. It’s musky, leathery, and there’s the faintest smell of whiskey. He’s put way too much on, but your mother always used to complain about how much perfume you put on, too. You’re wearing it now: it’s sweet with the air of something more expensive. Valentino.
When you asked the lady in the store to let you try the ones which smelled sweet like vanilla, this was the first one she showed you. Out of the eight you had the choice of, you were sold on the very first one. You know that the best way to get a guy to fall for you is to smell sweet like candy—it reminds them of their childhood. Or in Peter’s case, you guess it might just remind him of twinkies. You know he loves those.
Peter’s cheeks flush red, and he lowers his head as he laughs. “Oh, man. My mom was right. I really stink, huh?”
You can’t help but laugh: a genuine laugh, teeth in your smile and all. You stand from the sofa you were sitting on with Kurt, and you realise only then that he’s already disappeared. You feel a twinge of guilt for not noticing earlier, but you forgive yourself for that: it is your date night, and Kurt is forever polite.
“You smell great, Peter,” you say, and it’s not entirely a lie. He doesn’t smell bad — it’s better than the leather jacket smell. “And I’m excited for our,” you glance around, whispering, “date.”
Peter’s eyes light up at that. “Right. Date. You mind if I—?”
He gestures to your neck. Whiplash. Right. You shake your head. “Just don’t mess up my hair.”
He blinks at you. “Do you realise how much of a challenge that is?”
Your smile is sickly sweet and riddled with sarcasm. “You’ll figure it out.”
His expression goes slack. He likes it when you do that; when you’re mean to him. You’re a lovely person typically—you reached the lucky end of the trauma spectrum, the opposite of which being the angry side which could’ve made you an arse—but it’s so easy to tease Peter. You like the power in being able to wrap him around your finger. You’ve never had this power over any man before, and after feeling powerless for so long, it's thrilling.
Peter clears his throat, steps towards you, and you swear he’s trying to use the lightest touch possible as he steadies your neck and places a shaky hand on your waist—
And then you’re off.
The world is barely more than a blur. You can’t keep up. Just as you think you’ve gotten used to it, Peter turns a corner—or at least you think that's what happens, because that’s how you would describe the sensation of being almost jolted to the side. And just when you think you can’t take any more, he stops. You’re in the mall, right outside the blue-walled and darkly lit arcade.
Peter’s hands move gently from your body and you lean your hands against your thighs to try to stop the world from spinning. You’ve gotten used to the nauseating feeling this sort of travel gives you now, but you’re not used to the dizziness.
“You okay?” Peter asks, and you can see out of the corner of your eye that he’s assessing you for any potential damage. His hand hovers over your back as if he’s afraid to overstep his bounds, but you would lean into his touch any day.
“Yeah,” you breathe, slowly easing upwards. “I’m good.”
Peter glances over your face in another silent check before he nods. “You ready to get your ass kicked?”
You gape at him. Yeah, that sarcastic comment has knocked the dizziness right out of you. “Oh, you’re on.”
You’re less confident than you seem, but you don’t think Peter picks up on it as he grins and bouncily makes his way into the Arcade. You follow him, shoulder brushing against his as you catch up to his gait, because luckily you both walk fast. He turns to look at you and smiles, softer this time, and you almost get caught up in the softness of his eyes before your heart stammers, your throat closes up, and—
Oh, god. You’re not good with this. The romance. It makes you tense and nervous.
You turn away from him, hands wrapping around the controls of the nearest arcade game. “I call shotgun.”
Peter laughs and comes to a stop next to you. “I know you’re British and that makes you, like, socially awkward, but that only applies to cars.”
You nudge him in the side—hard, but not hard enough to really do damage. He hisses in annoyance, muttering jeez, lady, under his breath. You ask, “Are you really going to deny me my request on our date?”
Peter grins at you, fingers clenching around the neighbouring controls. “Depends. What do I get out of it?”
You smirk at him, your heart fluttering in your chest. “A kiss or two at the end of this, perhaps.”
You watch Peter’s adam’s apple bob. “Per—perhaps?”
You grin. “Depends how you behave.”
You don’t need to read thoughts like your uncle to know that Peter has to be telling himself to breathe. Because it seems like an awful lot of effort for him to successfully inhale and exhale, and he doesn’t say anything before he slams a coin—a quarter? you don’t understand American money—into the machine and the BEGIN GAME screen buzzes to life.
It’s pretty hard for you to catch your breath as you both play in silence, too.
Eventually, conversation picks back up again. A sarcastic comment. The occasional compliment. Peter’s good at these games, but so are you. Arcade stand after arcade stand, his teasing remarks make your heart flutter… as well as something deeper within you, too. You’ve never felt attraction like this before, and truthfully, it’s driving you wild.
“Dad wasn’t around much back home,” you reveal, your eyes glued to the avatar on the screen as it darts around, “so I had a lot of time to kill. The arcade became my home. So yeah, it’s safe to say I can easily kick your arse.”
“Arse,” he teases, mimicking the way you speak. “Trying to let me let you win with a sob story, Xavier? Nah, not going to work.”
You gape at him, taking your eyes off the screen for a mere second, but Peter takes the opportunity to kill your avatar for good. With mock outrage, you quip, “I was not trying to do that!”
He grins at you, his eyes glowing purple and red in the light of your dying avatar. “Ah,” he whispers, “victory tastes sweet.”
You press your lips together in defeat, and then you sigh as you take your hand in his. “Come on. I want a slushie.”
Peter lets you drag him away, and the two of you settle down at the food stand in the arcade as the lights around you buzz blue and purple.
You like the lighting in here, you think, as you step up to the worker. “Two slushies, please,” you tell him, smiling politely. “One red and blue for me, and Peter—?”
“All of them,” he says, nodding towards the flavours.
You part your lips in surprise. All of them? There are about eight flavours up on that display, and you know it’s all going to melt into a mess of slush that barely tastes like anything other than sugar. But the worker has obviously been asked for worse, because he just shrugs and gets to work. One pump, two pumps, three pumps—he goes through them all with the finesse of someone who has worked at a place like this for far too long, and when he hands you your simple two-flavoured slushie in comparison to Peter's complex one, you feel like a bit of a slushie fraud.
You go to reach into your pocket to grab your card, but Peter pays in cash before you can get it out. The cashier gives him a dollar and seventy two cents change, and your date nods in thanks to the cashier before he turns to you with a grin that’s more genuine than cheeky. “My treat.”
You lower your gaze to hide how wide your smile is as you laugh. “Thanks, Peter.”
He nods, and the two of you stand there awkwardly for a second, you sucking innocently on your straw as he stares at you, before he looks at the table and chairs nearby. He clears his throat. “Wanna sit?”
You shrug politely and he pulls out a chair for you. Gentleman. Did his mother give him a run-down of what to do and what not to do before he came here? Probably. You smile at him, your insides warming as you sit down in your seat. This slushie is good, you think, slurping it up through the straw as Peter takes a seat opposite you.
He takes a sip of his drink before he asks, “So the thing about your dad. I know it’s a sore subject considering…” He raises his brows, and you know he means the reason you came here. “But do you mind if I—?”
“No,” you say, shaking your head. You have too much slushie in your mouth, though, so your words are slurred and you smile bashfully as you cover your lips. Sorry, your look says, but he just grins at you.
Peter forces himself to look away, to turn serious again, as he scratches at a loose bit of film on the table. “Why wasn’t he around? Like, the deadbeat dad kind of thing, or…?”
You shake your head. This time, when you speak, you’ve cleared the slushie from your mouth. Your voice is a bit hoarse from the cold as you respond, “No. He worked a lot. He was either in Germany or the Middle East or—somewhere. Mom has a temper, so I found the arcade was a better place to be than home. It’s easy to lose yourself in the games here.”
Peter nods slowly, his head tilting up in a way that indicates thoughtfulness. It’s nice that he’s memorising your words. Nice that he actually cares. That means more to you than anything. “Well, that makes two of us. Absent fathers, I mean, and moms…?”
You grin at him. He's talked about his father before, but always in vague detail. You respond, “Almost-there moms. Just emotionally absent, at least for me. Maybe stunted is the right word.”
Peter lets out a sound between a noise like phew and a laugh. “Harsh, Y/N. No sugarcoating it there.”
You shrug softly, lowering your gaze to your drink. “Sometimes I wonder if…”
Your sentence trails off, and out of the corner of your eye, you see Peter tilt his head. But he doesn’t say anything. Just lets you take your time as he continues picking at the table.
You force a breath. “Sometimes I wonder if what happened… happened for the best. Between the three of us, nobody was happy. But then I think of what I did to him and it’s just—”
“Hey,” Peter says, and across the table, his hand reaches out to splay across yours. “For people like us—mutants,” he says, his tone lowering at the end of his sentence, “stuff like this is inevitable. But, uh… Charles has kinda helped me see that it’s the first step towards controlling this sort of thing. The first step to doing something better. And hell, Y/N, you’re already, like, rockin’. So you only have further to go.”
Your brows furrow in surprise at his words, your eyes turning doe-like at his reassurances. “You don’t think I’ve already hit rock bottom?”
Peter laughs. “You’ve got too much money for that. I've seen you blow two-fifty on curtains. Still don't know how I watched you do it."
You let out a laugh, and that’s when you properly acknowledge the skin to skin contact. His touch makes your body feel like it’s on fire. Your shoulders roll back as your thumb brushes against his knuckle, and Peter’s eyes dart down to your fingers before he looks right back up at you. He looks nervous, like his heart is thudding just as hard as yours.
“I like this,” you whisper. “Thank you.”
Peter lets out a huff of laughter, though from the sound of it, it’s an attempt to hide his nerves. “It’s only a slushie, Xavier."
Your laughter mimics his own, and you press your lips together as your eyes dart between his eyes and lips. You want to kiss him. You’ve never wanted to kiss somebody more. It’s like you could push him up against the wall and kiss him here and now without caring what anybody thinks, and you’ve never had that feeling before.
Peter’s throat bobs again. He’s staring at you in the same way, and you can feel the tension between the two of you as your chest tightens. But you can’t kiss here—not with the table between you, not when one of you will probably spill a slush puppy or both of them, or—
“Another game?” Peter says, his voice hoarse.
You blink the lust out of your eyes. Another game. Yeah—another game, and your slush puppy will melt between and it’ll be easier to drink, and then—
And then you can both get out of here.
You’ve never wanted to leave an arcade more.
The tension cools down a little as you play more games, but it rises as soon as you make a comment about his frantic button mashing movements; something like—
“I hope that’s not the technique you use in bed,” you tease.
Peter chokes, and needless to say, you win that game.
You keep playing until your slushies are finished. Peter finishes his before you, but he lets you have a sip before in order to try it. It’s just as you expected—a sugary mess with the strongest flavour being lime. It’s disgusting, but Peter merely grins at the sight of your face as you grimace at its sour taste.
You’re well aware of the way his gaze rakes up and down your body as you try to finish the rest of your slushie as fast as you can. You’re lingering now; the two of you want to get out of here, dinner be damned. His gaze hugs the curve of your body and lingers on your bare legs, your skin smooth and shaven, the boots you wear only elongating them—
“You look great, by the way,” Peter comments.
You look up at him while still sipping from that straw, and apparently the motion and the eye contact is too much for him. He looks away and mutters something under his breath, something you can’t hear over the beeping of the games and the music playing over the sound effects.
You slam the slushie cup down on the table next to you both with an air of achievement. “What?” You say almost teasingly. You know you’re driving him insane, and even though you’re hardly doing anything, this has been building up for weeks.
“Nothing,” Peter says.
Before you know it, his hand is at your neck and you’re in a different spot entirely.
It’s a short journey this time so you’re not dizzy. You’re still in the arcade, surrounded by the same blue walls and purple-hued lighting. But this area is darker and tucked away, and there’s a door nearby. Probably a staff entrance. This is somewhere you shouldn’t be, but for once, you’re not afraid of breaking the rules.
“The cups,” you comment teasingly. “We should clean them up.”
Peter lets out a breath. “Y/N,” he says, “I—"
“Kiss me,” you blurt out. “Please.”
Peter wastes no time in fulfilling your request.
He’s on you in a heartbeat, lips pressed against yours as his fingers rest at your neck. Innocent, sweet, and yet filled with a sort of passion that sets your lungs and chest ablaze. You can’t help the noise of content that slips from your lips as he backs you up against the wall, and you can’t help but think that this is so unlike him, but—no. No, this is what he’s been keeping buried down for weeks. It's the same for you, too. This is what he’s wanted to do to you for a while now.
This is only half of what he’s wanted to do to you for a while now.
You gasp as his tongue slips out against yours, and your own darts out in response to the sensation. You press your body flush into his, the both of you heated and warm from the feel of one another, and your jacket is quickly getting too hot to keep on any longer. It’s cool in here with the air conditioning, but even so the two of you are ablaze and alive and—
“Y/N” Peter whispers against your lips, his nose brushing against yours as he pants for breath, “d’you think we could leave dinner for tonight?”
Your body talks for you before your mind can register what he says. "Yes," you breathe, and then you pull him back to you.
His lips are on yours and there is nothing either of you need to say as his fingers roam down your shoulders, your arms, moving to your waist. He avoids your breasts and you’re grateful for that; despite how much your body might burn for him, you know that would make you feel like an object, like he only wants you for sex—like your mother has told you countless times before.
But as you and Peter kiss in the belly of that arcade, you think you might have found the one. The first person you can finally trust.
It might be the first date and you might want to take things slow, but this feels too good to pass up. Too good to lose. And because of that, you don't plan on letting him go—
Not unless he wants you gone first.
Not until a member of staff kicks you guys out, at least.
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nightingaelic · 3 years
Note
Fallout 3 companions react to the Lone Wanderer getting in contact with the Followers of the Apocalypse and asking to join them. (Possibly resulting in the creation of a Capital Wasteland chapter of the Followers?)
With the Enclave in full retreat and the Brotherhood of Steel officially installed at the Jefferson Memorial and Adams Air Force Base, the kid from Vault 101 seemed to be adrift. They wandered from Megaton to Underworld, Canterbury Commons to Rivet City, helping those they met along the way as they always had but growing more and more despondent with each passing day. "It's just me out here," they would mutter to themselves occasionally, after particularly tough run-ins with raiders or wasteland vermin. "What am I supposed to do?"
That question didn't have an easy answer, or so they thought. Then, like a lighthouse cutting through fog, a summons on Galaxy News Radio brought them to Three Dog, who parked the Lone Wanderer in an office chair and jammed a set of headphones over their ears. The kid talked for days, tuned to different frequencies, scribbled notes on every piece of paper within reach, and their missing smile gradually returned. When they finally stood up and gathered their thoughts together, a new dream came from their lips like a sermon: "There's a group on the West Coast that heard about me. They're called the Followers of the Apocalypse, and they help people. They like what I've done so far, and they want me to start a chapter here in the Capital Wasteland. I want to do this."
Butch DeLoria: Butch stared at them, flabbergasted. "You... haven't we... what more do you think you owe to these people?"
The kid he used to bully sighed. "What do I owe to anybody, Butch? This isn't about settling a debt. I think it's pretty clear now that I can make changes around here, big changes, and this is just another opportunity to do that."
"But why?" Butch pulled out a comb and ran it through his hair, visibly anxious. "So you purified the water, ran those Enclave upstarts out of town. Leave it there. Kill anyone who tries to jump you on the road, and stop worrying about everyone else."
"I..." The Lone Wanderer clenched their fist, unclenched it. "I can't. If I can make things better for everyone, I have to."
"Well that's not what Tunnel Snakes are about," Butch replied angrily. He seized his traveling pack, shook out his leather jacket and headed for the radio station's door. "You change your mind, you can find me at the Muddy Rudder."
The door slammed behind him. Three Dog, who'd been eavesdropping from the next room, poked his head in. "Is your friend coming back?"
"Ugh." The Lone Wanderer sank into their chair again. "Give it an hour or two. He'll come around. Probably when he runs into the super mutants in Georgetown."
Charon: Charon nodded. "As you wish."
The Lone Wanderer pressed a hand to their forehead in exasperation. "Okay, I tried to phrase that as openly as I could so I could get your thoughts, but I realize now that I should've just said... Charon, what do you actually think about this idea?"
The ghoul shrugged. "I don't."
"Come on Charon, there has to be something-"
"Fine." Charon rolled his eyes. "It's more of the same. More time on the road, more time building up and securing settlements, more time spent fending off attacks from those who want your stuff. I'd say you're also more likely to die, but you've defied my expectations before."
"And..." the Lone Wander pressed. "Are you okay with that?"
Charon, who was still unused to this kid's attempts to include him in decision-making, glared at them. "I am."
They studied each other silently. The Lone Wanderer broke first. They always did. "I'm not going to order you to do this with me."
"You don't have to," Charon reassured them. Half-facetious, half-sincere. "That's not how this works."
Clover: Clover examined her nails, clearly not that interested. "So what's the angle, lover?"
"Clover..." the Lone Wanderer hesitated. "What if it's not an angle? What if we just... did this?"
Clover stuck her tongue out playfully. "Whatever, honey. You probably have some scam cooked up already. Lure them out here, take their stuff, feed them to a deathclaw... you're such a tease."
"Uh-huh." Her companion crossed their arms. "A real scam. Like that time I used a GECK to purify the DC basin. Or that time I led a giant robot to fight the Enclave and eventually took over their crawler. Or that time I rescued a bunch of slaves from Paradise Falls. Clover, we've been on the road together a while. You know I'm not like that."
"I know, I know..." Clover trailed off and looked away. "S'just that I need a good story to tell when you take me back to Eulogy. Otherwise..."
The Lone Wanderer dropped their headset and took her hand. "You're not going back there. Ever. You hear me? You don't belong to that motherfucker anymore. You don't belong to anyone."
Clover still couldn't meet their gaze, but her eyes filled up with tears. "Mmm-hmm. Sure, lover."
Star Paladin Cross: The Star Paladin smiled. "I've encountered the Followers. They bring a noble cause to the wasteland, even if they stretch themselves too thin."
"Well, the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood is stretched too thin right now." The chapter's newest Knight sank back against the desk they'd been tethered to for the better part of the last 48 hours. "Scribe Bigsley is tearing his hair out about water caravans, the Enclave still has holdouts in the area, and Elder Lyons..."
They trailed off and sighed. "We need help. I don't know if I can be a Follower and a Knight, but I know they're more open to working with me because of Elder Lyons' decision to break with the High Elders. We have the same mission: To help the people of the wasteland."
"Our missions are similar, but there are a few fundamental differences," Cross corrected them. "The Followers emphasize the sharing of knowledge and learning, while the Brotherhood seeks to protect it. That said, your assessment of the Elder's decision for our chapter is apt. Perhaps we have opened ourselves up to common ground, in our desertion of our primary mission."
"Right." The Lone Wanderer nodded. "We're deserters. Let's use it. I'll start making plans and a list of potential recruits. I'll start with Reilly's Rangers and the Temple of the Union and get some leads."
Dogmeat: The mutt that accompanied the Lone Wanderer wherever they went barked, excited by his owner's excitement. The noise drew Three Dog's attention from the other room.
"Kid, I'm trying to run a radio station here," he said, leaning on the door frame with a mug of steaming tea in his hand. "Don't get your little buddy too riled up. Fight the good fight and all that, but do it outside."
"Sorry, Three Dog." The Lone Wanderer dropped to their knee and scratched the mutt's back and neck. "Just thinking out loud."
"You take their deal?" the DJ asked, before taking a sip from the mug.
The kid grinned. "You bet your ass I did."
Fawkes: The super mutant that had shadowed the kid since Vault 87 nodded sagely. "These Followers. Would there be room within their organization for an individual such as myself?"
The Lone Wanderer shrugged. "I didn't ask. The woman on the radio made a point of saying they were okay with ghouls, but she didn't say anything about mutants in general. I've heard that the mutants out west are more like you though, so probably?"
"Then I would like to be the first to sign up for your new chapter," Fawkes replied.
"Okay." The kid from Vault 101 grinned. "Great. Even if they aren't good with mutants, it's my chapter, and I say it's okay. It's not like they're going to be peering over my shoulder."
"And what do you intend to christen your first project?" Fawkes asked.
"Hmmm." The Lone Wanderer scratched their head. "Well, after recruitment and finding a base of operations, I think we should help stabilize the water caravan system. From there we can move on to tackling the slave trade."
Fawkes chuckled. "'From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow.' Then let us begin."
Jericho: The retired raider, who had been taking a nap in one of the office chairs, snapped awake with a snort and grabbed his assault rifle. "Who-whatsit?"
"Chop-chop." The Lone Wanderer tossed him his pack and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "We're going to shake up the Capital Wasteland hierarchy a bit."
"Well, that sounds like something worth getting up for," Jericho replied, somewhat more agreeable. "Where are we going?"
"Seward Square," they answered, throwing their own pack over their shoulder. "I know a crew over there that might be interested in helping."
"Reilly's gang?" Jericho stopped them. "Wait a minute. This isn't more of your usual goody two-shoes shit, is it? I told you, I was done after the business with the Enclave. Can't we just roll into a settlement and take their chems like the good old days?"
"Thought you were awake, Jericho." The Lone Wanderer smacked him on the cheek a couple of times. "You want to sit on top of the Capital Wasteland, you have to make yourself indispensable. Capisce?"
"Oh, fuck you," Jericho grumbled. "Should've kicked you off my steps back in Megaton, kid."
Sergeant RL-3: "Sir, yes sir!" the Mister Gutsy agreed. "Anything for our good old Uncle Sam!"
"Right then, soldier," the Lone Wanderer replied at the same level of enthusiasm. "Pack our gear and have this place spotless, on the double!"
"All recruits will be responsible for their own bunks!" Sergeant RL-3 shot back, before moving to retrieve the traveling packs from where they'd been stashed away.
Three Dog, who was watching from the door, shook his head with a grin. "I need to get me one of those models."
"Well, I know a guy out by Tenpenny Tower that might have a bot with your name on it," the Lone Wanderer offered. "Or at least the parts to build one."
"No time to dilly-dally, sir!" Sergeant RL-3 commented from across the room.
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fa-by · 3 years
Text
Hello babies and dear Anons 👋🏼🤗 I'm back with a new ‘Q&A’ post. Sorry, it took me longer than usual. I'll explain to you at the end of the post. For now, enjoy 🙃
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I've already talked about it here, dear Anon, https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648194553804881920/%C9%9F (first question) and then here https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648194746313031680/%C9%9F (fifth question).
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And who said I think Camila is a lesbian, dear? 😏 Maybe you mistaken me for some other blog? Because, I've never said that, dear. I've never been asked about it 🤷🏻‍♀️
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You must be new to my blog if you're asking me this question, dear Anon. Welcome 🤗 and my answer is no, dear. Neither of them has ever cheated on the other. They're both way too loyal for that shit.
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No, dear Anon. And always keep in mind that this is just my opinion and that therefore I could be wrong.
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Hello to you too, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 First of all, thank you 🥺🥰 Thank you very much for your words, dear, you're super nice and I really appreciated it very much 🤗
As for stuck, we didn't fight or anything like that. I guess we just drifted apart 🤷🏻‍♀‍ even before she entered the Marvel world, but I can't tell you why she never liked and re-blogged my posts, dear 🤷🏻‍♀️
Let's call it my flaw if you want, but I don't like any posts myself (not even my girlfriend's), but that doesn't mean I don't like many posts I see. It's just the way I am 😅 I leave comments every now and then though 😅 And neither does it mean I wouldn't like to interact with you guys if you ever want to contact me or tag me or get me involved in something. It may not seem like it maybe because I don't re-blog and put likes around, but trust me, it's not like that.
Going back to stuck, I really can't tell you why. I mean, I'm not her so I can't answer you. Maybe you should ask her directly, dear. @stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland​
I hope you have a very nice day too, dear Anon. Thank you so much again, and please, be sure to take care of yourself too 😘
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Hello to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 and don't thank me, dear 🙈 It's really a pleasure for me to interact with you guys and help you in any way I can 😊
So. Yeah, I think what you think, dear. Mila was definitely the one to make the first move, but as far as putting aside pride and the decision to give it another try, it was something they both did because they each had their own reasons. Remember, dear, there are two people in a couple.
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Hey dear sneaky little one 👋🏼😄 I'm good. How are you? It's a pleasure, dear, you don't have to thank me for that 😊
I'm not sharing them with you guys yet just because they're personal observations that not everyone can agree on and, as you may have noticed, I like to tell you guys what I think with real facts that I can prove. In this case, it would be like in this picture:
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I hope that with this example you understand better what I mean, dear sneaky little one. Come back any time you want and take care of yourself too 🤗😘
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Hey dear Anon, why are you so down? 😟 Don't be 🤗 I know it's hard to think positively about them, but think about everything we've endured so far. Think about how strong we are. Whatever's thrown at us, it won't change our minds because we know the truth. Now, come on, dear, smile 😁 Enjoy the small wins instead of having them ruined for you by the possible eventuality of them doing something. And remember, we're in this together 💪🏼
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I swear to you that when I saw it, I was like 📢🔊 Your loving takes me higher 🎵 You set my heart on fire🎵 When you touch my body got me singing like Mariah!!!! 🎵🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Hello to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄
1) No, dear, you can't force something on someone who agreed to do things like this in the first place. I'll explain better. PRs are accepted by those directly involved, who then sign a contract. It's a commitment they're bound to respect from the moment they have accepted and signed the contract. If they don't respect it, they then have to pay the consequences (if you’re interested, I wrote a post about how PR relationships work here: https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648193061847023616/pr-stunt-relationships-%C9%9F). I'll give you a silly example. Think of it as when one day you didn't want to go to school but you had to go anyway. It's pretty much the same dynamic because even if you didn't want to go that day, or several days, you knew you had to and you did. I hope it went well as an example 😆
2) Yes, but which of the two teams, well, that depends, dear. It depends on who's reaching whom and where. It depends on whether they're traveling together or not. And it depends on the purpose of that particular stunt, like if is some particular event or not.
3) No, dear, absolutely not, don't worry 🤣 Everyone has their own room. The rooms are very likely to be close together though, or at least on the same floor, that's for sure.
4) Yes, when possible, of course. The more people see the couple doing everything together, the more believable they seem.
Don't thank me, dear, it's really a pleasure 😊 Have a good day too ❤️
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Not necessarily, dear Anon. Mila started work on her third album during the pandemic in her studio, so no one had to pay for her. Besides, when a contract expires and there's a re-sign, it doesn’t necessarily mean that an announcement will be made about it since the record label is still the same. Announcements are made if there's some kind of important addition, such as for example happened with 5H when they had to re-sign as a quartet for legal reasons with Syco/Epic, and it was only announced because of the addition of a contract with Sony Music as the sponsor for their last album.
Having said that: 1) Since her movie has been postponed again, I would say in 2022. 2) I really hope not because they would be really stupid to do it again. Plus, I don't think the PR will last until the released of her album. 3) I have to admit you made me giggle here, but no, dear 😂 don't worry. Producers, composers, songwriters, etc., work with a lot of different artists who have different styles. Mila’s nothing like Chimp, and she can’t do anything boring. It isn't in her blood. No pun intended at all there 😏🤣
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Hi to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 and you got it right, buddy! We think the same way!
They had gotten to a really bad point in their relationship. A point where they were no longer themselves, either in the couple or individually. For me, what happens in the Havana music video is what happened in reality as well. It was obviously told in an artistic and funny way there. Like the scene of Juan literally ‘coming out of the closet for her’ because he thought it was the best thing for their relationship. In that scene, he gets down on his knees to ask her to marry him, but in reality, at least for me, it represents December. It represents the ‘begging’ in a disguised and artistic soap opera way. It represents Lauren's last attempt to make things work between them. Which is related to the “You love me”, “I do love you. But I love me more” scene in which Camila leaves everything behind. And if you think about it, we can also find this connection somewhere else: 🎶 “Nobody talks about walking away when there's still love” 🎶. Always Love by Laur. Luckily, at the end of the video, she really is ‘took back to her Havana’ as it also happened in reality.
It's all connected, dear. There's a connection and an explanation for everything they do artistically. Just pay attention and you'll be able to connect the dots like you did in this case too. Give me a virtual high-five! 🖐🏼 And have a good day too, dear Anon ❤️
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Hello to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 Thank you very much, dear, and don't worry, I've been never asked that. So. Before answering your questions, let's take a look at the facts, okay? Especially for the baby Camren shippers.
Leilani is Dinah's aunt by marriage. She has always interacted with fans and we saw her in several videos even with Dinah herself, but the first time she showed herself to us as problematic was on July 18, 2016. Leilani tweeted an attack on Taylor Swift and apologized the next day by saying of having been hacked:
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Yeah, suuure, because hackers around the world were waiting for nothing but hacking her 🙄 But let's move on. September 8, 2016, was the day Laur cried several times during the concert in Phoenix, Arizona. The next day, on the 9th, before the concert in Irvine, California, Laur tweeted to thank the concerned fans, and Leilani replied to the tweet by exposing L because of the ‘her’:
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On December 21st, 2016, she did a live where she talked about Camren after fans asked her about it: https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_qvandqF63c1ykfr3q.mp4  (I also put the sub in the video myself)
On January 8, 2017, she posted two Snapchat stories in which she spoke again about Camren with one of her nieces: https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_qval74yFz61ykfr3q.mp4 
On January 29, 2017, both Camila and Lauren blocked her on social media:
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She continued to strike by attacking Camila months later. On July 13, 2017, the same day the 5H interview with Billboard came out, Leilani attacked her by basically calling her a whore. Tweet to which C replied with suspense dots and a Rihanna GIF:
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On December 5, 2017, Camila posted the album cover and title by saying that the pre-order would've been possible from the 7th. Because of the album cover picture, Leilani attacked with the first tweet on December 5th, and continued on the 6th:
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Then nothing else problematic.
Yes, of course she knew about Camren. All the people close to them know about Camren. Leilani has always been a person who likes attention. She has always liked to show off and be noisy and messy in doing so. It didn't matter how ridiculous she was or that her actions fell upon her niece. The fact that she seemed to be joking and that she was always so evasive and confusing on the subject, is because she herself knew she was going to pay the consequences. She could never have said “yes, they're real” and stick to it. Also because the one who would've paid the most consequences would've been Dinah. You know, being her aunt, it was like her responsibility. And I think D really paid the consequences for something she didn't do. At least, before the sharks took the reins and told her what to do (Leilani through Dinah). It’s happened to a lot of people close to them to get involved over the years. It has been noticed a lot more from 2015 onwards, but especially in 2017 to increase the story of the fake feud between the girls.
So basically, yeah, she was problematic and loud and messy and all of that, but for the most part, she was just following the script.
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Hi to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 welcome and thank you very much 🙃 My answer to your question is yes, they've been for a long time by then. You'll find more details on all of that dynamic below in the next ask, dear.
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Kinda? 🤣 Okay, let me explain, dear Anon. There was no cheating if this is what you thought with my first answer. But let's go in order. I'll shed some light on the story with Luis once and for all.
Luis Santos' first appearance for us was on January 13, 2013 when Laur posted this picture on IG:
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One year later exactly, on January 13, 2014, L posted this picture:
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Then we have the one on February 24th (when the girls arrived in Miami because they had three dates in Florida for The Neon Lights Tour) and those of February 25th, 2014 after the concert (posted the day after):
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We have the one of April 13, 2014:
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The prom ones of May 17, 2014, which were the last pictures with Luis that Laur posted:
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And lastly, we have Laur’s birthday one posted by Luis:
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The latter lets us understand that their story officially began on January 27, 2014. We don't know when it ended exactly (let's suppose at the beginning of July) because we only had confirmation of it in August thanks to the explanation that Clara gave for that fake scandal:
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Now. This is the official story. The one we should’ve bought. But let me show you the behind the scenes. This is Melanie Mueller, Luis's ex:
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Luis was in a relationship with Melanie from early August (unfortunately, Luis and Melanie's profiles are all private, but not Melanie's old Twitter) until, according to the narrative, late November 2013:
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And this is where the juicy stuff begins. Luis stated that he and Mel were no longer together:
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The date coincidentally matches the beginning of his relationship with Lauren on January 27, 2014, right? Right. So how do you explain the fact that Luis and Mel were on a romantic date exactly 13 days after he said they weren't together anymore?
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As you can see from the date, it was February, and weren't Lauren and Luis already together since January 27th? 😏 The funny thing is that they kept interacting and taking pictures together:
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And then there's the best part. The Camren shippers went wild that year in replacing Luis's face with Camila's twice. The first one with the prom picture 🤣:
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And the second one with April picture. Sorry, I really tried but I couldn't find the original manip. But don't worry, I have two better things 😏:
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Ohh, I think we know, Mel 😎
And how can we forget one of the many things that remained in the fandom's history and which coincidentally happened just in February a week before the picture of Luis and Melanie's romantic date:
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Now that I've given you proofs, it's theory time. We know about the friendship with benefits, the Like Friends Do situation that Camren had, and we know that Lauren was in denial. Luis was a shield. Her shield, especially for the public. It wasn't a PR created by the labels, but by Lauren herself. Laur and Luis were friends, and I mean, they still have been for years. Laur simply asked him for a favor and he accepted. Laur stayed in Miami throughout the Christmas period until the first week of January 2014 before flying to L.A. with the girls. It was then, in that time spent at home that she asked him, and despite knowing the risks, despite knowing he would face fans' hatred, and despite having a girlfriend, Luis agreed to be the fake boyfriend just to help his friend in need. I don't think she told him the real reason behind it right away, but she definitely told him once she and Mila finally got together. Laur came out to her family in early 2015, but it doen't mean she didn't to her friends before. Especially once she and Mila became official in April 2014.
So, dear Anon, yes, in a way, Lauren was with Camila and Luis, but in reality, she was never with Luis.
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Hi to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 Thank you very much, dear, and that's okay. I don't mind helping when and if I can. It's not a problem at all for me 😊
So, as far as Lolo's situation is concerned, I honestly think Columbia has very little to do with her situation. I mean, Columbia is the biggest record label under Sony Music and has always had a lot of successful artists. From the great names that have made history to the most recent but still famous ones: Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Celine Dion, Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Adele, Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Pharrell Williams, Robbie Williams, Katy Perry, Shakira, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Diplo, OneRepublic (Ryan Tedder), Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles, Zain Malik, Little Mix, Calvin Harris, BTS, Lil Nas X, Meghan Trainor, etc., etc., etc. Believe me, there are really, but really many names that I haven't put in this list.
The purpose of a record label is to make money. To do that, the label finds an artist. The label decides if it's worthwhile for them to sign the artist by investing and advancing the money on them, and if the label believes they can make money with their music, then they don't think twice before signing them. So they invest in the artist, develop them, promote them through the artist's team, and distributes their music in exchange for a percentage of the revenues. If things go smoothly and well, there's a gain, but if things go wrong, the label loses money. [If you want to know more about how the music world works and what the girls had to go through, I wrote a post about it here: https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/648192055443619840/how-the-music-world-works]
Now, what did I mean by that? As I said before, Columbia is the number one, the biggest and most important umbrella music label under Sony Music Entertainment. So why on earth would a label as big as Columbia Records have signed Lauren and invested in her, but then thwart her and lose a lot of the money they invested themselves? It wouldn't make any sense because it would be like self sabotaging themselves! And what did I say is the purpose of a record label? To make money. Don't be fooled by anyone about it, dear.
I could have understood if this had been an isolated case; if Laur had been the only one among the girls (LAND) who hadn't released an album. But it's not like that. Something, and I'm 100% convinced it's something from their old contracts, has held all four of them up until now. We'll see, dear Anon. Sooner or later, the truth will come out because it always does. Even if it takes years.
Don't apologize, dear, really 😊 Hope things are great with you too and please, take care of yourself too 🤗
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Hey to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄
Nada is a song that is part of Tainy's EP called Neon16 Tape: The Kids That Grew Up on Reggaeton, and it's about how two people in an unofficial relationship want completely different things. The guy doesn't want anything serious unlike the girl.
Now. I understand why you're confused, dear. After reading the lyrics and thinking about Camren, you've surely wondered “Where the fuck is Camila in all of this? But does it have something to do with her, or not?”. Well the answer is no. You see, dear, we're used to hearing a lot more Mila's songs than Laur's. When Mila writes, she writes for herself. She writes from her point of view and according to her experiences. Same thing Laur does. But Mila, unlike Laur, can't write a song for other people. She can't detach herself from them when she's writing them. Take as examples all those songs she gave away after finishing them, like Anyone or Ain't Easy. When you listen to them, you can clearly hear Camila all over it even if the song is being sung by someone else, like in these two examples, Justin Bieber and Elijah Woods. But with Laur? Nah, because Lauren can completely detach herself from them.
Take More Than That as an example. Laur didn't write More Than That for herself; she just ‘decided’ to keep it (because it was okay for the narrative she had going on at the time). If she had really given it to someone else and then you had listened to it and knew she was the one who had written it, you would've thought “Really?” with a wtf expression as the first thing. Right? Because you recognize Laur in the song only because you know she's behind it. Am I wrong? And don't get me wrong, dear, this is not by all means a bad thing at all. I'm not saying this as an insult or anything. Quite the opposite actually. I think it's absolutely amazing. Think about it. It's basically the work of songwriters and ghostwriters who only work behind the scenes for other artists. Gosh, they're both so fucking talented 😍
Anyway. What was I getting at with this? To the fact that the same thing happened here with Nada. Nada was written by four songwriters and we have two different points of view to represent the couple in the story. The one of the girls, Laur and Cris Chil (she also worked and wrote with her for Lento), and the one of the boys, C. Tangana and Tainy (like Cris, he wrote with her and produced Lento). Now. I can't tell you who the real protagonist behind the story of the song is because none of them said it, but it's definitely not Lauren. Laur just went with the flow.
Before starting, I would like to also publicly thank my girl @romanticentropy​ for helping me with the translation (her first language is Spanish), so thank you again, my love 🥰 And I'm not talking about the literal translation. I'm talking about the real meaning behind it since the meaning of many sentences or words can change even based on a simple comma. Therefore, here below you'll find the real translation along with notes placed in parentheses with various explanations. I don't know if you speak Spanish, dear Anon, but we did this for all those people here who don't speak it so that everyone can understand the true meaning of the song.
That said, let's get started.
Verse 1:
“Como te arrimes sí te voy a dar
If you dare come close, I’ll give you [implied: my dick]
Me he puesto guapo pa' verte pasar (Yeah)
I got myself all dressed up to watch you go by (Yeah)
No me pregunte', no quiero pensar
Don't ask me, I don't want to think
No tengo tiempo, no me pue'o casar
I don't have time, I can't get married
Pero, puedo quererte de nuevo
But, I can love you again
Dejar todo el resto pa' luego
[implied because the two sentences go together: And] leave everything else for later
Quedarme pa' ti, que más quieres de mí
To stay for you, what else do you want from me
No odies al jugador odia al juego
Don't hate the player, hate the game
Yo no me he inventado na' (Qué va)
I didn't make anything up (Not at all / Of course not) [‘Qué va’ is an expression, particularly from Spain, that means something like ‘How could you have thought that? Of course not’ said in a casual tone. So, ‘not at all’ is a possible interpretation because he's reassuring he really didn't make anything up]
Sobrevivo en la ciudad (¿Qué?)
I survive in the city (What?)
Me la busco pa' ganar, cien monedas pa' gastar
I'm looking to earn, a hundred dollars to spend [In this sentence, the comma is very important because in ‘me la busco pa' ganar’ read alone, it means that he's finding his ways to earn a living or a better life. When you add ‘cien monedas pa' gastar’, it extends to ‘he's finding his way to earn $100 to spend’, but the comma is important because it keeps alive the idea that he's not only working for the 100 dollars, but also for a better life (possibly a rich kind of life, but that's not necessarily implied)]
Una cama pa' dormir, y un yate pa' vacilar
A bed to sleep in, and a yacht to show off on”
What do we understand from this? That he's actually the one who doesn't want to have a serious relationship because his goal for the moment is to earn and live a good life, not to settle down and get married.
Pre-Chorus:
“Tú ya sabías to' lo que había
You already knew what to expect / You already knew what the situation was
No me hagas cambiar, vida mía
Don't make me change, my darling [He sings ‘vida mía’, which means ‘my life’. Calling someone ‘my life’ is not used in English because it makes no sense in the definition of the language itself. So, in this case, it's translated and used as a loving nickname. As you could call someone ‘my love’, ‘my heart’, ‘my baby’, or ‘my darling’]
Yo te doy hasta que se haga de día
I'll give you until it's daylight
Yo te doy hasta que se haga de día
I'll give you until it's daylight [‘Darle a alguien’, ‘to give to someone’ in Spanish has a sexual connotation. It means you're going to have sex with that person. It’s especially used from a male point of view; particularly this last line, he means he'd have sex with her all night until it's day again]”
He basically tells her: “You knew I'm an asshole. Don't try to change me because it's useless. The only thing I can give you is whole nights of sex”.
Chorus:
Sigue' dándome na', dándome nada
You keep giving me nothing, giving me nothing
Can't keep up with your vibe
'Cause you're up and you're down, 'round and you're 'round, babe
I can not read your mind
Conté lo' día' pa' volverte a ver
I counted the days to see you again
Y tú ni sabe' qué quiere' hacer
And you don't even know what you want to do
Cuando me vaya no voy a volver
When I leave I won’t come back
Sigue' dándome na', dándome nada
You keep giving me nothing, giving me nothing”
This is an ultimatum. “If you keep giving me nothing for much longer, I'll leave you without looking back”.
Verse 2:
“Yo no estoy para regalarte
I'm not here to please you [The literal translation of that is ‘I'm not here to give you’. The incomplete sentence opens an ambiguity where you don't know if she’s saying ‘I'm not here to give you anything’, or ‘I'm not here to give you things’, or ‘I'm not here to fulfill your wishes’, or ‘I'm not here to please you’, or things like that that make you understand that if he's not ready to pay attention to her right now and give her the love she needs, and he's clearly not because he's ‘giving her nothing’, she's not just going to wait there by begging for some love or collecting the crumbs that he leaves behind. She's saying “give me the love and the attention I need or I'll go away on my own”. So overall, ‘I'm not here to please you’ is a decent interpretation]
Ni tampoco para esperarte
Nor to wait for you
Ese dinero no te va a cuidar
That money won’t take care of you
No te pido matrimonio, yo sólo tu arte
I'm not asking you to marry me, just your love [That's the real meaning behind the sentence despite the literal translation being this: I'm not asking you to marry me, just your art]
Cuando no estoy ahí
When I'm not there
Sé que preguntas por mí
I know you ask about me
Sé por qué eres así
I know why you're like this
I know you're afraid of falling in too deep
We can pretend like we’ve only done this for the fun of it
Pero no te sorprendas si te enteras que así como tú hay mil
But don't be surprised to find out there are a thousand just like you around”
Basically: “I'm not asking you to marry me, just to have a real relationship. An exclusive relationship. We can continue to pretend that we just had fun, but I know there's something deeper. I know you're afraid of falling in love with me, but if you keep wanting this kind of relationship, then I'm gonna go find someone who wants the same things as me; also because there are a lot of guys out there and I'm starting to get tired of waiting”.
And that's all, dear Anon. Now that you know the real translation *thanks once again, mi amor 💖* , can you see anything that has to do with Mila? Because I don't. In fact, if I really have to find an association with Camren, the only thing that comes to my mind is that Lauren could have written some parts of her verse from Camila's point of view when they were still just fuckbuddies. You know? Since it was Laur who was initially in denial and was afraid, and not Camila. She was the one who was afraid of the idea of even liking Mila, let alone falling in too deep. But it's not like that. There's nothing of Camila here. There's no Camren here. For me, this song is the story of one of the three (Cris Chil, or C. Tangana, or Tainy) and Laur only contributed to it with her talent.
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Of course I can, dear Anon 😉
So. Camila created In the Dark the day after going to the Grammys' after-party (February 12, 2017) with which she went with Ashlee as her date of hers. Mila said she got the idea for the song because of the encounter she had at that party with this unnamed famous guy. Yeah, sure, Jan. We know very well that this is not the case. Just as we know very well that that was the same night in which Tyren had their first public appearance as a fake couple. If you're interested, I've already explained all this also with proofs in my previous post: https://fa-by.tumblr.com/post/653296412485894144/romanticentropy-fa-by-hiiii-babies-and-dear (last question in my All These Years' interpretation).
If you don't mind, dear Anon, I'll start with the verses because they're the only parts of the song where Mila isn't addressing Lauren directly. In the verses, Camila just observes her by describing their surroundings.
Verse 1:
“Blank stares, faithless
Vampires at the same places
Shadows, traces”
Okay, let's talk about those types of parties for a moment. I bet that when you think about it, you picture a lot of celebrities having fun and dancing, glam, alcohol, drugs, music, and all those kinds of things, right? Well, that's just as true as it isn't. You see, there aren't just celebrities at those parties. There are one or more of they team members, there are A&R representatives of various labels, CEOs, publicists, producers, marketing representatives, radio and television presenters, reporters, designers, advertisers, etc., etc., etc. Those parties are the epicenter of business-talk. Very often, this is where ideas for collaborations, for PRs, for endorsements and sponsorships, for movie and TV appearances, etc., etc., happen. For those celebrities who have to be there for business reasons and not for actually having fun, those parties are pretty boring.
With those sentences, Mila describes all the people around her during that party. Those people who aren't having fun because they're surrounded by what she calls vampires. Before they marketed them by making them sparkle in the sun because of the crystals on their skin, or before they made them wear a gemstone in daylight rings, bracelets, and amulets to make them walk in the sun, you know? Before they become basically trendy, vampires were always the villains. But don't get me wrong with that. I saw the Twilight saga and I love love love The Vampire Diaries, but the fact remains that before all of that franchise, vampires have always been used in horror and scary genres because they're evil. Also because if you think about it, what do vampires do? They suck blood by basically feeding on the life force of creatures by draining them to survive and not decompose since they're undead. They need to take a life to keep living theirs, so yeah, they are the bad guys.
So Mila here describes both the bored people, the ones with blank stares who in those cases are the shadows of their true selves because they're pretending to be who they aren't, and those people of power as bloodsuckers, life-suckers: vampires. And I don't blame her at all because that's what they do. Vampires, or puppet masters, or parasites, or as you guys know I like to call them: sharks.
“I know that you feel me”
Now. Now, now, now, now, now, now. What does this sentence make us understand? Picture you're in a place full of people. Picture pretending that you're having fun because you can't show how much you actually want to be somewhere else. Picture smiling and forcibly laughing at the bullshit someone's saying. It's all about image. Now picture seeing someone you know amidst that sea of people. You and this person are far from each other, and at the moment, you both are busy talking to other people. Even though you turned around to keep having this oh so great conversation with those people, you can feel the person you know. You can feel their presence despite being on opposite sides. You can totally feel that they're still looking at you, and you have confirmation of that the moment you turn towards them again.
Apply all of this on Camren now. We know how they've always attracted each other. We know how they've always searched and checked each other when they were on opposite sides of a room. We know how they've always felt each other. So it's not that hard for me to picture how it went in this case. I understand what Mila means when she says she knows Laur could feel her despite the place and all the people around them. Because it's always been that way between them, and we've actually seen them do it many times.
Verse 2:
“Plus one, guest list
But you don't even know what her name is
Secrets, endless
I know that you feel me”
This is a repetition similar to the first verse. Mila here continues to describe the people around her and those around Laur. People who are there because they're on a list thanks to someone they don't even really know. People who in those events become totally fake because they all have secrets to hide, including the two of them. People who pretend to be friends with each other just for a matter of image without even knowing their real names, their real selves. People who are so used to wearing a mask that they've by now become that mask. And among all the sea of these people, Mila knows that Laur can feel her. Evidently as much as she can feel Laur.
Refrain:
“You’re runnin', runnin', runnin', runnin' (oh)
Making the rounds with all your fake friends”
As I said before, many celebrities wear a mask, this facade for protection. They do it to show themselves as unproblematic and to show themselves almost as perfect in the eyes of others. If you think about it, it's the same thing we see in many celebrities and even in Camren when they have to promote something. Neither of the two of them has problems showing themselves to us in a vulnerable, authentic way, without make-up ‘al natural’. But as soon as they have to promote something, bam! Dresses, nails done, make-up, and hair. It's quite normal on the one hand. I understand that. But the problem, as Mila herself said, is when this fake persona takes over your authentic self.
In this part, Mila explains how she was observing Lauren's behavior. This facade that she was wearing because they were in that kind of environment with those kinds of people and those fake friends (yes, including Tabloid). This mirage that allowed her to run and hide her true self from everyone, even from Camila herself.
“Runnin', runnin' away from it (away)”
Especially in this part, and despite having seen her fake act many times before, Mila lets us understand how Lauren was 'running' and suppressing/hiding her authentic self in front of everyone. [I remember that period. Lauren didn't act like Lauren for a while]
You can strip down without showing skin, now”
Okay, this? This sentence right here, it's magic. It's pure art. “It's okay to show the realistic side of yourself without exposing yourself and also having to show your secrets or what you want to keep to yourself. There's no need to act like a completely different person from who you are”. Camila leaves me more and more speechless with her way of writing and expressing such true and profound concepts.
Pre-Chorus:
“I can see you're scared of your emotions
I can see you're hoping, you're not hopeless
So why can't you show me?
Why can't you show me?
I can see you're looking for distractions
I can see you're tired of the acting
So why can't you show me?”
The pre-chorus explains itself quite well. Mila's saying “I know you. I see what you're doing. I see your fear. I see the way you want a way out. I see how tired you are of this farce. So why are you faking it? Why are you faking it in front of me? Why are you faking it with me? Show me the real Lauren. Not this industry puppet. Show me the Lauren I know”.
Chorus:
“Who are you in the dark? (I, I)
Show me the scary parts (I, I)
Who are you when it's 3AM and you're all alone
And L.A. doesn't feel like home? (I, I, I)
Who are you in the dark?”
Who are you in the dark? = Who are you when no one's watching. Who are you when no one can judge you. Who are you when you're alone and you can really lower that protective barrier you create around you. Show me that. Show me all of you.
Camila mentions 3AM because, as we well know thanks to their other songs, it was the nighttime hours when they were able to spend more time together freely. She also mentions L.A. to make a comparison with Miami since Los Angeles is the second city they spend the most time in due to their careers.
If in the pre-chorus Mila really asks her to show her her true self, here in the chorus she instead asks her a rhetorical question accompanied by the explanations themselves like the specific examples 3AM and L.A. to make/show her point even more. Basically the same explanation as the pre-chorus: “Who are you, because I know, I know you, so why don't you show me?”. And I really love this connection between pre-chorus and chorus.
Bridge:
“Darling, come on and let me in
Darling, all of the strangers are gone, they're gone
I said, darling, come on and let me see”
The difference between the pre-chorus & chorus and this, is the more affectionate way she addresses her. She's asking her in a cute way also thanks to the use of that classic old-school pet name, to open up and show herself. She's telling her that it's okay now that they're alone. And most importantly, she's reassuring her with this:
“Darling, I promise that I won't run”
After hurting each other, after the omissions and the secrets, after the fights, after the non-communication, after that toxicity, in short, after everything they'd been through in those years and the way things had ended between them almost two months prior, this is really serious. She's promising her that she'll stay. That's the first step, or at least what we know was the first step thanks to this song, towards a healthy relationship and towards a real positive change in their relationship.
And by the way, wooohh, this whole transition is amazing!
Outro:
“Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Who are you in the dark?
Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Who are you in the dark?
Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Who are you in the dark?
Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
Who are you in the dark?”
And that's all, dear Anon. I hope you liked my interpretation 🙃
P.S. When Sinu said “Number nine is my shit!” during that live, I felt that. Mama Sinu was right. Even after all this time, this song is still the shit 😎
🤸🏻‍♀‍🤸🏻‍♀‍🤸🏻‍♀‍
Aaand I'm done 👩🏻‍💻 I hope I was helpful in this case too 😄 Thank you all for your asks and as usual, know that I'm available for those who have questions, so feel free to ask 😊
Before I go, I wanted to apologize for this huge delay. In addition to my job, it was due to the fact that I'm in the middle of a relocation. For about two months for 21 years, I always go to a place by the sea for the summer. I'll be there from today and I'll be back in September. Unfortunately there isn't much connection there, but there's a single wi-fi. I don't know if I'll continue to answer the asks all together with a post or individually. I'll see how to organize myself once I'm there. I apologize in advance if I'll take longer than usual to reply, but at least you know that it's because there's not much connection there (and you have to keep in mind that I’ll continue working normally because I’m not on holiday yet). Everything will be back to normal in September.
That being said, always remember to be kind, to others and to yourselves. Be a good example. Be patient. Be safe and take care of yourselves. Don't let our ship sink. Keep shipping them, but please respectfully 🙏🏼 Sending you virtual love and hugs 🤗🤗🤗 I love you, babies. Always with love, F ❤️
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mooshua · 4 years
Text
hi uh it’s mooshua (aurora, moosh, whatever you want to call me). I’m so sorry about my sudden leave and everything and worrying some of you. that was really uncool of me to do and I really am so regretful for that. honestly I’m kinda embarrassed right now. explaining myself is rather difficult because, I won’t lie, I’ve been having feelings of inadequacy towards both myself and the works I put out. lol so I’m kind of having a hard time articulating my emotions because my mind is all over the place and I’m literally sweating as I type this out.
long story short: I got burnt out, started hating my writing with all my being, accumulated some Not So Nice messages, and then just did not want to be perceived anymore.
the long story: like I said above, I’ve been having Conflicting Feelings with regards to what I have been writing. anytime I read what I wrote I would just feel my gut twist and turn like I was going to throw up because I WAS SO EMBARRASSED. nothing about it was... up to my standard? nothing flowed right, I could point out a billion mistakes, and I wasn’t laughing like I used to. and it wasn’t just feeling embarrassed, it was like whenever I wrote something I would Not Be Having Fun With It because I kept thinking “deadline deadline deadline you need to finish this by the end of this week it’s only 5k words are you saying you can’t come up with a measly chapter in a week you used to be able to write 15 chapters in a month you dog” and I would just force myself to sit in front of my computer for hours and when I finally finished I wasn’t really happy with the final product I would just think “god I need a smoke break” even though I’ve never smoked in my life. and then I’d also get “please update!” messages/comments in the dry periods and, don’t get me wrong I really appreciate that people are reading my stuff, but I’d feel more and more stressed because then I’d automatically think “Oh My God People Are Waiting And I’m Letting Them Down.”
so with all these bad feelings welling up inside me I thought “I need a break.” and that’s what I did. I took like a 3 week break in september/october (I honestly don’t remember because the days have been bleeding together) in hopes that I just needed to rest to get my brain started again! after those 3 weeks I then did the usual routine of writing and updating, but again Things Just Didn’t Feel Right because it felt like I was diving back into that stress inducing spiral of the dreaded Weekly Updates.
I mean, I would get so hung over this stuff because in the back of my mind during my free time I’d be thinking “I could be writing and finishing up both series right now” and you know what? I’d do that. well, I tried at least. I’d force myself to sit and type whenever I had ANY free time because I already had everything planned, I just needed to put words to a page. well, doing that for nights on end was just mentally exhausting me to New Levels. everything I was doing was not sustainable at all.
AND THEN THINGS SLOWLY GOT WORSE because I would have zero confidence in my writing and every week or so I’d get a message in my inbox saying something along the lines of (or rather word for word) “your writing isn’t that good/special/anything new I don’t understand why people are reading it/why you get so many notes/you’re not as funny as you think you are” and at first I would kind of laugh at it and go “oh trust me buddy, I’m wondering the same thing too” and then delete it because I do Not Wish to entertain the thought on my blog, but then I was hitting a new all time low in my mentality and I got another message on the day I deactivated which was a Really Bad Day and it read “your writing isn’t good” and I went back to the chapter I was editing for the day, felt my gut do that twist and I thought “you know what? you’re right. it’s not. goodbye.” pressed the forbidden red button and honestly felt a weight lift off my shoulders because that meant I no longer had to deal with that stupid cycle of constantly updating in order to Feel Something.
I kept thinking “why is this not as fun as it used to be, why am I so stressed out all the time opening that stupid doc and going on my blog?” like I would literally sit down and think about this as if it was a math problem or something. my inadequacies kept rising within me but I would just bottle it up, go to writing and trying to answer messages like nothing was wrong because I really didn’t want to worry anyone or think I was a charity case who needed help, but now that I think about it I really should have talked this out instead keeping my mouth shut. I just thought this was something everyone goes through so I was like whatever it’ll pass. I kept thinking “this shouldn’t be as deep as I’m making it” and brush it aside, but then I kept thinking negatively about my ability to write and literally DREADED sitting down in front of my laptop that I would have to hype myself up in order to get a sentence in. I think the last time I actually felt really proud of something I had written was during the summer...... and then after that it was just downhill.
and listen. I know this is just a Fun endeavor and I really shouldn’t care about what other people think as long as it makes me happy, but along the way I stopped being happy because I started caring Way Too much and putting unrealistic expectations on myself. it’s weird. I know at my Big Age I should have a better mentality, but it’s been eating at me for a while and I just wanted to pull the plug.
okay now the part that a lot of people are wondering: are you going to finish your series? I plan to. I really want to. I think it’d be a waste not to. I’m still feeling pretty conflicted right now with my writing, but I already mapped everything out, and I don’t like to break promises since I already said I was going to do this thing. thanks to anyone who read my works and I’m sorry to have worried you. I just needed to take a step back and think about what’s good for myself.
yeah. so that’s my explanation. this whole thing is so long and for that I’m sorry. if you went through this then pat on the back for you. I don’t know when I’ll come back or how long it will take. I just want time for myself and to not think about anything with regards to writing. like at all. also I only have 1 request: for anyone who downloaded the series from ao3, please do not repost or reupload or redistribute them. please I’m literally begging. I deleted them for a reason and I really don’t like the idea of these stories floating around without my consent. when I do get back into it I’d like to make edits to what I have written. idk if any of my mutuals still want to talk to me after this but feel free to lmk lmfao sorry I know that I sound like I’m off the deep end but I really just need to cool it before I start diving back into a Healthy Relationship With My Writing Hobby lol. why am I so dramatic... SORRY. anyway. I hope you guys are staying happy and healthy during this time. don’t forget that.
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its-a-humanriot · 3 years
Text
Common Language, pt. I
(This is the beginning to a bunch of Fallout 3 works I have knocking around my brain. I’ll post bits and pieces here and then post the full work to ao3 once it’s done)
(pt. I) / (pt. II)
---
Charon realises very quickly that he does not understand his new employer very well.
In the first instance, this is very literal.
Not many words were exchanged during her introduction as his new employer and him subsequently blowing Ahzrukhal’s brains all over the walls of the Ninth Circle. It’s not until after they make a very rapid exit and they are out in the quiet of the museum atrium catching their breath that he really pays any attention to her. Not much about his employer’s appearance immediately seems wildly unusual – she looks pretty healthy for a wastelander, if somewhat pale, and probably one of the youngest people to come through Underworld in several years. Her face is grubby with the expected dust and dirt of travel under her mop of short curly brown hair, slightly pink from sunburn across her nose and a clean strip of pallid skin around her eyes from the goggles that now hang around her neck (the look of it reminds him briefly of some small animal from before the war, though he can no longer recall its name). Although they look relatively well maintained, her armour and rifle have clearly been scavenged at least third-hand, and a faded red bandanna is tucked around the collar.
Charon takes all this in with a practiced eye, trying to evaluate what kind of person he is now bound to – as satisfying as it is to know that Ahzrukhal’s head is now spread all over the Ninth Circle, it has come at the cost of knowing his opponent. The girl in front of him does not look wealthy to be spending the number of caps he knows Ahzrukhal would have asked for his contract, nor hardened enough to have carried out whatever unscrupulous task he would have accepted as alternative payment. He can’t quite pinpoint it, but something doesn’t seem right. When she opens her mouth, his instincts are proved right.
“Well, fuck. I came to Underworld to cop a flop and a sling and hang loose for a while, maybe zee out for the night, and buddy up with you. I was not expecting to have to beat feet with a dead body behind us.”
Her accent is like no wastelander he has ever heard, and he doesn’t understand half the things that come out of her mouth. Charon can’t claim to be up to date with young people (as so few of them come through Underworld and most of Ahzrukhal’s associates were people who should absolutely not be allowed anywhere near children) but even among the various communities in the Capitol Wasteland there is usually a fair amount of common ground. This – whatever this is – is something else entirely.
His well-practiced poker face seems to keep his confusion hidden at least up until she turns to him with an uncomfortable smile on her face – she certainly has cleaner teeth than a lot of wastelanders, and not even any missing that he can see – and sticks her hand out in his direction.
“This isn’t how I was expecting to have this go but, uh, I’m Billie. Nice to actually meet you properly, Charon.”
He stares at it. A lot of people would avoid unnecessary physical contact with ghouls, even if they weren’t outright ghoul haters, and certainly none of his previous employers have ever tried to engage in something as cordial as a handshake. When he doesn’t react, she leans in a little sheepishly. “…I think you’re supposed to shake hands when you meet someone new, right?”
His stare moves up to her face. She looks about as confused as he feels. What rock has this kid crawled out from?
“What?” It’s hardly the first thing that he means to say to his new employer now they have time to talk, but this whole interaction is leaving him feeling entirely unfooted. She tilts her head at him and looks even more awkward, her outstretched hand dipping slightly before she withdraws it entirely and starts to comb it through her hair instead.
“Uh…I’m not used to meeting new folks? A couple of people have told me what passes for manners above ground but honestly, I’ve not had so many chances to try it on people who weren’t trying to vent me first.” Her face twists in an embarrassed grimace. “Is it the accent? I’ve been told it’s a little hard to understand. I can try, uh something else,” She drops her hand, brushes some stray curls out of her eyes and clears her throat. She offers her hand again and manages to take him by surprise yet again: saying clearly in an almost perfectly pronounced pre-war Transatlantic accent “Hello Charon, my name is Billie Morgan. Pleased to meet you.”
The sound hits Charon like ice cold lead in his stomach, a noise he hasn’t heard in decades beyond the occasional old holotape. It rings in his ears as fresh as it was then with all of the other memories he’d tried to bury - the cloying surgical smell of the lab in his nose, the claustrophobia of the sim pod – Scanning vitals… Welcome subject: 2875, identifier Charon. Beginning training simulation in 3, 2…
A hand touches his arm and the tension in his body spikes – Charon finds himself staggering backwards into a defensive stance. His hand, still moving on instinct, gets as far as the handle of his combat knife before his conditioning kicks in with a short shock of pain – the subject cannot harm the employer – and the opposing reactions form a strained stalemate and force him to a standstill, buzzing with adrenaline, as his presence of mind returns. His employer is now a few feet away, her brown eyes wide as she raises her hands.
“Woah, okay. Won’t do that one again. Sorry.” The artificial enunciation is gone and her original accent has returned, but she is speaking more slowly and clearly than before. He can’t tell if she’s just doing it to try and pacify him or if she is consciously trying to make herself easier to understand. Now that he has the frame of reference for it her natural inflection definitely has something pre-war about it, but it’s hard to pinpoint. “Easy there, big guy. I’ve got no scrap with you and I’m not gonna hurt you. Okay?”
Charon has at least a full foot of height on this kid, and while she looks healthy she does not look strong – the idea that she would be able to hurt him in a close quarters fight is almost laughable. Slowly, he forces himself to let go of the knife handle. The tension in his shoulders stays where it is.
“I am unable to harm my employer. Physical violence on your part invalidates our contract.” The default line gives him something to fall back on for a moment while he straightens back up to his resting position.
“That’s…something.” She doesn’t look reassured, but she drops her hands. “So we’re shiny? Cause you looked real ready to stab me for a second there.”
“I am unable to harm my employer.”
“…Right.” She appears to wait a moment for clarification that does not come before continuing. “So about your contract – it’s kinda hard to read and I didn’t really get the full shakedown before you greased Ahzrukhal so I don’t know what your rates are. I’m a little low on caps at the moment but I can pay you some upfront and then I can earn a bunch back from whatever scavving we do in the next few days to get you the rest of your cut, then we can work out an arrangement. Sound okay to you?”
“I do not require payment.”
“So what, I keep you watered and fed and breathing and we’re square? Seems like a pretty cheap deal to me.”
“I do not require protection and you are not required to provide for me, though several previous employers have chosen to do so.”
“Wait.” Her brow creases. “What does the contract say?”
“The holder of my contract is my employer.” The words come readily to his tongue after many decades of repeating them. “My employer has my services in combat and in any other duties as they see fit and I am honour bound to do as they command for as long as they hold the contract. The contract prevents me from harming my employer while I am in their service. Physical violence by the employer against me invalidates the contract.”
She stares at him hard for a long moment before she speaks again with horror in her voice.
“You’re a slave?”
“I belong to no one.” The response is automatic, the only protest he is able to make. The words taste sour in his mouth.
“You’ve just told me that you don’t require payment of any kind and that you have to do what I say. If that’s not being a slave, I don’t know what is.” She turns away and pulls on her curls for a moment while she paces before turning back to him, her face stormy. “If I’d know that skeezer was a slave owner on top of everything, I might’ve taken a pop at him myself before you ventilated his face. Fuck.” Her eyes widen again. “I bought you from him.”
“If you find the terms of my contract objectionable, you may pass it on to another.”
“I object to you being bound to the contract. Passing it over to someone else doesn’t fix that.” Pulling a face, she pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs, then pulls his contract out of her pocket. She looks over the worn paper for a moment, then a takes a single step closer to him and thrusts it in his direction. “Here.”
The ebbing tide of the adrenaline rush in his veins suddenly leaves all at once, and he is left staring at his employer’s hand again. There must a misunderstanding here. Again.
“You wish me to…hold the contract for you?”
She rolls her lips together before making deliberate eye contact with him.
“I want you to have it. Permanently, free of charge. The contract belongs to you - no more employers to boss you around.” Turning her eyes skyward for a moment, she takes a deep breath. “I’m hoping that greasing former employers of yours isn’t like a tradition or something, cause I kinda like being alive out here in the fresh air despite everything. And I have someone I really, really need to find.”
He stares at her for a long moment, stupefied. She stares back, with an expression that is perhaps supposed to be comforting despite the fact that her hand is shaking slightly. After the events at the Ninth Circle, she doesn’t have much reason to suspect that anything else will happen apart from her apart from the inside of her skull being spread all over the atrium.
“I cannot accept.”
At the sound of his voice she seems a little calmer, and gives him a warmer smile.
“Sure you can. No charge, no nothing, just like I s-”
“You misunderstand. I am physically not able to accept.”
“What?” The look of confusion is back.
“I am not able to hold my own contract. It is stated clearly in the contract terms.”
“You didn’t say that thirty seconds ago!”
“The contract terms are long. I paraphrased.”
“You paraphrased.” With a furrowed brow she pinches the bridge of her nose again with the hand holding the contract dropping to her hip, though her mouth pulls up at the corner – whether it’s from amusement or concealed frustration, he’s not sure. She takes in a breath, then drops her hand. “Right. Okay. And if I destroy the contract?”
“I am compelled to stop you from doing so, through any means necessary.”
“Even if you harm me? I thought you said you couldn’t do that.”
“Preservation of the contract takes priority over the life of my employer, though I must also take all possible actions to preserve your life.” Comforting people is not a talent Charon considers to be in his skill set. From the look on his employer’s face, he evaluates that this is still true.
“There must be a section in the contract for how it ends though, right? Surely no contract is gonna be able to hold you forever.” The naivety of the comment grates on his nerves more than he expects. Maybe it’s the aftermath of the adrenaline rush and the bewilderingly abrupt turn that this already baffling interaction has taken, but Charon’s response come out with more of a bite than he means it to.
“It’s not that simple, smoothskin.”
“But you don’t want to be bound by it, right?” Seemingly undeterred by the epithet or the warning in his tone, she continues earnestly. “If we just-”
“I said -” His voice is sharper than he would ever dared let it be speaking back to Ahzrukhal, louder than he has spoken in so very long, and he wrests control of himself back too late – his voice echoes back to him from the polished granite walls so that it rebukes him as much as it does the kid in front of him. Her eyes are wide, shoulders bunched up to her chin level, and he realises that he has unconsciously drawn up to his full height. The echo hangs in the air for a moment, and when it dies his words are back to their normal volume, even if the tone is strained: “ – it is not that simple.”
The moment continues to stretch out thin and the young woman doesn’t move or answer – just keeps staring at him. The silence leaves him feeling as unbalanced as the conversation did - worse now that he feels exposed in the wake of his outburst. Charon takes a rattly breath and fills his ravaged lungs to their full extent as he winds himself back under control – shoulders down, arms by his sides, he reverts to his typical guarding stance. When he speaks again, it in the direction of the young woman’s clenched hand rather than to her face
“For good or ill,” Charon says towards the faded scrap of parchment “I am in your service.”
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selsprompts · 3 years
Text
Was it worth it, Steve?
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Insight; This is just a Drabble to be honest. I saw an edit of this scene and it gave me an idea, a very sad idea.
Warnings?: angst, (possible) cursing, mentions of infertility & death. (Also me using google translate because I don’t know German #pain)
Characters: Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson.
This is about Steve going back in time for Peggy, I do not agree with his decision. Does this mean that Steve doesn’t deserve happiness? No, of course he does. But, his ending was just so bad IMO.
It’s my opinion so don’t tear me down, Steve went back in time and he shouldn’t have. Sorry not sorry.
+ because of a recent reply I have to say that I will also be blocking people who send harmful messages/replies. It’s okay to say you disagree with me, I respect that, but please don’t tell me to “die” or insult me, it reflects on your character. Have a good day.
-
He danced.
He danced with the woman he loved.
That was good, right? Having happiness and being in a good place, that was good, right?
-
“Natalia Alianovna Romanova”
I stepped out of the line of girls and I knew what was happening, what was going to happen.
“Yes, madam” I held my head high trying to ignore the thoughts of how my future would never be fully happy.
“It’s time, let’s go” she grabbed my arm and led me out of the room, to the lab of course.
The graduation ceremony.
I was terrified. I could never have a family now, who would want me? Who wants a woman that can’t conceive?
We walked through the doors and madam left me alone while she spoke to the doctor.
I tried to fail my training, I didn’t want this, but I don’t have a choice anymore.
I remember shooting that man with a bag over his head, I hesitated but did it anyways. I have so much blood on my hands already and I'm so young.
I’ve been forced to spar with people I claimed as family to death in order to please my masters. The ones I claimed as sisters, their blood is on my hands.
“Come now, change and lay on the table” she handed me something to change into and I went behind the curtain.
I changed painfully slowly to try and drag the process, I was scared.
After this was over I’d have to go to ballet practice and act like nothing happened, like my life didn’t change for the rest of my life
“Natalia!” Madam called my name and I hurried quickly fearing the consequences.
I walked out and laid on the table, it was cold and hard, I wasn’t ready for this, who could be?
“What if I fail?” I said adjusting my position looking around the room.
“You never fail, you will earn your place in this world” Madam said before walking off.
I saw the doctor grabbing supplies and syringes. I muttered something under my breathe before it began.
“I have no place in the world” I tear slipped down my cheek as I shut my eyes.
-
He bought a house, he married her, they have kids.
The perfect white picket fence like Tony told him about.
This is what he wanted after all that war and those battles, he finally got what he wanted, right?
-
I don’t remember anything anymore. Every time I feel like I’ve figured out what’s happened to me it comes back to a blur.
“Wintersoldat” I turned my body looking at my master, I nodded.
“Töte ihn” he said throwing the man on the floor at my feet.
Kill him he said, this is what I do, this is my mission.
I did it. Shot him 3 times. I felt no remorse, it was strange.
I often contemplate my own thoughts, only when they don’t take me to the lab. After a period of time my mind wonders, faint memories come in.
I’ve become better at hiding it, but not perfect.
They know, they know everything .
We walked out of the room and left the countless bodies I murdered on the floor, like it wasn’t a crime.
He grabbed my arm stopping me in my tracks.
“Zurück zum Basis-Wintersoldaten”
We have to go back to the base. He knows.
He knows my memories are coming back, it’s going to happen again. My mind will be gone again.
“Ja, mein Herr” I complied and followed him.
I felt hopeless, I was so close to finding out what my purpose was. Not anymore.
I sat in the chair knowing what was going to happen, my chest heaving.
They put my mouth guard in. I thought about what I was before this. If I had any family, friends.
Friend. That sounded familiar. Steve.
My friend Steve, I remember Steve.
They pushed me back into the chair strapping my arms in.
“Steve used to put news papers in his shoes”
I mumbled out loud, they watched me confused.
“Los, wische sein Gedächtnis ab, worauf wartest du?”
The doctor was demanded to wipe my memory at once, again.
I heard the machine come down.
This is my life now, I hope one day to change.
I hope to find peace and happiness. I hope I’m excused for doing wrong I don’t have control over.
I hope I’m loved and alive. I hope I’m okay.
I thought one last thing before I felt my brain ache like before.
Will I ever truly be okay?
-
He replayed the record, he always does.
He walked back over to his wife, Peggy.
He ignores his thoughts about what he’s letting happen, what’s going to happen.
I deserve this he thought. Peggy, my kids, my life. This is what I deserve, right?
-
I watched him die. In front of my eyes.
“RILEY” I screamed through my comms.
I’m so stupid, how could I let this happen? Why wasn’t it me, it should’ve been me.
Testing out the Falcon for the first time shouldn’t have gone this way, never.
“EXO-7 Falcon. Beautiful ain’t she?”
I traced my fingers along the wings.
“Absolutely”
“You and Riley will be testing it out for the first time during the mission”
I was excited, who wouldn’t be? It’s crazy.
Our para-rescue unit was given the job of apprehending Khalid Khandil.
I felt like time froze
“no- Riley, no, no, no”
My wing-man. Gone.
This was a standard PJ rescue op. Nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before.
Until an RPG knocked Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch.
I remember that day, everyday. It never leaves my mind. I let him down.
I watched them lower the casket into the ground feeling my body tense up.
“It’s not your fault, Wilson” another person on our team put their hand on my shoulder before patting my back and leaving.
But it was. Maybe if I said don’t go there, follow me, my lead, it would’ve been okay.
I don’t trust myself much anymore, I’m scared.
But I have to move on and do better, be a better man than before.
I’ll do it for Riley, for him.
I was the last person left at the cemetery. I could hear his family crying while walking away. I couldn’t face them, not a chance.
“I’ll see you around buddy” I said walking off with my hands in my pockets.
I’ll save as many people as I can, it’s my duty.
-
They danced until she mentioned dinner. He let her go but still the record played.
It’s Been A Long Long Time by Kitty Kallen, his favourite song.
He walked outside to his porch looking at the sky, it was nice. Enjoying the peace and quiet while his best friends were doing the complete opposite.
While the world turned upside down he turned his back for a woman he left and said goodbye to a long time ago, even carried her casket.
He realized she was married to another man, had kids. She had a different life.
But what does that matter, right?
They both moved on but that wasn’t enough.
This begs the question, was it worth it, Steve?
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Welp. Here it is.
This was hard to right if I’m being honest.
I love Steve a lot, he’s one of if not my favourite character(s). But this is my honest take on the ending, needed to be said!
I hope no one else has done this idea. Let me know what you think! xx - Selena
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lubdubsworld · 3 years
Text
Falling for you( Falling from grace) Jungkook
Falling for you ( Falling from grace) Jungkook
Read Chapter 1 here
Read Chapter 2 here
Read Chapter 3 here
Rated : 18 +
Warning : . Fuck buddies? Or rather enemies that have sex. They just really hate each other but also can’t keep their hands off each other. Fair warning this has no plot. its just them being idiots .
Chapter warning : a little bit of plot just to keep things interesting yeah? 
Chapter 4
The washroom on the seventeenth floor was the unofficial gossip hub and normally I would steer clear of that place but desperate times called for desperate measures. I was pretty sure I looked like I’d been dragged backwards through a hedgerow and I had to get it fixed before I got written up . 
Willing myself not to openly flinch with every step, I tried to curb the trembling in my thighs, almost painfully sensitive to how wet and messy my lower half as. What the fuck had I been thinking. 
When I entered the restroom, I moved to the huge ornate mirror in the center and took a nice long look at myself. 
 I felt my throat seize up in shock.
Good God. 
I looked ten times worse than I felt. The hair in the back of my head was sticking up , four even gaps from where he’d gripped my hair too tight. Yelping, I pulled on the dozen hairpins holding my hair up in a messy bun, letting my hair fall around my shoulders. Panicking , I threaded my fingers through the strands, wincing when I touched my jaw. What the fuck...
I leaned closer, peering at the small abrasion near my chin. It was a bruise, shaped exactly like Jungkook’s thumb. And it was already turning into an ugly shade of puce. 
Slightly hysterical because, Hoseok was so incredibly unbending when it came to office etiquette and  I did not want to get fired, I flipped at the fancy taps, sticking my hand underneath the cold water and splashing it all over my face. 
The door opened behind me and I flinched.
“Oh, hey Areum....” Three of my colleagues walked in . I recognized two of them , Jieun and Hana . The third one looked new.
“Hey...” I croaked out, trying hard not to look like I’d just been fucked to an inch of my life in a supply closet by the boss’ son. 
Oh fuck, what the hell was I thinking? 
The girls moved to the mirror , spreading out across the long counter and pulling out their compacts and lipsticks . I kept my head down, still trying to calm my pounding heart. 
“So let me get this straight, he called you at eleven in the night yesterday and wanted to meet you ? At your apartment?” Hana was saying. 
The new girl was blushing as red as a tomato.
“Yeah...he uh... he told me he was just returning from his training. He’s a boxer.” There’s a shy sort of admiration in her voice and I felt an odd sense of foreboding. 
“Booty call.... He wanted to fuck you for sure.” Jieun said firmly. “ You’re a lucky bitch, Sana... ”
Sana.....
My fingers started trembling when I heard the familiar name. I tried to calm myself down but it was impossible . A red hot sort of rage began licking its way up my spine. It wasn’t new. I knew he fucked other people. We both did. 
but I’d never stood within two feet of one of his conquests. 
“ Yeah...but then he called me like an hour later and said he wasn’t coming around.” Her voice was tinged with disappointment and I felt a sick sort of satisfaction. 
Jungkook had cancelled because of the pic I’d sent him. 
“Maybe he thought he wanted more.... like you told me he asked you to come meet him at practice tomorrow right? To get coffee afterwards... ? Maybe he wants to do this properly....take you out on dates...get to know you....”
I couldn’t stay there a second longer. 
“Ladies...” I bowed quickly and they offered me cheerful smiles. I all but ran out of the restroom, hating the sharp sting of tears somewhere near my lashes. 
I stumbled to the back stairwell, which was mostly unused and usually deserted. Gripping the walls, I slid down to sit on the floor, drawing my knees up to bury my face in. 
There was a reason I didn’t do public sex, I thought, shaking. Despite the way I mouthed off at Jungkook, sex with him always took a toll and I had always, always made sure I had space and time to recover from it. Gripping my thighs and trying to fight the urge to whine, I fumbled with my phone. 
“Areum?”
“Can I have the day off?” I whispered, shaking a little. 
“You alright?” Hoseok’s voice sounded genuinely worried and I hummed.
“ Got my period.” I said blankly. 
“ Gotchu. I’ll fill up the form and get one of the interns to pack your stuff up. You need to get some meds or something? Need a ride home?”
I felt warmth bloom in my chest. This is why Hoseok was such a great HR manager. He genuinely cared. 
“ I don’t need a ride. Or anything else.” I said quickly, “I’ll take a cab...”
There was a slight shuffling and then, an altogether familiar and unwelcome voice in the background went.
“Who’s that?”
Oh fuck. What the hell was he doing there? 
“Areum...hang on, Jungkook’s here....he wants to talk to you...” Hoseok said quickly and before I could protest , I heard Jungkook’s low raspy exhale against my ears.
“Where are you?” He said shortly. 
I considered protesting but remembered that Hoseok was still there. 
“ The back stairwell... I... I’ll come there , I...”
“Stay right there. I’ll come get you.” 
Before I could respond, he had hung up. I stayed on the floor, staring stright at the opposite wall. I forced myself not to think, trying to take deep breaths. The truth was I was exhausted. Physically and otherwise. 
Letting my head fall back against the wall, I closed my eyes, trying not to think about what Id’ heard in the restroom. Was Jungkook interested in Sana? Meeting him at practice? Coffee? 
That just screamed dating to me. I’d always assumed that Jungkook wasn’t into dating. That he just enjoyed quick fucks because that’s all he had ever offered me. So maybe, it wasn’t because Jungkook didn’t want to date. It was because Jungkook didn’t want to date  me. 
 Which was fine. I didn’t want to date him either. I really didn’t . 
“Hey....you okay?”
I had to inhale shakily, just to bring myself to look at him. I felt my heart ache something fierce because he was kneeling in front of me, strands of hair falling into doe back eyes. Eyes that fairly glistened with genuine concern. There was no infuriating smirk or haughty smile....instead his lips were parted in genuine concern, eyebrows furrowed in worry and one hand resting on my knee , fingers just so unfamiliarly gentle. 
I stared at him for another second and smiled evenly.
“Guess I’m gonna be needing that wheelchair after all.” I quipped. 
He stared at me for a second before his face split in a wide grin, a genuine bark of laughter spilling out of him. He looked so carefree and unabashed that I bit my lips, staring at him some more. 
“Let’s get you home , yeah?”
I nodded, letting him grip my arm to help me up. 
“It’s okay. I can walk... “ I said softly and he hummed, but still kept an arm around me and I noticed that he had my handbag slung on the other shoulder.
We reached the elevator and rode down in silence .
I followed him to the basement parking and he fumbled with the smart key to his car , pointing in the direction of the multitude of cars and I watched one of the flashy red ones blink. 
“Let’s go to my place...., yeah?” He said casually and I groaned.
“Jungkook, I know this going to make your ego swell but I’m not joking when I say that I cannot physically take your dick at least for another couple of days.” 
He rolled his eyes. 
“I don’t want to fuck you, God. I’m working on a project for the Art Fest down at the Museum and I’m staying home. You can rest there....” He said casually, moving to put his seat belt on. He fixed the mirrors by prodding a few buttons and I watched the tattoos on his arm flex as he gripped the steering wheel, one arm coming around the headrest of my seat so he could turn and back out of the lot carefully. 
I frowned at the broad shoulders near my face. .
“Why would I rest there? I have a home....” I protested , watching him hold the door open for me. 
“Because I know for a fact that , it being Monday, both your sister and your mother are supposed to be coming over today to cook and clean for you because you have no life skills, “ He grinned and I glared at him, “ . They’ll probably notice the limp and I just thought I’d spare you the humiliation.” 
I didn’t respond because he was right. My mom and sister were home and it would be impossible to get any rest with them around. The fact that Jungkook somehow knew this made me feel jittery and nervous though. 
“You have a fight this weekend?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. 
He kept his eyes on the road, sparing me just one questioning glance.
“How’d you know?” He asked curiously and I bit my lips.
 I’ve been following your boxing career for a three years.
 “ Just heard someone say something at the office...” I said vaguely. 
“You aren’t invited.” He said sharply and I gripped the seats, annoyed.
“I don’t want to be there anyway.” I snapped back. 
He huffed.
“I’m serious about what I do Areum... I don’t want you interfering in that part of my life, alright? We’ve been through this before.”
I sneered at that.
“I know....isn’t that why you literally banned me from your gym. “ 
He didn’t reply and I stared at my hands. 
He had invited that girl, though, my mind supplied helpfully. 
He invited her not only to the gym, to watch him practice, but also for coffee afterwards...you know...to get to know her better....probably because she’s not the kind of girl who would spread her legs as easily as you do.....
 I stared out of the window, remembering how pretty and put together Sana had looked. The dainty walk, the perfect make up and the long hair, styled perfectly. 
I was beautiful too. Of course I was and I knew it. 
Men like Jungkook didn’t go for unattractive women even if it was for a quick lay. But, there’s beauty and then there’s actual charm? I wasn’t charming in any sense of the word. But then, did I have to be charming and attractive and perfect to go see him fight? 
Why?
What about the other people there? If literally anyone could go watch him fight, why wasn’t I allowed? 
“I want to come watch you train....” I said impulsively, my anger getting the better of me. 
Jungkook turned to give me a shocked stare. 
“What? Why?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion and I shrugged.
“No reason.” I said shortly. I could physically feel his irritation build. 
“Areum....” He began , voice holding a note of warning but I refused to back down.
“Literally anyone can visit your gym. You own the thing and you love offering discounts to everyone you meet...and yet somehow, I’m ‘ banned’. Why?” I demanded.
“Because I don’t want you there...That’s a good enough reason for me.” He snapped back and I clenched my fists harder. 
“Well, sucks for you. I’m gonna be there. On the front row. Let me see what’s so great about Jeon Jungkook in the ring that drives women wild...” I scoffed.
He stared at me for a second and then chuckled.
“Ahh..... so you just wanna watch me get wet and sweaty.... ? Understandable.”
I sneered. 
“You have been wet and sweaty on top of me enough times and trust me the novelty has long worn off.”  
He groaned.
“It genuinely feels like anytime I try to be halfway decent human being to you, you repay me by being as annoying as you can....” He said thoughtfully and I couldn’t say anything to that. 
i flinched when his hand reached out, moving to my knees and squeezing /lightly.
“What are you doing?” I frowned slapping at his fingers and he merely moved his hand higher up my thigh. I flinched when he squeezed again.  
“The only time you’re remotely bearable is when I’m touching you....So I’m gonna keep my hand here...” He gave me a smug grin, eyes practically dancing with mirth and I grimaced. 
“I’m still going to come. I want to.” I said firmly. 
He didn’t argue further.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Much to my surprise , I slept away the better part of the day, buried in Jungkook’s soft white sheets , head pillowed in the dozen fluffy throws he kept around. It was vaguely arousing that someone so intensely masculine like Jungkook preferred a comfortable , soft toned bedroom. The sheets smelled exactly like him, a fresh citrusy scent that managed to be soothing and sweet and yet somehow seductively warm as well. 
I woke up to fingers in my hair, lightly stroking. The room was dim, a little bit of light from the streets spilling in through the gaps between the curtains. 
“Areum.... It’s almost eight.... I’m gonna order us something for dinner... You wanna wake up now?” 
His voice. Fuck. 
I rolled over , groggy and disoriented. My eyes took in the splendor that was Jeon Jungkook, taking in the fact that he was only wearing grey sweatpants . I stared at the smooth expanse of his chest, feeling arousal bloom , slow and steady all over me. 
“I wanna suck you off...” I croaked out before I could fully filter my own thoughts.
Jungkook chuckled a bit at that. 
“I’m not gonna say no to that, but why don’t you take a shower and wake up fully.
I shook my head.
“ Let’s get messy first..... we can shower later...” I whined, still blinking and he groaned, slipping into the bed with me, under the covers, grabbing me by the waist and lifting me up till I was on him, my chin resting on his chest as I stared at his beautiful face. 
 What am I doing here? Where is this leading?
“I’ve never seen you like this. “ He commented mildly.
“Like what?”
“Sleepy and horny....Usually you‘re just angry and horny.” 
I shook my head. 
 “I should go.” I said hesitantly.. Jungkook didn’t respond for a few seconds, merely staring at me with a blank look on his face. Then he gave me a slight squeeze around my waist and moved out from under me. .
“I can call you a cab...” He said simply, moving to get up off the bed again. I felt something jump in my throat . It was unlike him to acquiesce so fast, and it was unlike us to just.... hang out without mutual orgasms thrown in the mix and somehow that felt like a change I wasn’t ready for. A bit of panic flashed through and I reached out blindly when he stood up, grabbing his waist and yanking him closer.
I looked up at him, scooting to the edge of the bed and kneeling till I was right in front of him. 
Eager to get things back to normal, I smiled and casually, pressed both my hands behind my back, looping my fingers together at the base of my spine. 
“Get those handcuffs.” 
Jungkook’s dick literally twitched in his pants and he swore.
“Fuck baby....” He grabbed my face roughly, crashing his lips over mine. I kissed back, almost desperate, trying to remember all the reasons why he annoyed me, why this was all we were to each other. A quick fuck, a quick lay, fuck buddies. that's what we were......
“Stay here. Stay right here...Don’t fucking move.” He pulled back and dove for his bed stand. I watched as he pulled out a silky black tie. 
I grinned when he nearly fell, scrambling up on the bed and pushing up behind me. He grabbed the hem of my blouse, yanking it up over my head before grabbing my wrists together again , tying them swiftly behind me. 
“Only you...” He whispered against the back of my neck. “ Only you can do this to me. Drive me wild with want just by fucking existing....” 
And then he was lying down near me, grabbing my waist and jostling me around till I was straddling his waist. It took me a second to orient myself I managed to steady myself, staring down at him in surprise. 
“ Seeing as you said you needed a break from my dick, how about you come sit on my face, today?” He smirked. 
I tested the give on my hands, before carefully leaning down to him
“Sure you have the lung capacity for this , Jeon?” I whispered, lips brushing his as I spoke. 
He responded by gripping my waist hard, easily lifting me up till i was straddling his shoulders. 
“I’m ready to drown in that sweet sweet honeypot, baby...” He winked and it was such a ridiculously bad joke that the laughter got wrenched out of me. 
And just like that , we were back to being us again. Or at least, that's what I convinced myself of. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR’S NOTE : TELL ME WHAT YOU GUYS THOUGHT ....I WANTED THIS TO BE JUST PORN BUT APPARTENTLY I CANT WRITE ANYTHING WITHOUT ANGST FML. 
Also requests open :) 
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kaizokuou-ni-naru · 3 years
Text
The Voyage So Far: Paramount War (Part One)
east blue (1 | 2) || alabasta (1 | 2) || skypiea || water 7 || enies lobby || thriller bark || paramount war (1 | 2) || fishman island || punk hazard || dressrosa (1 | 2) || whole cake island || wano (1 | 2)
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the introduction of the celestial dragons really is just so brutally effective. this is the first time we see them, and before they even show up on page they immediately establish themselves as both absolutely powerful and absolutely despicable. everyone is watching them commit atrocities in broad daylight, and nobody dares say a word. 
i mentioned it back in the enies lobby post, i think, with spandam, but oda is very, very good at creating villains who it just feels so good and so deeply satisfying to see them get annihilated, and the celestial dragons are maybe the crowning example of it. 
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i really like how none of the strawhats are really intimidated or impressed at all by the celestial dragons, in sharp contrast to how everyone else responds to them. some of that is ignorance, but you can’t tell me zoro would have acted any differently in this scene had he known charloss was a member of the world’s ruling class. all the power the celestial dragons have comes from fear; of course their greatest weakness is someone who just doesn’t care. 
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obviously this moment is just excellent, no qualifiers needed, but one thing i really love about it is how all the bad shit that results from this does not detract from the sheer satisfaction of what happens at the auction house at all. like, even though this leads directly to the strawhats getting crushed by the pacifista and kizaru and scattered by kuma, i’ve never once caught myself thinking luffy shouldn’t have done this. 
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i’m a huge fan of how rayleigh introduces himself. he knocks out the whole action house with conqueror’s haki, but luffy is completely unaffected, and the two of them just watch each other down the aisle for a moment as everyone else collapses around them. 
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i don’t know that i’ll ever get over the fact that oda created and designed the supernovas as he was writing sabaody. they’re all such distinct and memorable characters, and almost all of them have fit neatly into the post-timeskip story one way or another. they really feel like a part of the world that was always meant to be there. 
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i think the way roger as a character is handled is very, very cool, because we don’t really meet him as a person- when we first learn of him, on the very first page, he’s a myth, a story, a framing device. which is fitting, because that’s all the characters know him as. the rest of the world doesn’t know what roger was like as a person or why he did what he did, and so neither do our main characters and neither do we. 
and then we learn, slowly, by following in roger’s steps and meeting the characters who did know him, like rayleigh and whitebeard and garp. and through their testimony and memories, over the course of the story, roger goes from being a faceless myth to being a proper character.
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i think this panel, where luffy says he just wants to be the freest person on the seas, might be my favorite luffy panel. if nothing else, it’s definitely one of the ones i think about the most in terms of his characterization. luffy’s been defining himself by his dream since the very start of the story- he’s the man who’s going to be king of the pirates! but it’s only here that we learn what that goal actually means to him, and what he actually really wants. he just wants to be free. 
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the tone shift of sabaody really is impeccable. because up until a certain point, everything seems pretty par for the course. the strawhats make some new friends, get into trouble for their sakes, get into a hard fight where they all have to work together but eventually scrape out a win. 
but then kizaru shows up, and another pacifista, and kuma himself, and for the first time in the story luffy says this is a fight they can’t win- 
and then zoro disappears, and all of the audience’s expectations for how this is going to play out get thrown completely out the window. 
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it’s not that we haven’t seen luffy upset before this- his fight with usopp in water 7 and merry’s funeral are the two obvious examples that come to mind- but we’ve never, to this point, seen him as crushed as he is at the end of sabaody. it really drives the abrupt tone shift of sabaody home, because we’re used to seeing luffy be generally cheerful, and if not that, at stubbornly determined to power through. but here, he’s just wrecked- and the paramount war saga is just getting started. 
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every time i see hancock i’m reminded what a lesbian i am.
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i’m talking a lot about character introductions this post, but a lot of really good characters get introduced in the first half of this saga, from the supernovas to rayleigh to jinbe. on that note, i really like hancock’s introduction, for reasons similar to what i said about roger earlier. she’s introduced as a cartoonishly evil one-dimensional bitch, and she leans hard into that characterization for the first half or so of amazon lily.
and then luffy narrowly keeps her and her sisters’ worst fear from being realized, and her facade starts to slip, and we get to know her as- still kind of a bitch, but also a deeply traumatized person who has very valid reasons for being the way she is, and someone who is overall a lot more complicated than she appears at first glance. 
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one of my favorite things about luffy is his ability to always, always defy expectations. hancock is dead certain he’ll take her offer of a ship and abandon marguerite and the others, but he doesn’t even hesitate before doing the exact opposite. luffy is always turning people’s worlds upside down.
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i have a friend who coined the term “conflict of interest arc” to refer to the arcs where a crewmate is forced to choose between the crew and some obligation or baggage from their past- arlong park for nami, whole cake island for sanji, etc. 
marineford is luffy’s conflict of interest arc- he has to make the choice, here, to prioritize saving ace over reuniting with his crew. where it differs from all other such arcs, then, is that nobody else can come to back him up. he’s well and truly on his own. 
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i love how thoroughly expectations get turned on their head with jinbe. for the longest time, all we know about him is that he’s a shichibukai and arlong’s former captain, so given what arlong was like and what the shichibukai encountered thus far have been like, it’s a fair guess to assume he’s pretty awful.
and then we meet him, and he’s ace’s friend, sitting bloody and beaten in the deepest dungeons of impel down for refusing to fight in an unjust war.
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bon-chan is really one of the greatest examples of one piece’s stubborn refusal to treat any character as disposable, and oda’s endless ability to find new and interesting ways to fit them into the story. in pretty much any other manga, it would be all but guaranteed that we wouldn’t see a character like bon-chan again after the conclusion of the alabasta saga. here, luffy straight up would not have made it to marineford without him. this is true for mr. 3 too- who would’ve thought his ability to duplicate keys out of wax, established and promptly forgotten some three hundred chapters ago, would be the thing that let luffy free ace on the scaffold?
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magellan is a good antagonist. i’m not saying i like him- i don’t particularly- but he’s a great antagonist for a couple reasons, and one of them is that his powers are terrifying. magellan is essentially what might be called in video game terminology an advancing wall of doom- the only viable strategy for dealing with him is to run.
i had more i wanted to say here but it literally kept turning into a rant about one piece’s take on morality no matter how many times i tried to keep it short, so i’ll settle for just saying that magellan is an antagonist but not a villain and i think that’s interesting. 
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the absolutely ridiculous, eclectic mix of people that luffy winds up gathering to escape impel down is possibly my favorite part of the whole arc. i just think it’s so fun and so characteristic of him that even when separated from his crew, he winds up attracting the weirdest, most powerful bunch of people around to break out of prison with. 
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the relationship between luffy and blackbeard is a really interesting one. it’s been plenty clear for some time that blackbeard is almost certainly going to be luffy’s final opponent to become pirate king, and yet they’ve been mostly running on parallel paths through the world, only occasionally coinciding (such as here and in jaya) and generally seeming pretty unconcerned with each other. it’s a really cool way to handle the built to an eventual showdown, and i really like it. 
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this is one of my favorite spreads just for sheer smile factor. i love it so much. i think we should get to see jinbe’s whale shark buddies more often, it’s a crime we haven’t seen them since this. 
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