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fbfh · 2 years

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peter parker x (gn) stark!reader crush hcs

wc: 1.5k

genre/au: pining, fluff, crushing hard, ambiguous canon compliance, socialite/heir/nepotism baby au

pairing: peter parker x stark!reader, dad!tony stark + familial!reader

warnings: one use of "it girl" cause I couldn't find a better phrase, peter parker is a simp, tony stark is a good dad, vague allusions to pre infinity war, mentions of the stark internship and going on missions, I think that's it??

summary: peter parker is down real bad for you. it's only when you come face to face that he realizes tony stark/iron man my boss is also tony stark/iron man my celebrity crush's dad and god he wants to make a good impression on you

song rec: treat you better - shawn mendes (mentioned), spider man too: 2 many spidermen - the unbreakable kimmy schmidt (just cause I think of it every time I hear spiderman)

a/n: on a spider man kick!!! i watched homecoming yesterday and can't stop thinking about it, probably going to binge watch the tobey maguire and andrew garfield spider man movies this weekend lol

also I'm on another wave of marvel hyperfixation!!! half way through black panther and it is worth every rave review it's gotten I wanna watch vine compilations with shuri

tags @afidiofobia @thatmultifandomloser @babiesimagines @lizziebitch33 @hopefullhearts @thatawkwardlittlefangirl

Tony stark has been through a lot

He's very protective over the people he loves

And rightfully so

No matter how you came into his life

Whether your mom was the love of his life, the one fling he never stopped thinking about, the one that got away

And he somehow ended up with custody of you

Or if he and Pepper finally tied the knot and had you, their little bundle of joy

Or if he adopted you, little orphan Annie style

Regardless of how and when you came into his life

You are his pride and joy

Suddenly all of Stark industries only means something to him because it's a way to provide for you

Yeah the whole entire world is great

But you are who he fights for

You are the reason he wears the suit and keeps things safe and peaceful

Not without a good fight, and not without the rest of the avengers ofc

But at the end of the day, he wants you safe and happy

He'll go to extreme measures to make sure you are always safe and taken care of

Plus, god he loves spoiling you

He really never expected having a kid to be so much fun

You’re probably the coolest person he knows

And he’s been around the block a few times

With how protective he is you'd expect him to be pretty strict

No dating no parties

But no

He makes sure you're always totally informed, prepared, and safe

That way you can go live life to the fullest

Plus it would be really hypocritical of him to say you can't party and break hearts

Look at his track record

And you have such a good head on your shoulders

You're so smart and responsible

He has no idea where you get it from

The sense of humor and charisma, sure

But you're just so… good

You're such a good kid

That has to be all your mom

(It’s a little bit him too but he doesn't believe that yk)

Literally you can have and do anything you want

And what hurts is how you never ask for anything

You're so humble and grateful

That's your mother too

He has no idea how you're turning out to be such a good kid, but he hopes he's doing something right

You trust each other implicitly

Between all the shit you've been through, and all the shit he's been through, he kept as much of your childhood private as he could

Basically no one even knew he had a kid until you were in high school

By the time you were old enough to drive he was a little more laid back with the whole privacy thing

But it's something you really value too

You have like 1 public social media account

Which you barely even post on

Regardless of if you’re more of a stem or arts and humanities person

Or neither

Or both

Once you hit high school and people found out Tony Stark has a kid

Absolute media circus

You were what everyone was talking about

For a long time

And you’re still a point of conversation to this day

Even if you do absolutely nothing

If you fly under the radar as much as you can

You’re still something of an it girl

New York’s sweetheart if you will

You’re regularly in teen magazine articles as a style icon

Your pictures are ALL over pinterest

People on tiktok have made so many -core nepotism baby aesthetic outfit inspo <3 videos about you

You’re frequently used as a background for hot girl whisper posts too

But in spite of all that

There’s probably not much public information known about you

Yk the whole privacy thing

You’re a hot enigmatic gorgeous mystery

If you’re anything like your dad you’re probably known for flipping off the paparazzi on more than one occasion too

You’ve caught the attention of many people

Including the parasocial affection of a nerdy guy from queens

The same nerdy guy who’s recently gotten an internship with your dad

When I tell you Peter Parker has the biggest crush on you

That doesn’t even do it justice

He has all your pictures as rotating wallpapers on his phone and computer

He regularly scrolls through your public social media

He’s made a playlist with all the songs and bands you’ve either worn t shirts/merch for or referenced

He falls asleep basically every night thinking about you

Literally he couldn’t imagine a more perfect person if he tried

You sound like something 12 year old him would have made up

The drop dead gorgeous heir/socialite nepotism baby of Tony Stark??????

Sign him the fuck up

He wonders if you like spider man

He wonders that regularly

When he’s spacing out in class he’s definitely thinking about you

He’s probably thinking about rescuing you as spider man

He’d get you out of the way in the nick of time

You’d cling to him as he holds you close to his chest, web swinging away from the imminent danger

The way you’d be swept off your feet, wanting to see him again

How you just couldn’t get the charming plucky upstart off your mind

Then you’d of course ask your dad to pull a few strings so you could see him again

Maybe he’d refuse, playing the strict parent role

But you’d find a way

Love always finds a way

There would always be some sort of balcony soliloquy

Sometimes it would feel very romeo and juliet

Other times it would be the scene leading up to a whole new world from aladdin practically beat for beat

He doesn’t even know if your room has a balcony

But he feels like it probably does

Ned agrees you’d probably have a balcony

When dating rumors start going around

Whether they’re true or not

He goes through a mini heartbreak every time

After reading every article he can find about you and whoever

Idk an actor, a tiktok influencer, another nepotism baby

Treat you better by shawn mendes is on repeat for at least two days

May has picked up on this pattern

If she sees dating rumors before he does

When he comes home she has a hug and his favorite takeout ready to go

His notes are full of doodles of you

Comics of spider man rescuing you

Usually stick figures

They’re still pretty cute

For some reason he doesn’t connect Tony Stark my celebrity crush’s dad with Mr. Stark aka Iron Man the guy basically training me to be an avenger

So at one point he gets a call that they need him for a mission

Tony informs him that someone will be there to pick him up, so be ready

Thankfully school is basically over

So when he’s heading to his locker and hastily texting Ned an apology for bailing on their movie plans

He hears his name

“I’m looking for Peter Parker?”

His locker door is closed and he

He can’t believe what he’s seeing

It’s you

Oh god it’s you

Live and right in front of him and god you smell really good

“Hi.” you begin, introducing yourself

“My dad - Mr. Stark,” you correct, in case he has no idea who the fuck you are

As if that could happen

“Sent Happy to pick us up.”

He’s barely able to process what you’re saying

You’re so pretty and so real and you’re standing so close to him

“...really important internship related stuff came up. He needs us both at the compound asap.”

You wink at him, an understated gesture that anyone else would have missed, clarifying beyond doubt this is in actuality avengers business

He fumbles out some reply, pulse racing, cheeks burning up

God you’re so much prettier in person

And you look a lot taller in photos

He doesn’t have time to dwell on the thought as you hand him a cup

“Oh, I got you a coffee - hope you like lattes.”

You take a sip of your own beverage and start to walk away

You turn back after a second

“You coming?”

Happy gives him a look like come on kid, we don’t have all day

“R-right!” he sputters following you out of the building

He realizes this is it

It’s go time

Every hope and dream and wish to meet you has amalgamated to this moment

Now he just has to make a good impression

Make you think he’s totally cool and charming

And not at all an absolute dork

That shouldn’t be hard at all right??

He sure hopes not

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glass-needles-and-futurisms · 6 months

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I keep thinking back to Muse playing Survival at the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics, and I keep saying that one of these days I'm just gonna spew all my feelings about how it's not just one of my all-time favorite Muse moments, but also a hilarious, if perhaps unintentional, moment of social commentary.

I still remember our postgrad professor showing those same closing ceremonies in class, explaining the not-so-subtle propagandistic purpose the entire spectacle served on the global stage. (For those who don't know, the 2012 Olympics closing ceremonies were essentially a three-hour star-studded tribute to UK music and pop culture.)

Picture this: you just sat through about two hours of the UK's various national exports - One Direction, the Spice Girls, the Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, Ed Sheeran, Annie Lennox, erm, Russell Brand. You've just seen live performances of Bohemian Rhapsody, Imagine, Wonderwall, and Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, alongside tributes to David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. And you still have Queen, Take That and The Who to go after this.

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Interestingly, that class glossed over what an afterthought the Muse performance felt like by comparison. You could argue a lot of extenuating circumstances: the controversial reception of Survival as the official London Olympics theme song, the infamous NBC debacle where it inadvertently got cut from the US broadcast of the ceremonies, or the simple fact that this far into the festivities, a fairly straightforward stage performance* by a band with slightly less name recognition than Coldplay was pretty underwhelming.

* Not sure if this is common knowledge, but apparently this performance was mostly playback with the exception of Matt's vocals. Which also makes this an underappreciated entry in the annals of Muse miming shenanigans.

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But something becomes very apparent once you actually reach this part of the show: Survival is fucking bananas. I'll never forget that one internet commenter calling it the world's most epic villain song that doesn't know it's a villain song. I mean, just look at the lyrics:

Life's a race / and I am gonna win

And I'll light the fuse / and I'll never lose

And I choose to survive / whatever it takes

You won't pull ahead / I'll keep up the pace

And I'll reveal my strength / to the whole human race

This is how the song starts! You can sort of see the logic behind making it the Olympics theme song. And then it gets weirder from there:

Yes, I am prepared / to stay alive

I won't forgive / the vengeance is mine

And I won't give in / because I choose to thrive

Yeah, I'm gonna wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin

Good grief. No wonder it's called "Survival". The song makes slightly more sense in the thematic context of The 2nd Law, the album it was released on. But on its own it's just.... yeah.

And this performance ramps up the insanity even more by just taking the piss. Between Matt Bellamy peacocking in a sparkly suit and Union Jack t-shirt, the batshit guitar solo, the pyro, the backing choir, and the fact that everything onstage (including the grand piano) is pretty much just for show (and wobbling like mad), Survival feels cheesy and irreverent in a way that makes you suddenly hyper-conscious of how tightly orchestrated everything else you just saw (including the Monty Python and Mr. Bean stuff) was. Remember that this was all broadcast to an international audience of millions.

Pairing the sheer pageantry of the ceremonies thus far with the actual lyrics of Survival kinda puts everything in an uncomfortable new light. Then it dawns on you that you pretty much just watched an accidental three-hour love letter to British imperialism. (Okay maybe that's overselling it a bit but it's still pretty funny.)

#muse #muse band #survival #the 2nd law #matt bellamy #olympics #P.S. I can't help but wonder how Dom and Chris feel being accomplices to all this

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annegraves · 1 year

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S2E4 “the majestic 12”Anne Graves version.

The Umbrella Academy☂

A.N. Hi guys! I hope you’ll like this. I know it took quite long, but I hope this was worth the wait. S2E5 is coming soon. This is a self-insert I hope you all are fine with that. I modeled Anne after myself. Should I make a x reader version of this? Let me know. Ok enjoy.

^^^ʕु•̫͡•ʔु☂^^^

A.N. but with spoiler:

I decided to put Anne with a loving version of Reginald because I think it would make a more interesting story line. This is also a Five x Anne kinda thing. I know what you’re thinking like “ew he’s 58” but I promise it’ll make sense.

1776 words

｀��ヽ｀ヽ｀、ヽ(ノ＞＜)ノ｀、ヽ｀☂ヽ｀、ヽ

Diego walks up to Grace with an open mouth, “Mom?”

“Now the only one that calls me that is my daughter.” Grace says amused with a Texan accent. “Everything all right, hon?”

“You’re real.” Grace chuckle at that sentence, “If this is your idea of a come-on, it’s not goin’ well.”

Diego shakes the smile of his face, “No. Actu… Uh… Uh, do…do you know a man named Sir Reginald Hargreeves?”

Grace became a little confused, “Reggie? He’s my date this evenin’.” Diego’s eyes fell out of his sockets.

“Your date?” Diego, looking like a kid who just saw his parents kiss, “Ugh.”

“Do you have a problem with that?” Grave said sounding very much offended.

“No. No, no, it’s… it’s just, uh…” he started stuttering realising he’s about to blow his cover, “It’s just a lot to process. The…”

Grace was still very confused, her face looked like if she just witness an alien abduction. “The thought of the two of you, I… I can’t picture that in my head. That is…”

“That’s nasty.” Diego said with the sass of Cardi B.

“Uh…” Grace said then she sighed. “You’re a little odd, aren’t you?”

Diego said “Yeah.” Like she just taught him the world’s hardest maths problem.

Grace laughed softly. “I mean, no.” Diego stopped himself realising he just called himself odd.

“Uh… Do you know where he is?”

“He said somethin’ about a quick meetin’, and he’d be right back. That was 20 minutes ago.”

“Never good to keep a lady waiting.”

“Tell him that if you find him.” With that and a sip of her drink she walked away.

“Wait.” Said Diego. “Didn’t you say you have a daughter?” Diego ask genuinely curious.

“Yep. She my little ball of sunshine.” Grace saying with a little sigh and laughter. “Actually she’s not really mine but,” Grace moved back to their original speaking position, “She’s Reggie’s kin.” She said that kind of space out and sort of sad. “But she accepted me from day one, calling me ‘Ma’, giving me mother’s day presents-“ while saying that she change her demeanour to a happy one. “She actually gave me this for my birthday.” Grace said that while holding her necklace, smiling brightly.

“Ma!” an East Asian girl ran over to Grace. She looked to be in her early teens, she was one the bigger side but she wasn’t fat, she had short black bob hair with it curling at the end there was also a hairband on it, she was wearing a nice A-lined dress that was teal in colour. “They’re going to be playing your favourite song! You gotta come see!”

“Annie. That was rude you didn’t even greet this kind-“She looked Diego up and down, and went ‘well… close enough?’, “gentleman.”

“Oh. Sorry, Ma.” Then she looked at Diego. “Good evening, Sir.” Anne said giving a bow, then her hand. “My name’s Anne.” Anne said in a calm demeanour.

Diego took her hand to shake it. “Diego. Diego Hagreeves. ” Diego suddenly realise what he was saying mid-sentence, but it was like his mouth and his brain were 2 different people.

“Huh. You the same last name as my father.” Diego wanted to dig a hole and die, because you know Five and/or Lila would have done it themselves. Thank god what followed was…

“Must be a very common last name.” Diego let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. “Yeah, must be.”

“Now if you would excuse me, I need to take my Ma to the dance floor.” Grace laughed. “Of Couse, don’t let me stop you.” Diego moved his arm in the direction of the dance floor.

Anne turned around excitedly, “Ma. We gotta go fast if not you’re goin’ miss it.” The young girl held her mum’s hand and pull her to the dance floor.

“Sorry I couldn’t talk more.” With that Grace’s daughter, now established as ‘Anne’ pulled her away.

“Hey, uh, Grace?”

“It was nice meeting you.”

“You too.”

Diego watched as his (mum?) walked away with his (sister?), and sighed, “Poor kid.”

“Lila.”

…☁-*✧..☂˚. .˚☂..✧*-☁…

Anne brought her mum to the dance floor, where Grace proceeded to say “Oh, this is my song!” Grace put her belongings with Anne to go dancing. While dancing a random guy asked her if he could buy her a drink and she accepted.

Anne watched all from afar, she couldn’t dance due to her being a kid. (there was a strict no kids allowed party, but when you’re Reginal Hagreeves’s daughter you are allowed into the party)

While watching she decided to go find her father maybe she’ll be more of a helping hand there. As she was walking she got lost every staircase looked the same, every part of the wall was covered with the same colour or the same wallpaper, every window the same. (I mean the view was different but, it wasn’t helping)

All of a sudden, she heard noises that sounded like fighting? She followed the sound. (what did she have to lose?) She got up just in time, to see five yeet someone out the window! She looked around to see the man she met not 30 minutes ago getting choke to his death by 2 white-haired men.

She ran to his aid. Firstly, Anne grabbed a knife that Lila was previously using to save five and used it to stab into (the white haired-man that was using a piece of (cloth?) to choke Diego)’s thigh. (We’re going to call this one A, the other Mofo and Yeeted one, Yeet. Okay?)

He stopped choking Diego due to the pain on his leg, and fell to the ground. Next was Mofo and Diego, They had a battle like they we’re in street fighter 2. Highlights included: Diego yeeting Mofo’s head out of the window, Diego smashing a glass bottle on Mofo’s head and Diego high kicking Mofo. Anne watch in awe as this all happened.

When Diego finally knocked out Mofo, he looked out the window and said “Dad.” Without acknowledging Anne he ran down the stairs.

Anne wanted to following him but her curiosity got the best of her, and she went looked out the window. She saw her parents that seem to be talking to the police, “Oh, shoot.”

She quickly ran down the stairs.

She ran as fast as her leg would take her, because she was scared that her father might punish her. Don’t get me wrong her father might be much more loving than how he treated the Umbrella Academy but, she was still Reginald Hagreeves’s daughter and he was still Reginald Hagreeves.

Anne ran to her parents and acted normal. (maybe if she acted like nothing happened they’ll act the same way)

“Annie! Darling! Where were you? I turned my head and you were gone! We we’re about to report a missing case to the police!” Grace said frantically.

“Anne Gables Hagreeves! Where were you?”

“I’m sorry daddy. I saw Ma having fun, and I wasn’t of much help. So I wanted to find you. I thought maybe I could help out, but I got lost.” She ended it a bit softly.

Reginald face soften. “Okay. At least you’re back in one piece.” This might be very out of character for the Umbrella Academy’s Reginald, but this is Anne Hagreeves’s Reginald. “Let’s get you in the car and back home. That’s enough playing for you.”

Without a word Anne walked to the car. Reginald open the car for his girlfriend and daughter to get in. First was Grace, then Anne but before she could step in, there was a boy about her age who started shouting something that she could not understand. While she was yelling her father looked locked in, like he was in some sort of spell.

Anne asked her father, “Daddy, what is that boy saying?” Reginald seem to snap out of it and said, “Nothing that you need to know, Sweetie.”

“Reggie. What are you waiting for? We need to go.” Her mother said firmly. So, she stepped in the car, followed by her father. Confused her mother asked “Who was that?”

“No one important.” Reginald said nonchalantly.

“Was that him?” Diego asked.

“Yeah.” Five replied.

Grace turned her attention to the young girl sitting in front of her, “And you. Never run away like that again. Okay?”

“Yes, Ma.”

“You gave me a heart attack.” Saying that Grace cupped her daughter’s face.

…☁-*✧..☂˚. .˚☂..✧*-☁…

Anne lied in her bed, she was so confused her dad always told her everything, she even knew about the Kennedy assassination and how her father was against it. He denying her information to her was weird to say the least. She was also thinking about the fight that Mr Diego was having. She didn’t know that he was a fighter. He even used the same techniques that she was used to, the same ones her father taught her. She was also thinking about Diego calling (her dad maybe?) dad. It all didn’t make sense to her. When she was done stressing about that she was wondering about who was that crazy boy that was yelling at her and her father. She’d met crazy people and people that liked yelling at her father but she couldn’t stop thinking about this boy-

“Annie are you asleep?” Reginald said in an assertive manner.

Anne sat straight up like a spring that had just been bend. “Why do you ask Daddy?” Anne said excitedly, “Are we going out?”

“Sadly no, my child. Your mother and I are going out.”

“But Daddy… why can’t I go?”

“It’s about a serious matter-“

“Like JFK?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Then I’ll stay home alone.” Anne said sadly. “But you won’t be alone.” The father said to his daughter. Before Anne could question it, Reginald said “I want you to meet Pogo.”

A small young baby monkey walked out from the darkness of her room. “You may treat him as a brother, or a servant, either way he’ll listen to your every word.” While he was saying that the young Pogo jumped on the bed next to Anne.

She was a bit scared. “Don’t be scared darling.” She did not move. “Come on touch him.”

She reluctantly did, and Pogo snuggled against her hand. She was happy at this.

“Okay. Go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

He walked out but before he completely step out the door, he said “I love you.” He said without looking back. “I love you too.” Reginald smiled at that and closed the door.

#five hargreeves #aidengallagher #the umbrella academy

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wrctings · 3 years

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Jean Kirschtein x reader | Friends, or is it more?

the more i watch aot, the more i love jean... his moments of self-doubt and his moved smile truly are heart-wrenching 🥺

fandom: Attack on Titan pairing: Jean Kirschtein x reader summary: Where you realise that you’re falling for your best friend, whose heart is already taken—or so you thought. Fortunately, what becomes a saddening party can also turn into an unexpected occasion to make things right. word count: 3.3k

Sometimes, belonging to the Scouts regiment came with something that, from up close, resembled a flicker of momentary joy. You had, of course, been aware of the harrowing shadow of a reputation that trudged behind the wings of liberty: danger, death and despair; the three Ds accompanying your pledge to humanity drummed their deafening beat alongside your horse's frenzied gallop whenever you took place in the formation that led you outside the walls, the wind hurling through your hair and your senses at the height of their tension, ready to signal the approach of a titan at any given minute, bracing your body for every possible threat. You had faith in commander Erwin, had faith in your comrades—if giving your life was necessary for your cause, then, you had silently promised yourself and your people, you would give it with eyes wide open and undefeated fierceness, be it in the heat of battle or any other way. The wings embroidered upon your cape represented your beliefs more intensely than any word—as long as there was a Scout left, hope would live still; blossom upon the tall grass that freely grew upon the tombs of your fallen comrades. Even the smallest victory made you believe that a change could be made—and even the smallest victory was celebrated in the battalion as a sign that bode well for the foreseeable future. It was such celebrations, though as small as the victories they marked, that made room for moments of joy the regiment could barely encounter at other times. And when those moments came, life suddenly appeared coated with a hundred colours, full of humorous idiocies and heedless amusement that stirred up in you all the youthful glee of not caring about a thing in the world but the people around you and the drink in your hand.

"You guys won't believe the position we found Bertholdt in this morning!"

Seated beside Armin, who himself flanked Eren as Mikasa had naturally settled on the other side of their childhood friend, you leaned further on the wooden table of the barrack in order to hear your brunet friend more distinctly, his excited voice reviving the conversation at once. Drawn by a cheerful and carefree sort of curiosity, which was well fueled by the general bright mood, finding out about Bertholdt's daily sleeping position suddenly appeared like the most fascinating event one could discuss, especially when followed by the boys' weather previsions based on their comrade's often strange and tangled up poses. You exchanged an amused look with Mikasa, and though your friend's features remained almost as impassive as usual, the vivid twinkle you caught through the dark shine of her eyes mirrored your cheery behaviour; Armin's face, on the other hand, wore an expressive smile, the blond boy remembering vividly the description of Bertholdt that Eren began recounting.

But even as you laughed at the image of Bertholdt's knees somehow managing to stay bent as he slept on his stomach, the upper part of his legs outstretched toward the sky in an unusual—to say the least—position, your gaze went on sweeping the room, in search of the one person you couldn't wait to chat with again, though you also got along really well with Armin, Mikasa and Eren. The only problem was, said person was not that fond of the self-righteous brunet ball of energy sat at your table, so you were not surprised to find him in Conny and Sasha's company instead, talking animatedly. You had already had the opportunity to chat with Jean earlier that evening, the two of you having grown so close to each other that it would've been impossible for you not to cross paths tonight, but you wondered whether you would drift toward each other again before the makeshift party came to an end; Captain Levi had been surprisingly unbothered by your shy request to celebrate today's mission's success, accepting it on the sole condition that only soft drinks were to be consumed—Armin suspected that Commander Erwin was responsible for granting the new recruits' wishes, as they had after all already endured quite a lot during the expedition to retrieve Eren from Annie.

"We better watch out for that sleeping position of Bertholdt's, maybe it means good luck," Armin observed lightheartedly, taking a sip from his drink.

"You should keep a notebook with all of them, and maybe you'll crack the code someday," you added with a chuckle, the three of you glancing at Bertholdt.

Having your 104th comrades with you in the Scouts regiment really did bring you a lot of comfort to help you navigate these new uncharted waters, though it also made it acutely unbearable to imagine that some of them might not make it back next time; Marco served as your first and most painful lesson that even those dearest to you were never safe. It was after the freckled boy's death that you and Jean had truly bonded, brought together by the devastating loss of your kindhearted friend. You had become each other's rocks since then—checking up on each other after training sessions and expeditions, playful teasing and calling each other all sorts of funny nicknames rooted into the core of your friendship, giving it all its strength. And it was when you had been injured during the 57th expedition and Jean had almost hysterically ran up to you afterwards, cursing with no restraint and holding your arm so tightly it hurt when he helped you limp toward the medical wing, that you had been hit for the first time, though still shaken from slaying a titan and the bloody cut burning your leg, by how grateful you were to have made it out alive, to have Jean by your side. It was then that you had realised that there was no one else you would rather be with than him—it was something more than anything you've ever felt before, as your timidly pounding heart had been reminding you ever since.

But another thing unavoidable when being friends with Jean, of course, was the bickering between your comrade and Eren—and this evening was no different from any other week. A few minutes later, as you engaged in a pleasant conversation with Armin, your attention was drawn by the thunderous eruption of voices that suddenly shook the walls of the barrack, making many pairs of surprised eyes turn toward the belligerent protagonists of the argument. It just had to be Eren and Jean, hadn't it? Like the rest of your comrades, you couldn't possibly guess where the spark that ignited this new inferno came from, but with these two, a valid reason often wasn't needed; to the greatest despair of the 104th, both boys possessed magic powers to summon reasons to fight out of thin air. At the present moment, both Eren and Jean were actively yelling at each other, shooting names and accusations back and forth.

However, the lack of rational incidents to cause such a scene didn't mean that there was no deeper reason for Jean's outbursts, just like Eren's counter-attacks originated from his legendary stubbornness already well-known to his fellow comrades. You had been suspecting for a long time that Jean mainly proclaimed his hatred towards Eren because of Mikasa. Before the 57th expedition, when both of you were in a playful and mischievous mood, you would even friendlily tease Jean about his soft spot for the dark haired young woman, which he hadn't hidden very well ever since Mikasa and he met for the first time. It was quite unfortunately, really, that your heart had finally chosen Jean, of all people, to fall for—as if you weren't well aware of how much he admired and liked Mikasa! And this mascarade surely had to have been orchestrated to get her attention, just like many other failed schemes of Jean's, as Mikasa barely seemed interested in anyone but Eren, Armin, sometimes Sasha, and you.

"There he goes again..." You muttered downheartedly, sparing a glance at your best friend.

"It's Eren and Jean, after all..." Armin responded with a sorry smile, squirming on the bench to get further away from Eren, who was now up on his feet and facing Jean with balled up fists. Mikasa watched the two boys through squinted eyes, at the ready to jump and knock over Jean if needed—at least, your friend's plan to get her attention had succeeded.

"I know how this is going to end," you told Armin under your breath, averting your gaze from the fighters. "You know what, I think it's right about time for me to head off. I don't want to witness Captain Levi tearing their heads off for wrecking havoc in here."

"Really? Don't you want to stay a little longer? I'm sure it won't come to this!"

"I don't even want to know. Goodnight, Armin, thank you for the nice chat," you excused yourself, fleeing from the barrack swift as a cat, only the passage of a furtive ray of light on the floor signifying that the door to the room had been opened as quickly as it was closed.

You knew better than to cling onto something you could not reach, so why endure the spectacle of such a foolish play?

Outside, nighttime had descended upon the camp with its soothing quietness. Nothing in sight but the warm flutter of torches fixed upon the barracks; nothing ringing in your ears but the chirping melody of a cricket's song, its echo delicately carried away by the evening wind. No ecstatic shouting, no blaring laughter. Nothing but a lone constellation half-veiled by the grey trail of clouds that unhurriedly floated upon the dark depths of the sky. No Jean, no Eren. You took a lungful of fresh air before a long sigh lifted off your chest—if only things could go back to the way they had been. Back when Jean was nothing but a fun and (sweetly) annoying horse-faced boy to be around, and no cause for heartache.

You took some more steps ahead, the muffled sounds you could still hear from inside dying out as you walked further away. Although you had told Armin that your time to go had come, you didn't feel like getting back to bed right now; actually, you didn't feel like anything but escaping for a little while.

At last, you decided to retrace your steps, taking a seat on the ground beside the barrack you had abandoned, your back pressed against its wooden surface. On the other side, the cacophony hadn't ceased, only muffled by the wall that separated you from the inside mayhem. Had Jean and Eren opted for a fistfight denouement by now? Would Mikasa intervene?

But before you had enough time to explore the many scenarios your imagination could sketch out, the door beside which you had settled opened abruptly, a wide stream of light flooding the ground at once. In the blink of an eye, a visibly disconcerted figure appeared on the threshold, freezing as they took a look around before rapidly bifurcating to the side in order to follow one of the torchlit paths...

"Jean?"

"Y/n?! What are you doing here?" Jean rushed toward you as soon as he noticed your silhouette from behind the shadows, discovering your hiding-place. "I didn't even see you leave..."

"I'm sorry, I was starting to feel tired." Touched by the fact that Jean had left the room to look for you, you attempted to give him a plausible excuse.

"C'mon, you can get through a day of training, but you can't get through one of the only party nights we're lucky enough to have?" Jean taunted, taking a seat next to you. "What's the matter?" he gently elbowed you, throwing his neck back so he could press his head against the wall behind. "Just when I was about to defeat Eren..."

"Defeat Eren, really? Statistically, it's more likely for Captain Levi to smile than for us to see that happen," you laughed tiredly, trying not to think about how Jean would probably soon get back to Mikasa and the others.

"Yeah, yeah, tease me all you want, it'll happen. Someday this idiot will get his ass handed to him."

Closing your eyes, you only had it in you to maintain the forced smile painted over your lips while fighting back the rush of stinging tears that suddenly overwhelmed you. Why did Jean had to come and check up on you now of all times, right when you were more than ever convinced that you were starting to fall for him, and it couldn't be clearer that his every move longed for someone else?

"You know, I was going to get him, but Mikasa can get scary..." It was as if he could decipher the riddles of your mind, unaware of the way your heart convulsed. "I wouldn't want to cross her. Why would she hang out with this idi—"

"Look, Jean, if you've come here to rant about this, then you can leave," you ended up snapping, biting back more acre words . "I'm tired, okay? Just get back to the fun inside."

"You... You don't feel like talking?" Jean's voice softened from incomprehension, trying to read your tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was that bad. Hey, you really don't want to talk?"

You shook your head in response, scolding your own self for such pathetic behaviour. Jean couldn't possibly know about your suppressed feelings, so your attitude must indeed appear more than confusing, especially since you were so used to confiding in each other and cheering each other up, for the past weeks more than ever. In the wake of Icarus's ascend towards the sun, untethered and naive, your wings of wax were melting... But who could've predicted, as much as a month earlier, that the loveable idiot by your side would doom you to downfall?

"Okay... Well...," the young man ran a distracted hand through his hair, frowning as his jaw clenched. "Then I'll talk. You know, I had an idea for tonight," he began after collecting his thoughts, breaking through the hesitant seconds that had temporarily numbed his tongue. "It was our first successful expedition after that near-death experience after all, so I thought I'd better make the most of it and make tonight's celebration useful. Who knows when we'll get another one. Maybe you're right and it's actually more likely to see Captain Levi smile than to get another one of these again soon." Jean's speech ran freely now, his torrent of sentences—for the moment still not making clear sense as to where they were headed to—submerging you in the familiar flow of his voice. As of late, your greatest fear had become to miss its distress call in the ranging mist of a battle, to watch Jean's body be torn to shreds as you could only scream until everything else vanished... "So I thought I'd be brave, for once." He took a deep breath in, fingers nervously wrapped around the back of his own neck. "There's this person I like."

There it was. Somehow, you knew that it would be coming—after the stunt he pulled earlier with Eren...

"They're much braver than I am, but they probably know that already," Jean went on, chuckling self-depreciatingly—he knew he could poke at himself in your company without being ashamed of disclosing his flaws. "They wouldn't hesitate to come and rescue me, even if I were grabbed by a titan. And they're really beautiful, too—"

"Look, Jean, if you've come to talk about Mikasa, just save it," you could only murmur. "Pl—"

"And, quite surprisingly, they're also a dumbass!" Jean didn't let you finish either, shifting his head so he could see your face better. "But that's something both of us have in common." Taken aback by such a strange confession, you opened your eyes to take an intrigued look at Jean while hoping that he wouldn't notice the tears you had at last blinked away. You met his gaze head-on, even among the shadows that coiled over his face. "Because they think that I still have a thing for a girl I liked for two weeks, while I've been talking about them all along."

"What—"

"You know, you're the one who makes being called "horse-face" the funniest," Jean cracked an unsure smile at you, fiddling with his hands. "Alright, it's the bravest I'll ever be, so time to crawl in a hole and die now," he immediately added more anxiously, looking like the unexpected nature of his confession had stricken him for the first time.

"Wait, Jean, no!" It was as if, for the first time in a span of unending minutes, you could breathe again. "Wait, is this... Is this for real?" You asked in what came out almost a whisper, fearing, in this instant where your hopes balanced on the edge of a precipice of churning doubt and elation, that this was a joke you would not be able to forgive. Jean was better than this, but what if?—the thought drilled into your heart.

"Well... Yes. I'm sorry if I've made things awkward, it's Armin who told you might like me too and—"

"Hey, hey," your hand found its way to Jean's arm in a comforting touch, preventing him from leaving as he made a move to flee after blurting out an apology. Judging by your frantic heartbeat, there was no way you could be the calmer person in this situation—and yet, Jean somehow managed to look even more distressed than you at the moment. "I do like you." It was your turn to get embarrassed, which your flushed cheeks openly betrayed, illuminated by the nearby torch's flitting flame. "But Mikasa...?"

"Y/n, I haven't liked Mikasa for longer than a few weeks. I mean, yes, she's beautiful and strong, but so are you. And you're so much more than that. You're so fun to be around, I haven't laughed so hard with anyone but you. Unlike me, you're not scared to be brave and kind, but with you, I don't need to think which face I need to put on, because I know we don't have to pretend to be someone we're not when we're around each other. And when you got injured... I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. I made myself a promise then that I would tell you, and tonight seemed like the right time. I've been talking to Armin after the expedition and I think he kind of guessed that I liked you, and that you liked me too—I don't even know how or why, but he told me he thought you did. That's not exactly how I thought it'd go but... Trying to get your attention by getting in a fight with Eren wasn't that good of a plan, I guess."

"So that's what it was...! You really are an idiot, Jean Kirschtein," you declared vivaciously, but the moved smile that brightened your face spoke louder than the fond insults Jean and you would fire at each other. "We need to watch out for Armin, he will uncover everyone's secrets, at this rate..." You joked before regaining a more serious attitude, your emotions truly swayed by your friend's avowal. "The expedition changed everything for me too. I realised that I didn't want to go without you. No, I realised that I didn't want to go at all—I wanted to stay. With you."

"Pff, get in line," Jean grinned in spite of the emotional look on his face, sighing in relief. "I've been liking you for months."

"Seriously?"

"Absolutely. Do you think I go out of my way to check up on everyone after a battle or that everyone's mom gets the privilege of being the centre of my skilfully crafted jokes?"

"Shut up," you laughed wholeheartedly, your shoulder against Jean's. "Your mom's a hoe."

"Very clever," he teased you in return, face glowing from a joy even more vivd than the fiery sparks that chased the night's spectres away. “I bang yours every night.”

You burst out laughing, rolling your eyes—mom jokes were a must in your goofy friendship. A friendship that, with a bit of unpredicted luck, was on the verge of becoming something more.

#jean kirschtien #jean kirschtein x reader #jean kirschtein imagines #attack on titan fanfiction #attack on titan x reader #snk x reader #snk imagines #writing #snk fanficition

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discotthelion · 3 years

Text

🎵 Hazbin Hotel and Playlists🎶

Due to my summer classes starting on Monday, I thought it could be fun to create a playlist for some of the most popular ships in the fandom. Perhaps most of you know these songs or think they don't fit, or even believe this is a bit goofy, but it's all for fun at the end of the day and more for leisure. Again, these ships are what I believe are the most common (for the main cast anyway), and if you don't see yours here, sorry! However, I would love you to add it to the list. This is somewhat long (and I can't include all the characters, not by a long shot, sadly, so there will also be no crossover with Helluva Boss)...be prepared.

This took fucking forever.

Alastor:

Being my fav character, it's unsurprising I'll start with the Strawberry Pimp. This radio host is probably the most shipped character in the fandom regardless of him being canonically asexually and (depending on who you ask) aromantic. I mean, he is even being paired with himself at this point. Unfortunately for fans (but not Alastor himself), I feel he will happily sink most of these ships in the future. But, hey, we can still have fun for now!

Alastor/Husk: "How High The Moon" by Ella Fitzgerald Or "You're Nothing Without Me" from City of Angels

Alastor/Angel Dust: "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" covered by Ella Fitzgerald Or "Geraldines Routine" by Tape Five Or "Maybe this Time" from Cabaret

Alastor/Vox: "Losing My Mind" from Follies Or "From the Gallows" by IDK How But They Found Me Or "With One Look" from Sunset Boulevard

Alastor/Charlie: "Bad Boy Good Man" by Tape Five Or "The Scorpion and the Frog/Trust Me" from The Devil's Carnival Or "Hey, Little Song Bird" from Hades Town Or "The Music Box" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Alastor/Vaggie: "Minnie The Moocher" by Cab Calloway Or "The Way You Look Tonight" from Swing Time

Alastor/Lucifer: "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" from Anything Goes

Alastor/ Sir Pentious: "I Don't Know How To Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar

Alastor/Mimzy: "Anything you can do" from Annie Get Your Gun Or "Take back Your Mink" from Guys and Dolls

Alastor/Rosie: "Jolly Holiday" from Marry Poppins Or "A Little Priest" from Sweeny Todd Or "Right Hand Man" from Something Rotten

General Songs: "Party Like its 1929" by Tape Five Or "The Hi De Ho Man (That's Me)" by Cab Calloway, Or "Overture/All that Jazz" from Chicago Or "I Can't Be Bothered Now" from Crazy For You Or "Be A Clown" from Pirate Or "Make 'Em Laugh" from Singin' In The Rain

Angel Dust:

I adore Angel, which is rather funny since, in real life, I am a prude. Regardless of gender (or lack of it), any overly licentious character bores me intensely and sometimes can become annoying. Nonetheless, Angel is charming, especially if you watch streams with his voice actor.

Unlike Alastor, we know for CERTAIN, Angel has a very vigorous sex life and will eventually get a boyfriend (the consensus being Husk). He also gets shipped with a lot of characters. However, in my perspective, for his persona, it makes sense.

Angel/Husk: "Suddenly Seymore" from Little Shop of Horrors Or "If I loved you" from Carousel Or "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets" From Damm Yankees Or "Heaven Help My Heart" from Chess

Angel/Sir Pentious: "Monkey Tree" by Mother Mother Or "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj Or "S&M" by Rhianna Or "I Wanna Be Your Slave" by Måneskin

Angel/Valentino: "I Say No" from Heathers Or "Could I Leave You" from Follies Or "Break Free" by Queen

Angel/Vox: "Domestic Bliss" by Glass Animals Or "The Rich Man's Frug" from Sweet Charity Or "Judas" by Lady Gaga Or "Primadonna" by Marina and The Diamonds

Angel/ Baxter: "Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show Or "Hermit the Frog" by Marianna and The Diamonds Or "Love Potion Number 9" by The Searchers

Angel/Cherri Bomb: "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha Or "We Are Golden" by Mika

Angel/Charlie: "Bubblegum Bitch" by Marina and The Diamonds Or "The Seraph" from 35MM Or "Hotel Californa" by The Eagles

Angel/Vaggie: "I won't say I'm in Love" from Hercules Or "All Men are Pigs" by Studio Killers Or "Lolipop" by Mika

General Songs: "Bring on the Men" from Jekyll & Hyde Or "Rose Tint My World/Wild and Untamed Thing" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Or "Grace Kelly" by Mika Or "Sugar Daddy" from Hedwig and the Angry Inch Or "Un-Reborn Again" by Queens Of The Stone Age Or "Big Spender" from Sweet Charity

Husk:

I enjoy Husk; he's dry and defiantly not for everyone, kind of like a martini. Moreover, that cat possesses eyebrows bigger than Kim K's ass, so brownie points. From what I gathered, he's an old insecure Russian/Las Vegas-born alcoholic who enjoys performing magic shows and can speak multiple languages. Additionally, he cheats when playing at the table and is surprisingly good with kids.

Husk doesn't have as many ships as Angel or Alastor, so the lists start getting sparse from here on out.

Husk/Charlie: "Let Me Be Your Wings" from Thumbelina Or "Daddy Issues" by The Neighbourhood Or "As Long As He Needs Me" from Oliver Or "Oh, Ms.Believer" By Twenty One Pilots

Husk/Niffty: "Real Boy" by Lola Blanc Or "Wooden Heart" from G.I Blues Or "Be my Yoko Ono" by The Bare Naked Ladies

Husk/Crymini: "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga (covered by Halestorm) Or "Goin' Down" by The Pretty Reckless Or "Lolita" by Lana Del Ray

General Songs: "Send in the Clowns" covered by Judy Collins, Or "American Pie" by Don McLean Or "Poker Face” by Lady Gaga Or "Reaper Man" by Mother Mother Or "Being Alive" from Company

Charlie/Vaggie:

I don't think anyone can talk about Charlie without Vaggie. The pilot wouldn't exist if it weren't for Charlie's dream and Vaggie's enthusiastic support, the two almost resembling a Don Quixote and Dulcinea dynamic (or Jack Skellington and Sally-Esque relationship). The princess of Hell and her very mad (but very cute) moth begin the pilot as girlfriends and are a power couple if there ever was one. I am definitely excited for the show to further explore their individual arcs. I'm not going to lie, more so Vaggie.

These two hardly get shipped with anyone but each other (excluding the Charlie/Alastor shippers). Moreover, some have been detailed above. So, the list is a bit smaller than Husk's (sorry).

Charlie/Vaggie: "Gimme Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie Or "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera Or "We're Simply Meant to Be..." from The Nightmare Before Christmas Or "Almost like Being in Love" from Brigadoon

Charlie/Vox: "The Ladies' Choice" from Hairspray Or "Unworthy of your love" from Assassins Or "Witchcraft" by Frank Sinatra Or "Born to Hand Jive" from Grease

Vaggie/Cherri Bomb: "Love In The Middle Of A Firefight" by Dillon Francis Or "When We're High" by LP

General Songs (Charlie): "To Dream the Impossible dream" from Man of La Mancha Or "I Have Confidence" from The Sound of Music Or "My Grand Plan" from The Lighting Thief Or "Don't Rain On My Parade" from Funny Girl Or "Back to Before" from Ragtime Or "Spread A Little Sunshine" from Pippin

General Songs (Vaggie): "Class Fight" by Melanie Martinez Or "All Good Girls Go to Hell" by Billie Eilish, Or "Motorcycle Emptiness" by Manic Street Preachers Or "Exquisite Corpse" from Hedwig and the Angry Inch Or "Hit Me Like a Man" from The Pretty Reckless Or "The Starry Night" from Starry

Niffty:

I am 90% sure Niffty is a Yandere or was in an Inez Serrano from No Exit type situation (but a straight version). She is an insanely cute and creepy character. I don't have as much to say here other than I love her implied sadistic nature and can't wait to learn more about her relationship with the characters.

Niffty/Baxter: "By the Sea" from Sweeny Todd Or "Gingerbread Man" by Melaine Martinez Or "Obsessed With You" by The Orion Experience Or "Don't You" by Darren Criss

Niffty/Sir Pentious: "The Trolly Song" from Meet Me in St. Louis Or "Sweet but Psycho" by Ava Max Or "The Garden" by July Talk

Niffty/Mimzy: "A Women's Touch" from Calamity Jane Or "Jenny (I wanna Ruin our Friendship)" by Studio Killers Or "Heather" by Conan Gray

General Songs: "Screw Loose" from Cry-Baby Or "Adelaide's Lament" from Guys and Dolls, Or "The Horror of our Love" by Ludo Or "People Watching" by Conan Gray

Sir Pentious:

Everyone loves Sir Pentious and wishes to be shot by his ray gun. That's a fact. Undebatable. Again, somewhat similarly to Angel, Viv has hinted at a future love interest. Kind of. We know that the snake has the hots for someone (I personally think it's his hat/Sarcasm). Funny enough, Sir P's top ships (outside of Cherri) are actually characters that haven't appeared yet. Unlike Husk and Veggie, he has quite a few ships. It must be his impeccable style.

Sir PentiouS/Molly: "Rock Candy Baby" by Montrose Or "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel Or "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top

Sir Pentious/Arackniss: "Black Widow" by Iggy Azalea & Rita Ora Or "Lost on You" by LP

Sir Pentious/Baxter: "Radioactive" by Mariana and the Diamonds Or "Black Magic" by Little Mix

Sir Pentious/Cherri Bomb: "Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways Or "Wild Wild Life" by The Talking Heads Or "Breakin'a Sweat" by Skrillex & The Doors

Sir Pentious/Lilith: "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry Or "New Perspective" by P!ATD Or "Killer Queen" by Queen Or "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne

General Songs: "When Your Evil" by Voltaire Or "I'm Going Slightly Mad" by Queen Or "100 Eyes" by Beats Antique Or "The Evil Has Landed" by Queens Of The Stone Age

That's all I can think of for now, but I hope I added to your music collection at the very least!! Again if you want to add or change anything, that would be awesome. Also, let me know your favourite Ships💕

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aliveandfullofjoy · 3 years

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So I was reading about the first Oscars ceremony, and it had a division between Outstanding Picture and Best Unique & Artistic Film, where Unique & Artistic was apparently meant to be an equal to Outstanding Picture but dedicated more for prestige artistic works. The next year, the two categories became one from then on, and Outstanding Picture was the only top prize. (If any of that is wrong, blame wikipedia.)

If the split had remained, and there was a more commercial-y movie top prize and a prestige art top prize, what are some notable movies that suddenly pick up wins?

okay wait........ this is a brilliant question and i am ashamed to say i’ve never really given it much thought until now.

idk if you’ve seen wings and sunrise but they’re both pretty great and they do represent wildly different kinds of filmmaking. while it’s safe to say Wings is the more commercial film, it has great craftsmanship behind it and it very clearly created the template for accessible, capital-i Important, and well-made best picture winners to come.

and, full transparency, sunrise is one of my, like, top 15 favorite movies, so i’m hella biased, but that movie is a gorgeous and strange and thrilling piece of work. the title “unique and artistic film” is impossibly vague, but watching sunrise makes it very, very clear that it fits that bill for that category. and while we’ll, of course, never know what might have happened if that category had continued, it’s tempting to think that all the winners in unique and artistic film would be of sunrise’s calibre, but knowing the oscars... that’s clearly a fantasy, lol. while sunrise is a wildly inventive and artistic film, it’s important to remember that it was fully on the academy’s radar -- janet gaynor won best actress in part for her performance in the film, and it also won best cinematography. so while it’s tempting to think the academy would always recognize a truly unique and artistic achievement every year, in all likelihood, they probably wouldn’t stray too far from the movies that were already on their radar.

so for this thought experiment!!

it’s probably safe to assume every best picture winner has to go in one of the two categories. there are only a handful of winners that stick out as maybe missing out on the big win in this new system, but only a handful.

so uh. this is way more than you asked but i got hooked. here’s what i think might have happened if the two best picture categories had stuck around. as i was working through the years, it became clear to me that, unfortunately, in a lot of years, the unique and artistic film would likely end up going to the more overtly “prestigious” films, such as the song of bernadette or the life of emile zola, while their far better and more commercially viable rivals (casablanca for bernadette, the awful truth for zola) would win outstanding picture. the actual best picture winners have an asterisk next to them. what’s also interesting to consider is the importance of the best director category: most of the time, a split in picture and director will tell you what’s clearly the runner-up. those years, usually, give you a good sense of how the two awards would shake out.

Outstanding Picture / Unique and Artistic Film

1929: The Broadway Melody*; The Divine Lady

1930: The Big House; All Quiet on the Western Front*

1931: Cimarron*; Morocco

1932: Grand Hotel*; Bad Girl

1933: Little Women; Cavalcade*

1934: It Happened One Night*; One Night of Love

1935: The Informer; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (** this is one of the few years i think the actual BP winner, Mutiny on the Bounty, would miss out; The Informer was clearly the runner-up for BP with wins in director, actor, and screenplay, while Midsummer was seen as THE artistic triumph of the year, and with its historic write-in cinematography win, there was clearly a lot of passion for it)

1936: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town; The Great Ziegfeld*

1937: The Awful Truth; The Life of Emile Zola*

1938: You Can’t Take It With You*; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Grand Illusion (** this one’s tough... Grand Illusion made history as the first non-english movie nominated for BP, and it clearly had a lot of support, but Snow White was such a monumental moment in Hollywood, and the academy clearly acknowledged that with its honorary award)

1939: Gone with the Wind*; The Wizard of Oz (** this is one of the first years with a clear runaway favorite for best picture, which makes guessing the way the other award would go very difficult! i’m leaning towards Oz purely because of its technical achievements, but i’m not confident about that choice at all.)

1940: Rebecca*; The Grapes of Wrath

1941: How Green Was My Valley*; Citizen Kane

1942: Yankee Doodle Dandy; Mrs. Miniver*

1943: Casablanca*; The Song of Bernadette

1944: Going My Way*; Wilson

1945: The Bells of St. Mary’s; The Lost Weekend*

1946: The Best Years of Our Lives*; Henry V

1947: Gentleman’s Agreement*; A Double Life

1948: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre; Hamlet*

1949: All the King’s Men*; The Heiress

1950: All About Eve*; Sunset Boulevard

1951: A Place in the Sun; An American in Paris*

1952: The Greatest Show on Earth*; The Quiet Man

1953: Roman Holiday; From Here to Eternity*

1954: The Country Girl; On the Waterfront*

1955: Marty*; Picnic

1956: Around the World in 80 Days*; Giant

1957: Peyton Place; The Bridge on the River Kwai

1958: The Defiant Ones; Gigi*

1959: The Diary of Anne Frank; Ben-Hur*

1960: Elmer Gantry; The Apartment*

1961: West Side Story*; Judgment at Nuremberg

1962: To Kill a Mockingbird; Lawrence of Arabia*

1963: Tom Jones*; 8½

1964: Mary Poppins; My Fair Lady*

1965: The Sound of Music*; Doctor Zhivago

1966: A Man for All Seasons*; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

1967: In the Heat of the Night*; The Graduate

1968: Oliver!*; 2001: A Space Odyssey

1969: Midnight Cowboy; Z

1970: Airport; Patton*

1971: The French Connection*; The Last Picture Show

1972: The Godfather; Cabaret

1973: The Sting*; The Exorcist

1974: Chinatown; The Godfather, Part II

1975: Jaws; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest*

1976: Rocky*; Network

1977: Star Wars; Annie Hall*

1978: Coming Home; The Deer Hunter*

1979: Kramer vs. Kramer*; All That Jazz

1980: Ordinary People*; Raging Bull

1981: Chariots of Fire*; Reds

1982: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; Gandhi*

1983: Terms of Endearment*; Fanny and Alexander

1984: Amadeus*; The Killing Fields

1985: Out of Africa*; Ran

1986: Platoon*; Blue Velvet

1987: Moonstruck; The Last Emperor*

1988: Rain Man*; Who Framed Roger Rabbit

1989: Driving Miss Daisy*; Born on the Fourth of July

1990: Ghost; Dances with Wolves*

1991: The Silence of the Lambs*; JFK

1992: Unforgiven*; Howards End

1993: Schindler’s List*; The Piano

1994: Forrest Gump*; Three Colors: Red

1995: Braveheart*; Toy Story

1996: Jerry Maguire; The English Patient*

1997: Titanic*; L.A. Confidential

1998: Shakespeare in Love*; Saving Private Ryan

1999: The Cider House Rules; American Beauty*

2000: Traffic; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (** this is another year where i think the actual BP winner, Gladiator, might have missed out. it was a tight three-way race going into oscar night, and if there were two BP awards, i think this consensus might have settled, leaving Gladiator to go home with just actor and some tech awards.)

2001: A Beautiful Mind*; Mulholland Drive

2002: Chicago*; The Pianist

2003: Mystic River; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*

2004: Million Dollar Baby*; The Aviator

2005: Crash*; Brokeback Mountain

2006: The Departed*; Babel

2007: No Country for Old Men*; The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

2008: The Dark Knight; Slumdog Millionaire*

2009: The Hurt Locker*; Avatar

2010: The King’s Speech*; The Social Network

2011: The Artist*; The Tree of Life

2012: Argo*; Life of Pi

2013: 12 Years a Slave*; Gravity

2014: Birdman*; Boyhood

2015: Spotlight*; The Revenant

2016: La La Land; Moonlight*

2017: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; The Shape of Water*

2018: Black Panther; Roma (** again, i think Green Book gets bumped out in this scenario, i think Black Panther is precisely the kind of movie that benefits from an award that’s seemingly more ~populist~ while Roma easily snags the unique & artistic prize)

2019: 1917; Parasite*

2020: The Father; Nomadland*

but of course i have no idea at all, and most of these are just my gut reactions lol. what a fun question!

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ghostbustershq · 3 years

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Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Trailer 2 Full Breakdown

This is it, this is definitely it!

A meaty and goosebump-evoking trailer just dropped today for Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Much like the first trailer, the main focus of this is the family - forced to move to Oklahoma after falling on tough times. Janine, Terror Dogs, Mini Pufts, and Ghostbusting in motion as Jason Reitman has referred to it are all here. There’s a whole lot here to unpack, plus a whole lot that I’m sure we still haven’t seen. In fact, I would argue that we now have a pretty complete picture of what’s in store come November and are being shown just enough to tide us over until the fall.

This was a solid trailer. It hit all of the right notes. It invoked goosebumps on several occasions. And oh boy, does it demonstrate that Jason Reitman wasn’t kidding when he told us hardcore nerds that if we loved easter eggs, we were in for a treat.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

A GREAT MOM

The trailer begins with a very quiet and intimate bit of dialogue between Paul Rudd’s Mr. Grooberson and Carrie Coon’s Callie.

The two sit at a table, and while the trailer frames it to appear to be Spinners, a quick glimpse at the wall next to the two in a later shot shows they’re actually in a Chinese restaurant. In fact, I love that Grooberson has what looks to be one of the deluxe Benihana cocktails in a ceramic glass in front of him. Grooberson tells Callie that she’s a great mom, but she’s not so sure. Callie feels like she’s been a great mother to her oldest, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard). But feels like her introverted daughter Phoebe (McKenna Grace) keeps her at a distance. There’s a sense that Callie and Phoebe can’t find much common ground, and for this her mother is struggling.

I really love how the trailer gently brings us into the world, helps set the stage, and gives us several glimpses of some of the incredible cinematography in store from Eric Steelberg.

AN AWKWARD, NERDY KID

Grooberson’s dialogue reassures Callie that what Phoebe is going through is normal. He calls her an “awkward, nerdy kid” to imagery of her at school being teased. Ghostbusters: The Video Game fans concerned about if the story and events from the game will somehow be referenced or acknowledged in some way will probably quickly notice the Doritos product placement. Hours of gameplay has trained them well.

Anyway, not only is Phoebe failing to connect with her mother on a deeper level, but it appears that she’s an outsider at school as well. It makes the friendship we know she’s to have with Podcast (Logan Kim) that much sweeter. And you feel for her right out of the gate here, hoping that she’ll find that friend as soon as possible.

Callie and Grooberson’s conversation comes to a conclusion with Phoebe’s mother just wishing, “she’d get into some trouble.” As her mother laments about her daughter needing to be bold and a little more adventurous, we see a continuation of the scene from the first trailer in which Phoebe solves a puzzle built into the floor of the farmhouse in order to find a hidden ghost trap. Perhaps Ghostbusting is exactly the trouble the young and brainy kid needs?

As we, the audience, see the familiar ghost trap, there’s quite literally a drum roll added to the music scoring of the trailer. Perhaps Ghostbusting is exactly the trouble we need too.

JANINE, YOU HAVEN’T CHANGED

The trailer continues with the Trevor dialogue we heard in the first trailer as he explains to Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) that they’re broke and the only thing they have is a “creepy old farmhouse” left to them by their grandfather. But that is the lead in to our first major surprise of the trailer: a glimpse of Annie Potts’ return as Janine Melnitz!

Janine jokes to Callie that her father wasn’t much of a homemaker. “He could hardly keep the power on,” Janine says with a chuckle. If there was any question of the family lineage, this trailer solidifies that Callie and her family are Spengler through-and-through.

It should be noted at this point that the quiet music that accompanied the beginning of the trailer suddenly has these eerie choral notes added to it. Adding a little bit of that paranormal/otherworldly feeling but keeping the trailer light and playful. I’m not sure if this is Rob Simonsen’s score, but if I had to guess given the way the music builds and shifts, this is an original music bed for the trailer only.

It’s also interesting to see how we’ll be able to revisit the past in the film by use of footage from the original (as seen in the YouTube videos playing on various computers) but also the use of one of my favorite set photography moments framed and displayed in the farmhouse presented as a personal photograph. I know, given how some people reacted to seeing a headshot of Sean Connery used in an Indiana Jones film, these types of touches can take people out of a film. But I think the trailer gives us a great idea of how these moments will be integrated and I love it.

The trailer takes a hard turn with a great back and forth between Callie and Janine. Callie tells Janine that it sounds like her father has left her nothing. Janine playfully retorts, “Well, I wouldn’t say nothing.” This line is masterfully juxtaposed with Trevor opening the barn doors to find the Ectomobile housed under a tarp. The music comes to a crescendo as Trevor lifts the tarp and reveals the Ghostbusters Mooglie logo.

Let’s call this goosebumps moment number one.

THE ONLY ONE WITH AN ENGINE

It’s this part of the trailer where it does something that’s a rarity these days, and that I appreciate so much: the music takes a breath and completely drops off to give us a small vignette of a scene from the film. Phoebe enters the barn to find Trevor working on the Ecto. She ribs him that, of all the broken down cars on the farm, he’s chosen “the station wagon.” Trevor responds that his vehicle of choice was the only one with an engine.

The music and percussion come back in full force to score Trevor on a joy ride through the wheat fields of the farm. He seems to be having a good time.

So am I… this was definitely goosebumps moment number two.

A STORM COMING

Act Two of the trailer starts with a dark and ominous storm coming into Sumerville. There’s trouble in small town Oklahoma. Grooberson reiterates his line about a town with no faultlines shaking on a daily basis to Trevor and Phoebe. Only this time, he receives a response: “Maybe it’s the apocalypse.” Phoebe delivers the line to Grooberson with such amazing deadpan earnestness that you can tell she and grandpa might have a whole lot in common. Including their sense of humor.

The line gives us a good chuckle to break the tension but also sets the stage for what’s to come in the trailer: exactly what Phoebe has predicted.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

As Phoebe tells us that “Egon came here for a reason,” an archival piece of footage and dialogue from the first film plays on her laptop: the commercial playing on Dana Barrett’s television at 55 CPW. As the original Ghostbusters give you their sales pitch, this is where the trailer really kicks into modern trailer overdrive.

Flashes of imagery including the PKE meter, Mini Puft mayhem at Wal-Mart, and more quickly breathe in and out. In fact, if this trailer is our Christmas present in July, this is where we’re unwrapping and unpacking what’s inside the box.

But we also get glimpses of a creepy underground temple with some pretty intense architecture and even creepier statue work. Terror dog/human hybrid statues flanking what looks to be a pharaoh with wings. And gaunt peasants all reaching out to it all. Did Sumerians have pharaohs? Or is this something else? Certainly seems like if there were Gozer worshippers out there, this might be a stone tribute to them.

The kids discover the terrifying temple and Trevor gives us an “oh my god” to punctuate as they see what we see.

NICE DOGGY, CUTE LITTLE POOCH

Right about this part of the trailer is where my brain explodes and I’m not sure where to start. Imagery is rapid fire as the shit hits the fan.

Phoebe looks into a cauldron in the temple (where there’s numbers behind her that we’ll have to analyze further at some point). And the cork pops on the bottle. As she does so, there’s a terrifying growl in the background foreshadowing some familiar imagery we’re about to see.

But before we get to that, two incredible things are seen as well: familiar purple PKE trails that look a whole lot like those that explode from the firehouse and converge at Spook Central. And, as Grooberson’s line about New York City looking like “The Walking Dead” is repurposed to sound like he’s talking about Sumerville, there’s an incredible physical creature design sitting at a lunch counter. A half-decomposed cabbie maybe? Wearing a 1970’s collar and neckerchief. To my eye, I’d be willing to bet that’s the work of Arjen Tuiten and his team of creature designers. And it’d make Steve Johnson proud.

Plus it’s such a funny image of this corpse sitting at a lunch counter, and the waiter is pour him coffee like it ain’t no thing. I love it.

Back to man’s worst friend: the terror dogs make several appearances in the trailer. First as a cool half-manifested entity above Groobersen and again chasing the poor guy out of a Wal-Mart. Is Groobersen haunted by these things like Louis Tully? Or is something else going on here?

IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE, OF COURSE

If there was a moment that I expected Ray Parker Jr.’s iconic theme song to kick into full gear, this would have been it. The icing on the cake of the trailer, after we see the dead rising from the grave and all hell breaking loose, is Trevor, Phoebe and Podcast all in the Ecto chasing after what we now know is Muncher. The editorial of this is insanely cool. And we get to see the Remote Trap Vehicle (RTV) deployed from the Ecto and how it’s used in the pursuit of Muncher. We’ve seen the gunner seat, but the beats that this moment in the trailer hit, well…

Goosebumps moment number three.

VENKMAN, WE’RE NOT HOME

After all the debate among friends if there would be a “Chewie, We’re Home” moment in this trailer - where we’d see one of the original Ghostbusters live and in the flesh, we got the perfect tease. As Grooberson, Phoebe and Podcast watch the conclusion of the original 1984 ad, the trailer closes with a phone ringing inside a very familiar looking Occult Book shop.

Tattooed arms (I’ve tried with everything I can to see what the tattoo says) pick up the phone and the familiar voice of Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) curtly tells whomever is on the other end of that phone that, “We’re closed.” A perfect little tease if you ask me. Let’s save seeing Peter, Ray and Winston on-screen to the main event.

#ghostbusters afterlife #ghostbusters (2020)#jason reitman #trailer #trailer breakdown

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laurelleghuleh · 3 years

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OCAF | Ch. 3 “Heart, tell them what you came for”

Warnings: read the masterlist first

Songs: “Tell Them” by James Blake, "Forever & Ever More" - Nothing But Thieves, "Bad Man" - Esterly, Austin Jenckens

LEVI'S POV

"You shouldn't be here. Do you miss prison so much?" I asked her.

"I'm doing anything wrong. Please, get lost..." she paused and then slightly turned her head, just to say "captain".

Captain. I repeated the sound of her voice articulating that word a couple of times more. Captain. Captain.

"Tch. I don't care. You should be in your room, sleeping"

"I can't" She confessed.

Well, apparently, I wasn't the only one not able to catch some sleep.

"Again. I. Don't. Care. Go back to your room"

She stayed silent, ignoring me and still staring at the sky.

"Oi. Are you deaf? I said. Back. To your room. Don't make me repeat myself or I'll push you down the building"

She suddenly turned her head over her shoulder, staring at me intensely. If looks could kill, I'd be dead right now. And yet, on second thought, her eyes were pretty reddish. Glassy. Close to tears. Was she crying before I caught her?

Too distracted by my own thoughts, I didn't notice she had slowly gotten up and pretty close to me. "You are all talk, captain, and no trousers, you know? Always threatening me with death and yet here I am. Still very much alive. Living and breathing"

Her tone ignited something almost animalistic inside of me. Something wicked. And at that moment, I totally lost it. Who she thinks she's talking to?

I fiercely grabbed her collar, brought her to the very edge of the roof, almost shoving her out of it. One of her feet slightly whipped out of the corner, but her face remained stoic. Stony-faced. She grabbed my wrist to steady herself like she was trying to provoke me, fight me, but still stayed almost unmoved.

Looking me dead in the eyes, she was waiting for the death sentence from her executioner. Not a single word. Not a single whine. Isn't she afraid of me? Isn't she even afraid of dying?This must be a bluff. And yet, she never flinched.

Enough. I decided to let her go, throwing her to the ground. "Back to your room" I said once again.

"Captain?" she mumbled while I was already closing the roof's door behind my back.

Again. Captain. Captain. I turned back.

"Captain, before you go... I wanted to say... I-I'm sorry"

"Ok. Got it. Now, back to your room"

"No" She declared standing up, right in front of me "N-not for this. Well, also, but I wanted to say that I'm sorry... for Farlan...and Isabel... I've never stopped thinking about it. You know, about your reaction. They were close to you, weren't they? I'm so sorry... I was ordered to-"

"Don't" I interrupted her "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't know and that was your mission, right?" and then we stared at each other for what seemed a very long time.

I was looking for something else to say or some way to say nothing at all, but a little voice inside me told me to speak. To talk to her about it. But why? So, I soundly sighed and opened my mouth.

"Yes" I declared "We were close. Friends, you could say. More like a family, actually" She immediately tensed.

"I told you, don't be sorry... I don't need your pity" I spat as she was lightly shaking. What is the matter now? Why does she even care? Criminals don't care.

"I am. I am sorry" she replied straight away.

"You know, I'm pretty familiar with the underground. It challenges you in any way humanly possible until you can't bear it anymore, until you are capable of the most horrifying things, just to survive. Swim or you'll drown, right?"

She flinched a little and then said "So, I was right. You are the guy from the underground"

"Yeah... to be honest, our stories are pretty similar" I confessed.

"I don't think so, captain"

And then again, my childish curiosity spoke for me: "So tell me about it, cadet"

"There isn't much to say... You already know pretty much everything. Just a regular thug from the underground. Before that, to quote one of your comrades, a slut. A poor orphan making a living by working in a whorehouse. Oh, and I once was a survey corps' prisoner. The rest is history"

I couldn't find the right word to say. She really was a prostitute. And Oruo had the audacity to provoke her like that. I felt so upset. He was a great soldier but... a loutish most of the time. I was still speechless. If only she knew that also my mother used to work as a pr-...

"Well, captain, I've bothered you long enough now. So, I-"

"Forget about it" I suddenly spat "Whatever happened back then forget about it. Let your past die and most importantly, don't have any regret"

"Like you did?"

"Yes, and like you should. Be a better person. Do something good. Make new friends"

"I'm tryin-"

"No, you are not. I saw you today. I observed you. You barely speak to your mates. They are your comp-"

"I know you stared at me the whole time, captain" She teased me looking up at me. Was I staring at her? Was it that obvious? I thought.

"Shut up. That's my job, cadet. I have to survey you and your fellows"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, captain"

"Tch. Be more sociable. Full stop. Now, back to your room..."

"Look who's talking..."

"Cadet. I warn you: you're playing with fire"

"I'm just saying that I did everything I was supposed to do today. I ate. I trained. I didn't try any "funny business" as you said, so-"

"That's not enough. You have to trust them and they have to trust you. Some of them will join the Survey Corps. Some of them we'll be in our squad, so you need to trust them. The next expedition will take place soon, so be more sociable. End of discussion"

"Ok, I wasn't sociable, buuuut I observed them if that counts for anything"

"Tch. Let's hear. Enlighten me, cadet. Share with me some of your wisdom"

She frowned her forehead, upset by my little tease, and then she started "Some of them are already both talented and motivated, like that Mikasa. Then we have a bunch of "I don't know why I'm here" beefy guys. Similarly, a bunch of "I want to be here but I don't know if I should", you know, the motivated but poorly skilled type. Still, I admire their spirit, like that Armin. He seems a nice person. And lastly, the ones who give me chills. Like that blondie, Annie. Her eyes looked almost dead... Even though she was the only one truly challenging me during the combat, she mumbled some nonsense, like that she wants to survive, she won't join the survey corps. And yet, she was one of the strongest in the group. Weirdo. Oh, and talking about weirdos, let's not forget our Jean. He hit on me three times. Three. Only during the training. And then once again soon after it ended"

"So, you can be very talkative when you want to, Daphne" And also, she had quite a good intuition. She could really read people. Wait... Did I just call her by her name?

"I-I was just trying to give you my point of view, captain..." Is she blushing? "I need some more time to trust them" She continued "I'm not good at socializing, let alone trusting people. I'll do better next time"

Yeah...I know what you're talking about...Trusting people ain't my thing either.

"Try. And now, go and try to sleep" I ordered "Tomorrow it'll be quite a busy day. Erwin just informed me there'll be Eren's sentence. Have you heard of him?"

"I heard Mikasa and that short blondie talking about him. They seemed pretty worried about him. So, is it true that he can shift?"

"Yeah, he's the guy. Tomorrow the Supreme Commander will determine which division will look after him... well, survey him. He's fundamental for our mission. We can't afford to lose him. So-"

"Yeah, I know. Back. To my room." She sighed almost mimicking me. I stared at her dead in the eyes. She enjoyed teasing me way too much for my liking.

"Good night, captain"

I nodded, unable to respond, while my head was still focused on that captain.

DAPHNE'S POV

I think I'll never get used to the sky.

I've dreamed about that so many times and yet I couldn't still find my peace. It felt like I couldn't allow myself to feel at ease, let alone content to even that view.

I had no choice, and actually, their offer had given me a little more time to think again about my plan. I would have wait and then, when the right opportunity would have come, I'd run away.

Maybe during the next expedition...What a coward, I thought immediately. I couldn't not only accomplish my mission but also I was no use to their cause. What a coward. Maybe I should have helped them, for a while, and then escape.

I was so conflicted, confused.

That night changed everything for me. When that thing, the titan, attacked me nothing else mattered. Any worry I had ever had in my life couldn't compare. Its expression haunted my thoughts throughout the day as I was trying to plot my way out of that place.

I needed to go back to the underground again, I couldn't let things that way. Wait for me... Wait for me, Abi...

As her face appeared between the shining dots of the wild blue yonder, a single tear dropped down along my cheek to my jaw. "Crying won't fix anything, you coward. Stop it" a voice in my head told me.

And that's when I sensed him. Someone. No, Levi was watching me, and soon after I said something to get his attention. He was just surveying me, yeah sure, but still, his presence didn't bother me that much, quite the opposite.

Scratch that, not only the titan, also the captain and his revelation about being the guy from the underground haunted me all day and for the rest of that night too.

Fortunately, the night didn't last that long, and "a busy day" awaited me.

First thing in the morning I headed to the cafeteria where a quite enthusiastic Hange was already bothering an unfazed Levi.

"Good moooorning, little early bird!" she shouted at me, while Levi only nodded in my direction, simulating a greeting.

"Why so early, darling?" Hange asked.

"The captain had informed me just yesterday that today we would have had a lot on our plate, so I wanted to be ready as soon as possible..." I replied.

Sincerely, I didn't want to be in their way. The faster I would have gained their trust, the faster I'd had a chance to run away.

Moreover, Levi seemed rather pleased with my answer. Did I catch him hiding a little smile in his cup?

"That's great! Since she's already here you two should accompany commander Erwin to the court, I'll go get the kid. I'm so thrilled to finally meet hiiim! See you there!!" and so she left.

Again, I was left alone with the captain. He took another sip and then extended one of his arms to a table behind him. "Here, eat something, so we can arrive at the court before the crowd" said Levi, not daring to even look at me.

"Good morning to you too, captain... and thanks anyway" I didn't make him repeat it and I did as he said. But here he was again, bossing me around while being nice.

He had prepared a cup of tea and some slices of bread with jam. Did he prepare it? For me? Is he just acting like a hunter feeding his prey right before killing it, or is he actually a caring person?

My little and silent breakfast was soon over, so we headed to the stable to get a couple of horses. Levi seemed to have his own and then he grabbed another horse for me: "Take care of it. Horses are pretty smart animals" he said while brushing his horse's mane "They have a great memory and they can understand human emotions. They'll read you right away...They are known to be able to smell fear, you know? So, remember what I said to you yesterday: forget about the past and be present. Moreover, don't be afraid. Whatever you're going to see today, trust me, trust us"

I nodded, swallowing soundly. I somehow did trust them. I trusted him.

"You're such a good little liar, aren't you, Dafne? You trust him, you trust them but they shouldn't trust you. You don't deserve being here, you don't deserve being a soldier" said again that voice.

However, we made it to the court and met Erwin right in front of it. I saw both of them chatting about something and before I could catch any clue the assembly had already started. The room was packed with people: soldiers from all the ranks, regular people, and even a priest.

"Get here, next to me" said Levi catching me by surprise "Be a good girl and stay quiet until the very end" When will he stop bossing me around?I want to punch him so bad.

"Now, look there. Right in front of you. See, that's the gendarmerie, our opponent. A bunch of chickenshit... If they win Eren's custody, they'll kill him straight away. And they still dare to call themselves soldiers" he explained.

I listen to him carefully as I scanned them one by one. Then Levi pinched my hand "Here he comes".

As soon as Eren got inside the room the air got heavier. The gendarmerie was pretty agitated, they made a big fuss while arguing with a mad priest. On the contrary, Erwin confronted them and without losing his cool he proved his point. He was in charge.

But still, everybody seemed to be afraid of Eren: what if he couldn't control himself? What if he was a bluff? What if-

While the whole commission was arguing, Eren was kicked right in his face. LEVI. What the fuck is he doing??? He kicked him again, and again, and again. Even harder than before. He was ruthless. What the-

But I soon realized what he was doing. He was trying to prove he was in charge, that he had Eren under his power. He was the only one who could have stopped him if necessary. Fair enough, but isn't he even a little afraid of that kid? Levi is still a mystery.

Soon after, Mikasa tried to scream and suddenly stood up. So, I moved closer and stopped her "Wait, Mikasa. Wait and see. Trust me" I told her.

It was a setup, I knew it.

When Levi was satisfied with his job, Erwin started to speak again. He explained once again how indispensable was Eren's power to their mission and proposed to assign the boy to the only one who could have surveyed him: captain Levi. The supreme commander accepted. They won Eren's custody.

Soon after the end of the assembly, Hange, Erwin, Levi and I escorted Eren back to the HQ and tried to help him with his bruises. Hange had carried some medicine with her, but Eren was so in pain. Levi had been far from gentle with him.

That's when I remembered an unguent Martha used to hand me whenever I encountered a difficult customer. I once was beaten up pretty bad and I still remember Martha's words "Here, take this. You know, sometimes this type of thing happens around here. Get used to it, babygirl"

Yeah sure, like it was totally normal.

However, I tried my best to replicate the recipe pretty fast with some ingredients brought there by Hange.

"What are you doing, cadet?" immediately said Levi, standing behind me and observing what I was doing.

"What does it look like to you, captain? I'm trying to help him out" I confronted him.

We stared at each other. None of us dared to look away.

"Oh, c'mon Levi, cut her some slack" said Hange.

I glared at him once again and then got back to my recipe. Soon after I was finished and I handed the unguent to Eren.

Half-kneeling down in front of him I said "It should help speed up the process. Or at least it'll help endure the pain. It contains aloe" I smiled at him, trying to cheer him up a little.

"T-thank you s-so much, it feels really nice" He stuttered.

"You're welcome, kid. You did well today" I said as I playfully rubbed his head. He giggled.

"Wooo, it's true! It does feel nice. Where did you learn that, girl? I want the recipe now" Hange said enthusiastically as she was applying a little of my unguent on her arm. "This girl continues to amaze me, I'm glad you two captured her" she laughed and then she turned to face both Levi and Erwin. And so I did too.

The captain eyed me. Unfazed. A penny for your thoughts, Levi?

However, I chuckled a little. Hange's fervor was quite contagious, I must admit.

Suddenly something else caught my attention: Eren's bruises started to fade away. What the fuck?! "I think I saw something even more amazing, Hange. Look at his skin..." I said pointing to him "I don't think that was my unguent" What kind of witchcraft is this?

"No, darling, that's the titans' power. But still... how fascinating..." said Hange, drooling. Another weirdo. Well, another nice weirdo.

However, that's what Levi was talking about before. "Don't be afraid. Whatever you're going to see today, trust me, trust us" he said. I turned around to watch his reaction and he instantly glared at me. A hint of a smile appeared on my face. I wanted him to know I wasn't afraid.

The more I spent time with them the more I could see what they were about.

Soon after, Hange escorted Eren back to his dorm, while Erwin, Levi and I headed down the hallway in the opposite direction.

Before he left, Erwin said "We made it. Another step further" and then he approached me "You did well today too. Thanks for handling Mikasa, she could have gotten herself into trouble without you"

"Don't mention it, commander. She was just blinded by her feelings. She was clearly worried about Eren's fate, I totally get it" I replied.

"Sure, but you demonstrated a lot of self-control and discipline today. Well done, cadet"

"I'm just good at reading people and situations, but thanks commander" I tried to minimize my actions. "Look at yourself: behaving, obeying, being a good girl... what have you become, Daphne?" that voice inside my head echoed once again.

The commander discharged us, so Levi and I headed to our respective rooms.

"Are you happy now?" Levi suddenly asked me when we were almost at my door.

"Excuse me, captain?"

"Now I'll be on Eren's ass. I won't have time to survey you" he said, getting close to me. Way too close "Consider yourself lucky, cadet" he continued.

"If you ever miss my ass, captain, you can make an appointment. I'll definitely keep myself free for you" I teased him, preparing myself for the worst.

His jaw tensed as he scanned my face. He inhaled soundly, never looking away from me. He looked like a wild animal, a predator. His eyes were running furiously all over my face, restless.

"Calm down, captain. I was just messing with you..." I hissed, almost feeling my own breath coming back to my face. He was way too close.

"I've already warned you. Smartmouth, drop it already" he whispered "Just because you behaved today, it doesn't mean I'm buying it. I'll still keep an eye on you"

"Oh, my dear captain, I know you'll do" I teased him.

My fault. I brought it on myself. He gripped my jaw with just his hand and so my head banged on the door. He stared at me furiously but a small grin painted on my face. You don't know who you're fucking with, Levi.

He groaned and let go of me. His expression suddenly changed: did he regret acting out of rage?

"C'mon captain, it's time to go to sleep, right?" I whispered massaging my chin and trying to make eye-contact with him.

Levi suddenly grabbed my hand and took it away from my face. With his left one he cupped my cheek, so he started stroking my jaw with his thumb. I stared at him trying to keep my heart from jumping out of my ribcage.

His thumb softly traveled back and forth on my jaw, while the other fingers stayed solid on the back of my neck. What was that all of a sudden? And the expression on his face...He seemed sorry. Then his eyes traveled from my chin to my eyes, looking for something. He sighed soundly and moved his attention back to my jaw.

He eyed me once again and then left me there, without saying a word.

Once in my room, another sleepless night awaited me, and yet another day came. I really was a lucky bastard.

However, when the daylight hit my window I got up, showered and then headed to the cafeteria where again a silent Levi was waiting for me. Sitting next to him was Eren, quietly eating. On my usual seating position, there were a cup and a plate. Again, Levi had prepared that for me.

I noticed the plate was stuffed with biscuits, slices of bread and some fruits. Was he making amends for yesterday? I smiled at him, but he stayed silent.

While I was still focused on the food, he shyly scanned my face, looking for some evidence of our last encounter. I saw him out of the corner of my eyes so I kindly asked "Is everything alright, captain?" but he just gave me a dirty look.

Once he was finished with his tea he started to speak "Today we'll move out of the HQ. We will travel a little and get to an old castle, which is actually the old HQ. There we will hide you, Eren, so that freak can continue her experiments on you in peace. Hurry up and meet me at the stable" and so he left.

I rolled my eyes, so Eren laughed a little. He was clearly afraid of the captain. How can I blame him?

"Scary, isn't he?" said Eren when Levi left the cafeteria.

"He is all barks and no bite, trust me. However, I guess he is just trying to be a good captain... in his own way, but I think I get it" I admitted.

"I heard he went hard on you too, right? You are the criminal from the underground... Oh, I'm sorry, it didn't come out that well... "

"No, don't worry. You're right, I am the criminal from the underground. And yes, he wasn't that gentle with me either" I said.

"But you don't seem frightened around him, how do you do that??" I really didn't know what to say... Maybe it was because if Levi wanted me dead, I would have already been worm food.

I didn't know for how long it would have lasted, but to be honest, judging from his last behaviors Levi seemed as conflicted as I was. Luckily for me.

After we finished our breakfast, we headed out and started our little trip along with the Special Operations Squad, also known as Squad Levi: that creep Oruo, Eld, Gunther and Petra. The elite squad of the Survey Corps, hand-picked by the almighty Captain Levi.

Once there, we all reunited in front of the gate.

"Oh God, this place is a mess. Look at all that weed!" exclaimed Gunther.

Indeed, it was a mess. A huge castle, for sure, but it rather looked like a dump now.

"In which case we have a problem, don't we?" said Levi, coming from our backs "Best get a broom and get to work".

Is he for real? A question mark appeared on my face and Petra immediately caught it.

"Oh, that was just the calm before the storm, now you'll see what captain Levi is really all about" she giggled as she took me by the arm, escorting me inside the building.

#levi ackerman #levi fanfiction #levi x oc #levi x reader #levi smut #snk levi #levi fanfic #aot fanfiction #snk fanfiction #Captain Levi #levi heichou #levi #read on ao3 #read on wattpad #ytlcaf #fanfic

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rivahisu107 · 3 years

Text

The Unresolved Baby Subplot Chapter 5: Campfires, Kids, & Titan Science

As forementioned, after Chapter 123 or so, the pregnancy subplot only really has one or two moments where it features since the Alliance is off trying to “save the world”.

Meanwhile, while Hange gets a lot of time actually being proactive, Levi is either a) sleeping b) grumbling about killing Zeke, or c) being injured. Until the last few chapters where he fights until the end but with seemingly no purpose after the Titans are done. Plus we never get his perspective on the whole Rumbling, which is a bit suspicious if you ask me.

However, there are a few bits and details which make me wonder about the possibility that a more open to interpretation ending came into play, because there are some dialogues that could work as subtext, but I must warn you that this chapter is going to contain a lot more personal speculation based off the Marley and first half of War for Paradis clues. Without further ado, let’s delve into this chapter of this (conspiracy) theory of an unresolved plotline!

Levi and Hange are off in the forest when the Rumbling begins, yet all Levi can talk about is killing Zeke. He’s got his vow to fulfill, although now maybe the vow will be double motivation to stop the Rumbling.

They face off with Marley’s remaining forces, Magath and Pieck, and they unite unrealistically fast over the goal of killing Zeke. And for some reason, Magath brings up the fact that Ackermans have the strength to stand against the Nine Titans. Huh? This is the second time Ackerman abilities have been brought up this chapter. Why was this so important?

But Titan Doctor Hange knows a lot more than Marley, so who knows?

It just confuses me what Hange could have said about royal blood or Titans or Ackermans that convinced them to side with them. After all, she gives away nothing new that Gabi didn’t share with Magath and Pieck a few chapters ago.

It’s again a question of how and why Hange was studying this in the first place. Besides, if she was studying royal blood and Ackermans as speculated due to a child having that unique combination of genetics, she might have been able to convince them to stop the Rumbling not only for the sake of the rest of the world but also for the fact that maybe there could be something that they could work out to stop Titan shifting one day. Pieck had a sad conversation with Gabi a few chapters ago about how they would always be feared for turning into Titans. And hold that thought.

It’s campfire time! The Alliance is having its first meal together while they sit around and blame each other for atrocities and confess their sins- except Levi, who is sleeping. Funny artistic decision to swaddle him like a baby here.

Perhaps the most intense moment around the campfire is when Reiner reveals what happened to Marco, and Jean beats him to a bloody pulp until Gabi jumps in and begs forgiveness- very mature character development on her part here- and begs Jean to help them stop the Rumbling for their families. She even uses the phrase “lend me your strength”- which is a line associated with Levi and his song “Reluctant Heroes”. Falco joins in with her, but Jean walks away, emotionally overwhelmed.

And then suddenly, Levi wakes up right next to an image of Jean walking away in tears.

The whole situation is somber, and I find it very weird that Levi would wake up for this one line of dialogue after this scene. But here’s why I think it connects to the pregnancy subplot. Re-read the dialogue.

“He left... it was no good.” (Gabi cries)

(Levi wakes up) “Will they shut up?”

And pair that with Jean right there. Oh no. The man who is supposed to be helping these children is leaving them. The father of the child is far away from the woman he loves and his child who is going to be born any time now. Poor Levi. On top of being injured, he had no choice but to be the runaway father whose child has nothing to do with him. :(

The next day, a lot happens at the fight at the port. Not the time to talk about a pregnancy, but in a brave moment of sacrifice, Magath and Shadis meet each other for the first and last time. But before that, they speak about how proud they are of the kids- some now adults- that they brought up even if they have some regrets.

On the ship, while Annie despairs about her homeland being destroyed, Hange gives her an explanation for why Magath sacrificed himself.

“He did it so we could save even one more life of a stranger whose name he’ll never know.”

Hmm. One more life of a stranger. Why is there a closeup of Gabi here? Backtrack to the first meeting that the remains of the Corps and Magath and Pieck met up. Remember how Hange may as well have been doing all this research about Titans and Ackermans? Well, oh my. I think at least two of Marley’s forces may have learned the truth about who and what exactly they were fighting for. And Magath loved those kids and wished they could have a better future.

Skip ahead to the boatride after Levi wakes up and is roaming the halls to get away from Yelena- who I can imagine he would despise so badly right now- and get the others to interrogate her for info on Eren. Yelena begs them to admit that Zeke was right about euthanasia. Just look at Levi’s face here.

Remember this whole thing about using the royal Ackerman child as a tool for island security? It’s true that Levi and Hange weren’t aware of this euthanasia plan in the first place, but it’s not unlikely that Yelena was already spilling the beans about the plan when she woke up.

Skip ahead to the scene where Floch puts several bullets in the flying boat before Mikasa puts a bullet in him. He rambles about how they can’t kill Eren because he, as their devil, was going to save the island. Here is how Hange replies.

It’s interesting how Hange went from being broken and admitting she had no solutions pages ago to saying that they can’t give up. Maybe there is still hope on the island. It’s just too bad she won’t live to see it.

And while all this is happening, Historia is giving birth after ten months of pregnancy, ten months after the banquet where Eren was mysteriously able to meet with Yelena despite the fact that Levi said he would never get near her again. While Eren was plotting to destroy all life, were Levi and Historia making a life on accident?

And during the actual battle against Eren, there are only two other possible references on Levi’s part that could contribute to this all. One is after he is injured again and giving orders. He knows that they have to kill Eren no matter what, but he has a sense of remorse over it. Then there’s this odd dialogue.

To be fair, it could be about anything really, but since we never get Levi’s perspective on anything this arc, it seems this is something very personal.

And second off is the second reference to how Ackermans cannot turn into Titans. Again, I would really like some official answers on how Hange knew this in the first place. Otherwise it’s quite the gamble, as Erwin would say.

At least whatever happened, the Titan curse got lifted at the end.

...

It has been very difficult for much of the fandom to process the ending when there was no real resolution or closure to most of the characters, plotlines, and lore of the manga. And it seems that there are going to be no spin offs in the immediate future to clarify anything further. So in the meantime, we’re all going to speculate further and see whose theories stand the test of time. Over here, I’m still going strong, dear readers, because nothing thoroughly proved or debunked this theory there.

Up next will be my last official installment of this theory. However, it is going to feature a lot more personal speculation than this chapter. The focus will be on marriage (feat. Mikasa Ackerman), the situation on Paradis, and how Chapter 69 ties into the conclusion of the character arcs of Levi and Historia.

#attack on titan #rivahisu #unresolved baby plot

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everwitch-magiks · 4 years

Text

dance with somebody (ch. 15)

start from ch. 1 | back to ch. 14

Whiskey can't quite keep his hands from shaking as he types out the message. He reads through it once, changes a couple of words and then briefly considers adding some sort of emoji. He doesn’t. Instead, he makes himself hit send before he has the time to lose his nerve.

I'll be driving to Boston on Sunday to take care of a couple things, wanna come with? Figured I might as well make a day out of it.

Within a minute, he gets the notification for a reply.

sounds like fun. do I get to choose the music?

Sure. Pick you up around eight?

Whiskey doesn't let himself reread that message until after he's sent it. God, it almost sounds like he’s making plans for a date. No, actually – it sounds exactly like plans for a date. So much for the whole charade of pretending that some mundane errand is his main reason for their outing.

ugh, so early? I'll be requiring a cappuccino, Annie's or bust.

When Miguel lets himself into the passenger seat of the truck Sunday morning, greeting Whiskey with nothing but a yawn and tired smile, Whiskey merely nods towards him as he silently hands him an Annie's take away cup.

"Oh, thank God." Miguel takes a sip, closing his eyes briefly. "Don’t you sleep in, like, ever?"

"Not really," Whiskey admits. He starts the truck and puts it in reverse. "I was at the gym this morning."

"Of course you were," Miguel mutters. "Man, if I was half as serious as you about anything, I'd… Oh."

Whiskey glances towards him. Miguel has opened his eyes again, and for some reason he seems to have zeroed in on Whiskey's hands.

"What?"

"Nothing." Miguel looks away abruptly. "Never mind me. Eyes on the road.”

Whiskey does look back ahead, but raises both eyebrows curiously. Miguel clears his throat lightly. He digs his phone out of his pocket.

“I’m loving the retro chick vibe of this truck, but I’m guessing bluetooth’s out of the question? Is there an aux cord?”

“Retro chic,” Whiskey parrots back, amused enough to let whatever just happened slide. “Yeah, you can plug in right there.”

“It’s all about the aesthetic, man.” Miguel grins, tapping merrily on his phone. “Okay. I’ve got no idea what you usually listen to, but this playlist’s got lots of different genres.”

After the first three songs have all been Panic! At The Disco, Whiskey feels the need to make a couple of chirps on the definition of the word different, but then the next three tracks are Billy Joel and Robyn and Blackpink, respectively. It turns out they’re both big fans of The Script and have actually both seen them live on the No Sound Without Silence tour, albeit not at the exact same concert. Miguel waves his hands in excitement as goes off on various tangents about which songs he loves the most and exactly why, almost spilling coffee all over himself at one point, and there’s more than one moment where Whiskey laments the fact that he really must keep his eyes on the road.

By the time Whiskey hits the turn signal for their exit, he’s almost starting to relax a little. So far, so good.

“Hey, I almost forgot,” Miguel says. “You never said where we’re actually going?”

“Boston,” Whiskey supplies ambiguously.

“Ha, ha. Where in Boston?”

“A presently undisclosed location.” Whiskey glances briefly at Miguel. “It’s a surprise.”

He catches Miguel’s soft smile before he has to look back ahead.

“A surprise, huh?”

“Yeah.” Whiskey tries to keep his tone somewhat neutral. “I wanted to… Yeah.”

“I thought you had stuff to do?”

“I mean, surprising you isn’t not doing stuff,” Whiskey argues, even though he knows that’s only a backwards way of admitting that Miguel’s got it right. “It’s just… Other stuff.”

For the first time all morning, he’s glad he doesn’t need to meet Miguel’s eyes.

“Depends on the surprise, doesn’t it?” Miguel teases. He sounds pleased. “Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll just have to figure it all out, anyway.”

“Get ready to figure out the first part.” Whiskey pulls into a parking lot. “Here we are.”

“There’s a second part? You know, I’m almost starting to think… Oh my God. Pancakes!”

Whiskey grins. Miguel actually sounds pretty excited.

“How did you know that I haven’t had breakfast?” Miguel questions eagerly.

“You rolled out of bed with less than a minute to spare and put on the first thing you saw in your closet,” Whiskey says matter of factly. He turns off the ignition. “You’ve literally told me that’s your normal routine.”

“I mean, kind of.” Miguel smiles playfully. “But hey, at least you still get to enjoy these effortlessly good looks. Not everyone can look this cute without even really trying, you know.”

“Well,” Whiskey says quietly. Finally, he gets to look over and meet Miguel’s eyes properly. “Fair point.”

Miguel bites his lower lip. Suddenly, his gaze is intent on Whiskey.

“Is this… Too public? Or can we, um. Y’know.”

Whiskey throws a quick glance outside the truck. The parking lot is empty, thank God – quickly, he leans over. It’s a brief kiss, over almost before it’s begun, but Whiskey still feels Miguel’s soft lips smile against his own.

“Come on,” Whiskey mumbles. There’s two more steps to his carefully crafted plan, and he intends to see them both through. “Pancakes. On me.”

The menu at iHOP is ridiculous, but not more ridiculous than the smile on Miguel’s face when the waiter presents him with his mountain of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and bacon. Unsurprisingly, it’s completely adorable.

The drive over to their second destination is brief. They’re still several blocks away when, suddenly, Miguel goes very quiet.

“Almost there,” Whiskey says, in an attempt to fill out the silence. And just like that, he’s nervous all over again. “You, uh. You good?”

“Are you kidding?” Miguel says incredulously – a good kind of incredulous, if his tone is any indication. “I don’t believe you. Is this really where we’re going?”

“I thought you might like it,” Whiskey says carefully. “They’ve got this new exhibit that’s just opened, it’s the Indo-pacific-”

“Coral reef,” Miguel interrupts eagerly. “Yes, I know, I’ve literally got their tweets on alerts. It sounds amazing. And they’ve got this big ocean tank that’s four storys high, you can walk all around it and see every part from a different angle, plus they do absolutely incredible work with their sea turtle rescue program.” He grins widely. “I love the New England Aquarium.”

“Oh. Well, good.” There’s plenty of available parking space, still, since the aquarium has only just opened. Whiskey gets them a spot close to the entrance. “I’ve actually never been.”

“Then you’re in for a treat.” Miguel is already undoing his seatbelt. “Come on! I can’t wait to show you everything.”

When Miguel said everything, he wasn’t kidding. They spend over half an hour at the first exhibit, since Miguel apparently needs to explain in exact detail why the Amazon rainforest is actually one of the most diverse habitats in the world, and then a whole hour goes by as they watch a pair of sea lions swimming and playing with absolutely stunning control and flexibility. By the time they get to the big ocean tank, Whiskey feels like he’s learned more about marine creatures in a couple of hours than he thought he might in his entire life.

It’s surprisingly interesting. And listening to Miguel ramble about it, his eyes shining with unfiltered excitement, is unsurprisingly captivating.

They sit down on a bench on the third floor, where they have a good view of the tank just below the surface. There’s not a lot of other guests around, probably because of the feeding that’s happening over at the tank with the baby sharks. Whiskey glances to his side just as a surprisingly huge sea turtle swims by them at a leisurely pace, watches Miguel’s lips soften into a perfectly gentle, content smile.

If Whiskey could have orchestrated every detail of his ideal moment to proceed with the third and final step of his plan, it would’ve looked a lot like this.

He clears his throat lightly.

Miguel looks over towards him, a little expectantly.

Whiskey hesitates.

God, he must do this. He must. Even if this is where he fucks it all up, his future self deserves to remember this as a moment in his life when he faced all of his fears head on in pursuit of real happiness. He needs to let himself try, to allow himself this one moment of mortifying vulnerability.

“Do you-”

“Can I-”

Whiskey falls silent abruptly. Miguel blinks, looking equally startled.

They both smile.

“You, first,” Miguel says gently.

“Okay.” Whiskey takes a steadying breath. “I was hoping we could talk about, um. About this. About us?”

He makes an awkward gesture between them that’s probably not at all necessary for Miguel to understand his meaning.

“Sure,” Miguel agrees. He’s still smiling, albeit not quite as softly as before, and there’s an undertone of apprehension as he continues. “Based on the past few hours, I’m guessing I’m not actually about to have my heart broken, here?”

“No. I hope not.” God, Whiskey wishes that he could dare to get his hopes up at those words. Of course, he can’t. He already knows perfectly well that Miguel isn’t indifferent to him, per say. That’s not what he’s been so afraid of finding out. “Miguel, I like you so much. I like being with you, just like this, so much. You’re kind of always on my mind, lately, and it’s all really just so… So great. You’re really, really great.”

“Okay,” Miguel says slowly. His tone is all apprehension, now. “I’m sensing a but, here. You’re not looking to date right now, is that it? Or are you just not looking for a boyfriend at all? Or-”

“No,” Whiskey interrupts hurriedly. “Fuck, no, not at all. Miguel, if you wanted to be my boyfriend, I’d be so happy.”

“Oh.” Miguel blinks. “You… Really?”

“Yes.” Whiskey swallows. “I… Yes. Really.”

“Huh.” Slowly, Miguel’s lips curl into another smile. “Wow. That’s... Okay.”

Whiskey allows himself a moment to smile back. God, what he wouldn’t give for things to actually be that simple.

“Okay,” he says, trying to get back on track. “So, the thing is-”

“Ah, I knew it,” Miguel cuts in, almost playfully. “There is a but, isn’t there?”

Whiskey grimaces.

“I mean. Sort of?”

“Right.” Miguel’s smile dims again. “Sorry, sorry. I’m listening.”

“It’s not too bad,” Whiskey says, even though it honestly absolutely is. “I, um. You see.”

Miguel watches him expectantly.

“I guess I don’t want to come on too strong, here, and start talking about our lives several years from now,” Whiskey begins, testing the waters a bit.

Miguel raises his eyebrows slightly, but looks otherwise unruffled. So, like, that’s not a terrible reaction.

Whiskey takes the plunge.

“I just need you to know that I’m not sure if I’ll ever actually come out, publicly. Right now, I honestly don’t think so.”

“Ah,” Miguel says. “You mean… Ah. Okay.”

Whiskey waits. Miguel’s expression is infuriatingly unreadable.

“Good to know,” Miguel finally settles on. “That’s not a deal breaker for me, exactly. I’m just not sure if I’d want to keep something like this from absolutely everyone. I honestly don’t think I could.”

“I couldn’t do that, either,” Whiskey says, surprising himself a little bit. Still, it’s the truth. “I’d want to tell my two best friends.”

“You would?” Miguel asks, almost smiling. “Have I met them?”

“Yes, actually. Tango and Ford.”

“So you’re out, to them?”

“Not yet,” Whiskey admits. “But I’ve been thinking about it, and I… I’d want them to know about us.”

“Okay,” Miguel says. He sounds hopeful. “I’d want my best friend to know, too. I’ve known him all my life, so I trust him completely. And I want to tell my closest family.”

“Okay,” Whiskey agrees. It surprises him a little, that the mere thought doesn’t make him panic. “I don’t mind that.”

“I’ll be very clear that they can’t tell anyone else,” Miguel adds gently. “I’m sure they can handle that.”

“If you trust them, I trust you,” Whiskey reassures him. “Actually, it’s sweet. That you’d want them to know.”

“Of course I would.” Miguel smiles briefly. “Are you, uh. Are you close with your family?”

“Not… Not exactly.” It’s not a question Whiskey was expecting. “They’re very, um. Very traditional. I guess I usually go home for holidays and so on, but we don’t really talk a lot in between. I certainly don’t have plans to come out to them. One of my cousins knows, though. Beth. And actually, she’d kind of murder me if I didn’t tell her about you.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” Miguel tilts his head a little. “Are you out to anyone else?”

“A couple of people,” Whiskey admits. “Dex, our team captain, probably knows the most. He even knows about you. It’s actually his truck that I borrowed, today.”

“Yeah?” Miguel says. He sounds oddly pleased. “That’s cool. Anyone else?”

“This guy that I, um. That I hooked up with a few times last semester.” Whiskey clears his throat awkwardly. “And Bitty, our captain last year, although he found out accidentally. Oh, and you. Although I guess that’s completely obvious.”

“I’d say I’m aware, yeah,” Miguel agrees cheerfully. “You know, I actually ended up googling that former captain guy, Bitty, after the hockey party. His fiance is kind of a really big deal in hockey, isn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Whiskey agrees. “He’s the first openly gay male NHL hockey player, and a Stanley Cup champion.”

Miguel hums. “There’s really no one else, in the NHL?”

“Not yet, no.” Whiskey takes a breath. “And I’m honestly not too inclined to be the second.”

“Right,” Miguel says. He sounds less startled than Whiskey expected him to. “You know, that thought actually crossed my mind when you first told me about wanting to go pro. Even though you weren’t actually out to me then. I’ve heard some really questionable things about locker rooms in hockey.”

“I’ve heard my fair share of questionable things in those locker rooms.” Whiskey sighs. “It’s part of why I have so much respect for Bitty and Zimmermann. They’re really important to a lot of queer hockey people out there, and they’ve done so much to make things better. If Zimmermann wasn’t the only out player in the league, that would really change things for both of them. But I’m, I just… I want to play hockey. There’s nothing else I care about as much. But that doesn’t mean that I could do what they do, or that I’m prepared to go through everything they’ve overcome. Maybe that makes me selfish, but it’s just how I feel.”

Miguel hums.

“I get that,” he says. There’s a weight to his words that feels significant, somehow. “If I’m honest, I don’t know if I could do that, either. It’s actually a relief, in a way, that you’re not asking me if I’d be prepared to face that alongside you.”

Whiskey turns to look at Miguel properly. He wasn’t expecting that.

“I’ve never thought of it that way,” he admits. “I was too busy worrying that you’d be against the idea of not being completely open about… About us.”

Miguel meets his eyes steadily.

“It’s really okay, Whiskey. I don’t need to kiss you for all the world to see, so long as I know where we stand.”

“Yeah?” Whiskey asks. And for the first time since they’ve sat down, he finds himself smiling. “That’s, uh. That’s really great. Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Miguel says gently. “So. I guess this means it’s my turn, now?”

Whiskey blinks. Right. Miguel had been trying to say something, too.

“Sure, yeah,” he agrees. “Go ahead.”

“Don’t worry, okay? It’s genuinely nothing bad.”

“Alright.”

Miguel takes a breath. Apparently, whatever the not-bad thing is, he’s still nervous to say it. Which isn’t at all alarming.

“So, you know how I’ve been hoping to get a room at the water polo frat?” Miguel begins tentatively. “I’ve kind of changed my mind about that, a little bit. I love my team, but I already see them all the time, and the reason I want to move out of the dorms is so that I can have a space that’s more my own. Somehow, I don't think I'd feel that way with all my idiot teammates around.”

“Good instincts,” Whiskey interjects. “I could tell you stories.”

Miguel smiles.

“I’ve actually found a small apartment just off campus that’s surprisingly affordable. I think it might be because the layout of the kitchen area is, like, so impractical that it’s got to be on purpose, but I could definitely make it work.”

“Well. Sounds like a good option.”

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna take it,” Miguel says carefully. “It’s, um. It’s actually no more than a ten minute walk from your hockey house. And it’d be, you know. Something a little more private.”

“Oh,” Whiskey says. He frowns slightly. “You really don’t have to do that, for me.”

“I’m not only doing it for you,” Miguel reminds him firmly. “Like I said, I want something that’s more my own place. This seems like my best option.”

“Well,” Whiskey says, considering. “If you’re sure. It, uh. It does actually sound really nice. I think I might visit you quite a lot.”

“You’d be more than welcome to,” Miguel says. He grins. “Hey. Can I say something?”

Whiskey blinks.

“You just did, I think?”

“Yeah, well.” Miguel grins a little wider. “See, I don’t want to come on too strong, here, and start talking about our lives several years from now. Sounds familiar?”

“... Oh.” Whiskey feels startled in the best way possible. “I guess?”

“It’s just… If I had a wishlist, eventual cohabitation would probably be somewhere near the top.” Miguel tilts his head a little. “Just thought I’d put that out there.”

“Yeah?” Whiskey manages, a bit unsteadily. “I, uh. I’d definitely be open to having that conversation. At some point.”

“Okay. Cool.” Miguel averts his gaze for a second, looking back at the ocean tank before them. His smile, Whiskey thinks, is perfectly lovely. “So. Do you... Should we head back?”

Whiskey frowns. He’s more than aware of the fact that there’s several exhibits they haven’t even gone anywhere near, yet. Miguel must know that, too.

“Isn’t there stuff left to see?” he wonders, a little unsurely.

“We can come back,” Miguel says quickly. He turns back towards Whiskey, and there’s a look in his eyes that immediately earns him Whiskey’s full attention. “Right now, I’d rather just be somewhere a bit more... Somewhere we can be alone. And my roommate’s actually gone for the weekend, so. I was thinking…”

Oh.

Whiskey gets to his feet.

They don’t waste any time making their way back to the truck. Whiskey starts the ignition, his mind occupied with calculating how long the drive might take. As he puts the truck in reverse and starts backing up, Miguel makes some sort of noise next to him.

Whiskey glances over, surprised to find that Miguel’s expression is… Tense. Or something.

“Never mind me,” Miguel mutters through his teeth. “Just, um. Just drive.”

It reminds Whiskey of what Miguel had said to him that same morning, after he’d gone oddly quiet and… Stared at Whiskey’s hand on the gearshift. Huh.

Whiskey pauses after backing up. He raises both eyebrows in question.

“Oh, fuck you,” Miguel says, his weak tone a definite contrast to his choice of words. “Look, it’s really stupid. You’re gonna think I’m an idiot.”

“I mean, maybe,” Whiskey allows. He still doesn’t keep driving. “Does it help if I promise not to take the piss?”

“Persistent, aren’t we?” Miguel mutters. He sighs. “Ugh. Fine. It’s just… You drive stick.”

Whiskey blinks.

“Is that, like… A whole thing for you?”

“Oh, shut it,” Miguel grumbles. “This is hardly my fault, okay, I really can’t be blamed for being stupidly attracted to you.”

Whiskey probably shouldn’t smile as widely as he does – he literally just promised Miguel that he wouldn’t make fun of him. “Stupidly, huh.”

“Well, yes!” Miguel exclaims. And suddenly, it’s like a pair of proverbial floodgates have opened. "Did you know that every time you open your ridiculously hot mouth in class and something highly intelligent spills out, I die a little bit?”

Whiskey blinks. Fuck. If there’s one thing in this world that he didn’t know, it’s definitely that.

Miguel continues before he has the chance to respond.

“And God, you couldn’t warn a guy before making me watch you dominate that hockey game like you single-handedly invented skating? Believe me, I am sincerely, stupidly into you – you with your ridiculous face, and that brain, and those muscles, Jesus. You are quite literally the whole package and it's honestly so completely infuriating.”

Whiskey swallows. He can’t seem to look away from Miguel, who is actually glaring at him, now, and that shouldn’t be the best thing that’s happened to Whiskey all day. And it kind of isn’t better than their pivotal conversation earlier, if Whiskey thinks about it logically and rationally, which he would absolutely do if Miguel wasn’t looking at him like that.

“Right,” Whiskey finally manages in response. “Gotcha.”

Miguel narrows his eyes.

“Listen,” he says. His voice is low, and raw, and determined. Whiskey’s breath hitches. “You’re going to drive us back to campus, and I’m going to take you up to my room, and, if you'll let me, I’m going to spread you out on my bed and make you feel every deliciously bittersweet moment of frustration that I've suffered on your account. God knows you've deserved it."

“Um.” Whiskey swallows, twice, and then attempts a deep breath. His brain might have short-circuited a little bit. “Is this a good time to mention that you talking like that is kind of really doing it for me?”

“No,” Miguel says evenly, despite the fact that Whiskey can see the clearly pleased smile tugging at his lips. “Just, for God’s sake, Whiskey. Drive. Now.”

Whiskey forces himself to look back ahead. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Miguel follow the movements of his hand as he carefully changes gears.

Boston, Whiskey thinks dizzily, is entirely too far away from Samwell.

(ch. 16)

#check please #omgcheckplease #connor whisk #whiskey #whiskey x oc #OC: miguel #my babies #you guys #look at them #dance with somebody #evie writes #fanfiction

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pynkhues · 4 years

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What’s you top 5 unpopular good girls ships?

I am eternally blessed, anon, because all my ships for Good Girls are pretty popular, haha. I’m all about Beth x Rio, Ruby x Stan, Dean x Suffering, Boomer x Grievous Bodily Harm! Even my non-canon ships like Annie x Nancy or Annie x JT are pretty popular!

So instead, I’m offering you five crack ships and I’ve written the scenarios where I think they could work, because I am a glutton for punishment, haha. One of them I actually want to write, but I’m not going to say which, because I don’t want anyone to peer pressure me into writing it, hahaha. (I have way too many WIPs!)

Below a cut to save your feeds.

1. Krystal x Lucy

Okay, SO, I accidentally wrote them into the pornstar au, and ever since the thought came to me, it’s latched on like a parasite! I love the thought of them both having someone in their corner in the way that we sort of know they don’t? Lucy really needed somebody who could fight for her and was more clued into the world than either herself or Max, and Krystal pretty clearly needs someone who’s kind to her. Plus Krystal would edge out some of Lucy’s cutesyness, while Lucy would ground Krystal, and idk! I just think they’d be cute!

Okay, scenario though – I’m thinking the Hill’s have a Christmas party. Lucy and Max have recently broken up and Beth feels bad for her, so invites her to be her plus-one (or, well, plus seventh after Rio and the kids), and the gesture’s a nice one, but Beth is instantly distracted by helping Ruby get the food out or with Jane and Marcus inevitably causing havoc, and so Lucy ends up wallflowering, watching everyone else just - - know each other, right?

And maybe Krystal sees her and maybe she’s a few drinks in already, so it’s not like it takes much to grab another cup of spiked eggnog and tumble against the wall beside Lucy. And maybe it’s awkward at first, because Lucy’s sort of weird, but maybe Krystal kind of likes that, and maybe Lucy compliments Krystal’s ugly snowman earrings, and Krystal really does think Lucy’s reindeer sweater is cute, and maybe Lucy falls a little in love when Krystal sings bawdy Christmas songs, her arm slung over Ruby’s shoulder, and Krystal falls a little in love when Lucy is unfairly good at drunk pictionary, and maybe it feels like they’ve known each other a lot longer than a night (and maybe they want to make sure they will).

2. Mick x Mary Pat.

Okay, okay, okay. Hear me out.

So it finally happens. Rio finds out who Mary Pat is, what she’s done – that she’s Beth’s rotten egg – and y’know, Rio isn’t playing around anymore. He wants to send Beth a message, and what better way to do that than to handle the third person she couldn’t after Turner and Boomer? So he sends Mick off with an order.

And so Mick watches for a few days – keeps an eye on her schedule, her routine, carving out a plan to handle her as smoothly as possible (he’s not Rio after all, he doesn’t hand guns to women he’s just kidnapped, y’know?) – and starts to get a sense of her. Sure, maybe he feels a little bad. She has a lot of kids, y’know? And always seems pretty frazzled, at the end of her rope, but sort of sweet. She goes to church, sings in a choir, makes pancakes from a box, sure, but she adds both choc chips and blueberries which is a pretty good combo, and maybe it’s hard to believe she’s swept up in all of this, but then it was hard to believe Mrs Boland and that sweet girl from Paper Porcupine had been too.

Still, Mick knows what he’s doing, y’know?

He’s not Rio. He’ll finish the job.

So he steals into her house late at night, moving down to her bedroom, intending to take her outside, handle her away from the kids at least, when suddenly a wild Mary Pat appears! Brandishing a huge knife.

Mick staggers back! Alarmed, and Mary Pat thrusts it at him, knowing exactly how long he’s been watching her and what does he think she is??? NEW to this??? She worked with the FBI! Okay, not -- not worked with them, but y’know, an agent was on her case for a while, and Mary Pat is not as stupid as her Uncle Larry told her that one time, and okay, Mick thinks, staggering back into his seat, eyes fixed on the knife Mary Pat is waving around at him.

You wanna talk this out?

It’s the wrong thing to say, because no, she doesn’t especially, and they just sort of stare at each other for a minute, trying to figure out what happens next when Billy wakes up and trots down the hallway, and he’s had a bad dream about the bad man, and for a minute, Mick thinks he’s talking about him, but then Mary Pat says something about how Boomer won’t ever step foot in this house again, and with the way she’s holding that knife, Mick is inclined to believe her.

And then, well, Billy asks for pancakes.

So that’s how Mick ends up eating pancakes with Mary Pat and three of her four kids at 2 in the morning, and y’know, he’s not a total asshole. He’s going to stay and help her clean up afterwards, and maybe it’s sort of nice, now that she’s put the knife down (although it is still in reaching distance, and honestly, he respects that), now that his gun’s back in his pants.

And well, he can’t exactly kill a woman who just made him pancakes, so he figures next time, only next time, Mary Pat’s already cooking, and then the time after that, she’s already set him a plate, and maybe the time after that, she kisses him, and maybe the time after that, he kisses her first, and at least when Rio asks, Mick can just give him a look, because it isn’t like he doesn’t have his own batshit crazy mother of four he can’t kill.

3. Rhea x Phoebe.

So, y’know. Phoebe’s good at her job.

Phoebe knows how to do a stakeout, to keep tabs, to collect intel. She revels in every part of the chase, every part of the puzzle, every part of the game of it all, because she knows that what she’s doing is right, she’s cleaning up the streets! Making the world a better place! But - - okay, she’ll be the first to admit that she already finds her marks exhausting.

Not so much Hill and Marks. They’re sort of fun to keep tabs on (and lowkey, Phoebe really does maybe daydream sometimes about what it might be like to sit on the couch and watch bad reality shows with them, drinking cheap wine and creamy, herb crusted cheeses). Even Boland is kind of awesome when she’s not with him.

Because the thing is, as soon as Boland and the Big Kahuna are together, everything just gets a little - - hm. What’s the word for it?

(”Nothing like watching a crime lord pull pigtails,” Henry had said on one stakeout, headphones on as they’d watched from afar as Big Kahuna had swung in close to Boland, said something that made her flush red and try to stamp on his foot. “Can’t wait until they graduate to passing notes. At least then there might be something we can use.”)

And, well. It’s not like he’s wrong.

So maybe she starts to get bored of watching the highschool antics of them (as has everyone else, she thinks, if the looks on their faces is anything to go by - including the hitman clearly trying to take one, or both of them out [and please, a little part of Phoebe thinks, watching as Big Kahuna drags a finger across the back of Boland’s knuckles, and Boland wait until he’s gone to order the most expensive liquor in the bar to Big Kahuna’s tab]). Maybe that makes her dig a little deeper.

Maybe that’s how she finds herself watching an under-9′s soccer game in a fold-out chair beside Big Kahuna’s baby mama. (She tells her she’s researching, so it’s not technically a lie, even if the cover of starting to coach a team of her own in the fall is a thin one).

And okay, maybe they hit it off. Which is kind of cool, Phoebe thinks, because it turns out Rhea is kind of cool (how she put up with Big Kahuna is a total mystery to her), and y’know, she’s actually pretty? LIke, pretty pretty. And nice, and totally normal, and maybe they get a coffee after the game, and catch a movie on the weekend, and maybe sometimes Phoebe forgets to fish about Big Kahuna at all, but that’s an easy mistake to make, and maybe Henry gives her a Look when he hears about it, but it’s nothing, Phoebe thinks.

She’s just doing her due diligence.

Being thorough, y’know?

I mean, who even knows when information could come out, and Phoebe’s just laying the groundwork anyway, she thinks, watching the line of Rhea’s neck, the purse of her lips, blinking rapidly when Rhea leans across the table, the curve of her breast visible beneath the thin fabric of her shirt, and says: “I know you’re a fed.”

And Phoebe splutters as Rhea keeps leaning forwards.

“I’m not going to tell you anything about him.”

And what can Phoebe say except okay, something in her chest tightening at - - at what, Phoebe has no idea. Just knows that Rhea’s so close she can feel the other woman’s breath on her cheek.

“I just want to be clear about that,” she tells her. “If we’re going to do this.”

And Phoebe blinks, owlish at Rhea, pulse rapid and mouth dry as she asks: “Do what?”

And well, it turns out Phoebe likes Rhea even more when she’s kissing her.

4. Greg x Dr. Josh.

Okay, so maybe two things happen.

Maybe it’s a party of something when Annie finally turns around and tells Greg about kissing her therapist, and honestly, Greg shouldn’t be surprised. This is what Annie does, after all, and telling her off never really gets him anywhere, so he pours them both another drink, and - - sure, maybe another.

Then maybe a few more.

Because it’s just like they’re in this loop, y’know? Him and her. Like she fucks up and it’s not like she expects him to clean up after her (he’s not Beth), but it’s like there’s something in Annie where she needs him to know about it, and that just really gets to him sometimes, because like, Annie’s not his responsibility just because they have a kid together. Besides, he has Nancy now, so it’s not like he needs Annie, and even thinking about Nancy sort of makes him want to go and find her, so then he’s drunkenly stumbling around this party, looking for that cape of perfect blonde hair, and okay, maybe that’s when the second thing happens.

Annie. Nancy. Closet. Necking. Maybe a shirt’s off? There’s a lot of like - - like mouths and hand stuff and Greg slams the door shut and maybe goes and lies on the grass outside for a while.

And okay, maybe it’s not a surprise either. Maybe this is also what Annie does too, but still, he stews on it, and then stews on it some more, and so what if he interrogates Ben for this therapist’s address, because like - - hadn’t Annie been going to him for months? How could this guy make everything worse.

And sure, maybe storming into the guy’s office, drunk on anger this time instead of beer, isn’t the best idea, but he’s just - - pissed, y’know? And maybe he yells at the guy about where he gets off, kissing patients. Making his patients kiss his wife, and okay, the guy’s pale at first, but then is sort of nice, and they sit on the beanbags and talk for a bit about Hurricane Annie, and actually, he’s finished work for the day, so maybe they should go get a beer or whatever?

And maybe later, when Josh drops a nervous hand to his knee and awkwardly closes the distance between them, when Greg’s kissing back, he does sort of wonder if he and Annie won’t always be pulling from the same pool.

5. Turner x Noah.

Come on. We all saw s2. There’s no way Turner didn’t offer a, ahem, hand to help Noah get over Annie.

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mego42 · 3 years

Text

Fic Writer Challenge

tagged by @aadmelioraa who’s doing a really good job seducing me into the last kingdom fandom the content y’all are putting out is *chef’s kiss*

rules: list your three four (shut up i do what i want etc etc) fav fics you’ve written

there’s blood in my body (i’m holding on) - bellamy/clarke, the 100 (22k, E)

She misses him the way she would miss a sense or a body part; she misses him like something that was always a part of her, even though, realistically, she’d only known him for four years compared to the rest of her life. She misses him like something vital she’d never considered what it would be like to be without until suddenly she was.

Modern AU - Clarke hasn’t seen her best friend for six years and then suddenly she does.

this was my first ever au!! which maybe seems like not a thing considering the switch from genre to modern requires a lot less research but it was still a trip to try and figure out how to translate the characters from one setting to another

also it’s just near and dear to my heart for a whole bunch of reasons that aren’t any of y’all’s business

oh god it’s so sappy and romantic and i love it a lot idc

the listening ‘verse - beth/rio, good girls (2 parts so far, 55k, E and T)

promptathon #3: 5 outsider POVs on beth & rio getting together somewhere down the line from 3x11. would love rhea, mick, annie, ruby, and dean. not all people have to come around and be supportive, but writer can pick who feels what.

cheating so i can include now use both hands don’t @ me

includes my first ever completed multichapter! cannot believe!

also a fun challenge but this time with POV! i really wanted not only the perspectives to be distinct and unique but the voice and tone and i had a lot of fun sorting out how that would work. if i were to go back i’d probably do more with rhea, i feel like she bore the brunt of me figuring out what i wanted to do while already writing

it's strange what desire will make foolish people do - beth/rio, good girls (2 parts, 5k, T)

my first gg fic(s)(though if i went back i’d make them two chapters of the same thing)!!

lowkey don’t even remember writing them?

i think i wrote the first one the same night i watched 302 (aka freshly off of binging the first two seasons + 301 in a week) and the other one right after i posted the first one working off of the 303 promo

it was all a blur of OH MY GOD I HATE THEM AND I LOVE THEM AND IM FEELING A LOT OF STUFF SOMEONE HELP ME

they’re on here bc i dont think i've ever written anything that poured out of me like this and i was a smidge afraid to go back and read them bc idek what they were like, i was functioning in a feverish obsessive haze, but they actually hold up p well? which is neat! i like when surprises are pleasant!

idk i’m weirdly attached to them leave me alone

a song inside the halls of the dark - beth/rio, good girls (89k so far (yikes on bikes), E)

p sure this meme is for completed fic but like i wasn’t gonna put this on here pfffft

violently suppressing the amount of guilt i feel that this is still wip so we’re gonna roller skate right by that one

first ever attempted multichapter! first ever attempt at plot! lots of learning experiences and challenges all around!

it’s also mine and @nickmillerscaulk‘s origin story SO def a fav

(hey kim how do i grammar) (ily)

Tagging @foxmagpie @pynkhues @sothischickshe @hypermania @querenaxx if you’d like

#tag games!#i need to get my ass in gear and actually finish some fic so i can start posting again #rn it's a dead even tie between this new thing #song #and the pacific rim au (i know i was surprised too)#in terms of what's gonna happen first #who knows! not me!#maybe something else will rise from the grave aka my concepts folder #i keep telling y'all i am not in control here #my fic #shut up meg

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dauntless-cakeneedstobe-eaton · 4 years

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Jeff x Annie Song Fic-One Shot AU: Extended Version of Ending in Pascal’s Triangle Revisited (Season 1, Ep 25)

Song-Fic (Inspired by “I Want Crazy” by Hunter Hayes and “Clarity” by Zedd ft. Foxes)

“High dive into frozen waves where the past comes back to life...Fight fear for the selfish pain it was worth it every time.” (Clarity)

Well, that went..unexpectedly to say the least. I like to think that it’s hard for me to get thrown off my game. From watching my father leave, to getting kicked out of the firm, I like to think I’ve seen it all. I like to think about myself a lot, which with my overall charm and muscular physique, shouldn’t come as a surprise...who wouldn’t? I say all of this ironically, considering that there are two women in there who--for whatever reason--think about me...a lot.

I know what you’re thinking: Jeff, stop being every girl in every teen rom-com that gets stuck in the middle of a love triangle. I’ll be the first one to say that this isn’t necessarily a love triangle. At least, I don’t think it is. I don’t think I’ve ever been in love with anyone ever. All that sappy crap makes me want to throw up. That’s why I made sure to stay at least one hundred feet away from it--more like one hundred and five just to be safe. The whole “I want to be with you for the rest of my life” trope is a bunch of BS the entertainment industry sells us in order to make our expectations ridiculously high. So. Not. Worth. It.

I made sure to make every woman I have ever been interested in a fling. Nothing more, nothing less. When I made things official with Slater, I thought I would give this whole “commitment” thing a try, but that obviously didn’t end well. I never put any serious thought into Britta before, but I’d be lying if I said I was never curious about it. Standing out here just avoiding them wasn’t solving anything, but besides drinking, running away was the only thing I knew how to do.

“No I don’t want good and I don’t want good enough...I want can’t sleep, can’t breathe without your love.” (I Want Crazy)

In the middle of all my thinking, I saw a figure in a blue dress in my line of vision. Annie. I felt my lips curving upward, with a weird sense of relief as she approached me.

“I thought you left?” I asked quizzically. Annie put her bags down beside her. She sighed before answering.

“I couldn’t go…”

“Why? What happened?”

“I honestly don’t know,” she started, with a soft laugh, “As we were driving off, I finally started living in the moment, but at the moment I realized that Greendale is where I belong.” She shrugged her shoulders at me with a smile. I smiled at her in return, admiring her big, blue eyes. I once told her that she had dangerous doe eyes; I still stand by that statement. There was something about her--not just her eyes--that made me want to be a better person. She could force me into ridiculous situations, but they always felt natural as long as I was with her.

“What about you? What’re you doing out here?” Good question. What exactly was I accomplishing by being out here?

“Well...Britta and Slater just told me that they loved me.” Saying it out loud solidified it into reality. There you go universe. Happy now? I studied Annie’s reaction...for no particular reason. She looked shocked, as expected.

“Did you decide what you’re going to do about it?” I laughed.

“Not even close.” She giggled. It was nice to hear a comforting sound amidst all the chaos in my head.

“You can’t keep them waiting! You need to make a decision. Oh! I can help you!” she nodded excitedly.

“Oh? And how do you plan on doing that milady?” I asked mockingly. She gave me an offended glance to which I laughed.

“Hey! As long as it’s for you, I’m willing to help in any way I can!” she stated indignantly. When it actually registered what she said in her head, she blushed bashfully. I felt my palms start to sweat. “Anyway,” she continued calmly, “Tell me how you feel about Slater.” Another good question.

“Slater feels like a good choice to me. She’s intelligent and put-together. She makes me feel like I can leave my horrible past behind and become a new person.” Annie gives an impressive nod.

“Okay, so how do you feel about Britta?” Oh boy.

“Britta...she makes me feel like I’m good enough. She feels good enough too. Like I can be myself around her, flaws and all. She makes me feel like my current self is someone worth being.”

“Jeff you are in a pickle of all pickles.”

“Thanks Captain Obvious Annie.” She fake saluted at me. I genuinely didn’t know who I liked better. I didn’t know who I could stay committed to. I didn't know who I had more of a spark with. Maybe there were a lot of things I didn’t know.

“If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy? If our love’s insanity why are you my clarity?” (Clarity)

“Hmmm. Maybe you could reach a decision more easily if you could practice saying what you just said to their faces. Maybe once you look them in the eye and say how you’re feeling, some spark will fly?” I thought about it for a moment...it could work. Seeing that I didn’t automatically reject her idea, Annie perked up. “Okay I’m taking your pondering as a yes! Now all you have to do is say what you just said to me. Except this time, I’ll pretend to be both of them for the most authentic experience possible!” Normally, this is where I’d reject her idea, but I decided to humor her. “Alright Jeff, look at me and pretend I’m Slater.”

“Okay I’ll try.” I opened my mouth to start, but as I looked into Annie’s eyes, all words left my brain...and I don’t know why.

“Earth to Jeff?” She waved her hand in front of my face, taking a step closer to me. I was suddenly aware of her close proximity. Why couldn’t I focus? Why was it impossible for me to see her as anything but Annie? I looked up at her eyes again. Same as always. Big and...beautiful. She was beautiful. I scratched the back of my head.

“I...uh...sorry about that. For some reason, I can’t play pretend when it comes to you.” Annie blushed and looked away before nervously asking, “What do you mean?” It was hard for me to put a finger on what exactly I meant by that. She was just so different from both Britta and Slater that it was hard to pretend that she was them. When I tried to explain this to her, she asked “Is that a good different or…?”

“Of course it’s good.” I replied quickly, cutting off any more of her hesitation. I didn’t want Annie to think that I thought about her in any sort of negative light. I was convinced that she didn’t have a single bad bone in her entire body. It would hurt me to think that she thought otherwise.

“You’re different because with you, it’s like I can see clearly,” I started. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes capturing the last light of the darkening sky, amplifying the oceans of blue I saw. “With Britta, and even Slater when we were officially together, I always felt...blurry. Like I was walking on eggshells. I had to try so hard to not mess up around Slater...to be this perfect boyfriend. Around Britta, I felt no need to improve on my current self. I like that she accepts me for who I am, but I feel like I’m not growing at all around her. Maybe that’s another reason why I’m so confused about this whole thing.” Annie gave me an understanding nod.

“I don’t think you should feel that way about yourself. You’re capable of more than you know,” she said, giving me one of her award-winning Annie smiles. I smiled in return, feeling a certain warmth grow in my chest. “I know you’ve gone through a lot growing up, and that you try to shield yourself from pain and commitment with this cool-guy persona, but I hope you feel that you can be yourself around me. Because I think about you a lot. I want you to know that someone’s always thinking about you even if you feel like no one cares.”

I think this is when I saw it...when everything made sense. I was always able to see and think clearly around Annie because she let me be myself around her...but being around her made me want to be a better person. She always pushed me to be the best version of myself, but not a completely different person. If there was one thing Britta has ever been right about, it was me being jealous of Annie and Vaughn. I didn’t like the idea of someone taking away our adventures together. I hated to admit that to myself. I didn’t want to admit that helping Annie with her Halloween party and debate team was actually a lot of fun. I didn’t want to admit that we made a really good team. I didn’t want to admit that I liked being the reason for her smile. Because admitting all of that would make me a sap--something I swore to never be.

“I didn't know that you thought about me a lot,” I tried to ask casually. Little did she know how fast my heart was beating right now. I saw her rub her arm uncomfortably.

“While Vaughn was driving away, there was still a piece of my heart left at Greendale. I felt it tugging back the farther we went,” she said cautiously. She shyly looked back up at me. At this point, my brain wasn’t functioning I swear.

“Did that piece happen to be me?” I looked at her earnestly. I always knew that Annie was genuine. I wanted to know whether or not whatever I was feeling was reciprocated. Evidently, her brain must have not been functioning either because she leaned timidly leaned forward and touched her lips to mine. I found myself on the verge of getting lost in her, but she pulled away too quickly. Way more quickly than I would have liked. It was a sweet kiss, one that I have never felt before. In that brief moment, I knew which choice I wanted to make. No hesitation. I brought her lips to mine once more for a more passionate kiss. She kissed me back. And it felt like the best thing in the world. My arms encircled her waist and moved to her hair as I felt her pull me closer. This is what I wanted. This is what I needed. She was a choice. And in this moment, I chose Annie above anyone else. This felt right. This was the way it was meant to be.

#community #jeff winger #annie edison #jeff and annie #jeff x annie

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rosaetae · 4 years

Text

tce | epilogue

[this chapter is apart of the chrysanthemum effect]

☇ “Keeping your flowers, keeping your pain— it’s already everything you need to move on. How do you move on from things if you’re not willing to accept them?“

➣ pairing: taehyung x reader

➣ genre: hanahaki!au, model!taehyung, weddingplanner(ish)!au

➣ word count: 4.2k

➣ a/n: it still hasn’t hit me that this series is over :( i love this series with all my heart. what started off originally as a note from one of dreams became to a series that made me very vulnerable for some reason but i really hope u enjoyed this series. thank you again for all your love. enjoy the epilogue.

➣ summary: the hanahaki disease has become a stigma in this world where if you had it, you are looked down upon. her flowers were white chrysanthemums and they have been for the past two years. she was in love with someone who obviously didn’t feel the same way, and this was her way of moving on— along with the people in her life who had to conform around the hanahaki disease.

To say the least, blue poppies weren't flowers you felt much sympathy for anymore. In fact, it brought you an odd sense of happiness and thrill seeing it as accents for decorations placed here and there.

Jungkook explained to you (after you had to ask) that Blue Poppies was originally a song he wrote for Minji, describing how the vibrant blue matched with her happy-go-lucky persona, but Annie happened to help compose it. Blue poppies was Annie's favorite flowers and to compare a rare and bright persona to a flower, she offered the only flowers that popped to mind— blue poppies.

Annie and Jungkook encouraged that you come to their wedding as a guest, but as the wedding planner's assistant being paid on the hour, you stood beside Eunmi in your usual black blazer and pencil skirt, scanning over the wedding, making sure it was going exactly as planned as Annie and Jungkook deserved it to be.

The wedding ceremony was filled with teary eyes and applause of happiness, Eunmi and you letting out a breath of relief when they finally said "I do" to each other without anyone, not even the universe, opposing it.

You stand near the back of the reception, watching as the caterers provide early dinner to the guests as Jungkook spoke into a microphone, thanking everyone for coming and plopping some jokes here and there, and so on.

In the midst of it all, you find one of the caterers, talking to them about the course change in which you subconsciously scanned the entire reception. As you briefly scan across the long table of where Jungkook and Annie sat in the middle, Taehyung just had to peer up from the third seat down from Jungkook he sat at at the same time, a smirk on his face as you look away quickly and back to the caterer, resuming your conversation.

That was the only interaction you let yourself notice with Taehyung before some more shedding of tears and laughter in the air followed by many more of the speeches that were made.

And suddenly, it was just like that that the wedding reception came to its happy end and people were leaving in a trickling one by one.

When usual weddings are over, you help to gather the centerpieces of the tables, along with the leftover gift bags of some who did not take with them. As you were packing up Eunmi's car with the charitable leftovers, you were about to go in for another round before you spot Annie walking towards you, noticeably finished talking to the last guest.

She was in her simple gown, the one that made you see her in a brighter light, hair all natural down her shoulders, and dark brown eyes lit as she walks towards you.

"___," she calls your name, approaching you with a smile. "I wanted to give you something."

You stop to smile at her, confused as to what she could possibly give you.

"I know that you have been through a lot the past year and I really am thankful that you still managed to push through with this stressful wedding," she laughs sheepishly.

Arching an eyebrow, you give her a soft smile, your heart warming at her sweet words. And just then, she raises her blue poppies bouquet and holds it in front of her with a smile.

"It is said that the person who catches the bouquet would receive a lifetime full of happiness," she starts. "I wanted to give it to the person who deserves it the most."

"Annie," you gape, blinking multiple times at her.

She lets out a light hearted chuckle, grabbing your hands to grasp the bouquet yourself.

"You deserve all the happiness in the world, ___," Annie genuinely states.

There was this bright light that Annie elicited, as if a halo on top of her head, or wings that were attached to her back, but even then, an angel or not, she still manages to surprise you. Knowing that a billion thank you's weren't enough, you pull her into a hug, embracing her tightly before you look at her once more.

"Really. Thank you."

When you say that you took time for yourself, you took time for yourself— if holding true to your morals for two years wasn't convincing enough.

After being discharged from the hospital, you went back into your apartment and the first thing you did was walk up to your body mirror to lift up your shirt. And immediately, the two surgical incisions made on your abdominal and on your right side was evident. Doctor Wren informed you that the incisions would take awhile to heal, reminding you to treat it with care as much as possible.

Some may look at their surgical incisions with disgust, but when you look at them, you're oddly glad that it was there. It was nearly peculiar, seeing how an incision could mean so much to you.

Taehyung understood your wishes, respectively, giving enough time for yourself as he began to focus more on his career as a model while you came back and continued to work side by side with Eunmi.

Eunmi was a little discouraged though, after she was told the news about your removal and immediately gave you a paid leave, but when you were ready to come back, she was very dubious about that decision. However, knowing how persuasive you can be, she let you in, and in time, you caught up with Annie and Jungkook's wedding.

Taehyung and you still kept in touch. You saw him on magazines and bigger platforms a whole bunch, a good reminder to your conscience that he was there. He was also busy traveling and modeling that sometimes he'd call you without calculating the time difference and though you may be too tired at 3 AM, hearing his voiced at an ungodly time of day seems like something you needed. But that would be the most he would do, knowing that space was what you asked and he will give.

A lot has flew by in that time stance of two years. From being able to just breathe again to graduating university with a fresh job as promised by Eunmi, everything you've done has led you up to now— and you don't regret a single thing.

"You look ravishing tonight— okay, ouch."

Walking outside into the living room, you're letting out a laugh at the look Hoseok gave to Somin as he rubs his head, both of them sat comfortably on the sofa.

"You look pretty," Somin acknowledges after she lets out a giggle at Hoseok, sticking her tongue out at her. You give a glance down at your dress, a pretty red one that you had always double guessed on buying, but ended up buying it, only for it to stay in your closet for awhile— until tonight. "Where you going, hm?"

Giving her a look at the insinuation forming in her voice, you grab your bag that you had laid on the counter table. "Out."

"Ah, with Mr. Heartbreaker?" Hoseok inquires, eyes staring glued onto the laptop set-up on the coffee table, presumably continuing their Harry Potter marathon.

"Exactly the one."

"What's the plan that made you pull out the red dress?" Somin asks, a tongue poking out of her cheek. "It's like that Me Before You scene. Are you both going to an orchestra, by chance?"

"Just dinner."

"Dinner?" She repeats.

"Have fun, but not too much fun," Hoseok says with a smirk on his lips. He didn't even need to look up to see the look on your face you shot at him.

"If you need me, I'll be here all night with this loser."

"Until she kicks me out," Hoseok playfully adds in.

"Until I kick him out," she repeats, looking at him with a this look that almost made your heart warm.

It was this unexpected progress that Somin made. It wasn't just you who had an eventful year, a lot has changed around you, as well. From someone who hated the sound of commitment to someone who had finally embraced it, Somin had underwent another revelation and decided that running away was never the answer— a big thank you to Taehyung for that.

"Okay, lovebirds," you throw your bag over your shoulder. "I'll see you guys later."

Somin and Hoseok (if it weren't so obvious) finally made it— growing comfortably in each other's skins to the point where they were official to the public eye.

Before the soiree event that took place almost three years ago, Somin and Hoseok got into a fight, being why Hoseok wanted to surprise her the night you unexpectedly had to get surgery. The fight originated from Somin's original revelation where she learned that life is too short and after awhile, she realizes that any day she could lose him— and with all the strength she could muster, she asked to make the relationship work.

Hoseok, despising and loathing such romantic labels due to his big name as a CEO, inevitably got scared, and hesitated, which eventually angered Somin because after all this time, she thought he had felt the same, but his hesitation said otherwise.

And after the conflicts and your whole Hanahaki ordeal that semi-ruined the soiree (guilty), they finally met a consensus and realized that they do love each other, both with the same love and desire and made it work on a down low in the beginning.

After awhile, Somin told her mother first, as she felt that she owed it to her, as her mother was on her ass to get into a healthy relationship when she moved away. On the bright side, the reaction from her mother was pleasant— especially when she found out it was Jung Hoseok. Her own mother even called you to begin planning the wedding.

As Hoseok saw that, he took a step towards getting rid of his fear of labels and publicly told the world in an interview nonchalantly, where the interviewer showed candid pictures of him and Somin together at a cafe, going to the gym together, both of them in a car, and so on, in which he confirmed the news with ease.

"Yeah, that's my girlfriend."

To see Hoseok stay in the AM and come over just to be with Somin was peculiar to begin with. You're used to him sneaking out in the morning or him coming over just to pick Somin up, but when you see him in the kitchen, brewing coffee for two, or he's watching movies on Somin's laptop with her, it's a sight for sore eyes— to say the least.

Looking at Jungkook and Annie, the newlyweds took their honeymoon to Cabo, spending a week with each other with lots of love. When they came back, Annie randomly called you to grab something to eat, and during that lunch date with the two of you, she told you all of the embarrassing stories she could think of about Jungkook and ever-so-gratefully, you made another friend.

Seeing Jungkook and Annie and getting closer to Annie personally, you learn that those two really do love each other. Maybe you were close-minded to think that Jungkook couldn't have been in love with one girl and another, but when you see how he looks at Annie— it's so beautifully tragic to the point where it hurts.

You have no doubt that he thinks about Minji— even if it's just a small thought about her, you knew that there was no absolute way he didn't think about her.

Him looking at Annie, it begins with adoration.

The way his eyes draw lines from her lips to her eyes, it's as if it's poetic. You could see the stars in his eyes by the way it twinkles even when Annie isn't even noticing his gawking. Then it morphs when a single blink changes his thought process and you don't even need to guess that he's thinking about Minji by the way he physically zones out. He's probably thinking about her and how she made it possible for him to finally sit comfortably in public and to stare at the person he loves with all the love and fervor he had for her. It was always something he could never do with Minji. And with several blinks, he's back to reminding himself that his future is with Annie.

But his always will forever be with Minji.

As for her, Minji has been exploring Europe as her art has been showcased in multiple countries (thanks to certain someone), burgeoning as you speak. You didn't keep up with Minji as much as you'd like to, but noticing from the magazine headlines and her trending art portfolios, she's doing just fine with the success she's paved her way for.

Though her unrequited love with Jungkook has left more of an impact on you, you could say that this unrequited love wasn't as terrible at all. Albeit bittersweet, but as you notice that Minji and Jungkook both reached a level of happiness of and on their own, you think that it isn't so bad. After all, you thought the biggest misconception of the Hanahaki Disease is that people believe that getting the surgery finally means moving on, but you guess everyone moves on in their own way.

To add on top of that, Doctor Wren finally published his book about the Hanahaki Disease.

All his research and other people's stories were compiled into one big giant book and oddly enough, by a spur of chances, he received the noble piece prize for his research.

In his book, In and Out of Hanahaki, composed of interesting chapters and in each chapter, he writes about the origins of Hanahaki along with alternating stories of patients he gathered from who experienced Hanahaki either with their loved one or themselves. Even Jungkook had a single chapter dedicated for Minji, but the names were changed.

One of the stories you liked so much was about a boy who had Hanahaki from a girl he never dated, his best friend. He had it at such a young age that he didn't realize what it was and assumed it was a side effect for a cold. After a few months of having it, his parents found him in the bathroom, throwing up pink tulips. And what happened was that he got the surgery, not knowing that he would forget about the girl he loved. After that, his best friend went up to him when he went back to school, but as if amnesia, he introduced himself, completely unsure of who this girl was.

You liked it so much because in the end, the girl understood that she gave him Hanahaki and grew closer to him, creating new memories with him and even reliving the old ones that they shared that she eventually fell in love, too.

Doctor Wren never finished the story in that chapter and left it with an open ending. But curiosity got the best of you and when you asked him about it out of pure curiosity, he tells you that the boy with pink tulips fell in love again after some time.

As for your story— the one with a story that still makes you laugh today and that just so happens to have a 'special case', Doctor Wren had kept you as a main story for most of his research as they were new observations and evidence. He compared his acquired knowledge to new research to you. From suppressing your flowers, to your morals, to finding flowers in your lungs, your name became a huge impact on the book.

You were considered the girl with her flowers becoming the reason as to the verge of her death— but she always saw them as the reason for her living.

Because as you have gone through all of the side effects, the emotions, and the rollercoaster the universe implanted in you, Doctor Wren created a new side effect dedicated to you and your flowers.

When one wakes up from their Hanahaki removal surgery and can remember the person who caused the implant of the flowers clearly, the patient has experienced The Chrysanthemum Effect.

You get to the restaurant at a reasonable time, walking up to the hostess with a smile. And with a nod, she knew which table you were going to say because she immediately leads you to the one set up next to the window that gave a glamorous overview of the city below.

"Hope I'm not late," you greet with a grandiose smile on your face, pulling out the chair and sitting down gracefully.

Your date of the night shows no dread as he is seemingly astonished by your sudden appearance. "Almost thought you weren't going to show up," he says, bringing his forearms to rest on the table.

"Was running a little. Couldn't figure out what to wear," you semi-lie. You were late because of an annoying client who took forever at a meeting— you knew you were going to show up in the red dress no matter what. "Did you order already?"

He lets out a sarcastic gasp, as if offended you would ask such a thing. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I had not waited for you?"

The subtle of chivalry in which he had waited for you to order was sweet that you give him a sheer smile, grabbing the menu and scanning whatever catches your eye.

The restaurant was busy, but busy in an elegant way— if that was remotely possible. The chatters were poise and you were almost sure by such finesse that this was definitely going to take a large amount out of your bank account.

"What meal entices you?" He speaks up, eyes not leaving the menu.

A good question that you have yet to answer, but telling by how your eyes keep roaming down the pasta portion over and over again, "Pasta," you respond hungrily. "Mainly gnocchi."

"Can't say no to gnocchi."

As if on cue, the waitress walks by, greeting herself as she pours a bottle of wine into both of your glasses and swiftly takes both of your orders. Watching her leave, you look back at your date who just took a sip of the wine.

"You look stunning tonight."

"Don't I always?" You muse, grabbing the glass carefully.

"Of course," he laughs, shaking his head. "But I was talking about that dress on you. I remember you bought it but never wore it."

Arching an eyebrow about a small observation that he somehow remembered, you spin the wine in the glass. "That's because I never found a reason to wear it. Until now."

You don't miss the smirk on his lips. "Who are you trying to impress?"

"No one in particular." Your riposte was quick and the minute it rolled off your tongue smoothly, you smile into your glass, taking a sip of the bittersweet drink.

"You're a piece of work, ___," he chuckles, straightening his posture in the chair. And the minute he meets your eyes across the table, you could point out the city lights that reflected from his eyes. "Always have been."

"Sounds like you missed me," you teasingly observe, setting down the glass carefully. "Or you could be practicing that on another girl."

He scoffs light-heartedly. "This again?"

You shrug, giving him a teasing look.

"You, out of all people," he speaks lowly. "Should know by now that there's no other than you."

Impressed by his quick responses of words, you arch an eyebrow. "Good," you nod, cheeks growing hot. "That's good. Because you don't have to wait for me anymore, Taehyung."

Your words seems to catch his ears just by the way they perked in response. He clears his throat, an evident cocky smirk appearing on his structured face that probably formed by the way you were turning red. "I'm sorry can you say that one more time for my poor old hearing?"

Narrowing your eyes at him, you take a quick breath. "I think I've had enough time for myself and I'm sure we've had enough time with each other in this confusing gray area—"

"In my defense, you made it gray. It was such a nice black and white picture and all of a sudden you're at my door and you're drunk— not that I was complaining—"

"Taehyung," you hush him, scowling. You cringe at the situation he was referring to— but that was only because you were really missing him that you showed up to his door and... well, the rest is history. "You're ruining a perfectly good moment for me to tell you that I want to try being with you again."

"Oh, really now? Is that what it was?" He overconfidently grins. "Continue."

You let out a sigh, the thought of giving up swiping through your mind as you shoot him a look. "I asked you to go on this date with me because... because I think we've done enough waiting for each other. And I just want to tell you that... I'm ready. And I want to try to be with you again, only if you're okay with that."

Maybe it was that inherent fear in you that your heart was beating fast when he hesitates. "And if I said I wasn't?"

"That's funny because I remember you telling me that you wanted me to make a decision soon?" Challenging look being sent his way, he takes it as a reason to laugh sonorously, a sound you genuinely liked hearing. "Or did you want me to remind you again, Taehyung?"

"No need," Taehyung grins. "Like I said, I'd wait for you." He brings his fingers to graze yours that laid on top of the table. His touch sparks a feeling in your heart. "And when you would be ready for me, I'd be ready for you."

The way he looked at you was a look that reminded you that the stars above realigned themselves for this very moment— and you wouldn't have it any other way. Him, here, this. "Good. I did not just spend nearly two years bettering myself and my mentality just for you to say you didn't want to even try to be with me again."

You were being a tad bit sarcastic, but it makes him scoff lightly.

"I've missed you," he sighs, taking his hand away to run it through his hair. "A whole fucking lot actually."

Rolling your eyes teasingly, you snicker. "It wasn't like I was entirely gone."

"No," he says, matter-of-factly. "But I did miss our walks to Planetarium."

"You're the one who stopped showing up in front of my apartment building."

"You said space, I gave you space!"

"You did give me space." Nodding, you smirk. "But it wasn't like I was entirely opposed to you walking with me in the morning to get a coffee fix."

"Ah, you drink coffee again?"

You hum in response. "And French roast will always be top tier."

He chuckles at that. "I missed you."

And maybe relationships aren't made to be completely perfect. There is such thing as right person, wrong time. But it's true that it wouldn't be the wrong time unless they tried, because hell, life happens. You don't realize who you really need until they're gone and luckily in this instance, Taehyung wasn't too late.

The universe may not believe in being in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way, but fortunately for you, the universe does believe in second chances.

And here lies The Chrysanthemum Effect in full effect— with the stars realigning and your patched up heart ready to love the same person again.

"I missed you, too."

[Below is an excerpt from Dr. Wren's In and Out of Hanahaki.]

___ knew of this book I was attempting to work on.

Of course, I'm a doctor who specializes in a disease that was simply created by the gods, or the universe, or some sort of higher power, so I needed to share my new acquired knowledge of this disease that I collected and share it with the world.

But I didn't want to share just facts and research— I wanted to add stories of real life people who experienced with this disease one on one, knowing that this is a very peculiar disease that involves the emotional feelings of love. And having ___ as a patient of mine with the disease for two years, I deem it to be necessary (after getting her consent, of course) to explain as to what was going on in her goddamn head to think it was okay to attempt to suppress her flowers for awhile. (However, it wasn't like I discouraged her, knowing that no research has been discovered that having Hanahaki for more than a couple of months would cause significant harm.)

She had sat down with me, post-Hanahaki and The Chrysanthemum Effect, and told me this in exact words:

I believed that the biggest misconception was that people need to get their flowers removed to move on. Though, it may be the only way for others, it didn't resonate well for me. In my head, moving on was accepting your flowers for what they are— you know, to represent trivial love and the whole 'being a fool' idea, so I suppressed it.

And the point is: move on and grow. Accept the pain and suffering you've encountered and turn that into soil of your seed where you can be able to grow in the sunlight and reach for the sky. And once you are able to love yourself, then you can be able to love someone else.

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bethhxrmon · 4 years

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do flowers exist at night? -chapter thirteen

Chapter Thirteen: Picking Up the Pieces

Pairing: Steve Harrington x OC

Chapter Summary: With school back for the spring semester, Steve and Annie aren’t exactly thrilled. Though, there are some surprises in store for both of them.

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: Swearing, trauma, slight violence?

A/N: Hey, hope y’all are doing well and enjoy this chapter! Not gonna lie, I don’t feel super confident about it, but hopefully it’s good. If you enjoy this part, you can find the other chapters here.

~*~*~*~

The thought of going back to school made Annie want to throw up more than she cared to admit. It wasn't something she even thought about admitting to anyone. No one needed to know that. All of her reasons were silly in the first place.

She couldn't just avoid everyone who tormented her for the rest of her life. That wasn't how the world worked. It didn't matter what those people did. There wasn't a school she could transfer to instead.

Even if she could, how could she ever convince her mom? It had been over two months since everything happened. If she explained everything now, then she would have to explain why she waited so long. That was what kept her from vocalizing how much everything bothered her. A part of her wanted to say something, but how could she explain it?

It was exactly what Steve told her all those months ago, she couldn't tell anyone anything otherwise she would lose everything. She had too much to lose. Sure, it took some time, but she had a boyfriend and friends and her mom. If she wanted to explain herself, it wouldn't paint her or Steve in a good light. Not once Billy decided to say something about them trying to keep him from getting his step-sister. She knew that if she ever tried to say something, he would point out that she tried to cut his throat.

If she had, maybe this wouldn't be such a huge issue. Though, she knew that she would have a whole other can of worms to unpack. That didn't mean it never crossed her mind.

Still, the first day of the spring semester started whether she wanted it or not. Time persisted no matter how hard she tried to cling onto to moments she spent with Steve or the kids. None of that time was spent explaining her feelings.

Upon reaching the school, Annie almost expected her locker to be graffitied again. Not that she used it after the incident. Sometimes her back hurt from carrying around textbooks, but she refused to even approach it even after the janitor painted over it. Thankfully, there wasn't anything like that to be found. No one even blinked an eye upon seeing her holding hands with Steve. Anything that dealt with them was old news.

Regardless of all the good signs, no sigh of relief was breathed until almost the end of the day. When people talked to her, it was about school. Better than that, in theater class, it was all about the spring musical.

She had been a week too late to try out for the fall play, but now she was right on time to audition for Chicago. The teacher had to have gotten the idea from the Tonys last summer. Not that Annie was going to complain about that. It was a good musical, and she already knew which part she wanted.

Maybe this really could be her year.

Once the last bell of the day rang, Annie rushed to Steve's locker. He was getting some of his things, stiffening up when he felt Annie wrap his arms around him before relaxing. A laugh left his mouth and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Hey, are you good to wait until practice gets done?" he asked.

She grinned, "More than good. I'll miss you, though."

"It's just an hour," he said, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, and? Do you realize how much can happen in an hour?"

"Good point, you got me there," he leaned down to press a quick kiss to her lips, "Wish me luck!"

With that, Steve was rushing down the hall. She figured he wanted to get there early so maybe he would look better compared to Billy. Not that she thought it was a contest. Of course, she didn't get a chance to tell him that.

Steve was her ride home, so she went to the library to pass the time. The plan was to figure out what song to audition with. She had so much work to do. Not having anything to work with earlier, she felt like she was definitely out of practice. Still, Hawkins High wasn't a huge school and the theater department was no exception. In a town like this, she was sure she could get the part she wanted.

The small library was nice in its own quaint way. It was quiet. She spent a good chunk of her first couple weeks sitting in a chair next to one of the windows. There wasn't much of a view, but she could see the clouds outside. If only it would rain instead of snow. Maybe that would be the case in a few months.

Annie stared out the window, spaced out for a few moments. There wasn't anything to stare at. Sure, she could see the middle school, but that wasn't worth staring at. That was until she noticed Lucas. He probably got out late for one reason or another.

There wasn't much to think of it until she saw Billy. Wasn't he supposed to be somewhere else? She pushed away the thought, suddenly paying too much attention. Billy was walking towards Lucas and suddenly grabbing him by the shirt.

Before she could even comprehend what was happening, her hand gripped her backpack and she was rushing out of the library. She shoved her way out of the small exit in that part of the building.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, swallowing any urge that told her to run and hide.

Billy rolled his eyes, "I'm teaching a lesson."

"Lesson's over, let Lucas go."

"When I'm finished."

"I'm saying that you're finished," she said, her voice wavering slightly.

If something happened, could Lucas do anything? No one would be able to stop Billy. Still, she wasn't about to let this kid get hurt. Could she do something with her powers?

He let go of Lucas and turned to Annie, "What're you gonna do about it?"

"I-" she felt the lump in her throat as he approached her, "I'll..."

He stood right in front of her, "You'll what?"

All she could smell were cigarettes and his cologne and it was like she was on the floor of the Byers' living room all over again. Except this time nothing was pinning her to the ground. Nothing was holding her back and she kneed him before hitting him with her backpack.

"Woah, stop right there!" the librarian exclaimed, rushing out to all three of them.

She dropped the backpack and looked at the ground, not even noticing Jonathan followed her out.

"You're both lucky I don't give you any worse than detention. But I don't want to deal with the principal or your parents," the woman said.

Detention with Billy? That couldn't happen. Her head snapped up and she opened her mouth. There were a million things she wanted to say, but not one of them came out. Just a look of pure betrayal.

"I don't understand what the issue is. You're getting off easy. Both of you are," the librarian repeated.

Jonathan cleared his throat, "Can I um... can I say something?"

"What is it?"

He swallowed, "Um... m-mo-motherfucker."

Annie's look of betrayal quickly turned into a disbelieving laugh. The librarian looked just as shocked as she ended up handing out three detention slips. Billy retreated right after that, but Jonathan and Lucas stayed.

"Um... thanks?" she said.

Jonathan shrugged, "No problem... I don't know what the deal is there, but you don't need to worry about being alone with him."

"Right, thanks for that. Seriously."

He nodded, "Don't mention it. I'll see you Saturday."

There was an awkward pause, and Jonathan turned to go. She never gave him much thought. A part of her wanted to hold a grudge because of everything with Steve, but she didn't think that she had a reason to anymore. Not that it was ever anything serious.

"Annie," Lucas said, getting her attention, "You good?"

She nodded, "Yeah, yep, I'm fine."

"You didn't have to do any of that, you know."

"No, I did. I couldn't just- I couldn't let him hurt you."

"But he scares you."

Annie opened her mouth to contradict him, but why should she? He was right about that. Doing anything like she had was because she didn't think it through.

She could only shrug.

"I know what he did that night was wrong. With you, I mean..."

"You saw that?"

"We all did. I didn't know what to do."

She put a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. You shouldn't have to know what to do for that situation. Max took care of it, though, and we're all okay now."

"You got some good hits in, you know."

"Did I?"

Lucas nodded, "I don't think he expected you to start swinging that bag around. I know I didn't, it's okay if you're scared of him. I am too."

"I'd do it again, you know. I know there aren't a lot of people like us. Not that I know everything about you, but I get not totally fitting in because of your skin color."

"Didn't notice."

Annie shot him a look and laughed, "All I'm saying is, I sorta get being the only non white kid in a group. I mean, that's my entire family life."

"Is it bad that I wish the others would notice?" Lucas asked.

"No, I don't think so. Ignoring the obvious just feels disingenuous."

He nodded, "Yeah, I just wish they'd just say there's a difference and realize it's not a bad thing."

"I know what you mean. Sometimes my parents tried too hard to make me feel normal or something like that."

"Oh yeah, you got adopted... that must suck."

She shook her head, "Not as much as you'd think, actually. I don't know who my bio parents are, but I'm sure my life's better with my mom than it is with whoever they are or were or something like that."

"You don't wanna know who they are?"

She shrugged, "If someone handed me their names today, that would be interesting. I don't see the point in searching for something that I already have."

"That makes sense," Lucas said, "Wait! Before I go, I think I found something of yours."

He dug through his backpack a little bit before finding a knife. Not just a knife, but the same one she lost that night.

Lucas handed it to her, "I meant to give this to you a bit ago, but I kept forgetting. I thought you might want it."

"Thanks... yeah, I was wondering about it."

"It was under the Byers' couch. I know you haven't been there after all that stuff. Which makes sense, but I thought you'd want it."

Annie nodded, putting the knife in her pocket, "Yeah, seriously, thanks you, Lucas."

"Anytime. I'll see you later," he said, walking back to where his bike was chained up.

That left Annie on her own again, but this time it was easier for her to focus on the task she originally tried to accomplish. She sat in the library for the next half hour that she had to wait as Steve was at practice. Once the musical started up again, she knew that waiting around wouldn't be an issue. Steve would probably even have to wait on her sometimes.

Once Steve's practice was over, he was quick to embrace her. A part of her wanted to push him off, figuring he'd be all sweaty, but she ended up pulling him closer when he actually smelled like his shampoo. She pecked his lips, grinning.

"I'm assuming it was a good practice?" she asked, holding his hand as they walked to his car.

He nodded, "It was great! Hargrove walked in and he seemed like he got beat up, but it wasn't anything too obvious. He was late too, so the coach didn't mess with my spot too much."

"Um... Steve?"

"What?"

"I kinda hit him with my backpack a few times."

Steve blinked, "Are you crazy?"

"He was trying to hurt Lucas. So... we've got detention together, but Jonathan came in and called the librarian a motherfucker so you can figure what that's looking like."

He laughed, "Wait, Jonathan did that?!"

"You should've seen the look on the old lady's face! And everyone's face, probably. Jonathan looked surprised too."

Steve leaned over to kiss the top of her head as he unlocked the car, "So I don't need to get myself involved?"

"No, I can handle this," she insisted, "You know I can."

He got into the car and sighed, "Right, yeah, you can do this. It's just a few hours, right?"

"Yeah, I got this. And worst case scenario I just, well, I do something shocking," she said, closing the passenger door.

Steve rolled his eyes, "Again with the electricity puns."

"What, no one's gonna figure it out," she said, reaching to his hand again, "Seriously, it's not gonna be a problem."

He nodded, "You're right, you know what you're doing."

Taglist: @dungeons-and-demodogs @nxncywheeler @ilovebucketbarnes

#steve harrington #steve harrington x original character #steve harrington x oc #stranger things #stranger things fic #stranger things 3 #stranger things 2 #stranger things x original character #stranger things x oc #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #dfean?

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