#thought I'd make one with Bea this time

[taikoturtle]

x

#warrior nun #avatrice #ava x beatrice #ava x sister beatrice #sister beatrice #sister camila #ava silva #warrior nun crack #i make enough of dumbass ava jokes #thought I'd make one with Bea this time #myedit

[ccsainzleclerc5516]

Two different kinds of love

Pairing: Carlos Sainz x reader (y/n)

Warnings: none, enjoy!!

Bea series (girl dad Carlos)

Another race weekend was behind you and now Carlos was back home with you and Bea. It was a lazy morning - your favorite kind of morning where you were snuggled up to him in bed, your back pressed against him, his warm arms wrapped around you and his lips softly pressed on your skin.

"I love having you home" You say quietly closing your eyes.

"I love being home" He says pulling you closer to him.

"You know, I'm interested in your opinion about something."

"I'm listening."

"So I was talking with my girl friends the other day-"

"Oh this is going to be interesting.." He chuckles and you join him kicking his leg.

Like any woman, you always shared things with your man that you heard or learned from your friends. Not that he was interested in any of that, but he always listened attentively because he knew it was important to you.

"So we came to the topic of how relationships change when children come and considering that none of them have children yet, they were interested in whether it is wrong to love your partner more than your child."

"Ay Dios mio.." He sighs rolling his eyes. "And what did you tell them? That is such a stupid question."

"But really, what do you think? Have you ever even found yourself thinking about it?" You ask, genuinely curious about what his thoughts are.

"It's not easy to answer that question and it's hard to explain. Those are two completely different kinds of love. Bea is my little girl, my whole world, but you gave me her." A feeling of immense warmth spreads through your body as you listen to him talk. "You have taken a place in my heart that no one can ever replace. Nothing would make sense without you."

You place a gentle kiss on his hand fighting back the tears in your eyes, but one manages to escape and roll down your cheek.

"I'd do anything for her at any time. It hurts how much I love her. But I think I'd die without you."

You were his greatest support, strength, wind at his back, his motivation and comfort. He always knew how much you loved him even though you didn't often share such deep words with him, and now that you did, they really touched him.

"That's why I'm always frightened when you get into that car. That's why I love having you home." By now the tears were streaming down your cheeks, there was no point in hiding them anymore.

"Turn around" He says quietly and when you do he puts his hands on your cheeks wiping the tears with his thumb. "I don't want you thinking that way" he presses a kiss to your forehead before he continues. "I have nothing without the two of you and I'll always come back home to you. I promise."

#carlos sainz #carlos sainz fluff #carlos sainz one shot #carlos sainz imagine #carlos sainz x reader #charles leclerc #charles leclerc imagine #f1 #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #carlos sainz smut #charles leclerc smut #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc fluff #charles leclerc fanfic #charles leclerc one shot #lando norris x reader #lando norris smut #lando norris #lando norris imagine #lando norris fanfic

[lexa-el-amin]

Warrior Nun - Avatrice: Fan Fiction Recs

let's start with favorite authors:

everything by @sunsafewriting is next level. favorite stories are favourable conditions (pirate au!! the pining in this!) and do a flip (ava and bea take care of little diego! so adorable).

seabiscuit! they are all my favorite but if i had to rank them i'd say the thought of high windows (60s AU, Bea is very repressed and Ava very gay), of greater marvels yet to be (Bea is a nun in a church archive, Ava studies theology and falls in love in said archive), pull back the curtain for venus (Bea is an alien sent to earth to explore, she falls in love with Ava, obviously) and if mine, then yours (and so all yours) (switzerland fic, Ava sees Bea naked accidently and has a gay awakening).

@simplykorra is keeping us entertained singlehandely with all her fics, my favorite remains to be let me photograph you in this light (in case this is the last time) (set after season 2, Bea goes back to Switzerland and tries to live her life like Ava wanted her to).

then some tropes etc.:

my favorite switzerland stories are definitely show me something of a reckoning (fake dating!) and the gods we can touch (mutual pining!)

christmas fluff? christmas fluff! Snapshots for the future is set after season one. Bea wants to arange a perfect christmas for Ava, even if they are on the run from Adriel.

tension! pining! Ava and her stupid (and successful) plans to make Beatrice kiss her: Hickey AU and the to do list are the way to go! (honorary mention: To climb a tree by @frenchsoda. Bea is a personal trainer and Ava is very gay for her)

the planets & fates & all the stars aligned (i couldn’t lose) by @possibilistfanfiction (every wlw pairing needs a footy au! Bea and Ava are both professional football players and fall in love, obviously)

Whisks Worth Taking (a Bake Off AU) where Ava is a punny comedian and Beatrice a five star chef and they film a baking show together

can i get your house key? where Bea and Ava are roomates and besties and secretly in love with each other

#warrior nun #avatrice #avatrice fanfic #everyone is free to add their favorites!

[controlmyfeet]

i still feel everything when you are near - matty healy

matty healy x ex!reader

angst

warnings: exes, alcohol consumption, insecurities, jealousy (kinda?), pining, kissing, crying (lmk if there’s more i need to add!)

a/n: not sure about this. i think the last time i tried to write fanfiction i was 13, so feedback is appreciated but pls be nice lol. also, english is not my first language!

3570 words

it still hurts. 

i didn't think it would hurt as much after 6 months, but seeing him in the flesh makes me realize it does. i thought i was already used to it, thought i was actually doing a good job moving on, if we ignore my slump in the first 3 weeks after the breakup, where i would just leave the house for work and groceries (that i would overbuy because i forgot i'd just cook for myself), i think i was doing pretty okay.

i should've guessed he would be in the city. he can't stay in one place for too long; if he has a few days free in between shows, he's going to look for a studio to work in. usually in london, los angeles, or here. most of the time, he ends up here.

but i never know where he is anymore.

i deleted twitter from my phone after 2 months. maybe because of the questions, perhaps because i didn't care, or maybe i was tired of reading all the tabloids and fearing they were true. maybe i care too much. whatever, right? it just means i haven't seen him in a while, even in pictures.

i'm sitting by the dark wooden bar counter when i first spot him. he's standing with charli and george in the vip section near the dj booth, surrounded by people as always. my friends noticed that he's here too, but they haven't said anything, which i'm grateful for. i'd rather pretend it doesn't affect me.

he looks different, though. his arms are bigger, and his hair is longer; soft curls fall over big brown eyes that crinkle whenever george says something funny. he still has that boyish smile.

lulu and bea went dancing and i said i'd join them in a minute. we go to this club every time we're in the city, but tonight it is more crowded than usual. my secluded spot at the bar being the only place i won't be pushed around. still, i feel bad. it's my best friend's birthday, and we came to new york together to celebrate, but instead, i'm drowning my sorrows with cosmos. 

"you won't even say hi now?" i hear matty's voice from behind me and turn around, startled. he stands tall and confident as always, but his eyes no longer hold the same energy. here, up close, i can see that his eyebags look more prominent, and his stubble has grown slightly. he looks tired. i don't think i look any better.

"hi," i say, looking into his brown orbs, phlegmatic, as if the butterflies in my stomach aren't going batshit crazy right now "i didn't see you, sorry."

he grins cheekily, "it's alright, darling."

i don't really know what to say. he should hate me, honestly. it wouldn't be surprising considering how we left things, with all the yelling, name calling. with all the broken picture frames. it started with another rumor while he was on tour, another leaked picture. he was so dismissive and vague about it that i just couldn't find it in myself to trust him, and he could only complain about how childish all of it was.

i guess he doesn't, though. they have free drinks inside the vip section. i remember it from when we came here together. he doesn't need to come all the way to the bar for a drink.

"it-it's good to see you," i stutter, apprehensive now. fearing that maybe he really does hate me, and just walked over to tell me how much so. i mean, i would hate him, too, if i could. but no matter how hard i try, i can't. and believe me, i've tried.

matty is standing so close that the loud music sounds muffled now, and the warm, dim light of the bar reflecting on his silky skin makes me want to melt into his arms. so i try to keep my eyes focused on my feet.

he seems to notice that i'm struggling as i fidget with my empty glass.

"can i get you another one?" he asks amicably. my eyes shift from my feet to the glass in my hands and back to his eyes.

"sure," i reply shyly.

he asks a bartender polishing wine glasses next to us for another cosmopolitan. behind the man, shelves from the same material as the counter hold a collection of glass bottles of different colors with labels sporting french and italian names. matty sits on the barstool beside mine. "so…what are you doing here in new york? i thought you hated the city this time of the year." 

and it's true, i hate new york during the summer. the concrete buildings seem to make the temperature much higher, and tourists crowd every corner. it feels claustrophobic. the subway also smells extra bad during these months. but i loved being here with him, no matter the season. i loved being anywhere with him.

"well, yeah. but it's lulu's birthday, and she wanted to celebrate it here, so here we are. the three of us." 

"bea is here too?"

"she is, yeah."

him talking about my friends is familiar. many sunday evenings were spent on his couch sharing a bottle of red with my newest candle burning on the side. at the same time, i'd tell him about the most recent gossip in my friend group, and he would listen.

the barman places the new drink before me and takes the empty glass. i thank him and take a sip of the pink liquid. it's sweet and sour, and the vodka calms my nerves a little bit. he's staring at my lips. so i lick them clean.

he shifts, and suddenly, i feel his calloused fingertips brush against my elbow resting comfortably over the counter. much more tender than last time; my skin burns where he touches it.

"how's your writing going?" he asks, looking into my eyes now.

i tell him i'm still at the magazine, it's going alright. not a lot has changed since we broke up. but it's less exciting, more monotonous. i leave that part out. and he asks me about my own stuff, poems and essays hidden in my drafts.

it's just awkward small talk. so awkward. like we're just acquaintances. friends of friends being left alone, being civil to each other.

it's also a conversation we've had before. documents on my computer that weren't fitting enough for the editors or that i just wrote on a whim. he used to tell me to publish them either way, to leave the magazine and find people who actually appreciate my work, or to start my own thing. but it would be useless; they're not good enough.

"well, i don't know, it's been a while since i've written anything out of work." i take another sip, just to calm down a little. "haven't felt very inspired lately." 

oh my god, shut up– i can't say this to my ex. it's embarrassing, pitiful.

"it happens." he takes my hand and brushes his thumb over my knuckles. i still shiver "you're really talented, love. you should be proud of yourself. i am."

even his praise hurts now; i miss hearing it daily. it's a stab in my chest, salt on the wound. so i just bite my lip and nod. afraid that if i say something, a choked sob will come out. 

there's longing in his eyes, and he gets a look like he wants to say more. but his gaze flickers behind me for a moment, and he drops my hand and gives my left shoulder a squeeze, showing me a soft smile. 

"i'll leave you be, then. it was nice seeing you, love."

there's a voice in the back of my head begging me to make him stay, but i know i can't do that, not when i recall why it ended the way it did. still, i want to reach for his hand and pull him back to me, just for a few minutes at least. but someone grips my shoulders.

"there you are!" lulu says excitedly, already a few drinks ahead of me. her dark blonde hair messy and her skin glimmering with sweat from all the dancing. bea follows right behind her. "c'mon, let's do some shots, you need to power up for all the dancing you owe me."

"alright." i force a giggle and down my drink as bea asks the bartender for three tequila shots.

a few minutes and many shots later, the three of us are on the dance floor, swaying wildly to the loud, thumping bass of whatever music the dj's playing. just being around my girls makes me feel less anxious, and the flashing lights, plus all the alcohol already flowing through my body are making my mind a bit hazy, which helps me let loose a little. 

as i move, i can feel the beat of the music inside my chest, sweaty bodies pushing against me without a care. i even forget about matty for a minute. i don't think about how his hands used to feel on me when we danced together, not at all.

we dance for maybe 30 minutes. until lulu finds one of her many ex-flings, and, as they catch up, bea asks me to go to the bathroom with her. taking my hand, she leads me out of the crowded area and towards the door labeled "ladies' room". 

the contrast from the mostly dark club to the bathroom's white walls makes my eyes squint. it's colder in here, quieter. i can hear the stifled bass from the music and high heels clicking against the floor tiles.

as i wait for bea, i brace myself on the sink in front of me and look into the mirror. everything is happening too fast. talking to matty, downing shots, and being dragged to the dance floor immediately. my head is pounding. i didn't have the time to process what is going on tonight. 

my ears are ringing, and it feels like all the alcohol has suddenly lost all its effect. instantly sobering up, i grab a paper towel and dab it on my arms and face to try to get rid of the sweat. turning on the sink, i wet my hands and place them on the back of my neck to cool down and try to help with the dizziness. i hear the toilet flush, and bea comes out of the cubicle, running her hands through her wavy black hair. i reach into my purse and pull out my lipgloss, coating my lips evenly while looking at myself in the mirror.

"i'm going to the back for a bit," i tell bea as she approaches the sink next to me.

"you okay? do you need water?" she asks, concerned

"yea- yes, i just need to breathe a little."

"okay, text me if you need anything." i just nod and leave the bathroom. she knows me, knows i need to be alone.

pushing through crowded bodies, i head to the club's back door, leading to a narrow alleyway where the employees usually store extra liquor bottles. it also doubles as a smoking area, so i shouldn't be surprised when i see him as soon as i open the door. tattooed arms flexing as he lights a cigarette, probably not his first one of the night, and i turn back to try to leave before he sees me.

"leaving so soon?" i turn around again and already feel my cheeks heating up. embarrassed, like a kid caught eating dessert before dinner. "you can stay."

"it's okay, i'll go somewhere else," i wave him off mindlessly. he came here to enjoy his cig on his own, right? he doesn't need his ex-girlfriend plaguing his chill alone time "i don't want to bother you, i just need some air."

"please stay." it's not the first time he says this, but this time i do. 

with pink-tinged cheeks and heels clicking loudly, i slowly walk down the three small steps in front of the door and move to stand across him with my back resting against the club's brick wall. the warm summer air hits my skin, and i can hear the rustle of the traffic. "you could never bother me." i pretend i didn't hear him.

"i thought you were quitting," i motion to the burning cigarette between his fingers. the moonlight illuminated the alleyway, making the smoke around him look like some kind of silver aura. he smiles at me.

"i'm trying," he says, taking a drag and blowing it out by the side of his mouth, and i laugh.

"it sure looks like it," i reply, still smiling. i'm not as nervous as i expected i would be in this situation; maybe the alcohol hasn't worn off as much as i thought.

he shrugs, running a hand through his hair. "well, you know me".

my eyes follow his every movement, long, calloused fingers holding the rolled paper limply and bringing it up to his red, pouty lips. i start to fidget with the end of my skirt, trying to distract myself by looking at how my fingers twist the fabric. busying myself, so i don't remember how those same lips used to feel against my own or on the curve between my neck and shoulder. 

i look up again when i hear matty step on his cigarette– putting it out– and he starts to walk in my direction. my breath hitches. we are face to face now, noses almost touching. closer than we were at the bar. i can see every freckle on his face when he's this close. i can see the chapped corner of his mouth and the grey that's starting to show up on his now tousled hair.

"why did you leave?" he's straight to the point. his voice comes out low, almost a whisper. at our position, there's no need to be louder than that. there's no hatred in his tone; still, he's not smiling. a flash of hurt appears on his face for a moment. "didn't i make you happy?"

"of course you did, matty." i build the courage to look into his eyes, honey pouring out of them. "we've already talked about this."

he lifts his right hand to rest it on the wall beside my head while letting out a scoff. "but i don't get it," his tone is a little bit louder now. he's not aggressive, but he's not whispering anymore. "what happened?"

"it was for the best." i've stopped whispering too. i place my hands on my forehead. as if to avert the impending headache that will follow this conversation. i don't really know what happened either or when it started happening. i feel sweat droplets running down my hairline, not sure if it's from the summer heat, our closeness, or my disquietude. 

"for the best of who?" he questions, lifting an eyebrow, "i don't feel any better!"

"we were fighting all the time, you know this!" there's a lump in my throat, and i can already feel the pressure between my eyes, working hard so the tears don't fall. i lower my voice again. "it was only a matter of time until one of us left, i just left first."

his gaze softens– probably after seeing my flooding waterline– and it's a while before he talks again, as if he's gathering his thoughts. thinking before he speaks for once, "i could never leave you" it's a low, gravely whisper, and i probably wouldn't have heard it if we weren't this close. "i wish you'd stayed." 

it's a blow to my chest. like a gunshot, blood running down my ribcage. and for a second, i don't think i can breathe.

"i wish you'd done a lot of things, matty." my vision is blurry now, and i feel a single tear roll down my right cheek. i wish he would answer my calls when he stayed late at the studio. i wish he would listen to me when i said i felt neglected. i wish he would give me more security when i felt jealous of the girls partying with him and the boys while i was on the other side of the pond. i wish i stayed. when i can't sleep because i suddenly realize that my bed is too cold, too empty. when i wake up, and there are no kisses on my bare shoulder. when i have to climb over my kitchen counter to reach the can of pasta sauce on the top shelf. when i'm so anxious, and there's no one to hold me… "sometimes i wish i stayed too." 

slowly, his hands cup my jaw. long fingers run lightly across my skin and wipe the lonely tear on my face. the hairs on my neck straighten up, and my heart stirs, beating a little faster. he carefully traces his right thumb over my lower lip, giving me time to reject and push him away. and then, his soft lips lock on mine. no warning. i feel his stubble rub against my chin and let out a sigh. there's a flutter on my lower stomach, burning. i should have pushed him away. instead, my fingers trail up his neck, nails brushing against his skin, and finally into his hair as he coaxes his hot tongue into my mouth. he tastes like cigarettes, of course. i can also taste the rum and lime from the mojito he had earlier. one of his hands travels down and he pulls me by the waist, bodies touching fully now. matty groans into my liquored mouth and i preen; it's good to know i still have that effect on him. that i can still make him let out those pretty sounds with just a kiss. it might be selfish, but we both are. because i bet he's proud too, that every touch of his still sends shivers down my spine. i pull out for air first, lungs already starting to burn. my fingers are still buried in his curls as he rests his forehead on mine, both breathing heavily.

"i need you, love," he whispers against my kiss-swollen lips, voice cracking. there's a smudge of lipgloss on the side of his mouth. it was no use reapplying it.

"matty, i can't," my voice comes out weak, just like how i feel.

"why not? you got somebody?" matty frowns, starting to sound a bit agitated.

i shake my head lightly "i don't."

"what is it?"  

"i already told you" it's my turn to cup his face now, scuff prickling against my palms. "we already had this fight before, you get annoyed because i can't trust you, and i start yelling because you don't take me seriously!"

"of course i take you seriously!" he defends, already becoming increasingly exasperated. i just shake my head; there's no use going through this all over again. it hurt enough the first time. however, i still close my eyes, knowing that if i keep looking at him, the chances of me believing him are higher.

"i'm not built for this, matty," for being away from him, for time zones and phone calls, for pretty girls throwing themselves all over him "i'm not strong enough."

"look at me, baby." his hands moved from my waist up to cup my face again, thumb brushing lightly over my cheekbones. "please," i open my eyes.

"do you love me?" he asks. i realize his eyes are glossed over now "because i love you. so fucking much."

it will be easier if i say no, break his heart all at once. give him a reason to give up. it takes me a while, but i nod.

"yeah?" there's a glimmer of hope on his wet iris.

"i do, but-"

"then we'll figure it out" it's not that simple; just figuring it out is not enough. we hurt each other.

"we'll just end up in the same place, matty," i explain firmly. at this point, tears stream both of our faces. his chest heaves, and i try to contain another sob. he turns his face slightly to press his lips to my palm, just for a second. 

"stay with me, please." our noses touch, and i can no longer distinguish his tears from mine. "i'll do better, i swear."

"it's not going to work."

"just for tonight at least, please," it comes out ragged, and he grazes his lips on mine, leaving a gentle but salty peck. "just for a little bit."

this shouldn't be happening. it's a mess, all of it. no matter how hard or how many times we try, even if we start all over again, we'll just end up in the same place. i know how i am and how he is. our love is tainted, a ticking bomb. so no matter how much i love him, how much i want him, i know we'll just go back to those screaming matches and broken pictures.

but if we keep doing this again and again, maybe then we won't have to say goodbye. at least i won't have to spend an entire lifetime missing him. so maybe just one night won't hurt, right? i've done it a million times. staying for just a little bit won't hurt…i think.

okay, just for a little bit.

#matty healy x reader #matty healy angst #the 1975 #matty healy fanfiction #matty healy fic #matty x reader #the 1975 fanfic

[cricketnationrise]

Oooh I'd LOVE a ficlet!! Have been loving your fics <3

[Congrats on the followers, bud! Same name on AO3]

a time stamp - 5:25

a location - coffee shop

a character - Alex or Henry

a song title/lyric for vibes - enchanted by tswif: The playful conversation starts Counter all your quick remarks

HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR THIS PROMPT 💜 I freaking love this song and this scene basically popped into my head fully formed so I'm so glad to be finally getting to it!

read the rest of the ficlets here

❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

5:25am, coffee shop

One fine day, Henry won’t have to get up before the sun has even risen. But until that magical day, Henry stops by Brews & Books for his first Earl Grey of the day with a for-fun novel while he waits in line. It may be before six in the morning, but the small, family-run shop is already packed. 

A quiet, but emphatic “fuck me” catches Henry’s attention, but it’s the thump, slide, and contact of a heavy book with his foot that pulls him completely out of his novel. He glances down to see some sort of textbook and stoops to pick it up, fingers brushing with a strange spark as someone else reaches for it at the same time. Henry glances up to find the single most attractive man he’s ever seen. 

His dark circles rival Henry’s own, but the combination of a riot of dark curls, warm brown skin, and eyes like molten chocolate knock the breath from Henry’s lungs. 

“Sorry ‘bout that, sweetheart.” Henry wants to wrap himself in the man’s accent. Normally, the stranger’s beauty would have Henry clamming up, but there’s something so welcoming in the exhausted smile flashed his way that makes Henry practically bloom. 

“Not to worry, love. I wouldn’t expect much from anyone before being caffeinated.” Henry stands and reaches down to help the man up after him. 

“Two problems with that,” he says, ruefully as he accepts the help and straightens up with his textbook. “One, this will be my second cup already.” Henry’s eyebrow raises of its own accord. “I know, I know, I have a problem, but consider this: it keeps me functional.”

The man’s hand is still in his. It’s warm, despite the bite of the early morning air. Henry doesn’t let go either. 

“You said there were two problems?” Henry asks, proud when his voice comes out even and a touch teasing rather than stuttering from an abundance of gay pining. 

“Right! The other problem is that I’m this clumsy all the fucking time. My sister and her girlfriend have decided to classify my clumsiness as an ‘outlier of nature,’” the man says with a truly devastating grin. 

Henry can’t help a little huff of laughter at that. “I’m well versed in the despairing older sister department.”

“Did yours treat you like a personal dress up doll, or is that just me?”

“Constantly. I tried to get out of it exactly once growing up and Bea turned on the waterworks so quickly I thought she was auditioning for a hose pipe. It did guilt me into letting her do it though.”

“Dios mío, if June had any ability to cry on command she would have pulled the same shit, I’m sure.”

Their shared laughter draws the man’s attention to their still-joined hands. He pulls away at last—not that Henry would have minded holding his hand for the rest of the day—the hint of a blush showing up on his cheeks.

“I—ah, sor—”

“Next!”

The call interrupts the unwanted apology. Henry sends a rueful look behind him as he goes to order. The man shrugs, a smile tinged with what Henry’s romantic heart hopes is disappointment at their conversation getting cut short. He orders quickly and asks after Linda’s children as she punches in his order. Henry’s about to pay when a brilliant idea strikes.

“Linda, I’d like to pay for the man with the curly hair behind me.”

“A little pay it forward moment?”

“Something like that. May I borrow your sharpie?”

She grins wickedly. “Oh I see, go right ahead, honey.”

Writing quickly while Linda runs his card, Henry prints his number and a note: I don’t usually do this, but it seems you’re an outlier in more ways than one. Dinner tonight? - Henry.

By the time he’s done and collected back his card, his tea is ready at the end of the counter. He picks it up and turns back to see the stranger watching him, a sort of wistful look on his face. Henry can feel himself blushing, but lets himself look back at the man who upended his morning. The man’s face splits into a blinding grin and if Henry didn’t know any better he’d say the sun rose just to shine on his curls. Henry salutes the man with his tea before backing out of the shop and off towards his classes. He barely makes two blocks before his phone buzzes with a series of texts. Henry beams down at his phone as he reads.

Unknown Number: holy shit that was smooth i bet i can be an outlier in a BUNCH of different ways actually 😉 (i’m saying yes to dinner in case that wasn’t clear) i’m Alex by the way it was fucking enchanting to meet you Henry can’t wait for tonight

#cricket writes #enablelove #ficlet fest 500 #rwrb #meet cute #unrepentant fluff

[mrsgiovanna]

Fighting Imperfections (Don Giorno x Wife!Reader)

I'm sorry, this is just me projecting. I can't remember if I posted this before, but here goes.

Word count: 1.2 k

Warnings: sad, self depreciating reader.

You sighed heavily as you walked out the last of Giorno’s guests. Normally the murmurs of how beautiful of a couple you two are would make you beam with joy, but today it annoyed you because it only amplified your insecurities. Another day… of smiling through the alternating pain and emptiness. Your cheeks hurt, but the physical pain was welcomed, it was so much easier to bear than the ache that thumped in your chest with every heartbeat- a painful reminder that you were still breathing. As the last car rounded the corner away from your luxurious home, your shoulders finally slumped and you trudged away from the door. The master bedroom was one of the few places where you felt safe enough to let your tumultuous emotions wash over you, so there you went.

You had struggled with these negative emotions for many years, losing chunks of time to this unshakeable melancholy. They were difficult to predict or counter. You had locked the door behind you, wanting to try and restore some semblance of calm to your demeanor before facing Giorno again. You threw off the gorgeous designer dress and took a shower before throwing on something soft and comfortable. You had every intention of rejoining your husband but just getting yourself through that little routine had drained whatever energy you had left. He'd be better off catching up with your shared associates though, you mused, feeling as though you wouldn't add anything valuable to their video conferences. Firmly tucked away, drawing your knees towards your chest, you allowed the floodgates to open and let everything out. Usually, a good cry would take care of some of the negative emotions, but this time, it didn't seem to work.

Intrusive thoughts about the worst scenarios plagued your mind despite trying to push them aside. You tried thinking about the good things and how much you had been blessed with but it always morphed into a scenario in which you would ultimately be left alone… so you thought about Giorno and how he makes a daily promise to never leave your side. But you had lost so much, what if he was just lying to you and you'd eventually have to deal with losing him too…

No…

You took as deep a breath as your constricted chest would allow you to and tried to focus your attention on something positive.

Giorno… you thought of him more and your heart ached for a different reason. He loved you, you knew that, but your mind had always managed to convince you that he would be better off with someone else, someone beautiful and vibrant, someone worthy of him because beneath it all you're just a broken doll. The repair is near perfect and nobody can see the fault lines where you cracked, but you feel every fracture, constantly reliving each event that put the cracks there in the first place.

You felt the bed sink on one side as a large comforting hand rubbed your back in circles before pulling back the covers you had buried yourself under.

"You know I'd end anyone who hurts you?"

"I know…"

"So what do I do when you're the one hurting yourself?"

Giorno's glassy eyes didn't leave your face, searching for an answer to his question.

You met Giorno's gaze, feeling a mixture of vulnerability and love in his eyes. His concern was evident, and it touched you deeply. Taking a moment to compose yourself, you reached out and held his hand, intertwining your fingers with his.

"I'm sorry," you whispered, your voice filled with raw emotion. "I don't want to hurt myself, but sometimes it feels like I can't escape these thoughts. They consume me, and I can't help but doubt myself, doubt our love."

Giorno's grip on your hand tightened, his thumb gently caressing the back of your hand. "You are not a broken doll, my love," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "You are the most beautiful and resilient person I know. I fell in love with every part of you, including the cracks. They are a part of your story, a testament to your strength."

Tears welled up in your eyes as his words resonated with you. It was moments like these that reminded you why you fell in love with him in the first place. He saw beyond your insecurities and loved you unconditionally.

"I'm trying, Giorno," you replied, your voice wavering. "I'm trying to believe in myself, in us. But sometimes it's overwhelming."

Giorno leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. "You don't have to go through this alone," he assured you. "I'm here for you, always. We'll face these demons together, and I'll do whatever it takes to help you heal."

Feeling his love and support envelop you, a glimmer of hope sparked within your heart. With Giorno by your side, maybe you could overcome these insecurities and find the peace you longed for.

You snuggled closer to Giorno, seeking solace in his comforting presence. "Thank you," you whispered, your voice filled with gratitude. "I love you."

Giorno smiled softly, his eyes filled with warmth. "I love you too, more than words can express," he replied, his voice laced with sincerity. "Remember, we are a team, and together, we can conquer anything."

Giorno's gaze held a mixture of tenderness and longing, mirroring the emotions swirling within you. Slowly, he leaned in, his lips hovering just above yours, seeking permission and reassurance. You met his gaze, the unspoken understanding between you palpable.

With a gentle nod, you closed the remaining distance between your lips, initiating a kiss that conveyed both vulnerability and passion. It was a kiss that spoke of shared burdens and unyielding support, a tangible connection that transcended words.

The kiss deepened, as if pouring all the love and reassurance you both felt into this single act. It was a moment of solace, a reminder that you were not alone in your struggles. Each brush of your lips conveyed a promise—a promise to heal together, to support one another, and to cherish the imperfect beauty of your shared journey.

Time seemed to stand still as you lost yourself in the tenderness of the moment. The world outside your bedroom faded away, leaving only the two of you, entwined in a cocoon of love and understanding.

When you finally pulled away, breathless and yet more at peace than before, you found solace in Giorno's eyes once again. There, in the depths of his gaze, you saw unwavering devotion and a fierce determination to help you find happiness.

With a small smile, you whispered, "Thank you, Giorno. Thank you for loving me."

Giorno's voice was filled with sincerity as he replied, "Always, my love. Always."

And in that moment, you believed him. You believed in the power of love to heal and overcome and to create a future where your insecurities would no longer hold you captive. Together, you would face whatever challenges lay ahead, guided by the strength of your bond and the depth of your love.

As you lay in his arms, you allowed yourself to believe in his words, finding solace in the love and support he offered. The journey towards healing would be challenging, but with Giorno by your side, you knew you could face anything that came your way. In the sanctuary of his embrace, his presence soothed your troubled mind, and a moment of quiet intimacy enveloped the room. The weight of your insecurities and pain began to fade as you focused solely on the love between you, knowing that in this imperfect existence, you had found a love that was flawless.

#giorno x reader #giorno giovanna x reader #giorno x you #giorno x y/n #giorno giovanna x y/n #don giovanna x reader #jojo x reader #jojo x you #jojo x y/n #giorno giovanna #don giovanna #giorno #don giorno #giogio #jojo's bizarre adventure #golden wind #vento aureo #jojo no kimyou na bouken #jjba

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 389. brb x oc

a/n: MOE FLUFF, they deserve it(comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

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/367/368/369/370/371/372/373/374/375/376/377/378/379/380/381/382/383/384/385/386/387/388

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca @callsign-magnolia @mrsbradshaw01

@lyn-js

-

“There must be some other place you liked to go.”

He hums, burying his face in the pillow, barely awake when he hears Bea’s voice, “Hmmm,what?’ he asks, they got back from the beach a while ago and they just flopped on the bed…amongst other things, honestly, and now Rooster was happily spent, watching his wife wander around wearing nothing but the robe the hotel had given them.

“You showed me the beach, are there any other places?’ she smiles sweetly, tilting her head at him.

Rooster blinked, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep as he propped himself up on his elbows to look at Beatrice. Her smile was infectious, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in his chest at the sight of her.

"Oh, uh, yeah," he replied, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, "There's this hiking trail not too far from here. It leads to a secluded waterfall. It's...really beautiful."

Beatrice's eyes lit up with excitement at Rooster's words, her curiosity piqued by the prospect of exploring another hidden gem with him. "That sounds amazing," she exclaimed, "I'd love to check it out. When do you want to go?"

Rooster grinned, feeling a sense of anticipation building within him at the thought of sharing another adventure with Beatrice. "How about tomorrow morning?" he suggested eagerly, "We can pack a picnic and make a day of it."

Beatrice nodded enthusiastically, her smile widening at the prospect of spending the day exploring with Rooster by her side. "Sounds perfect," she agreed, "I can't wait."

“We never hiked together.” he mutters “I dunno why.”

She shrugs “Time? Perhaps. Maybe that’s a reason, we are both really busy and with the kids now, time is of the essence.”

Rooster nodded in agreement, a hint of regret tugging at his heart as he considered Beatrice's words. "Yeah, time seems to slip away from us sometimes," he admitted softly, "But I'm glad we're making the effort to spend more time together now."

Beatrice smiled at Rooster's sentiment, her heart swelling with love for the man beside her. "Me too," she murmured, reaching out to take his hand in hers, "Our time together is precious, and I want to make the most of every moment. Especially now that you are calmer"

Rooster squeezed Beatrice's hand gently, his gaze softening as he looked into her eyes. "You make me calmer.”

She smiles more,kissing his forehead ‘...are you okay now? Are you feeling better than before?”

Rooster sighed contentedly, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders at Beatrice's gentle touch. He leaned into her hand , relishing the warmth of her presence as he took a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better," he replied honestly, his voice filled with gratitude, "Being here with you, it's like...everything else just fades away. You have a way of calming me like no one else can."

Beatrice smiled, her heart swelling with love for the man beside her. She brushed a strand of hair away from Rooster's forehead, her touch gentle and reassuring. "I'm glad," she murmured softly, "You mean everything to me, Roos. I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy," he assured her, his voice filled with sincerity, "Because I have you. You're my happiness, Bea. Always."

She leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his palm before snuggling closer to him."I love you, Roos," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper, "And if you are okay, then i am okay.” she says softly, letting her bare chest touch his equally bare arm.

Rooster pulled Beatrice into a warm embrace, he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, his heart overflowing with gratitude for the woman who had captured his heart in a way he never thought possible.

"I love you too, Bea," he murmured, his voice filled with emotion, “And ditto.”

And in that moment, as they held each other close, Rooster and Beatrice knew that their love was a force to be reckoned with - unbreakable, unwavering, and eternal. And as they drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

The next morning dawned bright and clear, the promise of a new day stretching out before them. Rooster and Beatrice woke up early, their excitement visible as they prepared for their hike to the secluded waterfall.

They packed a picnic basket with sandwiches, fruit, and snacks, along with a blanket to sit on by the waterfall, just a little grocery run outside the hotel. Rooster checked the weather forecast one last time, ensuring that they were prepared for whatever nature had in store for them.

"Ready to go, gorgeous?" Rooster asked, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he held out his hand to Beatrice.

Beatrice grinned back at Rooster, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she took his hand in hers. "Ready as I'll ever be," she replied eagerly, "You think we’ll need anything else?”

Rooster shook his head, a smile playing on his lips as he squeezed Beatrice's hand gently. "Nah, we've got everything we need right here," he said warmly, his gaze softening as he looked into her eyes, "Just you, me, and the great outdoors."

"I couldn't agree more," she murmured, her voice filled with anticipation, "Let's go then.”

And with that, they set off . It wasn’t that long until they got on their hike, the sun warm on their faces as they followed the winding trail through the forest. The air was alive with the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze, the scent of pine filling their lungs with every breath.

Rooster pointed out different plants and animals along the way, his enthusiasm infectious as he shared his knowledge of the natural world with Beatrice.

Beatrice listened intently, hanging on Rooster's every word as she marveled at the beauty of their surroundings and him. She couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at the world around them, grateful for the opportunity to explore it with the man she loved by her side.

“...I love seeing how passionate you are about this,Roos.”

Rooster's smile widened at Beatrice's words, a warm glow spreading through his chest at her appreciation. He reached out to take her hand in his, his fingers intertwining with hers as they walked along the trail.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, Bea," he replied softly, his voice filled with warmth, "I've always had a deep connection to nature. It's where I feel most at peace."

Together, they walked in companionable silence, lost in the beauty of their surroundings as they made their way deeper into the forest. The sun dappled through the canopy of trees, casting a warm glow over the forest floor as they followed the winding path.

After a while, they came to a clearing in the forest, the sound of rushing water echoing in the distance. Rooster's eyes lit up with excitement as he led Beatrice towards the sound, his heart racing with anticipation.

"We're almost there," he exclaimed eagerly, his voice filled with excitement, "Just a little further."

Beatrice smiled at Rooster's enthusiasm, her heart pounding with excitement as they approached the secluded waterfall. She could hear the sound of water cascading over rocks, the air alive with the scent of fresh water and damp earth.

And then, they emerged from the trees, and Beatrice gasped in awe at the sight before her. The waterfall tumbled over a rocky cliff, its crystal-clear waters sparkling in the sunlight as it crashed into a pool below.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, her voice filled with wonder, "Absolutely breathtaking."

Rooster grinned at Beatrice's reaction, his heart swelling with pride as he watched her take in the beauty of the waterfall. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as they stood together on the edge of the pool, feeling the spray of water on their faces.

"I'm glad you like it," he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to Beatrice's temple, "It's one of my favorite places in the world."

“After the beach?”

“Close.’

She smiles, ‘How did you find this place? There’s no one here either.”

Rooster chuckled softly at Beatrice's question, "Ah, now that's a story," he replied, "You remember I told you I was a boy scout,right?’

“For a short while,yes.”

Rooster nodded, "Yeah, well, one summer camp, we went on a hiking trip through these woods," he explained, "And our scout leader showed us this hidden waterfall as a reward for completing the hike. I never forgot about it."

Beatrice's eyes widened with interest, captivated by Rooster's story as she listened intently. "So you've known about this place since you were a kid?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Rooster nodded, his smile widening as he looked down at Beatrice. "Yeah, it's been a secret spot of mine ever since," he admitted, "I used to come here whenever I needed to clear my head too, to be alone with my thoughts. But now, I'm glad to share it with you." he pauses “Stopped comin’ here after mom got sick, it was too far from the hospital…”

Beatrice's heart ached at Rooster's words, her eyes filling with sympathy as she reached out to take his hand in hers. She squeezed his hand gently, "I'm sorry, Roos," she murmured softly, her voice filled with compassion, "I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you."

Rooster smiled gratefully at Beatrice's words, and he squeezed her hand back, his gaze softening as he looked into her eyes. "It was tough," he admitted quietly, "But …it’s nice, to share this with you. It makes me happy to.”

Beatrice's heart swelled with love for the man beside her, her eyes shining with emotion as she leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Rooster's lips.  After a moment, Beatrice pulled away, her gaze lingering on Rooster's face as she spoke. "Thank you for sharing this place with me, Roos," she said softly, "It means more to me than you'll ever know."

Rooster smiled, his heart swelling with gratitude for the woman beside him. "I'm just glad I get to share it with you," he replied warmly, "You make everything better."

With that, they settled down by the pool, spreading out the blanket and unpacking their picnic basket. She was gentle as she set everything up and his heart was just so…filled.

He leans up on a fist, smiling at her as he sits down. She smiles confusedly, “What?”

Rooster shook his head, his smile widening at Beatrice's adorable confusion. "Nothing," he replied with a chuckle, "You are just fucking beautiful."

Beatrice blushed at Rooster's compliment, her cheeks flushing pink as she met his gaze with a shy smile. "You're not so bad yourself," she teased, her voice tinged with affection, "Pretty handsome for an old man."

Rooster laughed, the sound echoing through the clearing as he leaned in closer to Beatrice. "Old man, huh?" he teased, "Watch it, or I might just have to show you how much stamina this old man has."

Beatrice's eyes widened in mock horror, a playful grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "Is that a threat or a promise?" she shot back, her voice filled with amusement.

Rooster chuckled, his heart swelling with love for the woman beside him. He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Beatrice's ear, his touch gentle and tender. "Take it however you want, gorgeous," he replied with a wink, "But either way, I'm not letting you leave this waterfall without a proper kiss."

Beatrice laughed, the sound music to Rooster's ears as she leaned in to press her lips to his. They kissed softly at first, their lips moving together in perfect harmony as they lost themselves in the moment.

And then, the kiss deepened, becoming more passionate as Rooster wrapped his arms around Beatrice and pulled her closer. They melted into each other, their bodies pressed together as they shared a moment of pure bliss.

As they finally pulled away, Beatrice rested her head against Rooster's chest, her heart pounding with love for the man beside her.

Rooster pressed a tender kiss to Beatrice's forehead, his heart overflowing with gratitude for the woman who had captured his heart in a way he never thought possible. “This is kinda romantic, ain’t it?”

‘Kinda?”

‘Well,yeah, the waterfall and such.”

She smiles up at him, “Everything you do is romantic, Roos.”

"Well, I aim to please," he replied with a playful grin, "But I gotta admit, Mother Nature deserves most of the credit for this one."

Beatrice chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she snuggled closer to Rooster. "True," she conceded, "But you know what they say, it's not where you are, but who you're with that makes the moment special."

Rooster's grin widened at Beatrice's sentiment, feeling a rush of warmth flood his chest at her words. He leaned in to press a tender kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin as he whispered softly, "Keep doin’ that and you just might make me blush.”

“Good.”

He chuckles,kissing her forehead"Care for a sandwich, gorgeous?" he asked, his voice warm with affection.

Beatrice smiled back at Rooster, accepting the sandwich with a grateful nod. "Thank you, Roos," she replied, her voice soft, "You always know how to take care of me."

He smiles even more, “Always,gorgeous.”

#im happy yall are still here #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x named reader #tgm oc #tgm fic #tgm fanfiction

[wannab-urs]

Gin's 2023 sappy post

It's hard for me to believe that at the beginning of this year, I didn't know a single one of my best friends in the world existed. But it's true!

How we got here

I'm not quite sure exactly when I started looking up Pedro Pascal on Tumblr, but it was sometime after February. I'd watched Game of Thrones and Oberyn was my favorite character, but I was in one of my periods of not being on Tumblr (I've had this account for about 10 years, but it's seen many fandoms and I haven't always been active).

I watched the first few episodes of The Last of Us that had come out - I was 3 episodes behind I think - and immediately looked up Joel Miller on Tumblr. How could I not? Anyway, give me ten minutes on this hellsite and a middle aged man with a huge imdb and watch me develop a hyperfixation.

So then I looked up interviews. I watched basically every interview this man ever did, but I remember that the Lie Detector interview and his appearance on the Talk Easy podcast are really what did me in. I went from admiring this man as an actor and thinking he's pretty to basically being in love with him.

Anyways....

I didn't mean to start reading fanfic? I come from the world of Destiel on AO3. I never wrote it, I just read copious amounts of it. I'd never read reader insert, much less straight reader insert, and I'd never written a word of anything even resembling a fanfiction.

But I found @prolix-yuy, @frannyzooey, @joelscruff, @fuckyeahdindjarin, and @ezrasbirdie (check the spreadsheet, y'all are at the very top!) and I was hooked.

Then I read Psychomanteum by @whatsnewalycat and Celestial Navigation by @write-and-buried and was inspired to parade my trauma around in a Dieter shaped trench coat: AGOY was born.

@beskarandblasters is the first person I really talked to on here. In fact, Kel is the one who introduced me to most of my friends on here. And we've been harassing each other on the daily since. I hope to 🦵 her in real life someday soon ❤️. I love you, bitch. You mean the world to me.

I could never ever ever list all of my dear friends I've made on here. Seriously, there are so many of you that mean the world to me. But I'm gonna list a few.

My cannibal crew @pr0ximamidnight and @atinylittlepain, without whom Love as Violence Dave (starving season), Head up his Ass Javi (in the a.m.), and the later editions of loser druggie Dieter (AGOY) would not exist - or at least they wouldn't be as good as they are.

My darling soup snake, the loml, my spider twin, my forever partner in making bitches cry (it's us, we're bitches, making each other cry in an endless loop) @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin. #1 AGOY stan forever, you may love my own magnum opus more than I love it. Thanks for listening to me scream about every pedro boy on the planet and thanks for screaming right back at me. I love you.

The random college student I found by accident, decided to take under my wing, and then was subsequently taken under their wing bc it turns out they have more fandom experience and life advice than I can ever hope to have @idolatrybarbie. Bea, my darling, thanks for always letting me bitch, for showing me fics I never thought I'd be into (The Santa Claus AU Frankie Morales Free Use Kink, anyone) but that I often was into, for encouraging my writing, and for being fucking real with me.

The pedrostories crew, but especially @pedrorascal - I love screaming about Pedro with you at... 2:30 in the morning my time (we love time zones!). Thanks for letting me be a terrible mod for your fic archive blog and never getting mad at me for not doing my job. And for being a wonderful, kind, amazing person all the fucking time.

I'm being so serious when I say I could list at least 20 more people. People who brightened my day with a reblog or a message. Or who wrote a fic I still think about at least once a week. Or who made a gifset that is permanently etched into my brain. People I talked to in discords and most likely trauma dumped on and they listened and they cared and they let me hold their trauma in return. I love you guys so fucking much.

Conclusion

I never could have imagined I'd be a writer and run a fic rec blog at 24. Especially not for Pedro Pascal Characters. But here we are -- and I can honestly say it has been the highlight of my year. And I bought a house this year.

I have so many new friends and a new hobby (I never wrote at all before this) just because I wanted to Fuck That Old Man. Incredible.

#gin is being sappy #i love y'all

[tickle-bugs]

Hellooo! If prompts are still open can I request some ticklish loki? :) maybe the prompt “ you’re not ticklish? Really now? Lets see about that”

Or somethin, feel free to improvise :))) teehee

Thank you so much!

In Fond Memory

Summary: As an analyst, Mobius's knowledge of Loki comes from stale sets of data. He wants to know more about his partner. Loki decides to take them on a tour of his memories...to interesting results. Pre-relationship to confessing Lokius!

This got wildly out of hand. We're a little over 6k words. Not super happy with this fic, but I'd been sitting on it for too long to start over. Have the long-simmering origin story of Loki's eighth rib lmao.

The TVA cafeteria is chilled and reliably empty when Mobius and Loki take their lunch break. As usual, the break consists of Loki watching Mobius eat--both lamenting his agonizing pace and soaking in his company. 

“I know nothing about you.” Mobius takes a thoughtful bite of his salad. His non-sequiturs phase Loki less and less these days. They make an interesting pair, he thinks--a fallen god burdened with caring and a mustached auditor who speaks only in riddles. 

“I thought you knew everything about me.” Loki huffs. 

“More like bits and pieces. I know little factoids. What makes you tick.” Mobius points at Loki with his fork, a tomato skewered on the end. 

“So then you know what you need?” Loki plucks the tomato off the fork and pops it in his mouth. It crunches beautifully. 

“Well, I mean, I’d like to know more. If a certain someone would like to share with the class.” Mobius replaces the stolen tomato with a pointed stare. 

“You are terrible at asking for what you want.” Loki steals a crouton from Mobius’s salad. 

“Yeah? Pot, meet kettle,” Mobius chuckles, wiping his hands. Loki smiles, but the thought rattles around in his brain. Mobius makes so much noise, truly. Noise about morals and fixing things, about proving himself better than the TVA believes him to be--useless, frivolous noise. 

Compelling noise.

“Fine.” Loki sniffs. He holds out his open hand. 

“Fine…What?” Mobius raises his eyebrows. 

“Your TemPad.” Loki wiggles his fingers insistently. Mobius stares at him, clearly calculating the risk, and then slides his TemPad into the waiting palm. Loki balances the weight of his past smoothly in one hand--he’d expected the TemPad to fall heavier with a sense of occasion. He frowns at it.

These little reminders that he’s not special—significant, really…they start to grate on him after a while. 

“You don’t have to do this, Loki.” Mobius’s voice is worn smooth by something like fondness. It’s compelling to the cowardice still within him, but Mobius will stop looking at him like that if he doesn’t at least try. 

Loki fiddles with the device until the clock hands on Ms. Minutes’s digital face spin rapidly backwards. A portal of orange light opens beside the table. 

“Shall we?” Loki gestures. He can’t quite make eye contact. 

…….

They stride through the door to Old Asgard’s throne room in all its glittering glory, when its majesty seemed untouchable by the whims of war and time. Mobius gapes at the high ceilings and intricate stonework with a wide grin. It’s cute, stupidly so, but then the grand doors open yet again and Loki’s hackles raise.

He pulls Mobius behind one of the grand pillars and puts his finger to his lips. 

“They can’t see us, Loki. It’s a memory—“

Loki clamps a hand over Mobius’s mouth. Mobius rolls his eyes. He’s right, of course he is, but the survivalist in him can’t take the risk. Not with Odin. 

A younger Loki, toothy and tiny, races up to Asgard’s great throne. He stops before the giant steps, cradling something in a bright red cloth. Odin heaves a great sigh. 

“Father, look! I got my spell to work!” Young Loki carefully holds up the bundle. The fabric falls away to reveal a bulbous little frog with stark blue eyes. It blinks each eye separately.

“What is this?” Odin looks down upon the creature with disdain. 

“It’s Thor.” Young Loki beams. The frog leaps onto his shoulder, then his head, and ribbits triumphantly. He laughs. 

“Bring my son back to me at once!” Odin hisses fiercely. 

“But—“

“Now!” Odin’s shout still tears something open in Loki all these years later. He flinches back into Mobius. The younger Loki does the same, but there’s no one to hold him. 

With a shaky voice, he murmurs an incantation and folds Frog Thor back into the fabric. He tosses the bundle ahead of him and, in a flash of green, a young and shiny Thor stumbles on newly human legs. He’s shorter--still taller than Loki, as he always was--and rounder in the cheeks, but he’s the unmistakable spitting image of his father. His cape, no longer frog-sized, unfurls to brush his ankles. 

“Woo! Loki, that was awesome!” Thor cheers. He pulls young Loki in for a sweeping, spinning hug. His boyish giggles are infectious--soon young Loki joins in, clinging to his brother to keep from falling. 

“Get out.” Odin seethes. The throne room doors slam open, echoing his command. 

“Father--” Thor tries, but one icy look from Odin silences him. He immediately bends the knee, so small that his cape nearly swallows him whole. Young Loki looks at him in disbelief, but when he reaches for his brother, Odin clasps his gloved hand around the shaft of Gungnir, the Spear of Heaven. 

Young Loki stumbles backwards, then flees, scrambling right by his older self without a thought. Loki turns his eye to Odin, the golden sack of shit, and scowls. 

“Come,” Loki says hollowly, following himself outside. He doesn’t look back. He knows Mobius is with him. 

He walks the familiar grounds but the stone doesn’t remember him. The sky is too bright, the torches too warm--this is a childhood preserved in amber. It’s too clear to be real. He passes his hand through the braziers, bitterly amused by the way the flame clings to his fingers. It’s not hot. 

Loki finds his younger self exactly where he expects him to be—no amount of years could erase that instinct to hide, to wait, to be forgotten until he could emerge again. The child is tucked between a pillar and one of the giant braziers, his dark clothes lending themselves as camouflage. 

Young Loki didn’t have that fire in him, yet. The scorn of being lesser. He was still naive, still thought Odin’s love was a real, attainable thing. 

“Loki?” Frigga approaches. Loki looks up at his mother’s face for the first time in years, but she peers directly through him. He steps aside as she approaches his younger self. When the child doesn’t answer, she crouches in front of him. It’s unbecoming of a Queen, but she’d never cared much about that. 

“What’s wrong, darling?” Frigga takes his younger copy’s face into her hands. She wipes away his tears with her thumbs and his skin briefly shimmers its natural blue. 

“Father, he…” Young Loki shakes his head, retreats further. “I upset him.”

“Oh.” She swipes more tears from his face. “Let us spend the day together, hm? I have new tricks to show you.”

The child allows his mother to lead him away, down onto the giant lawn beneath the terrace. Loki watches them go, the bitter sting of grief still raw, even after all this time. 

“My mother was…is everything to me.” Loki sniffs. He can’t tear his eyes away from her. It’s selfish to miss her, but he’s a selfish wretch. 

“She seems like a wonderful woman.” Mobius’s hand is warm on Loki’s shoulder. He leans into it. 

“Extraordinary. There’s no one like her.” He leads them over to a bench on the terrace, one that overlooks the most spectacular view of the palace lawns and waters beyond. He watches his younger self fling bursts of magic back and forth with his mother. 

“Can I ask you a silly question?” Mobius turns to face Loki better. Loki raises his brow. 

“Are you still…blue? Under here?” Mobius gestures at Loki’s face. “I’m not too sure about how this magic stuff works. It’s fascinating.”

Loki barks out an embarrassing laugh and does his best to rein it in, but surprise still leaves him chuckling. Mobius looks at him like…well, he’s not entirely sure what that look is. No one’s looked at him so softly before. 

“I was raised Asgardian, but the nature of changing forms is…fickle. Do it too much and you lose sight of where you start.” He turns his hand over, back and forth, and his skin glimmers blue. Mobius takes his hand, wrinkling his nose slightly at the cold. 

“That’s awful wise of you.” Mobius squeezes his fingers. 

“I like to think I have my moments.” Loki smiles. Mobius holds out the TemPad to him. Loki pushes a few things on it, opening another portal. They step through it with lighter hearts. 

…

What greets them is not the stale brutalism and dizzying expanse of the TVA cafeteria, but the very same terrace, gleaming in summer sun.

“Okay, so this…isn’t headquarters.” Mobius gestures. Loki scowls. He presses a bunch of buttons at random. The machine beeps at him. The animated Ms. Minutes icon sticks her tongue out at him. He scoffs. 

“I noticed.” He slaps the TemPad into Mobius’s hands. Mobius stares at him, plainly amused, and Loki scowls harder. 

“Well? Fix it.” Loki turns towards the lawn to lessen the weight of Mobius’s gaze.

A great shout rings out across the green, utterly unmistakeable, and Loki runs up to the terrace railing. Sif and the Warriors Three mill about on the lawn, their chatting only perceptible by Volstagg’s loud and grating laughter. 

“Brothers, please. I need some help!” Thor’s voice cuts clear and desperate through the air. He can’t be far past coming of age--he’s taken on all those distinctive features that won’t budge as he grows. His hair sweeps his shoulders the same way his cape sweeps his ankles. He supports a drooping teenage Loki as they stumble towards the trio. 

On the terrace, Loki’s eyes widen. He squints at where Thor is hauling his younger self--yep, the little shit is definitely alive and well. Which means only one thing. 

“What’s all the commotion?” Mobius shades his eyes from the sun and looks out towards the fields. 

“Did you fix it?” Loki snaps impatiently, gesturing for the TemPad. 

“Hm?” Mobius blinks. “Yeah. What’s happenin’ down there, though?”

Loki snatches the TemPad and punches in whatever he can. A wave of orange energy ripples over and through them with a loud woosh. Loki opens his eyes to….

The same field. The same day. He’s actually managed to put them forward in time. Just splendid. 

“Get help!” Thor spins and launches his Loki like a shotput. He barrels straight through Sif and Fandral. Their mingled screams of surprise and displeasure ring out. Thor cackles, doubling over, as Sif chases Loki around the field. 

On the terrace, Loki buries his rapidly heating face in his hands. Mobius snickers up a storm beside him. He leans into him for support. 

“Get help?” Mobius wheezes, eyes wet with mirth. Loki’s chest flutters and his face progresses into full redness. 

“It was…a phase. An ill-advised distraction--”

“Seems to me like you used it plenty. One of your variants did that with Thor on Sakaar.” Mobius wipes his eyes and flicks the tears away, grin still splitting his face in two. 

“Shut up.” Loki groans into his hands until silence falls. He can feel Mobius’s keen eyes on the side of his face. He hopes for a random bolt of lightning to put him out of his misery. 

“You’ve changed, y’know.” Mobius bumps their shoulders together. 

“Have I?” Loki drawls, mostly unamused. The sincerity on Mobius’s face makes it hard to keep up the act. 

“You willingly showed me an embarrassing memory! You’ve changed plenty.” 

“I wouldn’t say…willingly,” Loki grumbles, rolling his eyes. 

“You and I both know you can fight a lot harder than that. This is growth, Loki. It’s good for ya.” Mobius pats his shoulder. Loki hums in acknowledgment.

“Careful, Mobius. I might start to think you’re fond of me.” Loki smiles teasingly. 

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Mobius chuckles and squeezes his shoulder. “Let’s get outta here.”

…

Another flash of orange, another failure to return to the TVA. Loki contains the urge to scream. 

“Where are we now?” Mobius puts his hands on his hips. 

“…I don’t know.” Loki frowns, turning in place. 

“That’s generally not good.” Mobius quips. Loki makes a snarky, incoherent noise at him as he takes in their surroundings.

Vaulted wood ceilings, immaculate stone walls, and green silks welcome them. Atop a giant fireplace, a regal painting of Loki leers at them, foxlike and empty-eyed. He cringes and turns away from it. He briefly considers throwing himself down on the green velvet divan and smothering himself in the throw pillows. 

“We’re on Asgard, certainly, and this is my room, but….” 

The doors fly open of their own accord and the hearth flares. A brunette with a strong build strides through the doors, their fingertips dripping with red motes of light. They’re clad in reds reminiscent of the magic--flowing fabrics gathered neatly under bits of strong leather armor. With a twist of their wrist, the leather breastplate falls away and arranges itself on a stand, right next to a stand with his own armor on it. 

“Who is this handsome devil?” Mobius raises his eyebrows and elbows Loki, but he is far too windswept at the sight of them. 

“Signy,” Loki breathes. 

“Who?” Mobius furrows his brow. 

The doors fly open yet again. A past version of Loki enters in similar dramatic fashion. It’s uncanny to see himself like this. Signy turns their gaze sharply towards him. The fire once again flares in the hearth. 

“Hello, darling.” Signy purrs, pulling Past Loki in for a kiss. They drink him in possessively, as if he’s going to evaporate without their claiming touch. He leans into it as much as he can without drowning. When they pull apart, they murmur to one another, low enough for the fire to swallow their words. 

“Ah, I see.” The bitterness in Mobius’s tone pushes Loki to clarify. 

“They were wonderful, but their jealousy often got to them. For all our happiness, we made each other worse over time.” Loki whispers conspiratorially, but Mobius doesn’t seem entertained. 

Signy and his past self begin to raise their voices, yelling at each other in an incomprehensible tumble of Asgardian. Mobius’s brow knits in concern. 

“Were you always this…loud?” Mobius frowns. Loki swallows the joke he wants to make.

“Like I said, we made each other worse. Much worse. We were betrothed all of two months before they tried to assassinate me.” Loki pulls back his shirt collar to reveal a thin, curved scar on his neck. 

“Assassinate—what?” Mobius touches it and Loki shivers. 

“It’s fine, Mobius. My Signy had naught but poison in their soul. This one seems…kinder.” Loki watches as they take his past self’s hands to stop him from wringing his tunic. 

“How is that fine—“ 

Their voices escalate into a tumble of shouting. Concern morphs into frustration and confusion. Why does Mobius even care? It happened, he survived, whatever—

A flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. His past self is…staring at him.

Loki squints at his past self and he squints back. Loki looks over his shoulder, then back at his past self, who is suddenly beginning to behave less like a memory and more like a—

“Variant,” Loki breathes. He opens his mouth to shout, but—

The variant disappears in a gentle flash of green light. Fuck.

“I think you just got outsmarted by yourself.” Mobius hums. Loki whips around, panic starting to bubble in his chest. 

“You said this was a memory.”

“It’s supposed to be.” Mobius rubs his chin. “With all the buttons you pushed, it’s possible that you sent us to a branch instead of a projection of your history. I’ll take a look at it.”

“Loki.” Signy eyes him carefully. They take him in with warm, red eyes that crackle with the hearth. 

“Heyyy…Signy.” Loki gestures awkwardly. Mobius snorts. 

“Darling, I apologize. You’re under much pressure.  I shouldn’t add to it.” Signy wraps their arms around Loki’s shoulders and pulls him close. He knows he should derive some comfort from it—he hasn’t been hugged in years—but it feels more like a creature pulling him into its clutches. Their fingers glide over the scar and Loki snatches their hand. 

“I’m…also sorry.” Loki pats their arm awkwardly and tries to worm out of their grip. 

“No need, my blade.” Signy presses in closer, cradling his cheek. Mobius snickers at the nickname off to the side.

“Don’t.” Loki, blushing, points an accusatory finger at Mobius. He holds his hands up, the perfect picture of innocence. 

“I think you’re lovely, but I’m not…your Loki.” He puts his hand over theirs. Their face pinches sharply. The fire kicks up. 

“You are beyond ungrateful. You are mine. I made you.” Signy grips his chin and forces him to look at them. Loki presses his lips into a line. 

“Signy—“

“Perhaps you need a reminder.” They press their hand to Loki’s side, right over the ribs on his right side. He panics and grabs for their hand. A tiny green spark jumps from his fingers, but it cannot stop the pulse of scarlet magic that wriggles deep into his skin. The magic snaps into cords, winding like puppet strings around one of his ribs. 

A strangled sound slips from him before he can stop himself. A terrible, toe-curling tickle—a powerful scritching like the blunt end of a quill over the bone—sends him clutching at Signy’s shoulders for dear life. 

“We are each other’s undoing. There is no you without me.” Signy pulls sharply on the threads of red light and Loki yelps.

“Oh.”

“Mobius—“

“Oh my god.” Mobius makes a noise that can only be described as a squeak of delight. Loki flips him off. 

“Even when I’m right in front of you, you cast your attention elsewhere.” Signy turns Loki’s jaw toward them, eyes darkening possessively, but their lips curl up in that damn smile that had drawn Loki back in over and over. 

There was a time when he’d daydreamed about Signy by his side on the throne. Now, he can’t fathom it. 

“You’re mine, Loki.” Signy tweaks their fingers, manipulating their magic, and Loki chokes down a screech. He laces his fingers into theirs and the magic blissfully vanishes. 

“Yes, yours. Mobius, help.” Loki casts a frantic look in his direction, gesturing at Signy. Mobius makes a ‘stall’ motion, then starts fiddling with the TemPad. 

“Look at me.” Signy pulls sharply on his tie. They sigh deeply, and their edge begins to wane. 

“Thanos has you dreaming of more, my love. I want more for you. But have you not enough here? Am I not enough?” Signy smooths their hands down Loki’s chest. He freezes.

“Thanos?” He asks quietly. Dread sinks into his gut. Signy’s expression softens.

“I know that you crave what you are owed. Your family has robbed you of your birthright. You are meant for greatness, Loki, but not at the cost of his greed. Asgard is yours for the taking. By my hand, you shall have it.” Signy leans their foreheads together. He squirrels away as much of this momentary comfort that he can. 

“Why would you help me?”

“Have you contracted your brother’s oafishness?” Signy playfully holds their hand to his forehead as if checking for fever. “I love you, you fool.” 

“Oh.” He blinks. He looks towards Mobius and finds him with a haunting expression, like some sort of ache had burrowed forth into his face. A suffocating hollowness crawls through Loki’s chest. He swallows thickly. 

“Yes, ‘oh’.” Signy curls their fingers beneath his chin. He laughs softly, involuntarily, and flinches away. Mischief and embers dance in Signy’s eyes. 

“My, you are…handsier than I remember.” Loki twists out of their grip. 

“Can you blame me?” They appear behind him in a scattering of red sparks. Warm hands wrap around his waist, tracing feather-light shapes that seem to burrow into his skin. He chokes on a quiet, suspiciously giggly sound and they light up.

Mobius scoffs and clears his throat loudly. His scowl seems baked into his face, a chilling force against the fireplace. 

“Okay, so I’ve got good news and bad news. Which one do you wanna hear?”

“Bad news first.” Loki wrestles with Signy’s roaming hands. Signy trips and tumbles backward onto the divan, scattering the pillows. They start tugging at Loki to try and get him to follow. 

“Your collar is broken. Kaput. S’probably why your variant was able to escape. TemPad can’t get a read on which one of you is real. You also MemLocked us, which is fascinating—“

“I’m sure it is,” Loki huffs, fighting to leverage Signy under him. Mobius barrels on. 

“MemLock allows us to manipulate a branch as if it were a memory, but the tech is volatile, so we rarely use it. It is neat though. Lets us walk right through as if we were invisible. Shame it ain’t workin’ on you.” Mobius snaps his fingers next to Signy’s face. They don’t seem to notice. 

“And the good news?” 

“I can probably fix it.” Mobius smacks the back of the TemPad and a panel pops out the side of it. He starts fiddling with the components. 

“Probably?” Loki’s voice cracks. 

“Well, I don’t wanna take the wrong Loki back with me. That’d be a fiasco. Though Signy—“ Mobius draws out their name with disdain— “probably wouldn’t even notice.” 

“Jealousy is unbecoming, Mobius.” Loki’s joking, but Mobius’s eyes don’t light up the way they usually do. 

“Y’know, far as I recall, you got yourself stuck in this mess. You should be thanking me for helping you.” Mobius puts his hands in his pockets. He tilts his head with a smile, easy and mischievous. Loki lobs a throw pillow at him.

Mobius punches something into the TemPad and, with a glorious beep, Loki’s collar disengages and clatters to the floor. Mobius scoops up the collar gently, letting the straps dangle between his fingers. 

“I’m keeping track of what you owe me.” His half-smile is somewhat dim. 

“I’d expect nothing less,” Loki breathes. Mobius nods sharply and turns towards the door. 

It’s an unfortunate distraction, one that lets Signy discover they can buckle his knees if they tickle him there, but Loki can think of nothing else but the reflection of the firelight on Mobius’s cheek. 

…

Mobius ducks quietly into the hall, shutting the chamber door behind him. The stone floors eagerly amplify his footsteps, tired of its own quiet. 

It’s unsettling, this place. People don’t seem to live here as much as they haunt it. Mobius can see how Loki turned out the way he did. It sets loose an ache in him. 

“Stop.” 

Mobius turns around with his hands raised. The variant twirls a dagger in his hands. He’s clad only in a green shirt and soft pants, his feet bare against the cool stone floors. This Loki is duller—he’s exhausted around the eyes in a way Mobius’s Loki isn’t. 

His Loki. Hm.

“Who are you?” 

“I’m afraid that doesn’t concern you, Your Highness,” Mobius says calmly. Loki disappears in a flash of green and reappears behind Mobius. 

“I could have you executed.” Loki’s dagger materializes across the plane of Mobius’s throat. Mobius tips his head back slightly to avoid the sharp edge. 

“I’m not scared of you, Loki.” He says it firmly, even as his skin prickles at the kiss of the blade. 

“Maybe you should be,” he snarls lowly, his lips brushing Mobius’s ear. Mobius flinches away. He kicks himself for it--Loki follows him easily with morbid interest. 

“Aren’t you curious about what I know?” Mobius hums. Silence stretches down the long hall. There’s a suspicious lack of guards in this wing. Is Loki’s chamber not worth protecting?

“You have a…clone of me. Why?” The blade presses in again. Mobius takes a careful, measured breath. 

“He’s my companion. We took a bit of a tumble, ended up in the wrong place.” A smile quirks at Mobius’s lips. Loki doesn’t look as confused as he thought he might—more…thoughtful. 

“Wrong place being?”

“That I can’t tell you. I can tell you that we’re trying to leave. If you don’t mind.” Mobius puts two fingers on the dagger and gently pushes it away from his throat. Loki releases Mobius but keeps his blade leveled at him. He’s tired, so tired, Mobius can see it in his bones. His eyes, dark-rimmed, seem frightened of closing. 

“You, uh…” Mobius pauses, taking in Loki’s twitchiness-- “I noticed you tryin’ to escape your beau in there. Signy, right?”

Loki stiffens at the utterance of their name. The blade remains steadfastly pointed at Mobius’s throat. 

“They ever hurt you?” Mobius clenches his jaw. Loki eyes him warily. 

“No. Never. Never.” The blade wavers with Loki’s voice. “But we don’t…agree on many things.”

“Well, I think you could do better. For the record.” Mobius steps forward—how could he not? But Loki’s knife and hackles meet him. He stops. 

“I’ll be sure to tell them you said so.” The fingers on Loki’s other hand twitch, glowing the faintest green. 

“You fancy making a deal, Your Highness?” Mobius sticks his hands in his pockets. He tries to keep his demeanor light, but he clasps his hand around the collar where it’s hidden. 

“I’m listening.” Loki shifts his fingers on the dagger’s hilt. 

“My Loki and I will distract Signy for you if you stay with us long enough for us to secure an exit.” Mobius jerks a thumb in the direction he came from. Loki follows the movement with his eyes. 

“All you require is my presence?”

“That and preferably that you refrain from using that toothpick of yours. Rather fond of my Loki.” Mobius inclines his head towards the knife. A wealth of emotions flickers across Loki’s face--he’s always been terrible at hiding his feelings, it seems. He tries to steel himself back into something sharp, but it just turns…sad. 

Loki lowers his blade. He loosens his fingers and it falls, but it vanishes before it hits the ground. 

“I agree to your terms.” Loki sniffs sharply, once again locating his arrogance.

“Excellent. Shall we?” Mobius gestures. Loki nods. They stroll back towards the bedchamber, relishing in the quiet comfort of their footsteps falling in line. 

“What are you to him? To me?” Loki’s voice goes soft. Mobius is usually quite adept at compartmentalizing, but it escapes him at this moment. 

“I’m not sure.” Mobius swallows. It’s easier not to think about it. 

“But you’re fond of him, as you said.” Loki sweeps closer, a familiar teasing grin playing across his lips. 

“I am.” Mobius huffs. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“The honor’s all yours, mortal.” Loki tilts his head, his smile growing wider. Mobius rolls his eyes. 

…

Mobius opens the door for the variant and they’re greeted by a wall of noise. Loki screams bloody murder and Signy yells over him in Asgardian, their sharp fingernails plucking at his ribs. They’ve switched positions, with Signy expertly pinning and tickling Loki down into the divan. 

The variant snickers, covering his mouth to hide it, but Mobius’s ears have long-since been tuned to his partner’s laugh. Interestingly enough, Signy looks up too. They furrow their brow as if searching for something, eyes glazing right past their variant, and then return to taking Loki apart.

An idea prickles at the back of Mobius’s mind. 

“You.” Loki shouts from the tip of his toes. His hair is a frizzy, disheveled mess. The variant goes to run, but Mobius scruffs him by the collar.

“You okay over there?” Mobius calls. Loki’s red face grows redder. He points angrily at the variant. 

“Come take your place, you sniveling little brat—“ Loki hisses, but he’s cut off by Signy tickling his waist. The most hysterical little giggles slip free and he buckles under them. 

“I’m afraid I can’t help you. That weakness is your plague to bear, not mine.” The variant’s regret is all mocking. 

It’s a stupid idea, but it’s an insistent one—the longer Mobius gazes at this variant, the more he finds that he can’t let it go.

“Sorry, just to clarify—you’re not ticklish?” Mobius doesn’t bother to hide his amusement. The variant eyes him stubbornly. 

“No. I’m not a child.” Oh, but like with every Loki, his eyes betray him. 

“Well, that’s a shame.” Mobius regards him thoughtfully. The variant turns a lovely pink. “Then, would you mind asking Signy to release my friend? Seeing as they pose no threat to you.”

Mobius crowds in closer. The variant pulls his dagger. Mobius tuts at him and pushes it away. The dagger’s point makes gentle, insistent contact with his stomach.

“This wasn’t part of the deal,” the variant snaps, but Mobius stands before him un-stabbed. 

“Sure it was. I said we would distract Signy.” Mobius smirks. “Just never said that you were part of the distraction.”

God, Loki is really rubbing off on him. 

“I’ve been told I’m quite stabbable, if you’re not amenable.” Mobius gestures to the dagger between them. The variant shifts his fingers on the hilt. 

“D-Don’t you dare touch him!” Loki pipes up through gritted teeth. He’s managed to pin Signy underneath him, but judging by his twitching, they’re not quite done with him.

Mobius grins at him. Loki makes an endearing little pinchy face and refuses to meet his eyes. The variant takes the chance to try and slink away, but Mobius grabs his wrist. The dagger disappears in a flare of green sparks. 

In a slick maneuver, Mobius loops the collar around the variant’s neck and it magnetically fastens. It beeps in confirmation of acquiring its target. 

“What is this?” He hisses, tugging at it. He flexes his fingers, calling for the dagger, and nothing happens.

“Just a bit of insurance. Now, would you like to deal with them—“ Mobius gestures to where Signy is wreaking havoc— “or me?” 

“I’m sure there’s a third option.” The variant chuckles almost nervously. His eyes dart around for an escape. 

“Oh, no. I don’t think so.” Mobius sighs deeply, as if it pains him. The variant’s eyes widen, and—

There it is. A flicker of thrill. 

“If you think you can stand to a god, I welcome you to try.” The variant spreads his arms wide. Mobius puts his hands on his hips. He’s never considered himself a particularly great fighter, but he prides himself on knowing his targets well. For example, he knows that nearly every Loki lacks small-scale patience. If he just waits…

The variant snarls and charges. Mobius ducks past him and loops his arms around his torso. 

Any Loki is deadly with or without their magic, but thankfully Mobius doesn’t have to worry about killing him. Or harming him at all, for that matter.

The variant lets out a confused, almost-offended squeak, like a kitten being bested. Before he can speak, Mobius starts clumsily tickling him. The resulting stilted laughter is interspersed with threats he can’t understand--both for being peppered with giggles and incoherent Asgardian. The variant tries to headbutt him in a way that doesn’t seem entirely on purpose. Mobius dodges predictable flying elbows and waits.

Over on the divan, Loki’s mostly given up. He’s wheezing more than anything, more focused on hiding himself from view than doing anything helpful. The quiet allows for the variant’s patchwork laughter to carry, just as Mobius hoped. He folds on a particularly powerful guffaw and Mobius follows him with a snort. S’cute, sometimes, the ways in which they’re the same. 

Signy’s gaze snaps up. Loki squirms out from underneath them and darts to the other side of the room, clutching his side. He makes eye contact with Mobius. His gaze is so full of sheer fondness that Mobius has to look away. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” The variant tries to back up. Mobius squeezes his side and he yelps.  

“How’d you get over there?” Signy narrows their eyes. 

“Suppose I’m quicker than you.” The variant falls immediately into his role, ever the Loki. Mobius curls his finger into the collar and it disengages. The variant whirls on him, but then Signy starts to stalk across the room. 

“We’ll see about that, love.” Signy’s tongue curls sharply around the word. The variant bolts for the door. Signy laughs and chases after them. Their footsteps echo down the empty hall and carry them both from sight. 

A wave of green magic slams the door shut so hard that it rattles in its frame. Loki hefts a bookshelf in front of the door, then a heavy chest, then about every piece of furniture he’s capable of moving in the room. He slumps down onto the divan with a heavy sigh. Mobius hovers by his side, shoving his hand in his pocket so he doesn’t start fiddling with the disheveled bits of Loki’s appearance. 

“Well, come on then.” Loki bares his throat with an impatient gesture. There’s an imprinted red line where the collar usually sits. Mobius runs his thumb over it, gently, and Loki scrunches his nose with a smile. The sight is so lovely that Mobius spaces out a bit. 

“You are cruel and terrible, you know that?” Loki grumbles. Mobius remembers himself and tries not to savor the brush of Loki’s jaw against his fingers. He holds the transmitter box of the collar to Loki’s throat, scooting it around a bit in search of a signal. Loki twitches. 

“Mmm, just the worst. Stay still, will ya?” He huffs. Something in Loki’s collar clicks and the TemPad chirps a jolly tune. Both of them sigh in relief. 

Mobius punches in a few things and the familiar orange door opens up before them. He looks down at the collar in his hand, then shoves it deep into his pocket. Loki makes a soft noise. 

“Why?” He blinks almost innocently. Mobius swallows. 

“You wanna go back or not?” He juts his thumb towards the portal. Loki pulls him through as if it’s going to disappear. 

…

They have duties to complete, but living so many years in a day has thoroughly eroded what tiny sense of duty Loki has. His mind is abuzz with various iterations of he trusts me--a new and exciting thought--and it leaves him with zero desire to do anything but sit in Mobius’s presence like a flower in the sun. 

So, when Mobius heads for the library, Loki hooks their arms together and drags them towards the cafeteria. Responsible grumbling turns into fond chuckles, and soon enough, they’re assembling God's mistake: frozen yogurt.

They enjoy their spoils on a bench deep in the massive sprawl of the TVA. The complex sprawls out infinitely before them, twinkling in the abyss. It’s a prettier sight than this place deserves, but Loki can only pay attention to the unnatural strawberry hue of Mobius’s lips. 

“This is awful,” Mobius laughs, cringing through a spoonful of frozen-solid chocolate chips. 

“It’s perfect. Completely mediocre in every way. Humanity’s only worthwhile creation.” Loki bites a gummy worm in half with a smile. He offers the other half to Mobius and he takes it.

Loki thinks of Signy, of the look of muddled pain on Mobius’s face through the entire back half of their misadventure, and he cringes. Mobius pauses in picking at his froyo. 

“Brainfreeze?” 

“No, not quite. I want to…apologize, Mobius.” Loki fiddles with his fingers. He looks up just in time for the back of Mobius’s hand to gently slap against his forehead, as if checking for fever. 

“You? Apologize? Maybe I did bring back the wrong Loki.”

“Hilarious, you bastard.” Loki rolls his eyes and bats away the hand. 

“Well, don’t let me get in the way of history. Say your piece.” Mobius sweeps his hands out. Loki turns to straddle the bench, facing him fully. He leans his back against the wall. The cold of the concrete leeches through his shirt. 

“Earlier, things got…out of hand. I hoped if I showed you my past, you might find some detail, some tiny minutiae that would set me apart from the other variants. But, I suppose nothing you saw surprised you.” Loki runs his fingers over his throat, right where the collar usually sat. He felt lighter without it and, strangely, more exposed. 

“I wouldn’t say that.” Mobius mumbles around a strawberry piece. 

“I spent my life chasing after destiny. Everyone in my family had a grand purpose to fulfill, and I believed mine would be the greatest of all. Now I know that my destiny is to be disposable. The only significant thing I’m part of is the time I’ve spent here with you.” Loki pokes at his froyo with the spoon. Mobius swings to also straddle the bench, grumbling as he does, but it gets Loki’s attention. 

“I’ve got my own confession to make.” Mobius chuckles. “I don’t actually know everything about you.”

“We established this.” Loki scoops up an Oreo piece and pops it in his mouth. 

“Well, yeah, but—“ Mobius makes a series of grand gestures— “I mean, I don’t know everything about you, Loki.”

“Now you’ve said the same thing twice.” Loki frowns. Mobius makes a frustrated little noise.

“Look, you’re different. Sure, your story starts the same as the others, but you overwrote my expectations the moment we met. You are unique. You’re a unique pain in my ass, really, but…you’re a good partner. A great one.” Mobius gestures more with his spoon. 

“Go on.” Loki takes the cherry into his mouth, stem and all. A few moments later, he pulls out the stem—tied in a perfect knot. He smiles at his handiwork. 

“I’m trying to compliment you.” Mobius huffs. 

“I’m aware.” Loki grins teasingly, but the mischief caves easily under a wave of genuine joy. 

“Alright, wise guy.” Mobius narrows his eyes. A flutter of thrill picks up in Loki’s stomach, but no chase ensues. He tries not to be disappointed. 

“What I’m trying to get at—“ Mobius huffs dramatically— “is that it’s not your past that makes you. I’ve always studied you guys in patterns and matrixes. I thought a flip would switch and I’d understand how you fell into my lap instead of any other Loki. But…you defy sense. Turns out, you can bake some drastically different cakes with the same core ingredients.” 

“Careful, Mobius,” Loki says softly, so his traitorous heart doesn’t hear. “I might start to think you’re fond of me.”

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Mobius smiles. 

“No, we can’t.” Loki’s eyes flit to Mobius’s lips. The air between them pulls taut. Loki scoots forward, bringing their knees to touch. 

“You have something on your face, right here. Terribly distracting.” Loki gestures to his lips. Mobius furrows his brow and pats his face with a TVA-branded napkin. Loki bats his hand aside and kisses him. It’s shorter and tamer than what his heart screams for, but he can’t dive into untested waters. Not yet. Not with something so important. 

Mobius, wide-eyed, follows Loki’s every move. He swallows once, thickly, then clears his throat. Not a single coherent word comes out of his mouth. His eyebrows move in nearly every direction as he tries to string some words together. Loki tips his chin up, catching his eyes. Mobius quiets, succumbing to a lovestruck smile.

“Did you get it?” Mobius gestures to his face. Loki laughs, knocking his head into the wall behind him. Mobius scrambles forward to catch him far too late, but they’re close. Close enough for Loki to see the pink froyo flecks actually hiding in his mustache. He smirks. 

“Hm, only one way to be sure.” He pulls Mobius in by his tie and kisses him like it's the end of times.

#my fics #loki #lokius #ticklish!loki #*sigh* #much like with my other loki fics this didn't turn out at all how i wanted. and its way too long. but i hope ppl still like it. #i love writing them so much but i struggle to write tk stuff around them. #just UGH posting it and moving on. writing is hard :( #sorry to be a downer in the tags lmao

[sweetheartsaku]

ot5 txt ; moments with txt as lyrics..

a/n ; [fem!reader] i was gonna put colonge by bea or moonlight by kali for yeonjun but the meaning.. also did u notic i like friends to lovers :) AND SOOBINS IS BASICALLY JUST THE WHOLE SONG IN FIC FORM

mayflower !

yeonjun ; beside you - keshi ( coming of age )

" say i'm not your type but i know whats on your mind "

watching you fall in love with another guy who only played with you.. had enough of you getting heart broken.. " his love never felt right. i'll treat you better than all of those jerks did. ".. gently grabs your wrist.. takes you to the center of the city on a bridge.. warm lit lights.. his arms wrap around you by the waist as his face gets closer to yours.. the moonlight reflects off the river beneath you.. feeling the cold metal railing laced with colourful padlocks.. giggling together as you put a padlock on the bars.

soobin ; fairy of shampoo - tomorrow x together ( soulmates, quiet gentle love )

" whenever I see her, I'm not lonely. even with my sad heart, it disappears far away "

being eachothers comfort person.. walking through the school halls together.. watching from afar.. the rush sensation of watching you step off the bus into the school gates.. your hair flowing with a soft smile as you approach him.. his dimples clearly shown.. when talking to him is like walking on clouds.. like a feeling that cannot be explained. love like you'd see in the books or movies.

beomgyu ; best friend - laufey ( best friends to lovers )

" theres no one i'd rather fall in love with, and thats my best friend in the world. "

stargazing together.. standing together on the balcony of an apartment at the edge of the city.. warm fairy lights highlighting his stunning features.. the wind blowing his chocolate hair as it shifts in the wind.. admiring not the las vegas like city, but you.. giggling together at the syncing eye contact.. looking back at the city; " it's funny cause' you drive me half insane. " " hey! whats funny? " "how i'm in love with you." giggling, " i am too, gyu. ".. oh, the way his name rolled off your tongue.

taehyun ; apple cider - beabadoobee ( lovers cliche first love )

" and even if were just friends, we could be more than that. "

complimenting his jumper, making him wear it more often.. " we both like apple cider " having a common opinion on cola.. seeing him not being able to tolerate cola.. buying him cider instead.. going to the movies together.. hands touching while grabbing popcorn.. the silly and awkward but cute interaction making him smile.. the thought of : " this is why i'm i love with you ".. looking at you as if you hung up the stars themselves.

hyuka ; magabal - daniel padilla + moira dela torre ( childhood friends to lovers )

" at dahan-dahang magdidikit ating mga balat matagal ko nang gustong mangyari ito. " ( and our skin will gently touch, i wanted this to happen for the longest time. )

knowing every detail about eachother from being inseprable since childhood.. eyes say everything.. slow dancing in fields of endless colourful spring tulips.. rays of sunshine illuminating wherever you go.. summer dress flowing as he spins you around, giggling the sun away.. " hawak-kamay, pikit-mata ".. small picnic with gingnam red blankets.. the bouquet of flowers you collected together.. the swaying of tulips as the sun sets.. matching lockets.. the bike rides home.. getting home and thinking how you hit the jackpot.

#txt #txt drabbles #txt fluff #txt oneshots #txt scenarios #tommorow x together #choi soobin #choi yeonjun #choi beomgyu #kang taehyun #hueningkai x reader #soobin x reader #yeonjun x reader #beomgyu x reader #taehyun x reader #huening kai x reader #tomorrow x together

[howtosingit]

Some good/bad/ugly (but not super ugly, I'm not a dick about it) thoughts on RWRB. Obvious spoilers.

The Good:

The cake. Different from the book in a few ways but so damn good and a really strong beginning for the film. Also, watch through the credits for a tiny post-credit cake moment.

Alex and Henry messaging back and forth and talking on the phone at the beginning. A perfect way to translate that to the screen, taking advantage of the visual medium. I laughed out loud multiple times during the segment and just really enjoyed watching it.

Zahra. All of her scenes. So good. Dare I say her relationship with Alex was the most developed in the film? Maybe. It was certainly my favorite.

The polo match was a lot of fun, too. Though brief, it was very much in-line with what was on the page and that was satisfying to watch.

The King. He's a very different character than Queen Mary and by casting Stephen Fry and refocusing the moment, it became layered and interesting. An implied foil for Henry. Probably one of the better changes from the book.

The Bad:

Nora and Bea don't have a lot to do. Nora certainly gets a little lost after the first part of the film, though she’s around. Bea doesn't really mean anything until the last half of the film. Neither of them really have any of the depth that their book counterparts had, which is a shame since they're so great on the page.

Percy (because I'm pretty sure he is never referred to as Pez in the film) is an absolutely nothing character. Surprised he wasn't cut, but they clearly wanted Henry to have a counterpart to match Alex's Nora. But he actually gets nothing at all to do.

Alex and Henry's Christmas phone call is gone, and they only really have one big moment of vulnerability before New Year's (the hospital closet), which kind of makes the big kiss feel unearned. They're definitely friendly by New Year's, so that's something.

We're told a lot about the cages that Alex and Henry find themselves in, but they're never clearly defined in the film (it's very tell, don't show), which makes the stakes of them breaking out to be together feel lower, at least to me. I wish we saw a little bit more of the world that they inhabit so that we could understand the risks, but instead it's all summarized in TV segments.

For me, Alex and Henry never really feel fully-realized, especially Henry, who doesn't get his big moments until the later half of the film. It's a shame, but none of their moments of sincerity felt truly earned. I don't know, there was some kind of barrier between me and them for the entire film, I struggled to feel for them outside of "oh that's cute" or "oh that's sad" or "oh how nice."

The Ugly (or, more accurately, things that still don't sit right with me 15 hours later):

Miguel. Oh, boy. I really, really don't understand the choice to include this original character. From the very beginning it's just very... what? And why? All of the leak and antagonism of the leak, instead of being contributed to the white conservative Republican was instead placed on a queer Latiné man with no depth and I'm just... so very very confused by this choice. Obviously it was to streamline a lot of the backstory and details of how the leak came to happen, but my god... I really don't even know. I don't know if Matthew will ever talk about his choices for this character, but I'd really like to hear them. Also, he's not Liam or Rafael Luna, not even close. A pity that comparison was even made at any point during promo because it's 100% not true.

We get maybe 3 mentions of Arthur, no sight of Catherine. In fact, while Catherine is an absent mother, it's not attributed to her grief at all, but more just that she'd rather be anywhere else than by her children? And Henry and Bea are both very resentful of that fact. And I was like... why are we doing that to Catherine? She doesn't deserve that writing.

So after the leak, we get the communications lockdown which makes it impossible for Alex and Henry to speak to each other. But the film decided to have Alex make his big public speech during that time, without having Henry by his side or without him even talking to Henry about it first, and I found that really really upsetting. That was one of my favorite parts of the book, that Alex got to Henry as quickly as he could and then they walked through the whole situation together, side-by-side, as a team, both consenting to the everything after their consent was ripped away from them because of the leak. The film didn't give them that and I really didn't like it at all.

I mean, there were other things, too (the big sex scene was in Paris and happened way too early in my opinion - not because of the sex itself, just how it was framed), but I'm really not interested in picking the film apart. It's an okay film. It's not a terrible way to spend 2 hours. All in all, it feels like a solid summary of the book with glimpses at a lot of the book moments that we love. That doesn't make it a bad film, just a straightforward, simple one. It was made to be palatable for a general audience and that's fine. There's a deeper and more complex story here, which we know from the book, but this film wasn't the place to tell it. It tells a version of it, and it does an okay job at it.

(But, like, I'll take a 5-6 episode mini-series one day so that we can get the fully complex Henry backstory and screen time that he deserves to have.)

Also, Taylor Zakhar Perez's bare ass is a 10 out of 10, would recommend. There will be plenty of gifs of that in the next day or two, and no one will be complaining about it.

Oh, the opening credits were cute too and had an early-2000s rom-com vibe, which was great!

#just some thoughts... not all positive #but certainly not hate either #no one lose their heads here #sometimes you just have to word vomit #rwrb #red white and royal blue #rwrb movie #rwrb spoilers #spoilers #red white and royal blue spoilers

[hinatastinygiant]

9 | Død

Pairing: Uzui x Fem!Reader

The Emptiness You Left

Y/N'S P.O.V.

When you come to, you find yourself in a strange room. As you sit up, you notice a lot of plants and only one other person in the room. A man with spiky white hair sits on the opposite side of the room.

"You're awake," the man says, turning his attention away from his desk to glare across the room at you, causing the hairs on your arms to stand on edge.

"Uh, where am I?"

"You're at the butterfly estate," he explains, before standing up and making his way over to your bed. "You seem to have hit your head rather hard. What stupid thing did you do?"

"Oh, uh, Suma punched me in the face," you sigh, thinking back to it. "Who are you? Where is everyone else?"

"Sanemi Shinazugawa. Wind hashira," he answers. "You were passed out for a pretty long time. Was it really Suma's punch that did that?"

"Yeah," you nod. "I guess..."

"I would have guessed you'd have a stronger pain tolerance than that," he scoffs, rolling his eyes.

"What does that mean?" you snap.

"It means you're not as strong as I thought," Sanemi shrugs, a smug grin on his face.

"Well, if I wasn't laying in this bed, I'd wipe that stupid look off your face," you threaten, glaring at him.

"Whatever, Y/N, just don't pass out again," he sighs, walking out of the room, only to be replaced moments later by Uzui who bursts in the door.

"Are you okay?" he asks, rushing to your bedside.

"I'm fine," you nod.

"Thank goodness," he says, reaching his hand up to touch the bandages wrapped around your forehead.

You're slightly stunned by his actions. His hand rests gently on the side of your face, his thumb caressing your cheek.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," Uzui apologizes. "I didn't think she hit you that hard. Maybe you're just not read-"

"I'm fine," you insist, cutting him off. Did she really hit you that hard or were you already spiraling before that?

A moment later, Suma joins the two of you in the room and Uzui backs away from you.

"Y/N," she sobs, throwing herself at your bedside.

"You better watch it, Suma," Uzui warns her. "Don't make the same mistake twice."

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!" she cries.

"Suma, I'm fine," you assure her, sitting up a bit more.

"Are you sure?"

"I promise. It was probably my fault, anyway. I wasn't paying attention. I think I zoned out for a bit," you try to explain.

"Yeah, you looked pretty dead," Suma then remarks.

"Well, I'm alive now," you laugh, rubbing the back of your neck. "And it was a good fight. Thanks for sparring with me."

"You both looked like you were having a good time up 'til that point," Uzui adds.

"I could feel it," you smile up at him. "It was like the air around me was guiding the blades in my hands."

Uzui smiles down at you, his eyes shining with pride. "That's good, Y/N," he nods. "I knew you'd be a fast learner. Even if you are an idiot."

"Hey!" you whine.

"You did good today," Uzui continues. "It was the first time you've connected with the sounds of your surroundings. That's why you froze up."

"Is it?" you hum, trying to think back to the way you felt earlier. You could sense something watching you in the shadows. Is it because you were so in tune with your surroundings?

"You were probably just nervous," Suma tells you. "Everyone gets that way. Especially with Master Tengen watching!"

"Well I'm not nervous now," you shake your head. "Can we go back and train some more?"

Uzui laughs, though you can see a bit of a surprised expression on his face. "You're too eager. And you've got to rest. We can't risk you getting hurt again," he decides.

"But I'm not even tired!"

"Don't care."

"Where'd you put my swords?" you question, looking at him.

"In my room," he answers, not taking his eyes off of you. "You need a break."

"And they're safe?"

"Yes," Uzui nods, and you can tell he's getting impatient.

"Hey, let's go out tonight, Y/N! We haven't had any fun since you've gotten here. We deserve a night out!" Suma suggests, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh yeah!" Uzui beams. "Let's have a night out. Get some drinks and have a good time. How's that sound, Y/N?"

"Like you want us drunk," you shake your head, a sinking feeling returning to your stomach.

"Hmph. Well... This is part of your training so you have to have fun!" he grins.

"How do you figure that?" you groan, leaning back into the bed a bit more.

"Because you need to learn to give yourself a break once in a while," Uzui answers. "Otherwise, you'll get stressed and anxious. And if that happens, you're going to start making stupid mistakes."

"He's right," Suma agrees, and the two of them nod.

They're right, you can only admit to yourself. Perhaps that's why your body froze. All you can think about is demons and fighting. But that's all you can think about! If you're not preparing for a battle, then what is there to do?

"Fine," you sigh. "We'll go out tonight."

"That's the spirit!" Uzui cheers, a grin spreading across his face.

You merely roll your eyes and watch as the two of them leave the room. You let out a long sigh and stare at the ceiling.

For some reason, you can't help but think back to when Uzui's hand was pressed against your face. He was gentle and kind. Something you're not otherwise used to. And the way he looked at you was different than any way he had talked to you before. Almost like he cared.

You close your eyes and try to sleep for a bit, but every time you do, all you can think about is him.

"Ugh!" you groan, tossing and turning, unable to get the image of his face out of your mind. "Can't I just relax?"

Suddenly, a voice speaks up from across the room, making you jump.

"Y/N, I don't mean to intrude, but if something is bothering you, I'd be happy to help."

You quickly sit up and see the insect hashira smiling kindly at you.

"Oh, Shinobu! When did you get back?"

"Just a few minutes ago. I wanted to check on you. You were unconscious for a long time. How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright," you answer, still a bit stunned. "Did you say you'd be happy to help me?"

"Of course," she nods. "It's my job to make sure my patients are well taken care of. So, tell me, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing, really. It's just, uh, well," you stutter, not sure whether to share or not.

"You can tell me," Shinobu assures you. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone."

"Alright," you sigh, looking down at your hands. "Well, I don't really know how to explain this. But I was thinking about, um, well, it's-"

"Is it about a guy?" she gasps. "Ooo, I just knew the two of you had something going on! He was so worried when he rushed in to see you before. Rengoku's a good man. And he really seems to care about you."

"Rengoku?" you whisper, ignoring the heat that rushes to your face at the thought of someone else being concerned for your well-being. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, he came in all flustered and worried. He wanted to stay by your side and make sure you were okay, but Uzui insisted you were to not be disturbed. So he waited outside... until he got called away."

"That was really nice of him," you whisper, looking down at your hands in your lap. You'll have to make sure you thank him when you get the chance.

The Emptiness You Left

#uzui x reader #uzui x y/n #uzui x you #tengen uzui x you #tengen uzui x reader #tengen uzui x y/n #tengen uzui #uzui tengen #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer self insert #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #kny x reader #kny fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #x reader #x fem!reader #fanfic #the emptiness you left

[nicohverse]

Little Lion, Baby Bea...

(Art by @kiwifie !)

Who's curious about this sweetheart? This cute lion has been the topic of lots of discussion lately- For somebody with so little going on in her head, she sure is mysterious! And what little she does have going on in her head is wonderful- It's not a pejorative, the girl's genuinely been lobotomized. Luckily, it's not quite as bad as it sounds- She was pretty airheaded to begin with. The part of her brain she lost made it so she can't do magic to hide her animal features, and gave her a lot of cognitive difficulties.

"It's like... There's these things I know I knew how to do. And I don't know it at all anymore. I can't get it back. Even if I try to learn it again. It's scary... Like being trapped in a box, but the box has windows."

A girl who's new to adulthood and trying hard to assert her ability to be one in the face of her struggles, Bea might be cute and small, but she certainly won't tolerate being infantilized. She's living with a great caretaker who never underestimates or overestimates her ability- She's accommodated without being condescended to, and wants to reclaim sweetness and enthusiasm for herself while asserting her autonomy!

Some of Bea's struggles are pretty personal to me- About a year ago, I was still recovering from a lot. I'd only left an unsafe-for-me work environment a few months prior, hadn't yet hit a full year since 'recovering' from a covid infection that added to the workplace's exacerbation of my health conditions... I spent quite a while in an incredibly difficult cognitive space, actively fighting against brainfog...

Some stuff I haven't really talked about to anybody before- I could hardly make my brain remember anything I'd learned in college that hadn't been applied on the job since then. It was frightening and embarrassing to be without the information I spent so much time and money on. A lot of things I 'knew how to do' became muscle memory only- I could do them when I was doing them, but couldn't conceptualize how to do them if I sat down and thought about it. I'd find thoughts about things like solving a math problem would get stuck in my brain on loop without either progressing to the next step or going away. It was so difficult to deal with that I just about gave up on ever getting another job that utilized my mental skills without associating gross-motor movements.

But now, I'm better enough that I'm looking into getting more applicable credentials in my field, applying to data entry and medical record jobs again after recently losing my position as an art studio assistant. (Though worry not- All funds given to EF2 will be used for EF2) And better enough to be processing those feelings through Bea- A character who's incredibly precious to me. She's never going to 'get better' the same way I have- Instead, she's going to be a conduit for the idea that even if I hadn't recovered, I still would have found some kind of success. One of the many things Entropic Float is and always will be about is autonomy for the disabled community, to every possible degree that I have time in my life to portray.

If you want to help me portray that, and avoid reaching into my own recently-unemployed pockets to make Entropic Float 2 the best game it can be, the best property for Bea to find her joy in, consider supporting our stretch goals.

#cripplepunk #disability rights #disability pride #cognitive disability #visual novel #visual novel gamedev #gamedev #indie games #official content #indie gamedev #vndev #entropic float #entropic float 2: land of the witch #bea gumie

[booasaur]

avatrice is just so perfect so good. it makes so much sense that after all the cruelty she experienced ava would fall for bea who's so methodical and patient, bea who's so deliberately thoughtful and kind and compassionate. and after so many year of practicing control bea would fall for someone who lives so unrestrained with so much joy and curiosity. ugh just meant for each other. and a bit of a queen/knight thing going on too

Oof, anon, that's so well said! They match sooo perfectly, it really couldn't be anyone but Bea for Ava and Ava for Bea. The parts that contrast, the parts that complement, the way they like each other as people even outside all that.

It had to be Bea who first pointed out to Ava to think outside of herself, but so fairly and gently that then she was the one Ava turned to for comfort, earning her trust that quickly and keeping it. And it wasn't a one way thing, their relationship isn't just Bea being the cool, infallible one who helps Ava, when Bea was struggling with being gay and the perception of it, it was Ava who was so accepting it prompted that frankly super romantic "It was everyone but you."

What's more, even as they keep these core tenets of their personalities, you can see how each affects and slowly changes the other. Bea absolutely grounds Ava and has taught and trained her to be more mature and patient and a better leader, but also provides stability and a home base, a partner she knows she can count on, invaluable after everything she's gone through. Bea is more willing to try new things, more open to what might make her happy instead of living only for the church and accepting their harshest judgments.

This has been the culmination of decades of subtext f/f ships that seemed so perfect if only the writers would go there, best friends, enemies, rivals, partners, narrative foils of all kinds, and every time we'd say "if that were a man and a woman they'd go there" but they weren't and they didn't, not until now. Finally it feels like what we're seeing and that the writers are writing is on the same page.

I'd also like to give credit to the three things that for me were so necessary to this ship's success. First, it's main character/main character. I've always talked about this, right, the trajectory of canon f/f over time, starting with temporary sweeps stuff, then guest stars, then side characters, and even when including mains and leads, often the love interest was still a side character who might leave at any point. But this is as main/main as you can get! And doesn't it show? The amount of time, story, development? Whole plot decisions hinging on their feelings for each other? It's incomparable.

Second, the fact that they did a multi-season slow burn. I've talked about this before as well, the vanishly small number of shows where characters who were introduced in one season get together in another. Even smaller when both the characters were in the first episode, indicating their importance to the show, being a pivotal character from the start. It pays off in such a rewarding way when we get that anticipation and building of tension and speaks to the commitment and patience from the writers in doing it over such a long arc. Everything we know about these characters and their relationship we were allowed to observe over a significant amount of time and get truly invested in. Not to criticize those that write the full arc within a season, especially in these cancel-happy times, but y'all can't tell me this didn't feel AMAZING.

And lastly, for the most part this remains a very character-first kinda show, and I have not a single criticism for how they handled Ava, Bea, or Avatrice (though I'm not happy about certain other aspects). What we know about Ava and Bea, their traits that you can list so clearly, they're such fully formed characters and their actions feel so organic and rooted in what we already know about them. That's been so vital in appreciating their whole romance, it's always just made so much sense.

Oh, the queen/knight thing! I didn't even think about that but it's definitely there, and my favorite kind, where the knight character is awesome and protective, but the queen is fighting for the knight just as hard in her own way (see also: Dani/Grace >_>).

This turned out to be truly special, really hoping the show gets one more season at least to cap things off.

#replies #femslash related stuff #sent on 20221120 #Anonymous #5 #warrior nun #avatrice #still not recovered from jetlag so you have me typing this up at 3 in the morning

[alitgblog]

reunion volume thoughts

first off oh damn goodbye Jin, Claudia, and Bea gonna miss yall so much 🥲😭

second, this was just such an anticlimactic way to say goodbye to all these characters lol

I'm not mad at them bringing in all the characters in groups so not everyone gets introduced all at once, but oh why did we start with Sienna and Hazel and then only at the end did we get Claudia, Theo, and Bea? Like I love a drama filled season, but even this I'm like let me take a victory lap with my friends first pleaseeee

I had enough gems so I was like ehh fuck it I'll listen to Hazel's airport drama but I did notice for more details about the same/related story later on you did still have to pay gems which is ridiculous and also if you didn't pay for at least one, then it's literally just them bickering for most of the reunion and then you get a little bit of free drama between your LI and some other dude. Like I think if you care less about the casa islanders' drama (which I absolutely understand bc I also care less about those islanders' stories), then this was a boring volume pretty much

small odd thing was that no other islanders showed up. like I get that not everyone would show if this was real and for the fiction clearly fusebox just doesnt want to draw the other islanders, but fusebox would only have to draw one dress for the missing islanders and it would make sense for them to show up. like Rachel is an OG where is she?? Felicity had some drama with the guys too how abou her?

Tyler's storyline didn't do much for me bc he gets dumped so fast that it's weird he has all these declarations about missing his connection with MC and wishing he had another chance. And it's sweet and tbh after playing this volume I do like Tyler's character more, but it's still so intense so fast. But also, if this whole storyline was for a reunion in s4 for Hazeem??? would love that. Like he got to know MC for a while but was pursuing Najuma and he realized too late he should've went for MC.

Oakley and Emel not making it on the outside was absolutely expected it went exactly how i thought it would but I do still wish they got 3rd or 4th place at least

Sophie and Jack together but unhappy and unpopular also something I would've predicted.

Sophie and Luna need to stopppp. I don't care for the other guys but I did pick Jack as the potential other man just to potentially piss off Sophie (unfortunately didn't really come into play).

why is Luna still salty though

althoughhhhh I did notice Luna and Tyler look good next to each other is all I'm saying. if both of them got more screen time I wouldn't be mad if they coupled with each other after MC stole Jin.

Claudia and Theo still together 🤦‍♀️

I'm so sorry Claudia I will replay for you 😘

Hazel is such a mess

I want whatever tf the remaining casa boys have. like in my game it's Shawn and Kyle and I'm like are they... together? what's going on there? I know Kyle and Hazel have a thing and Shawn and Sienna are no longer a thing but what's happening there? Also I have challengers on the mind so like.. heyyyy Shawn, Kyle, and Hazel, what's uhh the situation

Bea is barely in this. I know I've already said that but I'm so upset

Ngl the bit where Liam is teasing Claudia about hosting the game is kinda funny I wish all the characters had more fun in-character dialogue like that

I can't be bothered with the Max and Hari drama even though that seemed to be the main focus of the reunion and then you still have to pay gems for the whole story

and Jin's texting airport drama was so small too like it's really nothing and went exactly how I'd expect it to go

ok so general thoughts/fixes

the way almost everyone is single and you get a chance to run away with the og boys (plus liam) one last time doesn't really work for me (except Liam I guess his thing was fine, I do like the realism of him being like I came off as such an asshole I'm sorry but then also still being a little messy bc that's just him). I think maybe if there was an actual gap irl between the reunion getting released and the s8 finale it would feel better.

personally I think it could've just gone like the S1 reunion where it's a two parter, first of all. second, we get the scenery change whether it's Christmas in S1 or in S8's case, make it more autumn since it's been a few months. Again, just adds to the feeling like time has passed bc if it's just in the villa, it doesn't feel like we ever really left? THTH2 does this well too because they're still on an island vacation but they changed the backgrounds at least because it's a different location and I think that helps a lot.

I'd like less casa islanders drama and less dumped OG islanders drama

Literally would be okay if it was just partying and seeing like hey what are you up to? Is Hari's business going well? Is Jin booked and busier than ever as a model? Did MC and her partner move in together? Like we got a little bit from Liam's podcast news, Tyler traveling, and the broken up couples' relationship status, but that's it I think.

I'm trying to remember what made the other reunions so fun and I think fusebox gets close but not quite. So the first two revolve around weddings/proposals and S3 around a potential breakup, but I do like the idea of everyone hearing how one or two of the islanders slandered everyone on a podcast and they're all mad. It just also doesn't work because what if MC doesn't care? So it needs to be that plus something with your LI (for good or for bad), and then cut out most of the other stuff. Like we can include that apparently all the casa people hooked up with each other at one point but let's not let that be the main storyline or let it be less prevalent

you should be able to run away with Claudia or Bea if you're allowed to run away with the OG boys at the end. Like they can have the same storylines as the guys too, Bea being single and ready to move into a real relationship that she realized she wasn't really ready for during the show (like Tyler) and then Claudia yet again having doubts about Theo like the broken record that relationship is (like the guys in an unhappy couple with Emel/Sophie/Luna).

also ending in a big group hug is lame, it's very friend island energy and even s3 doesn't end like that. might as well copy S1 just end with your LI or running away with some other character while the person that was pursuing them earlier yells at you (does this only happen with Tim/Jen? I don't remember lol)

#litg #litg s8 #rambling #this is a disorganized post sorry i lost motivation to keep typing it midway thru haha

[loveislandthegame]

thoughts on today's volume! first off, let me say i really, realllllly hope that the next season doesn't have horrible couples acting like children at the finale 😭 hazel & hari were ruining the vibe . i gave FB props for not making her a villain, but i'm rescinding that now because they made both her and hari look absolutely ridiculous. it's astounding how much they manage to ruin their own characters. now let's get into the rest of it

FB you better be joking ! i've lost count of how many times they've used this box. at this point the feather is crusty, the silk is shattering, the massage lotion got bacteria in it, the whipped cream can is squirting out straight up nitrous oxide, etc.

i don't know what's more horrendous , the glitched massage oil overlay or this dress . what in the penny, nickel, dime is this ??

when i picked castle ruins for the final date i was envisioning like, a cute grassy hill with rocks scattered around, overlooking the sea . cute romantic vibes ... only for that shit to end up being a brick wall 😭 it's still a cute background though, and the date was nice

FB, where's my damn suit ! (i know i'm probably the only person that wants one but like, even the queen herself, s2 MC, had a suit option at prom) i ended up going with the black dress, which was a good shout because it actually looks really good with claudia . we're giving sun and moon 🌚🌞 <3

of course we won, but with the way this season's been going i wouldn't have been surprised if we somehow had a tie with sienna (i know it's not possible though because she gets dumped if you aren't wlw. if you're wondering about the ranking it was 4th: hazel/hari 3rd: sienna/kyle 2nd: bea/theo)

before going outside MC had a conversation with claudia's mother, and i loved this. minus the land part, this is the kinda shit i'd want as gifts IRL

when i tell you i groaned out loud when i saw who the VIP guest was. also, during the recap of our villa journey i have no clue why he was acting like i chose to be with jin in the recoupling prior the final one, did FB forget it was boy's choice ? (the AI is AI-ing girl...)

spin the block...? You can’t be talking like that White Baby

FB really screwed over the people who were romancing finn, i'm actually gagged . granted i think you're a bit delulu if you picked love instead of money with anybody besides lulu , but finn actually was an LI option. this is worse than hamish getting with ivy, i genuinely wanna know wtf were they thinking

the diamond scene with finn was the least robotic conversation this whole season, perhaps the misogynistic creeps that wrote season 5 came back to write that pile of bullshit. don't bother buying it. if you really wanna know: finn got back with kat, they tried to have an open relationship and it flopped

is he an option to run away with or what? i don't know because i slammed the tf out of the "i'm in a relationship" option 👹

love or money time, and i picked love of course ! i would say we walked off into the sunset but it's already night time

next week's volume is gonna be a reunion and ... ugh 😐 respectfully, they should've just pulled the plug here . at this point the only other islanders i care about are bea & theo, but after the final recoupling they pretty much became nonexistent (and knowing FB, this reunion is probably gonna be dedicated to helping one of these wack ass couples fix their relationship drama ...)

#love island the game #litg #litg spoilers #litg tempting fate #litg season 8 #litg s8 #spoilers