#It’s pretty much a self-run event & what you see in this post is literally all there is to it- if you need advice though I’m happy to help!

[jack-o-chica-the-spooky-chick]

The summer sun has set and the haunting season is upon us - so let’s get this spooky soiree started!!! You are all invited to the fifth annual unofficial Tumblr Trick-or-Treat event: Jack-O-Treat!!!

First of all, we’re going to try to keep this a PG-13 event!!!

So here’s the low-down:

Blogs can sign up to be ‘houses’ to give out treats … or tricks if that’s more their style! Treats/tricks can be photos of a handful of candy, pre-made/on-the-fly art, short literary pieces, poems, or whatever the ‘house’ wants to give out as long as it sticks with the basic PG-13 rule. Oh, and no jump-scares as tricks/treats please.

On Oct. 15th, I’ll publish a list of blogs trick-or-treaters can visit, and the event officially starts! Trick-or-treaters don’t have to notify me that they’re participating - just bring your spooky self and send an ask/message/submit-a-post/tag saying ‘trick or treat’ to a ‘house’ blog.

Houses have until the clock chimes at midnight on Nov. 1st to give out treats to any trick-or-treaters who visit on/after Oct. 15th. [Though of course, no fowl if it takes you a little longer to hand out your goodies.]

Individual blogs can choose to accept this rule or not, but we will set the evening of Oct. 28th (Friday) as the suggested deadline for trick-or-treaters to send their asks. That way blogs can hopefully catch up before the big night if they need to!

🎃

OK, I gotta lay down some basic rules:

Don’t be a jerk. If someone is being flat-out rude, please tell me and I’ll look into it.

All fandom/non-fandom blogs are welcome to join in!

You don’t need a muse to participate.

‘House’ blogs can also trick-or-treat.

Trick-or-treaters can visit as many ‘house’ blogs as they want - no shade if you just want to visit one or two particular blogs or the whole neighborhood. Please only visit a ‘house’ blog once unless they say they’re alright with repeat visits.

NSFW/18+ blogs are welcome to join as long as they let me know so I can put a notation on the participant list. Still gotta keep the tricks/treats PG-13 though - this is pretty much for both our sakes.

🎃

So if you want to run a ‘house’ blog, let me know through an ask/message and I’ll get back to you to confirm your spot! I’ll post a list of the houses on Oct. 15th, but if you decide you want to join in after that and hand out treats, just contact me and I’ll make updated lists of houses as we go along. If you need to exit the event, let me know and I’ll post that you’re ‘out of candy.’ Hey, life happens - we get it!

If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me - chances are good that you’re not the only one wondering!

🎃

Spread a little Halloween-y mischief if you want, be good to each other, and of course, have a frightfully fun time!!!

-The Poultrygeist

#Jack-O-Treat #Jack-O-Treat 2022 #Halloween #Halloween Event #FNAF #Trick-or-treat event #Btw I’m traveling until Sunday evening (& often w/no connection) so I’ll be slow to respond to any messages #This may be the last year I host the event (Five years at Jack-O-Treat seems like a fitting number)- #-so if any of you would be interested in hosting a similar event now or in the future you’re welcome to! #I’ll make a proper post about it later but as much as I love hosting the event- Oct. is my busiest month in meatspace #It’s pretty much a self-run event & what you see in this post is literally all there is to it- if you need advice though I’m happy to help! #If you know what FNAF game that owl is from you get a ghost-high-five ;)

[sinnamonpork]

Dabi getting deaged but its into his teenage self. I want the League(and also Hawks) to deal with this bratty, very explosive teenager who's so different from the aloofness of Dabi they have gotten used to. Oh shit he's crying now? Quick, leave him with Tomura, he'll know what to do. Lmao just the League passing him around like a hot potato because young Touya would cry at the smallest of inconveniences. Everyone thinks they're doing something wrong because Dabi has never been like that - no one knowing his tear ducts are burned shut.

I want a Touya that becomes a blushing mess when he meets Hawks, suddenly turning shy and stuttery - even going as far as to hide behind Mr. Compress - and not making any eye contact with the hero. Normal Dabi is already a simp for the pretty bird. Imagine a Touya riding on teenage hormones seeing the full beauty of Hawks. Anyways, Touya and Toga spend the rest of the day trying to find ways to attract the pretty hero, Toga finding it sooo romantic and cute. Keigo just wants to be freed from the torment of having his crush's teenage self be a total cutie pie - is he doing a mating dance?? - when it is very much illegal to event think about anything nsfw relating to the teen. Hawks is trying to be a villain, but there are some lines you don't cross.

Or on a more angstier note, this happened post reveal and everyone is aware that Dabi is Touya, but it never really registered how bad a 13 year old burning alive really is. 16 year old Dabi is scared and feral from living on the streets, not trusting anyone at all and always carrying a knife around. He startles easily at fires and big forests, memories of pain and more pain coming back to haunt him. I want Hawks to make the mistake of mentioning Endeavor, because in his mind the no. 1 hero would always be a safe space for young kids and the like - forgetting that the person in front of him literally burned alive due to the hero. Just Hawks and the League dealing with a very skittish Touya that is ready to run or shank somebody in the thigh if they get too close, being slapped in the face of what years of abuse and trauma by the no. 1 hero does to a person. Dabi hides it well, but Touya isn't really Dabi yet, is he?

#hehe deaging au go brr #them seeing touya deal with the first few times he stapled himself #still not used to it and dry heaving in the bathroom floor #i know the timeline doesn't make sense here but meh #just imagine it #tomura suddenly has another reason to destroy hero society #starting with endeavor ofc #dabi #todoroki touya #league of villains #shigaraki tomura #shimura tenko #himiko toga #mr. compress #pro hero hawks #takami keigo #dabihawks #dabi x hawks #touya x keigo #mha #bnha #imagines

[shikai-the-storyteller]

UEUEUEUEUEUEU ILL SEND YOU THIS WHILE WAITING TO SEE BOBBYS STATUS.

Dw idm u answering publicly, I want everyone to be cursed w the thought that Rubius is a babygirl and a very bad one at that <3

Honestly I've only read a few explanations of their lore and bits about their relationship but they seem sooooo,,, /pos. Like they have such a fun and silly dynamic that has this air of toxicity and their loves feels quite self destructive bc rubius is kind of a destructive force of nature of a person who has a tendency to hurt those around him, perhaps as a defense mechanism or perhaps out of simply not understanding there are consequences to the things he does while vegetta is someone far too forgiving, he continues to love rubius despite how much he hurts himself, others, and vegetta himself. I'm not saying cubito rubius is an awful person but from what I've seen he is,,, complex. Difficult despite seeming silly. I could be just completely wrong tho LOL I am doin my best I prommy

ANYWAYS IM CHEERING U ON IN WRITING!!! I'd love to talk to u abt them more and learn more abt rubegetta bc like. Look. Theres no way q!vegetta isnt hung up on that demon idc,,,

I'm likewise waiting for the Eggstatistics (which will probably get posted while I'm in the middle of writing this) (EDIT: IT DID) and you gave me the opportunity to infodump so prepare for an essay LMAO

There are SO many layers to Rubius and Vegetta’s relationship (both romantic and friendship-wise), and that complexity makes them fascinating characters to study. I’ve been discussing this a lot in private lately, but I feel like there’s quite a bit of misinformation / misinterpretations of Rubius and Vegetta’s relationship amongst some of the newer fans who might not know some key components of their personality and their relationship dynamic as a whole (which is understandable since the majority of their lore came from Karmaland, and a lot of newer fans only speak English / only watch QSMP), so ALLOW ME TO ELABORATE:

I think of the two, Rubius definitely gets mischaracterized the most (which, again, maybe isn't too surprising since not everyone watched Karmaland and he hasn't been on the QSMP server too much lately). I could go off on a tangent here and list my frustrations about the people who harassed him for his role / his actions during the Egg event / whining about ships to the point where he decided not to log into the server again ‘til the Egg event is over, but that's ultimately irrelevant to this discussion.

“Their love feels quite self-destructive” is a really good way to sum things up, because Rubius is a pretty self-destructive man. Rubius is, fundamentally, a man who is full of love for the people he cares about, but those feelings are in direct conflict with his reluctance to let people get close to him (and his commitment issues). He can freely give hugs and kisses (and more) to Vegetta, but when it comes to expressing his true thoughts and feelings, he’s pretty emotionally constipated. We’ve already seen this a few times on the QSMP server – when Rubius visits on Vegetta’s birthday, he sings him the most beautiful heartfelt love song ever, but as soon as it’s over and Vegetta tries to talk to him, Rubius runs away. Even in Karmaland V, when hooked up to a lie detector and asked about his feelings for Vegetta, Rubius tried to wiggle his way out of answering. Only when the world was literally ending and they all thought they were gonna die did Rubius finally admit his feelings, shouting his confession and his love for Vegetta at the top of his lungs.

(The real tragedy here is that it was so chaotic with everyone shouting, Vegetta never heard his words…)

Although it’s easy to slap the label “toxic” on Rubius, I think that’s unfair to him and his character, as well as his intentions. He truly does love Vegetta with all his heart, in every universe, and he doesn’t want to hurt him, but Rubius doesn’t want to get hurt either. The Meteor shower conversation gives us a clear understanding of that:

Rubius: I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to get my hopes up, and then get hurt. It's happened to me many times before. Especially here in Karmaland. Vegetta: Have you had lovesickness? Rubius: Yes. In Karmaland, everywhere, in real life... I'm already used to getting beaten. Vegetta: That's a pity... Rubius: I just want someone to take care of me, and that's it. I don't ask for much. Vegetta: I'm very protective.

The way I see it, Rubius is afraid of his feelings for Vegetta, because the larger his love grows, the larger that potential for hurt and disappointment gets. Does this excuse all his actions? No, of course not, however there’s a big difference between doing something out of self-preservation (possibly as a trauma-response, depending on how you interpret his character) and doing something with the intent to hurt someone.

IMO, Rubius isn’t a toxic guy, he just needs therapy.

Vegetta doesn’t get mischaracterized quite as often, though I do feel like people have a tendency to put him on a pedestal and minimize the flaws he has. I’m a massive Vegetta fan, but this guy’s far from perfect. He’s self-centered, borderline narcissistic sometimes, and he’s a very prideful man. He’s never left Rubius at the altar, but he’s still had his fair share of “oopsies” and "yikes" in their relationship. One (which I’m surprised people don’t talk about more) is an incident from Karmaland IV where Vegetta, very unhinged and mentally unstable at the time, kidnapped Rubius’ wife Nieves and threatened her with a sword, saying, “If Rubius can’t be mine, he can’t be anyone’s.”

For the longest time I genuinely thought that line came from a fanfic or something, then I stumbled upon the clip one day and I was just like:

Anyways

In Karmaland V, Rubius became very close with a little alien child named Titi. He took care of Titi like he was his own son, and despite his attempts at emotionally distancing himself early on so he wouldn’t get attached, Rubius wound up caring a lot for him.

Then Titi died.

It was basically Rubius’ worst nightmare come to life – he’d let himself get close to Titi, he’d loved him unconditionally and let Titi into his heart, and Titi’s death utterly destroyed him. Everyone in Karmaland was affected by the death, but Rubius took it especially hard because of how close they were. Rubius was hurting badly and resorting to terrible coping strategies to deal with the pain, and Vegetta…

Well. Vegetta wasn’t very nice about it.

There are a lot of ways we could interpret Vegetta’s actions and words during this time – maybe he’s not super sensitive when talking about death since he’s probably some kind of demigod, maybe he speedran the grieving process, maybe he thought brutal honesty and direct action would help Rubius “snap out of it” sooner. However you see it, ultimately it did a lot more harm than good for Rubius’ overall mental health.

I bring these examples up not to paint their relationship as toxic or negative, but rather to express just how complex it is. Because, despite all their mistakes and drama and heartbreak, at the end of the day, Rubius and Vegetta still love each other more than anything else. Even towards the end of Karmaland V when they were quite literally on opposite sides of the battlefield (one supporting Quackity, the other supporting Luzu), their true loyalties lay with one another. When Rubius was hit by an enemy, Vegetta defended him with his life, and when Vegetta was hurt, Rubius did the same.

Yes, Rubius doesn't really know how to handle healthy relationships, and yes, Vegetta tends to forgive him too easily, but that doesn't erase the love they have. The key we need to remember here is that Rubegetta is a telenovela that sits squarely in the romcom category. They may wander into other genres and tropes from time to time, but they will always gravitate back to one another. Whether you define that as fate or soulmates or just sheer dumb luck, the facts remain and the love is there.

PHEW anyways that felt good to get out, I have so many thoughts on Rubegetta so I appreciate the excuse to rant. I'm always happy to chat about these two! :D And you're so right - Vegetta is so smitten for that demon, I hope he gets to meet the angel too. I hope Rubius comes back soon so Vegetta can see his Osito Fiu Fiu, but in the meantime, we'll have to keep wishing and praying just like Vegetta...

(ALSO THANK YOU the current chapter of that dang Rubegetta fic is kicking my butt rn because it's the only chapter I didn't outline and life events keep interrupting me when I try and work on it, but it IS getting chipped away at bit by bit! I hope folks enjoy the outcome when it's released :D)

#Karmaland #QSMP #Rubius #Vegetta777 #Rubegetta #Vegetta #i talk #qsmp talk #ethogirlie #replies #QSMP Analysis

[moonshine-nightlight]

Being sick for the past week meant that I had nothing better to do today than lay in bed and refresh tumblr waiting for chapter 34, and seeing it at the very top of my dash was the highlight of my day! The wait was definitely worth it, my health for the duration notwithstanding lol

SPOILER WARNING FOR PAST CHAPTERS IDK HOW TO PUT READ MORES IN ASKS I'M SO SORRY

You made the right call taking the extra time to edit this doozy of a chapter—figuring out how to share Dale's exposition in a way that made sense and fit into the events of the story while maintaining tonal consistency must have been quite the process, between the restrictions of Sana's POV, regency genre conventions, and the story's (heh) natural climax being Dale's identity "reveal" followed by the wedding. I'm very curious if you currently have any ideas for how you're going to tackle this exposition in the novelization, or if you're inclined to handle it differently at all!

@weasellyferret

i hope you're feeling better! i'm so glad you enjoyed the new chapter!

i hav no idea if u can even put a read more in an ask anymore and i can't hide it now but my answer will be under the read more

thanks! i think some people really underestimate how helpful even self editing is to make things coherent, especially for a long chapter like this one that covered so much but also was literally just two ppl talking to each other (ppl lov to say they'll take any update, but lik, thats cuz they dont knooow lol and i dont just want it to b passable, i want it to b good).

with lore/backstory like this i also have to make sure it makes sense to readers who havent read any of it before nor know any of the even more info that I know because there's even more worldbuilding and dale backstory that wont end up in the story.

i'm glad u think i pulled it off to any degree because i was still pretty nervous when i was posting it that it did make sense, fit in the world, was followable, interesting but not just exposition monologue, etc

yeah, chapter 30 where they have the reveal convo is the primary climax of the story and that's also 'just talking' in a sense so its interesting to write this story in that sense lol

while i had the broad outline of the world and dale's backstory from the beginning (i did a little exercise where i sketched out a sort of Dale POV of chapter 6 to get into his mindset which was super helpful) as I wrote the story a lot more of that info became fully fleshed out/defined. so for the novelization, i'll probably try to work more of the info in earlier or have better allusions to it, which will make some of the info in chapter 34 more of a quick confirmation than the exposition itself

ie i might add a chapter with more detail on Sana researching with Dale's books that Bilmont smuggles and plant suspicions of what went wrong with the summoning; i might adjust the chapter after the attack to be more of a convo about the assassination that the grandparents interrupt where Sana can suspect more of Dale's past etc and generally spread out what i can so its more foreshadowed/natural - things like that

other aspects sort of have to be told to Sana because its POV limited, evn when it is updated to 3rd POV. i'll probably do a straight POV swap and minor edit ; then take a look at it as a whole, reassess things on my own, run those ideas by some writer friends/betas and get their thoughts, and finally my editors (who i used for DSM) are also very good with making sure worldbuilding fits in right and so their advice will be helpful - especially since they will only get the draft i giv them without knowing how it was and what changed etc

once chapter 35 is out (which i'm still writing because smut is a challenge to right and i write it more slowly than other things) i'll start slowly editing and passing along to betas the rest of the story (i've got thru chap 11 done and betas who only read those and who are chomping at the bit - u think u've had a long wait? lol) but it will be spring by the time i do any big edits/revisions and then i'll giv it to the editors, who i already lik, semi-lined up for that time period and idk how long they will take because its a long book and then i'll need to process their edits too so it'll be a lengthy process, but i hope everyone knows it will 100% b a novel and i hope they enjoy it!

now back to stabbing away at the smut writing ;)

#asks #writing asks #story asks #nothing's wrong with dale #worldbuilding #exposition #backstory #lore dump #editing #my process? #lol idk - i think i went on for too long #hope someone finds this interesting #especially u #weasellyferret

[caernua]

re: your arcana post - i literally don't even go here but i live for drama.... if you were ever to do a video essay or even just a write up in a post about the situation.... i want to know what happened, can't resist 👀👀

oh my goodd it's so eerie to explain it to someone who wasn't involved but this silly little mobile dating sim was just an initial passion project from a small team of employees of an indie game developer that was basically given six weeks to turn in something completely self-indulgent and it quickly got a backing on kickstarter around 2016-2017? beyond that it was quite a classic case of a project becoming more famous than its creators expected and it turns into a bit of a mess bc of their lack of experience. and by that i mean they got very close to the fans, and that's bound to open a can of worms. they used to make weekly q&as and you can't imagine what an exciting event that was, oh my god literally everyone was in a discord server losing their shit bc the devs had opened the askbox and we could ask the stupidest questions in the world about their characters and they would answer bc frankly they were very funny and the characters were all like... established in a funny enough way that it was so easy to make good jokes about them.

and i think what makes it very interesting is that the fandom was actually pretty small, but it felt HUGE. those q&as seemed like the most viral posts you could run into when you logged on tumblr but really most of them had a couple thousand notes at best, even when the arcana was at its most popular. it was literally like living in a small village where everybody knew EVERYBODY. if you posted something, high chance everyone in the fandom would see and reblog. it was like a hive mind.

also part of the reason why it felt so huge was bc everyone was churning out fan content like CRAZY, i don't think there was ever any fandom i've personally been in where i've seen so many people create so much damn stuff and frankly i think it's one of its strongest features. idk what it is about this game but everytime i revisit it inspires me so much, suddenly i wanna pick up my tablet after months, i wanna try writing again, etc. it's just wonderful at urging you to create and i have no idea how one even achieves that.

but yea the fandom slowly disappeared partly due to controversies, some of the creators were found to have been into some questionable stuff back in their not so olden days and they stepped away from the limelight, afterwards i believe a lot of the team stepped away from the game altogether. but it was weird because the controversies were constant, not just towards the creators but also within the fandom itself 💀 and given the huge volume of them they of course ranged from reasonable criticism especially regarding the representation of the characters of color, or the absurd microtransaction to stuff like 'his eyes are drawn bigger in this cg so the artists wanted to make him look like a child so this game caters to pedos actually' dkjgdkfj i saw some CRAZY takes and the bad faith criticism definitely overshadowed the reasonable voices in my opinion, it was not balanced at all. they stopped doing the q&as, the posts they made on their official tumblr became way more sanitized, and actually in a way so did some aspects of the game, and little by little it grew quieter.

and now it's... silent. but it's so near and dear to my heart, i think it's an absolutely wonderful game and what i love about it the most is how much it inspires people to create. and i think the reason why is bc unlike in many games like this (at least i think, i'm not sure cause i haven't played many) your character doesn't just suddenly meet every love interests. they have a connection to some of the love interests and a past they don't remember so it's very interesting to peel those layers back, BUT because it's your character the story stays quite vague about the past. so it's incredibly fun to speculate, to create a backstory, etc! that's i think one of my favorite things about it and it's not a coincidence that arcana went on to inspire some fans to venture into the visual novel genre as creators themselves.

and yea overall it just felt like a close positive community (well. mostly really, we are talking about a fandom on tumblr here so) and a super creative and inspiring one. the jokes were super fun, the art was top notch, the writing was also good. so yea i kinda miss it and it's sad to see how empty it seems now? like i see people from 2020 onward go 'ohh i just discovered this game' and i'm like... MY SWEET SUMMER CHILD... YOU HAVE NO IDEA.... YOU HAD TO BE THERE.... and ig i didn't really answer your question bc i kind of glossed over the drama but i went through the whole phenomenon bc i think it was. really interesting to witness 🫡

#can't believe i'm blogging about the arcana in the year of our lord 2023... 2024 almost #anonymous #asks

[i-am-megalodonna]

So for the collector’s curse AU, how does he feel during hollow mind? Or maybe during the Titan trapper thing? Or even during the time they visited the island king was on? :0 like how does he deal with those events? Especially because he might see imagery of himself everywhere ?

I can't talk about the island yet because at the moment we don't know that there's really any connection with the Collector, and I will talk about the Titan Trappers in the future when I organize my thoughts, but I can talk about Hollow Mind right now. I have a whole page prepared, in fact. I was going to make a post about it soon, but I might as well dump it all here! So here you go, here are all my Hollow Mind thoughts (as of right now, anyway).

The events of Hollow Mind happen pretty much the same, with some things to be determined (could the Collector be seen in the mindscape for whatever reason, how do they respond, stuff like that), but what happens for certain is that in addition to seeing the Collector flashback they see in canon, Luz also sees a memory that involves the Collector telling Belos how to do the draining spell. Everything goes downhill from there (as if it wasn't already lol).

Luz already knew that the Collector and Belos were friends, and while it’s definitely hard to see them acting so cruel, none of that was really a revelation to her. What was a revelation was the fact that they weren't just complicit in Belos’ plan, they're the entire reason it exists.

If you saw that one comic I posted a little earlier, that was a concept for an interaction that would lead up to that revelation. I haven't quite decided whether that interaction happens, marking a clear checkpoint of character development for the Collector, or if he pulls an Amity and tries to avoid such memories for the sake of saving face. Which is also a sign of character development, but like, in a sad way (hes changed enough to be ashamed of his past self and doesn't want someone he cares about to see it).

And then there’s the stuff that happens after they get out and Hunter runs off, which sucks just as much.

First of all, neither of them want to talk about what they saw.  I played around with one of them trying to talk while the other gives them the silent treatment (either by means of elixirs or literal ghosting), but Luz basically goes into shock after the events of the episode and the Collector really doesn’t strike me as one who would initiate difficult conversations.  And having someone you like see you at your absolute worst in 1080p?  That’s pretty difficult.

Especially when your worst amounts to instructing a man on the ins and outs of mass murder.  Even if they’d matured in the thousands of years they’ve been alive, it wouldn’t make that any easier.

Luz ends up initiating the dialogue before she talks to the others.  She doesn’t want to, but she can avoid the others.  She can’t avoid him.  She knows he’s just sitting there, watching her so she rips the bandaid off while they still have some space to talk alone.

There isn’t really that much to say on her end except to recite what she learned.  The Collector wasn’t just involved with Belos; they caused all of this.  They’re the reason all of this is happening.  They’re the reason everyone’s life is now at risk.

She asks them why they’re even doing all this.  Do they really care about saving anyone, about undoing all of the damage they’ve done?  Or is all of this just to settle a score?  Forgive her for finding it a bit hard to believe that someone could go from yes genocide to no genocide in such a relatively short amount of time.  Especially when the Day of Unity could give them their own body back, something that she knows they want.

It mostly hurts because she thought they were friends.  The possibility that he may have purely been using her to get back at Belos kind of stings.

The Collector doesn’t really know how to respond to any of that, at least not coherently.  Because most of it is true.  Obviously what they saw was the truth, and the idea that he was using her to get back at Belos isn’t that far off.  There’s nothing he can say that could possibly make any of it better, and it doesn’t help that he barely understands his own rapidly changing feelings.  For being an agent of utter chaos, he’s been his own constant for much of his existence.  But through the verbal equivalent of clumsily stumbling down a flight of stairs, he manages to get out that when he was working with Belos, he thought that they were going to do the whole thing together, and that after the ordeal they would remain that way for however long they had left.  He wasn’t really one to think beyond the immediate moment.  He really did think of Belos as a friend, as much as something like him could, and it was a cold slap to the face when it all fell apart.

If they turned their back on Luz at the last second and went through with the draining spell somehow, they would get their body back, which would be cool, but then what?  Despite themself, they’ve grown very… involved with the life of the Isles.  Enough so that the idea of destroying it all has become far less appealing.  And they’ve become irrevocably attached to Luz.  If they did all of that she would be pretty upset, and that’s enough for them to care a little.

I don’t want to woobify him too much lmao.  Point is, seeing everything go to hell in a handbasket would be fun in the moment, but it wouldn’t last.  And without a partner in crime to share the chaos with, it would ultimately feel empty.

He tries hugging her for the first time.  It’s kind of hard when you’re basically a ghost, but the sentiment is there.

She’s still not happy with what she’s learned and his explanation doesn’t fix things right up, but there’s nothing more that can be said.  The only option both of them have is to pick up the pieces and try to move on as best they can. If they want to fix this, they're going to do it together - it’s not like they have much say in the matter.

And then Edge of the World happens and whoopsie daisy there’s another rough conversation.

#collector's curse au #toh #the owl house #the collector #luz noceda #megalodonanswers

[multifandom-but]

Who is likely to take Hunter in + How is drives the story:

Chances are I’m going to edit this post along the way but these are my thought so far just after 2x17 events.

Starting with The Owl House:

Considering we already have 2x17, they seem less likely as of now. I would’ve assumed they chased Hunter down but with all of them wanted and so close to being arrested, it’s probably not the safest for Hunter to be there. But what about after the events of the story?

After, it definitely seems possible. They’re clearly making a sibling dynamic between Luz and Hunter (as if they don’t have that already). And it would be good for him to branch out and learn the ways of wild magic, especially away from Belos. This family, especially Luz, are so good at making others see another point of view and keeping an open mind. It would be nice to see them try to help Hunter and make him feel comfortable. Showing that just because he wasn’t born like other witches or even humans, he still gets to be his own person. And we all know Eda loves adding more people to the family. But at the same time, Hunter and Eda need time to build a connection. At the moment, it seems more like a “I’ll take him on weekends and holidays” kind of deal rather than a permanent situation but I definitely see them becoming family whether they live together or not.

In terms of where we are this the story right now, it would be a lot to focus on. With Luz going back home, King’s new identity, and everyone clearly keeping it hidden that they’re upset Luz will head home soon, the story would be pretty thick if Hunter were added on though I wouldn’t mind much. That being said, I’m sure they’ll meet again either planning a rebellion or somewhere within the rebellion.

Willow:

Chances are Hunter is in a group chat with the Emerald Entrails after the events of 2x13 ASIAS. Out of everyone on the team, Hunter would most likely ask for Willow’s help as he clearly respects her as captain. It would be a nice place for him to stay away from Castle grounds and have somewhere cozy. Plus Willow seems to have no ill will towards Hunter as she’s awaiting “Caleb’s next day off.”

These two are clearly made to be parallels of each other via being “half witches.” I’d even make the argument that they’re foils of one another.

When we first meet Willow in S1, she’s bullied, has one friend, and is lacking self-confidence. It isn’t until she’s thrown into the plant track where we see her blossoming (hehe). With Hunter, we saw him at the top of his game as the Golden Guard and Emperor’s right hand man. Now he’s lost all of that and is disgusted at the thought of being the G.G successor. If Hunter is with Willow, we would get more Willow and Gus (I’m assuming) content. Willow would help Hunter the same way Luz and Gus helped her. She would help him find his confidence and sense of meaning in this world.

Now the problems: 1. Did Hunter have his scroll with him when he chased down Team RED (Raine, Eber, Darius) into the Night Market or did he leave it at the castle? I guess Flapjack (DAMN YOU PANCAKES) would be able to get it by flying up to his window but something tells me he wouldn’t leave Hunter alone like that even for a couple minutes in case something happens.

2. How would Willow’s dads react to having a 16 year old boy who’s literally the G.G and on the run in their house? But that could be easily fixed by having them be chill with it or making up a cover story and lying to them. Which would lead to conflict later but oh well chaotic route for the win.

Even if Hunter isn’t with Willow, I definitely think they’ll have room to grow together in the future and I’m excited to see how that happens.

Darius (Raine and Eber?):

I shall admit my bias here. I want Darius to take Hunter in. But I also think that’s the route we’re heading towards and he’s the most plausible guardian for Hunter.

Let’s start by saying Darius isn’t the kindest. He’s definitely not perfect taking into consideration “you don’t deserve to wear that patch,” and “Darius ignored me as per usual” in Hunter’s palisman observations (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s on YouTube. Dana did a stream).

That being said, it’s clearly depicted that Darius is not what he seems. He’s actively rebelling against Belos and was kind enough to give Hunter a scroll to contact his friends outside of the castle and pat him on the head. Bare minimum, I know, but that kindness has been foreign to Hunter for the past 16 years. Not only that but he shows genuine concern and panic over Hunter being trapped in Belos’ mind. I like the idea that they can make and grow their own family together. It would be nice to see them mourn and heal together.

It seems set up perfectly anyways. The fact that Hunter starts acting on his own accord the same time we find out that Darius was the previous G.G’s protege? Darius didn’t like that Hunter was Belos’ little lap dog. And that we know all of the previous G.G’s rebelled against Belos at some point and now Darius is as well and Hunter is on his way to doing so? He could help Hunter stand his ground. They could learn about Grimwalkers together as Darius knows Hunter’s predecessor, he knows the most about the previous G.G and he definitely knows something isn’t right over the fact that his mentor disappeared and this kid looks so similar. Darius has something to fight for with his connection to the G.G but now it has purpose and meaning cause he’s looking after Hunter.

Their stories align so perfectly.

Not only would we be able to focus on Hunter’s story cleanly about finding his own sense of dignity and self-worth, we get to see Darius humbled and step up, ready to fill in the role of a mentor and even a positive father figure in Hunter’s life. He gets to give back to his mentor by taking care of Hunter. It’s also worth noting, it would push Team RED’s objective and tie it to the main plot too. We’d get to see more of their story and how they started working together after Eda’s Requiem. It would be the smartest writing move with what we have so far.

Not to mention, chances are they found him already. You can’t tell me after such a strong reaction from Darius, plus Raine clearly wanting to help Eda get her kid (and their future stepdaughter) back, they just gave Eda the teleportation potion and dipped. I figured they would’ve stayed hidden to ensure Luz and Hunter made it out safely which means they could’ve seen the direction Hunter ran and followed him.

Only problem is: Would Hunter trust the three coven heads? After everything he went through, it would most likely take him a while to trust an adult in power, especially ones so close to Belos. And I feel like the only safe place they would hide him in where he can have access to basic needs are either if they have their own individual homes away from the castle, or maybe the BATS hideout that we saw in Eda’s Requiem.

Honestly, knowing this show and it’s creator, I wouldn’t be surprised if they went with none of those and surprise us somehow.

Regardless, I feel like all three of these are good choices and it’s nice to realize how many people care for Hunter and at the end of this hopefully he’ll have the biggest found family that ever found familied. Fingers crossed he isn’t just camping in the woods alone and cold.

#the owl house #the owl house spoilers #the owl house theory #toh season 2 #toh hunter #hunter the golden guard #toh luz #toh eda #toh willow #toh raine #dadrius #hoping to see this boy safe soon #my fingers are crossed for dadrius #I know flapjack is taking such good care of him right now #if no one takes him I will

[masterofd1saster]

CJ current events 16feb23

Spartan murders

The mass shooter who killed three students and left five others in critical condition at Michigan State University was identified Tuesday as a 43-year-old local man who previously spent time behind bars on gun charges.

Anthony Dwayne McRae was IDed after he was found dead of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound at 11:35 p.m., just over three hours after he first opened fire at the East Lansing campus.

“We have absolutely no idea what the motive was at this point,” MSU Police Interim Deputy Chief Chris Rozman said early Tuesday.

McRae “had no affiliation to the university — he was not a student, faculty or staff, current or previous.”***

McRae was finally tracked down after a local resident called a tip line during the more than three hours he was hunted after shooting up two locations at the school, officials said.***

Records show that McRae was arrested in June 2019 with a suspected loaded firearm in his car. He was convicted and sentenced to up to 18 months, getting released on supervision in May 2021, the Detroit News said.*** https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/13/us/michigan-state-university-shots-fired/index.html

+++

***He was arrested in 2019 for possessing guns without a concealed carry permit, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesperson Chris Gautz told Bridge Michigan on Tuesday.

Court records show McRae was initially charged with a felony in district court but later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in circuit court. He was put on probation in 2019 and was discharged from it in 2021.

On Jan.7, 2019, a police officer found McRae outside an abandoned building around 1:30 a.m. and stopped him for questioning. McRae acknowledged he had a gun without a concealed carry permit, claiming he brought the weapon with him in “fear for his safety” while out buying cigarettes, Gautz said.

He had four counts of driving while his license was suspended, Gautz said. Court records indicate he had several run-ins with local police for speeding, driving without insurance and other motor vehicle offenses. He pleaded guilty to those charges in Eaton County in 2006 and 2008 and in Ingham County in 2007 and 2008.*** https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/michigan-state-shooter-anthony-mcrae-had-guns-charge-run-ins-police

+++  

Some dummy posted a photo with a caption that

read: "#BREAKING: Michigan State University SHOOTING SUSPECT is 21 year old 'Lynn Dee Walker' according to dispatch audio. He is still on the loose and considered armed and dangerous. #ActiveShooter #MSU #MassShooting #MichiganStateUniversity #BreakingNews."***

Walker, a prolific tweeter who often shares his views on politics, posted several times on social media throughout the night as it became clear he was being publicly accused of an atrocity he did not commit.

He wrote: "I am at my house in western Massachusetts reading with my wife, if you see literally anybody spreading this s***, please get them to delete it. I don't ask for much & I have to be subjected to this sort of s*** on your behalf. Help me out here... If you see people posting me, report it, thanks...

"I dont want to stay up all night exonerating myself. Im just disgusted, viscerally disgusted... It's pretty f***** up that algorithmically this has brought me more followers than the good work that I do. God have mercy on the innocent people who are victims of this murder machine... Im being told CNN ran my face on tv? Someone get a screencap of that if that happened."*** https://www.newsweek.com/michigan-shooter-gunman-lynne-dee-walker-wrong-fake-hoax-1781034

***

Oakland, of course

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Video showing women who appear to be sex workers soliciting right outside a Catholic grade school in East Oakland is raising concerns about human trafficking in the area.

Parents and city officials tell the I-Team young women, some police believe may be trafficked, are walking outside St. Anthony's K-8 grade school off E. 15th Street in Oakland at all hours of the day.

Vargas called the Oakland Police Department as she picked up her daughter from school requesting officers come by to check the area. Just outside her window, a young girl in black stilettos was seen walking across the street from the school.

"My daughter asked if I liked what the girl was wearing," said Vargas. "I told her don't turn around, don't look. It's not OK."

Vargas says the women are scantily dressed or in some cases, even naked.***

We spoke with Father Ghebriel Woldai, the pastor for St. Anthony's parish.

"It's not enough," said Father Ghebriel, referring to the overall police presence. "They promised us they will do more presence here."

Father Ghebriel says St. Anthony's has had several meetings with the Oakland Police Department and city leaders over the years to enhance patrols in the area, but they need more help. He says the ongoing solicitation and trafficking has resulted in more shootings between pimps and gang members - even during the day.

MORE: Oakland dental surgeon arrested for human trafficking, offering to buy children for $30,000

"If there is a violent shooting, sometimes we experience those kinds, it scares me a lot," Father Ghebriel said. "We feel powerless... we just pray."

"But, Father, we know prayer alone, isn't going to solve the problem," Sierra said.

"Yes, I know... we start with prayer, but we have to end with action," Father said.

Action from police?

If you ask the Oakland Police Dept. - a new law is making it harder for them to crack down.

"Their hands are somewhat handcuffed," said Pierre-Antoine.

Previously, loitering with the intent to engage in prostitution was illegal. But SB 357, a bill introduced by State Sen. Scott Wiener repealed that law, in part because he found it to be disproportionately targeting transgender women.*** https://abc7news.com/human-trafficking-prostitution-oakland-catholic-school-st-anthonys/12764548/

***

Carj

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is seeking witnesses and video footage of a pursuit in which a Fountain police officer fell 40 feet off a bridge.

The alleged carjackers in the pursuit drove the wrong way on Interstate 25 at one point and attempted another armed carjacking at a gas station, the sheriff’s office said in a Friday news release detailing the pursuit. Three people were arrested in the pursuit, and the officer, Julian Becerra, is recovering from his injuries.

Fountain police officers and several other agencies were assisting the Department of Correction Parole Unit on Feb. 2 in locating a known carjacking suspect with active felony warrants.

Officers tracked the vehicle from Pueblo to Colorado Springs, and at about 5:30 p.m., officers spotted the vehicle at a store parking lot near North Academy Boulevard and Platte Avenue.

The carjacking suspects were believed to be attempting another carjacking in the store parking lot, but “because of the reckless actions of the suspect driving the vehicle, officers were unable to safely maintain the visual contact” and couldn’t confirm that carjacking, according to the news release.

A little while later at 7:15 p.m., the vehicle was located again on Interstate 25 heading north toward Fountain and tracked to the area of Colorado 85 and Alegre Circle, where officers confirmed the vehicle was occupied by three people.

Officers attempted several tactical vehicle interventions, maneuvers meant to force a fleeing driver to lose control and stop, but were unsuccessful.

The vehicle drove south on U.S. 85 through Fountain then entered Interstate 25 and headed south in the northbound lanes, according to the news release.***

https://www.denverpost.com/2023/02/10/fountain-police-officer-injured-pursuit-carjacking/

***

Californication

It seems that residents of California’s Mendocino County need to be careful to avoid drunk driving—except after being caught cheating on a spouse. The latest lowlight in Golden State legal history may sound like a tale from the Onion or the Babylon Bee. But the Bee covering this story is the one based in Sacramento.

The newspaper’s Daniella Segura reports:

A husband caught cheating on his wife drove drunk legally to escape his angry wife and lover, a California jury found.

The 60-year-old Ukiah man was caught driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.11%, the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office said in a Feb. 4 Facebook post. In California, it is illegal to drive with a BAC higher than 0.08%.

After a four-day trial, a jury found he was “not guilty of driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and not guilty of driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol .08 or greater,” the district attorney said.

The Facebook page for Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster*** https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-two-angry-women-defense-11675981851

***

Nellie has a point

→ Atomwaffen founder arrested for plotting terror attack: The founder of neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen was arrested this week for plotting to attack the power grid outside Baltimore. “This alleged planned attack threatened lives and would have left thousands of Marylanders in the cold and dark,” Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron said in a press release. The group of radicals who sometimes call themselves accelerationists (as in, accelerate the fall of modern society) have long argued that electrical grids are vulnerable, and taking them down is a good way to sow chaos. They’re right on both fronts! Accelerationist groups seem to be behind a growing number of attacks on electric grids around the country.

Listen, America has problems; that’s why we TGIF. But if you really, really hate modern America—like, hate it enough to want to shut down Baltimore’s power in February and most likely cause people to freeze to death—I recommend you simply move to a country that might suit you better. Qatar is right there, happy to have you. Iran is beautiful this time of year. Let’s keep the lights on, though.*** https://www.thefp.com/p/tgif-real-housewives-of-the-sotu

***

“Out on bond” is a sign you must change your evil ways

A Houston high school student who tried hiding from police in a school, causing a lockdown, following a police shooting during an attempted robbery was out of jail on bond at the time.

Mahamoudou Sylla, 19, was out on multiple bonds at the time he was allegedly involved in the shooting near Wisdom High School last week.

"He was out on multiple bonds," Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers Houston told Fox Houston. "The first bond was for evading arrest, the second bond was really serious aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon with three other co-defendants."***

Sylla and two other suspects – John Nsenguwera, 18, and a 17-year-old year teen – were involved in a robbery last week at an apartment complex when one of the suspects allegedly shot at someone. Houston police officers responded and an officer shot Nsenguwera, who allegedly pointed a gun at the cops. He was injured and taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.*** https://www.foxnews.com/us/houston-teen-robbery-shooting-lockdown-high-school-jail-bond

***

W/o 1st Amendment, prayer is a crime

Authorities in the United Kingdom charged a Catholic priest with violating a censorship zone when he silently prayed outside an abortion clinic while holding a sign that said “praying for free speech.”

Father Sean Gough, a pro-life priest stationed in Wolverhampton, England, had also parked his car in the area near the abortion clinic, which is covered by a Public Spaces Protection Order, according to Alliance Defending Freedom International. Authorities also took issue with Gough’s car, which has an “unborn lives matter” bumper sticker on it, ADF said.

*** https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/02/09/priest-punished-for-silently-praying-outside-abortion-clinic-father-sean-gough-adf-international/

***

Wonderful human being

Boston law enforcement announced Monday that an accused fentanyl dealer arrested by federal agents over the weekend is also charged with the broad daylight murder of a 13-year-old boy last month.

Csean Alexander Skerritt, who federal prosecutors say also goes by "Shizz Grimmy" or "Black," was charged through an arrest warrant Monday for the murder of 13-year-old Tyler Lawrence of Norwood.

The teen was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds Jan. 29 at 11:32 a.m. in the area of 119 Babson Street in Mattapan, Massachusetts, where the middle schooler was reportedly staying with his grandparents. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the Boston Police Department said.***

https://www.foxnews.com/us/accused-boston-fentanyl-dealer-charged-monstrous-broad-daylight-murder-13-year-old-boy-evil-intent

***

‘Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. - Orwell, G.  (1949).  1984. 

Josh Alexander is a 16 y/o student at  St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in Renfrew, Ontario, Canada.  There was a classroom discussion of gender.   “I said there were only two genders and you were born either a male or a female and that got me into trouble. And then I said that gender doesn’t trump biology.”

St Joe’s told him he could return only if he shut up.

“I walked into one of my classes. I sat down and everyone looked pretty surprised to see me there. Within two minutes the vice-principal was in the classroom asking me to leave,” Josh said.

He left the class and “almost immediately I was met with the police.” Josh was put in the back of a cruiser, driven off property and later released and charged with trespassing.  https://nationalpost.com/opinion/catholic-school-has-student-arrested-for-expressing-catholic-beliefs

Hm.  I wonder if Jesus ever said

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,*

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,  Luke 4:18.

***

***

Change anything?

Unsurprisingly, another high-profile crime story can be traced back to someone with a long, violent criminal history who probably should not have been out of jail in the first place.

Kendrid Hamlin, the man who attacked Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) in an elevator in her apartment complex, has a criminal history stretching back to 2015 when he would have been around 18 years old. Hamlin has been convicted of “engaging in a lewd, obscene sexual act,” stealing from a supermarket, entering a woman’s home without permission and stealing her laptop, and biting, spitting on, and kicking police officers.

Hamlin was sentenced to just 35 days in jail after assaulting the officers. His release date was two weeks before he attacked Craig. Hamlin punched Craig in the face and grabbed her near the neck when she refused to let him into her apartment.

The incident was so jarring that Craig and 30 other House Democrats decided to brave the accusations of racism by members of their own party in voting to override the city’s new proposed criminal justice reforms. The D.C. Council was trying to water down sentences for violent criminals even more than the current standards that allowed Hamlin to be out on the streets one month after assaulting police officers.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/another-high-profile-crime-committed-by-a-violent-career-criminal

***

Worth a look

When Nicole Hockley's son was killed during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, she joined parents in calling on lawmakers to strengthen gun laws to prevent other families from experiencing such tragedy.

When passing federal legislation proved difficult in 2013, Hockley turned her focus to a more hands-on method to prevent school shootings : student-oriented gun violence prevention.***

In 2018, Sandy Hook Promise developed an anonymous reporting system that allows students to upload tips, photos, or social media posts if they believe someone is harming themselves or others. The reports go to Sandy Hook Promise’s national crisis center — the first nationally accredited anonymous reporting system in the country.

Sandy Hook Promise’s tool kit is responsible for the prevention of 13 credible planned shootings and 93 acts of violence with a firearm as of January 2023, Hockley said.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/sandy-hook-promises-pivot-student-intervention-stops-school-shootings

***

Good review of fentanyl

https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-is-fentanyl-drug-opioid-health-safety-explained-11658341650

***

Faster death of despair

A veterinary tranquilizer that can cause serious wounds for regular users is spreading menace within the illicit drug supply.

Xylazine, authorized only for animals, is one ingredient in an increasingly toxic brew of illicit drugs that killed a record of nearly 107,000 people in the U.S. in 2021. It is typically mixed with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that itself has broadly infiltrated U.S. drug supply, including in supplies of cocaine and methamphetamine. Taken together, the volatile mixing means drug users often don’t know what’s in the substances they take.

Dealers may mix xylazine into fentanyl to save money, federal law-enforcement authorities said. The drug—known as “tranq” among some users—can be purchased at low prices from Chinese suppliers and offset some of the opioid in the mix. Its presence in the drug supply is part of the arms race between criminals seeking to enhance their products and authorities trying to disrupt the market. Public-health authorities are working on ways to monitor the constantly changing drug market.

For users, xylazine can also lengthen a high—with serious risks. The overdose-reversal drug naloxone that can be critical to saving fentanyl users doesn’t work against xylazine. And users can become physically dependent on xylazine in addition to fentanyl, complicating treatment.

Severe wounds are another hallmark. They appear where users inject drugs, and on other parts of their bodies. They start as purple blisters, or white patches of skin encircled by red rings, said Jason Bienert, a wound-care nurse in Elkton, Md. Tissue beneath the lesions can die within hours, Mr. Bienert said. He has had luck treating the wounds the way he would treat a burn victim.  *** https://www.wsj.com/articles/tranq-a-veterinary-drug-is-worsening-the-fentanyl-crisis-a27e7065

***

We fund censorship?

The State Dep’t funnels $200k - $300k to  Global Disinformation Index, a theoretically non profit org.  GDI apparently exists to blacklist and privately censor outlets to the right of Karl Marx.

GDI operates a "dynamic exclusion list" with conservative media outlets. The Washington Examiner confirmed that the outlet is on this list, and GDI has, separately, claimed the 10 "riskiest" news outlets are the American Spectator, Newsmax, the Federalist, the American Conservative, One America News Network, the Blaze, the Daily Wire, RealClearPolitics, Reason, and the New York Post.

However, GDI has ranked the 10 "least risky" as the Wall Street Journal, NPR, ProPublica, the Associated Press, Insider, the New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, Buzzfeed News, and HuffPost, according to a 27-page memo.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/equality-not-elitism/disinformation-inc-government-backed-organization-sent-315-000-to-group-blacklisting-conservative-news

***

Mmmm, ok

On Valentine’s Day 2018, a 19-year-old opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, wounding 17 and killing 17 people, including Alaina Petty, the 14-year-old daughter of Ryan Petty.***

Ryan Petty, the father believes cultivating more law-abiding gun owners and changing the law to allow a supermajority on a jury to recommend the death penalty are two areas of unfinished work.

"If you can't get the death penalty for killing 17 in a school, I don't know what you can get the death penalty for," Ryan Petty told the Washington Examiner, referring to a jury's decision in October last year to spare the shooter, Nikolas Cruz, by recommending a life sentence over the death penalty.

The jury voted 11-1 for capital punishment, prompting anguish and sorrow from victims' family members and blunt calls from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) himself, who said defendants like Cruz "deserve the death penalty."

Now, the Florida legislature is considering a new law with the backing of the governor to permit a presiding judge to override a jury's recommendation of life or allow capital punishment if at least eight jurors agreed, creating the lowest threshold for issuing capital punishment. The bill, known as HB 555, has so far been referred to the Criminal Justice Subcommittee ahead of the start of the legislative session on April 10.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/parkland-father-wants-to-arm-staff-change-death-penalty-rules

***

It’s People v. Dharmesh Patel, not Neha v.  Dharmesh

The wife of a doctor who drove his family off a cliff last month in California does not want him prosecuted for the attempted murder of herself and their two young children, according to reports.

Dharmesh Patel, 42, was in court last week and pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder when his defense attorney stated that Neha Patel did not want her husband prosecuted. However, Neha Patel told paramedics at the crash site that “he tried to kill us.”

"She said very simply this was not an accident. We do believe the evidence establishes the necessary intent to kill,” San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the San Francisco Chronicle.***

The doctor was driving along a narrow oceanside highway near San Francisco when he suddenly took a sharp turn and veered off a cliff. His Tesla landed on a bed of rocks near the surf and had to be rescued by teams that rappelled 250 feet from the road.

Dharmesh Patel and his wife and two children all survived without serious injuries. The family lived in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, where Patel worked as a hospital radiologist.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean Gallagher told NBC Bay Area that Dharmesh Patel will be prosecuted regardless of his wife’s wishes.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/wife-doctor-drove-off-california-cliff-doesnt-want-him-prosecuted

***

I know, let’s making pimping legal!!!

A California Republican official bashed a San Francisco lawmaker’s push toward legalizing prostitution and called it a detriment to police who attempt to arrest human traffickers.

San Francisco County Supervisor Hillary Ronen said she supports creating a red light zone to decriminalize sex work and plans to introduce the resolution Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported. This comes after police closed down an area of the Mission District to traffic to curb extensive prostitution there.

"What sane person would argue that the solution to human trafficking is to make it easier?” said Assemblyman James Gallagher (R).

“We need to identify traffickers, arrest them, and put them behind bars for a long time, but under California law, human trafficking isn’t considered a violent crime, so traffickers are able to benefit from early release programs,” he said.

Last year Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed a bill that decriminalized the intent to engage in prostitution. San Francisco residents have since seen a spike in such activity, prompting the street closure.

State Sen. Scott Wiener (D) was one of the bill’s authors.*** https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/gop-lawmakers-seek-to-thwart-san-francisco-push-to-legalize-prostitution

Cui bono?  [Cicero used it; not sure who started.] Who profits?  Who loses?

***

Good

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, February 13, 2023 Two Amazon Marketplace Sellers and Four Companies Plead Guilty to Price Fixing DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs

Two Amazon marketplace sellers and four of their companies have pleaded guilty to price fixing DVDs and Blu Ray Discs.

On Feb. 10 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Bruce Fish of Hayfield, Minnesota, along with BDF Enterprises, Inc., a corporate entity owned by Fish, admitted to participating in a conspiracy to fix the prices of DVDs and Blu-Ray discs sold on the Amazon marketplace. Victor Btesh of Brooklyn, New York, and three New York corporate entities of which Btesh is the sole or majority owner, pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy on Feb. 9.

According to the plea agreements, Btesh and Fish, along with their four corporate entities, agreed with co-conspirators to raise and maintain the prices of DVDs and Blu-Rays sold in Amazon marketplace storefronts, resulting in those products being sold at collusive and noncompetitive prices. Amazon Marketplace is an e-commerce platform that enables third-party vendors to sell new or used products alongside Amazon’s own offerings. Amazon Marketplace is owned and operated by Amazon.com, Inc. The four corporate entities are the first corporate defendants to plead guilty and the owners are the fifth and sixth individuals in the scheme.*** https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-amazon-marketplace-sellers-and-four-companies-plead-guilty-price-fixing-dvds-and-blu-ray

***

Love this

***

What?  You liked him?

***

Know your country’s extradition treaties

DENVER — A suspect who was originally set for trial nearly nine years ago in a child sexual assault case in Adams County was recently extradited from Morocco, the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced Monday. Patrick McKenner, 52, had been wanted since he failed to appear for a motions hearing in May 2014. Investigators with the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice eventually located McKenner in Morocco, where he was detained by local authorities. FBI officials traveled to Morocco last week to extradite McKenner, who was turned over to the custody of Adams County Sheriff's Office at Denver International Airport on Saturday.*** https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/colorado-suspect-2013-child-sex-assault-extradited-morocco/73-eac35a0e-2469-4000-9e9d-f6ada8c612ed

***

Cassandra mentioned this concept

***In the private sector, employee vs. employer bargaining concerns the allocation of profits. A private business facing extortionate union demands can relocate or go out of business. A government can do neither. Collective bargaining presupposes adversarial conflict, but in “negotiations” between government employee unions and government, the unions want government to do what government wants to do: expand, using money from a third party, the citizenry. In 2006, New Jersey’s Democratic governor — management — assured a rally of 10,000 government employees, “We will fight for a fair contract!” Who would fight whom?***

Police unions, too, win contracts with thick layers of protections to shield substandard performers from accountability. Of the approximately 2,600 complaints the Minneapolis Police Department received in the decade before the murder of George Floyd, 12 led to discipline, the most severe being a 40-hour suspension. In 2017, a Post report on 37 large cities’ policing found a dismissal rate of 130 officers a year out of 91,000. Seventy percent of San Antonio officers fired for cause from 2006 to 2017 were rehired after contractually mandatory arbitration.

It is quaint that the 1939 Hatch Act bars “political activity” by federal employees, the unionized 25 percent of whom pay dues that fund unions’ political activities. Public sector unions are, Howard says, “a political force unlike any in American history — amassed and entrenched using state power.” These unions spend $1 billion to $3 billion a year influencing political decisions: “No other interest group, no industry, comes close to mobilizing that amount of political money.”*** https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/02/08/public-unions-harm-schools-police-government/ 

***Wed

Lying is bad.  Lying doesn’t make you a hero, particularly when you take money for it.  

Dr. Michael J. Kirk Moore runs the Plastic Surgery Institute of Sandy, Utah.  Apparently, if you gave him $50, he would falsely certify that you had rec’d the covid vax.  The FBI arrested him, and he has been indicted.  https://www.lopmatrix.com/legend-utah-doctor-arrested-for-saving-nearly-2000-people-from-the-covid-shots/

***

Top quality parody

https://babylonbee.com/news/city-legalizes-weed-having-no-adverse-effects-except-making-the-whole-city-smell-like-weed

***

***

Don’t start any wars for us.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, February 14, 2023  

Four Florida Men Arrested in Plot to Kill Haitian President, Grand Jury Returns Indictment Against 11

This morning, U.S. federal law enforcement arrested two U.S. citizens and a legal permanent resident living in South Florida and one U.S. citizen living in Tampa pursuant to criminal complaints on charges relating to their participation in the events leading to the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti. Following the arrests, a South Florida grand jury returned a third superseding indictment charging these four individuals, along with seven others previously arrested and charged in the United States for their alleged roles in the plot.

The four men arrested in Florida today are: Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, 50, a Colombian national and U.S. permanent resident of Miami; Antonio Intriago 59, a Venezuelan-American of Miami; Walter Veintemilla, 54, of Weston; and Frederick Bergmann, 64, of Tampa.

They made their initial federal court appearances today at 2:00 p.m. in Miami before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis.*** https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/four-florida-men-arrested-plot-kill-haitian-president-grand-jury-returns-indictment-against

*** Thurs

Look at the pics

https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/anthony-tony-mitchell-froze-to-death-in-alabama-jail-freezer-lawsuit/

A first responder’s job is dealing with people at their worst.  People who aren’t hostile, abusive, and insane are the exception.

***

The bailiff should fire when ready.

Former MTV star Connor Smith allegedly tried to engage in sex acts with a girl under the age of 15, according to Illinois police.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant for the MTV “Are You The One?” star after he interacted with an undercover officer who was posing as a minor for “several weeks” online.

Smith, 32, sent explicit videos and images of himself before planning a meet-up to engage in sexual acts, police said.

The reality star then drove to meet the minor on Feb. 9 but was apprehended by detectives before fleeing in his vehicle, the press release states.

Smith faces three felonies — traveling to meet a minor, grooming, and disseminating harmful material.

Police said that Smith has yet to surrender as of early Thursday. A judge signed off on a $1 million bond after his arrest.***

In 2021, the troubled reality star was arrested for allegedly raping and assaulting a 16-year-old girl.

The alleged crime began when the teen claimed she provided someone with her address after she saw they were selling a cat via Snapchat, TMZ reported.***

https://pagesix.com/2023/02/16/ex-mtv-star-connor-smith-wanted-for-trying-to-meet-girl-under-15-for-sex/

***

If she just waited, she could have had the tat for free

Jen Shah will be reporting to prison on Friday with some new ink.

The former “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star got two new tattoos just days before she is scheduled to start her six-and-a-half year prison sentence for wire fraud.

Shah, 49, got the word “Keiki” — the Hawaiian term for “baby” or “child” — tattooed across the top of her left forearm.

Similarly, she got the names of her husband, Sharrieff Shah, as well as her two sons, Sharrieff Jr. and Omar, inked on the bottom of her right arm.

Jen was arrested in March 2021 for running a nationwide telemarketing scheme which targeted thousands of people, mainly the elderly.***  https://pagesix.com/2023/02/15/jen-shah-gets-two-new-tattoos-before-reporting-to-prison/

***

I get that it was an attempt, but why isn’t he incarcerated at least a little?

A former Cherry Creek High School softball coach has been sentenced to 10 years’ probation after pleading guilty in a child sex crime case.

Paul “Pablo” Severtson was sentenced Monday in Arapahoe County District Court, according to the district attorney’s office.

Severtson was arrested in July as part of a child sex crime investigation connected to a Virginia girl who took her own life.*** https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/former-cherry-creek-hs-softball-coach-sentenced-to-ten-years-probation-for-child-sex-crime/ar-AA17xkym

+++

***In March, local investigators were contacted by the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia about a juvenile girl who died by suicide, the news release said. Through the course of the Virginia investigation, authorities discovered that the girl had been communicating with an individual, identified as Severtson, on social media messaging apps.

Through his social media accounts, Severtson passed himself off as someone in his early 20s who was into fitness, 

according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators allege Severston was attempting to persuade the Virginia girl to send him nude images and videos of herself, “which due to her age, would be considered child sexual abuse material.”***https://www.denverpost.com/2022/07/20/paul-pablo-severtson-girls-softball-coach-arrested-suspect-child-sex-crime/

***

Loudon County really wants to hide its shame

The school board in Loudoun County, Virginia, voted on Tuesday night to keep the findings of an independent report on sexual assault private. The report, compiled by the law firm Blankingship and Keith, focused on how the district responded to two sexual assault incidents at Stone Bridge High School in May 2021. The 15-year-old “gender fluid” male student pleaded guilty to counts of rape in “forced sodomy” and “forced fellatio” against a teenage girl at Stone Bridge. The student allegedly sexually assaulted another teenage girl at Broad Run High School while waiting for his first trial.

The school board claimed that it had to keep the repot secret because it would reveal students’ personal data, in violation of the law. John Beatty, a member of the school board, contested this claim, telling The Daily Signal that he made a motion to redact students’ names in releasing the report.

In December, a special grand jury released a separate report on Loudoun County Public Schools’ handling of the 15-year-old “gender fluid” student’s multiple sexual assaults. The grand jury, which Virginia Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares requested in April, consisted of Loudoun County citizens, who heard from over 40 witnesses and perused over 100 pieces of evidence.

The jury’s report states that Loudoun County Public Schools “failed at every juncture….LCPS as an organization tends to avoid managing difficult situations by not addressing them fully.” The grand jury suggested that the report be released to the public so the community might view as much information as possible.***

Mike Smith, an LCPS father, questioned the merit of this decision in a public comment session at Tuesday’s school board meeting. “I understand you want to redact minors’ names, everyone knows that these things [name reduction requirements] happen,” he said. “But what happened outside the event? What happened behind the scenes? What happened behind the scenes is almost scarier than the actual event. It’s just going to perpetuate more.”***

One LCPS mother chided the board for citing attorney-client privilege: “I’m very furious because once again people at this county in this school board are protecting adults….They aren’t protecting children.”

Parents leveled additional sexual assault allegations at LCPS staff. One former LCPS mother, Tumay Harding, accused board members of “hiding behind Title IX” nondiscrimination law and brushing her off after Harding reported a science teacher who allegedly sexually assaulted and harassed her daughter and two of her daughter’s friends.

Harding implored, “I want this teacher to not hurt anybody again.”

She asked the same question thousands of parents around the United States have been asking in the wake of disturbing revelations kept from parents and the public: “As you heard today, two years prior, the same allegations from a girl were hidden from us. What else is being hidden from us?”*** https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/02/15/loudoun-county-school-board-votes-hide-report-male-gender-fluid-student-raping-students-parents/

***

[livingwithlosingyou]

Living with Losing You - 9/24/2022

Second the best!

What a way to start off the day! I made the mistake of thinking the “chilly morning” would stick around longer and wore my Nike pants to the meet today. Also, we didn’t bring a pop up tent, so that was double insult to injury. Anyway, I got up bright and early this morning, probably got about 4-5 hours of sleep last night. Pretty wiped as I am typing this. 

The girls coach was already there since some of her athletes were racing before the boys were. Today it was just the varsity team, and actually we were missing a couple of our guys too. It’s been a bit rough for the sports teams and sicknesses where I coach. I have been hearing this from other programs too. Either way, we still did an AMAZING job, and ended up getting second place overall despite the boys not feeling their best (though I would argue that they still had very solid races all things considered). I ended up buying one of the guys a smoothie because I told them anyone who gets top 10 will get one. Was happy to keep my word. Again, SO proud of them! It was very thoughtful, they ended up actually having me keep the trophy since I was coaching them today, and they weren’t sure where it should go since it was team oriented. Honestly, one of the best trophies I have ever gotten. Coaching has been such a delight. It has helped me a lot through this season of my life. 

I ended up being there until around 11:30am, and then finally made the trek back to me car to then go grab some donuts!

James and I had our go to donut shop up in Carlsbad. even before he lived in Encinitas for sober living, him and I would make the trek and get donuts (I’ll post a picture on here). One of my fondest memories was him and I sitting on that beach, eating donuts and making sea lion sounds. We were weird. I loved that about us. This time around, I got myself my usual 4, and then brought some to my family to share. They were definitely excited. 

I took the 101 back home, and just looked at the ocean (carefully) as I drove. It made me miss you a lot. I cried on the way home when I hit the 805. Multiple reasons, but between the memories, the music, passing your old La Jolla apartment, etc. It was a lot. It almost in a weird way doesn’t feel real. How have you been gone for 71 days today? How is next week October? AND your birthday? Ugh, I miss you. 

I got home and ended up relaxing for a little before running to my parents house to drop off the donuts. You would be proud that I started watching an eerie show that’s on Netflix, though I am not sure how long I will watch it for. You were always into that stuff. James would literally put on crime podcasts to fall asleep to... How!? I never understood that. 

Anyway, I was planning on dropping them by, quickly running to see Bri at her event, then grab food (all I had prior was not really considered a meal), and then go to Logan’s baseball game. Well, this feel through a but because I started to really not feel well at Bri’s event. I think I just got too much son and definitely could have drank more water / fluids in general. 

I drove to In-N-Out and called Erika on the way to help keep me out of my head, but also because I missed her and it had been a while since I had spoken with her. We had a good convo. I got home and immediately ate all of the food I got and more of the donuts. I have limited self control with food, but especially with sweets. 

After relaxing a little more to feel less lightheaded, I went to pick up Sadie. In miss her when she isn’t here, it’s always weird not sleeping with her. It’s also weird without Latte whenever I am out of town and can’t see either of them. 

I ended my evening with talking to Marissa, ordering a shirt for the walk, playing Paisley, and then catching up on my blogs. 

I need to go to bed, but I still need to get ready for bed. The lazy struggle is very real. I have a lot going on tomorrow. I would like to run in the AM, go to church, do laundry, go to the gender reveal, and then the Iron Maiden concert. I have a cute outfit planned for it, I am excited. 

Alright, need to get this process of going to bed started.

Toodles for now, I love and miss you. 

You are still a butthead. 

Rest in Peace, James Burton Nichols

10/1/1993 - 7/16/2022

[targsdaenerys]

19, 15, 11, 36

11. How do you deal with writers' block?

i simply Don't lol. my block usually comes from losing the drive i can have, and i just have to wait for it to come back. but when i really ned to push through it i usually turn to going back to my original inspiration.

15. One-shots or multi-chapters? Angst? Fluff? Smut? Hurt/comfort? Fantasy? Romance? Which one is your favorite? Which one is your least favorite?

-multi chapters

-i need angst always, but only when it comes with retribution. so pretty much all of them, but in a specific order lol. but overall ig hurt/comfort explains it.

19. Give an update on your current WIP with a little snippet. No more than 300 words~

lol. im currently procrastination on the last chapter of my batcat fic. my other WIP's are deeply past all my school docs, so were just gonna stick with that;

Her eyes burned at the lack of her blinking as she watched it all; events that, although were merely a day before, fogged from her memory. Maybe it was for a sense of self preservation. Maybe the darkness was forgiving her, just enough to have the amount to hide the substantial, fundamental horrors that they faced. And maybe it was because the last time it happened, she gave up, and she ran. And that was something she couldn’t do that time—something she didn’t need to tell herself, but in instinct, in protection of what she now held, she did, subconsciously.

She was entranced by it; the images and recordings passing her vision, coaxing her muscles to tighten distantly. She could see herself fighting, somewhere along the shadows, but that was only because she knew where to look. In the foreground, it was all him. His return, seeing that the signal had not been used, and the mysteriousness in his motives to those who could now only view the sheer willpower in hindsight. Everything was so far away as she viewed it. 

It all showed something that built up to a climax no one but her knew of. Such a catalyst of a broken mind, and then following…them. A dynamic not broken, no…but changed. Two of them, really. In a way one would want to mourn, or not look back on. It had her heart beating, watching these versions of themselves moments before everything was different.

36. What does your writing process look like? Do you plan, write, edit, revise, edit, read, post? Or do you say 'screw planning' and head straight in? Or do you not edit at all and post that sucka and run away?

it definitely depends on the story. most of the time i get a strong need to write/start a specific idea, so i write something like the first chapter, or a very very very long paragraph that outlines the whole story and varies in detail. once i get the vibes of how i want to execute it (in chapters o a one shots, POV, tone of writing, etc) i either plan or go right in. for example, my batcat fic had not one ounce of planning. i literally woke up in the middle of the night and started writing. but for a lot of my jonerys fics, or my upcoming dramione fic, i def need to write it out irst to have a road map.

#ask games

[erodasfishtacos]

The Brits Dilemma

” Prompt: Harry & Y/N go to the Brits. It’s the first time they’ve been away from their baby. Y/N is struggling but doesn’t want to ruin the night for her husband.

Word Count: 1.8 k +

Warnings: Depictions of breastfeeding

+++++++

The award show was going well. It was the first time Y/N had been out in nearly three months besides a few brunch dates and grocery shopping.

Usually, she was pretty confident in what she wore to accompany her husband to all of these flashy events - but not tonight.

Her bump had deflated but she was still attempting to get rid of the stubborn pouch that stayed after the baby had been born. It wasn’t anything out of the norm - just still trying to lose it.

She was breastfeeding and her breasts were much larger than before. They felt heavy and too big for her body. Not to mention, they were constantly swollen and achey. Pads were a must so she doesn’t leak through the tight satin black dress.

The dress was a beautiful custom design by Gucci that complimented Harry’s sharp suit but nothing felt right. It was digging into her sides and made it hard for her to sit on her chair.

The Brits were held in the O2 Arena which wasn’t very far from their London home but she felt like she was lightyears away from her baby. Even though she knew Sasha was in good hands with Anne.

Y/N was so proud of Harry for being up for five - yes, five different awards. It was a record for him and she didn’t want to let him down by complaining. It was his night. He’s been such a devote father - he deserved a break too.

So she swallowed down the anxiety she was feeling about being away from their little newborn for the night along with her worries about her changing body.

There was milling about between the tables before the show got started. Harry had people coming up him constantly - congratulating him on the album, the nominations, the baby.

Married life and fatherhood suited him well. A dazzling wedding band on his left ring finger, a necklace with an S for his daughter, along with her name freshly inked on right above his butterfly tattoo.

The open jacket he wore with is his barely buttoned dress shirt displayed it proudly. It was beautiful, done delicately in a timeless cursive. The font match his wife name that was tattooed on his hand.

He couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t excited to have a night out with his wife. He had Jeff booked a hotel for the night to have some alone time with you while his mum got to enjoy a night with her only grandchild.

Y/N was counting down the hours up until tomorrow when she could go home to see her baby. She should really tell Harry that she wants to go home and not out to a club and the hotel.

But the it just slowly starts to deteriorate further when a bald, plump business exec comes to greet the two of you. He gives his warm wishes about the birth of your child before smiling at Y/N and stating, “The baby weight will come off soon enough.”

Her throat closes up a bit and she self-consciously tries to push her chair closer to the table. It was the last thing that she needed to hear. Confirming all of her worst insecurities.

Harry glares at the man before turning to his wife, “Hey, you look s’perfect, my love. I’m so bloody lucky you’re mine.”

He’s truly trying his hardest to bring a smile to her face but he notices it’s never quite meeting her eyes. 

It get even worse when Harry gets his first award, male solo artist of the year. 

As she’s standing and clapping for him - she realizes she’s beginning to leak through her nipple inserts.

Y/N excuses herself in the middle of his acceptance speech to rush through the string of tables - out into the corridor. The last thing she wanted to do was for it to show up on a very expensive dress.

The echo of his voice can still be heard, “Love to thank my beautiful wife who makes writing sappy love songs easy and was the main inspiration for my recent album. She also just gave birth to our beautiful baby.....”

She feels awful when she tunes him out, finding the bathroom and hurriedly rushing in. There’s a gorgeous woman standing at the sink, washing their hands. 

Fucking Taylor Swift.

Any other time it’d be awkward and uncomfortable - running into an ex who wrote multiple songs about her husband.

But she couldn’t careless right now, “Hi, erm, this is really weird but could you unzip my dress? I’m leaking and - shit that was way too much information.”

But Taylor smiles kindly, “No! It’s okay, totally. No worries. Congratulations on your baby - you look so hot tonight.”

Y/N laughs and thanks her for unzipping the dress before going into a stall and locking the door. She slides her bra straps off her shoulders and disposes of the soaked pad in the sanitary bin.

Luckily, she has a clean burp rag that she gently swipes at her breast - wincing as it brushes against her swollen nipples. Even the soft fabric felt too rough on them.

It’s a minute or two before the bathroom door swings open, “Y/N? Lovie? Are you in ‘ere?”

She feels guilt at the panic in his voice. Managing to croak out, “I’m in here,” before leaning forward to unlock the door.

Harry waste no time in sliding into the stall before latching the lock again. Taking in the sight of his wife in front of him.

“I-I started leaking, M’sorry,” Y/N whispers, she has no reason to feel embarrassed but she is. “I missed your speech.”

“None of that, baby. I’ll give more speeches for you to hear - I only care that you’re okay. I’m sorry y’leakin, lemme help you, pet.”

In true Harry fashion, he takes the rag and turns on the sink - running it under warm water before carefully cleaning his wife up.

“Are they botherin’ you? They look irritated and super swollen, darling,” Harry frowns, a very gentle thumb coming to brush against her nipple. Then cupping her swollen breast in his hand, thumb rubbing at the pink skin.

“Just a little bit,” She lies, they’re absolutely on fire with chafing and skin irritation from the bra she’s wearing. She never thought she’d miss her nursing bras and sports bras this much.

He nods and helps place new inserts in her bra. Who’d think this is what Harry would be doing between accepting awards. Everyone unassuming in the arena.

**

Harry has been four for four thus far into the ceremony. They’d only had him go up and give two acceptance speeches. His hand firmly planted on his wife’s thigh throughout. 

When he went up for his second award, the camera zooms in and the crowd coos are he plants a kiss on his wife’s lips before pulling her into a hug - whispering something into her ear the audience can’t hear.

He was much more focused on his wife. He could read her fairly well - he’d like to think. Enough to know she’s having much fun. But he didn’t want to bring it up and make her feel bad.

Harry sees the way she keeps adjusting her bra, fidgets with his rings when his hands in his lap, and not even really looking up while one of her favorite artist - Dua Lipa -performs.

Y/N loved a good party before the baby. So Harry was hoping going to the Brits afterparty would make her feel better and then going back to their hotel room for a some alone time.

**

Y/N has been increasingly quiet when they’re exiting the arena after the final award artist of the year - which Harry had also won.

He was on cloud nine and admittedly a little distracted as he joked and laughed with a small group of friends on the way out. 

“Alright, should we all just pile into a cab for the ride to the party?” Nick Grimshaw asks everyone.

Everyone is in agreement - including Harry -as he calls to order one - standing in the blocked off area away from fans and paparazzi.

Y/N wants to tell him she wants to go home to Sasha but when she hears him say, “Can’t wait to get to Exhibit - haven’t been there in forever. One of my favorite clubs.”

She bites her tongue. Harry is enjoying his night out - why can’t she?

In the taxi, she’s sat on Harry’s lap as they make their way to the club. His one hand is on her inner thigh and the other is on her waist holding her steady.

In the morning, she’ll blame her post-partum hormones and anxiety. But she doesn’t even realizing her eyes are filling with tears and when she blinks they spill down her face.

She wouldn’t feel as embarrassed if she wasn’t in the car full of literal celebrities who are filled with adrenaline and excitement. Chattering and drinking from little liquor bottles they’d snuck in their jackets and clutches.

“Y/N, are you alright?” Rita Ora asks from her seat - noticing the streaks ruining your makeup.

She nods pathetically, wiping at her eyes but Harry is turning her to face him. His bright green eyes filled with concern as he studies her face.

The previously very obnoxiously loud cab becomes silent as they try to give the couple a semblance of non-existent privacy.

“What’s happening, dove? Are you hurting?” Harry panics, coming to wipe the smeared makeup away.

“I don’t want to go to the club,” Y/N sniffles, squeezing her eyes shut at how embarrassed she is of her behavior. She would usually never act this way - especially in public. And Harry knows that so it makes him even more concerned.

“That’s okay, pet. We can go have a night in, when the cab stops - we can uber back to the hotel,” Harry soothes, surprised when that brings on fresh tears.

“N-no, I want to go home. I miss the baby, I want to- need to see our baby. I-I can’t do this. My anxiety is through the roof, Harry. What if she can’t sleep? Or isn’t taking the bottle?”

“Baby, breathe, breathe. We can go home. I miss the bub terribly too. Have been worried about her all night.”

Harry tugs his wife into his chest further - tucking her head into his neck as he shoots his friends grateful looks. They all nod, sympathetic and understanding - despite them not having kids of their own.

**

“I ruined your night,” Y/N says softly in the back of the uber home. “I leaked during the show; cried in front of all your friends.”

Harry takes her chin gentle but firm until she meets his gaze, “You didn’t ruin anything f’me. All I care about is you and the baby - not some stupid award ceremony or party.”

He continues on, “You just gave us Sasha three months ago - y’bloody amazing. Best mum, best wife. Sexiest too - know you don’t think that right now but your body literally grew my baby. I get a hard-on everytime I see you.”

They both laugh, Y/N leaning forward to capture her husbands lips in a meaningful kiss of gratitude and thanks.

**

Anne smiles kindly when the two of them arrive home. A very fussy, red-faced swaddled baby coddled in her arms. 

“She hasn’t settled for quite a while now - she missed her parents very much,” Harry’s mum tells them, transferring her into her father’s arms. He’s automatically rocking and running his thumb over her cheek.

“Ooh, we missed you. Was Nana nice to you?” Harry coos. Sasha has already quieted and is blinking tearfully up at her smiling father.

“Such a good girl, best girl,” Y/N sighs, leaning in to kiss her downy hair. Harry’s hand coming to wrap around his wife’s waist as they peer down at their perfect little daughter.

Anne smiles at his son and daughter-in-law fawning over their little creation with so much love and adoration.

After a minute of chatting -Harry’s mum makes her way up to the guest room after a long night with a miserable baby. They make their way to their room where Y/N strips out of her tight dress and awful bra. 

She sits against the headboard in just a pair of soft cotton panties. Harry is gently shushing her and humming a melody as his wife gets situated. He knew she was anxious to feed the baby.

“That’s it my sweet thing. Y’missed us, hm? We missed you too, bub. Nana said y’wouldn’t take the bottle. Only want your mumma, hmm?” Harry coos, kissing her chubby cheeks.

He’s then giving Y/N the baby, who ferociously latching within seconds and begins eating like she’d been starved for the last week. Making weak little rumbles as she does so.

They both giggle fondly, Y/Ns fingers come to touch her fluttering cheek - memorizing her over and over again.

Harry gets onto the bed and settles next to the both of them. Watching his baby feed in amazement at what his wife was capable of. He smears a few kisses against her bare shoulder - hand on his baby’s back.

How strong she was - as he knew it had to be at least a little bit painful with how irritated her nipples had been. He can tell when she winces every once in a while.

He plants a few more kisses to her warm skin - noticing her eyes getting a bit droopy as Sasha feeds at a slow, suckling pace.

“If I’m being honest, being with you - watching you feed our baby...I’d rather be here than at any club.” 

Y/N snorts, rolling her eyes, “Sure.”

Her husband frowns, “M’serious, this is all I need, baby.”

“I love you, congratulation on all your Brits,” Y/N murmurs, pecking at his lips.

“I love you too. I meant it, during my speeches. I wouldn’t have been able to write those songs if you hadn’t inspired me. You’ll and the bab will always be the best muse.”

#Harry Styles #harrystylesfanfic #harry styles writing #harry styles drabble #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #dad!harry #dad harry styles #husband!harry #husband harry styles #fic recommendation #harry styles fic rec #harry styles masterlist #harry styles writing request #harry styles request #harry styles reader #requests open!

[volturiwolf]

Soulmates - A Demetri Volturi x Reader Imagine

A/N: This is the first imagine I finished and uploaded, and it came quite unexpectedly while talking with @volturidoll13 who suggested a Demetri Volturi one-shot where the reader would follow Bella and Alice to Italy and would accidentally say “wish he’d choke ME” out loud (see my post for reference). So, here it is. Also, I’m sorry if something doesn’t make sense. English is not my first langage. Enjoy :)

No of Words: 5749

Mentions of: Swear Language, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Dying/Death, Killings, Self-doubt, Self-consciousness, Kinky Choking, Sexual Arousal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I think I had enough of Bella. No, I know I've had enough of her. She may be my best friend, the one who truly understood me the moment I stepped foot in Forks High School, beginning of last year, but this was just too much.

I have spent countless hours trying to support her when Edward Cullen left her, 5 months ago. I was there to be her emotional support, and even spent time with Jacob Black, an old friend of Bella's, who stayed at the Quileute reservation.

Jacob seemed kind of polite, although his attempts to flirt with Bella whenever he could were cringy, to say the least. But I supported her then too, trying to be sort of the third wheel / the one who tried to show Jacob she wasn't really interested in him that way.

His friends, Embry and Quil, were as nice and polite as they were beautiful. When Embry abandoned Jacob and Quil, Bella and I were there to support him. When Jacob abandoned Bella, I was there to support her. 

Even when Bella was sad, angry and desperate to know what happened to Jacob, I was there to calm her down. I was there when she went to see him and he turned her away. I was there when she slapped Paul in the face. I was there when he turned into a huge wolf, and I couldn't help but scream.

Jacob explained everything about the wolves to both Bella and I. He told us how it's part of their DNA; how they are meant to protect the tribe from dangerous outsiders; how the metamorphosis from human to wolf can be somehow controlled over time, with practice and persistence. THAT I could understand.

What I couldn't understand was how vampires existed in this world! It wasn't Bella the one to reveal that secret to me, rather Alice, Edward's sister. Apparently, she saw Bella dying, the day she supposedly went cliff-diving, which I told her not to, having a severe fear of heights myself.

Bella took the risk, and if it weren't for Jacob, she would most likely be dead by now. That's what Alice said she "saw" - she explained to my incapable self that, as a vampire, she had a gift, the gift of predicting the future, based on others' decisions. 

All this information was overwhelming me. I could swallow the harsh reality of wolves existing, but vampires, too? It seemed too much for me in such a short period of time.

Alice quickly explained some basics to me, like the fact that the Cullens were vegetarians, but the majority of their kind fed on human blood, as well as the fact that they even had a sort-of-government of vampires, residing in Italy, the Volturi.

She then turned to Bella to scold her about her recklessness and how she was prone to "life-threatening idiocy". I couldn't agree more with the short brunette right now. Bella has been nothing but reckless the last few weeks, and she was putting her life in danger for no reason.

They were talking about Edward or whatever, but I wasn't paying any particular attention until Jacob showed up. I decided to give them some space to talk, and Alice followed behind me, stepping out of the house.

Her face was a mix of disgust and worry, not paying any particular attention to me, probably trying to hear Bella and Jacob's conversation from the kitchen. After a minute or two, I heard her taking a sharp breath, her eyes fixating on nothing in particular; they were just staring ahead of her.

She took a sharp breath, as she regained consciousness, stepping quickly into the house. She walked in quite wide and quick strides, considering her miniature figure, and, though taller than her, I had some trouble following behind her.

She ran directly to the kitchen. "Bella. Bella, it's Edward. He thinks you're dead. Rosalie told him why I came here."

They both looked at Jacob; Bella practically screaming to his face, accusing him of not giving her the telephone to speak with Edward herself.

"Bella, he's going to the Volturi. He wants to die, too." The small brunette continued.

Within a minute, Bella made her decision: she was going to Italy to save her ex-lover. She promised us that she would just make sure he lived, and then, she would go back to her "boring" life.

Alice ran outside, starting her car immediately, as Bella was followed closely by Jacob, who tried to convince her not to go, pleading with her, all in vain. Bella was as stubborn as she could get, and nobody could change her mind. 

I turned to Jacob, without really thinking about my next words. "Don't worry. I'll go with her. I'll make sure she's back safe, okay?"

All Jacob could do is nod at me, though his face was full of concern, frustration, and he was clearly distraught by Bella's decision to leave him and save Edward. As if all this time she, Jacob and, sometimes, I spent time together meant nothing to her.

I jumped in the back seat of the car, not waiting for either Bella's, or Alice's approval. I knew it would be a huge risk for me to go to the vampires' lair, but I also knew that Bella could use all the emotional support she could get. 

As much as I hated Edward for what he did and said to her, I knew that he was everything to her, like her own little haven. Her own little oasis, which I guess felt more like a tundra, compared to Jacob's flaming hot desert. I rolled my eyes at my embarrassing thoughts, but I assumed that's how she thought of them.

The drive to the airport felt like a ton of weight crushing my shoulders. I had no place to follow them to Italy, as it was truly none of my business. But I promised Jacob, and though Bella could make me so frustrated with her lack of self-confidence and self-respect, I liked her company a lot, and I needed to make sure she was alive and safe.

In the couple of months that she came out of her apathetic state, we reconnected again, reminiscing about our unorthodox friendship, both of us being new to the town, shy and not particularly sociable.

However, Bella was the ideal friend to keep you grounded and connected with reality, which I, sometimes, had trouble with; my mind was running wild and free most of the time, while my mouth was staying shut. 

So, I was willing to go across the ocean for her, to an unknown place, in a castle full of bloodsucking vampires. I wasn't pleased, but I was willing. Willing to help her save her stupid ex-boyfriend, and hopefully not get killed in the process.

During the flights, Alice tried, more or less, to explain the dynamics of the vampire world; the Volturi, being this sort of government-slash-royalty of the vampire kind, were tasked with imposing their laws over the other vampires. Their most important law? Don't expose your existence to humans, unless you want to die. Well, there goes that! 

Alice had already talked to me about their kind; Bella knew through her association with both Edward and the rest of the Cullen family. The chances of any of us making out of there alive seemed slim to none. I was literally flying towards my death. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. 

I was trying to calm down my nerves, which did not work at all, when all I could think about were those Italian vampires. Alice told me that the vampire Kings, especially Aro, who seemed to be their leader, were interested in collecting talented vampires. 

So, it was pretty obvious that he would, most likely, get rid of Bella and myself, and would gladly keep Alice and Edward, who, as Alice told me, has the gift of reading people’s minds. So, we were actually doing that Aro guy a favor there; bring him the “talents” and get rid of the “intruders”, the humans. Great. Just, great.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We were currently on our way to Volterra. Alice had stolen a yellow Porsche from the airport’s parking lot, which neither Bella, nor I opposed to, for now. It was a fast way to get to Volterra, plus I’ve never actually been in a Porsche, and I felt pretty amazing. Alice seemed like a skillful driver, and drove pretty fast, which I liked, especially if I was the one driving. Bella and Alice’s conversation interrupted my thoughts.

“What? What do you see?”

“They refused him.” That was good, right?

“So..?” Bella knew there was something else behind Alice’s vision.

“He’s gonna make a scene. Show himself to the humans.” Why the hell, Edward?!

“No! When?”

“He’s gonna wait until noon, when the sun’s at its highest.” Bella seemed more and more worried and anxious, and I heard her heavy breath, which seemed like she was starting to go on panic mode. I stroked her shoulders lightly, trying to calm her down. As much as she deserved to get worried, given the events that led us here, this was not the time to panic.

“There’s Volterra.” Alice pointed to her left, at a beautiful, picturesque town that looked as if it had jumped out of the Renaissance era. The scenery of Tuscany was beautiful, and it had always been part of my bucket list to travel across Tuscany in a small rental car. That was not how I pictured that trip, or how I pictured my last day on Earth.

Alice was running through the city’s narrow streets by now, never stopping to honk at people passing by, who moved left and right, trying to avoid the “crazy driver who decided it was a good idea to drive a sports car through such a city’s small, narrow, occupied streets”; at least, that’s how I saw it.

Alice did not back down, and continued driving skillfully through the city’s small arteries. It was odd though, the fact that everyone around us was wearing red capes, red clothes, everything was red. Bella questioned it out loud and Alice informed us that today was the celebration of Saint Marcus’ Day, the day that the Saint expelled all vampires from the town. The irony.

Bella was experiencing a full on panic attack, as we were only 5 minutes away from Edward’s shenanigans. Theoretically, everything was in order, until the moment we were stopped by the local police who refused to let us go any farther. Bella opened her door. She would go on foot, to find Edward before he exposed himself. Alice would park the car somewhere outside of the town’s walls, and we’d then go and find them.

I turned around my seat, to watch Bella running through the streets, to the plaza where the clock tower, which Edward was going to expose himself from, was located. Alice left the car outside of the walls, but still, close enough to have easy access. 

For me, it was quite easy to walk around now, as my skin was not sparkling like Alice’s was. Alice had to wrap herself around a coat, a long, thick scarf and gloves, and wear sunglasses to protect her identity even more. I was walking in the middle of the streets, watching around carefully, as good as my human eyes could see, trying to help Alice go unnoticed, as she pushed herself more towards the buildings’ walls, trying to avoid the sunlight. 

That went on for a while, until we were close enough to the clock tower, where Alice took my hand on hers and, with long strides, walked towards the main entrance, which was, thankfully, shaded enough for her to walk through. 

She must have heard the conversation inside the building, as the moment we stepped in - Alice breaking the lock that kept the door momentarily closed, she started talking to the others, who I mistook as being Bella and Edward. As another sign of my unluckiness in life, she was actually addressing two other vampires, a tall brunette and a shorter blond.

They both looked gorgeous, but they could probably kill me as easily as it was for me to blink. I instantly became stiff, and Alice must have felt it, but she kept on holding my hand, trying to play it cool in front of the others, while trying to get rid of her disguise with her free hand at the same time.

“Come on, guys. It’s a festival. You wouldn’t want to make a scene.�� She tried to play it nice and cool, though I knew she was just as worried being here as the rest of us.

“We wouldn’t.” The brunette vampire responded, now looking at me, who, by now, I have lost all my confidence in coming to Italy to help Bella.

I caught the blond vampire looking me up and down my body, and felt rather self-conscious. I didn’t have the best relationship with my own body and my own self; I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror, most of the time. So, I made up for what I lacked in self-confidence with sarcasm, bad humor, honesty and snarky remarks. I would be really going off of him right now, if I wasn’t shaking.

Though beautiful, the blond vampire also scared me, just as much as his brunette partner. I stared back at him, looking at his confident stance, one hand behind his back, and a smirk across his face. 

When my (Y/E/C) eyes met with his red ones, I started shivering even more, holding on Alice tighter than before. I felt my heart beating faster, my breath became both sharper and deeper, and I felt as if I would cry, right then and there, in front of everyone. I saw the blond becoming a bit stiff, his jaw clenching, swallowing deeply, but he still wouldn’t take his eyes off of me.

Alice and Edward exchanged some looks, as if they knew what was happening, but chose to not tell anyone else. The scene in front of me was interrupted by the clicks of heeled shoes, and a blonde girl came into our view. 

“Enough.” Her voice was stern, and her stance was stoic as she came closer to us.

“Jane.” Edward recognised her and lowered his head towards the ground. He didn’t seem scared before, when it was just the two vampires in front of us, but the small woman now seemed to have him terrified.

“Aro sent me to see what was taking so long.” She looked between the two vampires of her coven, as if she was criticizing them for their incompetence to bring us all before Aro. Then, she turned to us, looking us straight in our eyes, or rather our souls, probably to warn and scare us at the same time, before walking back to where she came from. 

Alice turned towards Bella and I, the only humans there, who clearly looked more terrified than she and Edward did. “Just do as she says.” She simply said and we followed behind the girl, with the other two vampires closely behind us. 

The blond one was so close to me, I could feel the coldness radiating off his body, making me shiver. The brunette gave Edward the red robe I didn’t notice he was holding before, probably to cover himself in front of the Kings. The blonde girl moved between Bella and Edward, and Alice and I. Edward was trying to comfort Bella but I couldn’t exactly make out what they were saying, my mind making all shorts of scenarios about how the vampires would kill me and the others. The more I thought about it, the more I was shriveling on Alice’s side. 

We reached an elevator - I never thought vampires used elevators, but maybe it was for the humans around? The brunette and the blond entered first, as the blond turned around to stare at us, turning his gaze at me afterwards, before fully stepping in. Then, it was time for Edward and Bella to get in, followed by Alice and I. The blonde girl stepped in last, before the elevator’s doors closed shut.

The elevator music, an operetta, was supposed to calm peoples’ nerves. Yet, in this tight box, it had the opposite effect. Surrounded by vampires, vegetarian and non, the music was just creeping me out. 

The fact that the blond vampire was merely two inches away from me was making my knees weak and my heart pounding, though I, myself, didn’t even know if my own body was reacting out of fear or attraction towards the blond vampire. I felt him leaning closer to me and barely heard him sniff around, but I clearly saw Alice turning her head around and giving him death stares, to which he retrieved back to his original position.

The elevator stopped and we all stepped out. We walked past a receptionist’s desk, the woman standing up, smiling and wishing us a good afternoon - based on the few Italian that I knew. From what Bella and Edward said, the receptionist was a human, wishing to become a vampire, like the others.

“And so she will be.” Demetri smirked, looking at me, who I still haven't abandoned Alice’s hand.

“Or dessert.” Jane interrupted, and I felt myself losing consciousness for a split second, before I felt the blond vampire grabbing my arm to stabilize me. His hand was cold and his grip tight on me, not leaving me even after I looked at him with wide eyes. He just smiled and continued walking ahead.

Jane opened the doors in front of her, leading us to a massive room, made out of marble, and decorated with Roman columns and scriptures on the walls. Surprisingly, it was well-lit and bright, compared to the dark halls that we passed through just a minute ago.

“Sister. Send you out to get one and you bring back two. And two halves. Such a clever girl.” A brunette boy, a bit taller than Jane, called towards her, as she walked by his side.

The blond vampire let me go and walk farther into the room, still holding Alice’s hand like I was holding on her for dear life. The blond vampire now stood a few feet behind us, next to the tall brunette one.

A black-haired vampire, who seemed a bit too excited, started walking towards us. “What a happy surprise! Bella is alive after all. Isn’t that wonderful. I love a happy ending. They are so rare.” He was talking with fake happiness in his face, as if he was reading from a script, grabbing Edward’s hand in the process.

“La tua cantante.” Your singer. The vampire seemed to know how much Edward craved Bella’s blood, and questioned how Edward could do so easily. 

“Aro can read every thought I’ve ever had with one touch.” Well, that explained a lot. And now I placed who Aro was within the Volturi.

I now learned more about Edward’s gift, which was more similar to Aro’s than anyone else’s, but he couldn’t actually read Bella’s thoughts. Aro requested if he could test his own gift on Bella, probably hoping that he could read her thoughts and brag about it. But when Bella offered her hand, which he took too willingly, his face was unreadable and then, disappointed and angry, not being able to read her either.

Then, he turned towards me, still by Alice’s side. His red eyes were cold and hostile, and his face uninviting. I felt small and vulnerable, exposed, in front of his critical gaze.

“Dear (Y/N), excuse me for the waiting. Edward has presented me a very..intriguing image of you. Could you offer me your hand? I would like to get to know you, as well.”

My lips were trembling, not being able to say a word, and my eyes were glistening. Please, don’t cry. Please, don’t cry. I knew that whatever Edward had shown him I couldn’t avoid. So, I took a step forward, leaving Alice’s hand and extending the other one towards Aro. I felt a breeze behind me, as Demetri came to stand on my right side, looking closely between Aro and I.

The mind reader took my hand between his hands, and I felt my thoughts being examined and tossed around my head, like a small whisper trying to cast a spell on me. The vampire looked at me, deep in the eyes, and his face was filled with fascination for whatever he saw inside my head.

“Fascinating, indeed, dear. Your mind is just filled with thoughts and images, though they are not very distinct. You are not an easy book to read. I still haven’t figured out who you really are. Although…”. He looked at the vampire standing beside me, motioning for him to give him his hand.

The blond obeyed his master. Did he have any other choice? Probably not. Aro took the blond’s hand, and his wicked, sick smile came back.

“Oh, this suddenly became even better than I would have expected.” He turned towards the vampire sitting on the throne, looking sad. Marcus? The vampire in question nodded, and Aro turned around in an almost theatrical move, with open arms, for everyone to see. 

“It seems that our dear Demetri has finally found his mate in (Y/N). I’m so happy for the two of you!” His face was smiling, but his voice sounded as fake as ever. 

I didn’t know what “mates” meant. Alice didn’t have enough time to explain every “vampire term” to me, so I was clueless regarding this part. The blond, who I now knew as Demetri, must have seen the confusion in my face, as he leaned slightly towards me and whispered “Soulmates” in my ear. My eyes widened and he giggled lightly.

Whether it was how close he came near me, or his giggle, or the fact that we were “soulmates”, my heart responded immediately, thumbing faster in my chest, and I felt my cheeks burn - I was clearly blushing in front of everyone, as if I couldn’t be any more awkward than I was before.

Aro interrupted my embarrassment, as he turned once again towards Bella, wanting to test if she was immune to the others’ gifts as well. He turned towards the blonde girl, Jane, asking her basically to show off her own gift. Edward ran forward to stop whatever it was going to happen, only to end up in pain, writhing in an inaudible pain, as Bella was practically screaming to stop.

I honestly didn’t mind Edward suffering, even if it was for a few seconds, considering that Bella had it worse for over 5 months. He finally dropped to the floor, as Alice ran to his side, and the blonde girl’s brother ran to grab Bella, to stop her from going by her lover’s side.

I had no idea what was happening. I was just looking around, shocked and scared, as all these unfamiliar things were taking place in front of my untrained eyes. I felt a hand stroking my arm up and down. I turned around to see Demetri smiling slightly at me, trying to calm me down. I sighed a bit and felt my heart slightly at ease.

That was until the Kings decided that Bella was a liability - I wasn’t? - and Aro called out for Felix. I turned around and saw the tall brunette smiling evilly, while the shorter brunette turned Bella around and left her there, exposed, in front of the giant. Edward seemed to know what it would be happening, as he immediately stood up and ran by Bella’s side to protect her.

He immediately ran forward, attacking the tall brunette, and knocking him down. Alice ran towards Edward to help him out, but she was immediately stopped by Demetri, who I didn’t notice had left my side, grabbing her by her neck and immobilizing her, dragging her away from ever reaching her brother. 

“Alec!” Demetri shouted towards the brunette boy, who had just left Bella at Felix’s mercy, pointing towards me with his eyes. The boy, Alec, came by my side, and practically dragged me farther from the scene that took place in front of me. His grip was a bit too much as he squeezed my arm, making me slightly cry in pain. Demetri growled at him, and Alec’s grip loosened significantly, but he still kept his hand on my arm.

Felix was pissed by now, as he immediately started fighting Edward, pushing and slamming him around the room. However, I couldn’t focus my gaze on them; not because they were fast, but because I was focused on watching Demetri, and how he was still holding on Alice’s neck tightly, never letting her go.

Watching Demetri’s hand around Alice’s neck should have made me feel appalled and sorry for the small brunette girl, but it didn’t. On the contrary, I felt rather aroused, watching his strong hand wrapped around the brunette’s neck. 

Honestly, I felt a wave of jealousy and annoyance hitting me. That should have been me! Only I was worthy to be touched by this sort of demon who masked his true identity with the facade of an angel. It should be me! I couldn’t help myself, my jealousy building up inside me. 

“Wish he’d choke ME!” I told myself, getting more frustrated by the minute.

“Patience, cara mia. All in due time.” Demetri smirked at me. I did not realise I said that out loud, until Alec started snorting beside me, clearly laughing cheekily, and Felix started bursting in laughter, his grip tight on Edward’s jaw by now.

I had embarrassed myself in a room full of vampires once again, the majority of them being part of the Volturi coven. If the Earth opened in half and swallowed me, I would pretty much welcome it at that point.

Bella brought me back to reality, as she was practically screaming, begging the vampires to let go of Edward, as she looked clearly distraught and upset. She even offered herself instead of Edward! Why, Bella? Just why? I have understood by now that they were mates and they’d do anything for each other, but she would sacrifice her own life for Edward?! That didn’t make sense to me.

Aro seemed to agree with me, but he thought more of the “soulless monster” perspective, while I thought more of Edward’s character, and how much his absence had scarred Bella. Alice told me, on our way here, that he thought he was doing everything to keep her away just to protect her, that being close to him put her in danger. But, from my own experience with Bella, she was suffering more away from him than he thought she would.

Aro looked disappointed between Edward and Bella, wishing he would give her immortality, which he did not seem willing to do. Aro moved menacingly towards the terrified girl, prepared to end her life. I fell forwards, attempting to reach her, to move in between them, but Alec’s grip tightened, keeping me back, both of his hands on my arms now. Aro was basically licking his lips, when, suddenly, Alice stopped him. 

The small brunette confirmed that Bella would become a vampire like them, and that she would even be the one to change her, as she saw in her vision. Aro called her forward, and Demetri let her walk towards his Master. 

He then moved towards Alec and I, replacing the brunette boy, but, instead of grabbing my arms like Alec did, he embraced me tightly, not letting me move away from my position. His cold embrace sent shivers down my spine, but, surprisingly, I let myself relax in his arms, feeling safe, and like that was where I belonged. I felt him smiling and relaxing, as well.

Aro seemed pleased with whatever Alice had shown him, and intrigued by her own gift of predicting the future. Alice had told me that her gift was subjected to the decisions people made, and the future could just change at any point. However, if Aro believed that her vision would eventually come true, we had no reason to tell him otherwise. 

Aro turned to Bella. “Your gifts will make for an intriguing immortal.” He whispered as he touched her face, Bella clearly feeling uncomfortable under his touch. I would, too - Aro seemed creepy in his own way, his behavior and movements just as unpredictable.

He then told us to leave, and prepare for Bella’s transformation, and Felix let go of Edward. Marcus told everyone that a woman named Heidi would be coming soon and thanked us “for the visit”, as Aro said his goodbyes. Demetri walked towards the exit, me still in his arms. Edward grabbed Bella by her hand and Alice followed them behind.

As we were walking through the corridor, a beautiful woman walked past us, many people - they looked like tourists - following behind her. She had long, wavy brown hair and purple eyes, which could only mean that she was most likely wearing blue contacts over her red eyes. Her aura was full of confidence and power; she knew what she was doing and she took her job seriously.

“Nice fishing, Heidi.” I heard Demetri addressing the woman from behind me. So, that was the Heidi Marcus was referring to. Wait.. Nice..what?

“Yes, they do look rather juicy.” The beautiful woman replied, eyeing between Bella and I, as she continued leading the tourists down the hallway.

Demetri must have seen her reaction, as he brought me closer to him. I was in shock, and started trembling more than before. These people, these poor people would be the vampires’ snacks in a few seconds. Like Bella and I could have been just minutes ago. I tried to not think about it, but the screams that echoed through the hall would probably haunt me for the rest of my life.

Demetri opened another door as we approached the end of the corridor, and we found ourselves back in the reception area. The Italian woman greeted us once again, but I didn’t listen to what she said, still in shock, just waiting to leave this horrible place as soon as I could.

“Just wait here. You will be able to leave in a few hours, when it’s dark outside.” Demetri instructed Edward and Alice, and took his arms away from my body, turning to look at me. “Wait here, cara mia. I’ll be back soon.” I nodded, not being able to say a word.

Demetri turned and ran towards the throne room. I knew he left to feed, and I just couldn’t bear the thought of him killing innocent humans. I couldn’t keep myself from crying, as I started trembling and losing balance. 

Alice came by my side, trying to stabilize and calm me down, while Edward tried calming down a hyperventilating Bella. We were both losing our sanity, not being able to keep up with the Volturi’s lifestyle, as it seemed. I was craving Demetri’s touch but, at the same time, I couldn’t stop the human in me, the logic, the sense that said that I should stay away from the vampires who killed people. 

I heard Alice and Edward talking with the receptionist, but I couldn’t make out exactly what they were talking about. Alice, slowly and carefully, with her hands still on my arms, led me to a nearby bench, as the receptionist walked away. I was rocking back and forth, trying to calm down, realizing that we are still alive. I saw the receptionist coming towards us, offering a glass of water to both Bella and I.

“Grazie mille.” I thanked her, my voice barely audible.

“Prego.” She smiled at me, and walked back towards her desk.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I didn’t realise how much time passed, until I heard footsteps coming towards us. I was way more calm by now. Lifting my head towards the direction of the footsteps, I saw Demetri and Felix. I shyly smiled at Demetri, and he smiled back, with a smile wider than mine, a smile that warmed my heart.

“Hello, again, amore mio.” I felt as if my heart stopped for a split second upon hearing the words he used to address me. I would still be weak to my knees, if I didn't already sit down.

Felix was the one to inform us that we were allowed to go now, being way past nighttime. I stood up, and attempted to walk forward, towards Bella and the two Cullen siblings. I intended to leave with them, but I was stopped by Demetri’s hand on my wrist.

“Where are you going, cara?” He looked at me, knowing why I was attempting to walk away.

“I.. I thought we’d.. be leaving? That I’d be leaving? With the others?” At least, I was hoping I would be leaving with them. 

“I’m sorry, amore. I can’t let you go, not now that I found you. You’ll be staying here, with me.” Demetri sounded so natural and serious, and I could only stare at him, my mouth agape.

“But.. I thought it was okay for me to leave. I have a life behind, you know. I have a school to finish, I have my family, I have things to do.” I still looked at him dumbfounded, waiting for him to allow me to go, just for now, just for a few months at least.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N). But I cannot risk anything happening to you. I will make sure you are safe and protected here. We will arrange everything with your school and your family, and whatever else is needed. Please, stay.” Demetri’s eyes were pleading, and a shiver passed through my body, just by looking at him and hearing him talk.

It took me a few minutes to respond; nobody said a word all this time. “Okay.” I said faintly. “I will stay.. here.. with you.”

Demetri’s face lit up, and he leaned closer to me, wrapping his arms around me. He was careful to not hurt me, and I knew, at the moment, with my heart full of love and affection for that man, that that was where I was supposed to be. With Demetri. For as long as it lasted.  

#demetri volturi #volturi #demetri volturi x reader #twilight #twilight saga #twilight post #twilight renessaince

[hansolmates]

busted in busan 

summary; you’re snowbound at the airport, when the only thing you want is to be homebound. your anxieties heighten as the snow rises, worried that you won’t make it in time for christmas where your fiancé and his parents expect you—picture perfect. when all flights are cancelled due to a massive storm, you have to turn to the hands of an unlikely, hard-headed hero who knows the fastest way out of busan (and into your heart) pairing; jungkook x (f) reader genre/warnings; a christmas detour!au, fluff, angst, slice of life, strangers to lovers, enemies to lovers, pining, this is a total romcom, hallmark movie galore! tw–microcheating (or not however you look at it) mentions of sex, making out, profanity w/c; 10k   a/n; for @suhdays​ holiday hallmark event! this event was totally up my lane, i couldn’t wait to post it! a huge thank u for @eerieedits​ for making this wonderful fic banner! this is totally unedited, i’ll to go back to it tonight but pls enjoy! for those of u who need a little more christmas charm this year, this is for u

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“The Korean Air 1102 flight from Gimhae International Airport to Incheon International Airport will be delayed six hours due to the intense weather conditions. Please be on standby for any further updates.” 

You’re twitching, fighting the urge to nibble on your nails because you’ve just got them done for Christmas. They’re a sleek champagne gold, because your fiancé insisted that they’re far more mature than your usual red and brown reindeer art. This is awful, and is only going to get progressively worse as the snow builds and builds. Right now the weather isn’t that bad, the snow isn’t even sticking to the ground and—oh. 

Gnawing at your lip, your fingers brush over the cold window, a clear view of the landing strip you should currently be boarding. The touch is icy, and the pads of your fingers are enveloped in little rings of fog at the sudden warmth nudging the glass. Upon closer inspection and a squint of your eyes reveal that in fact, the snow is now sticking to the ground. Big, fat clumps are covering the freeway and destroying your Christmas plans. 

Your fiancé will understand if you’re a little late for their Christmas Eve party, but you’re not sure if his parents will. You’ve been on livewire all week, wanting to at least spend the morning of Christmas Eve with your family back home. Knowing that your fiancé’s Christmas Eve party would run until very late, you booked a noon flight with enough time to get ready and impress his parents. Evidently, it was an ill-prepared idea. 

Immediately falling into your terminal’s line, you hope that you can talk with the receptionist in hopes they could put you at ease. 

“How soon will you announce our flight’s departure?” A sad smile. 

“Is there any way you can put me on the next possible flight?” A shake of the head. 

“Will the weather let up?” A frown. 

Every bit of rejection weighs you down, and you’ve run out of questions to ask. For a receptionist, she’s not very receptive. 

“C’mon lady, you’re holding up the line,” a voice tugs you from behind, “you’re not the only one who’s gotta get down to the city on Christmas.” 

You fight the urge to roll your eyes, wanting to slap the rudeness off this man’s face. Instead of falling back in line, you move to the side to glare at him. He’s unfortunately attractive, albeit in a rugged sort-of way—nothing like your fiancé. The leather jacket that he carries tall is worn and crackly at the collar. Wavy dark hair he constantly has to hold back, a gesture that looks flirtatious and to your chagrin the receptionist is definitely recepting to him. 

“Your refund should be processed in about two to four business days, Mr. Jeon,” the receptionist murmurs, the simultaneously sultry and chirpy voice making you twitch in your spot. Maybe if you drank a cup of tall, dark and handsome you’d be getting the same kind of treatment. 

“Thanks,” he replies shortly, and it’s then you notice the extremely large luggage next to him. It’s the size of you, and despite the broad shoulders under the baggy jacket, he lugs it with careful force, making sure not to bump into anyone as he wheels it away from the counter. 

It seems that your trainers have a mind of your own as you follow him down the terminal. He side eyes you as your feet pick up the pace to match his long legs, but he waits for you to say something first. 

“Why did you ask for a refund?” you ask, frowning at him, “the flight is only delayed.” 

He scoffs, “Do you see the snow? They’re just saying it’s delayed so they can hold onto your money a little longer. Besides, it’s a win-win. I get my refund sooner and some other poor sap can take the ticket and wait until five in the morning.” 

“Five A.M.,” you exhale to yourself, slowing down. 

It would be too late by then, far too late. Your shoulders slump, people start to bump into you without a care. 

“Besides,” you hear his voice say from your stricken form, “I had a backup plan.” 

That’s when your feet start to burn up, and you whip around to pump your legs, catching up with the man who’s already far down the hall. “What kind of backup plan?” you blurt, raising your voice because the crowds are starting to get noisier and deeper the further you follow him. 

He hooks his lips into a confused frown, “You’re awfully nosy.” 

“I’m in a pinch, my fiancé’s parents will kill me if I don’t show up to their party tonight.” 

“Your fiancé’s parents… will kill you?” 

“That’s an exaggeration,” you cough, immediately feeling self-conscious, “they’d kill me with their eyes. They’re really big, really pretty corporate people. They have high expectations for their future in-law.” 

“Ah, and you're the country pumpkin who managed to sweep the rich guy off his feet?” 

“Something like that,” you reply, rocking on your heels, “my dad was his dad’s former secretary, and we grew up together.” 

The stranger with a plan stops in front of a long line. It’s so long that you’re not entirely sure where it leads to. People are piling out the door two at a time, and you can see they’re trying to get through the process as fast as possible. The window leading outside is blurry and caked in white ice. He hooks one leg over his luggage, the metal and plastic case is so high that his feet barely touch the ground. Like a kid with a flat scooter, he wheels himself through the line. 

“These lines are for busses going in the direction of our flight,” he jabs a finger out the door, “if the flight got cancelled I was just going to ride one of these,” out of his pocket he pulls out two tickets, flicking it in front of your face.

“Are there any tickets left?” your eyes bug, and you immediately pull out your phone to reserve a spot. 

“Nah, been booked since last month.” 

It’s then that your eyes zero in on the second ticket he has in hand. Both tickets are addressed to the same name. You lower your phone in your pocket, narrowing your eyes. “Why do you have two for yourself?” 

He pats his luggage as a response. 

“That’s not fair!” 

“It is when you buy it, sweetheart.” 

“A literal human could be in that spot, wanting to go home for Christmas!”

“You’re just salty you don’t have a ticket, don’t take it out on my luggage,” he feigns a pout, rubbing the handle of the heavy container, “you’re hurting it’s feelings.” 

It doesn’t take long for you and the stranger to reach the end of the line. To others in line the two of you look like two companions bickering good-naturedly, but in reality the only thing you want to do is slap that smug smile off his face. 

“You want my ticket,” he states. 

“I want your luggage’s ticket,” you bite back, staring petulantly at where he sits comfortably between the handle. 

Unbeknownst to you, the man’s face morphs into a teasing grin upon seeing you glare a little too hard at the silver and black case. It just so happens that your eyes gravitate to the middle of the luggage, at the apex between his long legs leading up to a pair of black sweats. Despite the soft, baggy fabric you can see how the bulge of his thighs outline the thin cotton, looking large and inviting which—

Fuck. You’re engaged. Why are you checking out some stranger’s thighs? Your fiancé also has nice thighs, think about those! 

“How much do you want for it?” you cough, crossing your arms and turning to the side to hide your flaming cheeks. 

“Who said I was offering?” 

“I’ll pay that and then some.”

“With your rich-boy’s money?” 

If your hands were not digging into your elbows and you weren’t so concerned about your gold-foiled manicure, you’d deck him. Do the holidays normally make this person so snappy? He simply flips his hair, and you catch the shaved ends of his sides. 

“Three-hundred,” he says easily, and if he notices you staring he doesn’t say anything, “including any extra fees for my luggage.”

“Done,” you hold out your hand for him to shake. 

“I’m Jungkook, if you care,” the man named Jungkook adds wryly, practically swallowing your small hand with his larger one. You shortly reply with your name, and he merely nods, “a thank you would suffice.” 

“Thanks,” and it’s then that you manage a scarily pretty smile, one that Jungkook finds both alarming and amusing. It’s a catered smile, one that you’ve trained yourself to accomplish after hours in the mirror in fear of your fiancé’s parents seeing right through you. It’s the smile you give during work when you don’t give a shit but you need to suck it up. It’s a 9/10 success rate. 

“Scary,” he shivers, and then you realize he’s the 1/10. 

The only bus for you two to pile on is one of the smallest. Probably half the size of a regular coach bus, but at this rate you don’t care. You’ll fly by hot air balloon if the weather wasn’t so crappy. 

“Taehyung!” you startle at Jungkook’s sudden belt, and he does a big, beefy-chested bro-hug to the driver. Ah, so he has connections. You watch the two interact from your corner, pulling up your hood to stop the rapidfire snowflakes from pelting your eyes. 

The driver is a classically handsome thing, dark eyes and dark fluffy hair. His paperbag pants look absolutely frigid however, and his teeth are chattering as he regards Jungkook with annoyed eyes. 

“Listen, so plans have changed—”

“As always, Kook.” 

“—and I need you to do me another solid. Do you have room in the compartment for my babies?” 

“The answer is, and always no. That’s why you bought two tickets.” 

“I know but,” he gestures to you with a jab of his thumb, “like I said, plans have changed.” 

“Jungkook,” Taehyung frowns, “trying to do some Christmas miracles? In this snowstorm?” Taehyung shakes his head, eyes flickering to the running bus. Most of the ticket holders are already on it. “I can save you two a three-seater, but there’s no room in the compartment. It’ll be a tight fight but—” 

“It’s perfect. You’re dynamite, Tae,” Jungkook even has the audacity to reach his hands out and squish the driver’s cheeks, much to his distain. 

The two of you are ushered quickly into the bus, leaving you in the very front diagonal to where Taehyung is sitting. The three seats are tiny, it probably barely fits Jungkook’s thighs with the large luggage nestled in the other two seats. The two of you suggest to put the luggage out in the aisle and take turns holding it, but Taehyung interjects that the luggage is a fire hazard. 

“But not a human,” Jungkook decides, and he gestures for you to sit down in the available seat. You’re practically shoved against the window as Jungkook manages to squeeze his gargantuan luggage in the other two seats. He’s tall enough to grab the metal rungs of the bus, steeling himself in the middle of the aisle.

Taehyung doesn’t fight with that, and finally puts the bus into drive. Pulling out of the airport feels akin to leaving the eye of the storm. It’s going to be a long journey, and it makes you worry as to whether you’re going to make it on time or not. 

Your favorite pastime is watching the window on a long car ride, especially when the snowflakes crystalize and melt away through the warmth of the vehicle. However, you’re irked. You thought Jungkook was a bit of a wank, a little too full of himself and far too mysterious for your own good. 

Exhibit A, the luggage that’s currently threatening to wheel over and crush you against the glass. You wonder what’s so special about this luggage that Jungkook so desperately wants to protect, even so far as to buy its own seat. Sneakily, you lean over to smell the zipper. Surprisingly, it smells a little vinegary, the fumes getting you a little lightheaded within seconds. Your eyes dart to Jungkook, who’s currently engaged in conversation with Taehyung. You tilt your head and sniff again, confirming the slightly rancid smell. 

It’s then you take in Jungkook’s form once more. He dresses a little schlubby, his clothes are old, his eyes are sunken in, and his luggage is filled with weird-smelling things. 

Oh no. Is Jungkook a drug dealer? 

Your fiancé’s parents would surely have a fit if this man gets arrested and you come up in the report as an accused accomplice. It makes sense, he would want to make sure that his goods are in his view at all times, and it explains why he so easily gave you his ticket for triple the actual price. 

A giggle interrupts your thoughts. Yes, a tired, yet bubbly giggle. Jungkook’s face is pressed against his bicep, and you catch the fluttering of his eyes as he tries to keep up with Taehyung’s rambling. His grip is starting to loosen on the metal bars, and you’re worried that he might accidentally slip, or not hold tight enough in the event the car takes a sharp turn or slips on black ice. 

“J-Jungkook,” it’s the first time you’re saying his name out loud, tasting it on your tongue as you regard him steadily, “why don’t we take turns sitting? I don’t mind standing for an hour while you sleep.” 

He regards you with a sleepy smirk, shaking his head against the fabric of his jacket. “You’ll be flung in two seconds, besides can you even reach the handles?” 

Good point, but Jungkook is far more muscular and if he does end up flying he’ll crash through the window and further hinder your commute. It’s why you choose your next words carefully, and you convince yourself it’s the only reason as to why you propose your solution. 

“I’ll sit on your lap,” and since it sounds super weird coming out of your mouth, you tack on, “I’ll put your jacket over your lap as a barrier.” 

He slacks, regarding you with a scrunched face. “Is the jacket supposed to make that situation any better? I’m fine standing like this.” 

“This ride is going to take hours and you’re barely on your own two feet,” your point is made when the bus topples over a speed bump, and Jungkook looks awfully small as he moves to grapple the top bar with both hands, “my fiancé doesn’t get jealous, I’ve sat in plenty of friend’s laps before.” 

“We’re not friends,” he blurts with a raise of his brows.

“Yes, I know that,” you’re a little insulted by the curt reply, but he still looks rather horrified that you’re proposing the following, “I don’t like it either, but I’m sitting in your seat and now I’m feeling guilty as hell.” 

It’s a lot of shuffling and shifting after that. You try not to laugh as Jungkook rips off his leather jacket, folding it into a perfect square, ironing out the corners of the crinkly fabric as he gestures for you to take a seat. You try not to take note of how sturdy his thighs are, or how the muscle stretches across the seat so well that there’s no way for you to fall between the cracks. 

“You’re going to sleep anyway,” you try to assure him, side eying him as he presses his forehead against the window, “it’ll be like being with a dead body.” 

“Didn’t know you were into necrophilia, but whatever floats your boat,” Jungkook mumbles, eyes immediately fluttering shut. 

At first it was easy, ignoring the fact that you’re sitting on top of a human. The drive seems endless however, Taehyung driving further and further into a sea of white ice. You force yourself to thread your fingers together, sitting on the very edge of his knees with your back ramrod straight. Eventually, you tire out and relax against Jungkook’s lax body. Your face is centimeters away from Jungkook’s. Long, dark lashes, and a strand of equally dark hair falls in front of his eyes. His cheeks are flushed from the blaring heater, and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. 

Hm, for a drug dealer, he smells pretty. 

Despite the weird-smelling luggage that looms over the two of you, the white long-sleeved shirt he wears is soft to the touch and smells fresh. 

You huff, and shift in your seat. 

“Stop,” Jungkook mumbles into your shoulder, and you don’t have the heart to look at him. 

“I’m sorry, it’s cramped,” you reply. 

“I get that, but you don’t have to—hike yourself so far up here,” he sounds almost embarrassed saying it, and his hand shuffles to adjust his belt. “Literally can’t sleep because you’re making me pop a boner.” 

“Why, I’m engaged!” 

“God, I know. It’s like your personality trait or something,” Jungkook retorts, “just because you’re engaged doesn’t stop my body from reacting. I’m sure your fiancé has reacted like this, stop acting like a blushing virgin.” 

You tense, your eyes glued to the window in front of you. How do you even make a comeback to that? Wringing your hands in your lap, you feel your palms sweat with nerves the longer it takes for you to reply. This causes the gears to run in Jungkook’s mind. 

“Holy fuck, have you two not—” 

“Shut up,” you hiss, turning your body around to slap him in the chest, “shut up shut upupupshutup!” 

You make seething, burning eye contact with Jungkook. You expect him to have a shit-eating grin on his face, teasing you for your relationship. Instead, Jungkook is wide-eyed, mouth parted open like a confused guppy and his big bug-eyes looking stricken. He says nothing. 

The road starts to get bumpier, and the drive swerves from time to time to avoid black ice. Neither of you are relaxed. Combined with the heart of the storm, your heart is currently wrung on electrical wire, pumping blood with a fervor you cannot stifle. 

“I’m going to put my arms around your waist,” Jungkook murmurs softly, and you lift your arms slightly to see him lace his fingers over your belly button. “Like a seatbelt.” 

You sigh, relaxing in his hold. Now it’s awkward. He feels compelled to hold you to keep you safe, even though he clearly finds it awkward you’ve already put him in this position. 

Jungkook isn’t so bad, you think as you let your gaze linger on his hands. They anchor you to his lap, making sure you’re not jostling during the ride. He may have a razor sharp tongue and gets under your nerves just for the heck of it, but he’s kind of nice. Under the prickly leather jacket, there’s a softness to him you can’t help but gravitate to. 

It’s dark outside, save for the speedily descending flakes and the dim lights of the highway. You’re sitting on the lap of a total stranger, yet it’s a stranger who’s holding your waist like he’s a seatbelt, a stranger who’s making you feel safe to say the words that have been haunting you for the past few months. 

“I’ve tried to initiate sex,” you finally say. “I don’t know why he doesn’t want me, it’s already been two years.” 

Your eyes turn red with bloody horror. Your vision blurred by the insanity of what you’ve just blurted out to this surprisingly kind stranger who’s offered his seat (both times) to you. 

“I didn’t mean to word vomit like that. Forget I said anything—” 

“Must be his loss,” Jungkook cuts you off, and when he says it doesn’t feel impolite at all. However, Jungkook doesn’t continue on, doesn’t give you rhyme or reason, just lets you linger on his reply like a madwoman. 

Maybe it’s because you’re so touch starved, maybe you’re just seeing things, but for some reason Jungkook’s fingers feel more apparent against the seam of your jacket. They tighten a fraction, drum around the metal zipper that holds the thick fabric together. Your palms feel like a fountain, and you try to ignore the burn between your legs, the liquid heat betraying the commitment that sits on your finger. 

You’re engaged to be married, you chastise yourself. All eighteen carats that symbolize that bond glare at you, bright and eager to make you feel guilty. The whole reason why you’re on this cramped bus ride is to get to your soon-to-be husband. Some pretty stranger with strong hands won’t change that. 

“We’re here! Finally!” Taehyung cheers, and you realize now that you’re parked into a tunnel surrounded by other buses. 

Jungkook and you wait until everyone steps off the bus. The pads of Jungkook’s fingers play an unsung tune, absentmindedly drumming to a song you can’t put your mind to. 

“God, you can’t just pay the extra money for someone to take care of this?” Taehyung hauls the large luggage in the aisle seat, and you feel like you’re being revealed under a curtain, doing something you’re not supposed to be doing. 

You hop off his lap, scoop your backpack in your arm and scramble off the bus. The cold, winter air bites into every available pore in your body, replacing the warmth that Jungkook gave in the tiny bus. You hike the collar of your oversized turtleneck higher up your chin, prickling in shivers as you wait for Jungkook. 

“I don’t remember Seoul being this, empty,” you say to yourself, frowning at the lack of humans past the bus station. You peer curiously at the dark, dark road off the terminal. There’s no flicker of light, or a skyline filled with bustling sounds and flickering head beams. 

“That’s because we’re only halfway there,” Jungkook walks past you, luggage in tow. 

“What?” you pull out your phone, it’s already 4PM and it’s pitch dark outside. 

The snow is beating down as you two speed walk out of the hangar, reaching a nearly vacant parking lot save for a pure white minivan. You barely notice the vehicle with all the snow, blending in perfectly as wave after wave of ice beats down on it. The pops of rust by the tires, gaudy orange stripes is the only thing you can focus on as you try to make it to the car as fast as possible. 

“Get in and start the car,” Jungkook practically shoves the keys in your hands, gesturing for you to take the passenger seat. 

When you enter his car, you’re hit with a scent scarily identical to the one in Jungkook’s luggage. You nearly gag when you inhale too much, and your eyes flicker over to the lemon air freshener attached to the exhaust, trying its best to mask the smell. You vaguely remember all the warning stories your parents told you as a kid—never enter the white van. 

Ohmygod, you’re in a white van and all of Jungkook’s drugs are in the back. 

You shake your head, willing the car to start as you arch your back over the console to start it up. You’ve been around your fiancé’s parents too long, letting them fill your head with judgemental gab and crazy assumptions only rich people have about people lesser than them. 

Once the car spurs to life, soft holiday music plays from a pop station. The front window of the car is absolutely covered in snow, you can’t even budge the windshield wipers to scrape the layer of ice off. 

Suddenly, a blanket of ice slides off the window, swept to the concrete. You’re met with Jungkook’s toothy smile and horror-esque stare, and you have this jerk reaction to nervously laugh and jump in your seat. Your nails dig into the cheap fabric of your seat as Jungkook’s scary expression melts into a more softened one, as if happy to have gotten you to laugh in such sucky times. Jungkook continues to brush your windows, meticulously making sure no ice can cause any damage as you two go into the night. 

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road!” Jungkook whips the door open, throwing the snow brush at the space between your feet. 

As soon as he shuts the door, your stomachs growl simultaneously. 

The two of you break into a quick laugh, giggles that overlap the twinkly holiday chimes and the packed snow crunching under Jungkook’s boots. 

“After McDonalds,” Jungkook declares, setting up the GPS for a quick pitstop to the nearest fast food joint. 

Ten minutes into the drive, you pull into a generic food joint, too starved to find gourmet McDonalds. You make it a point to flick your card and lean over his body to meet the cashier, telling him you’re spotting the meal. Jungkook doesn’t complain, and tells the cashier to add in a vanilla sundae for good measure. 

Color yourself impressed, but you can’t help but gawk as Jungkook expertly sets up his food on the dashboard like a five-star meal, with fries in the cupholder and a burger unwrapped perfectly to catch any spills and to keep his fingers from getting greased up. For such a terrible snowstorm, he pulls out of the joint gracefully, a brief intermission in your long journey. 

“So, is my fiancé’s place far from where you need to be?” 

Jungkook shrugs, a stray fry hanging from his mouth. “It’s not far, not close either. I don’t mind, I like driving.” 

“Do you drive around a lot?” 

“Yeah, for work. It’s a little annoying that I have to spend Christmas alone, but it is what it is.” 

Pausing on your speculation, you take a big bite of your burger. You were hoping that your conversation would spur on a little more detail about his drug-esque job. However, all you start to feel is the heaviness of your fast food meal, stemming from your chest and filling your grease-filled stomach. 

“You’re spending Christmas alone?” you say, and you don’t mean to sound so sad saying it, but the thought of him being alone tonight makes you feel pinched with pain. 

“I can practically feel your puppy-eyes,” Jungkook shakes his head, not even needing to look at you as he focuses on the road. “I’m fine, don’t you worry.” 

“Do you wanna come to the party?” you offer, trying to sound as neutral as possible as you throw the suggestion on the dash.

“Not my thing,” Jungkook scrunches his nose, “with my line of work, I prefer to lay low.” 

Trying not to feel a hurt by the sudden (but expected) rejection, you practically eat your burger whole, eyes glaring on the road. You surmise it’s a valid excuse, drug dealers aren’t exactly one for highly-populated areas and with your fiancé’s reputation, you’re sure his parents would smell Jungkook’s reputation in a micro-minute. 

The drive isn’t anything special. You’re sure if it were spring, the foliage would be pretty and the sun would be setting into melty orange hues by now. It’s all black and white, boring shades that are aggressively pelting at the van and hindering your evening. 

“So, what other character traits do you have?” Jungkook cuts through your semi-brooding, as easily as one slices through butter, “other than the obvious that you’re engaged, and that you’re getting married. And oh yeah, you have a fiancé!” 

You scoff at his cheesy joke, folding your arms together. “I like spending time with my family. Watching movies under a weighted blanket. Plants.” 

His stare dips away from the road for a fraction, enough for you to catch that he’s rolling his eyes, “Fascinating. Not a plant person myself. I like those cute little succulents though. Had a bunch of those in college.” 

“I am also a ramen connoisseur,” you say pointedly, turning up your nose. 

“Ah, are you?” you smile a little when you see Jungkook’s eyes light up at the mention of food, “what’s the criteria for good ramen?” 

“Deep, creamy broth. Also, the egg. Gotta look like a custard-y, eggy sunset. It’s just,” you smack your lips together, mimicking a chef’s kiss, “perfect.” 

He chuckles, and goes on to tell you a story about a ramen shop he’s visited on his travels. It’s one he declares that you need to visit, one he still dreams about often. It takes a ferry and it’s a bit of a trek, but he says it’s worth it, and the eggs are as custard-y and sunset-y as you’d like. 

It’s between pockets of his story and pulling yourself out of this little bubble of a van you realize:  are you flirting with Jungkook? 

The longer this trip goes, the more your stares linger. They linger like the snow that sticks to the ground, unable to do nothing but cling. Layer after layer of confusing feelings, building up to a blizzard that you’re unable to quell. 

“So, your family’s also going to be at your fiancé’s party?” Jungkook asks, poking at yet another one of your personal facets. He’s being blatantly nosy, yet neither of you seem to mind. 

“Oh, no,” you shove your hands in your pockets, “they wanted to stay back in our hometown with the extended family. Y’know, the older members can’t really travel as much as they used to.” 

“Ah, so you’re splitting up your time,” Jungkook drums his hands on the wheel, eyes drooped slightly as he continues along the monotonous road, “your fiancé couldn’t make it?” 

“Couldn’t,” you reply lightly, “just, y’know, work.” 

“Been there, done that,” Jungkook replies, “I’m sure he missed out though. What’s your family like? Are they the type to bake cookies until 3 A.M.? Oh, or do they get wine drunk and talk shit about their annoying cousins—” 

“Jungkook,” the words fly out of your mouth before you can even think, “I’m engaged.” 

The weight of your words holds differently now. A whole day has passed with this man, and you’ve developed an attachment that simultaneously scares and thrills you. Not an hour goes by that you have to think to yourself that you’re taken, to the point that you can’t even tell what’s in your head and what’s being spoken out in the air. 

Instead of a snippy comment, a snarky retort of, “I know, I know!” like you anticipate, Jungkook stops the car. 

There’s no human trace for miles, so it doesn’t scare you when he slows down and pulls off to the side. He gears the car into park, roughly pulling the handle. He lays his arm over the steering wheel, turning his body so he can face you fully. The heat in the car suddenly feels too cloying, and you shrink in the seat as he leans in on you. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asks, and from the looks of it, he’s genuinely hurt. 

“I—Jungkook,” you plant your feet on the ground, trying to find some power in this situation, “I mean I, we—you just can’t keep doing this.” 

“Do you feel like I’m trying to steal you away? Or, seduce you or something?” Jungkook is starting to talk himself into a stupor, eyes flickering from the window, to you, to behind you, and back to you. It’s almost jarring, seeing how self-conscious he starts to get without the presence of an audience. Gone is the smooth talker that you met at the terminal, willing to haggle it all for your cash. “Are you uncomfortable? Is it weird I have a crush on you?” 

“Wait, you have a crush on me?” 

He reels back, nearly pressing his head against the window. Jungkook runs a hand through his hair, exhaling deep from his lungs. “Adults still get crushes, y’know.” 

“Yeah, but not to people you met eight hours ago.” 

Jungkook arches a brow, “People fall for people in the most unlikely of ways.” 

That singular statement hits you, hard. 

Jungkook looks like he wants to get out of the van. He seems stuffy, and he unzips his coat and shoves it under his legs. 

“You’re cute,” he echoes the statement like he can’t believe that in a short amount of time, he’s attached to you, “you seem to have good taste, you love family, and your personality isn’t half bad,” the last bit is meant to be teasing, a lighthearted way to end his bout of emotion, but it only makes you ache further, “And it makes me upset knowing that you have to keep convincing yourself that you’re in a relationship that isn’t as fulfilling as you hope. This whole drive, you’ve been anxious about going to his parents, worrying that you’re not going to make it on time instead of relaxing with your family. Where you actually want to be.” 

“I also want to be with Jimin,” you say weakly, a half-hearted attempt to defend yourself. 

You never mentioned your fiancé’s name until this point. It makes Jungkook stiffen a little, finally putting a name to the man that’s supposed to have your heart. It makes the relationship concrete, palpable. 

“I’m sure you do,” Jungkook smacks his lips, evidently sealing the conversation to suffocate under the snow. 

Jungkook puts the car into drive, sliding back into your current route. 

“And to answer your question, Jungkook. No, you having a crush on me is not weird,” and smaller, quieter, you reply, “because it’s weird that I might have a crush on you, too.”

You know that Jungkook catches your statement, because he cranks the volume of the radio harder, effectively shutting you out.  

The first thing Jungkook says when you finally reach the Park’s house is: “Wow.” 

His van looks completely out of place, parked on the side as limos and Escalades drop off more and more people into the large estate. It’s pouring with elegant piano music, and the large window in the middle of their home reveals a century-old chandelier, crystals beaming and winking against the hundreds of guests that lie underneath. 

The rest of the way driving was almost painfully fast. After that awkward wave of emotion, neither of you said anything. Well, you didn’t at least. Jungkook attempted to clear the air by singing along to the Christmas songs on the radio, but it only further attracted you because to your chagrin—Jungkook’s a pretty good singer. 

The estate isn’t in Seoul persay, it’s a sizable plot of land that definitely comes from old money. It’s decked up like the North Pole, lit up and tiny crystal lines dotting the expanse of the rooftops. The snow certainly adds to it, and many guests are outside taking pictures of the picture-perfect holiday show. The blizzard has finally subsided, leaving a clean blanket of snow across their yard.

You scoff to yourself. What they find to be a Christmas miracle only derailed yours. 

Jungkook stares at you while you send a quick text to Jimin. You tell him he needs to come fast, because you don’t want his parents to see you all sweaty and dressed like you’ve been traveling for hours. 

“Oh, uh,” you finally take a look at him, and you immediately regret it because you’re getting sucked into his gaze, “I think you put my bag in the trunk?” 

“Right,” he shakes his head, “follow me.” 

He tilts his head down when he’s outside, as if the snow’s going to start back up and drown him. Your thumb scratches the ring on your finger as you hop out of the van, effectively popping the bubble the two of you have been sealed in for the better half of the evening. Is this going to be it? Is the last you’ll see of Jeon Jungkook? 

All those thoughts evaporate when Jungkook opens the trunk. 

There’s no drugs. 

In fact, you don’t even know what to think. The van is absolutely filled, wall-to-wall art supplies and canvas carefully lined up like Tetris blocks to avoid damage. The floor of the van seems to receive the brunt of the messes, and you catch recent paint stains and spray cans stacked to the side. It explains the smell. 

There’s some clear cases in a corner, protecting completed prints that are already framed. Your eyes cling to a vibrant hyacinth, coral and satin blue petals bunching in the middle of a black background. It’s absolutely gorgeous, if it wasn’t for all the paint lying around, you’d think it’s real. 

Jungkook’s an artist. 

“Holy shit, I thought you were a drug dealer,” you blurt, and you want to smack yourself in the face. 

 “Excuse me?” Jungkook jerks his head towards you, “did you think I was a drug dealer this whole time?” 

“N-no,” you frown petulantly, letting Jungkook loop your arms through the straps of your backpack. “Maybe. You were very shady.” 

He laughs, a genuine laugh. It confuses you, the way he tucks his hands in his pockets and bends his back over to look up at you through his dark lashes. It’s like nothing’s wrong, like he’s trying to erase the past eight hours and leave with no qualms. You don’t know if that comforts you or terrifies you. 

“So, you were willing to let a potentially dangerous man be your travel partner for eight hours so you can make it to your fiancé’s party?” Jungkook’s eyes flicker over to the front door, “you must really love him.” 

“I do,” you say the phrase like it’s second nature. Rehearsed. Practiced. 

“Merry Christmas,” Jungkook pulls out his hand, and you don’t hesitate to grasp it. 

Liquid heat sparks through your skin, one that tingles from where his large palm encases yours, all the way to your heart. 

“Merry Christmas,” you echo, and your feet feel like lead as you back away from him. 

Jungkook waits until you go inside the house, even though the valet is side eyeing him and mentally telling him to leave already. Turning your back to him is rough, like you’re without snowshoes and you’re trudging through snow. 

The goodbye feels rushed. Your heart is cold and heavy. Unfortunately, by the time you realize you haven’t paid Jungkook for his bus ticket and the ride, it’s too late. Jimin has already pulled you in his awaiting arms, and Jungkook has peeled out of the driveway. 

“You look awful,” Jimin coddles you, dusting the invisible dirt off your jacket. You know Jimin means well by the statement, but you can’t help but feel a little unsupported by his words. You did all you could to make it to Jimin in time for this party full of faceless, nameless people. And yet, Jimin inadvertently manages to put you down for finally making it. 

The hallway is relatively empty, save for one staff member who cleans the wet linoleum floors whenever someone with snow steps in. You can easily make out where the heart of the party is, the tinkly holiday music playing from the speakers, along with all the bodies huddled by the extra large Christmas tree that is brimming with presents. 

You do feel like a wet noodle, in comparison to Jimin and Namjoon’s complementary pinstripe suits. Jimin’s deep burgundy suit pops in the endless hallway of marble and light wood as he quickly leads you upstairs to a spare room for you to change. Namjoon’s more muted grey still looks stunning on him, cutting his tall figure nicely. You think it’s cute that Jimin made an effort to match with his assistant, not making him feel out of place in this big party. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” Namjoon interjects softly, gesturing to the garment bag hanging on the boudoir, “I picked out your dress.” 

“I’m sure whatever you bought is beautiful,” you assure softly, stepping fully into the room. It’s an extra bedroom, you’re assuming it might be yours. 

“We’ll give you some time to freshen up and get ready,” Jimin squeezes your arm, a touch you can barely feel due to the puffiness of your down jacket. It’s just an awkward escape of air to you, a sssttt that you catch Namjoon hiding his smile for, “we’ll walk around a bit and bring you some food.” 

“I want cupcakes,” you blurt impulsively, and the two of them laugh on their way out the door. 

Once you’re finally alone, you strip yourself bare. Jacket, shirt, socks, underwear. You make quick work of taking a hot, damp towel to wash your arms and legs, scrubbing your face of any oil and dirt from the day. You wrap yourself in an indulgent fluffy robe, the plush material comforting you as you flop on the bed. 

It’s been a day. 

You take a five minute cat nap, the weight of the day taking its toll on you. When you finally flutter your eyes open however, you see him. 

It’s not exactly him, it’s his art. It’s mounted right atop the headboard, a large blown up painting of a tiger lily. The orange and gold flecks flicker and go perfectly with the decor of the room. The piece is longing, aching for you to go back to two hours ago when you could’ve phrased your words better, balm the situation into something to salvage. This must be a sign, you think. Upon closer look, you see the signature Jeon JK etched in silver in the corner. Who knew the Parks were buying Jeon Jungkook’s work, the world is smaller than you’d originally thought. 

It ignites you. You rip the zipper of the garment bag, pulling on the slinky glittery gold dress Namjoon picked out for you. It’s gorgeous, and you don’t know how he managed to find your proportions, but you figure an assistant of his caliber has access to many things. You don’t have much time, so you slap on some light makeup and swipe some highlights across your eyes. By the time Jimin returns, you’re pulling your hair up and out of your face. 

Jimin walks to the bed with a pretty red velvet cupcake, “You look beautiful,” he says immediately, and you follow to sit with him at the foot of the bed. 

You don’t hesitate to grab the cupcake from his tea plate, nearly shoving it in your mouth. You definitely need a rush, something to curb you over for the plans you have tonight. “Sugar sugar,” you chant like a mantra, and you don’t care that your lipgloss is smudged and crumbs cling to your cheeks. 

Jimin just rubs circles onto your thigh, letting you eat and relax. He knows you’re not a fan of these kinds of parties, preferring to wallflower it, preferably at  a wall closest to the buffet. His touch is comforting, and you chew slower in order to prolong the inevitable. It takes a beat for you to finish your cupcake. 

“I need to talk to you,” the two of you blurt at the same time, and you point and giggle at each other like you’re still five year olds tinkering in the sandbox. 

Jimin pouts, “Can I go first? Mine’s kind of important.” 

“Mine’s also really important,” you don’t mean to invalidate Jimin, but you really need to get this out. “I might explode if I don’t say this now.” 

The blonde scrunches his nose, obviously weak to your unusual distress, “I guess I wouldn’t want that.” 

You clutch his hand, the hand that holds the plain wedding band he picked out for himself two years ago. Your eyes flicker to how your ring kisses his, “Jimin. I love you, like really love you. I can’t imagine my life without you, you’ve been my best friend since we could crawl. But as I traveled down here, I realized that even though I love you, I think I’m not in love,” you wince at how cheesy that sounds, “I don’t want you to feel like you’re not good enough, but the whole trip down here made me realize I don’t think I can commit to this.” 

“Oh, thank fuck,” you gasp, watching relief wash over Jimin’s features. You’re not even done with your whole spiel and he’s already unbuttoning his blouse, “this makes what I’m about to say a whole lot easier.” 

“Jimin,” you trail off, squeezing his palm, “what do you mean?” 

“I mean, I think I’m in love.” 

Your jaw slackens slightly, seeing the sweat that lines Jimin’s slicked back hair. He must’ve been thinking about this all night, waiting for you to tell you this. Your chest aches, weighing in on all the sudden facts. “Who is it?” you ask. 

Jimin shrugs, “The man who does my taxes and makes sure I sleep at least seven hours a night.” 

“Namjoon,” you conclude, eyes moving to the sealed door. You think Namjoon is waiting out there right now, silently supporting you two as you go through this. Of course, Jimin’s parents would be livid if anything would tarnish his reputation. A broken engagement would be sticky to cover up, and Jimin falling for his assistant is a headline right for the books. 

“I’m sorry,” Jimin whispers, despite the room being vacant he feels the need to keep his words short, “You came all this way to hear this. But I guess we’re on the same page, huh?” His soft fingers make a beeline for your ring finger, removing the diamond band, “And by the way, I love you too. Which is why we’re going to come clean in the morning and work this out with my parents, together. I’m sorry if you felt obligated to follow me all this time just because our parents did.” 

“Hey, like you said, we’re in this together. Both in and out,” you chastise, pulling your engagement ring from his grasp and holding it to the light. “Can I keep this? Instead of an engagement band, it can be our best friend band. I’ll even get it re-sized so it can go on another finger.” 

Jimin pulls you into his arms, crushing you. The silky material of your dress bunches and rides, but you don’t care. The two of  you can’t help but be a little crybaby-ish about it, feeling much like your younger-selves when you had to pull each other out of trouble. 

The two of you walk out of the bedroom hand-in-hand, and Namjoon is leaning against the banister in the hallway, a soft smile melting on his tanned skin. 

“I’m so happy for you,” you gush, hugging Namjoon tightly. You’ve only known the man for a few months, but you can tell he’s taking care of Jimin and that’s enough for you. 

“I… really thought you’d be more upset.” Namjoon marvels, patting your back. 

Jimin interjects, “I think she’s found someone hotter than me.” 

“Impossible!” 

You could stay at this party, lay low until you and Jimin have to confront his parents in the morning. They suggest to get all the food they need and sneak out to the home theatre. The three of you hustle it down the stairs to another part of the house, in order for you to make your getaway and avoid Jimin’s family. 

“Hey,” you stop in front of another painting, pulling the two men to a stop. Your eyes lock on a framed droopy peony, tipped with pink dye. You realize you can’t stay here, not when someone’s home alone tonight. “Namjoon, I need you to locate someone for me.” 

Jungkook does not expect to see you at his front door. 

You’re stunning, and look as breathless as he feels. The liquid champagne number that hugs your frame does things to him, and he’s strangely attracted to the fact that you paired this expensive dress with your snow-drenched trainers. 

You showing up at the wee hours of the morning was the last thing Jungkook thought would happen. It’s nothing short of a holiday event, you look like you’ve just walked out of a gala and then ran a marathon to reach him. 

He thought when he said goodbye, it would be the last time you’d cross paths. At first, he was okay with that. After all, feelings come and go, and spontaneity only works a percentage of the time. Seeing you presently however, throws all those half-hearted concedings out the window. 

“Hi,” you finally say, drinking from the fact that you actually found him. 

“Hey,” Jungkook breathes, “you look, beautiful.” 

“Thanks,” you smile. 

“So, is this about you not paying me back for the ticket?” Jungkook suddenly feels guilty, having dipped out of Jimin’s manor once he saw him appear at the door. It was unrightful jealousy, and because of that he needed to drive away as fast as possible. “Because honestly, it was me messing with you. I really don’t need the money.” 

“I figured, from the fact that I had to take the elevator up to the penthouse of the building.” 

“So then why are you here?” Jungkook wobbles on the balls of his feet, unsure of what to do with himself. 

“My ex-fiancé is in love with someone else,” you lay your cards out just like that, and Jungkook’s unprepared to deal.  

“Holy shit, I’m so sorry—” 

“Let me finish,” you cut in gently, “my ex-fiancé is in love with someone else, and that’s okay. We’ve been best friends since we were little, and we want nothing but happiness for each other. And for me? Happiness is right in front of me.” 

You bite your lip, and Jungkook fights down the urge to run up and pull you into his arms. You must be so cold, running out without a jacket and rushing to his home. However, he lets you finish, and he holds himself down by clutching the door frame as casually as possible. 

“I also have a big, fat crush on you,” you say boldly, “and I had to tell you as soon as I could. It took a twenty-minute phone call and some serious leverage from Jimin’s company to figure out where you lived. That receptionist is definitely not letting me use my frequent flyer miles next flight.” 

“You harassed an airport receptionist just for me?” he smiles wanly, placing a hand on his chest, “I’m touched.” 

“You make me excited to try new things, to be spontaneous and do things for myself,” with every statement you take a step further, and soon enough you’re in his dimly lit apartment. The plush couch in his living room looks awfully warm and comfy, and the light music that plays from his speakers is soft and soothing. “So, let’s spend the holidays together and see where this goes. And go to your art gallery tomorrow, because I did research you on the drive and found out you had to rush here because of a big show.” 

“So you’re actually a stalker?” Jungkook teases, tugging you over to the couch. 

He takes the lead, plopping himself on the couch first and inviting you to sit next to him. You take a detour and plant your body atop of him, and with an ‘oof’ the two of you are sinking. 

“A stalker and a potential drug dealer does sound like a promising pair,” Jungkook jests, his hand palming the silky material of your ruched up ball gown. 

“I’m sorry,” you pout, wrapping your fingers around the long tresses of his hair, “can you please stop bringing that up? It was judgemental of me.” 

“I like when you’re judgemental,” he pokes your puppy-faced cheeks, ruddied with embarrassment. “I like picking fights with you and getting you all riled up.” 

“Will you rile me up now?” 

Sexy, he thinks. He figures a vixen has been hidden under you, one suppressed by a complicated engagement and many other factors he’d love to learn about in the near future. The situation at hand however, is far more pressing. Your body is finally warming up, and Jungkook tries to ignore the weight your body is causing, re-igniting an ache he felt hours ago when you two were squished against each other in the coach bus.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” you declare, and you look a little frustrated that Jungkook is taking so long to process this information, “and I hope I take your breath away.” 

You taste like sugar and the softness that comes with the holidays. It’s tender and oh-so comforting, and Jungkook can’t help but squeeze your hips closer as your lips brush fervently against his. The feeling is both new and old, and Jungkook figures you’ve finally uncoiled a flame that you can no longer quell. 

Soon enough your kisses turn hungry, and Jungkook has to remind himself that you two have only known each other for a total of twelve hours, and he isn’t sure of what’s appropriate to jump to due to the speed of your relationship. Once he feels the first roll of your hips, a liquid heat that Jungkook can’t help but return back, he pulls away from your soft lips. Not too far, but a few centimeters apart so that Jungkook and you can catch your breath. 

“We should take this slow,” he starts, trying to make a reasonable impression now that you’re a guest at his home and finally settled from their long trip. “I really, really want to get to know you. And you’re so beautiful and I really do want to have sex but—” 

“Jungkook, I have not had sex with someone in two years,” you speak with a depraved tone, as if it’s been centuries since you’ve been touched. He can’t help but throw his head back and laugh, “a night full of sex sounds like the best last-minute present ever.” 

You bring his hand over to your core, the shiny glassy material of your gown doing nothing to hide the glimpses of pleasure you’re minutes away from experiencing. You whine desperately at the thought, and Jungkook’s a goner. 

“Well, I guess I’m about to pull a Christmas miracle,” he murmurs against your lips, ready to work his magic. 

#jungkook x reader #jungkook fic #kwritersworldnet #btsghostie #btswritingcafe #jungkook smut #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #bts fic #bts x reader #bts fluff #bts angst

[kalocklyle]

alright so I know literally no one cares about this but it’s my social media I’m doing what I want /lh

I’ve been seeing a lot of slander about justin russo on the internet lately and I’m currently hyperfixated on wizards of waverly place so here’s why justin is an awesome character/doesn’t deserve the hate he gets

He’s kind and treats those he loves well. Justin is canonically really good at comforting people. Although he argues with Alex a lot, at the end of the day, he’s also her older brother and genuinely cares about her. When Professor Crumbs threatens to take Alex’s magic away because she doesn’t turn her report card in, Justin says that Crumbs will also have to take his magic away. Justin is ultimately selfless. We see again and again the sacrifices he makes for Alex and I think we mainly see his kindness in that relationship. Despite that, I think he’s also notably kind to Juliet. When he finds out that he made the mistake of reporting Juliet and her parents, he instantly tries to fix it. Not only does he try to fix it, but he puts his job as Monster Hunter in jeopardy for Juliet and her parents - her parents haven’t even been that nice to him. Justin is ultimately selfless and at the end of the day, he sacrifices himself or what he wants for others. When Rosie turns back into a good angel, instead of selfishly continuing to date her and keeping her in the mortal world (which he could have done - she literally offers to stay with him), he gives her up because he realizes the world needs a guardian angel more than he needs a girlfriend. Even though it hurts because he loved her, he gives her up. There’s no “award” for doing this - he won’t move up a level in the wizard competition, he really won’t get any recognition for giving Rosie up. He doesn’t even get any recognition for turning the moral compass back to good. He does it because it’s the right thing to do. Although later I’ll argue that Justin is constantly seeking validation, I also think that the heroic/good things he does are often done with no expectation of being praised for it. He does them because he has a strong sense of morals. He’s also kind to Harper, Zeke, his parents, and even Max, who people rarely ever show kindness to in the show.

He’s in touch with his emotions. When the show starts, Justin is very against anything that will show him as feminine or emotional. In fact, he even says he’s allergic to emotions (or something like that) to cover for the fact that he’s crying over his missing dog. As the show goes on, we see Justin start to embrace and accept his emotions more and to lose touch with his toxic masculinity. I think dating Juliet changed him in a lot of ways (making him more relaxed, etc), and I think one was encouraging him to be more emotional. After Wizards vs. Vampires, Justin is pretty emotional and open about his emotions in the show. He’s even open with talking about them. In the movie, he opens up to Alex about how he feels like Jerry & Theresa wouldn’t love him as much if he were less “perfect,” which brings me to my next point.

At the end of the day, Justin is a sad character. I know it’s a kid’s show but they really do cover a lot of issues so bear w me. I’m hyperfixated and I like to over analyze shows so I’ve thought about this a lot. Justin is the oldest, which means he already deals with pressure to be perfect. Then, add in the fact that his parents are constantly describing him as the “perfect child” and putting him on a pedestal, while pitting the kids against each other as a result of the wizard culture bc of the family competition (I love Jerry & Theresa but they’re not perfect). He’s also a high achiever and we know he puts extreme pressure on himself to do well - they always make a joke about it but it’s actually quite sad. He literally feels poorly about himself when he gets a B and bases his entire self worth on his grades and skills as a wizard. In fact, in the movie he voices doubt about whether or not he’s good at anything other than magic. I have a few things I want to say about all of this. First of all, I think Justin is constantly seeking validation. I think as the oldest and “best” child, he feels the need to be perfect all the time, but he also does many of the things he does because he just wants validation. When Harper decides to run a marathon, Justin does too, and sadly his accomplishment of finishing it is overshadowed by Harper “winning.” I also think Justin feels threatened by the success of others because he thinks it invalidates his. When he opens up to Alex in the movie, he says that he’s jealous of her because it seems like everything comes naturally to her. Justin feels as if his parents loving his siblings takes away from their love from his. It’s irrational, but very real. Which brings me to my next point - Justin has generalized anxiety disorder. It makes sense - the overthinking, the outbursts he has (Alex refers to it as a conniption once) of panic or frustration, the overachieving, etc. As someone who probably has autism, I also think he’s autistic (which would explain his troubles with tone, struggle making friends, obsessions with things like Captain Jim Bob Sherwood and science, being better w robots than people, and so much more).

Ultimately, Justin has a strong moral backbone. Although he’s a stickler for the rules and this oftentimes leads him to do bad things initially, he always does the right thing in the end. For example, when Justin and Alex go to court and Justin duplicates himself to be his lawyer, his lawyer ultimately proves that Justin is guilty; he even says something along the lines of “We’re Justin Russo. We always do what’s moral and just.” Justin has a strong sense of justice (which could also be from being autistic but I could do a whole other post about neurodivergency coding in WOWP and Disney & Nick shows overall bc there’s a ton of coding) and does what he thinks is right, most of the time. Sure, sometimes he does bad things, but he’s also a teenager at the end of the day and he’s highly competitive.

Finally, Justin Russo is super progressive - in fact, he’s probably the most progressive characters of the show. He acknowledges climate change and actively tries to create a solution for it. In fact, for his science fair project he makes a water powered engine, which would reduce carbon emissions. He also wears a shirt at one point that says “Make art not war.” I will admit that his biases against the werewolf he dated were problematic, but he clearly grew from that because he never held any of that against Mason. He’s also into science and is a nerd and although this is a stereotype, most young people who are into science and are nerds are progressive. I’m pretty sure he also is well aware of current events and would probably read the newspaper. Also I myself headcanon Justin as trans and bi (again could make another post about characters in wowp that are queer)

Little note even tho probably no one will see this - this is all just for fun. If you disagree with anything I said, just say it politely hahsh. Also please don’t make fun of me for this WOWP is a huge hyperfixation and comfort thing for me rn and I just wanted to make a silly little post where I analyze one of my comfort characters. Also I kin Justin so pls don’t like hate on him in the comments.

#justin russo #wizards of waverly place #wowp #alex russo #harper finkle #juliet van heusen #max russo #theresa russo #jerry russo #russo siblings #disney channel #character analysis

[sleepy-dreamers-inc]

Female! Reader with a deep voice|| ‼️

irl / in-game

Genre| fluff? maybe? I’d say fluff-

o n e-s h o t||

Sypnosis|

Y/N has never once hinted at they’re gender, and with not doing a face reveal, and having a rather deep voice makes her friends believe shes a guy. It wasn’t one day till they we’re goofing off on her stream that the internet learns the truth.

Photo Editor| me!! I edited them myself! Just supposed to be little photos to depict Tommy, Dream, George and Sapnap respectively. (Also would you guys like to see me edit more stuff for posts? I’d love to know!)

Requester: @m0on-blue!! Thank you for the request, this was a really fun idea!

Warnings: swearing!!

ft. Phil, Wilbur and Tubbo!

It was another day, and another stream. Y/N was currently messing around with Tommy, Dream, George and Sapnap on the SMP. The joyful sound of laughter could be heard all throughout their headsets, spinning in they’re chairs, banging on desks, and many more antics we’re shared between the five.

Y/N was currently doing a Media Share stream, and her fanbase was not afraid to send her into a wheezing fit. Wether its the “cheeto” video or a funny moment SMP animatic, they truly had no mercy. The five we’re all having a good time, sharing laughs and passing back and forth witty, sarcastic banter.

“I- i dr- *wheeze* dropped kicked that child in self defeNSE-“ Dream wheezed out, banging on his desk as his microphone picked up his laughing fit. “Its not even that funny Dream, calm down big man.” Tommy laughed, looking to his camera then back to his monitor. His face was slowly turning red from the amount of laughing he was doing.

“Tommy i just think your jealous that Dream finds Techno funny and not you.” Y/N giggled, they’re in game avatar sprinting around in front of Tommy’s house where they all sat, laughing they’re asses off. “OI DICKHEAD- HEY DICKHEAD I HAVE YOU KN-“ The blonde brit started screeching, snaking his fingers through his fluffy blonde hair. He soon got cut off by Sapnap telling him to shut up, as George laughed in the background, jumping on the fence that surrounded the landscape. His facecam simply showing him in his grey hoodie, with his iconic ‘clout’ goggles.

Another video soon played on Y/N’s stream, it was a tiny animation with a very cute, round, soft aesthetic style. It was simply a all white character, no hair, clothes, the only features the person had was simply eyebrows and a mouth.

The little character sat in the bottom left of the screen, a coral background making the character pop out even more. The character seemed to be thinking, when text soon appeared on the video.

“is Y/N a boy or a girl? Why not... both?”

The screen then showed a female character doing a tiny dance, as she soon switched genders in the middle of the screen, Y/N then appeared on the other side as a boy, as he danced, flipped his bangs and grinned, the video soon cut off as Y/N’s chat flooded with messages.

katty_kat103: woman Y/N pog?? 👀

fangirlinnit: okay but male Y/N is low key hot ngl

asleepyfans_inc: headcannon that Y/N can switch genders whenever :]

The chat was clogged up with messages, dono messages much the same. Y/N simply laughed, hearing Wilburs text-to-speech message.

“Wait i thought Y/N’s gender was an enigma that only gender-cryptids like them can know”

Y/N giggled again, clicking keys on her keyboard as she sprinted around in-game, soon stopping to eat.

“Listen all I’ll say is the male gender bend looks pretty poggers.” Y/N said, adjusting they’re mic and fixing they’re headset.

“Wait what-“ George said, his eyes widening in shock ad he stared off to the side before looking back up to his camera.

“WOMAN POG???” Tommy yelled, looking away from his monitor to his other, as he soon became a mumbling, incoherent mess. “CAN WE GET SOME PRIMES IN CHAT BOYS?? CAN WE GET SOME PRIMES FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL OCCASION? LET THE PRIMES FLOOD I- YES!!” Tommy yelled, shifting in his seat, rolling around.

“Wait Y/N your female?” Dream asked, sprinting around her while eating. She simply snorted, “always have been, piss baby.” Dream and Sapnap laughed at her snarky remark as Sapnap suddenly said,

“Y/N gender reveal?? NOT CLICKBAIT!” Which got Y/N laughing harder, so bad to the point she almost fell out of her chair and onto the floor. All of them giggled, this whole situation came out of left field, yet left them more hysterical than any of the other moments in the stream.

It was only a few minutes that passed, them all calming down and going back to chatting, courtesy of George asking them to not bust his ear drums. It wasn’t even a second that passed until 3 other members entered the call.

“Y/N YOUR A WOMAN?!??” Tubbo yelled, as he logged into the Dream SMP, running towards where they all were. Wilbur started to yell “Y/N Gender Pog!!!” As he stretched his sentence out, as Phil simply laughed in the background, a huge grin on his face as he shook his head, fingers grasping his nose as he laughed harder at his action.

“Yes Tubbo, yes i am a woman.” Y/N laughed, as she went to go grab her drink from the side of her desk. Y/N sipped on her drink, but Wilbur soon perked up, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Wait is this canon? Like a canon event?” Wilbur talked, the mic practically picked up his smug smile as Y/N spit her drink over to the side, as she choked a little.

Tubbo and Phil were hysterical, Dream turned into a kettle, Tommy started yelling, his mic cutting in and out as Sapnap laughed and a drowned out “what” from George all happened at once. Y/N sat back in her seat, staring wide eyed at her ceiling as she thought,

“This SMP is filled with a literal bunch of adult-children AND LITERAL children.”

She wouldn’t have it any other way though.

a/n: hello again!! This was my first ever requested fic!! Pog!! :D

Anyways, i hope i did this request justice. I wrote this at 3:28 AM so it might not be that good, as well as i got road blocked in multiple parts of the fic, so im sorry if it came out as OOC or bad!!

Anyways, i should probably go to bed, if not god knows what will happen to me lol my sleep shcedule is already all over the place. But i hope you all have a wonderful day/night wherever you are!! Make sure to hydrate and have a snack, stay happy and simp for Wilbur :]

#mcyt x reader #mcyt imagine #mcyt fanfiction #dream smp x reader #dream smp imagines #dream smp fanfiction #dsmp x reader #dsmp imagine #dsmp fanfiction #dreamer posts ♠️

[kiyosamu]

painful reminders

(part 1/3)

——— ♡ ———

pairing: suna rintaro x female reader

genre: angst to comfort

cw: brief mentions and descriptions of assault (not from suna, not domestic violence), reader experiences post-traumatic stress, panic, anxiety

——— ♡ ———

“hey, i’m here now. you’re safe.”

the words echoed in your mind for a few seconds too long. you were hardly able to register their meaning while under the influence of your deep fear. you felt nothing but dread; impending pain and horror that you were sure was coming at any moment.

——— ♡ ———

suna slumped his body on the window of the train, trying to contort his larger than average build into a position comfortable enough to get a few moments of rest before arriving at his stop.

“attention passengers. there is a situation and we need to make an emergency stop at the next station. please gather your belongings and file out of the train as soon as we arrive.”

weird, he thought. must be another petty robbery. maybe someone refusing to get off of the tracks, or something exciting, like a mass murderer.

suna caught himself just as he had the thought, stopping his process immediately.

he shook his head, unimpressed at his ability to appear removed and disinterested no matter the situation. not to mention the scenarios running through his mind; scenarios that would terrify any sane person with an ounce of emotion no matter who they were.

suna scoffed and sat up to grab his bag.

of course, he knew it was nothing like that. that’s probably why he didn’t stay in his head and scare himself with anything further. why bother upsetting yourself by simply letting your mind run away from you? stupid, he thought. he never understood overthinkers. not only was it not productive, but it was exhausting.

thankfully, this station was only about a ten minute walk from the next, the one he was supposed to get off at. even though he was coming home from a tiring practice, the athlete never seemed to run out of stamina.

suna squinted as bright blue and red lights lit up the dark streets. rain began to pour and suna cursed his odds. the forecast predicted only a 10% chance of rain, and he just so happened to be getting caught in that unlucky percentage when he had to walk even further just to get back home.

he groaned and pushed his hair out of his face. the rain soaked his clothes, his sweatpants and shirt clinging to his body. suna felt disgusting and suddenly the thought of a hot shower was even more appealing than the leftover onigiri he had waiting in his fridge.

just as another thought of self pity was about to cross his mind, another police car flew by him.

must be pretty bad, wonder what happened..

that thought was as far as his curiosity went. if it was major, he’d probably hear about it on the news or in the paper. if not, well, it really was none of his business.

as he turned down the next street, he saw four police cars all blocking off the station. police tape sectioned off the area and officers stood with their arms crossed and chests pushed out as other vehicles pulled in.

he blinked a few times, taking in the scene for a second before realizing he’d stopped walking. suna brought himself back to reality and stared at the ground with his hands in his pockets. while he was shamelessly nosy as a teenager, he’d grown into quite the reserved young adult who knew how to mind his business.

unfortunately, that new trait flew out the window the second he heard a familiar voice.

——— ♡ ———

“officer, please. he said he’d come back for me, i don’t feel safe going home… i don’t have family here, i don’t have anywhere else to stay-“

“look. you’re just scared, but you’re not injured.” the man stared down at you with an emotionless glare. “there’s nothing more we can do for you. the suspect assaulted two other women and they’re cooperating. why are you asking us for more when we’ve done everything we can so far?”

his voice was as cold as your quickly declining temperature, the rain soaking through your t-shirt and causing you to shiver.

“he.. he held a knife to my throat. there’s-“ you lifted your hand to lightly trace the marks on your neck that had been squeezed in place only an hour before. “he said he was going to kill me but…” you trailed off, the night’s events playing over and over in your mind with no indication of stopping the endless repeat. “but then he saw the lights and ran. he said he’d be back for me…”

the officer sighed.

“criminals often utter threats to make their victims submit to their words and give in. they want to commit their crimes as quickly as possible. we’ve gone over this, you didn’t know him. he doesn’t know anything about you-“

“but what if he does?!” you shouted, tears streaming down your cheeks before you’d even realized you were crying.

“listen ma’am, you need to calm down-“ the officer grabbed your wrist and you ripped it away from him, covering your mouth and staring in disbelief at the officer. you were in shock. you couldn’t process what was going on, let alone what had happened. you didn’t know what to do.

you froze as you felt an arm around your shoulder. a familiar voice spoke your name with tenderness and a low, empathetic tone that you’d never heard from him.

“i’ll take her home, officer. she’s my neighbour.”

while that was true, you were still surprised at the gesture. rintaro suna had been your neighbour for 3 years. the two of you were friendly; you’d been to each other’s homes a handful of times and sometimes would share a meal or drop off some food that was too much for one person.

you were both single, living alone in your apartments. although you weren’t super close, you always felt like he was a friend. a slightly distant, reserved, quiet friend, but a friend nonetheless.

the two men exchanged words for what felt like an eternity before suna squeezed you closer to him, guiding you out of the area and walking you towards your apartment.

you opened your mouth to say something. anything. even just a greeting, a thank you for the escort home.

when you stopped walking, he stayed close to you and looked down at your expression.

you opened your mouth to say something but the moment you did, you relived the traumatizing situation once again and fell into a deep panic.

“i-i-… no-n..” your words broke as you felt your body shaking. the cold rain was doing nothing to help your condition, and if you could describe it in any way, it was like losing control of your own sanity. you felt the panic wash over you as the phantom pressure of the knife pressed against your windpipe - your mind quite literally putting you in a choke hold.

“hey. i’m here now, you’re safe.”

the words echoed in your mind for a few seconds too long. you were hardly able to register their meaning while under the influence of your deep fear. you felt nothing but dread; impending pain and horror that you were sure was coming at any moment.

suna wrapped his arms around you protectively. he didn’t know why, he didn’t even really know what was going on, but he knew that all he wanted to do in that moment was to prevent anything further from hurting you.

you clutched at his hand and dug your nails into his skin. you didn’t mean to, you didn’t even realize you were doing it. suna would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt, but he ignored it and held you close against him until you felt like you were okay to walk again.

when you caught your breath, you pulled his hand away from your face.

“i’m sorry… i don’t know what happened.” you choked out.

“you had a panic attack.” he said quietly. “we don’t need to talk about anything right now, though, okay? let me get you home. you went through something horrible and you’re freezing cold. it’s just a little more up the road, can you make it?”

you nodded, dropping your hands to your side and suna instinctively held onto the one closest to him.

“i’m scared to stay in my apartment… alone…” you whispered.

“you can stay with me.” suna said this with more certainty than suggestion. if anything, it was a statement. he was planning on having you stay over or even him staying at yours. whatever worked, he just didn’t want you to be alone and he knew you had nobody else to call.

he had never planned to get involved in your personal business like this. he didn’t want to be the weird neighbour, and he already worried if bringing you food some nights would make you uncomfortable.

those thoughts were always put to rest whenever you smiled at him and graciously accepted his gestures. your warm smile and the way your cheeks made your eyes squint when you were really happy was an image he’d always have trouble shaking out of his head for the following days.

suna snuck a glance at you as the two of you started to walk again. your smile that he swore could light up an entire city was nowhere to be seen.

he would do anything to see that smile on your face right now.

you looked like a shell of what you once were. he knew that you’d experienced something traumatic, but seeing you like this made him feel something hard in his chest.

you didn’t deserve that.

a painful squeeze developed deep inside him when he thought of what your face must have looked like when it had happened. a sweet girl who seemed to always bring out the bright side in any situation. you’d made him sweets (that he secretly broke his athletic diet for) when he’d lost an important game, and always made him smile whenever he saw you.

it was different right now. he felt anxious. he squeezed your hand in his and you didn’t even flinch, didn’t even seem to notice as you looked ahead with a blank stare.

on the other end, his touch alone was enough to give you the tiniest bit of comfort. it wasn’t much, and you were still scared, but it was enough to get you home.

——— ♡ ———

part 1 | part 2 (in progress) | part 3 (in progress)

#haikyuu angst #haikyu angst #haikyuu suna #suna drabble #suna rintaro fluff #suna rintaro headcanons #suna angst #suna rintarou #suna #rintarou #rintaro #rintaro suna angst #hq angst #hq suna #haikyuu fluff #suna fluff #haikyuu x reader #suna x female reader #suna x reader #rintaro suna #rintaro suna fluff #haikyu fluff #rintarou suna #rintarou suna fluff #suna rintaro x you #angst