#They just look real appetizing in the red lighting.

[letshavedeernnertogether]

Sleepyhead, part two

the plot is: you have nightmares and can't sleep because of it, luckly alastor knows how to help you.

here is the part one

tw: none, just keep on being cute and sweet

*. ⋆ ✧.·:·.* ☽ ･ ｡ﾟ･ ☾ *.·:·.✧ *. ⋆

You were lying in bed on your back pulling the blanket right up to your chin. Your eyes were wide open, and you gazed into the darkness. The living shadows swirled around your room. They were the uncontrolled tentacles made of darkness, that haunted you every night.

Every time you went to bed and turned off the light, the moment when you almost fell asleep, the dark figures came out and tried to catch you. You opened your eyes, followed their stirs and couldn't move. You perspired profusely, you hardly breathed, and you felt like your own body floated above the bed, as if your spirit left your shell.

The most frightening thing was the feeling, that they were real. They were not a dream. It seemed so to you, because you never noticed, when you fell asleep and began to dream, and also you didn’t notice, when you woke up. Morning came, and the eerie shadows receded, and only then you could fall asleep. But every night they returned again.

These tentacles never touched you, but you were afraid to leave your bed, thinking that it was the only refuge. You knew that if they grabbed you, they wouldn’t let you go, they would strangle you, and you'd become a shadow like them. They were hungry and hated those who could live in the light of day.

Light?

You were lying in bed sweating with fear. The blanket pressed on you like the sky on the shoulders of Atlas, and the time seemed stopped. It seemed the morning would never come. Morning...

Suddenly you thought about the light. These dark creatures never came during daylight hours. They were probably afraid of the light.

A lamp stood on your bedside-table, but it was too far to reach. And you didn't want to make any moves to not get the figures dander up. But if you make a sudden harsh move... If you suddenly jump out of bed, get to the door, jerk it open, then a light must pour out from the corridor, which had never been extinguished there.

Taking a deep breath and mustering your courage up, you jumped out of bed, ran between the tentacles, that almost grabbed your ankles several times, and ran out into the hallway, slamming the door behind you.

You screamed out, when you pressed your back against the door and felt a push. They wanted to get to you. Were you still awake?

You dashed for the main hall, away from your room.

* ☽ ･ ｡ﾟ･ ☾ *

When you were downstairs in the dim lit lobby, you heard a slowly jazz music coming from the kitchen. You headed for the sound, expecting to see there the man, who once lulled you with his song. Getting closer, you smelled something savoury. Your mouth filled with saliva.

When you entered the kitchen, Alastor was standing in front of the gas stove and cooking something. He took off his froak coat and worn a light red apron. His cane was placed nearby, and the music was coming out from it with a drowsy buzzing. He was softly humming the melody.

Alastor heard some movings behind him, when you sat down on a chair next to the table. His eares twitched, and he turned his head back. He looked at you in surprise,

"It's strange to see you awaken at the dead of night, my dear. Why aren't you in bed?"

You looked down, "Nightmares," You muttered sadly.

Alastor looked at the rice in the frying pan, reduced the heat and looked at you again.

"Why my dear!" He exclaimed, "You always sleep so sweet, I never thought you could have bad dreams."

"It's only at night," You yawned and continued still looking at your knees, "When the night comes, and everything sinks in the darkness, these shadows creep out of somewhere, and I can't fall asleep because of the fear..."

You were so tired and exhausted with this night. Being here, in the warm kitchen, filled with appetizing smell, when a softly slow jazz swirled around you and Alastor, made you fell into a light doze.

"Hmm," Said Alastor, "You said nightmares, but described it like reality."

"Because I don't understand what it is!"

Alastor heard that your voice began to break, and you lifted your hand to wipe a tear running down your cheek.

"I know I'm not dreaming when I see them, and moreover, they pushed the door after I left. I'm wondering how I managed to escape..."

Tears were running down your face, but you didn't sob. Tears left silver traces on your skin, but in the lighting of the kitchen they seemed bronze. Alastor thought how beautiful you were even in your sadness. But he liked you more with a soft smile on your face, when you slept near him.

Alastor took off the apron and came to you. You didn't see it, you just felt how he gently touched your face. His thumb wiped the tear from the corner of your eye. You looked at him. He held your face in his hands. His soft gaze awakened something inside of you. You didn't want anything but to stare in his big glowing eyes.

You licked your lips and said sniffing,

"I think your dinner is burning."

He raised his eyebrows, his lips formed a silent "O", and he went up to the gas stove.

When he turned away from you, you wiped the rest of your tears glading that Alastor couldn't see your blush as your skin was totally black.

He added some broth in the pan and stired the dish. Breathing in the savoury smell and listening to the music, you thought, why couldn't you fall asleep. The problem wasn't in your bed, you slept there well during the day. The darkness or the night? Well, it seemed more like true. And you thought that your helplessness to the shadows were stupid. But then you remembered how the narrow tentacles wriggled under your feet trying to seize you, when you slammed the door shut. They were moving under the door, and it didn't seem like they were actually afraid of electric light.

You flinched remembering it. But then you remembered how you had a nice sleep at night in the hotel. It was your first night and the night a week ago.

You couldn't say what was special in your first night, after when Alastor had taken you to your bedroom, as it was dark and you were alone as always. you didn't know the truth.

But last week you spent the whole evening with Angel in his room. You were talking about your lives for several hours and ate a lot of unhealthy snacks watching your favorite romantic comedy from when you were alive. You both laughted at stupid decisions of characters, and you both were touched by the same romantic scenes.

Leaning against Angel's shoulder, breathing in his sweet vanilla smell, you fell asleep. You woke up embraced by all his four arms in his bed, just where you fell asleep. In the morning, when Angel woke up, he said that you were too sweet and too cute to be disturbed, so he didn't woke you up. But he didn't say, why he hadn't carried you to your bedroom, and you didn't ask him about it.

* ☽ ･ ｡ﾟ･ ☾ *

The darkness and loneliness might had been the reasons of you being haunted by the living nightmares.

Alastor looked at you again. He thought that the nightmares were another curse of you. What an unfortunate darling you were. You told him about your life and how you avoided reality for all your life. And now you were cursed to never get enough sleep, and at night you were surrounded by your own fears and couldn't even close your eyes. Too much for a poor thing like you, thought Aalstor.

"I can't sleep in the dark and I can't sleep alone," You said. It seemed to you, that you had a good sleep then, because Angel was by your side. Maybe these shadows were powerless when you were not alone?

"Alone?" He asked tilting his head.

You nodded.

"Hmmm," Alastor looked up thinking on something. You noticed that he'd already covered the frying pan with a lid. Now his dinner was slowly braised.

"Well, my dear," He said coming up to you, "it's a shame that a sleepyhead like you can't have enough sleep during the night, so she must sleep all day long depriving me of the opportunity to spend time with her. This cannot go on."

He gave you his hand.

"But your dinner?"

"Don't worry, Starry eyes," He said bending in his waist still giving his hand, "I can absent myself for a time. I just want to offer you something, it won't take long."

You took his hand and stood up. He pulled you closer to him, so your bodies touched. Three upper buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, and you blushed understanding that it was the first time you saw him being so informal.

"Hold on tighter, darling," He wispered in your ear, before you sank into the dark light.

* ☽ ･ ｡ﾟ･ ☾ *

You opened your eyes to find yourself in the unfamiliar room. You pressed yourself close to Alastor, his hands were on your shoulder-blade. The wind from the window chilled you, and you cuddled closer up to him. You turned your head to look around and understood, that it wasn't the wind from the window. It was the wind from the forest. The place, where Alastor took you, was half room and half the woods. You both were standing in the room in dark red colors with dark wood furniture, and the other side of the room was a night forest. You heard rustling, chirring, twittering coming from it. It was actually real.

"Welcome to my room, darling," Said Alastor letting you out.

So, it was his room. Before any other thought came on your mind, Alastor placed his arm on your waist and led you to a bed, that was in the center of the room.

"What? What are you doing?" You stopped and looked at him.

"My dear, this place is the safest in the whole hotel, and even in whole hell, if I may say. Here no one and nothing will hurt you. None of your eerie fears will find you here." He carefully placed his arm on your shoulder. His static voice made goosebumps ran down your back. He turned you back to him and pointed at the bed with his cane, "This room, this bed are your refuge. You don't need to be afraid here."

You looked at the bed. How cozy, how warmly, how alluringly it looked. You yawned. What was the use of refusing? After crying your eyes were tired, you wanted to close them and fall asleep. The bed seemed just perfect. The room was warm, and the chill of the forest helped you not to feel too much hot.

You glanced at Alastor. You didn't mind using his bed at all, but if he offered it to you, where would he spend the night then?

"And what about you?" You asked.

"Oh, darling," He softly smiled at you, "I'm the exact antithesis of you. While you always want to sleep, I have insomnia."

"Ohh," You pronounced. "Poor thing," You thought, "It might be difficult not to sleep, and not to see dreams."

You turned to the bed and then turned to Alastor again. He looked at you expectantly.

You slowly climbed into bed. Bed linen was soft and it smelled like... It smelled like Alastor. It was the same scent as when he had pulled you closer to him, before you both faded away in his shadow and turned out here.

You lay your head on the pillow and sank in its softness. But it wasn't too soft. It was just perfect. Like all his bed. Like all his room. A smile spread across your face.

You turned on your right side to look at Alastor and thank him. But you didn't have time to say anything, because he wrapped you in the blanket like a child. He tucked the blanket in, so you wouldn't get cold. When he leaned lower over you to tuck the blanket behind you, you tilted your head in the way so your lips "accidentally" met his chin. He froze still leaning over you.

You were lying between his hands, his face was in two inches of yours. He saw a sly yet shy smile on you. He smiled back, and your heart skipped a beat. You thought how beautiful he was. Maybe even too beautiful. You could drown in his crimson gleaming eyes, that hypnotized you.

Very slowly Alastor lifted his head to leave a tender kiss on your forehead.

"Goodnight, my love," He wispered.

You didn't open your eyes still feeling his lips on your forehead, and only when you heard a rustling, you opened your eyes and turned to the right. Alastor had just disappeared in the shadow.

Did he call you love?

You blushed so bright, that if there was anyone in the room, they would had seen the explosion of the supernovae on your cheeks.

It was just like in your best dreams.

You made yourself more comfortable still smiling because of the sudden tenderness of Alastor. You breathed in the smell of bed linen. It savoured with his astringent cologne, with fur and a little bit of smoke, because of the fireplace opposite the bed. You thought, this was what home smelled like.

You were lying with your eyes closed waiting for sleep to come. Firewood softly crackled, crickets chirred in the woods. Suddenly a radio on the piano turned on, and you heard a sweet female voice. The radio played quietly, and the singer's voice sank in static. You noticed that this buzzing of the radio was a comfortable sound for you, as it brought drowsiness to you.

♪ Night winds seem to have gone to rest,

Two eyes, brightly with love are gleaming ♪

You heard it through the somnolence and smiled.

The radio kept on playing quietly until you fell asleep in the room, that was yours now...

* ☽ ･ ｡ﾟ･ ☾ *

Alastor returned to the kitchen. His dinner was already done. He turned off the fire, mixed the dish and put some in a plate. The rest of the dish he put off in a basin and left it to cool, so that he could put it in the fridge later.

Usually Alastor didn't think about something secondary during a meal enjoying the food. But this time he couldn't help think about Sleepyhead. He remembered how she said, that she couldn't sleep alone. Could it be that all this time she was tormented by nightmares and did not sleep? Alastor remembered how he carried this tiny demon to her room at the first night. And how he stayed by her for all night long and watch her sleeping. She seemed had a very pleasant dream then. She always looked just as cute when she slept during the day, leaning on his shoulder.

Now he didn't even want to leave her alone in the bedroom. But he thought, that she might feel herself uncomfortable, if he stayed next to her and watched her until she fell asleep. Moreover he was extremely hungry. For the whole day he couldn't put something in his mouth, and now he was ravenous, so ravenous he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't suddenly eat her. After all she smelled very good.

Alastor raised his eyebrows in surprise, when his staff turned on the music. His hand with a fork froze on halfway to his mouth. From the staff a woman sang a lovely song. Alastor finished his dinner, rested his head on the hand and listened.

This singer was famous when Alastor was alive, but he never took a great interest in her. But now he liked the song and the voice.

♪ Come to my arms, my dear one,

my sweetheart, my own ♪

Alastor stood up and put on his froak coat. With a snap of his fingers the dirty plate became clean and it came in the kitchen cabinet.

♪ Kind night, bringing you nearer,

dearer and dearer ♪

Alastor beat the ground with the cane and the music stopped.

* ☽ ･ ｡ﾟ･ ☾ *

When Alastor came to the bedroom it was already deep night. He saw you wrapped in the blanket, lying facing the forest. He came up to bed and heard your softly breathing. Alastor made the lights dimmer and, coming to the other side of bed, his clothes changed into the satin dark red pajamas.

Alastor saw a sweet smile on your face. You brought your hands to the face squeezing the edge of the blanket in your fists. You looked like a little doe, so small and innocent. You curled up, and Alastor took out a woollen blanket from a commode. He climbed into bed and covered you with the wool.

"Alastor..." You murmured in sleep.

He froze. He heard millions times before, how you talked in your sleep, but you'd never talked about him. Hearing his name on your soft moist lips was more than he could stand. His heart beat faster, and he felt ache in his stomach. You were so close to him, he felt your milky scent and felt your breath on his lips.

You stretched out your hands and embraced him. He fell next to you on the blanket. You wispered his name again, and his heart melted.

"You'll never go back to your bed, dear," He wispered buring himself in your fluffy hair and embracing you. He placed a kiss on your crown, and you smiled.

Alastor yawned. How strange, he never felt drowse lying in bed, but when he was next to you, felt your warmth and heartbeat...

He didn't notice how he fell asleep, with his head resting on yours, which you laid on his chest.

*. ⋆ ✧.·:·.* ☽ ･ ｡ﾟ･ ☾ *.·:·.✧ *. ⋆

invitation for deerner: @serapinaxx @noraunor

p.s.

sorry for it taking so long, another busy week at university, and now i feel myself like Sleepyhead herself hahaha

i hope you liked the part two and i wish you all sweet healthy sleep and kind fluffy dreams ♡ ♡ ♡

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel fanfiction #alastor x reader #alastor #hazbin hotel x y/n

[downtherabbitholewithlucy]

❤️🖤❤️WES & SAM❤️🖤❤️

#in my WeSam feels this evening folks. Don't mind me. #They just look real appetizing in the red lighting. #Like it almost looks painted on them. #Obviously we know what Wes looks like painted red. But this hits different. #and I love the way the light highlights off the top of Sam's buzz cut. Like it makes it look softer. AND I WANT TO TOUCH IT SO BAD. #Wes Borland #Sam Rivers #WeSam #Limp Bizkit #nu-metal #down the rabbit hole

[simpforfandom231]

stunned by the Blyth sister *PT 2*

Hunter, ever perceptive, noticed the shift in Rachel's demeanor as she observed Tom and his sister, Y/n. Sensing an opportunity to tease her co-star, Hunter leaned in with a mischievous grin.

"Rachel, what's got you looking all starry-eyed? Is it the leading man, or did you spot someone else on this crowded carpet?" Hunter teased, a playful twinkle in her eye.

Rachel, momentarily caught off guard, tried to brush it off with a light laugh. "Oh, you know, just enjoying the whole spectacle. It's a big night for all of us."

Hunter, not easily deterred, continued the playful banter. "Come on, spill the tea! Is there a secret crush on our leading man, or perhaps someone else has caught your fancy?"

Rachel, maintaining her composure, replied with a smirk, "You know me, Hunter, always a fan of great performances on and off the screen. But no, no secret crushes here."

Hunter, undeterred by Rachel's response, continued to playfully nudge her. "Well, something had you a bit stunned back there. Maybe you just need to let go and embrace the evening. It's all in good fun."

Rachel, though accustomed to navigating the spotlight, felt a twinge of confusion. She wasn't ready to share her personal life with the world, and the unexpected attention on Tom's sister added an element of unpredictability to the night.

As the banter continued, Rachel couldn't shake the feeling of being scrutinized. She glanced once more at Tom and Y/n, trying to understand the source of her co-star's amusement. Unbeknownst to Hunter, Rachel's thoughts lingered on her own journey and the complexities of self-discovery.

The cast of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" made their way from the dazzling red carpet into the opulent hall, guided by ushers through grand double doors that opened into a space of sheer luxury. The grandeur of the venue was evident in the sparkling crystal chandeliers that hung from the high ceilings, casting a warm glow over the lavish decor.

As the stars entered, the ambient chatter of excited voices filled the hall. The atmosphere was one of anticipation, and the grandeur of the setting reflected the magnitude of the cinematic event about to unfold. Tables adorned with elegant floral arrangements and fine china were set for the pre-movie meeting.

The cast members mingled, sharing anecdotes and laughter, the energy of the evening flowing seamlessly from the red carpet to the opulent interior. The air was infused with the clinking of champagne glasses and the tantalizing aroma of luxury appetizers being circulated by impeccably dressed servers.

Rachel, Hunter, Tom, and the rest of the ensemble found themselves in the midst of a surreal blend of cinematic fantasy and real-world glamour. The camaraderie among the cast members grew stronger, their shared journey from the red carpet to the lavish hall creating a bond that transcended the roles they played on screen.

In a private corner, Rachel and Hunter continued their banter, now joined by Tom and other cast members. The teasing and laughter carried a genuine warmth, and any lingering tension from earlier moments on the red carpet melted away in the convivial atmosphere.

The pre-meeting, a moment of celebration and reflection, allowed the cast to relax and savor the culmination of their hard work. The clinking of glasses and the hum of conversation filled the hall as the stars prepared to witness the fruition of their collective efforts on the silver screen.

As the cast members engaged in animated conversations and laughter, Rachel found herself occasionally glancing in Y/n's direction. Y/n, engrossed in discussions with various people who had worked on the movie, seemed at ease in the midst of the bustling pre-meeting atmosphere.

During one such glance, Y/n caught Rachel's eyes. With a polite smile, Y/n raised her hand in a friendly wave, acknowledging the connection with someone from the cast. Unbeknownst to Y/n, her friendly gesture sparked a momentary flutter in Rachel's heart.

Hunter, ever observant, nudged Rachel with a playful smirk. "Caught someone's eye, huh?" she teased.

Rachel, blushing slightly, tried to play it off. "Oh, it's nothing. Just being friendly."

Hunter leaned in with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You know, friendly looks a lot like something else sometimes."

Rachel, still feeling the warmth of the unexpected exchange, chuckled nervously. "Well, let's focus on the movie. That's what we're all here for, right?"

As the pre-meeting continued, Y/n moved through the room, gracefully navigating conversations with those who had contributed to the film. Her infectious enthusiasm and genuine appreciation for the collaborative effort behind the scenes endeared her to the crew and fellow cast members alike.

Unaware of Rachel's occasional glances, Y/n's attention remained on the shared excitement for the premiere. When she encountered Rachel's gaze once more, she offered another friendly wave, a genuine smile gracing her features.

Rachel, now feeling a mix of curiosity and a touch of self-consciousness, couldn't help but wonder about the nature of her own feelings. The hall, filled with the hum of conversations and the anticipation of the upcoming screening, became a backdrop to the subtle dance of unspoken emotions.

As the movie's premiere drew near, the cast members continued their lively conversations, sharing excitement and anecdotes about the film. Amidst the chatter, Josh Rivera, Rachel's ex, approached her with a warm smile.

"Hey, Rachel," Josh greeted, his voice carrying a tone of friendly familiarity.

"Hey, Josh," Rachel responded, returning the smile. Despite their past, the two seemed amicable, maintaining a professional and respectful demeanor.

"I just wanted to say how great it is to be a part of this project with you. It's been a journey," Josh remarked, reflecting on the collaborative effort that had brought them together once again.

Rachel nodded, appreciating the sentiment. "Absolutely, Josh. It's been quite the experience, and I'm grateful to have such a talented cast and crew."

Josh, sensing the need for brevity in the bustling pre-meeting atmosphere, kept the conversation light. "Well, here's to an amazing premiere. May the odds be ever in our favor," he said with a playful glint in his eye, a nod to the iconic line from the Hunger Games series.

Rachel chuckled, toasting with her champagne glass. "May the odds indeed."

As Josh excused himself to join other cast members, Rachel couldn't help but reflect on the unique dynamics of working alongside someone from her past. The exchange was a reminder of the interconnected web of relationships within the entertainment industry, where personal and professional lives often intersect.

As the cast continued their conversations, Rachel found herself lost in her own thoughts, a glass of champagne in hand. The dazzling lights of the pre-meeting hall seemed to blur as she contemplated the complex emotions stirred by the evening's events.

Tom Blyth, perceptive as always, noticed Rachel's distant gaze. Sensing her need for a moment of privacy, he subtly signaled to her, raising an eyebrow and gesturing toward a quieter corner of the room. Rachel, recognizing the familiar expression, nodded in agreement.

They navigated the room, weaving through the lively conversations until they found a secluded spot away from the crowd. Tom, treating Rachel like a sister, couldn't help but notice the turmoil in her eyes.

"Hey, you seem a bit caught up in your thoughts there. Everything okay?" Tom inquired with genuine concern.

Rachel sighed, a mix of emotions playing across her face. "Yeah, just a lot on my mind tonight. It's such a big moment, you know?"

Tom nodded, understanding the weight of the premiere and the expectations that came with it. "We're all feeling it. But you can talk to me, you know that, right?"

Rachel, appreciating Tom's concern, hesitated for a moment before opening up. "It's just... I saw your sister, Y/n, and something about her caught me off guard. I can't quite put my finger on it."

Tom raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Y/n? What happened? Is everything okay?"

Rachel, choosing her words carefully, replied, "Oh, it's nothing bad. She's just... captivating, I guess. But not in the way you'd expect. It's like she has this aura, and I can't figure out why it's affecting me so much."

Tom chuckled, relieved that the issue seemed lighter than he initially thought. "Ah, the Blyth charm strikes again. Y/n does have a way of leaving an impression on people. But, Rachel, she's just my little sister. Is there something specific bothering you?"

Rachel, hesitant to reveal her feelings, decided to keep it vague. "No, no, it's nothing. Just caught me by surprise, that's all."

Tom, always the supportive friend, placed a reassuring hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Well, if you ever need to talk or figure things out, you know where to find me. Let's enjoy the night, and whatever happens, happens."

Rachel, grateful for Tom's understanding, managed a smile. "Thanks, Tom. You're a good friend."

As they returned to the bustling pre-meeting, the unspoken tension lingered in Rachel's mind.

Tom and Rachel rejoined the group, seamlessly blending back into the lively conversations. Hunter, with her keen sense of observation, sent a questioning glance toward Rachel, her eyes curious and probing. Rachel, catching Hunter's gaze, subtly mouthed, "It's okay," reassuring her friend that everything was fine.

As the group continued chatting, Y/n Blyth approached, her energy infectious and her smile genuine. Hunter, ever the playful tease, couldn't resist an opportunity to stir the pot. She shot Rachel a sly smirk before turning her attention to Y/n.

"Well, well, if it isn't the mysterious Y/n Blyth joining the party. What secrets do you hold, I wonder?" Hunter teased, her tone light but with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Y/n laughed, playing along with the banter. "Oh, you know, just here to add a dash of mystery to the evening. A Blyth tradition."

Hunter, exchanging a knowing look with Rachel, couldn't resist a follow-up. "And what about you, Rachel? Any secrets you're hiding tonight?"

Rachel chuckled, deciding to go along with the playful banter. "Just the usual. My love for cinema and a few million other insignificant details."

Hunter, not one to be easily deterred, continued her teasing, her gaze flickering between Rachel and Y/n. "Oh, I'm sure there's more beneath the surface. We'll have to unravel those mysteries one day."

Y/n, unaware of the subtle undercurrents, joined the banter with a smile. "Well, if anyone can uncover mysteries, it's you guys.

The announcement echoed through the pre-meeting hall, drawing the attention of the cast and guests. A wave of excitement swept through the room as the anticipation for the premiere reached its peak. The realization that the moment they had all been waiting for was imminent sent a ripple of energy through the crowd.

"Alright, everyone, take your seats! The show is about to begin," a voice over the intercom declared, prompting the cast and attendees to make their way to the adjacent hall where the screening would take place.

The group, still buzzing with conversation and laughter, moved gracefully towards their assigned tables. The hall, adorned with intricate decor and dimmed lights, set the stage for the cinematic journey that awaited them.

Rachel, Hunter, Tom, Y/n, and the rest of the cast found their places, each seat a front-row ticket to the spectacle about to unfold on the silver screen. The air was charged with a blend of excitement, nerves, and the shared anticipation of witnessing the fruits of their labor.

As they settled into their seats, the room hushed, and the lights dimmed further. The atmosphere transformed into one of collective focus, the hum of conversation giving way to a quiet expectation. The premiere of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" was about to begin, and the stars, both on the screen and in the audience, were poised to embark on a journey that would captivate hearts and minds alike.

The next hall, now a sanctuary of cinematic enchantment, awaited the unveiling of a tale that had been crafted with passion, dedication, and the collective spirit of the talented individuals who had come together to bring Suzanne Collins' world to life. The red carpet, the pre-meeting, and the banter were but prologue to the grand spectacle that was about to unfold. The audience, eager and expectant, braced themselves for the immersive experience of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," ready to be transported into a world where intrigue, drama, and unexpected connections awaited.

#rachel zegler #lucy gray baird x reader #lucy gray x reader #lucy gray baird x you #lucy gray x fem!reader #fandom #lucy gray #lucy gray baird #tbosas #fanfic

[raccoonhearteyes]

Part I  | Part II  | Part III | Part IV  | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV

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Epilogue 

March 11th, 2019

“So you’re the girl Clarke has been hiding all these months. It’s great to finally meet you!” Octavia sweeps Lexa into a hug, welcoming her into their home. 

It’s not the first time they’ve met. They’ve actually met several times since Clarke came knocking on her door back in January. But each time, Octavia forgets. Each time, she’s greeted anew. 

Clarke squeezes her thigh under the table, a soft apology for the repetition. They haven’t quite navigated how they’ll deal with this as more and more time passes. Not meeting the new girlfriend when it’s only been a handful of months is reasonable. What happens when it’s years? A decade?

June 12th, 2020

Clarke has a second exhibit of Lexa portraits. 

Lexa grabs a glass from a nearby tray, and sits back to watch her girlfriend work. She loves watching Clarke talk about a piece, the way her eyes light up, the way she moves her hands to show what she was talking about. 

She watches the one person who remembers her listen to and answer questions from some buyer on the other side of the gallery. She looks good, all business focused. This is the same girl who sprinkles cinnamon in her tea, koalas around a warm body in bed, paints Lexa and only Lexa. She’s suddenly struck by just how much she loves this girl. How much happier she has been since watching her stuff appetizers into her purse at some event two years ago. 

By the time Lexa makes it to Clarke, the evening is winding down. 

“How did you like it?” 

“Looking at a room full of my own nudes? It’s a real ego boost,” Lexa jokes, “But seriously. I love it. Even better than the last one. I’m so proud of you, Clarke.”

“Is it weird for you? Coming in on my arm and having no one remember meeting you before?” 

“It is, but I like seeing you work. I like being able to come support you. It’s worth it.” She brushes a lock of hair behind Clarke’s ear and kisses her cheek. 

They’re walking home in the dark, fingers tangled, still buzzing from the excitement of the evening, when a shadow appears from an alleyway. They both think they’re about to be mugged, before they realize they recognize the shadowy figure. 

Lexa steps protectively in front of Clarke.

“You shouldn’t be able to do this,” he sneers, “Your art was mine in our deal.”

“I asked for her in every capacity. That included my art, apparently,” Clarke flaunts, “Careful with your wording next time, dearie,” she parrots the words he used against Lexa so many times back to him.

His eyes glow red again, fuming with anger. He steps closer to Lexa, staring her down, then snaps his fingers, and disappears. 

They both check themselves over again to make sure they’re not hurt. He’s just as bound to his contracts as they are, but he did something, they’re just not sure what. 

Later that evening, Lexa finds her first gray hair, and smiles. He restarted her aging. He’s going to be so angry when he realizes that makes things easier for her.

October 8th, 2020

Clarke has a ring box in her sock drawer. She’s had it for months, but she cannot fathom leaving it there any longer or she’s going to explode. Sometimes she looks at Lexa and her heart feels like it is about to pound out of her chest. She thought you were supposed to grow out of that after dating for so long. Apparently not. 

Being in love used to mystify her. She used to worry about the other shoe dropping. Too afraid to give someone else so much of her heart and trust them not to break it. But she looks at Lexa and all of those worries disappear. She looks at Lexa and sees the woman she’ll grow old with. The fact that that doesn’t terrify her terrifies her. 

She probably should have hidden it somewhere less cliche. She doesn’t even think about it when she tells Lexa to grab a pair of her fuzzy socks from her drawer when she complains of chilly feet. 

When Lexa emerges from the bedroom clutching that not-so-well-hidden box moments later, Clarke’s brain kicks into overdrive. 

“Clarke, what’s this?” Lexa asks.

“Shit, you weren’t supposed to find it like this,” Clarke decides now is as good a time as any. She really should have rehearsed this, written something down maybe. She scrambles to take the box from Lexa’s hands, “Lexa, I have loved you since before I could remember. Literally. We met dozens of times, and each time was new, and each time I fell for you. Even though I couldn’t remember you, I had this gut feeling, this wrenching feeling that I was missing something because I was. I was missing you. You complete me. You make me a better artist. A better person, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” 

If comes out as a jumble of words, all tripping out of Clarke’s mouth at once, but she bends down on one knee, looks up earnestly at Lexa, and opens the box. 

Lexa’s eyes look watery, and then she says the last thing Clarke expected, “Clarke, I can’t,” and Clarke feels like all of the air was sucked out of her lungs. Oh god. Has she misread this the whole time? Clarke stumbles and she snaps the box closed and moves to stand, when Lexa’s words seem to catch up to her own brain. 

“Wait, that didn’t come out right. I would love to, but I can’t.” 

Clarke’s lip wobbles, “That really doesn’t sound any different.” 

“Clarke, my name can’t be on a marriage license. You literally can’t marry me. Your friends and family don’t remember meeting me. How would that even work?”

“It’s not for them. Or the state. It’s for me. And you. It’s for us. Of course I know your name can’t go on a license. I know I reintroduce people to you regularly. The point is that I love you, and I want to be able to call you my wife, even if we do a ceremony of just us in our pajamas at home.” 

“Oh,” Lexa softens, she blushes a beet red and shuffles a bit in her borrowed fuzzy socks, “Is it too late to change my answer then?” 

Clarke slips the ring out of the box and places it on Lexa’s finger. Her eyes are misty and her smile is so bright she can’t help but taste it, but not before whispering, “so stupid” in the space between them first. 

They wear dresses and buy rings and a cake the next month. Saying vows in front of Clarke’s childhood stuffed animal that sits on the shelf in the living room.

September 5th, 2034

By Clarke’s fourth show, she’s earned herself quite the reputation. She’s famous for her portraits, all of the same woman. Only of this same woman. Art critics call her Clarke’s “Secret Muse.” They write essays about how no one has ever met her. There’s speculation of if she’s real or just a figment of Clarke’s creativity. 

“Listen to this one,” Lexa calls from the couch, "As I stand under the largest piece of Ms. Griffin's latest tantalizing exhibition, aptly named, Stranger in Plain Sight, it is hard not to feel as though I should know this woman beyond the void of mere charcoal and bristle. Beyond the beauty and whimsy of such an elusive muse; an ethereal kind of elegance painted in what can only be described as liminal glimpses into her soul. Each canvas serves as a piece of the greater puzzle, an obscure abstraction dangling on Ms. Griffin's ever elusive string, one that makes this particular viewer yearn for the surely sublime knowledge of even knowing this subject's name," Lexa reads with a snort while sitting in a ripped pair of boxers and a T-shirt with a coffee stain. "But, dear reader, I can say with confidence such a void remains between artist and ardent viewer. Where Ms. Griffin has seemingly left no stone unturned with her muse, alas, we woeful patrons are condemned to collect her only in brushstrokes, and the most verdant hues of green."

Clarke giggles from the kitchen table, “It’ll never get old that you have met half of these people and they’re still completely unaware. You shook her hand last year at the Met for god’s sake!” 

“They haven’t made deals with the devil, don’t judge them!” Lexa sassing back. 

There are rumors about why Clarke wears a wedding ring. If the mystery spouse has been the muse all along. Interviewers frequently ask why they aren’t present, and Clarke just answers with a knowing smirk, usually with Lexa on her arm, or at the very least making eye-contact with her across the room.

The mystery adds to the value. 

May 5th 2088 

By the time they’re old and gray, there are hundreds of portraits of Lexa. Her life is captured in glimpses and pieces on canvas. It is the only mark she is able to leave in the world. Lexa feels like every bit of her soul has truly been seen by the world, whether they know it or not. Clarke leaves a big enough mark on the world for both of them.  

In her old age, Clarke begins to forget things. She’ll forget where she is, if she’s taken her pills, the directions to the drugstore. But she never forgets Lexa. Sometimes she’s confused in time, lost back somewhere in her twenties when she sees a painting of Lexa done in their youth.

“That’s my wife, you know,” Clarke says. 

Lexa answers with a fond smile, “Yes, love, I know.” She kisses a wrinkled hand. 

When Clarke passes at 88 years old, Lexa knows for certain that Clarke was the best part of her life, and with her mark in the world irrevocably there, she lets the darkness take her soul. 

#lexa #clexa #the invisible life of addie larue #clarke griffin #clexa au #if you want the angst ending let me know #because i had one #but decided to spare us all because i hurt my own feelings #shoutout to butmakeitgay for helping through this whole thing #and writing the pretentious art critique

[gakehc]

My Sweet Enkeli: Chapter 1

"Enkeli": finnish word for "angel".

When Noah Sebastian met Nori Nurmi for the first time, he knew he wanted her more than anything. She was beautiful like an angel and dangerous like the devil.

♡ Author's note: So this is the first chapter of my new fanfic about Noah Sebastian and the female character Nori Nurmi. I created her when I started to write back in 2011. Basically she's perfect because I like to think about my favorite musicians having some trouble getting someone's attention. We tend to see them as wonderful great people so I wanted to create a character that would be just as awesome as them. The band Forever Damned is totally ficcional, I created the name a few years ago and I have no idea if there's already a band with the same name. Blind Channel fans, please, stay tuned on this fanfic! The lady on the cover is Nori created by I.A. and that's exactly how I imagine her.

♡ Warnings: This is a work involving real people but it's 100% fiction written. Please remember that this is only for fun purposes and it doesn't reflect their real thoughts and behaviors. Don't take this work too seriously. +18 only. Nothing too sexual going on this time.

♡ Characters: Noah Sebastian × Nori Nurmi (OFC).

♡ Words: 2.386

♡ MASTERLIST HERE.

It's been one week since the tour around Europe started and the night it's about to start. The opening band is ready to go up on stage and Noah waits backstage so he can watch the show, just like every night when they are playing. For the first time, Bad Omens is touring with Forever Damned, an all female band from Finland. At first, everyone was worried: How will it be to tour with five womens? Is it going to be too much different? Are they going to get used to the Bad Omens lifestyle of touring?. Well, everything is working fine, except for Noah's obsession with the lead singer, Nori Nurmi. It sounds so cliché for him, but he couldn't help himself this time; it happened before he could do something. When they met each other for the first time, his eyes captured the image of a woman wearing a black sporty shorts and matching black top, her cherry red hair with lighter orange highlights tied in a messy bun while she punched the air and swung side to side just like a professional boxer while she was training behind the tour bus. He was hypnotized by her moves, the way her legs were slightly inclined and the fabric of her clothes was glued to her body and showed all her curves. There were sweat drops on her forehead while her green eyes were focused like she was punching someone real, her lips parted to exhale the air. He can't erase this scene of his mind anymore. Seeing her in person for the first time made him see how intense and eye-catching her aura is, Noah is totally captured by her Scandinavian beauty.

After seeing Forever Damned playing through the week, Noah already knows how the band works, most precisely Nori. She likes to do a warm up, doing some stretches like an athlete would do before a race or a match. Her outfits are always seductive and provocative, tonight she's wearing a black pair of shorts that almost shows her butt and a black leather corset, making her huge boobs pop out. Her high heels boots makes him wonder how she can stand on them and play a concert at the same time. Her lips are covered in a dark brown lipstick and looks even more appetizing. Definitely Noah is head over heels for this woman and he can't even fight against it: he would lose. But of course he's not tripping on his feelings - it's pure physical attraction.

The lights are changing non-top, the music starts: the show is on. Nori walks towards the center of the stage, exuding confidence as she faces the crowd that screams for her and her band. When she opens her mouth to sing, she starts to growl in the most insane way. It's not difficult for her to sound like a growling monster just the way heavy metal fans love. A red light spots her, she sings with a clean voice and it's like hearing an angel but, at the same time, it's sexual and makes Noah feel his whole body shivering.

It didn't need too much time for Noah to realize that Nori is a completely different person off the stage. When she's up there, performing with her four best friends, she is like a sex demon, seducing everyone and enchanting the crowd with her voice, always moving her hips with the sound of the frantic drums. But when she is backstage, living her life, she is sweet and humble. It's almost like she can't see how perfect she is. The way her cheeks get colored in an irresistible tone of red when someone compliments her makes Noah want to grab her in his arms and kiss her big juicy lips that are always covered by thin lays of lip balm. He wonders what it tastes like, strawberry maybe. Her light green eyes are big, surrounded by natural long lashes. Looking right into them is avoiding yourself to lose your self control, is to embark on a journey that there's no way back. When they are facing the crowd, they shine like the biggest star in the sky.

Time flies when Noah is watching Nori perform. Soon, their set is over and the girls are thanking the crowd, who seems to love them. When the singer leaves the stage, she goes straight to the green room, making Noah think that she is avoiding him. He is disappointed, he really wanted to say some words to her, but it's better for him to wait and let her have some privacy. He needs to get focused because, soon, it's his time to go up on the stage.

•

Since Noah had some issues with his voice while touring in the United States, this time they decided to go slow and have more days off so everyone can rest. This means that they are free to spend some time chilling at the bar close to the parking lot where the buses are. The mood it's nice, everyone seems to be having a good time. The bands already started to build a friendship and the guys are thinking that it is cool to spend some time with the five Finnish girls. Auri, the bassist, it's the perfect example of an antisocial gothic girl: she doesn't speak much but knows how to tell a good joke, always full of sarcasm. Her extremely straight black long hair is always hanging loose on her back while she tends to be drinking some beer or coffee. Maila, the drummer, it's kind of hyperactive - maybe that's why she chose the drums as her main instrument. Like her bandmate, she enjoys having some beer throughout the day but she is definitely more social and likes to be around people. Mirva is Nori's sister and is hyper focused on practicing guitar. They look alike, some people even thought that they were twins, but they don't have the same aura. Nori is way more intimidating while Mirva has a totally chill vibe around her. The last one but not least, Lara, the second guitar player, it's a blond bombshell. She's always seducing everyone around, flirting and making jokes so she can make the guys laugh. And of course she already put her eyes on Noah.

The two of them talk, Noah holding a bottle of beer while she drinks a dose of what seems to be whisky. These Finnish girls don't play around when it comes to alcohol. The bar is a small place and the crews of the two bands are enough to make the place totally full like they are having a private party. The lights are low but not enough to obstruct the view, there's a lot of pictures of soccer teams hanging on the walls and a huge TV screen that streams a hockey match. Nori is sitting close to the bar, her legs crossed while she slowly drinks her bottle of beer. She doesn't drink like their bandmates because she likes to take care of her voice.

Lara tries to catch Noah's attention but Nori is everything he cares about right now. It seems that something is off for her, like she is not enjoying the time with her new friends and crew. Soon, the hands of the blond guitarist are playing with Noah's hair. He laughs, trying to be nice to her but of course she is not the one who he wants to talk to; he just doesn't want to be rude. She gets closer but his eyes are not on her, they are staring at Nori, hoping that she sees that she is all that matters to Noah right now.

"Who are you looking at?" Lara asks, turning herself so she can find the spot that Noah doesn't stop looking at "Oh… Of course it's her. If I was you I would change my mind".

"Why?" he asks. Now she got his attention.

"Nori never looks at any man while she's on tour. The girl is like a fucking nun".

"Again, why? Did something bad happen?".

"It's a long story… and she is too negative. She thinks that it's not a good idea to hook up with anyone in a band because it will not end well and the tour can get ruined, blah blah blah" she rolls her eyes "She's so fucking professional".

"Maybe she didn't not find anyone who would be worth taking the risk".

"Believe me, you're not the first to put eyes on her. We've been on the road for a while, always touring with lots of guys. There's always someone full of hope that thinks he can have a chance with her".

Lara it's not trying to get Noah just for her, she doesn't care about that. If he doesn't want to spend some time on the bed with her, she just moves on. The guitarist it's just trying to give him good advice so he doesn't waste his time and energy with Nori. Now, Noah is unsure about taking the first step. For the first time in a while, he is feeling insecure about a woman. Now that Bad Omens has reached fans around the world he knows that there's a bunch of women crazy about him and who would give anything to have a chance to suck his cock. Is this kind of misogynist? Of course it is, but it's the truth. He can have any girl he wants - even though he doesn't find it fair to use women like that - but he already understands that Nori it's not like those girls. It's like there's a shield around her and that matches with what Lara just said about her friend.

"Maybe that's why she is avoiding me" he says.

"Mm, it makes sense. I can see in your eyes that you are into her".

"Is that obvious?".

"Yep" she takes a sip of whisky.

Quickly turning around to watch her friend, Lara sees that Nori it's acting weird. Just like Noah had noticed, the singer doesn't seem right. She seems bothered but she is alone, there's no one talking to her. Lara and Nori have been friends since teenage years and they know each other like the back of their own hands. The blond one knows that her friend is observing Noah talking to her.

"I think you got lucky" she says "Let me try something".

She starts to play with his hair again, and soon Nori drinks the rest of the beer in the bottle in one long sip, taking everything down her throat. Her eyes facing the floor like she's trying her best to not look into Noah's direction but soon she can't resist. She's staring at them intensely, wishing that she could be at Lara's place, her body clearly uncomfortable at the stool while she squeezes her thighs with her both hands. Her friend has seen this before so she knows exactly what's the reason why Nori is acting like this.

"Mm, If you pay attention you can see that she's slowly clenching her thighs together" Lara says.

"It's hot" Noah smirks.

"Yeah, I bet she's jealous of me right now".

Suddenly, the singer leaves, trying to hide any emotion that might be on her face right now. She walks furiously to the parking lot and Noah follows her. It's dark and there's no one around them, so it's the perfect chance for Noah to do something because they are away from the crew and their bandmates, from all the drama that they would create if he flirted with her.

"Why are you following me?" She asks, finally slowing the steps so Noah can approach her.

"Are you okay?" He's cynical.

"I'm fine. I just need some sleep".

"Wait!".

She tries to enter the bus but he grabs her by her arm, pressing his fingers on her skin. For a brief moment, Nori allows herself to feel his touch on her, how his big hand can hold her with such strength that makes her whole body shiver as a warmness grows inside her jeans. But soon, she starts to get mad at his audacity.

"Don't you ever touch me without my permission again. You should leave me alone" her voice is firm.

"What If I don't?"

"Then I will have to punch you in the face".

She's not lying. Nori has the guts to punch Noah right in the face and her fist is ready to take into action and make his perfect nose bleed. Noah can't help but laugh at the situation. She looks even more adorable when she's angry.

"You're a very bad liar, Nori" he says.

"You don't know me".

"So let me know you, then".

She's silent, her brain can't form any single word right now. All the strength she has is being used to prevent her from melting under his touch. Her red hair is matching the color that's in her face, her nostrils widening as her breath gets quicker. Noah is loving to see that, for the first time, Nori is being vulnerable. There's an extreme desire inside his body, an urge to feel her lips locked on his, to feel her tongue swirling inside his mouth, to take her body for him and possess her, touch every single piece of her skin. Her warm breath is crashing against him, he feels like he can't hold it anymore.

"Good fucking night, Noah Sebastian".

She lets herself go of his hand and goes inside the bus in a hurry, closing the door with so much anger that it makes a huge sound and makes Noah wonder if she didn't break something. He leans his back against the bus, slowly going down and crouching while he holds his face in disbelief. They were so close to each other for the first time, the sexual tension between them was so huge that Noah felt his cock awakening inside his pants. Even though he is frustrated, deep inside he knows that he made some progress. He could see in her eyes that she was very close to letting herself lose to him and this is what makes him open a smile. Her smell it's still on his hands: cherry liquor mixed with almond and touches of rose and jasmine. He's sure that she is going to be the main attraction of his dreams tonight.

CHAPTER 2 HERE.

#bad omens #noah sebastian #bad omens fanfiction #noah sebastian fic #bad omens fic #nicholas ruffilo #nick folio #jolly karlsson

[wildbornsiren]

12 Days of Fluffmas!: Charity Auction || Javy “Coyote” Machado/F!Reader

Charity Auction

Summary: Your friend wins tickets to a special auction. One of the lots up for sale is particularly interesting. 

1,871 words Female/AFAB Reader. 

Warning: Awkward flirting. Unrealistic bidding. This is all fun. 

Notes: Is it December? No. Did I want to finish this challenge I set for myself? Yes. Day ten of the 12 days of Fluffmas!  Comments and reblogs fuel my writing, likes are appreciated. Thank you so much for reading, it’s appreciated and means the most.

**Tag list is done. Please follow and turn on notifications for @wbslibrary​ **

“I can’t believe you dragged me into this.” You whisper playfully to Louise as you walk arm in arm into one of the local bars. The place had been decked out in twinkling lights and snowflakes, holiday music pumping through the speakers.

“I won tickets in the raffle, and I was told that Derek wouldn’t be interested in this.” Louise beams at you. You two had become fast friends at work, and she was someone who was so effervescent and bright it was hard to say no. “Plus, it goes to a good cause, we don’t have to bid on anything.”

There are a few donation buckets for local charities, as well as a couple signs that say that all profits of the evening will be donated. A few days ago, your office had held a holiday party, as well as a raffle for tickets to a special charity auction. Louise appears at your elbow holding two cocktails, handing you one.

“Let’s grab a table.” She says, her excitement is contagious, and you can’t help but grin.

Once you’re settled at a table, you get a chance to look around at the people packed into the bar. Most are dressed in their holiday finest, conversation and laughter adding to the buzzing energy in the room. There are servers wandering around, carrying trays of drinks and snacks. One walks by and you do a double take, nearly choking on your drink.

The server is tall, heavily muscle, stunningly handsome with a smile that was brighter than anything you dared to look at without sunglasses. He was also only wearing a pair of red velvet shorts with white faux fur at the waistband and hem.

“See something you like?”

Oh. His voice is warm and rich, slides down your back smooth and easy. Louise kicks you under the table and you squeak, realizing you’ve been staring at him mute. “Yes. Yeah, sure we’ll take some of that. Those.” You point to the appetizers on the tray he’s offering. “The snack. Snacks.”

His laugh is just as good as his voice, plush lower lip caught between his teeth when he winks, placing a plate on the table between you and Louse before walking off.

“Smooth.” Louise says. “Real smooth.”

“Did you see him?” You mutter, taking a sip of your drink. “Snack. Snack.” You pinch the bridge of your nose. “I’m not allowed to talk for the rest of the night, okay?”

“Sweetheart, that man is a whole fucking buffet.” Louise is tracking him around the room. “Hell, all the waiters are full on meals. Snacks serving snacks.”

You dare to look around, seeing that most of the servers were dressed like the one who had stopped by your table. There are a few women as well, wearing red tank camisoles and shorts trimmed in faux fur just like the men.

A bell clangs loudly, the conversation dying down. The lights in the bar go down, the music getting a little quieter. There’s a squawk of microphone feedback, the crowd protesting. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we at the Hard Deck would like to welcome you to our first annual Secret Santa Auction! My name is Penny, and I will be your MC for the evening.” Cheers rise, some whistling. You clap, getting caught up in the merriment.

“All evening you have seen what is up for auction. Our lovely servers have volunteered not only to help me host this evening, but their time as well.” The woman with the mic is all smiles and beautiful. “Those who place the highest bid on each of our lots…” she points to the servers who wave. “Will win a dinner date with the Helper Elf they win. Proceeds will be split between a few local charities.”

You can feel the grin spreading on Louise’s face, the weight of her gaze. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes.” She lights up. “I mean when’s the last time you went out on a date?”

“It wouldn’t be a date.” You motion between the two of you. “This, this is more of a date than what that would be.”

“Think of it as doing a good deed. All proceeds go to the sweet puppies and kittens.”

“You’ve lost your mind.” You mutter.

“You’re thinking about it. Chase that thought.” Louise grins.

“First up, we have a Helper Elf Bobby who is sweeter than sugar, and definitely on the nice list.” Penny’s voice amplified by the mic calls out. Standing next to her is a man, in the same shorts, but he’s wearing a t-shirt that matched the women’s camisoles. “A true Southern gentleman, he’s got a little spice but don’t worry, he’ll treat you like royalty. And, if you play your cards right, he’ll let you know what Bob really stands for.”

There’s some hooting and hollering, a few wolf whistles. The man, Bobby, next to Penny flushes darkly, but smiles. One of those smiles that is sweet but promises mischief.

“Bidding starts at 50 dollars!”

Bids climb quickly, a bidding war between two women. The bell clangs again, the final bid being $600. Bobby blows a kiss to the woman who placed the winning bid and disappears down a hallway.

“Please see Santa Mav, and we’ll get your gift all sorted.” Penny says, pointing to a man wearing a Santa hat and fake beard. “We’ve got two more Helper Elves waiting to make dinner plans with you, and then we’ll take a little break.”

“Our next Helper Elf is the beautiful Natasha!” A woman with dark hair and a wicked smile stands next to Penny. “If you’re lucky enough to join this spitfire for dinner, be on your toes. She’s got beauty and brains as well as an impressive right hook.”

There’s a few more good-natured catcalls and wolf whistles.

“A creature of legend, Phoenix will be someone you won’t ever forget. Bidding starts at $50 please!” The bids move even faster than they did with Bob, capping out at $750. Natasha waves at the winner, a deep flush on her cheeks before she’s disappearing down the same hall Bob had.

“Square up with Santa Mav!” Penny calls. “We have one more Helper Elf….” Protesting groans interrupt her. “For now, we’re going to let you all have a bit more fun before we bring out more beef.”

The server from earlier takes his place next to Penny. He towers over her, the twinkling Christmas lights making his skin nearly glow with warmth. His smile is so easy and gentle, and you swallow hard when his gaze seemingly lands on you. He winks, and butterflies explode in your tummy.

“There’s no way I can afford this.” You mutter, “I mean dinner with him is going to be ridiculous.”

“You’re getting it.” Louise grins. “Consider it my gift to you.”

“Louise,” you hiss.

“There’s a spark between the two of you. Let’s see what happens.” She grins, taking a sip of her drink. “It’ll be a great story to tell your parents. ‘This is my boyfriend, I won him in an auction.’”

You can’t help but laugh at that. You glance toward the makeshift stage and he’s watching you. There’s no mistaking it, warm brown eyes locked on you, his smile no less warm, but a bit softer.

“This is Helper Elf Javy.” Penny draws out his name, cheers rising once more. “While Southern boy Bob is all sugar, Javy is all spice. Hailing from New Orleans, this hot Cajun man will have you howling at the moon like a wild Coyote.” Once the yells had died down, Penny continues. “Bidding starts at $50.”

“Two hundred!” Louise yells.

“Two-fifty,” another woman calls.

“Three hundred.” A third enters the bidding war.

“Louise.” You glare at her, and she ignores you.

“Christmas and birthdays for the next ten years.” She mutters. “Six-fifty.”

“I’m splitting this with you.” You mutter.

 “Deal, but I’m not going on the date.” Louise grins, “plus it’s a tax write off.” She winks. The bid had had risen, “Eight hundred!” Louise yells.

“Sold!” Penny calls out, ringing the bell. “Please see Mav and get everything settled.” Javy blows a kiss toward your table, and Louise ‘catches’ it, pressing it to your cheek.

“Come on,” Louise takes your hand, taking you over to the man dressed in the Santa suit. “Can we split this?”

He grins at the two of you, “Of course. Cash or cards ladies?” You pay your half with cash and a card, Louise paying off her half as well. “The winner can go ahead and join Coyote in the back room. Chat for a little bit and figure out some of the details.” He hands the two of you receipts.

“Now, go get your date.” Louise teases. “I’ll keep the table for us.”

You wander down the hallway, the noise of the bar fading away. You knock on a door labeled with a ‘staff only’ sign, and it opens. Javy is standing in front of you, that wide, beautiful smile on his face.

“I was hoping I’d see you.” He offers his hand, and you take it, letting him pull you further into the room. The door closes behind you. “If this wasn’t your type of thing, I was going to try to catch you before you left.”

“It’s not,” you laugh softly. “My friend won tickets to the auction, and she decided that you would be a good person to set me up with.”

“That’s a good friend.”

You introduce yourself properly, and the way he says your name makes your breath hitch. “I think it’s really sweet that you’re volunteering yourself.”

“It’s for a good cause.” Javy says. “When can I take you to dinner?” He pauses, flashing another one of those mega-watt smiles. “I mean, I’ve got a couple more hours here, and we could get something to eat afterward.”

“Is there anything open that late?”

“Sugar,” he says softly, and you look up from your shoes. “I’m asking you out now, not just for the dinner.”

“Really?”

He reaches out, gently lifting your chin up. His eyes are warm and gentle, his smile no less radiant, but far gentler. “Yes, really. I nearly forgot my name when I saw you walk in. I switched with one of the others so I would be able to talk to you at the table.” Javy’s touch is so warm and gentle, and you can’t help but smile back at him.

“I would like to get something to eat with you. Tonight.” You say, the words coming out in a jumbled rush. “And maybe two weeks from now. Saturday night.”

“I’d like that.” Javy says, writing his name with yours under the date that you tossed out for the auction dinner.

There’s a knock on the door before it opens slightly, a man sticking his head in. “We’ve got fifteen more minutes, Javy. I can’t stall for you any longer buddy.”

“I’ll be right there Rooster.” Javy says. The door closes, and he turns to you. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot after?” He shifts his weight, and you smile. It’s cute that this massive man is acting shy.

/end

#12 days of fluffmas #Javy 'Coyote' Machado/Reader #Javy 'Coyote' Machado/you #shelly writes #Javy 'Coyote' Machado #Top Gun Maverick fanfiction

[headingalaxys-spicy]

WOOO HOOO IM ANOTHER YEAR CLOSER TO DEATH AHAHAHAH.

So I’m honor of me being that fun age of ✨27✨

Just spice posts all day.

Starting with the ending storyline for Club 27- Birthday Drabble I started last year.

🌟💀The New Queen of Solar Dead 💀🌟

Enjoy guys thanks for sticking it out with this page. And yeah final warning this is a

🌶️🔥spice🔥🌶️ post

Heavy panting filled the sweltering throne room. The flames that lit the room were burning low just enough light to where you could make out his outlines. His body was built like that of a gold medal olympian. He was currently working out your insides. The muscles that were getting the most defined concentration were his broad arms that held you in place while his hips ceased flogging you from the back.

You were happy that he stopped driving himself into you. Ever since he introduced himself he immediately jumped into raw dogging you. It felt like an eternity already….and Alfred was only just getting started. Your eyes swept over the cobblestone floor hoping and praying that this ruthless dungeon was a reality you wouldn’t have to stay in. You knew this couldn’t be real. It had to be a bad dream. It just has to be!

You jerk your arms like a feral cat trying to flee captivity. To no avail your plan failed as Alfred grip held you down tight. His fingernails dug into your forearms. It caused a few thread-like scratches that drew out some blood.

“AH! STOP!” You shout out.

It was the first time you’d spoken in a while. You quickly found out that no matter how fearsome your pleas were to beg him to stop, he wouldn’t. Why would he, he was the King of Hell. He was going to do with you as he pleased. He lets out an amused chuckle and then proceeds to thrust once more into your backside.

You let out a short squeak.

He rolls his head back and lets his hands grip you tighter. Being able to control you was ecstasy. He felt the thick sexually charged air and his body was doing its best to hold back his fervor. He inhaled deeply and allowed the oxygen to fill his lungs and his chiseled abs. It was all preparation for his final move. Every muscle in his body clenched as if trying to continue to hold onto a plank position for those last few moments before you reached goal. He swiftly pulled himself out from behind and spun you around so your eyes could meet his.

All you could make out from the dim firefly glow was the lining of his lips that showcased his hungry teeth and his brightly lit red eyes that were still famished. Both desired more. So seconds, thirds, and so on would be served until stuffed.

“Hey, babe.” He purrs out to you as if the two of you were nothing more than sweet lovers.

You simply glare at him. You hated him for killing you and bringing you here just for his own amusement. Your breaths were deep and concentrated in your core like scorching magma. You wanted to fight back. You try once more to wriggle free from his tight wedding ring like grasp he had on your forearms.

Aroused and amused that you think you had any chance of breaking free he tries to ease your sorrows by drawing you in with a love drunken kiss. It reeked of longing and pent-up sexual frustration… That seemed to have been spanning a lifetime. Your hands flew for his face and you managed to get his suction cup off but only for a moment.

This angered him.

He snapped his fingers and a heated iron contraption came from the floor. It spread your legs out wide and kept them open. Metal cuffs rubbed against your upper thighs and heated them up causing sweat to glaze over your legs like a freshly buttered bread. More appetizing to the King you now found yourself eternally bound to.

He intertwined his massive calloused hands and encased your smaller ones between his giant roots from a tree settling in. He looks down on you with lustful eyes and all you could do was let out a low whimper. He kissed you on the lips again gently this time. Then whispered to them.

“I’m your King now. And I’m going to have to show you your place, my Queen.”

He hoisted you up to the searing chains that ate away at your soft skin. You let out a loud scream in agony. His desire in his cock stands at attention once more. Desire that thrived off of schadenfreude. He roughly grabbed your waist so he could hold you in place. He rubbed the tip at your entrance to run all of your senses into hundreds of brick walls.

Pleasure and pain are quite a powerful and intoxicating mix.

He began to suck at the skin on your stomach and worked his way up to your soft and supple breasts that were quaking from all of the thrashing movements. He allowed one of his hands to roam up and grope one of your mounds. You tried to yank your leg up to deliver a swift kick but the chains kept you in place. He attached his lips to the other and ran his tongue over your nipple. He pauses for a brief moment and tries not to let his aching dick release just yet. Another deep breath fills his broad chest preparing itself for its next powerful battle tactic. His teeth sink mildly into your breast and you let out a thundering yell that could probably be heard all throughout hell.

Confusion and pain flooded all of your senses, your arms felt like they were melting off and you. Only hints of pleasure popped into your brain in only momentary bursts. The pain was so intense if you could die again just to avoid it you would.

“Please….” you plead in a quivering voice.

His red eyes flicker up to meet yours as he detached himself from your chest. A lightning bolt struck your stomach and made you nervous. A grin spread wide on his face that you didn’t need a lot of light to see because of the amount of mischief that radiated from his lips. The rest of his body was ablaze with lust.

His member jolted against your entrance with a little pre-release. You wanted to slam your legs closed but simply stiffened your muscles in a feeble attempt to stop the incoming blow. The hot rod forced its way in forcing itself into your wet cavern that was writing in pain and pleasure. A disastrous mix that left you breathless.

“Ah….please …. stop ….” You say when you manage to get just enough air into your tired lungs.

Your words fell on deaf ears. He plunged himself into you to your hilt and held you there making you teeter on his cock between opposing sensations that were anxious to consume you.

He kisses your cheek gently and he commands you to shout his name when he resumes his trusting.

“If you can do that my Queen I’ll un-schalke you.” You let out a nod as you finally realized that tears had been streaming down your face.

You whimper out a weak okay.

He brings a hand to your chin and brings you into a French kiss. His tongue wrapped tightly around yours. You feel your arms suddenly fall back down only to collapse on his brawny shoulders. They cling to him for support.

He parts from the kiss he revs himself up and begins to thrust.

“Sing my name y/n! Sing it so loudly the screams of pleasure make it all the way to the ears of heaven!”

A moan at first was all you could manage. But you think of how things could be worse if you didn’t sing for him like a morning bird hyped up on caffeine.

“Ahh…Ahh.. Alfred!” You blurt out in a huff.

“Louder my Queen, that was a little pathetic.”

“ALFRED! AH! AH! !” His pacing began to get faster while his cock got fatter from all the pent up tension building from the passion. Your struggle to say his name appeased Alfred just enough. He was reaching the end of his tread anyways.

“Oh Queen Y/N you’re going to be a great ruler and wife.” He continues to bounce you up and down on his throbbing member that finally burst its seal and milky white spilled everywhere. He threw his head back and moaned out your name he had reached his cloud nine pleasure. It took him a few minutes to ride out his orgasm while you were hardly keeping conscious in his strapping arms that were shimmering with sweat.

He sealed your lips with his as you still struggled with his member. He trails a few kisses on your neck and leading on down your breasts he lingers there for a while causing you to moan but also continue to shake in agony. The chains are still hot against your wrists. Your arms had been disfigured and recreated by the lava like embers. Your once clear skin now had ancient writing that looked like lace but had thick strokes like it was etched in barbarically.

Alfred’s claiming curse.

You suck in another sharp breath as you suddenly feel your arms drop onto a soft silk surface. The rest of your body followed suit. You felt a wave of relief wash over you. You were happy to not be sewn into the wall while your insides were being filled to the brim.

You allowed your eyes to close for you knew that nothing you’d say would convince a Demon King to let you go.

Alfred allows his body to hover over you hauntingly. He lowers his head and allows his lips to linger close to the nape of your neck and give you a hickey. He moves to the other side of your neck and bare his large fangs and digs them in deep into your soft and sweaty flesh.

Your eyes shoot open at the intense intrusion of enamel into your flesh. The flood that had begun to pour out as if holding back an ocean. You could feel hot blood rush down your back. Your face scrunched in pain while you began to notice you felt as light as a feather.

Alfred licked the bite area clean after sucking up as much blood from your neck as he could.

He looked at your half lidded eyes that were unconcentrated. He gives a small chuckle and an award winning smile appears on his face. He grabs right below his curse mark that is on your wrists and whispers softly to you. You could feel the intense heat that radiated off of his toned body.

“Welcome to your new reality Y/N where you’ll always be beneath me. Now, let's go get cleaned.” He picks you up and leads you to his grand bathing room where he’ll clean your wounds and pamper you for the rest of the night. He knows full well that you won’t recover from this encounter for a while.

As he ran the bath into his coal black tub no thoughts really passed through your subconscious. You were unsure of what to do. You simply looked down at your bare feet and concentrated on the Stygian marble floor that had elongated cracks of silver and gold that trailed through the wide room flowing up the walls. You let your mind wander as it couldn’t hear the rushing water fill the room with steam and intoxicating fragrances like fresh lavender, bergamot, and sea salt.

‘Perhaps I’m lucid dreaming right? I have to be. No way in hell any of this is real. Or I have lost my mind. I really have…but why did that feel so real. That sex really did feel real.’

The demon watches you glide your feet back and forth as you swing your legs on the elegant window seat that overlooks one of the volcanoes that America controlled. The scarlet, violet, navy, and dusky sky blended together to make up the sky of the Solar deadzone. The smog that consumed the sky that night and your mind wouldn’t be going away. It would linger in the corner of your mind like an impervious tar.

Alfred walks over to you and hoists you up into his strong arms. It was the first time that you actually got to look at his face. Black hair hung low in his eyes that were now a dark cobalt hue and it had a heavy contrast with his pale skin. He had an ever present from on his face that showed off his K9’s. So of your own blood still on the surface of his pearly whites.

He stepped into the 4 feet deep bathtub that looked like a chasm with a few lights that shined through the darkened water and bubbles that overflowed at the surface. You couldn’t help but be dazzled by the monochrome orbs of soap that distracted you from your grim fate you’d been assigned to.

You descended into the heated water that instantly calmed your overstressed muscles.

A sigh leaves you and a smile spreads on Alfred's face as he allows his long thin tail to wrap around your thighs he grabs a loofah and begins to scrub off the dry blood on your back.

Silence and the sloshing of water continued for the rest of the night in dim candlelight. Once done some servants brought libations and snacks for the King and Queen of the Solar Dead Zone. This is the first full night of Queen (Y/N).

#hetalia #hetalia fandom #hws #hws america #yandere hetalia #yandere aph #yandere hetalia x reader #hetalia demon au #yandere x reader #x reader #hetalia x reader #hetalia x you #headingalaxys #headingalaxys spicy #incoming spice post #alfred jones #demon america #headingalaxys writes stuff #hws alfred f jones #hetalia fanfiction writer #hetalia fanfiction

[powpowpunchout]

Lunch Break

“Heard you took a real nasty swing today.” Mr. Sandman said, poking what remained of his salad with a fork. The weather was perfect today. Sandman and Joe were originally planning to eat inside the cafe, but how could they on a day like this? Partially cloudy, not too hot, the sweet scent of pollen and freshly baked bread was wonderful, plus by the time they arrived most of the indoor seats were taken.

Sandman didn’t mind though, and by the looks of it, neither did Joe. It was nice to get a good view of the neighborhood around them. The tall, worn down apartment buildings who’s windows were decorated with plants and flowers, while others had hanging accessories like sunlight catchers and wind chimes. It was a welcomed change of scenery compared to the usual tall, dull, flat buildings around the stadium.

There was a special sort of joy that came from spotting the cafe’s light blue awning from a block away. The little ‘Oh, we’re almost there!’ sort of happiness that makes them pick up the pace just a bit more. That makes them walk just a bit faster until the cafe came into view. ‘The little purple place’, as Sandman always called it, never being able to remember its name. Then Joe would argue that it was clearly pink, but Sandman was certain it was purple. Then they’d banter until they finally reached the place.

“Oh, did you?” Joe’s eyes lit up, “It seems my acting skills have shone through once again.” He leaned against the table, brushing the hair out of his face with a proud smile. Sandman moved his appetizer and water aside, not wanting any of it to tip over and stain Joe’s clothes. Granted, it was just water, and there were maybe five leaves worth of salad left, but still.

“Thought it was a little weird of ya to go down on the first hit.”

“Yes, well, I didn’t want to keep you waiting.” Joe adjusted his short, red, silk scarf before pulling down his round sunglasses, “Besides, what if I took too long getting dressed? How dreadful would that have been?”

“Oh, you still gettin’ on me about that?” Sandman got close to Joe.

“Perhaps.” A sly grin spread across Joe’s face. Sandman couldn’t help but return it.

Joe suddenly looked past Sandman, thinking he saw the waiter with their food, but he sighed when that wasn’t the case. He didn’t mind the wait, his next match wouldn’t be until the evening, but he knew Sandman had a busier day.

Oh, that reminded Joe.

“Again, I am so, so sorry for not making it to your fight this morning.” Joe held his wine glass, swirling the drink inside. It was tea. Raspberry tea. It was a little over the top to drink it from such fine glass, he knows, but he just loved the way it felt in his hands. Believe him, if he didn’t have another match today, he’d be drinking wine.

He was being a bit careless with how he was swishing his drink, but as long as it didn’t get on his pants, he’ll be okay. His silk, satin, long sleeved shirt was a lucious, deep red. If he got tea on that? Hardly anybody would notice. His pants, on the other hand? His dusty, rosy brown pants that complimented nearly every top he has? The pants that brought the look of his satin shirt and dark brown, oxford shoes together? The pants he had brought from his home country? Those must remain unstained.

Sandman pulled at the strings of his gray hoodie, “Nah, it’s all good. I was rushin’ through it anyways. Got a bit sloppy.” He looked away, feet digging into the ground.

“Don’t be so critical of yourself. The people I passed by were talking about how amazed they were. You took your opponent out in a couple of swift hits!” Joe threw a few punches into the air.

“Again, I was rushin’.” Sandman readjusted the hood over his head, making sure he was well hidden. It was rather hard for a man of his size and reputation–and it certainly didn’t help that he was still wearing his boxing shorts and boots–but the last thing he wanted to do was attract the paparazzi while on a day out with his friend. He was thankful Joe’s favorite places were in more secluded areas

“I certainly hope you weren’t rushing because of me.” Joe put his hand on his chest.

“You’re worth it. Don’t worry about it.”

“You didn’t have to!”

“Didn’t you get knocked down in one swing just for me?” Sandman raised his brows.

Joe leaned back on his chair, “That’s different.”

“Really?” Sandman raised his brows even more.

“I wanted to see if I could make it to your match. Can you blame me? I wanted to cheer you on from the side!”

“You get so loud.”

Sandman loves his friend. Really. Truly. But the amount of times he’s stopped mid-match because he heard a scream, only to find out it was coming from Joe was insane.

“How else are you supposed to hear me from the crowd?” Joe couldn’t help but smile over how his friend was hiding his face in his hands.  

“You get so loud.”

~ ~ ~

Von Kaiser tried to fix the black straps of his suspenders, grumbling to himself as he made his way through the second floor of the stadium. It was basically just a real long, wide hallway with the occasional gift shop, small restaurant, or help center along the way.

Most boxers hardly went through the main halls, save for the times they wanted to get something from the cafeteria or get flocked by fans; usually they had to walk through their own ‘personal’ halls. The only way to access that was by going through the side or back doors of the stadium. Honestly, though, Kaiser hated those hallways. He didn’t care that they made traveling through the locker rooms and boxing rings faster, he didn’t care that hardly any paparazzi could sneak their way through, he just. Didn’t. Like them.

He tugged at his suspenders. Just thinking about it brought a wave of discomfort over him. The strange green hue, the smell of bleach, the way the intense blue lights would randomly flicker or go out, leaving parts of the halls consumed by darkness… And don’t get him started on how there aren’t any windows. If the designers of the stadium wanted the private halls to be as unwelcoming as possible, they’ve succeeded.

The main halls of the floors were in much nicer conditions, not to mention huge windows so he knew there was a world outside of this place.  Besides, Kaiser hardly had much of a reputation to garner hundreds of fans, so he didn’t worry too much about being surrounded in public. One of the many blessings of being in the Minor Circuit.

Kaiser clenched his teeth when the buckle of his strap hit his chest. It hurt, but it didn’t feel right.

He couldn’t explain this sensation. It comes to him so often. It drives him mad, but it just didn’t feel… Correct.  

Kaiser lifted the strap again and let it hit his body.

It still felt wrong.

He lifted it again, hoping to make the hit ‘feel’ right this time, despite the area starting to sting.

He pulled the strap back as far as he could, and only then when he let go, when it left a red mark on his skin, he was at ease. There was that little voice in the back of his mind begging him to repeat the process with his other strap, but he suppressed it.

He took a deep breath, his scrunched face relaxing as he then focused on removing the wrinkles of his dark green cargo pants. These things wrinkled easily, he might as well be mopping the floor of a dumpster, but at least it took his mind off of how awful–

“Kaiser! How’s it goin’?” A happy voice sang out. Kaiser turned his head, nose twitching when he saw Disco Kid leaving a nearby coffee bar. He must’ve finished a match recently. He was wearing his dark blue shorts with a light blue t-shirt thrown on–the same color as his boxing boots–though he didn’t seem too injured, which was good.

“Fine.” Kaiser kept looking ahead. Disco took a sip of whatever insanely sweet drink he had ordered. Whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, a sweet drink for a sweet man.  

“Man, if I knew I was gonna run into you here, I would’ve bought ya some coffee.”

“I appreciate it.”

“You goin’ to the cafeteria? Finally gettin’ lunch? I’m probably gonna pick up a burger or somethin’.”

“I brought my own.”

Disco Kid’s smile wavered for a moment, “Hey, you alright?”

Kaiser pulled at his ‘stache, “Not feeling my best right now.”  

“Is it, the uh–” Disco Kid snapped his fingers, “Is it about that class of yours? I remember ya mentionin’ you had a lotta things to prep for.”

Kaiser shook his head, “It’s everything.”

He glanced at Disco, who tilted his head, urging him to keep going. Before Kaiser could, they had to move aside for an oncoming crowd. When they reunited, Kaiser sighed.

“Woke up. Car would not start.” He folded his arms, “Then, of course, the children. So much to prepare for. We ordered new mattresses but they have not come in. The current ones are falling apart, the lights are going out, and oh, the parents…” Kaiser rubbed his temples.

“They gettin’ antsy?”

“I understand their impatience, but I am one man. Then my locker!” Kaiser snapped his head to Disco, “It had nearly fallen off its hinges when I arrived, what if someone steals my belongings?! Then Overload–!”

Oh boy.

“Bad enough my locker was nearly ruined, but I am minding my business, yes? Then in he comes telling me that my twitching is too much?” Kaiser raised his voice, grabbing the attention of bystanders, “What? Is it that bothersome? Is something that minor really that loud?!”  

When Kaiser looked back at Disco, he saw the way his body had scrunched back. The recoil on his face. Kaiser’s eyes darted around the hall, catching glimpses of people staring. Whispering. He swallowed before bringing his head down.

“But perhaps it would be best if I learned to lower my voice.”

“What, no! C’mon Kaiser, don’t let that sucker get to ya.” Disco Kid jumped, “Remember that time he got on Hondo for his eyebrows movin’ too much? I bet he’d snap at us for blinkin’ too loudly.”

Kaiser only mumbled out a ‘Yes, yes.’ Not taking his gaze off the ground.

“For real, don’t listen to Octave. You’re not too loud, you’re not botherin’ anyone, ya good.” Disco Kid had to speak louder as they grew closer to the cafeteria, “Besides, if anyone’s got a problem, you can sick ya students at ‘em.”

“They are children, not weapons.”

“I’ve seen the way they act when someone talks bad to ya.” Disco Kid smiled as he took a sip of his drink, “I bet they’d rip anyone to shreds if ya said the word.”

Kaiser rolled his eyes, “They are good kids.”

Even though his thick mustache hid his mouth, Disco Kid saw the crinkles of his eyes. He heard the lighthearted huff that escaped Kaiser’s nose.

Kaiser took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders back, and stood tall.

Disco Kid peeked past his friend and scanned the cafeteria. Crowded. As always. Nearly every table was packed with fans, families, and all sorts of people. His face fell when he saw how long the lines to the food courts were. He knew he should’ve come here earlier.

Most of the stands here sold overpriced burgers, pizza slices, fries, and there were a few restaurants that actually had a nice variety of meals, but those were overpriced too. That being said, Disco Kid would not hesitate to cough up several hundred dollars if it meant he could get one of those amazing burgers.

He’s got plenty of time before his next match, if he pops on some tunes while waiting in line, the wait should be tolerable.

Of course, he could always go to one of the small restaurants outside of the cafeteria, the ones Disco could see through the giant windows. Their lines usually move a bit faster, but he was sweaty enough as is. He really didn’t wanna stand in the sun. There was also the bar way down on the first floor, but he couldn’t stand the smell of alcohol.

Through all the ruckus, Disco Kid could hear Kaiser chuckle to himself. He glanced at him before bringing his eyes to where Kaiser was staring.

Against the walls, on the far far left, were a couple of kids playing with one of the giant red banners that hung from the ceiling. Two of them were hiding behind it, warping the stadium’s logo and the “WVBA” text that had been embroidered with a deep yellow thread.  

They weren’t supposed to be touching those things. They’re expensive. Disco remembered how up in arms the managers got about wrinkling the banners, but who cares? The kids were having fun, and no way would they be able to ruin them. They’re way too thick and heavy.

Something caught Disco Kid’s attention. He chuckled and gave Kaiser a quick tap, pointing to the other side of the cafeteria.

“Speak of the devil.”

Kaiser turned his head and narrowed his eyes. His face contorted with disgust when he saw Octave Overload sitting at one of the small, round-topped bar tables by himself. He was quite far, but it looked like he was messing around with some napkins.

Kaiser turned his head away, repulsed, “I don’t think I have seen a single person tolerate that man.”

“I think–” Disco kid stopped when he saw a small cloud of smoke near one of the restaurants. It was there. For just a split second, it was there.

His eyes darted around, trying to find the source, but all he could catch were more and more puffs of smoke coming and going until he and Kaiser heard a familiar blinking sound behind them. They spun around, and floating behind them was Great Tiger.

“You two have been standing here for quite some time. Are you taking in the scenery? Overwhelmed by the options?” Tiger asked, slowly rotating in the air till he was ‘resting’ on his back. His to-go box hovered beside him, a sticker of the WVBA’s logo slapped on top of it.

“No, that’s uh–hey Tiger, you ‘n Octave get along, right?”

Tiger thought for a moment before answering, “No, not exactly. We don’t talk that much, really. Why?”

“Nah, just wondering.” Disco’s eyes flicked to Octave then back to Tiger..

“What did he do this time? Steal one of your–” Tiger tapped his chin, trying to remember whatever it was Disco Kid used to listen to his music, “--devices, again? Have you spoken to Macho Man?”  

Kaiser’s mustache twitched, “He hardly does much. Talks to Overload, makes him hurry away only for him to come right back.”

“ ‘Sides, I think Macho Man’s still on that tour. He isn’t comin’ back for a couple’a days.” When Disco kid turned back to Octave, he blinked. Standing next to his table was Aran Ryan, chatting to him about who knows what. Disco Kid could just barely make out the awful grins on their faces. “They’re friends, aren’t they?” Disco Kid mumbled to himself, unintentionally bringing Kaiser’s attention to the two.

“Misery loves company.” Kaiser muttered, turning his head away.

“Well!” Tiger spun himself rightside up, “As much as I enjoyed this little get-together, I do have a very important meeting with Bald Bull. Farewell!”

Before Kaiser or Disco had the chance to say goodbye, Tiger’s gem flashed, then he and his lunch vanished in a puff of smoke.

~ ~ ~

Tiger reappeared in the Minor Circuit’s ring just above the seats. Chills ran down his spine when he felt how cold it was in here. It was easy to forget that ACs were always blasting in the rings, especially when they’re filled with hundreds of people and you’re the one boxing.

“Tiger!” Great Tiger heard Bull call. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on a row of seats close to the ring. There sat his friend, the best Turkish boxer in the world, Bald Bull. He smiled, adjusted the white towel around his neck, and gave Tiger a wave.

Great Tiger’s face lit up. He flew into the seat next to Bull, his lunch following behind before gently placing itself onto his lap.

“And how has your day been?” Bull asked, taking a bite of his doner kebab before setting it back onto the pile of napkins between his legs. Unlike Tiger, Bull brought his own lunch. He had to. Heaven knows if he tried to get anything from the cafeteria he’d be surrounded by fans.

“Fine, fine.” Tiger replied, waving his fingers about. The lid of his box popped open and his chicken flatbread came floating out, “Met with a couple of fans, had far too many photos taken in the Major Circuit ring. I think my face has gone numb from all that smiling.”

Bull chuckled.

“And you?” Tiger asked.

“I am quite thankful. I managed to make it here without being spotted.” Bull eyed the run down room. Intense, sickly yellow lights illuminated the place, the floors were stained, the walls were incomplete, and there was garbage lying around that the janitors had yet to take care of. This was far from the best place to eat, but it beat dealing with the paparazzi.

“Of course–” Tiger quickly moved his legs out of the way just before sauce dripped onto them. Bull handed him a napkin.

“I found the perfect place for the two of us to meet tomorrow.” Tiger said as he cleaned his seat, “Hard to find, nearly impossible for photographers and reporters to enter, and it comes with a wonderful view.”

“And that is?”

“You know the small rooms you can see across the stadiums? They’re up high, giant windows, the people behind them control the lights and whatnot for the stadiums?”

Bull glanced up, and sure enough, he saw a couple of tinted windows on the far side of the room.

“The control booth?”

“Yes!” Tiger smiled.

“Do we have permission to go inside?” Besides the fact those rooms were for staff only, Bull wasn’t sure how thrilled the employees would be if they found out a couple of boxers got crumbs all over their equipment.

“I said please very nicely.” Tiger said proudly, which made Bull lift a brow.

“And did they agree?”

Tiger twirled the tip of his mustache, “I don’t think they would mind too much as long as we–”

“We are not eating in there.” Bull said, crumbling up his napkin. He pulled out his indigo-colored lunchbox from underneath a seat and shoved his trash into a side pocket.

Tiger folded his arms, “Oh, Bull, why not?”

“I am perfectly fine spending my time here. I am with you, after all. That is what matters.” Bull then took out a tiny, brown, package from his lunchbox. He carefully opened it, revealing an array of Turkish desserts he had gotten from a bakery not too long ago.

He brought the box to Tiger, motioning for him to help himself. Tiger glanced at his friends then back to the treats, his face softening as he happily took one.

#punch out #punch out wii #punch out!! #punch out glass joe #punch out mr sandman #punch out von kaiser #punch out disco kid #punch out great tiger #punch out bald bull #punch out oc #octave overload canon #fic #art

[crispylilworm]

Top 5 Video Game Foods

The recent Watcher Top 5 Beatdown had me racking my brain and googling lots of pixel food images, love the different aesthetic, experience, and curiosity factors that went in to their lists. Though I'd share my own & would love to hear yours!

5. Sweetroll (Skyrim)

4. Lantern Fruit (Subnautica)

3. Creamy Heart Soup (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

2. Peach Pie (Animal Crossing: New Horizons)

1. Brewster's Coffee (Animal Crossing: Wild World)

Reasoning & honorable mentions below ^.^

5. I got into Skyrim late to the game, but my first character started as a Jean Valjean-inspired petty thief in the pursuit bread and cheese. Nothing looked quite as appetizing as those little sweetrolls. One of the many delightful discoveries I came across going in blind to an iconic game.

4. Red, plump, slightly bioluminescent - super versatile as either a food source or bioreactor fuel, but most of all a gorgeous addition to any base. Returning to base and taking a bite of a fresh lantern fruit was more just for roleplay than anything lol, but man do I want to have a taste in real life.

3. Figuring out recipes was one of my favorite parts of the unlimited exploration in the open-world Breath of the Wild, and nothing seemed tastier than the Creamy Heart Soup. I can just imagine how revitalizing it would be to slurp it down mid-battle. Something about video games making imaginary fruits just looks so tantalizing, and I'm always a slut for a good soup.

2. The craftable food update in New Horizons is what kept me around for nearly a 1,000-hour island. Something about how they would steam after you cooked and placed them just looked so good. The cute aesthetics of the food items could warrant its own top-10 list for me, and the Peach Pie was as good as it got. I got the Switch game in 2022 well after the pandemic peak. Neither me nor my friends had peaches on their islands, and I was not about to pay to trade with someone - I never actually attained this beauty. My island had lined fields of crops and a farmers market with baked breads and jarred goods, she would have been my star centerpiece.

1. This is mainly an experience-based choice for me, but I imagine the taste would be phenomenal as well. 10-year-old me was unaware of changing DS settings to play different dates, so the once-per-day cup of coffee was a cherished moment. At the time I did not even know what coffee tasted like lol. The thought of drinking a scalding hot beverage scared me but I did not want to disappoint Brewster by letting it cool past its peak flavor. And Saturday nights when KK Slider was there?? Highlight of my week. Honestly that whole atmosphere of having a tasty little drink and watching a local live performance is exactly the vibe a look for as 28-year-old still. I wish I could go back and see how many hours I put into Wild World, I literally COMPLETED that game before I had access to the internet to look up how to find things - it was my cozy place.

I had too much fun putting this together lol honorable mentions has no cap idc, also no proofreading we die like men!

Honorable mentions: Yeto's Soup (Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) - it took so long to make it must be the heartiest soup ever, Rare Candy (Pokemon) - if it can make my pokemon level up imagine ME, Lobster Thermador (Sims 2) - max level cooking meal I didn't think was real lol, Goopy Carbonara (Sims 3) - what's so goopy about it?, Crab and Egg Chinese Style (Cooking Mama) - a food I want to try and cook myself, Dubious Food (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) - what flavor is 'dubious' exactly?, Cheesy Meat Bowl (Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) - food that could instantly cure a hangover, Golden Apple (Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) - does it even taste different?, Perfect Cherry (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) - I am allergic to cherries but I would risk it, Pink Cake (Stardew Valley) - so cute I NEED a taste, Light Faerie Sundae (Neopets) - faerie food looked tasty af the light sundae looked the best, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (HP & The Chamber of Secrets PS2) - Harry seemed so excited to find those beans I need to know why, 'Johnny Silverhand' Cocktail (Cyberpunk 2077) - beer + chili + tequila sounds awful I want a taste, Big Bang Burger (Persona 5 Royal) - I want to taste of Okumura's finest, NukaCola (Fallout) - if it doesn't taste like Diet Coke nuclear apocalypse isn't worth it, Klawf al Ajillo & Pickled Toedscool (Pokeomon Scarlet/Violet) - I want to taste the forbidden meat o.O

#watcher #top 5 beatdown #skyrim #animal crossing #subnautica #legend of zelda #this was probably the first beatdown i had strong opinions #always respect the list but mine is better sorry

[lizzytheglizzydogtheglock9000]

Hi, I saw that you’re accepting Doctor Who requests, so I was thinking, a Tenth Doctor x reader story, with prompt #12 from the prompt list. Like, the reader is scared while in who knows what situation with the Doctor and he offers to hold their hand, or they ask him to.

Thanks ❤️❤️

Guys I am SO sorry I have not posted sooner I have just been simply exhausted and sick lately so I hope you guys enjoy this! I’m also on break currently so hopefully I’ll be able to churn out some more oneshots.

10th Doctor x G/N Reader

TW: Drugs in drink, creepy dude

The day had started out fine. Perfect, actually. He had taken you to the Isles of Autorris Neondner, for ‘no reason in particular,’ he claimed, and that their main city being made completely out of your favorite crystal had ‘absolutely nothing to do with it.’ 

The city itself looked just like you imagined The Emerald City would look, but less harmful to the eyes and more modern. You had explored almost anything and everything you could, very unprepared for the amount of stairs there were, although the view each time made the long walk worth it. 

For your final destination of the day, the Doctor had taken you into the largest tower sitting in the center of the city. It was filled with all kinds of crystal art, and ballrooms, with the finest restaurant in the universe at the very top. 

The domed ceiling was made of diamond, and the setting suns filtered through it casting lovely rainbows all over you and the Doctor.

Just as the two of you sat down, purple fizzing drinks in what appeared to be wine glasses were set in front of you, along with a few other appetizers that seemed to be unfamiliar even to the Doctor. 

He pointed his screwdriver at each item, and gave it a quick flash.

“The drinks,” he read off, “are non-alcoholic, not carbonated even though they look it, and are made out of a purple flower called a wiflutter.”

He took a small sip and thought for a minute.

“It’s rather sweet, although it tastes quite bitter when you first try it. Here, it’s harmless.” He pushes your drink to you and you take a cautious sip.

You make a slight face that disappears almost immediately as the bitterness leaves when you swallow. 

“Ooh, I like that!” you say excitedly. The Doctor gives you a grin and takes another sip himself, ad begins to try some of the appetizers they set in front of you. 

As you watched the suns set out of the windows near you, a fanfare from the orchestra caught the Doctor’s attention. 

“Y/N, take a look at this,” he prodded your shoulder. “It’s the prince!”

“They have a prince?”

“Well, not a prince exactly, but it’s the closest translation into your language,” he said. “He is currently the only heir, and his name is.... Ah! Prince Anderaephim.”

He appeared in the middle of the dancing area, said a few words, and invited everyone to go dance. He had very light blue skin, very dark red hair, and yellow eyes. His suit was the same color as the tower, and was covered head to toe in diamond jewelry. He left the center of the room and the orchestra began their charming melody once again.

“Care to dance Y/N?” the Doctor extended his hand.

“Of course,” you smiled in return, he tugged you over to the floor.

As you swayed to the lovely sounds, you could feel someone’s eyes boring into your head, although you tried not to let it ruin your perfect time with the Doctor.

Right as the Doctor lifted you back up from a dip as the music flourished, you felt a tap on your shoulder.

“Excuse me, I realize that we hardly know each other, but ever since I laid my eyes on you I haven’t been able to look away from your ravishing features.”

You stared back at the prince in disbelief, partly because you could hardly believe this was real, but also due to the fact you could just now see all four of his eyes, all a piercing yellow that made you far too uncomfortable.

“Oh, um, thank you,” you said awkwardly. 

“Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?” he bowed.

“That’s, uh, a very kind offer, but I’m not one for dancing,” you tried to lie.

“Oh nonsense, you danced marvelously with your friend here, let me have that experience too,” he pried.

You glanced over at the Doctor, who kept staring at the young prince, but gave a reluctant nod anyway.

“Alright...” you mumbled.

As you were pulled away from the Doctor, he gave you a look that said you wouldn’t get hurt with him there. 

You heard the music start as the prince spun you around again and again, you weren’t really listening to what he was saying; you felt dizzy and wanted to stop spinning and the way Anderaephim’s eyes were glowing made it hard to see. 

The Doctor was glaring at the prince, upset he couldn’t do anything. However when he saw the blue alien guide you off somewhere alone, that’s what he snapped. 

“What do you think you’re doing?!” he yelled.

“Finding a spouse, clearly!” the prince returned.

“You can’t have them!!!” 

The Doctor didn’t like to be violent but he was especially protective over you. So throwing a punch at the prince was frankly no surprise. The Doctor ripped you away from him and ran as silver blood ran from his nose.

“GUARDS!!! SEIZE THEM!!!”

You still couldn’t make out everything around you, and could barely tell the Doctor was even by your side. 

He pulled you into a corner for a moment to calm you down. 

He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and you squinted from the blue glare. He looked at it and back at you frantically.

“Oh love I am so sorry. I’m so so so sorry please forgive me,” he begged, pulling you into a hug. 

“What’s happening?... Doctor I don’t quite understand...” you mumbled.

“Remember the drinks we had earlier? The flowers they’re made of have a drugging effect, but strictly on humans. I’m assuming they tried to drug me too but it didn’t work. Ugh! Why didn’t I see it before?!”

He quickly shut up when the stomps of guards came by, and looked down at your cowering figure. He felt awful. It was bad enough you had to run from these guards, but you couldn’t even trust your own surroundings because of what that monster gave you.

“Hold my hand?” he asked, his eyes pleading forgiveness. 

“Always,” you replied, starting to feel slightly better. 

You managed to make it back to the TARDIS in one piece, for better or worse. As you slammed the doors and sunk into a chair nearby, the Doctor came up and grabbed your hand again. 

“Y/N I’m so sorry this is my fault I should’ve been more careful if I had only seen it sooner none of that would’ve happened and I-”

“Doctor!”

He stopped rambling and met you with his warm brown eyes, swimming with regret.

“Doctor it’s okay, I’m alright now aren’t I? I’m here with you, and whatever side effects that drug had will wear off I’m sure. I’ll always be here, as long as I’m with you.” 

You cupped his cheek and he melted at your touch, relaxing for the first time in what felt like centuries. He reached out and clung to you like never before, planting a soft kiss on the side of your temple.

“Alright...”

#10th doctor x reader #10th doctor #tenth doctor imagine #Tenth Doctor #doctor who #DW fanfic #dw #dwbbc #BBC Doctor Who #bbc #bbcdw #David Tennant #doctor who x reader #x reader #x reader fanfiction

[fortheboyzzz]

Since When Do You Drink Wine?

Cory x Lena

Genre: Fluff

Summary: Cory and Lena tell the group about their relationship

“Okay, appetizers are officially in.” Cory said, standing up as he closed the oven. He turned to Lena who was leaning against the counter with a glass of wine in hand. “You ready for tonight?” he asked, rubbing his hands together. They have been seeing each other for a few weeks, and tonight was the night they decided they were going to tell the group. 

“Of course,” she said, raising the glass up to her red lipped smile. “Are you? You seem a little nervous.”

“Yeah, totally. I’m excited,” he nodded. “Well, maybe kinda nervous.” He really liked her. She was stuck in his head from the day they met, and the past weeks they’ve spent together felt almost like a dream. Now finally going public with their relationship, made it all real.

Lena set her glass down and pulled Cory in, rubbing his arms gently for comfort. “You know, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“No, no.  I do,” he said, a giant smile forming as he wrapped his hands around her waist and leaned in for a kiss.

She smiled widely as she kissed him back, but their kiss was short lived as they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

He let out a soft groan as he reluctantly broke away, using his x-ray vision to see both his sisters on the other side.  “Why does she have to be so punctual,” he muttered under his breath.

“Who?”

“Kara-- uh she has this special knock,” he said, making his way over to the door to open it. “You’re early,” he told them clearly lacking excitement, leaning against the door in an attempt to block their view.

“Thanks for the warm welcome,” Alex said, “anyways we brought beer.”

“And wine,” Kara added with a smile.

“I already got wine but thanks.” Cory said as he took the alcohol out of their hands to put it in the fridge.

“Since when do you drink wine?” Alex asked.

Then as they stepped in the door and saw Lena twirling the glass of wine in her hands. “Lena, when did you get here?”

Cory and Lena glanced at each other as he put the drinks away, taking a beer out. “Well, I was gonna  offer you a drink first, but I guess now is better than ever,” he said, popping the cap off.

“Cory and I are dating.” Lena said.

Kara's eyes shot wide open. “Dating?!” 

“So it wasn’t just the one date?” Alex chimed in, pouring herself some wine.

“Wait, you knew about this?” the blonde pointed at Alex then to her brother. “Why did you hide this from me?”

“I wasn’t hiding it  from you, I just didn’t tell you,” he said casually as he took  a sip of his beer.

“Why not?”

“‘Cause you have a tendency to overreact a little,” he shrugged.

“I do not!”

“You kind of do.” Alex commented.

“I hope this  isn’t too awkward.  We would have told you sooner but, you know, we were trying to figure things out and-- oh god, I’m rambling aren’t I?” Lena said, jumping into the conversation before catching herself and Cory slipped his hand into hers and gave it a light reassuring squeeze. “Look, I really care  about your brother and I don’t want this to change  our friendship.”

“Are you kidding?” Kara expressed with a giant smile, “One of my favourite people with another one of my people? That’s awesome, I mean I get to see you guys more!”

Lena smiled back. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Well that’s a relief. And I thought Cory was the nervous one.”

There was another knock at the door and Alex opened it, allowing Winn and James in.

“Hey, what’s up?’ James asked.

“Cory and Lena are dating!” Kara wasted no time blurting out.

“What?!” Winn said, looking at them with complete surprise.

“See? That’s a totally normal reaction!”

“Okay fine, whatever,” Cory said, “now help me set up the game.”

 Cory gave Lena a small kiss before heading to the living room, causing her to involuntarily smile. The other followed him, James grabbing drinks while Winn and Kara teased and pestering him with questions.

Alex was still in the kitchen with Lena watching the whole thing.

“Oh, Alex, I’m so sorry, I didn’t even ask how you felt about this,” Lena told her.

“Don’t worry, you don’t need our blessing to date our brother,” Alex reassured. “I actually never seen him smile this much before in a while. It’s nice… you make him happy.”

Lena looked over at Cory who was laughing with Winn about something. “He makes me happy too,” she said softly.

“But can I ask you to do one small favour though?-- you know, being the big sister and all.”

“Yeah of course.”

“Be gentle with him. He’s a real sensitive guy, and as much as I love him for having such a big heart, it’s also his biggest weakness. I don’t mean to psych you out or anything I just wanna let you know.”

“Alex, I would never dream of hurting Cory,” Lena assured her, resting her hand on her shoulder. “I promise.”

“Good.” Alex nodded, taking a sip of her wine.

#oc imagine #cory danvers imagine #lena luthor imagine #lena x oc #lena x cory #supergirl #fluff

[shadowzmod]

Chili's Date

I'm blaming other people for this. I just wrote it because it's been stuck in my head for days. Also not canon (yet?) so not going on the blog.

Shadow staggered into Fleetway's side: he had exactly zero energy left and was more or less being held up by the blue hedgehog at this point. To be fair, Fleetway Sonic himself didn't look too much better: both of them had deep bags under their eyes, slow, pained steps, and the aura of people who'd Seen Some Shit.

But they'd made it. They were alive (it was a surprise to Shadow too).

And they'd landed in the Chili's parking lot; it made Shadow laugh slightly before he coughed. His lungs hurt from, you know, not actually breathing for a good long while, “I...am eating...like 10 molten lava cakes,” he laughed, leaning slightly more on Fleetway's shoulder as his knee decided to stop working for a second.

They stumbled in the door, and Shadow was still so out of it that he didn't even register Sonic asking for a booth, until he found himself sliding onto a padded seat. He worried for a second that Sonic would sit on the other side: he honestly didn't think he could actually hold himself up right now, but fortunately the blue hedgehog stayed sitting next to him, and Shadow let his head thunk onto Fleetway's shoulder.

"Sorry..." he mumbled, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it given the current situation.

"You'll feel better when you've had something to eat..."

"Yeah." And some sleep too, probably. He hadn't done either of those things in...he didn't want to count how many days. A lot.

At least ordering was easy. He didn't care about the greasy hamburgers and cheesy sticks and just went straight for dessert because he wanted a molten lava chocolate cake and at this point he deserved it: he'd just saved the entire planet from certain destruction.

He didn't pay any attention to what Sonic ordered, and kind of just zoned out for awhile, not registering anything until his name, when his ear flicked, just enough to show that he heard, "C'mon, Shads, eat something before your cake comes. I don't know how long it will be."

Shadow peeled his eyes open, and somehow managed to drag his head off of Sonic--he really needed a new nickname. Fleetway wasn't technically accurate. Rift had been Death Star...maybe he could be Blue Star. Or just Star. He wasn't sure yet.

With slightly numb fingers, he took the proffered mozeralla stick (at least that's what he assumed it was), and nibbled on it: it wasn't his preferred food, but even just that made him aware of the fact that he was starving, and he was actually rather surprised to find himself inhaling two more of Sonic's appetizers, before he dropped his head back on a blue shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“No problem, Shads.”

Rift had been the first one to call him that. He'd minded then. He didn't mind now.

It felt like an eternity before the rest of their food showed up, but it was probably only five or six minutes—and the instant the miniature volcano cake, topped with a ball of ice cream and hot fudge was set in front of him, Shadow's head was up, red gaze intent up on the treat.

The first spoonful made him wonder if this was what dying and going to heaven was like. The perfectly light cake, the warm gooey chocolate center, the sharp chill of the ice cream—all combined into the most delectable palate he thought he'd ever tasted.

He couldn't help the little noise he made, as he proceeded to force himself to take slow bites, savoring each and every mouthful with eyes closed.

“Looks real good, Shads.”

“It is...” Shadow opened his eyes, vaguely looking at whatever brightly orange food Sonic had gotten, before he offered, “Do you want a taste?”

“Sure.”

Shadow slid the plate a couple inches over so that Sonic could reach easier, and the blue hedgehog took a spoonful of cake and ice cream, “Mmm...you're right, that is good.”

Shadow blamed his sluggish state of mind for the sleepy smile he found himself giving the Blue Star, “Told you.”

“I might have to steal some more...”

“Only if you buy me another one.”

“Deal.”

Shadow couldn't argue with that, and the two of them finished off the first cake and did indeed order and finish another one.

By that point, Shadow was feeling a lot better. Still exhausted, but at least not dying exhausted, just really looking forward to going home and sleeping for a week exhausted, as somehow they managed to pay the bill (he was actually pretty sure it got put on somebody's tab, but that sounded fair since they'd just saved the world), and he could actually hold himself up as they walked out.

But that was about as far as he made it; stepping down of the curb he rather suddenly found himself sitting down and not able to get back up again, “Oh.”

Fleetway looked back at him, the blue hedgehog already a few feet ahead, “You all right, Shads?”

Shadow hated to admit it, but there was no way he was walking any further right now, “Yeah. I just...need a minute.”

Sonic nodded: he understood, of course. He'd seen what Rift had put the black hedgehog through, seen what Shadow had done to win—he glanced down, glad to see that Shadow's hands and feet were no longer slightly see-through, “Sure...hey, just give me on minute and I'll be right back.”

“I'll be here,” Shadow said; not that he could be anywhere else.

Sonic wasn't kidding though; he was back in less than a minute waving a brown paper bag, “I got worms!”

Shadow raised a brow, “Worms?”

“Okay, well, they're technically snakes,” Sonic reached into the back and pulled out a multicolored gummy snake, “But I know they had them at the store across the road and I have wanted some for days.”

Shadow shook his head with amusement, “Of course you have.”

“Want some?”

“Sure.”

Sonic sat down right next to him, the bag of gummy snakes squished between them, and they just sat, enjoying each other's quiet company for a rare moment. Shadow ate his snakes slowly, sticking them in the corner of his mouth and letting the tails hang out because he couldn't fit the whole thing into his mouth in any reasonable way.

He must have absolutely been more out of it than he thought because he didn't notice when the snake he was sucking on started wiggling, and he only noticed what was happening about a quarter of a heartbeat before he was suddenly nose-to-nose with Sonic, who must have accidentally grabbed the other end of the snake Shadow had.

Shadow's eyes widened, and then he pulled away quickly, green blush rising to his cheeks—the funny thing was, he'd actually kissed Rift already, to distract him while Shadow ripped the Phantom Ruby out of his chest—but that hadn't been...that hadn't meant anything.

“Hey, Shads?” Shadow glanced up at Sonic, a little shyly, to see the blue hedgehog studying him intently, bringing another soft green blush to his cheeks.

“What?”

“Can I...can I actually kiss you? For real?”

“I...suppose so.”

So Sonic did.

#yeah fight me Shadow hasn't come up with a good nickname yet #so I keep switching what I call Fleetway Sonic #he'll figure it out eventually #heritageblogverse #Shadow's gay for everyone #it's the truth #as much as he denies it

[missvifdor]

SATURDAY JULY 2, 2022:

I had a super interesting dream, but there is one part that moved me the most!  And there were real sensations!

The beginning referenced the Umbrella Academy and I kind of had to fight to survive a certain ordeal.  It was a "training" but for me it was more like survival.

Then we come to the part that I liked the most!

I believe I was working for a very big agency and we were supposed to host several world famous K-pop groups!  They were all together for vacations or promotions, I think.  In any case, it was their last days in France and miraculously, all the groups had to meet on a bit of lawn to take a promotional photo where they were all grouped together.

It was to promote our agency and show future clients how much they had all enjoyed their stays with our company.  And the most incredible thing is that it happened a few steps from my house!  Right below my bedroom window!

My favorite band was only a few steps away from me!

Of course, such a gathering obviously attracted every possible fan.  But they were very respectful, giving space to the Idols and shouting their appreciation to them with pure joy.

As I was an employee of the company, I was able to pass the safety nets and the bodyguards with my badge.  I was super excited, I was shaking with my whole being to be so close to them, to BTS who had helped and accompanied me during the darkest and saddest moments of my life thanks to their music that always made me feel  better.

The Idols have all gathered, we smile for the photo.  And me, I was posing next to a girlsband I think, but I don't remember too clearly.

Then when it was all over, everyone started to disperse.  And I wanted to find the members of BTS just to have the chance to see them in person, just to have the possibility of passing by them.

I was too nervous and shy to strike up a conversation.  I was afraid of looking weird and boring them.  I would not even have dared to ask them for an autograph or even worse, a photo!

It was far too reckless for me.

I walked past Namjoon and my breath caught for a moment.  I was so moved when he glanced at me and smiled kindly that I almost cried.  I smiled shyly back at him.

Then I think I ran into Taehyung and Hoseok.  Taehyung didn't seem to notice me, as he instead walked over to the small appetizer buffet that had been set up for everyone.  But Hoseok smiled happily at me as he went to join him.

I waved goodbye and smiled back.  Hoseok lit up even more.

Then finally, I saw my Ultimate Bias.  Park Jimin was right in front of me and I think that's when I really started shaking and not knowing what to do with myself.

Jimin, who was talking with some female employees from the same agency as me (I think they were fans like me who were just as lucky as me to be here.), looked up and said  look in my direction.

I think he felt my gaze on him and it made him look at me.

I don't think I've ever been so red in my life and my heart almost exploded in my chest!

Jimin's eyes widened and gleamed.  He apologized to the ladies and ran up to me, a certain emotion in his eyes.

And then... We were so close to each other!  More than I ever imagined in my wildest dreams!

Jimin told me "It's you!"  With so much surprise and hope that I almost wavered and fainted.

May I add that he spoke really good French with a super adorable light accent.  And that her perfume smelled super super good.

I complimented him on his impeccable French, he thanked me saying that he was making a lot of effort to learn while waiting for the day to meet me.

Then he feverishly asked me if we could take a picture together, as if I was the Idol and he was the fan!  I was really close to collapsing with emotions!

I said yes, of course.  A chance like this will not happen every day.

He pulled out his phone and leaned over me so we could be about the same height.

That's really how I realized our height difference. Although Jimin is of average height for a man, I am really short for a grown woman, only 1m50 tall.

We took the photos and Jimin promised to send them to me. He even took the opportunity to hug me.

Can you believe it!?

Him ! It was he who initiated the contact! Not me because I would never allow myself with any celebrity to exceed this limit!

From somewhere, I heard Jungkook shouted that Jimin had finally found his soulmate jokingly, and I turned tomato red. Jimin just sent Jungkook away to see if we were there, laughing.

He seemed genuinely happy at the prospect. And then that part of the dream stopped and it referenced Merlin BBC.

#Park Jimin #bts imagine #shifting motivation

[softly-potter]

Dance with Me pt II

Summary: All the times Bucky asked Wanda to dance, and the one time he didn’t.

Pairing: Bucky x Wanda

Word Count: 3,987

Warning: character death

A/N: Find Part I Here

-

“I look ridiculous.” Wanda complained, brushing her curled hair behind her ear for the uptienth time.

“No you don't,” Kate replied, putting more hairspray on a strand of red curls. “Bucky isn’t gonna know what to do with himself.”

Given her time with the one percent, Kate Bishop was an obvious choice to help Wanda find an outfit for the gala. They had shopped for hours, scored multiple stores and online boutiques before settling on navy blue dress with an open back. It was delicate, with satin water-esc material cascading from the backless corset top. They opted for a hair down look, with curls down the back.

Wanda felt like a princess, but she couldn’t help but feel out of place. She hadn’t been in the team for long, and in the short time there she had reeked absolute havoc. She’d lost her first love, and made the world pay for it. Counting her blessings every day, Wanda knew that if it hadn’t been for the kindness of Strange and Wong, she’d be considered a terrorist. 

When she found Bucky, it had helped everything make sense. He helped her heal, helped her mourn what her life could've been with Vision, helped her say a real goodbye to her brother, and he’d never asked for anything in return. Somewhere along the line, she fell for him, and wanted to somehow show her thanks. If dressing up for an event she didn’t really want to go to was the way to do it, then she was able.

“You really think he’ll like it?” Wanda whispered, hands drumming nervously. Kate paused, hair spray in hand, before sighing and taking a seat beside Wanda.

“Look, we don’t know each other well,” she said slowly, tossing the can between her hands. “but I’ve seen you two. The way he looks at you?” Kate shook her head in joyful disbelief. “I can’t wait to experience something like that.”

Wanda looked away, trying to keep her smile at bay. “Okay…thanks.”

Kate jumped up, spray can in hand. “Now let's get you ready to be visually undressed by your man!”

-

There were more people than she had originally pictured. Pepper had really gone above and beyond for the Children of Wakanda fundraiser, offering a variety of prizes that would entice rich individuals to donate. Men and women dressed in all black carried around appetizers and champagne, and crystal lighting fixtures hung from the high ceiling.

Kate and Wanda arrived fashionably late, looping their arms through one another as they entered. Kate was used to this; the crowds, the pictures, the noise. Wanda was not. She cowered against her friend's arm, trying to make herself as small as possible, and when offered a champagne-filled flute, she took it thankfully.

“Have you seen him yet?” Kate asked, her voice a little loud in order to talk over the music. Wanda looked around, peering through the waves of people. She spotted Pepper and Clint, smiling and shaking hands with elegantly clad individuals. Near the fire mantel T’challa conversed with a group of people hanging on every word, Okoye by his side and smiling proudly.

“No, not yet.” Wanda replied weakly, taking another swig. They walked into the room slowly, nodding hellos at people as they passed, before settling by the bar as Kate waved down a server. 

A microphone squealed, and everyone turned their attention to the source of the noise. Now on stage with a cream card in her hand, Pepper tapped the microphone. The live band stopped their playing, holding their instruments in a light pause.

“We have had quite a turn out!” She laughed, clapping, and the crowd clapped along with her. “I just wanted to say thank you from everyone here at Stark Industries. Without your generous donations tonight, the Children of Wakanda fund would be obsolete.”

Wanda took another sip of her drink as she listened to Pepper talk, leaning against the edge of the bar nervously. Cool metal made contact with her back and she jumped.

“Has anyone ever told you blue is your color?” Whispered a voice behind her, and she turned in anticipation.

 She gulped heavily.

Not only did Bucky match her in color, but he looked damn good in doing so. His tux was a deep navy blue like her dress, with a white undertshirt and matching navy blue tie. His hair was trimmed, slicked back, and he had a black watch on his wrist.

“You look so-“

“Different? Yeah you can blame Pepper and Sam for that.” He chuckled, looping his arm around her waist, pulling her flush to him.

“You look so beautiful, sweetheart.” He murmured into her hair. “Can't wait to see what’s under the dress later on.”

Wanda smacked his chest playfully, unable to hold back her smile.

Pepper finished her speech to the sound of thunderous applause, and the orchestra continued their playing. Sam approached them, followed closely behind by a young boy, dressed in a dark suit.

“He cleans up nice, doesn't he?” Sam commented, slapping his palm on Bucky's shoulder. Bucky only rolled his eyes, before taking a sip of his drink.

“Yes, he does, thanks for helping him,” Wanda replied, giving Bucky a wink. “and for getting the colors right.”

“Ah that wasn’t me, that was my assistant.” Sam laughed, gesturing to the boy. “Wanda, meet Elijah.”

Elijah stuck his hand out, shaking hers slowly. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“Aaand I’m Kate.” The young archer butted in, gripping Elijah’s hand for a little longer than necessary. “I haven’t seen you around here before?”

“I’m new,” the boy replied, scratching the back of his neck. “My grandma was a little against me joining SHIELD but, I’m here now.”

Pressing into his side, Wanda watched as Kate shamelessly flirted with the new recruit, laughing into her cup at the girl's antics.

Bucky gently grabbed the glass from her hand, settling it on the bar top. He leaned forward, before whispering. “Let's dance.”

Wanda nodded, letting him drag her to the dance floor before placing her hand atop his shoulder, the other in his own. The music was slow, and their feet moved in time, chests pressed together as they moved. She faced him, and felt his hand on her lower back, fingers flexing against her bare skin. There's a fire mantel on the opposite side of the room, far enough away that they shouldn’t feel it, but Wanda believes she’s dancing with a heat source.

She knew they were being stared at; they hadn’t really made any sort of announcement that they were together. It was probably a shock to many, seeing them so involved.

“Everyone's staring.” Wanda whispered, looking over his shoulder as she spied Hank and Hope, both sharing confused expressions.

“Let them,” Bucky replied, dipping his head down to the shell of her ear. “I want everyone to know.”

“Know what?” Wanda asked, glancing up at him. He was staring at her with such intensity she found it difficult to hold his gaze. Their feet continue to move, his grip on her waist steady enough for her to not trip.

He smiles, a gentle, genuine smile, before he presses a feather light kiss to her mouth. “That I love you.”

The world is ash and screams and debris before she can respond. She feels Bucky gripping her so hard it’s painful, but she can’t see, smoke clogging her eyes and throat. They’re thrown backwards, hitting the space above the fireplace and suddenly she’s no longer holding his hand.

-

Everyone recovered from traumatic events differently. Wanda knew this exceptionally well. She had expected that after the bombing at the Children for Wakanda Gala, that she would need to lay low for a while. That it would take a bit for her to step outside of her apartment without crying, that it would take time for them to readjust to their lives. 

It would take time to remove the image of Kate Bishop's mangled body from her head.

What she hadn’t expected was for Bucky to refuse to see her. The moment after the bomb had been pure chaos. Wanda hadn’t been able to find him, had screamed her voice raw until she stumbled over Kate’s twisted arm and stopped, dropping to her knees as she tried to help her friend.

It was hours later that she found him being pulled from the rubble. Kate's body had already been taken away, and Wanda sobbed fresh tears when she saw his legs. His left one was shattered, that was certain. The other was hard to tell. He was passed out, and she held his hand as they were ushered into a helicopter, brought to the nearest SHIELD-operated hospital. She waited for hours as he was operated on, clutching her shaking hands, refusing to leave for anything. 

The doctor that emerged from the hospital room informed her that he would be fine. The damage done to his left leg was extensive, but due to the super soldier serum, he would heal in a few days and in a few hours, he’d be cleared to return home.

Except he hadn’t returned home. He refused to leave the room, the only explanation she was given was that he was resting, and eventually she ran out of tears. Still in her navy blue dress, Wanda leaned against the white wall of the hospital and waited.

Days turned into weeks. When Bucky was eventually released, he was moved during the night, when Wanda was unavailable. When she returned to their apartment, she found he had moved his things and himself to their guest bedroom without informing or giving her a say.

She tried to be patient, she really did; but patience had never been her virtue.

Eventually, Bucky exited the room, pushing himself along in a wheelchair before he paused in front of her startled form standing in their kitchen.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” She cried, her hands balled into fists. “I haven't seen you in days.”

“There was no reason for you to be there.” He replied calmly, coldly, and it felt like a slap.

“I-i thought you were dead.” She whispered, wrapping her arms around her middle. Bucky paused, his hard exterior softening just a bit. He held a hand out to her, and she gripped it tearfully.

“Sorry,” he whispered, and she held back a whimper. “Sorry, baby. It's just how I get, I shut off. I’m sorry.”

“Move back into our room.” she demanded, leaving before he had a chance to protest.

Now curled into a ball on her side of the bed, Wanda willed herself not to cry. The bed dipped and Bucky slid in beside her. He exhaled, said her name into the darkness. “Wanda.”

Staying on her back, she closed her eyes, saying nothing. Eventually Bucky snored, his back turned to her, and she’s never felt so alone.

“M’sorry.”

Wanda held her breath, listening in the darkness. She felt him stir, felt his fist clench and unclench, his shoulders stiffen. He mumbled something again, louder this time, before sitting up straight in bed with a shout.

“It’s ok,” Wanda called, reaching for him. He's stiff as a board under her fingers, shoulders and arms tight. She pressed into his skin. “It's ok, it's just a dream.” In the darkness Bucky let out a deep exhale, his shoulders relaxed slightly, and then he grabbed her, holding her so close she couldn't breath, whispering into her hair.

“I’m so so sorry, I just couldn’t see you.” He sobbed, his voice low and aching. “I couldn’t find you in that rubble, I can’t lose you.”

Her chest hurt as she rubbed his back, pressing his face to her chest. The couple cocooned around one another, tried focusing on small sounds, the pitter of rain coming from outside, the gentle whirring of machines from outside the room, the thumping of her heart beat. 

Bucky lifted his face slightly, pressing a gentle kiss to the space between her breast, a little bit above her heart.

“I thought I lost you.” he whispered into her skin, and Wanda let out a low sob.

“I’m right here,” she hummed into his hair. “I promise.”

He nodded but didn’t speak, and she shifted, before sliding off their mattress and walking to the other side of their room. With a flick of her hand, she lit a candle, the flame casting a low glow on Bucky's confused face. Wanda walked back to him, holding her hands out, and he took them without question, even if he was still perplexed at her actions.

“Dance with me.” She whispered. Bucky looked up at her, and his face crumbled. Raising her hands to his face, he placed a kiss on her knuckles.

“No.”

His simple word cut the air, and Wanda blinked, trying to steady herself. “James.”

“I can't, Wanda.” He replied, dropping her hands and turning away. 

“I’ll help you,” she whispered, reaching for him. He shrugged her off, dipping back into their mattress. Wanda shook her head in sad frustration. “James, I didn’t die. But Kate did.”

At the mention of the fallen young avenger, Bucky stilled, before looking at her over his shoulder. Wanda clasped her hands in front of herself, hoping she didn’t look as pitiful as she felt.

“I know you’re hurting. I know you feel guilty, that you took me to that Gala, and you think it's your fault. But it’s not. I’m fine, I survived but Kate didn’t. And her funeral is tomorrow, and I don’t know what I'm supposed to do.” Wanda wheezed, the tears falling too fast. “I just know that I want to dance with you.”

Bucky sat up, placing his feet over the corner of the bed with a light hiss. “Come here, sweetheart.”

Wanda wiped at her eyes before walking straight into his arms, pressing his face to her chest and her nose in his hair. They stood like that for a moment, just holding one another, before Bucky began to gently sway. Wanda held back another sob as she matched him, both standing in one spot as they swayed side to side. He craned his neck, their lips connecting on instinct, as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist.

“We’re going to be ok, Wanda.”

Wanda nodded, running her hands through his hair. “We’re going to be ok, Bucky.” He nuzzled his face back into her chest, and Wanda smiled when she could feel his own pressed to her skin.

#ao3 crosspost #winter witch #rare pairing #james bucky buchanan barnes #wanda maximoff

[redheadinjapan]

Grab a Bite at the Vampire Cafe in Tokyo

Despite being in Tokyo for New Year’s, there was one activity I wanted to do that really lent itself more towards the Halloween season: going to the Vampire Cafe in Tokyo. I think I originally heard about it in one of the group chats I was in when I first got to Japan. Though it was just briefly mentioned, I knew the minute I saw it that I wanted to go. And it was definitely worth it.

The Vampire Cafe in Tokyo is on the 7th floor of a building that’s about a 15-minute walk from Tokyo Station, though there are other stations that will put you even closer. From the moment you step out of the elevator, you step into the world of vampires with dim lighting and hosts dressed in gothic vampire-esc costumes. Curtains hang along the black and red walls that are adorned with all manner of creepy decorations, including some smashed mirrors, presumably done by a particularly frustrated vampire. There were also some very realistic fake candles at the table, which I have to assume is because people weren’t careful enough around real candles since their website still warns about the flames. 

Even the food menu is shaped like an old tome and the drink menu looks like a coffin.

The food was pretty good, though it did take a while to come out. It’s nothing spectacular, but you’re there more for the atmosphere than anything. We shared an appetizer plate of cheeses and an assorted dessert platter, and each got a meal and some drinks. There’s everything from salads to spaghetti to steaks and even a personal pizza. 

(Pizza)

(Assorted Desserts)

While you wait, I would highly recommend using either Google translate or someone who knows some Japanese to actually translate the menu items. Though they have English underneath, it only describes the type of food and not the fun names they gave things, like “Tributes from the people” (cheese plate) and “The tragedy of judgment upon the rebels, punished to burn at the stake” (a whole roast chicken). Figuring out the translations for what everyone ordered while we waited was super fun! The drinks also had fun names and some of them even glowed (there’s a little light inside that turns on when it’s under liquid). I got a “Dracula” and a “Transylvania,” of which only the “Dracula” glowed. They’re not super heavy on the alcohol, but they do look cool.

(Dracula-  grapes, Blue Curacao, and tonic)

(Transylvania-  mango, orange juice, and pineapple juice with red wine)

While it is certainly a fun experience, the Vampire Cafe was a little on the pricey side. I think each of us ended up paying about 5,000 yen (or a little less than $50), though we did get the appetizers and desserts. On average, for one drink and one meal, you’re probably looking at around 3,000 yen, plus a couple hundred yen for the table charge. However, if it’s something you think you'd be interested in, it’s definitely worth saving up some money for a visit. I would recommend reserving your space online at least a couple of days beforehand. There were plenty of spots when I reserved our space a few days out, but when I checked again the day before, there were no spaces left. So, it definitely pays to plan ahead.

Everything in the Vampire Cafe in Tokyo is set up to transport you into the world of vampires. From the dark lighting and the creepy decorations to the creatively-named foods and cool drinks, it’s a spooky experience to (un)die for. If you’re intrigued by the cafe’s theme and not intimidated by the prices, go grab a drink and hope the only type of bite you get while there is a bite to eat.

#japan #jet program #vampire cafe #tokyo #vampire cafe in tokyo #i made so many puns in this post #and i absolutely do not apologize #vampire #halloween

[soulmate749-blog]

So... it’s 2023

Wow. It’s actually 2023. It means that I am 22 years and a month old. I will turn 23 years old later in the year. I know that I am still young, but time flies. My twenties will end in a blink of an eye. I thought that I would spend NYE or New Years with my friends or a “boyfriend”. To mention, this is my 22nd year of being single. Can someone this year seriously stop this streak? Anyways, I am just in the house alone and writing this Tumblr post on the New Year. 

I wanted to write a journal entry about my Seattle trip while it was happening. I didn’t have my laptop with me, so I shall write it right now. 

I landed in Seattle on Christmas Eve. I stayed at Kimmy’s apartment for a week 12/24 to 12/31. There is a Korean dude named Louis, which I matched on Hinge back in October 2022. We had our first video call after the League of Legends Worlds. While I rooted for T1, he rooted for DRX. To make it interesting, we did a bet. T1 unfortunately lost, so Louis was given the opportunity to wish for anything when I am in Seattle. However, he was curious what I was wishing for, so I told him. I wanted him to go on a Christmas date with me. He smiled and happily agreed to it.

So... it’s Christmas. I wore my sock heels, skirt, a white long sleeve top, a cute gray jacket, and my gold Madewell earrings. We planned to meet up at 6:15 pm at La Vita E Bella restaurant in Downtown Seattle. I was holding his gifts (Ralph Lauren Coffee cup and coffee beans) in a Nordstrom paper bag while carrying an umbrella. The tips of my sock heels were very wet, and the paper bag was ripping apart. I was able to arrive at the destination two minutes early. I called Louis, and he told me that he was already inside. I entered the restaurant, and the server asked me if I reserved a table. She told me that there was no reservation under the name of Louis. Then, Louis came up to me because he heard his name being called. So, that was my first time actually seeing his face in real life.

We sat down and ordered our pasta and appetizers. I got this mushroom pasta, and he got carbonara. He asked me what my first impression of him was. I told him that he was cute. I genuinely thought he was cute. Then I asked him what his first impression of me was. He said, “I looked outside the window and saw a girl. I wasn’t too sure if it was you, but I was certain when I heard my name at the entrance.” I was not really sure if that was actually first impression. Then, he said, “Oh, I am not finished. I thought you were cute.” Okay, so at least we both were not catfishing. We had our talk, and he suggested that we should walk around downtown to check out some Christmas decorations. We see bunch of Christmas lights and this huge teddy bear. I remembered that I haven’t taken a BeReal that day, so I pulled out my phone and opened the app. I was hesitant to ask him if he wanted to be in picture with me, but I still asked because I have big balls. Louis said, “Yeah. I was actually getting ready to pose a selfie with you.” I was surprised and gladly took the photo with him.

After that, I really wanted to hold his hands. He promised that he would warm up my hands when I was in Las Vegas. I ended up mentioning what he promised, and he took my left hand and held it. I was happy, but I was not too sure if I really liked him or not. The moment we held hands it started to rain. 

We walked over to the Link station, and we were standing there until the Northgate link arrived. I asked him if he had fun, and he said yes. Of course, I said the same. We planned our second date at Nana’s Green Tea at 6:30 pm.

I went back to Fifi’s house to eat some hotpot and tell them what happened. I had fun during the date, but the important thing was if I really liked him enough to start a long-distance relationship. I couldn’t say yes exactly. I always think about William, my first ever crush. He is a frat Stanford dude that has so many red flags. And yet, I still like him. The biggest reason why I like him is because it is so comfortable to talk to him. I don’t try to be cute or anything. I talk to him like a friend, and my heart gets flustered. It is something I cannot control at all. I thought Louis would help me forget William, but it definitely didn’t.

So, the next day was our second date. Louis bought me this matcha latte float. It was delicious. We talked, but I was lowkey getting bored. The talk was very trivial, and I wondered if he felt the same way. I wanted to test the Platonic Effect again with him. I asked him if we could walk outside. We held hands. I confirmed that I didn’t like him. He took me to the Link again, and we didn’t talk anything about our third date. It was complete silence. Someone had to end our relationship. I asked him if he had anything to say, and he finally told me that I was like a younger sister to him. I was not hurt AT ALL because it wasn’t like I liked him either. 

The train arrived, and I gave Louis our last hug. I walked into the train station feeling indifferent. In fact, I took a BeReal there. It takes around 15 minutes to walk over to Kimmy’s house from the Roosevelt station. I called my best friend Carmen while I was walking. I started crying. It wasn’t because of Louis or William. It was because I was disappointed in myself. Why can’t I find a guy that I really love? Am I just being desperate for a boyfriend?

After the call, I was thinking alone. Although I didn’t like Louis, I was curious to why he saw me as a younger sister. Like I previously mentioned, our conversation was very small talk/trivial. I tend to avoid talking about my future and long-term goals because I still do not know what I wanted to do after I graduate. I don’t want the guy to see me as a girl who has no future. I want to be ambitious, but I am not motivated to go to med or dental schools. Therefore, I assumed why this was how Louis perceived me.

Today, it is January 1st 2023. My best friend Carmen will get a full time job in Massachusetts after she graduates. Kimmy is already working at Deloitte. What will I be doing after I graduate? I still don’t know. But I know for a fact that I do not want to go to med/dental school. I want to do something related to business, specifically product management. I want to prove to my friends that I am capable of something. I have realized that I have low confidence/self esteem. 2023 is the year where I need to grow and prioritize my future before getting a boyfriend.

I had stayed at Seattle for a week and didn’t feel homesick at all. I didn’t call my parents once. I would also intentionally have my phone on Do Not Disturb mode because I didn’t want to get any notifications from my parents. The biggest reason why I didn’t call them was because if I hear their voice, it feels like I am back home. The biggest reason why I went to Seattle was to get out of this suffocating home and to avoid their nagging. 

Therefore, in 2023, I want to stay strong and really accomplish something that will help my career. I can always find a partner anytime. Hopefully, I can find someone organically, not through dating apps. 

If I am still alive in 2024, I want the future Su to read this tumblr note.

Dear Future Su in 2024,

Hey it’s me but in 2023. I wanted to let you know that you have accomplished many things, even if you still haven’t landed a job. You probably have graduated by then. You are still young. You are only 23 years old. You have amazing friends that will talk to you when you need them. Just keep on trying, and don’t give up. You are doing a great job... One day, you’ll find a job and someone who will make you happy. And if you are currently employed and/or dating someone you cherish, congratulations. Regardless, I am proud of you.

Sincerely, 

Su 1/1/2023