#after i’d fixed that the entire rest of the project only took an hour and forty minutes. so

[vatt-world]

standup

I saw a job posting in the college newspaper for telemarketer and decided to interview for it. The college building was squeezed between a sandwich place and a bookstore. The guy interviewing me looked a bit like Paul Giamatti from "Billions," but there were definitely no billions to be made here.

During the interview, he asked simple questions like who had used a computer before and who knew how to use a phone, how to type basic english. I got hired and was given a script to follow.

I got hired and was given a script to follow. My job was to keep people/alumni on the line and chat about how great the university was still doing.

I was supposed to ask alumni like Milli for a hundred bucks to support the college. but milli response was "Oh, I'm sorry, hun. I'm barely scraping by on a fixed income. I'd love to help, really, but a hundred dollars? not happening." So, I lowered the amount to fifty dollars, but still got a no. Then I tried twenty dollars, and she agreed to make the donation.

After working for an hour, a bell rang for a break. The boss, stood on a chair and called out how much money everyone had brought in. He gave cookies to the top three earners.

Overall, it was an interesting experience, but I only worked there for a few weeks before my semester started, and I quit the telemarketing job.

///////////////////////////

“BE CAREFUL!” my roommate WILLIAM TOLD ME . “I am being careful!” I said, grabbing the dvd from him and totally not being careful.It wasn't contraband or illicit substances..it was dance dvd.. I was staring at it in awe, my heart pounding like crazy. cuoristy got the better of me and I put the dvd in my vcr. And What unfolded on the screen was unlike anything I’d ever saw. and what captivated me even more was drummer in the corner setting the rhythm and this guy was dancing to the beat in rhythm…it was beautiful… soon i was playing drums… ////////////////////////////

yamaha bike, hiphop cd , coach andrew, transmission,affleck movie, embarassing-, clearance sales-denny's,

////////////////// I needed a job. Scanning through the student paper, I found an opening in the computer lab. It seemed perfect, except for the minor detail that I knew next to nothing about computers. All I knew was that if something goes wrong, you should reboot the computer. Sure, I could switch a computer on, but i knew nothing about coding, programming, troubleshooting.

I interviewed with this quiet guy who wore glasses, named Dominick. He wore a buttoned-up shirt, light brown khakis, and Nike running sneakers. "Hi, Kunal, nice to meet you,” he said, in a soft, high-pitched voice. “I am looking for some people to be computer lab managers. What are your skills?”

“Troubleshooting, programming, Excel, PowerPoint,” I said.

“Can you give me more details?”

"Sure, I've read courses online, fixed bugs on my computer, and developed applications."

"I like you. I’m going to hire you,” he said as we shook hands. Bingo! “Given your advanced skill set, I’m going to give you a very special project.”

He turned to the computer and opened up a software program I had never seen. “The school is trying to integrate this new voice recognition software. I want you to figure it out, dissect it, and write an entire instruction manual based on what you’ve learned.”

So three days a week, four hours each shift, my job was to sit at the computer and try to figure out voice recognition software. The first day I took the job very seriously. I spoke into the microphone and compared what I said to the words that appeared on the screen: “The cat drank the cow’s milk,” I said. On-screen: "You drank the milk." I said it slowly again… "You drank the milk" again… I basically gave up on the project after a few days, and each shift I would spend fifteen minutes on voice recognition, and then would spend the rest of my time chatting.

The week passed, the instruction manual was due and it was time to face the music. I decided to write something… click the L button… etc.

“I just got an email from the university. I have some troubling news.” Shit. My scholarships. Dominick took off his glasses. “The school has decided to put a stop to the software. The license has expired.”

I said, “Whatever’s best for the university."

“Because of your hard work and commitment to this project, I’m going to promote you to lab manager of the engineering building.” He gave me a raise, bumping me up to nine dollars an hour, which was damn good money at the time. I was a good lab manager.

////////////////// After finishing college, I got a job as a waiter in a restaurant. But I also had to wash dishes. Sadly, I wasn't very good at it. I was slow.

The restaurant needed clean dishes to keep running. So, even though I was slow, I had to keep going. The owner would tell me to just keep washing.

He often came over to me at the sink, shaking his head and yelling. He'd say, "Wash the pots first! Why are you washing the plates? We have lots of plates!"

When he got really frustrated, he'd grab the spray nozzle from me and quickly clean a bunch of pots in just a few minutes.

I got a job as used car salesman.

Apparently, you need zero qualifications to become a used-car salesman."

The car lot manager, Larry, was a sixty-year-old car salesman and a alcoholic. I wouldnt see him for days and then he would come and sell ten Dodge Neons in a week.

I looked up to him as a top-notch car pusher.

I learnt car sales from Larry and soon i became good that i could afford HomeTown Buffet once a week. and i know one day, if i worked hard and I'd be able to afford Red Lobster.

//////////

It's been three days since I lost the pool key, and now my mom is mad at me. It feels like she has a superpower that keeps her angry without a break whenever I mess up, which is why I try my best to never do anything wrong.

It's like there's a flashing neon sign on my forehead: "HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING KID WHO LOST THE POOL KEY. $50 DOWN THE DRAIN!"

I try to explain to her that Cindy and I put up twenty flyers all over, and I understand that fifty dollars is equivalent to three hundred and fifty tomans in Iran, which is a lot of money to flush down the toilet. That's what it'll feel like if we have to pay the landlady.

"Why don't you check the clothes dryer and all your pockets?" my dad suggests, im filled with hope. I search through all my clothes, inspecting the washer and dryer, even go through the vacuum cleaner bag. I c heck between the sofa cushions and manage to find twelve cents.

But still, no pool key. The following day, my dad suggests praying to Saint Anthony, claiming it always works. "Saint Anthony, you mean?" I ask.

My mom , suggests we ask Saint Anthony to come over and look for the key instead. "He's a saint, so he's been dead for a long time," I tell her. "If you think a dead man is going to help you find the key, good luck," she retorts.

but I decide to pray, and, my prayers are answered when a neighbor finds the key gives it to the apartment office.

/////////////// communication is the key. That's the key to a relationship. That's how you build intimacy, through communication. It's very important to talk and listen to your partner so you can both grow as a unit.

but It's just talking and talking and talking. And I was listening to every word 'cause I thought, you know, there was a point. But there's no point. I should've hired an AI for her to talk to. 'Cause there were so many things I just didn't care about. "Should I move this couch or get a new one? I don't know what to do with this room. What do you think?"

It was a psychotic, babbling conveyor belt of nonsense. "I went to get my nails done, but they didn't have the polish I want.

One of the differences was, I learned this from her, raised to ask questions. You have to ask questions like, "Why? How come? How much? That much? Why should I spend that much?" And, , we don't want to ask questions 'cause we don't want any information. "Look, I didn't see nothin', I don't know nothin'.

" So the questions started driving me crazy. It was like falling asleep with a Spanish radio station on.

Why do you think we possess some mysterious knowledge we're keeping from you? We go to see a movie, she's like, "Now, who's that guy?" "Did I write this thing? I came in with you. How the hell do I know who that guy is? What do you want me to do, show up early?

So she leaves, right? It's all over.

I'm sitting in my room for two weeks straight. my roommate says They don't want you to talk to them. They don't want you to listen to them. They want you to agree with them. And if you don't agree with them, they just keep talking and talking and talking until you do. and then they will say I'm glad we talked about it.'"

////////////////////////////////

When I was a kid, I had this bright yellow Yamaha YZ80 dirt bike. It was super fast, and I loved riding it around. But my mom hated it.

"Josep, you ride that thing, and I swear to God you’re going to die!" she'd yell at me. And I'd be like, "Mom, it's fine. I'm totally safe." But she wasn't having it.

"What, do you want to die? Is that it? Ha?" she'd say. And I'd respond, "No, Mom, I don't want to die." But then she'd hit me with, "Or maybe you want to kill me from worrying. Yes, that’s it—you want to kill me." And I'd just stand there like, "No, Mom, I don’t want to kill you."

But she wasn't done. "No, no, maybe it’s better if I die anyway. I go to heaven, at least I don’t have to worry anymore. Go ahead, keep riding the motorcycle." And I'd be like, "Fine. Fine! I won’t ride the motorcycle anymore!" But let's be real, I kept riding that motorcycle.

One time, a cop caught me riding the bike without headlights. He was really mad and told me to leave the bike and get in his car. I thought I was in big trouble, preparing myself for the worst—prison, electric chair, death by firing squad—whatever it was. I'm practically begging to go to jail at this point, but no dice.he took me home.

When we got to my house, my mom was freaking out because she thought I was missing. She was yelling at my sisters, too. The cop could hear everything, but he didn't seem to care. He walked me up to the door, and my mom answered, acting all polite.

But as soon as she saw me, she flipped out. She dragged me inside and slammed the door in the cop's face. That was the only time my mom ever hit me, but it wasn't physical. It was all the yelling and arguing that really hurt. //////////

hip hop clearance sales-denny's coach andrew tranmission embrassing affleck movie fight about imaginary things

////////

[maxbrodbeck]

Post Production: Film Narrative 2

I was responsible for the vast majority of the post production. 

As we only had 4 people in our group, the original plan was to share screenwriting and editing, and then distribute the roles of Director, DOP, Sound and Producer between us. But in pre-production Luca wrote the screenplay and then the rest of us gave feedback and talked to him about it, and then in post-production I edited it, with Luca giving me feedback on it. 

I quickly found that the first day’s sound was really quiet and took some mastering to be a suitable level, which meant I bumped up the atmos of the entire film and just accepted that we were going to have slightly fuzzy audio, the CUs were close mic’d enough to still be clear so I used their audio and ADR’d it over almost all the mids and wides. This was not an issue for the second day of shooting but the audio for the second day didn’t include the dialogue so was less important.

After putting together a quick first draft in a couple of hours, the film looked very promising and we had good takes of most of the lines of dialogue, which fitted together nicely and accurately portrayed the story we had put together. I showed what I had so far to my group, as well as a few friends and got positive feedback. 

I was editing both this and my documentary which was more of a time struggle than I was anticipating and I probably shouldn’t be editor for multiple projects at once going into next term. 

As I neared completion of the edit I had some pretty major issues with it which I couldn’t figure out how to fix. Continuity errors weren’t always ridable and were noticeably jarring in places which I wasn’t able to sort out, for example Ariel’s bag switches shoulders, and half the shots he’s holding a coffee cup whilst talking and half of them he isn’t. The plot is also not evenly distributed throughout the runtime, which isn’t a fault of the screenplay as it seemed from what was written that it would work smoothly, but a disproportionate amount of the runtime is taken before Anna is introduced and the conflict seems briefer than I would have liked. I worked hard on the edit here and don’t think it could have been much better with the footage I had.

Afterwards I graded the film. I didn’t spend as much time on it as I would have liked, but it looks good for the most part. I’m especially happy with the result of the close ups, and the opening wide, but didn’t have the time to edit each individual shot to match them, so mostly copy and pasted the 2 luts I’d designed for everything against the window, and everything facing the audience respectively. I think the images look realistic and natural, pleasantly azure and orange without it being too obvious or overdone. 

After exporting I immediately realised that the shot of Kushal sipping his coffee crosses the line and could have easily been fixed by flipping the shot horizontally, but didn’t realise that I’d have to redo this once importing the grade from davinchi.

The sound Mix is not perfected and I would have ideally worked on it for quite a while longer but didn’t have the time. After watching the film back though I do not think it is distracting at any point and it seems to work pretty well. It would have been nice to add thins like foley for Ariel’s footsteps and such, but the mix is even and maintains continuity. It is also a little quieter than some of the other films so I should probably have bumped it up by 4 or 5 decibels before exporting.

I ran into a strange error trying to export it, which I only figured out how to fix the morning of submission after trying for a long time, so wasn’t able to send as many drafts to Luca as I would have liked. But before submission I sent it to him to do any final touches and adjustments before sending it off.

All in all I am happy with the film, I learnt so much on set and had an amazing time making it.

[helliontherapscallion]

(Y/n) and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week: Thursday (Part 1)

Monday     Tuesday     Wednesday     Thursday (Part 2)     Friday     Saturday     Sunday

Spotify Playlist (collaborative)

Warnings: swearing, homophobia (f slurs and d slur), panic attacks, toxic friends, mentions of attempted suicide/getting told to kill yourself

Word count: 6,377

(A/N): ok, so I definitely got carried away with this, so I had to split Thursday into two parts. If I kept it in one part, it’d probs be like 10k-11k words long lmao

You woke up feeling strangely more refreshed than usual. Glancing at your clock, you saw that you actually woke up about thirty minutes before your alarm went off. You got a whopping twelve hours of sleep, a stark contrast from your recent sleep schedule consisting of no more than four hours a night. You felt like you could rule the world with how much energy you had. Sure, you felt anxiety pooling in your stomach like you usually did and you had a terrible dream about Haley rejecting you and getting completely outed to the entire school, but that did not stop you from throwing your covers off your bed and walking down the hall to the kitchen with the most confidence you’ve had since starting high school.

When you got to the kitchen, you saw a dead looking Uncle Schlatt slumped at the table chugging coffee and a chipper Philza trying to make conversation. Usually, you would’ve joined Schlatt in being dead inside, but today was different. You were filled to the brim with energy that you haven’t had in years. As you walked through the door, their heads turned towards you.

“Mornin Dad, mornin Uncle Schlatt!”

Your uncle merely grunted before going back to guzzling down his coffee. Your dad smiled at you, “well, looks like someone’s well rested.”

“Yeah, I got like twelve hours of sleep last night.”

“Glad to hear it, hun. You really needed it.”

“Glad to hear someone’s feeling well rested,” your uncle grumbled into his coffee. 

“Schlatt, don’t be such a downer all the time,” Philza rolled his eyes at your uncle. 

“Fuck you Phil, I’m a ball of fuckin sunshine. Ain’t that right, sweetheart?” 

“Yeah, Dad, I don’t know what you’re talkin about. Uncle Schlatt’s the heart and soul of this house. Even if he doesn’t live here.”

Schlatt gave a booming laugh, “suck it Phil. And that, (y/n), is why you’re my favorite niece.”

“At least I’m someone’s- wait. I’m your only niece.”

“Still my favorite niece!”

You grinned happily, that was better than nothing. “Love ya, Uncle Schlatt!”

Your uncle’s cocky grin turned more sincere and he diverted his full attention to you, “love ya too, kid.”

“Love each other quieter, you woke me up.” Wilbur’s tired voice complained as he walked into the room and slumped into his chair next to Schlatt. Schlatt clapped a hand onto his shoulder and rustled his hair.

“My man! How’s Sally, huh?”

Wilbur flushed red and started sputtering as Philza turned his confused gaze to his son. “Who’s Sally, Wilbur?”

You couldn’t leave your brother high and dry when he accepted you for being yourself so readily yesterday, so you quickly jumped in for him. “Sally’s just one of his friends at school. They’re job shadowing together for their project. Right, Wilbur?” You turned towards the flustered man with a somewhat forced smile and raised eyebrows. He looked at you with immense relief and nodded vigorously, his hair flopping onto his forehead. 

“Yes! We’re planning on job shadowing our band director, he said that it’d be a good idea if we want to major in music.” 

“Oh, why didn’t you tell me about her before! You should invite her over for dinner, I’d love to meet her!” Oh, your dad did not buy your terrible excuse for Wilbur, that man is like a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out lies. Poor, poor Wilbur. 

Despite the blush remaining on his cheeks, Wilbur seemed to think that Philza actually bought his weak excuse. “I’ll invite her over soon. Does Friday night next week work?”

Philza grinned cheekily, “yes! I can’t believe you haven’t brought her over sooner if you’re close enough to job shadow with her!”

At this point, Schlatt’s face was cherry red with his almost failed attempt to hold in his laughter. “I’m not missin this. Me an’ Tubbs are comin over next Friday.” 

Wilbur still hasn’t noticed that they hadn’t bought it, you thought he was more perceptive than that. Eventually, Philza started to make breakfast and conversation lulled into a comfortable silence as everybody waited for Techno, Tommy, and Tubbo. Deciding to pull out your phone, you scrolled through your notifi- wait. Why did you have forty-two messages from Adrian and Sammy? Why did they make a groupchat with everyone except Annie? Furrowing your brows in confusion, you opened the group chat. What you read made your breathing catch in your chest and your skin blanch, it wasn’t a dream. Everything was real.

Sammy <3

(y/n) you fucking pervert

How could you do this to us????

Adrian <3

We’ve given you everything and yet you’re still a disgusting person. 

Fucking faggot

We thought we could fix you, but you’re broken

You’re always going to be

Sammy <3

And now, you’re gonna go to hell with all the other dykes and fairies.

It’ll probably be heaven for you, surrounded by perverts like yourself

You’re staying far away from Annie

Adrian <3

You’ve put her through so much shit and now this

We swear to god if you talk to her again we’re gonna make you wish you would’ve gone through with killing yourself freshman year

We’re leaking the pictures slut

You felt your anxiety melt away into betrayal. So they were yours and Haley’s stalkers? How dare they try to leak Haley’s pictures. They could leak yours, you didn’t give a shit if yours were leaked. You could learn to live with it, you always did after all the shit you put yourself through throughout the years, but Haley’s? She didn’t do anything. Even if her rejection was painful, you still deeply cared for her. She didn’t deserve that. You, however, did for not being normal. For making people around you uncomfortable with your presence. 

(Y/n)

That was you guys?????

Why the fuck would you do that

I trusted you 

All of you

Sammy <3

We trusted you too dyke

But you’re a two-faced bitch

And to think we actually thought you were our friend

Were you only friends with Ann and I so you could get into our pants?

I’m disgusted

You’re a fucking pervert.

Adrian <3

We shouldn’t have talked you out of suicide freshman year

You fucking deserve it

Make Annie’s life easier and just swan dive off a roof

You’ll be doing everyone a favor

(Y/n)

Listen, I don’t care if you leak my pictures.

Just don’t leak Haley’s

She has no part in this

I’ll leave you guys alone if you delete Haley’s pictures

Hell, I’ll do anything for you if you could release them after the final volleyball match today

It’s Haley’s time to shine and she deserves the attention as team captain

She’s worked so hard to get there all of high school and leaking my nudes would take the attention away from her

Let her have her moment

Sammy <3

For once she has a point

She probably manipulated the poor girl

Who knows what the fag would’ve done to her if we didn’t expose her

Adrian <3

Fine, we’ll delete Haley’s pictures and we’ll wait until after the game

But we’re leaking yours

You deserve it for what you did to Annie and Haley

“Kid, are you okay? You’re kinda pale over there buddy.”

Looking up from your phone, you saw everybody’s eyes on you. They each looked concerned, but Wilbur even more so. He was the only one in the room at the moment that knew about your panic attacks. He stood up from his spot and walked over to you with long strides.

“She just remembered the homework in stats that we forgot about. Techno asked us in the group chat about it, we were just about to go and see if he could help us.” 

“But Wilbur, I thought you took statistics last year.”

“No, that was algebra two, I’m taking stats this year,” that was a lie, he was in pre-calculus this year. “C’mon (y/n), lets go finish that assignment.” 

He grabbed your shoulder and hauled you into a stand before grabbing your hand and practically dragging you up the stairs and into Techno’s room. Said pink-haired teenager looked up angrily. “What’d I say about kno- (y/n)?”

Wilbur closed the door and locked it behind him. He dragged you over to Techno’s bed and sat you down on the edge before kneeling down to look you in the eyes.

“(Y/n), can I touch you? Is that alright?”

After you shakily nodded, he grabbed your hand and placed it over his chest. “Breathe with me.” Like yesterday, you tried to copy his movements, but it wasn’t working. Your panic attack was just getting worse by the minute. Techno pushed Wilbur aside and took his place kneeling in front of you and grabbing your hand, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles.

“(Y/n), can you tell me five things you can see around the room?”

When you didn’t move your wide eyes away from Techno’s face, he frowned and gently squeezed your hand. “You can get through this. What’re five things you can see around the room?”

You reluctantly tore your eyes away from his face and peered around the room. You hadn’t noticed that your blurred vision had tunneled until you realized that you couldn’t see anything in your peripheral vision. Your unseeing eyes flicked around the room. 

You tried to swallow, but you couldn’t do anything through the lump in your throat. With a shaky voice, you gasped out “I-I can’t breathe. I-”

“Deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Follow me.”

You tried to breathe with him, and you eventually got to the point where you could speak. Your eyes flicked around the room once again and slowly recognized your surroundings. 

“You… Wilbur… Desk… Window…”

“That’s good, just one more.”

Your eyes flicked around the room, “...Book.”

“Look back at me, you’re doing so good,” when you looked back at him, he had a small smile on his face. “Nice job. Now, four things you can feel. Can you do that for me?”

You shakily nodded and looked at your hands and around your surroundings. “Bed… Pants… You… Carpet.”

“Three things you can hear?”

“You… Birds… Breathing.”

“You’re almost there, I’m so proud of you. Two things you can smell?”

“Toast and… and burning?”

Despite his confusion about the sudden burning smell, he continued to smile at you. “Good, last one. One thing you can taste?”

You licked your lips before scrunching your nose slightly, “...snot.”

“Wilbur, can you go get her a few kleenexes and a glass of water?” Techno asked his brother without taking his eyes off you.

Wordlessly, he swiftly left the room. “Are you feeling better?”

You panted as you reached up to rub at your teary eyes, “yeah, how’d you know what to do?”

His smile turned slightly bashful, “I did some research last night. I’m glad I did, that was a bad panic attack. Can I- can I ask what caused it?”

You pulled out your phone and handed it to him, letting him scroll through the messages while you brought up your knees to your chest and rested your chin on your knees. You felt tired after that attack, however you had a little bit more energy than you usually did. Only a little bit more. It was probably because you slept for half the day and through the night yesterday. You watched your brother scroll through your texts with tired eyes. 

He was emotionless as he scrolled, making you somewhat scared about what his reaction would be. He probably hasn’t gotten to the whole “go kill yourself” or the stalking parts. Judging by his set jaw and labored breathing, he was pissed already and he didn’t even get to the bad parts yet.

In the middle of his scrolling, Wilbur came back with a box of tissues, a glass of water, and a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast. When you hardly moved to grab them, he sat on the bed beside you and handed you a tissue. After cleaning up, you took the glass of water and started to slowly sip at it. “Thanks, Wil.” 

He wrapped an arm around you and pulled you close to him. When he looked over Techno’s shoulder at your phone, you saw his eyebrows furrow. “Tech, what’s-”

He was interrupted as Techno shoved your phone into his hands and stood up to start pacing around his room. “Read it yourself.” He sounded more monotone than usual. He was absolutely furious.

You watched Wilbur’s face as he read through your messages. Unlike Technoblade, he looked furious. His eyes were set ablaze as his entire face turned an angry red. “(Y/n), what the absolute fuck? Why didn’t you tell us this was happening?”

Shrinking in on yourself and pulling your knees closer to your chest, you murmured out a small “sorry.” You saw him quickly turn his head to you as his face softened. He pulled you into a full hug.

“This isn’t your fault. None of it is, it’s all their fault,” he spat with disgust. “How’d they even get your nudes? Did you send them to anyone?”

You leaned your head against his shoulder, “that’s the thing, Wil. I’ve never taken nudes before. They took them through my window. I deserve it.”

You felt him freeze up and heard Techno pause his pacing to stomp over to you. He tore Wilbur’s arms off from you and held you out at arms length by your shoulders. He looked the most angry than you’ve ever seen him with his furious eyes burning into your own and his mouth set in a firm frown. It was terrifying to see him that angry.

“(Y/n), you don’t deserve a single fucking thing that’s happened to you. You were manipulated and gaslit by a group of self righteous assholes. You. Do. Not. Deserve. Anything. That. Happened. To. You. Do you understand me?” 

Despite your fears of him, you were determined to protect your friends. “But I do deserve it though. I was a bad friend to them. I tried so hard, but I couldn’t be a good friend to them when they were always helping me. I’m just not a good person in general. I deserve it for not being normal.”

“(Y/n)-”

“Technoblade, that’s enough.” Wilbur cut him off with a firm tone, putting a comforting hand on your arm.

“No it isn’t Wilbur. It’s not enough until she realizes how fucking toxic they are. What they’re doing is gaslighting. You’re in a psychology class, you should know what that is. Give me the definition of it. Now.”

“It’s when someone manipulates another person for their own personal gain… I’d know if I’m being gaslit, and I’m not. They’re just telling me the truth, they keep me in check. I could put more effort into my appearance and personality. I could stand to lose a couple of pounds.” “How do you not- ya know what? Listen. Just listen. That’s the definition of being gaslit. They’re constantly putting you down and making you self conscious about every. Little. Thing because they need to put someone down to fuel their own damaged egos and they laugh at you when you show that you’re hurt by their comments. That’s not a healthy friendship, (y/n). It’s toxic. 

“Real friends would never, and I mean never, do that to you. Real friends would never tell you that you looked like shit when you’re as beautiful as Aphrodite. Real friends would never out you to the entire school when you weren’t ready. Real friends would never tell you to lose weight because they wouldn’t care about what you look like. Real friends care about your well being and they look out for you. They love you for you.”

You fell silent as you contemplated his words. Were they really that toxic? You were planning on being a psychology major in college, so why didn’t you notice that they were actually always against you? You learned in your class that manipulative people are naturally cunning and sneaky, but you couldn’t help but feel stupid. You thought that they were helping you when they were clearly toxic. It was right under your nose and you didn’t even see the signs. What kind of psychology student were you if you couldn’t recognize the obvious signs of manipulation? 

On one hand, you were filled with betrayal. But on the other hand, you felt molten hot anger overwhelm and swirl around your entire body like a cyclone absolutely decimating everything in its path with its violent winds hurling in a blind rage anything and everything without a care of the outcome. You felt the burning hatred of a thousand suns rise up from deep within your being, filling you with a hatred that you didn’t know you were capable of. 

They fucked up your entire life, not you. They were the ones with the ugly personalities, not you. They were the ones that needed to improve themselves, not you. They were bad friends, not you. They laughed at the pain they brought upon you purposefully. They completely humiliated you. They betrayed your trust. They took pictures of you without your consent. They fucked up your relationship with Haley. They violated Haley. They fucking stole her dignity from her with those disgusting pictures they took of her. They were truly vile creatures undeserving of any mercy. Not that you were actually considering being merciful, that would be too good for them. They deserved everything you were going to throw at them. You were going to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of your past self. 

You felt yourself practically vibrate with fury as you held Technoblade’s intense gaze with one of your own. “Those bastards fucking used me for years. Literal years and I thought they were there for me,” you gave a sardonic laugh, your voice shaking with anger. “I-I’m gonna fuckin kill them the next time I see their sorry asses. Make them feel what it’s like to get tossed out of a car. Make them feel what it’s like to constantly get beaten down.”

Techno’s hands gripped your shoulders in a vice grip as his eyes sparked with a crazed delight and he grinned widely at you, “that’s the spirit! You’re gonna rain hellfire upon them, beat their asses (y/n)! Fuck em up! FUCK! EM! UP!”

Wilbur, always thinking about potential consequences and the voice of reason, spoke up with hesitance. “As much as I love that you’re finally realizing that they’re toxic as hell and want revenge, you’d have to wait at least until tomorrow. If you did it today, you wouldn’t be allowed to go to finals. Besides, I don’t think that you should even fight them. You would be out- wait. They’re the ones that opened the car door and fucked up your back?” Seeing you nod, his face darkened in anger. “...(Y/n), you’re gonna fuck em up as soon as you can tomorrow. We’ll back you up if they try to gang up on you, we aren’t eighteen yet, so it’s still legal. ”

“YES, SUCCUMB TO THE ANARCHY! WE’RE GONNA FUCK EM UP!”

“YOU ARE NOT FUCKING ANYONE UP ANYTIME SOON, TECHNOBLADE.” Philza’s voice boomed from behind the closed door. Said door swung open to reveal your father’s angry form and your uncle’s intrigued, slightly proud form.

You three stared at the two for a while with gaping mouths, your previous intensity substantially diminuendos into a quiet shock. No one fucks with an angry Dadza. Techno was the quickest to get over the shock. “...How long were you standing there?”

Your father sneered. “Well, long enough to hear that you three are going to fight someone! Why the hell would you do that?” 

Your brothers looked at you in a silent question. Shaking your head, you answered in a small voice, “there’s just some people messing with me at school. They were just worried about me. We weren’t gonna actually fight someone, they were just talking about how it’d be nice to get some revenge for me. I was just about to tell them that I could handle myself and we didn’t need to fight.”

Immediately, your dad’s stiff stance relaxed slightly as his eyes pierced into your own, searching them to see if you’re lying to him or not. You felt a cold sweat drip down the back of your head at the intensity of his gaze, you hated when he did that. It always made you feel like he was staring right at your soul. Eventually, his gaze softened.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped you through it.”

“I didn’t want to bother you. Plus, it’s nothing I can’t handle by myself.”

“But you looked really panicked earlier hun. Are you sure you can-”

“I just forgot about my stats homework until this morning and I thought I wouldn’t be able to get it done in time, but I did! No worries,” you spoke a little faster than usual. You prayed that he wouldn’t see through your lie. 

“...Alright. Just let me know if it gets to be too much for you and I can talk with your principal about it. Now go eat something and get ready, you only have,” he glanced at the clock on the wall, “an hour before you have to be at school. Hurry up or you’re going to be late.”

Your dad turned around and walked down the hallway away from the room. Schlatt, however, loomed in the doorway for a while before he came into the room and closed the door behind him. You three watched him warily as he eyed you and your brothers.

“...Ya know, I approve,” after seeing your confused looks, he chuckled and spoke again. “I approve of you three fuckin em up. I heard part of your conversation, and those snot nosed brats deserve it for what they did to my favorite niece.”

You three stared at him with shock, making him laugh at you. “Close your mouths, you’re gonna catch flies.” He paused for a second before leaning towards you and whispering “now, you didn’t hear it from me, but the key to a good punch is following through with it. Don’t hesitate. Don’t tuck your thumb in, that’ll break it. Make sure you center your hit on your index and middle fingers, they are the strongest points of the hand. If you need to, go for the eyes, nose, and groin.”

“I-thank you Uncle Schlatt. I really appreciate it. Just- please don’t tell dad?”

“Of course not! I mean, if you don’t fuck em up enough I will. (Y/n), when you’re done, I want details.”

You saluted sarcastically, “yessir, will do!”

He gave a boisterous laugh, “you better. Now go get ready.” 

As he was about to walk out of the room, he suddenly paused and his hand shot to his pants pocket. He pulled something out before putting it into your hand and turning again to walk out of the room. “This is from Tubbo and Tommy. They were worried about you.” In your hand laid three of your favorite candies. You felt your heart swell at their innocent, caring natures. They were honestly some of the sweetest kids you’ve ever met. 

“Well boys, you get first pics!” You held out the candy to them.

Wilbur looked at you with knitted eyebrows, “but they gave those to you.”

“I wouldn’t have gotten through that panic attack without you guys helping me, so take this as a temporary thank you.” You watched as they glanced at each other before reaching out to grab a piece of candy.

“Alright, I’m gonna go get ready, you guys can take the bathroom before me. Love you guys!”

You went into your room and made sure your curtains were closed before turning to your closet. Humming in thought, you picked out a white button up and the nicest sweater you owned. You put on the collared button up then slipped the sweater on over it so that the collar poked out of the neck. You smiled at yourself in the mirror, feeling more confident in yourself than you’ve felt since you started hanging out with them. Fuck them, they always lied to you. You looked great in anything you put on. You felt elated and basked in the spectacular feeling of being able to like what you wore. 

While you waited for your brothers to leave the bathroom, you pulled out your phone and scrolled through your contacts before you stopped on one: Haley’s. The girl that stole your heart and relentlessly stomped on it until it was a red puddle at her feet. Despite the pain, you still loved her. She was your everything. Your thumb hovered over her icon, contemplating on texting her. You had to tell her that she didn’t have to worry about her pictures anymore. 

(Y/n)

Haley

I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I have good news

You don’t have to worry about your pics anymore

I took care of it.

You don’t have to reply to this

Just know that I took care of it and you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

You sat on your bed staring at your phone screen waiting for her to open your messages. You stared at the ‘delivered’ icon at the bottom of your message, waiting for it to say ‘read’. You stared for about ten minutes before you gave up, putting your phone in your pocket and standing up with a sigh. She would see it eventually. Just as you reached your door, you felt a vibration in your pocket. You whipped out your phone and smiled at Haley’s face on your screen. She was calling you. 

Taking a deep breath to calm yourself down, you clicked the answer button, “hey Hales.”

“(Y/n), what’d you do?”

“I took care of it. That’s all you have to know.”

“I think I should know more. What’d you do?”

You paused for a moment before you hesitantly said, “I asked them to delete your pictures and they have to, it’s part of our deal.”

“...You found out who they were?”

“Yeah, but that’s not important. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“(Y/n), don’t tell me what to worry about. Who are they?”

“...Fine, it was Adrian Schnieder, Annie Lockhart, and Sammy McConnor. Ya know, you’re scary when you’re mad Hales. Remind me not to get on your bad side again.”

“It was them? You hang out around them all the time, I thought you were good friends. Why would they do that?”

Even though she couldn’t see you, you shrugged. “I dunno. I think they were just jealous. They’re assholes and I can’t believe I haven’t noticed it a lot sooner. I’m sorry they put you through that, you didn’t deserve what they did to you.”

“God (y/n),” she sighed out, you imagined that she was running a hand through her hair. “I can’t imagine how much that hurt you. You four were really close.”

“I know, but it was a long time coming. Like I said, I should’ve noticed that it was them. They’ve always been toxic as hell.”

“How’d you find out? What happened?”

“Did you hear about what they did to me yesterday?”

“Should I? If you’re not comfortable talking about it, that’s totally okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t wanna.”

“No, it’s fine. You’re gonna hear about it eventually, shit spreads like wildfire at Klinkver. Long story short, they outed me to the entire school and thought that I was only friends with them to get in their pants. They basically told me to kill myself,” you added nonchalantly. “But that’s not the important part about this. They told me that they were the people that took those pictures of you.”

“...(Y/n), how could you say that’s not important! They fucked up your life and all you care about is my pictures? What’d they say they’d do with yours?”

“I asked them to not leak them until after the match tonight so you could have the spotlight. You deserve it after all the hard work you’ve put in to get team captain. Zuri was hard to beat and you deserve the recognition for that.”

You heard her take a deep breath through her nose, “(y/n), for once in your life care about yourself over others. You’re gonna be exposed to the entire school and it bothers me that you’re being so nonchalant about that.”

“They’ve put me through worse. Besides,” you wove a hand in the air, “it’ll all blow over sooner or later when another person gets their nudes leaked. You remember how fast people forgot about Marlene’s nudes when May’s got leaked like a week later.”

“Still, it’s degrading to have people see you like that. No matter how fast they get over it, it doesn’t change the fact that they’ve seen you. You can’t come back from that sweetheart.”

You felt your heart skip a beat at the nickname. Even if she called almost everybody that, you felt special. “I don’t care if people see my boobs, it wasn’t even a clear picture anyways. It was hella blurry.”

Your door swung open for the second time today. There stood Tommy, his eyes peering innocently at you. “Dad wanted me to tell you to hurry up.”

You smiled at him, “thank you buddy. Let him know I’ll be down in a minute. Oh, and thank you for the candy, it really made me happy.”

He beamed brightly before he sprinted down the stairs. “Was that Tommy? Is he gonna be at the match tonight?”

“Of course, he and Tubbo are our team’s mascots after all. They would never miss a game, especially our final match.”

“I can’t wait to see them, but we need to talk about this. It’s more serious than you paint it as. How are you not pissed at those dumbasses? You trusted them and they betrayed you.”

“Oh, believe me I’m furious. Heh, I’m actually kinda shaking right now because of how pissed I am. But for now, I’m just gonna imagine their faces on the ball so I can keep my mind off them until tomorrow.”

“...Please don’t tell me you’re gonna do something stupid tomorrow.”

“I wouldn’t call it stupid per se, they deserve it for what they put you through. It’s more getting justice than being stupid.”

“(Y/n), I swear to god if you start a fight just to get back at them for me, I’m gonna slap you. Think about yourself every once and a while, they put you through so much. If you feel comfortable, you’re gonna tell me everything they did to you tonight on the bus coming home.”

“So we’re gonna sit together?” You tried and failed to stomp the hopeful tone from your voice.

Her laugh sounded angelic in your ear, “of course we are silly, you’re my best friend. I gotta go, my dad’s calling me. I’ll talk to you later!”

“See ya!” When you hung up, you danced around your room with joy. You- no, they- didn’t ruin your friendship with Haley after all! Oh, you felt like your heart was going to burst out of your chest with joy. Even if she didn’t like you like you adored her, you still cherished your friendship. Looking back, Haley and the team always had your back, they genuinely cared about you. They were perhaps the only ones you would fully trust in the future. 

“(Y/N), HURRY UP YOU’RE GONNA BE LATE!” Tommy’s voice outside your door shook you from your happy dance. “Coming!”

You ran to the bathroom and hastily went through your routine. Despite your rushing, you tried your best to look presentable. You were going to prove those snakes wrong, you were beautiful no matter what you wore or how you looked.

After running down the stairs with your bag, your dad stopped you before you could run out the door with your keys. “You look nice today hun.”

“Thanks Dad, I just wanted to dress up a bit for finals today. I’m honestly really pumped to play tonight.”

“That’s good,” he smiled at you before pulling you into a quick hug. “Just take it easy today, you need to save your energy for the match tonight... Listen, I don’t know what happened to you this morning and I don’t know exactly what’s going on in your life right now, but just know that I’m always gonna be here for you. Whether you need help with homework, advice, or if you want me to beat up someone else’s dad for you,” he chuckled, “I’ll do it.” 

You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch, happy with the contact. You two stood in the hall for a moment before he pulled away and told you to leave for school. 

The drive to the school was uneventful with your brothers mainly holding up the conversation. As you pulled into the parking lot, you realized that you needed to catch up on two full days of stats homework.

“Hey Tech?” He hummed, looking over to you.

“Sorry, but would I be able to maybe copy your stats notes from Tuesday?”

“Yeah, I’ll give em to you so you can copy it before school starts. We’d have to go to Mr. Mullins for yesterday’s notes though. We can just ask him about it before school starts.”

As you pulled into a space and moved to leave the car, a hand stopped you. “(Y/n), if any of those two-faced bitches bother you at all, let us know. Don’t deal with this on your own, we’re here for you,” Wilbur said genuinely.

“Yeah, if they say anything bad about you, it’s on sight.”

You laughed, “thanks guys, I’ll let you guys know if they do anything. We gotta get going though if Tech and I wanna get those notes done.”

In the school, you and Techno successfully got your notes done before the first bell rang. The rest of class went by without a hitch with you actually somewhat understanding mostly everything being taught. You even got a question right when you were called on! Turns out not feeling weighed down by toxic people helps a lot with concentration.

The only block you were dreading was the second block. You were sure that if you even glanced at Annie and Adrian, you’d go apeshit on them. Luckily for them, they didn’t show up to class today. They were probably comforting Annie after you “manipulated” her, you thought with an eye roll. Today was just another work day, so you pulled out your laptop and opened Google Docs. You saw Annie’s and Adrian’s unfinished and you were slapped in the face with inspiration. 

They were still expecting you to finish their essays, so you were gonna finish them alright. You were going to completely rewrite their essays all about how they were terrible homophobes and how LGBT+ people are always facing some form of discrimination amongst their peers, complete with attached screenshots of them calling you slurs over text. You’d even write a little note at the beginning that would tell your teacher that they didn’t write this, but they made you write it so you deserved the credit for it. You didn’t care that this would take a while, the satisfaction that you would get would be worth it. This was going to completely screw up their grades, this essay was worth twenty five percent of your overall grade. Mr. Todd was really laid back, so he only had a few rules in the classroom. First was to respect your classmate’s time and work, second was to clean up after yourselves, and third (“the most important one” he said on the first day of school) was that he would never tolerate racism, sexism, transphobia, or homophobia in his classroom. Your masterpieces you were writing would definitely earn them a failing grade, a good scolding from Mr. Todd, and maybe a visit to the principal’s office. This would be first in a long line of gifts you have in mind for them. 

At lunch, you were slightly stumped as to where you should sit. You didn’t really know anybody in your lunch period, so you just sat at the empty table Adrian, Annie, and Sammy left for you today and ate while working on your masterpieces. Finding sources was extremely easy for you, you remembered doing extensive research about discrimination when you first found out that you weren’t the straight girl you thought you were. Luckily for you, you still had the old Google Doc full of sources you wanted to save for later. Thank you, freshman you. 

Third and fourth block went by relatively quickly, you completely finished the work in both classes with plenty of time left for you to continue typing up the essays. You had gotten Adrian’s completely done and Annie’s thesis written. Oh, revenge is sweet. You weren’t even done with what you had in store for them. 

You had their parent’s phone numbers and you got Adrian’s boss’ number from Marlene, who worked with him as a waitress. Annie’s parents were total sweethearts that would be absolutely fuming if you showed them what she said to you. You weren’t sure about Adrian’s or Sammy’s parents, but you were going to send them screenshots anyways. If Adrian’s parents were as bigoted as he was, you still had his boss to fall back on. You could email the screenshots to the principal and the athletic director so that you could have something to rely on if Sammy’s parents had the same beliefs as she did. She valued cross country more than everything, so you could fuck that up for her. Revenge never tasted so sweet to you before, it felt like you were high with how giddy you were. Techno and Wilbur were going to love this. 

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#sbi x reader #sleepy bois x reader #sleepy bois inc x reader #philza x reader #jschlatt x reader #technoblade x reaer #wilbur soot x reader #tubbo x reader #tommyinnit x reader #mcyt #mcyt x reader #high school AU #sister reader #platonic #platonic fanfiction #x reader #toxic friends #panic attacks #revenge #tw: swearing #tw: panic attack #tw: homophobia #tw: f slur #tw: d slur #tw: toxic friendship #tw: attempted suicide #tw: bullying

[mochegato]

Hope on Board

Chapter 24 – The Show Doesn’t Care if You’re Falling Apart

Chapter 1     Chapter 23

That was… well, not harder than anticipated, they anticipated it being hard, but terrible.  That was terrible.  Everything just barely seemed to come together.  Even after all their preparation, as always seems to happen, it came down to the last few seconds before they were able to disarm the last of the bombs.  On top of that both Garth and Lilith had gotten injured pretty badly.  They were all slightly off their game with Roy off the mission due to his broken jaw and multiple cracked ribs.  Dick probably should have waited until after the mission to kick his ass, but he would never have been able to hold off his anger that long and if he’d had to be in an enclosed place with him for two weeks, Roy would have ended up in the hospital for a few months at least.

Dick scrubbed his hand over his face a few times.  God, he was glad to be home.  He wished more than anything he was walking into his apartment and into Marinette’s open arms.  He would give anything to just curl up with Marinette in their bed and sleep for a week with her in his arms, but he’d burned that bridge pretty soundly.

Instead, he was walking into his childhood home because he didn’t know if Marinette was still in their apartment and he wasn’t about to make her feel awkward if she was.  He really hoped she was still there.  They’d bought that place to be a home for the twins.  He wanted them to have that, even if it didn’t include him.  

So he avoided what he hoped was their home and came back to the manor.  Hell, he wasn’t sure if he was all that welcome here either considering how Jason and Tim had been acting before he left.  But, he needed somewhere to lay down and rest while he figured out how to make it up to Marinette, or at the very least be amicable for the sake of the twins.  He knew she wouldn’t cut him out of the twins’ lives, but he wanted more than to just be there.  He wanted them to work together, to be together.  He wanted her, even knowing he didn’t deserve her.  He wanted to make her happy.  He wanted to be happy and he hadn’t been whenever he wasn’t with her.  Every time he left, he was miserable.

He looked up when he heard footsteps making their way toward him quickly and perked up a bit.  Maybe the family wasn’t as angry with him as he had anticipated.  Maybe, they were coming to welcome him home.  If they weren’t too mad, then maybe they’d help him prove himself to Marinette.  He could definitely use the help and they were all close to Marinette.  He smiled at Bruce, Tim, and Jason as they entered the foyer.  “Hey guys!”

“Dick!  Welcome home. Congratulations on the mission. Tell me about it after you’ve gotten settled in,” Bruce smiled warmly at him.

“It’s all in the report, B,” Dick chuckled.

“Yeah, but I want to hear you talk about it, about more than just what was in the report.”  Bruce clapped him on his shoulder as he passed him to make his way outside.

Dick beamed at him and finally took note of their outfits. “You guys look nice.  Where are you going?”

“Out, asshole,” Jason growled roughly bumping his shoulder into Dick’s as he walked out too.

Tim gave him a sympathetic look as he passed.  “Welcome back.  Hope to see you there.”  He nodded and followed them out.

Dick furrowed his brow, staring at the door for a few moments. Join them where?  “Welcome home, Master Dick.  Should I have your room prepared for tonight?” Alfred asked as he pulled on his coat as well.

“I think that’s probably for the best until I can speak with Marinette,” Dick grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck.  

“I believe Miss Marinette and Kismet have been staying with Master Adrien since you left,” Alfred informed him.  His voice was passive but years of experience with Alfred allowed Dick to detect the sharpness in the words.

“I see.  Thank you, Alfred,” he shot him a look to let him know he understood the message Alfred was passing on.  Dick had driven Marinette out of her home.  This was his fault and he needed to be the one to fix it.  “Hey Alfred, where is everyone going?”

Alfred gave him a sympathetic look.  “I think you need to figure this one out on your own.”  Alfred watched Dick as his brow furrowed at the cryptic answer.  Dick mentally ran through the schedule of things the family had on the schedule. There weren’t many and he couldn’t think of any that were coming up.  “Isn’t there somewhere you were supposed to be?  Something you were supposed to make it back for?” Alfred prompted him.

Dick shook his head at the words.  There was no gala coming up, no special dinners that he had been informed of.  There wasn’t even a significant Justice League meeting he knew of.  The only important event he had was Marinette’s show and the birth of the twins.  But the due date was more than a month away and the show was next week.

Alfred sighed and looked past him.  “Master Damian, it is time to leave.”

“I’m here, Alfred,” Damian grumbled, shuffling into the room. “I don’t understand why I must go when Grayson doesn’t have to.  He’s the reason I have to go in the first place.” He gave Dick a glare as he passed him. “And they’re not even together anymore, so he gets out of it.”

Damian slammed the door as he left through it.  Dick’s eyes were glued on the door.  He dropped his bag and pulled out his phone silently praying he was wrong.  He pulled up his calendar.  He was not wrong.  Today was the show and it started in just over an hour.  God!  His brain hadn’t caught up with the real date.  He had been so busy he still thought it was last week.

He silently cursed as he rushed to his room to take a shower and pull on a suit.  He frowned at the suit.  It was a fine suit, but it wasn’t special.  It wasn’t one by Marinette.  Everything she made was amazing and he would have loved to represent her.  So a plain, old designer suit would have to do, with a bright blue tie, the color she said made her think of him.

He raced through the streets on his motorcycle, weaving in and out of traffic to get there faster.  Maybe it was a good thing he wasn’t wearing a suit from her after all, because with all the wind whipping his jacket and tie around, there was no way his suit was going to look good when he got there.

He jumped off his bike and rushed inside.  He approached the security officers at the door and realized he hadn’t thought this through.  He didn’t have a ticket.  He and Marinette hadn’t talked about logistics like whether he would need a ticket, before he had left.  She probably hadn’t set one aside for him after the fight either.  Which meant he had no way into the show.  He was going to miss Marinette’s show.

He groaned and ran his hands over his face and through his hair. She had been working on this for a full year.  She had put her blood, sweat, and tears into this event.  Literally.   All three, she literally put all three into the outfits.  And he was going to miss it.  He wasn’t going to be able to see all her hard work come to fruition.  Damn it!  This meant so much to her and he was missing it.  He couldn’t support her because of a fight that was his fault in the first place.

“Mr. Grayson?”  The tentative voice broke his downward spiral.

He looked up and shook his head, confused at the sight. “Teri?  What are you doing here?”

She chuckled lightly.  “It’s a Wayne Enterprises event, Mr. Grayson.  I’m security.” She looked over him analytically.  “Do you need a way in?”

Dick shot up.  “Yes! Yes, I do.  Can you get me in?”

Teri nodded and pushed his arm slightly to get him to move toward the door with her as she walked him past the security guards stationed there.  “Mr. Pennyworth said to tell you they have a seat for you in the front and not to dawdle. His words, not mine, sir.”

Dick sighed in relief.  “Thank you, Teri.  Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I have an idea,” she smirked at him.  There was a shine in her eyes indicating she knew more than him. “I know how much it would devastate Miss. Dupain-Cheng if you weren’t there.”  Dick looked away quickly before she could see the change in his eyes.  He wasn’t so sure Marinette would be all that devastated.  “There you go, sir.”

Marinette walked on stage just as he slid into his seat between Damian and Alfred.  Polite applause sounded throughout the room with the exception of one loud, Jason sounding voice whooping in excitement.  Marinette giggled and shook her head to focus back on the task at hand. “Thank you everyone for that very enthusiastic greeting,” she smirked in their direction.  

“I wanted to start off by thanking Wayne Enterprises and especially Mr. Wayne and Mr. Drake for selecting me to work on this project with them. I’d also like to thank Mr. Fox for all of his brilliant work coming up with the fabrics I used for the show. Wayne Enterprises has put a lot of work and development into creating fabrics that are more than they seem, deceptively beautiful one might say.  

“Tonight, any light or color changes or shifts in rigidity you see in the clothes is entirely due to the fabric.  There are no special effects tonight, just special fabrics. We will have a press conference after the show where Messrs. Drake and Fox can elucidate the technology involved. I’m just here for the pretty. They’re here for the brains.”  She grinned at her own self-deprecating joke. “And without further ado, let’s start the show!”

She spun around and walked quickly behind the screen.  The first model walked out on stage and Dick was vaguely aware of gasps from the audience, but he didn’t notice the model. He was still staring at the spot where Marinette had disappeared.  Her hair was up in a bun and her dress was a blue and back, body skimming dress, both of which reminded him of the first night he met her.

She looked gorgeous, which wasn’t unexpected.  She always had been.  He thought maybe his mind had made her seem even more gorgeous while he was gone and missing her, but it wasn’t a trick of his mind, she was gorgeous and so much bigger than when he left.  He had only been gone two weeks and it seemed like her belly had grown more in the last two weeks than the two months before that.  Her dress skimmed over her bump, accentuating it.  She was in no way trying to hide the bump, as if she could, she was wearing it proudly and he wished he could hug her and rest his hands on it, maybe see if Robert and Lucy might kick his hands.  

He ran his hand through his hair again, further messing it up. He had missed so much.  Not just the last two weeks.  He’d missed so much of the twins developing because of his trips. And in this last one they’d gotten so much bigger.  How much more was he going to miss because of missions?

Another whoop drew his attention back to the runway.  He blinked a few times to make sure he really was seeing what he was seeing.  Stephanie was walking down the catwalk toward a black haired model who had just turned to return.  He stared at the two wondering how many models he had missed already.  When the black haired model got to the far end of the runway she turned around again and Dick finally saw her, Cassandra.  She smiled at the audience and did a standing backflip. As she moved, her dark blue jumpsuit flared with electricity.  He narrowed his eyes at it.  He gasped as he realized it was collecting energy from her movements.

His attention shifted back to Stephanie who had a proud grin, knowing the entire audience was amazed.  She made her way to the end of the runway in a gorgeous full body dress, a flame shot across the stage just before she reached it.  Stephanie, the chaos child she was, just grinned at the flame and continued to walk straight into it.  She stood in the fire’s flame for a few moments, letting the flame curl around her dress completely unaffected by the heat, before winking and turning back to return backstage.

As she walked back, she high fived the next model she passed. Dick chuckled as Duke swaggered his way down the runway with a sultry look on his face.  The lights at the end of the runway changed tone slightly to emulate sunlight.  As Duke approached the end of the runway, his shirt, or rather patterns in his shirt, started glowing.  The patterns got brighter the longer Duke stood under the sunlight.  Duke gave a cocky grin, knowing how impressive the outfit was and how good he looked in it before turning to walk back.

Halfway back, he fist bumped the next model, who Dick almost didn’t recognize as Rachel’s brother, Eddie.  Eddie didn’t have the swagger Duke had, but he held his own.  When he reached the end of the runway, he tugged on his jacket, changing the color of the jacket from black to blue.  He gave a smile to the audience and turned back to return.  About a quarter of the way back, he started running at the other model, who braced himself for Eddie to push off of into a flip over him.  He tugged on the jacket again mid-flip, exposing a new pattern in the jacket.

The new model turned back to the Audience with a confident, amused smile.  Dick huffed at how natural Adrien seemed on the runway and in a tuxedo.  By the time he made it to the end of the runway, someone had placed a candle at the end of the runway.  Adrien smirked and did a quick turn, whipping out the ends of his tuxedo coat.  As the coat spun, the ends turned hard and sliced cleanly through the candle.  When he turned back around, the ends of the coat fell fluidly around his back and bottom, all signs of rigidity gone.  

Adrien returned backstage and the models, Dick had clearly been staring after Marinette for a while because there were quite a few models he had missed in a variety of silhouettes, paraded out on stage for a final walk.  Adrien walked out last, arm in arm with Marinette who had an effervescent smile on her face as she waved to the audience.  Marinette suddenly looked around confused and yelled something to Stephanie, who was just going backstage.  Stephanie grinned and disappeared.  Less than a minute later, Stephanie was pushing Rachel out on stage as well.  Rachel looked out at the still applauding audience in awe until Marinette gave her a hug and guided her backstage with her.  

Before she had even made it backstage, Dick was moving to meet her. Barely noting the Wayne Enterprises employee announcing a press conference to discuss the innovations Marinette’s designs showcased starting in fifteen minutes.  So he had fifteen minutes to talk to Marinette.

He scanned the room and quickly found Marinette, at the center of the people, all congratulating her and celebrating, passing around champagne for the adults and water for Marinette and the minors.  He started to move towards her but paused.  This was her big moment.  This is everything she had been working towards for a year.  She was elated right now.  He didn’t want to ruin her moment by bringing his drama into it. She deserved this moment.  She deserved the elation.  He couldn’t take it away.  And they only had fifteen minutes, less now.  That wasn’t enough.  It would just bring the mood down without the time to bring it back up.

“Glad you could make it,” Lucius offered quietly, offering Dick a champagne flute.

“Thank you.  You did amazing work.  Those fabrics were brilliant,” Dick offered kindly, still staring at Marinette.

“Thank you.  I thought you might like the color scheme.  Blue, black, and grey.  Seemed like colors you would appreciate.”  He gave Dick a knowing smile.  

“She’s been working on this since before she met me and even if she hadn’t… she doesn’t know.”  Dick looked down embarrassed.  He didn’t want another conversation about why she didn’t’ know.

“The grey and black were there since before she met you, but the blue was more recent.”  Lucius turned toward Marinette.  “You never told her.”

Dick let out a deep sigh.  “The doctor said her pregnancy was risky.  She was supposed to reduce as much stress as possible.  I couldn’t… there was already so much stress from the show, I couldn’t add more to it.”  Even as he said the words he knew there was something wrong with them. Now that the mission was over, the words felt shallow, wrong.

Lucius silently studied Dick for a few moments while Dick pretended to focus on the chaos around them.  Finally, a look of realization settled in Lucius’ eyes.  “You know… being left behind, it leaves scars on a person, even if that was never the intent, even if that’s the last thing the person who left would ever want.  Watching them leave your life… it leaves a mark that sometimes never goes away.” Dick opened his mouth to object.  He was not leaving them behind.  Why did everyone think he would?  What did that say about him that everyone thought that he ever could?

Before he could say anything, Lucius continued. “Like watching your parents die in front of your eyes…” Dick snapped his mouth shut and stared at Lucius wide eyed.  “It leaves scars.  It makes you willing to go to extreme lengths to stop it from happening again.  It makes you need to stop it.  For some people that means putting on a bat costume and protecting a city.  For some people it means going out constantly to stamp out any potential threats.  And that need can be so strong, you can’t afford to let anyone stop you from doing so.” He paused to scan the room, his eyes settling on Marinette.  “Miss. Dupain-Cheng seems like the protective type.”

“She is,” Dick nodded numbly.

“The type that wouldn’t let someone she loves go out and risk their life recklessly for her.  The kind that would stop it.  Redirect the trauma.”  Dick stared at him dumbfounded.  “Are you sure by not telling her you’re protecting her, or are you preempting her, before she can talk you out of doing something you feel like you need to do?”

“No, that’s not…  There was a big plot.  The Court of Owls was planning a coordinated attack against the power grid in a few cities. The attack would have taken down the Eastern seaboard and a good portion of the Midwest.  I had to stop it.  I couldn’t… I couldn’t let her get hurt.”

Lucius nodded along with his words, contemplating what he said.  After a few minutes he spoke up again.  “You know, the hardest fabric to develop was the one with variable rigidity.  I couldn’t get the link to break.  Forming the bond was easy, but breaking it… impossible. The theory was there but I couldn’t get it to work.  I spent weeks maybe months focusing on nothing but getting that to work.”

Dick furrowed his brow at him, completely uncertain where the apparent non-sequitur was going.  “But you figured it out.”

“I did.”  He nodded in confirmation.  “And then Tim informed me we might not be able to use Stephanie’s design or the one before hers, maybe a few others.”

Dick shook his head in surprise.  “But that was brilliant.  That design was amazing.  It was my favorite, honestly… don’t tell my siblings that.”

Lucius chuckled.  “Your secret’s safe with me.” He suddenly turned serious again.  “There was a problem with production on the insulation fabrics, both the fire and ice insulators.  I spent so much time and focus on getting the variable rigidity working, I completely missed that production was falling apart.  That’s a problem I have sometimes, you know?  I hyper focus on one important thing and miss all the other the important things, even when they’re more important.  Could have destroyed the entire show.”

Dick blinked at him a few times.  He opened his mouth to respond, with what, he wasn’t sure, but luckily he was saved at the last second.  “Dick!”

Dick was ripped out of his confused haze by the sound of a familiar voice calling his name.  When he finally located the source he gave her a strained smile.  “Rachel.  Great job with the collection.”

“Oh, I didn’t do much of anything.  Marinette did all the work, and Lucius of course,” she deferred shyly.

Lucius smiled at her graciously.  “I know the most impressive part was done by Marinette. Finding a way to show all the innovations in their best light.  Her creativity is astounding.”

“I know Marinette found your insights very valuable, Rachel.  Just take the compliment,” Dick smiled at her.

“Yo!  Mr. Grayson,” Eddie called out to him, shaking his hand.

“Eddie.  You looked great up there.  A natural model,” Dick smiled at him.

Eddie blushed and looked away.  “It was okay.  Glad I could help.”

“Good flip up there too.  I bet you could have a good future as an action model if you wanted. You should talk to Adrien about it,” Dick encouraged him.

“Do you think he’d talk to me?” Eddie asked excitedly.

“I know he would absolutely love to help someone trying to break into the business.  I can… um…” he hesitated considering whether he would be the best intermediary between Eddie and Adrien.  “Or you can go up to him now.  He’ll be thrilled, honestly.”

Eddie looked around until he spotted Adrien.  “Yeah, maybe…” his phone started ringing.  He pulled it out.  He gave a confused expression before turning to the group with an apologetic smile.  “Just a second.”  He stepped away to take the call, returning a moment later.  His expression had turned to a concerned one.  “Rachel, we have to go now.  That was Mrs. Greene, there’s something going on back home.”

“I can take you,” Lucius offered.

“The press conference will start in one minute if you will all make your way to the next room,” the Wayne Enterprises employee announced loudly.

Dick shook his head.  “No, you have to do the conference.  I can take them… If I can borrow your car.  I just have my bike.”

“No scratches, Mr. Grayson,” Lucius warned him playfully, holding up the keys for him.

Dick gave him a charming, devious smile.  “Understood.  I’ll pull it around while you change, Eddie.  And Lucius?”

“Yes Mr. Grayson?”

“Can you let Marinette know I was here and why I had to leave, please?” He asked softly.

“Gladly, Mr. Grayson.”  He gave him a supportive smile and turned to join the others.

<><><><><> 

Dick closed the door to his apartment slowly.  What the hell had he just witnessed?  Kora’s restaurant had been attacked and the police spent the entire time he was there accusing Eddie of trying to help his parents by doing it for the insurance money, even though the evidence was extremely clear it wasn’t an inside job and Eddie had an alibi.  The officers then got mad at Dick when he started taking pictures to give some additional documentation of the incident for Kora to submit with her insurance claim.  One officer threatened to arrest him if he continued to interfere with their investigation.  What the hell was going on?

“Hey Daddy Dearest.  Heard you were back in town.  Missed you at the show,” Stephanie called to him from her perch on the kitchen counter.

“I was there,” Dick grumbled.  It had been a long day and he needed to figure a few things out, preferably alone.  “Sat with the family and everything.  Your dress was amazing.”

“I know.  You didn’t say hi to Marinette,” she observed a little too casually.

“I didn’t want to ruin her big moment.  I was waiting until after, but then I had to take Rachel and Eddie home.  Someone attacked the restaurant.  Then there was a whole… the police were trying to pin it on Eddie,” he explained, incredulity sneaking into his tone.

She quirked her head to the side considering his words. Finally, she gave a resolute nod. “We can investigate then. Probably a mob hit or a cop.”

Dick sighed dejectedly.  “Are they really that corrupt?”  He already knew the answer but he was hoping maybe she might have some words of insight or hope.

Instead, she started laughing.  No words of hope then.  “Duh!  Where have you been?  Yeah,” she tried to settle herself but the laughter escaped again for another few minutes. When she was finally able to control her laughter at his obliviousness, she turned her expression to more contemplative.  “So, you’re going to talk to Marinette?”

“Yeah.  See if I can fix this.  If it even can be fixed.”  He scrubbed his face with his hands again.  “I’m not so sure anymore.  Maybe I’ve broken it beyond repair.  Now that the mission is over, I can finally focus on her.”

Stephanie let out a long breath through her nose. “So… the mission’s over?”

“The mission is over,” he repeated, the relief he felt evident in his voice and body.  As soon as he said the words his body relaxed and he slumped against the counter.

“When does the next one start?” she asked innocently.

He scrunched his face in confusion.  Was there something going on he hadn’t heard about? “What next one?”

She rolled her eyes and let out a long suffering, exasperated sigh.  “There is always a next one, Dick.  There’s always another mission that demands your attention and takes you away for indefinite amounts of time.  As long as you’re the leader of the Titans, that’s not going to change.  So how long are you going to stay this time?”

“I’m…” he started.  She was right.  Even after the twins were born, there would be a next mission, a next trip he would have to go on and he would miss them growing up while he was in some shady motel or safe house on the other side of the planet.  Was that what he wanted?

She jumped down off of the counter.  “You think about it.  I just stopped by to drop off a present from Lucius.  I left it on your couch, although if you felt willing to part with it later, it’d make a great present for your sister.”  She pulled him into a tight hug.  “Bye, Dick.”

Dick nodded absentmindedly to her.  “Yeah, bye, Steph.”  His mind was already working on something else.  How long of a break was he going to take?  Would he be able to take a break?  Or was something else going to come up?  He stared absently at the counter.  What was it she said?  90% of parenting is just being there?  And he wasn’t.  He couldn’t. And he had been miserable the past few months.  Every time he’d had to leave for the Titans, he’d been miserable.  

She stopped in the doorway and turned back to him.  “For what it’s worth, she still loves you. She’s hurt and confused and scared and mad, justifiably, but she loved you and that hasn’t gone away.  I don’t know if you can fix it.  It depends on your priorities and your actions.  Something will have to change.  And if not… you know, sometimes people just work out better as friends.”  She gave him a wan smile and left.

He groaned in frustration and went to collapse on the couch so he could better wallow in his misery.  He was the worst human on the planet.  He picked up one of the pillows to cover his face.  Maybe if he was lucky, Lucius had created a special Wayne Enterprises suffocation material and this pillow was made out of it so he would be put out of his misery.  After a few seconds of still being able to breathe, he groaned.  Nothing was going his way.  He took the pillow off his face and tucked it behind his head, catching on something.  He reached back and grabbed it to get a look at it.

He sat up to examine it.  It was Stephanie’s dress.  Dick huffed out a laugh at the incredibly unsubtle hint.  It was the dress that almost didn’t make it into the show, the show that almost didn’t happen because Lucius had been too focused on other things, too focused on protecting Marinette to truly consider her.  Fucking fuck!  Lucius was right and Dick hadn’t seen it.  He was so scared to lose Marinette, he pushed her away.  Jason had been right and he hadn’t seen it.

He needed to fix it now, before he lost her forever. If she had sent the ticket, it meant she wasn’t gone yet.  She was still willing to try, if not for a relationship, at least as friends.  But Stephanie was right, there would always be another mission.  Was he willing to miss his kids developing and growing like he had so far?  The short answer was no.  He wasn’t willing to keep missing their lives.  He couldn’t be the full time Titans leader, and a full time vigilante, and a full time father.  Something needed to give and it couldn’t be his family.

He could step back being a vigilante, only patrol occasionally or when something big happened and he could step away from the Titans, Donna could lead better than him anyway.  That would keep him in Gotham full time, but he needed to figure out a job, one that allowed him to stay local and still protect people.  He did not want to give that up if he could help it. He’d spent the last more than a decade fighting villains and corruption.  He didn’t want to stop now.

He picked up his phone and tapped it against his lips absentmindedly for a few minutes.  Finally he gave a determined nod and sent Marinette a text.  ‘The show was amazing.  Can we talk tomorrow?  I want to tell you everything.’  That sent, he scrolled through his contacts until he found the one he wanted.  After a few rings, a disgruntled voice answered.  “What do you want, Grayson?”

“Commissioner Gordon?  I wanted to talk to you about my future.  Can I come over?”

Tags:

@dickinette-february @demonicbusiness @ichigorose @iloontjeboontje @ladybug-182 @toodaloo-kangaroo @dast218 @golden-promises @trippingovermyfeet @emimar7 @laurcad123 @lady-bee-fechin @thewitchwhowaited @redscarlet95 @jayjayspixiepop

#maribat #dickinette #Dickinette February #platonic jasonette #platonic adrienette #Hope on Board #Knocked Up AU #prompt - blue

[yandere-daydreams]

Title: Progression. 

Pairing: Yandere!Best-Jeanist/Reader.

Commission for the lovely @99shadowcat99.

Word Count: 1.6k.

Synopsis: You’re sure Hakamada only has your best interests in mind. You came to him in a time of need, after all, and as a hero, it’s only natural that he’d want to see you improve. You’re sure he does, you only wish he didn’t have such a cold way of showing it.

TW: Toxic Relationships, Financial Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, Gaslighting, and Slight Stockholm Syndrome.

It probably didn’t help that you’d been at such a low point, when Hakamada first found you.

It was something you couldn’t deny, something you didn’t try to deny, not when it had such a lasting impact on your relationship. He’d pitied you, back then, met you when you were broke and desperate and willing to do just about anything for a recommendation, a place to stay, a steady wage and all the stability he and his agency could provide, if you just managed to worm your way in. You could only be thankful he’d decided to interview you personally, despite his position. You never would’ve gotten the job, otherwise.

You’d never admitted that to him, not out loud, but that was something you liked about Hakamada - he picked up on little details, no matter how subtle. He noticed up on your willingness to work overtime, your erratic apologies whenever he called you into his office, regardless of the reason why. Your chronic lateness, your reliance on the charity of your coworkers whenever the staff went out for after-hour drinks. You’d never told him, but you never needed to. He was more than willing to help you, whether or not you let him know how much you appreciated it. He was a Hero, after all. It only made sense that he'd do whatever he could for someone in need.

The job hadn’t lasted, you weren’t really cut out for it, but Hakamada had.

Some days, you could even convince yourself he’d done it out of love.

Tonight, the task was easier than it usually was. In his penthouse, standing in front of the full-body mirror he’d had brought in and installed just for you, it was easy to fall into the idea that you were the object of his affections, the apple of his eye, someone he cared about and someone he cared about genuinely, especially when you were already dressed in clothes he’d bought, wearing the jewelry he’d been generous enough to pay for. You knew it wasn’t much, for him. Even if everything he gave you was designer, expensive enough to make your heart speed up and your throat go dry, it wouldn’t make a dent in his salary, and he seemed to like providing for you more than you liked being provided for, honestly. But, you couldn’t refuse. Hakamada had done so much for you, he was still doing so much for you. If he wanted someone to spoil, you couldn’t refuse. And, while you were on the topic…

“Are you ready, beautiful?”

You couldn’t let him know you were so reluctant, either.

You hadn’t heard him come in, but that didn’t stop you from leaning into his touch as you felt his hand cup your cheek, its twin coming to rest on your hip. He was gentle, if nothing else, his chest barely touching your back as he leaned forward, eyes scanning over your reflection, searching patiently for something to correct. You didn’t mind, submitting yourself to his scrutiny with minimal resistance. He was a perfectionist. He looked at everyone like a project, and you weren’t an exception.

Still, you tried to sound confident when you answered. Even if that meant lying through your teeth. “I think so,” You said, smoothing over your outfit one last time. “It’s a Hero’s gala, right? It’s not like anyone’s going to bother paying attention to me.”

“If you’re on my arm, they will.” He always sounded so stern. This wasn’t your first event, you’d gone plenty of times as his assistant and as his partner, but Hakamada liked to be thorough. Before, he’d dug the heel of his palm into the base of your spine, pinched your cheek whenever your attention started to drift, and even after his valet had already arrived, he’d still spend the better half of the drive searching for loose threads and stray hairs to aggressively correct. Now, to fix your posture, he was kind enough to stop at squeezing your hip, his free hand nudging gently at your shoulder. It was merciful, in comparison, but it was still difficult not to feel like a prized mutt, locked into a muzzle and dragged onto a pedestal. “Keep your back straight. You remember everything we went over, don’t you?”

Of course. He’d only spent the past three hours drilling it into you. “I do, Hakamada.”

There was a pause, just the slightest bit of hesitation. “Hakamada?”

To your credit, you caught your mistake a second after he did. “I mean, I do, Tsunagu--”

“You’re really going to address me like that in front of journalists?”

Your eyes dropped below the mirror. For whatever reason, you didn’t want to look at him, anymore. “I’m sorry, Tsun’.”

Luckily, that seemed to satisfy him. Hakamada let out a heavy sigh, and you could feel him shaking his head, more out of disappointment than genuine annoyance. The gesture was familiar, as was the anger-tinged guilt that accompanied it, but he still took his time, letting the feeling brew before he bothered to speak. Sometimes, you had to wonder if he did that on purpose, if he knew he was only making you feel worse by trying to act so forgiving. Most of the time, though, you pushed the thought out before you could dwell on it. You’d only be making things worse for yourself, if you started thinking about things like that. “I’m just trying to help,” He started, the mantra already engraved into your mind. “You’ve come so far since I first found you. All that progress shouldn’t go to waste.”

It wasn’t a question. He didn’t need you to agree. It shouldn’t, and as far as Hakamada was concerned, you didn’t get a choice in the matter. “I know. I’ve come too far to backtrack.”

“You’ve come too far to throw it away.” That was something you didn’t like, when you’d worked for him. It was all or nothing, with Hakamada. A mission was either a success or a disaster. His newest sidekick was either a prodigy or a wash-out waiting to happen. Failure wasn’t an option, not when the slightest mistake meant disrepair. “Things have gotten better for you, haven’t they? You’ve enjoyed your time with me?” It was a question, this time, but he didn’t want an answer, even if he paused as gloved fingers trailed over your side, only leaving your skin for a moment before he cupped your jaw, tilting your head back just far enough for the change to be noticeable. Just far enough to force you to look at your reflection, whether or not you wanted to. “It’d be such a shame if all of this had to come to an end just because of a few insignificant, avoidable mistakes.”

Suddenly, your throat went dry, your heart drawing a little too tight in your chest. It'd been happening more than it should, lately, considering how careful Hakamada encouraged you to be with your health. “You’re… This is going to end?”

He always seemed to enjoy it, when you said things like that. Maybe it was your tone, the softened desperation you didn’t try to hide, or maybe he took it as a confession, a sign that you cared for him, or that you cared for what he could provide, at least. You hoped it was the latter. He liked it when you were desperate, and you liked to pretend that he didn’t. “Of course not, dear,” He soothed, his disappointment suddenly gone and replaced with something more assuring, something more sentimental. As sentimental as Hakamada was capable of being, anyway. “I’d sooner lock you up completely than ever let my little muse run off. Besides...” He trailed off, a light chuckle fading into a scoff. “Even if I did lose you, I wouldn’t be able to let you go, not entirely. It wouldn’t be fitting for my partner, past or present, to go back to living in some tiny apartment, struggling to make ends meet. It’d be embarrassing, for both of us, and I don’t know if I’d be able to stand the distance.”

You didn’t say anything, but you didn’t have to. Hakamada was distracted, now, pressing a light kiss into the dip of your shoulder before he pulled away, fiddling with the cuffs of his suit. “We’re already running late. When you’re ready, come find me. I’ll be waiting.”

You didn’t turn around. You heard the door to his bedroom close, his footsteps growing more distant as the seconds ticked by, but you didn’t feel the need to watch him, you didn’t want to see him, his face, how unaffected he was by the doubts that plagued you like some ever-lasting, unshakable waking nightmare. You knew it wasn’t healthy, objectively. You shouldn’t have to wonder if your boyfriend really likes you. You shouldn’t have to practice your smile, lower your voice, contort yourself to fit his standards of perfection, your needs be damned. It wasn’t healthy, it wasn’t even pleasant, but…

He was right. You didn’t go back to the way things used to be. Starving, working yourself to the bone to make rent, letting any Pro-Hero who showed an interest turn you into something soft and toothless and malleable. It was easier to be with Hakamada. It was easier to let him have his way.

It was easier to tell yourself that you’d still be allowed to leave, if you wanted to.

With that in mind, you turned on your heel, starting in the direction he’d gone off in. You would stay. You had to stay.

You wouldn’t know how to be yourself without him, anymore.

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere prompts #yandere imagines #yandere scenarioes #yandere oneshots #commission #writing commission #yandere commission #boku no hero academia #boku no hero acadamia imagines #yandere boku no hero academia #my hero academia #my hero academia imagines #yandere my hero academia #bnha #yandere bnha #bnha imagines #yandere mha #mha imagines #mha #best jeanist x reader #yandere best jeanist #yandere fantasy #yanderecore #yancore

[glimmerglanger]

You asked for this, friend: In the oof!au, Obes is gonna need a new lightsaber isn't he? Or at least will need to heal Anakin's. You have any ideas how that goes?

HE SURE IS. I actually think it’s one of the things he gets around to earlier (so, chronologically he starts working on it before the arm is completed, but finished after). SO:

~~~~~~~~~~

So many things were broken.

Obi-Wan felt the cracks, the aching hurts through the Force; it was a constant kind of pressure, always there. He felt it from his men - even from Rex and Ahsoka, who were not, technically, his, but - and himself and…

And even the lightsaber that he kept in his quarters.

He did not know what Anakin had done to his lightsaber. Perhaps there’d been some grand plan in store for it. Perhaps Anakin had planned to use it to cut off his legs. Or to kill him, when Anakin ran out of ways to amuse himself with Obi-Wan’s body.

Whatever his intentions had been, they could no longer come to fruition. It was gone, along with everything else once placed upon the surface of Mustafar. 

But Anakin’s lightsaber had come with them, had escaped off of the planet and stayed in Obi-Wan’s care. And it radiated agony, out into the Force. It took days - weeks - for Obi-Wan to identify that bit of agony; there was so much else to work through, first.

When he did, he froze for a long moment, staring at the metal cylinder. It was large, larger than he could comfortably hold. Anakin had not been rebuilt to scale, by whatever butchers had tended him. The saber was dark and grim and Obi-Wan did not like to look at it because Anakin had--

Made it the instrument of some much pain and suffering.

Enough so that the agony radiated out of it, still.

Obi-Wan curled his fingers up to his palms. He considered simply putting the thing in an airlock and spacing it, but… He understood the basic process used by the Sith to torture kyber crystals into compliance. He could not, he found, bring himself to abandon yet another wound caused by Anakin. He drew in a sharp breath and, carefully, went about dismantling the device.

It was easy to fall into the habit of breaking down a lightsaber. He had done it so many times in his life. Each lightsaber was different but each was the same, as well. He twisted and tugged and gently placed the pieces as he went, just as though he were repairing his own.

Except his crystal had never been so dull. There was no visible red glow to it, not the way he had half-expected. It simply looked shadowed. It had no shine. And it radiated agony out into the Force, a sense of corruption and wrongness.

“Sh,” Obi-Wan said, plucking the tiny crystal up and placing it in his palm. It barely weighed anything and felt terribly cold against his skin. He curled his fingers around it and cradled it to his chest, curling over, murmuring, “sh, sh.”

#

There were methods to heal a kyber crystal. Obi-Wan had heard of them, once upon a time, ever so long ago. He barely recalled them. He’d been a padawan, when he learned the lore and the rituals, and had not thought them something he needed to commit to memory.

After all, he’d assumed, the library would always be there to review the process.

He was still digging through his memories when someone knocked at his door. He did not have to stretch out his senses through the Force to know that it was Cody. After all, he’d been alone for nearly an hour.

That was, to date, close to a record for them.

Obi-Wan shook that thought away. Healing, he knew, took time. He stood, keeping the crystal tucked against his palm, and went to the door, and nodded, though he was not really hungry, when Cody asked if he wanted to go to the mess.

The crystal burned cold against his palm through the meal.

#

Obi-Wan grew familiar with the cuts and edges of the crystal. He studied it and kept it close and wondered, exactly, how he was supposed to heal it. He meditated upon it, keeping the crystal close, and found it easy to sink down into its presence in the Force.

Something lashed out at him when he did, something sharp edged that slid along his mind. He got the feeling, settled deep in the Force, that it was a strike not meant to cause harm. A warning, instead. 

He exhaled, centering himself and refocusing on the crystal and when it struck at him again, he accepted the pain. Sometimes, he knew, healing required pain. A broken bone could not be set without hurt.

And he knew quite well how to handle pain.

#

The pain radiating out of the crystal did not ease all at once. It faded over time, in bits and snatches, until one morning Obi-Wan woke up and felt no hurt blazing out of it. He uncurled his fingers slowly, and found the crystal clear.

He smiled and curled his fingers closed again, relieved, at least, to have succeeded in fixing something.

He meant, really, to leave things there. The Order had fallen, the Temple had burned, he was...not the warrior he once was. What use did he have, really, for a lightsaber? But that did not stop him from reaching for his belt, more and more often, especially once his prosthetic was completed.

It would always be his first instinct, in a fight, to reach for a lightsaber, to stand as a shield in front of his men. A blaster could kill a man, or at least hurt someone badly enough that they would not rise again.

A lightsaber could deflect a killing blow, could stop a fight before it started.

And so he sighed, eventually, and pulled out the rest of the pieces of Anakin’s lightsaber, frowning over them. They were the wrong size to serve his purposes, but the basic components would work, if he managed to collect enough of what he needed. 

He wondered how difficult it would be to arrange a trip to a market. Or perhaps two.

#

In the end, he made his purchases here and there, while they were going about other business. He thought he’d done a fairly good job keeping his work to himself, at least until Tektek stopped by his side in the mess one day and placed a small spring beside his hand. Obi-Wan had been unable to find one anywhere and looked up, startled.

“It wasn’t hard to make,” Tektek said, gaze cutting to the side, voice quiet. 

“Oh,” Obi-Wan said, reaching his new hand out and gently lifting the spring. “I didn’t - you didn’t have to--”

“I wanted to,” Tektek said, and Obi-Wan could not help but noting that their conversation was suddenly drawing a lot of attention. Crys, a table away, had frozen and was staring at them, wide-eyed, as Tektek cleared his throat and said, “Some of us - we have some other parts. If you’d want them.”

Obi-Wan blinked, rapidly, trying to clear away the burn in his eyes. He said, carefully clearing his throat, “I’d - of course I’d want them.”

And by the time he left the mess he had all the pieces he yet needed, held carefully in his hands. He said, softly, to Cody, who walked beside him the entire way, “I didn’t mean to put everyone to any trouble.” 

And Cody hesitated, for just a step, before he slid into motion again and said, “You didn’t.”

Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose. “I--”

“We want - we - it’s good, to help you,” Cody cut in, touching his arm, so softly that Obi-Wan only barely felt it. He came to a stop and purposefully leaned into the touch, hearing Cody’s breath catch a little.

They did nothing but look at one another for a moment, and then Obi-Wan nodded. He said, soft, “I have everything I need now.”

“So you can make one?” Cody asked, and Obi-Wan hesitated another moment before inclining his head, just a little. “Good,” Cody said, and Obi-Wan wished he could agree so whole-heartedly, so easily.

#

In the end, Obi-Wan found reasons to put off the construction, but a brutal fight and then another convinced him he could not wait any longer. He was a steady hand with a blaster. He could fight more than well with nothing but his body.

But…

A lightsaber helped. There was no way to deny it. And so he went back to his quarters, relieved when Cody followed him in and sat down at the table to clean his blaster. Obi-Wan laid out all the pieces and...made himself breathe as he constructed them. 

It did not take long to complete the work. He closed his eyes and felt each piece in the Force, moving them together without touching them. He tested the balance of the completed saber, sliding the Force over each piece of it, feeling the thrum of the crystal inside.

He stretched out his hand and took it from the air, and it fitted perfectly against his palm and his fingers. He opened his eyes and exhaled, and Cody, who had been sitting quietly across the room asked, “Well, are you going to turn it on?”

Obi-Wan stared down at the saber in his grip, heart twisting unpleasantly in his chest. He knew, very well, that a kyber crystal reflected the person it attuned to, and that he had gently replaced Anakin’s impression on the crystal. He’d spent time with it, carried it with him, it would--

It would know him, when he turned the saber on. It would reflect him. Changes and damage and--

He shut his eyes, looking to the side, fingers clenching tight. “Perhaps later,” he rasped out, throat unpleasantly tight, too able to imagine what the blade might tell him about the parts of himself he didn’t want to see, about what Anakin had done to him, really, not on the outside, but inside--

“Sh,” Cody murmured, quiet, and closer. “It’s -- Obi-Wan.” He reached out, carefully, and gripped Obi-Wan’s shoulder. Obi-Wan blinked, could not help but lean into the touch, the comfort Cody was projecting down at him. He looked up, and found Cody watching him. And Cody said, quietly, “Try it now, please.”

Obi-Wan hesitated another moment, but, in truth, putting it off further wouldn’t solve anything. He swallowed and nodded, tried to center himself in the Force and activated the lightsaber and--

He did not intend to sob at the flash of blue light, but the sound escaped his throat, anyway. And Cody was there, curling an arm around his back, murmuring soothing words against his hair as Obi-Wan slumped into him, relief and disbelief and wild joy all swirling within him.

#glimmer replies #ask me anything #oof!au #fallout of trauma #mentions of past torture #loss of a limb #recovery from trauma #codywan

[norisxfics]

Fantasies

Title: Fantasies

Story type: One-shot

Rated: 16+

Contains: Boss/Employee Relationship, Hand Kink, sexual tension Note: I was writing this to practice my writing, I was trying to practice getting better at descriptions, I hope I did a good job! Enjoy.

The meeting I was in was getting boring. One of my co-workers was presenting on the overhead projector, and honestly I was too bored to pay attention. My eyes began to wander the room, watching the expressions of my co-workers as they listened. Some were fighting off sleep, some were leaned back in their seats, arms crossed over their chests, and some just doodling on the notepads. 

Then there was my boss. Arms crossed over his chest, one leg crossed over the other, listening intently to the presentation. I found myself soon focusing on how he’s dressed. Definitely designer brands. Black dress shoes matched with a navy blue pinstriped suit. He wore a white button up shirt underneath with a black tie. It fit his body type really well. The fabric hugged his body, arm muscles seemingly almost popping through the fabric of his sleeves, chest begging to be free from the restraints of his shirt. 

My eyes soon moved to his chiseled jawline. Sharp enough to kill a man I would say. His skin was pale and as smooth as a baby. Smoother than my own skin, I was kind of jealous. His eyes always had a sharp gaze, one you wouldn’t want to mess with, but when he smiled they would shine bright, practically inviting you in. 

As I gazed at him, taking in every feature of his, I soon found myself staring at his soft pink lips. I wanted to taste them, I wanted to take his plump bottom lip in between my teeth.

I watched as he brought his hand to his face, covering his mouth as he took in the presentation. 

First thing I noticed was his silver Rolex watch, then his silver rings with a rose-gold inlay, which was on his middle finger. Everything he wore was designer. I wasn’t surprised, with a successful CEO like him, he could afford anything he wanted.

My attention soon went the veins popping out of his large hands. At this moment I wanted nothing more than to have those hands all over my body, feeling every inch of me. Wrapping around my neck, choking me. I hadn’t realized how long I’ve been staring at him until the woman beside me, who was also my friend, nudged me. I looked over at her to see that she was smirking at me as she pushed her notepad towards me. I looked down at the paper which read “I can see you practically devouring the man with your eyes, settle down kitten.” I rolled my eyes and smiled. 

My attention was soon brought back to our boss as our co-worker sat down and he stood up to take his place to finish up the meeting. As he spoke I couldn’t help but to continue appreciating this mans very existence. I prayed for the buttons on his shirt to just pop open already. 

The meeting was soon finally over. I could go back to my desk and finish my work. Only thing I was disappointed with was the fact that I couldn’t stare at my boss anymore.  Though that was quickly fixed when I got a call from his secretary about an hour before it was time to clock out. She told me the boss wanted to go over what I had so far for our project, he was checking on everyone's progress. 

I grabbed my folder that contained all my work and made my way up the elevator to his office. 

The secretary greeted me as soon as she saw me “Mr. Jung is waiting for you inside, you can go ahead.” 

I nodded my head at the secretary, thanking her. My heart started racing as I opened the door and entered inside. 

“Good, you’re here, let’s go over what you have, have a seat,” he gestured towards the space beside him on the sofa and I did as told. I took out my files and we spread them out on the coffee table in front of us. We discussed my work and what I could change or add. 

I found myself often staring at his hands. Don’t get it twisted, I was paying attention, I was, but he kept adjusting his ring and I couldn’t help but stare at his hands because of it, he’s the one distracting me, I’m the victim here. 

“Tell me, what is it that you’re so interested in? Is it my watch? Perhaps, my rings? Or is it my hands?”

I was taken off guard, my eyes immediately darting to his. His brow was raised, eyes focused on mine, practically burning through me and...what’s that? Is...is he smirking?

“E-excuse me, sir?” 

“Well, you’ve been staring at my hands a lot throughout this entire discussion,”

“I um, sorry I think you’ve misunderstood me I-”

“and during the meeting, you did it then too, I saw you staring at me, it was almost as if you were undressing with your eyes...” 

He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear as he inched closer to me. My heart started racing, face getting hot, I was getting excited but I knew I shouldn’t get my hopes up. He’s my boss and I’m just some employee, no prettier than any girl he could have. I looked away in embarrassment but he soon lifted my chin up, making me look up at him. 

His face was dangerously close to mine. The fragrance of his musty cologne reaching my nostrils. 

“What is it that you like so much about my hands?”

“Um, Jaehyun I-I mean sir, I don’t know if this is appropriate...” I stuttered.

He raised a brow again, tilting his head “is it not appropriate? Please explain why it’s not appropriate, I am just asking a question, I don’t see anything inappropriate about that, do you? Tell me what it is and I’ll decide whether that’s true or not.” He pulled his hand away from my face, resting his arm on the back on the sofa.

I swallowed back my saliva, taking a deep breath. If I tell him it could makes things weird, and he might fire me. I didn’t want to get fired, but he wanted me to explain myself. I felt like if I lied he would see right through me. 

“well, I- I’ll be honest but it might make things awkward...” 

“Oh? Well go on, we’ll find out if that’s true,”

I hesitantly began explaining to him why I was staring at his hands “they’re attractive, sir, I just...I like big veiny hands like yours so I couldn’t help buy stare...and you, well...you know...”

He let out a hum “No, I don’t know actually, care to enlighten me?”

I looked up at him timidly, my lips pursing together as I subconsciously played with my fingers. It was a bit of a nervous habit of mine. 

“well...I fantasized about them,” 

His lips soon formed into a smirk. He slowly cupped the side of my face with his hand “is that so?” his thumb brushed past my lips, excitement and nervousness now rushing through me. 

“What did you fantasize I’d do with my hands? Touch you, gently and softly?” he gently stroked my cheek “like this? or maybe you wanted my hands to caress your body, to grab your hips and pull you closer, maybe?” His thumb gently pressed against my bottom lip as he parted my lips. His face, one again, only inches away from mine. 

“You were right, this is inappropriate, so tell me, would it be inappropriate for you if we had discussed this after work hours? As Jaehyun and you, and not as your boss and you?” He glanced over at his watch “you’re off the clock now, I’m no longer your boss, so you get to decide what happens now, you can stop me and we will never speak of today again, or you will let me make my move and we can discuss things in more details later.” 

His hand moved to the back my head, pulling me closer to his with his other hand at my waist, lips softly hovering over mine. I could feel his breath against me. He looked into my eyes for a moment, my chest rising and falling as I tried to calm myself. After a moment of silence he pressed his lips against mine and I didn’t reject him.

I closed my eyes, accepting his kiss. His hand squeezed my hip and I gripped onto the fabric at his chest. He moved his body closer, gently pushing me back onto the sofa. His body was now on top of mines. Hands roaming down my sides and up to my chest, squeezing my breasts. 

My life changed that night, definitely not for the worst. 

#nct #nct 127 #nct127 #nct fanfics #nct 127 fanfic #nct fanfic #nct127 fanfic #nct 127 fanfics #jaehyun fanfic #jaehyun #johnny #johnny fanfic #johnny suh #yuta #yuta fanfic #nct mark fanfic #doyoung fanfic #haechan fanfic #nct smut #jaehyun smut #hand kink #nct hand kink #jaehyun hand kink #jaehyun hands #my fic #my story #fanatasies

[vatt-world]

comedy

I saw a job posting in the college newspaper for telemarketer and decided to interview for it. The college building was squeezed between a sandwich place and a bookstore. The guy interviewing me looked a bit like Paul Giamatti from "Billions," but there were definitely no billions to be made here.

During the interview, he asked simple questions like who had used a computer before and who knew how to use a phone, how to type basic english. I got hired and was given a script to follow.

I got hired and was given a script to follow. My job was to keep people/alumni on the line and chat about how great the university was still doing.

I was supposed to ask alumni like Milli for a hundred bucks to support the college. but milli response was "Oh, I'm sorry, hun. I'm barely scraping by on a fixed income. I'd love to help, really, but a hundred dollars? not happening." So, I lowered the amount to fifty dollars, but still got a no. Then I tried twenty dollars, and she agreed to make the donation.

After working for an hour, a bell rang for a break. The boss, stood on a chair and called out how much money everyone had brought in. He gave cookies to the top three earners.

Overall, it was an interesting experience, but I only worked there for a few weeks before my semester started, and I quit the telemarketing job.

///////////////////////////

“BE CAREFUL!” my roommate WILLIAM TOLD ME . “I am being careful!” I said, grabbing the dvd from him and totally not being careful.It wasn't contraband or illicit substances..it was dance dvd.. I was staring at it in awe, my heart pounding like crazy. cuoristy got the better of me and I put the dvd in my vcr. And What unfolded on the screen was unlike anything I’d ever saw. and what captivated me even more was drummer in the corner setting the rhythm and this guy was dancing to the beat in rhythm…it was beautiful… soon i was playing drums… ////////////////////////////

yamaha bike, poolkey , hiphop cd , coach andrew, transmission-affleck movie, relationships, embarassing-denny's,cardealer- chinese , cow on the street monkey ,clearance sales, f on imaginary things,losing job at sixty..

////////////////// I needed a job. Scanning through the student paper, I found an opening in the computer lab. It seemed perfect, except for the minor detail that I knew next to nothing about computers. All I knew was that if something goes wrong, you should reboot the computer. Sure, I could switch a computer on, but i knew nothing about coding, programming, troubleshooting.

I interviewed with this quiet guy who wore glasses, named Dominick. He wore a buttoned-up shirt, light brown khakis, and Nike running sneakers. "Hi, Kunal, nice to meet you,” he said, in a soft, high-pitched voice. “I am looking for some people to be computer lab managers. What are your skills?”

“Troubleshooting, programming, Excel, PowerPoint,” I said.

“Can you give me more details?”

"Sure, I've read courses online, fixed bugs on my computer, and developed applications."

"I like you. I’m going to hire you,” he said as we shook hands. Bingo! “Given your advanced skill set, I’m going to give you a very special project.”

He turned to the computer and opened up a software program I had never seen. “The school is trying to integrate this new voice recognition software. I want you to figure it out, dissect it, and write an entire instruction manual based on what you’ve learned.”

So three days a week, four hours each shift, my job was to sit at the computer and try to figure out voice recognition software. The first day I took the job very seriously. I spoke into the microphone and compared what I said to the words that appeared on the screen: “The cat drank the cow’s milk,” I said. On-screen: "You drank the milk." I said it slowly again… "You drank the milk" again… I basically gave up on the project after a few days, and each shift I would spend fifteen minutes on voice recognition, and then would spend the rest of my time chatting.

The week passed, the instruction manual was due and it was time to face the music. I decided to write something… click the L button… etc.

“I just got an email from the university. I have some troubling news.” Shit. My scholarships. Dominick took off his glasses. “The school has decided to put a stop to the software. The license has expired.”

I said, “Whatever’s best for the university."

“Because of your hard work and commitment to this project, I’m going to promote you to lab manager of the engineering building.” He gave me a raise, bumping me up to nine dollars an hour, which was damn good money at the time. I was a good lab manager.

[sada-siva-sanyaasi]

Stains - Part 9

Series Summary: An artist goes through a lot of things, sure, but having to deal with her ex on a constant basis wasn’t something she signed up for.

Words: 3,625 words.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (Modern!AU)

A/N: Words under the cut. Also been a long long time, eh? I honestly had a rough patch these last few months, and also didn’t have my laptop with me to update even though I had written, so I apologise a thousand times. I am so so sorry everyone! Hope the next few weeks of updates and story can make up for my loss of inspiration! Love you always, and as usual, feedback of all forms is greatly appreciated!

Series Masterlist / Twitter Profiles | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 |

 Y/N watched Peter walk into the building and sighed to herself, running a hand through her hair. “Okay, this is it, you dropped your toddler now you go shooting.” She didn’t realise how long she was just sitting inside until she heard someone honking behind her, making her snap back and drive on.

Each step she took towards the studio was heavier than the one before, her heart racing and her hands shivering. Y/N stopped in front of the door and let out a shaky breath, cracking her knuckles. “It’s just another project, why am I getting so worked up? Fucking relax, Y/N, this is not a big deal. This is like every other project you’ve had with models.”

“Although I don’t mind the whole ‘talking-to-yourself’ thing,” Y/N jumped and turned around to see Loki stand there, a smile on his face, “do it inside the studio while you’re setting things up, won’t you? That way no one stares at you like you’re a weirdo.”

Y/N beamed and smacked Loki’s shoulder, a small yelp escaping his mouth. “Good morning, Loki. I was just giving myself a pep talk. It’s a shoot for Tony Stark, right?” Loki hummed, opening the door and ushering her in while they set their stuff down.

“Yeah, someone you already shot for if I remember. And you shot him too,” Loki added, making Y/N close her mouth and turn away with a scowl. “So I really don’t see why you’re getting so sweaty. Unless of course, it’s because your ex is coming here.”

Y/N stopped fixing her lens and turned to Loki, who looked busy setting up the lights. “How do you know so much?” Loki snickered and walked to his laptop, noticing more support staff walk in. “I just am very observant, my dear. Especially with your Twitter shenanigans, it’s hard not to know really. I think even Thor knows, I heard him laugh at your tweet for about ten god-awful minutes.”

Y/N grimaced and connected the main camera to Loki’s laptop, a hot red blush spreading across her cheeks. “We do not speak of my Twitter shenanigans, Laufeyson. It’s a dark subject.” Loki rolled his eyes and smirked, bowing in front of Y/N just as Thor walked in. “My humblest apologies, oh revered one.”

Y/N smacked Loki again and both of them laughed as they greeted Thor, settling down in their chairs. “When will the models get here?” Thor huffed, looking at his watch, and Y/N rolled her eyes.

“They’ll have to get here, set up, dress up, and pose. Oh it’s a long day, and it’s only day one. There’s five more days till we go back to shooting other things again.” Y/N frowned, biting her nails as she looked up.

“Wait, what are we shooting for again?”

Loki and Thor burst out laughing, Thor even leaning forward to ruffle Y/N’s hair. “Are you sure you’re the photographer and not just an assistant, Y/N? We are doing endorsement shoots for today and tomorrow while the rest of the three days will be personalized shoots of the models.” Y/N’s scowl deepened as she stared at the door.

“Oh God I’m regretting these shoots already.” The doors opened and her breath hitched, only to see people with makeup kits walk in, and she stood up angrily.

“Oh, they’re taking so long! I’ll go get a coffee, you want something?” The brothers shook their heads and she walked out, stuffing her hands into her pockets and humming under her breath.

As she walked into the Stark cafeteria and waited in the queue, she heard an all too familiar voice laugh. “Oh I know, Bucky has made it his life mission to screw himself up in front of the world. Now he bullshits about Tony’s work, what an idiot. Jesus, my head hurts whenever he decides to use his brain. Ow, what the fuck!” “I’m standing right beside you, asshole.”

Y/N bit her lip to stop the laugh from leaving her mouth and silently stepped towards the counter. “I’d like a chocolate cappuccino with two shots of espresso and extra chocolate please.” The barista looked up and smiled. “Long day ahead? It’ll be $3.50 please,” She said, and Y/N smiled, nodding.

“Almost never ending, and here you go.” Y/N’s smile widened when she got a sandwich along as the barista winked at her. “It’s on us, hope you a great day.”

She turned and nearly bumped into a person when two strong arms wrapped around her, holding her steady. “Easy there, coffee girl.” A smooth voice said, and Y/N froze entirely, her blood turning cold. “Don’t call me that, Barnes,” she mumbled, looking up, and Bucky smirked. “Why not, Y/N? Wasn’t that how we met?” She glared at him and gestured towards the drink in her hand. “Want to get drenched in something hot again?”

Bucky stepped back from her, still not letting go. “No, I don’t think you would voluntarily drench me in that chocolate-y coffee goodness. I know you enough to know you love your coffee a lot, and that it costed a lot too.” Y/N huffed and sipped her drink, her eyes closing momentarily when the hot liquid flooded her mouth.

“Yeah, you’re right. I wouldn’t, but I would like to go now, so if you leave me.” Bucky hummed, his grip not faltering a bit. “No, I don’t think I will let you go, Y/N. you and I need to go to the same place anyway, and I like holding you, it’s been a while.”

Y/N’s eyes widened and she noticed Pietro behind them, waving and grinning at her as Bucky ushered her to the studio.

“Fucking let me go, asshole!” She barked, not caring about how many people were looking at them, and Bucky rolled his eyes. “Oh, hush child. We have the same destination, and so I’m making this journey along with you.”

Y/N mumbled a soft “what the fuck” as Pietro opened the doors and bowed down, allowing Bucky and Y/N to walk in. She finally shook him off and stormed over to Loki and Thor, setting her coffee down. Loki watched as she cracked her knuckles and bent forward, picking her sandwich and taking a bite of it.

“You said you didn’t want anything!” Y/N hissed and he shrugged. “With how that lady just ate our brains, I got a little hungry. I’m not sorry,” She looked around and her scowl deepened, fist clenched.

“The witch has already arrived, I see.” Loki nodded, his hand creeping towards her coffee only for it to be smacked away.

“Alright,” Y/N yelled, walking to the models in the middle of the room, “let’s get this show on the road. We got three hours today, and I want them to count. Get dressed, you’re having shoots with products.”

 --

 “No, I don’t like the shade of lipstick; don’t you think it’s too dull? How about blood red?” Dolores said, looking through the makeup as Y/N sighed out loud for the tenth time, sipping her coffee.

“How is your coffee still not over?”  Thor said, sitting beside her, and she glanced at him. “I’m trying not to finish it so that I’m busy till she decides to end our misery and just model. Jesus Christ, this is why I hate shooting with living creatures, such monsters.”

Thor coughed to cover up his laugh when Dolores shot a glare in their direction, and Loki leaned towards her. “When will you tell her this is a monochrome shoot?” he whispered, and Y/N turned to him, a coy smile on her face.

“I want to see how long it takes before she figures it out on her own.” Both of them grinned at each other and Y/N turned, only for her breath to be snatched right out of her lungs.

Bucky stood a couple feet away from her, his hairstylist fixing him up as he unbuttoned the top part of his shirt, checking himself out in the mirror. She didn’t want to admit it, but he looked like he dropped straight from heaven.

“He looks good, huh?” Pietro said, making her jump and turn to scowl at him. “What did you say?” Pietro smirked, “You heard me,” Y/N rolled her eyes and finished her coffee when Bucky said, “I heard that its monochrome today.”

She nodded, picking her camera and fiddling with it.

“Well, what colour is it, then?”

“What colour is the background, Barnes?”

“Black.”

“Your clothes?”

“Black and white.”

“Bingo.”

Dolores stopped applying her blush and glared at Y/N. “You’re telling me that after I spent twenty minutes trying to pick out the right shade of lipstick for this cream dress?!”

Y/N stared at Dolores. “Did you bother checking with me if you needed blood red lipstick and coral blush? He asked me, I told him. You should’ve asked me, Miss Smith. Would’ve saved you and us a lot of time.”

Dolores continued to glare at her as Y/N stood up and said, “I hope you’re ready. Your products have been placed there; we will be going with you first. Loki, I need you to set a diffuser over the light falling from the top and Thor, a reflector to the left please. Let’s get this done with.”

Bucky watched as Loki and Thor stepped away from Y/N while she knelt forward, looking into her camera. She adjusted the lens and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, scrunching her nose a little as she said, “Thor, move closer. Dolores, adjust your position a little to the left, chin higher in the air, thank you. And smile, don’t smirk.”

A smile unknowingly made its way onto Bucky’s face, his heart feeling light as he kept watching her. It had been three years since he spent so long with Y/N, and he was more than happy that he was getting to see her like this. Emotions and memories he kept buried for years resurfaced, his chest tightening as he remembered the little things about her.

Pietro watched Bucky, and scoffed silently. “Bro, you are whipped. I bet you even know what’s happening in her head.”

“She’s not happy with how Dolores is posing, she’s constantly correcting her but her eyebrows are still furrowed and her tongue is not sticking out yet. It shows she’s angry, not concentrating.  Y/N will stand up and walk to correct Dolores and her posture anytime now.”

Not long after the words left Bucky’s mouth Y/N stood up, walking to Thor and angling the reflector before murmuring to Dolores, moving her hands and adjusting her. Bucky’s smile turned smug as Pietro stared at him, shock on his face. “Did you fucking study this girl? How do you know so much after so long?”

Bucky’s eyes never left Y/N as she set Dolores’s hair, rambling about the position of the fans beside them. “Fall in love, Pietro. You won’t forget what makes them who they are that easily. Look, her tongue is peeking out, she’s finally satisfied and she’s concentrating.” Pietro turned to where Bucky was pointing and chuckled, noticing how he was indeed right about Y/N yet again.

“You really love her, huh.” Bucky’s smile softened and he sighed, nodding. “I do. I didn’t prove it to her then, and I don’t know if she’ll believe me now. But I won’t give up, not after I have her right in front of me.”

“For five more days, Buck. You don’t even know if you’ll see her again. And you can’t make someone fall in love with you for the second time in so little time.” Bucky frowned, looking down as his stylist walked over to him, checking his outfit. “I could tell her the truth,” he mumbled, almost a whisper. “And then what? She’ll magically let you back into her life?”

Bucky turned to Pietro, who stared right back at him. “I’m serious, Buck. You think she’ll just let you back? Do you remember the look on her face that day?”

 Flashback

 Tears made their way down Y/N’s cheeks as she took in the scene in front of her, Dolores on top of Bucky and her hands on his chest. “S-So all of this, whatever Natasha told me, it’s true? I thought she was doing it out of spite, Bucky.”

Bucky pushed Dolores off him and stood up, the stench of alcohol from him reaching Y/N immediately. He looked at her; eyes swollen and cheeks red as she struggled to contain her sobs. The fight seemed like it happened so long ago, neither of them remembered what it was really about, but it had gotten out of hand. The people around them faded, non-existent and not mattering. “Just tell me it’s not real, James. I’ll believe you. Not Natasha, not Dolores, nobody. Please,” she whispered, stepping towards him only for him to step back.

“I think you need to leave and stop assuming things, Y/N. I’m drunk, and not in my senses.” Bucky mumbled, loud enough for her to hear every word. “So, that’s it? It’s the end?” She laughed, the sound hollow.

“Did it ever begin?” Bucky hissed, and Y/N looked like she had been slapped. “A year, Barnes.” She croaked, her nails digging into her skin. “We were together for a year and friends for two years before that. And you tell me none of it was real? I was in love with you, for this? Fuck you, James Barnes. I don’t want to ever see your face again.”

“Oh, the feeling’s mutual sweetheart.” Bucky said, turning back to the counter and grabbing his beer. Y/N turned and left, slamming the door shut behind her and Bucky slumped into his seat, tears leaving his eyes. Dolores rubbed his shoulder in comfort only for him to swat it away harshly. “Get out, Dot. I don’t want you.”

Dolores scowled, biting her lip.

“Here?”

“Ever. Out.”

 End of Flashback

 Bucky rubbed his head as Y/N said, “Alright, we’re done here! You can go change, Dolores. If the boys step forward, it’ll be great,” and stepped forward, watching her thrust props into his hands. “Hold these and pose right,” she mumbled, turning to leave when he grabbed her hands.

“I’d rather hold you, if I’m being honest.” He tugged her closer and smirked when Y/N pulled away, blushing profusely. “Shut the fuck up,” she seethed, glaring at him, and he bent forward to her level, tilting his head.

“Make me, sweetheart,” Bucky’s eyes went to her lips and his smirk widened when Y/N stepped away, calling his stylist to set his suit. Pietro sighed and elbowed Bucky, shooting a sharp glare. “Stop being a flirt, you’ll scare her away, asshole.”

Bucky rolled his eyes and punched Pietro’s shoulder. “You shut up, Maximoff. Don’t teach me how to get my girl back.”

Pietro watched Y/N talk to Loki, pointing at the lights and camera and rolled his eyes, grumbling, “What a cocky bastard.”

 --

 “Today was a long day,” Y/N sighed, falling into her chair and looking through her laptop at the pictures taken. “Longer than we wanted, Dolores spent so long getting ready. Wow, all ladies like this?” Thor grumbled, chugging his coffee.

“Slow down Thor, that’s not beer.” Loki chided, shaking his head and sitting closer to Y/N. “We were supposed to finish shoot in three hours, took us four and half because Atomic Blonde kept complaining about her fat face and wrong angles, what a drama queen.” Y/N chuckled and went on to making basic edits in the pictures, before sitting back. “Be careful with your words, Loki,” she said, nodding towards the models walking to them. “I heard drama queens have powerful ears, especially around things they shouldn’t hear.” Bucky and Pietro got their chairs and sat down, Pietro beside Loki and Bucky squeezing in between Loki and Y/N.

Dolores spared Y/N a glance before dragging a chair and sitting down in front of her, as if trying to squeeze herself between Y/N and Bucky. Y/N cleared her throat awkwardly and said, “Uh, I need to see the laptop Dolores, and you sitting here is making it impossible to do so. I need to show the final results to the other two models too, you’re not the only one.”

Dolores shot her a glare before pushing her laptop back a little, and Y/N rubbed her face. She stood up and grabbed the laptop, setting it down in her lap and turning to Bucky and Pietro.

“Since these are mostly close up shots focusing on the products, not a lot of your face is in the pictures, and we will be shooting in colours as well tomorrow. I hope you’re ready for it.”

Dolores scowled and looked into the laptop. “Don’t you think my angles are bad? My face looks swollen in these.” Pietro snorted. “That’s because you got here hungover.”

Loki coughed in a poor attempt to stop laughing while Thor made no such attempt, making Dolores fume. “You talk like you look great, Maximoff.”

Bucky rolled his eyes while Y/N said, “Please, he’s a Maximoff. He’s hotter than you and five generations of your family.” “I’m sorry; I think I need a minute. Can I hug you, Y/N?” Pietro said, while Bucky shot him a glare.

“Not now Maximoff, see your pictures and then you can.” Y/N kept scrolling through her laptop as Loki raised his eyebrows, looking at the pictures. “Your pictures look fabulous, Barnes.” He remarked, and Bucky smirked, resting his head on Y/N’s shoulder. “I’ll have to thank the hot photographer for that. She seemed to have paid special attention to-” “-the product, that’s why the pictures look great. All of them do, and if you guys have any problem with how you look, go to Loki. He’s doing the editing. And get your head off my shoulder, Barnes.”  

Bucky stared at Y/N and mumbled, “I never noticed, you have a double chin.” Y/N’s hand crept to her jaw as she turned to Bucky, whose head was still on her shoulder. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Get off me, please.” He shook his head, nuzzling closer to her and said, “I don’t want to.”

Y/N huffed, reluctantly settling into her seat to make it more comfortable for him. She didn’t know why she was doing it, but she did. Bucky smiled to himself, slowly wrapping his arms around her too.

Loki and Thor looked at them, and then turned to each other, eyebrows raised, before shrugging and standing up. “Who wants coffee?” Thor asked, and Bucky grabbed Y/N’s hand and raised it, while Pietro nodded and Dolores shook her head in disgust.

“I’d like a green tea; coffee is so bad for health.” Pietro scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yes, and getting shit-faced is not, Dolores. Come on, let’s go get coffee. What’s your order, Y/N and Bucky?”

“I’ll have a black coffee, Y/N will have a cap-” “I’ll have a café mocha, and I’m coming with you.” Y/N, with surprising gentleness, lifted Bucky’s head off her shoulder and stood up, brushing his arms off her.

She glanced down at him and bit her lip, before walking towards Loki. Bucky sighed and stood up, watching her. “Looks like some stuff did change in three years. She hated mochas before.”

Dolores rolled her eyes and glared at him. “You’re hung up on her even now? After three years?” Bucky stared at her.

“Well what else should I do, move on with you? I didn’t realise I had such a splendid option available.” Bucky pushed past Dolores and she scowled, stomping her feet. “Three years later, and nothing fucking changed.”

 --

 “See you tomorrow, gentlemen.” Y/N smiled and hugged Thor, before moving to Loki. “Send me one picture after editing it so that I know how it’ll turn out.” “Yeah I know, stop doubting my abilities.” He pulled her into a hug and sighed. “You know Barnes is trying hard, right?” He mumbled, and she pulled away slightly, her gaze unsure. “I know, and I also know what I saw that day. He didn’t stop her then, Loki.”

“And he doesn’t spare her a glance now, Y/N.” Her gaze hardened. “Once a cheater, always a cheater. Doesn’t matter how hard he tries to be different now. People don’t change, Loki.”

“But people change people, Y/N.” Loki sighed, rubbing his face. “You’ve known him for three years, and you’ve been away from him for three years. He must really miss you if he’s trying so hard even after you dumped whatever was in your hand on him.”

Y/N chuckled and shook her head, stepping away from him. “Whatever you say, Loki. Dolores is still stuck to him, see?”

Dolores was indeed stuck to Bucky, blabbering on as he stared at her with disinterest and discomfort. Pietro was watching their interaction and trying not to laugh, albeit unsuccessfully.

Loki rolled his eyes. “She’s trying to get you jealous, and you’re letting it work.” Thor nodded, munching on a cookie. “I’m sorry, where did you get that cookie from?” Thor grinned sheepishly, shrugging. “The barista found me hot.”

Loki nodded, pulling two cookies out of his pocket. “She gave me two.” He smirked, only for it to fall when Y/N pulled a croissant from her bag. “Complimentary goods from the chef, many more inside. Back down, peasants. Anyways, even if Dolores is trying to make me jealous, it’s not working.”

Thor patted her shoulder and shook his head. “You said her name and crushed the top of your bag. Like heck it’s not working.”

“Fine, she’s making me jealous and annoyed. What about it?”

Loki smirked and looked at his brother, who was wiping cookie crumbs off his face. “What are we here for?”

---

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[jenivi7]

First Lines Tagging Meme

I'M SO HAPPY TO BE TAGGED IN THIS TWICE!  Thank you @ink-flavored and @clyde-side !! (I almost just did this on my own too because I love babbling about my own fics...)

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line.

Now pinned and under a cut because it became a really long, really good introduction to me and my stories! 

Hello!

Unnecessary and overly wordy introduction/personal musings: I love opening lines so much. When I worked at a bookstore, I used to open books and hardcore judge them on their first lines. I had barely any free time to read at that point so if it didn’t grab me in the first line or two, I put it back. The first Harry Potter book is actually in my pile of really good openers. “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” (Subtle alliteration, HELLO??) So I'm super excited to see if my own first lines come even close to the standards that I apply to other people lol. MY OWN MONEY IS ON NO. I have the feeling that I'm so frantic trying to get the story down on paper before the good words disappear from my head that I'm not actually paying attention to the first line. BUT LET'S SEE, SHALL WE.

So just straight up going backwards, I've written and posted TWO BRAND NEW THINGS after being away from fandom almost entirely for 10+ years! They're drabble length but they're shiny and new! <3 (All available fics are linked!)

1. Tango:

She teaches them to dance so that they can dance with her but when Atem gets that mischievous smirk on his face and pulls Yugi into his arms, their bodies spark and the dance floor smolders at their heels.

(The fic is so short that this is a full 1/5 of it but actually, I think I crammed all the good stuff right into that first line. This already might be my favorite. Like it says there in the line itself, Puzzleshipping.)

2. No Betting:

Anzu sat at the kitchen table writing carefully calculated answers onto sticky notes before attaching them to a fourth-grade math worksheet.

(Peachshipping! This one doesn't pop off until about line five so here's the rest of that bit:)

She had the same arrangement with her spouse as most parents had. When the kids were good they were hers. When they were bad, they were his. And when they were winning at games because they picked up rules with uncanny speed and read their opponents with more insight than ought to be available to a child, they were definitely, definitely his.

3. If you wanted honesty that's all you had to say (working title):

When he realized that the figure sitting under the game shop display window and smoking wasn’t Ryou, the physical body response was as though it had discovered a coiled snake not two feet away.

(This one! It's a NEW half finished(?) WIP. I actually started this one before the drabbles but wanted to finish before posting it. Then it got out of hand, then work got out of hand, then I started a couple more projects and well. I keep putting words on it though and eventually there will be a Kleptoshipper that turns into Puzzle and Tender for your reading enjoyment. Also, fair warning - don't use song lyrics as a working title. Every time I look at the document I get the song stuck in my head.)

Now we have polished up reposts of old stories for their move to AO3, where I'll basically keep my master archive. Not full re-writes but I fixed a bunch of typos and awkward sentences and they're much stronger for it. Most of these are from a pairings contest way back when so LOTS of different pairings and lots of AUs!

4. Human:

It was like a bad noir, the thought crossed both of their minds.

(Scifi AU, Rivalshipping. That one's not bad for a first line. Actually no link at the time of writing cause the re-edit is going up in like, a half hour? an hour? a half day? It's my next project after finishing this, finishing up the edit and posting it on AO3. Now with link!)

5. Blood:

Fingers through midnight black hair, whispers in his ear, touches that sizzled along the skin, awakening nerves and senses. 

(Dungeonshipping, Pegasus x Otogi, vampires AU. Oh that’s a nice first line! <3)

6. Crazy for You:

The keys are too large and too heavy for the doctor more used to more modern facilities but she doesn't say anything, just follows the orderly as he pulls the large door open.

(Manipulashipping, Anzu x Marik, Psychward AU. Still one of my favorites from that era. Big bold warning though, THIS ONE CONTAINS NON-CON)

7. Finality:

“What are you doing here?”

“Saying goodbye.” Bakura’s translucent arms swept across the graveyard. “Is this not an appropriate place for it?”

(First two or so bits of dialogue as the first first is a generic question. You can tell this is one of the really old ones just by that but it's a sweet, sad little Tendershipper that still has a special place in my heart.)

8. Pieces of You:

Glitter caught the light, leaving shimmering trails in the air as it got everywhere.

(Glittershipping, Anzu x Kisara. Another one that's special to me. Kisara is my girl and my first writing muse. <3)

9. Cambodia:

“It was summer of fifty three...”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, it can't have been fifty three. You might be that ancient but I'm not. It must have been sixty three.”

(Jiishipping. Yes. Sugoroku x Arthur. HEY, IT CAME UP IN THE RANDOM DRAW FOR THE SHIPPING CONTEST OK. And my writer's brain hasn't backed down from a challenge yet... Another one that takes 4 lines to pop off but it's a good start. Actually, here's the rest of the bit just because I cannot get enough of these two bickering:)

“What do you mean it must have been sixty three? You don't even know what story I'm trying to tell.”

“Am I in it?”

“What?”

“So you're deaf now as well as daft? AM I IN IT?”

“Of course you're in it, y'old coot. Don't know why I'd tell a story without you in it when both grandkids are sitting here.”

10. Coffee and Cigarettes:

"Cigarettes and coffee? That's not a very healthy lunch." 

Mana crossed her legs and took a refined sip of her own coffee even as her company was not. 

(Mischiefshipping, Mana x Thief King Bakura. Oh this one I'm actually sad that it doesn't immediately sparkle in the first line cause it's one of my absolute favorites of everything I've written. And I think it's the only time I've ever written Mana but I LOVED IT AND HER. Oh no! I lied, I've written her at least one other time though I don't think that one quite captures her sheer chaos energy like this one does.)

11. A Million Missed Chances:

Somewhere along the line, someone made a choice.

(This one. THIS ONE. I think this is by far the most epic idea I've tackled. I still don't know if the sheer scale of the thing came across in the actual fic but in my head it was massive and I remember pounding away at my teeny tiny laptop late at night because the whole thing hit me maybe a day or so before the story was due for the pairings contest. We only had a week to write each fic and my really good ideas never came to me before the very last minute. T.T Conquestshipping, Mai x Valon.)

12. A Fear of Falling:

She drove.

Like she always did when something bothered her.

(Oh the first chapter on this is also one of the really ancient ones. Like one of the very first things I wrote. That first chapter really shows its age and is a little shaky but the others are better and the last one is what fits into the chorological order here. Polarshipping, Jou x Mai. One of my very first ships. Probably THE first actually <3)

13. What Our Creators Make Us:

"Well, well." The match flared, scattering dark shadows until it was blown out and the only light that remained was the red glow from the cigarette end. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

(Psychoshipping, Marik x Spirit of the Ring Bakura. With a bit of Bronze, Angst and Tender in the follow up. Old but I'm ridiculously proud of it, hence it's place in the master archive. Ahaha you can tell how old it is though by how clever I think I am. I thought it was funny to make my audience figure out who was talking and not reveal the characters for a good fourth to third of the fic. Ahhhhhhh. Sorry about past me.)

14. A Revolution of the Spirit:

It wasn't fair.  It just wasn't.

That they were close was understandable (you don't get much closer than sharing headspace) but that even now, after deals were made with gods, endless arguments, compromises and the ultimate guilt trip that he had only been a teenager when he willingly sacrificed himself for all of humanity, things she had only half seen and only partly understood even though they had all been there to witness, that even now Atem continued to invade Yugi's personal space as though he belonged there got on her nerves.

(Woah Nelly! That third sentence should probably be three, four and five. Even if I just split it in half we'd continue the pattern of things popping off in the fourth line. I think that's one pattern that's emerging! A really good bit takes me about four lines to set up and deliver! Oh, the challenge was Revolutionshipping, Anzu x Atem, but the fic is actually Spiritshipping, Anzu x Yugi x Atem.)

So confession time, I haven't been out of fandom completely, I just hadn't written my own standalone stories in a very long time. There are a few (ok ok more than a few) long-running rps that @miss-moberg and I have been adding to on and off over the years. I can't resist throwing in a couple of these.

15. Cafe!

The door shut behind them with the soft click of the latch and the exhale of a breath long held.

(This opening line was from December of 2020 when we rebooted a very old Prideshipper and that is a damn good opening line if I do say so myself. I can definitely see the difference now between the newer works and the older ones. I've gotten better, she's matched me pace for pace and eventually something will be finished, I'll work up the courage to ask permission to post it and the whole internet will get to see how brilliant the two of us are together.)

16. Treasure Hunt!

"Ryou, I think you're going to regret letting me tag along on your adventuring this time."  Yugi didn't bother turning away from the airplane's tiny window to see if his seatmate was paying attention.  He was more thinking out loud with his friend playing the role of a convenient sounding board.  "Because I think this trip is the only thing I'm going to talk about ever again."

(One more from RP because it's got that fun, four line punch that we've discovered is a pattern for me! Opening entry is from 2017.)

Also, in truth, my count is a little off when I say I'd been out of fandom 10+ years. I've been away from YGO for that long but I did spend a brief stint in Homestuck where I read a ton of fanfic, flirted with a couple group RPs and even wrote a tiny bit. 9 years without writing a new fic isn't as impressive as saying ‘over a decade’ but it is a little more accurate.

17. What You Will:

In the land of fair Illyria, along a small, sandy stretch of its rocky shore, a ship has come to ruin and one lone woman lies still as death among broken wood.

(The beginning of a Homestuck/Twelfth Night crossover that I'm still determined to work more on someday. It's only got a single chapter but it's magic though now I'm concerned about not being able to recapture that. Not a bad first line though. The style is so different it took me reading it a couple times before going, oh yeeeeeah, that's pretty good!)

18. Relentless:

You pull him to the deck and then across it by the remains of his shirt. Let him say one last goodbye. His ship pillaged, his crew murdered, his hands bound behind his back and at your mercy.

Funny word, that. Mercy.

(The first line is pretty decent but there's that four line combo again! Five but I could basically fix that with a comma. Featuring the troll ancestors Mindfang and Dualscar because every time Hussey introduced new characters they were instantly my favorite.) 

19. Black:

There is dark and there is dark and there is dark and then there is black. She is black. Licorice and coal. She is hate and resentment and everything that tastes bitter, the kind of black that coats the tongue like oil, drips down the back of the throat and keeps going.

(Oh wow. Am I allowed to say that about my own work? A Terezi/Vriska drabble that I'm putting as much here as I think I can get away with because it's so good that it fucks me up a little going back and reading it.)

And here it gets tricky because I think the more recent of the old, old fics are in the Drabbles and Shorts collection on ff.net and I can't see a post date. So I'll just pick a good one to end on.

20. Two Princes:

It was inevitable as the rising of Ra's chariot after a long night, as the flooding of the river banks every spring, and Atem always knew that Yugi's kiss would be as warm and gentle as the evening breeze in the summer that brought relief from the scorching day. It was.

(How about the final honor going to more Puzzle/Blind? This probably has the strongest first line of its era. Actually I'm not sure when it was written. It was just hanging out in my writing folder and, thinking about it, I probably wrote it when I was fading from fandom the first time around but still trying to hang in there. No wait! That’s too sad, we can’t end on that! Lets add one more to the list for the sake of personal narrative!)

21. Linger:

The world doesn't need him anymore. It doesn't need his sword and it doesn't need his pen.

(A tiny Princess Tutu afterward that I wrote for myself. Nice one-two punch in the opener. Also it rounds out the personal story that accidentally developed here with a line later in the fic, "Words, however, never stray far from a good writer..." Like, wait, stop. Past me, how did you know T.T)

Did that take a sudden emotional turn for anyone else or was that just me. Can I offset that a little with an honorable mention? Let’s do that while I collect myself. Here’s one more.

Honorable mention: Ryou and the Thief

There was a storm gathering and too much magic in the air. Much more than occurred naturally and magic at this level was never a good thing.

(I can’t have a list of things I’ve written without having Ryou and the Thief on it. If you click on this one though, BEWARE, it’s old, it’s silly and it has a ton of explicit gay sex that… would be written very differently if we were handling it today I’m sure! This is the first RP @miss-moberg and I ever did together and our excuse to Gemship and Puzzleship turned into us running the boys through a whole adventure based on the Osiris myth. It’s the longest thing I’ve ever completed and I’d still consider it kind of my legacy.)

And that’s the last 21(+1!) stories that I’ve written! 

The clear winner of best first line for me is 15. Cafe! It’s short, elegant and manages to contain a whole mood even without the context of what’s going on and who’s involved. (Spoilers: It’s Seto and Mokuba making an AU escape from Gozoboro.) Close second is Tango, the most recent story. It’s neat to see just how much better I’ve gotten and also really cool to see that even if the first line itself doesn’t contain a punch, it’s usually because there’s a nice, strong idea being set up and delivered in the first four lines (or so). What a pleasant surprise!

AND WOW, this whole tag thing didn't need to be so long! Or personal! Seriously, if you get this tag from me the challenge is only to list the first lines to 20 stories and maybe try to draw one or two conclusions from them. You all thought I was joking when I said I loved talking about my own writing! But actually, I guess it’s fine like this as I ended up using it as a way to re-introduce myself. Like, "Hey, I used to live here a long time ago and oh my god I love what you've done with the place!" Rather than being someone who's just popped up out of nowhere a few weeks ago to creepily bother all your best of the best creators so....

^///^ Hello!

Thanks for letting me ramble!

Tags! I think I've seen most of the authors I follow do this already but on the off chance you haven't been tagged yet: @elexica (checked your blog to see if you'd already done the tag and saw that you're another person returning to writing fanfiction after 10+ years. Same! Hello!!), @danieco, @draconicmaw, @nedjemetsenen (has someone tagged you already?) and two shots in the dark, @miss-moberg and @edmondia (I'm so sorry you two. T.T Please feel free to block me forever.) And please, anyone else who wants to babble about their own writing! Do this, it was so much fun. <3

#ygo #yu-gi-oh #yugioh #yugioh fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #jenific #so many ships #so many characters like woah #not half bad for a retrospective if i do say so myself #thank you for coming to my ted talk #tag game #first lines tag

[lostbbygorl]

AN UNLIKELY VILLAIN (LEVI X F!READER):

AU: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BY JANE AUSTEN

~~~~~~

Lady Katrina was careful not to make a sound as she stalked her niece and nephew to the piano room. Isabel had dragged

Mr. Ackerman by the hand to the piano room, and the duo had shared countless looks and whispers throughout the ball which took place on that very night at the De Lancey mansion. As nosy as ever, Lady Katrina intended to discover the subject of her niece and nephew’s hushed yet frantic discussions.

“ A union between you and Amanda will be disastrous, brother! You cannot lie to our aunt, Amanda, and yourself forever! You’re a grown man, have a spine! It’s Y/N who gives you a purpose to live in this world, and it is Y/N you must chase and marry”, Isabel scolded Levi.

“ You are a child, Isabel, don’t tell me what to do. Besides, you know of our aunt’s stubbornness. Do you really think she’d happily accept a marriage between me and someone of Y/N’s standing after I’ve been engaged to Amanda my whole life?”, Levi reasoned.

“ I wouldn’t be meddling with your life if you acted like the grown up you are and defied our aunt! If Y/N can do it, so can you! I will not sit around and watch my older brother spend the rest of his days in acute misery”, Isabel said, decidedly.

“ I know of the letters you and Ms. Y/N exchange frequently, and I know for sure, as a young woman, that she loves you back now. It’s what you’ve been waiting for her to do all this time, Levi, why are you suddenly so obedient? Where’s the headstrong, independent Levi I know? Things must change around here, and you’ll be starting it”, Isabel finished definitely. The fire in her eyes made Levi know that Isabel wouldn’t back down till he was united with the woman he loved, and moreover, her words had motivated Levi to live by his own rules, which he had always done until Lady Katrina started discussing his engagement with Amanda more seriously. After learning of Levi’s feelings for Y/N and confronting him about them, she decided to have them married in 2 months instead of next summer, thinking that this change of plans would squash all hope in Levi. Lady Katrina angrily stomped back to the ballroom. To her displeasure, Amanda was deep in conversation with a blonde boy with blue eyes who she vaguely remembered as Armin Arlert- and she was smiling! An extremely rare occurrence indeed. This was an absolute nightmare for Lady Katrina! The world was turning upside down! Lady Katrina was determined to put a damper on this! So, the very next morning, she boarded her carriage for a journey to Trost.

Y/N’s household was much quieter than usual, now that Sasha was gone. Papa and Mama were bickering as old married couples usually do, and Mikasa was helping Ella with a sewing project. The eldest sisters were in the chicken house discussing Mr. Smith and Mr. Ackerman whilst petting baby chicks.

“ Mr. Ackerman’s been writing to me more regularly nowadays. It’s so refreshing to see him come out of his shell and open up”, Y/N said.

“ Mr. Smith says he’ll come visit Trost as soon as he has some urgent business seen too”, Christa squealed enthusiastically to a wide eyed, gasping Y/N.

“ And you tell me this only now? Christa, I can guarantee he’s coming to see you”, Y/N promised. Suddenly, the entrance to the chicken house burst open, and a heavily breathing Ella stood in front of them. Ella looked like she had some important news.

“ Ella, are you alright?”, Christa asked to which Ella nodded.

“ Christa, come to the living room immediately! You have a special visitor”, Ella said, catching her breath. The three sisters ran back to the house. When Christa entered the living room, she was shocked to see a beaming Mr. Smith sitting on the sofa talking to Mrs. L/N. Mr. L/N came back from the kitchen with a pot of tea and some muffins. Mr. Smith’s attention shifted to Christa as soon as she entered the room, and everyone intensely stared at the pair, who had hearts in their eyes when they made eye contact.

“ Ms. Christa, it has been too long”, Mr. Smith bowed.

“ Mr. Erwin, it truly is lovely to see you in flesh again. It’s been ages since we last met at Stohess”, Christa replied.

“ I agree. I notified you in my letters that I’d be visiting Trost after some urgent business was seen to. Well, all matters have been fixed much earlier than I predicted, so I thought I might surprise you”, he explained. His tone and his posture were confident, but if you noticed the way his hands clenched and unclenched on repeat, you’d notice he was nervous and obviously had something important to spill.

“ And I am surprised!”Christa laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“ Then I am successful. Ms. Christa, I have come here to speak with you about a matter most serious. Everybody, may we have some privacy for a short while”, Mr. Smith politely requested as he looked around at all the faces staring at him. At once, everybody scurried out of the living room. But they didn’t leave Christa and Mr. Smith alone, oh no! Mrs. L/N and Ella pressed their ears to the door as soon as they closed it. Mr. L/N and Y/N whispered amongst themselves about what the motive behind Mr. Smith’s sudden visit could be.

“ Do you think he’ll propose to Christa?”, Mr. L/N asked Y/N.

“ I’m not entirely certain, but something tells me that is his motivation”, Y/N said, heart beating in anticipation.

Meanwhile inside the room, Christa was crying tears of pure joy, and Mr. Smith smiled the widest he ever had in his life. Twinkling in the sunlight that shone through the windows of the living room was a gorgeous pear shaped diamond on Christa’s ring finger! Mr. Smith had apologized to Christa for abandoning her so suddenly, and came back to ask for her hand in marriage. With their arms linked, Mr. Smith and Christa exited the room, smiling at the faces of their eavesdroppers.

“ Everyone, me and Mr. Smith are hereby engaged to each other”, Christa squealed, and all at once, chaos commenced inside the house! Mr. L/N wrapped his arms around Mr. Smith and congratulated him before making him swear he’ll keep his beloved daughter happy. Mrs. L/N was glad that she’d have yet another one of her children married off, and this time to a filthy rich gentleman! Ella, Mikasa, and Y/N tackled Christa with a bear hug and Y/N loudly exclaimed praises and jokes at Christa. Mr. Smith stayed over for lunch, and he took Christa on a ride with him to Dauper village afterwards for some bonding time as an officially affianced couple.

The rest of the day went rather peacefully. Mr. L/N and Y/N relaxed in the library. Mr. L/N was reading a novel, while Y/N wrote to Sasha and Nifa about the engagement. Christa returned to the house just in time for dinner, just as Lady Katrina had reached Trost!

Y/N lay in bed, not even a tiny fraction of sleepiness in her. Her head still buzzed with joy and excitement after Christa’s engagement. Could Mr. Ackerman really be behind all this? Was he really mending his ways after Y/N had criticised him, and solving everybody’s problems? For the umpteenth time, Y/N lay awake at an ungodly hour thinking of Mr. Ackerman, and letting her insecurities eat away at her. Mr. Ackerman loved her, no doubt about it, but it was Amanda who was getting in her way! Now, a good natured person like Y/N could never hate an innocent young lady who had no intention of hurting her, but god, it really would be blissful if Amanda didn’t exist! She was plain and dull, but she had all the wealth and connections. Y/N was losing all hope of ever reuniting with Mr. Ackerman, or of giving her hand to him. But she was rudely jerked out of her thoughts when it began raining unexpectedly, and heavily too accompanied by a boisterous thunderstorm! But it wasn’t only the loud rain that bothered her, it was the sound of wood being knocked on. It took Y/N a few seconds to realize that somebody was knocking on her door- and very roughly too!

Y/N flocked downstairs to see her family surrounding a short, plump woman in expensive, elegant clothes with her gray hair tied in a tight bun. It was Lady Katrina! But what was she doing here at Trost, in her home, at 3.00 in the morning?

“ Where is Ms. Y/N L/N?”, Lady Katrina demanded, her striking grey eyes shining angrily by the flames of the fireplace as she searched for Y/N. Y/N was taken aback! For a brief moment she locked eyes with Christa, who pointed her chin at Lady Katrina’s direction with a confused expression, silently asking Y/N who this lady was and why she barged into their home at such a late hour.

“ I am here, your ladyship”, Y/N answered.

“ May I ask why you’ve woken me and my family at 3.00 AM in the middle of severe rain to seek me out?”, she asked.

“ Now, Y/N, that’s no way to treat a guest. Would your ladyship like a cup of tea?”, Mr. L/N butted in.

“ Not at all. All I would like here is to talk privately with Y/N. Where might I sit and talk with her alone?”, she asked with a serious tone.

“ Let me lead you to the library, my lady”, Y/N answered, guiding Lady Katrina there. Once inside, Lady Katrina circled Y/N, giving her no scope to seat herself.

“ Ms. Y/N, I am here because a most alarming report has been made to me two days ago, and you are to debunk it”, Lady Katrina said in a matter of fact voice. Y/N was curious.

“ I have no idea as to how I could ever be in the middle of your problems, madam, so please provide me with a backstory so I may understand”, Y/N requested.

“ Ms. Y/N, I must warn you that I am not to be trifled with. The report made to me states that you intend to marry my nephew, Levi”, Lady Katrina clarified.

“ I know this to be a scandalous falsehood, and I came here as soon as possible to confirm my sentiments on the matter to you”.

“ If you believed a marriage between me and him to be impossible, why did you take the trouble of coming so far to confront me about it?”, Y/N queried.

“ To hear it from your own mouth. Why do you pretend to be ignorant of it? Have these statements not been industriously circulated by yourself?”, Lady Katrina challenged.

“ They haven’t, and I deny all accusations of them having been spread by me”, Y/N replied confidently, though her heart was cracking the more Lady Katrina spoke. All her insecurities about her relationship with Levi were seeping out.

“ So you declare that there isn’t any foundation for it?”, Lady Katrina asked.

“ I declare nothing, as I’ve just been informed of these rumors now”, Y/N said.

“ Then let me ask a clearer question which to my knowledge has no answer excluding yes or no. Has my nephew made you an offer of marriage?”, Lady Katrina interrogated.

“ Your ladyship has declared it impossible”

“ Let me be understood! Mr. Ackerman is affianced to my daughter. What do you have to say now?”

“ Only this: that if your words are kosher, he wouldn’t have a reason to ask for my hand”, Y/N said, riling the woman up! Why wouldn’t Y/N just give her straight answers?

“ Ms. Y/N, do you know who I am?”Lady Katrina loudly quizzed her.

“ I am his closest relative, so therefore I am entitled to know all of Levi’s most important concerns”, Lady Katrina stated.

“ But you aren’t entitled to know mine”, Y/N countered her, making Lady Katrina put a hand on her chest in offence. She took ragged breaths in an attempt to calm herself. She closed her eyes, and once she was more clear headed, she opened them again.

“ The engagement between them is of a peculiar kind”, Lady Katrina started again, her tone softer.

“ Their marriage was decided during their infancy, and it is the favorite wish of my Amanda’s late father and Levi’s”, she explained.

“ A matter as delicate and final as this shall not be hindered by the hands of a woman of inferior birth who possesses no fortune or connections, and worse: no sense of propriety! You have influenced my nephew and lured him in, and I will not stand it!”, her ladyship cried.

Y/N was offended and hurt beyond comprehension! How dare this busybody barge into her house at midnight, and insult her very being? Though tears welled in her eyes, she stood her ground, and unflinching, she faced Lady Katrina.

“ I’ve come this far, and my journey was tiresome. I won’t leave until I am satisfied. Now, Ms. Y/N, tell me that you promise to refuse Levi your hand should he ask for it”, Lady Katrina ordered.

“ I empathize with the exhaustion you face due to your long journey, and I’ve been compelled to admit clearly that I am not engaged to Levi Ackerman. But I will not make any promise to you, madam, and especially not a promise of the respective nature”, Y/N deadpanned to the thunderstruck Lady Katrina!

“ Insufferable, headstrong, selfish girl!”, Lady Katrina furiously hissed.

“ You have insulted not me, but my beloved kin as well, and that is an offence I can never forgive you for. It was wrong of you to force yourself inside my abode, uninvited and unannounced, to confront me about baseless rumors and personal matters. It is now 4.00 in the morning, and the rain has stopped. Your escort must be waiting, your ladyship. I will not be disturbed any further! Goodnight and goodbye”, Y/N said the final words.

Lady Katrina exited the house angry and displeased, cursing the situation and Y/N’s character as she stormed out. Finally, Y/N began crying. She ran out of the library to make her way upstairs.

“ Darling, what happened? Is everything okay?”, Mrs. L/N asked, concerned.

“ It was a simple misunderstanding. I’m off to bed, and you all should be too”, Y/N sniffled, trying to escape them.

“ Darling, talk to us-", Mr. L/N started only to get interrupted.

“ I have no desire to. For once in your life just leave me be!”she shouted before locking herself in her room to cry.

Lady Katrina had reached Shiganshina after hours of travel, and she seeked her nephew out immediately.

“ Levi, come here at once!”, she called. Levi curiously walked downstairs, Isabel following him suit.

Lady Katrina explained everything that had happened between herself and Y/N to Levi, thinking he’d be appalled by her behaviour. What the poor lady didn’t realize was that her recount had only made Levi exceedingly proud of Y/N, and deepened his feelings towards her. Isabel gaped at Levi the entirety of her aunt’s heated speech, knowing what her brother would do next. She smirked, an action which went unnoticed by Lady Katrina.

“ Oh my, auntie, what horrible offences you’ve had laid against you”, she said, feigning astonishment. Isabel entertained Lady Katrina and pretended to sympathize with her while Levi sat on his horse for a long ride to Trost- all in his nightwear! Levi silently thanks the lord for the fact that he had another chance with Y/N, and the closer he got to Trost, the gladder his heart became.

Lady Katrina on the other hand was much dismayed! Amanda had broken off the engagement from her part, and revealed that she was now affianced to Armin Arlert, a friend she fell for after meeting at the never ending balls.

“ I’m sorry to have disappointed you, mother, but I can’t allow myself to be under your control any longer. I’ve done everything you instructed me to these past 23 years, but all that ends now, for I do not love Levi Ackerman, I love Armin Arlert”, she sternly broke the news to Lady Katrina.

And before walking out the door one last time, she turned around and said:

“ Before I go, I will instill upon you some heartfelt, priceless advice that I believe will be most helpful in the future: don’t arrange marriages between two individuals while they’re still in their cradles. It encourages zero admiration or affection, and plans of this kind always find a way of souring”.

#captain levi fanfiction #aot fanfiction #aot levi ackerman #levi ackerman x reader #captain levi x reader

[can-youimagine]

not really “hamilton”,,,, but anywho, hi could you write a daveed fic where the reader is rafael’s older sister (like by a couple years) and she meets daveed through rafa, but rafa is all whiny over his sister getting w daveed.. but he eventually gives in because he’s happy that she’s happy and he gets to mess w daveed about “goin soft” and stuff?? thank u i love ur writing❤️

Sorry, this took so long! I had a blast writing this! Also, I’m not really sure if this is what you wanted. I am happy to rewrite it if you want!

“You know how you’re my incredibly successful sister, and I love you so much,” your brother says through the phone before you even have the time to say hello.

“What do you want?”

“Can I not just-”

“Nope,” you balance the phone between your ear and your shoulder as you unlock your car, “What do you want?”

“Look, my friend and I are in New York for a thing he’s working on. Can we just stay with you for a few days until one of us can rent a place?”

“Fine, whatever. When will you be here?”

“We’re outside your door. Thanks! I owe you!”

You roll your eyes. “I’ll add this to the list. I’ll be home in twenty.” You hang up the phone before he has a chance to ask for anything else. Of course, he moved to New York on a whim.

When you get to your apartment, you see two men sitting outside the building, waiting for someone, you, to let them in. When Rafael sees you, he jumps up. “(Y/N)! Thank you so much! It’ll only be a few days, I promise. A week, at most.”

You nod your head. “Take all the time you need.” You turn your attention to his friend. “Hi, I’m (Y/N). I’m sure if you can put up with Rafa, you can put up with me for a few days.”

He chuckles. “Daveed. Thank you so much. All of this is new last minute.”

As you make your way up to your apartment, Daveed explains his project, but you can’t bring yourself to listen. The way he talks about something he’s interested in is infectious, the way his eyes light up and how his lips curl into a soft smile.

“I’m sure (Y/N)’ll love it. She’s a huge nerd. Still working for the Frick?” Rafael asks, pulling you out of your Daveed-induced trance.

“No. I’m with the Natural History museum now. Although, if you bothered to look at the papers before you sat on them, you would have known that,” you respond, snatching the papers from the chair. Daveed laughs at the interaction before gathering papers from the couch. “I’ve got a couch in here and in my office that you can fight over. Bathroom’s in that door. That’s my room,” you explain, pointing into each of the rooms. “I was planning on leftovers for dinner, but I’m afraid I don’t have that much. There are some takeout menus around here somewhere, if you guys want to order something.”

“You’re paying?”

You raise an eyebrow at your brother. “You’re sleeping on the street?”

He smirks.

“Just pick something, will you.”

He quickly decides on something, not wanting to push his luck any further. While you wait for the food, you get to know Daveed a bit more. You both share the couch, Rafael having been banished to the floor when he made a comment about you being “as old as the artifacts you work with”.

Eventually, between the food and spending time with Daveed, you lose track of time. When you finally look at the clock, you jump off the couch. “Shit, I’ve got to go to work in, well, a few hours now.” You give each of them a hug. “I’m going to attempt to look presentable. You two should get some rest. Try not to break anything while I’m gone.”

“I would never,” Daveed exclaims in mock offense.

You laugh. “Your job is to keep him in check.”

You don’t bother to catch any sleep. Instead, you hop into the shower. Even though you aren’t near him anymore, you can’t stop thinking about Daveed. You had heard about him well before meeting him, but you didn’t pay much mind to it. You assumed that he was going to be just as annoying as your brother, but as soon as you met him, you couldn’t stop thinking about him.

As you step out of the shower, you hear a loud crash and a string of curses. “Do I want to know?” you ask, getting dressed.

“No!” they answer in unison.

You laugh. “Better be fixed when I come out.”

Luckily, by the time you are ready to leave, they seemed to have fixed whatever it is that they broke. “I’m gonna head out. See you later.” You move to hug both of them, but Rafael stops you. “Nuh-uh. We’ve exceeded our hug quota for the year.”

“Guess I’ll just have to get his hug,” Daveed says before wrapping his arms around you. You melt into his touch, forgetting about everything.

Until your brother clears his throat. “Aren’t you going to be late?”

You push yourself away, leave it to him to ruin your moment. “Yeah. I’ll be back around six. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Yeah, will do,” Daveed says, awkwardly stepping away from you. “See you later.”

You nod, grabbing your purse and heading out the door. Before it closes, you can just make out your brother hiss, “What the hell was that?”

You stay in the hall, listening to them.

“What was what?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“No, I don’t.”

“So, you have absolutely no interest in my sister?”

“I, well, I,” he stutters, trying to come up with an answer.

“That’s what I thought.”

You hear them move around, so you can’t hear what they are saying anymore. You can’t tell if that’s for better or worse. 

You don’t get any work done. You spend the entire day thinking about what you heard. Surely, you were just imagining things. There’s no way that he could have any interest in you. He was going to Broadway, and you were working in the back halls of a museum. “He’ll be gone in a week, and then you can stop thinking about him,” you mutter to yourself. 

“You’re back early,” Rafael says as you walk into your apartment.

“I don’t think I have to explain myself to you.” You set your purse on the table. “I went ahead and picked up dinner.” You busy yourself by putting the bag in the fridge. “Johnson was having a sale, so I figured that I could go ahead and pick something up. How’d the search go?”

“Horrible! Does anyone in this city ever leave?”

You laugh. “I think Macy down the hall is close to leaving and going back to Nebraska. You could check it out.”

“You really want to be living with me again?”

“I really just want you out of my place as quickly as possible.”

Suddenly, Rafa gets a devious smirk on his face. “You know what, you’re right. I’ll go down and check.” He quickly gets up and rushes out of your apartment, leaving you standing in the kitchen rather bewildered.

Not long after he leaves, Daveed comes out of your office. “Where did he take off to?”

You shake your head. “I have no idea.” You are suddenly aware of how small your apartment is, how close Daveed is. “I-uh-I got dinner. It’s in the fridge whenever you want it.” 

“You good?”

“Yeah, I, uh,” you respond, “yeah.”

He smiles, taking a step closer to you. “You’re a lot like your brother, y’ know.”

You place your hand over your heart. “Why, I am offended! I-”

“You talk a lot when you’re nervous.”

“I’m not nervous.”

He places his hand on the wall behind you, effectively trapping you. “You’re not?”

“N-nope,” you choke out.

“So, you wouldn’t be nervous at all, if I kissed you right now.”

You feel your breath catch in your throat. You have to be dreaming, right? He seriously can’t be asking to kiss you right now. “No.”

“Good,” he whispers, leaning down to kiss you. You are no longer dreaming. Every part of your body that he touches feels like it’s on fire. As he pulls away, you collapse into him. “Still nervous?”

You shake your head. “Never was.”

He rolls his eyes. “Sure.”

By the time Rafa returns from wherever he ran off to, you and Daveed and curled up on the couch, talking over whatever mindless show you had put on. “Really, on my couch?”

“You always know how to ruin a moment,” you say, tossing a pillow in his direction. 

In a true younger brother fashion, Rafael settles between the two of you on the couch. “So, what are we watching?”

You and Daveed share a look before getting off the couch. “You are watching Superstore.” You pull Daveed into your room with much protest from your brother. When you hear the TV shut off and your brother start pacing, you sigh. “I should go talk to him, shouldn’t I?”

“Probably,” Daveed answers, making now attempt to let you up.

“Alright.” You push him off of you. “I’ll be back.” When you walk out of your room, you see Rafa pacing the room.

“Done so soon?”

“What has gotten into you?”

He stands, looking out the window with his back facing you. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, yeah, brooding and grumbling is definitely fine.” You stand next to him. “Talk to me.”

“I don’t want you dating him.”

“So, you left to check on an apartment that isn’t on the market yet?”

“I just... I thought that this would make both of you happy. I-and you can’t repeat this to anyone-love both of you, and I want you both to be happy, but when I saw you together... I guess I just got worried that you would leave me behind. Like when you-”

“Moved to New York?”

He looks down. “Yeah.”

“I did move here to get away from you,” you admit. “We both tell stories, and you do it much better than me.” He opens his mouth to protest, but you cut him off. “Look, this is the one compliment that I’m going to give you, so take it. I know that you wouldn’t write like you do if I were still home. You don’t want to make me look bad.”

“Shh, don’t tell anyone.”

You shake your head. “And, I was right. Look, I’d never leave you behind to hurt you, just to help you.”

“How do you know if something’s going to hurt me?”

“The same way I knew that playing with the Christmas ornaments was a bad idea. It’s hurt me before.”

“You’re sure that being with Diggs is a good idea?”

“You seem to trust him.”

“He’s a good guy. Though, I never thought that I would ever get to see him this soft. He spent the entire day talking about you.’

You smile. “We good?”

He pulls you into a hug. “We good.”

“What happened to the hug quota?” you tease.

“I didn’t see you last year. You owe me this one.”

“I heard there was hugging going on out here,” a familiar voice interjects.

You both open your arms to him. “Get in here, D!”

“I also thought I heard you say that you love me.”

“I was in an emotional place, don’t judge me.”

“I hope you’re not as hardheaded as him,” Daveed says to you.

“It’s in our blood,” you and your brother answer in unison. 

#daveed diggs x reader #daveed diggs imagine #rafael casal x reader #rafael casal imagine #hamilton imagine #hamilton x reader

[ask-runaan-anything]

Was there ever a time you worried about your marriage (even if it turned out unfounded)? How did you overcome it?

I overcame it by being a soft fool for my husband, and by actually talking to him, and listening as well. You know, the usual.

Angst warning, little shadows.

The first time that Ethari worked on a big village project as the Master Craftsman of the Silvergrove, he spent long hours, and long days, in the company of his fellow crafters. He was in charge, so he had to be there from very early until very late, for more than two full Moons.

I was busy training, as always, and I didn’t understand what the difference in our daily rhythms would mean at first. But I started to miss little things, like morning tea with him, and letting him do all the talking to Rayla’s teachers at PTA meetings, and extra long hair brushing sessions where he and I would talk of soft things.

I missed them, and I missed him. But I had my duty, and he had his. And so we continued on.

I took a bit of a tumble in training after a while, but Ethari was in a big consultation meeting, so I patched myself up, with a little help from Rayla. Ethari looked sad when he saw my injuries, but he didn’t say anything.

A few days later, he came home with bandages of his own, along his shoulder and one side of his chest, and I nearly had a heart attack. But he brushed it off, saying it wasn’t that bad and a support structure had just gotten out of hand during construction, and his team was just being overly protective of their project leader. So I let that go, too.

Then.

Then his team publicly revealed the project they’d been striving over so long and hard, and I had to stand in the crowd and listen to my husband say that the village wouldn’t need assassin patrols like before, because his team had crafted an early warning system attuned to sensing approaching life forms around the village’s protective spells. And they were planning on extending the alarm towers in a spreading pattern out from the village, too.

Excuse me??

I may have stalked off, but I assure you, it was just to find a quiet place to think. I definitely wasn’t furious, not me. Did not at all feel like my entire purpose in life was being casually discounted and replaced by a, a, a, a magic pillar.

Was that all I was to Ethari, in my professional capacity, a magic pillar? That he could just up and replace me, my service to the Silvergrove? Did he only want me doing my duty far far away in the human lands where he didn’t have to hear about it? Was my being an assassin repellent to him?

Under my fury--which I totally did not have--I was scared. And lost. I thought I knew what our professional partnership meant: he made the swords and I swung them. Simple. But he had gone and made these plans, and involved the whole village, and they all went along with it.

I worried that Ethari was lying to them, that they thought that because it was Ethari making these defenses, that he had my approval and support, and so did his project.

I was not a hot mess of negative feels, nope, not me, not this stoic assassin. I was Fine.

I may have stopped speaking to my husband, though. May have needed more information than I had access to and didn’t want to misstep without it. Didn’t know if my trust in him had been misplaced.

That’s, um. That’s a very bad feeling. I hated it with every fiber of my being.

So I lurked around my own house in silence, trying not to spend much time in any room with Ethari, lost in my own worries. Meanwhile, at work, I changed exactly nothing about our training routines. Somehow, I would find a way to keep my assassins relevant to the village’s needs, on top of our missions.

Ethari pulled away from me, too, when he realized I’d gone silent. He didn’t know what it meant, he’d never seen that from me before. But he constantly offered small tokens of connection, trying to reach me.

I wanted to reach out to him, so badly. I desperately needed to understand. But at the same time, I didn’t trust him anymore, not like I had. When you crave reassurance but your only source is the person who hurt you... My thoughts went through some dark cycles then. The darkest of which was something like: Should I just leave the village and let them ghost me for choosing an elf who so completely failed to understand my life’s purpose and ended up hamstringing the assassins and their ability to perform their duty for Xadia and led to the ruination of the Moonshadow elves’ honor in the eyes of all our fellow elves and the Dragon Throne?

The genuine terror that I may have failed to understand Ethari’s heart so deeply that I’d brought the end of my entire people as we knew ourselves... was not a good headspace.

“Runaan. Runaan, you haven’t washed your hair in days.” Ethari tentatively lifted the end of my ponytail and showed me a bit of leaf that had been there yesterday. And the day before.

I nodded and took my ponytail from him, and I started toward the bath to take care of it. Can’t let your appearance slide, not if you’re a Moonshadow elf.

But he followed me. I was exhausted, and lonely, and afraid, and very much lost in my own head. And Ethari had always made me feel better. So, in a moment of weakness, I let him wash my hair again. I needed him, however I could get him, even if I couldn’t trust him anymore.

He poured clean water over my hair and sluiced out my bubbly shampoo, and then he paused. I tensed up, waiting, not sure what to expect. He leaned close from behind me and rested his forehead against my wet hair.

And then I heard him sob. “Where have you gone, my heart? What have I done to push you away? I was only trying to help you, I promise. Please, Runaan. Tell me how I can make it better. I’ll do anything. I’ll always do anything for you.” And he pressed his head against mine and cried.

I nearly broke the edges of the tub, I was squeezing them so hard. Wherever Ethari was coming from, it wasn’t the place I had imagined. “You... never asked,” I managed to say. My voice sounded strange, rusty.

“I wanted to surprise you. You’ve always liked my surprises before,” he murmured.

“Your trinkets weren’t trying to put me out of a job,” I sassed.

“I was trying to keep you safe!” he exclaimed. “Fewer patrols, fewer skirmishes. But if that’s how you feel about my project, I’ll scrap it.”

And just like that, the old Ethari resurrected in my heart. He’d never changed. I hadn’t read him wrong. We just... hadn’t communicated well.

I turned in the tub and faced him, cupping his cheeks in my wet hands. “You impulsive fool,” I begged him, “why didn’t you consult with me first? Or any assassin? All your work, and you never asked any of us.”

His dark brows bent. “You never keep the right secrets from each other.”

That sent my heart racing, because I knew he was right, and I couldn’t say so. I scooted away from him on my knees and shoved my face under the water and shouted out of sheer frustration. When I pushed myself up again, panting for breath, Ethari’s mood shifted suddenly.

“Wait, Runaan, I think I can fix this. The bubbles you just made... Yes, I have an idea. And as soon as you’re dressed, I’d like to consult with you properly on it. If you’ll let me...?” He bit his lip and waited nervously.

I slicked my hair back and took a deep breath. “No special treatment.”

“What?”

“The Master Craftsman of the Silvergrove shouldn’t give out special treatment. You need to treat me the same as everyone else.”

Well, that made one of his brows pop, and he looked me up and down in the tub. “I’m not sure I have that much shampoo on hand, love.”

I firmed my lips to keep from smiling at his sass. “When it comes to project consultation, Ethari. Let’s start from the beginning, where we should’ve begun in the first place. Tell me what you want, and I’ll tell you what I need. That’s how we’ve always done things. We shouldn’t have changed a formula that works.”

He nodded for a moment. “I’m sorry. I did give you special treatment, and it’s gone all wrong. I shouldn’t have tried to soften your hard side. You need it to keep yourself safe.”

“I do.” Our eyes met for a long moment, and then I squeezed his shoulders and pressed my forehead against his, finally confident once again that Ethari was the elf I thought I’d fallen in love with. “But I will give you care of my soft side again, my heart. I am sorry I doubted you.”

“You doubted me?” Ethari breathed.

I nodded against his forehead. “It was... severely unpleasant and I never wish to repeat it.”

Ethari whisked a towel around my shoulders and used it to pull me closer. “Then I’ll never give you cause, my shade. Let’s get you dried off. You have a consult with the Master Craftsman of the Silvergrove in a little while, and I want you looking your best for him.”

I pulled Ethari into a tight, wet hug and squeezed my eyes shut, clinging desperately to his warm and stable strength. “He deserves my best.”

#ask runaan #runaan answers #story time #ruthari #tdp angst #ruthari angst #runaan #ethari #is couples therapy a thing in the silvergrove #it should be #but it should probably be run by a sunfire #and everyone can refer to seeing them as getting a tan #so one has to admit they're getting therapy #but come on #we all need it look at us. #also why do i always have such deep conversations in the bath #such a mystery #it's like i'm vulnerable there or something #no layers to hide under

[jojo-reader-hell]

Heyyy I thought of something funny, it's not really romantic but how would the SDC crew react to their usually innocent and soft!reader curse for the first time? Like their curse words consists of "fudge" or "darn", but then they got frustrated one day and said "fuck!"

Aw yiss I must write for the bois. Honestly was itching to write something for Kakyoin and PolPol, also my wifey Joseph -3- I think as this blog progresses y’all will learn who I stan the hardest.

You and Jotaro Kujo were just trying to get some ice cream, because little does anyone know that your boyfriend is a gigantic man baby that gets hangry if he isn’t fed every hour on the hour. It’s been a thing since the two of you got together in secret. None of his fangirls have ever suspected the two of you were in a relationship. Always you’re the quiet little book worm that likes to knit in the back of the classroom, what a shock it would be for anyone to see you hanging on Jotaro’s arm at the end of the school day. You’ve tried to explain it to Mr. Joestar several times, you know Jotaro’s moods. He’s always skipping classes to enjoy the big lunches you always make for him, and since we are all in the middle of the desert and there’s no four burner stove tops the best way to soothe your boyfriend is to just let him eat crap and garbage to settle him down. It’s been really stressful, usually you have time to do your makeup and condition your hair and press your blouses but the whole mission hasn’t been very conducive to your usual sweetheart rituals. You’ve managed to gather a little bit of money to treat little Jojo to a frozen goodie or two, but when you’re trying to fumble for the change some pickpocket decided to try running off with your purse. Jotaro was about to call out Star Platinum to pummel this dude until he heard something that he’d never expected in his life:

“THAT’S MY PURSE ASSHOLE! I DON’T KNOW YOU!”

He’s honestly in shock. Watching you just beat the shit out of this poor son of a bitch who’s a grown ass man crying for his mama while some innocent high schooler with a wrinkled shirt will not stop wailing on him. He finally runs off, and Jotaro is just left speechless when he hears the expletives fly.

“Ugly ass motherfucker trying to steal MY PURSE THAT MY BOYFRIEND GOT FOR ME ON WHITE DAY! FUCK YOU!”

“Jesus Christ... He’s not even here anymore babe.”

If anything he’s more annoyed with the fact that you just will not stop screeching about the asshole trying to take your money, and shuts you up when he starts complaining about how hungry he is.

When you agreed to accompany Joseph Joestar on his “business trip”, you assured Suzie Q. that as his secretary you’d be absolutely sure that your husband and boyfriend didn’t get into any mischief like he usually likes to cause. You kissed Suzie Q. right on the mouth, trilled an “I’ll take care of him honey, please watch the house while we are away!” and packed the tiniest carpetbag anyone has ever seen. You had to go with him, because if you stayed to watch your over sixty year old girlfriend pretend like her daughter wasn’t dying it would only make things worse. You’ve been together with Joseph and Suzie since you were twenty two, you’re not about to sit by and pretend to be their little arm candy. It’s better for you to be with Joseph where you insist that you’re more than a cute face.

Eventually you proved it to him, before Polnareff joined up with the group it was you that faced him, not Avdol. You reasoned your Stand Queen of Swords was more adept, and sure enough, you managed to chill him to the bone with your ice power by matching his ruthless approach. It took everything you had to stop yourself from killing him when he made fun of you for being a gold digger hanging onto your sugar daddy’s arm. When you had him struggling under your boot, you leaned in very closely with the scariest expression Joseph has ever seen.

“I better not ever hear another sexist thing like that come out of your mouth again, you childish little shithead.”

Mark your sixty nine year old boyfriend down as scared and horny, because the worst he’s ever heard you say was “oh fiddlesticks” when you dropped a tea set.

You and Muhammad Avdol have only been married a year, and he’s had to be pretty gentle and nurturing with you considering how innocent you are. Your Stand Queen of Cups is more of a healer, and he only brought you along because he figured that you’d be heartbroken to be left behind to watch his shop. It turns out you’ve become an invaluable asset to the team should any injuries be sustained from enemy attacks. Often you’ll heal without question, but lately he’s noticed you’re starting to prickle up like a porcupine whenever one of the boys comes up to you with an injury. It has to be the stress of leaving your home above the shop, or the project of building a nursery that had to be put on hold once Dio disrupted your happy married life. It happens when Jotaro approaches you with an injury, telling you with his typical careless lack of manners to “get to work fixing it” that makes you snap.

“Why are you so goddamn careless you dumbshit?! Don’t you realize that you have to keep yourself in one piece if you want to help your mother?”

Avdol has to drag you away from letting loose on Jotaro, and he even notices the usual calm temperament of Queen of Cups seems more violent than usual. He’s less shocked about the language and more concerned about what got you to that point. Mark him down as even more worried when he realizes the current change of mood is due to the fact that you’re late.

Being Jotaro’s little sister, it was decided that you’d stay behind with Holly before Noriaki Kakyoin intervened on your behalf. He reasoned it wasn’t fair to leave you behind and watch your mother die, and selfishly he kept to himself that he didn’t want to leave behind such a pretty Stand User. He’s been attracted to your innocence since you took care of him after Jotaro extracted the flesh bud. You’re attached to him at the hip, worrying over him and hanging onto his arm. Now that he’s found someone just for him he doesn’t intend to let anyone harm you or take that innocence away. He’s always making googoo eyes at you no matter what you do, and you often gross out the other members of your group with how much you baby Kakyoin.

You’ve never said a bad word the entire time he’s known you, but Jotaro insists he knows his baby sister. You’re not as innocent as you seem. No matter what, you’re still a Joestar and the typical fighter is going to come out when he least expects it. Kakyoin laughed it off until you saw Iggy for the first time and climbed your boyfriend like a tree, screaming your head off because you have an irrational fear of small dogs.

“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! IS THAT A FUCKING GREMLIN?!”

“... honey...” Kakyoin has to try to be gentle to get over the shock of you saying fuck, “It’s a dog...”

“Son of a cunt, just nobody feed that fucking thing after midnight!”

Now as the comparatively insufferable fiance of Jean Pierre Polnareff, it’s no surprise that you’re just as much of a romantic as he is. There’s never a sentence that doesn’t begin with either “Well my fiance says...” or “Jean Jean and I think”... It’s honestly a little worrisome how you don’t make any kind of a decision without Polnareff’s input. More often than not he opts to have you wait for him in your hotel room, insisting that he’ll be by later to take care of his little cream puff (the boys know from experience that you don’t you dare ask him why he calls you his cream puff, because they’ve all been subjected to the horrors of Polnareff’s unusual willingness to go into detail about your sex life). But the one day he decides to let you go out with him happens to be the day he gets into the Alessi scuffle, and when you innocently ask him a question about who that lady was that was chasing after him, suddenly your face darkens and even Jotaro backs away when he senses your mounting rage.

“You said you touched her WHAT?!” you roar before turning your rage on the creep Alessi, “YOU NASTY MOTHER FUCKER! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TURN MY JEAN JEAN INTO AN ADULTERER?! YOU DID THIS! YOU ALMOST RUINED MY MOTHER FUCKING FAIRY TALE WEDDING, YOU DISGUSTING CUNT BITCH! FUCK YOUR MOTHER!”

It was then Jotaro realized Polnareff was so disgustingly sweet and controlling of you because he was the only one who could soothe your temperament and turn you into a sweetheart with just a few words. Eventually your big French lover has you melting like ice cream on a hot day in his hands, insisting the woman meant “nothing to him” and “your chest is the only one I’d like to be pressed against” and “no one can clean his peepee like you can sweetie baby”.

Jotaro is traumatized for the rest of his life.

#jotaro kujo x reader #joseph joestar x reader #suzie q x reader #muhammad avdol x reader #noriaki kakyoin x reader #jean pierre polnareff x reader #jotaro kujo #joseph joestar #suzie q #muhammad avdol #noriaki kakyoin #jean pierre polnareff #jojo's bizarre adventure stardust crusaders #jojo's bizarre adventure #jjba #jjba headcanons #jjba hc #jjba sdc #headcanons #reader is a joestar #reader is a stand user #slightly spicy #slightly suggestive