#also i forget i have that banner lol i should use it more often

[wanderingaldecaldo]

17 for val and miss president 👁👄

Thanks for the ask @totentnz! Very happy to write about hot drinks today lol From Soft OTP Prompts: 17. Write about your ship sharing hot drinks together.

Val rests her forehead against the cold window pane as she watches the swirling snow as it slowly turns the ground white. At Rosalind’s touch on her elbow, she turns to find her offering a mug of steaming pale liquid.

“Here, this will warm you up.”

“What is it?”

“Hot toddy.” When Val continues to stare, she adds, “Hot water, whisky, honey, and lemon.”

“And what’s that?” She pokes at the brown rolled object resting in the liquid.

Her melodic laugh fills the room and Val’s cheeks warm—probably something she’d know if she wasn’t just a stupid streetkid from Night City. Rosalind thrusts the mug into her hands then pulls her face down to plant a fat kiss on her cheek. She steps back, a hand remaining on Val’s other cheek.

“Do you know one of my favorite things about you? How privileged I am to be able to introduce you to so many new things."

Val’s stomach flips. Though her face grows hotter from the affection, she can’t put out the smile that blazes across her face. Rosalind gives her cheek a squeeze then picks up her own mug.

“This is real cinnamon. Its raw form.”

Val lowers her face to the mug and sniffs. It’s richer and more aromatic than any cinnamon she’s tasted, and the spiciness tickles her nostrils. She takes a careful sip. The liquid is bright, a perfect balance of tart and sweet, and it warms her from the inside as it slides down her throat. She takes another sip, then nods.

“It’s good.”

Rosalind stands beside her and slides an arm around her waist. “Well? What do you think of your first snowfall?”

She shifts, wrapping her arm around Rosalind’s shoulders, gazing at her with a full smile. “Fucking preem.”

Soft OTP Prompts

The President's Merc AU

#writing prompts #wash's writing #cyberpunk fanfic #cyberpunk 2077 fanfic #rosalind myers #valerie vermilion #streetkid!val #myers x v #myers x fem v #wlw ship #milfguard #aka president's merc au #mail time! #answers #totentnz #thanks for the ask! <3 #okay i said i'd keep it to 100 words but that's just silly #this was 296 and that seems reasonable #also i forget i have that banner lol i should use it more often

[appatary8523]

Dumb probably negative no context rambles under the cut

Last chance, don't ruin your mood and go back

OK you wanted it this way

1.- I like STW but I usually have to get up to do things while playing (yea sometimes in FN:BR I hide in bushes to go and do some other stuff. I've barely made any progress, the game is quite complicated to me because I don't play it often and I forget what was going on? And I don't know how to use most of the mechanics of the game(? Still, the humor is funny, the gameplay might feel repetitive from time to time but I like it, I really really like it.

I also would like to have more IRL friends who play STW (or FN in general), I bet that game mode is way funnier and rewarding in squad. But nobody plays it, and I think I have no friends who play FN? Just my older brother and he has his own duo so I'm not getting in between them (?) (and he doesn't like STW so he doesn't even have access to it). There's a dude at my workplace who plays FN but no thanks, I don't like him, he's stupid (he's the it guy who can't fix a damn thing. I hate that guy he's so stupid)

As always, I'm playing solo in this squad mode game called life (?

2.- I know I often say I'm doing it for me but, damn, I wish someone could like it the way I like it too. I'll see if it's worth the effort or if I should just finish the damn thing and save if for myself. I'm not hurt or anything alike, I was 1000% aware this was going to happen, and it's helping me improve. I think I just don't want to deal with that anymore. Sorry, I lose motivation quite often and easily

3.- I try to keep everything happy and positive in my FN blog but... I don't really like Hope. I mean she's cool and all that but I just don't like her e-girl thing going on. The only thing I like about her is the cat on her banner icon whatever the name of that thing is. Neither sunsp0t, actually y don't like a lot of things but I'll just save my awful FN opinions. I should've saved my headcanons too

4.- Surprise surprise (actually is no surprise) I'm losing followers. And I get it, I get you guys, I used to post funny things, funny drawings (or drawings in general) but now I just complain about everything. Sorry, I'm not in a good mood anymore.

I don't think people should keep following/stay suscribed to a channel, account, blog thing they dont like no more. I've seen artists (on Twitter of course) complaining about how people should not follow an account for X specific thing but I don't think that's how things work. Just like the things you like change, the things other like change too. They should NOT feel forced to like the things you like and see the things you want to share. But I guess you have to grow up to realize that. I personally don't feel offended when people stop following me, right now I'm offering nothing but negative text post, and that's OK. Curate the things you consume, make it a more pleasant experience, don't feel forced to follow someone you no longer like.

I personally follow people for a specific thing, and sometimes, like everyone, they change the things they make, but if I like their stuff I usually stick around because it's interesting! I just stop following if they change for worse (the same way I changed for worse). Still, not everyone thinks the same way I do.

5.- I still thinking I should just make another sideblog to dump all this dumb kind of posts but honestly I don't want to deal with it. Making an FN exclusive sideblog was already way too much, but I didn't want to mix all in here

6.- I guess that's what you get for interacting with people half your age.

7.- Shouldn't have joined, should've stayed away

8.- I wish we could talk, someday. I'd like to know you better. I know I don't exist for you but you mean so much for me (yea now I understand my taste for one-sided fictional relationships lol). I know, im stupid, I'm delusional, I'm, as always, daydreaming about things that will never ever happen and I will never have. I can't understand love, I can't wrap my head around the idea of being romantically involved with someone but that's OK, that kind of things are not meant for me

9.- I wish I could control whatevers going on in my mind. I wish it could slow the pace of my thoughts, I need some rest from the world but most important, I need a break from myself but I guess there's nothing I can do about it

10.- Also, Beatles song

11.- I fell asleep after posting this and I OBVIOUSLY had to edit it to add this because i DREAMED someone gave me some support words and it felt so nice and comforting jdjsjs I'm alone

12.- Morningssey song. Yes I like him too so sue me (?

#Mental diarrhea #And probably morning mental dump (? #I've been awake for several hours now and I'm doing nothing

[universe-of-heart]

The House a Dragon Built

A Rewritten History of Fire and Blood Masterlist

Ocs in fic

Author's Note: So this broke me out of a long writer's block. This is a new passion project of mine with the encouragement (and ocs) of my friend @dreaming-of-illusory-flowers so if you have any questions, you can ask either of us lol. This is a Fix-It au!! No Dance of the Dragons! I will put an explanation of Jae Briarwood at the footnote of the chapter for yall to read so there's a little more information. Hope you enjoy!! Moon phase border by @samspenandsword, MDNI banner by @cafekitsune

Word Count: 8.5K (Yes I know that's crazy) Footnote is around 400 words

Warnings: Same warnings as the show basically. I would rate this explicit just as a general rating, just to be safe. So 18+ pls and thank you. This part covers the first half of the first episode semi-vaguely, semi-in detail. Covers the tourney, so there are fights, and also there is more content involving Aemma just before the birth

The Old King was dead and his grandson finally sat the Iron Throne. Jae remembered the day in the throne room when the old king had the Great Council choose his grandson as his heir, how their fist had clenched behind their back when his name was said and not Rhaenys. They remembered custom, remembered tradition, but the look of pain that crossed her face before the mask fell back into place would never be forgotten. The Queen that Never Was and the one no one would let forget. And her cousin didn’t seem to notice.

However, Jae could not say Viserys was a bad king; the fact that his moniker had quickly become known as the Peaceful was not lost on them. It was refreshing to be without wars during a king’s reign, to enjoy the flourishing kingdom and the joy of a growing family within the Red Keep once again. It was something sorely missed after the death the House of Dragons had been plagued with in such a short amount of time. However, it seemed as if the plague didn’t wish to relinquish its control of the family just yet.

Jaeda should have realized that a calm kingdom had to be counterbalanced elsewhere. For the peaceful king, it was within his own chambers. His wife, as kind and lovely as she was, struggled. They had only had one child survive past infancy and to every lord that had experienced the previous line of succession, they viewed the small family with a sense of anxiety and contempt in their stares. To them, the king and queen’s beloved child was a disappointment.

Their child was a girl. And the kingdom had made it abundantly clear they would not have a queen named heir.

And yet, Princess Rhaenyra was the realm’s delight. She was also her family’s advisor’s delight; Jaeda found herself tutoring the princess herself more often than not and Jayse found himself teaching her the broadest skills of defense he was allowed. He often defended that the princess would have to learn to hunt eventually; it was a tradition of the king to have a great hunt and his daughter was never one to sit idle with her elders fiddling needlepoint and tea. The girl was a dragon as much as her hatchling was, the same fire burning in their twin souls, and she would no doubt burn the world around her if she felt the need to.

The latest pregnancy had been hell on Aemma and Jaeda couldn’t help but feel an ache in her chest every time she smiled tiredly at the advisor. It was her last try for a boy, just to please her husband and kingdom, and it seemed like even the unborn child knew it, too. It had made the last few months pure misery for the poor queen, her nights were usually spent soaking in lukewarm water despite her claims that hot water wouldn’t harm either of them. Targaryens never burned, never boiled, and her baby would be the same. Even still, the maesters and septas wouldn’t allow it. Jaeda remembered how much she hated the feeling that she was powerless to help. Childbirth had never been pleasant for her.

Rhaenyra moved the game piece across the board, steepling her fingers in front of her as she watched the woman across from her. The table had been dragged out into the gardens within sight of the weirwood where Lady Alicent sat under the limbs with a book in her lap. The three of them often found themselves there now that the weather was agreeable, either studying history or testing skills of strategy on a playing board. In fact, Rhaenyra went very few places without Alicent, the back of her dragon and the sky the only places Jae had noticed her leaving the lady behind, but even then the princess had begged her friend to join her. They’d become close companions, she mused to herself with a smile playing on her lips. Closer than most ladies would be with their princess in the same situation. 

Jaeda moved her piece and heard Rhaenyra release a heavy breath through her nose. It nearly sounded identical to when her dragon snorted in annoyance. The princess’ move had been good in strategy, but Jaeda had been playing far longer. 

“Your mind seems distant, Princess,” her fingertip circled a knot on the wooden table, head tilting with a certain interest she always held. “What troubles you?”

“Nothing specific.” Her silver braid slipped over her shoulder as she shifted to reach across the board. “And yet, just about everything.”

Jaeda knew the princess was nervous for her mother. The entire kingdom seemed to be holding its breath with the quickly approaching day the baby was due to make an appearance into the world, as if they knew what hung in the balance the same way the queen’s family did. For the kingdom, it was the line of succession. For the family, it was Aemma herself.

“Any news from your uncle, darling?” She decided to change the subject, drawing her mind away from the shadow looming over the keep. Her uncle casted a similar shadow, however, it was smaller at the moment and one Jaeda could actually cast light on to make it disappear.

“Only in the way I haven’t had news that he’s died,” Rhaenyra sighed, resting her cheek on her fist. “Father has said he is to return before the tournament, but you know how he tends to be.”

“He will be there,” the advisor soothed. Even if I have to drag him from the brothel’s bed myself.

Rhaenyra flashed her a smile laced with sadness. To be an only child in the line of the Targaryens was a rare thing and a lonely thing. Jaeda often thought the princess lucky to have Alicent as her companion, though she could see how the distance in her family hurt her. Each fractured relationship sent a spiderweb of cracks down the family line and the princess had the unfortunate luck of being at the end of that line. Distantly, Jae considered how well a trip to Driftmark would fair. Being near her cousins would do her good.

Jaeda heaved a dramatic sigh, catching both the younger girls’ attention as she stood from the table. “I will have to call this a forfeit on my part, Princess.”

Alicent chuckled from under the weirwood, tucking a scrap of fabric between the pages before she closed her book. Rhaenyra’s eyes danced with a mixture of confusion and mischief as her father’s advisor made a show of looking toward the direction of the sun, musing over her thoughts, and tapping her chin. At the end of it all, she turned to the princess and smiled with a look of mischief to match her.

“If you hurry, I do believe you can fit a flight with Syrax in before the Small Council is called to order.”

The princess nearly went scrambling across the courtyard, grabbing Alicent’s arm as she passed her to drag her with her. Jae simply chuckled, cleaned up the game on the table, and set off back within the winding halls of the Keep.

The Keep was ever busy, people milling about endlessly on their own individual journeys, some carrying supplies from one end to the other, some walking side by side discussing their daily lives. It had all become background noise to Jaeda, the environment fading away as she stalked down the halls to check on the queen. The colors on the walls all bled together, a mix of grey and the black and red of tapestries until they swirled into a singular color.

Jayse swung his sword quickly against the shield of the knight training with him, the world coming into clear focus around him. He ducked when the knight swung, a wide arc angled too high above his head, and the poor man went crashing into the dirt with a thud when Jayse’s shoulder connected with his chest. A few of the other knights jeered from the sidelines, one telling the man now struggling to his feet he’ll have better luck next time. He won’t, but the thought was what truly counted.

“Ser Westerling!” Jayse called out, the commander acknowledging the man with a slight incline of his head. “Have you seen the princess yet this morning?”

“Can’t say I have, Lord Briarwood,” the older man adjusted his seat on his courser, hands resting on the front of his saddle.

Jayse peered up at the sky, brows furrowing in thought. “‘Bout the time she goes to the dragonpit to fly Syrax, isn’t it?”

Ser Westerling muttered something under his breath before having two other kingsguard mount up to follow him. The rest of the guards went scrambling, causing the lord to stifle a laugh at the panic caused by such a simple sentence. Perhaps if they spent less time peacocking for the maids milling about with the younger ladies of court, the princess would not suddenly go missing from the stone walls of the Keep.

Though, Jae supposed that was their fault.

Putting his training sword back in the rack and passing off a few other training garbs to a younger squire, Jayse began his walk to his quarters to change into something less sweat-stained and marred with dirt. A few ladies and lords bid him a greeting, each in passing and never more than a brief word and glancing look. Such was the way of court, more often than not, far too many people with far too little time if it wasn’t the king. Though, he mused once within the walls of his chambers, many of them would be preoccupied by the upcoming tournament being held in honor of the king’s next - and last - child. Even without it being said, everyone in the kingdom had come to the understanding that this had to be the last, no matter which sex it was to be. 

Part of his heart wanted it to be a girl, just to see the look on the face of the Hand himself.

“Slowest brother of mine, are you going to visit the Queen before the Small Council?”

Jayse looked up from the fastenings of his gambeson, smiling at the sight of his sister leaning against the doorframe with a weary look. “And send the maesters and midwives into a fit at the sight of a knight within the Queen’s quarters? Wouldn’t miss it for the world, dearest sister.”

Jaeda’s eyes narrowed, though a grin grew across her lips to match his. “You sent Westerling after Rhaenyra, quite a good idea.”

“It’s almost as though I thought of it.”

“Mm,” she hummed, a knowing look sparking in her eyes before she turned away, the world now in a sharp focus around her. “Don’t doddle, you know how I hate it when Lord Hightower looks at us when you’re late.”

“Only when I’m late?”

She threw a grin over her shoulder. “Dearest brother, I am never late.”

Jayse grumbled under his breath, falling silent as the door shut behind her. 

A young maid dropped a small curtsey as she passed Jaeda on her way to the council room, already anticipating the presence of the king and his Hand to be there. She already knew she would be asked the whereabouts of the princess the moment greetings were exchanged and no doubt Otto would have something to say on the matter, but it was nothing new; it all fell into the daily routine she’d grown accustomed to.

“Lady, Briarwood,” the guards at the door bowed slightly before pushing the door open for her. A quiet word was said by her, a brief thank you and good morning before the sight of the table became her view.

At the head was the king, Viserys, deep in a familiar and friendly conversation with the two men at his table. Not all had arrived yet, as expected, though she had no doubt the Grand Maester and Lord Beesbury would be arriving sometime soon. The only one she held little hope for actually making an appearance was their commander of the City Watch. Poor Prince Daemon. He surely would not be missed at the council table.

“My lords, my king,” Jaeda dropped a small bow, just enough to be respectable to the station of the men before her while also maintaining hers. “I trust you haven’t been having too much fun without me?”

Viserys’ expression was happy and pleased and she couldn’t help the smile that played at the corners of her lips. “Jaeda, my dear, it’s a delight to see you.”

Otto Hightower inclined his head, giving her his usual tight-lipped smile that never sparked at his eyes. “Lady Briarwood.”

Corlys gave her a brief, troubled smile and she knew that something would be brought up at the council. “My lady, pleasure as always.”

“Same to you, Lord Corlys.”

She sat across from the Hand, Lord Hightower, and she knew it vexed him from the way his hand on the table flexed and then moved to fidget with the heavy sphere that sat within a marbled ring. Hers was placed by one of the kingsguard stationed around the room; a dark, swirling sphere of red and black that curled together into the color of blood, marred only by a streak of white that cut through the side like a serpent’s pupil. Or, perhaps, a scar, old and faded and pale against the cloudy expanse behind it. Her fingers curled over the top of it, shifting it until the white slash faced upwards. An eye watching the space above.

The conversation continued, small jokes passed from King to Hand and Master of Ships and to her every now and then. Jayse had joined them since then, bringing news that the Queen was well but quite ready for the babe to finally enter their world and leave her. Viserys chuckled at that, eyes softening at a spot on the table. Jaeda knew that look accompanied thoughts of his future; wife holding a son, Rhaenyra placed safely at both their sides until she came of age for her own union. His son as king, continuing the line of peaceful kings, fulfilling a prophecy only two of them knew. It sounded like a wonderful future of love and contentment.

That was half the reason Jaeda felt a growing pit in her stomach, sharing a look with her twin as he took his place behind her.

As expected, Grand Maester Mellos and Lord Beesbury arrived about the same time, though Lord Strong arrived before, and that was when the council well and truly commenced.

Though, commenced was a strong word for what exactly began.

It was more jokes, more stories, along with a growing agitation brewing in the seat of the ship master. All knew the king simply wanted to focus on King’s Landing now, that his sole focus was on his unborn child that he was set on being his heir. And still, the world outside kept on without him and would continue to do so as much as he ignored it.

Another round of chuckles gave way to the heavy sigh at the end of the table, Corlys finally taking the attention for himself. A modest ask when the entire point of the Small Council was for the king to hear about these types of matters, though all acted as if that use had been put out of practice in the early years of the Old King’s rule.

“My lords.”

Corlys sounded tired, strained and burdened with his news of the Free Cities. Newly named the Triarchy, they had traveled to Bloodstone to wipe out a group of pirates that had made the Stepstones their home as of late. Jaeda hummed thoughtfully, turned fully in her chair as she watched the map unfurl on the empty place at the table. She knew the King would not bite at the thought of a war beginning; it was not how he wished his reign to go. No matter how many of his advisors may advocate for a war to simply end tensions, she knew he did not wish to send men to their deaths, though in the end, it was inevitable and unavoidable. Men would die one way or another at the end of a sword - either on a battlefield or in their own streets while their children screamed.

She blinked, feeling Jayse’s hand on her shoulder grounding her back to the topic at hand. 

“They call him ‘The Crabfeeder’.”

The door creaked open and the princess hurried through, trying to make herself smaller and hidden from the council members. Smaller wasn’t the way of the Targaryens, however, so she simply readjusted, trying to appear as if she’d never been late before, that this was the exact time she was meant to be there and not a moment sooner.

“Rhaenyra, you’re late.” Her King father wouldn’t let it pass, however, and Jaeda chuckled as the princess shot her a look, pressing a kiss to her father’s cheek.

“A king’s cupbearer must not be late. It leaves people wanting for cups.” His tone was teasing and gentle, a smile playing on his face the entire time.

“I was visiting mother.”

Viserys sniffed, brows furrowing slightly. “On dragonback?”

Rhaenyra huffed out a laugh. “Ask Lady Jaeda.”

The king sent his advisor a look as she simply smiled, Rhaenyra stopping at her cup first. 

Lord Beesbury went on to comment about Daemon’s absence and his City Watch and again Jaeda lost her focus. Otto had been suspiciously silent and Jayse behind her had been paying enough attention for both of them. So, instead, she stared at the Hand, trying to pick apart his thoughts from within his head, her fingers skimming the surface of the orb in front of her. When the Hand was silent, she knew he was plotting and she was determined to discover what it exactly was. 

Jaeda had never been thrilled at the idea of Otto Hightower becoming Hand of the King even in Jaehaeyrs’ reign. Viserys’ own father had been named Hand just before the man now in front of her, though that had only lasted the better part of a week before he had passed. She refused to believe it a coincidence and had kept her eyes and ears trained on the current Hand since his place in court had been announced. All that was left to do was wait.

“The Crown has heard your report, Lord Corlys.”

Jaeda bristled. Report, not request. A plead for aid by the Crown and yet they acted as if the Sea Snake had merely stated the weather or worse - he asked for a second helping of a meal. He looked from Otto to his King, as if trying to see if the sentiment was shared. A second great sigh was heaved by the lord at the foot of the table and Jaeda’s nail tapped at the marble plate under her sphere.

“Shall we discuss the Heir’s Tournament, your Grace?”

“I would be delighted.”

“The king is a fool if he is so blind to turn away from his kingdom.”

“Evermore the fool to ignore his pregnant wife.”

The door swung closed behind Jayse as his twin stalked her room. Every council set her on edge and the two of them often held their own sort of council in private after. While he stood at the door, ever her guard, she sat before a mirror to tug at the pins in her hair.

“The queen will die,” she murmured, catching her brother’s eyes in the mirror. “She’s lost too many.”

He hummed in thought. “Meanwhile, the princess fills the role of the perfect heir.”

“The kingdom won’t want her.”

“No. She’s missing the one thing they believe an heir should have.”

“Don’t be crude,” she chided, standing with her hair spilling down her back and shoulders. “But we know it’s the reason they passed over a better heir towards the end of Jaehaeyrs’ reign.”

Jayse hummed again. “Every moment I spend in the Small Council, I miss Princess Rhaenys more and more.”

“Perhaps we should change and advise Driftmark instead.”

There was a humorous tone to her voice as he held the door open for her to pass through and he couldn’t help but chuckle as he followed. 

“Westeros would burn to ash the moment we left.”

Jaeda hummed. “Just like home.”

“Have you seen to the king’s injuries lately?”

The conversation turned as they melted back into the business of the Keep, where people milled about them and they couldn’t speak as plainly as they wished. While neither was afraid to speak their mind to the King, very few others deemed it appropriate of an advisor and knight to discuss the king in such a manner and the twins would prefer to keep their current record as spotless as they could. No hidden riddles could be passed outside the heavy doors of personal chambers and conversations had to veer away to more mundane discussions.

“The maesters have asked for my knowledge of herbs to make a strong tincture for the ones that refuse to heal. Though, I fear that natural remedies will only do so much.”

Jaeda’s hand folded over her brother’s arm, bumping their shoulders together. Jayse ducked his head slightly so only she could hear him.

“Then, perhaps, we will have to see what unnatural remedies will do.”

It was early the next morning, too early, that Jaeda found herself back in the council chamber, glowering at Daemon from across the table. Her brother was stood behind the prince at the moment, stoic-faced as the King and Hand made their entrance and everyone but Daemon and her stood in respect. He looked oddly pleased with himself, unable to sit still and the hint of a smile playing on his lips like a cat who finally caught its master’s bird. The expression fell into one of challenge, daring Otto to continue his thoughts and looking all the more like a predator staring down its prey as the Hand sat beside Jaeda. 

The prince was a mess. The smell of blood flowed off of him in waves and it would take patience to sort out his hair after the helm and chaos of the night had blown it every which way. 

“Carry on. You were saying something about my impunity.”

“Don’t be difficult,” the advisor scolded, leaning back in her chair. She looked the most at ease out of everyone at the table, though a simmering fire burned behind her eyes that still remained locked on the king’s brother.

“I’m simply asking for the Lord Hand to continue his conversation, I fail to see how that makes me difficult.”

Her eyes sparked and Daemon leaned back from the table.

“Darling, I wouldn’t push your luck tonight.”

His armor creaked as it met the backrest of the chair.

Daemon and the king’s advisor were often far too similar to get along. Many at court had once joked that they had to have been engaged somehow; it was seemingly the only reasonable explanation as to why he plagued her so often. However, since they’d both been given a seat at the Small Council, many saw it for what it truly was, with both twins. 

Jaeda acted as the brother’s older sister and they fell into line accordingly. Viserys valued her insight endlessly and sought her out for multiple matters, mundane and extravagant. Daemon seemed to be driven by the sole mission to have her attention, regardless of what consequences followed. The baby brother in every aspect. Jayse was no exception to the family dynamic and Daemon growing up would challenge him endlessly. If there  was ever a sword in one of their hands, everyone knew the other was clashing steel against it. It had been that way for years. However, Daemon just couldn’t seem to grow past the years of sword fighting.

Otto cleared his throat and Daemon’s eyes snapped back to him, the predatorial gaze returning after being scolded like a child. “You are to explain your doings with the City Watch.”

The prince bristled. It truly was no secret that he hated the Hand of the King, a feeling he shared with Jae entirely, and it felt as if the entire Small Council heaved a sigh as the battle began at the table. Because it was always war with Daemon; it was as deeply entwined with his soul as his dragon was. It seemed fitting, honestly; the Blood Worm and his bloodthirsty rider. A pair created within the Seven Hells themselves.

“Your new ‘Gold Cloaks’ made quite the impression last night, didn’t they?”

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Jayse muttered, catching how Jaeda’s brow quirked over the prince’s shoulder. Right. Now was not the time for that.

Later, however…

“The City Watch is not a sword to be wielded at your whim; they’re an extension of the Crown.” 

Daemon leaned forward against the table again, turning to stare at Otto. The man spoke with enough contempt that he was halfway convinced he could threaten him with treason. If his brother was more often on his side, he might’ve been tempted further. He still wasn’t fully blind to how quickly he’d fallen into the role of Hand after his father’s death; how eagerly he gave council both publicly and privately to Viserys. Otto wasn’t like Jaeda. Otto Hightower was a man too often pushing his own agenda under the guise of the Crown.

Daemon loathed him.

“The Watch was enforcing the Crown’s laws. Wouldn’t you agree, Lord Strong?”

The attention shifted to Lyonel Strong, who looked like he wished to be anywhere else. Jaeda wondered in slight amusement if he had mentally traveled back to Harrenhal. 

“My prince,” he sighed, preparing himself for a back and forth that always occurred with the second prince, “I don’t think-” 

“We are not here to argue whether you were enforcing laws, Daemon,” Jaeda rubbed at a spot above her left brow, as if the mere discussion gave her a migraine. Perhaps it did, it was Daemon after all. “We are here to discuss the monstrous brutality demonstrated and encouraged in our streets.”

“‘Monstrous’?” He nearly laughed, a not entirely sane humor glittering in his eyes. “Nobles from every corner of the realm are right now descending upon King’s Landing for my brother’s tourney. Do you want them mugged, raped, murdered-”

“Daemon.”

“And, forgive me,” he turned towards the Hand, tone the slightest bit sharper, “but you mightn’t know this unless you left the safety of the Red Keep but much of King’s Landing is seen by the smallfolk as lawless and terrifying.” 

“You aren’t exactly helping to improve that outlook with the way you carry about.” Her hand was resting on her sphere again. The prince nearly relaxed; that posture for her was often one of disinterest or at least detachment from the subject at hand. However, the look on her face said otherwise.

And then her nails tapped sharply against the smooth marble and he knew she was only holding it to keep herself from grasping his throat from across the table.

“Our city should be safe for all its people,” he continued, looking to his brother for some support on the matter. Any support at all. Viserys glanced at Jaeda who watched him the same way.

“I agree.” That one sentence broke much of the tension, Daemon’s own shoulders dropping ever so slightly within the metal walls of his armor. “I just hope you don’t have to maim half my city to achieve this.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of the prince’s mouth. “Time will tell.”

Jayse smothered a scoff.

“We installed Prince Daemon as commander to promote law and order,” Lord Corlys, for the first time since the council rejoined, spoke on behalf of the rogue prince. “The criminal element should fear the City Watch.”

The prince nodded towards the Lord of the Seas in as much appreciation as he typically showed others. “Thank you for your support, Lord Corlys.”

“If only the prince would show the same devotion to his lady wife as he does his work, Your Grace.”

Jaeda couldn’t control her eyes rolling. “Spare us another argument over marriages, Lord Hightower, tis not the time or place for such discussions.”

“The prince has a duty and has yet to fulfill it in a manner befitting his station-”

“And you would know what befits my station, Lord Hand?” Daemon questioned, voice raising. 

Watching from behind the prince, Jayse wondered if Otto had blinked once since he began staring down Daemon. Jaeda’s head tilted back in barely contained annoyance, biting back a groan that threatened to upset the flimsy façade of decorum the council now wore like a curtain. More than likely a sheer curtain, based on the nervous shifting of the kingsguard around the room.

Otto’s hand curled into a fist on the table, though his expression remained stoically cold. “Lady Rhea is your wife, a good and honorable lady of the Vale-”

Daemon gave a lopsided smile in response, deeming the conversation merely a joke. “In the Vale, men are said to fuck sheep instead of women.”

Viserys’ head dropped with a sigh before he looked at his advisor.

“I assure you, the sheep are prettier.”

Jaeda’s chair scraped against the stone loudly, the wood creaking as she stood and picked up the orb from the marble plate. “If we are no longer discussing the actions of the City Guard, I believe the council has finished its duty for the morning. My King, any closing words before I threaten both your brother and your Hand for using the Lady of Runestone as a Cyvasse piece in a disagreement?”

The chamber fell silent for only a moment. In that moment, the king looked half relieved, Daemon looked ever so pleased to get a rise out of someone, and Otto looked as though he would help her strangle the prince himself. Viserys nodded and her sphere rested back on the marble as she remained standing, awaiting a dismissal. 

“This council has, at great expense,” the king pulled his brother’s attention back to him, still smiling to himself, “bettered the City Watch to your exacting standards. Enforce my laws, but understand, any further performances like last night’s will be answered.”

“Understood, Your Grace.” Daemon stood, then looked at his brother’s advisor as he gathered his gauntlets and helm. “Do you require an escort, my lady?”

She just sighed, turning to walk through the old wooden doors. “Not the type you require, my prince.”

Jayse slung his arm over the prince’s shoulder as he began to stalk out of the room. The knight knew the prince’s penchant for blowing off steam always included liquor, women, or fighting, sometimes all in one night, and considering how the entire meeting was about the amount of bloodshed within the kingdom already, well. Perhaps a guard for the prince was needed.

The next day started just as early for Jaeda. One of the queen’s maids had rushed into her chambers, telling her the queen had requested her presence before the bustle of the day’s events began. Jaeda felt her heart sink for a moment before she was following the young girl down the ever-winding halls to the queen’s quarters. She could hear the memory of the queen joking a moon ago that perhaps she should begin referring to them as her dungeon; she hadn’t been able to leave them in so long, they might as well have been.

The first thing Jaeda was hit with upon entering the chamber was how heavy the air was. It was a pressure no heat could compare to, weighing like armor on her shoulders the moment she was past the threshold and saw the queen half bent over with an iron grip on the foot of the bed. She was standing at least, that was good. Moving would help the birth go quicker. As long as they didn’t lay her on her back.

“My queen,” her voice was soft as she came to her side, reaching to hold her hand tightly.

Aemma reached blindly for her husband’s advisor - her friend - and managed a shaking, wobbling smile. “Jae,” she breathed, “it is today.”

“He’s impatient, it seems.”

The laugh the queen let out was shallow and faded into a sigh. “It seems. I-I want to see Rhaenyra before…before.”

Jaeda nodded, her other hand reaching to cup the queen’s elbow. “Is it only labor pains so far? It hasn’t fully begun?”

From the lack of blood on the white gown the queen wore, she could only assume it was only the beginning pains of labor wracking her body. The five previous births had instilled a primal fear and anxiety into both of them, neither truly knowing how any of them would end. It was always tears, always another scar on the heart. And still, there was always another.

Aemma shook her head, lips pressing into a thin line as another wave of pain passed through her. “At least the lords will not have to fear the tourney being for nothing.”

“If you can still joke, there is nothing to fear.”

The door creaked again and Rhaenyra leaned through the doorway before moving past some of the maesters and maids. “Mother?”

“Darling,” Aemma’s tone sounded relieved as if the presence of her daughter made her labor all the easier. “Darling, come here.”

Rhaenyra flanked her mother’s side across from Jaeda, brows drawn down in worry. It made her look older than her ten and four years and Jae felt another pang in their chest at the sight. For a moment, their vision shifted and it was Rhaenyra clutching their hand, begging for it all to be over.

Aemma’s thumb soothed over the lines between her daughter’s brows. “Today, my love, I want you to enjoy the festivities.”

“I would rather stay with you.”

The queen just shook her head with a kind smile. “You are allowed to enjoy it even while I am here, my darling girl. I want you to.”

Rhaenyra frowned again before her mother’s shaking hand cupped her face and pressed her forehead to hers. “As soon as they are over, I am coming to see you.”

“And you will tell me all about the fights and who wins. I must know which knight will be your favorite.”

Finally, a small smile appeared on the princess’ face as she pressed a kiss to her mother’s cheek. “In excruciating detail, I promise.”

Aemma laughed breathlessly.

Reaching the door, Rhaenyra looked back at the two still standing at the bed, nodding to her father’s advisor before leaving. Aemma’s demeanor shifted again, falling against the structure of the bed more in support. 

“Your Grace-”

“Jae, please,” she pleaded, halfway between a joke and truly begging. 

Jae let out a short laugh through their nose. “Aemma…I worry for you.”

“This is the last one, I’ve made Viserys promise me. No matter what happens.”

“That is what I fear. The ‘no matter what’.”

Aemma hauled herself to stand upright again, stumbling slightly as it felt like fire dripped from between her legs. Her grip on Jae’s hand changed as well, now holding it tight enough to bruise anyone else’s hand. Jae was different, however; it barely felt any different.

“Oh, gods be good,” the queen whispered, a pool of fluid forming at her feet. 

Suddenly, there was a flurry of robes around the both of them, just outside of Jae’s realm of concern as they simply held onto Aemma. They couldn’t shake how final it all felt.

No matter what. This was the last one.

Jae pressed a kiss to the queen’s silver hair, brushing it away from her face. “No matter what happens, I will protect your family. Rhaenyra will be safe.”

“Thank you.”

It was the last words the queen said to her before Grand Maester Mellos shooed Jaeda out of the room. The last image of Aemma being guided back into the bed seared into her mind.

Just outside the door stood Rhaenyra, arms crossed over her stomach in a way that mimicked an embrace. It was one of the moments that Jae’s well-structured walls they’d put in place all but crumbled from years of neglect. The current house of Targaryens had wormed their way into the old Valyrian’s very soul, the queen and princess most of all.

It was a family they dreaded losing after centuries of detachment.

Jaeda pulled the princess into her side, arm wrapped over her shoulders as they began the long walk back to Rhaenyra’s chambers to dress her for the day. There were no words of comfort that would make a difference to her. 

No matter what.

The stairs to the royal box felt endless, especially in a tight stay, and Rhaenyra made a vow to herself she wouldn’t allow anyone to lace it so tight again. However, she’d been in a hurry, had rushed the kind handmaidens that had been dressing her, and had all but bolted from the seat before her mirror the moment the last pin was in her hair. Jaeda had walked with her out to the tournament grounds, but her being missed from the box wasn’t as worrying as the princess. She gathered herself behind the chairs before picking her way quietly and calmly as her father’s voice rang over the entire field of people, announcing how special this occasion was now that her mother had begun her labors. Jaeda glanced over at her as she ducked to run to her seat, falling into it beside Alicent with very little grace. 

Jayse laughed beside his sister and Jaeda smiled, brows still creased in silent worry.

The crowd erupted in deafening cheers. It felt less like a celebration and more like a war cry to her.

“May the luck of the Seven shine upon all combatants!”

The king and princess exchanged a look as he sat back down, though he cracked a small smile when she adverted her eyes. She was late, yes, but it would be fine. He knew how important her mother was to her.

The crack of lances echoed with each hit, the ringing of armor following soon after. It was dizzying and filled to the brim with crackling anxiety as each house’s boys and men raced toward each other on horseback with the intent to unseat the other. Quite a few were bold enough to ask a few of the ladies in the box for their favors, wreaths of leaves and flowers woven into circlets that slid down the lance onto the arm of the knight.

It was every bit as amusing as it was sobering, watching these men play war with each other.

Alicent and Rhaenyra studied each crest on the shields as they jousted, muttering between each other as they pointed out the houses that did the best. An Arryn there, a Baratheon there, even a Tully and Tyrell and Greyjoy had appeared and fought for their place in the Heir’s Tournament. Neither had expected it to be nearly as fun as it was and yet both remained enthralled in their own little space together, the princess’ hand resting on her lady’s arm.

“What house is that?” Rhaenyra pointed to the knight that had just unseated a knight of house Tarly, his shield of green with the archer standing proudly still on the ground by his challenger’s horse. “A mystery knight perhaps?”

Alicent hummed softly. “No, a Cole, of the Stormlands.”

The princess made a noise as she nodded. “I’ve never heard of House Cole.”

A Baratheon knight soon came to ask for the Princess Rhaenys’ favor, boasting that he didn’t truly need the luck, but requested it nonetheless. Jaeda bit the inside of her cheek to keep from snickering at the princess’ face as she turned back to her husband, conspiring in whispers only they could hear. 

And when the knight was unseated in a rather embarrassing way, his feet nearly meeting his helm as he toppled ass over head, well. He simply deserved it for calling her the Queen who Never Was.

The knight of House Cole was reigned back in, banner removed from its stand as another squire placed a bright red banner where it had stood. It was an unfamiliar sigil, a blonde-haired figure that looked like the Maiden herself draped in a red dress that bled into the fabric behind her. Above her head was a golden loop crossed over itself and connected in a way you could trace it forever if you wished. The knight that rode past the banner held a shield with the same house symbol, though even many of the older members of court now whispered over which house that was. Perhaps a new one?

Alicent frowned, absentmindedly picking at her fingers. “Now, that is a mystery knight…”

Rhaenyra covered her hand with hers. “A new house could make this quite fun.”

Both girls tilted and turned their heads to try to glimpse what the knight looked like under his armor and when they couldn’t, both leaned back into their chairs with a sigh. It would make sense with the armor trying to protect the knights as best they could that no sight would be visible without moving the visor.

Still, it was disappointing.

The knight rounded his horse, settling into the saddle as a squire handed the lance to him, letting him rest it on the stirrup of the saddle. The mystery knight sat quietly, calmly, as his opponent was announced and armed opposite of him, shield glimmering dark blue in the sunlight. The white bird swooped downward as the shield came up.

The start was called and the horses bolted.

Another crack, another knight fell, and the Maiden’s knight lifted his shield as the crowd cheered.

Drums announced Rhaenyra’s uncle as he raced past the man draped with the symbol of House Targaryen. The mystery knight fell into the line of other knights as they all awaited a chance to go against the City Watch’s commander. Jayse wondered how many of them were pissing themselves at the idea of it.

The king watched with a content smile as his daughter laughed to herself, watching her uncle preen on the top of his horse as he watched each knight closely. This was the peace he craved, even amongst such chaos and “wanton violence” as his Small Council had called it. The kingdoms needed this, he thought. Just a moment to live and experience the strength of the men that lived within it and protected it.

Daemon’s lance lowered at Otto’s son, Gwayne Hightower, and the King and Hand exchanged a look. Jaeda smothered a smirk as she rested her cheek against her fist. He truly did make a sport of getting a rise out of his brother’s hand.

Rhaenyra reached for her friend’s hand again, Alicent now chewing at her nails out of fear for her brother. It was one of the reasons she had been dreading these games, even in good fun there had been blood drawn. Knowing Daemon, it was anything but good fun, if fun at all.

Daemon looked up at the stands, a smile on his face as he found the narrowed eyes of Otto Hightower. That was all he needed. He snapped his horse into action and the fight was on.

The first contact of their lances had them both shattering against their shields, Daemon leaning back over the back of the saddle at the force. He wasn’t unseated, though, and he was able to pull him back up before his horse circled back around the fence and another lance was thrown into his hand. The next pass saw Daemon leaning down, his lance used against Gwayne’s horse instead of the knight.

The horse tripped, folded, and nearly landed on top of the boy. Alicent jumped, grasping for Rhaenyra, and Otto found himself nearly out of his seat. The horse stood, other men came to help the stunned and injured Hightower boy, and Alicent looked to her father. Nothing could be done at the moment and the fact he was alive was enough for now.

Daemon trotted his horse in front of the stands, smiling up at his niece and her companion as they leaned against the fence around them.

“Nicely done, Uncle.”

“Thank you, Princess.” He looked to Alicent, who still wore a thinly made mask of neutrality over the worry. “Now, I’m fairly certain I can win these games, Lady Alicent. Having your favor would all but guarantee it.”

Rhaenyra gave her uncle a look as Alicent fetched her green wreath, nervously dropping it down the lance. “Good luck, my Prince.”

Daemon grinned, turning his horse away before looking at his next opponent. However, he frowned and snapped loudly as a squire carried a red banner with black dots across it. 

“Bring the Maiden Knight out instead! If he wishes to join the Great Houses, let him prove it!”

The crowd cheered again as the banners were changed and the mystery knight reappeared, though didn’t fall back into line when the lance was given. Instead, he too also rode up to the stands where the princess still stood with her friend, stunned at the demand Prince Daemon had given.

Rhaenyra looked down at the knight, catching the sight of green eyes behind the spaces in the visor. She smiled at the thought that there was finally a feature to pair with her image of the knight in her mind. “Do you wish my favor, ser?”

The Maiden’s knight nodded, bowing slightly on horseback. Still, he didn’t speak and the princess wondered if that was part of the game. Still, she hummed and fetched her ring of red and black, missing the fact her father was no longer seated behind her.

The wreath slid down the lance, resting just above the curve that protected his hand. 

“I wish you the best of luck, my Maiden Knight.”

The knight tilted his head before lifting the lance to press the favor against his helmet, just about where his lips would be.

When Rhaenyra turned, Jaeda was watching her and her father was missing. Ignoring the sinking feeling in her gut, she smiled, returning to sit next to Alicent. No one else had left the stand and a part of her reasoned that perhaps her mother had asked him to be beside her or the babe had been born quickly and safely and he was to be the first to meet his new child. Especially if it was the son he wanted.

The first pass had the mystery knight’s lance splintering in his hand. Rhaenyra reached for her necklace with a gasp, worrying her fingers over the grooves of the Valyrian steel. Lances were changed quickly, horses turning to face the other again before bolting down the path again. The mystery knight adjusted his shield, the image of the blonde maiden flashing briefly before it was a blur of red and gold.

The next pass, Daemon twisted from the hit, foot caught in the stirrup still. His body hit the metal rail, grinding horribly against the back of his armor that sent chills through Rhaenyra and rattled in her teeth. The necklace was held tighter between her fingers and she leaned further in her chair as her uncle tumbled off his horse and rolled.

The crowd was deafening as the Maiden Knight dismounted, Daemon screaming for someone to bring him his sword. The Valyrian steel sang as he drew it, swinging around to face the knight with a snarl. Now that he was off the horse, the princess noticed two swords were attached to his belt, one on each side, and she wondered if he used both at once. He only drew one, leveling it with Prince Daemon with a tilt of his head.

Did he want to do this? 

Daemon’s first swing hit the red shield, glancing off of it as his dragon shield rose to hit the knight’s helm. He was quicker than he thought he’d be, moving smoothly in his armor as his sword rose again and again to hit the prince’s shield. The corner cracked and splintered, though a good hit to the outside edge of the knight’s own shield sent him off balance for a kick to the side, sending him sprawling. That couldn’t be it, could it? The crowd roared, echoing in the steel helmet.

She didn’t want it to be it.

The knight twisted, sweeping his leg before throwing the shield at the prince, scrambling to his feet in the same movement. The shield caught the prince’s helm and stunned him for the moment it took the second sword to unsheath. The princess gasped and felt Alicent reach for her, but it wasn’t out of fear. It was out of amazement, out of awe.

Daemon dropped to his knees, shield shattered next to him with two swords at either side of his throat. A silent order to yield met with an equally silent denial until his eyes glanced up at the box behind the knight. His niece, watching with wide eyes, Jaeda sat with a stony expression, and his brother nowhere to be found. 

Dark Sister dropped to the dirt and the swords at his neck left, leaving both of them heaving for breath in their armor. Someone announced the victor behind them, shouting how the knight of the Maiden had made the gods and his family proud. He didn’t care a thing about that, however, all he cared about was seeing who had dared to make a fool of him like that.

When the knight turned, Daemon rose, grabbing the top of the helmet and pulling. The crowd that hadn’t stopped screaming suddenly fell silent as bright gold curls fell down to the knight’s shoulders, weighed down by sweat and sticking to her face.

Her face.

In the crowd, her brothers and mother pushed away from the others, no doubt journeying to meet her where her armor would be removed and she would once again be faced with her reality.

Fallon Lannister turned to face the prince, smiling through her gasps for air. Despite it all, she was proud. She’d unseated and beaten the Rogue Prince of Westeros. No matter what happened after, she would always have that to her name. She turned again, looking up to the princess who now stood to see her clearer. Fallon took great effort in bowing, arms out as she did, before grinning up at the girl who had given her her favor.

“It seems the Princess’ luck is all I required!”

Rhaenyra laughed, turning to her father’s advisor before she noticed how many people were leaving. Important people. Small Council people. Except Jaeda.

Jaeda, who just looked at her with a neutral expression, but eyes that filled with sorrow.

Rhaenyra dropped into her seat.

When she returned to the Keep, she didn’t even ask what had happened. The look from Jaeda had been all she needed to know.

It was the last one, no matter what happened.

Born to a noble Valyrian family nearly 300 years before the Doom, Jaeda was never meant to survive. She was a cursed dragon's birth and was a test subject on artificial life used by her father. She was hidden away due to her more draconic appearance for most of her childhood and teen years. Jaeda was able to explore only through books and experiments of her own. She was able to hone her magic abilities to glamour herself to be able to hide her scales, horns, wings, and tail. With her draconic appearance gone, Jaeda was able to fit in Valyrian noble society. As she aged, Jaeda discovered her gender fluidity and transitioned magically into a more masculine form, Jayse. While switching back and forth between genders, Jayse felt like home while Jaeda felt like the strong stone walls protecting it. When the close family friends, the Targaryens, moved across the Narrow Sea, Jae followed some time after. Jae, knowing that they were moving to a less accepting world, started the experiment their father could never finish. To fit in once again, Jae made a magical construct to pass off as a twin so they could peacefully exist as both of their genders. The construct could not exist without their magic nor without a part of their consciousness at all times. Just like Jae, the construct's gender could be changed at will, much like a glamour. When they settled near Dragonstone after the Doom, Jae was one of the last surviving noble families of Valyria. During the Conquest Jaeda assumed the role of an advisor to Aegon and his sister-wives while Jayse assumed the role of protector. Switching fluidly between gender and roles, the "twins" had almost everyone convinced they were two separate people. As the conquest proceeded in Aegon's favor, Jae had decided to change their surname to something more Westerosi as a show of faith to the newly conquered kingdoms. Jaeda and Jayse of House Briarwood were seared into history. When Aegon was crowned King, Jaeda officially stepped into the role of the King's Advisor, separate from the Hand of the King. Jayse did not step up into an official protection role, but rather a more informal one. However, he still kept a watchful eye on the new royals. And these roles were theirs for the centuries to come. The Lord and Lady Briarwood remained unchanging as the Targaryen Kings came and went. Advisor and the Watchful Eye.

#my writing #rhaenyra targaryen x oc #rhaenyra targaryen x harwin strong x oc #harwin strong x oc #a rewritten history of fire and blood #jae briarwood #fallon lannister #house of the dragon

[tobesobri]

Traditions | 17.3k

a/n: it's been a while since I uploaded writing and for some reason I decided to sign up for this challenge and by some miracle actually managed to write something for it 🤯anyways, this is for the Valentine's Day Challenge by @1dffchallenges and it's honestly just a bit of fun, enemies to lovers little bit of angst and some smut! so i hope you enjoy! I'd always love to know your thoughts!! (also pls excuse any errors, I wrote this in a week with little editing lol)

prompt: doube date

dialogue: “So let me get this right. You want to hire me as your date for a Valentine’s Day Party?”

Pink and red were speckled throughout the entire office, whether it was a bouquet of chocolate roses, a banner of hearts, or stuffed bears residing next to bowls full of heart-shaped candies. Every employee’s section of the office had been filled to the brim with decorations as well. Pink and red ribbon taped carefully around the edges of their desktop computer, little store-bought balloons, also heart-shaped, grouped together and tied to desk chairs. 

And Y/N, dressed in her typical all black outfit, rolled her eyes as she paced through the office toward the one section in the back that was immune to all things heart-shaped, pink, or stuffed. 

She sat down at her desk with a loud sigh, her purse hitting the floor in its usual spot just before she slipped out of her jacket and draped it haphazardly between her back and the chair. It’d be wrinkled by the end of the day, but she didn’t care all that much, nor did she put much thought into the stains on her purse from leaving it on the floor. All she concerned herself with, after settling in, was getting straight to work… which was put on hiatus when she came face-to-face with both a pink and heart-shaped sticky note plastered onto the center of her computer screen. 

Groaning, she ripped it off and moved to turn her computer on before she bothered to read whatever was written on the note. She considered three potential suspects while she pulled her keyboard down onto her desk and logged in. There was Kayla, who worked front reception and was one of the main culprits of all the Valentine’s decorations. A strong contender. It could’ve also been Ines or Carmen, her closest work friends whom Y/N knew both owned a pad of pink, heart-shaped sticky notes. 

However, when she finally let her eyes fall to the note as her computer loaded up, the handwriting didn’t match any of the women she knew, and she was quite positive that none of them would have written was was sprawled out in black ink either.

Roses are red, violets are blue. I will fill your office with teddy bears and balloons, if you don’t send me your half of the proposal by two.

Harry.

She crumpled the note and tossed it into the bin under her desk. He could go fuck himself for all she cared. Sure, she was nearly done with her portion of the work and would be able to send it to him before then, but now that he’d pestered her about it, he’d be lucky if she even bothered to send it to him at all. 

She didn’t doubt the promise, i.e. threat, he made on the note, but being surrounded by teddy bears and balloons would be worth making Harry’s life just a tad miserable.

After opening all the apps she’d need to get her work done, namely Photoshop and Illustrator, she connected her drawing tablet and set up the rest of her work station for the day, both on screen and off.

Harry had worked at the company for about two years longer than her and she’d started off as an intern while she was still in college and, after graduating, was hired as a permanent graphic designer. They had never really gotten along ever since Harry—jokingly—asked her to get him a coffee once… or twice. Unfortunately for her, though, they ended up working well together and their boss had stuck them both on the same projects ever since. Especially after the month-long project last spring that had been their most successful one to date. 

While she came up with the design parts of client projects, Harry handled the more technical side of things and they’d never really argued much over each other’s work even though they clashed constantly at a more personal level. 

“I see your feeling festive.” Just as she’d gotten into the groove of her typical morning and had forgotten all about Harry’s stupid note, his voice interrupted her entire thought process. So when she swiveled around to find him leaning into her little office space, it was hardly a surprise when she glared at him, even though he feigned offense at her bitterness.

“You got my note, I presume.” He let himself into her space anyway, holding a mug of steaming coffee she was sure he’d just made in the workroom, and leaned up against the opposite side of her desk that housed a much larger, digital drawing tablet for when she needed to do more intricate design pieces. 

She just swiveled back around to face her computer again and went back to work as if he was no longer there. Pretending to ignore his existence proved to be quite difficult when the very particular woodsy, vanilla scents of his cologne met her nostrils and filled her entire office. Not to mention, the sight of what he’d been wearing singed the backs of her eyelids so that she still saw him every time she blinked. It was as if her brain refused to let her forget what he looked like in his white button-up, sleeves rolled to the crooks of his elbows, all tucked into his fitted black trousers that tended to get the imaginations going of all the women in the building. 

Not her though, of course. She was better than that. Obviously.

He cleared his throat, still very much present in her space and still very much giving her a migraine. “So will it be ready by two?”

“Well, I planned to send it to you before lunch.” She tweaked the spacing between letters of a potential logo for the millionth time. “But now… I think I might need the rest of the day.”

She heard rustling behind her and knew he was shifting his weight impatiently and running a hand through his hair as he often did when he was… displeased. “I told you I’m leaving early tomorrow and I need it no later than two.”

She cocked her head to the side, still staring at her computer screen and not giving him an ounce of satisfaction. “Did you tell me that?” She teased, an amused smirk lifting the corners of her mouth when she heard him groan behind her. “I must’ve forgotten.” Shrugging, she went back to her work.

“Unlike you,” he snapped, “some of us actually have a love life and I’d appreciate you not fucking up mine.”

She froze then, only for a split second, when his words sank in. Two thoughts raced through her head. The first a string of curse words because of his assumption that she didn’t have a love life. But the more prominent and worrisome part of his statement was that he did have one. And that he was leaving early tomorrow—Valentine’s Day—so he could get ready for a date.

Throwing both her prickly exterior and heartbreaking smirk up again, she turned to face him. “I’ve known you for three years now and if anyone has the potential to fuck up your love life, it’s you.”

He narrowed his eyes at her and her gaze fell to the hand that seemed to wrap a bit tighter around his Bugs Bunny mug. His knuckles whitened and she met his heated stare again, pleased with herself for getting him riled up before he’d even finished his morning coffee.

“So,” she continued before he get get a word of retaliation out, and sat back against her chair, crossing her legs confidently as she folded her hands in her lap. “Who’s the poor girl you’ve tricked into going on a date with you this time?”

Harry had a terrible track record. The longest relationship he’d been in lasted for two months, and that was well before she’d known him. Everything else he had was just a one or two night thing and nothing more. Sure, it was all more than she had, but she preferred it that way. Harry seemed to resent the fact that he couldn’t keep a girlfriend to save his life.

“You don’t know her.”

Her smile widened. “How long have you been seeing her?”

“Couple weeks.”

“Ooh, that just might be your second longest relationship, Styles.” 

“Well at least I’ve had one.”

His jab didn’t have an affect on her however, and he knew it wouldn’t because it never did. He knew she didn’t give a damn about relationships, or at least that’s what she claimed anyway. He couldn’t think of many twenty-four year old women who actually wanted to be alone. He actually couldn’t think of a mid-twenties anyone who wanted that.

“You’ll have to try harder than that.” She said nonchalantly, which irked him even more than he already was, and then swiveled away from him one last time, picking up her drawing pen and getting back to work.

“What’s your issue with relationships?” He went on and she knew he was headed right down a path intended to hurt her feelings just as much as she had his. So, she tensed slightly and braced for impact. “Is it a commitment thing? Or can you just not find anyone to put up with you for longer than five minutes?” 

She let his words sink their teeth in and then smiled to herself. “Hm. Seeing as you’ve been in my office now for,” she checked the time at the top right-hand corner of her screen, “eight minutes, maybe we should date.” She lifted a brow, awaiting his next response. 

It felt a bit like a cat-and-mouse chase bickering with Harry and since she was usually the cat, it brought her way too much pleasure fighting with him.

He scoffed. “Like I’d lower my standards for you.”

That one hurt, she had to admit. Not out loud or to Harry, but it still stung because it was true. He’d have to drop his standards to the floor to even consider dating her and she knew it. 

“Maybe,” she began, still half focused on her work, and ignored his comment all together, “some of us like being alone.”

“Nobody likes that.” He responded quickly and she heard a shift of his weight again and then his voice once more a few moments later. “It’s nice to be by yourself sometimes, yeah, but you can’t tell me you don’t want someone to come home to at the end of the day.” He crossed one leg over the other as he gripped the edge of her desk for support and just when she thought he was done, he kept going, “Someone you can vent to about your annoying co-worker.”

She glanced at him through the little portable mirror hanging above her desk—mostly used to make sure she looked decent before meeting with clients or, sometimes, Harry—and saw the tight smile on his lips. Almost as if that’s what he wanted, like he was talking about himself and not her. 

She’d slowed her progress down while he’d talked until she was no longer working at all. She no longer swiped her pen across the pad or had any idea what she was even doing when she focused solely on his words. Because, once again, whether he was talking about himself or about her, he was right.

“Yeah well,” she quickly hid herself back behind her wall and made her hands function properly again. “Some of us also don’t have the luxury of choosing whomever we want.”

She imagined him smirking at that one because, buried deep within her words was a compliment. That he was handsome enough to actually have anyone he wanted.

Instead, when she glanced at the mirror again and found him, there was the complete opposite of a smirk on his face, and as he stared down into his mug, clearly lost in thought, she wondered what the tightness in his jaw and the frown pulling on his lips meant.

She sighed and stole his attention away from his coffee. “I’ll have it to you before lunch. You can go now, unless you’d like to argue some more and slow me down by another…” she glanced at her clock again, adding up all the time he’d been standing in her office, “fifteen minutes.”

Without another word, she listened to the drag of his footsteps as he finally left her office space. And although she was glad to be rid of his distraction, the room felt so much bigger and so much colder and emptier without him in it. Shivering, she slipped back into her jacket and spent the next few hours doing nothing but staring straight ahead at her screen as she made final adjustments to her designs. 

Any other conversations with Harry were had over email as he worked in his own respective office, messaging her with every little concern he had in order to get his work done efficiently so that he wasn’t stressing to finish it tomorrow before he had to leave. Even though Y/N considered not responding to him a few times, just to spite him and slow him down for her own amusement, she found herself feeling guilty after leaving him hanging a couple times. Sure, she hated Valentine’s Day and everything surrounding it, but she’d almost hate even more the idea of both her and Harry being miserable tomorrow, so she inevitably gave in and cooperated with him. She’d probably regret it when he came back on Thursday spreading around the office all the gory details of his date, but at least he wouldn’t also be in a shitty mood. Her days were both boring and slow whenever Harry wasn’t having a good day. And although she’d blame it all on selfish reasons, it did also make her sad to see him frowning around the office and sulking when all she wanted to do was bicker with him and make him smile again, even just a little bit. But it was easier leaving him to his own devices than risk him finding out she cared about him enough to not wish sadness upon him.  

She couldn’t say the same for him. Harry probably relished in the days she came into the office in a sour mood. He probably celebrated and threw a party whenever she was upset, and, even so, it didn’t change how she felt about him.

The sun had long set and most of the office was gone by the time she finally called it quits and began packing up her things and giving her computer a rest for the night. There were still quiet murmurs from other workaholic employees, which comforting her knowing she wasn’t completely alone in the building, since the last time she’d done that, it took everything in her not to have a panic attack all the way to her car. 

Even though her boss told her countless times not to stay past five o’clock, as he told every other female employee that worked for him that he didn’t wish to see attacked after sunset in the city. Of course, when she was the only one who didn’t listen to him, he hired more guards and one of them rounded the corner into her office space, ready to escort her all the way down to her car.

“Figured you were still here.” He leaned against the walls of her cubicle and watched as she startled, twisting to meet his eyes for a moment before she settled and returned to slipping her belongings into her purse. 

“I don’t need you to escort me.” Zipping her purse, she rose from her chair, checking one last time across her desk to make sure she’d grabbed everything she needed to take home with her before turning to him as he still lingered in the opening of her little office. 

William had been hired a couple months ago, and was only a year older than her, but even so he was more than a foot taller than her and his biceps were about as big as her head. While the entire office drooled over him, she tended to keep her eyes and her thoughts to herself. 

“You say that every night you stay late. Just let me do my job and shut up about it.” He smirked at her and when her eyes met his again, sharply, glaring at him, she groaned and whirled past him toward the elevators. He followed swiftly behind, knowing she’d close the doors on him if he didn’t keep close enough pace with her, mostly because she’d done it before.

As he took his spot beside her and she pressed the button for the parking garage at the basement of the building, a familiar voice rang out through the office.

“Wait!” As if she wasn’t already annoyed enough with William’s presence, his stupidly large arm held the elevator doors open as Harry slipped inside a moment later.

“Thanks, mate.” Harry said exclusively to William as he caught his breath and stood wedged in the middle between the guard and Y/N, who was inching closer and closer into her corner to get away from Harry.

“You have any plans tomorrow?” Harry asked, his attention solely on William again while the elevator took off down through the levels of their building. Not fast enough for Y/N, of course.

William sighed, crossing his arms and trying to resist smiling. “Me and my girlfriend take turns surprising each other every year. And it’s her turn this year… so I guess I have plans, but I don’t know what they are.”

“Damn, way to make us feel incompetent.”

Y/N whirled her head to glare up at the side of Harry’s face. “Speak for yourself.” She warned.

Harry just ignored her though. “What did you guys do last year?”

Again, William stifled a grin. “I had been saving up for a while and took us both to Paris.”

“Shit.” Harry’s eyebrows rose and Y/N rolled her eyes away from him, watching the LED screen above the elevator doors as they neared the bottom levels of the building. She knew Harry and William had become friends, mostly because Harry was annoying and befriended everyone. Except her, of course. She heard his stupid voice again and wished she could just transport herself directly into the front seat of her car and be done with the both of them. “And now she has to do better than Paris.”

Y/N glanced around Harry just in time to see William smirk and she should have known what was about to come out of his mouth before it did. “Well, I don’t consider much better than her mouth ar—“

Y/N cut him off. “Ew! Are you serious?”

Both men eyed her curiously just as the elevator came to a stop and, with a ding, the doors opened. She flew toward them quickly.

“Y/N wait, I have to—“

Again, she cut him off, turning once she was out on solid ground. “I’ll be fine, besides trying to rid my mind of that image you just burned into it.” She turned on her heel and headed off toward her car.

William made a move toward her and Harry grabbed his arm, “I’ll walk her. Forgot she’s a bit of a prude.” They shared an amused look and Harry jogged out onto the concrete and asphalt until he reached her side.

“I heard that, you know… and I know for a fact your car is not parked in this direction.” She seethed and he just smiled to himself, happier than ever that she was in the mood to bicker with him, because he wasn’t quite in the mood to leave yet, where he’d have to wait till tomorrow morning at nine-thirty to see her again. And she wasn’t always the most talkative person on Valentine’s Day, either.

“Why are you the only female in our building not foaming at the mouth over him?” He asked instead, referring to William.

He heard her scoff. “Just because he’s attractive doesn’t mean I have to be interested… or want to hear about his girlfriend sucking his—“

“Cock?” Harry finished for her and within a second she spun around to face him, forcing him to stop in his tracks just inches from her now. His smirk only grew when he saw just how quickly he’d gotten her all flustered. 

And then, as they started each other down, the hardness in her face softened and she drew out a breath, forcing his eyes to fall to her lips and his smirk to fall from his mouth. He thought back to last spring, when there were numerous late nights with her just like this one. When he went home and couldn’t stop thinking about…

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked and he blinked a couple times before he lifted his eyes.

“Like what?” He furrowed his brows, trying to track down all the resentment he had for her but he couldn’t find it anywhere anymore. He couldn’t summon it and say something that would save his ass from being caught looking at her like he wanted to kiss her.

Like he wanted to taste her and feel her against him, and hear what she sounded like when he tugged at her hair for more.

“Nevermind.” She shook her head, silencing the chaos going on in his brain. And then she turned, continuing the walk to her car with or without him, but, when she heard the echoing click of his shoes against the asphalt once more, she knew she wasn’t rid of him yet.

“I don’t suppose you’ll give me a ride back to my car, will you?” He easily stepped back into place beside her like nothing had happened.

She didn’t say anything for much longer than he was comfortable with. And then, finally, they reached her car and she sighed. “Get in before I change my mind.”

As she went for the driver’s side, he took quick steps to the opposite side, watching her over the top of her little Honda as she unlocked her door, and then, after clicking the button, his door as well. They both slipped in at the same time and while she fastened her seatbelt and settled in for her drive home, he sat perched with his backpack in his lap, knowing he’d be out of her car within only a couple minutes.

He still glanced around at his surroundings as she backed out of her parking space. “Should’ve guessed your car would be as neat as your desk.”

She didn’t say anything as she drove in the opposite direction of the exit toward the section of the garage Harry always parked in. It was closer to the elevators because he always came in before her and snagged a prime spot. She preferred an extra few minutes of sleep over walking an extra fifty steps.

And he started up again when she continued to not talk to him. “Most artists I know of are super messy.”

“I’m not an artist.” She gritted out through her teeth as she came to a stop once she spotted the rear-end of Harry’s BMW. Although she knew it well enough to distinguish it from the other black BMWs in the garage, it also helped that Harry had an old, faded license plate cover filled with a collage of cute pictures of puppies. He’d said it won him bonus points with women, but she also knew his screensaver at work was a picture of puppies as well, and no women he was interested in ever saw that.

He peeled his eyes off his car and looked over at her. “I know you can draw, too.”

She paused, gripping her steering wheel. She did enjoy both art and design and she knew Harry knew the difference between the two. She just didn’t know why he always insisted on bugging her about it. 

“Yeah, well that doesn’t make me an artist.”

When he didn’t say anything, she glanced at him just in time to find him shrugging a shoulder like he was agreeing to disagree. Even if she couldn’t draw, he’d still consider her an artist because the things she managed to design always blew his mind and if that wasn’t art… 

She rolled her eyes. “Are you going to get out, or do I have to drag you?”

He grinned, and it was almost as if her eyes refused to see anything else but his dimples and the bright whites of his teeth, and the birthmark to the side of his mouth… 

“I’m going.” He assured, and yet he still hadn’t moved an inch. “Even though I’d love to see you try to drag me.” With her knuckles whitening on the steering wheel, he chuckled and unzipped the small pocket on the front of his backpack, withdrawing his keys as he finally swung her door open.

Once he was out, he gripped the top of the door and leaned back in to find her staring straight ahead. “Drive carefully, yeah? Would be quite tragic for your bitter ass to die on Valentine’s Day.”

She reached over and, despite having to brush her knuckles along the side of his thigh, grabbed the handle of the passenger door and yanked. His body remained in her way, however, and he was unfortunately a lot stronger than her.

Then she finally looked up at him, and those thoughts he had earlier surfaced again as much as he’d tried to bury them. This time though, he didn’t fight it as he glanced at her lips once more, then back at her eyes, which had widened slightly just before the dimples reappeared in his cheeks. “And I guess I would miss bickering with you every day.”

With that, he was gone and she retreated back to her seat as he shut the door for her. She had no idea what to think about what had just happened. Why he’d looked at her like that again. What that look even meant. 

By the time she reached the freeway, she’d convinced herself she was just seeing things. Harry wasn’t looking at her in any other way he had before when he was intent on pestering her. But, as she took in the scent of him still lingering in the cabin, she allowed a small part of her to hope she was wrong.

Her eyes fell on the man down the hall from her door as she slipped her key into the lock, her brows furrowing as she watched him. It wasn’t unusual for their paths to cross, as they tended to get home around the same time, but it was quite odd to see him sitting on the floor outside his apartment, his head in his hands. 

They’d said hi to each other a couple times in the mailroom, but she definitely didn’t know him well enough to go up and ask what his issue was or try to fix it for him. And after it was confirmed that he hadn’t, in fact, lost his keys, as they sat beside him on the floor along with his phone, she figured it best to leave him be. 

Turning her key, she pulled her gaze from him and disappeared from the hallway.

The second she was inside her apartment, she felt all the weight lift right off her shoulders, especially when her cat came racing up, screaming at her from the floor while also coaxing her toward the kitchen to fill the food bowl. Whatever was going on with her neighbor still very much on her mind, she tried to focus instead on relaxing and getting both her and the screaming Pretzel some dinner. 

She tried to remember his name as she heated up leftover pasta. She knew it started with an A, but her brain was coming up short. So, while Pretzel crunched on his food in his corner of the kitchen, she tried her hardest to remember. 

And it was no question why she cared so much. Her neighbor was someone she was actually interested in, and she had been since she first saw him. Of course, she was never foolish enough to think he was into her, but she still let herself fantasize. He was tall, nearly black curly hair atop his head always in a state of disarray, and he had the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen hidden behind his glasses. And, if she was being honest with herself, he was just a darker-haired version of Harry. Maybe that’s why she liked him.

The beeping of her microwave tore her thoughts from the dangerous path they’d been headed down. Harry’s voice rang in her head a moment later.

Like I’d lower my standards for you.

She’d needed to hear him say that, because sometimes her thoughts got carried away when it came to Harry and sometimes she did let herself be a fool who hoped. But after he’d said that one damning phrase, it was enough for her to stop. She didn’t meet a single one of his standards, inside or out. 

Still, she tried her hardest not to go back out into the hall and make sure her neighbor was alright. Maybe he just needed someone to talk to and it wasn’t like she was doing anything important. Even if she didn’t have a dumb crush on him, as she did Harry, she still didn’t enjoy seeing him in the state he’d been in.

Before she could work up the nerve, however, a knock sounded through her quiet apartment.

She held her breath as she opened her door, really hoping it wasn’t the boy from across the hall, since she was still blanking on his name, but she couldn’t imagine anyone else knocking on her door this late into the evening. 

So when she inevitably found him there, looking down at her through his annoyingly long lashes as she took in the horrible state he was in—red, inflamed eyes and hair that needed to see a brush rather than his hand—she completely lost her breath instead.

“Uh, sorry, I… saw you come in and I know we don’t talk and this is a weird thing for me to ask but…” He ran said hand through said messy hair and she found her breath again while looking up at him like she’d do whatever he’d asked just so he’d stop frowning.

He sighed, glancing down the hall toward his apartment and then met her curious and somewhat concerned gaze. “Can I come in?”

She recoiled. “Um… why?”

“Well, um, I was hoping you could help me with something and I’d rather not have the entire floor know about it.”

She was beyond confused now, but still, she stepped aside and let him pass, assuming that if he was actually a murderer he would have done her in a lot sooner than this. He had plenty of other opportunities. Plus, something in his face just… made her want to trust him.

She closed the door and turned to him, watching as his eyes scanned her kitchen and where her food still sat before he twisted around, eyes wide. “Shit, I’m sorry for interrupting.”

She shook her head. “It’s fine.” And after clearing her throat, she crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you, um… what do you need help with?”

He swallowed and she watched his Adam’s apple budge in his throat. “I don’t imagine you’ll like me very much after I ask but… I need a date.”

“What?” Again, she nearly flew out of her skin.

His eyes darted back and forth between hers, gauging her reactions and very obviously on the verge of seeing himself out and pretending this never happened. Instead, he stuffed away his pride and went on. “My ex… she, uh… well we broke up a few months ago and I saw her the other day and she’s seeing someone and we were talking and I… told her I was seeing someone too and so she invited me to go on this stupid double date with her… but the thing is… I’m not actually seeing anyone and I just told her that so she’d be jealous but she didn’t seem jealous at all and I don’t exactly have many friends to ask for help and I saw you and…” He rambled, but she managed to understand his predicament just fine. 

“A double date? With your ex?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know either. She’s… she does weird shit but… I still want her back.”

Y/N’s heart ached in her chest. As much as she detested relationships, she was a sucker for other people’s relationships and she was definitely a sucker for her beautiful neighbor, even if he was asking to use her to make his ex-girlfriend jealous.

“Not that I’m saying yes but… when? And where?” She finally asked after thinking things over for a moment.

“Tomorrow night… I can pay you. I will pay you, I mean… but, seriously, you don’t have to do it I just thought I would ask.”

“Where is this date at?” She repeated when he didn’t answer that part of her question.

“At this party… and bef—“

She cut him off. “Okay so let me get this right. You want to hire me as your date to a Valentine’s Day party?”

He lifted a brow, “Well, there’s more… she wants to get dinner before going to the party.”

She shook her head, looking away, “I don’t really do Valentine’s Day…”

“You wouldn’t have to do much. I’ll pay for your dinner, too. Whatever you want. I just… really need your help and you’re my only option.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You realize I’m not exactly…” she waved at her face and his eyebrows screwed together in confusion. “I’m not easy on the eyes and I don’t think taking me will make anyone jealous.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, just stared at her incredulously. She shifted her weight nervously and he finally opened his mouth. “You don’t actually think that, do you?”

Her features scrunched up and she kept her eyes planted on the middle of his chest. And then he realized that she, in fact, did.

“I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have asked you to do this.” He also realized that using her to make his ex jealous would possibly hurt her more than it would help him and he could no longer fathom putting her through that. “I’ll figure it out. I’m sorry.” He moved to walk past her, back to his apartment but she stopped him before he got far.

“No… I’ll help you.” And then she realized his identity was still somewhat of a mystery to her. “This sounds even worse than what you just asked me to do, but… I completely forgot your name.”

He breathed out a laugh. “It’s Adam.”

She knew it had started with an A!

“Y/N.” 

He smiled wider and nodded. “I know.” And then his face grew sad again. “I am really sorry I’m asking you to do this on Valentine’s Day, it’s definitely not my proudest moment.”

She waved him off. “I wasn’t going to do anything anyway. Just tell me what you need me to do.” She didn’t bother brining up the whole payment thing. She didn’t really care about being paid. He was nice, the only nice person she’d encountered in her apartment building and if getting him back together with his ex meant she’d never have to come home and see him in the fetal position on the floor again, she’d suffer through a date and a party on her least favorite holiday.

It was somehow even worse than it’d been yesterday. The decorations seemed to triple in size. Not an inch of the office was untouched by something pink and she prayed whoever had put up even more decorations had spared her little cubicle.

“Oh, hey, Y/N!” One of the receptionists most responsible for the overflowing decor, Kayla, called her over to her desk not even a minute after Y/N had arrived. And she stalked over until she saw the package Kayla pulled out that instantly lifted her spirits.

She stopped in front of Kayla’s desk and took the thin box from from her, already knowing what it was and thanking god for the timing so that her entire day wasn’t completely miserable. It was a new drawing pad she’d ordered, a bigger one that she hoped would be a bit more efficient to use than her current one.

Even with her back turned to the rest of the office, she sensed Harry’s presence long before he stopped beside her with his mug in hand.

He lifted a brow at the package in Y/N’s hands just as she reluctantly turned to look at him. “Getting gifts sent to the office? That’s a first.”

She rolled her eyes and stuffed the box under her arm, holding herself back from running off to her office to set it up. “Jealous?” She cocked her head.

And instead of his condescending smirk and a hateful response to go with it, the sparkle in his eyes seemed to fade as he eyed the box again, genuinely worried now that it was actually a gift from someone. 

Before either could say anything, they all turned to find a delivery man walking up to Kayla with a giant bouquet of flowers in tow. And so it began. Although, when Kayla took the vase from the man eagerly, a bright smile on her face because Kayla loved love a little too much, Y/N couldn’t help but think about Adam. About how the only time she’d managed to get a date on Valentine’s Day was when it wasn’t even real. Instead, she’d stupidly agreed to help her cute neighbor win back his ex-girlfriend in exchange for a free dinner.

It was… pathetic. To say the least.

She felt Harry watching her, too, while she eyed the bouquet of flowers as they departed reception with Kayla and made their way to their recipient. As stupid as she found everything about the holiday, she couldn’t help but want someone to send her flowers. To give her anything for that matter. To have thought about her for at least a second of their day. Harry cleared his throat and she tore her eyes away.

“So… what’s in the box?”

“None of your business.” She rounded him, heading to her office, but he grabbed her free arm to stop her short and didn’t speak until she met his gaze again.

“Can we meet up in my office to finish the proposal? Think it’ll be easier to get it done than over email.”

She had every reason to be suspicious of him. They almost never worked in each other’s offices. When they did work together, which was often, it was in one of the empty conference rooms and it was usually at the beginning of the process when they needed the space to plan things out. The last time they’d really been in each other’s offices was last spring. Figuring he just wanted to get things done so he could be out of the office on time, she let it go.

“Give me fifteen minutes.”

He watched her walk away, watched her even as Kayla returned and noticed his gaze and giggled at him as she took her spot back behind her desk.

“It was something she ordered for herself, by the way.”

“What?” Harry whipped around again, not having even realized the other woman until now.

“I know you two pretend to hate each other but I see the way you look at her, Harry.” Kayla lifted a brow at him as she began typing on her keyboard.

He feigned disgust. “I’m seeing someone, you know.”

“Are you?”

“Yes.” He insisted. “I have a date. Tonight.”

She lifted her hands in surrender. “Okay… I’m just saying.”

“I don’t look at her.”

Kayla suppressed a smile and snorted instead. “If you say so. I guess you didn’t also sneak into her office this morning, either.”

“I think all these flowers and stuffed bears and heart-shaped things have gotten to your head.” He pointed around to the decor littering her desk while holding his mug steady.

Kayla met his eyes and her smile slipped off her face. “Harry, please don’t mess with her.”

His face screwed up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If you don’t like her then don’t lead her on.”

“I don’t think she’s capable of being led on.”

Kayla froze for a moment and then nodded. “You’re right.”

He wasn’t sure what she meant by that either. “Why are you being weird?”

“Because,” Kayla sighed, brushing her curled brunette hair onto one shoulder and then lowered the volume of her voice. “I happen to know she doesn’t think very highly of herself and I’d rather not see her get hurt, especially not by you.”

Now Harry froze. The hand that gripped his mug tightened and he didn’t even flinch as it began to burn his skin. He heard Y/N’s voice in his head then as he drowned out his surroundings.

Some of us don’t have the luxury of choosing whomever we want.

He had instantly regretted what he’d said to her yesterday when she’d told him that. And now hearing Kayla, in a way, confirm what he’d read between the lines of Y/N’s words… his chest tightened in quite possibly the worst way ever. He’d hated himself most of the day after telling her he’d never lower his standards for her and he could say he was just bickering all he wanted, but he knew now for certain she took it the wrong way. And he wished more than ever that he hadn’t said something so horrible to her, especially when it was the farthest thing from the truth. 

And the real truth, that he was trying desperately to shove away with stupid remarks like that, was that he didn’t meet her standards. She wasn’t into relationships and he knew he wasn’t good enough to change her mind.

“How do you know that?” He finally asked.

“That Christmas party last year… she’s a really happy drunk until she’s not.”

He flinched. “Did she say something?”

“I don’t want to get into it, mostly because I don’t think she remembers and would probably kill me if I told you but… just leave her be.”

He hardened back up again. “She does’t have any interest in relationships anyway, ‘specially not with me.”

Kayla scoffed. “She’s a really good liar.”

Harry stood there for a few more moments, feeling as if his life had just gotten flipped upside down. He’d been in such a good mood mere minutes ago before his dumbass waltzed into reception all because he’d seen Y/N. Because, despite everything and despite the fact he was already attempting to date someone else, it was Y/N he wanted to be close to all the damn time. Groaning, he turned on his heel and left for his office, hoping she wasn’t there waiting for him so he could have a moment to himself to gather his thoughts.

In a hurry to open her package, Y/N slumped down into her chair tossing her purse on the ground at her feet and pulling out her box cutter in a rush of movements. She was so distracted, in fact, that she didn’t even notice the little stuffed frog, the box of chocolates and envelope sitting on the other side of her desk near her mouse. Instead, she unboxed her new tablet and began setting it up, not noticing the gifts until she went to turn on her computer. And then she froze.

With reluctant hands she grabbed the envelope first, her name printed on it in perfect cursive. She knew nobody in the office who had such good penmanship. Opening the card in hopes of finding out who had placed the items on her desk, instead, she just found it signed as ‘secret admirer.’ Rolling her eyes, she set the card down and realized it had to be from her boss. Sometimes he remembered to go around and give everyone little gifts on the holidays. Obviously he’d remembered this year. 

She dug into the chocolates as she set up her tablet and began calibrating it to suit her needs before finally testing it out in the little bit of time she had before she needed to make her way to Harry’s office. 

And once that time came, she left everything in its place, besides the box of chocolates, which she continued to pick at while she made her way through the room. What she didn’t notice while stuffing her face with candy was that… no one else had a stuffed frog or chocolates or a cheesy little card on their desks.

She rounded the corner into Harry’s office, which was a real office and not a cubicle that he usually shared with one other person who was thankfully out with clients for the day. She knocked on the doorframe to get his attention after just watching him focus on his screen for a moment. Harry was cute when he was focused.

But then he turned to her and his eyes fell to the box in her hand.

When he didn’t say anything, she held it out toward him. “Do you want some? I think Andrew was feeling generous this year.”

Harry’s eyes quickly panned up to hers and his brows furrowed as if she’d just punched him in the gut. And she couldn’t make out what that expression meant no matter how hard she tried. 

“He didn’t give me anything.” Harry motioned around his desk.

“Maybe he doesn’t like you.” She shrugged, setting the chocolates down on his desk while she grabbed his office mate’s chair and pulled it up beside him.

Harry sighed, turning to his computer for a moment and then watching her from his peripheral while she picked out another piece of chocolate. “I didn’t see anyone else with chocolates on their desks this morning.”

Y/N just shrugged. “There was a frog too. And a card.”

“And why do you think he’d give you all of that and no one else?” Harry hoped she’d get the hint but he didn’t hope too hard. She was still Y/N after all. And he really didn’t mean to sound so bitter… well, okay, he did. But he knew she’d misplace his bitterness, crushing what little hope there was to bits.

“Maybe he likes me better than all the rest of you.”

Harry scoffed, shaking his head as he put his attention back on his screen. 

“No one else in this office would give me a card signed as a secret admirer so… maybe I did something I don’t remember doing and he’s thanking me?” Now that she really thought about it, and if Harry was right… then it really didn’t make  much sense. It’s not like she was Andrew’s favorite employee.

Harry just lifted a brow and then pretended to lose all interest. 

Sensing the tension, she slipped the box closer to him. “Here. I think you need a knock-off Snickers if you expect me to work with your grumpy ass.” He made no move to indulge her, however. And so she went on, continuing to poke the bear. “Why are you in a lousy mood anyway? Isn’t this your favorite holiday? And you get to leave early.”

His eyes fell from his screen and he stared at the brick of sticky notes below his monitor before mumbling, “I’m sorry about what I said yesterday.”

Taken aback, she searched what she could see of his face for answers to what he was apologizing for. He’d said a few things she could imagine deserved an apology and yet, so did she. Maybe she should have been the one to apologize to him first.

“I didn’t mean to say what I did.” He finally turned to meet her face on. He’d hoped the frog and the chocolates would have been atonement enough, but considering she thought they were from their boss and not him, he just had to suck it up and actually say what he meant.

She shrugged. “It’s fine. I can be a prude sometimes.”

He searched her eyes for a moment and then shook his head, “No that’s not… I meant what I said earlier in your office… about lowering my standards. It was a stupid thing to say and not true in the slightest.”

But then she smiled and he grew confused. “Yes it is. It’s okay to have standards, you know.”

“I know that. But if we… I wouldn’t have to lower my standards. And it was cruel of me to have said that to you.”

She couldn’t stand looking at him any longer and averted her gaze, clearing her throat. “Well it doesn’t matter so… can we just get this proposal done?”

He’d wanted to spend how ever long it took to convince her that it did, in fact, matter, but Y/N was persistent, more so than him, and so he’d given in and they moved on to being productive with their time. And in less time than he’d anticipated their proposal was finished, being sent off to Andrew for approval before their presentation at the end of the week with their clients.

Harry sat back in his chair and she returned her own to the other desk where it belonged, all while he watched her. 

“What do you do on Valentine’s Day?” He asked, just trying to get her to stay longer, knowing that if those were his true intentions, then he was fucked. That he wanted to be around Y/N, even though he was seeing someone else, albeit for just a week so far, even though she’d never want the same from him. 

Maybe he was just as terrible with relationships as she claimed if he always chased after what he couldn’t have.

“That is also none of your business.” She grabbed her box of chocolates from his desk, his voice pinning her in place again though.

“Let me guess… it involves chocolate, your cat, and the most anti-romantic movies you can find?”

He would not think her very prudish if he knew what else she did on Valentine’s Day while alone in her apartment, but she figured it was best to keep that to herself. Instead, she smiled at him. “Something like that.”

He narrowed his eyes and threw his arms up behind his head as he laid back in his chair, watching her curiously like he was trying to figure her out. Meanwhile, she was trying to not make it obvious she was staring at his biceps as they just about bulged from underneath the sleeve of his pink button-up. He’d done it on purpose though, so as much as she tried to hide it, he still grinned with satisfaction when she became flustered.

“Well, have fun with that, then.” He nodded, and for a moment while she was lost in his eyes and growing embarrassingly hot, she wondered if he could read her mind. If he knew exactly what not-so-innocent things she did on Valentine’s Day. Then he brought his arms back down to rest his elbows on the edge of his desk, pinching his bottom lip between his fingers and watching as she rolled her eyes, held her chocolates close, and left his office. 

Adam arrived right when he said he would at five-thirty. It had given her plenty of time to change out of her work clothes and into one of the few dresses she owned, to at least seem somewhat convincing that this was a real date. She also fixed her makeup and put on a pinkish-nude lipstick before switching out her bulky purse for a smaller crossbody. 

When she opened the door to him, he most certainly did not disappoint. She almost let herself get lost in the delusion that it was a real date when she saw him dressed to the nines and cleaned up for the first time since she’d known him. And she especially got a little lost in it when he pulled a small bouquet of flowers from behind his back and handed them to her. 

“You didn’t have to—“

“I know.” He gave her a once over when she wasn’t looking. “You didn’t have to do this for me either.”

She quietly accepted the flowers and let him in while she found a vase and filled it with water. He leaned on the counter, watching her as she did so.

“You look… beautiful, by the way.” He blurted out once she had cut and placed the stems into the vase. Her hands froze, though, and when he met her eyes, he knew he’d made a mistake.

“You’re paying me to make your ex-girlfriend jealous. Please don’t flatter me.”

“Sorry.” He muttered, although he was beginning to wonder if the bigger mistake was not taking her out on a proper date that had nothing to do with his ex. 

She sighed and adjusted the strap of her purse. “Let’s go then.”

He went over all the final details on the Uber ride to the restaurant. Things about his ex he thought Y/N should know about. And he made sure she knew, for about the hundredth time, that she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. And she reminded him for an equal amount of times that she never did anything she didn’t want to do. So, settling that, he helped her out of the back of the Uber when they arrived and opened the door to the restraint for her as well. Everything that she’d expect from a normal date, which only left her disappointed when she reminded herself it wasn’t.

She waited quietly, and tried to catch her nerves, while Adam talked to the hostess and gave her his ex’s name for the reservation. The place was packed and anyone who didn’t call ahead surely would not be getting a table tonight. She’d never been out on Valentine’s Day, though, so it was like stepping into a brand new world for her. And as she followed both the hostess and Adam, she paid more attention to all the couples enjoying their meals than anything else.

Except for when he reached back and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers just before they came to a stop. She blinked her eyes at their hands for just a moment before he gently pulled her around next to him. And whatever way she’d felt about holding Adam’s hand went right out the window when she locked eyes with Harry.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

The last thing she expected to find, while Laura, the gorgeous blonde ex-girlfriend, stood to hug Adam, was Harry fucking Styles. And what a fucking coincidence it was, almost as if this was her karma for feeling the need to constantly help people. 

Adam’s hand slipped from hers but she didn’t even notice it anyway. She and Harry still stared each other down and neither of them moved a muscle either. Well, besides the one in his jaw as it tightened. Then he did move, glancing over at Adam with a blank expression before landing his gaze back on her again. And then his eyes fell to the glass of water in front of him and she felt like she’d been released from chains he’d tied around her wrists.

“This is Y/N,” Adam’s hand went to the small of her back, guiding her forward to meet his ex-girlfriend and Harry’s current… whatever they were. 

Laura held out her hand, her smile a little too forced. “Laura. It’s nice to meet you. Please, sit.” She ushered them to the table as she took her spot beside Harry again. Adam, of course, took the chair opposite Laura, which left Y/N in the one opposite Harry. 

This would be a long, hellish night.

She couldn’t help but wonder what Harry was thinking. That maybe she’d come to crash his date. Or, even worse, that he’d already figured the whole thing out. That Adam was paying her to be here. She really hoped he’d never find out because it was just embarrassing enough to make her want to change her name and move across the country, thousands of miles away from him. Harry finding out that she couldn’t get a real date to save her life… beyond humiliating.

“This is Harry.” Laura motioned to him and he just barely lifted his gaze, nodding at Adam and ignoring Y/N entirely. “You know,” the blonde went on, glancing between Adam and Y/N, “I was a little shocked when you told me you were seeing someone again.”

Adam just shrugged.

“How did you guys meet?” 

Y/N left all the talking to him. Mostly because she was still in shock that she was sitting across from Harry. And she hadn’t even taken the time to properly take him in and realized he’d also changed his clothes since work. Swapping his wardrobe out for a fitted black button-up, that wasn’t buttoned all the way to the top as his shirts normally were. The sleeves were already rolled to his elbows. He’d shaved off the scruff along his jaw as well and fixed his hair so that it was combed back out of his face, although a a couple rebellious strands hung down onto his forehead. He looked… like absolute perfection. And he was being forced to be on a date with the ex-boyfriend of the girl he was seeing and his annoying co-worker. She felt terrible for him.

“Oh, uh, well we live on the same floor.”

Laura nodded, clearly anticipating more. “Is that it?”

Y/N felt Adam tense up beside her and so she took over, easily spinning a lie. “I ran out of milk one night a few weeks ago. He’s the only one who answered the door.”

She noticed a flash of movement in her peripheral and turned to find Harry’s gaze on her again, one eyebrow lifted curiously. He was either wondering how she hid it so well, or trying to figure out what to ask in order to reveal their ploy. He never said anything, though.

“Sorry, um,” Laura’s tone changed as she glanced between Harry and Y/N, both of them looking away when the other girl interrupted. “Do you two know each other?”

Harry grinned, sitting back against his seat and folding his hands in his lap. “Something like that.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “We work together.”

“Really?” Although her tone said otherwise, Laura’s face said everything about how she felt upon hearing that bit of information. 

Adam twisted his worrisome gaze to Y/N, but she ignored it. Harry, however, did not.

“Don’t worry, mate. I was under the impression she was celibate up until now.” With that, Y/N kicked him under the table and he sat forward to swallow the groan that very nearly left his lips after she’d jabbed him in the shin with the toe of her heels. “Guess she’s really good at hiding things, though.”

Adam just chuckled nervously and Y/N shot him an apologetic smile, trying to reassure him that this date would still work out despite Harry. 

“What a small world.” Laura laughed, trying to break the tension but dinner hadn’t even started yet. 

Sometime during the main course, Laura excused herself to the bathroom and Y/N almost, in a desperate attempt to flee both Adam and Harry, invited herself along. But she figured it’d be worse to be alone with Laura than with them. Laura might ask questions she wasn’t prepared for. So, she stayed put, as much as it pained her to do so.

“So, Adam, what do you do for a living?” Harry asked suddenly and she wanted to kick him again. Mostly because his tone was that of a jealous teenager and he’d waited until Laura was gone to pester her ex-boyfriend who most certainly did not deserve Harry’s pestering.

“Oh, uh, I’m an artist. I work for an animation studio at the moment but I’m trying to get into freelance.”

Harry’s eyes shot to the suspiciously quiet girl sitting across from him. “So is Y/N.”

Adam turned to look at her, but she just glared at Harry. “Oh, I didn’t know that.”

Harry titled his head as he narrowed his attention in on Adam again. “So you’ve known her for a few weeks and you never asked what she did?”

“Harry.” Y/N warned, trying to kick him under the table again but he dodged out of the way.

“Well… she said she was in graphic design… not art.” She had told him that, during their crash course yesterday while they got to know as much as they could about each other in a span of a couple hours.

“I think it’s the same thing.”

Adam just shrugged. “I guess. I don’t think I could be a designer, though. Most artists make what they think looks good, designers create things to appeal to customers.”

“Just ignore him.” Y/N advised and Harry was the one shooting her daggers and attempting to stomp his foot on top of hers under the table this time.

“You and Laura used to date then? She never told me how you split up.” Harry moved on.

Adam swallowed nervously. “She broke up with me.”

“Why?” Harry pushed and Y/N looked at him like she wanted to kill him, which he ignored.

“I, uh… I had a drug problem for a while. I was not the best person to be around sometimes. But after we broke up, she helped me with rehab and everything.”

“Guess that explains why you’re on such good terms.”

Now Y/N really wanted to do more than just kick him. 

Adam grabbed Y/N’s hand under the table and pulled her straight from her violent thoughts about Harry. And he didn’t lace his fingers between hers, instead, it felt as if he had just been looking for something to ground himself with. And her hand resting on her lap was the closest thing he could find. It didn’t, however, go unnoticed by Harry and his jaw clenched as he stared at the point in the table where, just below, there their hands met almost as if he was trying to set everything on fire.

Laura returned shortly after that. 

As promised, Adam paid the entirety of both his and Y/N’s bill, even though she attempted to snag it from him, seeing as the date had gone to shit and it was all her fault. Well… maybe it was also Harry’s fault a little bit too. But she definitely did nothing to make Laura jealous. Adam, on the other hand, did a great job at making Harry jealous just by existing and being Laura’s ex, whom she was still friends with. 

The four of them stood outside on the curb awaiting their Uber after dinner was over, agreeing upon splitting one car to get to the party instead of taking two. Laura was apparently very cautious about fossil fuel consumption.

Y/N shivered as she stood between Adam and Laura, wishing she’d bright a jacket instead of relying on a long-sleeve dress to keep her warm. Then an arm wrapped around her shoulders and Adam pulled her close, running his hand up and down her arm to form heat. She tensed up, though, forming into an immovable brick. She had no idea the last time she’d been that close to another person, let alone a member of the opposite sex. When he felt her go rigid, he leaned down until his lips were at her ear. “Is this okay?”

She just nodded and tried to relax. Which turned out to be quite easy because Adam was warm and he smelled nice. She, of course, didn’t let her mind wander off too far. He was still in love with his ex. He’d still shove cash into her hand at the end of the night for her troubles and go on with his life.

Adam let go of her when the car pulled up and quickly went to the passenger door to confirm with the driver. Then he opened the back door for the three of them to climb in, Laura going first, then Harry, and, at last, Y/N, while Adam slipped into the front seat beside the driver.

While the car took off, Y/N was shoved into the corner when Harry moved closer to her in order to find both his and Laura’s seat buckles in the dark. Eventually, he settled back into the middle and gave her some space again. When she made no move to do the same as them, Harry turned to look down at her. 

“Put your seatbelt on.” He whispered.

Her eyes whirled up to his. Wordlessly, and of course after rolling her eyes, she grabbed her seatbelt and he made room for her to buckle it in. Then she sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest while she stared out at the traffic through her window.

She would have stayed in that exact position the entire trip, too, if Harry’s knee didn’t insist on bumping into hers constantly. And she couldn’t tell if he was doing it on purpose or not.

When she glanced up at him, and found the corner of his lips curl upward, she figured it was, in fact, purposeful. So, with the hand closest to him as her arms were still crossed, she poked him in the side, right against his ribs, hoping it hurt.

“Ouch.” He whined, covering the spot with his hand dramatically. Everyone in the car glanced at Harry, all except for Y/N who snickered as she returned to staring out the window.

Harry wasn’t giving up, though. This time, with his arms crossed in his lap, and glancing at Laura to be sure she wasn’t watching, he walked his pointer and middle finger up the outside of Y/N’s thigh, close enough to her hip to make her squirm slightly when his touch tickled her. And as soon as he got her attention, he looked down at what he was doing and pressed his middle finger against her, meeting her gaze with a smirk.

In the same moment, the driver turned up the music in the car as they waited tirelessly at a red light. It was better than silence or listening to his passengers breathing. But Harry mentally thanked him and turned his attention back to Y/N, leaning into her slightly until his lips were at her ear and she shivered for an all new reason.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress before.” He whispered for her ears only. The music was especially loud in the back and he wasn’t sure Y/N had even heard him.

Especially since she didn’t respond right away. But how could she? Harry’s fingertips were still grazing her thigh, as if trying to emphasize the dress she had on. And his stupid knee was pressed right up against hers. She couldn’t think straight.

Though when she finally turned to him and whispered back, “Don’t get used to it,” he knew she had, in fact, heard him well enough. 

He leaned again, “Afraid I already am.” 

She hated that there were butterflies in her stomach. That he was saying such odd things to her when his date was sitting just on the other side of him. The date who most definitely met all Harry’s standards.

Huddling away from him, she stuck her eyes out the window and kept them there the rest of the trip.

It was just past eight when they arrived, a fifteen-minute trip up through the city taking half an hour due to all the Valentine’s Day traffic. Another reason she hated this holiday.

The party was being held by Laura’s best friend, who’s name Y/N did not care to commit to memory. In the elevator ride up to the penthouse, though, Harry stood close to Laura, his arm wrapped around her waist and Adam to Y/N, although he didn’t touch her. She wouldn’t have minded if he did, but she figured it was best to keep those boundaries in place anyway.

Pink and golden balloons littered the ceilings of the penthouse. The drink cups were also pink, as was the communal punch bowl that Y/N steered clear of, having no idea what was in it, or who had already spiked it. She knew nobody at the party besides who she’d come with, though she assumed both Adam and Harry were somewhat acquainted with Laura’s friends. 

It was most definitely not someplace Y/N ever saw herself being at, not only because it was a Valentine’s themed party, but also because she wasn’t exactly comfortable around so many people. Especially when those people were all so unfamiliar to her.

“Here,” Adam handed her a drink and then grabbed one for himself. She downed the thing in one go, needing to take the edge off. It might’ve been a slight mistake when the alcohol burned the back of her throat, but she didn’t care too much when she grabbed another.

Then he was leading her into the dancing pit of bodies where they huddled close enough so that his lips were at her ear. “Is it alright if I touch you?”

She glanced over at where Laura and Harry had been left, finding both her hazel eyes and Harry’s green ones glued to the both of them. She wasn’t sure what Harry’s deal was, but this was her moment to fix things and make Laura jealous, so, turning back to Adam, she nodded.

He eased his hands onto her waist as they began swaying to the music. And then he pulled her closer, his hands slipping to the small of her back as her arms wrapped around his neck, being careful with her own movements even though she desperately wanted to sink her hands in his hair.

And, god, he smelled so good as her head rested in the crook of his neck. And he felt good, too, as he moved against her body. She knew it wasn’t real, and that the alcohol was making skewing her perception of things, but it was still nice. Nice to be held and to just let go for a change.

Over Adam’s shoulder, Y/N caught Harry’s eyes again. His jaw clenched and he looked the same as he did back at the restaurant. Angry. And then she realized that maybe she wasn’t really trying to make Laura jealous anymore at all, but rather Harry.

It was dumb, she knew that. He’d have to like her in order for her to make him jealous. But… the way he was looking at her. The way he had looked at her. His eyes lingering too long on her lips. What he’d done in the car ride here. 

She heard Adam in her ear again. “I think it’s working. She just stormed off into the kitchen.” Then he pulled away and she realized she hadn’t even seen Laura. Just Harry. Harry and his stupid, obnoxious green eyes.

“You owe me more than just dinner.” Y/N teased but Adam grew serious.

“I know. And since you refuse to accept my money, I’ll have to figure out another way to repay you.” He smiled and then twirled her around so that she no longer had any line of sight toward Harry. He pulled her close again, one hand going to her waist while the other stayed locked to one of hers. “Suppose I could start with making your coworker just as jealous… although I think he already is.”

Confusion flooded her features as she peered up at him. 

“Oh, come on! He was ready to rip my head off when he realized I’d grabbed your hand. And when I put my arm around you? I thought I might be better off just giving you my jacket and freezing to death instead.”

“I don’t…” she shook her head in disbelief. It was one thing for her to be pretending to make Harry jealous in some delusional hope that it’d work. But this… this was a whole other thing.

“I’m actually quite interested to see what he does if I kissed you.”

She was shocked at first and then, possibly due to the alcohol, just as interested. “Are you asking my permission?”

“Are you saying yes?”

Y/N hesitated. “Is she back?”

Adam’s eyes scanned the room and Y/N realized he hadn’t asked to kiss her for Laura’s sake at all.

“She is.” He finally announced. 

Without any more second guessing, Y/N’s hand slipped to the back of his neck and pulled him in. As soon as their lips collided and she tasted the alcohol on him, she knew that she’d never agreed to this without it. Or maybe she would. Adam spun them back around again, deepening the kiss as her eyes opened and fell into the direction she’d last seen Harry.

He was still there.

Still watching.

His hands in fists. His jaw tightened into a crisp line. His nostrils flared. His eyes… sad.

She pulled away. Adam steadied her, grabbing her shoulders when she swayed. But, as she caught her breath, the dizziness went away. 

“I’m going to find the bathroom.” She told him and after he nodded, she left, forming a rift for herself through the bodies that danced all around them until she was in the clear. Then she was avoiding Harry as she walked past him, not so sure his gaze was still set on her. Maybe she’d gone too far. She didn’t often just kiss people for no good reason and that’s exactly what she’d just done with Adam. She barely even knew him.

She didn’t exactly need the bathroom, just an open, empty and quiet place. And so, she fell back against a wall in the foyer and ran a hand through her hair.

“That was quite the show.”

She startled at the sound of his familiar voice and looked up just as he stopped a few feet away from her. “What are you talking about?”

He lifted a brow. “You expect me to believe that that you, anti everything to do with this holiday and with relationships and romance, are actually dating that guy?”

“Is it that hard to believe?” She crossed her arms, willing to go as far as she needed to before she let Harry see the truth. That she was that pathetic. 

“Yes.” He didn’t even hesitate to respond and she flinched.

“Well, I’m sorry that you have a hard time believing that someone may actually like me.” She had no reason to nearly be shouting at him and no reason to be saying what she was because Adam didn’t like her.

“That’s not what I said. It’s hard for me to believe you just dropped all your ideas about relationships for some guy with obnoxious blue eyes.”

“I didn’t.”

“So then what is this?”

Y/N hesitated. Hating that the truth was about to boil over out of her mouth for him to see all the embarrassing bits of it, but she had no other way of convincing him. And it didn’t really help that Adam was so far out of her league that it wasn’t even convincing to begin with. Nor did she want to convince Harry of anything either. It was clear now that he hadn’t been jealous, he was just trying to figure out when she stopped hating relationships so much.

And the truth of that was she never really hated them. It was just easier telling herself she didn’t want it than admitting no one ever actually wanted her.

She trembled, not even sure why, but he was making her incredibly nervous, so much that she wished she could rewind and stay squished next to him in the back of the car forever. Being that close to him... his stupid fingers on her thigh, whispering things in her ear that made her head spin. She’d much prefer that than standing in front of him now, seeing every ounce of judgment he was about to throw her way.

“What do you want me to say, Harry?” She shrugged and dropped her eyes to the white marble floors between them, focusing on calming her anxiety while she was no longer looking at him. “He needed a date and I felt bad for him.”

“What does that mean?”

Letting her head fall back against the wall, she stared up at the ceiling this time as her eyes burned with embarrassment. “He paid me to be his date so his ex-girlfriend didn’t find out he wasn’t actually seeing anyone. That’s what it means.”

Harry didn’t say anything.

“So, yeah.” She folded her arms, looking down at the floor again, still unable to meet Harry’s eyes and see the look that would be on his face. A smirk of amusement at her expense. Even probably his dimples, taunting her and turning her into the joke she already was. “You were right. I can’t find anyone to tolerate me, which is why I’m on this stupid date that isn’t even real.”

“Him kissing you seemed quite real to me.”

There was more exasperation than humor to her laugh. “It wasn’t.”

Harry seemed to finally understand. “He’s trying to make Laura jealous.”

Y/N just nodded. “I promise I didn’t know you were going to be there, that he was trying to get her back from you.”

“You still kissed him though.”

She couldn’t argue that, nor could she tell him the real reason she’d agreed to the kiss. That it wasn’t exactly Laura she was trying to make jealous. She’d never live that one down, if she ever managed to live any other aspect of this night down.

When she didn’t say anything, he stepped closer. “Why did you kiss him?”

“I’m sorry, Harry I just... I don’t know.”

He shook his head and took another step, making her eyes widen when he was close enough that she had to crane her head back to meet his gaze. “Seemed like you were trying to make me jealous.”

She swallowed, not exactly in the position to laugh it off and argue with him when he was this close and all she could feel were the traces of his fingertips on her thigh. Her voice was quiet when it finally came out. “Making you jealous would mean I assumed you liked me in the first place... which I’m definitely not stupid enough to assume.”

A crease formed between his brow and his stupidly perfect jaw hardened as if he was biting his tongue from saying something. And fuck him for choosing then to finally stop opening his mouth.

Just then, a pair of drunk guys, one on the other’s back, came racing through the foyer, screaming at the top of their lungs while a few others followed quickly after them. It was enough to force Harry away from Y/N again, enough for the both of them to step out of the little bubble they’d been in together the past ten minutes.

Once they were alone again, their eyes gravitated toward each other and just when she thought Harry might say something after all, he flipped around on his heel and left. And she watched as he turned the corner and mixed back into the party.

After a few moments to gather herself, she followed him, not exactly sure what she was going to do now that Harry wouldn’t talk to her and it felt weird being with Adam while Harry knew everything. But, whatever plans to keep herself occupied no longer matted when she spotted Laura.

Making out with Adam in the middle of the room. 

Without even thinking, she turned to locate Harry and he might as well have been a source of gravity because her eyes fell right to him within a second. And he was watching them too. He knew. 

He met Y/N’s eyes and she wasn’t quite sure if he was upset or not. She couldn’t really read anything on his face, and stopped attempting to when he moved towards her and she had other things on her mind, like where he was going and if he was going to bother taking her with him.

Shortly after he stormed past Y/N she made sure he wasn’t going to leave her behind and chased after him. She didn’t know Adam very well and definitely not Laura to want to stay with them. And everyone else in the room were complete strangers to her. Adam had promised he’d take her home, but he probably hadn’t expected to be making out with his ex by the end of the night, either.

Harry didn’t say anything, not even when they’d reached the foyer and Y/N asked where he was going. He just located his jacket and slipped it on before making his way out the front door.

And right when she thought he really was going to leave her behind, since she was the reason he’d just lost Laura to her ex, he held the door open and glanced over his shoulder at her while she still stood on the other side of the threshold.

“Are you staying?”

Without a word, she sprung into motion and trailed right behind him into the hallway like a lost puppy, letting the door shut behind her that cut them off from the music as it faded into the background behind them.

It was a silent trip down the elevator, mostly because she had no idea what to say that would sound sincere and he didn’t say anything at all. At least not until she followed him through the lobby until he stopped on the curb just outside the main doors.

She took up the spot next to him, eyes glued to the side of his face as he took in a deep breath of fresh air, or at least as fresh as traffic allowed it to be.

Then he spoke, and it seemed like the first time she’d heard his voice all night. “I’m the one who gave you the chocolates and the frog.”

She narrowed her eyes, both not exactly sure why he’d just said that or if he was even being serious. “What?”

He looked down at her. “It wasn’t Andrew, it was me.”

“Why?” She breathed and while she was positive she’d be freezing cold soon, the fresh air after being surrounded by so many people felt good. It felt freeing and she wondered if he felt that way too.

His eyes scanned hers before he looked away. “Well partly to apologize for what I said.”

“What’s the other part?”

Sighing, he turned his entire body to face her now. “Something else entirely…” He trailed off, only confusing her more as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared at his feet. “I didn’t tell you because I know you don’t like all this stuff, but seeing you with him tonight... I wish I had.” 

“It’s not that big of a deal. It’s just a frog.”

He shook his head, grinning. “It’s not just a frog, Y/N... because the thing is,” he paused to catch his breath, “I’ve been in love with you for... a really long time… since last spring. But with you being the way that you are, I never thought you’d feel the same way.”

She opened her mouth and then closed it.

“And then you come in with that guy and...” He pulled his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more jealous in my life... because all this time I thought you weren’t interested in relationships, but you just weren’t interested in me.”

Inhaling, she summoned every ounce of courage she could fathom. “You were right about why I kissed Adam.” He lifted a brow, waiting for her elaboration which never came. “You were right about other things, too. I wish I had someone to come home to almost every single night I got to bed alone. No one—“ She cut herself off, trembling again as tears stung her eyes. “I pretend not to be interested so I can ignore the fact that no one’s ever wanted me.”

“That’s not true.” He had that same look on his face as before, when she’d told him she wasn’t stupid enough to think he liked her.

She just nodded. “And I’m sorry but... why would you want me when you could have someone like Laura?”

“Y/N...” He huffed and stepped closer to her, the heat from his body making her shiver. “This is not the first time I started seeing someone to get over you... in fact, all my relationships since I met you have been shit.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Well you’re very anti-relationships so I think I was justified in wanting to avoid you rejecting me… especially since we work together and it would have been really awkward.”

“I don’t, uh... I...” She stammered, not really sure what to say to him even though her heart was screaming at her in full volume. 

He held his breath and then, in almost a whisper, “Is this the inevitable rejection?”

“No.” She didn’t even hesitate that time and at this point, her mind no longer controlled the words coming out of her mouth as she let another organ finally speak for itself. “No, I liked you the second I saw you, Harry... and at no point tonight was I ever trying to make Laura jealous.”

The corners of his mouth began to curl into a smile. “That was very cruel of you to do to me.”

“I didn’t think you liked me at all twenty minutes ago, Harry.”

“Twenty minutes ago,” he fully invaded all of her space now, leaving the smallest gap between their bodies as he could get away with, lifting his hand to her jaw and rubbing his thumb over her cheek. “I was still on this date with the wrong person.” 

“I think the date is over now.”

“No,” his eyes fell to her lips just like they had before. “It’s not.” 

“You’re looking at me like that again.” She mumbled, out of breath.

He lifted a brow and didn’t once remove his eyes from her lips. “Like what?”

“Like…” she trailed off, not having the courage to say it in case she wasn’t right. 

“Like I’ve wanted to kiss you for a very long time and I’m tired of pretending?” 

“Something like that, yeah.”

He grinned, both of his dimples making an appearance just before he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. And once her brain realized what was happening, she sunk right into him, letting his arm wrap around her waist as his other hand tangled its way into her hair to bring her closer. She threw her arms over his shoulders and he hunched lower to meet her. She staggered back a step when he did, nearly losing her balance but he caught her instantly and then drew his lips back as he laughed.

“This is not how I expected tonight to end.” She couldn’t help but think the way he struggled to catch his breath was possibly the hottest he’d ever been. Not to mention the tiny bit of her lipstick smeared on his face. She could look at him just the way he was right there and then for days and be perfectly satisfied.

“It doesn’t have to end yet.” She fully blamed her sudden burst of confidence on the cold, but refreshing February night. And maybe she also just wanted to get out of it before it caught up to her and she would, yet again, regret not having a jacket.

“Oh?” She wanted to smack the mischievous smirk off his face and leave him there on the curb. “And here I thought you were a prude.”

“You thought a lot of things about me that weren’t true, Harry.”

He thought about that for a moment and after realizing she was right, he then wondered just how wrong he was when he’d called her celibate. “I suppose… I’d quite like to find out just how wrong I was.” He slipped a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear, which is where his lips ended up as he whispered softly, “And I’d also quite like to show you just how wrong you were about me not liking you.”

They stumbled into her bedroom in the dark, Pretzel racing out between their twisted feet in a hurry, screeching at them in the process. Harry giggled against her lips, “Your cat sounds friendly.” 

“Well, since I was supposed to be spending tonight with her, and chocolate, and anti-romantic movies…” She pulled away from him, watching as his smile spread further. Maybe she could actually believe he’d been in love all this time. 

“Right… I’d be upset too.” 

She shook her head and kissed him again, then pulled back a second later. “You know that’s not actually what I do on Valentine’s Day.”

He lifted a brow and waited for her to explain but she didn’t.

“And what is it that you do, then?” He finally asked, curiosity getting the best of him, although he had some inkling as to what she was talking about.

Her smile was devoid of innocence as her hands fell to his belt. Harry’s shirt had already been lost to the kitchen floor. Her dress hardly covering what it was supposed to once Harry had gotten his hands on it. 

“Maybe you’ll get to find out.” 

When she brought her lips back to his, after undoing the buckle just under his navel, he spun them around and led her backwards to the bed. He wasn’t sure how far it was, but hoped he was headed in the right direction. And because of that, when her knees did finally bend over the mattress, he practically came flying down on top of her. 

She squirmed out from under him, crawling back towards the pillows as she watched him at the end of the bed while he stood and removed his belt completely, trying not to drool at the sight of him. At the sight of Harry, her fucking annoying ass, perfect, beautiful, coworker standing shirtless at the end of her bed where he was also about to be…

He pushed his trousers down off his hips and they fell to the floor with ease, almost with the same amount of ease that her eyes fell to the tight boxer-briefs he wore underneath. She swallowed as he adjusted the waistband back into place, quite certain that, even in the low light, her eyes were not deceiving her.

The bed shifted at her feet as he joined her, and then it took all her willpower to not fling herself at him as he crawled up the length of her. As he settled himself between her thighs and she felt every last, very hard, inch of him pressed against her. She couldn’t be blamed for the whining moan that she let out in his ear as his lips became familiar with the shape and taste of her neck. She also couldn’t be blamed when her hips instinctively collided with his.

He just giggled again and shook his head, the loose strands of his curls tickling her forehead. “Easy now.” He warned in a hushed mumble, his lips vibrating right against the vein in her neck that pulsed so much faster the more his free hand began to wander up underneath her dress.

He left her speechless for multiple reasons, but the main one was when she felt his fingers tracing down her thigh and then, moments later, after he shifted his weight and used his knees to keep her legs open, she sucked in a breath of air as she felt him pressed against her clit, forcing her nails to dig into his back but he didn’t seem to mind.

Coming back down to kiss her, he began moving his hand in expert little circles, grinning against her mouth every time her body begged him for more. It wasn’t long that he complied, either, when he sat back on his knees between her legs and tugged her underwear off for good, throwing it to the depths of her bedroom floor. He wouldn’t have known where they landed even if he tried because his gaze belong to her only as he lowered himself to his elbows before her, kissing his way up her thighs until he reached her center.

When she squirmed away from him, he wrapped his arms around her thighs and pressed his hands into her hips after gently moving her dress out of the way. 

“You know when we used to stay late at the office working?” He asked suddenly and the heat of his voice against her made her squirm again, but he held on tight. “And you would get sick of sitting in an office chair and made me promise not to tell Jim when you sat on his desk instead?” She had no clue where he was going with it, but still, she nodded. “Every single time I turned to look at you, I thought about doing this.” Before she could get words out or even a coherent thought, she felt his tongue on her. And this time when she jerked against him, she nearly slipped out of his hold until he grabbed her again and pulled her back down, digging himself further into her as she struggled to breathe properly.

She dug her fingers into his hair when he brought her close to the edge and showed no mercy. And somehow, she’d managed to get the sole of her foot up onto his shoulder in order to kick him away, but it didn’t matter much because he never budged. Not that she wanted him to, but he just felt so good… 

“Harry!” She shouted, pulling at his hair and making matters worse for herself when he moaned against her sensitive bundle of nerves. He let her come, never once lifting his mouth from her even as her hips jerked off the mattress and she very nearly pulled his hair out. When she stopped screaming, her voice caught in her throat because she was lost to her own orgasm, is when he lifted his mouth, replaced it with his fingers and watched her as she came down. As her eyes fluttered shut and her chest heaved, her lungs struggling to get oxygen back into her system. Her hold on him loosened as she came undone around him, melting into his hands it seemed like.

And when he began rubbing his index and middle finger into her, once she was far and beyond overstimulated, and he knew that, she reached down with a whine and grabbed his wrist with what little strength she had in her and pulled him away. His hand fell to the other side of her hip, which he used to his advantage to pull himself up over her again, his other hand taking her dress with it until he was able to tug it over her head and toss it. Then he came back down to kiss her, letting her taste herself on her lips. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek and when he pulled away, found her looking at him finally. Although it was with heavy lids as she still struggled to regain her bearings.

Before they could get much further, a loud crashing sound from the other room made both of them nearly jump out of their skin. She shot up instantly, grabbing hold of Harry’s bicep before moving him out of the way and sliding off the edge of the bed. 

“It’s just the cat.” Harry would have probably said the same thing even if it was not just the cat, he’d say anything just to get her to stay with him.

“I know but it sounded like…” her voice trailed off as her feet hit the floor and the moment she went to stand on her own two legs, her knees buckled. He reached to grab her waist but she righted herself before he could. She didn’t see the way he hid his cheeky smirk at the fact that he’d been so good, she was still dizzy.

“You good?” He asked as she stumbled her way into a shirt. With only a groan in response, and what he was sure was her middle finger, she left him alone in her bed to investigate the noise. Sighing, he laid on his back and got comfortable amongst her pillows. And after about three minutes, decided to locate the remote to her TV to entertain himself. 

He flipped onto his side and felt around her bedside table, but his fingers never landed on anything remote-like. So, frustrated, he reached up and switched the lamp on. Again, he found nothing. Looking further, he realized the table had a drawer and so he pulled it open in hopes of finding the damned remote before she got back. 

But what he found instead was so much better than turning on late night news.

“Fucking cat knocked over my vase.” Y/N was back within ten minutes. Harry had left the light on, but made sure it wasn’t obvious he’d gone snooping into her drawer, at least not yet anyway. She crawled back into bed beside him and it was then he noticed the bandage on her thumb.

“Are you alright?” He forgot all about what he planned to tease her with when he gently grabbed her hand to inspect the damage.

“Yeah. I was in a bit of hurry trying to clean up the glass…” 

Harry rolled his eyes and dropped her hand. “I would have come help you.”

She just smiled up at him as he fit his arm around her shoulders, his bicep under her neck. “That’s alright.”

He shrugged. “It was for the best anyways that I didn’t.” When he smirked, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

“And why’s that?”

She followed his other hand as he reached for something and then, moments later, it reappeared with a very familiar pink object clutched in his grasp. “Because then I wouldn’t have found this.”

Her first reaction was to pry it from his snooping fingers, but when she reached across him to grab it, he way too easily held her back and, at the same time, held it far out of her reach. 

“So this is what you do on Valentine’s Day, then?” He flicked his wrist back and forth, waving her vibrator in the air as he taunted her.

“If you don’t give that back to me,” she reached for it again to no prevail, “you won’t be doing anything, least of all, me.”

He clicked his tongue. “Why would I give it back when I plan on using it?”

She froze and he chuckled at her reaction.

“Would be rude of me to break your traditions, wouldn’t it?” 

She swallowed, her eyes slowly meeting his again. The appearance of his right dimple told her he wasn’t playing any games. She had no idea how many times he planned to make her come tonight or whether or not she’d even be able to walk tomorrow at work. But, given the stupid look on his face, she almost began making plans to call out sick instead.

“Do you actually know how to use that thing?” She finally asked, glancing at the wand still held very firmly in his hand.

He looked at her like she was crazy moments before he pivoted and pinned her onto her back, settling himself into the position they’d been in before the interruption of the cat. 

Just, this time… he was clicking on her vibrator and watching her face as she began to regret her words. 

“‘Course I know how to use it. The real question is,” he brought his lips to her ear, the soft vibrations and the sound of his voice mixing together like sin itself. Even more so when he nipped at her earlobe. “Do you know how to handle it?”

#1dffvalentine #harry styles fic #harry styles smut #harry styles x reader #harry styles writing #harry styles fanfic #harry styles imagine

[komfortkiri]

HELP WANTED (PART 1)

WOLF QUIRK F!READER x HANTA SERO x EIJIRO KIRISHIMA WORD COUNT: 1,724 TW/CW: BULLYING MENTION, PARENTAL ABANDONMENT, PANIC ATTACK MENTION (ONCE)

NOTES: I’ll make a banner for this series whenever I get my shit together on Photoshop, lol. I’ve been on a Sero/Kiri thing lately plus this was brewing in my head so I wanted to hurry and type it all down before I forgot it.

“ HELP WANTED! 3RD AND FINAL ROOMMATE FOR A 3 BEDROOM, 2 BATH HOUSE. — MUST BE RESPONSIBLE AND RELIABLE. TEXT THE NUMBER FOR ANY QUESTIONS. NAME IS KIRI. ”

You had been staring at this ad for a couple of days now. Surely they must have found someone by now, right? You were new around the area and being on your own, wasn’t quite what you had imagined. Your parents? Well, your mom up and decided to leave you behind after bringing you home from the hospital and your dad.. He’s always been there but you wanted to prove you could finally be on your own. You were 24 for God’s sake, of course you could do it, but sometimes— you found yourself wondering if you bit off more than you could chew. Living in this big city full of crazy quirks of all kind, including yours, it was pretty overwhelming.

Oh, your quirk? Well, you were part wolf and people could tell that from looking at you, due to your pointed black ears that rested on either side of the top of your head plus a tail that was pretty fluffy and was also black in color.. Can’t forget the fangs that you have, too. Your howl could deafen someone for a brief amount of time, distracting them. You also had the agility which mean you could run— fast. 

Growing up wasn’t easy at all. You were often teased about your appearance. Kids would pull your tail, thinking it didn’t hurt you when in reality, it did. You spent majority of your childhood wondering why you had to have such an awful quirk, blaming your father since he was also part wolf. However, as you got older, you became more mature and focused more on yourself. Of course, you apologized to your father, which brought the two of your closer, allowing you to confess the reasoning behind why your child days were so… dark and why you lashed out in such ways. 

Your father was a strong man, taking on a few jobs at a time to support you and his self while also keeping the bills paid on time. You admired him for that but you didn’t want to depend on him anymore which led you to where you are right this second— staring at this damned ad, wondering when you’re going to build up some type of courage to text the number. “Oh, for all that is holy, just do it.” You grew tired of being scared so you brought out your phone and texted the number.

TO KIRI: Hey… I was texting about your ad about needing a third roommate and wanted to inquire about it, if you haven’t found anyone yet.

You thought about it again.. What if it was a scam? Oh, you literally brought your palm to your forehead, tapping it a times then halted when your phone buzzed. You looked at the screen, eyes widening in surprise because it was the number from the ad. You had your phone set to where you wouldn’t be able to see previews of your messages unless you unlocked it fully. You braced yourself for a ‘Sorry, we’ve found someone’ or something along those lines. You wouldn’t be surprised since it did take you forever to even act on this whole thing. You swiped left on the message, unlocked your phone, squeezing your eyes shut then took a deep breath. Your right eye slowly opened, eyesight adjusting to the brightness of your screen then falling amongst the words of this Kiri’s response. Your other eye shot open in shock, both your ears perking up.

FROM KIRI: Awesome! We haven’t really had any luck with anyone reliable.. so since that’s the case.. would you mind if me and the other roommate meet you for, say.. coffee? How’s tomorrow morning sound around 8:30-ish?

Thinking to yourself, were you reliable? Of course, you were. Responsible? Absolutely. You worked at a local animal shelter, coincidentally. You worked more with dogs than cats, though, which came with the territory. Dogs obviously gravitated more to you given your natural wolf scent that only they detected with their sense of smell. Recently, you were moved into a management position so you were paid pretty well, which struck up this whole idea to be on your own, per se. Before you could think any further, did you work tomorrow? No, perfect. You rolled over onto your stomach on your bed, tail moving from side-to-side.

TO KIRI: Of course! That sounds great. There’s a coffee shop a few blocks from where I currently stay.. called Camille’s Cafe, not sure if you have heard of it or would prefer something else?

Were you coming off pushy? Demanding? At this point, you didn’t know and you were so nervous that it was driving you crazy but before you could go into panic mode— you got a text back, agreeing on the meeting place and everything. That was… easy.. almost too easy.. Either way, you were thankful they wanted to meet in a public setting in case they really were scammers. That’s when the thought had hit you.. What if they were guys? Kiri didn’t necessarily sound like a guy’s name.. did it? You laughed at your overthinking. No way these were guys.

With that, you looked at the clock on your bedroom wall, it reading 9:30 PM. You decided to go ahead and settle into bed to get enough rest so you didn’t look like a walking zombie when you met your potential roommates for coffee. You plugged in your phone to the charger and laid down, laying awake for an extra hour or so before drifting to sleep.

After a long day of getting phone call after phone call, text after text from different people saying they were interested in their ad, Eijiro and Hanta were close to giving up. Everyone who showed interest had some type of flaw about them, whether it be a bad history of paying rent on time or being an awful roommate in the past. It was becoming annoying, to say the very least. After denying everyone who reached out, Eijiro thought it was best to just block all the numbers to prevent further contact.

“Bro, I’m beginning to lose hope. We probably won’t ever find someone else to move in with us.” Hanta sat down on the couch in the living room with a sigh, kicking his feet up on the table in front of him. “Might as well talk to Kats about ditching that condo he’s in to move in over here with us.” They had thought about that a few times but even the slight mention of a roommate the first time, their friend, Katsuki, was the first to say not to even consider him because he valued his privacy. They didn’t press further because they understood and knew how he was. 

Eijiro sat on the other end of the couch, directly across from Hanta, leaning forward to prop his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands. “You know exactly how that’ll go, Sero. I say the next person that texts us, we invite to coffee and really figure shit out. It’s been days since we posted that ad, and you know that we need the help we can get.” Hanta nodded in agreement then both their eyes shot down to Eijiro’s phone that lit up with a unsaved number, inquiring about the roommate situation. Hanta moved over to the same side as where Eijiro was to sit down once the red head picked up his phone to look at the message. 

“Huh, look at that! It’s almost like this person heard you.” Hanta chuckled, looking over the message. “What do you think? Coffee?” Eijiro nodded then sent his first text out in response to the inquirer.

TO (YOU): Awesome! We haven’t really had any luck with anyone reliable.. so since that’s the case.. would you mind if me and the other roommate meet you for, say.. coffee? How’s tomorrow morning sound around 8:30-ish?

Sero scowled, “8:30 in the morning, dude? You really must be desperate because we sleep till like noon on our days off. That or you’re hoping it’s a girl.” He laughed then got up to circle around the furniture to head to the kitchen. “I mean, it might be a girl… and it might be good for us. Could teach us a few things.” Kirishima didn’t think about what all that last statement could entail but Sero, thankfully, didn’t catch onto it. “I guess so. Did they respond?” Just as soon as he finished asking his question, another text came through. 

“How do you feel about Camille’s down the road?” Kirishima looked over to Sero who thought for a minute then shrugged with a nod, “Alright, yeah. I could go for one of her bagels. We haven’t seen the lady in a while so we should pay her a visit.” Camille was an older woman who had a heart of gold and loved both Kirishima and Sero. They always were such gentleman when they came in but they stopped going once the crime rate escalated the past few weeks. 

“That’s true. I told the person it sounded great so. Let’s head to bed so we can actually wake up early and look decent instead of a mess.” Kirishima rose from the sofa to head toward his room. Sero called out, “Wouldn’t have to get beauty sleep at all if you didn’t schedule this meeting at the crack ass of dawn.” With that, Kirishima held out his arm behind him, giving Sero the middle finger. “Stop your bitching and go to bed, princess.”

Sero laughed and both settled into bed for the night. While one went to sleep pretty quick, the other laid awake, wondering who this mystery person could be. The thought of whether it was a female or not, really stuck to Eijiro’s mind. He had hoped that if it was, they wouldn’t be scared away by the fact that they’d be living with two guys should they accept the offer at all. Kirishima wanted them to be as comfortable as possible and that’s what he intended on doing and without noticing, he drifted into a deep sleep.

#eijiro kirishima x reader #Kirishima x reader x Sero #mha x reader #Hanta Sero #Eijiro Kirishima #Hanta Sero x Reader

[tuanhood]

hypnotic | part one

paring: vampire!im jaebeom x reader

genre: angst, eventual smut (part two), vampire au

warnings: language, cringey vampire cliches i’m sure

word count: 9,800+

summary: jaebeom has been waiting 200 years to find his mate - the one who can break his trance and isn’t affected by his hypnotic abilities. You don’t seem to be that person, but he just can’t seem to get you out of his mind… why? 

a/n: hello guys! so i originally had this planned to post tomorrow (the 30th) but it was so long i decided to split it up and post one part today and the other part on the 31st! This first part is mostly Jaebeom and not a lot of Y/N but SO BE IT. This is also my first time writing in the genre of vampire/fantasy loL so please forgive me because it’ll probably be cringe and not make sense. if that’s the case lol drop me a message!! also vampire jaebeom was requested FOREVER ago. so here it is practically 3 decades later. and i attempted to make a banner. if someone can make me a better one it’s v much WELCOME.

part two

Knock Knock Knock 

He wished he could just pretend like he was asleep. He wished he could use that as an excuse to not answer the door, but based on the very strong feeling he was getting from who was behind it – that wouldn’t work. 

“I know you’re in there! Just answer the damn door Jaebeom!”

Jaebeom rolled his eyes, leave it to Bambam to be at his front door before the day even had a chance to truly begin. Before letting him in, he went through all the possible things or excuses he could use to get out of whatever his younger friend had in mind.

“Is your vintage YSL here or is it still at the dry cleaners?” Bambam asked, pushing past Jaebeom as soon as he has the door partway open.

Gruffly, Jaebeom turned back into his apartment to Bambam already halfway to his bedroom – no doubt to look through his closet, “What are you doing here Bam?” 

“What does it look like? I’m here for the vintage YSL asshole!” 

He’s learned by now that it’s better to let him do his thing – whatever that may mean. So instead of following Bambam, he plopped down onto the same couch he’s had for nearly 15 years. “You know when I first bought that shirt it wasn’t considered vintage!”

Jaebeom waited for a response, but instead, he was met with silence. After a few moments – many of them thinking about how maybe it was time to replace the couch – he felt his “vintage” YSL button-down hit him in the face. 

He groaned; the impact was surely going to create wrinkles in the material he tried to keep in pristine condition. It was ironic since he was often heard making fun of how much Bambam cared about clothes, but Jaebeom liked to keep his things nice. “Bam I just got it back from getting cleaned a couple of days ago.”

“Put it on.” 

The tone of his friend’s voice seemed rather impatient. If he had closed his eyes, Jaebeom would have thought he was talking to Jinyoung or even himself. 

“Why do I need to put it on? It’s 8 in the morning; where are we going?”

“Um excuse me? Did you forget what day it was? Now come on, we’re meeting Jinyoung at that new café down the street in fifteen.”

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, trying to picture the café on the mental map he keeps in his mind, “the one that used to be a video store in the 90s?”

Bambam made his way into the living room, picking up a few glasses that rested on the coffee table Jaebeom’s feet were on top of, and marched over to the small kitchen. Jaebeom has lived in this apartment more years than he’d like to admit, especially because enough time had passed that the neighbors he had were clearly aging and he just stayed 26. The thought of moving somewhere new often enters his mind, but with this place, he just can’t bring it in himself to go quite yet. It’s almost as though something is tying him to this city, this place – like he’s waiting for something.

“Yes, and a speakeasy in the 20s both of which are not important right now because we live in the 21st century Jaebeom. Now come on, Jinyoung’s waiting – that asshole is always early.” 

He heard Bambam mumble something along the lines of known him 100 years, would it kill him to just be on time for once, as he furiously dropped the glasses on the kitchen counter.

“Do I have to go?” 

Bambam paused his motions of putting Jaebeom’s dirty dishes into the sink to stare the older vampire down, “Jaebeom you only turn 200 once.” 

He scoffed in response, “Jesus don’t remind me.”

“We have to make a whole day of it! So please just put the shirt on, because I want you looking presentable,” he stopped in the middle of his sentence, suddenly wiggling his eyebrows, “you never know what could happen.” The final word is drawn out, almost sing-song like and it drives Jaebeom up the wall because he knows exactly what Bambam is referencing.

For Jaebeom and those like Jaebeom, they didn’t consider the day they were born as their birthday, but instead as the day they turned. There was no point in celebrating their birth anymore as they were no longer alive. However, at this point after 200 birthdays, – alive and dead combined - Jaebeom was beginning to believe that there was no point to those either. He always knew being immortal was a curse but day by day that idea was only solidifying itself in his mind.  

Jaebeom let out a gruff breath which only made Bambam look up from the fork he was scrubbing, “Bam I don’t know what you think is going to happen today… but it certainly isn’t that.” 

The “that” he was referencing was one of the main factors that as of late had made him feel like living forever was indeed a waste. It was the thing that was supposed to make him feel “complete.” According to old texts and traditional vampire folklore, he was now walking around half full, but once he met his mate, he would become whole. At first, he didn’t believe the tale. He had gotten by so far without a mate that the idea of him not being complete made him laugh. But watching both Bambam and Jinyoung find their mates – Bambam 70 years ago and Jinyoung 16 years ago – made him finally acknowledge and reflect on the piece of himself he was missing. 

And fuck he was lonely. 

Bambam chuckled at him as if being in on his own personal joke. His friend was strange like that sometimes, “just put the shirt on Jaebeom.” 

By the time he’s had the shirt on and Bambam has somehow convinced him to let him wear his Rolex he got as a gift from his friend Jackson in 1920, Jaebeom feels mentally prepared to leave the house and embark on this dreadful day. The reminder that he has now been around for 200 years and still is not whole.

“Finally,” Jinyoung sighed when Jaebeom and Bambam finally reached the café down the street, “I’ve been waiting 20 minutes.” 

A disgruntled Bambam checks his watch, “well if you don’t want to wait every single time, don’t be so fucking early,” he promptly turned to Jaebeom to share his grief regarding their friend, “you think he would learn after all this time.” 

“Let’s just go order,” Jaebeom shrugged, not caring to be in another disagreement between his longer than life friends.

“Be honest you’re early on purpose just so it gives you something to complain about and a reason to make us feel bad!” 

Jinyoung ignored Bambam’s theory, replying to the oldest, “no need. I already ordered for the three of us. It’s a special day, the birthday boy doesn’t need to pay,” he glanced at Bambam, “you on the other hand…” 

The two new arrivals, flop down into the sofa chairs on either side of Jinyoung, along of them situated to make a half-circle in front of a low coffee table. The three of them had somehow stuck into this… pattern. Years of friendship that contained years of Bambam/Jinyoung squabbles that Jaebeom would often have to mediate. Patterns were nice, but sometimes they would get old – especially after so long. 

As the two of them argue over whether or not Bambam should pay Jinyoung back for a simple iced Americano because Bam swears he got the drinks the last two times, Jaebeom looks over to the counter where the baristas work on – no doubt – the plethora of orders they have. The factor of the café being new has certainly been the cause of the popularity and amount of people in the shop. He can’t help but feel bad for the individuals working on the drinks – three years ago he had been one of them for roughly 18 months and knew that it wasn’t as easy as it appeared to be. 

In retrospect, Jaebeom didn’t have to work. He had so much time to learn and understand what it meant to be financially responsible. Not only that, but he’s literally had hundreds of years to save. Plus, his early investments in companies ended up landing him some pretty substantial and valuable shares. Jaebeom was sitting on quite the pretty penny. 

“Wow your portfolio is remarkable… I’ve never seen one like it,” his latest financial advisor had said to him in complete awe, “I mean an early investor in Amazon? Apple? Mastercard?” 

Jaebeom had laughed nervously, “What can I say? My grandpa had good intuition, I guess.” 

Money aside, he had wanted something to do with his time – hence his barista job. It was fun, but like most things, Jaebeom just grew tired of it and as he watched the girl working the espresso machine let out an exhausted breath, he realized that he wasn’t missing it. 

Jaebeom has become good at studying people. It was something he still wasn’t sure of whether it was a vampire thing or just something he had picked up over time. Watching the girl at the machine, her hair is in a low bun, a few strands falling in front of her face. It’s clear with the way the hair tie is situated, that the hairstyle was once a bit neater, tighter, and sat at the middle or even top of her head. However, the now fallen placement and slight disarray signal how busy she’s been working and how fried she must be feeling. 

He looks to the string bracelet on her wrist, visible from far away enough for Jaebeom to conclude that she must have someone in her life deemed important to wear one of those “friendship” bracelets. He never saw the point, but humans were strange creatures, despite him once being one. 

Jaebeom’s breath hitches when he catches sight of the delicately drawn tattoo on her wrist near the bracelet. It’s of lavender and it immediately reminds him of his mother who had loved exploring the lavender field that had been near his home when he was a child. Despite all the time that has passed since he lost his mother, the pain that aches inside of Jaebeom when he thinks of her isn’t any less. 

His thoughts are interrupted by the call at the coffee bar, “Order for Jinyoung.” 

The call comes from the overworked girl he had been studying and Jaebeom wants more than anything to stand up and retrieve their orders. He finds a weird want to hear what her laugh sounds like. Maybe he could say something or strike up a conversation that would-

“What are you doing?” It takes Jaebeom a moment to notice that he has partially stood up from his chair as if he’s about to go somewhere. Cluelessly, he replied, “going to get the drinks.”

The youngest shook his head, “No way! Birthday boys don’t get their drinks, they don’t lift a finger.” 

He knew Bambam was one to take birthdays seriously, but this was beginning to feel like it was going the extra mile too many. 

“I’ll get it.” 

Jaebeom watched Bambam get up to retrieve the drinks. He expects him to just grab the drinks and return to the table, but instead, Bambam says something to the girl. Arching his neck to the side, he tries to make a clear path to eavesdrop on what’s being said, hearing being one of the benefits of turning. Unfortunately, the café is too loud for him to focus on the conversation and he’s defeated by the fact that he’ll have to stay in the dark.

The girl laughs loudly at something Bambam said and Jaebeom can’t help but feel mixed about it. On one hand, he got his wish – hearing her laugh – but on the other hand, he wasn’t the cause of it. For some reason it makes him bring his clench and unclench his fists which rest on the arms of the sofa chair. Jinyoung takes notice.

Jaebeom quickly looks down at his lap when he senses that Bambam is returning to where they’re sat, not wanting to give away that he had been staring. First, he places Jinyoung’s and his drink on the table, soon turning back around to go back and fetch the last drink – Jaebeom’s. 

When he comes back, Jaebeom looks up to see a large grin spread across the youngest’s face. He has that look again – the one as if he knows a joke Jaebeom doesn’t. 

The latter nodded his head in thanks for getting the drinks as he inspects his green tea on the table. Just as he’s about to pick up the mug, he’s stopped in his tracks by an announcement coming from the coffee bar. 

“Hello everyone! Sorry for the interruption, but I’ve been told that we have a birthday here today,” you said. Giving announcements wasn’t your strong suit, but you figured now that you were an actual owner of something, you were going to get over your shyness. But you didn’t think it was going to be that often that a tall, skinny and pale boy with a Rolex on his wrist would be asking you to get your coffee shop to sing happy birthday for his friend. Even when you were a barista working for someone else no one had made such a request. This was a café after all, not an Applebee’s.

Jaebeom wished more than anything that he could sink into his seat and just disappear. If only that cliché that vampires turned into bats were true, then he could just fly away at a moment’s notice. Leave it to Bambam to torture him like this. It wasn’t intentional of course, but it certainly felt like it to Jaebeom. 

It was especially tragic to him because the girl he had been studying was the one leading the entire café in singing “Happy Birthday.” He did his best to avoid looking at her, feeling like his entire body was heating up in embarrassment even though he couldn't heat up. 

You on the other hand felt a little insulted by the birthday boy’s lack of eye contact. You hadn’t even managed to get a good look at him before you started singing and now it was not possible with the way that he was looking down at the ground, his long hair falling in front of his face, concealing itself to you. It wasn’t difficult to conclude that he felt awkward about a bunch of strangers he had never met singing him happy birthday, you had felt the same whenever your friends tried to ambush you on your birthday… but you at least looked up and acknowledged the presence of the people singing. A tight smile from this guy would even be happily accepted. 

When the song is over and the claps that follow finally subside, he looks up to see the café back at its previous state of normalcy, not a single person looking at him anymore. Jaebeom lets out a sigh of relief. 

“You could at least act like you liked it,” Bambam huffed in annoyance. He wished Jaebeom could appreciate the idea of birthdays like he did. 

“I really didn’t need to be the center of attention today Bam.” 

“But it’s your bir-” Bambam begins to explain, but Jaebeom abruptly cuts him off, not wanting to hear his reasoning for today’s antics, yet again. The day hadn’t even started.

“My birthday, I know. Thanks for reminding me.” 

Jinyoung clears his throat and plays with the spoon that came with his Flat White. Just as Jaebeom is the mediator for Bambam and Jinyoung, sometimes Jinyoung has to be the mediator for Jaebeom and Bambam. Essentially the commonality in the disagreements of their trio friendship is Bambam and currently, Jinyoung feels as though he should route the conversation elsewhere.

“What else is in the cards for tonight then boys?” 

It’s then based on the look on Jaebeom’s face, that Jinyoung thinks that maybe talking about the plans for tonight – on Jaebeom’s birthday – isn’t re-routing the conversation. Especially since it’s Bambam’s whose eyes light up and is the one to reply to him.

“Obviously we’re going out tonight,” Bambam paused and turned to Jaebeom, wagging his finger in the latter’s face, “there’s no way you’re getting out of this. I’m not taking no for an answer this time.”

Jaebeom rolled his eyes and didn’t respond as he knew he didn’t have a choice in the matter. He had rejected Bambam’s invitations to go out consistently for the last 6 months and on his birthday of all days, Bam was going to force him out of the house just as he had done this morning to come to the café.

He looks back to the front counter, his eyes searching for the barista who has now suddenly disappeared. A frown begins to make itself known on his face, feeling a bit disappointed by the fact that she may have left already or gone elsewhere, but soon she’s popping up from behind the counter, no doubt getting something from the cabinets below. Jaebeom feels relief. 

“What did you say to her?” he asked suddenly looking back at Bambam.

He cocked his head to the side, confused, “What did I say to who?” 

“The barista behind the counter.” 

His friend nodded his head slowly, suddenly realizing what Jaebeom means. A smirk appears on his face, “nothing much… Just how it was your birthday and it would be really good if we could all embarrass you by singing about it. She’s not a barista, by the way, she owns the place. Kinda backward thinking there Jae. It’s the 21st century, women can own things now, they can vote.” 

“I know that,” Jaebeom hissed. 

Bambam puts up his hands in defeat, “I’m just making sure.” 

“Don’t you know her?” Jinyoung asked, “isn’t that why we came here?” 

Jaebeom’s interests are perked. It’s not often that the three of them meet new people. It’s not like there’s a huge point to it. The last new person the three of them met was Mark – also a vampire – a bartender at their favorite club in the city, but that was in 2007. 

He waits for Bambam’s explanation as to how he knows this girl and why they came here specifically beside it just being near Jaebeom’s apartment. 

Waving his hand nonchalantly, the Thai boy gives his answer, “I don’t really know her. Minji does. Met her in some kind of class, I think. SoulCycle? Pilates? Zumba? I don’t know. I can’t keep up with her and her activities these days.” 

Minji is Bambam’s mate. He had turned her only a month after they met. 

Jaebeom’s not sure what he would do if he met his mate. He doesn’t know if he would want to subject them to turning and living the same kind of life as him, but he also doesn’t know if he could continue life alone after meeting his mate. If he ever meets them.

“Why the curiosity?” Jinyoung asked, for once finding it hard to remain stone-faced. Even his usual chill, non-revealing demeanor seems to fade away when it appears that his older friend might be attracted to someone. 

Jaebeom simply shrugged, “it’s nothing…” 

“What do you think? Could she be the one?” Bambam asked teasingly, pointing to the girl behind the counter. 

Jinyoung rolled his eyes almost immediately at the younger boy, “if you’re going to keep bothering him about it, don’t make it so obvious idiot.” 

Jaebeom had been alive – or more like undead – for 200 years and more than half of that time he had to listen to this same conversation from his friends over and over again. His patience was wearing thin and 180 years later, he was tired of their pestering. 

He leaned forward slowly and grabbed his green tea off the table, making sure to visibly flinch at the heat of the drink, Bambam, and Jinyoung chuckling at his reaction. Out of the three of them, Jaebeom certainly had the most practice when it came to “putting on a show” for the humans and “acting” the most human. Taking a sip, he looked back at the girl behind the counter. 

The youngest vampire had spent many of their outings and conversations hypothesizing who Jaebeom’s mate could be. Despite being the oldest of the three, Jaebeom was the only one left who still hadn’t found his mate and he was beginning to feel hopeless. Typically, Bambam pointed out any human girl as a candidate – all of them of course ended up not being his mate. Therefore, Jaebeom didn’t pay attention to his picks anymore, but he had to admit… He did get a strange feeling from the girl behind the counter. 

Jaebeom looked to you, hoping to catch your gaze as you quickly made the coffee orders for the few people waiting to the side of the cash register. Just when he was about to give up and focus his attention back on his friends, you tore your concentration away from the drink in your hand and looked up at him from across the cafe. 

Jaebeom focused his gaze deep onto you with his eyes – testing, checking, and trialing your focus. You didn’t look away, instead, you trained your eyes deeply into his and stared at him until finally, it was Jaebeom who broke the contact. 

He shook his head at his friends, disappointed by your inability to break the trance and ultimately confused at the feeling he still got from you despite that. 

Jaebeom took another sip of the tea, “it’s not her.” 

“Did you have to debate that Uber driver on the Twilight franchise?” Jinyoung groaned at Bambam as soon as they’re out of the car. 

The entire twenty-minute ride, he had got into a heated discussion with their driver on how Twilight was not “true” or realistic to most actual vampire folklore. It had been an excruciating thing to listen to. 

“Got to stand up for our kind dude.” 

“Okay, but what happens when she starts asking how you know all these things or why you’re so interested in vampire stuff?” Jinyoung tended to always be right. This wasn’t an exception.

Brushing off his pants, Bambam gives him a nonchalant wave, “chill out man. Everyone loves vampire stuff.” 

“Maybe in 2008,” Jaebeom said just barely loud enough for his friends to hear them. The two of them laughed, Bambam shoving him playfully on the shoulder, “Birthday boy getting funny on us.” 

��I was always funny,” Jaebeom deadpanned. 

“Funny and looking good tonight. Let’s get you laid, shall we?” 

After a day that was jampacked full of various activities planned by his youngest friend, the last thing Jaebeom wanted to do was spend extra energy on trying to get some girl to come home with him tonight. Besides, he wasn’t that guy anymore. 

Jinyoung scoffed, “he doesn’t need to get laid tonight.”

“Yes, he does! Jaebeom how long has it been?” 

This time it’s Jinyoung that shoves Bambam’s shoulder – except it’s not all that playful. 

“Fine don’t answer that, but I’m just saying there will be quite a few girls here that you can have your pick of, despite your plain outfit.” 

Jaebeom looked at the clothes he had changed into when Bambam spared him a sliver of time to go back home to digress and feed his cats. The latter had wanted him to borrow clothes of his, but instead, Jaebeom decided on pulling pieces from his closet that felt more like him, less like Bambam. A plain pair of ripped jeans, an oversized black shirt that he had bought at a shop from his trip to London last year, and his mother’s necklace that often wasn’t missing from its spot around his neck.

Bambam’s earlier critique was that he was dressed too basic and that no girls would bat an eye at him. Girls don’t like plain guys, he had said. The comment makes Jaebeom wonder about you and whether you’d fall under the category of not liking “plain” guys. 

He bites the inside of his cheek. It was probably the eighth time he had made himself do it today. Jaebeom had found his mind often drifting to you throughout the day for some unexplainable reason. During their walk in the park, he wondered if you would take strolls during your breaks from the café or when Bambam forced him to go paint pottery for an hour and a half he thought about what you would paint. It frustrated him because he hadn’t even spoken to you – not a word and yet you were clearly on his mind for one reason or another. It wasn’t even like you were his mate. He had tried to see if you were unaffected by his trance, his hypnotic capabilities, but you had just stared at him completely fixated just as everyone else was. 

Jaebeom was not going to think about you any longer. He was already planning on avoiding your café. 

“We’re on the list,” Bambam tells the bouncer when they arrive at the entrance of the club. He scans the list and motions his head towards the direction of the door to signal to the three of them to go on ahead. There’s a bit of a whine coming from the people waiting in line which admittedly so makes Jaebeom feel a little guilty, but Bambam ensures him it’s fine, “why have a friend who works at a club if we can’t use him for the perks?” 

“Why does he keep bartending again?” As soon as the question is out of Jaebeom’s mouth he realizes it was a stupid thing to ask since the answer is apparent. 

Bambam laughed at him, giving his long – irreplaceable he’d like to remind everyone – leather coat to the person at the front of the club. Jaebeom swears he hears him tell the coat check guy the “proper” way to put it on a hanger. 

“Obviously for the girls Jaebeom.” 

Mark’s mate – Hana had passed on a long time ago. Jaebeom had never got the chance to meet her, only hears about her in passing from some stories that Mark has told the three of them. He hadn’t turned her. Jaebeom’s never asked why. 

“Girls… of course.” 

He can’t help but think about how Mark must feel inside. Although Jaebeom doesn’t know him as well as he knows Bambam and Jinyoung, whenever he’s with the older boy he’s always got a smile on his face. Often quiet, but he’s always got certain energy bouncing off of him that would indeed make him popular with women. However, if what they say about mates is true, would that mean that a piece of Mark was now missing? Did he feel like he was less of a person? Jaebeom felt like that sometimes and he hadn’t even met his mate yet. Mark had his, but now he didn’t. 

“Drinks?” Jinyoung asked the two of them and Jaebeom is partly surprised. Out of the three of them, Bambam was the one who was the most comfortable in a club or even bar setting. He figures that Jinyoung must be using his birthday as an excuse to cut loose and become someone else for the night.

Bambam instantly nodded his head at Jinyoung’s suggestion and Jaebeom finds himself trailing behind the two of them as they make their way over to Mark at the bar who is throwing his head back at something the girl across the bar is saying. Judging on Jaebeom’s intuition – it’s a bit fake and overplayed, but you got to do what you got to do.

“My man!” Bambam yelled over the music, leaning against the counter in a way to make sure he doesn’t get the elbows of his long sleeve turtleneck wet. Mark in response, turned to them and smiled, then routing his attention back to the girl, giving her an apologetic smile. Her half-smile says everything Jaebeom could need to know – this girl would not be going home with Mark after his shift tonight. 

“What can I get you guys tonight,” Mark turned to Jaebeom and the latter can barely make out his sharp canines in the dark club, “birthday boy you want anything special?” 

Before Jaebeom can reply that he wants to be at home, Bambam answers for him.

“Could we maybe get something that’s off the menu?” He wiggled his eyebrows at Mark who gave him a shit-eating grin, knowing immediately what he was talking about. 

“Off the menu” meant Mark’s secret stash of O negative underneath the counter. While alcohol had the same effect on them that it had on the average humans, adding a bit of blood just made a little bit better. Okay… it made it a lot better. 

“Three negronis coming right up,” Mark winked to give a little signal that these would most likely not be as well composed or put together as a negroni, but due to them being in public, he couldn’t necessarily announce a shit ton of alcohol mixed with human blood was going to be served up to them. 

“How has your birthday been Jae?” Mark asked as he was in the middle of placing three glasses onto the countertop in between them.

It was difficult to explain since to Jaebeom it had just been another day except for a little bit more excruciating. The celebration of another year “older” filled him with thoughts of how much time has passed, whether he’s done anything truly important and why he still hasn’t found the person who is meant to complete him… but like he said only a little more excruciating than any other day. 

Jaebeom shrugged in response, “Bam planned a lot and for the most part, it was…” he paused for a moment, wondering if he should say how he felt – numb, lost, and wishing the day would come to an end as if tomorrow won’t bring the same thoughts or problems. But as he looked at his friends who had tried so hard today to make him happy and celebrate, he decided to guard them against the ultimate truth, “for the most part it was fun – really good. I mean besides the singing at the café of course.” He throws in the last part to at least have some kind of believability to his story. 

He notices Mark’s eyebrows lift out of curiosity as his concentration focuses on measuring out each part of the drinks, “An entire café sang you happy birthday? Damn, I don’t think I could ever get through that, so I can only imagine how you feel.” 

“That was Bam’s idea,” Jinyoung muttered. 

Once again, Bambam does his nonchalant waving of the hand, “it wasn’t that bad. I mean okay, maybe it was… But Jaebeom was obsessed with the girl who led it.” 

Jaebeom suddenly feels like he wants to put duct tape over his friend’s mouth. 

“I was not obsessed with her! I don’t even know her!” Jaebeom for some reason felt the need to defend himself, which was probably the worst option. Him getting defensive was usually a tell-tale sign for his friends being right on whatever they were confronting him with. 

Bambam scoffed, bringing gliding his drink across the bar to be directly in front of him once Mark has poured it neatly into the short glass, “I noticed you staring at her before I went to get the drinks. That’s why I asked her to do it in the first place.” 

“So, she doesn’t know Minji?” Jinyoung questioned. 

The youngest takes his first sip and immediately lets out a hissing noise, signaling to Mark that it’s both strong and good. “No, she does, but Jaebeom’s weird staring only made it that much better.” 

Mark pushed the other two glasses towards Jinyoung and Jaebeom, “Was she your…” he drifted off, almost as though he was finding it physically difficult to get the word out. Jaebeom can’t help but feel the want to reach his hand out towards Mark and place it comfortingly on his shoulder, but his group of friends don’t do that. Instead, he saves him the trouble by answering back right away, not forcing him to say it.

“No, she wasn’t.” 

The bartender nodded slowly, suddenly avoiding his gaze from the three familiar boys across the bar from him, “That’s uh… too bad that she wasn’t able to break the trance. Sorry, Jaebeom.” 

He knows that Mark is just trying to be nice, especially when they’re on a subject that he clearly can’t and doesn’t want to talk about, but the attempt to be comforting makes Jaebeom nauseous. 

“Well maybe he’ll find her here tonight,” Jinyoung quipped, placing a hand on Jaebeom’s back. Sometimes the latter swore that his friends treated him he had just found out he had a terminal illness. 

“I sincerely doubt it,” Jaebeom commented gruffly. 

There’s a sound from the other side of the bar from a customer who seems fed up with the conversation being had between the four of them – distracting Mark from serving anyone else. He gives a signal to them to notify them that he’ll be there in a second. “Well… come to me if you guys need more drinks.  It’s on me tonight.” 

“Thanks, man,” Jaebeom tells him honestly because he might need a couple more drinks before he gets to the state of wanting to be in this room.

Mark said a final word of “see you guys later” and heads to the other end of the bar to help customers who have been waiting. Grabbing their drinks, Jaebeom, Jinyoung, and Bambam turn around to depart the bar, to find somewhere to sit for a bit before the drinks truly begin to hit them.  

With his drink in hand, Jaebeom took a sip and reveled in the perfect balance of alcohol to burn his throat and blood to soothe it. The drink was probably the most relaxing part of his day thus far and as he looked out at the crowd, he could already tell that maybe the mixture was going to his head due to his sudden thinking that this place wasn’t all that bad.

Despite not being a club guy, if he were to go out, Jaebeom would always choose this club that Mark works out. To put it simply – it was vampire friendly. With Mark behind the counter and his “secret” supply free-flowing, it became a notoriously known place for vampires in town. If he had to guess, the attendance on an average night was probably evenly split 50/50, humans and vampires.

The humans weren’t aware of the vampires of course – for the most part.

Jaebeom cleared his throat once they’ve found a booth to sit in, “so… Bam what do you know about that girl?” 

Both Jinyoung and Bambam exchange glances before looking back at the birthday boy. The latter tried his best to conceal the smile on his face, “not much… just that she owns the café, knows Minji, and is very single.” 

For some reason, Jaebeom’s stomach does a little flip, but he wishes it wouldn’t. “S-So?” Through his stutter, he tries to remain as confident as possible, but his friends see right through his façade.

Jinyoung leaned forward until his elbows rest on the top of his thighs, “Jaebeom you can be honest with us… Why the sudden fascination with this girl? Are you sure she didn’t break the trance? Just with the way that you’re acting…” Jinyoung drifted off, not bothering to finish his final sentence, but once again looking at Bambam. It makes Jaebeom lean forward in his seat as well. 

“With the way, I’m acting? I’m completely normal. I’m fine. She didn’t break the trance and now I’m just curious about her as curious as anyone would be about someone they meet.” 

There’s the silence between the three of them until Bambam speaks up, “You didn’t meet her though.” 

It dawns on Jaebeom that he didn’t even speak to you and he wonders why does it feel like he did. Why did it feel like he knew you but didn’t at the same time? Why haven’t his mind and body been cooperating with him since this morning at the café? 

Just with the way that you’re acting…

The way he was acting? What did that mean? Was the way he was acting mean something specific? 

He feels like he blinks and thirty minutes go by. And in that past thirty minutes, Jaebeom had somehow managed to drink 6 of Mark’s “negronis.” He felt like his head was beginning to get dizzy. It wasn’t often that Jaebeom found himself drunk on the verge of drunkenness due to alcohol not affecting him as much as humans. To even remotely get to that state, he had to drink a lot and it had to be strong. 

“You feeling it Jaebeom?” Through the darkness and the haze of the alcohol, Jaebeom could barely make out the hint of the smile playing on Jinyoung’s face. He had switched to a glass of wine at some point while Jaebeom was binge drinking which had to be the most Jinyoung thing ever. Who drinks a glass of wine in a dark, sweaty club? 

He’s afraid to answer him verbally which would give his friend an obvious sign of how he was feeling. So instead he just shrugged – as usual. 

“Dude let’s get out there!” The youngest shouted, motioning his hands to the middle of the club, “dance… maybe find you a girl?” 

Jaebeom watched the people pressing up against each other on the dancefloor, moving their bodies, and drinking like their lives depended on it. He wondered if he wanted to be a part of that. Everyone out there was so full of life and vigor… he just wasn’t. He also didn’t know if he was that drunk, but bless Bambam because he didn’t need alcohol to be out there. 

For what feels like the millionth time, his mind drifted to you. Was this your kind of place? Would you come here? If you did would you come alone? With friends? Someone else? You didn’t seem like the type of person who would like this place. You seemed more like him – the observant, calm, inquisitive type who would much rather be at home with a book than at a party. 

Then for a moment, he can picture it. It’s almost like he’s in a trance – an image of you curled up on a couch – his couch – under a large white cable knit blanket fills his mind. Rather than reading, your painting with watercolors – the kind that seems to be in every elementary school classroom – and he hears a voice out of view. His voice.

“Painting really?”  

Jaebeom sees you glance up from your painting to look at him, smiling.

“Looks like I’m gonna have a lot of time on my hands so… might as well get good at something.” 

Jaebeom hears himself laugh, “Okay but watercolors?” 

He feels like he’s going to pass out when he finally hears it – your laugh. 

“Let the artist work Im Jaebeom! She needs to get good enough to live off auction house money once her paintings get sold! Shh!” Despite your words, you smiled and suddenly moved the tools away from you onto the coffee table. You lifted half the blanket off of you and patted the space of the couch beside you, “you know I can’t say no when you give me that face. Come here.”

And just like that, the vision is gone. Jaebeom feels confused because it didn’t feel like a dream or fantasy, but it felt real… it felt like a memory. 

“Hello, Earth to Jaebeom?” 

Right… dancing. Maybe dancing would help him forget whatever game his mind was playing on him.

“Yeah let’s fucking go.” 

Another instance occurs where Jaebeom blinks and everything moves so fast. Suddenly he’s no longer sat at the table with Bambam and Jinyoung, but instead in the middle of that mess on the dancefloor with everyone else. He almost feels like one of them. He almost feels human again. But as soon as that feeling washes over him, it quickly dissipates. 

He knows it must be the drinks doing all the work, because otherwise, he would have never found himself in the middle of all these people, thinking that dancing is a good idea. Dancing had never done anything remotely good for him before, so why now? To help forget? Was it going to help him do that? 

“I swear it’s like he’s not even here.” 

Jaebeom tuned back into the moment, and it’s when he realizes that Jinyoung and Bambam have been trying to get his attention this entire time.

“Sorry I was just- the alcohol you know…” He says it so quietly that he knows his friends won’t be able to hear him over the music and the millions of conversations happening around them. But he thinks that maybe it’s better that way and that it truly doesn’t matter what he says.

Jinyoung comes closer to Jaebeom, until his mouth is right next to his ear, “we were just asking if there’s anyone that you’re interested in.” 

They’re still on this idea? Jaebeom asked himself. 

Even in his drunken state, he didn’t think that finding some random girl to fuck was going to help with the emptiness he’s been feeling lately, but for the first time since getting up and onto the dance floor he takes in the people around him. As depressing as it was to observe, most people were here with someone else. 

It’s then his gaze falls onto a couple that stands far on the left side of the floor, behind where Jinyoung is standing. The two of them have their fronts pressed up against each other, dancing so closely with arms exploring one another’s bodies. The female has her head resting on the male’s shoulder as if she’s too exhausted to keep going, but can’t dare to part with him. It’s like they’re part of each other and any distance would cause them to lose all sense of themselves.

The girl lifts her head off the male’s shoulder and gives him this look that makes Jaebeom’s heart – if it was still beating – ache. She says something to him and he nodded happily in response. Even through the dim lights and large crowd, Jaebeom could see the sharp teeth inside her mouth.

She placed her head back against his shoulder, this time, however, the male had his head angled back, stretching out his neck. The girl moves in closer until her mouth just ghosts over the skin, breathing on it until the boy shuts his eyes awaiting the sting and pleasure that will come next.

Biting down against his flesh, breaking skin, the girl drinks from her partner. Even though he’s at a distance from them, Jaebeom can tell by the look on the man’s face that he’s enjoying being fed on and that it certainly isn’t his first time. 

He feels like his eyes are frozen on the couple. It’s been so long since he fed off someone instead of the stuff that he gets from his connection at the hospital. Jaebeom tries not to think about the way his fingertips tingle and his throat dries up at the thought of drinking from a warm body. The alcohol has only dehydrated him and made him feel even more thirsty – he’s afraid that going back to the bar and asking Mark for a glass of O negative exclusively isn’t going to make that go away. 

After a moment or two, the girl removes her mouth from the boy’s neck and drags her tongue over the spot where she had drawn blood from, ultimately covering the wound and signaling that she was done drinking. 

He thinks of how risky it is to do that at a place like this. Although half of the people around them also take part in the activity of drinking blooding and granted most of them aren’t paying attention to those around them – there are still unsuspecting humans everywhere. If one wrong person were to see then that could be it for this club being a haven for the vampire community in the city and that would probably be… it for vampires in this city in general. 

But who was he kidding? He was being a hypocrite because he’s for sure done the same thing. 

You’ve once again entered his mind. However, this time it isn’t an image, picture, or vision that occupies his thoughts, but instead just the idea of how you would react to who he is, what he really is. Throughout his time that he’s been undead he’s only done the “reveal” to a handful of people and even then, it took him a long time to get there. Well except for one person who ultimately was a mistake and his friends hadn’t hesitated to let him know.

With you, Jaebeom felt that you wouldn’t be the kind of person to judge him instantly based on what he was. You would be shocked of course, maybe even scared, but you wouldn’t let that cloud your judgment. You wouldn’t let yourself reject something just because it was unfamiliar. 

What the fuck was he on about? 

It must be the alcohol doing this to him. He would have to thank Mark for making them strong this time around, but also make a mental note to never let this happen again. Jaebeom was already a deeper thinker, but this was getting out of hand.

There’s a sudden grasp of Jaebeom’s elbow and he feels himself jump at the sudden touch. His eyebrows furrowed when he realized it wasn’t one of his friends considering Bambam and Jinyoung were both dancing over to his right side. 

When he turned around to greet the person who had grabbed him, he was disappointed, surprised, and annoyed all in one. It was the last person he had expected to see her, except not really because it made perfect sense. 

“Jaebeom… hi.” Ara smiled shyly at him, tucking a string of hair behind her ear and slightly looking down at the ground. He wants to groan because he knows she’s doing this because he had once mentioned that he thought it was hot when she looked innocent. He shouldn’t have ever said that.

He’s not sure what to say, because what are you supposed to say to someone you’ve been trying to avoid for the past year and a half? Jaebeom had said everything he had wanted to say to her. 

At one point in his life, he had been stupid. He had been stupid and he had abused the power that had been bestowed upon him since the day he had been turned. Perhaps one would assume that he’d been foolish with his ability just at the start – 100, maybe even 150 years ago. Instead, Jaebeom had gone through a rough patch about a year or two ago. 

The overwhelming pressure of finding his mate had started to get to him again. All he needed was someone, anyone to break the hypnotic trance and that was it. A task that seemed so simple, yet never came. So, Jaebeom had used hypnotism to his advantage, getting as many girls as he could in his bed in the shortest amount of time possible. He wasn’t proud of it and it was something he would constantly regret as long as he was ali- around. 

One of those girls… had been Ara. 

Jaebeom felt relieved when she didn’t wait for him to answer back at her greeting, “How are you? I-It’s your birthday, right? How old are you turning again? 27?” She winked immediately after her question and he wants to roll his eyes.

She was the mistake by the way. The mistake that knew about who he was. 

He doesn’t even remember how it happened, how his secret slipped, or what the circumstances of her finding out was. Part of him thinks he was just horny, thirsty, and weak, but she found out and she… loved it. 

Weirdly enough, Ara loved the idea of him being a vampire and his “lifestyle” which at first Jaebeom didn’t think too much about. He thought okay she’s taking this extremely well… better than anyone else I’ve ever told, but whatever, but then it became strange. 

She was what those in the vampire community call a “vampire fetishizer.”

He coughed awkwardly, his gaze wandering over to Jinyoung and Bambam, hoping they would catch sight of him stuck with Ara and come rescue him. Jaebeom wasn’t that lucky though, not even on his birthday, “Yeah… 27.” 

Jaebeom can’t help but look at her neck. It’s fully on display and it was clear that Ara had come here to find someone to feed on her. He had been the one to show Ara this place before he had been clued into her little… vampire obsession. 

“Well did the birthday boy get everything he wants today?” She smiled and gave Jaebeom those eyes. He feels his cock twitch in his pants and he realizes he has to keep himself in check because he’s not that weak tonight… right? 

His eyes flash to her neck again and Jaebeom feels his throat get even drier. He was so thirsty and he knows Ara would be so willing. 

No Jaebeom… No. 

“I-I uh yeah… you know got- yeah today’s been good,” he stuttered awkwardly, bringing his tongue out to wet his dry lips. Judging on the look on Ara’s face, she’s taken the action the wrong way. 

“You look thirsty Jaebeom… do you want a drink?” 

He knows what she means and Jaebeom swallows hard in an attempt to distract himself, to remind himself that he’s not that thirsty. He doesn’t need it that bad.

“I-I think I am.” 

The words come out faster than his brain can process to stop them and the part of Jaebeom that’s coherent, sharp, and aware wants to punch the weak and drunk Jaebeom in the face. 

Without a word, Ara turned from Jaebeom and began walking to one of the exits at the side of the club. He feels like he’s the one in a trance, mindlessly following her through the people, not even hearing Jinyoung and Bambam calling out to him. The only thing that Jaebeom makes note of as he follows her is Mark’s face behind the bar, giving him a tight smile. It almost stops Jaebeom. Almost. 

When they finally get outside through the exit door, they find themselves in a small alley between the club and a dry cleaner. 

Jaebeom doesn’t even get a moment to think before Ara is pushing him against the wall of the dry cleaner, her hands roaming up and down his body, her lips going to his own. They’re pressed up against each other so closely that he recalls the couple he had watched earlier. He feels sick comparing this moment now to the two of them. 

“Fuck I missed you so much,” Ara sighed seductively into this ear, making Jaebeom’s stomach churn further at her clear longing for him. Well not him, but the vampire part of him.

“Please, I need it,” she mewled. At her words, he almost puts a stop to this whole thing and has to question whether this is the right thing to do. Jaebeom wonders if this is old Jaebeom behavior – the one that just used women and threw them away later like toys, but then he remembers that this is Ara. She’s using him as well. 

It’s almost as though that old, cocky, snide Jaebeom appears out of nowhere as he says his next words and brings himself closer to her neck, “do you really need it?” 

“Yes, Jaebeom I do, please.” Ara already sounds so desperate and he’s barely done anything. He can’t help but smirk at her reaction.

“Then I guess I better give it to you then.” 

He’s about to do it. He’s about to bite down and finally relieve his thirst, his craving, but then he looks to the side of the alley – towards the street. He feels like he’s seeing things again like he’s in the middle of a hallucination or mirage. That thought is pushed away when he locks eyes with you. 

“Don’t mind me,” you placed your hands up in front of yourself, to show him you’re not eavesdropping. Your action frustrated you because it would have been much better to say nothing, but you felt yourself panic. The prolonged eye contact with him while he’s just seconds away from pressing down – bitting down? – on the girl’s next for some reason pushed you into defensive mode. Not to mention his eyes… his eyes were – red? 

The girl hadn’t noticed you; you aren’t even sure if she heard you, but she certainly noticed Jaebeom’s stare fixated on you. When she faces you, she wears an unpleasant sneer, clearly annoyed by your interruption of whatever this was. 

“Can you go?” She said, the agitation in her voice more than apparent. 

Rather than immediately leave the scene, you continued to stare at Jaebeom. It’s difficult to say why you decided to walk this specific way home despite it being so late and dark out, but for some reason, you couldn’t help but be pulled in this direction. You weren’t someone who believed in signs or fate, but it felt so wrong to go any other way tonight. That was another thing, you felt this kink in your neck that practically forced you or taunted you into looking down the alley between this dry cleaners and club. It was yet another thing about today that felt unexplainable to you as you certainly weren’t expecting the birthday boy from the café today to be in a compromising position with some girl. 

After a moment of more uncomfortable staring – something else that had happened at the café today with him – Jaebeom breaks your gaze and looks down at his feet. The eye roll and acrid look on the girl’s face don’t go unnoticed by you. 

You shouldn’t be here. 

“S-Sorry. I’ll just get going then,” you concluded, unsure why you felt an uncomfortable sickness spread throughout the entirety of your body. 

You barely knew this guy – all you really knew was that today was his birthday and that he was friends with Minji’s boyfriend. Basically nothing. Yet now and even earlier back at the café you had felt this weird sensation within yourself. Not even when you looked at him, but just being in the same presence. It had been so hard to focus on making coffee today when he was seated across the room. Every part of your body just wanted to get closer, gravitate towards him. It was fucking weird… and scary. 

The girl nodded as if to signal “yeah about time,” at the announcement of your departure. Jaebeom on the other hand, still had his eyes glued to the ground as if looking at you once again will cause him some kind of pain.

Just as you’re about to continue your trip back home, you stop yourself and look back at the couple in the alley. 

“Happy birthday by the way…” you paused wondering if it would be weird to say his name considering he doesn’t even know yours, but you shove the thought out of your mind, “Jaebeom…”    

Hearing you say his name causes that tingling feeling in his fingertips to come back and his entire mind is sent into a frenzy. He feels too awkward, too shy to look at you again, but a sudden thought washed over him. What if earlier was a mistake? What if you are his mate? With the way he was currently feeling just at you saying his name, the visions he had in the club and the nonstop place you know had in his mind, it was difficult to believe that you weren’t his mate. 

Bambam and Jinyoung had found it difficult to explain to him what it felt like to find your mate, but surely what he felt right now wasn’t normal behavior or feelings. Unless he was a psychopath. 

Tightly shutting his eyes and drawing together all his strength, Jaebeom aims to try once again to see if you can break the hypnotic trance, unaffected by his abilities. However, as soon as he’s finally ready, head turned up to face you – you’re gone. You didn’t wait for him to respond to the happy birthday message. Instead, you simply left not wanting to be a burden or troublesome to whatever it was those two were doing in that alley. 

“Thank fucking god, let’s get back to it,” Ara concluded with a final roll of her eyes, gripping Jaebeom’s shoulders to get him close to her once again. He stares at her neck, but this time he doesn’t feel anything. He no longer feels thirsty and his appetite is gone. 

Jaebeom shrugs her off slightly. The encounter with you has caused him to wake up and realize what a bad idea it would be to do this right now. He hopes that Ara won’t put up a fight – he doesn’t want to have to hypnotize her if he doesn’t need to. 

At his actions, Ara takes a step away in disbelief, as if she actually can’t believe that Jaebeom is changing his mind and no longer wants her, “are you serious?” 

He doesn’t say anything but instead avoids eye contact with her just as he had done for you. 

Snorting, she glared at him, “Fine. Whatever. I don’t fucking care. I can find someone else to feed off of me. Yours never felt that good anyway. Asshole.”

Just like that, she’s out of his life once again and Jaebeom can’t help but feel thankful. He should have never been weak enough to be dragged out by here anyway. He had just been consumed by thoughts of you, alcohol, and the couple on the dancefloor. Then again, not coming out here would have robbed him of the opportunity of seeing you again and finding out that you actually knew his name. 

That’s when it dawned on him. 

Fuck… how much had you seen? What did you see? 

Jaebeom realized that he might have some explaining to do

#got7 fanfic #got7 smut #im jaebeom fanfic #jaebeom fanfic #jaebeom smut

[goodboydummy]

Incomplete list of things I love about Haikyuu:

(I add to this every day) (This is all spoilers obv)

- “Someday, if you get really good, someone even better will come and find you”

- Fly

- “This right here, right in this moment... this is still volleyball”

- The running gag of the dangerous bathroom

- Atsumu took ONE LOOK at KageHina and understood exactly tf is going on. (“Tobio is completely wrapped around that little spikers finger”)

- Bokuto’s chest bump receives 🏐💕

- ushijima and tendou stay close friends as adults

- the little tongue thing Hinata does omg

- everyone on adlers looks great in white, everyone on jackals looks hot in black

- THE Tsukishima moment (you know the one) 🌙

- Aone and the way he respects Hinata so much🥺 I wanna cry when they shake hands at the net

- Inuoka being a puppy but in human form

- Inuoka and Hinata do the jump thingy

- Foreshadowing for Papa!Kuroo when he tells Tsukki he could try goofing off more often lmao

- KENMA KOZUME 🤩😍😘

- when Daichi goes under the net after the Nekoma game and hugs Kuroo and they’re smiling so huge

- “Does that mean one day you’ll be playing on the same stage as me? Even if it’s the country, or the world?” “You’re finally here.” “I’m here.”

- “YOU CAN FLY EVEN HIGHER.”

- KageHina hands touching when they block that Miya twin freak quick and win the whole fucking game

- “This hurts... it’s painful....... I don’t want it to ever end.”

- Tanaka and Shimizu endgame and how happy she looks omg

- When Hinata crowns Kageyama with the towel crown 👑

- Tanaka and Taketora best bros

- “Kuroo.... thanks for getting me into volleyball.”

- When old coach Ukai is watching the Nekoma game in the hospital and young Ukai shakes Nekomata’s hand and old Ukai holds his hand out too

- Oikawa Oikawa Oikawa

- LONG HAIR THIRD YEAR HINATA

- Kageyama telling Hinata to get a haircut why are you guys like this

- SHORT HAIR TANNED SKIN BRAZIL HINATA

- The first time Kageyama sets the ball for Hinata (I GET CHILLS)

- Yamaguchi being captain in third year

- Bby Kenma and Kuroo

- Yachi..... baby....... I love you...

- Everyone bothering Goshiki to watch Kurasuno at nationals lmao

- THE “ooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH” SOUND EFFECT WHEN OIKAWA GOES TO SERVE

- Hinata’s ‘DUN’ jump

- When they lose to Aoba Josai and run around the gym screaming until they pass out on the floor. Iconic.

- The fact that Kageyama is as much of an idiot as Hinata when it comes to school

- Volleyball idiots/they share a brain cell

- The way everyone calls Hinata and Kageyama freaks and weirdos and monsters

- When Hinata gets the intense look on his face

- “The Greatest Decoy”

- “Ninja Shoyo” 🥰🥰

- When Kageyama looks around to set the ball and so many people are there to spike it. He isn’t left alone on the court anymore.

- “I’m not closing my eyes anymore”

- The physical fist fight Kageyama and Hinata get into and freak Yachi out

- WHEN THE PRINCIPLE’S WIG FLIES OFF AND LANDS ON DAICHIS HEAD LMAO

- every single one of Daichis flawless serve receives what an absolute bae

- Saeko Tanaka

- When Shimada ran across the huge gym with the Shimada Mart bag so Tadashi would have something to refocus on and not mess up his serve

- The freak quick attack

- “YOU CAN FLY EVEN HIGHER.” (I KNOW I ALREADY PUT THIS BUT IT BEARS REPEATING ITS THE MOST ROMANTIC THING IVE EVER SEEN)

- When Hinata shows up at the camp uninvited and Tsukishima pretends he doesn’t know him lol

- Kunimi’s ‘nice and easy’ lazy receives

- “Just when I start to forget, it comes back to remind me... volleyball is fun!”

- Nishinoya’s cat eyes

- “I’ll be the one to stay on the court the longest.”

- When Kageyama set for Hinata at the training camp when he wasn’t even fucking there I am SOBBING

- Kenma’s faces

- “Shoyo! I’m gonna set for you someday!” And then he did.

- That photo Hinata and Oikawa take in Brazil and send to everyone

- “We don’t look for the short players. But they don’t care. They come to us, with undeniable skill, and force us to choose them.”

- Takeda’s flowery Lit teacher speeches that no one understands lol

- Tanaka is the first one to try and cheer Hinata up when he gets a fever

- The crow symbolism

- Numbers 9 and 10

- Noshinoya with his hair down

- The first moment Tanaka saw Shimizu and he proposed to her

- “If Shoyo hadn’t seen you on tv, he wouldn’t have biked across a mountain everyday to go to Karasuno, and he wouldn’t have met Tobio.” “I may have created a monster. Cool.”

- “Today you are defeated. Who knows what you will be tomorrow.”

- How much the other teams hate the “Synchro Attack”

- When Shimizu warms Sugawara’s hands and he says “w-we should wait until we’re married!” And she says “I am not going to marry you” (also the jealousy of the rest of the team lmao)

- Shimizu fixing the Karasuno banner and her speech and the third years sobbing

- After the Aoba Johsai loss and everyone is just silently eating and sobbing

- “If you ever get boring I’ll drop you”

- Sugawara helping Hinata practice during lunch 💕💕 bby

- When Hinata realizes he’s finally on a team. A real team!

- The first time they pull off the closed eyes freak quick attack

- When Hinata served the ball at KaGEyAMA’S HEAD

- Nishinoya did special training to save blocked balls after the failed Date tech game

- Nishi literally will not rejoin the team until Asahi comes back that’s the most romantic thing. Romeo and Juliet WHO??

- Everyone’s time skip careers are so perfect? They make me so freakin happy?? Asahi a fashion designer? Suga a teacher?? Tanaka a personal trainer? Inuoka a childcare specialist? Ennoshita a physical therapist? Nishi a wild and free vagabond traveling the world? LEV A SUPERMODEL? I DIE.

- the visual image of Ushijima pressing down on the first years and the rest of the team coming together to help them lift the weight so they can win!

- Tanaka, Karasuno doesn’t deserve you bby they would be lost without you don’t you ever forget it

#haikyuu!! #hinata shoyo #kagehina #kageyama tobio #everything on this list makes me sob #I will likely reblog this and add more later #sorry this is so long it’s just like #I love them your honor

[jackoshadows]

Stark Sibling reunions.

So there was some discussion on this in another forum and I thought I would jot down some of my long rambling speculations on which siblings will meet up and reunite first in the next book.

Jon and Rickon

Up north, I think there is a very strong chance that Jon and Rickon will be the first Starks to meet each other again. GRRM has stressed a couple of times that he has important things planned for Rickon, Davos has gone to Skagos to fetch him, Rickon has the backing of the most powerful Northern house in Manderly and in Bran’s absence, Rickon is Lord of Winterfell.

We know that GRRM is writing Rickon for the next book. He has mentioned how his Osha is becoming more similar to Natalie Tena’s version on the show. He has outright stated that Rickon will be in the next book. And how the books are different to the show because Rickon is still alive in the books.

Now, two things about the battle against the Boltons:

1. There will be a different Stark Vs Boltons battle in the next book. We have this note from GRRM:

Speaking of which: Martin leaves a little note for the producers when writing about Ramsay’s flesh-eating hounds, whom we see hunting down a girl for sport.

[N.B. A note for future reference. A season or two down the line Ramsay’s pack of wolfhounds are going to be sent against the Stark direwolves, so we should build up the dogs as much as possible in this and subsequent episodes.]

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/12/game-of-thrones-george-rr-martin-last-script-the-lion-and-the-rose

Notice the plural - as in direwolves, not direwolf. And the only two Starks with direwolves currently in the North are Jon and Rickon. We may see Jon come down from the Wall with a Wildling army and the North rallying behind Rickon and they combine forces to attack the Boltons. If Stannis is still alive and has an army at this point, it could be that everyone else joins him in battle.

Rickon could travel to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea which is closest to Skagos, or White Harbor or to Stannis’ camp. Either way, Jon and Rickon are now the closest siblings and have maximum potential to reunite since their plots look to be colliding soon as well.

2. Theon will be important to the resolution of the Bolton storyline.

What inspired him to create Ramsay Snow? GRRM said, and I quote, that he needed something “to bite Theon in the ass”. Ramsay was created for Theon’s storyline, and he is first presented as a prisoner and a servant and then rises to a high position while Theon becomes his prisoner and servant.

https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/6uwfb0/spoilers_extended_notestranslation_of_grrm_qa_in/

Theon is currently with Stannis who is preparing for battle against the Boltons. I doubt his story ends there - without meeting up again with either Bran or Jon. We know Bran is trying to communicate with Theon through the Weirwoods and Theon feels an immense guilt for what he did to Bran and Rickon. Jon and Theon have a lot of parallels and some of the same identity issues.

It’s possible therefore that Theon survives the battle of Ice with Stannis Vs Boltons to meet up with Jon and Rickon for the later battle of the bastards.

Arya

Lets examine Arya’s travel options from Braavos:

1. There’s plot and route that can take her to the North via Justin Massey and Jeyne Poole. The prevailing speculation being that once Massey lands in Braavos along with Jeyne, the real Arya meets up with fake Arya and decides to leave behind the FM and travel to the wall to take down some mutineers.

I think that plotwise for Arya’s character this makes sense. She has pretty much finished her FM training - time for plot progression and for her to move on to the North and get mixed up in both the political shenanigans and the army of the dead plot.

And if she does go North, she will finally reunite with Jon Snow - something she’s been trying to do since book one.

But there are some issues with Justin Massey getting to Braavos. In the first place, winter and storms have come to the North making travel hard. And in the second, Massey needs Stannis’ ships at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea to travel to Braavos - those ships are currently being overwhelmed by both storms and wights at Hardhome. So without transport, it’s hard to see how Massey gets to Braavos and Jeyne meets Arya.

It’s also possible that Arya just hears about what is happening in the North, gets on a ship and sails to White Harbor. She could meet up with Rickon and Jon that way.

But if Arya is not going North, where will she go to?

Travel-wise it would be easier for her to sail to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea or the port at White Harbor - traveling for a single person is always easy and Arya is an old hand at this.

But there is also speculation that Arya will travel to the Riverlands and meet up with her mother, Lady Stoneheart and the Brotherhood without Banners again. I am not fond of this theory, since in my opinion it will be once again a retread of her Riverlands story in books 2/3.  She’s done with that part of Westeros. Yes, she did see her dead mother be dragged out of the water and a resolution and closure with her mother would be nice, but I am not sure how Arya in the Riverlands will progress the plot.

So if Arya does manage to reach the Riverlands and Lady Stoneheart, is there a sibling that she will meet up with?

Sansa

Let’s take a look at Sansa.

Sansa is busy in the Eyrie, embroiled in LF’s plot to snare Harry the Heir. Winter has come to the Vale and it’s pretty much snowed in. So it may very well be Sansa’s plot is limited to the game playing and political goings on in the Vale. If Sansa does indeed step outside the Vale, the logical place that she can travel to is the Riverlands.

I have often seen it argued (By a certain section of fans) that Arya’s story is in the Riverlands because she is just as revenge obsessed as Lady Stoneheart and her story is about giving up revenge while Sansa will travel North and reunite with Jon and win battles and become Lady of Winterfell.  But in actuality, Sansa is far closer to the Riverlands (Much closer and easier for Sansa to get to the Riverlands than Arya) and has actual plot reasons to be there.

What plot reasons? So a recent thread on asoiaf reddit brought up a 2012 comment from GRRM on Littlefinger:

That said, back in 2002, here's what a fan recounted with George:

Who is over lord of the Riverlands? (Since the Freys have Riverrun yet Littlefinger was named Lord Paramount). George says that Littlefinger is the Lord of the Riverlands but that he is going to run into trouble. I commented that Littlefinger is really powerful now that he has the Riverlands and supposed control of the Eyrie. GRRM laughed and said that I need to remember that for all his power Littlefinger has no army. (I thought that was interesting). GRRM also commented that (I forget which Frey, Emmon?) the Frey given Riverrun really wants to be Lord of the Riverlands and has dreams of having his father be his vassel. (I thought that was interesting also)

https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/itw5wd/spoilers_extended_a_deeper_look_at_three/

So it looks like Littlefinger is going to run into trouble in the Riverlands - where LadyStoneheart and the brotherhood  have set up their base - and it looks like the Freys want control. All LF needs to assert his authority is a Vale army. The Lannisters are pretty much done in the Riverlands, the Blackfish is still around and Edmure is a prisoner.

LF could get support in the Riverlands with Sansa - a Tully. Remember LF, his vale army and Sansa being responsible for defeating the Boltons and avenging the red wedding on the show? What if we get LF, Sansa and his vale army taking on and getting rid of Walder Frey, avenging the Red Wedding and winning favor in the Riverlands and the North that way?

I suspect that Lady Stoneheart is a part of the Vale/LF plot in the books and that’s why it disappeared on the show with the rest of the Vale while D&D combined plots and transferred LF and Sansa to the North to take on the Boltons.

I think a LF/Lady Stoneheart confrontation will be very interesting and possible - given their history and given LF’s current infatuation with Sansa. We have this from GRRM:

 My Littlefinger would have never turned Sansa over to Ramsay. Never. He’s obsessed with her. Half the time he thinks she’s the daughter he never had—that he wishes he had, if he’d married Catelyn. And half the time he thinks she is Catelyn, and he wants her for himself. He’s not going to give her to somebody who would do bad things to her. That’s going to be very different in the books.

LF, Sansa and Lady Stoneheart meeting again is almost certain in my opinion.

So if Arya is heading down south to the Riverlands for closure with her mother and if Sansa is heading there with LF to help solve his Riverland issues, is it possible for them to meet up? Will we get a Sansa-Arya reunion in the Riverlands? Remember, GRRM has assured us that these two will meet again and have ‘deep issues to work out’. Maybe this happens in the Riverlands with Sansa and Arya and Lady Stoneheart?

Anyways, if Sansa is uniting with a sibling it’s most probably going to be Arya. Everyone else is far up North and currently Arya is the only sibling truly free to move around to any destination. Will Sansa go North? Hell No.

Jonsa Stans think that Sansa is somehow going to travel all alone, all the way from the Eyrie to the Wall in harsh snowstorms.

Which, lol. By the time Sansa gets there, the books will probably be over and everyone would be chilling in Winterfell.

No army is currently getting North with the snowstorms. The Vale doesn’t even have a fleet to sail to White harbor from the Sisters. Littlefinger would have to hire a fleet from Essos and from Dany’s predicaments there we know how hard this is. After sailing to White Harbor, the Vale army would then have to march 400 miles to Winterfell in harsh snows that have stalled Stannis’ army and covered the walls of Winterfell.

Can Sansa, by herself, escape, catch a ship and sail from the Sisters to White Harbor? Possible, if she can get down the Eyrie, get to the Sisters and get a ride aboard a ship. I can’t see Sansa doing al; this. Plus, I still think with LF in the Vale and Riverlands, there is still a lot of plot for her down south. Plus, LF likely will clash with Varys as well:

Littlefinger and Varys are adversaries, both know a lot about the others' plans, so they're at a stalemate. LF knows more about Varys's motives than Varys does about LF

https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/5g7vef/spoilers_extended_grrms_second_talk_at_the/

---------------------------------------------

So  we have Jon and Rickon reuniting in the North and Arya and Sansa maybe reuniting in the South if Arya travels to the Riverlands instead of the North.

As for Bran? I think he will be busy exploring the Lands of Always Winter and learning more about the Others in the next book. No reunions for him yet. I think he will meet up with his siblings in the last book.

#Jon Snow #Arya Stark #Rickon Stark #Sansa Stark #Bran Stark #Stark siblings #House Stark #asoiaf #GRRM

[genshin-djinn]

Genshin Impact Chapter 1 Act 3: A Reaction.

Chapter 1 Act 3 is what took my experience with this game from “good game” to “masterpiece”.

THIS POST CONTAINS MANY, MANY SPOILERS FOR GENSHIN IMPACT CHAPTER 1: ACT 3

Genshin Impact has some problems— actually, it has a shit ton of problems. But during the fight against hordes of Fatui, with the Adepti channeling their abilities through my gang, flying through them as Oz, decimating them with Diluc— I just thought, this is the best time I’ve had in a mobile game in my life.

This game might not be perfect now— it’s only a quarter of the way done if we’re counting Karenri’ah. But it will be a fucking masterpiece once it’s all out. If this is the level of quality we’re getting for our archon quests, this game is going to be an amazing time on story alone.

KEQING

I love Keqing with all my heart. If she were alive today she would be a socialist here to topple the ruling 1%. When ningguang asked Aether who they trusted more, her or Keqing, I hit the Keqing button as fast as possible.

I think one of my favorite things about Keqing is that she’s so completely honest, which is unusual for a Liyue politician. If she doesn’t like something, she’ll speak out against it. If she thinks something else should be happening, she’ll make it happen. She can probably be deceitful at times, but in general she’s straightforwards in that she wants a government for the people and by the people.

I can’t wait for her story quest!

NINGGUANG

pretty.... voice pretty....

Ningguang is cool. Her JP voice is very pretty, like she could do ASMR videos online or smth. One thing I decidedly did not like about Ningguang is how her personality just ???? flips? In the middle of the quest, for no reason other than “because plot”.

It’s established that Ningguang cares about two things more than anything— the Jade palace and Mora. Why, then, would she destroy the Jade palace for the sake of Liyue? I get that she’s a good person at heart at all, but I want to see more of her indecision, her brain saying “mora” and her heart saying “Liyue”. The way she just flips on a dime isn’t really strange but it does contradict with her preexisting characterization.

Childe’s Boss Fight!

The section of this quest from Childe’s fight to the Adepti + Qixing battle is just nonstop adrenaline.

Childe is IMO a lot more fun than Dvalin (sorry Dvalin). I’m at WL5 and have a tendency to play fast and loose with important mechanics like.... dodging, for example.... and Childe’s Mask Electro form ended up destroying my team. I killed him with Guoba because everyone else besides Xiangling was dead. I

Another thing I really enjoy about Childe’s boss fight is that in the irrationalities of Childe as a character, it actually makes sense. Genshin is decent at making weekly bosses logical excursions— Andrius wants you to get stronger, Dvalin’s weekly fight is ~~all a dream~~; but tbh sometimes the weekly bosses don’t make sense. Andrius wants to train us, not murder us! How does dvalin, a dream slash memory that doesn’t exist, manage to knock someone out?

Childe as a weekly boss actually makes perfect sense. He’s an adrenaline junkie addicted to the thrill of fighting people— to put this in modern AU terms, he’s the guy who’s first in line to ride the rollercoaster that failed all of its health and safety checks. Childe wants to befriend the Traveler entirely because they’re stronger than him, so that he can fight them over and over again until he’s the strongest. Of course, this will never happen, because the Traveler is the MC and therefore is stronger than all others. However, in this way Childe being a repeatable boss makes 100% perfect sense— he actually wants to fight the Traveler again and again and again.

The one question I have about Childe is how in the living feck are the Fatui letting him join the Traveler and fight for them *against the Fatui*??? I think this might be touched on in Childe’s Story quest, which I’ll do in a bit, but like????? They let him keep his delusion and just walk over to Aether like “aight fam I’m on your team now”? How?

Jade Chamber/ Guizhong Ballista vs Sea Monster Fight!!

Basically, all my charged adrenaline from nearly dying to Childe just came to a head in this one huge fantastic fight.

And Xiao :)

I absolutely loved seeing the Adepti and the Qixing work together. This fight was probably my favorite fight in the whole game— the music was amazing (soundtrack where), the graphics were so nice, the adepti were so feckin cool, using everyone’s abilities was n I ce. My adrenaline was reaching its highest point at this fight and it was just perfect. It was just so fecking fun after days of WL5 pain, having to pop like five ultimates to kill one hillichurl, to be able to just demolish swathes of enemies with Fischl and Diluc, run around like a madman thanks to Xiao, have infinite health idr who did that for me but bless them, just absolutely destroy.

Ever since I hit WL5 I haven’t been able to really just go insane during a fight and stop caring about HP/ when to use skills/ dodging and this have me that opportunity.

Zhongli’s Deal

*punches Zhongli across the room with the power of being the player character* I love this man so much.

Zhongli Zhongli Zhongli Zhongli Zhongli. I AM VERY ANGRY AT HOW THE PLOT RESOLVED HIS STORYLINE. But it also makes a lot of sense. And I think, for once, Zhongli should be allowed to be selfish.

Because choosing to leave Liyue was a bit selfish. He’s leaving the country that adores him, loves him, gives him shit for free; to its own devices and then to a completely unknown fate once the new Geo Archon becomes god and takes over. But he made a frankly fantastic plan and can now leave the country, for now, in peace.

I was absolutely delighted to see Zhongli in Morax form. Making deals with La Signora, being a complete and utter puppet master who set this entire situation up and played Childe like a kazoo; but just like his dear friend Venti, I think Zhongli is happier when he’s just Zhongli, the eccentric mortal. He seems so much happier and so much more relaxed when he’s forgetting about mora and eating dinner with Aether and Paimon. Rex Lapis might have just put Liyue through the wringer, but he can now put down his 3000- year long reign and just be the happy, eccentric Zhongli.

Zhongli’s little bit of insecurity over being a “bourgeois parasite” makes perfect sense now— he doesn’t want to be seen as Morax, a superfluous god who’s using his name to get whatever he wants from the humans he watches over.

But also the part of my brain that feeds off lore nEEDS to KNOW what Zhongli got from Tsaritsa. What could be worth a gnosis? His own happiness isn’t enough— Tsaritsa is likely going to use his gnosis to try and destroy Liyue. What could be worth that?

My main thought would be either “someone’s protection” or “another gnosis”, but I don’t think the latter is possible. The former could be possible but doesn’t really make sense either— a) whose protection is worth putting an entire country, much less the world, in danger and b) the Fatui are out to kill everyone who isn’t Fatui, so they won’t agree to spare a major player in the war to come like that. Brain go brrr.

I’m very hyped for Zhongli’s story quest, which I think is coming with his banner on Dec 1, when Childe’s banner ends. I really hope that Zhongli visits Mondstadt and chills with Venti for a while, but anything with this guy would be fine lol.

LORE

We got a lot of lore this update and I am delighted by it.

Firstly, we get a tiny hint of how Visions are bestowed— “if a person shows true strength of will at a desperate and fateful moment in their life, the gods will look upon them with favor.” Vague but more than we had before.

Next we got some neat lore about Inazuma— firstly, that it’s led by a god named Baal and secondly that it steals everyone’s visions. I’m very hyped to visit because guess what fam aether doesn’t have a vision.

Final Thoughts

In case you can’t tell from my insane ramblings, I loved Chapter 1 Act 3 and I absolutely cannot wait to play through Childe’s story quest and Chapter 2 and beyond.

The Prologue in Mondstadt set the stage for Genshin. We started out in a fantasy environment with a fantasy tale of an immortal bard and a dragon. Mondstadt was an excellent introduction to the world of Genshin.

And now? We’re starting to build on that. Chapter 1 brings us another story of another god and their relationship with the country they watch over. Liyue is much less of a traditional fantasy setting and takes the darkness we saw in Mondstadt— a friendship ruined by manipulation and suffering— and build on it. Now we don’t just see the Fatui more often but we also see more of the Treasure Hoarders and the way both groups kidnap and experiment on humans.

Mond started to introduce us to the Fatui, but Liyue is where they really start bringing continuous plot relevance. Inversely, we saw much more of the Abyss Order in Mondstadt than we did in Liyue. I’m extremely disappointed we didn’t see any more of the Princess this chapter, but it makes sense given that Chapter 1 was really more about the Fatui than the Abyss Order.

All I’m trying to say is the Liyue arc was an excellent continuation to the stage Mondstadt’s arc set. Now, we’re on to the world of the Eternal Shogun, Baal! I’m really excited to meet new characters and experience new stories of Inazuma, but I hope we’ll continue to see Mondstadt and Liyue in the future. Mondstadt is likely going to be the most ��boring” of the countries we experience, cuz it’s just so classically fantasy- themed, but it will always be the first country we explored in this world.

After Inazuma (if I had to take a shot in the dark, inazuma’s arc will take from December 23 to maybe March or April) we’ll go to Sumeru, which I am really extremely hyped for because it sounds extremely different from Mond and Liyue and we’ll meet Cyno and possibly even Collei! (just me extrapolating lol). I can’t wait to see where Genshin Impact goes story- wise, because its first major update has brought so much to the table.

.

#genshin impact #genshin spoilers #gi spoilers

[softguks]

author + fic recs

below are a list of writers and my my fav fics of theirs, pls give them some love!! don’t forget to REBLOG, SEND A MESSAGE, OR LEAVE FEEDBACK. sometimes leaving a like isn’t quite enough, so leave a small comment telling them how much you loved it! it really makes their day.

@sketchguk TERESA, uGH my lovie, my world, my moon, my stars, the cause of my euphoria, my queen, the angel from the heavens. she is an incredible writer, and i’ve read all of her works probably thirty million times. they’re sweet, amazing, and definite must-reads! READ HER ENTIRE MASTERLIST, it’s worth it i promise 🥺

-> kiss the girl; worth the wait; lover to lean on; 10 muses

@sleepyjhs​ violet??? omg, her reactions, drabbles, and writings are so soft and lovely!! pls give her a read, send her some love, reblog her amazing works, and leave come comments! she’s such a sweet angel, and her blog is beautiful (so aesthetically pleasing)

@gukyi GUYI!! guys, this is a no-brainer. i’m sure you’ve read her fics, if not, go give her a read. her fics are absolutely amazing, incredible, and every positive word in the world. the amount of talent she pours into each piece of writing is incredible and phenomenal, she is literally one of the most talented writers on here. go send her some love if you haven’t already!

-> the millionaire & his lover; raspberry truffles; the courtship chronicles; if i told you; the underwear thief; the coffee shop contract

@jamaisjoons hi i love solaris, she owns my heart. anyways, she is a pretty-well known blog in my opinion, and totally deserves it! her writings are amazing, incredible, and i love them so much. her banners are super cute like her too 🥺 she’s the sweetest person, her fics are some of my go-to rereads and my all-time favorites. pls go flood her inbox with love, she’s an incredible angel.

-> faded love; the sea & the storm; love alive

@honeymoonjin​ guys sora is the most beautiful soul on here 🥺 i love her fics so much, they bring out the ugly tears, the soft feelings, the uwu hours, and emotions i didn’t know i had. i’ve read her entire masterlist probably a billion times because of how talented she is, like skskksksksk?? i don’t understand. go bombard her with love, adoration, and feedback for her lovely fics. she writes them so well, and they’re also hilarious to read!!

-> florezco; anpanman

@jungshookz​ CEE!! omg i love all of her fics. each and every single one of them is absolutely incredible. i love the style of her writing, i love the hilarious interactions, the tropes, and everything about her fics. she is one of my all-time favorite blogs that i’ve come across, please send her lots of love if you haven’t already!! she is so so talented and incredible, make sure to check out her drabbles and tags!! it’s always hilarious and so much fun to read her fics -- i cackle like a witCH--

-> cowabunga baby; caramel macchiato; gymrat jungkook; beneath the water; suit & tie; soccer coach jungkook; yoga instructor jungkook; ta! jimin; ballet teacher jimin (OMG MY FAV)

@junqkook hi yara is bomb guys. yara’s fics are oh-so-incredible and she’s one of the first blogs i came across in this fandom!! there’s something about the way she writes, the way her words seem to flow together so perfectly that’s incredible. really and truly, she is one of the sweetest people on here and is very very very talented. go give her some love. btw her banners for her fics and her navigation is super cute uwu.

-> rottenfolk; the young wolf; into the woods (series); la douleur exquise

@httpjeon DAISYYY, she’s amazing and i love her. anyways, daisy is the QUEEN of cute banners and headers. she’s so talented and everything on her masterlist is a masterpiece. the way she writes is so beautiful and her stories are amazing!! the detail, the *cough* smut *cough*, the descriptive scenes, and the characters are incredible! gold! amazing! wonderful! i’ve run out of words to describe how lovely they are, but please give her some (re)reads and reblogs!

-> bunny blues (series); lovebug; sehebon; club ardor (series)

@kinktae rosyyyyy is one of the sweetest people on here and im totally here for her friendship with daisy + nora + yara uw. they’re best friend goals. anyways, her fics are like watching movies. they are so detailed and well-written that it plays in your head. you can imagine each scene playing out as you read and they’re really amazing. pls go check them out and give them some love!

-> soliloquy; camellia (two-shot); bitchin’ (series); flesh & blood (series)

@taesthetes uwu, cat’s works are some of the most amazing ones i’ve ever read. they never fail to amaze me and are always guaranteed to bring out emotions. thy’re truly beautiful works of art, and are some definite must-reads! her blog is so lovely and pretty too!

-> let’s unfall in love; amour; hiraeth; her masterlist (just read everything guys it’s incredible)

@ughkive mo! mO! MO! mo is my lovie and an angel. she’s such a beautiful soul and has the heart of an angel. her writings are amazing and some you should definitely check out! the way she writes is beautiful and i love her style of writing, please go flood her mailbox with love and support! much love to you, bb!

-> broken cathedrals; heart strings; bucket list; habits

@gukgalore hi rayan is my intelligent, gorgeous, radiant, and stunning queen. she is the absolute sweetest and must be flooded with love and hugs. go check out the queen, i love her, the aesthetic & layout of her blog, and her writings very very much!! they are very amazing and worth the read! many of them make me emotional and i dont know how she’s so taleneted. pls give her love.

-> young; jungkook breaks your trust (drabble); jungkook lies (drabble); something new

@guksheart she is one of my fav blogs everrr. i truly adore all of her fics and have reread them millions of times. they’re absolutely incredible, and always leave me in awe or speechless because of the talent that’s poured into each writing. each fic is a work of art, a masterpiece, and a treasure. pls go check her out, give her some compliments on her pretty blog, her cute banners, and her amazing self! lots of must-reads all waiting on her masterlist. also,,, on a side note lol her titles are so cute and i love them with all of my heart!! uwu

->  close the distance; in twenty years time; cover me in blue; plans for wedding bands; sugar coated; victor’s game (series m.list)

@gukills POPPY! or tati, i love her so very much with all of my heart and my entire being. she’s gorgeous, radiant, bright, and an angel blessed to us from the heavens!! not only is she the sweetest, she’s so talented in both writing and art! her writings are amazing and something you should definitely check out! uwu her navigation is so cute as well, go give her some love.

-> every moment is valuable; broken glass; just out the window (two-shot)

@cupofteaguk​ omg omg hiiiii. LOL im sorry but traci’s blog is one of my favs!! she’s one of the first blogs i came across when first joining this fandom and is so incredibly talented. i’ve reread all of her fics millions of times and i love them so so much. they’re so cute, sweet, and hilarious. the way she writes is incredible and i love the tropes and cliche plots that she twists or tweaks to turn into masterpieces. each fic she’s written is gold and i’m always excited to see her pop up on my dash. her banners are all so adorable just like her blog. go give her some love!!

-> like flowers we bloom; the endless winter; breath of spring; hopeless hearts; take my hand (i love this one v much!)

@onherwings​​ hi jo, i adore you with all of my heart and being. jo is such a sweet and talented soul that i’m incredibly lucky and forever grateful to be friends with!! all of her fics are amazing and totally worth the read. her writing style, the descriptive scenes, the plots, the cute banners, the funny interactions, and the way she constructs the relationships as they blossom is beautiful. it feels like a breath of fresh air, walking through a meadow of clouds and stars, and the fuzzy, warm feeling you get from being with people you love. her fics are beautiful and so fun to read. flood her mailbox with love, asks, and support!!

-> mask; the better one; reasons to say i love you

@angelguk​​  she’s one of my favorite blogs ever (mwah!) her writings, her blog, her aesthetic, and her layout are absolutely gorgeous!! uwu they make me soft just looking at the pretty colors, matching themes, and accents. her writings are from another planet, omg, there aren’t enough words and emotions in the world to describe how utterly incredible they are. her writing style is just phenomenal and i love the way her words weave together like strands of silk into works of art. literally, hands down, one of the best writers i’ve come across on this site. i love everything about her blog and i’m sure she’s an even more amazing and beautiful person.

-> breakfast in bed; heartfelt; i wish i missed my ex; amour; phases

@cutaepatootie​​​ hi sara seems like such a lovely and sweet person so pls give her some love. ask about her day, tell her a joke, make her laugh, make her smile today. :D her writings are incredible. “A Fallen Bookmark on a Thursday Afternoon” hit so hard. i was tearing up, nearly balling my eyes out because of how realistic and genuine her fics feel. it sounds silly, but they feel like their own little worlds, waiting for you to get lost in. they bring out so many feelings and thoughts that i didn’t know i had, or haven’t really thought about. i think about it so often, and she’s one of the first blogs i came across. pls check out her fics and give her some reblogs!

a fallen bookmark on a thursday afternoon; the blue princess and her red rose; animal (series); a brief story of time; touched by a fallen star

@minflix​​​ elle is so very lovely and sweet. she reminds me of flowers because of how sweet and beautiful she is, i hope she continues to blossom. she reminds me of the ocean because of how strong, majestic, and powerful her energy and soul are. her url is so clever, we stan an intellectual in this household!! her banners are amazing??? like??? what??? when i saw them i gasped and proceeded to stare at them in wonder. her fics are even better guys!! what a surprise, pls go read them. they’re masterpieces and i’ve reread them too many times to admit. but in all seriousness, she’s absolutely wonderful and i’m super lucky to know her. go give her some love, lots of love to the sweetest bean!!

break the ice; much better; spellbound; a lack of color; the city comes alive

@yourdelights​​ dee! deE! dEE! DEE! dee is such a talented and sweet soul. like??? she’s so sweet? you could get diabetes just from talking to her. nO seriously, she’s one of the friendliest, kindest, and nicest people on here. her fics are adorable and very funny as well as entertaining. her banners, her theme, and her navigation are so cute and stunning just like she is. go give her some love, send her some asks, start a conversation, make her smile, and be her friend!!

-> the best part of me is you; i’m sorry (drabble)

@diortae​​ hi guys, isabel is amazing, stunning, radiant, and a literal ball of sunshine. go send her some love, reblog her fics, and make her smile!! uwu she’s such a sweet person with an even sweeter personality. her fics are so cute, funny, and fascinating. pls pls pls, check out her most recent fic if you haven’t already “An Abundance of Mondays”. each fic is its own world and tale, with its own special traits and unique twists. i love her banners and her writing style very very much. i would give her flowers if i could.

-> an abundance of mondays; the spaces between; until the spring comes again

#fic recs #blog recs #bts writing #bts scenario #bts reaction #bts fluff #bts masterlist #bts angst #bts smut

[impassiveesper]

What was your first impression of the roleplay community on Tumblr? And what’s your impression of it now?

Mun’s Asks: RP Edition

1.) What was your first impression of the roleplay community on Tumblr? And what’s your impression of it now?

[OOF STRAP IN INTREPID]

I’ve been on this hellsite since the beginning but I really only started RPing here after a few years.  Probably in 2012 or 2013? I can’t remember exactly when but I remember being very intimidated by the idea of RP on this platform in particular. There is a bit of a steep learning curve in terms of etiquette here that is even steeper when you factor in the near requirement for tumblr-literacy.  Like you basically need xkit to RP and you need to understand what kinds of asks get eaten and when/how cuts work and what behaviors do and don’t cause notifications and how ask posts work and how the block/blacklist features do and dont work and what tags tumblr will and wont index etc etc.  When you’re a tumblr old head it’s easy to forget newcomers don’t immediately know things like that. It’s part of the reason why I tend to be very basic in my approach compared to what is popular at the moment. I was one of those fabled newcomers at one point.

I don’t really think that tumblr RPC is any better or worse now than it was back then, just different. A lot of what’s popular now was a thing back then, but now it’s more commonplace in a much smaller population of RPers. I wouldn’t say that the RPC has many new problems as much as I would say the old problems have intensified.

When I started out I was in a fandom that was very cliquey and made me feel like shit a lot and those spaces probably still exist on tumblr but the difference is I know what my boundaries are and what behaviors I will and wont tolerate on my dash.  Overall the RPC is much better at talking about things like that than it used to be imo. That same fandom I just shit on was also a lot of fun and taught me that it was okay to not take RP too seriously and not be too worried about if it looks pretty enough or was fancy enough. I’m really grateful for people who would RP with me back then even though I unknowingly broke a lot of tumblr RPC’s unwritten rules.  

That’s why it’s very important to me as a seasoned RPer to be as approachable a blog as I can possibly be. In this the lords year of 2020 I still feel myself being set in my ways and avoiding trends that are ultimately harmless, but there is an extent to which I have to participate in order to be courteous to others so I do my best to be open minded about Neo RPC Trends. I end up being of two minds just about everything that’s popular right now. 

Take for example reblog karma / I AM NOT A MEME SOURCE type rules. I think that’s shits dumb, you guys can reblog anything you want from me, in fact reblogging it from me heightens the chances of me sending you one whether you sent me one or not. I’m not gonna get mad at you for using the website as it is intended by the devs to be used, but also if somebody else’s rules say it bugs them to have memes rbed from them, then I think their feelings are more important than my opinion on the matter. People are more important to me than policies in cases like these, so of course I’ll reblog the meme from the source instead of you or w/e.  

But at the same time, that idea about feelings also includes the feelings of people who are new to RP and maybe don’t even know the etiquette well enough to know they’re messing up.  There’s a lot to get mad about in the current state of tumblr RP but even when I agree that I want this particular tedium done, I don’t really agree with the idea that I should make it a rule that forces other people to stay away from me. Yes I dont want to be ponging an ask post back and forth. Yes I want our posts cut.  But also, I wont get mad if you rb an ask instead of putting it in a new post. I’ll just put in a new post myself. I wont get mad if you dont cut a post, I’ll just cut it myself. It’s not hard to do.

Take also graphics, banners, and all manner of fancy formatting. RPC has really really leaned into that a lot more than back in 2013. On the one hand, I think that’s great. People are so creative. Their stuff looks so pretty, and I really like the work people put in. I don’t think it’s a bad thing necessarily, but on the other hand it does heighten that already steep barrier for entry imo, especially in circles that require it and judge based upon it. For me it’s more important to avoid looking like that’s an expectation of mine. Like, I can do that stuff. I do sometimes, actually. I make icons in batches of hundreds, I take commissions for RP graphics, don’t tell anybody. I’m a freelance illustrator and I know my way around the adobe creative suite-- I CAN make these things and I do for other people, but I can’t be called to do it for myself in most cases. When I see a blog with very nice graphics I immediately assume they don’t care to interact with me. In fact I still tend to unfairly think this even when they’ve shown me otherwise. If we don’t have a long term rapport and you’re a blog with nice graphics and I reply to your posts, what you’re seeing is a neurotic prey animal that is afraid of you signaling alarm.  For whatever reason I tend to interpret very fancy looking blogs as confident and happy in their own existing bubbles with no particular interest in newcomers. I know that’s not always a fair assumption to make--it’s a problem with me that I need to work on--but also I know other people deal with similar feelings. That’s why I don’t feel particularly called to make much beyond the most basic of graphics most of the time and I’m highly avoidant of anybody who seems like graphics are a requirement for interactions with them. Not everybody has photoshop. Not everybody is skilled at that sort of thing. I don’t want people to think that I will judge their style based on what my own style looks like, so I don’t invest much in it. Again, there’s nothing wrong with graphics, but it’s more important to me than anything else that I am approachable and I make other people on the dash as comfortable as I can. I’m glad that it seems like a requirement for cohesive graphics has waned over the last few years.

But, yea. I’d say this duality--the “this is cool but also I have reasons I feel I shouldn’t participate”--is how I feel about pretty much everything that’s big right now.  And like don’t even get me started on the anxiety RPC has around things like soft blocking and mutuals and multiples and “quality”. These things in particular aren’t that new, but a lot of Neo RPC etiquette and trends surrounding those types of anxieties represent a whole quagmire that I try to avoid as much as I can, often to a fault, and lately I’ve realized that in my blanket avoidance I am actually missing out on some things I really should consider doing. My icons could do with some light color retouching. I do want to get my tags together eventually. Permanent starter calls, interests checkers, banners to make asks more easily rebloggable-- these things are functional and can be fun and make RP easier and help people feel emboldened to approach. Like, there are a lot of newish things that are actually cool and I should maybe consider trying them out, but being an oldster has really made me slow to adapt.

So yeah, idk if that was clear at all lol. Take these many, many unnecessary words to say that again, I don’t necessarily think that the current RPC is better or worse in an objective sense, but I do think a lot of the anxieties and trends that were starting in the old RPC have really caught fire now in a way that makes them hard to abstain from even if you want to. Since the RPC is so much smaller now than it was in 2013, you really do have to play ball on these things more than you used to have to in order to find partners. There is a lot of etiquette and anxiety that goes unspoken in the RPC and so I often avoid fairly harmless RPC trends as a means of mitigating that anxiety and clarifying the unspoken as much as I can. Tumblr already has a barrier for entry by being a broken website that hates its rp users, I don’t need to pile on any extra factors to make that barrier to entry look any taller.

#[ooc] #[Munday] #posts an opinion and waits for the hard blocks to roll in #not that I said anything more controversial than ''I'm down for whatever'' #but u kno #long post #pawnshopsouls #[Asks]

[felassanis]

More Sifa headcanons:

1. Their accents vary, seeing as the Sifa are consistent of different Clans they have no set acent. However, the ‘original Sifa’, best known for their red, curly hair tend to have thick accents that would sound like a mix of Welsh and Scottish to us.

2. Right, Sifa are proper stoners. Not all of them, but most. It’s something that passes the time on long voyages and they offer many safe herbs and plants that allow Gelfling to feel some form of euphoria. It’s frowned upon by other Clans, but the Sifa don’t care. Particularly experienced Sifans like Elders can visit the dreamspace sometimes and just like Lucid dreaming can control certain elements. Like, conjure feasts that could rival the SkekSis’s or conjure a dead lover and so forth. It’s rare, so very rare but it has been known to happen.

3. Have some of the most colourful curse words and this especially pleases me because Elder Cadia says ‘Bugger’ which alludes that canonically they curse like the British. I also feel like the Sifa are a lot more relaxed with their language and don’t put much stock in sounding literate. A Childling could swear and it would probably just make them laugh.

4. I can image the Sifa hosting their own holidays on the ships. So, maybe six ships might get together in the middle of the ocean, close enough that they can hoist planks across them; allowing the Sifa to cross over on mutiple ships to which all crews will get together. They’ll decorate the masts with lanters and banners, they’ll set up hundreds of tables and chairs and as soon as the band starts playing music it’ll be three days of partying, laughing, dancing and so on before the ships part ways again.

5. These holidays could probably be just a celebration of Clans coming together, celebrating culture in order to remind the Sifa that they are lot of cultures all intertwined together to form one. It could be a celebration for the sea, a kind of festival that thanks the ocean for being calm and carrying them safely, and to wish themselves another trine of more bountiful waters. Or...the Sifa just simultaneously want to get drunk.

6. There are cases where the Sifa can banish Gelfling if they do something wrong. But the crime must be very heinous and detrimental for them to even consider banishing anyone. So it’s very rare this ever happens, it might have happened a couple of times throughout Sifa history. They’re a liberal clan, so pissing them off can be very hard.

7. If this occurs, that Gelfling cannot step one foot on Sifa ships, they are to be avoided by other Sifa and they can never rejoin the Sifa unless they do something extreme to prove their honest character.

8. Most of the time, when somone is banished from the Sifa they usually just return to thier original clan. So, a Sifa who left the Drenchen to sail the seas or who looked Drenchen would just go back to the Great Smerf. However, for an original Sifa, this can be tricky as red hair is greatly tied to this clan so they can’t blend in with the other Gelfling races. Therefore, finding somewhere else to settle can be very hard given that the Clans don’t trust the Sifa and of course, the clans can be racist. 

9. I can imagine absolutely vast expanses of tents whenever the Sifa land. Sometimes they only leave their ship when trading, but as we have seen with Onica and Elder Cadia, Sifa pitch tents and I can imagine a sprawling city of tents in long fields. 

10. Incense, they definitely use incense and it smells amazing.

11. Also those pipes from Lord of the Rings? Sifa use them, they can blow amazing rings with them. They’re exceptionally long and often intricately carved with beautiful designs.

12. So, I don’t actually know how Thra’s society reacts to two Gelfling from different clans falling in love; but I think it’s frowned upon. With the Sifa, they don’t mind it. However, if it’s a Sifa with someone from a different clan, they’re very strict about the other Gelfling becoming Sifan. They see it as losing family otherwise. Moreover, Sifa are kinda of alluring to other Gelfling. They’re mysterious, with an air of adventure and freedom and they don’t conform to rules like most other Gelfling. We all love a bad boy afterall. Despite the horror stories older Gelflings tell about the Sifa, the younger ones who yearn for excitement find the Sifa very attractive. (Especially Vaprans) and so most marriages like this will wind up with the outsider joining the Sifa. There’s a lot of romance novellas about Sifa love interests, just think about those really cheesy romance novels about a fair, noble maiden who gets whisked away by handsome pirates. That is probably why Vaprans are more attracted to Sifa than they care to admit.

13. They’re canonically the most superstious, paranoid little shits in Thra. Stomp on the ship thrice for good luck. the good ol don’t step on the ship with your left foot or risk bad luck. Don’t look outside your window past midnight or a sea creature might gobble you up. Bow your head when you hear of someone’s death otherwise your next. Break a mirror and you’ve got bad fortune for ten trine the whole ordeal.

14. Literally, break and mirror and you can’t be on one of their ships for ten trine DO NOT BREAK MIRRORS.

15. A lot of Gelfling think the Sifa carry disease. This is not true. The Sifa are very capable of curing ailments and preventing them with rituals and potions and cleaning their ships. They may not take a bath as much as they should, but no other Gelfling carries that ocean-filled, beachy smell.

16. I feel like a cool thing, even if impossible, would be that the Sifa have a special ability when it comes to Tattoos. They can echant certain tattoos so that went tracing their fingers over them the tattoos actually move and come to life. Think about photographs in Harry Potter. The tattoos move like Gifs lol so a tattoo of a tree might shake like wind is blowing or they might have a depiction of the ocean where waves rise and fall....

17. Speaking of tattoos, the older Sifa will says you should only ever get one if it means something but those same Sifa as well as younger ones probably have really dumb tattoos like Fizzgigs on their ankles that bark when traced or an ex-lover’s name scratched out about five times.

18. Avid readers. They need something to pass the time! So I feel like a lot of ships have designated libraries which are strictly controlled and kept tidy. Cera-Na has a grand library where Sifa can borrow books lol, but they must return them.

19. Every Sifa is handy with harpoons and spears. It’s why a lot of them go to the Castle of the Crystal because they’re talented fighters with spears. You will not outrun a Sifa if they are carrying a spear...watch out. They have deadly aim.

20. The men are hairy. Very hairy.

21. While they cannot breath underwater like the Drenchen due to not being amphibious, the Sifa can hold their breath for a long ass time. From 1 to 6 hours. This is due to evolution conforming to the Sifa delving underwater a lot in search of shells, gems or treasure.

22. They trace constellations and use the stars to navigate the seas. The main cabin is always fitted with a beautiful map tracing the stars and they all have names.

23. As we have seen. Gelfling can sing to the creatures of Thra; and in Seladon’s case she can beckon them. I see Sifa singing their hearty songs and many sea creatures swimming up the service to listen. They’ll splash and swim along the ship and occasionally allow the Sifa to stroke them. This singing can be handy when in the rare cases a Ship wrecks, and the creatures of the sea with help survivors to land when they hear one sing.

24. When the Darkening occurs, the Sifa mention that portions of the sea light up in this violet hue, with the waves lined in black and seemingly being filled with lightning. As if the waters had swallowed a thunderous cloud and was stuffed with sparks. Sifa avoid this area, as a lot of sea creatures once thought peaceful have randomly attacked ships.

25. While Thra sings in the ocean as well, the Sifa don’t want to forget about the lands of Thra. So, to stay intune with nature they have plants all over their cabins, kind of like gardens spanning across the ship. Just imagine potted plants, strings of ivy winding all over archways and walls, hanging plants next to swinging hammocks so a Sifa can smell their beloved home...

#The Dark Crystal #the dark crystal age of resistance #Sifa #Sifa headcanons #TDC #TDC: AOR #TDCAOR

[wackpainterkid]

Hmm maybe something about Liv’s first real gig and Noah literally standing in the front row shouting her name because he is, of course, her biggest fan ;)

First of all: thank you so much for this super cute prompt! I read it and then I was like “how can I make this even more emotional” lol. I hope you like it!

Rating: T 

1600 words

also on ao3

of love and encouragement

“How are you feeling?”

Liv let out a breath, trying to tame the nerves racing through her body. Her palms were sweaty, her heart was beating fast, her hands were just the slightest bit unsteady.

Noah watched her with a tilted head, his hair fell slightly, and his hand immediately followed to put it into place again, but his eyes stayed on her.

She could only give a truthful answer, he knew her too well to believe her lies.

“Nervous.”

Anyone would be nervous in this situation; it wasn’t every day she had to perform as the only headliner. And okay, it was only a small venue that lay far from the city center, it was only a Tuesday evening; there was free entry, but that didn’t change the fact that it was still her name on the poster, her name and her name alone.

“There’s no need to be.” He sounded so sure of himself and Liv wished she could borrow some of his faith in her, because the only thing she could think of was disaster scenarios: she forgot her lines, the power went out, no one came. “Liv, you’re going to be great. We’re all here to support you tonight.”

She looked into his eyes and felt the earnestness that emerged from his blue eyes. Liv nodded as her gaze moved to her boots.

She just didn’t want to disappoint anyone, they’d come here for her, to see her, to listen to her and if she fucked this up… well, let’s say fucking up was not an option.

“Look,” he said, claiming her attention again. “If you don’t feel like performing, I can always go on stage and sing my rendition of Miley Cyrus’ hit song ‘Best of Both Worlds’.”

Liv blinked in surprise, shaking her head along as she processed his words. It didn’t look like he was joking, not at all.

So, she told him something she had to tell him at least once a week. And, although the fondness that accompanied her words had grown over time, each time she uttered them she was as bewildered as the last.

“You’re so weird.”

Noah didn’t let it faze him, on the contrary, he just continued talking. “Or maybe I should go for ‘Gangnam Style’,” he pondered with a serious face. “I’m sure the crowd will go crazy once I start to do the dance.”

“Oh, shut up,” she told him, trying to suppress the laughter that was bubbling up. And at that moment, the moment that she completely forgot about the stress, that the love for him vanquished anything troubling her, it was okay. She was okay.

The corners of her lips rose in a smile with the realization.

“Did it work?” His eyebrow rose as he asked.

“Maybe,” she replied coyly and with a shrug, but her smile would be enough of an answer for him.

“Good.” A satisfied look graced his face. “Now go amaze everyone.” Noah squeezed her hand and winked before he left her in the backstage.

Liv watched him leave, thinking about how lucky she was that she had him. That he knew her as well as he did. Any doubts she might’ve had– about him, about them– had long vanished into thin air. They were in such a good place and she’d never been more certain.

Her phone buzzed, and she picked it off the table to check it. It was a notification.

SHOW, today at 9 pm

Pulling her skirt a bit straighter, she took one last big breath and went on stage.

The spot shone bright—too bright even— and Liv had to squint as she made her way to the microphone meant for her. She could barely discern any people in the dark room and she wasn’t entirely sure if that helped or if it made things worse.

She guessed she would soon find out.

After quietly clearing her throat, she spoke into the mic. Her voice resonated through the venue. “Hello everyone, thank you for coming today. My name is Liv and I’m going to sing a couple of songs for you.”

Once her eyes had gotten used to the harsh spotlights, she could start to vaguely make out the faces in the crowd. Her friends, her lovely friends, were all standing in the front row. Engel and Isa were holding the most adorable banner splattered with pink heart and golden stars– Engel’s doing most likely.

Noah was there too, standing with Ralph. But she didn’t even have to see him to know he was standing right in front of her, because she could hear him. Loudly.

“Woohoo Liv, you’re amazing!”

“Yeah!” Other voices joined him.

“I’m happy to see I’ve got such a fanbase tonight,” she said into the mic before laughing. Her fanbase whooped in response.

“My first song is called ‘Never Be Yours’, I hope you enjoy.”

The music began and she grabbed ahold of the microphone stand. She’d sung this song many times before. It was almost like muscle memory taking over, the words flowed out of her without thinking about it and before she knew it, the song had finished again.

The crowd applauded and she bowed her head in gratitude.

“For my next song, I’m going to sing a cover of a Jorja Smith song called ‘The One.’”

“Great song choice!” Noah yelled.

Liv rolled her eyes; he had been the one to suggest it.

One night, he heard her sing it as she was preparing dinner for them. That had begun a quest on his part to get her to sing it as often as possible. She refused most of the time—she didn’t want to get sick of the song—but when they were discussing her setlist and Liv wasn’t completely certain which song she should cover, Noah had simply shrugged and said that she should sing Jorja Smith. For once, Liv couldn’t deny it was the perfect song to sing and Noah had been smug about it ever since.

So, she sang it and Noah seemed as content and smug as could be, showering her with even more shouted compliments the moment she stopped singing.

By the almost end of her show, Liv was certain everyone who didn’t personally know them was wondering who that very vocal spectator was.

“This is my last song–”

“Nooo,” was the immediate reaction.

Liv smiled. “I know, sad right? But I truly think I left the best for last.”

She had.

Because this song, this song was special.

It had grown out of a hum, something she’d subconsciously do every time they were together. Every time the same melody. He had noticed, of course he had noticed. He would watch her with his gaze that made her feel too exposed sometimes and smiled before saying her name softly. Sometimes it was a question, sometimes just a remark. It was always just her name. No pressure, no demand. Just “Liv.”

The hum became clearer, more voluminous in her head, a distinct melody repeating itself over and over again. It had, unbeknownst to Noah, become their song. The song that played on a loop when she watched him in the mornings she woke up before him, when they visited museums and he gave her a meticulous explanation of the works there; it even played when they kissed as if they were part of some cheesy rom-com soundtrack.

“I’d like to dedicate this song to all of the incredible people in my life.” Him. “All of the artists.” Him. ” All of the weirdos.” Him.

It was for him.

He didn’t know she was planning on singing it here; he didn’t even know of its existence. It had been her own top-secret project. It had been a challenge because he was always around—she wasn’t complaining in the slightest— and writing a song wasn’t a particularly easy thing to hide. She’d sent him away with excuses of homework, of Skype calls with her parents in Spain, of date nights with Isa, which was actually true, but she then proceeded to let Isa listen to the song. (“Liv, you’re going to make him cry.” “Is it weird that I kinda want to?”)

This was important for her to do, because she was maybe not always the most vocal about how she felt about him, and she could be stubborn and frustrating, and they fought sometimes. But she loved him. And he deserved this.

The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop and then there was a hum. It started with a hum. And Liv decided that she was happy to be able to see the faces of the crowd, because the expression on Noah’s wasn’t something she’d ever forget. His face lit up as he recognized the familiar sound and there was only amazement and curiosity in his eyes.

She didn’t break eye contact with him while she sang and she saw his surprise transform into something sentimental, more and more touching as the song progressed. And while for her first song she could sing on autopilot, now she was paying attention to every word that came out of her mouth, every emphasis she put, because it all mattered so much.

Liv sang her final note and she was about ninety percent sure that Noah was on the verge of crying. And she’d managed to shut him up. While his cheering had completely stopped, the other people in the crowd were clapping and whistling as loudly as they could, creating a thundering and overwhelming noise.

She did it.

Liv bowed one last time before exiting.

It took him less than three minutes to find her afterwards.

“Liv?”

“Yes?”

He just kissed her.

No words needed.

#skam nl #skamnl #liv reijners #noah boom #noliv #skam ff #skamyeets #written words

[yuichi-ro]

just gonna vent here for a bit bc i think not being able to do a lot with covid is having some serious effects on my anger levels but

so there is this anime i watching called “shikimori’s not just a cutie!”. its just meant to be a cute romance slice of life, something to turn your brain off and relax to, the animation is nice, its perfect for what it is.

the amount of hate this show is getting. jesus fucking christus my ass. essentially the relationship being portrayed is slightly non traditional in the heteronormative sense. the guy is a bit more shy and very accident prone, the girl is more outgoing and protective. it toys with that role reversal of a more dominant female lead and a male lead being more on the receiving end of things while also still letting both of them indulge in still being the “girl” and “boy” in the relationship. it’s very nuanced and very well handled so far.

but so fucking many (ofc mostly male) people are shitting on this anime. under the guise of “there is no story!” (three episodes have released by now you fuckers, its meant to be a feel good slice of life not some revolutionary mind fuck shit). and thats really pissing me off when you compare it to other anime of the same genre recently- for example “my dress up darling” and “komi san cant communicate”- which are good anime for what they want to be respectively too but you cannot ignore the fact that these shows aren’t getting the same hate even though they share a similar vibe.

and the only key difference lays in their male and female lead- the two mentioned before being very traditional- either being male fantasy to a larger extent in my dress up darling or to a lesser extent with just the shy girl in komi.

and then you have this show where the female lead is yes, cute but also badass and the male lead is a genuinely amazing guy being the best fucking boyfriend he could ever be and- people hate on t h e m? because they aren’t the cliche? i really just think guys can’t insert themselves into the male lead because he genuinely respects women, loves his girlfriend and supports her while also being his own person💀

i just. anger. so much anger in this tiny buff body of mine. maybe the lack of exercise is getting to me and also the fact that my body is recovering while also still being very weak otherwise, which i often forget. i had to take a nap after doing fucking laundry i hate this. ugh.

sorry for the rant i know i probs just redirecting my inward anger outward at something but shit like this really pisses me off bc u have a show that breaks the mould and is genuinely a little different and then its treated in a way that ensures that it’s not going to happen again. i am on my knees begging for more assertive and fun female characters to relate to man.

anyway this is canon and these are the men u picked sorry to inform u.

also currently working on a crossover fic to at least write a little something between naps and also thinking about making a little banner or cover or something for it? i just dunno what to put on it? ugh decisions decisions, complex thoughts i am not capable of. i just crave for all of this to be over but also i should use this opportunity to take a proper break.

hope you are having a good day and so does your family at least! my apologies for the rant lmao

-🌌momo

see your first problem is watching anything involving romance or slice of life genres 😂

I just- I hate those genres with such a passion and I mean the tropes, the kind of fans if (generally) attracts and just all of it is so not my cup of tea. Unironically I'm not an unromantic person (or at least ten yrs and going strong with a water sign would reckon I'm semi decent with lovey dovey stuff) But god there is something about romance animes that turn me off so bad. And 100% it's probably the heteronormality of it all. And bitching bc the most sliver representation of role reversal is happening? I stand my ground romance animes are terrible lol

actually the quiet/shy/uncertain male role with the strong women personalities is part of the reason I've really fallen for Sonny Boy (I actually think you'd enjoy it if you watched it). Just the rep for so many personality types among everyone is so nice so I get being pissy about the gag generic replication of tiny uwu female role and big overly manly male role. It's flat out the reason I won't watch a lot of things or even try most genres of animes bc it's all pretty much the same. I don't actually consume that much anime/manga but running a writing blog doesn't show real good rep of what I'm actually into 😂

but also choking and relating so hard to having too much energy in a tired buff body 😂 I do not do well when I have my exercise. I am a giant yellow lab who lives in too small of an apartment called life. God and being sick and stuck in the house 😩 That's a death sentence. Rip those stupid sexist pigs a new asshole. It's good for your upper body and gets out all the aggression when the fish bowl is too tiny bc fuck the human body for succumbing to a tiny microscopic cootie like a weakling. Wtf how are we on the top of the food chain and get housebound by things you can't even see. It's stupid, being sick is stupid -3-

I've seen that fanart before =_= god momo just fucking wrecked me for my husbands on live tv asdfghjkl

can't even convey how hard I laughed the first time I saw that (pre Rindou phase mind you -3-) I'm pretty sure I peed a little I was laughing so hard bc I will not be convinced Mikey just picked Hanma up bc he needed a new tall person in his life and Hanma was the only one he could think of to put him up on things 😂 bc Ran won't do it he's too busy pushing his dumb brother up onto things to run away from the cops + Ran is barely 6' so suck it you Ran lovers Hanma supremacy forever

the real problem is that I let them reproduce. Willingly. That's the sad part and someone should have me evaluated bc no sane person would let those fools reproduce

need to churn out my Chuuya piece for his birthday today but instead I'm staring at Shion and avoiding it. It's fine. Everything is fine.

#i literally did it to myself?? #i said ya lets make a birthday fic?? #knowing im terrible at deadlines?? #but also scream laughing bc i thought your vent would be like #you know #stupid covid stupid roommates stupid job etc #not the nasty systematic misogynic beliefs in like 99% of animes XD #its true if more things were perhaps gay or female lead id like them #but i hate romance animes #hate romance as a genre #the only slice of life thing ive ever watched is haikyuu #why the fuck would i want to watch every day life portrayed when i live a life #fuck this shit i want mind melding animations that make you lay on the gym floor and make you wonder why you were born #or dragons #ill also take dragons #it probably doesnt help i am not a shipper #i think shipping is weird as shit and always have #like i dont mind briefly thinking of two characters together but i never want to explore it or shit #unless its best friends to lovers i literally cant lol #but also if inui and koko dont fucking kiss I will also flip over a truck #so you know #gay OR NOTHING #god you really just slayed me in front of everyone calling out my husbands like that #theyre not smart ok....thats why im the brains #already been established i tell hanma and rindou what to do 300% of the time and thats their kink #🌌.♡ #three.talks

[skimcasual]

I’m back from fanime 2018. o_o fanime is all the way in California so .. I consider I’m extremely lucky to go to fanime every time I go, and every time I go I think “this might be the last fanime I go to”. This was my third year being part of fanime.

This fanime I feel like I did a lot of the stuff that I’ve always wanted to do but could never find the guts to do? Namely, organizing a meet up (comics breakfast at Peggy Sue; it was really nice and it was fun to chat with other people who were at that animecon who had books or wanted to make books) and reaching out to three different people to invite them out to eat (I was turned down by all three of them LOL but at least I tried)

This is also the first time I’ve been LOUDLY PRESENT with my romantic drama on webtoons at an anime convention and the reactions were so good.

(the banner on the left, and advertising cards on the right that were free to take for whoever wanted)

From what I’ve felt from going to anime conventions all over the US, there’s a way higher percentage of people who read comics on webtoons in California in particular compared to other states. Like on the east coast maybe 1 out of 5 attendees use webtoons – in California it’s like 3 out 5 people use webtoons and the other 2 out of 5 know one or more friends who use webtoons & often tell them about some comic they’re reading on webtoons they’re excited about.

So I was kinda hoping that I could get a good reaction for the comic at fanime of all places o.o I’m also looking forward to the reactions at anime expo since Webtoons has a headquarters in Los Angeles. Btw I’ll be at table i08 there at AX2018. Anyway.

All weekend long I heard lots of young sounding girls reading the banner out loud to their friend(s).

And a lot of them were subscribing the comic right then and there on their phones and really that was such a highlight of the entire weekend, every hour a few people would do this, so I’m really glad I had this giant queer girl banner printed and on display like that for young girl readers to see and to follow the comic.

At TCAF where I first had this banner on display, the reactions were a lot more more muted because there just wasn’t a ton of people who used webtoons who were also attending TCAF (TCAF is a book convention focused on western indie comics, and not an anime convention). That and I think the percentage of attendees that identify as queer is way higher at animecons than at TCAF………….. or something.

Anyway thanks to the banner, all weekend I was hearing excited young women remarking about “romantic queer drama” and “OMG IS THIS YURI” so it just felt.. very.. satisfying? I guess. It was cool to be able to provide that experience of encountering a comic that people were excited to read. So exciting that people would show me how they subscribed on their phone.

I gave out all 500 business cards I brought to promote the comic, and sold 10 copies of the printed book (I thought I might sell 3 or 4 copies to existing readers, but 9 out of 10 sold to new readers who never heard of the comic but really liked the inside pages & that it was a story about a girl falling in love with another girl)

My one regret about this weekend is not bringing more pottery, but also.. between preparing for TCAF and drawing the comic, there hasn’t been a lot of time to go into the studio before fanime, so it was simple math that I’d only have time to produce half the number of cups I could have produced if I wasn’t working on the comic. I do like making pottery but it was critical before TCAF to put all of my energy into making and marketing books so that it had a fair chance of succeeding.

At zenkaikon I had a lot of fun talking about Miss Kobayashi Dragon Maid but at fanime I ended up talking more about Noragami and Steven Universe… I was looking forward to meeting more Kobayashi fans but fanime has so many good artists that I was one of many who had a print about Kobayashi. It was both a surprise but a relief because I think Kobayashi Dragon Maid s a cute show that should have lots of fans.

Not a lot of people had seen Land of the Lustrous which was a surprise o_O I thought everyone was watching this show but I guess nobody likes 3D cartoons??? not sure. I only had a couple interesting discussions about that show and I expected to be talking about that show all weekend…

(I splurged and bought all six volumes of Land of the Lustrous at kinokuniya San Jose on Tuesday before flying back to check them out.. and a few other books I had been putting off buying. I finished volume 1 while waiting at the airport.)

I’m also going to remember fanime for being fevercon,,,,,,,,,,, because I had a fever the entire time I was there. I was feeling myself getting sick Thursday morning (itchy throat) and then by Friday afternoon I had a full on fever and runny nose. I also booked a weird flight home and ended up sleeping at San Diego airport to catch a connecting flight at 7am after arriving there from San Jose at 10pm LOL sigh I thought if I ever go to San Diego it would be to attend San Diego Comic Con for the first time. ..and not to camp out on the floor at San Diego airport to catch a 7am commutor flight lol. I may never go to SDCC, who knows.

I don’t think I’ve ever been this sick at an anime convention. Fatigued sure, but never full on having a fever and feeling very woozy. It was doable (I was ready to close the table and go nap somewhere if it got bad) and it added to that surreal feeling I usually have about being in California all the way from New York.

I didn’t get any street passes at San Jose airport nor at San Diego airport.. I got a couple when I landed in NYC though. Note to self, yes it was totally doable to spend the night at an airport with a sleeping bag but don’t do that again.

Overall it was a really nice weekend, and a good one for You Were Always By Me, and it was surreal and awesome to be part of fanime again. I don’t know if I will be able to go back next year because I might forget to apply or may be unable to afford it… but I’ll try. Online shop here. Patreon here.

fanime 2018 will also be remembered for: wow I got to meet so many people from twitter! That was neat & I sold out of the diary comics. Most conventions I only sell a couple copies of the diary comic so that was a nice surprise! I want to make the next book planned and nice.

Also fanime 2018: lol the “How To Wear A Hanbok” comic did not want to sell. It was my best seller at TCAF………… A lot of people at fanime mentioned they seen it on tumblr though which is cool because I put links to all my comics on the bottom of that post so I have tried my best to get my time’s worth. lol so thank you for reblogging everyone so that I can reach a few more readers.

#fanime #artist alley #blog

[avidreaderblog]

Hello everyone! When I first started blogging, I had no idea what I was doing and it stayed that way for two years until I joined WordPress and participated in challenges and read about what to do. Now, I’m still learning, but I’ve got a better handle of the ins and outs of what to put on a blog/website and what NOT to do, but it’s taken me 6 yrs to get here.

Today, though, I figured I’d list what bloggers should and shouldn’t have on their website, all of which would help them reach more readers and get more views so that no one else has to take at least 2 yrs to figure out what they’re doing. Let’s go…

What To Include (general page ideas):

Landing page aka Home (optional)

as an alternative for readers to land first on your blog, you can have a static home page which gives a little intro to who you are and what you blog about. It can either serve as a short version of your About Me/Blog sections or it can actually be the sections.

the only thing you should watch out for is that if your end goal is for people to read your blog posts, you would be increasing the number of steps it would take for readers to get there, which decreases the likelihood they will actually press on a post and read it.

About Me

this is the page where you introduce yourself. Some things to include are:

your name (either real one or that of your online persona)

what reading means to you

how you got into blogging or why you’re blogging aka what’s the goal that you want to accomplish with the blog. It doesn’t have to be big or overly ambitious. It can just be to “help readers find good books” or something.

your social media

About The Blog (optional)

you can combine this with your About Me page if you want (I did!) and summarize what types of books, genres or topics you like reading about, what kinds of blog posts you do (reviews, discussions, blog tours etc) and how often you post. It’s best to only disclose how often you post if you are good about being consistent, otherwise, readers might get confused/lose faith in you if you say you post twice a week when you might only post twice a month.

Blog

this is basically the page where all your blog posts show up – regardless of what type of post they are. You can create extra pages that specifically show one type of post (see next section) but that is optional and, regardless, you should have all your blog posts together on one page

Blog Category Pages (optional)

Along with their general blog page, some bloggers will also create pages from various blog categories. Some of the most common pages I’ve seen are:

Discussions

Reviews (A – Z)

Reviews (by author)

Memes page(s) like Top Ten Tuesdays or Waiting on Wednesdays

Interviews

Blog Tours

again, these are all optional and, in my opinion, neither especially help or hurt your blog. TBH, you can just create a “categories” widget (which you can see on my sidebar) so that people can easily see only one type of post.

(Review) Policy

this is where you talk about what you are willing to accept from authors, publishers and companies and what you are willing to do. some examples of things to mention or keep in mind are:

what genres of books will you read? what will you definitely not read?

are you willing to read e-books (and more specifically, pdfs, e-pub, kindle)? or do you only read paperbacks/hardcovers?

will you do only book reviews or might you also be willing to collaborate on doing interviews, subscription box reviews, giveaways, blog tours etc?

what’s the best way to contact you? you can link them to your contact form and/or give them your email address

Contact Me

the best way(s) to contact you whether it’s a contact form on the website, social media, letters, email etc.

a brief summary of what people can and can’t contact you about

a link to your policies page for the specifics of what to contact you about

[Related – DISCUSSION: 15+ Author Website Tips]

What To Include (specific content):

Search bar – pleaseeeeee put a search bar somewhere on your website whether it’s up top or on the sidebar where it is immediately visible (aka don’t put your search bar in just the footer). Search bars are you and your reader’s best friends because it is a lot easier to find a post using the search bar than having to comb through post archives.

Blog follow buttons – whether you want them to follow on WordPress, via email, BlogLovin’ or an RSS feed, make sure you have a follow button on your sidebar and your footer so your readers know when you have new posts out and can keep coming back!

Social media buttons – if you have any social media relating to your blog (and you really should have at least one!), then you need to include a way for your readers to jump to said social media and follow you. I personally recommend you put them either up top or on your sidebar, as well as down in your footer.

A blog graphic in every post – images catch people’s eyes much faster than texts do (an image is worth a thousand words) so, by adding an image to your post, you can catch the attention of the reader and draw them into reading the post. Of course, the image should be appropriate to the topic and, typically, follows a consistent style. For me, when I need to create my own image (aka I’m not using a book cover or blog tour banner), I tend to do the same kind of thing. As you can see from the gallery below, I have the same background in each of my images, the font is the same, and the size of the words are typically the same (tho there are some outliers depending on the post). This consistency allows readers to become familiar with you and your blog in another way so that, if they saw one of your images on social media, they would immediately know “hey this is from X’s blog!” even if they’ve never read the post or seen the pic before.

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What NOT to do:

use weird coloured backgrounds or writing (like yellow, purple or green) PLEASE – My eyes are already bad we don’t need to make them even worse lol

show your entire blog post on the blog home page – in doing so, people are not going to press on the specific post and read it there. This means that all your blog views will show up as “home” and you won’t see any stats about the specific articles people are reading which you need to help you understand what types of posts are doing well and which aren’t. To fix this, just go to your blog settings and make sure the “Limit feed to excerpt only” option is on. For bloggers on WordPress, this can be found by going to settings –> writing –> feed settings.

not personalizing your website – if you have any free blogging account (aka free WordPress, free Blogger, free Tumblr etc) you are most definitely going to pick a theme that hundreds of others have used before. The key to making YOU and your blog stand out is in how you design it. This happens by changing around

the colour palette you use (mine is primarily white, turquoise, black)

your blog header and other blog images

the formatting

fonts

Tips:

Put the link to your website in all your social media bios

Have at least one social media that you can focus and build an audience on, as well as share your posts to. For me, my main social media is Twitter (though I am on others) and it’s where I get the majority of my blog views. Every time a new blog post is published, it gets automatically shared to Twitter and I spend time marketing posts on Twitter to drive up views on the blog.

Make sure your posts will automatically be shared on your social media(s) when they are published. On WordPress, you can do this via Publicize.

Don’t include more than 3 category-like blog pages otherwise, you’re just crowding the top of your blog for no reason

Have a master spreadsheet or list of any and all blog post ideas you think of. This will better help you when you’re in the writing mood but can’t think of any ideas.

Also, when you’re in the writing mood, write as many blog posts as you can – whether partly or fully – ahead of time so that it’s easier when you have less motivation or need to post something ASAP (seriously scheduling posts out are the absolute best!)

If you aren’t art or design-inclined, make sure you hire someone to make your blog header and other blog graphics and help you design your website. I’m a graphic designer (and former website designer) and I love helping people out with their blog headers, business cards, post graphics etc. If you want to know more about how I can help, tweet me, contact me or email me and I’ll get back to you within 24 hrs (twitter is definitely faster tho)!

Other Blogging Guides

All About ARCs (Advance Reader’s Copies)

Book Publicity Contacts Directory

Writing Tools, Resources & Tips

And that’s really all I can think of in terms of tips and tricks. What do you guys think? Do you have any cool blogging tips or tricks? Let me know in the comments below! If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, comment them below! Lastly, don’t forget, I’m always happy to either casually or completely audit your website and see what you’re doing well & what you can improve on, as well as make any graphic designs, blog headers, business cards etc for you! Just tweet me, contact me or email me and I’ll get back to you within 24 hrs! Thanks, have a great day/night and tata for now!

Angel

Red Bubble ❙ Society 6

DISCUSSION: 15+ Blogger Website Tips & Tricks Hello everyone! When I first started blogging, I had no idea what I was doing and it stayed that way for two years until I joined Wordpress and participated in challenges and read about what to do.

#audit #blog #bloggers #book #books #do #don&039;t #feedback #help #helpful #how to #marketing #marketing plan #plan #service #services #tip #tips #trick #tricks #website #websites