#and my mum just. didn't even notice that we weren't doing well. what. what the fuck even..... baffled by this actually

[weird-is-life]

Can I request a shy reader and Spencer's fic. When the reader works at a flower shop, Spencer comes in there looking for flowers. And the reader goes on a little rant about what he should buy and what each flower means.

Hii lovely, ty for the request! Hope this is okay🙈warnings: use of y/n, fluff, a few swear words, (0.9k)

Spencer needs to buy some flowers for Emily. It's her birthday and he's always brought her flower before, so even if he's already running late to her birthday dinner, he can't not go buy her some flowers.

He goes into the first flower shop, he spots on the way to Emily's apartment and that's where he finds you.

It's almost the closing time, so you are just sitting behind the counter, reading some book. Spencer immediately thinks he's in love.

He swears, you are the prettiest girl, he's ever seen and the fact, that you are too absorbed in your book to even notice him, makes you even more attractive to Spencer.

You finally notice him as he's a few steps away from the counter. You quickly slam the book shut and try not to look too caught off guard.

You weren't expecting anybody to come to the shop anymore and you definitely weren't expecting it to be a very handsome guy.

His messy, curly hair, expensive-looking black suit and the small stubble have you buckling at your knees. You are sure, that if you weren't sitting on the chair, you would be on the ground.

"H-hi," you somewhat compose yourself, "w-what can I help you with?"

He shoots you a smile and you're pretty sure that your cheeks go very red," Hi, I was wondering if I could get some flowers?"

"D-do you have any specific in mind?" you ask, barely holding an eye contact with him. You are shy and he isn't helping your situation at all.

"Ye-...No, I don't. Can you recommend me some?" Spencer literally knows the meaning of every flower you have in this shop, but something about you makes him shut his mouth, so he can stay here longer.

"I can, yes," you smile sheepishly at him, "who are they supposed to be for?"

"My friend, it's her birthday today," you would be lying, if you said that your heart didn't skip a beat at hearing that it's for his friend and not a girlfriend. You thought, that he was getting flowers for his girlfriend.

"W-well, I'd suggest, that you should definitely get some yellow flowers for her. Yellow color represents friendship, would that be okay?" you hesitantly ask. Spencer just nods encouragingly.

"Okay, so we could do some mixed bouquet. Yellow roses are definitely a yes, you can't go wrong with that, they are beautiful and smell amazing. We should also add sunflowers, they represent loyalty and adoration of the friendship. Oh and mums are grest, too. They can really make the bouquet come alive, they are like the spirit of optimism. We could also-," you ramble about each flower, that you put in the bouquet for him.

Spencer listens to your every word with a happy smile, you remind him of himself with your rambling and to be honest, he finds it adorable.

You are done too quickly tho and Spencer finds himself wanting to hear you speak again.

But his phone rings and he doesn't even need to pick up to know, that the team is wondering, where he is.

"Here, i-is this okay?" you hand the insanely pretty bouquet to him. Spencer's grin basically answers your question.

"Thank you, thank you. It couldn't be more perfect. You're a total lifesaver..." he looks at your name tag, "y/n. Thank you, y/n."

You are certain, that your cheeks couldn't be more red as they are right now. Spencer's compliment makes you blush like a fool.

"Oh. I'm..I'm glad, that you like it." You stutter out your response, looking at the ground. You carefully wrap the bouquet in the flower wrapping paper and tell him the price of it.

He pays it and before you can say no, he puts a bigger tip than it's normal into the tip jar.

Spencer then slowly leaves thanking you as he goes. And right before the door closes, it looks like Spencer wants to tell you something else, but in the last second he shakes his head and dissappears.

You wave him a shy goodbye, you are a little disappointed even if you don't really know why. Well okay, maybe you do know why. But you shouldn't have put your hopes up, thinking the handsome stranger felt the spark like you did. And that maybe, only maybe, he'd ask you out.

You sigh and sluggishly start to clean up the counter to finally close the shop and go home. The door bell rings again and your head immediately shoots up.

He runs up to the counter, a little out of breath, "shit, I'm sorry to bother you again. I don't usually do this, like ever, it's just....Would you like to go out with me sometimes? Like for a-a coffee? You can say no of course, hell, I'd totally understand if you said no." Spencer's now the one to rumble.

"I-I'd love to," you, surprising even yourself, reply immediately. Cheeks, of course, burning red.

"It's okay- Wait, really?" Spencer was totally expecting you to reject him.

"Yes, really....." you want to say his name.

"Spencer, my name is Spencer," he quickly understands.

"Spencer, " you try out his name," I'd love to Spencer, here." You bravely scramble your phone number on a piece of paper and give it to him.

Spencer takes it with a huge smile, "I'll call you, " he looks like he wants to stay longer, but looks at his watch and curses under his breath," I'm so late. I gotta go, but I'll call you, I promise."

"Bye, Spencer," you say sweetly and Spencer already knows he's fucked. Not even one date and he knows, he's down bad.

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid

[thecasualauthor]

@jilymicrofics March Prompts day one: Troubled

There's something about Lily Evans today that troubles James Potter.

She's quiet, borderline mute. Every attempt he's made to banter with her and to tease her has led to absolutely nowhere, and it's concerning him. His friend (?) usually jumps at the chance to insult and fight with him, enough that they've recently been told off during several of their classes. Not today though. Today she's utterly silent, just glaring at him most of the time.

He watches her most of the day, mingling about their fellow sixth years, a surly expression on her face.

"I think I'm going to talk to her," James says finally, to which both Remus and Peter groan exasperatededly, and Sirius grins maniaclly.

"Please don't," Remus says pleadingly. "You're only going to do something stupid."

"What if her cat died or something?" Peter asks worryingly.

"What, you think I'm going to tease her about her dead pet that we don't even know is dead in the first place?"

"We're just saying," Remus pinches the bridge of his nose, "that she may not be in the mood to talk to you, of all people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" James asks indignantly, and Sirius claps him on the shoulder.

"He means you're an idiot. But know that I, at least, support you one hundred percent."

James scowls.

—

James finally corners Evans in the common room later that night on his way to quidditch practice. She's sitting in front of the big fireplace, arms folded, staring at the fire as if it's personally offended her.

"Alright Evans?" James says lightly. Evans doesn't miss a beat.

“Bugger off, Potter,” she grumbles, and James smirks a little.

“Right to it then.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to know what's up with you,” James replies, as if he hasn't noticed her annoyance. Evans scowls.

“Nothing is wrong with me,” she says, and James tilts his head.

“Really? You seem fairly troubled to me.”

“It's nothing Potter,” Evans says shortly. “It's not as if there's anything you can do about it.”

“Try me,” James says offhandedly, and Evans’ emerald green eyes meet his gaze. She studies him for a moment, and James braces himself. But then she surprises him.

"My sister," Evans finally says simply, "has decided to get married to a walrus."

James blinks. Muggles… are odd. This he knows. But… "Can muggles marry animals?"

"No, Potter," Evans rolls her eyes. "That's just what I call him." James frowns a little, feeling a pang of sympathy for this mystery man.

"Bit harsh on the poor bloke, don't you think?" He says tentatively, and Evans snorts.

"I'd think so too,” she says, “if he didn't insult me every five minutes." James furrows his brow, thoroughly confused.

"And your sister's okay with marrying someone like that?"

"My sister dislikes me about as much as Vernon does. I'm sure they'll be very happy disliking me together."

"His name is Vernon?"

"That's what I said when I first heard of him," Evans mutters in disdain. "He's a horrible person. If he weren't a muggle, I dare say he and Snape would get along swimmingly." James winces.

"That bad?"

"You don't know the half of it,” Evans says solemnly, going back to staring at the fire. “They both can't stand me. The only reason I'm invited to the wedding at all is because of mum. If they had it their way I'd be kicked out of the whole affair completely.” She pauses for a while, and brings her knees up to her chest. “I just… I wonder sometimes if it's even worth it, carrying on like this.”

James studies her for a while, and wonders. How on earth could someone so wonderful be treated so poorly by people who were supposed to care about her. Anger fills him from the inside out at the very notion, and he sniffs.

“Well,” he says, a bit of an edge to his voice. “I personally think you're worth ten of your sister, whatever she says.” Evans looks up at him.

“What?”

“Exactly what I said. “You're a phenomenal witch, Evans, and if they can't see that, it's their loss.” She stares at him. Blinks several times.

“I think I needed to hear that,” she says in a slightly choked voice, and James feels a pang of sadness in his chest at the crack in her tone.

“It's true,” he says firmly. “and if your family doesn't treat you right– well.” He shrugs. “Just let me know and I'll hex them for you.” The corners of Evan’s lips turn up ever so slightly.

“I'll keep that in mind,” she says. James smiles.

“Good.” The clock chimes outside, and they both look out the window. “Better head to quidditch practice, I guess,” James says. “But I'll see you later, alright?” Evans nods slowly.

“Yeah,” she says, voice low. “Yeah, right.”

She's still staring at him curiously, like she can't quite believe he exists. When it's clear she isn't going to say anything else, James whirls around awkwardly and walks away. He's just about to push open the portrait hole when Her voice floats over from the other side of the common room.

“James?”

He stops as the name registers in his head, and he turns, shocked at how much he loves the sound of his name on her lips. “Yeah?’

“Thanks.”

James smiles.

“Any time, Lily.”

#lily evans #lily evans potter #james potter #jple #jily microfic #nothing like a good house competition to break me out of a hiatus AGAIN #Jily #emma floods the jily tag with jily

[aureliaporter]

sleepless nights

summary: a lack of a certain childe means you can't sleep. how do you deal with it?

a/n: i was in ross with my mum and i heard the song "how do you sleep" by sam smith and this idea literally just slapped me across the face lmao

cw: probably cursing, mentions of unaliving, a fly (🤬), a ginger (childe lmao), gn!reader, teasing!childe (kinda?? i think), clingy!childe, sleepy!childe

TICK. TICK. TICK.

you groaned, rolling over in bed to glare at the clock. the seconds hand, ever unaware of your plight, continued to tick, only adding to your anger.

tick.

tick.

tick.

tock.

the moment the minute hand joined the symphony, moving just a hair to the side to demonstrate the passing of another sixty seconds, you cursed, sitting up angrily and throwing the bedsheets off of you.

tick.

tick.

tick.

you left the room, nearly slamming the door behind you but managing to hang on to your temper just enough not to. you leaned against the door, holding your head. you'd been trying to fall asleep for the better part of three hours, but you'd had no luck.

tick.

tick.

tick.

you cursed again, pushing off the bedroom door to stalk off to the kitchen, grumbling about a certain ginger the whole way. of course he'd ruined you enough to the point you couldn't sleep without him. of course.

..

..

..

at the lack of the ticking sound, you practically laughed in - slightly deranged - delight, slumping against the kitchen island. a fruit bowl was set in the center, sunsettias and apples stacked together in a cylindrical pattern. the lights were still off, but the moon was particularly bright - or particularly annoying - tonight, managing to shine in even past your curtains. but to be fair, they weren't blackout curtains.

bzzt.

bz bzzt.

bzt.

you lifted your head, frustration practically pouring out of you as you saw the two flies buzzing around. that was what you got for opening the windows in the summer.

you kept your eyes on the flies, both landing on the edge of the island nearby. with your right hand, you reached for a rag to whack them with, fingers closing around it before you moved quickly, managing to strike down one of them.

now for the other one.

this one seemed more intent on making your life hell, moving before you could even step towards it. your curses flowed freely as you tried to catch it.

"stay still so i can- archons, let me kill you!" you shouted at the fly, too enraptured in your battle to notice a smirking ginger leaning against the refrigerator.

"oh? and i thought i was the one with murderous tendencies," he teased, taking two long strides towards you and snatching the rag from you. "sit back and let me show you how it's done, comrade."

"call me that again and you can sleep at zhongli's instead tonight."

he merely shot you a grin, then focusing on the fly. he went for it once, twice, thr- and then he was off the rails, whacking the rag against anything in an attempt to kill the fly. you folded your arms, watching him with an amused smile as he finally ran out of patience entirely and summoned his water blades - wades? blaters? - to slice it in half.

silence blanketed the two of you before- "don't think for a second i'm gonna clean up those fly guts," you said, backing away with an exaggerated gesture to the floor. "also, what happened to your trip? i thought you were gone for another week?"

he groaned but obeyed, crouching down with a paper towel to pluck up the fly remains. "well, a certain balladeer managed to solo half the mission after some bloke insulted the traveler - y'know, that blonde girl with the floaty thing? who stopped osial? so we all got to go home early. and i know my darling was missing me, so it all worked out perfectly."

you chuckled, shaking your head. "see, i would believe that, if i didn't get a message earlier today from the fatui - do you know them, by chance?" you teased, crossing the room to the stack of mail and plucking off the letter at the top as he paled.

"wait- (y/n), hang on-" he pleaded, trying to snatch the letter from you.

"to the partner of the eleventh fatui harbinger," you read aloud, smirking, "it is my deepest regret to inform you that we have been struck by misfortune and will be returning a week late. you will be pleased to note that childe is uninjured, and will merely be late. bidding you a pleasant evening."

ajax had an awkward look on his face the entire time, eyes slightly widened and lips parting as he tried to think of a response. "w-well-"

"unless you're not ajax, i'm pretty sure you committed treason to the tsaritsa by abandoning your post," you said, folding the letter again. "you're gonna need a pretty good reason why, y'know."

he groaned, moving towards you with barely a moment's hesitation and wrapping his arms around you, embracing you tightly. "i missed you, okay?" he admitted lowly, squeezing you into him. "i couldn't sleep without you there. pantalone noticed and told me to go back, since a distracted agent is as good as a dead one."

you sighed softly, wrapping your arms around his waist. "i get it, hun," you said, stifling a soft smile. he might have thought you were just comforting him, but you really did get it. you'd nearly broken the clock in your shared bedroom just from frustration at a lack of sleep. "shall we head to bed, then?"

he didn't respond immediately, nuzzling his nose into your neck as if he was trying to memorize your scent. "ajax?" you asked, squirming slightly at the feeling.

"yeah, let's go," he said, loosening his grip the slightest bit to tug you back to your bedroom. you climbed onto the bed, stifling a yawn as he changed from his uniform to a baggy pair of pajamas, practically throwing himself on top of you with a grunt.

"geroffme," you groaned, trying to push him off. he listened, rolling onto the spot beside you to wrap you in his arms, pressing his lips against the back of your neck.

"archons, i missed you," he murmured, kissing along your skin. "i could barely think of anything aside from you, lovely."

"in the modern world, they call that 'simping'," you said, taking one of his hands to play with his longer fingers, folding them and stretching them gently, entranced. "i was like that, too. thank the archons i had the past few days off work, or i might've broken something."

he chuckled, his breath tickling your skin. "yeah, thank the archons," he said, stifling a yawn against the back of your neck. "'s it okay if i fall asleep now?" he asked, voice soft and cute and making you just want to squish his cheeks.

"you don't have to ask permission to sleep."

"but i wanna.. stay up 'nd talk to you."

"then stay up and talk to me, hun."

"but 'm tired."

you giggled softly, feeling him shift behind you as he spooned you. "sleep now, and we talk tomorrow. deal?" you offered, interlacing your hands and laying them on the bed, eyes tracking over every scar and mark staining his pale skin. beautiful.

"mkay," he mumbled, nuzzling into you. "i love you," he said, words slurring together sleepily.

a dopey grin tugged your lips up. "and i love you, even if you are a ginger."

he didn't seem to hear the second part of your sentence, falling asleep within seconds against you. and, soon enough, you were falling asleep too.

did this whole thing on my phone so very much a chance the formatting looks wonky!! my apologies :(

please take some sleepy ajax fluff this boy has my heart (i say this after reading ajax angst for like two hours today 😭)

anyways!! have a great day/night!! send in what you wanna see and i'll do my best!! also gonna go on vaca soon so dont know if i'll he able to keep up with posting daily but i will make my best attempts 💚✨

#childe fluff #ajax fluff #tartaglia fluff #childe x reader #ajax x reader #tartaglia x reader #childe x reader fluff #ajax x reader fluff #tartaglia x reader fluff #childe #ajax #tartaglia #genshin #genshin impact #genshin fluff #genshin x reader #genshin x reader fluff #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x reader fluff

[writtenbymisunderstoodnerds]

Distance makes the heart grow fonder (Alyssa Naeher x Reader)

It's been a long month and a bit but things are finally settling down and I'm back! Posting might not be as frequent for a while though I'll try my best to get my motivation back.

I started this like a week after the world cup started, but it's finally finished. Hope you enjoy :)

Words: 4.1K

Two years ago, I made the hardest decision of my life. I left the person I was madly in love with, the person I thought I would marry. Leaving Alyssa was the hardest thing I had ever done, but at the time, I needed to be home.

After my mum had died, my family needed me and I needed them. Even though with Alyssa I was the happiest I'd ever been and she was the most supportive, loving partner. It wasn't enough. We knew we wouldn't survive distance that large so we ended it before the possibility of maintaining friendship was ruined. Even two years later, she was still constantly on my mind, no matter how much I tried to forget about our relationship, it never worked. We still kept in contact occasionally so I guess that didn't help. I could never fully let her go though. 

Missing Alyssa may have been the motivation behind packing up and moving to Auckland for the duration on the world cup. When I lived in Chicago, I trained and worked as a physio, but when I moved back, I never had the motivation to do the things needed to work as one in New Zealand. So instead I just went into security. Maybe it wasn't what I wanted to do, but it was easier at the time. 

I hadn't noticed anyone in the hallway with me, but a voice calling my name stopped me in my tracks. That voice is one I would always instantly recoganise no matter how much time had gone by. 

"Alyssa." We just stood staring at each other for a few seconds before I broke out of the trance. The women I was still madly in love with, was actually standing in front of me for the first time in years. "Do I get a hug Lys or are you just going to stand there?"

Alyssa's arms wrapped around me tightly as she spun me around, I giggled, burying my face in her neck. She refused to let me go when I tried to pull away. I didn't fight it though. After two years without her, being back in her arms was the best feeling in the world. "What are you doing here?"

"Working. I got a security gig for the duration of the world cup."

"Well I'm glad you're here. I've missed you."

"Me too Lys."

A clearing of the throat behind us, made me aware of the fact that we weren't alone. Once Alyssa had pulled away, I was bombarded by hugs from the girls that were on the team when I worked with them. "Alright, alright, I missed you too but please let me go now."

We spent a few minutes catching up, but I had to go before I got in trouble for being late. "I have to go."

"Me too. Come by my hotel later? It would be good to catch up properly." 

"I'll be there. Send me the address."

Later that evening, I was waiting anxiously outside Alyssa's door. Hanging out with Alyssa was a sure way to be hurt again. I had every intention of keeping things friendly, that didn't mean the feelings I had for her had gone away or I wasn't already wishing we could be together again. Two years later, she was still the person who had my heart. Getting to spend time with her made the pain worth it in the end. 

Alyssa opened the door, a small smile appearing as she hugged me quickly, "Thank you for coming Y/n/n."

"Like I would miss spending time with you."

We spent the next hour or so getting caught up on what's been happening in each others lives. Just getting to sit and talk with Alyssa again was amazing. After the initial awkwardness, it was surprisingly comfortable, almost like old times. We used to spend hours sitting or cooking together, while talking about random things. In almost 5 years together, we never ran out of things to talk about.

Alyssa was lying on her back, but when she turned on her side to face me, my heart felt like it skipped a beat. She was looking at me the same way she used to, with so much love and adoration. I quickly looked away before the urge to kiss her got to much. "I thought you were in Wellington with your family?"

"I am, but when I found out you would be in Auckland, I thought I would try my luck and temporarily relocate." I blushed, suddenly embarrassed at the confession. Moving to a different city for over a month in hopes of seeing your ex-girlfriend who you were still in love with, but couldn't have, was a bit ridiculous when you actually thought about it. 

Alyssa tried to hide her smile as she linked her pinky with mine. I didn't even think about pulling away. "You did that for me?"

"Maybe. I kinda missed you."

"I'm really glad you did Y/n/n. I missed you. Even if you weren't here I was hoping to see you anyway."

---

The first and second night went okay, I ended up back in my hotel despite wanting nothing more than to stay. We were trying to maintain some boundaries knowing that we would be apart again soon. On the third night though, that plan failed. Over the course of the movie, I ended up cuddled with Alyssa. Cuddling with Alyssa felt so natural, I barely noticed it was happening until she pulled me closer, kissing my forehead as I started falling asleep. Everything about it was a bad idea, but I gave into my desire and ended up staying. Before I knew it, I hadn't slept in my own bed for almost a week. 

Once again, I woke up in Alyssa's bed. Well, I hadn't actually slept much so I was more just lying there as she slept soundly, arms wrapped tightly around me with our legs intertwined. It had hit me last night that Alyssa would be leaving in a few weeks if not sooner, that we were moving past our attempted boundaries and into relationship territory again. It was going to hurt all over again if we let it continue. 

When Alyssa started stirring, I let myself enjoy her for a few seconds before reluctantly pulling away. Alyssa pouted, letting out a sound of protest while trying to pull me back in. "Lys, we can't keep doing this. It's just going to hurt in the end when you leave."

Alyssa took a few seconds to reply which was expected since she just woke up, but it didn't stop me getting nervous. I still wanted to see her, I just knew it was going to hurt. "I know. The rational side of me is saying to stop, but I would rather enjoy this time with you and deal with the pain. God I wish I never had to leave, even after all this time, I'm still into you."

I felt tears sting my eyes, trying to escape as I turned away to not let her see me cry. We had an almost perfect relationship, sure we fought occasionally, but we understood, trusted, loved and cared for each other unconditionally. We fit together perfectly. Alyssa showed me her soft side, something that she didn't do easily. We were constantly talking about our life together, hell I was a week away from proposing, but I had ruined that when I left. "I'm sorry I ruined us Lys."

Alyssa turned me around, the most sincere yet serious look on her face, "Don't ever apologise for that Y/n. You did what you had to for yourself and your family. It wouldn't have been fair for me to ask you to stay knowing why you had to go. It sucked beyond belief, but I understood then and still do. Please don't blame yourself because I never will."

My brain was telling me no, but my heart won as I lent forward, connecting my lips with Alyssa's. All the feelings, love, butterflies and tingles came back full force. Everything I had felt for her 2 years ago came back just as strong if not stronger. I guess it's true what they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder.

Alyssa cupped my cheek softly, pulling me so I was practically on top of her. Hands slipped under my shirt, my skin feeling like it was burning at the touch. Yet again, I reluctantly placed my hand on her chest, pushing her away.

"You have practice, I have work."

"I wasn't doing anything."

"Bull shit Naeher. I haven't forgotten your tricks."

---

Whatever boundaries we had set, had completely gone out the window after our kiss a few days ago. I hadn't slept in my bed again and there had been a fair few make out sessions. Tonight I had come back to her room after work to find her dressed up in slacks, a button up and a leather jacket. I was confused until Alyssa directed my attention to the clothes laid out on her bed. "Get dressed, I want to take you out tonight."

"Is that any way to talk to a lady Miss Naeher?" 

"My sweet, beautiful Y/n, if you could please change and accompany me on a totally platonic, non-romantic evening?"

I held back my laugh as nervousness started growing on Alyssa's face. It was subtle unless you knew Alyssa like I did. Alyssa could be sweet and caring, anyone who knew her could tell you that, but there was a soft, gentle, loving side to Alyssa that only the people she was in love with got to see. I just happened to be lucky enough to still be that person. "I would love to accompany you on a totally platonic, non-romantic evening."

Alyssa had taken me to a little beach to watch the sunset. It was one of my favourite things from when we were together.  Whenever we got the chance we would go watch the sunset. Whether it was the beach, park or just our backyard, it didn't matter. It was our time away from the world, our way to keep connection with each other even during our busiest times. 

I sat between Alyssa's legs, cuddled as far back into her as possible with a blanket wrapped around us. Maybe winter wasn't the best time to be watching the sunset on the beach, but between the warmth of Alyssa and the blanket, I wasn't feeling the cold yet. 

Alyssa kissed my cheek, breaking the silence with a whisper, "You know I forgot how much more beautiful your are in person than in photos, which is saying something because you look incredible in photos."

I giggled, pecking her lips before settling back to my original position, "I forgot how soft you actually are."

"You know it's only ever been for you."

"It's one of the things I love most about you. I know it's kinda ridiculous, but honestly, I've never felt more special then when I was with you Lys. You made me feel like I was the most important person in your life. I could do anything with you by myside." 

"You are special Y/n. You are one of the most special and important people in my life. No matter what happens or where you are, that'll never change."

There was no response coming to mind that would properly portray what I was feeling, so I just cuddled further into her. The words swirling around my head. I knew this would destroy me, having her back then losing her again, but I was so in love with her, that it didn't matter because even if it was just for a few weeks, I got to be with her again. Alyssa kissed my temple, fingers lacing with mine. "Are you okay Y/n/n?"

"I am. Just enjoying the moment. Even though I don't have the words to describe what I'm feeling, just know you mean the world to me."

"Ditto."

We sat cuddled on the beach long after the sun had set, talking about anything we could think of. The temperature had definitely dropped, my fingers and toes becoming colder the longer we sat there. Alyssa's nose sent shivers through me as she nuzzled it against my neck. I felt the vibrations of her chuckle despite her trying to hide it. "Are you cold darling?"

"Your nose is freezing, but I am getting quite cold now."

Alyssa laced her fingers with mine, wrapping her arms around me tighter, "Me too. I had dinner reservations for us, but I think we've missed them now. How does pizza sound?"

"Pizza sounds amazing. Can we go for a spa afterwards? I think the hotel one is still open."

There was no one else around so I settled myself in Alyssa's lap, head resting against her shoulder as I enjoyed the warmth after hours in the cold. Her fingers traced patterns along my back as I played with the string of her bikini. Everything tonight had taken me back to when I was happiest in life. It took me back to the countless nights spent cuddled with Alyssa, whether it was watching the sunset at the beach, watching tv or reading. They were some of my favourite moments in life. They were intimate and safe, the moments where I felt most at peace and loved. Of course I knew I missed Alyssa, but tonight made me realise just how much I missed those moments. It also reminded me that I only had it back for a limited time. 

Thoughts of moving back started swirling around my mind, but they were joined of thoughts of leaving my family and having to start over again. Honestly, it scared me. What if I decided to do it, then Alyssa didn't want me back? What if we got back together and we didn't work as a couple anymore? I know what we were doing and how we were acting. We're in this weird space of together, but not. 

Alyssa kissed my temple, arms tightening around me, "You've been more quiet than usual since we got back, everything okay?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'm just tired."

"I don't believe you, but I won't push it. Just know if you want to talk about it, I'm here."

I kissed Alyssa's shoulder before cuddling back against her, "I know. It's nothing serious though so please don't worry. Thank you Lys."

---

It was one of those days where there was too much going on in my head. Mostly about the situation with Alyssa, but also the thought of moving back. I had pretty much resigned myself to being hurt when Alyssa left. However, I also felt stuck. My plan was always to go back to the states at some point, I felt like I couldn't leave though. My family was here and after mum dying we had become so much closer. It felt wrong to just leave them again. 

"Hey Y/n. You okay?" Julie asked, steadying me as I almost walked into her. 

"Shit, sorry. I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's okay, I know you're busy."

Julie looked at me like I had just said the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Then she wrapped her arm around me and guided me to sit down, "Never too busy to talk. What's going on?"

I groaned, hiding my face in my hands, "Have you ever done something you know will destroy you, that you know you should stop, but you can't. You can't because you are so in love with that person that the pain is worth it because you get the little bit of extra time with them."

"Alyssa?"

"Yeah. I've never loved anyone as much as I love her. Even after all this time, the feelings I have for her never went away. I miss her like crazy. Hell, I'm thinking about packing up my life again for her. I know I should stop this, not for me, but for her. To stop her from feeling more pain then she needs to. I just can't do it. I don't know what to do."

"Maybe that is the best thing to do, maybe it would save some heartbreak. Though, something tells me that even if you tried, Alyssa wouldn't let you without a fight. During tournaments, she usually does everything to stay focused and in game mode. Sleep overs would never have been an option, but you come along and you're sleeping in her bed every night. Alyssa is obviously happier and seems more free than we've seen her in a long time. She's more focused because of it. Alyssa loves you, you love her, but you need to decide if the pains worth it in the end, that's not a decision we can make for you."

"Yeah I know. Thank you for listening. Can you not tell Alyssa about this conversation?"

"Of course. If moving is something you want to do, what's stopping you?"

I sighed before letting out everything I was thinking about the situation. It felt good to finally be able to talk to someone that was impartial in the situation. That I could just be completely honest with and not have them be upset or get their hopes up. Julie just listened as I talked, offering comforting arm squeezes every now and then. "I know it's scary and you'll miss your family, but you need to do what is best for you. If that means moving back to Chicago then they'll understand. They supported you the first time didn't they?"

"I guess so. Thanks Julie, everything just feels like a mess at the moment, guess I have a lot to think about."

---

It had been days of non-stop thinking. Just when I thought I had decided on what to do, the what ifs started. What if Alyssa was it for me and I wouldn't ever find anyone else? What if my family hated me? What if something happened again and I had to move back? They were just some of the many thoughts that ran constantly through my mind, sending me back to square one every time. Alyssa could tell something was going on, but thankfully wasn't pushing me to talk about it. I didn't want to talk to her before I had things sorted and end up hurting her even more. 

Alyssa had left early this morning, leaving me completely stuck in thought until my phone ringing brought me back. I was planning on ignoring it, but it was my dad so I sucked it up. We went through the normal stuff, how are you? What are you doing etc until he finally called me out.

Are you okay? You sound off.

I sighed, deciding it was finally time to talk to someone in my family about it. You remember Alyssa?

Your ex?

Yeah, well she happens to be here for the world cup and I've been sleeping in her bed pretty much since the world cup started.

Oh right. So what's the problem?

I'm still madly in love with her dad

Okay, so get back with her. If your sleeping in her bed then she obviously feels the same. 

It's not that simple. We live in two different countries, thousands of kms apart.

You could always go back. 

I can't.

Why not? If you love her as much as you claim then make the move Y/n.

But you guys are here, I can't leave you again.

You've done it before. You always said you would make the move back once the time was right and if you ask me the time is right. We're okay. Do you really think your mother is happy that you're not where you want to be just because of her? She was always so proud of you for taking the chance and doing something you really wanted to do. We'll miss you, but please don't hold back for us. You deserve to be where you want to be, doing what you worked so hard for and be with the person you love. You loved being a physio, you worked so hard to get there, please don't let that go to waste.

I'm scared dad

I know, but you've never let that stop you before so why start now? Being scared isn't a bad thing, just don't let it stop you from doing things you want to do. At least think about it okay?

I will. I have to go. Love you.

Love you too Y/n

---

There was a time where I never imagined my life without Alyssa, but it had happened and it was the worst 2 years of my life. With the encouragement from both Julie and my dad, my decision was a little bit easier. Now that I had Alyssa back, I never wanted to let go of her again, even if that meant moving away from my family for a second time. The last thing to do before solidifying the decision was to see if Alyssa was even interested in me moving back. Honestly, that's what I was most nervous about.

We had just gotten back after a game and Alyssa was on the verge of sleep as we cuddled up in bed. Maybe it wasn't the best time to bring it up, but I couldn't wait. The nerves were building too much, almost too much to handle. 

"You played great today Lys."

"Thank you. I'm so ready for our day off tomorrow though."

I kissed Alyssa softly before sitting up, successfully getting her attention. "I know you probably just want to go to sleep, but can I talk to you about something?"

Alyssa sat up next to me, concern starting to show on her face, "Anything."

My fingers laced with hers, bracing myself for whatever her response may be. "I love you Alyssa, I've never stopped and I don't know if I ever will."

"I love you too Y/n, but-"

"I know, I know what you're going to say, but please just listen to me. Back then I didn't have a choice, I needed to be with my family so we could heal together. It's still hurts, but we're living life again. Now I need to live life for me. There's not a day that went by where you weren't on my mind. Where I didn't wish things could go back to the way they were and I could be back with you. I finally got you back Lys and I don't want to lose us again. I want to try again, I want to try us again."

Alyssa looked as if she was processing. I knew it was a lot, but every second that past I was getting closer to freaking out. After what felt like forever, Alyssa squeezed my hand, "What are you saying?"

"If you think maybe you might want to be with me again then I'm ready to move back to Chicago."

"Are you sure? I love you Y/n, but I don't want you to feel like you have to or do something you're not ready for."

"I'll miss my family, but they'll be okay without me. I have the ability to come back and visit more then I did before. I'm serious Lys. This isn't something I just decided on a whim. I've been thinking about this since before the world cup even started, but my dad told me to go. He made me realise I was holding back because I was scared."

Lips collided with mine, the kiss quickly turning salty and tears fell down Alyssa's cheeks, "I love you, I love you, I love you."

I giggled, "So is that a yes?"

"Yes. I would love to try again."

"I need a couple of months to sort stuff out. You know job, housing, visas."

"You can move in with me again, one less thing to worry about and maybe you could get your old job back. I think one of our PTs is leaving after the world cup."

"I was hoping you would say that. I would love to live with you. And I'll get in contact with my old boss, see what he says. Can I just say, no one would ever believe your reaction to this. The stoic Alyssa Naeher could never be so soft."

"Shut up," Alyssa muttered pushing me away slightly only to pull me back next to her again. She turned, letting our a quite sigh as I wrapped my arms around her. It wasn't an everyday occurrence, normally I was the little spoon, but sometimes Alyssa preferred to be held especially when she was tired. I was never going to say no to it though. "So considering I'm going to move back in with you, will you be my girlfriend Lys? Again."

"Hmm I suppose so."

"Good because this would be awkward otherwise. I have one more question before you go to sleep. Do you think you might be able to stick around after the world cup? Even if it's just for a few days, I would like you to meet my family in person."

Alyssa cuddled further against my side, eyes already starting to drift closed, "That could be possible. I would love to meet your family, I'll talk to coach."

#uswnt x reader #uswnt imagine #uswnt imagines #alyssa naeher x reader #alyssa naeher imagine #woso x reader #woso imagines

[georgeweasleyslostearhq]

TOO TIRED

Pairings: Eddie Munson x Fem!reader Summary: you're too tired to do anything and Eddie can't help but suspect something else going on. Warnings: mentions of divorced parents, abuse, crying, SH. blood

the cold evening air of your room tried comforting you, but your body was burning and was useless against the heat of your shaking body.

the silence of your room made your cries echo, sending shivers down your spine.

the way your body shook along with your sobs made you feel pathetic, and it was a given that if anyone saw you like this, they would think the same, that you were absolutely pitiable but didn't deserve the pity.

you were curled up on your bed, crying your heart out at something that anyone would say was small, that there was no reason for crying about.

but there you were, in your bed, your blankets abandoned on to the floor as you wanted to scream in your pillow, the slight lines of blood staining the white of your pillow as it dampened with your tears.

the stinging on your arms and thighs felt 100 times worse than usual.

but you seemed to freeze when you heard the phone start to ring from downstairs.

your mum had left to go to the mall and your brother went out for a run to cool off as your sister was at your dad's house, leaving you alone in your stress and troubles.

you let it ring until it stopped before you felt yourself start to drift off, but it started to ring again.

you lazily got up, sniffling back more tears as you trailed down the stairs to the phone, your feet stomping heavily as your got to the yucky red coloured phone on the wall, you picked it up, taking a deep breath as you heard a sigh on the other line

"____ Residence, how may I help you?" you rubbed your temple, a massive headache starting, making you feel dizzy.

"is that my beautiful girl I've been waiting to hear from?" you heard

"yeah" you said blankly, you surely didn't feel beautiful in the moment, your eyes puffy and a bright, deep red, your hair knotted all over the place as thick red liquid dripping from your wrists.

but Eddie didn't seem phased by your bluntness, he must not have noticed

"so I was wondering if you wanted to come over and hang out, I rented our favourite movie, we could go out to the record store and buy some tapes and we could either go out or order dinner" he suggested

"I'm tired, Eds" you responded, feeling your eye lids getting heavy

"of what, darling?" he questioned, his voice soft and worried, scared of the answer

"everything" you sigh "can we just do this another time, maybe Monday?"

"you're saying it'll take 2 days for you to not be tired? what's wrong darling?" you could hear the concern in his voice as he spoke carefully

"nothing, Eddie, I'm just tired and want to go to sleep, there's nothing wrong, I'm fine" you tried reassuring him.

the last thing you wanted was to make Eddie worried about you, because he's always had it worse than you.

you didn't want to complain about your parents because he didn't have any.

you didn't want to tell him your brother abused you, because he has been abused in almost every way.

you didn't want him to see the scars and fresh cuts on your forearms, because you had seen all of his, and they weren't just thin long dashes.

you didn't want to show him the bruises that scattered around your body, because he wore them almost every day as a kid.

"alright then, well uh- I'll talk to you later then I guess. I love you" he breathed heavily

"love you too" you yawned before hanging up.

but Eddie didn't care what you said, he got his jacket before grabbing his keys of his car, running out to his van before driving to your house, almost speeding.

after the phone call, you couldn't walk up the stairs, your legs gave up after the first step, so you weren't to the next room to lay on the couch, trying to sleep.

the baggy shorts hung low on your hips as your shirt clung to your sweaty frame.

you got up and stalked to the door after hearing the bang on the door.

you opened the door slowly, looking down at your feet. you noticed the dirty white reeboks only inches away from your socked feet,

you looked up quickly to see Eddie staring at you with his eyebrows raised. you went to shut the door but he held it open. his hand gripping the door as he slipped his foot between the door at the frame.

"have you been crying?" he asked, looking in your eyes.

"no" you shook your head, looking away from him

"please talk to me, I'm here for you, you know that" he pleaded, pushing the door open when your hands slipped from the handle

"I'm fine" you huffed

"I don't believe that"

"just go home, please" you begged, folding your arms against your chest, hugging yourself for comfort.

he stepped in the door and shut the door behind him, bringing you into a hug

"we don't have to talk about it" he shrugged

you starting sobbing in his chest as he rubbed the small of your back.

you breathed onto his chest as you grabbed onto his shirt.

"can we go home?" you choked

"this is your home" he responded in a confused manner

"this isn't home, I wanna go to your trailer"

"you don't wanna stay here?" he tilted his head

"please" you cried

"ok, yeah, go get what you need" he stepped away from you, you grabbed his hand and started walking to the front door

"I only need you" you whispered, and even though you were in this state, that still managed to put a small smile on Eddie's face

-

it wasn't until you walked into his trailer that Eddie noticed the scratches, bruises and scars on your body. it wasn't hidden but he was just more focused on your tears than your body

"ok seriously, what happened? what are all these?" Eddie sighed, holding you inches away from him

"is this why you didn't want to stay there?" he questioned

you only nodded as your nose began to feel fuzzy and your eyes starting to sting, you were going to break again.

"I don't wanna stay there, I want them gone" you whined

"who gone?" he leaned down to level with you

"them, My mum, Brother, Dad, Sister. I can't deal with it anymore. don't make me go back" you began shaking again.

"who did this?" he motioned to the marks on your body

"mum blames me for it" you admitted as your lip quivered

"for this?"

"for my brothers behaviour, says I'm gonna be like him when I grow up and keeps yelling and screaming at me" you wept

"she did this?" he rubbed your shoulder, being gentle of the growing bruise on your collarbone

"no" you whimpered "my brother did"

Eddie's jaw clenched as he inhaled sharply

"how often does he uh- hurt you?" he bit his lip, scared of the answer

"this was the second time" you whispered

you reached for him but he noticed your wrists before he pulled you in

"he did that too?" he grabbed your hands, holding them to give him a better view of your forearms

"it's too much, he's yelling and screaming every night, Mum get's mad at me for it and starts yelling at me, I try getting my sister to leave, I don't want it to be like this anymore, I want it to go away" you sobbed

"you did this?" he murmured, his voice barely audible to your ears as you wailed in front of him, your trembling body making it hard for you to stand as you felt dizzy again

Eddie held on your waist lightly, weary for any marks in that area as he led you to his bed and let you rest on his soft dark sheets.

he went to his bathroom, coming back with a dripping rag in his hand, he sat beside you as he held you arms, wiping the semi-dried blood off your wrists

"please don't do this to yourself, you're marking yourself forever with these and you don't want to look down at these in a few years and remember why you got them, I'll always be here to listen to you." he started

"I love you and I'd do anything to make you feel safe, even if it's from your own family. I want you to be happy, even if you somehow get it with me. understand?" he said sternly

"yeah" you nodded, flinching at the slight sting

he leaned in to your head and placed a kiss to your temple

"I'm gonna go, order us some pizza, we can watch a movie, eat ice cream and just go to sleep, that sound good?" he raised his eyebrows

"yeah, great" you yawned, the hot, salty tears dripping into your mouth

Eddie kissed your cheek and he brushed your hair out of your face.

"I'll be right back" he smiled at you warmly. he pulled off one of his rings and slipped it on your finger.

he walked out of his room and you heard him calling the pizza place before you slowly dozed off, your eyelids giving up on staying open.

---------------------------------------------

this was mostly for my comfort because something like that happened to me, but I didn't have anyone to comfort me. anyway, I'm sorry if you don't feel safe in your own home, home is a place where you should feel the safest but that's not always the case.

#eddie munson st #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x shy!reader #eddie munson imagine #stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things fic #comfort fic #x fem!reader #imagines #oneshot #eddie stranger things #joseph quinn #fluff #eddie the hero

[blingblong55]

Just....please stay?- Keegan P. Russ

Based on a request:

GN!Reader, established relationship, angst, cheating

It was nothing but perfect. It was the life you wanted and dreamed of. He was so open, honest, loving, supportive, and caring. At times you felt as if it was all just a dream. The only times things would get hard were when he was away for work. But when he would come back, it was nothing but happiness. His arms would wrap around your waist, his head nuzzled in between you neck and shoulder. He would give you kisses all over your face, each time repeating 'I Love you's '. And he meant them all. You and him had met days before you started Uni. He was walking to a bar when your friend accidentally bumped into him and caused him to drop his phone.

Your friend from embarrassment kept walking, you stayed behind and made sure his phone was all fine. Since that day, you two went on dates. Got to know each other and when he met your parents, he knew he must ask for permission so he could be more than just your friend. To your surprise, your dad was more than happy, months later, your dad would get calls from Keegan. You mum would get random visits, he and her would talk for hours. Your siblings loved him.

For six years this was all he offered. Not once did he ever raise his voice, or even dare to show how angry he was at something you said. You eventually moved in together. It was a small yet comfortable flat, it was all either of you needed. He was always so soft and emotional around you. It was rare for others to see him like this, but..in some ways it was beautiful how you two matched each other.

"My love, I want you to know how much you mean to me. I know I say it too often, and it can get annoying, but it's the truth. R/n, I absolutely love you. I love how you see the kindness in others. I love it when you hug me, when you make silly jokes and how much you laugh at mine. I have no idea what I did to have you, but I promise I will keep doing just that to keep being worth your love."

His eyes so sincere and kind. He truly was someone else with you, but whats a fool if not in love? "One day, I'm going to marry you, I'm going to work very hard to earn the title of being your husband, I just know I can. Can you promise me you will work hard too? So we can be worthy of those titles?"

It was the words, the way he'd make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. It was his way of showing you, you were truly his on and only. Yes there were fights, but after, he would talk to you about them. "I know baby, I know. let it out, " he would say as he held you close in his arms, "I want you to know that despite this little moment, my way of loving you hasn't changed, I know I said mean things and you did too, but thats okay. I love you, you know that right?" Always made sure you knew what you meant to him. Never did he ever want to go away while you two were upset at the other. If you were sleepy, but recently had an argument, he would make coffee or tea, and you two would talk things out all night.

But now things were different. You and him were sitting on the couch, watching some sitcom. He looked at you in awe, "you know, you are so important to be, max (I think this is a GN name,..so lets keep it as that). I really do love you." He smiled. You weren't the one to make a big fuss over little things. And since you both always talk about things, you just asked him. "Keegan? who's..who's max?" You looked at him with just a tiny bit of,,sadness? or perhaps confusion.

"Oh..sorry..I meant r/n, sorry." His face slightly red, he didn't even notice he had called you someone else's name. "who is this..max?" You sat straight up, leaving his arms in the process. He chuckles, "oh you cant be possibly upset?". "Who. Is. Max?" you asked once more. Why was she ignoring the question.

He sighs and looks away for a second. "You'll hate me if I tell the truth."

"who is max, Keegan?" your eyes became teary.

"max,...max is..well," he couldn't bring himself to tell you the truth, "I fucked up r/n, I'm sorry, its just that I was feeling alone and sad."

"why?" you asked immediately as you wiped the tears that fell from your eyes.

"we had that argument and,,,, you and I weren't talking...and you left to your friends and...well..I needed someone" His voice shaky as he too started to cry. "I'm your boyfriend/girlfriend Keegan. You come to me! Not anyone else. We talk things out, we don't go and sleep with others, we don't fuck up like this"

"please..please forgive me?" "what else did you do?" "it was just once" "and what if we have another argument and I leave to my friends for longer..will you see max again?" "what! no, I promise I won't, I'm your r/n, just yours" His lips quivering and he tried to reach your hands. You stood up, he grabbed your wrist, he fell on his knees to the ground. "please don't leave..I love you r/n, I really do." "if you really loved me, you would've never fucked someone just because you were lonely" "I know I messed up, but please give me another chance, I'll do anything you tell me, anything...just....please stay?" "fuck you." you pushed him and went to your shared room. You closed the door behind you. He stayed on the ground, holding himself close as he cried. "what have I done? I Ruined the one person who saw me for me..I fucked up.." he cried and cried until he fell asleep. You sneaked out and drove to your friends place.

The entire time you tried to wipe the tears as you thought of all the little things you two had shared. The intimacy of being held close, having him whisper sweet nothings while you two danced in the kitchen after hours. His sweet little kisses, that to others were nothing but with each one, he would declare his love for you. How much he loved when you would randomly ask him questions. "hey Keegan...hey Keegan?" "yes, my love?" "do you know why the Taj Mahal was built?" "Hey Keegan?" "yes, my love?" "if unicorns aren't real,,,then who made them up" "I dont know, my love, want me to look it up"

"Babe? have you ever seen a brown cat? Like not a dark brown cat, or a ginger cat..just a brown cat" How he absolutely let you ask them all, and when he didn't have the answers at the time, he would look them up and tell them to you as you two slept. He was comfort and a home. You were never this talkative with any one else, ever, but with him...you could ask anything or say anything and he'd still look at you with a warm smile and answer as best he could. It was more than love, it was more than two fools falling deeper into it. It was a luxury to feel and have what you to did. It was a love war, it wasn't fair at the end, but at moments, it was comfort and peace.

That was you.

That was him.

It was short lived, but it was love for what you knew.

A/N: okay...but hear me out, listen to some sadder Coldplay songs and you have a river of tears...anyways, did I hope it was angsty enough.

Also anon, I hope you liked it

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

#cod mw2 #cod x reader #cod #mwii #keegan russ x reader #keegan x reader #keegan russ ruined my life #keegan russ #cod keegan #keegan russ x you #keegan p russ #keegan x you #keegan x gn!reader #ghost team #cod modern warfare #cod mwii #mw2 #call of duty #modern warfare 2 #ghost cod #keegan

[echo-exanimo]

a snippet from the fic im writing

speeding bullet content ahead!!

its a lil angsty but im havin fun with it hehe

for a touch of background, scout noticed snipers last name on an item earlier which is Why he knows that. just. for reference.

"Yeah, mate, not a problem. Let me start some tea."

---

A knock at his door woke Sniper with a start. It was dark outside, hardly time for anybody to be up and about. He slid from his bed, pistol in hand as he went to the door.

"Who's there?"

"...Snipes?" Came the quiet reply.

Sniper set down the gun on a nearby ledge, unlocking the door with a questioning look. "Roo? Why're you out here at this hour?"

"Uhhh," Scout scratched the back of his head. "Couldn't sleep. Ya mind if I-"

The two sat in silence as Sniper started a kettle and set aside a few mugs.

"Y'mind tellin' me why you're out here at..." He checked the clock. "4 in the bloody morning?"

"I told ya. Can't sleep." The easygoing smile he shot the Sniper didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Right." Sniper decided not to press it any further. They could talk over a few mugs of tea.

More silence. It felt stifling without Scout's near constant chatter, the way his presence didn't seem to take up the entire room and instead hardly took up the space of his body.

Sniper stirred a spoonful of honey into one of the mugs before turning and offering it to Scout. "Here. Chamomile." He tipped his head a bit at Scout. "My mother used to make it for me. Helps you ease up a bit."

"Sounds good." He took the mug, and Sniper was struck with how strange his hands looked when they weren't wrapped for work. He sat down across from Scout with a sigh, figuring if he didn't speak, the other man would eventually.

"...Snipes?"

"Mm?"

"You ever think about, uh, home?" His eyes darted to the ground before he looked back up. "Like... The people you miss? Wonder if they'd be proud?"

"Well, my mum and dad don't particularly appreciate my line of work..." He twiddled with the spoon in his mug, mixing even though the honey had long dissolved. "Didn't really have too many others."

"Oh."

Scout fell quiet again, sipping his tea thoughtfully.

"Well, I... I miss my ma. I worry about her, y'know?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's been a while since I've been home, she doesn't know where I am... Been a while since we talked."

"Is that what's buggin' ya?"

Scout looked down. "No, not really."

Sniper placed down his mug and watched Scout carefully as he began to speak again.

"It's my brothers. They, uh... These dogtags, y'know?"

His words were scattered in a characteristically Scout way without any of the energy. It made sense, but for a second Sniper didn't quite catch it. The Scout didn't often talk about his background.

"I just can't imagine how worried my ma must be, the third of her sons to disappear into a war she can't know about. She doesn't know I die every single day, she doesn't know what I do, she doesn't know any of it."

Scout looked uncomfortable, scuffing his feet against the legs of the table. "I wanna go home for a bit. Just let her know I'm okay. She doesn't have to know it all, just know I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." His voice got progressively quieter as he spoke, a far cry from the Scout he'd been just a few hours ago, rowdy in the lounge with the rest of the guys, cards and booze and raucous laughter.

"Mate..."

"Nah, nah, I- I know it's kinda dumb. Like. We all have people back home. I just worry for my ma. I should call her tomorrow." He took a long drink of the tea.

Another long silence, but this one felt a little less quiet.

"...If you'd like," Sniper winced at the sound of his own voice breaking through the quiet. "you can stay here for the night. If the company would help at all."

"...Yeah. Thanks."

"Not a problem." He nodded once and stretched. "Can I get you anything else?"

"Uh... Nah, I don't think so. Thanks, Mundy."

The Sniper stood still, having stood to start cleaning.

"Sorry. Shit. I can, uh-"

"No. No, it's fine, I'm just... Not used to hearing that name. Not anymore. But. It's Mick. Mick Mundy."

"..Jeremy Gallagher."

"Irish, mm?"

"Yeah. Irish."

The two were quiet for a moment longer before Sniper continued, empty mug in hand to place into the sink. "Blankets are in the drawer beside you."

"Alright. Yeah, thanks."

Sniper retreated to his bed, quietly groaning as he got settled. "Don't wake me up too early, now."

"No way. I'm tired enough as is."

This earned Scout a tired laugh. "Right then. I won't worry with the alarm. Five minutes to get ready work for you?"

"Yeah."

#tf2 scout #speeding bullet #sniperscout #speedingbullet #sniper x scout #tf2 #tf2 sniper #fanfic snippet!!

[v3nusxsky]

Right I need a good hurt/comfort fic cause my parental issues are kicking my ass atm. If you don't mind could you please write a Larissa weems x non-binary reader where r is a student (of legal age of course) where r and Larissa are in an established relationship but haven't taken the next step in their relationship yet. During parents weekend both of r's parents end up coming despite them being separated since r was a little kid so typically they take turns. This is the first time Larissa has properly gotten to meet them both and together so when r's dad shows up drunk and their mum's deadnaming them, larissa is concerned to say the least. Throughout the weekend it gets worse and they are both constantly and very loudly fighting about anything and everything while using r as their mediator. Larissa notices how different r is from their parents since r is very reserved and logical to the point of coming off as cold to people who don't know them well but before Larissa can think too hard about that r comes bursting into her office and immediately starts to kiss and undress her. Larissa is happy r wants to finally take the next step but is very confused at why now and why r is letting their emotions get the best of them so forces r to stop and talk to her. This leads to r breakdown in Larissa's arms (something she's never seen before) and explains that they can't handle their parents anymore and they just need Larissa to make r forget about them. Feel free to end it however you like, thank you!

Make me forget| h&c slight 18+

*Authors note~this fic has been haunting my brain bc I want to do it justice and I hope I have now that it's really ready to post.*

Trigger warnings~ non binary r family issues sexualising one's self, sex as a coping mechanism meltdowns drunk dad separated parents dead naming

Prompt~see ask^^^^

❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆❆

Parent's weekend was something you'd been anxious for now for the past week, your parents would attend for your youngest sibling Dahlia while having no idea that you taught here. Not only that but that you go by your chosen name not your dead name. They also weren't privy to the knowledge that you happened to be dating the principal. Larissa Weems loved you for what you are on the inside, not the name you were born with or what gender you resonate with. You are you, and that's why she loved you. Together you both knew what it felt like to be misunderstood for what you are and that's why you would always try to prevent these things occurring in Nevermore Academy.

Larissa knew of your sister, but your sister had yet to stumble across you, you'd actively been dodging her since her arrival. So we one safe kiss of reassurance you both headed down to begin parents weekend. Your mother was first to arrive, as emotionless as she always was until she laid eyes on Dahlia, only when she caught sight of you did her eyes darken in anger and she muttered, "Lia? Who's that thing over there?" Ouch, but before she could even turn to see you, your dad came stumbling through the gates, three sheets to the wind. Truly nothing had changed here.

As a child you spent every week bouncing from house to house and parent to parent but neither provided you with the love and care you deserved. Your dad was always drunk or hungover, there's no middle here. Your mother took things hard when you came out, refusing your new name, "I named you for a reason, that's your name! Not whatever monstrosity you came up with" her words stung, you spent ages souring the internet for the perfect name. And she didn't even hear what you choose, just dismissed you straight away.

Right away your parents are way to busy arguing to notice you approaching them until your sister screams you're new name and runs into your arms. "I missed you Lia bug" you murmured into her ear before whispering, "I work here now bug" which caused your sister to beam back at you. "What are you doing here?" Your mother almost snarled at you. Of course she dead named you. Your dad chirped in about how a creature like you shouldn't be working in schools where you influence children. After all he blamed your mother and she blamed him. You and Lia were always caught in the crossfire, just how it always has been.

By the end of the evening you'd had enough so you set off in search for your girlfriend. Barging in through her the mahogany doors and immediately stormed over to your unsuspecting love. You immediately gabbed the lapels of her blazer and smashed your lips to hers in a hurry, hands tugging at her clothing and your own in a desperate blind need to feel something, anything.

At first Larissa reciprocated the desire until she realised this felt wrong, you'd both spoke about how the first time together would go and this wasn't it so the fact you were trying to rip her dress from her body, you'd removed your own shirt before Larissa managed to brace her hands on your shoulders, "hey hey hey love, slow down darling slow down. Talk to me" she murmured as you attempted to avoid her gaze. Those words was all it took for you to start sobbing, "I'm sorry I'm sorry so so sorry I'm god sorry" over and over again as you collapsed.

As Larissa came to hold you after wrapping her blazer around you she began to realise just how much you were the opposite of your parents. You had never broken down like this before so whatever they did was clearly bothering you and it hurt her heart to see. "Can't do this they just Ris help make me feel. Please need to feel good please Ris make their words go away make it all better please." You mumbled over and over as you sobbed into her shoulder. A soothing hand rubbing circles on your back as you cried it out. Larissa promised herself here and now that she would never let your parents hurt you ever again. For the rest of the evening Larissa doted on, drew you a bath and got a some snacks, just held you and showered you in love and comforting words.

Word count~ 1085

#anon answered #v3nusxsky answers #larissa weems #larissa x you #principal larissa weems #larissa weems x reader #larissa x reader #principal larissa weems x reader #weems x reader #principal weems #weems #🫀 anon #requested fic

[canirove]

I don’t like you, Mason Mount | Chapter 5

Previous chapter | Next chapter

Masterlist

"Do I really have to go?"

"Yes."

"But..."

"No buts, Dani. This is our last day here, and we must follow our tradition. We must do it for mum."

"But I don't feel well" I complain.

"You've been saying that for days, but you are lying. Why? I don't know. Maybe you are avoiding that boy you made out with."

And Monica is not wrong. Even though Mason and I have been texting and even facetimed a couple of times, I don't want to cross paths with him.

"I think I caught something."

"You didn't catch anything. The stupidity and stubbornness have been part of you since you were born."

"Hey!" I say, throwing her a slipper.

"See? You are fine. So put on a nice dress and let's go have dinner."

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"You know, I still get emotional coming here" my dad says when we walk into the restaurant. This used to be mum's favourite place, the one where we've been having dinner on our last day of holidays since both Monica and I were little. And as a tribute to her, we've kept coming here.

"Mummy, is that..." Lola whispers, pointing to a table to our left.

"Hello there" Mason says. Mason. What the hell is he doing here? And tonight? "What a coincidence!"

"Indeed" my sister says. "It's really nice to see you again."

"You too" he replies. "Sir."

"Hello, Mount" my dad says, shaking his hand.

"And hello to you too."

"Hi" I mutter.

"Why don't you sit with us?" Mason offers.

"Oh, no, we don't want to bother you and your family" Monica replies.

"You won't be" Mason's mum says. "Please, come sit with us."

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"I'm going to the bathroom" I whisper to my sister. We are almost done with dinner, and I can't wait to get out of here. Because for some odd reason, my family and Mason's are loving each other. They are even talking about meeting in London once we all are back!

"Don't take too long, we haven't had dessert yet."

"I'll try" I say, getting up.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"Oh, I'm so sorry" I say after hitting someone when I leave the bathroom.

"It's just me, don't worry" Mason says.

"What are you doing here?"

"Going to the bathroom?" he chuckles.

"And the restaurant? How did you know that we were coming? I never told you anything."

"It’s just a coincidence."

"It is too much of a coincidence."

"But coincidences do happen" he shrugs.

"And with us, they are over. After tonight, we aren't seeing each other ever again."

"Are you sure?" he asks with a smile.

"Yes, I am. I've already told you I'm not interested on anything that has to do with you."

“Then why do you keep replying to my texts?”

“That’s over. I’m deleting your number.”

"Welll, it’s a shame. Your family seems to like me a lot."

"God knows why" I scoff.

“Daniela, why are you so stubborn?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest, something that makes his muscles be more noticeable, making me stare at them. Why am I staring?

"I don't know, my sister says I was born like that” I reply, trying to look somewhere else.

"So you don't want to see me ever again?"

"Nope."

"Are you sure? Because if you say no, this is it. We will not see each other again. You may see me on tv, but that'll be it. I'm not wasting my time anymore."

"What? You are wasting your time?" I chuckle.

"Yes, I am. I am wasting my time with you. Because even though I know I've made you change your mind about me, you are too proud and stubborn to admit it."

"I have not changed my mind about you. I still think you are overrated, not as charming and funny as you believe yourself to be, and definitely not that handsome."

"Ha!" he laughs. "You weren't saying the same the other night when I was between your legs."

"That was a mistake that won't happen again" I say, trying to not raise my voice.

"Keep telling that to yourself” he laughs again. “But you are right, it won't happen again. It's over."

"Good."

"Great."

"Fantastic."

"Splendid!"

"Wonderful!"

"Sensational!"

"Congratulations, you've won this stupid game of words" Mason says, rolling his eyes.

"Thank you" I reply with a big smile.

"Daniela..." he sighs after a few seconds of silence, running a hand through his hair. "I'm only asking once, and this will be it. Are you sure you don't want to see me again? Like, 100% sure?"

100%? Hell no. I'm doubting everything right now. Even my name.

"I need an answer, Daniela. And I need it now. Because my season is about to start, and I need to be focused, not constantly thinking about you."

He is... thinking about me? What?

"Don't look so surprised" he chuckles. "You know I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since Christmas. You have something that... I don't know, I can't explain it. But I'm done fighting. I know you are worth it, but sometimes the best thing you can do is to give up. So tell me. Are you sure you don't want to see me again?"

"I..." Did Mason Mount just confess that he has feelings for me? Me? Why?

“I need an answer.”

And I can’t think straight. The butterflies are moving like never before, threatening to rip apart my chest. But at the same time, I feel so scared… No, not scared. Terrified.

"Well, your silence says it all. We won't see each other again" he says, walking past me.

"No, Mason, wait..." But it is too late. He's already inside the bathroom and he can't hear me. It’s over.

#mason mount #mason mount fanfic #mason mount imagine #football fanfic #football imagine

[writingsfor-u]

Something to hold onto.

suhyeok x reader.

Genre: Angst? maybe

Was it really worth it, to hold such a grudge?

_____

It was another dreadful day. You woke up to find your brother Dae Su trying to get into your genshin account this morning. Luckily he didnt succeed.

'Its 5am' you groan in annoyance not wanting to go to school.After you brushed your teeth,you put on your school uniform and head straight to breakfast.

At breakfast you smack your brothers head for wanting to get into your genshin account.

"AISH..WHAT WAS THAT FOR" your brother said.

"thats for messing with my genshin account earlier" you replied annoyed. "well sorry geez.."

he said rubbing his head to ease the pain "Yah..be grateful i didnt beat you up." you then scold "yeah, yeah im sorry" he continued.

____________________________________

You arrived early with your brother perusual.

You went to your seat next to namra.

you were still confused on why people disliked her so much. She's so sweet and pretty. She might be cold at first but when you get to know her shes actually very comfortable to spend time with.

"Hi Nam-ra" you smiled at her

"Oh, hello sorry i didnt really notice you coming inside" she smiled back

"its okay"

"Hey Nam-ra did you bring any snacks today?"

you said giving her your best puppy eyes.

"Of course, I knew you'd ask" she looked in her bag to find your favourite snack.

"here."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

______________________________________

Your day was going great till he came in. Lee su hyeok. Gosh you could list what was wrong with him for hours. He is so reckless and messy. And worst of all he doesnt even wear socks to school.

You got in a bad mood by just looking at him.

He looked at you and teased you "what got you in such a bad mood there sweetheart."

his friends gave an oooooo sound.

I rolled my eyes at them "you" i said and returned to eat my snack Nam-ra gave me.

He dramatically put his hand to his heart, acting like he'd been hurt. What a sick bastard. I payed no attention to them though.

____________________________________

*Time skip to lunch*

You were walking with namra talking about the upcoming test and what questions would most likely come out.

"Nam-ra, let's study at your place? I am sure your mum wouldn't mind, since she's in a business trip anyways."

"Fine. But you have to promise me that we are really studying this time. No more outside talk, just study." She said rolling her eyes playfully.

"Yes! I promise!" You said excitedly.

You didn't really notice you were walking into a person until you bumped into someone. Embarrassed, you apoligised.

"sorr-"you said before realising who you really bumped into. Meeting his eyes, making your expression harden.

"No need to apoligize my dear" He said so smoothly, it annoyed you to the brim. With his sly, boyish grin - he thinks he's so good.

I rolled my eyes at him, not even caring to respond. Taking back my apology in silence.

Honestly the only thing that made you dislike him was what happened when you were younger.

before you started disliking him , he was actually a good friend of yours.

______

flashback

you remembered it vividly. That day he took your bracelet your sister gave you before she moved to a diffrent country across the globe. The bracelet was very dear to you because you can't really see her most of the time. She was a very kind older sister even though she could be very protective and strict, you still adored her.

How you hated him. How can someone be so cruel? your younger self thought.

"HEY GIVE IT BACK." you snapped, feeling the rage in you growing. Over the course of your childhood you weren't really a kid who would fuss about silly things, but when you were provoked - patience ran thin.

"And what are you gonna do if I dont?" he smiled smugly, acting like he had won a prize.

"This."

He whimpered once your boots met his knee, falling to the ground in pain. He then threw the bracelet into the river nearby, getting retaliation for a sort of victory that would satisfy himself.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" you yelled, not expecting him to do that out of all the people you knew. Kicking him was one thing you'd always had done when you'd get annoyed by his antics but this was just borderline rude.

He got up and looked at you stunned not knowing what to do. His face mixed with regret and remorse, why'd he'd done that? he wasn't even sure with himself.

You cried running into the river, to try saving the bracelet from getting washed away by the currents. It was nearly impossible to find it as it was already getting dark.

"I-" the boy stuttered not knowing what to say .

You were frustrated to think about anything, to think about what to say, what to feel, what to do. He could've done this differently, but he didn't.

"I hate you." you turned to him, your expression shown nothing less than disappointment.

you ran back home crying to your mother and your brother confused.

________________________________________ flashback end♧

You didn't want to talk to him nor see him. You turned past him ignoring his looks on you.

"why are you in such a hurry?" he questions.

"Its better if you leave us alone" Nam-ra steps in, knowing the story about the two.

"no, with all due respect, president, I need to talk to y/n." the boy said

"no?" you say getting irritated just by listening to his voice, how can one be so.. ignorant? can't he read the room?.

"How could you be so..selfish? you're messy and reckless. You can't be trusted, and you only care about yourself. Are you stupid? or are you just playing dumb? I clearly do not want to be near you. I thought I had shown you many times how I do not want anything to do with you. You're ridiculous, rude and overall ruthless. Not to mention how you joined the group of bullies, what did you do with them anyways? smoke weed? drink?. Hell who am I to ask, I could care less." you said in a fit of anger. Something you had bottled up for years.

Lee su hyeok's pov:

I was surprised to hear what they had said about me. Sure I was all of those things back then. It was clear they hadn't seen how I have already changed for the better, it was clear she didn't care if I did or not.

It hurts alot, seemingly because I had changed for them. I wanted them to see me. To notice how great I had become, how punctual I can be, how reliable, how loyal, how I really, truly, and deeply wanted them to reconsider us.

I frowned and shook my head. The disappointment I felt for them.

"You're not so better yourself. Just think about what you had done. Stop being a hypocrite. Just like me, you'd also done some things that are considered unforgivable to some."

They scoffed at what i said, it's like as if they don't know how to respond. If they don't want to fix this then there's no point in trying.

__

Repost from wattpad.

#lee suhyeok x reader #all of us are dead #aouad imagine

[newtonsheffield]

Omg Molly, I ADORE 'hurst like heaven' 😍 it's so sweet, funny and sexy 😈

I can imagine Anthony, 6 months later of be together, having a mental breakdown because Kate said to him on the phone that they have to talk. And when they are at her's he's begging her to not leave him… Kate's reaction is like 'Omg I love this idiot'… it could be really funny 😂

Oh this would absolutely kill him.

Kate kissed him quickly before they went their separate ways at work one morning with a "Hey do you wanna come back to mine tonight? I have something I wanna talk to you about."

Anthony tried to be calm when he nodded, "Um yeah, yeah, cool, I'll just um- I'll go back to mine and get changed and I'll pick up dinner and we'll talk?"

"Yeah sounds good." Kate said quickly, seemingly oblivious as she waved her assistant, Sophie over to start their day, "Have a good day, Babe."

Anthony tried not to think about it all day. Tried not to put inflection on her words that weren't there. Tried to tell himself he was imagining it wrong when he heard her sad sigh, Anthony, we need to talk. He'd even desperately texted Edwina

He gave up, walking slowly back to the apartment he shared with Edwina, slowly changing, slowly collecting their dinner and an ice cream for her dog hoping that might make her take pity on him. Anxiety was churning in his stomach as he knocked on her front door, shifting awkwardly as he waited for her to answer.

She looked confused when she did, her eyebrows furrowed as she took him in. "Did you forget your key?"

Newton yipped happily, bouncing excitedly in front of Anthony, noticing the ice cream he was sure was for him. Anthony crouched in front of him, a little glad of the distraction. "Um, I didn't know if you wanted me to do that."

He couldn't see Kate's face, could only hear her silence as Newton's tail wagged happily, licking his scoop of ice cream.

"O...kay." Her voice was quiet, her hands tugging the food from his hand gently before her footsteps retreated towards the kitchen, her throat clearing as Anthony straightened, slowly turning towards her.

His chest felt tight, as he took her in, her hair piled high on her head, already in her pyjamas, her contacts removed and glasses on, the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life. He'd known that since he was thirteen. He'd never know anyone else like her.

"How was your day?" She was looking at him curiously, stood in the middle of the room with his coat still on when usually he would have thrown his coat off and already had his arms around her.

"Please don't break up with me!" The words left him in a panic, his fists clenched at his side and his heart slowly shredded itself in his chest.

Kate froze, her shoulders stiff for a moment before her head whipped back towards him, eyes wide. "What?"

Anthony forced himself forward, closing the space between them, desperate to make her change her mind. "I get it, okay? I'm kind of an idiot and I have a lot of responsibilities with my family, but I love you Kate and I'll- I'll tell my Mum I can't help out with the kids anymore-"

"Ant, I-"

"No Kate, please just listen. I've loved you since I was thirteen and I can be the person you need! Just tell me what you want, and I'll be it! I'll cut my hair differently, or I could work out more, or-"

"Anthony!" Kate's voice cut over the top of his, her hands firm on his shoulders, "I'm not breaking up with you."

His heart stopped, "You aren't?"

Her thumb smoothed over his cheekbones as she shook her head. "No. And I love how much you love and support your family okay? I would never want you to be anyone else, and definitely not for me. I love you."

Anthony relaxed, wrapping his arms tightly around her, a sigh of relief escaping him. "I love you too."

Neither of them spoke for a long moment, both of them enjoying the closeness.

"Sorry, what did you actually want to talk about?"

Kate hummed gently, pulling back, her fingers in his hair, pushing it back from his forehead. "Well I was going to try and convince you later with some very pretty lingerie, this was just a disguise, but my lease is up soon, and I know yours is too so I wanted to talk about maybe moving in together?"

Anthony's mouth fell open, his head nodding of its own accord. "Yes, yes! Absolutely, Yes! Let's get somewhere together. I'll start looking!"

Kate chuckled softly, her lips on his. "Are you sure?"

"I have never been more sure of anything in my whole life."

"Okay, let's start looking."

"Do I... still get to see the lingerie?"

"If you're a good boy."

"I'll be the best boy then."

#hurts like heaven #kathony #anthony x kate #kate sharma #kate sheffield #anthony bridgerton #molly’s asks and answers

[at1nys-blog]

Old and new friends

A/N: Alice in borderland season 2 spoilers so don't go further in reading this if you don't want spoilers. You have been warned if you read and get mad at me don't, it was your choice to ignore my advise. By the way I loved this show from beggining to end.

Masterlist

Pairing: readerxChishiya; readerxAnn; readerxKuina

Summary: ending up at the hospital as a patient was not in your plans today.

You had been friend with Chishiya since you had memory and the fact that you had been neighbors helped and something you found amusing was the fact that you and him ended up in the same class from kidgarden to high school and then ended up working in the same hospital.

Your parents not only were your first supporters in everything they both of you did but they were also very pressuring about your friendship, always throwing the idea for the two of you to bring your relationship on the next level.

The day started as always, your mother called you for breakfast and then started with her little show "you and Chishiya look good together" and "can you immagine how beautiful your kids would look like?"

-MUM STOP IT.- you almost choked on your natto and rice at what she said even tho you had to see it coming. Since you told them about that young girl killed just some days ago, your mum started to feel paranoide and asked you to speed just in case something bad had to happen to you. You remember rolling your eyes and told to calm down and that nothing was going to happen to you.

Once you stepped out of the metro station, in Shibuya you texted Chishiya advising him of the new idea your mother had but before you could even send it flew away out of nowhere. The only thing you remembered was just the hit of air sending you flying off of your feet and a loud sound you didn't understand what it was from.

Waking up the next day felt weird, mostly because you never thought to end up in a hospital's bed, let alone in the one in your working place. The first thing you heard the second you opened your eyes was your mother and father crying, you slowly moved to their side, head still feeling heavy, you thought it was more for the medications they gave you.

-Hey.- you said softly and you regret it so much because your mother started lecturing you for the scare you gave them. -is not like I planned it.- once again she started screaming at you it wasn't the time to joke about it. -sorry, but at least I'm okay.- just then your mind went to Chishiya, he was supposed to be in Shibuya as well at the time of the accident so he either was somewhere in the hospital or... You didn't want to think about it. But before you could even think of the worst case scenario your father reassured you he was okay.

Happiness filled your body head to toe, you felt like a big weight got lifted off of you in a second. Once your parents were forced to leave the room you decided it was the right moment to visit your dear best friend but apparently your roomate decided you weren't going anywhere because she started to ask questions, you didn't mind, you find it kinda cute especially when you noticed her parents didn't come to visit today.

When she asked if your father talked about your boyfriend it did make you feel some type of ways, you thought it was just weird when people reffered to your only close friend as your boyfriend but you shrugged it off.

-He was talking about my best friend. We have known each other since ever basically. You are here because of the meteorite too?-

-Sadly yes but I don't think it was that bad.- she laughed at it, you nodded understanding what she said, I mean you two were in the same boat right now. -I have a question, do you like him?- you were confused, why she would ask you such a thing when she knew nothing of you? -I was just curious because of your reaction, that's it.-

-Is okay, don't worry. I like him I always liked him.- you started talking about him not realizing it, but your roommate never tried to stop you, on the other hand, when the third patient in the room asked you to shut up she send daggers her way, the girl rolled her eyes and went back to sleep. -Oh my god, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm y/n and you are...-

-Kuina, I'm Kuina. I really don't want to stop your little story rn but do you want to get something to eat, I can't keep eating what they give me.-

-I just know the perfect place.- you decided to let her know about your secret place and share your snacks with her, you felt you could be have a good relationship with her so why not start in the best way possible.

On your way to your secret snack spot you kept talking and the more you talked, the more you liked her. A voice caught you off guard and you just rolled your eyes at your friend being a nuissance as ever.

-Kuina this is my friend Chishiya. Shiya meet Kuina my roommate.- they bowed slightly to each other and you kept looking around hoping no one would see you and your new friend in a restricted area. -Do you do spicy?-

-I'm sorry do you have ramen in here? You are not sup..-

Kuina shushed him for you, saying that she didn't mind some spicy noodles after an antire day of sleep. She also asked you if you had some extra cheese just in case and your eyes shined like never before. She was going to be your best friend period.

-I swear, if they find your little secret I will not have your back.- Chishiya said, leaving the room next, Kuina laughed at him and then came to see what else was avvailable in that shrine of yours.

Kuina kept asking questions and you you kept answering them, it wasn't akward at all, even because you were able to skip some if you felt like not wanting to share too much.

The girl looked behind you for a split second, you didn't notice to be honest, too immersed in your spicy ramen and extra cheese.

-Do you have other friends?- it wasn't meant in a bad connotetion and you knew it.

-Ann also is a good friend. She works with the police as a forensic analysist. She is a genius I'm telling you. The first time we meet was because of work.- you started to ramble about Ann and how closer you became with time that now you consider the woman like a big sister. You were in the middle of telling Kuina about how Ann and you almost got stucked in an escape room when one of the doctors came up to you.

-Rizuna's parents asked me to call you, she is awake and they would like you to be there.- he said and if you knew in witch room she was staying you would have already rushed there.

-Uhm...-

-Don't worry I'll be in our room if you need me. Now go.- you thanked her and then followed doctor Tanaka to your friend's room.

Once in Ann's room, you gave her a soft smile, eyes watering from the little scare she gave you and went to ask her how she was feeling and if she needed anything.

-I've had better days but I can't complain, at least I'm still alive. How are you?- you started talking, her parents in the little corner of the room looking at your little interaction, happy that their daughter found a good friends in you.

The next day you and Kuina kept getting to know eachother, you went to meet Chishiya in his room and then the three of you went to keep Ann some company since the poor thing wasn't able to leave the little space where she was confined.

You introduced your roommate to your dear friend and you noticed how easy was for them to talk to each other, it was like they meet before today. You smiled.

-You have to stop befriending everyone around you.-Chishiya told you from behind, you rolled your eyes.

-Whatever, but look at how cute they are together. Do you think they knew each other in another life?- you heard the man behind you whispering an annoyed "here we go again" -I'm serrious, look like them. Talking like they are the best of friends. I believe they meet before today.-

-That is not possible, just like...- Chishiya got interrupted by Kuina, the girl called your attention and asked you to come closer so you could play some cards games. -No thank you, I'm good here. I will watch you play.-

You were not accepting a no as an answer, no sir. You took his hand and walked him next to Kuina, you then went to the other side of the bed asking the girl to start and mix the cards. Chishiya tried to escape the situation but having all eyes on him, he thought it was better to not fight the three of you.

-Y/N you are going to pay for this.-

-Whenever you want, now stop being a kid and let's start.-

The first round was won by Kuina, who started a little victory dance, making all of you laugh, yes Chishiya too and when you pointed it out he turned serious in a second and took the cards all over the bed to play a second round. This time you ended up winning, which made your friend scoff and roll their eyes. A third round is played and so a fourth and a fifth and so on. It was fun, you had to admit it. Every time Kuina and Ann started talking you were so happy about it, so much you, you had the idea to set them uo and Chishiya, your childhood best friend saw through your smiley eyes and little smirk what was going on in that head of yours that decided to bring your presence away from the unknown couple.

-Get well soon Ann, and Kuina don't bother her too much, she needs rest.- he turned to you, inviting you to step away and follow him. -We have to talk now.-

-Shiya.... let me go. Man you are very annoying, let me play Cupid for once in my life.- you tried to go back, but the man was prepared and walked you to the other side. -You would make a terrible boyfriend.- you didn't mean it and he knew.

-Is your problem then.- you froze, was he implyig what you thought he was implying? Did he had romantic feelings for you? Or was he just playing around. When Chishiya didn't see by his side he turned to see what you were doing and when he saw you standing in the middle of the hallway he rolled his eyes. -Move now, we have to talk and I don't want some doctor or nurse spying on our conversation.-

You decided to let it slip, for now at least, and followed him in the garden in the back, you ended up in your favourite spot, away from everyone but still on hospital grounds.

-Now...- what he said didn't came to you as clear as you wish it did but the only think you got from his speech was "tomorrow"

#alice in borderland #shuntaro chishiya #hikari kuina #rizuna ann #kuina x ann #chishiya x reader #chishiya x you #chishiya x yn #chishiya x y/n #chishiya fanfic #chishiya fanfiction #chishiya imagines #alice in borderland imagines #alice in borderland fanfic #alice in borderland x reader insert #aib #aib imagines #aib fanfic #aib fanfiction #aib x reeader insert #chishiya alice in borderland #kuina alice in borderland #ann alice in borderland #chishiya aib #kuina aib #ann aib

[lgwifey]

DISTRACTIONS

90s!damon albarn x gn!reader

Summary : Y/n has to go and meet up with Oasis' managment to sort out some media complications which they really don't want to have to do. They find their ability to mess with their boyfriend as the perfect thing to do to make him forget about their plans.

Warnings : makeout sesh ? (y/p/n's - your parent's name's)

MASTERLIST

1994

Shouting drifted through the brick walls of the terrace house. An unbearingly loud crash stumbling Y/n from their sleep.

The couple next door where always fighting, it drove them around the bend. It didn't matter what time, what day always a shout about something or the other.

Evertime they could be heard through the walls all y/n did was beg whoever was out there that them and Damon didn't end up the sameway when they where older.

Of course every couple had their fights, Y/n remembered the time when Damon had had the last Thorntons whilst they where out so they threw a child's plastic cutting board at his back, seeing how they where at y/p/n's house and weren't a far distance from their little sister's toys. Or the time y/n drunk so much that they snogged Alex for a laugh, only Damon didn't take it as a laugh and the couple ended up having a full on screaming match at his parent's house.

The memory caused them to cringe, their nose scrunching up in distaste.

Y/n jumped a mile when a hand moved under the covers and held onto their thigh loosely, thankfully it was only the half-asleep blonde next to them.

He gave a complaining groan as his eyes began to flutter, voice still in it's waking up phase of raspy, mumbled words.

"Neighbours aren't fucking fighting again are they ?"

He looked up to the clock on the bedside table furthest from him, when he caught sight of the time another groan was made.

"It's not even eight."

The y/h/c twenty three year old gave a small laugh, falling back to laying down in the bed rather than sitting against the headboard, which was starting to become uncomfortable. Damon's hand drifted up to their waist and as he did so the ACDC top they had been sleep in went up with it, one side of their legs now being exposed to the duvet.

The couple layed in silence, well their house was silent next door was still louder than a bomb.

A minute or two just dedicated to gazing into each other's eyes, noticing the little features few picked up on. Small smiles gracing each other's lips.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you."

Y/n broke the silence with a small voice, Damon giving a hum.

"Your mum called yesterday around dinner."

His hum was almost instantly replace with a groan, rubbing his eyes hard and turning to lie on his back rather than his side.

"You have to go round for tea, no excuses. She's saved us both a space at the table for Sunday Dinner."

"Is it going to be there ?"

Y/n sat up, frowning at their boyfriend and taking his hand off of their hip.

"Damon, he's your little sister's boyfriend. Can't you at least try to be nice to him."

"Y/n/n, he isn't good enough for Jess, we both know it so we might as well admit it outloud."

He pushed himself up, leaning against the bed's headrest and facing the glare of Y/n Y/l/n.

"Okay, put yourself in Jess' shoes. What if you brought me to meet your family and Jess decided you where too good for me."

"Jess doesn't-"

" 'ight, so you take me out for dinner with your family and the whole time we're out, Jess complains about my family or how I didn't go to university so i'm not good for you. How would you feel 'ey ?"

He looked at them for a second before giving in to their watering up eyes.

"Aw love."

He wrapped y/n in his arms, pulling them across the bed so she was closer to him.

"Okay, i'll try to be nicer"

Y/n stopped their waterworks display on que, it worked every time, and gave a cheeky smile to Damon, pulling his head down lightly via a hand on his jaw. A slow, passionate kiss.The kiss was only just becoming heated when a chime rang, signalling that someone had pressed the front door's bell.

Damon was on the verge of stabbing whoever rang it for interupting the little affection he had been getting due to rushing around for the past few months with his mates, trying to finish the album the best they could.

"I swear, if that's Gray."

"You wouldn't hurt a fly."

Y/n tapped his shoulder, pulling the covers off of their body and jumping into a pair of joggers so they could answer the door.

Y/n stumbled out of the master bedroom half an hour after the doorbell being rang by the postman. They walked around in a pair of loose fitting leather trousers, which shaped their ass perfectly, and their hair perfectly messy. Their shirt was in their hands, a dusk sunburst orange fitted short sleeved t-shirt.

Damon tryed to stop his eyes wondering down. Even after two years seeing their perfectly outlined torso out before him and him knowing he couldn't have his way with it was down-right torture on his part. He refocusd himself on the television that was playing in the corner of the kitchen only for the topless idiot to started skipping over to him.

They were going to be the death of him.

"Y/n/n. Love, can you put a top on."

Y/n gave an amused look as he basically stood with his back to them, facing the small television in the opposite direction to where they where wondering around.

They took a hold in his jawline with one of her hands, slowly turning him around to face them.

"Dames, we've literally been together for years. I don't mind you looking or i'd be in my shirt."

They placed a scent luxing kiss on his neck, causing him to groan slightly.

Y/n was suposed to be leaving for the meeting with Big Brother Records in five minutes, it was all clearly a trap so he wouldn't make them go and talk to Oasis' managment about boring media image.

A trail of invisible, wet marks started to make their way across the twenty-seven year old's neck. Y/n swiftly moved onto the counter top, dragging open mouthed kisses along Damon's jaw whilst he became rigid, moving his hands to grip them, one on their right thigh while the other attatched itself to their left hip.

He was putty in their hands at that moment. The two had barely had alone time for the last few months despite living in the same house so at this point y/n could hold his hand and he'd bend to their every command.

Y/n turned his head so they could get to his lips without moving, causing made a faint line of open mouthed kissed across his cheek, from his earlobe to his lips.

Before they could carry on the torture for him, he attatched his lips to their's, fully giving into them and going soft from his previous rigid state. His arms moved to rest on the conter on either side of y/n's legs, holding onto the back few of their leather trouser's beltloops.

Y/n pulled his body closer into them by wrapping their calfs around his waist and jolting themself backwards slightly so he followed. The grinning taunt quickly nudged their body back to where it was before, wrapping their legs back around Damon's lower torso so he couldn't move back to, not that he had any plan to anyway.

Damon started to pull at their trousers waist, only for Y/n to gently pull his hands off. Instead they pulled up his light grey t-shirt. The clothing caused their interwining mouths to pull apart for a millisecond longer than either of them wanted.

As Damon dragged y/n's hips forward, digging his fingers into their naturally perfectly sculptued body, the couple where launched apart.

"Shit !"

They moved apart, a faint string of siliva falling onto both of their chins as they pulled away and turned to find Graham standing in the kitchen's enterance. Poor thing looked traumatised.

"Hi Gray."

They gave a innocent smile, hopping down off of the counter and pulling their top over their head. They pressed a light kiss on the back of Damon's neck, where his hair was just starting to grow as it faded up, and they wrapped their arms around his waist from the back. They let out a giggle at the event, Damon once again infuriated that they'd been cut off.

"What d'ya want Gray ?"

"Right urm, Andy sent me over to make sure y/n didn't get distracted from their meeting with Big Brother."

Y/n gave a complaining teenage-styled grunt into Damon's still bare back as they dropped face first into him.

#damon albarn x reader #damon albarn fluff #blur #graham coxon #90s #blur x reader #damon albarn x gn!reader #damon albarn angst #damon albarn smut #fem!reader #britpop #damon albarn

[angiethewitch]

I'm sorry about the ppl crossing boundaries on the post about your husband. I noticed your response to the sherlock holmes person mentioned you grew up in foster care. were there any good experiences? is it an age-out system? do you get any support when you do? do you know if the welsh system is different from others? how did you meet your husband?

I had quite a turbulent couple of years in the system early on, but eventually I was in a long term placement with my mum and she eventually adopted myself and my brother (who is my only blood related sibling, the rest were either fellow adoptees or my mums bio kids). I didnt really have any good experiences with specifically the system, it was all pretty crap to be honest. the social workers themselves weren't great and messed with my head a lot. because my birth mother gave us up voluntarily, we were still in regular court supervised contact (and nowadays I can see her of my own free will, we're pretty close! she's not a mother to me but more like a friend or a cousin or something) and her social workers were nice, I really liked one specific worker she had. she was a nice Indian lady who once made me a gorgeous embroidery of a tortoise. she didn't have to, she wasn't my worker, but she did it anyway. she could have ignored us and still done her job correctly but she would chat to us and play with us during contact meetings if my birth mother wasn't feeling well or was nervous.

im not really sure if it was an age out system, I think that's more on a case by case basis, but the British system is more focused on getting kids either in long term placements (adopted or otherwise) or returning them to family eventually. the welsh system is just the British system with even less funding somehow. admittedly I don't know much about other peoples experiences, but from what I know the British system is different in the sense there aren't private adoption agencies, its funded by the government and the employees are government employees. from what I understand a lot of American carers are private carers and the adoption agencies pocket the money themselves, but I could be wrong. again I don't really know if you get support, I don't remember a lot from that time of my life, but I do know when I turned 16 my case was closed as I was considered old enough to make my own choices without state supervision. that meant I could see my birth mother without supervision and whenever I felt like it, which I did, and we grew a lot closer without a support worker stood there taking notes! I cant really speak for other people though, I don't really know or remember much. from what my family and my mum told me, there wasn't really much support after I was adopted to be honest, theoretically I was still "in the system" but in practice I was effectively left on my own from my adoption day onwards.

I met my husband through a friend, one day my friend asked if I fancied going for a drive with her and her cousin. I was actually with the girl i was seeing at the time, we weren't official or exclusive, although getting there slowly. she was invited along too. my friends cousin pulled up outside my flat and out popped this beautiful man. I thought he was much older than me because 1) he could drive and 2) he was tall and muscular and most blokes my age looked my age. turns out he's only 6 months older than me, he just looks like an absolute unit and much older. he recalls at the time that his cousin was trying to get him out socialising, because he'd actually only just started to recover from his disability and being bedbound for his entire teenage life so far. he'd only really just gained the ability to walk again at the time. he said his cousin directed him to a random flat in a rough town and out I came, an excitable manic skinny blue haired girl who he heavily suspected was on drugs (I was - I was in the depths of my cocaine addiction at the time) with a small girl in tow. apparently I danced all around the place talking a million miles an hour and hopped in the car and away we went. we ended up walking up a mountain that day. from that moment on we were inseperable, he was my best friend. I broke things off with the girl I was seeing when she started getting a little possessive, and started dating this guy who was really bad news. my husband was there for me through all of it, he was genuinely my best mate, and when things ended very badly with this guy (it's a whole other story) we started hanging out on a daily basis. he said he fell for me very quickly and decided he was going to marry me one day.

funnily enough, he'd actually known of me for years. I was his instagram crush for about 3 years before we met, and I ended up being best friends with his high school crush (you've met her, in my recent youtube video about pride. she was my maid of honour) so he knew of me far before I met him. he says he can't believe he managed to get in a relationship with his teenage instagram crush. he thinks too highly of me honestly, he utterly adores me and I adore him. we were pretty much joined at the hip from the second we met.

I will say "whirlwind romance" is an understatement, we got engaged very quickly and married just over a year after getting into a relationship. we were dumb kids playing at adulthood and we were very lucky things turned out so good, because it could have gone very badly. I think it helped that he was my best friend before and had seen me in every state imaginable - blackout drunk, manic, psychotic, self destructive, angry, sad - so he knew exactly how turbulent my life was and he decided he loved me anyway. he supported me through rehab and through the process of getting diagnosed with schizophrenia and the treatment that entailed. thankfully as we grew up we grew together and not apart. People were definitely right when they said we were too young and it was too soon though, we're just lucky we seemed to be perfectly fit to handle eachothers crap. he's the person I feel I can be completely myself around and he's supported me through so much. he's had his own struggles with physical and mental health, but I won't get into that, its his story to tell.

sorry for such a long answer, I know you only wanted to know how I met him, but I felt like telling you more. I hope this answers your questions! have a good day!

#anonymous

[atomicpoetrymusic-blog]

I've noticed that a lot of people are starting to get a bit frustrated with the way Bridgerton is being handled, lately. Believe me, I've started to feel this way myself, but I think a lot of this is just marketing, and I believe (this is my opinion and NOT a fact, so please don't hate me) that a lot of it is to do with Queen Charlotte (I'll be calling the show QC from now on, just to make my life easier), and the POTENTIALLY polarising effect of Polin.

I'd like to reiterate, I definitely haven't done all the research into this topic I probably should have done, but I do have some idea about the way production and marketing works. This is my own speculation about why Shondaland are being so slow on giving the audience content, and on releasing s3, and in no way reflects what is actually going on behind the scenes - as I have just done here, I will be referring to the whole production team, including marketing, as Shondaland (again, to make my life easier, as I've written a lot). I'll also be incorporating my own opinions into this speculation, so please take everything I say with a mountain of salt. I enjoy this show, and I really want it to do well, so I mean no disrespect to anyone involved, and everything I say comes from a place of love.

I'll start with QC, as it is a little more straightforward, and a little easier for me to get my head around. Basically, I think that Shondaland put so much effort and money into QC, that they want it to have its moment in the sun, without the flagship show taking up the spotlight (forgive my mixed metaphors). I don't know/can't remember if it was delayed at any point, but if it was, then I COMPLETELY understand why the main show is taking so long in its release - they want QC to do well and make its money back.

Personally, I always thought that a show about Queen Charlotte's past was a bit strange, especially with the hype for s3 so palpable right after s2 aired. I understand that this is a massive brand, and they wanted to profit off that, and make all the spin-offs they could think of, but at the same time, I think they should have doubled down on their focus on s3.

Like I've said, within the fanbase, Polin has proved to be a little more of a fraught and contested relationship, unlike Saphne and Kanthony, and instead of drawing out the problem and making the audience wait, they should have had an earlier release date for s3. In fact, I think the QC release date would have been great for s3 - apparently, they had mostly finished post production on s3 in late March. S2 was released in March 2022, and QC was released in May 2023. That alone was already over a year of waiting for new content. And it wasn't even the main show.

In fact, as it turned out, QC was competing with an ACTUAL royal event, the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, on the same weekend. I'm English, a royalist, and I wanted to watch real history taking place. I know that's just me, and definitely doesn't represent the audience as a whole at all, but millions tuned in to watch the coronation - a fictional queen, no matter how based on history she is, just doesn't have the same significance.

Also, a lot of the more casual viewers just would not have been interested - my mum is a casual Bridgerton viewer, but I don't think she even knows about QC. And some fans (unfortunately, me included) just weren't as invested in QC, and didn't watch it. I myself only got halfway through episode 2 - I paused it so I could make dinner, and couldn't bring myself to turn it back on again afterwards.

I think that's why we got all the proper trailers and teasers and just general promotion for QC, while s3 hasn't had that - QC is a spin-off, Bridgerton is the main event, and a popular one at that. Again, they want to make their money back, and exceed it if they can. But now, Shondaland have made the whole Bridgerton audience wait well over a year for a new season of their flagship show - and we still have another 6 months to wait.

This leads me on to the Polin side of things, and why s3's marketing has been so all over the place.

Colin and Penelope's story in the show is going to be DRASTICALLY different from the book, and so the audience, for the first time, truly don't know what is in store. Book fans have some ideas, but the fact is, the context is different; the events leading up to the season are different, their relationship going into the season is different, their relationships with their friends/family are different, and the synopsis of the season that was released is, again, different. Shondaland are playing very close to the chest at the moment, they don't want anything leaked or spoiled. But the fact remains, the audience have waited a long time now, and are starting to either chomp at the bit, or lose interest.

I feel like I've had more information from the cast and the fans than I have from the official sources. TUDUM (which was yesterday, as of writing), was hyped up to be this big event where the fans got a bit of a taste of what is to come, potentially some stills, a quick 30 second scene from the first episode, maybe even a teaser trailer. What we got in reality was disappointing, to say the least. Four stills, all of either Colin or Penelope (one of which we've basically already had because of a leak, which has been floating around the internet for a while now), and nothing else. I'm not complaining about the pictures we got - they look beautiful, and do shed some light on the potential storyline - but there really should have been something more. It was all focused on Pen and Colin, with only a couple of blurry Bridgerton family members in the background of ONE picture (I'll come back to why this particular point could be damaging to the show later).

Now, my next point is rather delicate, and does hit close to home for me, so I'll be as sensitive as I can. But, it has to be said, and I feel that it really could have an impact on the show if it's not handled correctly.

This point is about Penelope's appearance, especially compared to Daphne and Kate. Nicola Coughlan is gorgeous, and the latest stills released definitively prove that, but the fact remains she is not the typical Hollywood slim body type that the previous 2 female leads were. I know that there are differences between Phoebe and Simone as well, but they are both considered 'attractive' by industry standards.

Given that this is a show with sexual content, the physical appearance of an actor/actress is important to the audience. Yes, to many fans it doesn't matter, and are in fact applauding the representation of different shaped and sized actresses, especially given the context, but the casual viewer might not be so interested in watching. And casual viewers tend to make up the majority of any audience, which Shondaland will know, and should be taking into account when promoting the show.

Now, I'm not exactly slim or conventionally attractive, either. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with my weight, and to feel beautiful and comfortable in myself. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Nicola to be a plus-sized actress in such a high-profile way and still seem so confident and happy in herself. But even I don't want this to be a focal point of the story between Penelope and Colin. Yes, this should DEFINITELY be addressed in some capacity, especially as it relates back to Pen's insecurity and part of her character arc, and even Colin's in a way, but I'm anxious about how it will be handled, whether that be that they don't address it at all (which I believe is unlikely), or they address it too much.

I can relate to feeling insecure, feeling trapped, and hiding my emotions because I don't want to be hurt or to hurt anyone else. But I don't want to be told that I will be looked down on in society for being even the slightest bit unattractive, unconventional, or different every 5 seconds. I get that enough on social media. It is victimhood mentality, and I watch this show as a form of escapism, and I'm sure many other people do too.

This is one of the reasons why I think Polin can be so polarising. In the book, they actually bond over feeling insecure about their places in the world, and how they desire responsibility over their own lives - Pen with the creation of Whistledown and what it means to her, and Colin's struggle with his place as the third brother and finding his purpose. It has been touched upon in the past 2 seasons, but now will be front and centre.

These feelings, when not handled or written or even acted correctly, can seem shallow, annoying, or uncomfortable. Especially if you see them either as overly privileged, or perpetual victims. It is a difficult tightrope to walk for a writer, let alone in marketing. Creating promotional content is hard, as the actual context of why the characters might look or behave in a certain way is skewed and can be easily misinterpreted - just watch those videos about changing the genre of movie trailers. Shondaland are probably still trying to find a good fit for what they're promoting, that will satisfy both the diehard fans, and the casual viewers. This doesn't excuse the long time between seasons, but might be why they are being so careful with the content they are providing right now.

Another reason Polin can be polarising is the context of the past 2 seasons. There are fans who dislike the way Colin has treated Pen. There are fans who dislike the way Pen has treated Colin. There are fans who want Pen to treat Colin like dirt and for Colin to grovel at her feet. There are fans who think Colin is being side-lined and mistreated in his own love story in favour of Pen becoming a girlboss. There are fans who think that the 2 characters shouldn't end up together. There are fans who want Colin to get back together with Marina. There are fans who want Pen to be in a romantic relationship with Eloise or Benedict.

These are all real wants I have seen coming from the fanbase. And those are just the ones off the top of my head without research.

Personally, I love Polin. I think they are sweet and lovely friends-to-lovers goodness. That they both understand and connect with each other on a level that goes beyond romance and friendship (despite Colin's obvious obliviousness to her feelings and Pen placing him on a pedestal, only for it to swept out from under him in a matter of moments last season). And, that they also have a darker side to them that creates the story and has lasting consequences for both their relationship and for those around them. This combination creates an interesting dynamic, undercut by a romantic tension and connection that neither character truly understands yet.

However, as I mentioned above, not all fans feel this way, and are being actively vitriolic against the pairing. Shondaland will be very aware of this, and so far have done their best to make it clear to the audience that Penelope and Colin ARE the main couple and main characters in s3. As I said WAY back in the QC section, TUDUM released 4 new stills, all of which feature Colin and Penelope, as their only new promotional material. I think this is a good thing, for the most part, because ultimately, if s3 mainly revolves around them and their relationships (with each other and with the other characters), then that is the product/content they are selling, and those people who don't like it are able to step away if they feel that strongly about it, while at the same time Polin fans are given reassurance that Shondaland won't be deviating too much from the source material and having the couple split up/never get together at all.

However, as a knock-on effect, the casual viewers, and the people who are only middling, and prefer the aspects of the ensemble cast, or want some Kanthony content, are left a little by the wayside, as there is NO new content for ANY of the other characters (I said I'd come back to this point later!), except for the blurry Bridgertons.

We don't know how Eloise is holding up after her fallout with Pen, or what Benedict is up to now he's left the art school, or how Francesca might be doing on the lead up to her first Season (both in the show, and as a cast member :D). We don't know what married Kanthony are doing now that they're together, or what the Featheringtons are up to, or where Violet and the unmarried Bridgertons are even living, as they should have moved out of the house into No. 5 to give Kate and Anthony Bridgerton House as Viscount and Viscountess. There are just so many options for stills they could have added, even if it was just a generic picture of Kate and Anthony stood next to each other holding hands, or Benedict and Eloise sat together on the swings, or Francesca walking around a ballroom accompanied by Violet. These things, yes, give us information about the upcoming season, but are all things the audience are expecting to see anyway. Why not give the fans a little more to work with?

I also don't think it helps that the audience, although finally being given the release date, still have to wait 6 months. The anticipation is already starting to wear a little thin, and it just gives the audience more time to get frustrated by the wait, and to sour on the show. I've seen more and more posts on a variety of platforms getting more and more vitriolic and nasty towards not just the show and its characters, but the production team and the cast, as well.

As I said earlier, I think giving s3 QC's release date would have been preferable for a variety of reasons. Spring and/or Winter are the best times to release Bridgerton's kind of genre, especially in TV. Summer is too hot and sticky and everyone would rather be outside doing stuff, and Autumn (Fall, for any Americans) is when a lot of the network TV shows (at least in the U.S.) are released, and so would have a lot of competition. Bridgerton s1 was released in Winter -where everyone is snuggled up, most workplaces are closed for holidays - and did fantastically, while s2 was released in Spring - not too hot, not too cold, and early enough that teenagers wouldn't have exams/end of year tests to worry about, capitalising on that demographic.

The release of QC kind of ground the release of s3 to a halt, because of the need for that show to not be overshadowed (see my QC section again for detail on why that's important). And, with the above Summer and Autumn reasons not to release, it makes it tricky for s3 to be as successful as it could have been if released then.

As I've said, I haven't finished QC, so I don't know if that show will have any impact on s3, but even if it did, I think I'll stick by what I said; s3 should have replaced QC in the release order. Yes, they finished post production on QC first, but then I would say they should have delayed filming on QC until after they had already got a solid amount of s3 done, if they were worried about it being overshadowed by s3, and have QC be released on s3's release date, if not a little sooner. That way, the audience hopefully wouldn't have such a large gap between seasons of Bridgerton, and they would be able to streamline the production of both a little better. Personally, I think I would have been more interested in QC if it was released in the Winter, but maybe that's just me.

Overall, the marketing for s3 of Bridgerton has just been a bit too lacklustre and drawn out. Most people are probably still just as excited as ever, and I hate to be the cynic who throws water on the fire, but it's just been such a long wait with minimal content, that I'm starting to get tired of the slow arrival. But, I'm still looking forward to s3 when it finally comes, and I hope it doesn't disappoint. The past 2 seasons were really enjoyable.

And, that's all my current thoughts on the recent Bridgerton marketing! This literally took me hours to write, so I hope you liked it.

If you didn't like what I had to say, that's fine. But please, don't be mean about it. I have put a lot of thought and effort into this - despite starting to write this on a whim - and at the end of the day, I'm just a fan who wants to enjoy this show.

If you got this far, thank you so much for reading!

#bridgerton #bridgerton season 3 #colin bridgerton #penelope featherington

[tenebraevesper]

Five Nights at Freddy's: Salvaged, Night 16: My Curse

''So here we are, my body inside this nightmare. Don't you stare for too long at my curse. It happened too fast, what happened in the past is something I would constantly rehearse. I'M AGGRESSIVE! NIGHTMARE UNLEASHED! FEAST YOUR EYES ON MY MAGNETIC, DEMISE BENEATH, ALL THE TATTERED WIRES, YOUR FUTILE DEMISE WILL BECOME YOUR CURSE!''

– I'm The Purple Guy by DAGames (Five Nights at Freddy's 3)

xXxXxXx

''Honestly, I don't get it,'' Sam said as she and Springtrap walked into her yard. ''Why would anyone believe that this is possible?''

''Even if what happened was considered to be some kind of scary story, that doesn't mean that everyone will consider it to be just a bunch of rumors,'' Springtrap replied.

''I understand that, but still…'' Sam said as she opened the door.

''Hey, Sam!''

Springtrap froze when he heard Emma's voice coming from the living room. He completely forgot that she would be at home, probably still awake and waiting for them to return. Sam, on the other hand, didn't look at all disturbed by that fact.

''Hi, Mum!'' she said cheerfully, then glanced back at Springtrap, who sighed and walked inside. He saw that Emma was sitting on the couch, watching some TV show. She got up, giving them a curious look.

''So, have you found what you searched for?'' she asked as she approached them, carefully observing Sam. Springtrap had the feeling that she wanted to make sure that Sam didn't suffer from any other injuries.

''In a way,'' Sam replied, glancing at Springtrap. ''We'll be upstairs if you need us.''

''Okay,'' Emma said, crossing her arms and smirking. Sam went upstairs, while Springtrap lingered a little, noticing Emma's questioning look.

''Honestly, I don't know whether I could get used to this,'' he said.

''Neither do I,'' Emma replied in an icy tone.

Springtrap shuddered, knowing well that, in order to keep Sam happy, they'd have to tolerate each other's presence. Whether they wanted it or not, both had come to the terms that they would have to let it work out somehow. Ironically, both of them wanted to keep Sam safe and happy, but they felt that they could do that without the presence of the other.

''In any case, she's a lot more joyful than she used to be,'' Emma said, her stern gaze softening as she glanced upstairs and then back at Springtrap. ''Whenever I told her to liven up a little, she would always give me that dead-eyed look. I mean, you could find more cheer on a graveyard.''

''I can imagine that,'' Springtrap muttered.

''Now, it feels as if someone flipped a switch,'' Emma added, snapping her fingers. ''I understand that this is because of you, but I still have no clue why she likes you so much.''

''To be honest, I don't know either,'' Springtrap told her, with Emma rising an eyebrow. ''I understand that you don't want me here, and I probably would've been long gone if it weren't for Sam insisting on me staying here…''

''You don't have to explain anything, I get it,'' Emma said, noticing Springtrap's confused expression. ''If there was something wrong, she would've already asked for my help. As much as I'd gladly incinerate you, I won't do that for her sake.''

''You have a lot more patience than anyone else in your situation would have,'' Springtrap said. Emma smiled.

''I'll take that as a compliment,'' she said, with Springtrap giving her a curious look. He had expected her to threaten him again, but it seemed that she had accepted the situation the way it was. However, he shuddered when he saw her gaze suddenly changing to a more serious one. ''Listen, Afton, I told you that I have decided to give you a chance, regardless of your past actions. If you screw up, what happens afterwards is going to be your own damn fault and you're certainly not getting another chance.''

''I know,'' Springtrap said in a quiet tone, feeling like a child who got scolded by their parent for trying to touch a hot stove. ''You wouldn't be telling me this if you didn't perceive me as a danger to Sam. Not only because I hurt her, but also because of what I had done in my past.''

''Exactly,'' Emma said. ''Unless you want to show that you're not the same man you used to be.''

Springtrap gave her a look that was a mix of surprise and curiosity. He wanted to question her further, but was stopped when he heard Sam calling for him.

''Spring, are you coming?''

''I'll be there soon,'' he replied, then looked back at Emma, who looked quite calm, if not even content. He gave her a determined look. ''Rest assured, I am not going to hurt Sam. I'd rather go back to Hell than do that.''

''Then, I hope you won't have to go back to Hell,'' Emma said, with Springtrap looking stunned. She then walked away to lock the door and continue watching whatever TV show was on it. Springtrap just stood there, trying to process what Emma told him. He smiled, a confident look on his expression, and went upstairs.

Sam had already changed in her PJs, sitting on her bed and looking at her smartphone. She looked up once Springtrap entered the room, looking eager.

''Are you okay?'' she asked him as he sat down on the other end of her bed.

''I think so,'' he said, then glanced at her. ''I just feel a little lost.''

''Did Mum threaten you again?'' Sam asked.

''Not really,'' he said. ''She actually made me appreciate your support even more.''

''What did she say?'' Sam asked curiously, albeit she did sound a little suspicious.

''I just told her that I'd rather go to Hell than hurt you, and she told me that she hopes that I won't go to Hell then,'' Springtrap said, then fell silent. ''I understand that she said that because she's worried about you getting hurt, but…''

''I think she also understands that you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if that ever happened,'' Sam said in a sympathetic tone.

''Yeah…'' Springtrap muttered, with his green and silver eyes then lighting up. ''In any case, we have another issue to deal with, like the Raven.''

''True,'' Sam said. ''You said that there was something different about the Raven.''

''I am convinced that he is indeed haunted, as the evidence points towards that conclusion, but something just doesn't feel right,'' Springtrap said, frowning as he thought about it. He simply couldn't explain why he had this odd feeling. ''Speaking of which, my guess is that maybe someone died in a work-related accident.''

''You mean, being killed by the animatronic?'' Sam said. ''It wouldn't be the first time it happened.''

''Or maybe not,'' Springtrap muttered. The animatronic was haunted, he was certain about that. However, his feeling told him that this wasn't quite the case. Still, the scream he heard and the strange, distorted face he saw told him otherwise. ''Honestly, I'm not sure whether that animatronic is really haunted or not.''

''Even if it isn't, it is clear that something went wrong and people wanted to forget about that animatronic,'' Sam said. ''Still, if they wanted to forget Raven, why keeping him at Ricky's? Why not leave him at the Machinations Factory? Although, it is possible that Ricky's actor brought him there.''

''Not to mention, he returned to probably check on him. Still, you said that it wouldn't be necessary anymore to go there after hours,'' Springtrap said, giving Sam a questioning look.

''We have the photos of the documents, we know that there had been some incident and we know that Ricky's actor killed a guy. For now, that should be enough information,'' Sam said. ''Now, we need to focus on what exactly happened at the Machinations Factory.''

''Do you already have something in mind?'' Springtrap asked her.

''Not really, but I'll figure something out,'' Sam replied, albeit sounding quite excited.

Springtrap was really glad to see her like this. Surprisingly, he felt quite relaxed, despite what had happened the previous night and this morning. He guessed that this was because of Sam's encouragement and the fact that he didn't feel so stressed out over the possibility of having to leave her. I feel like it has been ages since I didn't have to worry so much about everything.

xXx

Later that night, Springtrap was pacing in the guest room, or rather, his room. He wasn't sure whether to call it that, but considering that he wouldn't be leaving so soon, he figured he could get used to that idea. He was quite sure that Sam probably wouldn't have anything against it, but Emma was a different case, which is why he decided to keep that idea to himself.

The reason why he felt so restless was because the image of Raven kept popping up in his mind. He just couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something familiar about Raven's situation, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it before, that is, if he had seen it before.

I'm certain that I have experienced this before, but I just can't figure out when that happened.

He suddenly stopped and looked up when the door opened. To his surprise, it was Emma who apparently decided to check on him before she went to sleep.

''Hey, Afton, you're still awake?'' she asked. Springtrap shrugged.

''Even if I could fall asleep, I have an issue I need to deal with first,'' he told her. Emma's eyes narrowed.

''What kind of issue?''

''I have this weird feeling that there is something I should know or remember, which is connected with this issue. However, I simply cannot figure out what exactly it is,'' Springtrap replied.

''I see,'' Emma muttered, thinking for a bit. ''Have you tried to associate other things you do remember with this feeling? Maybe you can narrow down what exactly you were meant to know or remember this way. It always works with me.''

''Maybe I could,'' Springtrap said as he thought about her suggestion. ''Thanks, Emma.''

''You can thank me by not getting yourself into trouble,'' Emma replied, with Springtrap giving her an anxious look. She smiled. ''Good night!''

Springtrap sighed once she closed the door.

''Why me?''

He shook his head, figuring he should concentrate on what Emma told him.

So, Sam and I have assumed that Raven is probably haunted. However, I feel that this might not be completely true, but I don't know why. Therefore, I need to figure out why I have this feeling.

He looked down at his hands and at the animatronic suit that was now his body.

When it comes to haunted animatronics, the soul needs to be connected to the particular animatronic in some way.

He closed his eyes, trying visualize the animatronics he knew that they had at some point a soul attached to them. He could picture the stage with Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy on it. He could see the Puppet slowly emerging out from its box. There was also a vivid vision of Circus Baby shaking, the pieces inside her being all bloody as he attempted to take out her only victim…

No, that's not it…

He focused on his own demise, remembering the agony he felt as the metallic pieces and parts were rammed into his body, piercing through his skin, muscle and organs, slowly killing him. He shuddered, but concentrated on what happened afterwards.

I was trapped inside the animatronic and my soul was tied to it.

He opened his eyes, which flared purple. He frowned.

All the deaths were incredibly violent, but does the soul really follow the pain? It seems so. The main point is that your soul is tied to the animatronic in some way.

He could see the man sitting across him in that small room, which was only illuminated by a dim light.

It doesn't have to be an animatronic. It can be your own body.

His mind went back to his workshop, to him looking over his blueprints as he realized that there was a possibility to keep a soul trapped even if the actual body died. Still, there had been some issues with that.

Not every death results in a possession.

He tilted his head, feeling that he was going in the right direction. He remembered Circus Baby and the change from her blue eyes to green as she got possessed by Elizabeth's soul.

Then, there's the AI…

It had been quite difficult, but he had managed to overcome the Spring Bonnie AI and take over the animatronic, something he felt Elizabeth never achieved. Instead, the soul and the AI merged together, creating a new consciousness that took full control over Scrap Baby.

All those little pieces… All those souls…

He suddenly realized what was wrong. He felt that it was a slight oversight on his part, but finally finding out what exactly was bothering him made him feel relief. He also felt a little excited, eager to share that information with Sam. He went towards the door, only to stop as he realized that Sam was already asleep and that he probably shouldn't wake her up.

He then frowned, figuring that he could risk it. He was sure that Sam probably wouldn't be angry at him if he told her what he found out, as he felt that it was really important for her to know. However, as he reached for the door knob, he suddenly had a vision of an angry Emma. He still remembered her warning from the previous night, feeling that she would kick him out if she found him roaming through the house again.

He fumed, annoyed about it, but he really didn't want to deal with Emma in case she found him in Sam's room again. She probably wouldn't force him to leave permanently, but he was quite sure that he would spend the rest of the night locked out of the house until Emma decided to let him in.

He sat back on the couch, knowing there were still several hours to spare until Sam and Emma would wake up. It was a little frustrating, but he felt that he could work with it. After all, it was just a few hours, right? He could wait that long.

Springtrap's ears lowered as he sighed.

Only that every minute feels like a year.

xXx

Springtrap was reading one of the novels Sam borrowed him, but he couldn't concentrate on it. He was waiting for at least one person to wake up so he knew that he could leave the room. The moment he heard someone going downstairs, Springtrap dashed towards the door.

He assumed that it was Emma, as he knew that Sam would check on him. He peeked into the hallway, hearing clattering from downstairs, before sneaking into Sam's room and opening the door as quietly possible. As he expected, Sam was still asleep. He closed the door and walked over to her, crouching down as he observed her.

Please, wake up soon.

He wanted to wait for her to wake up on her own, but the more minutes passed, the more impatient he started to grow.

Calm down, let her sleep.

His eyes started to glow purple as he clutched the edge of Sam's bed, keeping himself in balance as he stared at her. To be honest, patience wasn't his strong suit.

You have to wait… You know what, forget it!

He reached over and poked her nose. When she didn't react, he gently scratched her cheek, hoping that it would wake her up. She just waved her hand and turned her back to him, continuing to sleep. He leaned over and scratched her cheek again. This time, it seemed to work, as Sam opened her eyes. He titled his head, a wide grin on his expression. However, Sam looked annoyed.

''What is it?'' she asked, still half-asleep.

''I figured out what might be wrong with Raven,'' Springtrap said excitedly. ''I think this might be a case of incomplete possession.''

''Great,'' Sam said, smiling and then lied back down to continue sleeping. Springtrap's ears lowered and he felt a little disappointed by her reaction. However, he decided to wait a little. A few seconds later, Sam suddenly turned back to him, giving him a confused look. ''What do you mean, 'incomplete possession'?''

''Don't worry, I'll explain you everything in detail once you're wide awake,'' Springtrap replied, grinning. ''I've been waiting the whole night to tell you that.''

''I assume you didn't want to risk Mum's wrath by sneaking into my room,'' Sam said as she got up, with Springtrap nodding. ''Okay, I'm up, but you'll need to leave the room.''

Springtrap's ears rose up as she pointed at the door, only for him to give her a nervous smile and exiting the room, waiting in the hallway. He was still excited to talk to Sam, and hear her opinion on what he found out. A few minutes later, Sam exited the room, with the two going downstairs and joining Emma in the kitchen. She looked surprised to see Sam, giving Springtrap a suspicious look.

''Someone's up early,'' she said, with Sam yawning.

''Yeah…'' Sam muttered. ''Say, Mum, could I borrow the car today?''

''Why?''

Sam and Springtrap exchanged glances and Sam sighed.

''We want to explore an abandoned factory and we need the car to get there,'' Sam explained. Emma crossed her arms, giving both a questioning look, as if contemplating whether to let them go. Sam and Springtrap felt a little anxious.

''Okay, fine,'' she said, much to their surprise. ''But only under the condition that you drive me to work and back. Also, I have read the weather report and they say that it might start raining today or tomorrow, so you better bring an umbrella with you.'' She rolled her eyes when she saw that Sam and Springtrap didn't really believe her. ''I told you two my conditions and I'm keeping my promise as long as you keep yours. Besides, when was the last time I didn't let you go anywhere?''

''You're the best!'' Sam grinned.

''I hope I'll remain the best,'' Emma replied. She then glanced at Springtrap. ''So, did you manage to recall whatever you needed to remember?''

''Yes, I did,'' Springtrap replied, noticing the smile of satisfaction Emma had. He felt that it was a little strange that Emma didn't fight back a little more, or at least held any grudge against him aside from being distrustful. He knew that her decisions were also based on Sam's decisions, but still, he felt weird about it. He kept quiet during the rest of breakfast, patiently waiting for Sam to finish eating.

''So, do you think you can pick me up after work?'' Emma asked Sam.

''I guess,'' she said, with Springtrap glancing at her. ''I don't plan on staying out too late.'' ''Why not?'' Emma asked curiously.

''Because the current circumstances don't allow that,'' Sam replied, then stood up and placed her bowl in the dishwasher. Emma gave Springtrap a questioning look, with him shrugging, looking just as confused as she was.

''She's the boss,'' he replied. ''I just go along with whatever she has on mind.'' ''I see,'' Emma said as he stood up, following Sam upstairs.

He still felt a little weirded out by how calm the morning was. He had expected that his anxiety would once again skyrocket in Emma's presence, or that he would have to deal with her threats, but other than her questioning them about their plans, it was relatively normal. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, but he had other things on mind.

''Okay, I'm wide awake now,'' Sam said as he closed the door to her room. ''What was that about an 'incomplete possession'?''

''To be honest, I am not completely sure that my theory is correct, but it does explain the weird feeling I had,'' Springtrap said, with Sam sitting down on the chair. ''You know that, when an animatronic becomes haunted, that the soul stays attached to it, unable to move on unless the animatronic gets damaged.''

''Yeah, and the best way to do that is using heat,'' Sam said.

''Right. Now, there are a few things I noticed with the Raven that were completely different than my actual experience with haunted animatronics,'' Springtrap said. ''You see, after becoming a hybrid myself, I became capable of sensing the presence of other trapped souls. So, when I met Elizabeth and Charlie again, I instantly knew that they were still trapped inside the Scrap Baby and Puppet animatronics.''

''But you didn't have the same feeling when you were next to Raven,'' Sam said, with Springtrap nodding.

''I am certain that the animatronic was possessed in a way, but it wasn't the same thing as what happened to me or the others,'' Springtrap added. ''Therefore, it might be some kind of incomplete possession, with the soul being only partially tied to the animatronic.''

''How would that occur?'' Sam asked.

''I am not completely sure about it, but I do have a few ideas,'' Springtrap said. ''You remember the Toy Animatronics, right?''

''Yeah, the ones who replaced the Withereds at the '87 location,'' Sam said. ''Were they haunted?''

''No, at least not in the same sense as the Withereds,'' Springtrap replied. ''Technically, they were just following their programming, but our little encounter with Raven reminded me of something else. I assume that you are aware that the company used some old parts from the Withereds and put them in the Toys and vice versa.''

''Now that you're mentioning it, Phone Guy did mention that in his calls,'' Sam said, curious about where Springtrap was going with this. A second later, it dawned her. ''Wait, do you want to say that those parts had something to do with the Toys' behavior?''

''They did. While the Toys weren't haunted, they had been influenced by those additional parts, which already had a soul attached to them,'' Springtrap explained, his eyes glowing purple. ''Those parts were coated in remnant.''

''Remnant keeps a soul attached to whatever it was supposed to be attached to,'' Sam said, then rose an eyebrow as she thought about it. ''But, what about Raven's situation…''

''I'll come to that in a moment, but first, there's another thing I need to cover. Something I personally experienced,'' Springtrap said. ''When it comes to letting the soul becoming attached to an animatronic, you also need to take the animatronic's AI into consideration.''

''You told me that you had to fight against the Spring Bonnie AI in order to finally take control over the animatronic,'' Sam said.

''Exactly,'' Springtrap said, crossing his arms on his back. ''However, this isn't the only outcome. In Elizabeth's case, her soul and Circus Baby's AI merged together. Also, when you look at the other animatronics, the souls inside them never really had full control over them, which means that the AI overpowered their mind, while leaving only the most important memories.''

''Like being murdered by an adult,'' Sam said in an icy tone, with Springtrap lowering his head. He sighed.

''You should also know that possession doesn't always occur,'' he added. ''Also, you don't have to be necessarily stuffed inside the suit to possess it, but you need to be in close proximity to it.''

''I understand,'' Sam replied. ''So, what's Raven's deal?''

''I do believe that someone was indeed killed and that their soul attempted to possess Raven, but they weren't exactly successful,'' Springtrap explained, his eyes flaring purple. ''What we saw were probably the remains of that event, and I assume that the consciousness merged partially with the AI, meaning the AI is following the soul's pain, even if the soul isn't there. I might be wrong, but this is the conclusion I came to.''

''Well, you have more experience with that than I do,'' Sam said. Springtrap frowned.

''I wish I had more time to examine Raven, but it is obvious that I won't be able to do that since it is getting too risky to go back to Ricky's after hours,'' he said.

''Still, we can visit the factory,'' Sam replied. ''I doubt that Ricky's actor can just leave in the middle of his performance to go there and check on everything.''

''So, that's why you plan to go there earlier,'' Springtrap said. ''Smart move.''

''We need to be out sometime before Ricky's Wonder Shack closes for the day,'' Sam added. ''Hopefully we will find something.''

xXx

''I assume everything went well last night,'' Emma said as Sam drove her to the store.

''More than well, but we won't be returning there so soon,'' Sam replied. Emma gave her a surprised look.

''Really? Why not?'' Emma asked. ''I told you you're free to go as long as you stay safe.''

''That's not the issue,'' Sam replied. ''I'm afraid that Ricky's will hire a new night guard soon and I don't want to deal with that.''

''What about this factory you were talking about earlier?'' Emma asked.

''It's abandoned,'' Sam replied, frowning. ''Although, someone else is using whatever was left behind.'' She glanced at her mother. ''The factory used to make animatronics and they apparently closed a while after making the animatronics that are now mascots at Ricky's.''

''I see,'' Emma said, with Sam parking in front of the store. ''I wish you good luck with it. Also, I was serious about you picking me up.''

''I know, I know,'' Sam replied, smiling. As she drove away, she knew well that her mother was more concerned with Sam returning home safely rather than picking her up.

After she went to the locksmith to get a copy of the keys for Freddy's, she sneaked inside the restaurant to leave the original keys on the table in the manager's office for someone to find them and finally lock the place to keep intruders away. Then, she went to Ricky's, deciding to check whether the mascot's actor was indeed there. After buying herself a milkshake, she nonchalantly walked up to the stage, observing the animatronics. Ricky was missing, which meant that the costume version of him was roaming around the place. She knew that, in that case, once he noticed her, he would approach her as usual.

Still, she did feel chills flowing down her spine when she heard his voice coming from behind her. She turned around, only to be greeted by Ricky smiling at her.

''Ah, hello there! It is great to see you again!'' he said in a chipper tone. Sam forced a smile.

''Um, sure,'' she said, lifting her drink. ''I can't get enough of those.''

''I see,'' Ricky said in a curious tone. ''But I thought you were returning because of me and my friends.''

''Well, I've been more interested in Freddy's recently,'' Sam said nervously. She knew that the guy beneath the mask was glaring at her, considering how silent he was. Still, she decided to continue to play dumb. ''In any case…''

''Connor-ah, I meant Ricky!'' A female employee approached them, quickly correcting herself in order to keep the masquerade. ''The family there in the corner wanted to take some photos with you.''

''No problem! Thank you for informing me, Bella.'' The guy in the costume said, glancing back at Sam, who seemed to be focused more on her drink rather than on their conversation. ''I hope you'll enjoy your stay here!''

''Me too,'' Sam muttered, watching him leave. His co-worker, Bella, gave her a nervous glance.

''Is there anything I can do for you?'' she asked in a polite tone.

''No, thanks,'' Sam replied. ''I'm just enjoying myself.''

''That's good to hear,'' Bella replied, leaving her. The moment both she and Ricky were out of her sight, Sam quickly left the place.

xXx

Back at home, the moment Sam opened the door, she heard a strange noise, with Springtrap suddenly standing in the hallway holding her bag and an umbrella. She gave him a curious look, with him shrugging.

''Didn't Emma say that it would be raining?'' he asked. ''So, when are we going?''

''You're quite eager to leave,'' Sam remarked, with Springtrap looking flustered. ''It's okay, I know how you feel, as I also want to leave as soon as possible.'' She smiled. ''Let's go.''

Springtrap, still feeling a little flustered, followed her outside, with Sam locking the door and entering the car. She then pulled out of the driveway and drove towards where the factory was.

''Have you managed to leave the keys?'' Springtrap asked her.

''Yeah,'' Sam replied, narrowing her eyes. ''We're doing them a favor at this point. Speaking of which, Ricky's actor has a name, Connor.''

''How did you find that out?'' Springtrap asked her.

''When I went to Ricky's to check on him, to make sure that he was indeed there, one of his co-workers accidentally called him by his actual name,'' Sam replied.

''I wonder if he had figured out that we know more than we should,'' Springtrap said.

''I'm not sure,'' Sam replied. ''He didn't seem to be suspicious of me. However, he did seem to be irritated when I told him that I was still more interested in the animatronics at Freddy's.''

''Honestly, I am worried that he might lash out at you, as he obviously dislikes your opinion,'' Springtrap said in a worried tone. ''Speaking of which, I do approve of your mindset,'' he added, with a smug grin on his expression. Sam chuckled. ''Although, I don't like the fact that he's so interested in you…''

He trailed off once he realized what he was about to say. As much as he wanted to cast himself in a better light, he knew that he wasn't better than Connor.

''Will, it's okay.'' Springtrap rose his head, noticing Sam's sympathetic look. ''You're still less of a creep than Ricky's actor in my opinion.''

''Sam, I don't think…'' Springtrap winced when he got cut off by Sam.

''William, I know what you want to tell me, but think about it,'' she said. ''Do I look like I'm uncomfortable while I'm here right next to you?''

''No, but I do remember that there were a few times you looked like you were scared of me,'' Springtrap replied.

''That was because I knew that there were some serious issues we needed to deal with,'' Sam replied.

''Then, I'm not sure...'' Springtrap glanced at her, looking content. ''Although, I do remember all the times you smiled because of me.''

''Exactly,'' Sam replied, grinning.

xXx

The flashlights illuminated the empty hallway. While it still was day, it was dark inside the factory. Sam and Springtrap decided against turning the power on, as they feared that someone would notice it.

''At least we have enough time to explore this place,'' Sam said, looking at her smartphone. ''Unless Connor leaves earlier for some reason.''

''Considering what you told me about it, I sincerely doubt that he would want to leave his precious 'friends' until the location is closed,'' Springtrap said dryly. ''Rest assured, we are not alone here.''

Sam nodded, with the two managing to find the hallway where they found the room with the strange endoskeleton. As they entered and illuminated the room, they saw the endoskeleton, but this time, with its head off. Sam felt bad for it, with Springtrap approaching the endoskeleton, examining it, and then turning his attention to the head, picking it up and pointing the flashlight at it.

''Someone tore its head off,'' he said, looking at the dent on the side of the head. ''That someone certainly wasn't happy.''

''At least we are certain that this endoskeleton is not suffering anymore,'' Sam said in a deadpan tone. ''Still, you're right. Something went wrong or he wasn't satisfied with whatever results he had gotten from this endoskeleton.''

Springtrap placed the head back where he found it, still pointing his flashlight at the endoskeleton.

''We should move on,'' he said. ''There might be more of those endoskeletons.''

They exited the room, continuing to the next one, further down the hallway. As Sam opened it, she saw a strange object in the corner of the room, as well as a crescent-shaped object on the nearby table.

''What is that?'' Springtrap asked as the two entered the room. Sam approached the object in the corner, noticing that it were two tanks connected to several tubes. There was also a strange smell in the air, but when she tried to lift one of the tanks, it was surprisingly light.

''It smells like… gasoline?'' Sam narrowed her eyes, placing the empty tanks back. ''Is this supposed to be some kind of makeshift flamethrower?''

''Why do you think that this is a flamethrower?'' Springtrap asked her. Sam glanced at him.

''I tend to look up weird stuff on YouTube when there's nothing interesting to do. One guy eliminated an entire hornet nest with a homemade flamethrower, although that one was made from hairspray and a lighter. It was awesome,'' she said, grinning.

''Sounds brutal,'' Springtrap said in an amused tone, then walked over to the object on the table. ''A sickle?''

He placed the flashlight on the table, lifting the heavy metallic object, with Sam illuminating it with her own flashlight.

''I don't think that that can be used,'' Sam said, looking at the crescent-like object. ''Why would it even be here?''

''Search me,'' Springtrap said as he placed it back, then tilted his head. ''Maybe, it isn't a sickle… If you attach this part to an arm, it would look like a huge hook.''

''You're right, but why would he need that?'' Sam asked.

''Honestly, I don't think that we want to know,'' Springtrap told her, taking the flashlight and exited the room. Sam lingered a little, but soon joined him, continuing their search. They found themselves back at where the area with the conveyor belt, noticing that the parts and pieces were moved since the last time they were here. That didn't strike the two as strange, as they assumed that Connor would've used the parts for whatever animatronics he was working on. Instead of going towards the hallway they went last time, they went to the door behind the conveyor belt. It led to another hallway, with them checking the first room they came across.

''What the hell is this?'' Sam asked, with her and Springtrap staring at it in surprise. The room was filled with animatronic parts. Arms, legs, torsos, heads… Some parts were rather bulky and generic, made to fit any kind of animatronic, but there were some parts that certainly weren't made to fit a child-friendly robot.

Sam spotted what looked like a long, yellow arm with three fingers, or rather, claws. There were also spiky protrusions on the back of the arm. Springtrap meanwhile examined what looked like a slender lavender leg with clawed toes.

''What is he doing?'' he muttered, stunned by their discovery.

''There don't seem to be any blueprints or indications of what those things are,'' Sam said as she examined a long, clawed arm covered in strings and thin wires. It looked like it was broken. Springtrap moved the flashlight slowly across the room, observing every part of it.

''It feels as if he's trying to create something, but doesn't know it either,'' Springtrap said. ''There are too many parts and none of them make much sense. Even if he tries to create multiple animatronics, it's just too chaotic.''

''Perhaps he's experimenting with the parts, using some of them and throwing away other parts,'' Sam suggested. ''It's pretty wasteful if you ask me.''

''I agree,'' Springtrap said. ''We should check the other rooms.''

''Wait a sec,'' Sam said, taking out her smartphone and snapping a few photos of the room. Then, they went to the next room, a little further down the corridor.

Once they entered it, they saw a table with some tools on it and an endoskeleton sitting in the corner. It looked similar to the one they had seen, but it was filthy, being covered in brown and red smears, and didn't move at all. Another, cleaner endoskeleton was also inside the room, but it was just as inactive as the other one. Springtrap examined them, noticing that, while the first endoskeleton's limbs could move, the second one's couldn't.

''Those smears, that's blood,'' he said.

''There's blood here as well,'' Sam said, pointing at the table. ''If there's one thing I'm sure about, it is that this guy has a few screws loose.''

''We should go check the last room and then see if there's anything else here,'' Springtrap told her. Sam nodded and, after taking another photo, followed him to the last room in the corridor. Once they entered it, it appeared that they were in some kind of boiler room, with a furnace inside it. To their surprise, they found Raven there.

''Okay, this was unexpected,'' Sam said, looking at the animatronic. ''It looks like Connor came back last night to move him here.''

Springtrap crouched next to the animatronic, observing him. This time, he didn't hear any buzzing or saw any static.

''Spring?'' He turned to Sam, who looked worried.

''I'm fine,'' he said. ''But, there's no buzzing or static. There isn't anything there, as if it's not the same animatronic we saw the previous night.''

Curious, he took the mask off and examined the wires on the head. Just as he had hoped, the Raven also had the same black device connected to his system as Ricky had.

''Sam, could you go back to that room with the tools and get me the screwdriver?'' he asked.

''Sure!'' Sam nodded and ran out of the room. Springtrap continued to examine Raven. The wire was still attached to the battery, so he wasn't deactivated. However, he didn't react at all when Springtrap attempted lifted his arm or tried leaned him over to take a closer look at him. He then glanced at the furnace, frowning.

Is it possible that…

''Here!'' He looked at Sam, who gave him the screwdriver. He nodded, turning back to the animatronic and disconnected the wire from the battery, then moved the wires that were covering the black device.

''Sam, could you please hold these wires?'' he said, with Sam crouching next to the animatronic and lifting the wires while also pointing her flashlight at it, watching as Springtrap attempted to get the black device out. After a few minutes, he managed to take it out, examining it under the light of Sam's flashlight. It was scratched and there seemed to be a switch on the other side. Springtrap then looked at Sam. ''We should go check on the other endoskeletons and see whether they have the same device.''

Sam nodded, with Springtrap then returning Raven back to his previous state. The two then left, checking the room with the two endoskeletons. However, none of them had the same black device. They then exited the corridor, returning back to the area with the conveyor belt.

''Sam, remember when I told you about what I think what happened to Raven?'' Springtrap asked her, with Sam nodding. ''I believe that he had been left before at the boiler room, next to the furnace, and that the heat from it probably caused him to enter this state, where the AI merged with what remained of the soul. The AI had probably been echoing the pain and agony the soul went through.''

''Sounds kinda like Ennard, that is, Molten Freddy,'' Sam said.

''Yes, but Ennard is a different story,'' Springtrap replied. ''We still haven't figured out what happened here, though.''

''Honestly, I think we should go back home and return here another day,'' Sam said, glancing at her smartphone. ''We've been here for hours. Besides, we did find out a few things about this place.''

''True,'' Springtrap muttered, looking at the black device in his hand. ''Although, I would really like to know why this is happening. After all, being trapped inside an animatronic is like a curse. The soul will try to find a way to free itself.''

''Still, you're an exception,'' Sam said, with a sly smile on her expression.

''Sam, I am also cursed, being trapped like this,'' Springtrap replied. ''The only reason why I'm an exception is because I have accepted my curse. It drove me insane, but the soul still lived. The Springtrap has risen.''

''Apparently, he's not alone,'' Sam said, with Springtrap giving her a curious look. ''I'm still here and I know the story. Still, it is interesting to hear it over and over again.''

Springtrap grinned, then looked at the black device in his hand, clenching his fist.

This is my curse, but my demise didn't mean the end of my life or my plans. In fact, the show has just begun.

xXx

Heavy black clouds were forming on the horizon, with Sam biting her lip, hoping that they would get back home before the rain started. Springtrap was meanwhile still looking at the black device he got from Raven. He seemed to be tired.

''Will?''

''What is it?'' Springtrap looked at her, with Sam briefly glancing at him.

''Do you believe that Connor has figured out how to create haunted animatronics the way you did?'' she asked.

''No, I don't think so,'' Springtrap replied. ''It feels more like he just heard the rumors and attempted to create haunted animatronics based on that. To be honest, now even I know what exactly occurs with the soul when it gets into the state between life and death, despite the fact that I had experienced it.''

''I guess that we can agree that this whole story is still a complete mess and that it will take a while before it finally starts to make sense,'' Sam said. Springtrap simply nodded, then looked through the window at the landscape. It was getting darker and darker as the black clouds got closer.

For all I know, I could be wrong about everything I had assumed. I did base those assumptions on what I had experienced, but that doesn't mean I was right. Rather than being trapped inside this suit, my curse is the fact that I would have to live a life aware of the mistakes I made, some of which I regret, and some which I'm proud of.

He closed his eyes, listening to the thundering in the distance.

Mistake or not, this is what I've chosen to be.

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