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kiss-inthekitchen · 1 month

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same sky | spencer reid

pairing: spencer reid x reader

a late night phone call with Spencer. unruly amounts of fluff. no gender identifiers in this one. apologies to residents of las vegas, i did insult your city's aesthetics. i had to do it. for the plot

word count: 2k

notes: this is a rework of a very old fic i used to have up on ao3 by the same name. it's the second in a series of fics i've updated from my vault of oldies :) this one's for the girlies who liked the banter in no vacancy <3 oops! all banter

“I miss you,” you say into your cell phone, standing on the back porch and gazing out at the sky. It’s late, but you can’t sleep. Spencer has been gone on a case for the better part of a week, and you don’t sleep as well without him.

“I miss you, too. But I’ll be home soon,” Spencer replies, keeping his voice low.

“Is everyone else asleep?”

“Yeah. It’s been a long day.”

“Where are you right now?” Even though you aren’t in danger of waking anyone up, you find yourself mirroring Spencer's tone.

“Best guess, somewhere over New Mexico.” They’ve been in the air about an hour, and given their trajectory, he’s pretty sure he’s right. Spencer is seated at the edge of the couch, his back against the arm of it and a blanket thrown over his legs, barely covering his mismatching-socked feet.

“How come you’re still up?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” he says. Somehow, he can feel you smiling across the line. It makes him smile, too. He doesn’t ask why you’re awake when it’s even later where you are; he knows already. "What are you doing?”

“Looking up at the stars.”

“You know, you won’t be able to see me up here.”

“Ha ha.”

“Here, I’ll open the shade on the plane window. At least we can share the same view.”

“Hm. Almost like we’re together,” you hum.

His heart aches. It’s only been a few days and he still can’t stand it. “Almost.”

For a minute, neither of you speak, looking out at the sky from two different time zones.

“When I wake up tomorrow morning, you’ll be here, right?”

“Mmhm. Maybe even before that,” he responds, a low, soothing hum in your ear.

“Should I stay up until you get here?” you already know what he'll say, but you kinda like the idea of it anyway.

“No, no, it’s at least another four hours. Don’t worry about it. When you wake up, I’ll be there.”

“Sounds good. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

You’d intended to let him go after just a quick call once you realized that the rest of the team were resting not too far from him, but you don’t want to hang up. He doesn’t make any moves to do so either, wanting to hear your voice as much as you want to hear his. “So, how was Tucson?”

“Oh, you know. Hot. Desert-y. Lots of murder.”

“Less murder now.”

“Yeah.”

His voice sounds strained. He doesn’t like indulging in a sense of accomplishment after closing a case, doesn’t ever feel like he’s done enough. He shows up too late and does too little, and then he gets to leave while the families of the victims have to pick up the pieces. You understand why he doesn’t like to think about the work that way, but you’ve tried to remind him that the good he does is incalculable; how many lives saved, how many tragedies avoided. It’s all you can do.

You pivot a little, not wanting him to get too caught up. “I remember, when I first moved to Virginia, I was so shocked at how green everything was. I swore I’d never seen that much green in my life.”

“I had a similar experience,” he says, fondly, aware of your tactics.

“Oh, I can only imagine. I’ve been to Vegas. It’s icky.”

“Icky?” he asks, laughing at your word choice.

“I mean, no offense, but… it’s kinda ugly.”

“Wow, okay, insult my hometown, why don’t you.”

You laugh. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re right.”

“I know,” you sigh. “Always am.”

“Well, statistically, you actually have a seventy-two percent chance of being right, which is still impressive, but hardly a flawless track record.”

“Spencer Reid coming in hot with the stats. I love when you talk numbers to me.”

“I don’t think we’d have gotten very far if you didn’t.”

“But I think I should be right more often than that.”

“Are you asking me to fudge the numbers?” he asks with put-upon shock.

“I’m just saying, maybe you’ve got it wrong.”

“Oh, so you dare to challenge the accuracy of my eidetic memory? Or is it the statistics that you think I’ve calculated incorrectly?”

“This is affecting my score, isn’t it?”

“I’ll have to factor it in. You understand.”

You giggle, and Spencer starts to feel some warmth come back into him after too many days of stress, doubt, and destruction. He hadn’t been able to talk to you nearly as much as he wanted. And it was hard to talk to you on certain cases, to allow you to make him feel lighter when reality was so dark. When he felt so much weight on his shoulders, when he should be focusing on the profile and apprehending the unsub and… sometimes he just didn’t feel like he deserved to have that weight lifted by you, even for a little while.

“Spence?”

“Will you go inside?” he asks, his tone full of something like reverence for you. “Please?”

“If you insist,” you sigh, already opening the door.

“I do. I do insist, very forcefully.”

“I’m already inside with the door locked.”

“Man, I’m good.”

“Mmhm.”

“Going to bed?”

“Yeah. Will you talk to me for a few more minutes?” you ask, sliding under the covers. Spencer hears the slip of fabric as you pull them up over your shoulders, and it sharpens the ache he feels to be home with you already.

“I’ll talk to you for the rest of the night, if you want me to.”

“No, I don’t wanna keep you awake, too.”

“I probably won’t get much sleep regardless.”

“I don’t condone that,” you say, your frown evident in your voice.

“Noted,” he replies, though he sounds apologetic.

Four hours feels an eternity too long to wait. You miss Spencer, and you hate how tired he sounds. You want to fix things for him. You want to run your fingers through his hair til he falls asleep and you want to make sure his dreams are peaceful when he does.

“What do you wanna do when you’re back?” you ask, hoping that planning for it will make the time go faster.

“Oh, I’m taking a shower and getting right into bed. And you can’t make me get up.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“I’m serious. Don’t ask me to do a single other thing cause I won’t do it.”

You laugh. “For the whole day?”

“Probably. And you better not go anywhere either. We could both use the rest.”

“Okay, rest day all day.”

“We can order Thai though. So we’ll get up for that. But even then, it’s just to sit on the couch.”

“Maybe the floor.”

“I will also accept floor,” he concedes, and then it occurs to him that you might’ve been asking because you want to do something with him. “Is there something you wanted to do the next day though?”

“Well... the saucer magnolias are blooming at the Smithsonian again.”

“Say no more.”

You sigh wistfully. “You’re my favorite boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

“Well, I should hope so,” he says, smiling. “You’re my favorite, too.”

“Aren’t I the only partner you’ve ever had?”

“Ha ha. I had a girlfriend in college.”

“Spencer, you were like sixteen in college.”

“I wasn’t sixteen the entire time,” you hear the eye roll in his voice, “I have three PhD’s, it took me a little while.”

“Well, who is this girl? Do I need to beat her up?” you joke.

“No,” he laughs. “You are my favorite, after all. She wasn’t very nice to me.”

“Okay… so you told me not to beat her up but then gave a reason why I should?”

“Please don’t beat up my ex-girlfriend. I do appreciate your violent impulses though.”

“Mm, okay. As long as you know I could.”

“Sure, angel. You’re very scary,” he placates.

You let out a little gremlin laugh.

“Oh, and you’re delirious,” he notes, an amused lilt to his tone.

“Delirious because I miss you,” you sing, dragging out the ‘you’.

“God, where did I even find a weirdo like you,” Spencer laughs.

“I found you. You attracted me with your peculiar aura and soulful eyes. Trapped me in your… fucking what’s-it-called. Tractor beam.”

“You know, the term tractor beam was actually coined by science fiction author E.E. Smith in 1931 as an updated version of his original term ‘attractor beam.’”

“Hmm, yup. You caught me in that.”

“Did you call my eyes soulful?” he asks, seemingly just processing that part.

“Oh, you don’t like my adjective choice? Next you’ll have a problem with me calling your aura peculiar.”

“I mean… I don’t know that I loved it.”

“Here he goes fishing for compliments,” you sigh, rolling over to your other side and creating a bunch of shuffling noise on the line. Spencer wrinkles his nose, holding the phone a little farther from his ear until he hears you speaking again. “Okay, your eyes are big and brown and beautiful and they contain a standard unremarkable amount of soul, and your aura is also really regular. Regular Reid, that’s what they call ya.”

He’s frowning, you can practically see it, but he’s also fighting off an amused smile. “Well, that one started off nice, at least.”

“God! You’re so difficult. My boyfriend is sooo difficult. Why don’t you come home to me first and then I’ll come up with some more adequate compliments?”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

The two of you talk for a little while longer, with you telling Spencer about the new coffee shop you’d tried out and how their lavender latte actually tastes like lavender, which is basically unheard of. Spencer tells you about the standoff between him and an all too curious roadrunner that he swears was trying to get into his motel room. Calling it a standoff is generous; the man got bullied by a bird.

You try not to laugh and end up unsuccessful, with Spencer insisting that you were taking sides and he was well and truly in danger, which only makes it funnier. His voice pitches up even as he tries to keep his volume low, and you argue that his energy is just so attractive that even the local wildlife are drawn to him.

“Don’t start,” he warns, overwhelming fondness in his voice.

You make Spencer tell you something boring to calm yourself down from the image you’ve conjured of him being chased by a roadrunner, which, in your exhausted state, is even funnier than it should be. He claims to regret confiding in you with this, but he knows he’d do it again just to hear you laugh.

Instead of telling you something boring, he recites some of the poems he’s memorized over the years. It works the way you’d intended, and you regret it when you have to stop him to tell him you’re falling asleep. He’s just a little smug about it.

“So, you’ll be home in four hours?” you ask, the start of your goodbyes.

“More like three now.”

“We made time go faster.”

“We did.”

“Will you try to get some sleep?”

“Fine. Only because you asked.”

You hum, victorious. “Goodnight. I love you.”

“And I love you.”

Hours later, just as the sun is beginning to change the hue of the sky from deep navy to a hazy cerulean glow, you feel your mattress shift underneath you. You’re barely awake, but still you register the scent of Spencer’s shower gel, fresh and sort of woodsy.

Half asleep, you shift to accommodate him, and he slips an arm around you as you lay your head on his chest. You wrap an arm around his torso and throw your leg over his hips, as close as you can possibly get without literally being on top of him.

You sigh, deep and relieved, and Spencer’s heart stutters.

“I missed this,” he chuckles, resting his cheek against the top of your head and wrapping his arms tighter around you. You just hum in response, the last of your energy before you’re pulled back under. Within minutes, Spencer is asleep too, and the two of you sleep through sunrise and into the afternoon.

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid x you #criminal minds #spencer reid fluff #my fics #your honor im obsessed with him

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 2 months

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hey y'all, i pretty much know that i'm the asshole big time- but i'm not sure what to do about it. i know i need to shift my perspective, especially because i'm not sure what to do going forward... or how to meaningfully apologize, so I think i need some outside judgement.

AITA for wanting to possibly return to speaking terms with someone i cheated with?

about 1.5 years ago one of my best friends (i'll call him R, we're all 20 now) confessed to me while I had a bf- R said he knew i wasn't into him but asked me to kiss him once. i felt really bad and didn't feel anything for him, so i said yes and we briefly kissed. I didn't think it was going to be a big deal until I told my boyfriend right afterwards and he got really upset in a way i now see i was really understandable. i've come to see the situation as cheating, but I think fundamentally we had a different view of it at first. my bf asked me to not be alone with him anymore or talk to him outside of groupchats (i was in a friend group of 3 people, R me and another guy). I tried really hard to follow through on this but in reality- i just didn't want to cut off one of my best friends- there were times I went against my boyfriend's wishes and slowly I let up and saw him/talked alone more. I would tell my boyfriend about it and he would be hurt by it and I would feel horrible, but I didn't put up a hard boundary. I hated myself for it, but I didn't feel like R was actually a problem, rather that the problem was my lack of respect for my bf. A month or two later, all of us moved away to different colleges. After two months of long distance and continuing to talk to R on the phone sometimes, my boyfriend left me citing that as one of the reasons.

I realized I should have valued my bf more and I stopped talking to R (basically ghosted him), but he contacted me on another platform and asked if I was okay and I realized that he was a true friend in a lot of ways. When we hung out on winter break at home, we were chilling and he kind of made a joke asking me to sleep with him. I said no very loudly because I'm not into him like that and I was still hung up on my bf. Meanwhile, after 2 months of no contact, me and my bf had started to talk again very tentatively (i had tried really hard to instigate it which, sometimes i feel bad about not leaving him in his peace- but I was having a really hard time accepting the breakup). I realized there was something I really needed to do to show him I was serious and I sent R a text saying we couldn't be friends anymore citing some lame reasons and the whole 'sleep together' thing.

After that, R didn't contact me and I felt like it was sad, but kind of a blessing because I got to focus on building trust between my bf and I and we eventually got back together.

Anyways, in the past year, the relationship has been steadily getting more comfortable and I hadn't had any contact with R or cheated since (I kind of believe once a cheater always a cheater, so this is an accomplishment. I really don't want to hurt my bf like that again.)

Okay here's the sucky part though (as if the rest wasn't already sucky of me) i was posting tiktoks for the first time this week and, little did i know, the algorithm was showing them to people who had my number. I got a call from an unknown number and a text that said "can we talk." I realized from the chat history it was R, whose number i deleted. I didn't answer, but a part of me really wanted to.

I missed him and I felt bad for leaving the friendship the way it was, I was also really curious as to why he was contacting me now?? But I knew I needed to tell my bf before I did anything. He said he would feel more comfortable if I didn't respond and I kind of agreed- but I said I was going to think about it and that I would tell him explicitly before I did anything.

Then the next day I got another call from a random number with my hometown area code- I thought there was a possibility it was R and decided to just act in the moment and let fate decide- I answered and it was him. It was kind of scary, but also exciting and didn't feel wrong in my body. He was weirdly casual just saying hi and that he saw my tiktoks and missed me, we ended up talking like old friends- like the time that had passed had healed some of that old stuff. He told me i was the best friend he ever had, and I remembered all kind of good things about our friendship. I also was able to apologize for ghosting him- if not super well. I knew while we were talking that my bf was not going to be comfortable with this and that I was unsure about what to do going forward and I think R kind of knew that was the case too, so it was also very awkward. when we hung up, it was clear I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to be his friend again.

When I told my bf as soon as i got off the phone, he was understandably very upset, even more so when I said I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep talking to R in the future. I feel really bad for hurting him, I was really mainly thinking about my own feelings. Now he and I are trying to resolve things, but I'm ashamed to say I don't know how I can make it better. I've told him that, even though it's not necessarily what I want, I'm willing to block R again, but I don't think it feels satisfying to either of us. my bf and I have been dating for 4 years now (with that break at 3 yrs) and he means so much to me, I don't want to bring us back to a place of distrust, but part of me feels like this was kind of pent up while I had R blocked. i've never ended a friendship with anyone before or blocked someone, so it all feels really weird to me, but I can imagine that my bf must feel really betrayed by my continued unsureness.

also R and my bf used to be friends for like 5 yrs- then R and I were close for 1 yr. my bf has said he felt left out by that and that he felt like R was a jerk to him while they were friends, so that's an element of it as well.

if you've read this far, thanks so much- advice? AITA? I've spent so much time feeling like scum for the way I handled the situation and while I have to love myself through it- I don't want to keep mishandling it- was answering the call all that bad, do I need to totally forget about talking to R?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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azukiel · 5 months

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Nightfall Heir Chapter 6

🔞 MDNI 🔞 NSFW

Warnings (as a whole): Explicit sexual content, Graphic descriptions of violence, PTSD, Angst, Blood kink, Kidnapping, Pregnancy and Childbirth

⭐Here is the story on Archive of Our Own ⭐

Summary: Two years have passed since the events surrounding the destruction of the Absolute. Baldur's Gate is slowly rebuilding itself from the rubble, and you and your companions have established yourselves within the city to help in its restoration.

You and your vampiric lover, Astarion, had been nigh inseparable since coming back together. Yet a certain turn of events saw to your kidnapping and then... to your unexpected pregnancy.

🔥Comments and reblogs are much appreciated! 🔥

Regrettably, Astarion had important tasks to complete and couldn't join you on your journey back. Despite your offer to keep him company at the Halls of Justice, he knew he would just want to keep riding you to oblivion after what had just occurred. He assured and promised to do so upon his return home. That had brought a deep blush to your cheeks, which only caused him to smirk and laugh.

“How long do you think it will be before you’re done?” You asked, sending him a telling gaze.

“Well,” he grinned as he fiddled with the ring on his finger. “I intend to make quick work of my reports.”

You grinned deviously. “Hurry home as fast as you can. I’ll have dinner ready,” you offered.

“We don’t need dinner, my love.”

You shook your head, chuckling, “You may not need food, but I do!”

“Oh, I know, but I intend to devour you entirely. Make sure you're well fed before I return.”

“Is that an order?” You fluttered your eyelashes bashfully.

“Yes!” He gave you a quick, teasing slap on your backside. “So when you get home, make sure you rest. You're going to need your energy tonight.”

“So ravenous,” you purred.

“Only for you,” he smirked.

“So you’ve told me,” you grinned, and brought him in for a hug and a last deep kiss.

“See you later,” he murmured, his ruby gaze fixated on your eyes.

“Try to hurry home,” you reiterated, staring back intently.

“I shall see what I can do.”

As the two of you unlocked your loving hold on each other, you rose to the tip of your toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. “My heroic magistrate, off to do the law’s bidding.”

His smouldering gaze was all-knowing, but he chuckled anyway, rolling his eyes at your banter. “Off you go.”

And so you did, taking his advice and making the long walk back to your humble abode. Your mind lingered on the pleasant events that just transpired. Gods, there was something so pleasantly filthy - raunchy - in what you had both just done.

The memory made you nibble on your bottom lip and shiver from his promises. You needed to get home and rest, for he was going to utterly devour you. The events left you utterly depleted, and your mind continued to speculate on his recent insatiable appetite. The sudden occurrence happened even before menstruation, so there was no room for complaint. You resolved to discuss it with him at some later time. Perhaps he was just content to finally being free to control his own life; finally free to feel the true warmth of being loved and needed. Of being wanted. For many years, it was something you had desired. Astarion's fall for you introduced you to a love you had never known. The elusive feeling of a true love's kiss and the longing embrace of someone who truly desired you had always been out of reach. You had only ever known pain. You were grateful that the two of you could find such euphoric joy in one another. The partnership may not be seen as appropriate or respectable by everyone, but you felt no shame in his arms. With him by your side, you felt you could accomplish anything.

If the city was still in one piece, your walk would have not taken so long. Due to numerous collapsed buildings and broken roads awaiting repair, you had to take a longer route. With main roads still crowded with repair crews, merchants, and people going about their daily business, you chose the quieter back streets that had been cleared. With the many dilapidated structures, homeless people seeking shelter could find reprieve against the elements.

Your heart went out to those poor, innocent people. It agonized you to see the destruction that had been done by the Absolute.

Continuing on your way, you offered a couple of gold coins to the desperate people who approached you. Giving up a few coins for the greater good didn't bother you. Making Baldur's Gate a pleasant place to reside was necessary. Sighing, you continued on your way, reaching narrower and less populated alleys. You were heading into the bowels of the lower city now.

Your Drow senses quickly detected that you were being followed. The sensation of being spied on caused you to quickly look back, but there was nothing unusual in sight. Squinting your eyes, you sped up your pace.

You couldn’t hear the footsteps running up from behind you, for their movements were far too light for mortal ears to detect. But you felt them. The cold fury that surrounded your pursuer was like icy teeth latching onto your skin. Spinning on the spot, your magic arced up your fingertips in eager anticipation of a fight. You were not known to be cowardly, and neither did you like the idea of getting caught unawares.

You steeled yourself to counter any form of attack, whether physical or one of a magical nature. Yet, no matter how hard you scrutinised, there were no visible signs of any potential opponents. At first, you were confused and concerned. Were you just being paranoid? Had the many nights with Astarion clouded your senses?

Deciding it was just your nerves or your own imagination playing tricks upon you, you turned around, intent on continuing home. Only there was a subtle, melancholic humming in the air, as if singing a sad ballad. It sent your senses on a tingling wave, for the tone of it reminded you of the soothing murmur of the brooks and streams from home, deep within the Underdark. A home that, in truth, you did not miss.

Ignoring the musical notes dancing along the back of your neck, you continued on. Though you did so, your feet felt heavier with every step. A sinking feeling began in the pit of your stomach, a sensation that told you something was terribly wrong.

Glancing over your shoulder once more, you felt a chill breeze snake its way through the folds of your skirts. It made you shudder, and the melody seemed to hum louder, beckoning you into the unknown. Your senses were screaming at you.

Suddenly, your entire body stopped. Though it did not physically strain from the opposing force, the invisible chains of whatever spell that had been woven around you seemed to tighten their grip.

Despite the painful seizure of your body, you twisted your head around enough to see the figure a short distance behind you, cloaked in shadows. Through gritted teeth you muttered an incantation, and the twisting of the invincible chains vanished as the figure screamed, clutching the sides of their head. You knew it was wise not to linger and went to chant an invincibility spell, but no sooner did you open your mouth to mutter the words did you feel something being pulled over your head and tightened around your throat. The tingling of the weave which coursed through your veins vanished.

“No...” Items that could subdue your powers were virtually unheard of.

Your knees abruptly gave way, and you toppled to the ground. You felt every ounce of your breath being squeezed from your lungs. The cloaked figure, who previously tried to subdue you, approached while still holding their head.

“Mistress’ orders. She is not to be harmed.” Came the gruff male voice.

You heard a female scoff. “I know! You needn’t remind me! We need to bring her back immediately. She is fighting the collar. I do not know how long it will last.”

All you can remember is the blunt pain of a fist connecting with your skull.

#astarion #astarion x tav #astarion x reader #astarion x you #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate fanfiction #astarion daddy #Astarion as a daddy #Astarion and Tav have a child #Nightfall heir #bg3 #dadstarion #astarion has a child with tav #baldur's gate 3 fanfiction #baldurs gate astarion #astarion my beloved

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shadowscrybe · 2 months

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Rayven's Revenge- Chapter 1

Man I haven't made one of these posts in so long. Bear with me as I try to remember how to format this shit.

Summary: Rayven is the younger sister of Rhysand in the Night Court. She was banished 64 years ago for the murder of her sister. This is the story of Rayven earning her place in Prythian and finding out what it means to be family. We all know how her story ends...but how did she get there? I don't want to forget the demon princess with bat wings. Do you?

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: none-typical canon content

A/N: Uhhhhh. I have annoyed my friends talking about this fic for weeks and I think its time to start annoying all of you. I worked very hard on this, put my whole writussy into this, but feedback is always appreciated. This was mine for so long. Now its yours. Enjoy.

Morning light had begun to crest over the horizon when Rayven met with her returning shadow. Streams of warmth slipped in through the thin curtains of the small cottage, melting the coolness of the night off her wings. The long hours of the night had to be beautiful in the Night Court, but Rayven had found something special in witnessing its beauty while the rest of the court slept. The cottage she shared with her mother just outside of the Windhaven camp of Illyria was an inferior copy of the home her brother and his friends shared across the mountains decades ago in their youth, but it was the only home she knew. The Highlord had said it was more than the banished princess deserved.

Rayven had the misfortune of being born a few decades after everything important, it seemed. She was a few decades short of her first hundred years, but that didn't matter to the boys- and especially not the Highlord- who would always see her as a young fae. The boys were completing their first full cycle the coming moon, and the bastards were getting their siphons later that week, something the Night Court heirs could covet together.

The coming celebrations loosened her restraints with the Highlord and her presence in Velaris would be necessary for the next few weeks. Rayven was only to make appearances when it was appropriate for the court. The Highlord could only stomach the demon long enough for the required court affairs. When she wasn't galavanting at parties or silently simmering in council meetings, she was to remain in Illyria.

Following the poorly executed coup Kallon’s lord and father organized, Rayven took Ironcrest as her own. If the Highlord wanted it back he was welcomed to try. She considered appealing to the Highlord to move closer to her camp, but her luck had been pushed and she enjoyed the flight across the other camps anyway. It kept her on top of the movements of the other camps, especially Windhaven.

Her mother lived in Velaris by all official accounts, but after the boys finished their fifth decade, she found more and more reasons to be in Illyria. She didn't have daemati powers like Rhysand and Rayven, but she wouldn't have needed them to know the day would be hard for Rayven. It’d be hard for her mother too.

Rayven focused her breathing as she straightened her leathers, hoping to the stars she strapped them correctly. She navigated the path up to her upper level balcony and stretched her wings in the open space. She loosely braided her dark hair down her back to give her nervous hands something to do.

Her singular shadow, Rahne, returned from her morning scan of the camps, whispering about sentry positions, some kitchen gossip, but nothing out of the ordinary.

She needed reports of her normal flight patterns to reach the boys in order to accomplish what she needed to do. Rahne had warned her a second too late when she had ascended her rail to plunge off the side of her nest when he appeared.

“Going somewhere?” The shadowsinger said.

Rhane was quicker than his shadows, but his were silent. She raced the wing length between them to meet with his many shadows.

Rayven groaned and fell off the side. He turned to level out as she caught a drift back up to him. His laugh carried over the wind.

“Aren't we pleading our case to Devlon today, or did I get my dates mixed up again?”

The rising sun kissed their wings in greeting. He’d at least let her fly to the Windhaven border.

He allowed her a few strides before he said, “The Highlord asked that you stay here. It will be hard enough for us to convince him as is.”

‘Asked’ was a very nice way of putting it.

The boys had lived a full human lifetime that lunar cycle, so they were certain they knew everything there was to learn and she was a naive first cycle fae. They were meeting with Devlon to discuss their participation in the Rite that spring. She’d been training alongside them nonstop for months. Rhys told her it was important for her to have the training regardless of her participation in the Rite.

Of course, Devlon would never allow a female to participate. While Rhys had previously been denied for being a half-breed, as Devlon put it, he could still persuade the Lord of Windhaven. Rayven, on the other hand, had the misfortune of being a half-breed and a female. The worst crime to the Illyrian brutes with ways as archaic as the mountains surrounding them.

The drifted over the path to the camp only used by the clipped females. Rayven shuddered at the thought of losing her wings to these males.

“Hey,” the shadowsinger said, as if he could hear her thoughts. “We’ll find another way.” The tip of his wing barely brushed against hers. She stopped the shiver in her shoulders.

The males were always fighting over wingspan. They had more surface area, stronger for single thrust flight and carrying cargo, but the females were faster. Their wings were made for speed and agility. What took the males three muscle groups to turn on a pin, the females could do it with one. Sure, they were able to carry full grown males for miles, but the females were able to fly that same distance twice in the time it’d take them.

“Am I allowed to say it?” he asked.

“No.”

He tried to brush her wings again, so she folded hers in and dropped, parachuting her wings out in the final descent to land her feet on the stony path. They were within a few minutes of Devlon’s council tent.

“Why can't I go and beat some respect into that bastard?” she asked.

“You know why,” he sighed into his landing.

“The Highlord can make them submit and listen.” Her frustration began to manifest in her movements. Rahne started whispering calm over and over to her. “Hel, I could easily change their minds.” She wiggled her fingers at him.

He rolled his eyes at the violence she suggested. “We’d lose every Illyrian allegiant we have,” he said. He was trying. Really trying.

Tears welled in the demon’s eyes. “This is so stupid.” Her gaze was set in the direction of the tent she’d never be inside, knowing this was where he’d leave her.

“We’ll find another way,” he repeated. The hand by his thigh tensed, and then he was stepping back to take off.

“I’ll fill you in when I get back?” He spread his wings to depart.

She took in the mass of the shadowsinger before her. Even without the siphon, he was truly something to be feared.

She mumbled a fine and met his eyes. He jumped into flight, sending one shadow back to lick at her wet cheek.

“Gross,” she swatted it away and could almost hear its giggle as it returned to Azriel.

She watched as he grew smaller in the distance, until finally, he winked out of eyesight.

She wiped her eyes free of the crocodile tears and turned to her real destination.

Dumbass, Rahne snickered, expanding for their departure.

Rayven smiled at her little shadow, stepping through her dark threshold onto the crisp lawns of the Autumn Court.

#acotar #a court of thorns and roses #rhys!sister #azriel x rhys!sister #azriel #azriel x reader

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ticklishraspberries · 1 year

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Favorite Farmgirl (Penny/Fem!Farmer)

Summary: After a long day on the farm, you come home to your wife, Penny. Kisses, cuddles, and tickles happen. The end. (An anon asked me for this ages ago and I have finally delivered. I think successfully marrying Penny in my Stardew save filled me with inspiration. Anyways, enjoy!!)

After a long day on the farm, nothing brought you more joy than going home to Penny. As you crossed the threshold into the house, you kicked off your boots and headed to the sink, scrubbing the dirt off of your hands and wiping the sweat from your brow.

You wondered where Penny had run off to, as she was usually in the kitchen around this time. Suddenly, you felt a pair of arms wrap around you from behind, making you gasp with surprise, although it was obvious who had snuck up on you.

“There’s my favorite farm girl,” she said, pressing a kiss into the crook of your neck.

You melted into her touch, a pleased hum falling from your lips. “Hello to you too,” you replied, grinning. You turned to face her, leaning in to kiss her softly.

“Did you accomplish everything you wanted to today?” she asked. It was a question she often posed to you in the evenings. “If not, that's okay. We've got all the time in the world!”

You chuckled at her optimism. “I fed the animals, watered the crops, and did some shopping. Oh, and Sam says hi. We ran into each other while he was heading to work.”

Penny smiled. “Sounds like you were busy! I’m glad you’re home now, so we can relax.”

“Me too,” you said, pulling her closer by her waist. Your fingers climbed higher, pressing into her sides and making her giggle, an adorable sound that you have spent many hours drawing from her lips, ever since you moved to Pelican Town and met the shy, red-headed girl who had since become your wife.

She batted at your hands uselessly. “I said relax, not get all riled up!”

“Maybe I like riling you up,” you replied, grinning.

It was a clumsy dance, walking through the doorway of the bedroom and pushing Penny back against the mattress, still clinging to her in a tickly hug. Her melodic laughter came in soft waves as you manhandled her onto the bed, and then grew louder, persistent as your fingers began to scribble wildly against her sides.

Her legs kicked and her arms flailed, her cheeks turned pink and her smile stretched across her face. She was adorable, absolutely beautiful. Your heart melted at the sight.

As you lost yourself in admiring her, Penny took the opportunity to strike back. Her fingers found your belly and attacked, sending you into a similar fit of laughter.

“You worked so hard today, you deserve a break,” she said. Her tone was not quite teasing, but there was a hint of it beneath a sweet and genuine mask. “Let me make you laugh instead.”

And that was exactly what she did, exploring the sensitive spots she had found throughout your relationship. Your sides and stomach had been obvious places, poked when you were still just friends. Harder to reach places like your underarms and feet came during the dating stage. Spots like your inner thighs and ears came after marriage. She still exploited them all, giggling along with you as she gently took you apart.

It had been a very long day. Your life in Stardew Valley was certainly demanding. The farm, the mines, the quests to fill, friendships to maintain. After a long day, it was always nice to unwind, whether that be with a book by the fireplace, or squirming beneath Penny’s tickling fingers. Either way, your wife always knew how to improve your day.

As your laughter began to grow breathless, the time growing later and your energy draining, her touches slowed and her lips captured yours, kissing you softly.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too,” you replied, a giddy smile still etched onto your flushed face.

Penny was asleep in bed promptly at ten o’clock, as usual, but you stayed up, watching her rest. Starting a new life in Stardew Valley had been a risk, but you didn’t regret it for a second. The work was hard, but it was better than rotting behind a desk like you were years prior.

And meeting Penny was the best thing to come out of it all, that was for sure. Slowly but surely, you fell asleep beside her, resting up before another long day.

#penny stardew valley #penny sdv #penny x reader #penny x farmer #penny x fem!reader #penny x fem!farmer #penny stardew #stardew bachelorettes #stardew reader fic #stardew valley #stardew valley tickling #stardew valley tickles #raspberry writes

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malarkgirlypop · 7 months

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MEDIC! - 8th Part (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC)

Hello people, I have a very cute chapter here for you. Gave me a few butterflies writing this, so I hope it will do the same for whoever is still keeping up with this very long story. If no one is reading it that's fine, I feel accomplished just posting it. That's a lie I really want people to read this ahahah. Please read my work! Anyway this gif of Skip and Don laughing makes me so happy, look how cute they are, ugh. Also for this chapter I had to do a weird amount of research on guns and how they work cause they aren't really a thing people have where I live so I was as clueless as Emily. Based on the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters and no hate to the men who served in WW2.

After walking for another hour we make it back to camp. I rub my chest from where I hit it when jumping into the trench, it aches, it will definitely be bruised by tomorrow. When we arrive back then men are eating their lunch, Babe runs over to join them. I sit by Gene who watches the others from the outskirts. I sigh as I sit beside him tired from the trek through the woods. Gene doesn’t even glance at me as I sit by him, holding the vacant stare that is all too common these days. He must be having a rough day, I knock my knee into his, he comes too looking over at me. Gene looks surprised by my presence.

“I got two bandages, that's it! No scissors, no plasma, no morphine, nada!” I say exasperated. He shrugs like he knew that would be the outcome, “They say they have supplies in Bastogne.” I report what the other man said to me. Gene stays quiet. “You alright Gene?” I ask leaning forward to get into his eyeline. Still not speaking he nods his head slowly. I wave my hand in front of him.

“Huh?” Gene asks.

“Have you had lunch?” I question the medic. He sighs, nodding his head. I get up from my spot leaving Gene in his own world, I will talk to him later but he doesn’t seem to be up to talking. I make my way over to the foxhole filled with laughing men. I plop down next to Malarkey who smiles at me moving closer to share heat. He offers me the food he has in his cup, but I shake my head turning my nose up at the food. He rolls his eyes at me. “Open!” he puts the spoonful of food next to my mouth, I clamp my mouth shut shaking my head.

“Here comes the train! CHOO! CHOO!” Skip comes at me with his full spoon, I open my mouth as he puts the spoon in my mouth.

“MMMHH!” I exaggerate by rubbing my belly. Malarkey looks offended that I took Skips food and not his, I sigh and open my mouth. Malarkey grins feeding me his food.

“Should’ve shot Hinkle in the ass.” Babe giggles as the men chat boisterously about the encounter Babe and I had with the German soldier.

“Hinkle nearly shot you in the ass!” I laugh elbowing Babe in the ribs as the rest of the men throw their heads back in laughter. As Babe pretends to be offended by my comment. The sounds of the men's laughter makes me feel all warm inside. I glance around at all of the men taking in their faces, trying to memorise all of their smiles. A sadness falls on my heart, will I get to go home with these people, or will they be snatched from me? I have been in this time for months, after a while I stopped looking for a portal to take me back. If I was given the opportunity would I go? Malarkey notices my smile has faded from my face as he nudges me. I look over at him as he sends me a grin. I shake my head, ridding the depressing thoughts from my mind, focussing back on the conversation. One of the soldier’s who has been cooking comes back around to top up people’s cups with more food. The boys hold out their cups as they get their refills thanking the man serving the food. I watch Malarkey sniff the food in the cup laughing as he makes a face at the food.

“Yo, these smell like my armpits.” Malarkey remarks, I lean in to sniff the food. I giggle, they do smell like his armpits.

“At least your armpit’s warm!” Skip says smoking next to us.

“Do you want syrup with that?” Joe the soldier handing out the food asks annoyed at the complaints.

“Hey Joe, be honest, what’s in these things anyway, huh?” Malarkey asks while inspecting his food.

“Nothing you won’t eat Malarkey!” Joe retorts.

“I won’t eat Malarkey!” Skip is quick with his joke sending everyone into another fit of giggles. Malarkey and I look at each other laughing harder, his laugh is infectious. Julian makes a joke about Hinkle having Malarkey’s share, sending Babe off onto another rant about how he should’ve shot him. I shake my head laughing along with their silly banter.

“Anybody see Lieutenant Dike?” A soldier asks as he walks past. We shake our heads unsure of where Dike has got too. God knows he isn’t here on the front with us that’s for sure.

“Try Battalion CP, sir.” Malarkey replies to the soldier when no one else gives him an answer.

“Try Paris.” Skip jokes quietly.

“Try Hinkle!” Malarkey cackles, as do the rest of us.

Penkala puts on his terrible German accent pretending to be Dike, “Hinkle, sweetie, I’m home!” He gets up from his seated position pretending to reach in for a hug with Babe. Penkala continues with his terrible accent, “Hey, Hinkle-vinkle eat the armpit, huh?”

After we finish our lunch the boys start preparing to go back onto the front. Having nothing to pack into my medical kit due to the lack of supplies, I wait for them before we all head back out.

I sit in the foxhole staring out into space, enjoying the quiet for once.

“Emily!” I hear from behind me, I swivel to find the voice that called for me. In the snow stands a very cold looking Winters. His normally flush skin is pale and grey and his pink lips are blue. He stands with a scarf wrapped around his neck but he still shivers violently. I get to my feet making my way over to him.

“Yes Sir?” I ask as I approach him.

“Can you come with me?” He asks. I look over my shoulder, the men wait for me to walk with them back to the front. I give a quick hand motion letting them know to go without me. They nod and turn leaving me behind. Malarkey hangs back double checking if he should go, I nod my head, he gives me a small smile before running off to catch up with everyone else.

“Uhhh, sure.” I say. He turns, moving away from the front. I trudge behind him, thinking about the last time we had really spoken was after the incident. After I had to tell him the horrible things that the man said to me. When I had told Winters and Nixon they had given me little reaction, sending me out of the tent shortly after to discuss what they wanted to do. I had been so busy helping Gene I hadn’t really seen them since. We finally make it back to the foxholes Winters and Nixon have been staying in while we have been in Bastogne.

“Lew!” Winters calls the intelligence officer. The blanket from the foxhole flys off and a sleepy looking Nixon squints up at us.

“You wanna be here for this?” Winters asks the man. He stifles his yawn as he nods climbing out of the hole. I stand watching them unsure of what is happening. Once Nixon appears to be sorted he gives Winters a nod to start with whatever they have been planning. I glance from one man to the other waiting for them to speak.

“Emily, Nixon and I have been talking. After what happened to you we were both very concerned. Like I told you when we first met, we can't guarantee your safety or your life, but in that respect I meant more from the Germans than our own men.” Winters says in a very serious tone. I gulp.

“Seeing that we cannot predict what our own soldiers do and that we cannot be with you all the time or have someone with you all the time either. We wanted to give you something you could protect yourself with.” Winters continues. I look over to Nixon who is just nodding along to what Dick is saying.

“It’s a gun!” Nixon blurts, Winters sighs. “Sorry, you were really dragging that out.” Nixon says as Winters gives him the biggest side-eye.

“It’s a pistol, an M15 to be exact.” Winters says as he pulls a gun from his back pocket handing it to me. I take the gun from him, it’s heavier than I thought it would be the black metal cold to touch. I stare at the weapon in my hand, I have never held a gun let alone fired one.

“I don’t know how to use it.” I look at Winters feeling worried.

“That’s no matter, I can help you.” Winters smiles at me calming my nerves, I sigh in relief.

“Sir!” A soldier says from behind me making me jump in fright, the gun flies up out of my hands. I fumble it trying to catch the run away weapon. Finally after what seems like forever of the almost catching it dropping it game, I grip it firmly in my grasp. I peek up at Dick who is cringing at me, almost dropping the gun on the floor. I send him a sheepish grin.

“Yes?” Winters focuses his attention back onto the man who scared the crap out of me.

“Sir, Colonel Sink wants to go over orders.” The soldier says.

Winters nods his head as he starts to follow after the man. Winters turns as he walks, “Go get one of the men to help you on the front, they will help you work it. But don’t go around telling everyone you have that, ok?” I nod as he leaves. Nixon stands beside me, I turn looking hopeful that he will help me.

“HAHA no sweetheart, I’m an intelligence officer.” Nixon waves his hand like he is shooing away the gun. A sigh leaves my lips, Nixon chuckles, patting me on the back and directing me back to where I came from. I slip the gun into my pocket and make my way back to the front.

I jump inside the foxhole, almost landing on all of the men’s legs. “Jesus Em, you’re not an elephant, we don't need to be trampled.” Penkala exclaims when I almost step on his crown jewels trying to sit down. I give him a grin sitting between Skip and Malark.

“So what’s the crack?” I ask in a terrible Scottish accent. The men look at me confused.

“What?” Skip asks as he scrunches up his face leaning forward. I laugh, shaking my head.

“Nothing. Hey Malarkey can you help me with something?” I turn to face the man.

“Sure. What is it?” Malarkey asks.

“Ah, I need help with, um, finding medical supplies.” I lie, “Gene asked me to go to the other platoon, I need someone to come with me please.” I smile nicely, clasping my hands together to pretend like I am begging. He grins at me, his brown eyes crinkling at the sides.

“Sure thing Em.” We climb out of the foxhole and he starts leading us in the direction of the other platoon.

Once we are out of earshot of the other men, I tap him on the shoulder. “I lied.” He gives me a confused look. “I don’t need to get medical supplies but I do need your help.” I say quickly trying to explain the situation. I pull the gun from my pocket showing him, he glances down at my hands and then back up to me. “Winters gave it to me for protection.” I tell him. A sad look crosses his face but he covers it quickly with a sharp nod of his head.

“What do you need help with then?” He asks. I bite my lip embarrassed to say I have no clue how to use the gun.

“I have never had a gun or used a gun. I’m clueless, so it won’t be of any help if I don’t know how to even load the thing.” I say running my thumb over the handle of the gun.

Malarkey chuckles tapping me on the underside of my chin. “Of course I can help you!” Malarkey takes the gun from my hand. For the next hour Malarkey shows me how the gun works. He goes slow for me, teaching me small things then letting me do it with his direction and then by myself. I listen intently as he talks taking in the small details of his face, it takes us so long because I kept getting distracted by him and not paying attention to what he was saying. With just us being together I notice the small things about him. The soft hum of his voice as he speaks so calmly. The way he takes care to go slow when he is teaching me, never getting mad or upset when I have him repeat himself. His sense of humour, the little jokes he tells me and as he watches me with content grin on his face when I laugh at his jokes. The way he stands close to me, our bodies pressing together as he talks. The way he compliments me when I do something right. My heart beats faster each passing second I am with him. I can’t fall in love with this man but he’s making it very hard. I don’t even know if he would feel the same about me, maybe he only sees us as friends.

“So now we are ready to fire the gun.” He says as he passes it to me, snapping me from my daydream about my lips on his. “So we are going to do a dry-fire, which means shooting the gun with no ammo in it. Just so you can get used to the position you need to put yourself in, ok?” I nod my head, I empty the chamber of the gun like he taught me and pull out the rest of the magazine to ensure there are no bullets remaining in the gun. I point the gun at a tree about 20 metres away from where we stand. I hold the gun in one hand and face sideways to the gun. Malarkey laughs from behind me.

“Who taught you that?” He chuckles, I playfully push him.

“I don’t know. How should I stand then?” I ask, going back to my apparently bad shooting position. Malarkey steps behind me, his hands land gently on my hips guiding them to face the way I am shooting. My heart pounds in my chest at his closeness, I feel his warmth on my back as we stand flush together. His hands linger on my hips, as he leans in to talk to me, his breath tickling my ear. Goosebumps prickle on my skin from his soft touches, as I try to focus on his instructions. His fingers slide up from my hip as he runs them down my shooting arm to my hand, his other hand picking up my arm from my side to bring it to reach up and also grab the gun. My back is pressed fully into his front as his arms come around me to help with my stance.

“Relax, bend your arms. Stand with your feet apart, have a wide stance so it can’t knock you off balance when you shoot.” My heart flutters as he murmurs in my ear. I fight the urge to lean back into his embrace.

“That’s it.” He whispers in my ear, I look back over my shoulder finding his face close to mine. Soft breaths leave my lips as I stare at him. We hold each others intense gaze, the sound of an explosion pulls us from our moment. I clear my throat as we focus back onto the task at hand.

“Ok line it up, you have the U looking notch at the back of the gun and then the post at the front.” Malarkey says as he helps me line up the post and notch. His hands on top of mine, helping me to steady the gun. I dry-fire. The pistol clicks in my hand as the imaginary shot is fired. I practise a few more times getting ready by myself in the stance that Malarkey taught me.

“Ok, do you want to try one live fire?” Malarkey asks. I nod my head. He watches me load bullets into the gun, taking the safety off and then cocking the gun so that the bullet is in the chamber. I get into my stance, taking a breath, I line the shot up on the tree we had been using as our target. I squeeze the trigger, a loud bang sounds as the gun lurchers back from the force. The bullet hits the tree, I put the safety back on before celebrating. I look over at Malarkey, a surprised look on his face as I jump up and down happily. I run over to him, slipping the gun in my pocket, I take his hands in mine as we cheer, jumping up and down. I pull him into a tight hug as he laughs. I step back grinning up at him, our faces close as we pant from our celebrating.

“Thank you Don.” I whisper, he pulls me back into his embrace, his hand comes up cupping the back of my head, “No worries Em.” He says softly into my hair.

#Ehhh is this cute or not #if someone did this to me I would fold #please I am so flustered by him and I wrote it #band of brothers #band of brothers fanfic #donald malarkey #band of brothers imagine #fanfic #joe toye #bill guarnere #tropes

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lively-potter · 2 months

Text

— trials of athena ; four

— genre ; enemies to lovers, kinda slow burn, friends to lovers

— warnings ; a hella lot of cursing, some typos ( of course 🙄😬 ), mature themes, smut, athena doesn’t like feelings, fluff, smut, angst, some violence, a teeny bit of blood and gore, JK’s a dick fr

— intro, teaser, part one, part two, part three

— find me on Wattpad ; LivelyPotter

— word count ; 2k

— taglist ; @ahgasegotarmy116 @jk97bam

chapter four ; “my brain is experiencing technical difficulties.”

May 23rd, 2023 9 AM

The next morning, I was still annoyed that my family didn't let me give that rotten rat shit a piece of my mind. It got even worse when Mom and the rest of my family were basically infatuated with that cabbage head.

Mother dearest couldn't stop saying how kind he was. How respectful he was. How sweet. How handsome.

JK this, and JK that.

Constantly.

Gag.

He's a two faced, hotter than the sun, little rat bastard.

After finishing my second round of editing my manuscript for my latest book and sending my agent an email to clue him in on my latest accomplishment, I tore myself away from my desk and stretched my poor, aching shoulders.

"Yo bitch, did you even hear me?" Sawyer hollered through the phone.

"Sonofabitch – Sawyer, you ass! You scared the shit out of me." I grumped, grabbing my phone from the desk and taking it off speaker phone. I set the phone against my ear and flopped back on my bed.

"Sorry dude," I sighed, stretching out my body. "What were you saying?" I asked, lips pulling up in a grin when Sawyer started to whine.

"I was telling your bitch ass that I'm gonna be home soon to see your little boy toy," he snickered.

My eyes widened, "That rotten beaver nugget is not anything to me, and he is anything but little – if we're getting technical about it."

Sawyer moaned tortured, "I can't believe I missed that. I wanna go home."

"Same," I sighed, "I wish you were here. But when you get back, you can come stay with me if it's cool with your parents – which would be a good excuse to see the dickwad next door."

"We could always egg his house," Sawyer said thoughtfully. I laughed loudly and shook my head.

"I wish." I grunted, "But Mom and the others would murder us if we did."

I could picture Sawyer smirking, "They're probably hoping he'll be your future husband." He cackled.

My face flushed heavily from anger or envy—never mind. No. My face did flush from anger, it couldn't be anything else. I wouldn't allow it to be anything else.

"Fuck that!" I squawked, "He's insufferable." I stuck my nose in the air, lip curling as I did so.

Sawyer tutted, "Okay then, so you don't mind if I steal him?"

Yes.

"No," I replied, mentally smacking myself across the face. I absentmindedly traced the bruise on my cheek. "Go on ahead, Sweetpea. Plus, he isn't a possession to steal, bro."

Try it and I'll saw your tiny balls off and shove them down your throat.

A lump grew in my throat at that terrifying thought.

"Anyways," I quickly changed the subject once I heard Mom call for me downstairs. "I gotta go, Mom's calling me – but I'll call you later and tell you any new gossip, 'kay?"

"Kay, hoe. Love you."

A laugh escaped my lips, "Love you too, cunt."

I hung up the phone and pocketed my phone and rushed downstairs.

Mom was waiting for me at the dining room table. I walked into the large room and saw her on her laptop with a stack of papers on her left side.

"Whatcha up to, Ma?" I asked, plopping down into the seat across from her. Mom peered up at me over her glasses with a big smile.

"Hi, sweetie." She greeted, holding a small piece of paper in her french manicure hands. "Would you mind picking up a couple last minute things at the store for me?" She asked, "I would ask one of your dads to do it, but they're dealing with something at the diner."

"Sure, I don't mind. What do you need?" I asked, brows furrowing when she handed me the piece of paper in her hands.

"Here's a list," She smiled, and pecked the top of my head, eyeing the bruise with barely contained amusement. "Thank you."

"No problem," I shrugged, "Just let me get dressed and I'll head out."

I got up from the table and on my way to the stairs, Mom called after me.

"I love you! Oh! And if you see our neighbor; be sure to be nice, Athena."

My face dropped in agitation, "I'll try." To get on his nerves. "But he deserved fuckin' Nair in his shampoo."

***

May 23rd, 2023 10:55 AM

After dressing in black leggings, a random oversized AC/DC shirt I stole from North, and then proceeding to steal his jeep to drive myself to the nearest store, I was already seething after being caught up in a fuckin' traffic jam.

Ugh.

I really hated going out sometimes (what the fuck am I saying? I hate leaving home period).

"Let's get this over with." I mumbled, jumping out of North's jeep (which would soon be mine if I played my cards right, if he didn't rip my heart out after finding out I stole it first.)

Oops.

With Papa's credit card in hand, along with Mom's list; I proceeded my walk into the store.

Twenty minutes had passed, and I nearly had everything – deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, Mom's green juice, and oddly enough a skin tag remover.

With my arms full, I peered down at the last items and paled.

Tampons, I could deal with. But condoms? Eww.

I gagged and cringed.

"This is fucking mortifying," I whispered to myself.

Who knew I would have to buy my parents' condoms. But with all the shit that's been happening recently; it didn't seem too far-fetched. But still nasty.

I hesitantly walked into the women's hygiene isle and got the biggest pack of tampons I've ever seen and squared my shoulders and looked at the ground; briskly walking towards the end of the isle, not paying attention to where I was going until I bumped into a rock wall.

"Oww." I winced, holding my bruised cheek with my free hand, "I'm so sorry, please excuse—" I looked up and froze.

Holy Peanut Butter and Jelly Crackers.

The bitch glaring darkly at me was my neighbor, the unnecessary movie sequel. Who stood towering above me, (glaring darkly, might I add, once again), for accidentally bumping into him.

"...Never mind." I raised a brow. I tried side stepping him, but that stupid beaver bitch nugget stood in front of me, blocking me from moving – for no reason.

I gulped, eyes flashing down to his crouch. It was like getting fucking PTSD flashbacks. Of his monster dick tearing that women's throat in two.

(not that I see all of it happen – it was just my imagination, you dirty hoes)

I bet she'll be having to suck on some of those throat lozenges my dad gives me when I get sick to get some feeling back there.

I tore my eyes away from his pants and felt the back of my neck flush as I took in his outfit.

Black combat boots seemed to be his norm, along with dark clothing. This time the dickhead wore baggy pants, a white tank with a open button down shirt overtop. You could still see the tattoos on his arms, but I knew he had a lot more. A black studded belt tied the entire outfit together.

It tore me up admitting that the dude had style.

My mouth dried at the thought of his bare chest. And those abs. If I could squeal like a little girl at the image of his abs, you bet your bottom dollar I'd do it.

UH-THEE-NA

STOP THINKING OF HIM THIS WAY

HE IS A DICKFACE

A RUDE HOOLIGAN

My neighbor raised a brow of his own and licked at the silver hoops on his lips – eyeing me up and down. His doe eyes darkened back into a glare when he looked into my eyes to find I was looking at him hatefully in return.

"I liked you better when you were stuttering." He rasped, dark eyes flashing in amusement when I bared my teeth at him.

"And I liked you better when you were halfway across the country." I spit back, remembering his conversation with Mom and North last night when he told them he lived in California prior.

Gods, why did this man get me so angry, so quickly?

My neighbor threw back his head and laughed for a moment, and I took the chance to take him in. His dark black hair was shaved in the back, with his hair longer on top. It looked so soft and fluffy; I just wanted to touch and tug it.

Wut? No Athena – the only time I will be thinking about his fluffy hair is when I imagine it all falling out when I put Nair in his hair products.

My neighbor looked back down at me and bit the edge of his lip.

My eye twitched.

I remembered the way he bit his lip when that lady hit her knees in front of him.

DO NOT THINK OF THIS AGAIN.

"Can you get out of my way?" I gritted out through clenched teeth, don't lash out, Athena. Just don't...no matter how much you want to

My neighbor eyed my cheek curiously seeing the handprint shaped bruise and jerked his chin. "What happened there?"

Ah, nothing much. Only that I bitch slapped myself after seeing the pierced beast in your pants. No biggie.

"Not your business, you overdraft bank fee." I snapped. My neighbor's head neared back in shock, lips pursing to keep the smirk off his lips.

"Overdraft bank fee? Really? That's the best you got, Princess?" he asked, bending his knees down to lower his height to look me in the eyes.

I gasped at the disrespect, "Okay; listen here, you lunatic." My eye started to twitch again. Damn it. "I am not that short—"

"Really?" he snorted, eyes alight with amusement, "How tall are you? Five Foot?"

He stood to his full height and peered down at me, daring me.

"Four eleven and a quarter, thank you very much for asking." I cut in, ears blushing hotly as he snickered, "and two, I have a lot of insults – I can make you a list, if you'd like, fuckface. And three, my name is Athena, not Princess." I hissed lowly.

I held onto the box of tampons when he looked after I had finished my speech.

My hotter than the sun smirked again (ohmygod, does he not know how to smile? Only smirk?) and peered at the list in my hands.

"You have a mouth on you." He mused, watching with rapt attention as I choked slightly.

"Probably not as good as that lady a couple days ago." I muttered too lowly for him to hear.

His ears perked, "You say something, princess?" he asked, lips lifting in a little smirk.

The back of my neck flushed at the nickname.

I grasped the items in my arms tighter towards me, "Nothing. Now can you move out of my way?" I asked. My neighbor chuckled lowly and reached above my head to grab something.

Sonofabitch: my brain is experiencing technical difficulties.

The fabric of his shirt brushed against my chin, and I got a whiff of his cologne. It was light but fuckin' heavenly. Why did this insufferable salt slug smell so good.

"Here," His eyes sparkled in amusement as he dropped a medium sized box on top of the items in my hands. My face paled then brightened into a blush when I saw the box of condoms.

My neighbor watched my face color in sick amusement.

I wanted to reach over and smack the piss out of his gorgeous cheeks.

He backed away slowly, holding another box of condoms in his hand as he left, chuckling lowly.

"I'll be seeing you soon, princess."

Fuck.

It happened again.

I was malfunctioning.

My eyes look to the right, and lit up once I saw the Nair powder.

Without a second thought and regret; I swiped the box up in my hands and went to the checkout.

I have a feeling I'll be needing this. Real soon.

A/N

i love my beloved athena sm. are y'all excited to meet sawyer?

#jeon jungkook #bts fanfic #jungkook x oc #bts jungkook #wattpad #jungkook angst #jungkook fluff #jungkook smut #jeon jungguk #jungkook x original character #jungkook au #enemies to friends to lovers

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blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk · 2 years

Note

Reader and Grell (fem!pronounces) doing each others hair and makeup while preparing for a ball (probably at Phantomhives)

aaaaa so cute~

“How’s this, babe? Enough of a curl?”

Grell hums as she lifts the ends of her hair to inspect your work. You might be nervous about her judgment if you didn’t know she’s always incredibly gentle when it comes to you; whether physically or with words. “Well, this isn’t really a curl… it’s more of a wave.”

Then she tosses that section of hair over her shoulder and gives you a jagged smile. “But I can make anything work! It looks better than the curl I wanted.”

“Are you sure?” You move to keep going, though, your hands reaching to style the next part of her hair. She’s right that she definitely makes it work. “I mean, I know you can make anything look good, but if it’s not what you wanted…”

She waves a manicured hand in your direction to quiet your worries. “Oh, hush. You know, it doesn’t even matter what I look like tonight ― I always feel like a princess when I’m with you. That’s really all I care about.”

You lean in for a kiss as you work your way through the rest of her hair, making the ends of each section into immaculate waves. It’s a gorgeous style for her… despite the fact that it’s true, she looks great no matter what. “Is that right?”

“That’s exactly right. Now turn around and let me see what I can manage to accomplish with your makeup! That part’s best left to me anyway,” she grins. Nothing stops her from returning the kiss, and running her long nails through your hair. “Though I will say, you’re a miracle worker when it comes to our hair. You look simply darling!”

“No more darling than you.”

“Well, listen, my dear, anyone in competition with me is going to lose.”

You laugh and turn, closing your eyes so she can work. Whatever she does to you, you never fail to end up looking just as lovely as she does. So you’re more than happy to play dress-up, letting her do what she does best and make you look stunning. (Even though she claims you always do…)

“Why are we going to Lord Phantomhive’s ball, anyway?” You shift only slightly, to keep your back from getting stiff in one position. “Don’t you have work?”

She scoffs. “You know better than to mention that word while we’re preparing to have a wonderful evening together! And anyway, I am working tonight. There are a couple of souls that need to be collected a bit later… unfortunately, the little guard dog is going to have quite a mess on his hands.”

You tilt your head, earning yourself a huff when you know that screws up what Grell is doing. “So… we’re going to be having a good time, and then people are going to die… and that’s a romantic evening?”

“Well, why not, sweetie? Ronnie’s bringing his girlfriend along! It’s not as if we can’t enjoy the festivities before things go a bit sideways.” She gives you a soft pat on the cheek to let you know you can open your eyes. “Besides… you’re not really going to complain that I’m taking you along on work when we barely spend enough time together as it is, are you?”

It feels like your eyes practically roll back in your head. “I suppose not, when you put it that way. Are you going to leave the real work to Ronald?”

She smirks. “Oh, (Name), you do know me after all! I’ve got to make sure you get home before the clock strikes twelve and your carriage turns back into a pumpkin. And anyway… Ronnie needs some independence. He’s ready to handle this on his own! All he’ll need help with is straightening out the paperwork afterwards.”

With that she gets up, gesturing for you to do the same. “I promise you, darling, this will be an evening to die for.”

… Literally, apparently.

That’s how it always goes with Grell, though, and you wouldn’t change a thing.

#Black Butler #Kuroshitsuji #Grell #Grell Sutcliff #Grell x reader #reader insert #romantic #fluff #drama #AAAAA she's so cute lemme do her hair-#one hell of a queue

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the-ragbros-are-okay · 2 years

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can i just say that i am EXTREMELY unwell especially after kaeya visited dawn winery

lisa knew EXACTLY what she was doing when she told kaeya that he was the perfect person for the job so props to her bc if i can't reach through the screen and start their reconciliation arc then damn am i glad to have lisa start it for me

kaeya saying "...But I haven't been back there in a long time. This could be quite difficult to accomplish in just a single trip" they are missing each other and yet they won't talk to each other :( they are dumb <3

ALSO lisa saying "...and you know how diluc thinks better than anyone." YES HE DOES!!!! YES LISA HE DOES!!! YOURE SO RIGHT FOR THIS!!!!!! even though she's trying to extort diluc she's starting their reconciliation arc <3

kaeya saying that he'll head out right away with nearly no hesitation is so. he misses diluc so much :((((( also he was glad to have the traveler going with him bc going by himself would be so nervewracking and and and

walking up to dawn winery and paimon asks kaeya a question but he's so lost in thought that he just doesn't hear her. hey what if i cried. because. the last he was there was probably That Night, at least it seems that way from how he's talking

also can we just appreciate diluc's face when he sees kaeya:

this isn't disdain, it's just general annoyance at him and they're brothers, your honor

kaeya immeditely commenting on how cold diluc was being and then proceeding to follow it up with "...almost enough to make me feel unwelcome here, master diluc" because the last time kaeya was here he WAS unwelcome, at least, diluc really made it seem that way. and, for a time, maybe he was unwelcome

kaeya certainly believes he's always been unwelcome, which is shown later in the scene (we'll get to that)

"Don't forget that this is my home, too. I'm fairly certain that taking a trip home during festival season is a universal custom, common to all the cultures of Teyvat." NOTICE THE PRESENT TENSE HERE. "this is my home, too" damn right kaeya, it is, and even if he just said that to get on diluc's nerves, it at least WAS his home. one that he's felt unwelcome in for four years

kaeya being like "bitch the knights r poor and youre literally the wealthiest person around" and diluc is like "okay so what smh" they are BROTHERS

"everyone's just doing the best they can for Mondstadt" for Mondstadt. kaeya saying that to diluc's face, basically telling him that he's doing this for the good of mondstadt, and defending the knights of favionius in the process??? yes king, slay

kaeya guilt tripping him has me ROLLING ON THE FLOOR

"Anyway, speaking of the knights, everyone dearly hopes that you'll rejoin our ranks again one day. Then we'll be one big, happy family again."

TALKING ABOTU BEING A FAMILY AGAIN. AND A HAPPY ONE AT THAT. kaeya's telling diluc that everyone misses him and wants him to come back and then not-so-subtly sneaking in the part about family... i am. crying. he also looks SO happy while saying that??? that's such a sweet smile :(

"give that silver tongue of yours a rest" diluc knows EXACTLY what kaeya's doing and i think if kaeya kept saying things like that, diluc would be more likely to cave in, and diluc doesn't want that bc he still has these walls around him. also diluc just knowing kaeya's doing that on purpose shows how much he still knows him

diluc giving the knights wine :))

also yes paimon stay sober <3 please

okay the interesting part here that the traveler and paimon mention:

klee talks about razor finding his mother, since she's thinking about her mother all the time and loves her so much, and she wants razor to feel that same love from a mother that she has

kaeya talks about razor growing up too fast, and that he's still looking for his father. that. that is self explanatory. plus with the way he's saying it directly to diluc, i--

anyway, onwards

THEN DILUC SAYING THAT HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT KAEYA'S SAYING, I"M

"Always eager to help, and never forgets to return a favor. That's the Master Diluc I know."

this quote is interesting for multiple reasons. for one, it shows that when kaeya thinks of diluc, he sees the part of diluc that he knew when they were kids, which carries over to say that he doesn't think about That Night, and that he doesn't blame diluc for what happened then (which is only proven more by Hidden Strife)

DILUC ASKING THEM TO STAY FOR A MEAL AND KAEYA DECLINING BC HE DOESNT THINK HED BE WELCOME

ADELINDE COMING UP AND SAYING "NO STAY HERE" BECUASE DILUC WAS JUST GONNA GIVE UP ON TRYING TO SPEND TIME WITH KAEYA probably bc diluc thinks kaeya resents him for what happened and he doesn't want to push too far :(

kaeya. diluc himself invited you. they are so dumb <3

adelinde cares for him so much and him breaking out of his normally silver tongued ways and just saying "oh, uh..." bc he doesn't know how to respond to that!!!!! he's learning that he's welcome there and that they still care about him and that they want him to be there and to stay!!!!

DILUC AHAHHAAHH "What happened to your swagger? Lost for words?" diluc coming in with THE best line so far. that brotherly jab <333

kaeya immediatley being sheepish and looking kinda embarrassed at his own slip up and then diluc guilt tripping him back with "surely you wouldn't dream of disappointing adelinde?" as if kaeya was already having a hard time saying no to diluc hsjhsghskfd

they all had dinner together at the table just like they used to :)))) i am filled with SO much joy at this

also the fact that kaeya and diluc were bantering at the dinner table PLEASE my heart cant TAKE this

yes!!!! yes kaeya you can and should come back more in the future

you KNOW kaeya was giggling n shit when he left Dawn Winery like. yeah

#kaeya ragnvindr #diluc #kaeya #ragbros #genshin impact #diluc and kaeya #diluc ragnvindr #genshin #kaeya alberich #weinlesefest #genshin impact diluc #genshin kaeya #genshin impact kaeya #kaeya genshin impact #diluc genshin impact

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nifaswriting · 2 years

Note

Hey there u cutie :3 I came across your blog and I totally fell for your writing 💞 Can I request something for Smoker? Modern AU Headcanons or the "Love with XX is..." would be awesome! Please choose what you are more comfy with. Have a wonderful day 💕

Hello there, beloved ! Your request made my day, I'm very happy to know you enjoy my writing ! I hope you'll like this as well ♥

I chose the modern au because I got inspired, but you'll probably see the "love with" serie with Smoker at some point 'cause this man has me on chockhold, it's not even healthy...

Anyway, enjoy the little headcanons and have an amazing day as well ! ♥

P.S. : I made this waaaaay longer than expected haha ! Also, slight TW for mention of injuries, nothing bad don't worry, just thought I would put it, just in case ♥

Smoker modern AU headcanons :

To start somewhere, I strongly believe Smoker used to be in the army when he was younger, probably around his early/mid-twenties or something

His long life dream since he was a little kid was to serve his country and bring some kind of justice to this world he thought was way too unfair sometimes

But my thoughts is that he got involved into some traumatic near-death experience (more than likely the day he got that big scar on his face) at the beginning of his thirties

The recovering process was painful, yet his not-so-infamous will made it a little eaiser for him to endure

It also helped that he met you at that time : you quickly became his anchor when he felt like his determination was slipping through his fingers during hardest times

After everything got better for him, Smoker decided to quit the army to be able to start a long life with you by his side ♥

Back to the present we go !

Smoker now works for some kind of big lawyer company, either as a lawyer himself or as one of the big heads

He found in this new job a way to accomplish his dream while also trying to balance work and private life

Emphasize on trying...

This man works A LOT and he works so hard all the time it's giving him grey hair

Haha, get it ? Because his hair's white and stuff...

Most of the time, he comes home later than he first intended to

"I'll be back around eight tonight." is what he texts you, but you know he won't be there until 10pm or even later sometimes

And when he gets home, you're almost always already asleep because, as much as you love him, you too need your daily rest

Honestly, he can't blame you, and deep inside, he feels horrible that he's not spending enough quality time with you at home

Same goes for mornings : he gets up very early and usually you're still sleeping, so he just gets ready in silent, kisses you softly and leaves without a noise

Luckily for you, there are times when he's not so busy and you bet he's going to spend every single free minutes he's got with you, either at home or by taking you out

Nothing is too much when it comes to you, and somehow he loves spoiling you just a little bit when he has the chance

You want to try that new restaurant you saw on your way to work ? He's already booking a table for you both. You need new shoes or new clothes ? He's taking you on a shopping session. You want to stay home and cuddle him all day ? Watch a cheesy movie while eating take-out ? Fine by him, for your sake, he'll accept anything.

It's his way of showing you how much he cares despite not being there a lot

Such a sweet man ♥

Please though, if he's in one of his busy periods and you get the chance, visit him at work, he'll be the happiest man in the world

He doesn't look like it, his face remaining neutral the all time if not for the slightest of smiles curling the corner of his lips, but the moment he sees you walking past his office's door, his frown softens

It immediately lightens his mood and makes his day 100 times better

Bonus if you brings him something he enjoys like his favorite food/snacks or flowers (yes, he loves flowers, who would have thought ?)

On rare occasions, when both your schedules allow it, he offers you to eat lunch together, either at one of your workplaces or at a restaurant

Sometimes, your coworkers or Tashigi join you two intentionally and Smoker gets all grumpy because they're interrupting his precious alone time with you

Please, when it's just you two afterwards, give him a big kiss to get rid of his bad mood before returning to work, it'll help him feel better ♥

He's in fact just a big busy baby man, but you love him and he loves you dearly

#nifawrites #smoker scenario #smoker imagine #smoker headcanons #smoker #one piece smoker #one piece scenario #one piece imagines #one piece headcanons #one piece #white hunter smoker #modern one piece #modern au #one piece scenarios #smoker x reader #one piece x reader

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little-lego-ninjas · 2 years

Text

that there ain't no stoppin' your plans and those slow hands:

Hey guys! I decided to write that silly little idea I had for a lava one shot, and it came out really cute, so I decided to share it with you guys <3.

Dusting his hands off on his pants, Kai glanced back towards the water. It wasn't a bad day in the slightest, not with how gentle the waves looked and how the sunlight reflected on the water's surface. It was pretty and almost calming, if it wasn't for the annoyance steadily building up inside of him.

Now normally, he would feel pretty accomplished after stopping a petty criminal like one currently tied to a nearby palm tree, but after accidentally blowing up his bike's engine, his good mood had burnt to a crisp. Sure, he had apprehended the criminal, but now he was stuck on the beach, by an entire ocean of water, until the Bounty could come get him.

"... Maybe we could just walk back home?"

At least he wasn't alone though, so there were little victories. Kai crossed his arms, gesturing at the faint sight of Ninjago City on the horizon. "Hate to be a downer, Cole, but unless you wanna walk for the next six hours, we're not going anywhere."

Cole hummed, drumming his fingers on the handlebars of Kai's bike, little wisps of smoke escaping from the once-burning engine. Nya was gonna kill him for it, followed by Pixal and then maybe even Jay, but Kai could deal with that. Machines were never reliable anyway, even if they helped with coming and going.

Kai plopped down into the sand, resting his chin in his hand. "Sorry for getting us stuck."

"I don't mind," Cole said, his voice even and calm, like being stuck for a couple hours didn't bother him at all. Knowing Cole, it probably didn't.

Kai sighed, glaring out at the water as if it was to blame, already tired of being stuck and waiting to be rescued. It was almost embarrassing, a trained ninja blowing up his own ride. Kai groaned, hiding his face in his hands.

He tensed when he felt a hand card through his hair, relaxed when he recognized the touch, gentle yet so strong. "Cole," Kai mumbled, "what are you doing?"

Cole's hand left his hair, the earth ninja sitting down beside him. "You can't be that upset, right?"

Kai peeked at Cole again, then glanced away. "Maybe I am upset. I mean, we caught the guy, but we're stuck for the next couple hours because I shot a blast of fire at my own bike!"

"Well," Cole poked at Kai until the fire ninja looked up, if only to glare at him. "You could be stranded alone. You've got me."

Cole smiled, and Kai was pretty sure he should have jumped into the ocean when he had the chance because oh no. Kai had told himself countless times that he had no romantic feelings for anyone on his team, but dammit Cole had him in a way he had never felt before. There was just something about the other man that made Kai desperately want to spend way too much time with him.

Kai had a reputation, a persona even, that he was the cool sauve playboy, the one who always got what he wanted and then changed his mind about it later. Besides, the only one who even knew he was pan was Nya, and he sure wasn't about to confess his sexuality to Cole. Especially not if it meant jeopardizing their friendship.

Kai looked away, nodding but not meeting Cole's stupidly pretty eyes any longer. He had a crush, so what? He could get over it. It was no different than any other time he had feelings.

"Kai?"

He would get over Cole and be happy for the Master of Earth if he ever found a nice person to settle down with, he could be happy for Cole and get over his little tiny crush like the adult he was, he wouldn't ruin their friendship. He couldn't.

"Kai, hey?"

Kai looked back at Cole at the sharp sound of worry in his voice. "Yeah?"

Cole did look worried, his eyebrows pinched. "You okay? I mean, if you would rather be alone, I can go watch the guy-"

"No!" Kai snatched onto Cole's arm (why, why, why had Cole felt compelled to remove all the sleeves on his gi?). "I- um."

Kai let go, cheeks flaming. "You can… do what you wanna."

Cole sounded amused. "Are you nervous?"

Kai shot Cole a glare, which only made Cole laugh. "Why would I be nervous?"

Cole shrugged, stifling his laughter. "I mean, I'm a little nervous."

Kai knit his brows, watching Cole closely. He didn't appear to be nervous, but he was rather good at hiding his own feelings. It was something they had all gotten better at over the years and battles, which they probably shouldn't have ever started doing, but Kai sure didn't feel like airing out his traumas. He would rather shut up and talk about something else anyday.

Kai tilted his head, nudging Cole with his elbow. "What's got you nervous?"

Cole shrugged again, not quite meeting Kai's gaze. "Well, we are both just sitting here, on the beach, alone. Feels like a bad movie plot."

Kai's eyes went wide, then he glanced toward the palm tree where the criminal was futilely trying to free himself. "I mean, we do have a third-wheel."

Cole followed Kai's gaze, then snorted. "Yeah, we do."

Kai threaded his fingers together, cringing slightly at how sweaty his palms felt. "So… when you said it was a bad movie plot, was it a romantic movie?"

Cole got quiet suddenly, and Kai cursed himself for ever opening his mouth. Of course it wasn't a romance flick, what was he thinking? Cole didn't like him the way Kai did, he was being ridiculous and putting the very thing he wanted to protect in jeopardy.

Kai blinked away the frustrated tears building up in his eyes. "Never mind, it was totally an action movie. 'Cause- 'cause we're ninja."

"What if it was an action/romance movie?"

Kai snapped his head up, finding Cole looking at him with something like hope burning in his eyes. "I- what?"

Cole's cheeks flushed, and the earth ninja looked away, drawing his knees up to his chest. "Um. I mean, we're ninja, yeah, so action and stuff? But also there's- there's room for romance and hand-holding and- um."

Kai snickered and Cole scrunched up his nose. "I'm trying!"

Kai laughed outright then, falling against Cole's side from the force of his mirth. They both froze, eyes fleetingly meeting before Kai sat upright again, clearing his throat loudly. "Is this a bad time to come out?"

Kai didn't look at his teammate, didn't let him speak. "Because I'm pan. Like, pansexual."

There was a beat of silence, then Cole sighed. "I owe Jay money."

Kai jerked his head back at Cole. "Why. Do you owe Jay money?"

"I thought you were bi," Cole admitted sheepishly, half hiding his face against the crook of his arm.

Kai stared at Cole, unable to find what to say. The earth ninja filled in the brief silence. "I'm- uh. I'm not really sure what my sexuality is yet, but I mean. Guys. Mostly."

Kai bit down on his lip to keep his giggles in check. "Guys."

Cole nodded, his eyes meeting Kai's. "Like you."

Kai's brows shot up and he knew he was blushing something terrible. "I- me?"

Cole nodded again, his own cheeks pink again. "Yeah. You."

Kai swallowed. "Oh. I think you're- I like you, I guess, a little."

Cole snorted, elbowing Kai's side. "You guess, or you know?"

"Man, don't make me say it!"

Cole fell backwards laughing, grinning up at the sky. "You like me too, then?"

Kai huffed, flopping down beside Cole, tucking his hands under his head. "Yeah."

"Yeah."

They drifted into silence, the only sounds their breathing. Kai's heart was still pounding, a roaring sound playing in his ears from how excited he was. Cole said he liked him back, liked him. Kai pressed his lips together, rolling onto his side. "Hey, bro?"

Cole shifted, rolling onto his side to meet Kai's eyes, one of his brows arched. "Bro? Really?"

Kai kicked Cole's shin, ignoring Cole's idginant huff. "If we… you know, like each other. Can we, maybe, kiss?"

Cole blinked, surprised. "I don't see why not? But uh," Cole got shy, cheeks pink again, "I've never kissed anyone."

Kai stared, then snorted, scooching a little bit closer. "So I'm your first?"

Cole nodded. Kai grinned, stopping just before their bodies would be flush. "It isn't difficult, I'll lead."

Cole's lips quirked. "Sure."

Kai cupped Cole's cheek, rubbing his thumb across his cheekbone, smiling when Cole did. Slowly, Kai moved in, barely pressing his lips against Cole's, feather-light and more a brush of air than lips. He pulled away a little, close enough to easily move in and do it again. "Good?"

Cole looked a little lost, and a little miffed. Kai yelped when Cole flipped them, Kai suddenly laying atop Cole, the earth ninja beaming. "Better."

Kai flushed, swatting at Cole's head, cutting off his laughter with a kiss, a real one this time, full on lip-to-lip action. Kai tilted his head a little, moving his lips against Cole's, a mixture of first-time messiness and self-assured techniques. Cole hummed against him, arms tight around his back, holding him flush to Cole, which Kai wasn't about to complain about.

They pulled apart slowly, Kai resting his forehead against Cole's. "So… yeah."

Cole was grinning. "I liked that."

"Good, 'cause I did too. We are so doing that again."

Cole opened his mouth to reply, but clamped his lips shut when a shout sounded nearby.

"I mean, get it I guess!"

Kai shot a venomous glare at the criminal, who didn't look too upset at being tied to a tree anymore. With a sigh and an eye roll, Kai clampered off of Cole. "Sorry for him, I forgot he was there."

Cole nodded, his face painted crimson, sitting up. "Yeah, me too."

Kai stretched slightly, glancing around the beach for any sign of other people. "At least it wasn't the Bounty."

Cole groaned, hiding his face against his knees, making Kai laugh again. Crouching down beside the earth ninja, Kai ruffled his hair. "When did you get so shy?"

Cole shrugged, peeking up at Kai. "I've always been shy."

Kai arched a disbelieving brow, then shrugged. "I'm gonna go find a dorky shell for Lloyd." He walked a few steps, then glanced back over his shoulder. "Are you coming?"

Cole hurried to his feet, pinning the criminal with a glare. "If you move, I will magma punch you."

The man tied to the tree paled and made to nod, then froze instead. Kai snorted, reaching for one of Cole's hands, then paused mid-motion. That might be presumptuous to think they were already at hand-holding. Instead, Kai swung his hands, acting like that was his original plan the entire time.

"Aren't you being a little harsh?"

Cole gave Kai the most done expression he had ever seen from the black ninja. "No, I'm being stern."

Kai rolled his eyes, glancing down at the sand at his feet, skimming his gaze down the beach. "Yeah, sure."

Cole elbowed him and Kai yelped, snagging Cole's arm to keep from falling over. They blinked, meeting each other's eyes before Kai coughed and glanced away. He made to let go of Cole's bicep, but Cole held him in place. "If this is an action/romance movie, we probably should stroll down the beach."

Kai gawked, then burst into delighted cackles, tightening his hold on Cole's arm. Maybe being stuck on the beach wasn't all bad after all.

#jay got his money don't worry #ninjago #my fic #i love them #ninjago cole #ninjago kai #lavashipping #ninjago lavashipping #they are just too cute

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weirdkpopgirl · 2 years

Text

Surprise Dates | Dream Reaction #3 (hyung-line)

Reaction: When they do a surprise date for their gf (hyung-line, requested)

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Mentions of food

Word Count: 1105k Author's Note: I am deeply sorry for how long it took to finish this request. I actually started it right when the request was received by me. But I got caught up in writer's block and was working on my other project 😔. Anyway, I hope you guys like this. I'll post the maknae-line's soon. The link will be at the end of this post when it is.

~ ~ ~

MARK

Due to him always being tired from work, you guys often stayed in and had at-home dates. Which you never minded, but it still made Mark feel bad. Wanting to do more for you, Mark made some free time in his schedule.

The weather was nice, so Mark brought you to Han River. He had even brought a blanket so you could find a nice spot to sit and enjoy the view. The rapper also had food delivered to you guys. He would’ve cooked, but he thought it was better not to try and fail this time.

“You really planned this all out, didn’t you?” You took a sip of the soda in your hands.

Mark would smile shyly, “Do you like it?”

In response, you’d lean over to hug him, which caused him to laugh. You hoped that he could feel how appreciative you were. He went out of his way to set this date up to surprise you. You loved how considerate Mark was.

“I love it, Mark. Thank you.”

✎____________________________________________________________

RENJUN

He had been wanting to go on a hike with you. Without much warning, Renjun was at your door in the morning. He had everything prepared for the both of you in his bag, water bottles, camera, sunscreen, etc. You were a bit hesitant when Renjun explained his plans to you. But he talked about how it would be good for both of you to get some exercise and spend quality time together. So how could you say no?

“Are—we almost at the top?” You asked, trying not to huff. You adjusted the visor you were wearing to be protected from the sun.

Renjun who wasn’t too far ahead from you smiled. “We are. You’re doing great, Sweetheart!”

He stopped walking and gestured for you to take his hand, which you accepted. Thanks to his encouragement and support, you and Renjun climbed up the rest of the mountain together. It took awhile for the both of you. But it didn’t seem like that because you had been talking and spotting things you saw along the way.

When you got to the top, you and Renjun high-fived each other in accomplishment. To make things even better, the view was great.

“Wow, this is amazing,” You breathed in, taking in the scenery.

Renjun placed his arm around your shoulder, “Thank you for doing this with me.”

“I wouldn’t mind doing it again.” You leaned in. “I think you made me realize by doing this, we can get anything done together.”

“Look at you, learning from me,” Renjun chuckled, as he pressed a kiss against your temple.

He later pulled out his camera, saying that the guys wanted him to take photos. But you knew that he was just using that as an excuse. Renjun found it important to capture memories like these, for the both of you to look back on fondly.

✎__________________________________________________________

JENO

Jeno had noticed you’ve been kinda down lately. So he had been wanting to do something to cheer you up. That was how you returned home to see all the lights turned off in your apartment and a meticulously decorated candlelit dinner.

“What is all this?” Your jaw dropped as you saw Jeno standing in front of the table, holding a single rose. He must’ve come into your apartment when you were at class.

Jeno’s eye smile appeared to see your surprised expression and handed you the flower. “We should eat before the food gets cold, Love.”

Still shocked by all of this as the two of you went to sit down. You looked at Jeno in agape.

“When did you find the time to do all this?”

“I know you’ve been stressed lately.” Jeno took your hands in his. “So I wanted to do something to make you feel better.”

You felt tears prick in your eyes. “You did all of this for me?”

“Well, Jaemin-i helped me with the cooking,” Jeno admitted, wrapping his arms around your waist. “And Renjun might have given me tips on how to decorate.”

The two of you exchanged laughter and a sweet kiss. And there was much more to follow that. It was a wonderful evening, that made you realize once again how much you loved the man before you.

✎__________________________________________________________

HAECHAN

He knew how much you liked his group since before you two started dating. But Donghyuck didn’t realize how much of a fan you were until he bought you VIP tickets to one of the Dream concerts. He thought it would be a nice surprise and his members had been begging to meet the girl he’s been bragging to them about.

It was fun for him, in the beginning, to spot you in the crowd waving your lightstick like everyone else there. As much as he loved his fans, performing knowing that you were there felt different to Haechan. He was slightly nervous because he wanted to show his best, but you also gave him this extra boost of strength.

But when the singer brought you backstage to meet the Dreamies, things didn’t go the way he thought they would (at least under Haechan’s standards). Although you were extremely nervous about meeting your favorite boy band, the boys did their best to help you relax and make you feel comfortable around them. They were so kind and liked you a lot.

“I bet Haechan is your bias, right?” Chenle asked you. Haechan wore a proud smile.

Until you blushed and shook your head. “Actually, my bias is Renjun.”

The guys abrupted in laughter, leaving Haechan in disbelief. Renjun was also a bit surprised to hear this. Pointing to himself, “Me?”

You shyly nodded and looked down, “I really like your singing.”

“Aw, I’m so glad you appreciate me,” Renjun smiled back at Haechan. “Thank you, (Y/n)-ah.”

Naturally, Haechan was in jealous mode after. You bet he would be super sulky. He’d have his arms crossed and turned away.

“Huh, why don’t you go date Renjun instead of me then?”

Rolling your eyes, you interlocked arms with the boy. “Why would I, when I have someone like you who is caring, sweet, and good at everything?”

“Handsome, you forgot about that,” Haechan murmured. You sighed and exchanged looks with his members. “And handsome too.”

Mark who was next to you laughed, “It’s good that (Y/n) can handle our Haechan-ah.”

Haechan didn’t care anymore about what the others said and was back to snuggling up to you within the next few seconds. He sure could be a lot of work sometimes, but you knew he really did care about you.

✎__________________________________________________________

maknae-line

#nct #nct dream #fluff #mark lee #renjun #jeno #haechan #kpop #nct dream reactions #nctzen #czennie #mark #injunnie #samyoed

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secretxxpaladaiseu · 7 months

Note

GRIEVED for minie. she is my fave oc of yours when i found your blog! <3

THANK YOU SO MUCH <3

send GRIEVED for a scene from my muse's past in which they had recently lost someone / something

Minie wasn't supposed to interact with humans on a deeper level. She was there to take their souls by all means necessary. For her, it usually meant a tainted drink at the bar. A customer becoming too inoxticated simply to pass out later on in the night never stood out. Sure, the occasional customer would express concern over how long they had been unmmoving at the end of the bar, but it never went anywhere more.

She typically didn't work alone, though. Most of the bar's employees were reapers like her, and knew she was simply doing her job. They would even help to quell concerned customers and even move the drunken customer somewhere 'softer' to rest. Of course, there was no safe place for them to rest. They were just a body by then, and Minie's vial was sealed tightly in her pocket. A body that was tossed out back for whoever to feast on. Usually there were demons, or some other type of ghoul or goblin waiting for a fresh meal. It was a deal that worked out well for everyone involved.

Minie took her job seriously. Working in the bar, she found herself only having to collect the souls of grown adults. It was her preferred type of collection, as they were typically assholes in her bar. Rude to her, rude to the other waitresses, just in general the types that would be thrown out of a proper bar or nightclub anyways. For as disgusting as these human beings were, it was fate. It was decided before that night that they would enter, and keep ordering drinks from the bartender on duty. All the way up until their drink gained a special ingredient.

Working as a bartender, she found herself becoming friendly with many that came through the bar. There were a lot of regulars, human and non-human alike, but most of them were extremely pleasant to be around. In fact, there was one regular in particular that she was getting very comfortable with. Cozy, even.

It was a risk for her to start dating the demon, especially knowing that the Fate's and others could see everything that went on. Still, this was a man that was very much working on stealing her heart. He started spending every night at the bar, and making sure to walk her home safely. Most of the time, they'd squeeze in a breakfast date along the way, while rarely finding the time to have a lunch or dinner date. Minie couldn't think of a time where she had been happier.

He was a demon, however. That became a problem that was bigger than anything else. It was a problem that required punishment, and they were lucky to have gotten away for as long as they had. In the hierarchy, Reapers were seen as the idiots, in a sense. They had no powers to defend themselves, no superhuman strength, nothing. They were in charge of collecting souls and were immortal. They were treated like children by nearly every other being out there in the universe because of this, which meant they were never punished for their involvement with others.

They both knew the risk they were taking, but it was painful when they had moments of panic. Becoming convinced that they truly were about to be separated, ripped apart for no reason other than heirarchy. Reapers were supposed to remain neutral, to stay a neutral party. They didn't judge souls for heaven, hell, or anywhere else, and they weren't supposed to hand deliver souls to anyone but the judges. It didn't matter how seriously Minie took her job, and made sure that no one touched those souls beyond the judges, it was still a severe violation.

He stopped showing up to the bar. The escorts home stopped happening. Breakfast dates, lunch dates, movie dates…They stopped. Sleep was no longer something Minie tried to accomplish. As soon as she was off from her shift at work, she went searching the city. She knew her searches were useless, because it was clear what happened. It was obvious what had finally happened, and the pain she started feeling was getting worse by the day.

A few weeks into her searching, it finally overwhelmed her. The pain in her chest caused her to fall to the ground in a curled up ball. Her arms wrapped tightly around her knees as she sat on the sidewalk, burying her eyeballs against her kneecaps to try and stop the tears that were coming. She knew the first day that he didn't show up at the bar what had happened. All it took was one day for her to know that punishment had finally come.

It was six months on, and the pain never really subsided. Minie still worked at the bar, managed to smile brightly and move around dramatically behind the bar for customers amusement. The pain in her chest hadn't really eased, but it became a part of her. Walking home after a long shift, she took a much different route. It was one that took her well over half an hour more to get home, but it also avoided making the memories consume her alive. Nearly every night, she still cried herself to sleep as she stared at the front door, refusing to even sleep properly in her bed, waiting to see him come back. To hear some amazing tale of how he had escaped and come back to her.

She kept hoping, though the hope was dark. The door never moved without her touches. The bed never got made since their last night together. It felt like she had truly lost a part of herself. Not a small part, either. It felt like she had lost a large part of her genuine self, the part that didn't need a mask to get through the night. The part that shined through no matter what seemed to happen.

It was gone.

#minie abt;

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fixationstation · 2 years

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Let Go of Your Umbrella

Part one: Coffee and Apologies

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/reader

Word count: 1900

Summary: You’ve worked as a secretary for Stark Industries- and later the Avengers- for years. After everyone came back after five years, the world’s a mess and half of your family is gone. You’re not the only one dealing with the aftermath, and despite your better judgement, you’re dragged along with someone else who’s trying to move on. You don’t know it yet, but you’re the sunshine to his cloudy day.

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

You took the smallest step away from the man who was standing entirely too close and trying to make small talk. Despite the curt answers you gave back, he was certainly not getting the hint. The last thing you wanted was someone trying to chat you up while you waited for breakfast orders.

Sure, maybe you were used to the wait, but usually the company you took with to help carry things was a bit more… well, it was usually Peter that went with you. Today, it seemed like everyone collectively agreed that it was Bucky’s turn to go with you. Apparently, he had been dodging everyone’s calls, so running errands with you was his comeuppance. To be completely honest, you weren’t sure why he agreed.

You had absolutely nothing against Bucky despite the fiasco that had been the Sokovia Accords. In fact, the two of you got along well when he wasn’t avoiding talking to everyone… even though most of your conversations were just in passing, and you could count the number you’d had on one hand. To a degree, you certainly understood why he kept to himself, and you couldn’t say you blamed him for waiting outside of the coffee shop while you ordered.

But you were starting to regret not having someone nearby to give you an excuse to avoid the man.

You nearly jumped out of your skin when an arm fell around your waist. You blinked over at the familiar face, though his gaze was set on the man. You noted that the metal arm still rested at his side.

"This guy bothering you, babydoll?"...babydoll? You were not, nor had you ever dated Bucky Barnes. Your gaze flickered between Bucky and the man before the metaphorical light bulb went off in your head.

"Oh! James, my darling dearest! I thought you were waiting back home," you laid it on thick, both to mess with him and so that the stranger could get the hint.

The man wasn't able to get much of a word in edgewise as you practically swooned.

Bucky was trying very hard not to smirk at your little display despite the fact that he seemed to be on high alert, "what, and leave my best girl to pick up lunch by herself?" He leaned over a bit to whisper to you, “you okay?”

You smiled and giggled as if he'd said something completely different, "oh, absolutely. Thank you.”

"Glad I stopped by anyways," he pointedly glared at the man before smiling at you once more.

The stranger grumbled a bit, but stepped away to wait for his food at the other side of the restaurant while you grabbed the food as soon as it was set on the counter for you.

"Well, thank you, honey bunch." You had to bite your lip to stop from bursting into laughter as you dropped a tip in the jar and handed half of the drinks off to him.

"Of course. Any time, shnookums. Do you mind if I walk you home?" He was already leading out of the building with his arm still firmly around your waist.

"Oh, be still my beating heart," you chuckled before quietly adding, "chivalry isn't dead, it was just frozen for seventy years."

At your comment, he gave a little surprised laugh. You couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud of the accomplishment.

“You know, you’re not so bad,” he smiled over at you. Though it was a bit tense and unsure, you were positive that he had been quite the charmer back in the day.

“I’m everyone’s favorite paperwork jockey for a reason,” you mused back.

“I didn’t know you were still doing paperwork for the Avengers.”

That gave you a pause. You weren’t. Really, you were just a glorified errand runner for anyone that needed you to be. The whole ‘Avengers’ thing had been complicated since…. Well, since you lost three of your employers and the compound that housed the team.

You couldn’t help the little scoff, “you still wouldn’t believe all the nonsense I have to do for you guys. I’m holding things together with glitter glue and popsicle sticks here.”

You grinned and shook your head before continuing, “Scott couldn’t make a comprehensive grocery list for shit. And do you know how complicated some of your café orders are? Venti 8 shot, 1 pump mocha, nonfat, no whip, with exactly 4 shakes of cinnamon stirred in. And that’s what Strange asks for every time.”

“…What language is that?”

“I don’t know, but I always feel bad for the poor barista that has to make it.” You shook your head and glanced over at him. “What about you?”

He met your gaze for a moment before looking ahead again. “Me?”

“Yes you, darling dearest,” you joked, “you never ask me to get anything for you.”

He went quiet, his shoulders tensing back a bit. You got the sneaking suspicion that you weren’t going to get an answer.

Naturally, you continued to pry, “it’s… my job to do that, you know. Being the pass-around personal assistant has been my job for years, and I’d like to think I’m good at it. Besides, most of you guys can’t really just… wander the streets without getting stopped. That’s why I usually take the kid with me.”

Bucky just hummed in reply, and you found yourself going quiet. If he decided to wall himself up again, it probably wasn’t wise to keep pushing him. The last thing you wanted was for Bucky Barnes to dislike you- not because you were afraid of him by any means, but because you wanted him to be your friend. He could use more of those.

“Hey,” you tried again after a few minutes of walking, “thanks, by the way. For, um… helping me out back there. That was some quick thinking.”

“You looked uncomfortable,” he supplied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Ah, so you were watching me, huh?” Not that it surprised you. The guy had a major staring problem.

“Yes.” He seemed to have a brief realization, because he quickly continued to backpedal, “in a very professional way. Strictly work related. I thought I was supposed to go with you to keep an eye out.”

You raised a brow and nodded, “right. By watching me from outside, through a window. Totally normal.”

“You’re making fun of me.”

“What? No, I would never,” your smile said otherwise.

“You’re a punk,” he huffed over at you.

“I thought I was your babydoll,” you continued on, “cute pet name, by the way.”

“…I’m done talking to you now.” Was he blushing?

You never thought you’d see the day that Bucky would blush and refuse to look over at you. Mister closed off and stoic had cracked, and you were determined to chip away. Normally, you were just as quiet as he was, but now you were on a mission.

You laughed softly and smiled over at him. “Darn. I guess I won’t be able to tell you that I picked you up a cinnamon roll, then. You never tell me what you want, but I figured that most people like cinnamon rolls unless they’re allergic to cinnamon… you’re not allergic to cinnamon, are you?”

“No,” he answered bluntly.

“No? No you’re not allergic, or no you don’t want it?”

Bucky finally looked back over at you again, “I’m not allergic. Thanks.”

You practically beamed back at him. It was certainly a step in the right direction, and you’d take as many of those as you could get. Even if the two of you fell back into silence, you’d count that as a win.

“…you were there.”

“Huh?” You were quick to blink over at him when his comment pulled you out of your thoughts.

“In Berlin. You were there with Stark when…” he trailed off.

“Oh. That. I… I was, yeah.”Sure, maybe you’d been terrified for your life for a minute, but you knew it hadn’t been him. You didn’t agree with the way Steve had gone about it, but you’d believed him from the very start.

He sighed a bit and shook his head, muttering softly to himself. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” And then louder to you he added very awkwardly in a way that you were sure was practiced, “I am no longer the Winter Soldier. My name is James Bucky Barnes, and you’re part of my efforts to make amends.”

Your expression scrunched up a bit, “you don’t have to do that. There’s nothing to amend with me, and I already knew your name.”

“…you’re wrong. You got hurt.”

“I got a few bruises,” you assured him, “It was nothing-“

“Don’t. Don’t do that. I remember the look you gave me. I hurt you, and you were terrified.”

You stopped walking. He wasn’t… entirely wrong, but that wasn’t quite what had happened.

“I’m not afraid of you,” you muttered. “Was I afraid of the situation? Absolutely. You said it yourself, though. You’re not the Winter Soldier anymore.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I almost threw you down a stairwell,” his voice was strained.

You shifted your weight between your feet before you continued walking. Even if it was water under the bridge to you, you understood. You also figured that the two of you could argue about it in circles for hours, and he wouldn’t budge.

“Alright. Fine. Tell you what, if I get to ask you a question that you have to answer honestly, I’ll consider us even. But it has to be a ‘nothing’s off the table’ type question.”

He narrowed his gaze at you, staring quietly for a long moment. You wished you knew what was running through that pretty head of his, even though you were sure it wasn’t entirely pleasant.

“…fine. Deal.”

You couldn’t help but smile, “oh, good. See, I’ve been wondering something, but it felt a bit too personal to ask, especially since we’ve only talked a few times and-“

“Just ask the damn question.”

“Can you feel things with the metal arm? Because, I mean, you’ve done some crazy stuff with it that I’ve kind of been assuming you don’t feel- or at least I hope you don’t. But I saw you test to see if a tomato was ripe with it once, and considering the fact that it didn’t explode, I’ve been wondering ever since.”

He blinked at your rambling train of thought, slowly letting it process. There were a few times that he looked like he was about to speak, only to stop himself and shake his head.

“You want to know… if I can feel things with my left hand.” He slowly reiterated, as if he had been expecting you to ask something much worse.

“Yes,” you answered without hesitation. “Absolutely.”

“Well… kind of? I can’t really feel things like textures or pain in the arm itself, but most of the time it feels like I do. I don’t… actually know all of the technical crap. Sometimes when I should be hurt on my arm I think I feel pain, even though I don’t. I’ve just had it for long enough that I can… safely figure out how to be delicate with it. Most of the time.”

You nodded slowly, “so… phantom feelings and a hell of a lot of practice,” you summarized.

He hummed in confirmation. Content with that, you nodded and turned forward again to finish off your errands with a bit of pep in your step.

#Bucky Barnes x reader #winter solider x reader #post endgame #pre tfatws for now #marvel #tfatws #slight canon divergence

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midsummer-afternoon · 1 year

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スカイハイ(Sky High/Sukai Hai TV Drama Review)

ようこそ、怨みの門へ。」“Welcome to the Gate of Resentment.” This will be a review for the 2003 drama, “Sky High,” based on the manga created by Tsutomu Takahashi. Before we get into this, I would like to give a fair warning this review does contain spoilers, and my own personal commentary on the series which you can feel free to agree or disagree with. Furthermore, this review will mostly focus on the first episode which you will find out why later. Without further due, let’s get right into it.

In the first episode we are introduced to murder victim Noriko Sekikawa. She is found dead outside, she goes to her own funeral, confused and still without the knowledge of her own death. She meets Izuko (who was, at some point, Mina Saeki, this is revealed in the prequel movie). Izuko presents her with 3 choices: 1) Accept death, go to heaven, and wait to be reincarnated, or 2) Not accept death and wonder as a ghost or 3) Kill one person but in exchange you must pay the price and go to hell, never to return. I’ll just throw my two cents here, but the only good option here is the first one. I can’t understand why people in this show struggle so much between the choices, it’s not rocket science. Anyways, back to the story, so Noriko died while pregnant with her and her husband (Masaru)’s child. Noriko is unable to believe she had died and was killed by somebody, claiming that nobody would hate her enough to do such a thing.

Izuko helps her investigate the cause of her death and Noriko learns she was killed out of jealousy by her and Masaru’s friend, Misato. Noriko goes on to see Misato play “comfort the widower.” Misato starts coming over to their home all the time, going as far as seducing and getting Masaru to marry her. Noriko, unable to handle Misato taking her husband, chooses the option of cursing and killing Misato, but before we conclude here, Noriko, out of concern for her own unborn child, asks Izuko if her unborn baby will go to hell too. A year later, Misato ends up giving birth to Noriko’s unborn child, and right after giving birth, Noriko kills Misato. Noriko watches her baby sadly, wishing she could have watched the baby grow up. But the price of taking Misato’s life is Noriko going to hell forever. The episode ends with Izuko expressing sympathy for Noriko being unable to watch her child grow up. An unknown voice in the Gate of Resentment Realm assures Izuko it cannot be helped, it is her job to guide the souls to their destination, wherever it is they choose.

Now I would like to move onto my personal commentary and explain why the 3rd option is not only a bad choice, but an asinine one as well, both in general and in the context of this episode. Let’s start with explaining the general reasons and then apply it to the episode, because like in mathematics, you present the formula and then apply it to the problem. In the world of Sky High, if you kill someone, no matter how justified it is, (this includes self-defense, etc.), you will go to Hell. This has been revealed in the prequel movie. Now, what is hell in this universe like? Based on what we are given… (these facts are revealed both in the prequel movie and future episodes). Hell is a fiery place, when the gates opened, we are shown this. In hell there is no past or future, Izuko says this in episode 2. Hell is eternal, meaning there is no way out. (This was made clear since episode 1).

Now, does this sound like a place you want to spend for the rest of eternity? Do you need to get revenge so badly that in order to achieve it, you would subject yourself to a fate like this one? Let’s rewind back to fact no.1, killing someone instantly wins you a place in hell after you die, meaning the victim’s killer is going to hell is already guaranteed regardless of the victim’s choice at the Gate of Resentment. By choosing option 3 all you did was send your killer to hell sooner rather than later, at the price of sending yourself there, too. So, in the end, all you accomplished was screw yourself over in the most permanent, terrible way imaginable. And this is not your only option, you could have just not bothered with revenge, taking comfort that justice will be served someday, choose to go to heaven, and move on. I cannot stress this enough.

Next, we will apply this knowledge to Noriko and her situation. We know Noriko gets her life and happiness stolen by Misato. In fact, not only was Noriko the one to die, but Noriko’s baby died too. That’s how horrendous Misato’s crime is, by the way, she killed a pregnant woman. Noriko then sees Misato seduce her husband Masaru, and as she watches them have sex, she is upset and talks about how she will never have Masaru hold her again (in Japanese the word 「抱く」 “daku,” could mean embrace, but also to have sex). Now, that scene was one of the most disturbing scenes of the episode, as we see both Misato and Masaru betray Noriko. I say one of the most, because there is a scene that comes before this one that tops it. I think the most disturbing scene was when Misato takes the shoes meant for the unborn child out of Masaru’s hands, and tells him to, I will just summarize, she said forget about Noriko, stop grieving over his dead wife, and be with her instead, and Masaru does just that. And then they have sex. Now that is just super depressing (and disturbing) and we can also conclude Masaru is also a shallow and fickle man with little loyalty to his dead wife and child.

I can empathize with Noriko’s anger at this horrible betrayal done both by Misato (somebody whom she believed was her friend) and her husband, Masaru. I do not mean to downplay the injustice Noriko has to suffer in any way, as it is truly horrible. But Noriko still has to remind herself that she is dead now, and so is the baby. No matter how happy Misato may seem, consider Misato’s future: she will go to hell after she dies because she killed Noriko and her baby. This will happen regardless of which option Noriko chooses to do at the Gate of Resentment. We know Noriko ends up choosing to option 3 which just allowed Misato to go to hell only sooner I need to emphasize, because going to hell was inevitable for Misato anyways (because of the evil she had done), at the price of Noriko’s own eternity as well. Why would Noriko choose to do this when she could have chosen option 1? I know Noriko couldn’t handle the thought of Misato taking her husband, but from an eternal perspective, does that really matter? Especially when you consider how quickly Masaru moved on after Noriko’s death? Do you really want to throw yourself into hell for a man who doesn’t love you enough anyway and allowed himself to be seduced by another woman only a short while after you and your baby died? Doesn’t option 1 look even better after you see what a foolish and unfaithful man your husband was? Had Noriko chosen option 1, she could have gone to heaven, prayed to be reunited with her unborn child when she is reincarnated. I say this because in episode 2 it is revealed you can reunite with your loved ones in reincarnation, if you both want it badly enough. And wouldn’t Noriko’s unborn baby wish to be reunited with his mommy? Noriko could have forgotten all about Misato and Masaru, be born as a different person and potentially find happiness again someday. These “could haves” are really sad when you consider how Noriko chose option 3 in canon, and I hope I made it clear enough why her decision just doesn’t make any sense.

Last but not least, I will explain why I chose only to mainly focus this review on the first episode. This is because the things discussed in regards to this first episode can be applied to other subsequent episodes as well, and it would be simply redundant. The only exception to this is a future episode towards the end of season 1 about Mina/Izuko’s past. I would like to close this review saying I would rate this show 3 out of 5 stars. My reason being that the concept and scenery of the show is pretty cool. And even though I find the premise to be a bit weird, the story-telling was creative and can emotionally impact you—whether they bring negative or positive emotions. They make you feel something. But the way the characters in this show struggle to decide which option to choose when the correct one cannot be more obvious, without seeming to wrap their heads around the gravity of their situation is just too much for me. I hope I did not discourage you from this review, as everything, if Sky High has captured your interest in some way, I would like to be the first to encourage you to watch it, and form your own views/opinions about it. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I appreciate it very much!😊

Sources for images: 🌸🌸🌸 🌸🌸🌸

#スカイハイ #sukai hai #sky high #tv drama #j drama #japanese drama #釈由美子 #Yumiko Shaku #tsutomu takahashi #English #tv drama review #my opinions

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