#but my muse has returned from vacation | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

proxima-writes · 10 days

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✧*̥˚ my muses, acquired like bruises *̥˚✧

a collection of my fics inspired by taylor swift songs/lyrics, in honor of the release of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT

JOEL MILLER

cruel summer | au | explicit | chapters: 6/6

Joel takes a contracting job renovating a master bedroom and bathroom while the homeowners are away for the summer on a cruise. He wasn’t expecting their twenty-three year old daughter and the thoughts he’d have about her.

crimson red paint on my lips | post-outbreak | explicit | connected work

Joel Miller is an asshole. You should have known better than to show up at his door with your lips painted red. Connected to me and the devil and marked me like a bloodstain

↳AO3 | Tumblr

marked me like a bloodstain | post-outbreak | explicit | connected work

You save Joel’s life when the two of you are attacked on a smuggling run. He has an interesting way of saying thank you. Connected to crimson red paint on my lips and me and the devil

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karma is my boyfriend’s dad | au | explicit | connected work

Your boyfriend, Sean Miller, is an asshole. The one redeeming thing about him? His dad, Joel Miller. And he's just invited you along on the family vacation to Panama City Beach, Florida.

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in a feud with her neighbor | au | explicit | connected work

Five times you think Joel Miller is the worst neighbor ever, and the one time he isn’t.

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bonus scenes: in a feud with her neighbor | au | PG-13 | connected work

Fluffy bonus scenes for "in a feud with her neighbor" as suggested by anon!

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toyin’ with them older guys | au | explicit | one-shot

Joel Miller is the grumpy bartender and owner of your favorite bar near campus, where you attend trivia every Tuesday night. Thinking there’s no way Joel could return your feelings, your friend suggests trying out Tinder. But when you bring them to the bar for a date, they keep leaving mid date with no explanation. Maybe there’s something Joel isn’t telling you after all.

↳AO3 | Tumblr

help me hold onto you | post-outbreak | explicit | one-shot

Joel always tries his best to keep his mind from wandering to its darkest corners, but occasionally, the frayed threads holding him together with sloppy stitches start to unravel. Sometimes you need to give him something to hold onto.

↳AO3 | Tumblr

seven | post-outbreak | explicit | one-shot

Joel Miller has spent twenty years pushing the grief and guilt surrounding the death of his daughter, Sarah, to the darkest recesses of his brain in favor of survival. Living a more quiet life in Jackson means the ghosts of his past have returned to haunt him. He finds his solace in you, the town librarian.

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the last great american dynasty | au | explicit | one-shot

Joel Miller has loved the historic Victorian home in his neighborhood since the first time he laid eyes on it. When the elderly owner passes, he thinks he might get his chance to finally buy it and fix it up. He doesn’t expect to find you, the granddaughter of the previous owner and trustee of her estate, standing in the way of his dream.

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TOMMY MILLER

wrong place, right time | pre-outbreak | explicit | one-shot

What if Joel didn’t answer Tommy’s call from jail? And what if the waitress he’d been defending that night bailed him out instead?

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JAVIER PEÑA

i can see you (javier peña's version) | au | explicit | one-shot

When Javier Peña takes credit for your lead, you take revenge. Good thing you know Javier can't resist a girl in red lipstick.

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FRANKIE MORALES

my tears and my beers and my candles | au | explicit | one-shot

It’s been a bad week and you just need to have a good cry. You didn’t expect Frankie Morales, best friend and unrequited crush, to crash your pity party. He’s got some interesting ways of making you feel better. Maybe it’s not so unrequited after all.

↳AO3 | Tumblr

invisible string | au | explicit | one-shot

After fifteen years, the invisible string that ties you to Frankie Morales pulls you back together

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MIGUEL O'HARA

i can see you (miguel o'hara's version) | au | explicit | one-shot

As Dr. Miguel O’Hara’s graduate teaching and research assistant, you’ve spent years pushing down the inappropriate thoughts you’ve had about the brilliant, gorgeous man. But what happens when a late night at the lab and a scientific breakthrough leads to a breakthrough of a different kind?

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EDDIE MUNSON

the mark you saw on my collarbone | vampire au | explicit | connected work

A snippet of life with your human and your monster. A oneshot in the bat out of hell series

↳AO3

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nonpracticinghumanbeing · 7 months

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Revenge is the safe space is such a ridiculous take that I have to get it out of my system or I will go insane.

Revenge is a ship whose captain is utterly useless. He gets the ship beached because he forgets someone should be steering it. He loses the hostages AND gets himself caught by the natives who only let him go because they realize he poses no threat (which is super telling given their history with white colonizers). In the Republic he immediately gets himself in trouble with Jackie and it's only Blackbeard's reputation that saves him. He walks straight into Geraldo's trap and almost gets killed, only to be rescued by Edward again. He is too much into Ed and too fucking polite to question Jack's motives until it's way too late, thus putting all of his crew in harm's way.

Revenge is a ship whose captain inspires zero confidence in his crew. They all know he's terrible at being a pirate and they keep saying he will probably get them all killed. He admits he has no idea what to do, which can't be great for the crew's morale - and on a ship the crew's willingness to carry out orders without hesitation may be a matter of life and death. He fucking treats his whims and fancies as more important than the crew's well-being and gets annoyed when the Swede gets scurvy after wasting all their oranges on a cake. And he doesn't even see it was his mistake.

And it's not even like the crew get space to be themselves in return either. Stede is great at talking about how they can be themselves on the Revenge, but in reality, they either get scolded when they don't do what he would like them to do or he doesn't notice their feelings at all because he's too preoccupied with his own bullshit. He tells them to enjoy their vacation however they like and then immediately scolds Wee John and the Swede for rough and tumbling because it's not how he would like them to behave. He doesn't notice Lucius is upset after being locked by Jim because he's too annoyed at not having his scribe to take down his musings. He doesn't notice how upset Jim is about their trip to St. Augustine because he's too excited about treasure hunting with Edward.

So let me ask: who exactly is safe on the Revenge? For all his terrible management style, Izzy would at least make sure the ship was stocked properly and had all stations manned at all times. I would 100% prefer Izzy to be my captain than Stede because Izzy would at least keep me as safe as it's possible for a pirate to be - and all he really wanted in return was discipline which is the most basic thing on a properly run ship.

So yeah, Izzy needs to change and learn to be more accepting, but Stede needs to learn EVERYTHING, from being a sailor to fucking noticing his crew's mood.

On a more personal note: I'm truly perplexed how many people think safe space simply means a space where one can talk about their feelings without being judged. It is that, sure, but that is step two. Step one is making sure the space is safe from the outsiders. It's taking up arms and carving this place out in a hostile world and then standing one's ground and defending it. Izzy stopped on step one and refuses to go any further. But Stede would like to have step two without ever taking step one and that’s not how the world works.

#ofmd #our flag means death #our flag means gay #izzy hands #ofmd meta #stede bonnet

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yaksha-lover · 9 months

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For the vampire au I crave fluff

Like mc, ask Idia, azul, and Leona to teach them how to play chess. ( I've actually been teaching myself imagining I'm playing against one of them >////< it's surprising elective)

“I have better things to do, herbivore. Get one of them to teach you,” Leona says, settling down for a nap on the ottoman.

You turn your gaze to Idia and Azul, already settled in to a match. It’s Idia’s turn, so Azul responds first.

“Are you prepared to offer something in return?” He smiles at you, pushing up his glasses.

“Azul-”

“Kidding, kidding. Come, sit beside me, dear.”

You narrow your eyes at the nickname, but pull up a chair to sit at the side of the table, between the two players. Idia flips the sand timer, alerting Azul that it’s his turn.

“This is what you don’t want to do, MC,” Idia whispers to you, while Azul glares back at him.

“Stop distracting me.”

“I’m trying to teach MC. How else will they learn?”

Azul silently continues, ignoring Idia. He manages to capture one of Idia’s knights, before resetting the timer.

“Not so confident now, are you?” Azul comments, tone still light despite his obvious mockery. “See, MC. You should really be watching me.”

“Just you wait, normie. I’ve already run the possible simulations in my head, and I knew you would do that!”

“Oi,” Leona calls from the ottoman. “Be quiet, herbivores, some people are trying to sleep over here.”

“It’s literally the middle of the afternoon,” you muse. “Also, why are you sleeping in the game room? You have a perfectly good bedroom, you know.”

“I don’t control where I rest, the nap does. Now quiet.”

Rolling your eyes, you refocus on the game in front of you. A couple turns have passed.

“How?!” Azul exclaims suddenly, looking down at the board where Idia has claimed his queen.

“I told you, I already knew you would do that,” Idia gloats.

“You knew- wait a minute, I see that earpiece! Idia! I told you, using Ortho to run simulations for the best move is cheating!”

“Uhhh- I don’t know what you’re talking about?” he says, not so subtly brushing his hair out to cover his ear.

Ortho suddenly bursts through the door, spotting his brother. “Idia, the earpiece will malfunction if it gets too close to your hair!”

Idia lets out a pathetic shriek when he realizes the gadget is smoking, running with it out of the room.

You turn back to Azul, still sitting at the table. “Will you still teach me, Azul?”

“Unfortunately, my lungs are quite sensitive and with the smoke left behind by the Shrouds, I believe I must take my leave.” When he notices you look a little bit disappointed, Azul tilts your chin gently to face him. “Worry not, I promise I’ll play with you tomorrow. I won’t even charge you,” he winks. “Goodbye for now, MC,” he drops a kiss on your hand before exiting the room.

You notice Leona still napping away in the corner, completely oblivious to the conflict. “Leonaaa, wake up. There’s smoke.”

He continues snoring. Taking the opportunity of a lifetime, you ignore the smoke and begin petting his ears. They’re so soft and smooth, it’s like-

Leona wakes up with a start, grabbing you and flipping you underneath him on the ottoman.

“MC?” he asks, too drowsy from sleep to remember he never calls you by your real name.

“You’re uh- you’re so close,” you half-whisper, taken aback my Leona suddenly pinning you underneath him. You can feel the warmth of his arms, so close.

He pulls away, looking around. “Where did the brats go? Whatever, who cares. Why the hell did you wake me up?”

“The air was getting bad, it’s a long story. Leona, you’re the last one here. Can you please teach me?”

He sighs, resigned to giving up on napping. “I should be teaching you some manners. Fine, sit down. You better listen up, you hear? I won’t be repeating myself, and I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a newbie.” The two of you sit across from each other at the table Idia and Azul vacated. “And know, if I keep winning against you, I’ll have to take some kind of reward from you. Maybe if you let me have some of that blood, I won’t be so tired all the time.”

“I- Leona-”

“Ugh, you’re so gullible. Staying stoic in chess is half the game. Looks like we have a lot of work to do.”

You can’t help but laugh at yourself, settling in to learn from Leona.

#help idk how to play chess #also sorry this may be chaos more than fluff #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #idia shroud x reader #leona kingsholar x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader #idia shroud #leona kingscholar #azul ashengrotto #twst vampire au #twst #twisted wonderland

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makeitmingi · 5 months

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Cause Baby You're My Muse [Chapter 60]

Genre: Romance, Idol!AU, Music, Slight angst

Pairing: Mingi x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Producer!Reader, IdolLyricist!Mingi, IdolProducer!Hongjoong, Idol!Seonghwa, Idol!Yunho, Idol!Wooyoung, Idol!San, Idol!Yeosang, Idol!Jongho, cameo(s) by other celebrities

Summary: You always preferred producing underground, having an unknown face and governed by your own rules. But when you start freelancing for idol groups, you say goodbye to your lone wolf lifestyle as you learn to work with idol producers and lyricists.

Word count: 4.5K

[A/N: Longer chapter to end off the series! Thank you everyone who has been patient with me and supporting me through this series.]

You took a deep breath as you stepped out of the airport. Haneul followed close, holding onto the end of your jacket as she yawned tiredly, rubbing her eye. Poor thing was half asleep, following you and trying not to sleep while walking.

*I'm home.* You smiled softly as you pushed the luggage cart through. It was 4 am in Korea so the airport was relatively empty.

"Unnie? I'm sleepy." Haneul whined.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry, let's go home and get some sleep." You chuckled. Just as you were about to get a cab, a van pulled up in front of you. You blinked in confusion until the driver came out.

"Joong?!" You yelped. Hongjoong gave you a sleepy smile as he stepped out, hugging you tightly.

"What are you doing here? It's 4 am. You should be sleeping!" You asked in shock but hugged him back nonethless.

"Ah, I can always sleep later. Of course I would be here to welcome my baby sister home. And even babier... sister?" Hongjoong chuckled, patting Haneul's head.

"Yeah, the princess is sleepy." You giggled. Hongjoong nodded and you both loaded the bags into the back. You made sure Haneul was comfortably seated in the back with the seatbelt on. Hongjoong even reclined the seat slightly for her to sleep. Then he opened the door for you to enter the passenger seat.

"I think this is the first time I've seen you drive." You chuckled.

"Really? I guess I don't have much opportunities to drive at all. Honestly, I'm surprised the manager hyungs let me take the van." He said, starting the engine.

"Well, I'm grateful you came nonetheless." You said as he pulled away from the sidewalk and drove to where your apartment was.

This new apartment was arranged close to the HYBE building, put together, prepared and arranged by the Big Hit team for your return to Korea.

The 2 year overseas stint was done and with investigations over, you could safely return with Haneul. Turns out, it was KQ CEO's own personal assistant that sent you those threats.

She caught you and Mingi once and was jealous. She thought she could get close to the boys, being the CEO's personal assistant, and possibly form a relationship with one of them. But it didn't work. She hated that you got close with them so quickly.

Once investigations were concluded, she was taken to jail. There was news article about it. But the details of the case was not made public.

"How was the flight?" Hongjoong asked, breaking your train of thought.

"Stuffy and long. It feels good to be out of there, I can finally stretch my legs properly and the air isn't so stale anymore. Plus, it feels good to be home." You let out a long exhale.

"Yeah, those kidns of flights always feel too long. Are all your stuff in the new place already?" He continued.

"Hmmm, not yet. Most of our stuff are but I had some last minute stuff to pack. They'll get shipped over in due time. But I think I have enough to unpack and keep me busy for a bit." You sighed.

"We'll help in any way that we can since we're on vacation." He told you. Ateez had finished touring and completed yet another successful comeback season. Now, they were on their well deserved vacation time.

"Alright, here we are." Hongjoong pulled up into the carpark. You turned around to see Haneul fast asleep.

"If you can help me put her on my back, I'll piggy back her up to the apartment." Hongjoong said, noticing your concern before you could even voice it.

"Really? She's not exactly a little kid anymore." You asked with uncertainty, you didn't want him injuring his back somehow.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have offered. Come." Hongjoong got out. You opened the door and unbuckled Haneul's seat belt. You carefully moved her onto Hongjoong's awaiting back.

"There we go." He stood up, making sure the support her bottom.

"Let's bring her up before coming to get the bags. You shouldn't be carrying all of them on your own." He said.

"Alright. I'll just take my small bag." You took your cabin bag. You tapped the access card on the lift panel to go up and put in the password on the door lock. Big Hit assured you that this apartment compelx had the best security, which was your main concern. You held the door open for Hongjoong to enter.

"This way?" He asked. You nodded, showing him Haneul's own room. Luckily, you had made sure that she had a bed upon arrival. You removed the vinyl covering and Hongjoong placed her down.

"Let's bring the bags up." You said to him. The both of you brought up all the bags in one trip.

"Just hold on a second. Let me get Haneul settled." You rushed back to Haneul's room to remove her jacket and shoes.

"Thanks again, Joong."

"Stop thanking me." Hongjoong laughed. You looked around the house, some furniture was set up as per your request. The moving boxes were neatly piled in a corner.

"I need to order some groceries to the house. Hopefully they will get here by morning." You rubbed your forehead while scrolling on your phone.

"Or we can go get some stuff in the morning." Hongjoong suggested, settling beside you on the couch. You let out a contemplative hum. You sighed and leaned against his shoulder, his hand coming up to pat your head.

"Wooyoung and Jongho would kill me when they wake up, knowing I came to pick you and Haneul without them." He chuckled.

"Ooh yeah, can't help you out of that one." You winced. Hongjoong pulled away to shoot you a glare.

"What? You know it's true. Wooyoung loves me and Haneul has Jongho wrapped around her little finger, the moment they are together, they're inseparable." You shrugged.

"I don't want to die. My vacation just started." Hongjoong groaned.

"You are more than welcome to crash here for the rest of the night." You patted his thigh.

"I may just take you up on that offer since I don't want to drive back. But what about you? Please don't tell me you're going to pull an all nighter and unpack." He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to shower first then unpack the necessities at least. It is going to take a while for Haneul and I to get over the time difference. Might as well use the time to be productive somehow." You stood up, going to your luggage to get the small soaps that you had packed with you. Hongjoong let out a defeated sigh.

"When do you start work?" Hongjoong asked with a yawn, turning to lay across the couch now that you were not sitting there.

"Two weeks? Need time to settle the moving stuff, Haneul's school and get over jetlag." You rubbed your eye as you sat in front of your luggage to get sleepwear out.

"Alright, I'm going to shower." You announced as you stood up. Hongjoong nodded and waved you off.

"Indi?" He called out. You turned around, blinking.

"Welcome home." He gave you a sleepy smile. You couldn't help the soft smile that formed.

"Feels good to be home, Joong. And call me (y/n)." You said softly and went into the bathroom. You were grateful Hongjoong was the first person you saw when you stepped off the plane.

Seeing Hongjoong made you feel more calm and collected, just having him around was comforting enough. Mingi didn't know you were coming home today though, you wanted to keep it a secret and surprise him later on.

When you came out, Hongjoong was fast asleep, snoring softly. You took the blanket you had in your suitcase and covered him with it.

"Now, let's unpack." You sighed softly, sitting in front of the luggages and boxes with the necessities you and Haneul would need before you could get to the other stuff.

"Luckily there's no dust." You noted, putting Haneul's clothes in her closet. You went over to her sleeping form.

"I love you." You kissed her head and slept beside her instead of your own bed.

By the time you woke up, you heard Haneul speaking to someone outside. It wasn't just Hongjoong's voice though. You poked your head out to see Haneul on Jongho's lap.

"You just can't resist her, can you?" You raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms. Jongho shrugged, focusing back on Haneul.

"Wooyoung hyung went to get food for all of us. Hongjoong hyung drove him. You can go back to sleep if you want, I got it covered here." Jongho informed, gesturing to Haneul busy drawing with him at the table. You nodded and yawned, waving to the two before collapsing back onto the bed.

"Indigo... Wake up..." You didn't feel like you slept long before Wooyoung was laying in bed with you, wrapping his arms around you to snuggle.

"Hi, Woo." You opened your eyes.

"Welcome home. I missed you." He smiled softly, holding your face to give you a big smooch on your cheek.

"I missed you too. All of you." You chuckled, draping your arms and legs over him just like he was your own bolster. You let out a tired sigh, eyes closing again.

"As much as I would love to cuddle, I told Hongjoong hyung I would get you up to get some food in you." Wooyoung chuckled.

"Alright, let's not get in trouble with Joong. Oh and Woo? Call me (y/n)." You pushed yourself up and got out of bed to wash up, leaving a stunned Wooyoung there. You heard him yell in the room.

"Unnie!" Haneul grinned from her spot on the couch. She jumped down and ran over to hug you.

"Hey, baby." You leaned down to hug her, patting her butt and kissing her head. She held your hand, following you to the bathroom. She stood at the door, waiting for you to brush your teeth, wash your hair and do your skincare.

"Are you tired, baby? It'll be a while for us to adjust back to Korean time." You chuckled, combing her hair after you combed her own. She shook her head.

"I'm not sleepy."

"Alright, alright." You patted her head. You knew she wasn't tired now but she will definitely feel it later.

"Let's go eat!" She pulled you along to the living room where the boys were sitting at the dining table already, with disposable cutlery since you haven't unpacked any kitchen stuff.

"Sorry for the mess of the house. And the lack of kitchen utensils." You apologised.

"You just came back this morning, it's completely understandable. No need to apologise." Jongho chuckled, pulling the chair out for Haneul to sit next to you. Wooyoung slid an iced coffee over to you. You took a sip and let out a blissful sigh of gratefulness. The coffee machine also wasn't set up yet.

"I got you some basic groceries. Not sure what you use specifically but we got the princess some yoghurt, milk, eggs, your iced coffee, etc." Wooyoung informed.

"You guys are life savers. Let me know how much it costs and I'll wire you back." You said, taking a portion of food for Haneul.

"No need. Take it as a welcome back gift. And don't argue with me." Wooyoung shook his head.

"What's your plan after this?" Hongjoong asked.

"I'm gonna see Mingi's mom. Then surprise Mings at the dorm." You replied, chewing your food. You leaned over to help Haneul wipe the sauce off her lip.

"Sleepover?!" Haneul's eyes brightened, looking over at you. You couldn't help but laugh at how excited she looked.

"We'll see." You said. You didn't want the boys, especially Jongho, to think that you were always leaving Haneul with them. At some point, you didn't want Haneul to think that you were never around too. So you would have to consider it.

When you were done, the boys helped you with clearing up. You were feeling a little stressed, knowing you still had to do the unpacking of the house.

"Why are you frowning?" Hongjoong came up behind you, massaging your shoulders as you were washing your hands in the kitchen sink.

"Moving is always stressful. Knowing how much more there is to be done is worrying." You sighed.

"I know me telling you not to stress won't really help. But seriously, count on us to help you with all this. You and Haneul can stay with any of us if you'd like." He comforted.

"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without any of you." You leaned against the counter.

"Suffer." Hongjoong teased, making you jab him in the ribs.

After a bit, you got yourself and Haneul ready before the boys dropped you off at Mingi's mother's apartment. You chewed on your bottom lip as you stood at the lip. You didn't know how much she knew about what happened. She would know that you and Mingi separated right?

"Unnie, are you okay?" Haneul looked up at you. She wanted to buy Mingi's mother a 'present' too so you prepared a little fruit basket for her to give. She was a lot more excited than you.

"I'm fine, baby. Don't worry." You smiled and pressed the lift to go up. The lady might yell at you and kick you out of her house.

She had every right to.

"We're here." You said, stopping before the door. Haneul put the basket down, tip toeing to press the doorbell. You gulped as you heard the door lock beep.

"Hello?" Mrs Song opened the door. She seemed to pause when you saw her. The first thing you did was bow deeply.

"Omonim, I-" She cut you off, pulling you into hug. You blinked in confusion, not really expecting her to hug you. Haneul giggled beside you.

"Let's talk inside." She pulled away, smiling at you softly. You nodded and let Haneul in. She removed her shoes before holding out the fruits basket out to Mingi's mother with the biggest grin ever. Mrs Song cooed and bent down.

"My name is Haneul." She introduced.

"Thank you, Haneulie. This is really sweet of you. I'm Mingi oppa's omma. You can call me omonim too." She received the basket and gave Haneul a hug.

"So this is the famous (y/n)." A deep male voice said. Your eyes widened as you saw an older man sitting on the couch.

"Mr Song, it's nice to meet you. I'm (y/n)." You bowed to Mingi's father. He was tall as well, features similar to Mingi's. He chuckled and stood up, moving to stand in front of you.

"It's nice to finally meet you too, (y/n). I can see why my son has fallen head over heels for you."

"Jagiya! Don't embarrass our son." Mrs Song hit her husband's shoulder.

"Just call me abonim, no need for Mr Song. It's too formal. We're family here." He shook his head. You nodded and bowed your head. You waved Haneul over to introduce herself to Mingi's father. She bowed formally before introducing herself. Just like everyone else, you could see the way he melted when Haneul spoke.

"(y/n)." Mrs Song called you over as Haneul was distracted by Mr Song. You went over to the kitchen. Seeing that it was finally the two of you, you finally did what you wanted to do.

"I'm so sorry for everything I, omonim. I don't deserve-"

"Stop." She cut you off. You squeezed your eyes, awaiting the lecture that was coming.

"(y/n)..." She called and you straightened up. You could see how she softened and reached out to hug you tightly. You wrapped your arms around her.

"It's not been easy, hasn't it?" She whispered.

"No... It has not..." Your bottom lip quivered as tears threatened to fall again. At that point, you knew that she knew what really happened.

"I hurt him so bad, omonim. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." You shook your head. She rubbed your back.

"(y/n), you went through a lot. I know you didn't intentionally hurt him. I don't blame you, abonim doesn't blame you. You went through a lot on your own and you had to be strong for Haneul. You didn't deserve to go through that." She pulled away, staring at you.

"You did it because you wanted to keep Mingi safe. You wanted to keep Haneul and Ateez safe. I understand." She rubbed your arm. You nodded your head.

"I'm just glad you and Mingi worked it out." Grabbing a tissue, she wiped your tears.

"I don't deserve his forgiveness, or any of yours."

"Let's not talk about who doesn't deserve what. Because Mingi would say he doesn't deserve such a selfless person like yourself. Every couple goes through hardships." She smiled softly.

"I'm glad Mingi didn't let you get away. I knew that you weren't the type to just break his heart and leave." She said.

"Thank you for everything." You hugged her again.

"Nothing to thank me for. Now, I have two daughters to care for." She giggled, looking over at how Haneul was now seated on Mingi's father's lap, animatedly telling him something. He had a fatherly smile on his face as he listened to her intently. You couldn't help the laugh that escaped you.

"So have you gone to see my pabo son yet?" Mrs Song asked as she moved to cut up the fruit that Haneul gave her.

"Hmm, not yet. He doesn't even know I'm back. I'm planning to surprise him later on at the dorm but I wanted to drop by here first. It's been too long." You said, leaning back against the counter.

"How was it? Living in America."

"It was interesting, I learnt a lot there in terms of work. Culture is different too. But nothing beats being at home." You shrugged.

"Oh yes, I forgot Mingi told me that you signed to a big company. But of course, home is still the best. Home is where your family is." She chuckled. You nodded in agreement.

"Alright, you two. Let's have some fruit." Mrs Song brought the cut fruit out to Mr Song and Haneul.

"Abonim." Haneul beamed and held out the pick with an pear slice at the end. Mr Song chuckled and leaned down to take a bite, patting Haneul's head. You grabbed an apple slice and handed it to Mrs Song, who was seated on the couch beside her husband.

"Is this what it's like having daughters?" Mr Song asked, staring at Haneul and you fondly.

"Right? I said the same thing when I first met (y/n)." Mrs Song giggled. You laughed, knowing Mingi and his brother would not be amused at their parents fawning over having daughters.

"I think I like having two daughters." Mr Song tapped his chin.

"Better not let your sons hear you say that." Mrs Song slapped his arm lightly.

"Please like you don't tell Mingi that you like (y/n) more." He rolled his eyes. The way they joked and interacted, you hoped that you could be like that with Mingi one day.

When the fruit was finished and you spent some time with Mingi's parents, you got ready to leave to Mingi, Seonghwa and San's shared dorm. You didn't want to go too late, especially with Mingi already having texted you a few times while you were at his parents' place. Haneul hugged the two.

"See you next time!" She giggled, hugging them tightly.

"Yes, you are welcome any time. Good girl. Be good to your unnie." Mrs Song chuckled, hugging her. She nodded her head and went to hug Mingi's father.

"Come back soon, alright?" He kissed her head and hugged her tightly. You melted, glad they got along well with her.

"Bring her back to me soon. And yourself too, (y/n)." Mr Song said, hugging you.

"I will, abonim. Thank you for having us and entertaining Haneul. Please take care." You chuckled. Then you moved on to Mingi's mother, who hugged you extra tight.

"Don't stay away for too long." She told you.

"I won't. Take care." You bid them goodbye with a final bow before leaving. With Haneul by your side, you called for a cab to take the two of you over to the dorm. During the drive, Haneul fell asleep. Poor thing, she was probably fighting the sleep for a long time.

When the cab pulled up to the dorm, you sent San and Seonghwa a message to let them know you were downstairs. You had to wake Haneul up.

"No..." She whined.

"I'm sorry, baby. You can sleep soon." You apologised, really feeling bad. You should have properly let her adjust to the time difference instead of drag her out with you the entire day.

"Hey." You greeted San and Seonghwa. Seonghwa hugged you while San helped a sleepy Haneul to his room.

"I missed you." Seonghwa hugged you tightly.

"I missed you too, Hwa." You relaxed in his arms, smiling. When San came back out after helping you settle Haneul into his bed, you hugged him too.

"Good to have you back, Indigo." He chuckled, stroking your head. You hummed in agreement. Seonghwa went to the kitchen to get you a drink. You received the glass of juice and took a sip, sitting on the couch with them for a while. San had informed you that Mingi was napping so he didn't come out to greet you.

"I shouldn't have dragged Haneul out. Poor girl, she's probably exhausted." You sighed.

"She'll adjust soon. Don't worry too much. She can sleep in my bed for as long as she needs." San smiled kindly.

"Thank you." You smiled. The way all the boys were just always ready to help you and Haneul melted your heart. They really treated you both like family.

"As much as I would like to catch up with you, this is the perfect time to surprise Mingi." Seonghwa said.

"Right. I hope he's still asleep." You put the glass down and stood up. San and Seonghwa watched in amusement.

"Good luck." San wished. You pressed your ear against Mingi's door to hear if he was awake. There was no sound of movement or Mingi's voice, which meant that he was still asleep.

You took a deep breath, it had been so long since you've seen Mingi physically that your heart was pounding. You slowly turned the door knob and crept in. Mingi was still sleeping, tucked under the blanket with his back to you. Getting in bed behind him, you hugged him.

"Ugh, San?" Mingi croaked out with a groan. San was known to go to the other members' rooms to cuddle so he must have assumed you were him.

"What time is it? Go back to your own bed and let me sleep..." He clicked his tongue.

"Fine. If that's what you want, I'll go." You chuckled. You felt Mingi's body freeze in your hold. His head whipped around and his eyes widening as he looked at your face.

"BABY?!" He sat up and looked at you as if he was dreaming, rubbing his eyes.

"What are you doing here?!" He asked.

"Surprising you." You laughed at his expression. Mingi's hands immediately came to cup your cheeks, pulling you to him so he could press his lips to yours.

"Wait, when did you come back? I'm confused, you didn't mention this to me at all when we texted or called. I'm not actually dreaming, am I?" He pulled you to his chest to hug you.

"You just kissed me and you're physically hugging me now, pabo. How can you still think you're dreaming? And I already said that it's a surprise, that's why I didn't tell you. I came back early this morning, Joong came to pick me up at the airport." You laughed. Mingi scratched his head, letting all this sink in.

"How long are you back for, baby?" He asked, fingers coming to weave through your hair as he held your cheek.

"Forever. I'm staying forever, Mings." You softened.

"Y-You are?" His voice shook, as if he couldn't believe what you were saying right now. You nodded with a hum, wrapping your arms around him as you sat in his lap.

"I missed you so much. Now I have you with me forever." He looked at you, pressing his forehead against yours.

"Yes, no more distance." You said softly.

"If you two are done with your reunion, could you come out, please?" Someone knocked on the bedroom door. You and Mingi looked at each other in confusion. You went to open the door.

"Welcome home, Indigo!" All the Ateez boys were there with Seonghwa holding a cake.

"Shhh, Haneul is sleeping." San reminded and Jongho nodded, looking at everyone threateningly. They wouldn't dare be loud now.

"Guys..." You softened, not expecting them to be the one to surprise you. You soon felt Mingi's presence behind you, he put his hands on your shoulders.

"Thank you for welcoming me home. It feels good to be back with all of you. And please, we're family, aren't we? Family calls me (y/n)." You looked at all of them. They all stared at you with soft smiles at the mention of your real name. You went over to greet Yeosang and Yunho with hugs since you haven't seen them.

"Good to have you back, (y/n)." Yunho whispered. You nodded and patted his back. With everything that happened, you're glad you and Yunho could come to an understanding and work things out.

"You've lost weight. Have you not been eating well?" Yeosang chided as he lifted you up.

"I have been, I promise!" You laughed, slapping his shoulder.

"Now that she's back, we'll make sure she's really eating well. We ordered a lot food to celebrate! So eat up." Hongjoong said. You giggled and nodded, about to follow behind the boys to where the food was.

"Mings?" You blinked when you felt him hold your wrist to stop you. You turned back to him, only for him to tug you to him, until you fell against his chest.

"Welcome home, baby. You're finally home where you belong." Mingi whispered. You melted, looking up at him before you hugged him back, your ear pressed to his chest to hear his heartbeat.

"I love you, Mings." You said.

"I love you too, my muse. I'm never letting you go again." He kissed the top of your head, holding you just a little tighter.

You couldn't agree more. Home was here, with Hanuel, Mr and Mrs Song, Ateez and Mingi. These people were your family, people you knew you could rely on and count on. And you wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

Series Masterlist

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lgcnathan · 1 month

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*guess_who's_back_back_again.mp3* hi all ! thank you so much all the warm welcome (back's) 🤍 i'm kristin / admin *, and for those of you who don't know, nathan is my previous third-turned-second muse before i dropped out of the rp completely back in may of last year. i've still been around doing graphics, but nathan has always had a special place in my heart – and i knew that if i were to return with a muse, it would be with him. so when soobin opened up, i knew this was my one and only chance !

that being said, nathan is ~pretty much~ the same but ofc different in ways. his timeline is a continuation from where he was ic-wise last year, and you can read more under the cut about what his life is like now in the post-type zero era of his career. i've also linked his previous introduction that includes more of his backstory before he came to legacy for your reference !

now, without further ado, please like or reply to this post if you want to plot ! and if we plotted before, please don't feel like we need to keep the same connection – i'm practically starting from scratch here, and i'm excited to see what the future holds for nathan + all of you !

because i am an admin, you can easily reach me here or on the main. alternatively, you can find me on twitter or discord – just ask for my username, and i'll add you !

super stoked to be back here in my favorite place with my favorite people – let's get this party started 🥳

tl;dr on his backstory is that he (1) grew up in new york city, (2) acted out a lot because of parental neglect (re: being raised in boarding schools his whole life), (3) ended up in korea because the school board threatened to expel him after a prank-gone-wrong, (4) auditioned for legacy after his npc-big brother got signed to the company, (5) stayed because it was the first time in his life he ever got praised for literally anything and, wow, very much attention and affection-starved from the get-go, and (6) debuted in type zero in april of 2021 after four years of training!

now ... where, oh, WHERE do i even begin? like i mentioned in my ooc post when i dropped, nathan ultimately left type zero because of massive burnout. at the time, he was practically hard-carrying the group's promotions with his solo activities, and the burden of maintaining type zero's 'status' in the industry was eventually too much for him.

it was a lot for him, okay. not only was he dealing with the emotional turmoil that came from being in a group with so many line-up changes and differing opinions from the public, he was succumbing to the pressure of all these expectations placed on him that he (as he knows now) never felt properly prepared for before his debut.

the first few weeks after his departure, he had an extended staycation with his grandparents in the outskirts of seoul before flying back to nyc for some much-needed r&r.

since he was still signed to legacy even after leaving type zero, he returned to training after about three months of 'vacation' – so he's only been full-time training for a little over six months now.

he's been avoiding, basically, everyone – previous managers and stylists and other staff members, other debuted idols in the company, and, of course, the type zero members.

he's so ashamed of himself, for giving something up that (as he first-hand witnessed himself!) hundreds of kids only dream of after sacrificing their childhoods, their youths, their critical developments years all for the goal of becoming an idol.

and he's embarrassed, for obvious reasons. when he left type zero, he was practically at the top of his game, but now? now he's stuck in the basement, in the hallways of dance studios and practice rooms, surrounded by unfamiliar faces that whisper and gossip as he passes by. he's visibly older than most trainees now, and his energy nor enthusiasm can barely keep up anymore.

before, nathan thought he could take the world on by storm – that no matter what problem or obstacle, he could bulldoze through with sheer willpower alone. but now he's scared, and more jaded. the idol industry isn't anything like they tell you to believe, and there truly are things you can only learn through real-life experience.

but at the end of the day, nathan knows why he's still here, why he's tormenting himself by going through this rigorous training process again. he loves it. he loves it so much, and so much more than wanting to run away from it all once again.

#lgc:intro #OUT OF CHARACTER (TAG)#whew got a lil emotional writing this

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writingintheshadowsforever · 1 year

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Riri Williams x Reader Personal Space Heater

You grew up in California, and whenever it came time for a family vacation. Your parents always picked some sunny tropical paradise. You weren't used to dealing with any temperatures below sixty degrees, and snow was practically a myth to you.

Riri knew all of this prior to inviting you to spend Christmas with her and her mom. Usually you would go home for the holidays but your parents had finally been able to retire from their jobs. This year, and were currently traveling all around the world like they always wanted to. Initially, they did offer to send you, your older sister and brother plane tickets of your own. So all of you could fly over and meet them in Greece where they would be for the next week or so. But all of you turned down their offer, deciding it was best to just let them enjoy their journey together. Your parents always wished for alone time like this, and were only offering to be nice. That's the kind of parents they were, so you guys decided it was time to return the favor.

Your older sister decided to go home with her own boyfriend, who was eager for her to meet his family. He had met hers last year, and it was the same thing for Riri. Last year, all three of you had brought your significant others home, and this year, all of them wanted to do the same.

You thought Riri was being ridiculous when she forced you to go shopping for a whole new wardrobe.

"Babe, those thin hoodies and small ass coats aren't going to do any good in Chicago. You're going to freeze your ass off, " She told you.

"And we can't be having that now, can we?" You joked, shuffling through the jacket rack.

"No, we cannot." Riri mused her eyes, drifting lower and lower, admiring the view. Despite all her protests, you still chose to wear a pair of white jeans that were a little tight on you, and while she was worried. About you shivering to death in the pants due to the Boston cold air. She had to admit the jeans did your ass justice.

"Seriously, Riri, stop staring at my butt and come help me pick out an appropriate jacket. Our flight is leaving in a couple of hours, and we need to get there early to beat the crowd." You said, turning around to face her, knowing she was only half-listening to you.

Her eyes stayed glued to your backside until your body was fully turnt around. She looked back up, almost instantly giving you a grin despite the irritation on your face. "Alright, step aside. I got this, and stop worrying we're on good time right now. This store isn't even crowded. We'll be out in no time."

"Yeah but traffic is going to be a bitch" You reminded her.

Riri nodded her head in agreement, moving the jackets aside a little faster. So far, every time, she tried to let you pick out something you liked on your own. You completely failed the assignment while the clothing would no doubt be stylish and beautiful on you. The material was weak and nowhere near thick enough to for the Chicago winter. Not only did she not want to deal with your whining about being cold, but her mother would kill her if you showed up on her doorstep in insufficient clothing.

It took her about twenty minutes, but she was able to pick you out two strong winter coats, a few sweaters, and three pairs of pants. You had also found a pair of black snow boots and an oversized hoodie with your favorite band on it to add to the pile.

"Are you sure you don't want anything, babe?" You asked her as the cashier scanned the clothes.

"Naw mamas, I'm all good, unlike you. I'm actually prepared for the Chicago snow." Riri said, waving you off. It was the third time you offered to buy her something.

"I still think you're exaggerating about how bad it's going to be. I mean, if I can handle the cold weather of Massachusetts, then Chicago should be a breeze."

Riri let out a laugh. "Oh, and by handle, you mean you spend every waking moment locked up in your room with a five-hundred dollar space heater. That has enough power and range to keep the whole building warm."

"You say that like you don't crash in my dorm the second winter hits," you shot back.

It was funny because the same way you weren't really thinking about how cold it would be in Chicago. When you decided to go to MIT, you did no research about the weather in Massachusetts. Your first year when the cold temperatures hit your teachers had to threaten you with a failing grade to get you to attend classes in person. Your parents sent you back to school with the expensive space heater next semester. Riri did have one of her own, and while it did get the job done, yours worked wonders. When she walked into your dorm room, it felt as if you had an actual fireplace in your room with flames ignited. Of course, she crashed with you.

"Yes, I enjoy being as warm as possible, but unlike you, I still know what real cold is, and I'm going to enjoy watching you eat those words later on." Riri said, shaking her head.

You paid for the clothes and ended up buying her something after all. Riri spotted a Starbucks before the two of you reached the exit and wanted a hot chocolate along with two cake pops. No doubt there would be one in the airport, but you knew from experience the line would be stupid long. It was the last thing you wanted to have to deal with, so of course you got her what she wanted. Also, getting yourself a hot mocha with a chocolate chip cookie.

Riri ended up making the drive since you had to repack your bags with the new clothes. Traffic was heavy, but the two of you still managed to reach the airport about five hours early for the flight to Chicago, and while the lines were long. Both of you knew it could be much worse around this time. Once you and her were made through security and was fully processed for the flight. Riri fell asleep with her head resting on your shoulder.

You let her sleep for the entire wait time, knowing she had to be tired. The young genius woke up two hours early to finish packing for the both of you. Well, it was mainly your bags she had been worried about. Her snooping through your suitcases is how she came to the conclusion. You were completely unprepared for this trip to Chicago, and that's what really led to the shopping trip.

While you appreciated her concern and loved the way she was looking out for you. Deep down, you still weren't worried about the cold. How bad could it be?

Eight hours later, after one long flight with only a slight delay, your question had been answered, and you were regretting your decision to not change your clothes. Riri urged you to go in the bathroom and switch out of the tight jeans. One of the pair of pants that she picked out, but you stood your ground.

She didn't even try to hide the smirk on her face as your teeth chattered. While your the bottom half of your body shivered. You were smart enough to throw on the black wool coat with cotton padded on the inside.

"H-h-how ar-are we-we getting ta-ta-to your mom's? You stammered out the question.

"There are some Ubers down here come on," she told you, taking your hand into her gloved one. She could feel how frozen your hands were through the glove, and her eyes glanced down to see both of your hands bare. "Ma, where are the gloves I gave you?"

You looked away at the tone of anger in her voice. While she was probably taking joy in being right. The last thing Riri wanted was for you to be sick, which is why despite all the teasing she was doing. She made sure you had everything you would need to stay a little warm. "The gloves are in my bag. I didn't think I would need them, alright." You admitted falling back behind her as a cold gust of wind blew past.

You pressed your chest to her back and wrapped your free arm around her waist. Riri didn't protest at first, but then your freezing cold hand touched her bare stomach. She jumped a foot in the air with a shriek. A few people glanced at the two of you, and one guy shot her an apologetic look as his girl stood behind him with her hands stuffed in his pockets. If anyone knew her pain, it was him.

"Y/N, have you lost your damn mind?" She cried out, releasing her grip on your hand as she wiggled out of your hold.

"My hands are cold. I'm cold," you whined, wrapping your arms around your waist. Pressing your hands into your own jacket as tight as possible.

"Yeah, I get that, but what's wrong with my jacket pocket?" Riri asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

"Body heat is better," you said with a shrug.

"Bruh, you do that again, and I will revoke all your cuddling privileges," Riri threatened. Her hands held out in front of her to ward you off.

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry now will you please." You begged motioning for her to turn around with your head.

Riri raised a single finger at you with a stern look, warning you not to try anything funny. Nevertheless, she turned back around so you could resume hugging her from behind. This time, your hands slipped into her jacket pockets. The two of you finally made it to an Uber, and after putting the address into the GPS. He started the drive to her mom's house. The car ride was silent as you cuddled up to her in the backseat.

Riri paid attention to the route he was taking, not just for safety reasons, so she would know when the trip was almost complete. Halfway through, she dug in her bag, pulling out an extra pair of gloves. "Unless you want to see my mom strangle me to death, put these on."

You slipped the gloves on without argument, murmuring a quiet thank you.

A few minutes later, the driver pulled up to a two-story dark blue house with the edges of it painted white. There was a big porch leading to the front door with chairs set up on either side. There were Christmas lights lined up on the outside along with a few reindeer statues in the front yard.

"So much for waiting for me to put up the decorations," Riri grumbled under her breath. She opened the car door and got out waiting for you to follow before shutting it. The driver let the window to the passenger seat so you could pay him. Meanwhile, Riri got the luggage out of the trunk between the two of you. There were four suitcases with only one belonging to her. You packed a little more than she did, considering this was her home.

"So this is your last chance to back out if you're having any second thoughts." Riri said, fumbling with her fingers with her eyes directed at the snowy ground.

You could feel the nerves coming off her in giant waves, which surprised you. Up until this point, she had been nothing but calm about this whole thing. Heck, when you took her home last year to meet your parents. Riri handled it with ease. Nothing fazed her, not even when your siblings cornered her with if you hurt my baby sister conservation. That every other girlfriend you had in the past seemed to dread more than anything.

"You know I would grab your face and kiss you right now, but my hands are starting to freeze through these gloves. Come on, Ri, you know there's no such thing as second thoughts with me. At least not when it comes to you, I'm sure about everything when you're involved. Let's get inside before both of us freeze our asses off, " you told her.

She found herself releasing her deep breath she didn't even know she was holding in. At your reassurance, the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach seemed faded away just like that. Riri lifted her head up to see you standing there shivering as snow fell from the sky. But you had a big grin on your face with your hand extended out for her to take. She did tugging you closer to her so she could press her cold lips to your own. In a heated kiss that would warm both of you up.

"Riri Williams, if you don't get in this house and bring that girl of yours in here with you. I'm going to come out there and drag both of you in here by the ear. It's below zero out there with a blizzard going on. Now is not the time for y'all to be out sucking face. This is not a Hallmark movie." A woman's voice yelled from the porch combined with the sound of a screen door flying open.

Riri pulled away as heat rose up on her cheeks due to embarrassment. You covered your mouth with both of your hands to muffle your laughter. "Sorry, Momma, we coming."

"Right now," her mother demanded and disappeared back into the house.

Riri let out a groan as you shook your head in amusement. "I'm so glad you find all of this to be so funny."

"Hey, you kissed me," you said before bursting into laughter bending over with your hands on your knees.

"Help me with the bags before she makes good on her threat," Riri snapped, smacking you on the shoulder. You straightened up a few seconds later to slide a duffel bag onto your shoulder and to take the handle of one of the rolling suitcases. Riri might have sounded frustrated, but you could see the humor in her eyes.

You followed her into the house and was presented with. A spacious and cozy living room on the back wall was the furniture consisting of. A large dark gray sectional sofa with a futon at the bottom and a recliner in the corner of the room. A big glass table was positioned in the center of the floor covered in little whatnots and two jars filled with candy on either side. On the other wall of the living room, there was fifty-five to sixty inch flatscreen TV with the Samsung logo on the front. It was resting on top of a big brown TV stand with a cabinet area at the bottom.

A cop drama was playing with the volume set pretty low, making background noise.

"Momma," Riri called out, setting the suitcases off to the side. She motioned for you to do the same as she headed towards a doorway. You dropped the duffel bag on the floor by the suitcases and hurried along right behind her.

The doorway led to a kitchen covered in white tiles floor with a brown dining room table with six chairs pushed in. The kitchen was a mix of modern and old schools with an island in the middle matching the brown table. A brown-skinned woman who had maybe an inch on Riri was at the kitchen sink with her back to both of you. She was dressed in a black shirt with some blue sweatpants and a pair of black bedroom shoes on her feet. A blue bandanna was tied on top of her head, but box braids spilled out of it, going down to her back.

"Riri, I hoped you took those shoes off at the door. No tracking in my kitchen." The woman said without turning around.

"Shit," Riri muttered, turning back around to go do just exactly that. She gripped you by the waist, moving you along as well. Both of you left your shoes by the door along with a set of others before making your way back to the kitchen. By now, her mom was done in the sink and was mixing some raw chicken in a bowl of seasoning.

Her mom paused her cooking to wipe her hands and come over to both of you. Immediately, Riri threw herself into her mother's arms, who wrapped her arms around her in bear hug. "It's good to have you home, my little genius."

"It's good to be home, momma," she replied, burying her face into her mother's neck. They stayed like that holding each other for a solid ten seconds. Before her mother's warm brown eyes settled on you standing in the doorway. You gave her a little wave with a small smile.

"Alright, come on, introduce me to your girlfriend. She's the first one you bought home in forever." Her mother said, pulling away.

Riri took a step back and took you by the hand to pull you forward. "Mom, this is y/n. we've been dating for about a year and a half. Y/N, this is my mom."

You held out your hand for her to shake "Mrs.Williams its so nice to finally - whoa, okay." You let out a small gasp of surprise as she knocked your hand away and pulled you into the same bear hug. She shared with her daughter just a minute ago. You were a little hesitant at first, but eventually, you did return the hug.

"Don't be shy sweetheart you're practically family at this point. My little girl hasn't ever brought someone home even when I would beg her to. The fact that you're here lets me know you're something special, honey, " She told you.

"Mom," Riri whined.

Her mother gave her a wink as she finally released you. "Why don't you two go get settled in. I'm cooking dinner for tonight, but there is some leftover lasagna in the fridge. If you don't want that, it's early in the day. I'm pretty sure Riri would love to take you out in the city. Just have some fun and enjoy yourselves. We can catch up at dinner."

You and Riri ended up going out into the city after eating some of the lasagna that did not disappoint. Despite the cold weather, you loved sightseeing the city of Chicago captivated by the beauty of Riri's home. Now that you were in the proper clothing, the cold wasn't as bad, and you were ready to take full advantage of the mountains of snow. You were like a little kid pulling Riri into a vacant parking lot to make snow angels, build a snowman, and do every other cliche activity. You witnessed people doing on TV during Christmas movies. Riri didn't mind one bit even though she grew up in this weather and had done these things a million times. Doing it with you made her feel like it was the first time.

The sun was getting ready to set as the sky started to turn a dark blue. By the time the two of you made it back to her house, Riri went into the house to wash up and attempt to get a quick nap in before dinner. Her mom was sitting in the recliner watching The Brothers and informed her. The food would be ready in about two more hours. You were still outside sitting on the front porch watching the snow fall.

It was when the winds started to pick up and get stronger with each breeze. You called it a night and went inside. Riri was in bed buried under the covers, and there was a small space heater going, making the room slightly warmer than the rest of the house. You shrugged out of your jacket, socks, and gloves before slipping into the bed with her. She let out a soft hum to greet you and turned her body around to face you.

"How you feeling, Ma?"

"Snow is freaking beautiful but got damn I'm freezing," you whispered through chattering teeth.

"I told you to come inside and watch the snow fall, but you never want to listen." Riri gloated, shaking her head with an amused smile that you could barely make out under the darkness of the duvet.

"Well, it's a good thing I have you to warm me up then, huh?" you commented. Riri wasn't sure of what you meant at first but found out a second later. When your feet pushed their way under her legs. You grinned as Riri let out an even louder shriek than the one from earlier. No doubt your toes were the coldest part of your body.

"Holy shit y/n" Riri shouted, attempting to scoot away, but you let out a whine stretching your legs out to follow her. You wrapped your arms around her waist to pull her back.

"Okay, okay, your feet can stay, but you got to chill," she complained, squirming in your arms. As your hands found her bare skin again. "You lucky I freaking love you because your ass should be on the floor for that little stunt."

"Come on, you're used to this. I'm not, which means you have to be my personal space heater."

"Man, you could've given me a heads up, at least."

You shook your head. "You would've said no."

"Damn right now come here let's get some sleep before the food is ready. I'm tired, and my mom will not tolerate us ditching dinner." Riri opened her arms, letting you settle in her embrace with your face buried in her chest.

"Oh yeah, I love you too, Ri,"

Riri gave you a quick squeeze indicating she heard you, and both of you fell into a blissful sleep.

#mcu imagine #riri williams x reader #riri williams imagine #marvel imagine

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missfrieden · 4 months

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Tech as a father Chapter 25

Finally I have vacation for two weeks. Hope I manage to post (not a big fan of pre posting for a set time or maybe I am to old) and not sleep most of the time.

Masterlist

Chapter 25: Accidents can and will happen

Tech, engrossed in his work on the datapad, hadn't initially noticed how Orion, at a mere 18 weeks old, had managed to grab hold of the hydrospanner that was hanging from his belt. It was only when he felt a sharp and unexpected zap on his leg that he snapped his attention downward in surprise. There, in Orion's tiny, curious hands, was the hydrospanner. The infant had accidentally activated it, delivering a harmless but startling shock to his father.

Tech couldn't help but chuckle softly, his amusement and pride apparent in his eyes. He knew that his son was far too young to understand the complexities of his work, but the fact that Orion was already displaying an innate curiosity and an interest in the tools of their trade filled him with a sense of delight. "Ah, my little engineer in the making, are we?" he mused, his voice a mixture of affection and pride. He gently took the hydrospanner from Orion's inquisitive grasp, making sure it was well out of reach this time. With a small pat on Orion's head, Tech returned to his work, occasionally glancing down at his son who seemed determined to explore the world around him, one technological marvel at a time. Tech knows the more Orion starts to discover his motoric skills, the more often such things will start to happen. And Tech maybe a bit arrogant, believes Orion may be a bit faster in his development, even if everything is well in the lines, due to his enhanced genes. He is sure that Orion has some of those mutated genes, but he will not test it himself in fear the Kaminoans may find his research.

As Wrecker played with Orion in the bunk area of the Havoc Marauder, the little 18-week-old was having a blast, giggling and clapping his tiny hands in delight. The toys Wrecker had gathered for him were a source of endless fascination. Orion had been content, sitting against Wrecker's leg, propped up by a pile of pillows, enjoying the playtime. However, in one unguarded moment, as Wrecker reached for a handkerchief to clean some drool from Orion's chin, the curious little baby saw a particularly enticing toy just out of reach. Excitedly, Orion tried to lean forward to grab it, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

But at 18 weeks, Orion hadn't quite mastered the art of sitting up on his own without support. His little body wobbled, and he tumbled forward, landing with a soft thud on the metal floor of the bunk area. The shock of the fall startled him, and he let out a piercing cry, his tiny face contorted with pain and surprise. Wrecker's heart raced as he quickly dropped the handkerchief and scooped Orion into his massive arms. He cradled the sobbing baby close, whispering soothing words and rocking him gently. Wrecker felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He had been so focused on wanting to clean Orion's chin that he hadn't noticed the little one's attempt to reach for the toy.

"It's okay, little guy," Wrecker cooed softly. "Uncle Wrecker's got you. You're safe now." As Wrecker quickly scooped up Orion, the others in the squad rushed to see what had happened, their concern growing as they heard the baby's cries and saw Wrecker's shocked expression. Tech, from his vantage point in the overhead cargo space, heard the unusual intensity of Orion's cries and knew something was wrong. Without hesitation, he dropped whatever he had in his hand and leaped down from above.

Tech landed gracefully and swiftly approached Wrecker, who held Orion close, his massive arms trembling. As Tech got closer, he saw the small cut on Orion's forehead, from which a trickle of blood oozed. His heart clenched with worry, but he kept his voice calm and reassuring. "Let me see him, Wrecker," Tech said gently, extending his arms to take Orion from his uncle's grasp. Wrecker hesitated for a moment, his protective instincts still in full force, but he knew Tech was the best person to assess and tend to the injury. Reluctantly, Wrecker carefully handed Orion over to Tech, who cradled the baby close, examining the cut on his tiny forehead. Orion's cries were heart breaking, and Tech did his best to soothe him as he assessed the injury. The cut, while small, was bleeding more than Tech had anticipated. "It's alright, Orion," Tech murmured softly, pressing a clean cloth against the cut to stem the bleeding. "You're going to be just fine."

The rest of the squad watched in concern, their expressions a mix of worry and guilt. They knew accidents could happen, but they all cared deeply for Orion's safety. Echo retrieved a first aid kit while Crosshair and Hunter offered their support in any way they could. Tech managed to stop the bleeding and clean the small wound. Orion's cries began to subside into sniffles as he clung to his father's shirt, seeking comfort and reassurance. Tech looked up at the squad, his expression one of both concern and understanding.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Tech reassured them. "But accidents can happen, especially when they're this little and curious. We'll just need to keep a close eye on him, and he'll heal up in no time." The squad nodded in agreement, their relief palpable. They knew that with Tech's care and their collective watchfulness, Orion would be just fine. This incident served as a reminder that parenthood, even in a unique situation like theirs, came with its share of unexpected challenges. But together, they would face each one head-on, ensuring Orion's safety and well-being above all else.

Tech remained vigilant, cradling Orion close in his arms, even as the scans on his datapad confirmed that the baby was physically unharmed. He understood the importance of observing Orion closely, especially after a minor bump to the head. While the injury itself was minor, Tech didn't want to take any chances. Orion, still sniffling and seeking comfort, clung to Tech's shirt, his small fingers curling around the fabric. The baby's big, blue eyes were watery from crying, but as he gazed up at his father's familiar face, he seemed to find some solace. Tech gently rocked him back and forth, his heart heavy with concern.

As time passed, Orion's cries gradually subsided, replaced by soft whimpers as he nestled against Tech's chest. The baby's eyelids grew heavy, and he let out a few sleepy sighs. Tech continued to stroke his son's back soothingly, making sure Orion felt safe and secure.

"We'll keep a close eye on him, Tech," Hunter reassured his brother. "He's a tough little guy." Tech nodded, a mixture of relief and gratitude in his eyes. "I appreciate your understanding," he replied, his voice tinged with emotion. "Orion's safety is my… our top priority."

Wrecker's reluctance to interact with Orion after the accident weighed heavily on his shoulders. He couldn't shake the image of the baby falling and getting hurt, even if everyone reassured him that it was just an unfortunate accident. Wrecker's protective instincts were strong, and he couldn't help but fear that his size and strength might pose a risk to the little one. The rest of the squad attempted to encourage Wrecker, explaining that it wasn't his fault and emphasizing that Orion was resilient. Crosshair, in his blunt way, even told Wrecker to "get a grip." But Wrecker's anxiety persisted.

When Orion reached his tiny arms out toward his uncle, a hopeful smile on his face, Wrecker's heart ached. He desperately wanted to hold the baby, to make up for the distance that had grown between them. However, every time he looked at Orion, his mind replayed the accident. Tech, ever patient and understanding, approached Wrecker gently. "Wrecker, I know you're worried, but you're family to Orion. He doesn't hold grudges, and he needs his uncle's love and attention. You won't hurt him. You're the gentle giant in his life."

Wrecker took a deep breath, torn between his fear and his love for his nephew. Slowly, he extended his arms and allowed Orion to be placed in them. The baby immediately burrowed into Wrecker's massive chest, cooing and giggling as if nothing had happened.

A sense of relief washed over Wrecker as he held Orion close. He realized that he couldn't let fear dictate his actions. Orion was family, and he deserved all the love and care they could provide. With each passing day, Wrecker grew more comfortable with his role as Orion's uncle, and the bond between them deepened, strengthened by the support and understanding of his brothers that what happened was just an accident and not his fault.

Chapter 26

Reblogs are very welcome and I am open for feedback, as english is not my first language, so maybe my sentences may be weird sometimes, or I write a word wrong even with google, or I use a wrong word for an item.

Tag: @spectacular-skywalker @aalizazareth @neyswxrld @clonethirstingisreal @sleepycreativewriter

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sergeantsporks · 1 year

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Vee getting into Cosmic Frontiers while everyone else is in the demon realm so she’ll have something to talk with her mom and brother about when they get back!!!

“Okay, okay, okay. Camila is officially on vacation, and Luz has been excused from school absences for the same, the car has been towed and returned, and no one is the wiser.” Vee chewed on the tip of her pen. “What else? I guess I could do something around the house? It would probably be a nice surprise for Camila to come home to a nice clean house.”

Vee gathered up stray Halloween bits and bobs, tucking them back into their box. Extra teeth, old trick or treat buckets—anything pumpkin shaped went into the bin. Vee tugged at her own sweater. Well. Maybe not everything pumpkin shaped.

She shoved the box to the basement steps, then thumped up the stairs to Luz’s room. She surveyed the cots and sleeping bags, and the miscellaneous clothes strewn about.

What if things go badly?

What if they come back still needing a place to stay?

No. She couldn’t think like that. They’d succeed. And maybe they’d come back for a sleepover, but for now… Vee rolled up the sleeping bags and collapsed the cots. Best case scenario planning. She scooped up the clothes, dumping them in a hamper and piling the sleeping bags on top. She grabbed the hamper under one arm, the cots under the other, and went right back down the stairs. First, to the laundry room, to separate the clothes she’d gathered. She’d have to check the basement before she put on a wash, though.

Vee rolled the sleeping bags down the basement steps, then carried the box of Halloween stuff, then another trip for the cots and the hamper. The blankets from the couch went into the hamper. So did the T-shirts that someone—okay, who was she kidding, that Hunter had neatly folded and stacked to the side of the couch.

Vee knelt down to roll up Hunter’s sleeping bag, but stopped just before she started to fold it.

Where was Hunter going to go? Maybe he’d stay with Gus, but he didn’t have a home anymore. Maybe he’d come back. In which case, maybe he should get a cot, instead of sleeping on the floor all of the time. That couldn’t be good for his back.

Vee snapped the cot out to its full size, lifting Hunter’s sleeping bag up. Something tumbled out of it, landing on her foot with a solid thump.

“OW!” Vee jumped up and down on one foot, holding the other. “What the—” she tossed the sleeping bag to the cot and picked up the thing that had fallen on her foot. A book. The same book Hunter had been toting around, Cosmic Frontier.

“Huh.”

Come to think of it, they had said they’d found it down here. And Camila had acted awfully cagey about it. Vee opened the door to the closet within the basement—what a weird concept—and a fake gun, tricked out with lights and whistled, tumbled out. Vee picked it up, turning it over.

Property of Star Captain Camila Noceda read the handle.

“Huh.”

Vee rummaged through the closet, digging through comic books, posters, and a photo album filled with pictures of Camila in full costume and posing with other cosplayers. Some of them were signed by names Camila didn’t recognize, and one, which had its own whole page and was framed with golden foil, was signed with the same name as the author of the book.

“Wow,” Vee mused out loud, “She was really into this. So were Hunter and Gus. Maybe it really is just that good?”

Vee retreated back to the couch, opening the book to the first page. “I supposed I could see what all the fuss is about.”

Star Date… I don’t know anymore. According to O’Bailey, the wormhole we were caught in may have moved us through time as well as space. It could be that we have lost everyone we loved, and that the universe as we know it has changed irreversibly. Our homes might not even exist anymore. Still, I have to believe there’s a way back.

My last weekly report was before the wormhole. I don’t know if these logs will be read by command anymore, or if our whole system is now obsolete, but still, as the captain, I must record what happened. So. One week ago…

Vee mouthed along to the words as she read. She already knew from Hunter that O’Bailey was a clone from an enemy planet—relatable—but she’d underestimated just how many character dynamics and plotlines this book had. Every character introduced had their own backstories and their own difficulties, all of them weaving together to form one complex web of narratives. Even things she thought were a one-off came back later, or were somehow important.

Vee thumped back up the stairs, grabbing sticky notes and a pen. She started writing notes; characters, things that came back, noting foreshadowing, and misleads. The book started to fill up with little yellow tabs.

“Yeah, okay,” she told Hunter’s empty cot, “I’ll give you this one. For a book written in the nineties, it’s surprisingly relevant. Maybe Luz and Amity were right, too, and I should read Azura.”

Vee rummaged around in Luz’s room until she found a blank sketchbook and a set of colored pencils.

We forever love and protect our crew, she wrote, carefully spacing out each letter and imitating the script on the cover of the book, Whoever and whatever we are, we will always be family. Through supernovas, and solar flares, this we always swear.

“Through anything,” Vee whispered. She folded up the paper and tucked it into the front cover of the photo album. She padded softly down the hallway, her footsteps turning to a slither halfway down. She pushed open Camila’s door with a creak, setting the album down on the nightstand. “Whoever and whatever we are.”

Vee tidied up Camila’s books, gathering them into one neat stack. “Stay safe,” she whispered to the air, “Come back home soon. All of you.”

#toh #the owl house #toh fanfiction #my writing #writing requests #vee noceda #cosmic frontier #asks

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blurscolours · 1 year

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The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea | Part Seven

Masterlist

Summary: An attack on Arthur’s imprisoned brother Orm leaves him with no choice but to rely upon you, a friend made due to unfortunate circumstances nearly a decade ago, to provide safe haven while he restores peace to Atlantis. Suddenly tasked with sheltering a sullen former king results in a very different summer vacation than you had originally envisioned, but changes both of your lives forever.

Warnings: Feats of Atlantean Strength, Discussion of Orm's Injuries, Almost-kiss, Dog

Word Count: 1317

As you opened the curtains the next morning you were surprised to find the dock empty. There was no evidence of water on the dock, or freshly caught fish. You stepped out of your room and looked into his…empty…Frowning, you headed to the back deck and heard a rustling in the trees.

“Fuck, not again” You muttered, taking a step backward toward the cabin then stopped and blinked your eyes several times. You doubted your sight as Orm stepped out of the woods with, essentially, an entire tree propped up on his right shoulder. You started openly, undeniably impressed.

“Good morning” He called to you, somewhat smugly, and continued toward the wood pile out of your line of sight. You stepped inside and went over to the other door, shocked to find he’d collected five fallen trees while you’d been sleeping. You slid into your shoes and walked over to him.

“This is incredible. Are you…is your arm ok though?” You looked to it, concerned about the strain on the steri-strips.

“I am not even using that arm do not worry.” He nodded.

Oh of course, he was just hauling trees one handed. You shook your head in awe.

“Well, I guess we need to break down the trees before they can be chopped into firewood.” You mused. “There are a few options – chainsaw or hacksaw…” You looked to him. “I am assuming you would prefer the option that does not use fossil fuels?”

“You are correct, that is absolutely my preference.”

“Ok then.” You grabbed the sawhorses from beside the shed, thankfully there were multiple sets that could accommodate the length he was working you. Next, you grabbed the three hacksaws of varying sizes. “If you lift one up, I’ll put the supports under it?”

He nodded and moved to the middle of one of the trees, lifting it smoothly. You can see it did cost him some effort, but it was still an incredible feat. You wasted no time propping the sawhorses at intervals under the tree and he carefully settled the weight of it into them. You held out the hacksaws for him to inspect.

“I am thinking you will want the one with larger teeth?”

He took it from you and tested it out on the trunk of the tree. It was once again a display of his strength as he was able to make a sizable cut into the wood.

“This will do quite nicely.” He commented before returning to cutting. You felt awkward just standing there, gawking at him, so you headed back inside to make breakfast.

As the pair of you finished eating, you asked him to collect his clothes into the laundry basket so you could wash them. While he headed back to continue his project, you did a load of laundry. Once it was finished, you brought the basket out to the clothesline to dry in the sun. Well, not all of it. The underwear you put in the dryer, not wanting to display it in the yard.

Of the five trees he’d collected, only two remained intact. The rest lay in pieces on the ground. When you’d finished clipping the clothes to the line, you headed over to tidy the logs into a pile to keep the path clear and make it easier for him to break down the last two. You really should have worn gloves, you reflected, as you felt a sliver pierce the skin of your palm.

“Damn.” You muttered to yourself, angling your palm in the sunlight to try and figure out where the track was to push it back out. Your curse summoned him to your side, and he took your hand in his.

“How has your kind managed to dominate the surface with skin as weak as paper.” He muttered in a mixture of affection and annoyance.

You laughed a little and shrugged.

“Violence and utter lack of respect for nature?” You offered. “Aha!” You exclaimed as you found the splinter’s track and, using the thumbnail of your other hand, you pushed it back out of your skin.

His fingers brushed the offending piece of wood off your palm, and he nodded.

“I find no fault with your argument.” He replied.

You grinned and shook your head affectionately.

“I’ll go grab a pair of gloves and be right back.”

Returning from the shed, your hands protected by a pair of work gloves, you continued stacking the logs. Once the trees were broken down, you put the sawhorses away together, and he returned to the axe, breaking the logs down into firewood. The two of you worked rather well together as he quartered the logs and you stacked them in the woodshed. The day past quickly, even though it was turning into a hot one, and you were able to ignore the growing boat traffic on the lake, signalling yet another Friday wave of weekenders. You took a break for lunch and a swim midafternoon, but both seemed more than happy to spend the rest of the day working.

By the time the sun started sliding behind the treetops, the pile of logs had been reduced by half. The law was covered in sawdust and wood chips, but you could not help but feel a great sense of accomplishment. The family was going to be very impressed with your contribution to the winter fuel. You turned to grab some more firewood from beside the chopping block, but the wood chips beneath your feet shifted and you stumbled awkwardly, catching yourself on the nearest thing…which happened to be Orm.

Reflexively, he wrapped an arm around your hips and steadied you against him.

“Sorry!” You exclaimed and moved to step back, but he was still holding you to his side. You looked up to him to find he was already looking down at you. You blushed as you realized how close you were, his eyes peering into yours. You saw them flick down to your mouth before looking back to your eyes. Your breath became shaky as you unconsciously licked your lips. He began to close the distance between you until something warm and soft slammed into both your legs.

He froze as he heard someone calling from down the path and took a hurried step back to put a respectable distance between the two of you. You were not able to contain the look of disappointment as it flowed across your face, but the enthusiastic licks of the intruder on your legs caught your attention. You crouched down to scritch the neighbour’s dog behind the ears as it sat on the ground, panting happily as you at last give it attention.

Orm eyed the creature skeptically but looked over as your neighbour finally came into view on the path

“There you are you rascal.” They said to the dog, who romped over to them happily. “Sorry about him, he’s just happy to be here.”

You laughed and shook your head.

“No worries. Just a heads-up, though, we ran into quite a large bear on the other side of the tracks the other day.”

Your neighbour thanked you for the warning before dragging the enthusiastic ball of fur back to their yard.

“I’m going to clean up these woodchips.” You murmured and fetched a rake and a garbage bag. You raked the chips out of the grass into piles before putting them in the bag. They would be useful as either kindling or to fill in muddy patches on the path.

Your meal that night was once again leftovers, as you don’t have the energy to make anything new. You also insisted on changing his bandage before bed and couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly the wounds had closed. You wrapped them up again, so he didn’t disturb the healing in his sleep, before bidding him goodnight.

Sleep came again quickly after such a physical day.

Read Part Eight

Masterlist

#orm x reader #orm marius x reader #orm imagine #orm fic #orm marius imagine #orm marius fic #ocean master x reader

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dreamingofmuses · 4 months

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New Year's Resolutions: RP Edition

Howdy all, Ash here. I've been having a think while with family this week, and I've decided I'm going to implement some new 'resolutions' to try and help make writing in 2024 be way more successful than in 2023. This will include things from the running of blogs to jobs I really want to get finished. I'm putting them under a read-more to keep the dash nice and clean.

I will say, this has taken me an hour to write up, and I'd recommend you doing likewise if you think there's little ways you want to improve.

Overall Running of Blogs

I'm going to experiment a new approach to running the blogs. For this, I'm going to put all active blogs to low-medium activity. In other words, even if I am personally lurking on mobile, I won't be constantly writing things if I'm not able to. (Work is just about to get super busy and I'm anticipating chaos)

A queue/schedule function will be used for all blogs. I intend to dedicate one weekday evening to working without interruption on replies. Taking commutes to the city and family visits into account, this is looking to be a Thursday, which is the only day I am neither travelling to the city nor have a guaranteed family visit. Of course, this may fluctuate, but that's what I'm hoping to work with, assuming those things stay as they are.

However! What all this means is that I am going to tentatively take skullandbowties off hiatus. With that blog being quiet, it should be possible to juggle it better now. Plus, it's officially off-season so the demand for him from new blogs ought to be low. I'm very smart :D

I also plan to update all pinned posts. I am aware some of them are marking a vacation from months ago.

Individual Blog Maintenance

Create "New Here?" posts to add to the pinned posts/info tags. This is going to be a very quick crash course on what to expect from the blog, especially where some characters might diverge from fanon expectations.

FINISH. WILF'S. BIO. It's not actually relevant to anything being written on the blog itself at present, but I really want to flesh out his character and show that he was stuck in stories for years, decades even! The doc has the word count to 4,888 at this precise moment. This is a mix of summary and brainstorm. Since it's getting a 'little' out of hand, I intend to have a 'tldr' at the start that people can read, and then longer versions if they're curious to get the full story. Maybe even have it that they can jump to particular parts but... I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Likewise, Noah's version of Space needs to be finished. This one is going to be a summary, but it's a case of making sure the pieces are in place sufficiently to have parts match canon Space, but also make it clear that there is a lot of differences between canon and what he went through, with his plot entirely spiralling away for 'Part 2'. This is at 5,794 words, and the ending has yet to be ironed out...

(I am going to stop creating needlessly long-winded projects for myself that realistically add nothing of value to my blogs. These two projects are exhausting...)

Theauthorlives is returning to a very small multimuse. Any muses that aren't ones I genuinely enjoy writing are being fully archived, unless they are muses that get no traction but I want to keep the possibility open. Details of that will be shared when I do this.

Redo some muse icons (not all of them!). Though the selection I have for particular sets is a lot, I still feel like I'm missing some expressions or poses. I would like to remake one batch of icons for three characters, and finish iconning a third. Replies seem to be shifting toward iconless, but I like them for asks or IC commentaries.

OOC/Mun Related stuff

Following matters that have happened both online and IRL, I've decided to take a step back from actively engaging with people. My focus will be people that I have been in good communication with for the last twelve months (as well as people I don't talk to frequently but am on friendly terms with) rather than people I feel I have to 'chase' after. Saying that, I'm going to try and not let past experiences meddle with anything in with new writing partners - whether these are brand new to the community or people I've not had the chance to properly interact with prior to this. Just be aware that I might not be super outgoing at first. (This is where setting limits and boundaries is good practice, everyone! Don't sell yourself short, and don't spread yourself out too thinly!)

Which is where I now say I want to send even more asks! Not just memes or sentence starters, but general questions about headcanons or muse opinions. I want to get people thinking more.

My stance on Discord still stands, in that it's solely for OOC stuff, but I'm not giving it out to everyone. However, I have been in two group servers that have little-to-no connection with writing rp threads in them. I would hope that I can fully regain my sense of comfort using Discord as a whole.

Art related

Despite socially stepping back, I still want to keep some semblance of 'community' where my blogs are active so people don't feel isolated. For instance, I want to do something that encourages invasions of ask boxes. That was good fun to watch as the chaos began to spread, and when people are good-humoured to go along with my silly ideas.

I want to have one huge art-related event at some point this year. I'm not entirely what or how to do it, but I think it would be a great excuse to practice something. Portraits, comics, something like that. I'll have a think. (For those who remember, the water gun event was supposed to have an art conclusion but plans for that fell through.)

I want to try and upload drawn responses to heythereneighbor once a week if I can. Obviously, this is depending on how busy it is.

I'd also like to try doodling more on other blogs? But I'm not sure if this is even something people want to see anymore. People might prefer I focus on writing if I have free time instead of doodles or little comics.

... the writing blog. I need to do stuff with that in general. Whoops.

Finally, I want to do what I can to the best of my abilities on a particular day. I've always told people over the years that real life comes before rp, and I still stand by that. Whether I'm around or not every day isn't the end of the world. The communities I write in are a lot slower paced than they were when I started, which is great! I need to remind myself that I don't need to be writing just because I have a bit of free time.

#(but some of these won't be starting this week because my work week is a little jumbled up)#(one tldr is that I intend to have one day a week for writing that should hopefully be a Thursday #but not Thursday of this week because I'm commuting to work and have personal stuff on as well)#(aaaand now I sleep. Have to catch a bus in the morning.)

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baronessblixen · 2 years

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“it's better than before.” (please don’t hurt me too bad!)

I think this was an angst prompt and my answer is... not. I don't know what it is exactly! Set in the revival, Mulder muses about life, changes and Scully. Wc: 1,966

Tagging @today-in-fic

Everything Old is New Again

The fake sunrise his alarm clocks projects wakes him at 6.30 am, like every morning. One of these days he’s going to find an old analog clock like he used to have. But that’s a task for another morning. Until then, he will wake up to this, believing Scully when she says it’s better for him. Even if the light is fake.

His body protests as he rolls over to switch off the orange light and the bird chirping that accompanies it. He doesn’t know how to turn off the incessant sound on its own. It just turns on every morning. There should be a manual for this damn alarm clock, but if there is, he’s lost it.

Mulder groans as he sits up in bed, running a hand over his face. It’s Friday. Once, days of the week didn’t matter. Weekend was an idea rather than a fixed set of days. Nowadays, he works Monday to Friday, like one of these agents he used to think of as lazy when he himself was younger. He wonders what young agents think about him now. If they think about him at all.

In the bathroom, his Bluetooth speaker greets him with a mechanical good morning and hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s. You can take the man out of the decades, but not the decades out of the man.

He showers quickly, his shower head made to save water. Less than five minutes later he’s done. Gone are the days of long, hot showers. Now there’s only efficiency. Scully got him the shower head last Christmas and he, against all odds, had hoped it meant she wanted to take more showers here, at their house. His hopes were crushed when she told him she had a date for New Year’s Eve.

He spent long days waiting to hear about the date, about the new man in her life. It never happened. Over a month later, when her birthday drew near, he asked her about it, pretending his heart wasn’t pounding. She merely shrugged, said it was only one date and nothing more. The nameless man remained so. As did the next, and the one after him. Then, in May, Scully told him about Paul. A guy she went on more than one date with. Five, to be exact. Mulder tried counting backward to find out when it had started. Whether something had changed then. Had she smiled more? Had she seemed happier?

“I hope you,” she had said, taking his hand in hers. “I hope it doesn’t bother you. I will keep my personal life out of the office. I just wanted you to know. I owe you that much.”

So he knew. May went by in a blur and June promised to be the same with Scully asking for a week off. He didn’t ask and she didn’t say, but he knew she was going to spend it with Paul. Mulder threw himself into work, didn’t allow himself to think about her, or about what she and Paul were doing.

When she returned, a soft tan on her face, she looked guilty and Mulder was deflated. Once, they had gone on vacation, too. Away from the darkness that had followed them. No matter how much sun there was, how much love they made, it hung over them like a rain cloud. They both knew that one day it would break and drown them.

Paul was history by late June. Scully told him in passing while they were getting ready to board a plane. He just nodded, trying to keep his face neutral when in reality he felt like bursting into song.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“You’re not,” Scully replied, but there was a twinkle in her eyes and a lightness in her voice he hadn’t heard in a while.

He took her hand as the plane started, knowing how much she hated that moment. She didn’t pull away and Mulder knew that things were changing.

His coffee grows cold over his musings, but he downs it anyway before he grabs his car keys to leave for work. The sun – the real one – has just woken up and is blinking through the gray September clouds up above. Mulder turns on the heat in the car, feeling a bit chilly.

He hooks up his phone, tells it to navigate him to work and starts his car. How different this used to be. Back in the day, he knew the way to the Hoover building by heart. Now he isn’t sure he’d find his way without his phone. Scully keeps telling him to not use it as it will make his brain shrink, but it’s just easier this way. And it gives him time to think. About Scully.

Today is the day. He’s planned it meticulously. He will ask her out. An old-fashioned date, just the two of them. No cases, no excuses, and no Pauls. No bees either. He grins, humming along to the song on his playlist. Another one of those things. He and Scully used to find tapes in their rental cars from time to time, listening to them in excitement. They never knew what the next song would be. He misses those days, sometimes. Misses the unpredictability of it all.

Mulder stops in front of the coffee shop he and Scully have started frequenting. It’s a far cry from the places they went to back in the day. There are seven different varieties of milk now, not just one. A couple of weeks ago, he ordered a coffee with cow milk and Scully threw him a look, reminding him that plant-based milk is better for the environment and for him.

Ever since then, he’s been taking his coffee with unsweetened almond milk. After all, Scully is a medical doctor and he trusts her. In every conceivable way. He orders his coffee and Scully’s and buys two sandwiches for lunch, too. Vegan, of course.

Scully is already there when he enters the office. She gives him a smile, sitting on the edge of their desk, reading through a file. His stomach somersaults, putting a huge grin on his face that takes him back at least 20 years. She has that effect on him. Then, now and always.

“Good morning,” she says. “I’ve been wondering where you are.”

“Huh?”

“It’s late, Mulder. Late for you anyway. Was there a lot of traffic?” She takes a sip from her coffee as she waits for his answer.

“Um, no. I was just- getting read took a bit longer this morning.”

“You’re not sick, are you? When was your last check up?” Asking about his check ups is the best way to remind him that he’s getting old. That he is old already.

“I’m not sick,” he assures her. “Just lost in thought. That happens when you wake up to a sunrise and birds chirping.”

“It’s good for you, Mulder. It’s a gentle way of waking up.” He’s heard her explain it to him plenty of times and so he just smiles at her, nodding.

“How are you waking up these days?” He asks her, taking a nip of his coffee.

“Hm? Not with a sunrise,” she says, throwing him an amused look. Now’s his chance.

“Hey Scully, what are you doing tonight?” His heart is hammering against his chest. If he were to tell Scully, she’d probably worry he’s having a heart attack. He’s at that age now, as she not so subtly reminded him a while ago. With his questionable diet and his inability to kick his sunflower seed habit, he should be careful. But right now, unbeknownst to her, his heart is in her hands.

“I don’t have any plans,” she says.

“In that case… would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

“I’d love to, Mulder,” she answers without hesitation, rendering him speechless. “Are you okay? You do look a bit green.” By now, she’s walked over to him and she puts her hand on his cheek, gently caressing it.

“I’m just surprised.”

“That I want to have dinner with you?”

“That I didn’t even have to persuade you,” he replies honestly.

“I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out again,” she says and color shoots into her cheeks. “I was ready to ask you to dinner myself.”

“Why didn’t you?”

She shrugs, stepping closer to him and fully invading his personal space. He doesn’t mind one bit and puts his hand on her waist. They’re skipping steps, jumping ahead, but they’ve been here before. This isn’t new. It’s merely a restart of something old and familiar.

“I was scared,” she admits.

“Scared? Of me?”

“Of you saying no.”

“Scully, I will never say no to you. I’ve been waiting too, biding my time. When you told me about Paul…” Scully groans and presses her head against his chest.

“That was a mistake,” she says against his tie. Her head resurfaces and he falls in love all over with her. With the way her fingers play with the lapels of his coat, contemplating how much she allows herself here in their office. With the way her eyes dance when he smiles at her, putting his hand on the small of her back to draw her closer. He doesn’t care that they’re in the office. Or that it’s not even 9 am.

“I hope I’m not a mistake,” Mulder says softly.

“You’ve never been a mistake, Mulder. Not once.”

“Would kissing you now be a mistake?”

“Not if I kiss you first.” And she does exactly that. He’s dreamed about kissing Scully many, many times. Back when they were first partnered and he didn’t yet know how she tasted or what she liked.

He dreamed of her when he was hiding from the world, missing her and their son. Dreamed about her when she made the choice to save them and leave so that he could get better, and she could, too. Now they are. Her mouth fits against his as perfectly as it ever has. He knows how to kiss her, how to move his lips, and how to tease her with his tongue so that she moans and presses herself against him. Some things haven’t change, won’t ever change.

“I missed doing this,” she says when they break for air.

“Making out in the office?” He presses another soft kiss against her lips.

“We never really did that, did we?”

“There’s still time.” He grins at her.

“This is a work place.” But she, too, is grinning.

“It’s Friday anyway. We can leave early.” He kisses her again and she responds in kind. When they break apart this time, she sighs.

“What are you thinking?” He asks her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“When I thought about this – us – I didn’t think… I wondered how it would happen. How we would be.”

“Is it how you thought it would be?”

“I didn’t think it would happen in the office,” she says. “I didn’t think it would happen in the morning. You taste like almond milk, Mulder.”

“No more cow milk for me. You said so. So… what’s the verdict?”

“Let me just-” She kisses him again, her tongue teasing him. His eyes flutter close and he wonders what Scully would say if he reminded her of his office sex fantasy. But maybe it’s too early for that anyway.

He wants to give her sunrises in bed, fake or otherwise. Orgasms, too. But only real ones. He wants to share his new favorite songs with her. Wants to drive around with her, Google Maps be damned. He just wants to be with her, in whatever way she lets him.

“It’s better than before,” she says and he knows she’s right.

#i wrote!#i have no idea what this is at all #i didn't think #i just wrote #i apologize for all the grammatical errors #i was too happy and went ahead and posted #msr #xf fanfic #my writing #my fic

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randomfoggytiger · 10 months

Text

React: "Return to Me" (from the POV of Someone Averse to RomComs, Part II): I Become a Bonnie Hunt Fangirl

Continued from Part I (see here)

Minnie is saved!

Um... Bob's not doing too well. He wants to walk the dog. Charlie has already walked Dog (my muse from Part I.)

"Okay. Thanks."

Charlie's following him around but he respects Bob's unspoken need for distance.

Charlie's really taking it hard, but I know Bob's going to have an epic meltdown once the ice thaws (to loosely quote Grace Kelly's boyfriend-character Mark in Dial M for Murder: "Later, you're going to have a beautiful cry.")

Ohhhhhhhhh, got it. The dog (Mel? ...still better than Bob) waits by the door for Jane Bennett every time.

They kicked up the 90s slow memory sequence.

And Bob's crying.

Okay, he's really crying.

Okay, I dig this.

Bob, you've endeared me to Bob. I shall lay "the bit" to rest in peace. ...With Elizabeth.

Look, I know that was a low blow, Bob, but it had to be done.

Old grandfather prays to his favorite battle saint for Minnie's heart.

Bonnie? the mom friend is an actual mom wrangling her entire family, including the older generations.

Old grandpa Marty is devoted to his candle and prayers.

More 90s slow mo--

I was going to say this reminds me of the 90s slow dance slow mo sequences I typically think are in romcoms and now it's back to Bob while he continues to sob on the floor as Mel (who is no longer my stand-in, I suppose, you can't come back from a name like Mel) sits there, unfazed.

Oooh, look--

beautiful shot.

Grandpa is the only one awake-- prayed that heart back to life.

And the camera goes back to Bob when the heart starts beating again, waking him up.

Coincidence? With Tuscany and vacations and romance to be had???

Minnie Driver's painting. Good for her representing the artistic girlies.

Old men bonding over music while grandpa keeps an eye on his granddaughter. Is this how we and our mutuals sound?

Methinks he will sniff out the jig and bring all the pieces together by the end (because there's got to be a 3/4 misunderstanding, right?)

I like how casual Bonnie Hunt's style is-- it's a gentle, lived-in world.

Grace, as we shall now call her, bikes in the street with kids-- not, as her grandfather cautioned, on the side of the road.

Doctor's appointment!

"Oh, of course I'm happy. What else am I going to be?"

..................Yeahhhhhhhhhh, you're not happy.

Grace: saved from death, still insecure about her scar, and slowly bumping herself back to life. An imperfect survivor, a normal human.

A mood.

"I'm alive and someone else is dead." A mild form of survivor's guilt, I see, I see.

"He's a great listener" was a great joke.

Bob is grumpy and determined and driven I see.

Two morbid souls will collide at the zoo over the rubber monkey enclosure, I reckon.

Another girl, another mood:

It's been a year and friend Bonnie finally convinces her to mail the "thank you for your heart" letter.

"Okay, everyone clap for Auntie Grace, she just mailed a very important letter." Amazing.

Bonnie shoving everyone past the construction workers was also amazing.

Bonnie's a fave (and love that she gave herself-- if this is the same Bonnie-- a great role that doesn't outshine the main leads. It's respectful and kind.)

Bob still obsessively guards Jane Bennett's memory.

The heart's pumping again. Pumpity pump pump.

Bow chicka-- nope, they missed each other.

But Grace felt something and highlighted that her heart beating didn't hurt (hmmmmmmmmmmm foreshadowing.)

I CALLED IT the gorilla's doing the hand thing that he used to do with Jane Bennett aka Elizabeth... lastnamehere, ahem ahem.

Bob's mad and tells off a board room.

"I'm here because of my wife. You got it?"

Thank you for that shot, Bonnie.

I'm becoming a big Bonnie fan, as you can tell.

Charlie is setting his man up with a date only a year later, right after he tore apart a board room AND is working his men overtime for his late wife??? ...Charlie, my man, you're going to have to work miracles. You should meet Minnie Driver's Catholic grandpa, he'd adore you.

Wait, Charlie's a vet? Oh, wait, yeah, he works at the zoo.

Introducing new kid on skates.

"Look at you! Where are you going?"

"I don't know!"

This is the quality content I hoped for.

Skates boy holds down the fort-- a valuable guy.

"C'mon, pal," Bob chastises because Mel won't kick the "wait for Elizabeth" habit. (In the first part I likened the dog to be my self-insert. This dog is nothing like me, and I am immeasurably disappointed.)

Subtle touch of immense irritation at someone knocking on the door.

Is it time to reenact how happy he was compared to how mad he'll get at Mel now? The set up and payoff?

Here we go.

"Eat back here like a normal person--"

Chuckle worthy, but also.

He softens up; but the dog doesn't budge too much.

"You made it halfway."

That's the theme, I'll bet.

"You gotta snap out of it, buddy."

This makes Bob reflect, and he decides to kick some of his own Pavlovian responses-- and ends up on a truly horrendous date.

At least, I know that part's coming up and I'm pumped.

The old men's song convo comes back: they were selecting music for their restaurant. Nice touch.

Grandpa surprises her with tickets to Italy to paint cuz he was staring earlier at her painting earlier and it's these little moments that make me repeat words like "earlier" too frequently.

The waitress lady missed Grace's initial reaction and is put out. The banter is epic.

And Angelo talked the grandpa into it and Minnie knows this and thanks them all in a way that reflects their separate bonds. Good storytelling.

Angelo set her up with a hair transplant man (reminds me of a joke Bill Burr? told about stapling ants to your head for vanity's sake.)

Angelo's taste in vacations? Top tier.

Angelo's taste in men? Absolute bottom tier... though the guy's cheerful, so there's that.

I love this.

I don't even need a romance at this point I just want to watch the two live their separate, slowly recovering lives.

Enjoy!

#Return to Me #react #DD #Part II #from the POV of Someone Averse to RomComs #I Become a Bonnie Hunt Fangirl #mine #txf #but not #analysis #Minnie Driver

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jasmariswonderland · 8 months

Text

Dreams Adorned In Silk ~ VilxOC

Synopsis: After months of knowing her, Vil thinks it's time to finally time to express to Danica all that he feels for her. And what better way than under a dazzling, firelit sky?

A/N: Vil's new SSR has a death-grip upon my heart. 😭😍😭

Pairings: 👑/🦢

Word Count: 2315

Warnings: A lot of fluff with just the slightest hint of angst.

~~~

With the final descent of the sun, the evening began to take on a cooler temperature. A blessed relief from the scorching heat. They had arrived earlier that afternoon while the sun was still blazing high in the sky and while their silky attire offered stylish comfort, a break from the heat was not unwelcome. Now, nestled together in a private tent some distance down the river and away from the crowds, they prepared for a spectacular night they were sure to enjoy. And for Vil, the moment he’d been greatly anticipating, but simultaneously dreading, had finally come.

In the corner of the tent, sat his fair companion. He watched as she held out her hand, musing over the elegant jeweled bangle circling her wrist. The beginnings of a smile pulled at Vil’s lips, it was something he’d seen her admiring it in the marketplace earlier that day. She said nothing, not wanting to feel like she was imposing on him, but the wistful look in her eyes told him all that he needed to know. When they arrived at their tent a little while ago, the first thing Vil did was surprise Danica with a beautifully crafted gift box. Biting back a smirk at the small gasp and the way her eyes lit up at the sight of the bangle.

“How did you know?” she had asked him. “I was looking at it, true, but…I don’t think…”

“Your lips might not have said you wanted this, but they didn’t have to.” A playful smile caused her cheeks to redden. “The look in your eyes was confirmation enough that you would appreciate if I gave this to you.”

“Ahh, oh Vil-san, thank you!”

The red tint upon her face darkened as she slipped the bangle on her arm. She turned it afew times with her other hand, watching as the gems sparkled, their light jumping from one facet to another. Though she did not realize it, her own eyes were sparkling as well.

“It’s so beautiful, thank you. Thank you!”

Seeing her joy caused a fluttering sensation in his chest. Secretly, it brought him joy as well, seeing her so happy. There were not many instances where Vil could see Danica smile. The last few months had been particularly difficult ones and loath he was to admit it, Vil had been the source of much of her despair.

Things in their world were now beginning to calm down. The VDC had passed, their emotions reconciled and they managed to escape STYX. The Shroud brothers were dealt with and, best of all, Vil’s youthful beauty had been restored after his heroic dive into the underworld. Everything seemed to be returning to normal and today’s venture to Scalding Sands was a wonderful change to their usual routines.

And for Vil, it was even more wonderful that despite all they had been through, Danica was still able to smile at him and enjoy his company just as much as he enjoyed her’s. How nice it was to finally have some time alone with her, without the pressures of school or the expectations of the world breathing down their necks. At that moment, he wasn’t Vil Scheonheit, the international mega celebrity and dorm leader of Pomefiore. He was simply Vil enjoying a vacation with the one he cared about above all others.

“I’ve had so much fun today,” said Danica. “I’m so excited for the fireworks, it will be the perfect ending to a perfect day!”

“I’m glad to hear that, Little Potato,” Vil smiled. “I take it you’re no longer feeling sad?”

“Sad? Why ever would I feel sad for?”

“Well I know a few of your friends were also here today,” he thoughtfully tilted his head. “Iman, Vidaria, Kalim and Cater. Even Trey and Yuulan are here as well. I saw some of the pictures Cater uploaded to Magicam.”

“Yes, I saw the pictures too,” Danica lowered her gaze, which momentarily gave Vil reason for concern. But she ended up smiling. “But I wasn’t sad, I’m…much happier that I got to spend the day with you, Vil-san.”

“Really?” This genuinely surprised Vil, though it also secretly tickled him. “You’re glad you spent the day with me, as opposed to your friends?”

“What? Does that sound very strange?”

“No, no. I don’t mean it that way, it’s just that…well…I figured…”

His voice trailed off, surprisingly at a loss for words. Danica smiled and went on to explain how she could hang out with her friends anytime while they were at school. However with Vil, though they were in the same dorm, their obligations often kept them from spending time together. Especially considering that Vil was a dorm leader and soon to begin preparing for his senior internship. Once the new school year began, they were likely not to see much of each other at all.

“I could always call up Kalim or Cater and arrange a meetup if I wanted to,” she said. “But I value the time I can have with you because…well…” A light red tint returned to her cheeks. “Because it’s so rare that we can be alone, I value this time with you all the more.”

“Danica…”

Vil’s heart began to flutter once more. Over the months, Danica had gradually become more assertive in speaking her mind. She still had her timid moments, but she was finding her voice and her thoughtful astuteness was something that he always found intriguing. But for her to voice how much she valued their time together, well, it was enough for Vil to start feeling rather bold.

He couldn’t deny the close bond they had forged. A most unlikely friendship that Vil never could have anticipated. When he thought how this was the same shy and soft-spoken spudling he was introduced to at the start of the school year, it made him chuckle. What initially began as a curiosity on his part soon blossomed into a genuine respect, eventually giving way to awe and now, something even deeper.

As time passed, he found he could not deny these feelings developing within him. Nor could he deny the immense comfort Danica had provided him during the more recent times of difficulty. When he overblotted, she did not judge him. When his appearance drastically changed after his underworld dive, not once did she flinch. Instead, in both situations, her unwavering support had been his anchor.

Vil was grateful for her growth, her strength, and her newfound confidence. He had come to appreciate her not just as a friend but as someone truly special.

Still, a nagging thought continued to gnaw at him. In his pursuit of beauty, he had been quite ruthless with her at times. His harshness often overwhelmed her, sometimes reducing her to tears. The pressure he placed upon her was insurmountable and he cringed inside thinking of the pain he caused as they were preparing for the VDC. All of this weighed as heavily on his heart as his feelings for her. Could she really accept him after enduring such pain?

Her words were the exact answer he needed. And as the evening became cooler and Danica slowly moved closer to him, Vil found he could not deny his feelings any longer. In his mind, he rehearsed his words, reminding himself that as a professional actor, this shouldn’t be such a difficult thing to do. How many times has he said these words before be it on stage or film? A dozen times at least? This is what his mind told him but in his heart, he knew this would be far from easy, and unlike any other performance he gave, this was real.

Danica was now sitting very close to him, close enough for her to take in the elegant scent of his perfume. It was woody and slightly spicy, but also sweet, perfect for their surroundings and suited Vil very well. She glanced up at him, his brows furrowed and deep in thought, and couldn't help but stare for a few moments. Not too long ago, just to be in the same room as Vil seemed to her like the most harrowing experience in the world. And to look at him was tantamount to looking into the eyes of a god. Time had calmed her anxiety around him and while their closeness still felt unnerving at times, it also made her heart feel strangely warm. As she thought about this, she began turning back around and was surprised by a gentle hand running down her cheek. Vil pulled a lock of hair away from her face, catching her attention.

“Danica, there’s been something I’ve wanted to say to you for a long time.”

“Hmm? What is it, Vil-san?”

“I…well…” he took a deep breath. “First off, I would like to apologize. The first time I attempted to convey this, I did so in an extremely undignified manner.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was extremely selfish and cruel then. But please know, even though I did a very poor job at expressing my feelings, they haven't changed,” Vil smiled a little. “And when I say that I am the only one who sees you for the jewel that you are, I mean that.Truly.”

These words made Danica blush, though they also perplexed her. She couldn’t yet understand what Vil was trying to say but she did notice how he was looking at her. His usual intense gaze was softer and more tender. With his tone lacking its usual authoritative manner. Once again, she asked what he meant by this. But just as he worked up the courage to continue, they were both startled by a loud, booming sound filling the air. Fireworks erupted in a brilliant display.

Like a garden of flowers blooming in the sky, the night was illuminated with glowing color and dazzling light. Danica even reached out to the sky, she’d never seen such large fireworks before and felt they were close enough to touch. In the distance an enchanting, infectious music began to play, filling the air and loud enough for them to hear. Both of them were enraptured by the gorgeous display and Vil momentarily forgot his words, smiling at Danica.

“Would you like to dance with me, Little Potato?” he asked. “You know, it’s a Scalding Sands’ tradition to dance under the fireworks. Kalim told me.”

A bright red tint returned to Danica’s cheeks. “Was that…what you wanted to ask me, Vil-san?”

Of course it wasn’t, but he looked at her teasingly. “Do you want to dance with me or not?”

She eagerly agreed, allowing him to take her hand and pull her to her feet. Under the firelit sky, he guided her through an array of fun and graceful movements that perfectly matched the music. The colorful silks of their attire swirled elegantly with them as they danced, adding themselves to the gorgeous display up above. Vil was a beautiful dancer and the perfect partner, Danica already knew that firsthand. The way he danced with her always left her breathless; every turn, every sway, was captivating. The way he never took his eyes off of her, caused her heart to race with the rhythm of the music.

However, what touched Danica the most, at that moment, was seeing Vil laugh and smile with such natural joy. It was rare to see him smile, even at her. He often kept a stolid expression when he wasn’t glaring with disappointment or smirking with amusement. But a true smile from Vil was almost as rare as him going a day without once having to scold Epel. But because she didn’t often see him smile, when he did, it was all the more special. A beautiful treasure that she held dear to her heart.

It was also quite infectious and Danica found herself smiling with him, sharing in this joy. So deep was this joy that what happened next was as natural as it was spontaneous. Vil stopped spinning her and for a moment, they continued gazing up at the colorful sky before he lifted her chin to face him. He gazed at her thoughtfully and without a word, gently pressed his lips to hers. He half expected her to be shocked or even to pull away, but to his surprise, she didn’t. There was no resistance and Danica slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

Under the firelit sky, the fireworks weren’t the only thing booming. Though Vil hadn’t yet voiced his feelings, at that moment, he didn’t have to. Their closeness, this kiss, spoke louder than any words he could say. And her response said it all, his love was reciprocated.

~~~

Vil slowly stirred awake, tears dampening his cheeks even before he opened his eyes. His heart ached with the bittersweet residue of the dream that had felt so vivid, so real. He knew what he would find before his eyes opened to confirm it. The empty space beside him in his bed told him that it had indeed all been a dream. A beautiful, silk-adorned dream, and now reality was crashing down upon him.

Cursing his own mind for playing such a cruel trick on him, Vil couldn't help but wonder why he would dream of something so poignant in the first place. That’s when his gaze shifted to the dress form in the corner of his room, adorned with the silky outfit Trey had gifted him, a plethora of vibrant colors and glittery fireworks printed upon the fabric. At the time, gratitude welled up within him for the thoughtful gift, but now it was overshadowed by sadness and regret. How he would have loved to attend and see the fireworks for himself, dancing in the gorgeous silk outfit with Danica by his side. It could have been a perfect date, and the perfect moment to finally express his feelings to her.

As he showered and dressed in his school uniform, Vil continued to contemplate this. He had fallen in love with her, that much was certain. And considering all they had gone through, he was almost certain that she was in love with him as well. Unfortunately, they hadn’t had much opportunity to really discuss their relationship since their return from STYX. The emotions from that harrowing experience were still quite high even a month later, to say nothing of his guilt at how badly he’d treated her before.

He was just about ready to leave for the day, classes would start soon and he had to shift his focus. Vil gleaned out the window of his room, it was a lovely day at least, warm and sunny without a single cloud in the blue sky. His window also overlooked the Pomefiore courtyard and when he glanced down, there she was. Danica sat under one of the apple trees, chatting and laughing with Yuulan, Grim sitting in the latter’s lap. Her laughter was like music to his ears, and it ignited a spark of determination within him.

The time for hesitance had long passed. It was time to seize the moment.

With his phone in hand, Vil quickly wrote up a text to Danica and watched as she received it and checked her phone. The message was simple: a request for her to meet him in the lounge later that evening for a monthly evaluation, something he gave to all freshmen. In truth, the evaluation was merely a pretense for something just as important, but even more special.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #pomefiore #twst vil #vil schoenheit #vil x oc #vil schoenheit x oc #otp: vildani #oc: danica #things i write

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