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zapreportsblog · 7 months

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❝corny lines wins the girl❞

✭ pairing : rory keaner x reader

✭ fandom : my babysitters a vampire

✭ summary : sure rory’s looks changed since becoming a vampire, he’s got a bit more muscular and he grew a few inches but he was still the same the old geeky rory, a bad flirt with even worse pick up lines, turns out some people are into that kinda thing.

✭ authors note : i definitely had a crush on this boy back when I watched disney

Rory Keaner had always been the quintessential nerd. With his mop of unruly brown hair, glasses that constantly slid down his nose, and an obsession with all things sci-fi and fantasy, he was a familiar face at Whitechapel High School. But there was something different about him now, something that caught the attention of his best friends, Ethan and Benny.

Since being turned into a vampire, Rory had undergone some changes. He'd grown a few inches taller, and his once lanky frame had filled out with a hint of muscle. He still wore his nerdy graphic tees and carried around his trusty backpack filled with books, but there was an air of confidence about him that hadn't been there before. Vampirism had its perks, it seemed.

One sunny morning, as Rory, Ethan, and Benny made their way through the crowded school halls, a hush fell over the students. Heads turned, and whispers of excitement rippled through the crowd. Rory followed their gazes and froze in his tracks.

There, standing near the lockers, was a girl he had never seen before. Her name was (Y/N), and she was a vision of beauty. Long, flowing hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face that seemed like it belonged in a fashion magazine. Her eyes sparkled with an indescribable allure, and her smile could have lit up the darkest of nights.

Rory's heart skipped a beat as he watched her. He couldn't tear his eyes away. She was the kind of girl who seemed to belong to a different world, a world far removed from the one he inhabited. But that didn't stop him from hoping.

Ethan and Benny exchanged knowing glances, and Benny couldn't help but tease his friend. "Rory, buddy, I hate to break it to you, but she's way out of your league."

Ethan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, man, she's like a movie star or something. What chance do you think you have?"

Rory couldn't help but smile, a newfound determination in his eyes. "You'll never get anywhere in life if you don't try," he said with a shrug. "Besides, you never know until you take a chance."

With that, he walked over towards (Y/N), determined to introduce himself and see where this unexpected encounter might lead.

Rory took a deep breath and leaned casually against the locker next to (Y/N)'s. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, but there was a newfound confidence coursing through his veins. Clearing his throat nervously, he turned to her and flashed a somewhat awkward smile.

"Hey there," he began, trying to sound smooth but failing slightly. "I'm Rory. Rory Keaner."

(Y/N) looked at him, her lips curling into a faint smile as she glanced up from her book. "Nice to meet you, Rory. I'm (Y/N)."

Rory's heart raced, but he pressed on, determined not to back down now. He took a deep breath and delivered a classic, albeit corny, pickup line, "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

(Y/N) chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "No," she replied with a playful smirk. "But I did cut up my hands and knees a bit crawling up from hell."

Rory grinned, relieved that she was playing along. "Well," he said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "that must be why my heart's on fire for you."

(Y/N) burst into laughter, her melodious giggles filling the hallway. It was a response Rory hadn't expected, but it was music to his ears. He couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness at her reaction.

"You certainly have a way with words, Rory," (Y/N) said, still laughing. "I have to admit, that was a good comeback."

Rory blushed, feeling a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with his vampire abilities. "Thanks," he stammered, trying to regain his composure. "So, do you come here often? I mean, to this locker, I mean...not that I'm stalking you or anything!"

(Y/N) laughed again, this time more gently. "No worries, Rory. I just moved here, so this is my first day. I guess we're locker neighbors now."

Rory's heart soared. He couldn't believe his luck. "Well, in that case, welcome to Whitechapel High, (Y/N). If you ever need help finding your way around or just someone to talk to, I'm your guy."

(Y/N) smiled warmly at him, and for a brief moment, the bustling school hallway faded away, leaving just the two of them. It was the start of something new, and Rory couldn't wait to see where this unexpected encounter would lead.

Rory's world seemed to revolve around (Y/N) from the moment they met. Fate, or perhaps a dash of daring, had brought them together, and he couldn't have been happier. In the days that followed their first encounter, Rory found himself sitting next to (Y/N) in most of their classes. He was determined to make her smile, even if it meant bombarding her with corny pickup lines.

In their English class, he leaned over and whispered, "Are you made of copper and tellurium? Because you're Cu-Te."

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at her lips. "Well, you must be a vampire because that line was pretty dead," she replied, her tone teasing.

Rory couldn't help but chuckle at her clever response. He wasn't used to someone who could match his wit. Meanwhile, Ethan or Benny, who happened to be in the same class, watched the exchange in disbelief. They couldn't understand how their nerdy friend had become so bold and charming.

During chemistry, Rory leaned closer and said, "If you were a compound, you'd be sodium chloride because you're salty but essential."

(Y/N) laughed softly, shaking her head. "Nice try, but I think I'd be more like helium. Rare, mysterious, and you can never really hold onto it."

Ethan or Benny, depending on the class, nudged Rory and whispered, "Dude, I can't believe you're doing this. And she's actually enjoying it!"

Rory gave a proud, albeit somewhat smug, grin as he continued his pursuit. In history class, he leaned over again and asked, "Do you believe in time travel? Because every time I look at you, time seems to stand still."

(Y/N) let out a small giggle. "Well, good sir, you may have just created a time paradox."

As the school days passed, the playful banter between Rory and (Y/N) continued. It was a unique connection that neither of them had expected. Rory found himself looking forward to each class they shared, eager to see what clever retort Y/N would come up with next.

Ethan and Benny remained astonished by the transformation of their friend, unable to believe how he had captured the attention and humor of such an enchanting girl. It was as if Rory had found his own magical potion, and it came in the form of witty pickup lines and a girl who appreciated them.

#x reader #x reader one shot #x reader oneshot #rory keaner #rory keaner x reader #rory keaner x you #rory keaner x y/n #rory keaner imagine #rory keaner imagines #my babysitters a vampire x reader #my babysitter's a vampire #my babysitters a vampire #my babysitters a vampire x you #my babysitters a vampire x y/n #my babysitters a vampire imagine #my babysitters a vampire imagines

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breadnauppercrust · 1 year

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some designs i came up with for the girls in miraculous. the idea was 'what if they could have multiple outfits like sailor moon, as told by ginger, or totally spies?' and 'what if their clothes reflected their story arc?' however, i kind of gave up on them because i no longer have time to work on it as much as i would like to, so below this are copy+paste from my wip instagram account. lowkey its fanfiction-y lol

Alya:

Alya redesigns! tbh don’t know if they’re cohesive but 🤷‍♀️

S1: dresses for comfort & is geeky - think DrWho/Marvel/Tumblr. Obsessed w superheroes & has dedicated blog for each one, & that includes LB. Beginning of her & Maris friendship, starts to dates nino halfway s1.

S2: Mari influences her way of dress, still geeky but experimenting w clothes. Ladyblog becomes popular, interested in finding out her secret ID. Is also investigating akumas, HM, The Who/what/where/whys. Lowkey figures out who ladybug is but doesn’t say anything. Has been given fox miraculous at least a couple times.

S3: notices changes in Maris behavior & confronts her. Becomes fox miraculous holder full time, helps LB figure out who HM is & shares all the info she’s found. CN lowkey pushed to the side, causing friction, bc wrapped up w finding out who HM is ig. Constantly wears a Fanny pack now for trixx. Goes w comfortable but stylish clothes (ig lol idk) also at this point is BFF w Mari

Chloe:

S1: wears preppy designer brands to impress mom, despite living in diff countries. Basic mean girl, her only friends being Sabrina and Adrien - whose a childhood friend & lowkey helped him attend school. Both know how it feels to “lose” a parent & Adrien has seen a softer side of her. Probably has a crush on him ig. Maris bully, jealous of her talents at sewing & making friends easily, & prob her knit tight family.

S2: still preppy but w 60/70s inspo. Given bee miraculous a couple times, has resisted akumas - info she uses to help others later. Helping ppl & being somewhat nice makes her feel good & likes the appreciation from others+LB. Maybe Mom moves back to Paris w half sister, Zoe - might be significantly younger than Chloe idk. Didn’t like her at first but warms up to her as season goes on. Sees lil sister copying her & their mom, has an epiphany ig. Connects dots on akumas & feelings & tries to be better.

Should Zoe exist tho??? idk

S3: preppy but more casual. She’s nicer but still sarcastic, has made a few new friends, treating Sabrina better. Still trying to get moms approval tho & follows her around, even to fashion things w the Agreste. Notices Gabriel is acting strange, more distant towards Adrien, doesn’t notice what he’s doing or where he’s going. pt queen bee ig, probably given towards the very end of the season tbh by Adrien/CN after being ignored by LB bc of RR involvement w finding out HM id. AND noticing Chloe change significantly in the past several months (?) does Adrien reveal to her IDK he is still loyal to LB but eH

Mari:

1st Mari is shy, her outfits are safe & she kind of disappears in a crowd. She just became 🐞 & isn’t 💯 with her role yet. She’s designed and made her own clothes but doesn’t wear them outside of the house bc Chloe, oof

2nd she’s now comfortable being 🐞 & that boosts her confidence as Mari, she’s wearing more bold colors & outfits that she may or may not have designed herself 👀

3rd 🐞 is now the guardian of the miraculous box, has bigger responsibilities & problems to deal with. Being 🐞 has creeped into her daily life. Doesn’t have time to design/make clothes so wears w/e, but tries to appear happy.

Kagami:

i like the idea of kagami being prim and proper looking all preppy at the beginning, but after making friends she starts to rebel by modifying her school clothes w accessories but eventually wears w/e she wants w a punkish vibe. lowkey worried about falling into a trope so idk

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #chloe bourgeois #kagami tsurugi #alya cesaire

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short-black-diamond · 1 year

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Jock vs. Nerd

part two

Had this little thought in my head...in a quirkless!college!AU...where you're a pretty girl, a popular one too...also, you're a very dominant young lady...and where you fell for the friendless, geeky, shy nerd...Izuku Midoriya...and leaving the jock, the most popular...the hottest guy in school...Katsuki Bakugo...heartbroken.

Thoughts on this? I have.

Warnings: ANGST, Bakugo: one sided-love, Deku: What? A hottie wants to date me?!, You: Come here, cute nerd! <3, Bakugo is a himbo, you're smart and pretty, Izuku's shyyyyyyy

Just to be clear: English is not my first language, so please bear with me :)

[your name will be Yena here. :)]

Have fun reading:

---

"I'm telling you, she likes you!", Denki nudges his jock friend Bakugo, who only swats the blonde's hand away from his shoulder. The Bakusquad was known for being good on the field in football and so being pretty popular already, but scoring even more points with the chicks because of their good looks, and with Mina Ashido being the cheer captain, one of the most popular girls in U.A. High and also one of your best friends.

And you.

Oh, please.

Don't get him started.

Should he start on how he met you? How he fell for you when you yelled back at him which made him flinch? How he couldn't get that cute frown and sweet pouty lips -which he never could stop daydreaming about kissing- of yours out of his head? How he thought that you were a literal angel when you treated his wounds? How softly you spoke to him, not yelling at him for losing their big game because of him?

Or how you'd always help him and the team out in their finals because wow; A hot and intelligent human being taking their time explaining them the subjects with a sweet voice and soft smile? Where Denki milks out every single advice and reassurance he can get form you, blushing like crazy with a stupid and smug grin directed to his teammates (where these signal him that they would kill him as soon as the study session with you was over) when you pat his head comfortingly?

Where Sero openly subtly flirts with you and you think he's only joking and flirt back, only to have him gulping while looking to the side with a shy grin but bright red face? Where Kirishima looks at you like you hung the stars because you explained him the difference between Mitosis ans meiosis in baby steps until he got it, and he gives you a dopey, lovesick grin with heart eyes. And he'd gasp softly when you'd call him a "good boy!" for explaining the difference after you've explained it to him ten times patiently (Everyone glared at the himbo with murderous intent).

Or where Shinso and Monoma asked you out multiple times in a row with you having to check your calender -a sweet, old fashioned-themed little book with a real feather and ink to write on- turning the pages a concerning amount of times with your delicate fingers (which makes the guys wish it'd be wrapped around something of theirs instead of that little book of yours) giving them a sad pout before telling the whole football team that you're not available until the next four months, which leaves the two least shy guys groaning in despair out loud and the rest looking to the side with a frown and some even cursing under their breath.

Sure, he was jealous that his teammates were ogling at you and blushing when you praised them since they were all crushin' on you, leaving him fuming in his seat, but oh, look how the table fucking turns and lands back on its legs like nothing happened when he finally has your attention. And even when he tries to listen- he really does! -he can't help but admire you.

You, who is so fucking hot and smart Bakugo's actually surprised that he hasn't popped a boner yet.

You, his childhood friend of nearly ten years, starting from pre school and onward, who he never thougth he had a chance with you until he got your attention in these little lessons you gave them, where your focus seemed to be on him and him only, where he started to sweat like crazy, especially his hands and his heart beating rapidly, his pen already slipping out of his hand, and when it does, you catch it with a fond smile before giving it back to him. However, you lay one of your soft hands on one of his caloused and scarred ones and you sigh and he thinks that you're going to ask him out on a date, to marry him, to confess your feelings to him in public-... when all you say is: "I know all this stress is taking a big toll on you, Katsuki. How about we study for fifteen minutes and do a little break, hm?"

And he can't help but nod, because suddenly, He feels a big stone in his throat, he feels like crying, scratching his eyeballs, hitting his head against a wall, because why would such a perfect little girl want to go out with a dumb himbo like him?

He knew that he was more the annoying best friend to you, because he always bullied you for being smaller than him, but no shit because he was literally a six foot something giant. He couldn't even attract you with his handsomeness, nor his rippling muscles and flexing body when it was too hot out in the summer and when he subtly tried to steal a glance at you, wanting to know if you were checking him out like all your girl friends did around you, he only found you giggling at something on your phone.

Yeah, Bakugo put on his shirt after that with a hurting heart, leaving your surrounding friends whining like greedy little bitches and running towards him.

...

Bakugo sighed. It was a nice dream Denki told him. Because Bakugo knew how much of a big, fat crush you've had on Deku. But what made him become your crush?

Deku's always invested in his books.

Deku's never seen without his baggy pants and oversized hoodies.

Deku's never talked to a girl except Uraraka or his mom.

Deku's never had a friend (except Bakugo himself) over at his house.

Deku's always muttering and scribbling away in his notebook or phone, where he's playing a nerdy fantasy game in the medieval times and sometimes whispers a silent, cringey: "Thou shalt be killed with that goblin-sized brain of yours...!", before you can hear a faint growling and slicing sound coming from his phone.

Deku, who never seems to actually take care of his hair, which is always in all places, too curly, or always in his face where he combs his fingers through his hair to actually see what he's doing.

And then you come into the game.

Whenever Deku does any of his little- to you very cute -antics of his, you sigh dreamily while looking at him while he writes away the english assignment he had trouble working on and you were more than ready to help him, leaving Bakugo gagging and growling quietly, staring daggers into your and Deku's head.

Or when he was over at your place, and he tried talking to you but you were too engrossed in something your phone showed you, he got fed up and snatched your phone quickly, Deku's name flashing as the chatting contact and then, he is being shoved down the ground from little ol' you, who is on top of him. Big, buff and strong Bakugo being overpowered by little sweet you, his big nose flaring up after he caught a wiff of your sweet scent and bakugo can already feel his dick twitching from where your heat was resting, but you quickly took your phone back and went into your room. However, you didn't close the door after you told him to get the fuck out of your apartment with an embarrassed red face. bakugo groaned and stared up at the ceiling, heart and dick throbbing in pain.

That's when he knew that you were crushing on his childhood friend.

...

One day, as you were chatting away happily with your friends, you spotted Izuku and called him over. The thing was, it would've been okay if you were with two or three of your friends, and if you guys were chilling in front of the classroom, or on campus. But no.

It was in the fucking cafeteria where you, Yena Hideyo, called a guy over to you. A cafeteria, where you were surrounded by your dozens of friends, all eating and munching, also surrounded by even more people and the cafeteria was extremely full today. Still, you beckoned him closer and suddenly, he felt all eyes on him.

I mean, it was the first time that the most popular girl in U.A. called a guy from the same age over to sit next to her and have lunch with her, except the freshmen, where the girls and boys all blushed from your milf motherly care and were asked about how school was and how you, their senior, would do everything in your might to help them. (U.A. ended up being the highest scoring school in Japan, thanks to a little help of yours) Also, they'd all blush from the close proximity you and them were in, because they could smell your scent, your glowing, sexy figure, where your thick thighs threatened to spill from your mini skirt, or how you had a too small shirt with a much too big cleavage on, where your large tits were spilling out a bit, or how your sweet tummy rolls were so cute -visible from the stomach-free top you wore sometimes- that they had to restrain themselves from pinchining them, or how nice your hair always looked, and with perfect makeup.

That's how Izuku felt, like a freshman, when he finally sat down next to you after he took an eternity with everybody's glare on him.(it actually took him less than ten seconds to speedwalk from his previous spot to yours but who cares) he could feel your unintentionally strong gaze on him and he allowed himself to feel important for once. I-if you were looking at him like that, then it was hard not to think that he wasn't special in at least some way. Izuku could smell your sweet vanilla perfume, but didn't dare to look into your beautiful face, let alone away from his hands in his lap, because if he even caught sight of your nice thighs, he'd be a goner, choke on his spit or thin air and die. He could even hear the thoughts his peers where having. How come Yena calls over such a loser? How come he gets her attention? What's so special about him? He's a nerd!

But you don't seem to care in the slightest, just happy that your favourite nerd (and crush) has taken your plea to sit down next to you. "How are you Mido? English hard? Do you need tutoring lessons?", you started speaking already after he took a bite to let him think about his answer, your friends looking at this little interaction with offended and confused faces. Why was he eating while you were speaking to him? Can't he chew a little faster to finally answer you?

And after he was done finishing his first bite, he began to ramble, but only for you and the person sitting next to him to cromprehend. "W-well, I actually do have a little trouble with English, but I think I'll manage, I don't want you to take more than you can handle- I mean, y-you- of course, you can handle things! You're- you're Yena Hideyo after all! I just d-didn't want to bother you with my problems, since you're already preparing the decorations and routine for prom and the big game is starting to come closer too and I just don't-"

"Breathe, Izuku.", you said gently, holding one of his hands which he was fumbling around when he tried to explain himself. You led it towards the table and smiled at him. Of course, he'd blush like crazy and nod before breathing. Unfortunately, the person sitting next to him was no other than Katsuki Bakugo, who'd of course laugh at him for not being able to speak coherently let alone look you in the eyes. Also, Bakugo wanted to embarrass Izuku in front of you as much as possible, so that you'd finally stop pining after that nerd and start catching feelings for him. That resulted in Izuku pale-ing/paling(?) and eating his sandwich until it was no more, all the while he had to endure this bullying side of Bakugo, which somehow still, never dissapeared.

"Ahahahahha- haaaa...you're one funny guy, nerd. Always muttering shit and not even being able to talk to Yena-" "Kats, that's enough. Drop. It.", your stern voice echoed in the big cantine, leaving everybody in shock.

They knew that you were Katsuki Bakugo's best friend and rumours spread around like crazy whenever students saw you and Bakugo interact with each other, playing with the thought of you and the jock being a couple and all. What they didn't know, for example, was that you, their little sweet sunshine of U.A., who'd always aid with a soft smile and calm voice, could hold such malice in her voice and glare at her friend of ten years with such hatred.

It left the eating ones stop chewing, the talking ones stop gossiping, the loud ones become quiet and Bakugo look at you with a shocked-I'd even dare say betrayed expression on his face. Even Izuku looked up from his sandwich to look to his right, where Kacchan was looking at you, then to you, who was giving him an annoyed look. The school bell signalled that the lunch had ended, much to everyone's dismay, and they all walked out with food in their hands.

You packed your things, but not before whispering something in Izuku's ear before you went away with your people, all the while not sparing the blonde football player a sliver of your attention. Izuku quickly stood up and ran as fast as he could, because 1. He talked to his crush-resulting in his heart beating rapidly against his chest, and 2. His crush stood up to Bakugo, with the whole school seeing them bicker wich was rather embarrassing to Bakugo...yeah, he'd kill him for that. And since Izuku didn't feel the need to die at the moment, especially after you've seductively whispered in his ear to meet you at 6 pm sharp, he ran up to the library to hide in the labyrinth of bookshelves, because Bakugo wasn't really known for his knowledge in this area, but he could still catch up to Deku.

However, since Deku knew this world of books like the back of his scarred hand, he easily dissappeared between the endless seeming shelves with his scrawny, thin body, leaving Katsuki lost and irritated. After a while, after Izuku was long gone, Bakugo found the exit and puked into a nearby dustbin because he couldn't stand the chance of seeing so many books, even though their backs were facing him. It scared him that there was an endless variety of pictureless books, where it wasn't like in comics and he also never understood actors and actresses in movies who always said that a movie would play while they were reading a book. so much for being a himbo.

...

"There you are!", you exclaimed happily, also glad that Izuku didn't leave you waiting any second longer. He even rang the bell to your apartment one minute earlier, which was probably because his watch was set one minute earlier so that he wouldn't come late to meetings and school and bla bla bla-

"U-uhm, yeah! You look pretty!", he said loudly, and you giggled. Taking his hand, you lead him to the living room, where all sorts of english books and literature were piled on top of each other. In total, there were only ten books, but they were thick.

Izuku was left dumbfounded. He thought that maybe, just maybe, you...well...uh, well!

"Are you hungry? I made us some pizza.", you said after he sat down and looked at the pile of books. He only nodded, a little dissapointed at the fact that he didn't get dicked down by you(...yet).

As he smiled up at you with a nod after he put on his sweet round glasses -with you internally dying of his cuteness- you made your way over to the oven of your apartment because you were already a big girl and could look after your own money which led you to invest in stocks and become rich but that's for another story (?👀?).

As you were taking out the pizza to examine the quality of the crust and middle part, being satisfied at how nice the cheese had melted, Izuku came inside and noticed you in an apron. To him, you were looking like his sweet little housewife, ready to be taken care of at the counter where he'd first eat you out and then the pizza-

Aaaaaaaaannnnd there went his dignity with his cock straining against his jogging pants. Well, shit.

"Hey Mido, need somethin'?", your sweet voice asked him and he felt his heart squeeze because you were just so perfect to him and he couldn't believe that he was alone in your home with you. "I-I jist, uh, I mean, I j-just wanted a glass of water-", and he pointed towards the sink behind you, "C-can I?"

This left you gasping and you smacked your head. "Silly me! Where are my host-manners!? I have other beverages as well! Orange juice? cherry juice? All Might smoothie? Apple-" "A-ALL MIGHT!", The nerd interrupted you and you couldn't help but burst out in laughter in his cute little antics and fanboying towards his idol the ingeneering master, Yagi Toshinori-Also known as all might.

"Okay sweetie!", you cheered before going to the fridge and giving him a fresh All Might smoothie. (it was literally a protein shake.) He loved that you didn't tease him for loving what he did, and he felt very precious in your presence. you never ushered him to something he never or didn't want to do.

Izuku took the smoothie with a precious grin and thanked you before going over to the english books and reading through them. So that's how you were always on top of the classroom...you must have been studying like crazy. And these books were amazing! He instantly understood what he did wrong when reading through the explanations.

The smell of perfectly baked pizza caught his attention and you put the sliced food in the middle of the table. You looked at him holding one of your books. "Understanding?" "Yeah, Thanks."

You smiled. "That's good to hear."

You were on your laptop, looking through some of your investments and writing emails like a professional and Izuku blushed. What were you not actually? You were smart, helpful, nice, sweet, calm, a good advisor for young and old, and you were pretty. And here you were too, helping him out by lending him some of your books to read and learn, and not expecting anything in return.

Even though he was thankful, he was greedy. Especially when somebody as extraordinary as you offered him an endless amount of help. He wanted more of your attention, more of your sweet words, and...your touch. Your hands and lips on him. The ony thing was, were you feeling the same? Probably not.

I mean, look at him, he's a nerd! Nerds don't get pretty girls like you. He could already imagine your phone going off any moment with Kacchan calling you, to ask if you'd be free today and then you'd excitedly say-

It seemed like he was staring at you too long, because after a while, you looked at him before stopping to write in your laptop. "All okay?"

Midoriya gulped nervously. Well, here goes nothing...!

"I...Uh-well, Uhm. There-there was s-something I'd like to tell you. B-but promise that you, well, that you won't laugh- or look at me with a disgusted face, or well, not a good reaction! I-just, I...I like you. Like, really, I really, really like you. I always have! From the moment I saw you for the first time where you helped a freshman reach their class and I couldn't take my eyes off of you, because you were just so pretty- which you are still now!-, and because suddenly, many people were talking to you and you had answers for every question they had.

Or the time where you were helping a teacher with finding their exams and when they found it, they were sooooo happy. Or just...all those other times, where you were just ....there!..... for everybody.

And it made me think...what about you? I want to help you. I like you, and I want you to get something in return for all those nice things you do everyday for everyone. So...what would you like to do?"

You looked at him for a moment of pure shock, not expecting him to know about your little dilemma, or even confess to you. Sure, you loved helping people, but you didn't like owing them stuff, or them having to do something for you. So...hearing your crush confessing his feelings for you and wanting to help you too, that made you swoon.

You hugged his arm and sighed. "...can we stay like that?"

Izuku gulped, feeling your soft chest, and small arms hug his toned arm, your knees on his thigh. "S-sure...!" But he still didn't get a reaction from you for his feelings. "Uh, would you like to go out sometime?"

You hugged him tighter. "Let's do that another time, love. I just wanna be close to you right now." And that made the boy happy.

"I'm surprised that you could see through my act though.", you said after a while, tracing some of his veins and scars which made the boy errupt in soft shivers. "D-don't wanna be creepy...but I can always see you...and I only see you helping people. Never anybody helping you."

You kissed his cheek by his little speech and he made happy noises. However, you didn't stop. you started connecting your lips to the arm you were hugging and pulled up his sleeve further and further until Izuku had to take it off. He was in a short sleeved grey shirt, oversized, and his thin arms were shaking with anticipation. Each time you kissed one of his freckles or scars, he felt more and more nervous. Sure, it felt nice and he cherished the moment, because it was very intimate to him. But still, he had his worries. He knew that you'd become a romantic maniac with your partner, but he never thought that he might become yours. Or were you just messing with him? Teasing him like the girls in middleschool did?

"Uhm, Yena-" "Hm? Wanna stop?", you asked, immediately backing away and about to let got of his hands when he grabbed them tightly. Strong shaking of the head. Your hands played with his hands and he felt his anxiety and bad thoughts drift away. "Wanna do something else?" Another shaking no of the head. "'want you to k-...kiss me...more...please?", he pleaded, looking up shyly to you with his thick long eyelashes. God, his eyes were so fucking pretty...!

This time, you let go of one of his nice but shaking hands and gently grabbed his cheek. "...Like...this?", you whispered against his mouth with hooded eyes and he whimpered, already leaning in with closing eyes. And when you brought your lips against his, he felt amazing. Every cell was partying as he grinned stupidly against your lips and intertwined your fingers with his, his other hand holding your hand which was on his cheek. your thumb caressed his cheekbone and Izuku sighed into the kiss in pure bliss. How many nights had the nerd been dreaming about kissing his popular crush? How many times did he want to hold your hand and just have you close to him? He couldn't remember and didn't want to either, when he had the real you right next to him, and taking his first kiss.

After a while, you parted and looked him into the eyes before smiling giddily and burying your head in his scrawny chest to giggle like a highschool girl. He was happy. If you were giggling like that and still holding his hand- this time more tightly- then it had to be that you were in love with him as he was with you. he hugged your frame, but something caught his eye; Bakugo.

The jock was standing in the corridor, his backpack threatening to fall down and scare you when it crashes to the ground, face twisted into anger, jealousy, hatred and hurt, and heavy, quick breathing. If Bakugo had been here a little earlier, he might've changed something, but no. He saw everything. From the moment where you started to kiss his knuckles up his shoulder and then...kissing his lips. Like you two were a real couple. You really loved Izuku.

he went out again and called one of the girls Denki recommended him. "Yer free t'night? Need to fuck out some pain."

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strangelockd · 1 year

Text

Baking Cookies With The Variants

A little idea I came up with while prepping for my holiday baking. I hope you enjoy it.

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Doctor Stephen Strange

• Do to his upbringing and reputation he was the most hesitant of the variants to even attempt any baking of any fashion until you moved into the Sanctum • He finds you even cuter when he comes home from a mission to find you covered in flour and sugar. Seeing you do anything domestic always leaves him pining for you • He tries to follow the recipe perfectly after reading it only once but usually ends up asking you for guidance • His favorite cookies are chocolate chip especially if you made them with extra chocolate • When your not looking he will attempt to throw in extra chocolate chips in the mix • One of his favorite parts is fucking you on the kitchen counter while the cookies bake in an attempt to beat the timer

Defender Strange

• Defender loves to bake, prior to finding you he used to bake a lot with his younger sister Donna but with his busy schedule with balancing the universe he hardly ever has the time • His favorite cookie is snickerdoodle’s especially with extra brown sugar • He’s not one to ever skip on the details of a recipe, so to make sure it comes out right he will keep the cookbook floating close by • His favorite memory of baking was the time your kisses got to heated and he grabbed your ass leaving flour handprints on your but and breasts. • The best part of baking with you is the opportunities for him to hold you from behind as your hands work together to create things • He will sneak kisses in between switching of baking sheets or any chance he can get while giving sweet praises

Sinister Strange

• He hasn’t baked once since the incursion until you fell into his world so he’s definitely rusty • At first he was very hesitant to even show you his kitchen, you just happened to stumble upon it one day and started making treats for each other. He found out that his favorite cookie you made together were thumb print cookies • When he caught a sneak peak of you fumbling around for ingredients he would manifest for you what you needed without asking • He adores watching you bake, when your not looking he will watch in amazement as you graciously dance across the kitchen putting the ingredients together • He’s a huge sucker for holding you from behind while baking. Mostly bc he is so touch starved, he just loves being around doing anything with you • You had your suspicions about him loving your cooking until he dropped hints about his favorite cookies confirming this thought • His favorite memory of baking with you is the time you showed him how to make icing, he ended up making a mess and you licked it off his fingers slowly. Thus leading to the both of you fucking on the kitchen floor almost forgetting about the cookies baking.

Doctor Strange Supreme

Out of all the variants he had never baked not once. When you found out about this you were shocked and wasted no time showing him how it’s done

He’s the only variant that can memorize a recipe by reading it once. He’s had hundreds of years to study and meditate so remembering how to make cookies was pretty straightforward

His favorite part of baking is the decorating. He loves putting all the details together and taking his time.

His favorite cookie is double chocolate brownie hands down.

He still uses magic to calm the tremors in his hands to decorate, as much as he hates to admit it.

His favorite past time with baking was when he pulled you onto his lap enjoying your kisses that taste like cookies. Which always usually leads to sexy time after

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@bakerstreethound @sassenach-on-the-rocks @nlovewithloki16 @sherlux @budugu @cemak @blxckdragonfly @seanbeansimp59 @geeky-politics-46 @classickook @sobeautifullyobsessed @wint3r-h3art @doctorstrangeaskblog @withalittlehoney @icytrickster17 @kentucky-criedfricken @hunterofshadows04 @baharnoth @katehawke @thealleydog @icytrickster17 @stewardofningishzida @lady-harvey @asherloki @withalittlehoney @rstarked @moonlover-tobefree

#doctor strange #benedict cumberbatch #sinister strange #doctor stephen strange #stephen strange #sherlock #because benedict cumberbatch #sinister strange fanfic #defender strange headcanon #doctor strange x reader

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dojunie · 2 years

Text

[SK8R BOI; LJN]

the first installment in the 'fics i'll never finish' series: posts i'll occasionally make to just get some ideas out of my head. these aren't fics i plan on completing (unless i get crazy feedback on one or something, though i doubt it lol) but i'd still like to put them out into the world because they'll do no good just sitting in my notes ♥︎

info;

lee jeno x fem!reader

90's highschool au

skateboarder jeno / popular girl mc

based off of avril lavigne's 'sk8er boi'

[BLURB ★];

"He's kinda cute, y'know?" Doyeon says curiously, "In that scruffy, fix-em-up kind of way. I bet he'd be a knockout if he got rid of those geeky wheels."

You follow her gaze back to the boy (if you can even call him that), the sudden bane of your existence: Lee Jeno. Skate-head extraordinaire. Straight-B student and walking crime against fashion in his baggy light wash jeans, two holes worn into the knees (that you'd bet your Paul Frank bag were not there when he bought them), brown and beige flannel two sizes too large over a big white t-shirt. You watch him gesture wildly to something on his friends Nokia, pale fingers pointed in indignance, and the eighteen million rings on his fingers all glint in the sunlight of the quad.

He's not ugly. Not at all. Lee Jeno's face was what put him on your radar in the first place, the dreamy, dark eyes and the goofy smile...

"Are you out of your brain, Hyuck?! I could totally land that! And that dude totally slipped up on the tail pop, look how his board checks— how the hell could you compare him to me?"

But the moment you hear his whining pitch across the summer air, the illusion is shattered.

...Ugh. Nevermind. The sound of his voice sends a chill down your spine, and any semblance of praise you'd had for the guy pops and disappears along with the bubble in your strawberry chew.

It was that— his whole wastoid aesthetic, the constant illegible-jargon, the fact that the only thing he seemed to be interested in was the next time he could hit the skatepark with his similarly bowl-brained friends— that was what made him so untouchable to half the girls here. Image was everything at this stupid school; and it didn't matter if you thought he was pretty or not, because Lee Jeno's face alone simply wasn't enough to keep him afloat in the sharktank of popularity at Sugil High.

(Not that he seemed to give a shit about any of that, of course. But you? You couldn't afford to not give a shit.)

"Emphasis on the kinda, Doyeon," you grumble, stabbing an innocent carrot with the tines of your fork, "You think he's so cute? Why don't you go ask Mr. Su to make him your partner instead, huh?"

[fics i'll never finish masterlist] thanks for reading! please leave a note if you liked; i like this idea alot so if people actually seem interested in it, i might come back to it ♥︎

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colormepurplex2 · 1 year

Text

Chasing Shadows | Hide & Seek

↳ Jungkook x f.Reader ⤜ Best Friends Brother/Lovers ⤜ Rating: MA 🔞 ⤜ WC: 5,778 ⚠️ stalker behavior, references to crime and violence, guns, threats

Next Chapter⇾ ⇽Previous Chapter ◅ Back to chapter list

Titling down the screen of your laptop you stand up from the table and move to the door. You tip up onto your toes and peer through the peephole. You see the side profile of a man with black hair and a grouping of earrings in his ear. He’s wearing a black hoodie with the hood down, which you’re grateful for, considering. Over his shoulder is slung a navy-colored gym bag. The image is slightly fish-eyed through the viewer, but he doesn’t really look all like what you remember Enola’s brother looking like.

“Who is it?” you pitch your voice louder as you call through the door.

The man swivels at your words, his nose coming right into your sightline. “It’s Jungkook. Enola’s brother.”

“What’s the passphrase?” you volley back. Enola made you promise to ask.

A smile curves the man’s full lips. “Of course she would,” you hear him mutter. He leans in closer to the door, the peephole filling with the color of his smooth forehead. “Devise, deduce, decide,” he whispers.

It’s quite a silly passphrase when you hear it spoken out loud like this. They’re words you and Enola came up with when you were still teenagers. Your very own play on the adage ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ but in the context of solving the world’s non-environmental problems. That’s something you both have always wanted to be a part of. So, unless this man tortured it out of Enola, you know it has to be her brother.

Without responding, you quickly unlatch the chain on your door, twist the deadbolt, and thumb over the lock on the knob. You only open it a crack, peeking through carefully.

“What’s in the bag?”

Jungkook raises an eyebrow slowly. “Equipment for your place. If you let me come in, I can begin to set it up.”

“Right,” you mumble, stepping back and opening the door enough to let him in. “Thanks for coming.”

He steps in, gently setting the bag on the small padded bench you have by your door. “Enola would have never forgiven me otherwise,” he says, taking in the layout of your apartment. “Nice place. The guy at the front desk seems to be on his toes when it comes to security. He asked me at least two dozen questions before he let me come up, and only after he scanned a copy of my ID and took down my phone number.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s uh—,” your mouth stops working as Jungkook turns to you and you finally get your first real good look at him. Holy. Shit. “—Er, uh…my fault. I may have spooked him a bit by asking if there have been any strangers in the building that have stood out.”

Jungkook nods slowly. “Smart, but I doubt he can provide much. I looked at the CCTV equipment set up in this building, which is subpar at best. I doubt he’d get any quality images off of the feeds to help. It’s a shame, but I see it all the time in housing complexes. Even really nice ones like this one.” He gives you a casual smile. “Which is where me and my magic bag come into play.”

“Magic bag,” you parrot, completely lost for your own words. What’s the proper etiquette for when you realize that your best friend’s brother, whom you haven’t seen in nearly a decade, shows up at your door and is suddenly hot as sin? This can’t be the same brother from your childhood. The Jungkook you grew up with was geeky, albeit maybe on the cute side. You recall distinctly his large-framed glasses, bowl-cut hairstyle, and that his ears were large for his face that was rounded with residuals of baby fat.

Though, the closer you look, the more you can pick out features you recognize, just all grown up. His cheeks are smooth, his jaw angular, and his nose straight. Dark eyes sit below perfectly sculpted brows and his black hair is styled in a mature fashion to frame his forehead. Your eyes track down from his face, daring to take in the rest of him. Mistake. Big mistake. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long jean-clad legs that lead to chunky black boots. His hoodie might be a bit baggy, but it does nothing to hide his defined arms and traps.

You mentally smack yourself. Now is not the time to be gawking at your best friend’s painfully attractive brother. Someone quite literally broke into your apartment and is making very serious threats against you and the people closest to you. Jungkook might even be one of those people if whoever this is catches wind of him being here with you.

He reaches over and pats the gym bag he sat on your bench. “Got everything I could think of on short notice. We’ll have your place set up with state-of-the-art surveillance and monitoring in no time. It’ll take me maybe thirty minutes to get it all set up. You have access to the network Enola uses, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. I do. Please,” you gesture toward your living space, “make yourself at home. Is there anything I can get for you?”

“Nah, I’m good. Just point me in the direction of the office space where the messages are. Enola also mentioned something about drawings being left on your door?”

You show Jungkook the office and the three scraps from your door. He doesn’t say much, just takes everything in with a sober look on his face and his lips pressed into a thin line. It doesn’t take him long to get the equipment set up. He drills a few small holes into the frame around your door and inserts micro-cameras, catching not only your front door in full view but also down either side hallway and to the elevator at the end.

“Thank you for doing all of this,” you comment softly, watching him bring up the last live video feed on your TV. Everything is running into the flat screen on your wall. Six different camera feeds stretch across the screen. They’re all live footage, but they also record when they detect motion, automatically saving the clips to the secure network.

Jungkook turns to you, tapping his fingers idly along the bottom of the remote still gripped in his hand. “I hate you’re having to go through this. It’s things like this that keep me doing what I do. It’s not fair that the world is full of sick and deranged people that think it’s okay to prey on others. Do you have any notions as to who might be behind this? I, uh,” he brings his other hand up and scratches at the back of his neck, “I read your stuff sometimes, so I know what kind of people you might attract that would be looking for revenge of some kind. But, does any of this stir up memories from your stories?”

“I was actually making some lists before you showed up,” you nod toward your laptop still half-open on the dining table. “I was narrowing down the most likely suspects, but I hadn’t gotten very far.”

“Hmm. Let’s take a look,” he says. Jungkook sets the remote on the table and moves around to take a seat beside the one you had vacated earlier. “Show me what you have so far. I might be able to help. Or, at least, I have a friend that might be able to.”

Going through the lists of names with Jungkook only takes a handful of minutes. He asks you periodic questions about certain individuals, helping you narrow down the pool pretty drastically. His insight and reasoning behind why people should be put on the final list or removed completely astound you. He points out facts and perspectives that you hadn’t even thought to take into consideration.

You’re adding the last name to the list when you pause, finally not able to take that small niggling in the back of your head anymore. “You haven’t asked about the report.”

“The report?” Jungkook asks as he spreads out the three drawings on the table to get a better look at them.

“The one in the manuscript, the one I need to somehow publish or else.”

He stops fiddling with the scraps of paper and turns to look you full in the face. “I don’t need to read the report. I know what happened that night. It doesn’t change anything.” His eyes flick back and forth between yours and it seems he reads something there. “You don’t believe what’s in the paper, do you? You don’t actually think you’re a monster, right? You haven’t ruined lives, you’ve just shown light into the dark places of the world and if anything, you’ve saved lives. Do you know how many people you’ve saved by writing the way you do, by helping put away the people you have?”

That’s something you’ve been trying not to dwell on this entire time. The guilt is something you’ve had to learn to live with since you were seventeen. You’d thought it was all behind you, finally living a life where you’re doing something good. But, exactly how good are you? Sure, the people you write about are criminals and terrible people— but, what about the innocents? What about the families of those bad guys? How many of them have children? Spouses? Innocent lives that are forever changed by something you’ve done…just like the lives changed the night of graduation.

Jungkook’s thumb catching at your lip startles you. You hadn’t realized you were torturing it so much between your teeth. “Sorry,” you mumble, your eyes tracking his hand as he slowly drops it back onto his lap. “No, I don’t think I believe it.”

“Don’t think?” His hand comes back up and he hooks a finger under your chin to bring your eyes back up to his. “Come on, don’t shut down on me now. You’re smart. We’ll figure this out. Where’s the feisty girl full of moxie that even gave Enola a run for her money?”

That makes you smile and chuckle a little. “Oh, piss off.” You swat his hand away playfully. “I’m grown up now.”

The look in his eyes changes, becoming more heated and serious. “Yeah, you have.” Jungkook clears his throat and the look is gone, replaced by another casual smile and unreadable eyes. “I’m going to call my friend and see what he can offer. He’s a forensic analyst. But also moonlights as a developer and has some nifty programs that might help us out further.”

Jungkook pulls out his phone and scrolls to a contact. The chirping of the video chat ringing lasts just a second before the call connects. You try to duck to the side to be out of the frame but Jungkook shifts in his seat and angles the phone to include the both of you.

“JK, hey. Wasn’t expecting to get a call from you so late in the evening. We just started on dinner, you want to come over and join us?” The phone screen is filled with the view of a ceiling, you can see a whirling fan overhead. “Wait, where are you?” The voice draws closer to the phone and suddenly it begins to move until a smiling face comes into view. “Are you on a date?”

The laugh that comes from Jungkook is warm and gentle. He introduces you as someone he grew up with, leaving off any mention of his sister. “This is Namjoon,” he tells you. The name instantly registers. Enola talked about Namjoon on multiple occasions.

“Oh! Dr. Kim, yes. Hello, it’s lovely to finally meet you.”

The man on the phone blushes, his cheeks taking on a charming pink tinge. It complements his light-brown and blond-highlighted hair and dark, espresso eyes. “Please, just Namjoon is fine.” His attention flicks beyond the screen and he nods. “This is my partner, Seokjin,” he explains, beckoning to someone off-screen.

“Hi,” a man says, stepping into view. He’s gorgeous with full lips and tousled black hair. He leans in and pecks Namjoon on the temple. “Don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve got to get the bread in the oven. Hey, Jungkook.” Seokjin smiles and waves before stepping out of frame.

“If this isn’t a date, what’s going on?” Namjoon asks, taking a seat and propping his phone up. It looks like he’s at a desk, you can just see a keyboard at the bottom of the frame.

Jungkook takes a deep breath and dives into explaining, loosely, the situation you’ve found yourself in. With each additional bit of information, you watch Namjoon’s demeanor stiffen as he nods occasionally and makes occasional noises of acknowledgement.

“Well,” Namjoon sighs when Jungkook is finished. “That is something. I have just the program that might be able to help.” He leans forward, tapping away at the computer in front of him. “I’ve been working on a system that does widespread cross references. It functions as a connector, pulling even the smallest bit of information that matches or could be relevant. Let’s start with the list of names you have.”

Jungkook got your list down to a dozen names. He rattles those off to Namjoon, confirming spellings and identities. “What else might be helpful?” he asks.

“The drawings you received, you said one was on a diner napkin?”

You rest your elbows on the table, leaning more toward the phone Jungkook is still holding up. “That’s right. Rosey’s Place. Not sure where that is.”

“What about the other two items? Do they have distinct markers on them?”

You and Jungkook turn to the drawings spread out on the table. The matchstick pack is matte black with a red flame on one side. Nothing else is distinctive. You relay that information to Namjoon. The fast food bag scrap is mostly white but there is a swatch of blue swirl that looks like the bag logo got ripped in half when the scrap was torn out. “The matchbook, are there any matches still in it? If not, can you tell if the stems of the matches were colored at all?”

“Mm, yeah. There are a few matches left. They’re all black stems with orange and red tips,” you explain, remembering what they looked like from when you first pulled it off your door and examined it.

“Results are showing Inferno. It’s a club in Los Angeles. It’s their signature complimentary matchbook. Rosey’s Place, a red rose logo with yellow accents?” He asks to clarify, to which you confirm softly. “It’s a diner on the outskirts of LA, a tiny burger joint. Now the fast food bag is a little trickier. A few results have come up, but based on the curve to the piece of the pattern we can see, I’d guess it’s a Barney’s bag. That’s a hotdog and fry chain only on the west coast. Let’s see if any of these items are significant to the list of names.”

“Namjoon, dinner is ready,” you hear Seokjin call to Namjoon.

“Give me a call back after you eat and we can review any results you get,” Jungkook offers.

Namjoon purses his lips but nods. “Okay, the analysis has maybe twenty minutes to go. That should be plenty of time for dinner. I’ll give you a call back, in the meantime, you should get your girl— er, I mean, your friend some food.”

For a moment you think you see Jungkook’s cheeks flush but he turns away before you’re able to be sure. He stands up from the table and moves around so his back is to you. “Sounds good, man. Thanks for doing this for me.” There’s a slight smirk on his face when he turns back to you. “Can I order you some takeout?”

“Actually, I have something laid out for dinner already. Give me ten and I’ll have it whipped up, if you’re good with that?”

Jungkook laughs and slaps a large hand on his taut stomach. “You won’t hear me complaining. What can I help you with?”

You direct him to chopping some vegetables and seasoning the beef. The stir fry you planned comes together nicely, with a tangy and sweet sauce, crisped noodles, and grilled steak.

“Do you think we’ll figure out whoever this is?” you question.

Jungkook chews for a moment then swallows. “I know we will. The information is always out there, we’ll find it.”

“What if we don’t figure it out in time…what do I do if we’re not fast enough?”

That’s your biggest concern. If whoever this is follows through with their threat. As painful as it would be to publish that manuscript piece, you know you‘ll do it in a heartbeat if it comes down to it. The fallout and repercussions you’d experience would be nothing compared to the lives of the people displayed on the wall in your office.

“Don’t worry about that. I won’t let that happen,” he states softly but with stark assurance. Jungkook reaches out his free hand and takes yours up from where it rests in your lap. “I promise. I’m not leaving you until this is over.”

A sensation that feels alarmingly like butterflies swoops deep in your belly. “T-that’s not necessary. I don’t want to inconvenience you more than I already have. I’m sure you have a wonderful bed to get home to or a pretty girlfriend.” The words are out before you can bite your tongue. Oh no. Great! Just perfect.

Jungkook gives you a quizzical look. “Girlfriend? Yeah, right.”

Your brows dip down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s funny you think I could possibly have a girlfriend. Did you actually forget who I am?” Jungkook huffs a breath, shaking his head with a rueful smile playing on his lips. “Thanks for thinking so highly of me, though.”

“Jungkook, don’t be dense. Of course I think you have a girlfriend. Look at you! Have you seen yourself in the mirror? You’re hot as fuck and you have a beautiful personality—,” You slap a hand over your mouth, the rest of your words muffled, “—at least, from what I remember.” Bright spots of color dot your cheeks and you feel heat flash across your chest. “I’m so sorry,” you drop your hand, “I didn’t mean, er, I um…”

“You think I’m attractive?” he asks as you trail off.

“NO!”

“No?”

“Fuck. I mean, yes, but no. Please, can we talk about something else?” You snatch back up your fork and shovel stir fry into your mouth with renewed hunger.

Jungkook’s laugh starts softly but builds into a full-belly laugh. “Sure, we can talk about something else,” he finally wheezes out, wiping at his eyes and clearly holding back more laughter.

“Thank you,” you mutter. Eyes locked on the table and your half-empty bowl of food.

“But, for the record, I think you’re attractive, too.”

His words linger in the air. You’re fairly certain you’re barely breathing. So many thoughts and responses ping pong around in your head, but latching on to any one of them is like trying to trap smoke in your palms; impossible. Luckily, Jungkook’s phone begins to vibrate on the table before you manage to land on a solid thought.

“Namjoon?” you ask, instead of voicing any of the numerous, probably embarrassing thoughts you have.

Jungkook grabs his phone and nods. “Hey, Joon, whatcha got for us?” He sets his phone up against the side of your laptop, freeing his hands so he can go back to eating. Which he promptly does, forking in another mouthful.

Namjoon is sitting back at his desk. You can see Seokjin in the background sitting on a couch with a book in his lap. “As you know my programs are still in their trial periods, but they have been integrated with the mass databases from law enforcement agencies. Meaning, I can pull information from just about anywhere. The interesting part, though, is that the results at first were pretty inconclusive.”

“What do you mean inconclusive?” Jungkook asks between bites.

A small smile touches Namjoon’s face. “Well, at first there was nothing other than the three locations from those drawings. They’re all within a fifty-mile radius of downtown Los Angeles.” His smile drops a little like he’s realizing he’s smiling over a non-smiling matter. You get it, though, he’s passionate about his programs and more than likely feels some sense of pride even given the circumstances. “So, I broadened my search points. The list of names you gave me offered zero hits, but there was a ping for a name not on this list. It’s a name that you’ve worked with, though, fairly recently actually. You wrote a piece on him two months ago.”

Faint alarm bells start going off in your head. The only piece you worked on two months ago was…”Rico Nuavez.”

“That’s right,” Namjoon confirms, nodding.

“But he’s in prison,” you try to reason out. “No known associates…no real reason. I mean, sure, people credit my piece with helping the LAPD with capturing him but that’s, I didn’t— not really. I just put together pieces they hadn’t yet.”

“That’s the piece that got you the promotion isn’t it?” Jungkook asks you.

You push your half-empty bowl to the side, your appetite is completely gone. “Yeah, it is. That’s what helped Rigby decide to choose me for the promotion.”

“The biggest photo in your office is from your promotion. Okay, connect the dots for us, Namjoon,” Jungkook prompts.

Namjoon clicks his mouse a few times before he begins, “Inferno, Rosey’s Place, and Barney’s are three of the last places Nuavez was seen before his capture. The CCTV footage from those places helped track him and put together the timeline.”

You’re nodding before he’s finished explaining. “I should have put that together. I didn’t know the names of the places, but I specifically talked about CCTV footage in my article. Fucking hell. But, Nuavez is in prison, like I said. Is there anything else that might direct us toward who’s working with him?”

The look on Namjoon’s face drops, that excited smile no longer present. “Maybe I should have led with this—,” he takes a deep breath, “—but, Nuavez escaped custody almost a week ago.”

“What?”

“The fuck!”

You and Jungkook exclaim loudly upon hearing that.

“How? Why haven’t we heard this?”

“It seems the FBI has been trying to keep this hush-hush. There was an accident as Nuavez was being transferred to a maximum security facility.”

“FBI? Enola would have told me,” you laugh bitterly. “Unless she doesn’t even know. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Okay, so, what else do you know about his escape? Any idea where he might be, anything of that sort you can find?”

“Unfortunately, there’s very little else available. Even getting this information may have been crossing a few legal lines.” Namjoon throws up a hand and shrugs.

Jungkook taps his fingers on the table. “So, let’s say this is Nuavez. Why? You helped him get caught,” he deduces. “But why the manuscript? Expose your past in an attempt to discredit your current work.” He continues to tap thoughtfully. “What does that get him in the end, though? It doesn’t give him freedom, it doesn’t give him any better of a chance to escape from the country. So, what are we missing? We can’t take this to the cops for obvious reasons. That doesn’t necessarily include the FBI…”

“What if—,” a chirping beep cuts you off. You look at Jungkook, eyes wide. “The cameras,” you whisper.

Jungkook is up and pulling a pistol out of the back of his jeans before you can even push back from the table. With quiet steps, he approaches the door and peers through the peephole. He glances at you and nods toward the TV.

The camera that’s trained on the elevator is highlighted on the screen. You see faint movement but it’s not coming from the elevator, it’s coming from the door to the stairwell that’s just on the other side.

You both watch as a hooded figure emerges from the stairwell. It’s hard to judge and be certain, but the body is fairly large and the general shape indicates it’s most likely a male. They’re wearing a winter weather jacket with a deep hood, dark jeans, and black sneakers. The way they walk looks predatory to you with the slight hunch of their shoulders and the way they move along the wall with a steady approach.

How likely is it that Nuavez is the one carrying out his own threats and harassment? You wouldn't take him for a reckless man. No, from everything you know, he’s a very smart and calculating criminal. More than likely, this is some lackey he’s hired to do the dirty work.

“Whatever happens, you stay right here. Lock the door and don’t open it for anyone that isn’t me,” Jungkook whispers, never taking his eyes off the figure still slinking down the hallway. “Understood?”

“Jungkook, no—“

“Understood?” he repeats, finally looking away and meeting your wide gaze.

“Okay.” You nod. Moving around the table, you reach into your bag and pull out your can of mace, your only personal defense. You are really starting to regret not taking Enola up on her offer of buying you a gun and training you to use it.

The figure gets closer to your door, crossing into multiple views on the TV. You can see them from all angles now and they seem even more imposing than before. There is a slight sway to their walk like maybe their right knee bothers them so they favor their left leg more. It’s small details like this that you always try to file away about people, you never know when something like that might be crucial.

“We’ll see what they do,” Jungkook continues to whisper, pitching his voice so low you have to strain to hear it. He watches the figure, eyes constantly flicking over the multiple camera views.

As the figure comes within a few feet of your door, something starts to feel off. It’s too easy, too simple. Finally, they reach the door and you watch as they slip a hand into the pocket of their coat and pull out a small slip of paper. It looks like a yellow post-it note. They pull a roll of scotch tape out of their other pocket and rip off a small, clear square and use it to attach the post-it to your door, just below the peephole.

What happens next is so quick you barely have time to react. Jungkook snatches open the door and levers his gun right at the opening of the hood of the creep's coat. The figure jumps back, throwing their hands up, the roll of tape bouncing off the floor.

“Whoa, whoa! Oh god, please don’t! I’m only doing what I was paid to do! Please don’t hurt me!” the person shrieks. Despite the shrill sound, the voice is distinctly familiar.

“You little shit! Riley Abernathy, I swear to god if that’s you, I will kick your ass all the way to your mom’s front door!” You lunge around Jungkook and throw back the hood, revealing Riley’s wide blue eyes and pimple-covered cheeks. “What the fuck are you doing?” You snatch the post-it note off your door, taking in the crude drawing of a wolf eating a lamb. “Explain yourself, now!”

“I promise, mister, I was just doing what I was told to do,” he responds and you realize his eyes are locked on Jungkook who still has his gun pointed at the sixteen-year-old.

“Hey, it’s okay,” you say to Jungkook, gently placing a hand on his outstretched arm. You can see the hesitation flicker over his face before he slowly lowers the gun. He doesn’t put it away, though, and you’re a little relieved over that; even if Riley is just a kid.

“Answer her questions,” Jungkook grunts. He steps up beside you, crowding into your side in a protective manner. “Now.”

Riley gapes as his gaze flicks between the two of you before he finally settles his watery eyes on you. “About a week ago someone approached me at the skatepark. I was filming a new TikTok trend and— er, not important. Umm, so, they offered me a lot of money if I just taped some drawings to your door. They said they were your friend and wanted to pull a prank on you, honest. I swear that’s it.”

“Did they give you their name? What did they look like?”

A single tear slips out and tracks down Riley’s face. You can tell Riley is toeing the line between pissing his pants or passing out. “Ah, fuck, I don’t know, man. It was dark and I, uh, I might have been high. Really high. I think— um, I t-think it was a lady. Yeah, definitely a woman. Short and soft-spoken. Maybe. Fuck. Oh god, I’m so sorry. I just thought it was a joke.”

“Did they also ask you to break into my apartment?” you ask.

Those tearful blue eyes go impossibly wider. “No! No, no, no! I swear. It’s just the pictures. You got to believe me!”

“Are there any more pictures?” Jungkook questions, shifting his weight on his feet and brushing against your elbow but he doesn’t move away. The warm contact is welcome.

Riley shakes his head vehemently. “No, this was the last one! Please, man, I swear that’s it.”

Jungkook takes a step forward and you instantly miss the feel of his arm against yours. “I should arrest you,” he snarls and Riley cowers, a soft whimper emitting from his trembling lips. “But, I’m going to be nice as long as you promise that if you’re contacted again that you’ll let me know before you do anything else.”

Hope surges in Riley’s eyes. “I promise, sir! I really do. Anything. Please. Thank you!” He wipes his snotty nose on the sleeve of his jacket. Jungkook pulls a small white card from his back pocket and hands it off to Riley who holds it pressed to his chest as he backs away. “I can go home, right? You’re not going to arrest me?”

“Get out of here, kid. And for fucks sake, stay out of trouble.” Jungkook pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Fucking teenagers.”

Jungkook ushers you back into your apartment and locks the door behind him. “Do you really have the authority to arrest someone?” you ask, your curiosity piqued by Jungkook’s threat to Riley.

A playful smirk tugs up the corner of his lips. “Anyone can make a citizen's arrest,” he provides with a nonchalant shrug. ”But, I have friends in high places. That’s authority by proxy, surely.” The wink he gives you has a warm feeling tingling down your spine.

“I’m sure you know your way around a pair of handcuffs, too, hmm?” Yet again, your mouth seems to be ahead of your brain. You freeze halfway to sitting back at the dining table and stare at Jungkook from under your lashes, trying to gauge his reaction.

His nose scrunches in a cute way as he laughs. “You could say that, sure.” His laughter fades and the moment slips away as he grows a bit more serious. “The kid said it was a woman that approached him. Is it possible we’ve got it all wrong?”

Is it really a woman behind all of this or did Nuavez just so happen to employ a woman to approach Riley? You’re not sure what more you can do to figure that out. It seems like you’re at an impasse right now.

“I don’t know,” you finally admit. “I’m not really sure of anything anymore. Maybe we’ll be able to think a little clearer in the morning. You really don’t have to stay here if you’d rather go home. I think I’m safe for the night.”

“Nonsense. I said I wasn’t leaving your side and I don’t plan on it. I’ll sleep on the couch if that’s okay?”

You can’t help but smile. “Sure, of course. I’ll grab some blankets for you.”

“Five bucks says you end up in her bed before the night is over.” You and Jungkook both startle at the sudden voice coming from the dining table.

“Namjoon! Shit. Why didn’t you hang up?” Jungkook snatches up his phone and spins it around. Namjoon has his elbows resting on his desk with his chin in his palms.

“And miss all the fun? Not likely. Who was that at the door?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes but can’t help the smile that tilts his mouth. You leave him to fill in Namjoon while you grab some extra blankets from your closet and shoot off a text to Enola, letting her know what’s going on.

After getting the couch set up with the bedding, Jungkook checks all entry points to your apartment before stretching out on the couch. He’s so tall that his feet end up propped on one armrest and his head on the other.

“Goodnight, Jungkook.”

“Goodnight,” he calls as you slip down the hall to your bedroom.

Namjoon’s comment keeps playing on repeat as you toss and turn under your sheets. He’s clearly got more insight into Jungkook as a person than you do. Why would he say something like that unless he truly thought it was a possibility? Because he was joking, that’s why. It wasn’t the first dig from him toward his friend of the night. They seem to have a similar friendship to the one between you and Enola.

You’re busy lamenting over every small interaction between you and Jungkook tonight when you do something you’re not sure if you’ll regret or not. Throwing back the blankets, you slip out of bed and head back into the hallway.

Being as quiet as you can, you peek into the living room and see that Jungkook is lying there staring up at the ceiling.

“Jungkook?” you whisper.

His gaze immediately finds yours in the dark. He jerks upright, swinging his feet down to the floor. “Everything okay? What’s wrong?”

You move into the living room, suddenly feeling naked in just your t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts you changed into for bed. “Yeah. Yeah, no, everything’s fine. Sorry. I just er, well, I was having trouble falling asleep. Do you mind if I stay out here with you…or you could?” You vaguely gesture down the hallway and toward your bedroom.

“I think I wouldn’t mind losing out on five bucks.” He laughs softly, maybe even a little nervously.

Next Chapter⇾ ⇽Previous Chapter ◅ Back to chapter list

#bts #bts fanfic #bts smut #bts au #bts jungkook #jungkook smut #jungkook x reader #sherlock holmes au #sherlock holmes jungkook #bts friends to lovers #bts best friends brother au #bangtanwritershq #jungkook fan fic #jungkook fanfic #bts crime au #bts thriller au

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deconstructthesoup · 3 months

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It's been four years since The Owl House first aired, and I still can't get over how much I adore Luz as a character and protagonist.

When I first started watching, I was a kid who was going through the hell of distance learning and dealing with some of the worst stress of my life. To help keep my mind off of the hellscape that was 2020, I decided to make it my mission to watch every gay cartoon known to man. And, lo and behold, one of my friends recommended me The Owl House, which had recently finished up its first season. I'd heard about it---and most of what I heard was about Amity, go figure---and I decided to finally check it out.

I sat down and started the first episode. And I was hooked immediately, not by the worldbuilding or the setup, but by Luz herself.

I don't think I've ever instantly connected to a protagonist the way I did when I saw that Luz was in trouble for an out-there book report, and how this wasn't the first time that something like that had happened. Luz was a geeky, fantasy-loving queer girl who was clearly neurodivergent-coded, and at the time, she was around my age. I paused and texted the friend that I was already obsessed with Luz not two minutes in, and then I kept watching.

The world pulled me in, as did Luz's journey. Throughout the hellscape that was hybrid learning, the trials and terrors of junior year, and the stress of college applications, I kept on going back to TOH, and I saw her go from a naive, happy-go-lucky ray of sunshine to a confident teen who felt like she could take on anything to a burnt-out young woman struggling with depression and the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her story and arc still resonated with me, especially once it was made abundantly clear that her story was about the struggles of growing up neurodivergent in a neurotypical world.

Watching and Dreaming, in an incredibly poetic fashion, came out on my eighteenth birthday. I invited all of my friends who'd seen it, including the one who got me into it, and we had a big old marathon where we ate pizza, laughed, cried, and screamed at everything the finale had to offer. But nothing hit me harder then the epilogue.

Even though it took me until season 1's full release for me to watch it, I was Luz's age when A Lying Witch and a Warden released. And in the epilogue, Luz is eighteen and going off to college, ready for her next adventure... which was everything I needed to see.

So... yeah. Luz is always gonna be one of my favorite protagonists, and it meant a lot to grow up with her.

#the owl house #luz noceda #tl;dr---luz is amazing #i don't think i'm gonna find a character that resonates with me the way she did #but by god i'm thankful for her

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ghostatrandom · 2 years

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Even MORE MORE REDESIGNS, lets see what my brain has to offer:

(Also sorry for the MH redesigns hiatus, I go to college now and its pain :D)

Draculaura: mostly inspired by the haunt couture doll, but keeps the pigtails and boots. In my version, hemophage vampires and emotional vampires have different ear shape (so when I do Kieran you'll see)

Ghoulia Yelps: simple, geeky clothing you would see on a future champion mathlete. Sadly her and her team never made it to the competition, odd. And her head seems to have puntures, but from after the accident?

Deuce Gorgon: the son of medusa and a human?? Well that would explain his lack of golden wings and claws. Maybe he is compensating his half bloodness with a lot of snake imagery.

Gooliope Jellington: goop! Circus goop! Made in a lab with tons of luv and DNA from the blob, so she needs to sustain themselfs with random stuff, cause the goop eats all! The blob can shrink and growth as much as they like, cause it's all goop!

Abbey Abominable: I was so mad at the doll when I realized that she wasn't a hairy yeti, and even more at the show when they showed male yetis like, let the girl be hairy and tall! That's what being a yeti is all about! Also no longer ice powers cause that's weird, but she can have a "frigid aura"

Clawdeen Wolf: furry, lets just say it. But now with a purple and green combo cause it just works, what a fashion queen, what an icon! Her clothes are a fusion between her original and haunt couture outfit. Also a little pet peevee I have with many werewolf designs, why not make the tail with the same texture as the hair on the head? Unless its a wig I guess, but it just confuses me.

Idk who to draw next! We'll find out on the next episode!

#fanart #digitalart #art #sketch #monster high #draculaura #ghoulia yelps #deuce gorgon #gooliope jellington #abbey abominable #clawdeen wolf #character redesign #redesign #monsters but like #fashion #character design

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madegeeky · 2 years

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Micheline Pitt just wants all of my money because she's apparently made more Alien clothes. And, from what I can tell from the teaser pics, the new dress's pattern, while not quite as gorgeous as the one I currently own, is still amazing.

This is fine, I don't need to buy food.

#geeky talks #geeky talks fashion #finding this designer was both the best #and also the worst thing #that has happened to me #the dress is also not really my style #but i made the other dress work #i'll make this one work too dammit #i basically don't buy clothes from anywhere else at this point #cause why buy from somewhere else #when i can just wait and get more horror movie dresses

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engshoujosei · 1 year

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Princess Jellyfish

9 volumes (omnibus)

Licensed by Kodansha, also on Azuki and INKR Comics

The complete story of Tsukimi, a girl obsessed with jellyfish, and her geeky friends. This massive set includes a bonus "Clara" jellyfish keychain and a huge poster with the Amars' motto, "A Life With No Use for Men," in English on one side and Japanese on the other. The box contains all nine volumes of the Princess Jellyfish manga, including a full-color illustration gallery, author interviews, extensive cultural annotations, and a look inside the creator's studio. Experience the full story that became the hit anime and made Akiko Higashimura the patron saint of modern josei manga!

Note: Won the Kodansha Manga Award for best shoujo manga in 2010 and was nominated for the 2010 Manga Taishou award

Anime Start/End Chapter

Starts at Vol. 1, Ch. 1 Ends at Vol. 5, Ch. 30 (Chapters 21-30 are heavily abridged to fit in the last episode)

Status in Country of Origin

17 Volumes (Complete)

Tags:

Adapted to Anime

Adapted to Live Action

Age Gap

Ambiguous / Inconclusive Ending

Apartment Life

Appearance Changes

Award-Winning Work

Career Woman

Character Growth

Comedic Undertone

Comic Artist/s

Cross-dressing

Cruelty

Dead Family Member/s

Entrepreneur

Fashionable Male Lead

First Love

Fujoshi

Hard-Working Protagonist

Illegitimate Child/ren

Introvert/s

Love Triangle/s

Makeover/s

Male Lead Falls in Love First

Misfits

Modeling

NEET

Nerdy Female Lead

Opposites Attract

Otaku

Politician/s

Rich Person Pursuing Poor Person

Roommates

Shy Protagonist

Slow Romance

Social Outcast/s

Transformation/s

Unique Female Lead

World Travel

#Princess Jellyfish #josei #manga #kodansha #completed #Kuragehime #inkr comics #comedy #drama #gender bender #romance #slice of life #HIGASHIMURA Akiko #azuki #2008 #2000s #kiss

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davesbigwhirlwind · 1 year

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Maturing Fast - Part 2

I spent the weekend dreading what Monday would bring. I'd spent the weekend trying to find ways to hide the extreme nerdiness of the haircut that had been inflicted on me. As much as I pulled on strands of hair or tried to brush it in different ways, it was impossible to stop the hair from showing what it was - a very short, very old fashioned, very tragic haircut.

Early on Monday, I was woken by my dad and sent to have a shower. When I came out my uniform had been set out for me. I put on the underwear and shirt and coarse, heavy, unfashionably cut trousers but begged for some leniency to be able to wear my trainers - this fell on deaf ears, and the shiny formal shoes soon restricted my feet and were tightly tied. A school tie was then fastened around my neck enveloping my whole body in formality that felt so alien. I was then directed back to the bathroom, as my dad said "right, let's get this hair sorted." I looked in the mirror. My now whispy, lame hair clung to my head having no real option but to lie down either side of the artificial parting that the barber had so helpfully carved into my head. It looked so bad. Tragic. It bore no resemblance to the glorious hair that had been on my head just days before. My dad opened the bathroom cabinet. My heart sank yet further (which, by this point I thought was already at rock bottom). He pulled out a jar of pomade that he used on his own hair. "You'll be using this each day to keep your hair looking smart". I started begging for a reprieve from this final step in transforming me into a full on 15 year old bank manager. The begging failed. A large dollop of pomade was worked through my hair as my dad showed me how to style it using a comb, and creating the small wave at the front. I stared in the mirror. The bathroom light shone on my now darkened, sleek hair that showed up every ridge of hair that the comb had created through the gentle wave of the executive hairstyle. The bleak part line running down my head making me look like a total geek, while the lack of volume of hair and the loss of my sideburns made my head look so small and weedy. I was too nervous to eat breakfast. So my dad took the opportunity to run through some rules that my parents had thoughtfully created. I was to wear the full uniform all day at school. If I were to mess up my hair or uniform, there would be consequences, and if I wanted to stop being grounded, I'd better adhere. I was to be polite and courteous to all...and so the rules went on. I was also told that one of my parents would drop me off at school and pick me up each day to make sure I didn't get into trouble. I had no choice but to agree. Finally my mum stuck the final knife in - "and you'll wear these" as she handed me the glasses that had been bought for me 18 months earlier, which I did badly need but had been far too vain to wear. I started to protest but my mum gave me her look, and I knew better than to argue further.

I put on the glasses. They weighed down my face, acting as another reminder (as if I needed it) of how geeky I now looked. They were big gold aviator style glasses with thick lenses that shrunk my eyes. While these had been fairly fashionable a couple of years ago, fashion had moved on to smaller round glasses, and even those with worse eyesight had far thinner lenses than these. Only a boy who didn't care about style - or, more often, older men - wore these now. My dad handed me my blazer. I grudgingly put it on. "You look really good" he said as he led me over to the long mirror to have a look. I really didn't want to look. It was like a real life horror story. I looked up and there was the strange boy-man looking at me who looked horrified. Scared. With my glasses on it felt like the reality was even bigger. Here was an exceptionally nerdy looking boy who looked like he's trying to go under-cover as some sort of city executive but blatantly being just a child. Then it hit me, my mature teenage look had been stripped away. Where as people might have previously thought of me as maybe being 16 or 17, I now looked much younger and like I was auditioning to be a child in the royal family - even Prince William who had previously had a style that could be classed as similar to my new look (though without all the grease, and quite a bit longer), now sported a more fashionable centre parting. I really was alone with this hairstyle and lack of fashion sense. My face now being devoid of all facial hair looked thin and pale, while my ears now stuck out, and my eyes looked weird being slightly obscured by the reflection in my glasses, and the shrinking of my eyes that they caused. This reflection was matched by the shine on my shoes and drew attention to the military crease of my dowdy trousers. But the biggest pity I felt was that for what sat on the top of my head. Even a lego head man - despite sharing the ridiculous conservative side parting - had more hair than was left on my head. And despite being made out of plastic, the lego man couldn't even begin to compete with the shine of my hair that was cruelly fashioned into a short slick joke of a haircut that I was going to have to endure for goodness knows how many weeks until it started to grow out. Even walking from the house to the car I felt exceptionally conspicuous with my enforced new look being shown off to the world. From the clomp of the soles of my formal shoes announcing my presence, to the sheen of my businessman's haircut displaying the sheer brutal outdated part and quiff that now defined me. The short drive to school was unbearable. My mum dropped me off at the end of the road, and reminded me to behave and follow the rules. I grunted and left the car. As soon as I was round the corner I ruffled up my hair as best I could. It still looked awful, but at least it looked a bit dishevelled, even though it was clear still a short haircut, but maybe not the side parting that my elders saw fit to inflict on me. I grab a baseball cap out of my bag which also contained my trainers which quickly got swapped for my horrific new shoes. The glasses and blazer got stuffed in the bag too, and the tie got loosened. I walked through the gates and ran straight into my friends. Straight away they clocked that my sideburns had disappeared. One of them grabbed my hat. There was a momentary hush before they all started laughing. Had I got hit by a lawnmower? Had something gone horrifically wrong that I now had a haircut so short but slightly longer in some places than others, and was that some sort of line running down my head...? These quips continued periodically through the day. It was bad, but it could have been worse. I walked out of school with my friends and walked straight into my dad who was waiting right outside. I took one look at him and saw his anger. I then remembered what I'd done. I definitely didn't look like I had when I'd left the house. Rules had been broken. I was for it now.

#nerdification #geek #forced makeover #tf story #thickglasses

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richincolor · 1 year

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We've got a packed week with seven new releases on our calendar! Which ones are on your TBR list?

The HarperCollins Union has been striking since 10 November 2022. Please consider supporting the strike by purchasing books through the union's Bookshop account or by donating to the strike fund.

NerdCrush by Alisha Emrich Running Press Kids

Ramona Lambert is a typical shy, artistic sixteen-year-old. She has a best friend whom she’s known since they were in diapers; parents who love her; a love for cosplay; and a crush on the cute boy in her class.

The only problem? Her best friend moved away; her parents don't quite understand her love of cosplay; and she is pretty sure her crush has no idea she exists.

To escape her troubles, Ramona turns to cosplay and her original character, Rel, who gives her the confidence and freedom that she lacks in real life. Embracing this confidence, she decides to strike up an email conversation with her crush, Caleb Wolfe, from her cosplay account in the hopes getting to know him . . . and maybe win his heart. Then as Caleb and Ramona are swept up in their emails back and forth to each other, and Ramona falls even harder as he opens up about his hopes, insecurities, and his own geeky loves. However, as Caleb starts to grow closer and closer to Rel, he also strikes up a friendship with Ramona, who knows she can't keep the truth about Rel from Caleb but isn't sure she is ready to risk losing him. With an important cosplay convention coming up and the anxiety of her double-life weighing on her, Ramona has to decide if she’ll hide behind her cosplay character forever or take the chance and let Caleb see the real her--because he might actually like her for who she is. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood Wednesday Books

Eighteen-year-old Victoria is a Wildblood. Kidnapped at the age of six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company, she’s worked as a tour guide ever since with a team of fellow Wildbloods who take turns using their magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters.

When the boss denies Victoria an earned promotion to team leader in favor of Dean, her backstabbing ex, she’s determined to prove herself. Her magic may be the most powerful on the team, but she’s not the image the boss wants to send their new client, Thorn, a renowned goldminer determined to reach an untouched gold supply deep in the jungle.

Thorn is everything Victoria isn't - confident, impossibly kind, and so handsome he leaves her speechless. And when he entrusts the mission to her, kindness turns to mutual respect, turns to affection, turns to love. But the jungle is treacherous, and between hypnotic river spirits, soul-devouring women that shed their skin like snakes, and her ex out for revenge, Victoria has to decide - is promotion at a corrupt company really what she wants? -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Going Dark by Melissa de la Cruz Union Square Co.

#WhereisAmeliaAshley

The Influencer Amelia Ashley shares everything with her followers – her favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants, her best fashion tips, and her European trip-of-a-lifetime with her hot boyfriend.

The Boyfriend Josh has no choice but to return home without Amelia after she abandons him in Rome. He has no clue where she went or how her blood got in his suitcase. Why won’t anyone believe him?

The Hacker To Harper Delgado, Amelia Ashley is just another missing white girl whipping up a media frenzy. But with each digital knot she untangles about the influencer, Harper wonders: who is Amelia Ashley?

The Other Girl Two years ago, another girl went missing, one who never made headlines or had a trending hashtag.

The Truth Amelia’s disappearance has captured the world’s attention. What comes next? Watch this space…

Told through a mixture of social media posts, diary entries, and firsthand accounts, Going Dark is a gripping, suspenseful thriller about all the missing girls who fall off the radar, perfect for true crime fans and readers of One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.

These Infinite Threads (This Woven Kingdom, #2) by Tahereh Mafi HarperCollins

(The HarperCollins Union has been striking since 10 November 2022. Please consider supporting the strike by purchasing books through the union's Bookshop account or by donating to the strike fund.)

Alizeh is the heir to the Jinn throne and fulfills a long-foretold prophecy of a Jinn sovereign destined to free her people from the half-lives they’ve been forced to live under the rule of humans.

Kamran is the heir to the human throne, and he’s being pressured to marry before he becomes king. When he falls in love with Alizeh and subsequently learns her true identity, he must question everything he’s been taught about Jinn and their future in his kingdom.

These Infinite Threads picks up at the explosive cliff-hanger ending of the New York Times bestselling novel This Woven Kingdom, and is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tomi Adeyemi, and Sabaa Tahir. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Long Run by James Acker Inkyard Press

(The HarperCollins Union has been striking since 10 November 2022. Please consider supporting the strike by purchasing books through the union's Bookshop account or by donating to the strike fund.)

Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro.

Sandro Miceli is too nice for his own good. The middle child in an always-growing, always-screaming Italian family, Sandro walks around on a broken foot to not bother his busy parents. All he wants is to get out and never look back.

When fate—in the form of a party that gets busted—brings these two very different boys together, neither of them could’ve predicted finding a love that they’d risk everything for… -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

This Time It's Real by Ann Liang Scholastic

When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin’s essay about meeting the love of her life unexpectedly goes viral, her entire life changes overnight. Now she has the approval of her classmates at her new international school in Beijing, a career-launching internship opportunity at her favorite magazine…and a massive secret to keep.

Eliza made her essay up. She’s never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right?

Desperate to hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with the famous actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. She’ll help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. Caz is a dream boyfriend -- he passes handwritten notes to her in class, makes her little sister laugh, and takes her out on motorcycle rides to the best snack stalls around the city.

But when her relationship with Caz starts feeling a little too convincing, all of Eliza’s carefully laid plans are threatened. Can she still follow her dreams if it means breaking her own heart?

Daughters of Oduma by Moses Ose Utomi Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Eat. Dance. Fight.

This is the life of the girls who compete in the Isle’s elite, all-female fighting sport of Bowing. But it isn’t really Dirt’s life anymore. At sixteen, she is old and has retired from competition. Instead, she spends her days coaching the younger sisters of the Mud Fam and dreading her fast-approaching birthday, when she’ll have to leave her sisters to fulfill whatever destiny the Gods choose for her.

Dirt’s young sisters are coming along nicely, and the Mud Fam is sure to win the upcoming South God Bow tournament, which is crucial: the tiny Fam needs the new recruits that come with victory. Then an attack from a powerful rival leaves the Mud without their top Bower, and Dirt is the only one who can compete in the tournament. But Dirt is old, out of shape, and afraid. She has never wanted to be a leader. Victory seems impossible—yet defeat would mean the end of her beloved Fam. And no way is Dirt going to let that happen.

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