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rebellionmoon · 1 year

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💚 ILLUMI HEADCANONS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY 💚

idk but i just love imagining random facts about illumi, that don't really add to his character, but kindof do too? Maybe it's because there isn't much screen time of illumi in the anime that my brain needs to fill all that empty space of longing in my heart of what could have been.

SO HERE ARE RANDOM ILLUMI (HEADCANON) FACTS THAT SERVE NOTHING:

He drinks beer and uses his teeth to open the bottles. He used to have a collection of bottlecaps, but then he gave them to Killua. So whenever Illumi opened a bottle, the cap would hence force go to Killua. Now the jar of bottlecaps is somewhere in Killua's room collecting dust.

After finishing an assassintion, he likes to get fastfood. Something quick and indulgent, like it's a cheat day. If he was on a job with his brothers then they'd hit a bodega afterwards. Sometimes he would bring food back to Milluki too.

He can hold a burger in one hand and tear through a ketchup packet with his teeth. He dips his food so much, he rarely eats anything without sauce.

Like Silva, Illumi has had a few pets in his life. One of them being a bear. He named it Pikelet. (I'll explore this one more in my fic!)

Although murder is his trade, that shouldn't hinder his other passions, including wild life conservation! This boy grew up in the mountains, albiet privately owned. You can't convince me he isn't a goblin child at heart.

He always thought he deserved to have fangs.

When he sees a walking stick lying on the ground, he has the urge to pick it up and wield it like a sword.

When he was eight he read all the narnia books. Peter was his comfort character, but he wanted to be Prince Caspian. To this day, if you ask him why he likes Narnia, he will give you a disseration and explain why Lucy is the strongest of all the penvensie siblings. He has never had turkish delight, but believes he would betray his siblings for them, they just look so good!

He could grow antlers out of pure will power. No, literally, he can. He can and will show you. "I'm a crytid. Look at my antlers."

He's still a Goosebumps kid at heart. When autumn rolls around, he he lays in bed and watches his favorite spooky shows (scooby doo, goosebumps, are you afraid of the dark?, tales from the crypt)

When he was little, he used to play in the forest by himself ALOT. One time, he crawled into a log, but the log was at the top of a hill and it began to roll down with him in it and then it rolled into a pond. He was able to escape, but he almost drowned and never told anyone what happened. He was a little mortified to tell anyone because he almost died doing something stupid. He'll tell you he has done alot of stupid things in the woods, but won't divulge more than that.

He's actually kind of good at acting and loves watching movies. This is part of why he is so good at diguises, he studies the actors in movies lol Sometimes he repeats lines from movies randomly in the house. Out of nowhere, he shouts 'BILBOOOO BAGGINSSSS' in a gandolf like voice. It's okay, just accept it.

Illumi has rehabilitated many opossums in his life.

He owns an animal rescue ranch, under a different identity of one of his disguises, that rebahilibates injured animals and prepares to release them back to the wild. His current disguise is an old man, but Illumi plans to 'die' and come back as his son/heir. Yes, he has worked out an entire line of succession for a rescue ranch. Did he have to do this? No, but he did anyway.

Once Illumi officiated the wedding between a frog named Freddie Lime to another frog named Emily Spinach. Oh, he was also high, but the wedding was beautiful, and Milluki fished him out of the pond afterwards.

There's a deer in Kukuroo Mountain that is fond of Illumi. If it sees him, it will run up to him. Illumi doesn't know what the forest calls the deer, but he calls it Thimble. He gives Thimble treats, and Thimple lets Illumi pet him, the arrangement has worked out very well so far.

Kukuroo Mountain is self sustainable, and alot of the food they cook they grow themselves. There's also a farm, with cows. Illumi would just be chilling on a hamick and then suddenly killua runs past him, and then so does a cow. Illumi goes back to napping, this isn't his mess to clean up.

"Concept: I will continue to bottle up all my emotions until I snap."

Moss.

Here were some facts! I have more stuff, but those are spoilers for my fanfic (where shadows touch), My obsession might be unhealthy but it's delicious and i love it so I'm not gonna stop.

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ecliptsukki · 3 years

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his delinquent phase ❧ kaoru sakurayashiki // cherry blossom

navigation | music

➣ genre: fluff

➣ warnings: adam’s existence

➣ request: can i request a one shot where you’re cherrys s/o and like childhood best friends with joe and cherry and adam and you’re gushing over cherrys old bad boy look with piercings and everuthing and cherry one day goes to S with his piercings and hair the same way as before just to see you fawn over him skjfks

➣ a/n: this took me three times to type up because the first two times i did it, tumblr thought it would be funny to delete it. i’m not sure if i love how this came out, but it’s still better than my original plan. hopefully this was correct to what the anon requested. enjoy!

ps: i’m also going to be going on a trip for four days tomorrow, so i’m not sure if i’ll be able to post. i’ll definitely try to start working on my other requests!

You had known Joe, Cherry, and Adam ever since the four of you were in high school. Out of the three, you had met Joe, first, not soon before you met Cherry.

You were walking down the eventful streets of Okinawa, admiring the sights and getting accustomed with the area. You had moved to the city not too long ago and already were growing attached to the place. In your defense, the city was your perfect and desired location to live in.

A gentle breeze blew through your hair, rustling the leaves of the green trees. You sighed at the feeling of the cool breeze tickling your warm skin. Not long after that breeze had gone, another, harsher breeze blew past you. You flinched at the abnormally sharp wind, snapping your head to the side, in its direction. You were met with honey red eyes and short, green locks, swaying.

The male slips past you, stopping abruptly.

“Sorry about that,” he smiled, embarrassed, “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

You were in awe, seeing what the boy was standing on, and on alert because you had always been taught to be cautious around strangers, especially when you were walking alone.

“Um, no. I’m alright, just shocked,” you shrugged, replying quietly.

Another harsh, but gentler than before, wind blows past you, revealing a pink-haired male. He had three piercings on his ear and one on his lip. Half of the boy’s face was hidden by his long bangs, allowing your focus to lock on his golden eye.

“Watch where you’re going,” he snaps at his green-haired friend. “Sorry about him,” he apologizes, giving you a polite smile.

All the sirens were going off in your head.

He has so many piercings! Is he a delinquent? Are both of them delinquents? If they are, I can’t fight them off on my own. What do I do?

“I’m Kaoru,” the bubblegum-haired male suddenly said, “This is Kojiro.”

Kojiro nodded at you, an embarrassed blush still grazing his cheeks.

“Hey, aren’t you the new kid?” Kaoru asked, finding your puzzlingly familiar.

“Oh, that’s why I felt like I’ve met you before,” Kojiro spoke up, nodding his head when he realized who you were.

Awkwardly, you shyly respond, “Sorry, I can’t seem to remember seeing you guys at school. Are you in my class?”

Until dusk, the three of you talked, getting to know the each of you better. You were also able to befriend the boys you were so afraid of, becoming your first two friends in the city.

You met Adam in the dark of night, beside Cherry and Joe.

They had brought you along, one night, wanting to skate with you. You already knew the basics of skating, nothing more, nothing less. Therefore, as your closest, and only, friends, they wanted to get further acquainted with you in something they loved.

“Who’s the sweet cheeks?” His hoodie-covered eyes left an eerie pressure on you, causing goosebumps to emerge from your skin.

“This is our close friend, Y/N L/N,” Cherry spoke up.

“She goes to school with us, and we wanted to bring her skating. Mind her tagging along?” Joe asks his hooded friend.

“Not at all, just as long as she can keep up,” he spoke in a cocky tone.

The pretentious attitude the unnamed face had was irking you in the wrong way. He seemed too mysterious for your liking. A third of the boy’s face was hidden in the shadow of his hoodie, leaving you only able to see the blue tips of his hair and his structured nose.

He must’ve noticed your timid stare because he looks at you, under his hood, “Call me Adam.”

Cherry and Joe look at you expectingly.

“Just call me sweet cheeks, for now,” you reply, distantly, not ready to let your guard down just yet.

You hear your two friends sigh, chuckling to each other.

“Don’t worry, she’ll warm up to you, soon,” Cherry told Adam, “We know firsthand how she is with meeting new people.”

You blush, remembering your first encounter with the pair.

Thinking back, you still regret letting your walls down and accepting Adam as a friend. Not a day goes by that Adam doesn’t linger in your mind, as much as you’d hate to admit.

You despise that man with a passion. From your first interaction, you should’ve known that there was something off about the blue-haired male, but pondering on these frustrations now wouldn’t change anything. As much as you’d like to curse the man for hurting your friends’ and your feelings, you knew you had to move on.

You sat on the soft mattress of your shared bed, scrolling through old pictures stored on your phone. You saw pictures taken by Kaoru when you guys went on dates. Majority of the photos were candid, seeing as he always had told you that you were the “most photogenic woman” he had ever met.

You remember the day he had told you that. You also remember your laughed reply.

“Then you’ve got the whole world to explore, my love.”

Although, honestly, you thought Kaoru was quite the photogenic one himself. His gorgeous, sorted, pink hair matched with his golden eyes and perfect face never looked bad, not even at the crack of dawn or in the late of night.

Speaking of which, you scrolled upon a photograph of Kaoru sitting all pretty with his piercings on display. Those piercings brought back many memories, humorous and lustful.

Ironically, the thing that brought you fear before now brings you yearning.

Honestly, once you had befriended Kaoru and came to trust him, the piercings no longer frightened you but instead, fascinated you. Those metal hoops further increased your attraction to the ponytailed man, leading you to the relationship you were in now.

Obviously, Kojiro played a big role in setting the two of you up together because both of you were completely oblivious to the other’s feelings. It got to the point that Adam almost had to step in and wack some sense into the both of you.

Anyways, ever since Kaoru had started working in the calligraphy business, he removed his piercings to maintain a professional image. You detested the idea, but you also knew that it was the best for his business.

Now that you were looking back at photos of Kaoru as a teenager, you began to crave seeing him in those metal rings once more. You missed the “bad boy” look your boyfriend used to have, not that you didn’t appreciate how he looked now. It’s just that there’s a different vibe to his current and past aesthetics.

As you stalked through more pictures of teenage Kaoru, you were unaware of the very man you were thinking about watching you. He noticed the longing and craving in your gaze. Then, he caught a glimpse of what was being projected on your screen: it was him but in his teenage years.

Suddenly, everything clicked for Kaoru, and he had the perfect plan in mind.

Something was off. Usually your boyfriend would insist on bringing you to “S” himself but not today. If anything, he was urging you to go with Kojiro.

“He’s been your friend for the same amount of time as I. You should take this time to your advantage and catch up,” was Kaoru’s excuse.

First of all, catch up on what? It’s not like you haven’t talked to Kojiro in months. Actually, you talked to him a day ago, at “S.” Secondly, what’s up with the sudden lenience and weak excuses?

Joe, who was also in on the plan, tried to help his friend out, making a feeble attempt to lure you with free food.

“I can get free food from you whenever I want,” you replied, squinting suspiciously at your friend.

“Not with that attitude, you can’t.” That pulled a raised brow from you and a regret-filled face from the muscular man.

Though you weren’t fully convinced that nothing was off, you still left with Joe, caving into their terrible attempts of covering up whatever they were hiding from you.

You had arrived at “S” with Joe for about ten minutes now, but there was still no sightings of your beloved, Cherry. Joe caught glimpse of your searching eyes and reassured you that he would be coming, be it later than usual.

Reki, Langa, and Miya had made their way over to you, sparking up a conversation with you, making you forget about the missing presence of a specific male.

Miya was explaining the new training regiment and diet he was to use in order to advance his strength, leading you to worry for the small teenager. If he didn’t eat enough, it could become fatal to him. You didn’t understand why a child was being treated so harshly by his managers, forcing him to eat barely anything and train long hours of the day.

You were concernedly asking Miya if he was feeling alright and offered him an energy bar you carried around in case of emergencies, which he gratefully accepted, when you heard the cheers of fangirls behind you. Knowing they weren’t meant for Joe, you turned around to meet the golden eyes you’d fallen in love with.

This time, there was something different. His face wasn’t hidden by his mask. You could see the pale skin of his cheeks and the pink of his lips. Besides the absence of the black cloth, you noticed metallic rings decorating your boyfriend’s lip and ears. Also, his hair wasn’t whipping behind him, as per usual, but laid low, drifting in the wind.

For a hot moment, you had thought you had finally lost it, but when you blinked your eyes, looking at Miya then back to Cherry, you realized you were still sane and your boyfriend still looked like he aged back into his high school days.

“Is that Cherry?” Miya asked from beside you.

You nodded, speechless.

You heard someone let out a loud laugh beside you, “Since when did he have piercings?”

Ignoring the redhead’s outburst, you were mesmerized by the Cherry you had been obsessing over a couple days ago. It felt like one extravagant dream that you didn’t want to wake up from. In your defense, as he stepped of his skateboard, coming to embrace you, he looked straight out of a fantasy. His skin was practically glowing, and his hair gently floated perfectly onto his shoulders.

“Hello, darling,” he spoke in a sultry voice, placing a soft kiss to your forehead as he held you in his muscular arms.

“K-Kao—” you quickly realize your soon-to-be mistake and fix it, “Cherry.”

His eyes shrink as he laughs, endearingly, admiring the flustered and confused look you were portraying.

“Is this why you and Joe were being so weird earlier today?” You asked, cheek pressed against his slim, toned chest.

“Indeed, my love. What do you think? Definitely brings back some memories of the old days,” he lifts your chin, forcing you to look him in the eyes.

“I love it. It’s perfect. You’re perfect,” you smile brightly, eyes lustrous. Pushing yourself up on your toes, you whisper into his ear, “You also look really hot.” You quickly pull away, turning a vibrant red.

“I think you broke her,” Joe told his friend, placing a heavy hand on the pink-nette’s shoulder.

After the supposed one occurrence surprise, you began to avidly ask him to wear his piercings, loving how attractive and domineering he looked in them. If he denied, you would ask him to, at least, tie his hair in the relaxed half up half down hairdo. He didn’t mind the different hairstyle as much as he did the piercings so it became a normal look for him. The only times he would willingly put on his piercings were when he was going to “S” or when the two of you were safe in the comfort of your own home, for research purposes.

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xxlauraxsophiexx · 3 years

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Daryl x reader: Haircut

Here is a Daryl Dixon x reader one shot. No smut, except a short make out session.

I’m sorry for my bad English, it’s not my native language.

Sadly I don’t own The Walking Dead or the characters.

The wind was cold and made goosebumps run down your (y/n) arms. Dusk had already fallen. Exhausted from the long day, you could feel yourself lacking a little more strength with each step you took. The leaves rustled and the trees swayed back and forth in the wind.

"How much longer?" you complained.

Daryl sighed and replied annoyed, "About 20 more minutes, girl. If you'd hurry up a bit, we'll get to Alexandria before nightfall too!"

Rolling your eyes, you walked behind your friend. You didn't bother to be quiet. The leaves rustled and branches broke as soon as you stepped on them.

"I'm hurrying, but I really can't go on. My legs hurt, I'm sweaty, my hair is covered in dirt, I'm hungry and..."

Daryl's hand shot up. A sign to be quiet. As quietly as you could, you crept over to the tree behind which Daryl was spooked.

"What's going on?" you whispered.

Daryl glanced over his shoulder and pulled you in front of his chest, still hiding behind the large tree. Gently, he placed a hand on your head and gently stroked his fingers through your hair, which reached above your hips. You loved it when he did that and he also liked your incredibly long hair, which lay perfectly around your curves. He turned his head to the left and in your field of vision were about twenty biters stumbling through the undergrowth.

You were exhausted and you knew Daryl had little energy left too. It had been a long and eventful day that you would certainly not soon forget. Annoyed, you let out a heavy breath.

"Let's wait a minute and then quickly go past them."

You nodded silently and looked at the dead but still moving figures.

After about 5 minutes, most of the strange figures had passed. Cautiously, Daryl and you stepped out from behind the tree. Daryl with his crossbow in his hand and you with a knife.

You walked up to an undead and framed your knife in its skull. After he fell to the ground, you ran to the next one and rammed a knife into his skull as well. Just as you were about to run further, you were pulled back by your long hair, which hurt a little. As far as you could see over your shoulder, you saw a bony hand of an undead raking your hair. You stumbled forward and fell to the forest floor, the undead half on your back. It tried to bite into your throat. Lying on your stomach with the undead knotted in your hair, it was hard to keep the creature away from you, but you tried as best you could.

"Head down."

As your friend said, so did you. A few seconds later you felt the figure slump on top of you and finally cold, cees blood dripping onto your shoulders.

Quickly, two more arrows shot through the air. They bounded into the monsters forehead and they fell limply to the ground.

Daryl came running over to you and carefully tried to pry the undead's hand out of your long hair, which was becoming more and more saturated with the bloody substance.

Finally, he lifted the dead man off you and helped you up.

"You okay, sunshine?"

You just nodded briefly and buried your face in his strong chest. Carefully he began to run his hands through your bloody hair and rested his head on yours.

"As much as I love your long hair, I'm afraid you should cut some off".

You loved your long hair and knew he was right somewhere, but still you weren't ready to cut your hair off.

"No!"

"Not even 10 centimetres?"

You sighed. Ten centimetres wasn't very much on you. Your hair would still be exceptionally long. It would end just above your hip bone, which was actually still acceptable.

"All right," you groan out, annoyed.

"Come on, girl. Let's go back."

The warm water felt good on your skin. The blood and dirt coloured the water for a while, but eventually it cleared up. The door opened and Daryl came into the bathroom.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," you murmured as you enjoyed the pleasant feeling of the water splashing down.

The shower door opened and Daryl came in. Despite all the dirt, you wrapped your arms around his neck and rested your head against his chest with your eyes closed. Gently, he laid your hair over your right shoulder and began to paint small circles on your lower back. His skin was rough, but you loved the feeling of his movements through your body. Daryl's lips settled on your hairline, making you grumble slightly against his chest. You were sure there was a smile on his face now.

He took a hand from your back and lifted your chin with one finger, making you look into his eyes. A strange feeling, but one you loved, ran through your body. Your lips parted and already his were resting on yours. A soft moan escaped you as he bit your lower lip to gain entry. You gladly granted it and already there was a fight for dominance in your mouth. After winning, he began to run his lips down your neck and under your ear. He spread hasty kisses and sucked in some places that he knew would make you weak. Another moan escaped you and you let your hands wander into his hair, where they tangled.

After a while you both pulled back and you rested your head against his chest again from fatigue. You felt his chest vibrate, so you slapped him lightly on his muscular arms. While you rested against Daryl, he began to wash his hair and body. It wasn't too easy, but he still managed it well. Sighing, he began to wash and rinse your hair as well.

"Come on sunshine, let's get you to bed".

The water stopped raining on the two of you and you felt a towel being placed around your body. Gently your skin was dried and finally you were lifted up by one hand under your knees and one at your back and carried to the bed you shared. Carefully you were laid on the soft mattress and your naked body was covered by a blanket. Half asleep, you noticed Daryl leave again, which is why you started mewling around, "Daryl!"

"I'll be right there y/n."

Sighing, you buried your face in the pillow and waited for Daryl to come back. The light went out and you felt the blanket lift up next to you. Immediately you snuggled up against Daryl's naked torso.

"Have another drink before you sleep."

Annoyed, you groaned and sat up. Gratefully, you accepted Daryl's glass of water and took a few sips. Finally, you gave him back the glass with the cool liquid and snuggled close to his warm body again. He gently stroked your scalp and pulled you close to him with his other arm around your waist.

The last thing you felt was a soft kiss on your hairline and an 'I love you'.

"Come on, let's cut your hair."

You rolled your eyes in annoyance....

"I saw that"

"I saw that," you mimicked him.

In a moment you were lifted up and sat in front of a mirror in the bedroom. Daryl placed a towel around your petite body and took out a pair of scissors.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Have you done this before?"

Daryl just laughed, "Trust me."

Sceptically you looked at him, "Not too trusting."

Shaking his head he began to comb your hair and part it neatly.

"I'm really not going to cut much off," he tried to reassure you.

"I would hope so if I were you, otherwise I know who won't be having any fun in this room for the next month!"

Rolling his eyes, Daryl began to cut off ten inches of your hair. Taking his time to get the best possible result. After a short while, he finished and took the towel away. Already you were standing and tousling through your hair. It stopped just above your waist and not ten centimetres further as usual.

"At least this way I don't have to worry about you so much anymore. How many times have you gotten your hair tangled in a tree, please? And the chance of you being grabbed by the hair by a biter is also a little less."

"True enough Dixon. I should probably do a braid before we leave the state, though."

"Well, go ahead and make one right now. Rick has asked for our help. We have to leave in an hour," Daryl reported.

"What?" you complained, "I thought we had the day off."

"Stop complaining girl, just get ready. This is going to be a short trip too."

"How many times have I heard that..." you stated rolling your eyes.

"Y/N?!"

You let out an annoyed yell and angrily threw the hairbrush across the bedroom. Daryl came running through the door and looked around the room in confusion. You had already started trying to braid half your hair close to your head and further down. After starting, you gave out annoyed again, because you just couldn't get it to look remotely nice.

Daryl stood behind the chair you were sitting on and began to comb your hair with the hairbrush he had just picked up again.

"What the hell are you doing, Dixon?"

"I'm braiding your hair because you obviously can't do it, sunshine," he instructed you. As he began to braid.

"As if you could do it any better," you said, annoyed and meek.

"Oh sunshine, if you only knew. Before all this I had to learn to braid my little cousin's hair. My dad and his brother were often away for weeks at a time, so Merle and I had to look after the little one. Merle was never the best with little kids, so that was left on me..."

You knew how hard it was for him to talk about anything before the apocalypse. When he finished a page, you turned and took his hand in yours. You kissed his cheek gently and whispered, "I love you".

"I know, I love you too".

It was quiet for a moment you leaned against him.

"Happy with the results?"

You pulled back and started at your reflection.

"Honestly how is it that you're so good at this?"

Daryl just laughed softly in response and started braiding the other half of your hair.

"I already know who's always going to do my hair now," you said confidently.

"Do I look like your personal hairdresser, girl?"

"Yep."

"Dream on, girl".

#daryl dixon x you #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon #the walking dead #twd #fluff #reader #the walking dead imagines

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phantom-curve · 3 years

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44 for willex and au of your choice! If you’re still taking prompts

Oop this prompt invaded my brain and ran off into the sunset. I definitely didn’t mean for it to get as long as it did, but here we are! From the gimme a chance AU, I give you 3 times Willie sat on Alex’s lap +1 time Alex sat on Willie’s (these span the time between all the other one-shots I wrote for Willex in this universe!)

#44: sitting on the other’s lap (Rated a heavy T for some adult themes and language. Also available on ao3!)

Willie hardly ever thought about it anymore. When they were out in public, when they were at the studio with Luke and Reggie for band practice, when they were just hanging around one of their apartments, he never really thought about them in terms of dating. He kind of more thought about them in terms of forever. Not that he was rushing anything, but more that there was a kind of aura around Alex, a kind of energy, that had a way of sinking into Willie’s very bones and saying hey, I’m gonna stick around for the rest of your life that made him think in terms of absolutes. Alex was an absolute. Willie was totally a-okay with that.

The thing that bothered him though, was the fact that Alex didn’t seem to get it.

He still waited for Willie to offer his hand to hold. He didn’t kiss him unless Willie made it painfully obvious that he was okay with that. He hadn’t even managed to get him to spend the night yet because Alex always came up with a reason to go home before Willie could even try to extend the invitation.

And it wasn’t that Alex wasn’t into him. He was. He so totally was. Willie knew that. But it was like he was afraid to own up to it. Which Willie could kind of understand. They had talked about their families and while Willie was lucky to be fully accepted for who he was at home, Alex’s parents were a different story.

They weren’t outright cruel, they had still provided the necessities in the form of food, water, and shelter while Alex had been living at home, but they didn’t love any more. They didn’t talk, they didn’t help, they just ghosted along as if they had never been a part of Alex’s life in the first place. It seemed worse than outright hatred, but Alex claimed it was better than nothing. After all, it had meant that they didn’t ask where he had been or where he was going or when he would be home, which had kinda been a dream as a high schooler. Other kids had wished they had that kind of freedom, Alex told him. Not worth complaining about. It had basically been like having roommates, which was great practice for when he moved out and actually had roommates, Alex said, and Willie pretended all of that was normal because he could tell Alex wanted it to be. They didn’t talk about how now that Alex was living on his own his parents had completely dropped all communication with him. Willie just made a note of it and decided he would make up for all that affection Alex had been missing out on.

So, Willie carried on the way he was used to when it came to being interested in someone and in a relationship with them. He complimented Alex, gave him cute little nicknames, and generally tried to see how often he could manage to make the other boy blush. One of the most successful tactics he had found was sitting in Alex’s lap, especially when he least expected it.

Like right now, in the middle of a Sunset Curve practice.

Luke had been getting frustrated with part of the melody of a new song or something, and Reggie had finally told him to just jam it out until he found the notes he was looking for, and Alex had paused his drumming, tucking his sticks into one hand, and reaching down with the other to grab the large water bottle he kept at his feet when he played. He watched the way the light caught on Alex’s hair as he flicked it off his face, turning the blonde strands into spun gold. Found himself mesmerized by the lines of Alex’s jaw and neck as he tipped his head back to rehydrate. His feet moved on their own, pulling him over to his boyfriend’s side like Alex was a magnet and Willie was made of metal.

Alex quirked a brow at him as he lowered the water bottle, but Willie didn’t say anything. Just grinned and plopped himself down right on Alex’s lap, even though he knew the stool was only meant to hold one person’s weight and Alex had grumbled more than once over Luke and Reggie messing with it. Alex didn’t grumble at him though. Especially not when he looped his arms around the other boy’s neck and leaned forward to place a kiss against his temple. Alex’s cheeks blushed Willie’s favorite shade of pink, the one that almost matched the hoodie he always wore.

“You looked a little lonely over here. Thought I’d come say hi.”

“Hi.”

Alex’s lips parted as he breathed out the word, his eyes softening the way they did every time Willie looked into them for a beat too long. Willie felt his smile widen. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of sweaty band boys and fresh linen and Alex’s honey vanilla shampoo. Alex started to slip his own arms around Willie’s waist, his head tilted up as his gaze fell to his lips. And then an extra loud guitar chord rang out through the amps and Alex jumped, nearly dumping Willie on the ground.

“Alright, lovebirds, enough! I figured out what was wrong with the chord progression. I just gotta switch it from a G chord to a...”

Willie tuned out, never fully able to follow along when Luke got going on a musical tangent. Instead, he pressed one quick kiss to Alex’s lips and stood, slipping out from behind the kit to return to his original position on the couch set up across from where the boys stood to play. Alex watched him with a soft smile and starry eyes before giving his head a quick shake and refocusing on Luke, cheeks still tinged that pale pink that made Willie’s heart soar. Willie tucked the memory away with all his other favorite Alex moments and watched the band get back to it, head bobbing along as he watched his boyfriend shine. And if he made sure to keep his gaze firmly focused on Alex, winking every now and then just so he could see that blush creep back in, well no one else had to know about that but him.

Surprisingly, the hardest part of dating a guy like Alex, a guy who was beautiful and effortlessly sexy and regularly doing something that gave literally anybody a free pass to ogle him for as long as his band was up on stage, was the fact that his boyfriend seemed to have no fucking clue just how attractive he was. And he was also shockingly bad at knowing when someone was hitting on him. Willie was pretty sure if he hadn’t asked Alex on a date after running him over, the guy would have never made a move. And that was afterWillie spent 20 minutes openly flirting with him and dropping ten-ton hints as he helped him clean up and bandage his wounds. It was simultaneously adorable and exhausting, because it meant that sometimes Willie had to watch people chat up his boyfriend while Alex awkwardly bumbled his way through what he assumed was a friendly conversation.

Willie, as a rule, did not get jealous. Jealousy was for people who had trust issues, and Willie trusted Alex more than he had ever trusted a single other person before. So, he wasn’t jealous, per se, as he made his way through the crowd, eyes locked on the back of the guy casually leaning over where Alex was sitting alone in a booth against the wall. He was actually a bit concerned because Alex looked uncomfortable, and he hadn’t thought to tell him that he was gonna make it to the show tonight, which had seemed like a romantic idea at the time but obviously wasn’t because Alex was drumming one of his hands against his thighs and tapping his fingers against the back of his phone on the table in front of him with the other.

He was probably waiting for Willie to call him, because that was something Willie had been doing now that he had gone pro and started traveling for competitions on the weekend instead of showing up at Ebbie’s to cheer on the band from the front row. He had been a little late to snag a front row spot this weekend, barely making it for the last couple of songs in the set. But he had made it, because the competition had ended up getting rained out and Willie had braved the hours of Saturday evening traffic back to LA so that he could see his boyfriend in person instead of through a phone screen.

His boyfriend who was now being hit on by a complete stranger in a crowded bar where Luke and Reggie were nowhere to be found. Willie frowned slightly as he watched Alex draw back into the booth a bit more, both hands picking up speed as they continued to mindlessly tap out a rhythm. No, Willie wasn’t jealous. He was mad that this dude wasn’t picking up on Alex’s cues and backing off. So, now that he was only a few steps away, he skipped forward and made his presence known.

“Hey Hotdog, you looked pretty good up there tonight.”

Alex’s face lit up like the 4th of July, his green gaze skipping past the guy invading his space and latching onto Willie like he was seeing the sun for the first time. Willie felt his lips curve into a soft smile. The unknown guy straightened a bit, eyes skipping back and forth between Alex and Willie, brow furrowed. Willie didn’t have the capacity to help the dude connect the dots, because all he could focus on was Alex and how fast his expression had changed upon hearing Willie’s voice.

“Willie.”

Alex’s tone was quiet and awed, like he had conjured Willie up out of thin air. His hands stilled, and Willie couldn’t resist anymore. He slipped past the stranger who was finally starting to back up and step away, hands raised slightly as if to say sorry, bro, didn’t know you had a boyfriend, and wormed his way into the booth, settling himself on Alex’s lap. Alex leaned forward, his head falling to rest in the crook of Willie’s neck, breath stuttering out and sending a wave of goosebumps across his skin.

“I didn’t think you were coming tonight.”

“Comp got cancelled. And I missed you.”

Willie dropped a kiss on the top of Alex’s blonde head, breathing in the distinct honey-vanilla-laundry scent that always got a bit more intense after a show. Alex’s cheeks warmed, Willie delighting in the fact that he could actually feel the blush against his own skin, and his lips moved against the hollow of Willie’s throat.

“I always miss you.”

The words were tempered with gentle kisses and Willie thought he might melt into the floor right there on the spot. He didn’t censor his next words, let the longing bleed through so Alex understood just how badly he wanted to be with him.

“Come home with me tonight then. I think six months of dating is long enough to move into sleepover territory.”

Alex’s arms squeezed around his waist for a brief second, Willie biting his tongue as he listened to Alex’s breath hitch and then pick up a bit faster than before. He pulled his head out of Willie’s neck, mouth open to answer, when the other two-thirds of Sunset Curve suddenly arrived at the table in their typical whirlwind fashion. They called out happy greetings as they clocked Willie’s arrival, slipping into the other side of the booth. Willie smiled and tried to focus on what they were saying so he could beat back the disappointment of not getting an answer. He only startled slightly when Alex’s lips were suddenly at his ear.

“Six months of dating is definitely long enough. Take me home, pretty boy.”

And Willie felt his own cheeks heat, prayed that Luke and Reggie wouldn’t spot the change in the low light as he settled himself further into Alex’s embrace. He kept himself occupied with linking his fingers through Alex’s where they still wrapped around his waist and tried not to think too much about finally getting to sleep next to the guy he was falling more in love with every day as he counted down the minutes to bar close.

He wasn’t even surprised when he woke up in the morning and realized a feeling of homecoming had settled fully and deeply into his heart and soul. At some point in the last six months home and Alex had become synonymous anyway.

The worst part about getting in a car accident and breaking his leg in three places was the fact that Willie couldn’t skate for several months while he recovered and went through physical therapy and all the other bullshit necessary to make sure he was strong enough to compete at a similar level as before. His sponsors had been understanding and Willie was able to do little things here and there to fulfill his contracts, so he wasn’t too worried about any of that for the time being. Mostly he was just bored and fidgety. But it was okay, because the best part about getting in car accident and breaking his leg in three places was having Alex as his caretaker while he recovered.

Alex, who had shown up at the hospital when Willie was still groggy from surgery and climbed into bed with him and kissed his bruises and told him he loved him. Alex, who had come back to the hospital every chance he got for the week Willie was stuck there post-op. Alex, who had practically moved into Willie’s apartment once he was sent home, even though they had both agreed they weren’t ready to live together yet, because Willie needed someone to help him get to and from the bathroom and shower and Alex was obviously his first choice despite the fact that Willie had three capable roommates who had offered to help.

Alex was the best part about his recovery, hands down. Except for the fact that he seemed to think Willie was made of glass now.

They were supposed to be having a movie night at the Sunset Curve apartment. Willie had gotten his cast off and been switched to a walking boot earlier that day, and he had told Alex he would come by after he left the hospital because he needed a break from the same four walls of his bedroom. Luke and Reggie had sent a text that they were picking up a pizza and drinks, so Willie had hoped for maybe a little bit of make-out action on the couch before they got back. Instead, Alex had fretted and fluttered about, forcing Willie to lay down on the couch with his leg elevated while Alex plumped his pillows and asked him a million times if he was feeling okay. Willie had been about ready to tackle Alex just to get him to shut up, still healing leg be damned, when Luke and Reggie came back.

Then it had been an argument over what to watch with Reggie insisting they hadn’t watched Star Wars recently even though they definitely had, and by the time the yellow words were rolling across the screen Willie realized Alex had opted for the floor next to the couch instead of the actual couch itself. He had his arm stretched out along Willie’s hip, but it wasn’t nearly enough contact. So, Willie swung his legs over the edge of the couch and stood, before unceremoniously dropping himself down directly in Alex’s lap. Alex let out an indignant huff, rolling his eyes as Reggie turned to shush him.

“Willie, what the hell? Get back on the couch, you need to rest your leg.”

Willie rolled his own eyes, snuggling further into Alex’s chest, winding his arms around the back of his neck to play with the blonde hair that was a bit overgrown at the back.

“No, I need to cuddle with my boyfriend. You keep acting like you’re gonna hurt me if you touch me and its honestly pretty rude. I’m not that breakable.”

Alex made sound of protest in the back of his throat, his hands waving around and above Willie’s booted leg.

“Obviously you are very breakable!”

“Yeah, in a fight with a car,” Willie snorted, sighing and refusing to budge even an inch. “You could never hurt me. C’mon, baby, please?”

Alex flushed from head to toe. Willie didn’t usually break out the softer pet names unless they were alone because they kind of made Alex blue screen, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Willie pressed a kiss against Alex’s throbbing pulse as well, in for a penny, in for a pound and all that.

“Guys,” Reggie whined, “can you like...take it to the bedroom or shut up? Some of us are trying to watch the Empire strike back here.”

And Alex, sweet, beautiful, perfect Alex, scooped Willie up like he weighed nothing at all, cheeks still pink and eyes unfocused in a way that told Willie his mind had taken a nosedive into the gutter. He couldn’t help but laugh, clinging on so that he wasn’t complete deadweight in Alex’s very capable arms.

“Dude, seriously?” He heard Luke call out, but the sound was muffled quickly behind Alex’s bedroom door as it closed, the lock clicking into place.

“That wasn’t fair.”

Alex’s tone didn’t match his words, his voice going breathless as he snuggled both of them into the bed, his hands sneaking under the hem of Willie’s crop top to skim along his ribs.

“All’s fair in love and war, babe.”

Willie let Alex swallow the sound of his laugh, lips meeting for the much-anticipated make-out session he had been hoping for earlier. Movie night was forgotten. By the time the sun was rising, Willie was pretty sure he had convinced Alex exactly how not breakable he was.

Alex wasn’t usually the one to initiate physical contact. Willie was completely at ease handing out kisses and hugs and linking their fingers together whenever it suited him, but Alex wasn’t quite as uninhibited. He had gotten better over the last year or so of dating, but he still wasn’t quite as casual with it. It was easier when they were alone, Willie’s lingering glances and complimentary words making him feel bold and confident.

It was kind of a running joke between them, the fact that Alex had initiated their first kiss so suddenly only to then spend the rest of their relationship holding himself back a bit. And even though Willie never meant it as more than a tease, Alex had been genuinely trying to change that about himself. He had started therapy and he was doing the work to unpack all of the ways his parents had fucked him up over the years. He was learning and growing, and not just for Willie, but for himself. It was nice.

Okay, it was really fucking hard and stressful. But it was also kind of working. Alex had found himself feeling a lot less anxious, especially when Willie was out of town competing and Alex had flashbacks to the car accident and other minor injuries Willie had sustained while on the road. He had learned some new coping mechanisms, and he had started to be a bit freer with his own physical affection. Which definitely had some very nice side effects.

Side effects like finally being the one to make Willie blush and blank out for once.

It shouldn’t have been a big deal. They had been dating for over a year, they regularly spent the night together, they were fully committed to each other. They had sex for Christ’s sake, so nothing should have felt like too much intimacy wise. And it didn’t. Until they were at some BBQ for one of Willie’s skater friends and Alex started to feel a bit overwhelmed, but instead of taking himself into the bathroom to have a quiet moment and pull it together, he found Willie, sitting next to a fire pit with a beer in hand. He didn’t even think twice before dropping into his lap and snatching the can from Willie’s grasp to steal a sip.

The contact was instantly comforting, and Alex suddenly realized that must be why Willie was constantly crawling into his own lap. It felt cozy and safe in his boyfriend’s arms, every part of him warm and close enough for Alex to inhale the scent of coconut shampoo mixed with cherry Chapstick. It was only when he went to return the beer can to Willie that he realized he had kind of frozen. For one second, Alex let himself panic that he had gone too far, done something wrong that would end up ruining everything, and then he realized Willie was breathing a lot faster than normal, one of his hands finding purchase against Alex’s waist and squeezing. The conversation carried on around them, but time seemed to stand still within their own personal little bubble.

“Alex, you cannot just do that and expect me not to want you six ways to Sunday now.”

Willie’s breath was hot against Alex’s neck, his words coming out fast and furious like he had to say them all now before he couldn’t speak at all. Alex felt his cheeks warm as he turned his head slightly to meet Willie’s eyes. His pupils were wide, cheeks the kind of ruddy dark brown that Alex had learned meant he was definitely blushing too. The fingers on the hand that was clenched around Alex’s hip danced across the thin strip of skin between his pants and his shirt, drawing a series of patterns across Alex’s side that made him shiver. Willie groaned beneath him, the sound breathless and just loud enough for Alex to hear. He smirked, wiggling a little like he was trying to get more comfortable.

“Lex, I swear to God I will make out with you so hard right in front of all these people. It won’t bother me. You gotta stop it unless you’re willing to risk that.”

Alex kinda wanted to risk it. Knowing he made Willie feel that out of control was a huge rush. God, he really should have taken advantage of all this physical stuff a lot earlier, huh?

“You wanna make out with me here, or you wanna make out with me back at your apartment?”

Alex kept his voice hushed, dipping his head so his lips were right next to Willie’s ear. Willie shuddered beneath him and then downed his beer in one long swallow. He nudged Alex to standing, following him but not moving out from his spot slightly behind him as his hand fit itself more snuggly into place along Alex’s waist.

“Gents,” he addressed the other skaters scattered around the fire with a two fingered salute, “Lex and I gotta get going. Got some plans to take care of.”

Alex tried not to snort and blush at the obvious undertone to Willie’s words. The rest of the group had no such qualms, hooting and hollering as Willie practically dragged Alex out of the back yard, hand raising to give them a middle finger when Alex heard Max call out get you some, Stewart! Alex laughed, stepping up close behind Willie as they came around to the front of the house, voice dipping low in a tease.

“Jeez, Wils, who knew sitting in your lap would do it for you?”

Willie turned without warning, catching Alex before he could trip into him and surging forward to connect their lips in a kiss that featured a bit more teeth than usual.

“You do it for me, Alex. It’s all you, all the time. God, I fucking love you.”

Alex didn’t get a chance to respond before Willie was pulling away and ushering Alex into his car. He linked their hands together on the console between the seats, and Alex didn’t even complain once about his speeding. He was too busy thinking up all the other things he could do to make Willie lose it in public like that again. He had a lot of time to make up for, and the rest of their lives to do so.

#mads writes #gimme a chance #jatp #julie and the phantoms #willex #jatp ficlet #willex ficlet #send me prompts for my birthday!#<- literally just tagging that for consistency #alex mercer #willie jatp

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hyucksong · 4 years

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afraid.| lee jeno

summary: Jeno asks you if you’re afraid to die. You lie twice, and tell the truth once.

genre: angst and fluff

word count: 2.0k

warnings: sad and there’s definitely imperfections in the representation of hospital stays. also possible misunderstanding of metastatic brain tumors, please tell me if it’s so bad that i need to edit it.

a/n: wrote this in one go, as an apology for not updating in like a month! i’ve been in the haikyuu hole :)

Jeno asked you if you were afraid to die the first night he met you. It was on a dirty park bench at three am. As a newly admitted patient, the sterile white walls and the digital beep of the alarm clock every hour drove him crazy. He knew hospitals were supposed to help him, but he hated the confined feeling. The nurses and doctors would ask if he wanted anything, but when he said he wanted to leave, they'd glance at each other and wince, asking if he'd like anything else.

After they'd make an awkward exit, you'd always laugh in your bed. He'd glare at you and shift in his bed, muttering about how you would never understand.

"What're you here for, anyway? Got a bad headache?" Was the first thing he spitefully said, and he'd meant it with his whole heart. He didn't wish illness on anyone, but God, sometimes he wished that they could just understand. His terrible guess made you laugh even harder, he was close. "Hmm, close. I've got a brain tumor." And then he fell silent. A few minutes later he meekly whispered, "Sorry."

He made up for it by waking you up to go outside with him, "Just for some fresh air." He'd said. It was cold, and he shivered in his jacket the whole walk to the park. But you never shivered once despite goosebumps trailing up your arms. Your eyes were distant, and your mouth had a small, sad smile resting upon it.

"How long have you been admitted?" He asked, sitting on the opposite side of the bench from you. "About three months. I usually stay in my own room, but there was something wrong with the lights so I'm elsewhere until they fix it." Jeno nodded, uncomfortable. "...Can it be removed?" You sensed his hesitance and laughed, shaking your head. "I wish. It's too dangerous. I mean -- they could, technically. But there wouldn't really be a point." His confusion was written on his face, and it almost made you giggle. "It's cancerous. It's a secondary brain tumor. I've actually got a few up in there," You gently knocked your fist against your head, unbothered.

Jeno was confused -- weren't you scared to die? Would you die? How long did you have left to live? Why were you so happy?

"Are you...afraid of dying?" The question stilled you. The words tore at you, they pricked at your skin and your heart. You wished he hadn't said them. Shrugging, you turned your head and focused on an empty swing set that blew around from the wind. "I'm not afraid, I guess. I mean, it's inevitable for me. It's not 'are you of dying' for me, it's 'are you afraid to die.' It's not ''will you die' it's 'when will you die." You glanced at Jeno one last time, noticing his glimmering eyes that were so full of hope and want. They were full of determination to get better. You were sure yours were just tired. You just wanted to sleep the days away.

"I've got a few months left. At least, that's what the doctors say." The boy nodded, fists clenched in his pockets. He didn’t know you, but he knew you didn’t deserve only a few more months.

Jeno asked if you were afraid to die after you had a seizure his second month there. You didn't tell him you’d been getting worse, but he'd overheard a few nurses talking about your worsening state. One of them said that you might as well just die; it'd make no difference. Jeno almost hit her.

"No, I'm not afraid." Your voice came out scratchy. The soup in front of you was barely touched, the steam coming off of it having stopped a while ago. "Why would I be? I've got the most awesome roommate." He'd been slightly flattered when you'd said that, but the next week you were moved back into your own room. Jeno thought about how much of a bummer that was, but he also remembered that he could just visit you.

He walked into your room one sunny afternoon after one of his treatments. Jeno's heart almost exploded when the nurse told him how much better he looked. Honestly, he'd almost cried. Going home seemed tangible, like a light at the end of the tunnel that he was running closer to.

The second he stepped past the door frame, he noticed something was off. You were facing the window with a pencil gripped in your hands, paper scattered around you. Jeno kept quiet as he slowly made his way to you, shaky lines and unfinished drawings plaguing the pages beneath him.

"W-What's wrong? Y/n?" Heavy breathing was all he got in response before you turned towards him, tears in your eyes. "My arms are really weak. It's hard to even lift them up, Jeno." He said nothing; just sat beside you and rubbed your back carefully. "I know, I know. It'll be okay." But it wasn't going to be. Jeno hated that he lied, and he hated that you knew he lied, but said nothing. He hated that he was getting better, but you weren't. He hated that he could left weights to stay strong but it was hard for you to even lift a bowl. He hated it all. He wanted to get better, but he wanted to get better with you. But you weren't getting any better. You were getting worse.

"Did you know that a symptom of the metastases can be changes in my behavior and personality, Jeno?" He shook his head, biting his lip.

"Would you love me if I changed, Jeno? If I wasn't who you know now?" He nodded, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. And he meant it. "I'd love you no matter what."

The third and final time he's asked if you were afraid to die was three months after that. He'd checked in to take you out for a while, "For some fresh air," he said to you through the phone. He'd been released a month and a half ago. He'd gotten better, and quickly, too. It made you happy that he left the overly-sterile walls of the grim hospital. You felt mixed about him visiting you: you wanted him to visit you in your apartment, in your home. Not here.

It was late, and the nurses almost denied his request to take you out. But you were already dressed, hands in pockets and all. They’d shared looks with each other before letting you go.

The park was empty again, the stars were bright, and your head was cold, mostly because of the lack of hair, but also because the air was biting at you. "You've got a thing for late night walks, don't you?" You teased, sitting on the slightly damp grass next to him. He laughed and nodded, "Only if those walks are with you." There was no denying the flush that rose to your cheeks. His hand gently slid into yours, fingers intertwining.

"Well, you'll have to get used to coming on these walks alone." You'd meant it lightheartedly, but Jeno's grip tightened. "...You're not getting any better?" He lowly asked. A humorless laugh left your lips, "Of course not, Jeno. I haven't been getting better for the past five months. Why would I start now?"

"You can get better at any time--"

"Well I'm not. That's not going to change, Jeno -- we've talked about this already. I'm going to die in that hospital." Jeno couldn't help but raise his voice, "Don't say that!"

"It's the truth! Stop lying to yourself!"

The silence was heavy and tense. It felt like the weight of the world rested on your shoulders. You hated it. But it was the truth. Jeno knew better than to argue any more. Instead, he kissed your shoulder softly before laying his head on it. He wished you were okay. He wished you'd go on another walk with him in three years from now, in fifty years from now, and when you both are readmitted into the same hospital on your deathbed.

But he couldn't stay blind to the truth. You needed to hold onto his arm the whole way here because your legs were wobbly. You grip was so weak compared to what it used to be. Your breaths were shallow. You were on the brink. And he couldn't pull you back from it.

"Are you afraid to die?" The familiar question rang in your ears sharply. There was no malevolence towards it. No hatred. Nothing. Just...acceptance. There was no denying your death. But there was a strange okayness with what was happening. You were happy with your life. You'd met Jeno, the love for the remainder of your life, You'd kissed him, held hands with him, and cherished him. He snuggled his head in the crook of your neck, kissed your chapped lips gently, and introduced you to the rest of his close friends.

You were okay with dying now. Things would be okay. He'd be okay.

"You know, Jeno," You sighed and leaned back on your elbows, "you ask me that question a lot. And I must admit, I've lied to you the first two times. I was scared. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live and soar and graduate college and have kids and a dog with an ungodly green lawn that would make my neighbors mad. But now," You nodded, squeezing his hand. "I'm okay with it. I don't want to die -- but I'm okay with it. I've lived a dream. I've kissed you and petted dogs, gotten bitten by cats, snuck out, and thrown tantrums. I'm okay now. And I know you'll be okay with out me."

A sob left him, and he took a deep breath in. You accepting death was a bittersweet medicine to him. He wanted you to say with vigor that you'd live with him, that you'd be okay, that he'd see you on the opposite of a wedding aisle from him. But the calmness of your voice, the gentle understanding, the happiness -- it all made him realize that you were okay, It'd be okay. He'd be okay.

But he still wished for a miracle. He'd pray to any god for it to happen.

There was no miracle. You died a month later in the same bed you'd met Jeno in. The light in your room went out again, and you'd been moved to a different one temporarily, and died there.

The funeral was simple, too simple for Jeno's tastes, but perfect for yours. You wanted your death to be quick, your funeral to be quick, and your burial to be quick. You just wanted people to move on after your death. You wanted them to go back to smiling and laughing and dancing and kissing and living. But Jeno could never move on that quickly from the enigma that was you.

He wished there were more to say. But that was it. That was the end of you. It had all happened so quickly, everyone seemed to move on so quickly. Your life had been so long in comparison to your death. You death had been so gray in comparison to your colorful self. Jeno was left with his memories. Left with his sorrow. Left with sitting at the bench he'd first asked you if you were afraid to die at.

Jeno was left behind. He was alone.

But every time he sat down on the dirty wooden slabs, he felt a sense of peace. It was as if someone was holding his hand and gazing up at the sky with him. It was as if everything was okay. As if nothing was wrong.

Jeno remembers the way your lips felt on his, the way your weak grip made his heart race, he remembers the way you'd lived. He remembers your casual relationship with the hospital staff, he remembers your favorite soup, your favorite band, he remembers it all. His memories of you were tangible -- he could almost touch them. He could relive those moments with you anytime he wanted. He memories were infinite, his memories always felt more vivid on that bench.

Jeno knows you weren’t afraid to die when you did. Jeno remembers you. Jeno misses you. Jeno loves you. And he always will.

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purplesurveys · 3 years

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1264

Who are you subscribed to on YouTube? Oh man, I’m probably subscribed to over a hundred, if not 200. I’ve subscribed to channels relevant to interests I’ve had over the years, and since it’s not my habit to do spring cleaning on my feeds, the subscriptions have just keep piling up even if I no longer keep up with literally like 98% of them.

Do you like to go to the farmer's market? I don’t think I’ve ever been in one yet. They aren’t very common here and the ones we do have are pricey and mostly inaccessible to the everyday consumer, I’m sure.

What will (or was) the color of your wedding dress be? I wouldn’t want any other color than white.

What's your favorite melon? I don’t like fruits.

What was the name of the last pet of yours that died? Arlee. Technically my family mostly considered her as just Nina’s pet, but the sting was felt all the same when we learned she died.

When was the last time you wished the day would just get over with? Yesterday, because it was Friday. Pretty self-explanatory, I wanted to get to the weekend so I can finally let go of work for a couple of days.

Name one person you've never had a fight with: Andi. I think we’re both afraid of pissing the other off, which works out for us lol.

What are you currently listening to? I can just hear the really loud whirring of my electric fan because it’s a grossly humid day today.

What would you rather have: cat or dog? Dogs.

Who is your least favorite person in real life? I have a lot of uncles I just don’t like.

Do you ever watch anybody's live stream of... anything, really? Technically, yeah. I will sometimes tune in to livestreams of lofi music on YouTube, but I do it to listen, not to watch.

Does your house have security cameras? No.

If you go grey as you age, would you dye your hair or let it be? I think I might dye it for a certain period of time, but I also think I would eventually reach the point where I’ll just accept it and slowly let go of the dye.

What was the last establishment you stopped going to due to bad service? What happened? I haven’t run into much bad service, but I’ll never forget how long my order and bill took for Mad Mark’s. I never really vowed per se to never go back there again and I definitely didn’t confront the staff, but I haven’t eaten there since that incident.

What soundtrack do you listen to the most? Not a big soundtrack listener.

Was there a family secret you weren’t told about until you were an adult? Nah, they’re kept from us until now. The biggest one I’ve heard about was having a kleptomaniac in the family but we were never told who it is.

Do you have an opinion most people you meet seem to disagree with you? Yeah, my dislike for fruits.

What’s something you like to have many options to choose from? Clothes, I guess, like bucket hats. I don’t shop a lot and clothes aren’t a priority in my budget, so when I do pick out clothes, it has to be exactly what I want so that I don’t feel it was a waste of money.

What’s the strangest decorative object you own? We have several quirky, disconnected decor in the living room from gifts we’ve acquired over the years. One object I can tell you about is the polar bear glass figurine we have on the coffee table.

What’s a thing you couldn’t imagine doing with your life right now? Dating around.

What’s been your proudest moment? Managing to stay alive this year and turn my life around for the better when I thought there was no hope.

What’s the filthiest non-pornographic movie you’ve seen? Eyes Wide Shut, probably.

Do you know anyone who doesn't seem to be fond of animals? I don’t think so. Like any animal...? I would find that quite odd, honestly. And I wouldn’t want to be friends with them if we weren’t already close .

Are you planning any outings or trips anytime soon? Whereabouts? No, nothing set in stone. I do want to fly out to South Korea soon, though.

Do you know anyone who has a phobia of a certain animal? I know a few people who are afraid of dogs.

Is there a particular brand of technology/electronics that you prefer? Yeah, Apple.

Is there a singer whose voice gives you goosebumps/chills? Hayley Williams and Jin, especially when he’s belting; and I don’t listen to her much, but I find that Billie Eilish has a unique voice that sounds really nice.

And is there a singer whose voice you simply can't stand? Selena Gomez for some of her songs, Meghan Trainor for most of her songs.

Are there any authors that are particularly dominant on your bookshelf? No.

Have you seen any photographs or videos that made you smile today? Sure.

Which item in your fridge are you most looking forward to consuming? My aunt sent over this gigantic-ass slab of salmon that I can’t wait to eat as sashimi. I already had a few pieces last night and it was hea ven ly.

Has anyone you know got into a new relationship lately? Hmm, I don’t think so. I know my coworker Dev got into a relationship a few weeks ago but it fizzled out as soon as it started because the guy was shitty.

If you menstruate, do you experience much PMS prior to it? Only on the emotional side; I rarely get physical symptoms. I usually feel down or emotionally heavy a few days before my period.

Have you ever had a tattoo covered up or added to? No, I don’t have any tattoos. Can you remember the last time you had a sudden change of mind? Hmm, like last night. I wanted to stay up to maximize the weekend, buuuut I decided against it and slept instead since I had been up since 2 in the morning.

When was the last time you did something on a whim? Two weeks ago when I impulsively dropped a thousand bucks to have cheese tarts delivered to Angela and Reena, hahaha.

Were you raised by both of your parents? If not, then who raised you? My mom, grandma, and one of my aunts were the main people who raised me. Dad works overseas, so he was never at home much.

Have you ever began a relationship with someone you knew for less than a week? No, I wouldn’t do that.

Has one of your friends ever tried to ‘hook you up?’ Mik tried to pair me with one of his friends just days before I finally implied on social media that I was no longer in a relationship. It was a cool ego boost but I declined, since my emotions were still super turbulent then. Andi tried to initiate sex with me once too, but I also declined.

What is your card game of choice? I hate card games; I can never seem to understand them lmao, though that’s really more of a me problem than anything else.

What is your favourite books series? Growing up, I really loved the Septimus Heap series. But the thing about it was that I got into it while the series was still ongoing; and with how bad my attention span is, I always forgot the events/plot whenever the newest book came out.

So whenever that happened I had to read the entire series from Book 1; eventually the number of books I had to reread/revisit became too many (it was a seven-part series) and I simply just lost the time to read and I never got to know about the conclusion.

Do you prefer landmarks or street names when being given directions? Street names – more precise. Landmarks to me can be pretty subjective – a green building might look blue to me, and I could just end up being lost.

Do you read the prologues in the beginnings of books? Sure.

What was your favourite gym class moment? If I genuinely like or already play the sport that was being taught. That’s why PE table tennis was a lot of fun for me.

Do you think that ocean boardwalks are fun? I’ve never been on one but I imagine they are fun, yeah.

Do you dread when people ask you to sign their yearbooks? That’s not a tradition here.

Do you have a favourite Scooby-Doo movie? No. I was too young for Scooby-Doo in a sense that I do remember watching the movies as a 3/4 year old as they were kept on in the background at home, but I didn’t get any of the plots/didn’t really appreciate the films.

Do you think it’s cute when toddlers try to run away and fall down? Sometimes, yeah. If the fall looked nasty I would obviously be concerned.

Do you enjoy listening to your grandparents tell stories of their past? Honestly, only one of my grandparents would be the type to do this but he’s been dead for six years now. It’s a big shame he passed before I could bond with him the way I had always wanted to. My three other grandparents are either too closed off or too quiet to share stories from their youth.

Do you have a crush on someone? Nah, nothing more than a celebrity crush.

If so... what does his/her name begin with?

What attracts you to them?

Do they know that you like them?

If they don't know, why didn't you tell them?

Name two people that you miss: Angela and Laurice.

Have you ever seen Titanic? More times than I can count. I’m sure I memorize like 80% of the script, too.

Have you ever swam with dolphins? No. I’m not so sure if I’ve seen dolphins, either. Maybe I have? Or maybe I’m confusing it with whales...idrk.

When was the last time you had a stomachache? Wednesday.

What's going to bed early for you? 11 PM or midnight.

Do you want to have a big family in the future? I used to, but I don’t think that’s the future I want anymore. One or two kids should be okay.

What was the last thing you did that gave you a rush? Technically speaking, an orgasm, I guess?? Lmao idk

Favorite Nicholas Cage movie? I don’t think I have one.

Have you had your Covid vaccine yet? Which one, if you have? Yeah, I’m fully dosed. Sinovac.

If you've had your vaccine, did you experience any side effects? I was suuuuuuper tired right after my first dose and I wanted to be knocked the fuck out, but I went right back to work after the shot because I am allergic to filing leaves hahaha. Second dose went smoothly.

What's the next item of clothing that you intend to buy for yourself? A bucket hat or maybe one of the Fila x BTS shirts because the collection is actually quite cute!

What Facebook groups have you found the most helpful? I join Facebook groups to be entertained, not because I actively look for advice.

Do you like your butt? Why or why not? Yeah. It...has a good form hahahahahaha.

Have you ever personally been a victim of homophobia? Yes, a few years ago I went to a food park with my ex-girlfriend. I was already not feeling my best that day to begin with, so having to see an old woman stare daggers at us for what felt like years really stung. I felt small under her look and almost cried, but in the end I felt angry that I momentarily felt shame about my relationship. I decided to just piss the woman off on purpose and do PDA right in front of her.

Do you think you’d be happier if you had a pet? I have two dogs at present and I know they make me extremely happy.

Who was the last person you went on a date with? Gabie.

Were you ever hospitalized as a little kid? No. The first and only time I was hospitalized (other than being birthed), I was about 12, I think.

What’s your favorite way to curl your hair? I don’t do that. I rarely style my hair.

At what age did you start swearing? I was 11.

What is something you physically can’t do? Ride a bike.

What do like better, apples or oranges? I don’t like any fruits; but in terms of flavored stuff, I like orange-flavored food, especially chewy candy, slightly more.

Around the holidays, do you hope for snow? Well, no.

What are your top two favorite bands? Paramore and Against Me!

How many people do you 100% trust? There are a handful. I generally trust easily just because I like to believe all people are kind and loyal – but I can also take it away in the snap of a finger.

Do you care what others think about you? Not so much.

Has anyone ever called you a bitch? Sure.

Did you watch Teletubbies when you were younger? Yeah but just super super faint memories. It wasn’t one of my main shows.

Do you have any licenses other than your driver's license? I don’t.

Could you live the rest of your life without eating meat? I doubt it. I could try, but I think I’d get cranky and start looking for meat way earlier than I would like to admit.

Have you ever had a rolling backpack? Yup, if you mean a stroller. I think I’ve answered this on a previous survey.

Did you make any money today? No, because it’s a weekend. What was the highest place you've ever jumped from? Nothing dramatically high. I’ve had acrophobia-themed nightmares in the past, so even though I don’t actually have a fear of heights, the idea of jumping from a high place still makes me antsy.

Have you ever gone swimming in a river? Not that I can recall.

What was the last souvenir someone got you? I dunno if it counts but Andi bought merch from the AEW shop but made sure to also get a CM Punk sticker set for me :(

Do you have a favorite remix of a song? Remixes have never been my thing. What do you think is the most saddest sounding instrument? Piano.

Do you really pay attention to the ratings on movies? Yeah they can definitely affect the level of appreciation I hold towards a film. For instance, if I genuinely enjoyed a movie only to find out it has average to bad reviews, it invites me to think more critically about the movie.

Do you have a favorite species of wild cat (tiger/lion/cougar/etc.)? No.

If you had $500,000, what would you do with it? Give half to my parents and let them do whatever they wish it. With the remaining P12,500,000, I’d probably get myself my own condo and have it fully furnished, then get braces, then get a new phone and laptop. I’ll have a bunch of money still left, I’m pretty sure – the rest of it I’ll save.

Did the last person you touched lips with have a kid? No. I mean, I have honestly no clue what’s going on in her life now, but I know she doesn’t want kids so this is very unlikely.

"First loves are never really over." Is this true for you? It’s true in a sense that she left me a lot of trauma and self-esteem issues that will irrevocably always be a part of me now even though I’ve worked hard to resolved most of them by myself.

Did you like Michael Jackson before he died? Yes, because he has always been my favorite singer’s role model.

What are some things that would make you break up with someone? I don’t know how to answer this question, honestly. All the red flags were thrown and tossed and slapped into my face and down my throat for six years yet I never left. I don’t actually know what my limits are, and I believe it’s because my coping mechanism has to just accept things and suck them up no matter how bad they get. That’s what I’m trying to change for myself now.

What was the worst breakup you've ever had? I’ve had two breakups with the same person, and the second one was worse.

#survey #surveys

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otp4lyfe4eva · 3 years

Text

The Star in My Universe

A/N: Hey Guys, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time in reading this story. You are probably wondering if this journey is even worth the hassle and all I can ask is please give it a chance before writing it off. I hope you enjoy it as I have enjoyed writing this. I have posted this on AO3, Fanfiction and Wattpad and figured I'd share it here. Feel Free to expressive your thoughts, concerns, opinions and comments or not…you taking the time in reading this is an honor.

Well here we go! The first chapter to the first adventure!

Chapter One:

“Brick, there’s something I need to tell you—"

“What do you think of Berserk, Bubbles?” He interrupted while watched the combative redhead roam down the hallways with her sinister smile distilling fear in everyone.

“I didn’t know bullies were your type” I answered as I leaned against the locker next to Brick.

“Berserk isn’t like that, she’s—different” Brick answered, I looked at him watching her waltz down the hallways and noted how the other students practically ran in the opposite direction. Berserk has always been a deranged girl who looked exactly like my sister Blossom but the only difference between the two aside from style were their personality. Blossom was sweet while Berserk was a nightmare. Ever since Buttercup and Blossom got accepted into some private school for junior high, I got stuck going to public school alone. It wasn’t always the best especially when people realized my two sisters weren’t attending with me; it gave them ammunition to become monsters. It gotten so bad that I had to spend one semester being home schooled. Blossom and Buttercup tried their best to have me transferred but I wasn’t “talented” enough like my sisters. Blossom was the smart one, Buttercup was the athletic one and then there was me, Bubbles. Because I couldn’t get into Townville Prep the Professor and I had to move while Buttercup and Blossom lived in the dorms and visit during breaks and holidays. I envied that they attended Townsville Junior high Prep being close to our old friends, while I went to Citiesville.

“All you have to do is study your butt off and you can apply for Townsville Oakes Academy” Blossom’s words resounded in my head countless times for the past two years. I worked my butt off to be the top student here and making sure I don’t get nothing but an ‘A’. I couldn’t afford a distraction which is when Brick asked me what I thought of Berserk I simply ripped my locker door opened. Not bothering to give Brick a warning I was annoyed by that comment and I didn’t know exactly why. Brick and I became best friends since he moved here two years ago and stood by each other when things got rough. He was my rock when I told him I needed to bring up my grades and end the year with all A’s. I remember him bringing me snacks and food in the library because he always knew I forget to eat. I was his backbone when he was going off the reins during his parent’s divorce and decided to stay with his brother and father here in Citiesville while his other dad moved. I remembered when he was evasive when I’d ask about his parents. It wasn’t till he invited me to dinner three months into our friendship I found out he has two dads. It was surprising but amazing how two individuals found each other and loved each other only to end that happinesses. The only thing I was concerned about was how Brick would bring up HIM moving away from them and just leaving his kids behind. I stood by Brick every moment of the way till he felt strong enough to be on his own again and even when he claimed to be strong, I would walk behind him with a safety net ready to catch him when he falls.

It was a hectic, yet we stood by each other’s side like glue. There were times I wondered why we were friends; we were clearly from different worlds with different ambitions in mind. Waiting for the homeroom bell to ring, I secretly stole a glance at Brick who was too busy watching the red head eighth grader chatting with her equally deranged sisters: Brat and Brute. I rolled my eyes at the Punk girls who clearly weren’t going to class. I observed Berserk as she laughed while fixing the ribbons in her long red hair. Her plaid top was way too tight on her revealing largely enhanced breast while her skirt didn’t leave anything to the imagination. Berserk was your average girl trying to grow up too fast and convincing everyone, including faculty, that she’s an adult—which she’s not. She wasn’t right for Brick; one time Berserk didn’t even know where the bathroom was and there was a sign of a girl on the door. I remember I had to literally walk her to the bathroom just so she wouldn’t walk in the boys’ room, again. I don’t understand what Brick sees in her, if anything I always figured he would be interested in someone intelligent or be like me and not be interested in anyone till marriage.

“She’s also an airhead with an evil smile who can’t tell the difference between Picassos’ blue period and cubism period” I added.

He smirked before replying, “No one except you can tell the difference. You’re the smartest girl in school”

“Obviously, but I always thought you would want a girl with—I don’t know, an actual brain.” I finished, I looked at him and could see he was too busy being infatuated with Berserk’s outfit.

“I don’t know, I thought you had higher standards— “

“Bubbles, what’s your deal?” Brick questioned “why are you acting weird?”

His gaze switched to me, but I didn’t flinch when his eyes were trained on me waiting for an answer. I kept my eyes on Brick, not afraid to challenge him. I remember I use to be afraid of him and couldn’t even look him in the eye like everyone else in school. But once we became friends, I become the only one who didn’t feel scared by his presence or felt like he could crush my entire existence. I simply would tell him point blank if he was in the wrong, or even how I feel because we’ve evolved in our friendship where there are no secrets between us.

Yet, I didn’t understand why I was getting worked up on Brick’s taste in women, he is a known player with no standards. Looking down I felt like a complete idiot for putting that act, he’s free to be interested in whomever he wanted, so why did it bother me?

‘You just care about your best friend’s wellbeing’ I thought, I looked at him and thought back to the time we first met:

“Morning class, today we have two new students” The teacher announced.

I was quite excited to see who the new kids were, I wasn’t exactly the welcoming committee, but I always felt if someone greeted me with a warm welcome they’d smile. I looked at the other kids who were uninterested and were busy scribbling in their notebooks or on their phones.

“I wonder if they are ugly” I heard one kid whisper; I bit my inner cheek hoping they wouldn’t get picked on like I was when I first came here. I was terrified for their wellbeing; another set of kids being thrown in the lion’s den with no protection. It was my duty to warn these newcomers. But my thoughts vanished when they walked into the classroom. The teacher introduced him, but he seemed so distant about it. he loud beating from my chest filled my ears. My palms grew sweaty and there were goosebumps all over my body. A cold shiver went down my spine causing my back to straighten. I didn’t pay too much attention to the other kid, Inuyasha but I noticed some similarities between the two.

They look so gorgeous, like models; athletic physique, long legs, beautiful hair and clear skin. Their skin was so pale it looked like ice; the boy’s eyes were extremely darker but different.

‘Could they be related?” I thought.

“Brick sit next to Bubbles” the teacher instructed, I was eternally grateful that we had name tags, at the time, on our desks. My body suddenly turned into jelly that felt too heavy to move.

“Hi there, I’m Bubbles” I introduced, this was first time I have been strongly bold to someone let alone a boy. My cheeks were suddenly hot, and my tongue was dry, but I did my best to avoid being awkward. Which was hard since I had a boy haircut, metal wire filled inside my mouth and thick glasses with tape to hold the middle because some kids, i.e. Brat felt it needed to ‘compete my look’. So therefore, the tape in the middle of my glasses.

He finally said in a very robust voice, “Go away”

I had a half of a mind to run for the hills, but I simply smiled and shared my book with him. I needed to make sure he felt welcome here even though half the student body were teasing me and ignored him. I could feel his eyes burning through my neck, so I turned my head to have his eyes burn through my eyes.

“I hope you like it here Brick” I replied, admiring his features; his red hair reminded me of Blossom’s only his was dark. It made me think of fire. And his eyes were blood red that screamed danger—

“Whatcha looking at four eyes”

I gasped at the mega spit ball that landed on my glasses. I looked up to see the green eye boy laughing with the straw in his hand. The entire class went wild with laughter. The teacher continued with the lesson and ignore the obvious events of the other kids following his league by spitting spit balls at me. Leaping out my chair, I ran to the bathroom without missing a beat. I cradled myself in the bathroom stall and cried as I picked the still wet spit balls out of my hair. It was times like this I wished Buttercup would be here and yell at the bullies. She’d probably make them eat it as they apologize to me. Chuckling at the thought, I took a deep breath and exited out the stall to clean the remnants off my glasses. Keeping my sisters in mind, I held my head up and decided to go back in the lion’s den. The only way to survive is to show no fear—which clearly failed. I didn’t want to throw in the towel and go back to homeschooling, after begging the professor I needed to be strong so he wouldn’t take off work. The last semester nearly cost Blossom and Buttercups their housing and if it weren’t for their scholarships, they would have been sent to Citiesville and I couldn’t have that.

“You got this bubs” I whispered. Pushing my shoulders back and holding my head out I walked out the bathroom only to get bumped to the ground.

“Sorry” I muttered.

‘So much for not backing down’ I thought, looking up it was the red eyed boy named Brick towering over me. His shadow cast a dark aura around him. I watched as he shifted his feet making sure his shadow didn’t touch me.

“Watch where you’re going” he muttered, he didn’t move he simply stood there towering over me. I stared at him wondering if it was his way of apologizing or telling me something completely different. Nodding, I picked myself up and noticed how he was still standing in front of me with his hands in his pocket.

“Did you need something?” I asked,

“Butch is an idiot, don’t let him get to you”

I felt myself exhaling a lot of air, not realizing I was unconsciously holding my breath. His deep blood eyes penetrated past my weak walk and could probably see everything inside me. If he wanted, he could kick me down with one look. Yet here he is apologizing for that kid’s behavior.

“He’s your brother” I noted, Brick sighed and twisted his cap to hide his face.

“How did you know” His facial expression stayed the same, but these eyes gave him away when a spark of shock flashed.

“You guys have the same facial features, despite having different color eyes and hair; you act pretty distant when he’s near so you must be the oldest and you flinch, well your eyes darken when I mentioned your relation” I answered “Plus you two have the same last name, so it’s pretty much common sense”

He chuckled softly I couldn’t help but smile too. He turned his baseball cap forward so he could hide his face which probably revealed I was right. I felt like I did something good.

“You’re something special Bubbles” He stated before walking away back to the classroom. I lingered a moment, the smile I had on my face stayed the entire day. I was in such a good mood; I swore my heard skipped a beat. It didn’t bother me that the Powerpunk sisters dropped their yogurt on top of my head along with their assorted toppings. Nothing could ruin the fact that at that moment I knew I was going to be friends with Brick Jojo.

Snapping out of my trip down memory lane. That little kid I met on his first day transformed himself into the man right in front of me. I watched as Brick’s eyes darken and lighten up as he continued to stare at my face. It’ s almost as if he’s searching for something in my eyes. I kept staring at him for some reason my eyes could not look away. I just wanted him to look in my eyes all day while I did the same with him.

“I’m sorry, I just want you to date a girl who’s actually worthy of you” I started.

His eyebrow lifted curious where I was going with my little speech and to be quite frank so was I.

“I hate seeing you” I paused, unsure where I was going with this, some little voice inside my head wanted to scream “I hate seeing you with other girls” but I shook my head and took deep breath. It was weird and gross to think of my best friend that way.

“I hate seeing you with girls’ that don’t deserve you because they only want what you can provide for them” I explained, Brick lifted my chin up watching my messy bun come undone. A few pieces fell from my now sloppy bun to my face. I watched as his eyes sparkle with—something I never knew he possessed—excitement.

‘How come I never knew your eyes did that’ I thought as I felt his eyes reaching inside my soul.

“Brick?” he snapped out of his thoughts and looked at me in a platonic way, it is the same look I’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

“Bubbles you’re— “

He couldn’t finish his thought. The whiff of cinnamon and fear filled his nose and nearly suffocated me, but it also made him forget what he wanted to say. Turning around to see Berserk right behind him with a nervous look on her face and crooked smile resting on her lips. I was quite shocked at her demeanor, normally Berserk would be firm and confident but here she is looking like, a nervous kid. I too wanted to melt from the sight of Berserk, at this very moment she looked innocent.

I felt Brick’s hand drop from my face. Captured by the siren’s presence, I felt disappointed, but I didn’t understand why. Part of me wanted to ask him not to move his hand but it wouldn’t mean anything. His attention was to his ‘dream girl’ of the week. My body felt heated, charged with rage but broke from the way he kept staring at her. It made me feel so inadequate, like I was suddenly invisible.

“Hey Brick” Berserk smiled at him while brushing a piece of hair away from her face.

I watched the girl fix her red ribbons and look at Brick with her unique red eyes. A black hole started to grow inside my stomach. I wanted to pull her ribbons and stuff it in her mouth, but I snapped out of it.

‘What the hell?’ I wondered but I just couldn’t help it. The more I stared at Berserk the bigger that black hole grew in my stomach. I didn’t understand why I felt animosity towards the girl. It didn’t bother me that he was talking to her, but it bothered me how he was giving her his time. Like she was all that mattered, no one else existed; especially not me who was less than three feet away from them.

“Berserk” Brick responded, I watched as she giggled at him and rubbed her arm in a nervous manner.

“I was wondering if you don’t have any plans tonight—no wait you probably do, but if you don’t have a date to Butch’s party would you go with me? She finished.

“And that’s my cue to leave” I slammed my locker shut once the bell gave the second warning bell to head to class.

‘Stupid Berserk and her perfect skin, her stupid perfect crooked smile with her perfect teeth’ I thought as I held my books tight to my body, fearing I would fall apart if I let go.

“Bubbles, wait up!” Brick yelled, I wanted to keep walking and ignore my best friend who probably agreed to go on a date with that perfectly stupid air head.

Stopping at the corner I cling to my books even tighter as a life raft, not ready to tell Brick why I walked off so fast without waiting for him.; I fixed my thick framed glass, with the same tape in the middle, because Brat is nothing if not consistent. As I waited for Brick, I looked at the School’s mirror that is right above the water fountain and closed my eyes quickly after seeing my reflection.

‘Why do I care about my appearance’ I thought.

I knew I didn’t have a perfect smile, my braces made sure of it and my eyesight wasn’t the best because I had to get an even stronger prescription this year. I never have time to do my hair so I always either kept it in a messy bun or in pigtails because I was too busy trying to make straight A’s. And being the perfect daughter at home while the other two perfect sisters lived far away not fearing the hell of Citiesville.

“Why’d you run off?” Brick asked

“I didn’t want to get in the way of your plans with Miss dictator over there” I answered sourly, I felt so childish, but I just hated Berserk more than for the obvious reasons and I don’t know why and that frustrates me even more.

He sighed and shook his head, “Don’t be that way Bubbles.”

“Brick you’ve had your eye on that girl for a few months” I whispered, when he didn’t say anything, I knew I had to make a point.

“I just didn’t want you to miss your chance with her” I added.

“Well too late for that” he answered, I cocked my head to the side confused by his response.

“What do you mean?”

“I told her I was taking you instead” He replied “I couldn’t let my best friend miss an epic Jojo party”

I giggled at Brick’s sudden hospitality and all of my insecurities vanished into thin air—like magic. I suddenly wanted to jump into his arms and hug him for thinking of me. It occurred to me how I should have stayed a little longer to see Berserk’s face when he told her he was taking me instead of her. I felt victorious, like I won the grand prize, like I could accomplish anything.

“So, I’ll pick you up at eight, dress to impress” He told me before ushering me to my Honor’s English Composition class. Smiling I sat in my usual seat and ignored all the teasing remarks of the other kids. All I could think about was my plans to hang out with Brick tonight.

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regrettablewritings · 4 years

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hey id like to request dewey finn for the character ship meme? preferably 3, 7, and 29? thanks!!

🤘 🤘 We love a short king 🤘 🤘 Stuff’s under the cut!

3. Who is the most romantic?: You are, at least in the more traditional sense. You know of the ins and outs of bouquets and traditionally romantic candle-lit dinners and all that jazz. Dewey is, too, but he’s far less capable of actually pulling it off. The times he does, there’s always a hint of Dewey in them -- for better for for worse.

He runs a bath for you? Adds a little too much bubble mix and then there’s a whole thing about cleaning it up. He cooks dinner? It comes out a bit burnt. Add candles into that mix and the fire department has to have a talk with y’all about fire safety. Really, his safest bets were to stick to buying bouquets, chocolates, and stuffed animals. But after a point, you started to run out of vases and pots to put the flowers in, resorting to using old Burger King cups; and the bed was just barely big enough to hold both you and Dewey at once, never mind the assortment of plush puppies, teddy bears, and the cheaply-stuffed jumbo snake he’d miraculously won at Coney Island a while back.

The good news is, you’d honestly much prefer Dewey’s idea of romance because it’s more personal to you.

For Dewey, it’s romantic to teach you how to play an instrument. Not in the cheesy, “Come sit on my lap because I can guide you a lot easier that way” kind of way, mind you. Don’t take it the wrong way, he could also do just that if you insisted such. But he does so as though you were truly his student -- and you absolutely are. And that’s what makes it sweet: He’s sharing with you his biggest passion in life, and he takes it seriously enough to get really into it and want to sincerely pass it on to you. Dewey is an excitable man, it’s difficult to catch him in a moment where he’s particularly still; even rarer when he’s doing so and in an actually good mood.

And when he’s teaching you one of the very few things in life he knows absolutely best, he’s definitely in a good mood. Even if his expression may not directly suggest so, with his eyes completely focused on your positioning and occasional correction of your finger placement. But the moment you pull off a successful set of chords, that adorable smile of his comes shining through and beaming with absolute pride! It is, for lack of better word, a bonding experience. And that’s what makes it romantic in your humble opinion.

That, and at least Dewey’s idea of romantic can mean a nice night in where you can relax and just flop on the couch to watch crap TV instead of putting on “stiff fancy clothes” and having to leave the apartment. In your minds, very little can beat a comfy evening full of marathoning Let’s Plays in your makeshift pajamas and scarfing down food bought from the bodega two blocks down, especially after a rough week. And especially when one or the other plays with each other’s hair . . .

7. What do they get up to on a night out?: That being said, you’re still dating Dewey Finn: Eventually, you do need to go out and “taste fresh air” as Dewey dramatically puts it.

You two are gluttons for entertainment. You tried the whole gig of just going out for dinner at a fine dining establishment, followed by a bit of a walk (but not too long, this is still New York after dark after all). You both tried to enjoy it, too, but it honestly just wasn’t your scene. Besides, the portions were way too small for something costing upwards of $25 per plate.

The good news about having a boyfriend like Dewey is that he always has his fingers on the pulse of the city. If we’re going with my headcanon that everyone lives on Staten Island, then there’s no shortage of venues or events to explore! The limits are only set by the limits of your wallets! . . . Suffice to say, it’s not just a personal choice that you two usually just go to bar and grills that hold band nights.

But once every blue moon, after saving up, you both go crazy and head over to Manhattan to catch a show. You’re admittedly more into musicals than Dewey is (especially ones written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber), but there has been the occasional show that Dewey didn’t mind watching, and even found himself mutter-singing the lyrics to. Granted, because a night like this can be pretty pricey (especially on an extracurricular teacher’s salary mixed with your own), these sorts of nights don’t tend to happen too often.

And sometimes the urge to go out is accompanied by that grossly exhausted feeling where it’s like all your meats are essentially weighing down on your bones. But you haven’t done anything fun all week, you just gotta get out the house and get Out There! . . . To the 24hr pizzeria next door, because that’s about as far as the two of you can get.

Apparently at some point after you turn 21, just going out after 8pm can make you feel like a hell-raiser. And that’s good enough for y’all.

29. Why do they fall a little bit more in love?: You bring out what the other wants and needs.

When you were growing up, you were quite quiet. Being looked at by a bunch of people always made you anxious, you were constantly afraid to make sudden moves, lest there may be some backlash. You’ve gotten better since then, but even still, you struggle with being as open and forthcoming as you would like to be.

And that’s where Dewey comes in: With Dewey, you always feel like you can stand a little taller, be a little louder. There’s something about him that encourages people to break out of their shell (at the very least peek out of it) and make them want to just seize the day. As his significant other, you are absolutely no exception. Watching him confidently approach nearly every task with a can-do attitude makes you consider that maybe you can do the same thing. If you want to civilly but firmly tell somebody off, Dewey’s there to support you. If you need to ask for help with something but are too afraid to, Dewey’s got your back.

Of course, he sometimes oversteps and just does it for you himself, with him seeing any slight against you as a complete injustice that he needs to defend your honor over. In which case, you’re usually thankful, but gently tell him that you need to do this on your own. And he will respect this because it makes him remember that this is your journey towards gaining more confidence in yourself. You’re so very special to him, and far be it from him to keep you from accepting that more and more. So when he invigorates you and makes you want to be and do better, you can’t help but want to always be with him: That way, you can be better for him, yourself, and also your future together.

As for Dewey, it’s whenever you ground him and help him grow as a person and listen to him. Dewey’s never been that popular -- and he knows it. Sure, he may seem completely invincible, but the truth actually is that deep down he’s got some insecurities about himself. His brashness got him kicked out of his own band, his immaturity nearly lost him a friend and got him into legal trouble, girls have never been particularly drawn to him, and it’s quite easy to assume that he’s an imbecile because of his one-track mind with regards to music.

As a result, he’s used his dream of becoming a rock god as a means to promote himself and that swagger he gives off so much. Which then creates a cycle of him making more mistakes after overestimating his competency. The problem is that even though people may tell him to stop, they haven’t always offered him help with how to do exactly that. The truth of the matter is, yelling at somebody doesn’t exactly help the situation; maybe it brings a person to realizations over what needs to be done, but rarely does it actually offer the tools necessary to get beyond that.

The irony here is that for as chaotic as Dewey can be, he’s a surprisingly good listener to those whom he sees insecurities in, especially kids. After discovering he has a knack for it, he’s become more than willing to sit somebody down and try to help them realize their potential, even if it isn’t always intentional on his part. And that’s where you come in.

You’re more patient than he is, so your impulsivity or lack thereof is a great counter to his, making sure that he remembers that sometimes things need to be planned out. Steps need to be taken in order to follow through with certain projects or goals, we can’t always just jump to it. With you, Dewey’s become more orderly with things. Not extremely, mind you, as that would destroy the man’s personality as we know and love it. But just enough to where he’s not as risky as he used to be.

In addition to this, you’re willing to listen to him and his thoughts on things, from his obsession with music to the anxieties he usually tries to keep tucked away deep down. It doesn’t necessarily borderline being therapy, but it’s enough to where airing things out help him feel more stable. Besides, not everyone is as taken to music as he is: It’s nice to be heard, even when it’s just over one’s special interest. Finally, like you with him, Dewey likes to observe you. It’s not always obvious, given that his hyperactivity sometimes distracts him or just appears to. After all, it’s hard to imagine the guy who dances when he’s excited actually paying attention to you when you’re just sitting on the couch, sketching.

But he is. Because watching you being able to keep still and let yourself breathe makes him want to do the same. He’s spent so much of his life thinking he needs to live fast that he never considered maybe slowing down a bit might be good. But now he has. And he wants to. He wants to slow down and grow up for you -- no, with you. And ever since he realized that this was something he wanted, he couldn’t help but love you a little more every time he found that familiar, warm feeling in his chest, making goosebumps rise to his skin.

Thanks for asking and for being patient!!

#dewey finn #dewey finn x reader #dewey finn imagine #dewey finn imagines #school of rock the musical #school of rock imagines #regrettablewritings #character ship meme #character ship headcanons

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afterglowparker · 5 years

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Speak Low if You Speak Love

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Word Count: 3,425

Warnings: None! It’s fluffy and super sweet.

Prompts:

“Please don’t forget about me.”

“You look cute in that shirt.”

Summary: One need not speak loud, to speak love.

A/N: Title of the story comes both from the band of the same name, but it’s also from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. If you have any idea on either of the two, you probably know where this is piece is going. I’ve just been in a soft, fluffy mood—for once in my life. I’m also just really big on the silent, subtle aspect of love. ((also, shoutout to @upsidedownparker for actually giving me the strength to post this, because i almost scrapped the entire thing!)

This is also my entry for @hillsnholland‘s writing challenge, as well as @hollandsosterfield & @spidey-caps writing challenge! happy (very early) birthday to all three of you!

The sounds of car horns and pedestrians on their morning commute leaked into your open window, accompanied by the morning sun that peaked through the curtains—both breaking into your subconscious. You felt yourself slowly come out of your dreams, as the weight around your waist became heavier; if it wasn’t for the heat radiating from the boy that always ran a few degrees too hot, the morning air would’ve caused goosebumps to raise on your skin.

Willing your mind to quiet down and fall back into the expanse of your thoughts, you tried to prevent your eyes from fluttering open. But no more than a minute later, your eyes were open and zoning in on the sight in front of you. You were laying on your left side, legs intertwined with the sleeping man whose arms were wrapped firmly around your figure; you had to crane your head up slightly to look at him. Your eyes slightly burn, not yet having time to properly adjust, but you’d admit that waking up to the sight of a sleepy Peter made it a little easier to deal with the discomfort; it always did.

Your attention is drawn to the way the hairs of his left eyebrow are splayed in different directions, how his eyelashes kiss his cheeks, the tiny crook of his nose, and the way his mouth is parted slightly and soft snores left his pink lips. Like many mornings before, you slowly lift your arm from its resting place on his waist, afraid of waking the boy who rarely sleeps, and let your fingers slowly trace over his features. Your fingerprints stain the porcelain skin as they took in the beauty set before them. First over his eyebrow, trying to smooth out the messy hairs, then softly over his eyes; they continued their journey by caressing the side of his face, feather-light touches down his cheek before they landed on his lips. The skin was slightly chapped and the soft snores that had been leaving them had stopped, and it was then that your eyes flickered back up, seeing warm pools of melted chocolate staring back at you. You felt the skin underneath your fingers curl upwards at the corners, as his hand came up slightly to hold your hand in his, stopping to place a kiss on the palm, before lowering your now intertwined hands to rest between your chests.

“G’morning,” he quietly whispered, as if any sound louder would cause the peaceful moment to dissipate into thin air, “having fun there, darling?”

“Mmm…just admiring the view,” you quipped back, the smile sat on your lips just as soft, as you breathed deeply, enjoying his eyes on you, “it gets better every day.”

“You’re quite the sight for sore morning eyes, yourself.”

“Truly poetic, Parker.”

“Yeah, I try.”

You both let the silence settle between you both, as you just stare into the other’s eyes, having your own conversation without words; comforted by the fact the other was there and in your arms. You almost fall back asleep, but the alarm on your phone rings out, informing you it’s officially time to start the day. You lightly groan, and bury your head into the crook of Peter’s neck, moving with him as he lays flat on his back. He stretches his arm to grab your phone from the nightstand and he makes quick work of shutting off the obnoxious buzzing.

“Why did I ever set that thing last night?”

Peter presses a soft kiss to your head, as you watch the way his chest rises and falls.

“Because we decided it would be a good idea to stay up till 3am binge-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

“And it was a good idea.”

“Yeah,” Peter squeezed your hip lightly, “it was. But now we have to get up, cuz you’ve got a university to be at.”

“Trying to get rid of me already, Parker?”

“Oh, yeah. You know it. I can’t wait to get you out of my hair. Damn near give me a heart attack everyday! I think I’m aging faster around you.” You slap his chest lightly, as he lets a laugh slip past his lips. “I’m only joking, love. You know I’m not gonna wanna let you go.”

“That’s what I thought,” you untangle you limbs from his, reaching over his body to grab your phone from the nightstand, before sitting up and checking your messages, ensuring no last minute emails from your university had been sent out. Looking back down at your boyfriend, you found his eyes firmly glued to your figure, eyebrows raised slightly, as his eyes were blown wide with adoration, “What?”

“You look cute in that shirt.”

You looked down, seeing the way that the worn and lightly faded physics is theoretical but the fun is real black tee sat on your figure

“Hmm…Yeah. Definitely better on me than my boyfriend.”

“Interesting way to accept a compliment. Your boyfriend might have to rethink letting you wear his clothes.”

“I’m way past the point of asking.”

“Trust me. He knows,” his hand that was still by your waist tapped on it lightly, “You do look cute though. I like when you wear my clothes.”

“You’re such a cliché Peter Parker,” you shook your head softly, smiling down at him, pushing his head slightly away from you, enjoying the way your heart fluttered at the sound of his laugh, “but I find it cute and endearing, so I think I’ll keep you around. Besides, you’re my ride to Syracuse later, so can’t have you going anywhere now.”

He pulls you down, causing you to yelp in surprise as you fall onto his chest. His lips instantly finding yours, as his right hand cups your cheek, pulling you deeper into the kiss, while his left hand sits on you lower back. He lets your lips move against his for a few moments, before pulling back, his nose slightly bumping yours, as he stared into your eyes.

“Today, it’s just you and me,” he spoke quietly, “Promise.”

“What? Spider-Man doesn’t call today?” You smiled, teasing lilt in your tone.

“He might. But he’s gonna have to take a rain check. I think Miles is more than capable of handling a night of patrol by himself.”

“You’re sweet, you know that? That kid absolutely adores you.” Peter had been mentoring a new, young spider-kid for the past few months, and while it caused Peter’s nerves to skyrocket through the roof, it was blatant in the way he talked about Miles how much he cared for him; it made your heart swell, and you couldn’t wait till you were older and could watch Peter tear his hair out while chasing your own children around, “You know you’re not gonna be able to leave him here without worrying.”

“Yeah, I know. But he knows to call if he really needs help.”

The idea of having a boyfriend constantly on call (crime and the threat to civilian safety being his employer, his heart of gold a faithful employee) and a moments notice away from leaving you, not guaranteed to come home was too overwhelming for some. But for you? It filled you with pride knowing that the man you had fallen in love with had such a genuine love for the people around him. He never asked for anything in return and that was an act of heroism in itself in your eyes. Peter Parker was so much more than what meets the eye and you wanted to shout it from the rooftops how amazing the man that laid before you was. Instead, you settled for pressing a kiss to his cheek, pulling back to see pink dusting where your lips had been and a wide set smile on his face, all traces of sleep completely gone.

“Okay, so here’s my thought process,” Peter started as he got out of your bed, pulling you up with him, as his eyes searched for his shirt he discarded last night, “we get ready, grab breakfast at your favorite place because as much as I would like to cook for you, I’d like to stay on good terms with your parents, and burning your kitchen down doesn’t seem like the way to do it. And then we grab some sandwiches from Delmar’s for the road, because they’re the best sandwiches in Queens, dare I say the world, and you can’t leave without having one. And then we kick this road trip off so you can sing horribly off-key to all the songs on my playlist.”

You grab the shirt from the back of your desk chair, chucking it in his direction, before you started walking to the bathroom, Peter hot on your tail.

“Sounds like a plan, Spider-Boy.”

Peter rolls his eyes, as you both grab your toothbrushes and work around each other, his hand grabbing the tube of toothpaste from your hand.

“I’m gonna let that slide just cuz it’s your last day.”

“All right Spider-Boy.”

And though he tried to act annoyed, his smiling figure in the mirror told you otherwise.

“I’m going to miss Breadboard so much while in Syracuse. I’m truly convinced nowhere has breakfast as good as them. Can I make it a rule that if you visit, you have to bring me something from Breadboard?”

“What, like my presence isn’t enough?”

“Of course it is, but like. If I could have waffles and you? I think that would just enhance the experience. I mean, think about it-”

Peter’s eyes crinkled at your antics, the smile that had placed itself on his face that morning yet to make an exit, as he listened to you ramble on. You were both walking down the street, intertwined hands swinging slightly in between you both. You were walking on the inside of the sidewalk, while Peter walked on the side by the road; he never verbalized that this was how he preferred to walk, but he was always sure to place himself between you and any possible danger, even if there wasn’t any obvious malevolent force staring you down. As you rounded the corner, Peter pulled softly on your arm before crossing the street, your body mindlessly reacting to his, so that his eyes could quickly flick side to side to ensure you were both safe, before crossing the road. Approaching the front of the shop, Peter opens the door for you, causing the small bell above it to chime, the older shop owner grinning as he sees two of his favorite customers arrive.

“Mr. Parker! Miss. Y/L/N! Haven’t seen your faces in here in awhile. Found a new sandwich shop?”

You laugh, letting go of Peter’s hand as you approach the counter, Peter instantly turning to the wall of snacks, and shook your head.

“Never, Mr. Delmar. You know you have the best sandwiches in Queens! We’d never even think about going elsewhere.”

“That’s what I like to hear. So, a number eleven and a number five, right?”

“Yes, and on the five could you please add pickles? No need to smush it down flat this time around.” You smile, finishing Peter’s preferred order when not on patrol. Mr. Delmar passes your order on, before turning back to face you.

“So, how are you? You back in school?”

“No sir, not yet. Clinging to my last moments of freedom before college starts up as we speak.”

Peter places down three bags of gummy worms, one bag of crisps, and his right hand finds its way back to your left as he inserts himself into the conversation.

“We’re actually on our way to Syracuse right now.”

“Syracuse? Bit of a trip from here.”

“Yeah, I know, but the program was too good to pass up. And by that I mean the scholarship, because wow college is expensive.”

“It is, but you’re both bright. Stay in school, otherwise-“

“We’ll end up like you.” You and Peter drone, finishing Mr. Delmar’s mantra.

“Still doesn’t seem like a bad way to end up, Mr. Delmar,” Peter starts again, bending down slightly to grab a pack of Oreos from under the counter, finishing as he gave them to Mr. Delmar to be rung up, “You really do have the best sandwiches in all of Queens.”

You nod eagerly.

“He wouldn’t let me leave without making sure I got my fix.”

“Smart young man you’ve got yourself there.” Mr. Delmar jokes, as he places the bag with your sandwiches on the counter, throwing in the other snacks as well, “That’s $10.”

“Mr. Delmar, you can’t-”

“It’s my shop and I can. The extra snacks are on me. As long as you promise to come back and visit when you’re back in the city, I think I can let this slide.”

You smile, Peter speaking as he pays.

“Don’t worry Mr. Delmar. I’ll come visit all the time.”

Mr. Delmar rolls his eyes, grinning at Peter’s antics.

“Think you could keep him in Syracuse with you, Y/N?”

Peter scoffs, but you laugh with a wide grin tugging at your lips. You slightly shake your head.

“Trust me, I tried. Unfortunately, I think you’re gonna be stuck with him while I’m away.”

“Geez, don’t fight over me. Truly, I feel the love.” Peter speaks, sarcasm thick on his tongue, his free hand grabbing the bag with your food from the counter, “Anyways, we really should get going.”

Peter squeezes your hand as you nod, smiling at Mr. Delmar once more before bidding him goodbye and exiting the shop.

“Wait I love this song!”

You yelled out, stopping Peter’s hand from skipping any further. The Maine’s “Numb Without You” rang throughout the car, as you began to lightly rock your head back and forth, singing along to the lyrics.

Peter kept his eyes on the road, but enjoyed the show he was getting from his peripheral. As the chorus kicked in, you shouted at Peter, squeezing his hand lightly.

“Pete, you’ve gotta sing along! C’mon, I know you know it.”

He just shook his head, before singing along with you, albeit out of tune, but you didn’t seem to mind as you danced in your seat, having fun throwing your own personal concert. As the song came to a close, you settled down with a huff, waiting to see what song shuffle put on next.

Peter lifted your intertwined hands from their resting place on the center console, towards his lips, where he placed a feather-light kiss on the back of your hand. He glanced at you briefly, smile stretching further across his face, as your cheeks showed the faintest sign of a blush. Without much further thought, you quickly leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek, before sitting back in your chair, leaning your head against the window, keeping your eyes trained on his profile. Peter swears he felt his heart grow another two sizes.

You collapsed on the bed, as Peter placed the last box of your things at the foot of your bed, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he stares at your body splayed across the bed.

“Yeah, don’t worry about your things, I’ve got it.”

“One, I’ve been helping you for the past two hours; two, you have superhuman strength, so I think me keeping up with you is a victory in itself; and three, that was the last box you’re just a drama queen.”

Peter launched himself onto the bed, a grunt of surprise forcing it’s way from your throat, as the curly haired boy in question laid his head on your chest and wrapped his arms around you best he could. He looked up at you, grinning.

“Yeah, but I’m you’re drama queen.”

“Yeah,” you said softly, running your fingers through the unruly mess on his head, “you are. Think I’ll keep you around for a little while longer.”

Your fingers scratched at his scalp slightly and the light pull on the tufts of hair was calming and Peter found himself drifting off. His eyes were trained on a medium sized shadow box frame sat on your bedside table, and he felt himself smile at the memories running through his mind—it was the gift Peter had given you for your two-year anniversary.

Inside the box sat a thin line of twine from which Peter hung three of his favorite photos from your relationship. The photo on the right was of you both in your Midtown Decathlon jackets, back to back, as you posed like Charlie’s Angels, wide smiles on both of your faces. The photo on left was of you and Peter before Senior Prom; he was carrying you bridal style, your dress billowing around you, and your hand was placed firmly on his chest, over his heart, showing off the corsage he had gotten you—his forehead was resting against yours as you shared a kiss. The final photo in the middle was his favorite. It was just of you. It had been on a spontaneous day trip you both took on a weekend and even though you both got chewed out by your parents when you got home, he swore that single shot of you alone was worth it. You were washed in light, the glow of the setting sun making you appear more angelic and heavenly than usual. You were running away from the crashing waves on the beach’s shoreline, smile stretching from eye to eye, as you ran back towards Peter, who had been taking photos of you for the better part of the last half-hour. That day would always be one of his favorites. Above the photos in simple roman numerals was the date he had officially asked you to be his girlfriend, and the bottom of the shadow box was filled with a thin layer of dried flower petals from the bouquet he had brought you prom night. The homemade project was no Monet, but you swore up and down that it belonged in the Met. You also swore he belonged in the Met, but that was a story for another time.

Peter fell out of his memories as he heard your heartbeat even out slightly, and your breathing became even, a telltale sign that you too were almost lost to your subconscious. His thumb lightly ran over the exposed skin of your hipbone, where your—his—shirt had risen. He stretched up, just enough to place a tender kiss to your neck.

“I love you…” he whispered, voice so faint it was almost swept into the still air of the room, “I love you so much. You are everything.”

“I love you,” You smiled, out of habit, as your heart rate rose slightly, still not used to the way the words made you feel. You don’t think you ever would be and you were fine with that, “to the moon and back, and then some.”

A comfortable silence blanketed the room, your fingers not stopping their motions through Peter’s hair, and it wasn’t until his fingers stopped moving against your skin that you pressed your lips to his hairline, letting them linger, before you whispered your one request from the doe-eyed boy laying in your arms.

“Please don’t forget about me.”

Peter lifted his head from the crook of your neck and rested his weight on his forearms so he could properly stare at you. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, hearing the truth in your gentle tone and the unwavering of your heartbeat. He shuffled up the bed, so that his nose brushed against yours lightly as he nudged his face a little closer to yours; his soft breathing warming the surface of your skin and his forehead rested against yours. He grabbed your hand and placed it palm down over his heart, and even in the absence of heightened senses, you could feel the strong, rapid beat of his heart.

“Not possible.”

You weren’t sure if you believed in soulmates, but you did believe in the idea of being able to love deeply; so deep sometimes you thought you’d drown. There were a lot of new challenges to navigate this next year away from home, but right there, in your cramped dorm room, on a bed much too small, with a mess of your belongings surrounding you, you kissed the boy your heart belonged too. You let yourself get lost in the pressure of his lips against yours, his soft caress, and in the way he leaned into your touch; tender declarations of love embracing you both fondly.

Permanent Taglist: @marvelousmorales @mercurys-rhapsody @sunrisespidey @upsidedownparker

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keyofjetwolf · 5 years

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Elisabeth: The Shadows Grow Longer

I spent no small amount of time into trying to organize and articulate my thoughts on “Hate”, and now I’m even further removed from that effort, I’m pretty pleased with what I managed to say about it. I can only hope, as I sit here on no less than my fourth purge-and-restart in five months for “The Shadows Grow Longer”, that I come to feel the same with this post, BECAUSE MY GOD HAVE I STRUGGLED WITH IT SORRY @iatheia

Given everything, I think this is my single favourite part of the entire musical. I love the song, I love the way it’s performed, I love the way it’s sung, I love the meaning behind it, I love how difficult it is. That gives me an extra layer of desire to get my discussion about it right, but as can so often be the case, it also makes me that much more critical about how I’m doing it.

So fuck it, another start from scratch. Fourth time’s the charm? LET’S HOPE

Essen Alternate Title: Sucks To Be Rudolf Zuka Alternate Title: Sucks To Be Whassisface Because Reasons I Guess

In “Hate”, I talked about how its exclusion from the Takarazuka version stripped this song of much of its relevance and meaning. Having just rewatched it several times, I hold firm to that. The performance of the song is fantastic, and its a testament to Rudolf’s actress that I felt tremendous compassion for him despite any actual objective show-based reason to do so. SHE’S JUST THAT GOOD.

The song itself in the Takarazuka version is actually a pretty close match to the Essen. It’s originally intended to be between Rudolf and Death, so there’s no shoehorning of Death. It also keeps its focus pretty firmly on Rudolf, rather than twisting things out of shape to put Death front and center. NOT A COMPLAINT. It is a bit of a pleasant surprise, though, given the predilections of the Takarazuka thus far, and I think speaks a lot to the strength of the “The Shadows Grow Longer” that it’s functionally untouched.

But damn, I just CANNOT get past how gutted it is without “Hate” as its lead-in. This song is functionally our introduction to Takarazuka Rudolf, the first time he’s spoken of himself and his feelings rather than through what Lucheni decides to tell us about him. The Essen version, by this same point, has put a comparative glut of time and effort into making sure we know Rudolf, but even without all that, if we have “Hate”, we’d at least have context for all this.

ALAS

Instead of realizing that Rudolf is struggling to reconcile his personal desires to do away with imperialism and the larger picture of the chaos and power vacuum left in its wake, he comes across as a weak, pampered little boy, who wants to shirk responsibility and hug his mummy, and is desperate for The Cool Kids to like him OR HE’LL JUST DIE (literally).

Again, the Takarazuka actress infuses the song with so much more than that, and I’ll never stop giving her every credit for it, but it’s entirely despite the building of the material. Until I watched the Essen version, my take-away from this song was essentially “You don’t want to deal with all that emperor shit and the mess of the world, just shoot yourself and save everyone the trouble.”’

A consequence of how the Takarazuka version has rearranged itself with Death at its center, all this feels like none of it actually MATTERS as far as Rudolf is concerned, that it’s simply a ploy by Death to try and hurt Elisabeth. That’s a damn shame, when the scene is actually incredibly powerful independent of both Elisabeth AND Death, and serves as the perhaps the one fundamental link between mother and son that he so desperately longed to find.

On top of that, the Takarazuka puts so much of its energies into building Death as a singular obsessive character, rather than an alluring force both terrifying and comforting, that by pushing Elisabeth to the sidelines of her own story, it’s weakened everyone, INCLUDING Death.

Still though, the Takarazuka performance of “The Shadows Grow Longer” is awesome, and does a tremendous job showing Rudolf and Death in their own intimate dance as Rudolf’s struggle to resist Death’s charms and the freedom in oblivion he offers.

THE ESSEN VERSION THOUGH JESUS WEPT

I’ve rewatched it six or seven times so far today, in the course of writing this post, and I’m still getting goosebumps. The desperation and fury in Rudolf is nothing short of incredible to watch, and Death makes the perfect accompaniment to his torment.

The way he says “Yes, you know me” is SO GOOD, carrying just the right note of sinister familiarity, and that’s only the beginning. From there, as Rudolf and Death sing together, we get a sense of the relationship Rudolf has with this force that doesn’t actually exist, and yet is more real and comforting to him than literally anyone else in his life, and if that isn’t some sad fucking shit then I don’t know what is. As Rudolf calls Death his friend, he says it with true joy in his face and in his voice. Death is his constant companion, always there for him whenever he’s afraid and alone, and it’s through this examination of Death and Rudolf that we can also better understand Death and Elisabeth. She never really allows herself to feel -- or at least express -- the soothing nothingness Death offers, yet still, she can never completely pull herself free. Through Rudolf, we can see how alluring it is, how reassuring to always have an escape hatch constantly whispering some small morsel of want and affection.

But it’s also terrifying. As Rudolf welcomes Death, Death threatens to consume him. They sing together, Death of course knowing precisely what Rudolf knows and so echoing to him his deepest fears.

Rudolf can see how the world is moving. As demonstrated through “Hate”, he knows only too well that everyone is headed for violence and bloodshed, and critical problems will grow so much worse before they can even consider getting better. AND NO ONE ELSE CAN SEE, no one else is in his unique position of both (or neither) insider and outsider. Rudolf alone is at the crossroads of history, and knows that there’s almost no time left to try and stop this. Knows that he alone may have the opportunity to even try.

It’s that uncertainty of what to do and how to do it that ultimately proves too much, but he’s not quite there yet. Death appeals to him, entices him, coaxes him, even goes so far as to directly and physically manipulate him like a puppet.

Still, Rudolf tries to fight, breaking away time and again, only to repeatedly return to the only one who understands, the only one to offer him SOMETHING. And Death does, in a way somewhat unexpected.

I’ve turned this over a few times, thinking on how Death, who for most of the song is encouraging Rudolf to give up and accept the inevitable, now does a 180 and urges him to try, to embrace becoming both an emperor and a traitor. It seems, at first, to be something of a contradiction, but in truth I feel it highlights the utter impossibility of Rudolf's situation. He’s doomed no matter WHAT he does. If he stands by and doesn’t act, the world will turn down the path of hatred and unthinkable atrocities. If he keeps the path his ancestors forged, he sacrifices his personal values while condemning and further inciting the poor, bringing about the end of Hapsburg rule with himself its chief villain (and very likely doing nothing to halt the impending march of World War I anyway). He leaves this moment still trying to ride the middle, and of course history shows us how well that goes for him. But right here, right now, he’s encouraged to at least TRY, and in way that’s perhaps one of the saddest in the entire show.

Rudolf, exhausted and despondent, falls (nudged every so slightly by Death) to his knees, wondering why nobody else can see coming what he sees. And Death joins him, tries once more to take him, but at Rudolf’s continued refusal to yield to Death, changes instead to comfort. They kneel together as Death cradles Rudolf’s head, and it’s the first time we see Rudolf in any state that could even slightly be described as relaxed. Someone’s comforting him, someone’s holding him, someone’s helping him, and that it’s DEATH ITSELF just crushes me a little.

But at the same time, Death is Death. He may give for now, but ultimately, he will take. Whatever motivations compel him, becoming emperor will kill Rudolf as surely as Death’s kiss. And as Death turns him to face his future, “Kaiser Rudolf” still lingering on their lips and ringing in their ears, Rudolf ultimately stands alone.

#jet wolf watches elisabeth #a novel by jet wolf #oh my god i can't believe i've finally gotten this done #WAS IT WORTH FIVE MONTHS OF WAITING PROBABLY NOT BUT HERE IT IS

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hisshellhead · 5 years

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Tony Stark is an incredibly important person to me. He is the man who I have loved and supported for years and who has made MCU a journey of laughter and tears of joy and heartbreaks.

Endgame gave us so many beautiful Tony moments so I'm just gonna list down my thoughts on the scenes I can remember and that really struck with me.

OKAY. So. It was only the first few minutes and Tony Stark already made me cry. I knew he was gonna survive but I actually really teared up when he left that message and Nebula was there, being so gentle with him. I was heartbroken and also in love with this friendship. Tony and Nebula had one of the most amazing relationships that really bloomed in Endgame. Tony was so soft with her and he even offered her food even when he needed it more. He was completely willing to sacrifice himself for someone does not know much about. Even with that little scene, you can clearly tell he's a hero who would do anything for others. Comics Steve couldn't have said it better. It's the kind of thing that used to blow me away. Billionaire sweating the small stuff. The important things.

(Also, I gasped so hard when we saw Carol for the first time. I was really really wishing for a CarolTony friendship and Marvel let me down once again.)

Next. I cannot NOT include the scene when he arrived at the compound. Steve rushed to his side! He was the first to hold and support him! And then when Tony said I lost the kid, my eyes were just burning with tears. Losing Peter clearly broke something in him and I loved the reminder that to him, Peter was more than just a superhero side project. He might as well have been his son. And we can clearly see that by how Tony looks so lost and despairing.

Then, the vindication scene aka TONY TOLD YOU SO. First, seeing Tony in that condition broke my heart. Again. He was so thin and fragile and looked like he'd break so easily. BUT THEN. When he said I needed you. PAST TENSE. I actually felt that. Because it was true. For years he had warned them and they all took him for a fool. But not anymore. The cost was too high but at least they finally know that Tony only had their best interests at heart. That he has always been the one to put his faith in the Avengers, always tried to keep them close. And GOD he deserved this moment. And when he took off what is practically a metaphor for his heart and slapped it to Steve's hand with pain and anger in his voice, I really really loved that. I actually had goosebumps during that scene and when he pushed everyone away only to collapse after. It just shows how Tony is the most human out of all of them.

Oh and I'm saying this now. I fucking hate how Marvel just completely ignored Tony and Rhodey's friendship. You mean to tell me Rhodey would not rush in to hug Tony after seeing his best friend who he thought was dead, thin and breakable but alive? That he wouldn't stay by Tony's bedside and hold his hand and squeeze it because he understands that Tony only wanted what was best for them and that Rhodey is willing to fight the world for him? Ugh I hated the lack of scenes so much.

Anyway, we now go to the time skip and I wasn't at all prepared to see how incredibly soft Tony is with Morgan. Yes, we got a glimpse of it by how he treated Nebula, Peter, and Harley (My boy! Another fucking injustice) but it was still pleasantly surprising to see him being so domestic and so caring. I love you 3000 (absolute tears). And it's interesting to see his transition from warm and happy to cold when the Avengers came. You can see how much he loves his life now and he knew the others here only means more danger and risks but now he has a family.

We see him turning them away but still trying to see if it's possible. AND I STAN AN ABSOLUTE GENIUS. Can't believe he did that in only an hour? A few minutes or hours? Anyway, he is amazing and I love him.

Then that conversation with Pepper just broke me again. How though they weren't actually saying the things they needed to say directly, they still understood each other. Also, can I just say how much I loved Pepperony in Endgame? It's one of the few relationships Endgame did not fuck up and probably one of the two MCU films (Iron Man 1 being the other) where I only feel pleasant thoughts about this ship.

Tony was his usual adorable self while they where planning how to do the whole time travel. (I'm so upset that I'll never see him this happy again. I'm actually literally crying. Fuck you Marvel)

His whole banter with the team was hilarious and I especially loved Team New York (his conversations with Scott is so cute... I wish they could have had more time together as friends.)

Probably the one thing I'm most pissed about during the whole time travel trip (aside from Thanos conpletely screwing Nebula over again) is the Tony and H*ward scenes.

I'm sorry but I will never like him. Ever. He is a father who doesn't deserve to be called that title. He cared more for a frozen capsicle than caring for his own son and I can't fucking accept that. Tony grew up, believing his father hated him. Tony said it himself. He was cold. He was calculating. He never told me he loved me, he never told me he liked me. And we're supposed to suddenly forgive him just because of those scenes? Tony should have punched him. That's what he deserved. He doesn't get to be redeemed just because of some shit he said to a random guy (at least to Howard) when for years, we all know that he'd practically abandoned his child.

Ugh, H*ward makes me so mad.

Moving on. The battle. I was so anxious to see Tony the whole time because it felt like I was only seeing Steve but at the same time, I was so afraid of what would happen when we do see him. I was literally on the edge of my seat, praying for Tony, needing him to live.

Then the others arrived and it was a really surreal moment. Tony hugging Peter was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever seen. I could feel the love and care they have for each other. And it was the middle of the fight and I should be concerned but at that moment, I was just really happy to see them together... Then we also saw Rescue. Tony fighting with her back to back is a scene I probably won't forget. I loved it so so much.

But then Thanos gets the gauntlet and I was just really scared. I can see Tony there and I know he'll fight. He'll do everything, sacrifice himself, not just because he's a hero but because he has always been someone who cares, who gives too much even when the world doesn't thank him enough.

Then Strange looks at him and gestures 1. And I just. Fucking. Knew. I WAS CRYING AT THE SADDEST AND NOBLEST THING THIS IDIOT DID. HE JUST RUSHED, NOT HESITATING BECAUSE HE KNEW. HE KNEW IT WAS HIM. IT HAD TO BE HIM. And my heart just gets stomped into tiny little pieces because outside of that fight, of that sense of duty and responsibility, Tony has a family. He has a cute kid he needs to go back home to. He has wife who he loves since maybe even before 2008. But at that moment, he didn't hesitate. He was a hero through and through.

"I am... Iron Man." This scene. Just. How absolutely awful it is to be brought back to IM 1 where the only thing had to worry about was his heart broken by a person he trusted? And at the same time, how beautiful it is to show that despite their similarities, their desire to save the world and hope for the future, Tony and Thanos had never been the same? It was something that just gripped my heart and I thought. Oh. This is that moment. That moment where he was the most hero he could ever be, if that makes sense.

And then it was exhilarating as we watch Thanos and his forces die but then we see Tony. (I can't even type this without crying) And he looks so drained and tired but still satisfied because they won. And Rhodey was the first one to see him (That was a punch to the heart). Then Peter was there, crying for his hero, the man he respected and who he always aspired to be. And Tony can't even fucking reply. His entire being is burning. He's suffering. HE CAN'T TALK MUCH. HE CAN'T SAY SORRY TO RHODEY FOR ALL THE GRIEF HE HAD PUT HIM THROUGH, FOR BEING HIS ROCK, HIS FOUNDATION WHEN EVERYTHING FELL APART. HE CAN'T THANK PETER FOR SHOWING HIM ANOTHER TYPE OF LOVE HE NEVER THOUGHT HE COULD EVER WANT AND HAVE. HE CAN'T SAY I LOVE YOU TO PEPPER, TO THE ONE WHO HE LOVES. WITH HIS WHOLE HEART. WHO GAVE HIM A FAMILY. WHO, AGAINST ALL ODDS, ACCEPTED HIM AND GAVE HIM A HOME. MOST HEARTBREAKING? HE COULDN'T EVEN FUCKING SAY GOODBYE TO HIS OWN DAUGHTER. THE PERSON HE LOVES 3000. HIS LIGHT AND EVERYTHING HE HAD EVER HOPED FOR.

I'M SORRY BUT IT WAS AWFUL. IT WAS SO AWFUL AND I HATED IT.

And Pepper's line.

"It's okay. We'll be okay. You can rest now."

Guess what? IT DESTROYED ME. I HAVE SEEN THIS MAN SUFFER WAY BEFORE IM1. He grew up with a neglectful father and then could never truly process the grief of his parents' deaths. He was betrayed by a person he believed could never do that to him. He could have easily gave up but he didn't. HE FOUGHT AND HE FOUGHT AND HE FOUGHT. Even when his hands are shaking, even when they're numb. Even when the whole world hates him and they say he's a mass murderer, the merchant of death, he still pushes forward. He has sins he believes he should atone for and he goes above and beyond to fix them. Time and time again, he is ready to sacrifice himself. New York. Sokovia. Titan. Where does it end? Apparently, until he's dead.

And this lines makes me so conflicted. He has already given too much. Doesn't he deserve a happy ending? Or is giving himself to the world always been his destiny? Who the fuck gets to decide that. He wanted that life. With that family. And it just gets taken away from him. Just like that.

But even after all these, I'm somehow still not consumed by complete rage at what they did to him. Because now, people can see what they should have seen a long time ago: a hero. They get to look at that scene and remember a man who sacrificed himself for the world.

Do I believe that it justifies the end he got? No. Because they didn't need his death to fucking validate something that they should have known way before but didn't because they were too blind and stubborn to look for it. But was it necessary? Still no. But I have always wanted them to acknowledge him with respect and it seems that is only attainable through his death.

Tony's message to the others was a slap to the face too. Knowing that he knew full well he might not survive but still doing the right thing just gets to me. And Tony saying I love you 3000... God. Morgan didn't deserve to lose a father. She's too young and the time Tony spent with her is not nearly enough. Tony should have been there for her. HE DESERVED THAT SPOT WITH HIS DAUGHTER. HE DESERVED THAT HAPPINESS AND TO HAVE HIS PAYMENT FOR HIS SACRIFICES BE JUST 5 YEARS WITH HIS FAMILY? BULL FUCKING SHIT.

I KNOW I HAD LOTS OF EMOTIONS AND THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE (I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT FOR JUST ONE SECOND, SEEING TONY'S HOLOGRAM, I WAS HOPING, VERY MUCH HOPING FOR AI TONY. But is that a gift or a punishment, I wonder). BUT WHAT I WANT TO COME BACK TO IS THIS: THEY ROBBED TONY OF HIS FUTURE AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT SOLIDIFIED HIS SELFLESSNESS, IT COST TOO MUCH.

#i'm sorry if this was barely coherent but #i jusy have so many emotions #i probably won't stop crying and thinking of him #tony stark #was the best of them #he has always been the most unselfish of them all #and now we have to say goodbye #but i don't want to #i've never had to do this with someone who means this much to mr #you can say tony is fictional but even so #he's been an inspiration #he's someone who encourages me to try my best #to continue forward no matter how many people try to bring me down #he is everybody's hero #and i could never forget marvel for doing that to him #endgame spoilers

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ohscorbus · 6 years

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Saturday 28th July, 2018

Today was one of my favourite shows. Part One especially. It wasn’t perfect, lines were forgotten and tricks didn’t work, but there was something about it that made it special. I saw a cast that were now exploring the depths of their characters and were enjoying it as much as the audience. It felt new and the magic was very much alive.

PART ONE

Act One, Scene Three

So before Albus walks into Scorpius’s carriage, there’s always another student who walks in first, and then walks back out again very quickly once they realise it’s Scorpius Malfoy. Today said student sat down, saw Scorpius, and then literally screamed. It was hilarious, then utterly heartbreaking. It made me wonder how many students truly believe the rumours and are genuinely terrified of Scorpius. Can you imagine having to live with that? I bet it’s even worse after he’s returned from the Voldemort AU because then he’s seen how awful he can be. I wonder, in his lowest moments, if he fears these students are seeing what’s inside of him, and what he could be, and whether they’re right... *slams hands down on her desk* Give me Scorpius’s struggle with his mental health after all the shit he’s gone through!

Act One, Scene Four

“My son is suffering” - Draco feeeeels. I loved the way James said this today. Instead of its usual power, today he just sounded broken. He said it was his son that was suffering but clearly, so was he. Doesn’t that just break your heart? Draco is about to lose his wife and his son is being bullied at a school far away and he can’t do anything about any of it. Everything is falling apart and the fact that he can’t mask that in his voice, to Harry Potter while in public, says just how bad it must be.

Act One, Scene Ten

Scorpius properly leaned back in and sniffed as he tried to distinguish what Rose smelled like. I can’t with this boy. It’s like, the more he tries to save the awkward social interaction, the worse it gets... #relatable

“Do we hug?” - Scorpius is always surprised by this hug. No one has ever played it any differently. Until today. Oh Jonathan. Jonathan, Jonathan, Jonathan. So Scorpius was still initially shocked by it but it only lasted a second. Then as Albus pulled away, what had just happened seemed to dawn on him and Scorpius’s face instantly lit up. He was shining like a thousand suns. The very definition of pure joy. He liked that hug and he wanted more, and he wanted more now. So he immediately leaned straight back in and stretched his arms out, already half way round Albus and trying to bring him back into another hug. Sadly Albus stopped him but honestly… the way he just didn’t even hesitate before he went back in for another hug. Or the fact that he wanted another hug. Bless. Oh and his line!!!! So yeah, in case you hadn’t picked up on the fact this boy likes his hugs all Albus-y, his tone of voice said it loud and clear. “Do we hug?” didn’t sound confused like it usually does, today it was hopeful and full of excitement. Just like Scorpius.

Act One, Scene Eleven

“I feel like I’ve learnt a lot about me, something about you” - After this, Scorpius turned round and bent down as if to start climbing back down into the carriage. This was enough rebelling for him, thank you very much. (Bless him.) Albus had to go over and stop him :’)

Jonathan gave me some serious Anthony flashbacks today. Remember Floorpius? Well his spirit lives on. Like the train roof today? Scorpius spent most of it on the floor, legs in the air (or worse, hanging off the side of the train!!!), and flailing like you would not believe. There are no words. All I could think about was that red panda video. Here’s a gif from it that perfectly demonstrates Jonathan’s Scorpius on top of the train roof once the Trolley Witch starts throwing exploding pumpkin pasties at them. The other red panda’s reaction isn’t far off from what Albus was doing to be fair...

(You know how I like to think Albus’s Animagus form is a fennec fox? Well now I’m imagining Scorpius being a red panda. I mean, I still think he’d be a great fainting goat, but the idea of a tiny fennec fox and a cute fluffy red panda running around together is too cute. Also, a Malfoy turning into something so red would be amazing haha.)

Act One, Scene Nineteen

So green liquorice laces are used on stage for the Gillyweed. Fun fact. Anyway, I don’t know what happened today but Joe must have had triple the amount (and then some) of what they tend to have. So when he pulled out his handful (understatement of the year) and dumped Scorpius’s ‘share’ into his hands, Jonathan’s face was priceless. I love the fact that Joe could have taken more so at least they would have both suffered but nope. He kept his usual amount and gave the excess to Jonathan to deal with. And when I say deal with, I mean eat. I’m not sure if it was a growl or a desperate wail sound he made as he took a mouthful of the laces but whatever it was, it was great. I’m sorry for laughing at your expense Jonathan but you know… if it’s worth anything, I think it handled it like a pro. By which I mean Scorpius would have been proud :’)

Act Two, Scene Six

“Still get a tingle, don’t you?” - You know when you get a full body shiver for no apparent reason? The kind that leaves you with goosebumps? Well that’s what happened to Scorpius today when he was looking at Hogwarts through the trees. He had tingles you could actually see. I really liked that because this scene gives me that exact same feeling. It’s hard to describe but there’s something about seeing Hogwarts through their eyes that makes it one of the most magical parts of the show.

Act Two, Scene Nine

“I can’t, okay?” - Albus said this quietly to Scorpius as he held his arm. This was for Scorpius’s ears, not Harrys. Then when he speaks again (“We’ll be better off without each other, okay?”), it’s said much louder and definitely for Harry’s benefit. He wants his dad to know he’s following the rules even though the way he previously spoke to Scorpius tells us his heart isn’t really in it.

Act Two, Scene Sixteen

“Well, I wasn’t a loser before I met you” - I’ve never heard an audience collectively respond to this line with ‘ohhhh’s so loudly before. These guys were invested. I LOVE IT. (I’ve said this a thousand times before but a good audience makes a great show exceptional. To hear so many gasps and awww’s and laughs makes it feel like you’re seeing it for the first time with them. The shared excitement is infectious and it picks everyone up. That energy isn’t lost on stage either.)

You know the hug after their argument? Well when Albus pulled him in, Scorpius completely relaxed in his arms for a second. It was like he ceased to have any control over his limbs. (Which to be fair, is not unusual for Scorpius.) You know what his arms reminded me of actually? That time Harry lost all of his bones! I’d add a gif but you all know it... Anyway, he properly fell into that hug. Then as soon as the hug was over, Scorpius went straight back in for another hug, just like last time, but this time Albus let him. Good times.

PART TWO

@torestoreamends pointed out a few shows back how much Scorpius whispers in part two but I hadn’t really thought much of it until I was watching where and when he was doing it today. Because, correct me if I’m wrong, people with a stutter generally stutter less when they whisper. (And sing which you know, also explains a lot.) So it makes sense he’d do this. He’s under enormous amounts of stress in this part, something in which will only exacerbate the issue, so I love the idea of him getting around that. He knows there are times in which his speech cannot fail him. He needs to get these words out. He needs to be seen as calm and collected. (Does the Scorpion King stutter? Will Delphi see it as a weakness?) But also, there are moments when he whispers to Albus just because he can. Albus isn’t going to judge him for talking quieter or getting closer to be heard. He accepts this about Scorpius and so Scorpius is comfortable doing it.

Act Four, Scene Three

“My geekiness is a-quivering” - His arms were literally shaking. Scorpius was looking down at them like he’d never seen them do this before. But then Albus ran over and called his name to focus him and went through his breathing exercises with him, so you know, this is clearly something that happens on a regular basis. Have I told you how much I love Albus and Scorpius recently? Because I do. A lot.

Back to Scorpius freaking out over his arms though. You know he’s that kid who had a massive growth spurt overnight and still hasn’t quite figured out what to do with his limbs now. It’s funny because my nickname for Scorpius was Bambi for another reason, but this just confirms its accuracy. (Also, before you ask, no! It’s not because his mother died! I’m not that heartless!)

Act Four, Scene Eight

“We can hug too if you like...” - I feel like this has been said before but it occurred me today why I loved the fact it’s Draco who now runs to Scorpius and stops before they hug, rather than the other way round like it’s always been. So in the Voldemort timeline after Draco pushes Scorpius away from his desk, Scorpius backs away as far and as fast as he can. He doesn’t willingly get closer again after that. (Sometimes Draco comes round the other side of his desk and gets closer but it’s never Scorpius anymore.) So I wonder if maybe Scorpius is still a little wary? I’m not saying he’s afraid of him because he knows his dad isn’t that person. But to want to hug him, in front of everyone, after everything that’s happened? Maybe Scorpius is just nervous and unsure, but I personally like the idea that he’s deliberately stalling. Waiting. Needing his dad to make the first move here. So when he does, and his initial run towards his son is done without hesitation, I think it floors him. Because this is his dad. He’s right here and he wants this as much as he does. It makes the line ‘we can hug too if you like’ say more than it actually does. It’s more than Draco asking permission. It’s Draco being equally nervous and unsure. He’s all too aware of how much Scorpius knows about his past now. He’s lived through it. Yet he doesn’t (and can’t) hide the desperation in his eyes to have his son back with him safe and sound. I wonder if in a way, he’s not just asking for a hug, but for forgiveness. For his past, for letting all this happen, for who he was and could have been. I can’t imagine how Draco must feel when Scorpius launches himself at him for that rib breaking kinda hug. It’s so much more than just a hug for them both. It’s a sorry. It’s a promise. It’s relief. It’s love.

Act Four, Scene Ten

“Blimey! There are two of them!” - Hermione and Scorpius looked across at each other at this and smiled, sharing this really sweet moment. I loved the happiness and reassurance in Hermione’s eyes at Scorpius’s own gleeful pride. They both took this as the highest compliment. The fact that Scorpius’s attention was on Hermione rather than worrying about his dad’s reaction (which I’ve sometimes seen in past) says just how much that comment, and Hermione’s reaction to it, meant to him. I don’t know if this was just a today thing or whether it’s a Franc and Jonathan thing, but I loved it and hope to see it again!

Act Four, Scene Eleven

“Then kill me” - You could see the adults all instantaneously lowering their wands or at least faltering slightly at her words. It made the fact that Albus did the opposite even more obvious. He too faltered here but was then quick to steady himself. It obviously was not what he was expecting her to say but he kept his wand raised and aimed directly at her, and was ready. (He wasn’t, but he trying to convince himself otherwise.) It’s always fascinating to see how Albus reacts here. He’s angry, and if there’s anything we’ve learnt over the past five hours is that this kid acts impulsively when he’s emotionally compromised. Yet it’s the logic he tries to apply over it that gets him in these situations. He convinces himself it’s the right thing to do and then his stubbornness enforces it. But to give credit where credit is due, when he backs down, he does so sincerely.

I probably should have mentioned this before, but this was my first time seeing our new Hermione, Franc Ashman. I absolutely adore her! I loooove her voice. There’s a tone in it that reminds me of book Hermione. She speaks with authority but there’s still that softness there which makes her who she is. I’m really looking forward to her year ahead : )

#harry potter and the cursed child #TCCleanne #one day I'm doing to post a recap told entirely through gifs and it's all scorpius malfoy's fault :')

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briangroth27 · 5 years

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Goosebumps 2 Review

I liked the new Goosebumps film a lot, but I did feel like it fell a little short of the first film. I think it’s that a few characters could’ve been more fully utilized and the frights could’ve been scarier, but it wasn’t enough to hamper the fun I had watching it.

Full Spoilers…

I liked the new cast! Madison Iseman (Sarah) was great and very likable as a very different type of teenager than she played in Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle, which was a nice surprise. I definitely expected her brother Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and his best friend Sam (Caleel Harris) to drive the movie with her being dragged along as an annoying older sister, but that wasn't the case at all. She has agency, we know what she wants out of life, and her arc is all about achieving those goals. It’s true that her quest to find something to write about for her college essay was a little cliché, but I liked that the adventure the film takes her on gives her more than an essay: it gives her a career. She also gets to be an active player in the climax, which was great. One of my few notes about the first movie was that while Stine's (Jack Black) daughter wasn't passive or a damsel exactly, she also didn't offer many ideas when she easily could've instead of the guys. Goosebumps has never been afraid to feature kids regardless of their gender or race, so it was awesome to see that continue with Sarah being so active here.

Sonny & Sam felt like true Goosebumps protagonists and I liked how Sonny’s science experiments and knowledge played into Slappy’s plot (making Slappy something of a twist on Sonny’s personality too, just like he’s Stine’s dark side). Sonny, Sam, and Sarah's problems being solved (initially) by Slappy felt like the first act of a classic Goosebumps novel (and the bully they boys were dealing with (Peyton Wich) felt like he was pulled right from those books), while all three kids readily accepting that Slappy was in fact a living dummy was a nice and realistic beat given what they’d seen. I liked both Sam and Sonny, but it would’ve been nice if Sam had more to do: after his moving/cleaning business gets them to Slappy and Sarah’s brought into the loop, it felt like he faded into the background somewhat. Maybe this is just because Sonny’s technological skills and Sarah’s growing writer identity were more integral to the ongoing plot, but I wish Sam had a role to play in the climax that was specific to him as well. Of the characters that weren’t used to their full potential, his felt like the biggest loss.

Wendi Mclendon-Covey was great as Sarah & Sonny's mother Kathy and I thought she brought a perfect awkward/embarrassing yet caring "mom" vibe to the role. Chris Parnell’s Walter, possessed by the iconic Haunted Mask, was unfortunately underwhelming. He got a few funny lines and I liked his awkward chemistry with Kathy, but didn't the mask in the book make the wearer meaner, not sillier? Mr. Chu (Ken Jeong) was a fun character, but I feel like they could've done more with him, particularly his excitement to be living a Goosebumps story. Send him out into the chaos to casually soak it in while everyone else is running and screaming in terror or something! I thought it was a little odd he had so much time to make the kids costumes in the middle of the crisis, but I guess the existing costumes might've been brought to life, so maybe there's internal logic to them not just using pre-made disguises (ultimately it doesn’t bother me either way, though).

I liked Jack Black's return as RL Stine here (though I wish he also voiced Slappy again, even if Mick Wingert sounds enough like Black’s Slappy for it to not be jarring at all). Stine worked really well as a mentor/inspiration to Sarah, even though he didn’t have a lot of screentime (they definitely made the most of his time here). His return to his hometown—forcing him to face his monsters in the place that created so many of them for him—was well done (if not elaborated on). More of that definitely would’ve been appreciated, but I’m content with what they did give us. I'm also definitely down to follow the story where Slappy leaves it, with Stine locked in Slappy’s book (also making the dummy a dark mirror for Sarah, if they want). Maybe Stine's been put into Horrorland? If they're about to take us into the world of Goosebumps after letting it invade the real world twice now, I'm all for that! It would be awesome if the younger casts of both movies teamed up to save RL Stine and wrap up this trilogy! He does have a daughter who used to be a character in one of his books; combine that unique experience with Sarah taking up the writer torch and I think we’ve got a rescue party forming.

I liked that this felt like a lost Goosebumps story (whereas the first movie was more of a meta-celebration of the franchise) and Slappy’s twisted desire for a family worked really well for me. He’s a great villain and forcing people to be his family was a nice, understated tie back to his implied status as Stine's evil alter ego (Stine himself having been a lonely kid according to the first movie). I wish they’d played that up more, though. Using Slappy's incantation to bring all the Goosebumps monsters to life was a fun twist on the lore and made it feel like a sequel to “Night of the Living Dummy.” Slappy using Nikola Tesla's technology to achieve his goals was a nice touch too…and a possible reflection of Stine and his status as an ignored genius in comparison to his rival Stephen King (this features a great IT joke, btw!)? As for the rest of the Goosebumps monsters, it’s always nice to see them, but aside from being recognizable as the franchise’s villains, these monsters could’ve been any thugs. If they’re going to keep bringing every monster in, I’d like to see more Goosebumps-y twists on the classics with defined abilities and unique scares instead of mobs of essentially interchangeable creatures. The ravenous gummy bears were a real threat, but also a lot of fun (and cute!); they’re a good example of an original Goosebumps twist on monsters. I did like that these monsters seemed to be mostly practical costumes/makeup rather than CGI creations this time out.

I think the biggest drawback was the same as in the first movie: I wish these films were more concerned with putting more actual scares on the screen. Slappy does get a bunch of creepy moments, though, and Kathy has an extremely unsettling moment as a human ventriloquist dummy, but I wish it had gone on longer and/or amounted to more. The Goosebumps books and TV episodes had actual thrills and scares alongside Stine’s humor, so I wish the movies would dip their toes in frights just as much as they exist in the “horror adventure” space. Despite me wanting more scares, however, the comedy here landed more often than not and there's no denying that it's a great time at the movies.

I love Danny Elfman's theme and score, but I do wish they'd include the TV show's theme song at some point in this franchise too. The CGI was really good: there was only one shot that looked a little dodgy (when the pumpkins took flight), but otherwise I thought it was convincing. While not explicitly scary, there is a fun spooky vibe here that makes for an enjoyable watch. The pacing’s also on point and moves the story along at a brisk pace.

Goosebumps 2 is out in Blu-ray this week and I'll definitely be picking it up! I'm excited to see it again and it's definitely worth a watch if you're looking for a fun Halloween adventure. Whatever they do for the next movie, I love this series and hope it continues!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

#goosebumps #goosebumps 2 #haunted halloween #rl stine #jack black #madison iseman #sarah quinn #slappy

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