#in case youre wondering why its tagged as game theory

[asherlockstudy]

um im just scrolling through the streamys tag and i saw your posts and i thought "oh they seem cool i wonder what the blog is like"... then i went scrolling and you mentioned link coming out??? huh??? (i haven't watched gmm in like years year years) you seem like a level headed person to ask.... link is... gay? did this happen recently??? i am so confused but i know that if i google im gonna get garbage results. so yeah

Hello! Sorry for the late reply, hope you get to see this.

The answer is... yes and no. While there isn't anything explicit / certain / definite over all this time, it seems there is some restlessness on their side, with several projects such as their recent scripted videos, but also as far back as Hazel, the GMEs and Ear Biscuits that point towards the possibility of them taking a very slow, long way towards this direction, especially Link. In fact it seems like Link can't stand being in the closet anymore but Rhett dreads leaving it. That's my general impression.

While I might be considered the most stark supporter of this theory around here (or at least the one who verbalizes it the most), a few days ago more people started considering it thanks to a moment during GME where Link did something very close to a coming-out.

In case you haven't watched any of the GMEs, GME (Good Mythical Evening) is a paid live show they do once a year, which is like the strictly adult version of GMM. There, strong references to sex are allowed and they also drink enough to get inebriated and foul language is also allowed to some degree.

All that on its own would be already a lot to consider, but GME has also strong homoerotic traits since Rhett and Link play a lot with their ship there. Last year, they re-enacted rhink fics where they were having sex (basically handjobs?), I don't remember exactly. And they acted LIKE they were doing it. This year, they took it up a notch and Rhett actually sucked Link's nipple, among other things. And I mean, he really did it. For a few seconds. But he did it...properly. Don't ask me why they do this stuff. I don't know. I think nobody knows. I am just presenting you the facts so I can give you an idea about what is going on.

So, during a game in this latest GME, this dialogue took place regarding what the act of "docking" is:

Rhett: I was right! It is a gay thing! Stevie: Whaaat? I mean, well, Link also agreed with your answer so... Rhett: We both get points! Hold on, though... one guy needs to be circumcised. Link: Yeah you only need one circumcision for docking. Stevie: Oh you're asking ME? Rhett: I think..... I don't know a lot about this but I think only one guy needs to be uncircumcised. Link: Do you think docking actually happens? Because I don't think docking increases pleasure. Rhett: I don't know, man. I can't do it, man. My parents didn't give me a choice. They just circumcised me, man. Link: I know, but even after you're circumcised, you can try. Rhett: With someone who's not circumcised...... And also, I am not gay. Link: Hey, that's okay. It's okay. Rhett: Yeah, I mean, it's cool to not be gay! Link: No, it's not "cool"- Rhett: No, it's "okay" to not be gay! By "cool" I meant it is "okay" to not be gay! Link: But just go ahead and explain yourself completely. Rhett: But I might do it for scientific purposes! Link: This is what I wish you would do when I say something stupid. Rhett: If they needed to figure it out, if two scientists wanted to figure out whether two guys need to be uncircumcised, I'd be like "okay", I mean, I'd check with my wife first. Link: Yeah, but just say it is equally cool to be gay. Rhett: It is cool to be whatever you wanna be. Link: Yeah. Exactly. It's cool to be whatever you need, you want to be, you are. It's cool to be who you are. That's what I am deriving. Rhett: Yeah, that's the coolest you can be, to just be who you are. Right, Stevie? Link: I, you know what, I feel like, Stevie, I feel like I have been on a journey. Stevie: Okay. Rhett: Yeah. Link: To know- to figure out who I am. Rhett (mutters): Yeah, yeah, right. Link: And it's extremely rewarding, challenging and- Rhett: But we won't be docking later... Link: And..... rewarding. And we wanna- Yeah... can you... I was saying something important. Rhett: Because we're both circumcised. Link: Yes, but we are not gonna be docking later. Rhett: Right, because we're both circumcised. Link: But you can be circumcised and still have enough of a skin left after the circumcision to dock... In Good Mythical More we are gonna answer questions from the crew and we 're gonna have conversations about - (meanwhile Rhett talks simultaneously and almost over him about unimportant docking musings) Link: ...Right, so if you are not gonna come to Good Mythical More, please you can still get a ticket, join us for Good Mythical More, but for now we're gonna move on. Rhett (sarcastically): Don't you want more of this? Link: In the More. Stevie moves on with the game.

So, what happens next, Link also had two-three more moments when he seemed to consider talking about something and Rhett explicitly told him "Whatever it is you want to say, just keep it to yourself" and also in another moment "You can tell your Uber driver on your way home but not here".

During the More, at which Link hinted, there was a red box with nosy questions asked from the crew. Rhett was the one taking the questions and reading them. He chose to not read loudly and thus answer at least two questions, even though he pulled them out of the box.

Link eventually did not make any more similar statements.

You should also know that a couple of weeks ago, during the GME promo, Link had said that one reason we should watch the GME show was that he might even make an emotional speech before its end.

Another thing, the last months Link has also expressed in interviews and even in a college graduation that it is important to find who you are and explore your identity, addressing this especially to young adults. He always seems emotionally charged when he does it.

That's it. To me it just seems like there's one explanation only, but I will leave you to your own conclusions.

And one last detail. Rhett did everything in his power to not let Link finish what he started - almost bullied him out of it. Despite all that, notice what he said. While Link was trying to say whatever he was trying to say, Rhett said:

But we're not gonna be docking later.................. because we're both circumcised.

And he repeated the explanation once more.

+++

#rhink #rhett and link #randl #gme3 #gme 3 #gme 2023 #mythical #good mythical evening #thanks for thinking i am level headed #yet apparently a few people here think i am wild #i am not complaining at all i never had many problems #i have got a bunch of very good tumblr peeps around me here #however i don't deny i am amused at the idea of some people #taking this dialogue and sticking it to their ass #sorry i couldn't help it #don't bother with my mini rant anon #you rock #anon #mail

[neon-moon-beam]

I haven’t touched PLA in almost 6 months. 

As always, please don’t send me your headcanons, theories, etc. I don’t like to discuss these things with strangers. I’m also not interested in arguing over my opinions, or calling anyone out specifically, nor am I saying all headcanons, au’s, are bad, etc. And please don’t ask for my approval of yours’! Make what you want, just please be considerate of how you portray characters and whether or not making an OC might be a better choice!

bl*nkshippers dni--I will block you.

Sometimes I think about shiny hunting, since the shiny spawn rate in that game is ridiculous, but the game itself made me feel bad because the plot is that you do everything literally everyone asks, but NONE of it helps the player character (or Ingo) go home. I can understand sometimes devs run out of time and sideplots resolve quickly and/or anticlimactically, but not only were some sideplots just dropped, but the main plot as well! Story is one of the most important parts of a game for me, and PLA seemed to not even know what it wanted the story to be. “Complete a PokeDex. Wait, stop Dialga and Palkia. Oh wait, the real issue here is Volo with Giratina! Oh, finish the PokeDex. Show Arceus around...perpetually?” The “ending” is unsatisfying. There’s no payoff. We don’t even find out why two characters have been misplaced in the first place, or if they return home! Yeah, Arceus wanted the PokeDex done, but why was this urgent, and why did this require sending almost definitely Dawn/Lucas back in time? Why wasn’t the player character an ancestor? When a game poses more questions than it answers, it’s often a sign that the storytelling is not good. Some mystery is OK, and not being able to know every last thing is realistic, but dropping everything seems like all the developer effort went elsewhere, they ran out of time, or in some cases, are DLC or sequel-baiting (and doing so via dropping the plot is poor).

It also feels like PLA didn’t bring much to the table in the end; we had some new mechanics that might not even return for Scarlet and Violet, a few regional variants, and one (hideous) new Force of Nature. Being able to choose when Pokemon evolve was great--no more having to press B after every level up or perpetually have an Everstone. Sneaking up and throwing a ball at Pokemon was fun. Being able to send out Pokemon almost anywhere and interact with them was fun. But on the other hand, the trade-off seemed to be the plot, as well as so much of what made battling fun. Abilities are gone and Pokemon can’t hold items. I didn’t enjoy Strong and Agile style, nor did I enjoy that I could only use one Pokemon while someone else sent out three, or getting attacked by multiple wild Pokemon at once. It felt unfair, especially because at times level seemed meaningless when 3-4 Pokemon could attack twice before mine could get a hit in.

PLA itself wasn’t advertised as open-world--fans made that assumption based on the trailers. Scarlet and Violet are supposed to be open world and if some of the mechanics are reused (it’s rumored many won’t be), that makes PLA sound like a test room that was released to the public with a price tag.

And then as a fan of Submas prior to PLA, PLA has now left me wondering if they’re just going to ruin two of my favorite characters, And fan spaces have become unbearable in response to PLA, when they could have been a refuge from a game that left Dawn/Lucas and Ingo’s fates up in the air. First it was overwhelming angst, often without resolution. When you’re not a fan of that, it gets tiring and alienating. Then other trends picked up, such as specifically making Emmet and Volo ooc in order to make them “unhinged”, ships that more often than not center on the characters being unhinged and possibly abusive to each other, bl*nkshipping rearing its head again (though thankfully much more people are opposed to it than during Gen 5′s initial run), Submas and Volo being ooc to the point of asking, “Why didn’t this person just make an OC?”, and of course, the ableism. 

As someone who played PLA and combed through every inch of it in order to make reassurance posts for anyone worried they might just leave Ingo, it was disheartening to see how much content that made fan spaces unbearable for me came from fans who hadn’t even played PLA, and/or their takeaway from the game was “Submas = angst” and “Volo and Emmet are unhinged and will hurt anyone given the chance!” I’m aware that some people may be unable to play PLA for whatever reason, and this isn’t about them. This is about people who haven’t played and won’t play, or played and didn’t bother to think critically about what they just played, who just came for the angst and/or s*xymen, and rendered complex, canon characters into two-dimensional OCs without giving any regard to the source material and what the game devs showed regarding these characters, to the extent that fans not into this kind of content, or not wanting to constantly engage with this kind of content became alienated from their own space.

Volo is a complex character dealing with some deep-seeded trauma that, unfortunately due to the story being dropped, we don’t really get any details about what happened. We do however, get hints in-game that he’s not a completely bad person, but more morally grey, likely a more good-aligned character having a bad moment. And Emmet isn’t even in PLA! As of right now, we don’t even know that Ingo is “missing” in the present day. For all we know, Ingo will be returned to the exact moment he was pulled from and nobody will even know, or the devs may go on to say PLA isn’t canon in some way. But for people to take these characters and run wild with angst and then get ableist on two autistic-coded characters (for the second time in 10 or so years), has been a huge turnoff in engaging in any fan spaces, and I wonder if the devs had more time to develop and finish the story, or whatever the issue was that led to this game being released unfinished with little hope of a DLC, if we could have gotten more answers and maybe the fandom wouldn’t have taken this kind of content too far. Many people have tried to address the ableism (here is a link to Submas Autistic Joy’s resources, a by no means exhaustive collection of such posts), but people are going to make what they’re going to make, whether it’s appropriate or not, and sometimes this means people have to leave the fan space, or create their own, which has become sadly necessary here.

PLA looked like it was going to be a great game, but it needed more time and care than apparently the devs were able to give it, and unfortunately in fan spaces, it seems characters in or associated with PLA are all too often not being given time, care, and tact in how they’re being portrayed. All of these issues have made me come to not care for PLA at all.

#moonbeam's personal posts #I'm afraid to tag this because I know how people can be--this site is full of reactionary ppl and #ppl who have zero reading comprehension or critical thinking skills...often all in one! so...yikes #And I don't want anyone to feel attacked because I'm not attacking anyone...I'm just saying PLA ended up being a mostly negative experience #for me personally and fan spaces have only made it worse when they could have been a refuge!

[spaceraceart]

spamton classpect thoughts

ive been reading tags and comments on both here and twitter on that spamtroll post, and hehehhe its definitely interesting seeing what classpects people see spamton as!

the reason why im thinking thief of life is bc (under cut lmao, also did an edit!):

thief - arguably, a lot of spamton’s story involves giving and taking. he was given his big shot career by the guy on the phone. he stole swatch’s look. he stole the neo body. he tried stealing kris’ soul. this is a big simplification, but if you also match it with his aspect (life in this case), you can think of it of spamton desperately trying to steal a life and luxury and sense of agency that he doesnt have. spamton also shares the egotism that the canon thieves have lmao and has a very strong personality.

(ive also seen page and bard and mage. i can kinda see why those could work too, but thief feels like the simplest match to spamton and well, im a simple bitch lmao)

life - spamton has a lot of themes involving growth and getting bigger, gaining freedom in some sort of way. freedom is often matched with the breath aspect, but the life aspect also holds themes of freedom and agency. i dunno, ive seen people also think hope and light for him, and wouldn’t you know it, all of these aspects share a corner in the aspect wheel in the extended zodiac! these are inherently similar aspects that have some overlaps. i like to go with life bc of the overall theme of growth with spamton. wanting to get bigger, wanting to get more, wanting to be a god. hope is an aspect that may come to mind when you consider spamton’s religious connotations, but hope generally has stronger themes of imagination and belief and justice. and then theres also the themes of luxury and wealth and privilege that life has that spamton definitely has a complicated relationship with. idk he just wanna grow and be a big boy.

(also note, the extended zodiac has rather simplified explanations of the aspects that focus on only small facets of them. the life explanation focuses on the healing/care-taking aspect of it, but the canon life players have a lot more going on than just being healers. of course, a lot of the themes i talk about with life are theories).

derse- and some bonus talk about the moon lmao. he is not content with his situation, very dissatisfied and obsessed with the past and future. idk, the extended zodiac explanation for derse matches pretty well. he’s inflexible, obsessed with control, calculating, etc.

and of course the classpect and moon i gave him lines up with meenah and agshdjgashd i didnt mean for that to happen. i guess they have some similarities, but sharing a classpect doesnt mean you’ll have the same, or even similar personalities. idk im just rambling at this point hahahah. i find classpects so interesting! wonder what yall think

(edit) oh my god i completely forgot about the healing aspect of spamton’s character! he has so many different healing moves tied to him, its nuts! the f1 angel thing is arguably the best healing move in the game (not counting items idk), able to heal the whole party at pretty much any time. there’s also the heal deal move (he wants to keep you alive so you can make this deal with him!) and then there’s even the fried pipis move in snowgrave lmao. you can even argue the s.poison item can be applied to life, with spamton literally stealing your life away. he has such a big focus on health that i completely forgot about lmaooooo

#hs #homestuck #spamton #deltarune #text

[wildfey]

Anon from yesterday back again! About the set-up, a post on twitter explained the theory much better and I gotta look up the name. The gist is that Phoenix could've proved that he was set up. He did not have the time to have a forgery done since he got the job for defending Zak only the day before. Plus the money. Instead, there is no evidence at all he even tried. Why? Because he'd seen the courts' corruption before and decided it didn't matter anymore, plus too dangerous.

(continued) You could even point at his reply to the Judge's words and wonder if Phoenix has nothing to say because he knows it's useless to argue. Hidden powers have already decided that they will attack him and try to drag him down.

okay, okay, hello again anon, good to see you back with another excellent ask.

I always think that there are two ways to look at Phoenix's disbarment:

a) that the problem was straight-up with bringing forged evidence into court, no matter what the circumstances were.

b) that the problem was that Phoenix was assumed to have created the forged evidence and bought it into court intentionally.

Ace Attorney really flips around on which of these is true in universe (it's a plot point to some extent in 1-5, 3-3, 4-1, and 4-4) but considering that Phoenix gets his badge back almost immediately after it's proved that the second wasn't the case, I'm going to assume that presenting forged evidence accidentally is either not an issue or less of an issue. This tends to be the fanon majority stance too. (It's worth noting that Edgeworth is implied to have pulled some strings irt getting Phoenix's badge back. Ymmv and so on.)

With our framework safely in place, the question arises: If Phoenix could have avoided punishment, or at least public shaming, by revealing the set-up, why wouldn't he? As you point out, the forgery doesn't make sense once you start to look into it and we know that Phoenix did put a lot of these pieces together. Hell, he could have made these arguments when Misham testified during the Gramarye trial. But he doesn't. (Warning: this is a more headcanon-y meta than my last one, because the 7yg is... a gap and we have very little concrete info on what the fuck Phoenix was up to. He got a kid, worked on jury trials, played good poker + bad piano, and had some sort of frenemyship with Kristoph. That's pretty much all we've got).

Firstly: Corruption. The AA court system is ridiculously corrupt, and at the point that Phoenix is disbarred, he becomes emblematic of this - he's a man with a history of revealing injustice - notably Von Karma & Gant, but even without them he still won some high profile cases - and once he's disbarred, it's implied that the narrative is flipped, turning him into a figurehead for that which he fought against (dark age of the law, etc). The obvious conclusion is that his disbarment was a convenient way to discredit him - powerful and corrupt figures (and in AA there are many) don't need to fear Phoenix Wright if he isn't a lawyer and his reputation is ruined. The counter argument is that Phoenix... has always done some questionable things with evidence (1-5, 2-4, and 3-3 stand out to me). But no more so than anyone else in this fucked-up universe. Either way, Phoenix has always worked in a system stacked against him, and it's very possible that he suspected there to be manoevering behind the scenes (and there was! We know Kristoph existed and was purposefully working against Phoenix.) HOWEVER, I don't believe that any of this would stop him on it's own, because it's been long established that Phoenix Wright does not give a shit about bad odds.

So, what would make him accept it? Anon, you mention danger in your ask, and I do see that as partially true - Phoenix isn't concerned about danger to himself, but he has a kid to care for. I would say, however, that especially when we come to Kristoph, as much of a bastard as he is, Phoenix had no evidence that he could be violent to the point of murder until 4-1. Before that, his influence was long-distance life ruining, rather than active threat (though long-distance life ruining is pretty scary on its own when you're raising a small child with low funds). I do see that as a cause, but one of many, and this is the point where I'd like to go back to the conversation on motivation.

I am going to make the argument here, as I did in the other answer, that Phoenix, in the 7yg and possibly elsewhere, is depressed, and that one symptom of that is a loss of motivation. It's implied by the game itself, and makes more sense than most of the alternatives.

(I won't get too personal, but the years of my life where I dressed like this... not good years lol)

My headcanon has always been that by the point that Phoenix had sorted out his guardianship of Trucy and got himself out of that initial low that came from having his life ruined, it was too late to fix his disbarment and he had to change tracks, and that's when he became interested in MASON. (Not to self-promote, but I'm realising that a lot of what I've said here is rephrased ideas from The Path Once So Clear, so if you want 15,000-ish words on the subject, it's there). Of course, when talking about Phoenix's 7yg depression, I think it's also important to mention that Phoenix in AA4 is very much implied to be putting on an act (which is pretty common in AA4 in general. Most characters in that game have both a public and private face). Being 'Beanix' - eg. the piano/poker player with no prospects who works in a shitty restaurant and takes nothing seriously - is a convenient cover while he works on the things that he doesn't want to be targeted for (and here we come back to the corruption angle).

As to how far the depression helps that act... well, that could be a whole conversation on its own. Once again, I'm very much coming into headcanon here, but I'm reminded of the phenomenon where someone with depression will deliberately exacerbate it, either as a form of self-harm or as some attempt to fit a role (artists are especially prone, due to the 'depressed artist' stereotype. I see it most in the emo scene). Beanix has always seemed to me as someone who is deliberately messing up his own life - he repeatedly provokes Apollo, essentially sabotaging their relationship, he puts himself into dangerous situations for no real reason (this is a general Phoenix trait), and despite the fact that we KNOW Maya and Edgeworth were supportive of him during this period, we never actually see them around, presumably because he's keeping them at a distance. How much of this is for the act, and how much is real?

Again, we've come very much off topic (whoops) but I see a lot of this as another aspect of Phoenix's low self worth - is there a difference between the image he projects of a man who has given up due to being disbarred, and the real Phoenix who is still actively working behind the scenes but is very obviously not doing well because he can't 'save people' - the thing which so much of his identity relies upon? I think there is, but I also think the image too often becomes the reality, and AA4 does carry this underlying theme of how wearing these masks of a public persona can affect your 'true self'.

As always, I genuinely love to see other people's takes on this, either in the tags, in reblogs, or via asks. This one is very headcanon-y, and I know there some entirely different perspectives out there, some of which I really like. (Also this one got to be heavy. Look after yourselves guys.)

#my post #ace attorney meta #Ace Attorney #Phoenix Wright #depression cw #a big one too #and minor mention of #self harm cw #Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney #replies

[feckin-zicons]

that's why i hate larries, i hate them with all my heart. besides being boring they are hypocrites 🙄

Hey nonnie, sorry its taken me so long to reply but if you’re following me you know I’ve been travelling lately and have been more scatterbrained than usual. Not that I’m ever not scatterbrained, but its been just a little crazier than usual!

Now I wouldn’t go as far to say I hate Larries. After all their delusions can be pretty funny sometimes!

Joking aside, I don’t hate Larries, I love Larries, I’m a Larry, so I really hesitate to tarry the whole group with the same brush. However I do strongly agree with you that there are those who are complete hypocrites. Nothing annoys more more than when Larries ™ treat the other boys, other celebrities, their friends and even family as one more side character to the Larry Show.

In particular when Larries ™ flood comment sections asking or in some cases, ordering people to confirm rumors/the couple being together. The absolute fucking disrespect. Not just because they’re flooding comment sections in videos streams, tweets, what have you, that sometimes have nothing to do with the couple in question, but because its presumptuous and rude as fuck to think they’re owed a coming out- just because they’re fans of the boys.

Stop it. Thats fucking ugly as hell.

While I have no doubt all the boys will one day be out (as referenced by their continued efforts in fighting the closet. I don’t get the sense the boys will just stop at being freed from their contractual obligations). It should and will be on their own terms. Provided they’re not forcibly outed some other way.

Coming out is a deeply personal experience and no one, no one ever, has the right to out someone else. I’ll never not be absolutely furious at the Larries ™ who posted about having ‘receipts’ that would out the boys. Which… tbh weren’t receipts at all but thats a whole other story. I’m also still angry at the reactions after Liams Attitude spread that wouldn’t have been as bad if not for the entitled fandom that peddled ridiculous claims beforehand about Liam confirming Larry to be real.

I mean… What the actual fuck. Setting aside the fandom experience of the time, and boy was it an experience. What right would Liam have confirming Louis and Harry’s relationship? I mean, get some perspective? It doesn’t help that a lot of fandom adults were the ones coming up with, and reblogging those theories and the younger fans ate it up. It would have made more sense for Louis and Harry to do it but idk maybe I’m still out of touch for thinking so. I mean, it felt like every other week someone was talking about Larry coming out. It was such a shit storm oh my god.

Biggest issue I still have with them is that the entitled behaviour hasn’t stopped. For some it seems like, Larry coming out is it for them. Like pack it up, goodbye, shows over, Louis and Harry are gay and in a relationship and everything is rainbows, we get to see cute pictures of them and everyone lives happily ever after.

Yeah, no. Coming out, for anyone, is just the beginning, can’t even begin to imagine what its like for them. They’re still going to need everyones support, and it irritates me that for some fans it seems so fucking conditional.

Time and time again, I’ve seen tweets, and posts, and videos, whatever, going on about Larry coming out and it reads like a fucking wattpad story. Not just that but its always on the assumption by the poster, on the off chance they consider the other 3/5ths of the band and Ziam being a possibility, that Larry will come out first?

What?

I’m sorry but, what?

Everything I’ve seen from the boys tells me they’re all in this together, they support each other and are working through the bullshit as a team. We have all seen the No Judgement music video yes? The merch, posts, double speak etc referencing each other, yes?

I mean, I suppose if you only look at Louis and Harry, like so many do, sure. Only Larry matters, everyone else is a side character in their life.

(Lemme just, scream for a second).

However, that kind of thinking leads them to the wrong conclusions. Like… assuming the SBB/RBB countdown was attributed to nothing, when it counted down to Liam finally being free of Sophia. In the years since, I’ve seen Larries ™ backtrack on claiming the bears had anything to do with the boys, that they weren’t behind it at all, or that they were just trolling the fandom.

You know, despite all the proof otherwise, and some really, really good posts breaking down clues about what the boys were trying to tell us. The moment something might not actually be about Louis and Harry its like all their thinking shuts off. Its frustrating. Really fucking frustrating.

Seriously, fans of the other boys as individulas, not just Ziams, have been talking about the stunts too and how they fit together. Its why we tend to be right, because we’re considering the entire group. They’re still a group. They’re not free until all of them are free.

Just for that Nialls coming out first. Lmao. I’ll call it now. Lets go Niall, whens the baby coming. We all wanna know. Its been years.

Imagine, imagine! Acting like coming out is some race to be won. The fucking audacity.

Go outside and touch fucking grass you absoulte ninny.

I get it, you want to be vindicated, you want to be rewarded for putting your faith in two celebrities being together.

Newsflash you dandelionfluff, its not a race, Louis and Harry coming out isn’t a fucking prize. Thats not what supporting a relationship looks like.

Its worse when someone admits they don’t know much about Ziam or the possibility of Niall being LGBT+, and claim they’re open to it, but then immediately tweet or reblog or sub tweet or tag comment a post or answer an ask from another Larry ™ talking about how Larries ™ are the most marginalized and persecuted group.

???

In what fucking world?

IN WHAT FUCKING WORLD?

If we wanna play that game, boohoo, the media claims Louis and Harry aren’t friends anymore because of crazy shippers. Meanwhile Zayn publicly isn’t friend with anyone and “left” the band… despite the Ziam fandom calling the stunt about either Louis or Zayn “leaving” and getting it down to the exact week (the second article coming out a week before about the Ziam kiss pretty much cemented it for Zayn leaving. Which did a lot to fan the flames of the already rabid fanbase when Ziam got two articles confirming a Ziam kiss over the years and Larry got nada. Like that actually means anything).

Not to mention Larries ™ using the hetties and management tactics against the other parts of the fandom to silence them.

Who cares what the media says anyway!  TPTB, 1DHQ, The Sun, The Mirror, Simon and his minions and their unpaid interns have used the media to split the fandom apart and it worked.

Who the fuck cares if the media calls the 1D stans delusional, you know the truth! The truth it out there and you’ve seen it! The truth is coming! Who gives a damn about what some two bit “journo” who failed out of their creative writing course writes? They get worse by the year. If it wasn’t so pathetic and hilarious I might actually feel embarrassed for them. They can’t even come up with new stories and have just taken to copying old articles, but you’re upset with them??? Give it a rest. Honestly.

The sense of disconnect, entitlement and victimhood of some Larries ™ is absolutely ridiculous.

Oh my god they’re Karens. I’m not trying to be insulting, but thats exactly who they remind me of.

I’m not going to say its a surprise to me that so many in the Ziam fandom are POC, LGBT+, and Neurodivergent and any combination of those, but I am going to say I’ve read a lot of Larry fics that just have Het sex made gay. Those in the Ziam fandom just tend to look at facts in a different way than Larries do due to their life experiences. A interfaith, interracial, relationship where one or both partners fall under the Bi umbrella (not saying Louis or Harry can’t be or aren’t Bi+ but rumors, and the way the fandom markets them, puts them firmly in the gay category) looks very, very different than gay or straight relationship. Both looking from outside and being in one. There’s just different dynamics at play that aren’t often realized or understood by the gays and hets.

Its not a bad thing. All relationships are different. The issue is that theres a lot of biphobia/racism/religious prejudice etc that arises from people being unwilling to understand the inherent differences.

Taking myself for example, I’m bi, like, bi as hell, and I don’t understand how gays and hets only like one gender. I just don’t. Can’t wrap my head around it. If someone asks me to choose one gender over the others to prefer I can’t. Its so stressful. My brain goes into panic mode and it feels like I’m being torn apart. My sense of identity is shaken- its a shit feeling. I just can’t lie to myself like that. If other people feel the same well, its no wonder bi+ have such high rates of depression and suicide. Its not about choosing who to like, there is no choice, I just feel attraction to everyone. Aces, I get. Its similar to being the opposite of what I feel, or not feeling an attraction to someone I’m not interested in. Easy. Gays and hets? I’m completely lost on.

Completely, and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. But that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to try and understand where they’re coming from. Its alien to me, personally, but I’m not going to shut down the fact, that theres a fuck ton of people who only like one gender or try and make up reasons as to why they’re actually bi+

I digress, none of the boys fall neatly into the gay stereotypes, its just that parts of the Larry fandom have boxed Louis and Harry into certain roles to fit preconceived notions (likely do to them initially fitting in better with the white, sassy, somewhat effeminate twink thats been plastered all over Hollywood as their “LGBT+ representation” for years. Gag), they can understand better, and only look for proof to back up their theories but don’t look at things objectively.

They really need to get out more and make some LGBT+ friends that aren’t on the internet and talk to some gay elders. They need educating that’s not the often sanitized and insulting Hollywood version, that’s all I’m saying.

They made Louis and Harry more palatable for themselves and its… really gross.

I don’t know, I don’t get it.

Some Larries ™ turned the boys into their fandom and fanfiction stereotypes when they’re so much more than that. The Sony leaks should have been enough to dissuade the fandom, and prove that the brand sold to the broader audience is just that- a brand, and yet… Niall only talks about food and golf and Ireland and is only allowed to be straight or ace. If he exists at all its just to be Capt Niall. Liams slow and dumb and depending on the day he’s either Capt Liam or a horrific abusive homophobe. Zayns just The Worst, a unstable drug addict, and the boys hate each other, and they should have kicked him out of the band sooner because he never wanted to be part of them anyway, etc.

It drives me absolutely around the bend some days. They’re real people who don’t owe anyone anything, especially not coming out.

Yes, I think they will. But they’re not obligated to. They can change their minds, I’ll support them regardless of an “official” coming out or not.

Look, a part of me gets it. They wanna be right, they wanna prove the haters wrong, they want to be able to say I called it all along! The vindication will be sweet.

But like, it takes a quick look at someone other than Louis and Harry to realize theres something hinky going on with Liam, Zayn and Niall. Please listen to their fans who have spent just as much time as you have looking into Louis and Harry compiling together evidence.

It might take a weekend to watch the ILYSM and pterodactyl bros videos and a few more hours looking into some Niall blogs, which isn’t much compared to the hours I know they’ve spent looking into Larry. At least then they’ll have enough information to form an opinion on things.

I wonder, for some, what would happen if Larry didn’t come out, or didn’t come out first, or one of the other boys was outed against their will. Because… I don’t know. It seems like some would rather just be proven right at this point.

I get it. We’re tired. Its been eleven long years. But this isn’t a television show were everything can come to a head with a s3 or s4 cliff hanger and fixed in the series finale. Its real life, and they started off as boys trusting industry veterans who never had their best interests at heart.

Iduno. I just want some Larries ™ to take a step out of the echo chamber, realize life isn’t The Larry Show & co. And especially. ESPECIALLY, that every instance were someone, friends, family, co-works, industry peeps etc support the boys they are SUPPORTING THE BOYS, NOT THE FANDOM. They are not “confirming Larry for the fans” they’re doing it to support the couple, not to cater to the fandom. Please stop confusing the two. There’s a huge fucking difference. Learn it.

#Honestly it should be the Liam Payne the three guys who’ve had a crush on him and the one who married him. #aka the hill I'll die on #lmao #sorry not sorry #IM SORRY IT LOOKS LIKE I HAD A LOT MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS THAN I THOUGHT I WOULD #ASDFGHJKL; #also please don't think I'm calling anyone out specifically #these are a lot of generalizations and trends I've noticed after being in fandom for nearly 11 years they pop up all the damn time #circles we're just going in circles #I've been following Ziam in particular since the Nov 2011 interview #but suspected Liam had a crush sometime before when I saw a gifset of him talking about Zayns birthday presentsbc he as acting the exact sa #e way I was when I was crushing on a girl I knew #I saw myself in him and ignored it for another day #lmaooo #ziam #larry tunnel vision #larry vs ziam #Larry vs Niall #fandom bs #ask

[madpanda75]

“Taking Chances Part 10: The Perfect Gift”

Part 10 is here! Not gonna lie, this chapter is short and not my best work but a necessary bridge to get to the climax of our story! Fair warning, it ends on a cliffhanger. Enjoy! ❤️ 

It was the Tuesday after the dramatic Carisi lunch. You typically had Mondays off from the gallery and after fucking Rafael senseless in front of the fireplace, it didn’t take much convincing on your part to get him to play hooky. The majority of your day was spent in bed— making love, browsing through Netflix, and eating Chinese takeout. It was a much needed escape from your chaotic lives and you still had a few more hours before reality set in. 

The brilliant warm rays of the early morning sun peeked through your curtains. You languorously stretched your limbs, reveling in the sensation of your bare legs against the soft cotton sheets. With a long, drawn out yawn, you reached over to the nightstand for your cup of coffee and aimlessly flipped through a copy of the New Yorker. However your attention was otherwise preoccupied with a freshly showered Rafael walking around your bedroom with a towel hanging low around his hips. You nearly spilled your hot drink into your lap while counting the water droplets on Rafael’s bare chest, watching one droplet slide down his stomach towards his happy trail.

He let the towel drop to the floor and began to get dressed for work, arching his brow when he caught you perched on the edge of the bed staring at him with your jaw hanging wide open. 

You blushed and cleared your throat. “Are you sure I can’t make you breakfast?”

“Thanks for the offer but I should try to get to the office early,” he said, holding up two ties for you to choose from.

You picked the silk violet tie. The purple hue brought out your boyfriend’s brilliant green eyes. “Ok, but promise me that you’ll eat something other than the stale pretzels at the precinct.”

“I promise.” Rafael gave you a quick peck on the lips and wrapped his tie around his neck when he realized that he was missing a key element to his wardrobe. “Where’s my shirt? I swore it was right here a min—” His search for the missing shirt came to a screeching halt when he noticed you were wearing it.

“Sorry babe.” A nervous giggle escaped your lips. “Who knew Armani made such comfortable clothes and besides I love how it smells.”

Rafael furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “How it smells?”

“Uh huh.” Your cheeks turned bright pink and you nervously fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “It smells like you.”

An warm, fuzzy feeling coursed through Rafael’s veins at your confession. He cupped your face and tenderly kissed you before pulling away. “If you love the shirt so much, then it’s yours.”

“Really?” You glanced down at his undershirt and the tie draped around his neck. “But what are you gonna wear?”

“I have a spare shirt in my office that I keep in case of emergency coffee stains.”

You beamed brightly and wrapped your arms around his neck. “Best boyfriend ever,” you murmured against his lips before kissing him.

He deepened the kiss, parting your lips with his tongue as his hands inched further down your back towards your ass. You moaned in response, feeling him squeeze your cheeks.

“Mi amor,” he said between kisses. “I have to go.”

 “No. Five more minutes. Please,” you whined, pressing your body against his.

Rafael groaned, all the blood from his brain rushing towards his cock. You were playing a dangerous game. “If we keep this up in five more minutes I’m going to be between your legs, fucking you so hard that you’ll forget your own name.”

You nuzzled against his neck as your hand began to palm his growing erection. “Well they do say that testosterone is higher in the morning. Care to put that theory to the test?” 

“Y/N,” he said in a warning tone.

With a sigh of defeat, you stopped. “Alright, can’t blame a girl for trying.” You planted one last chaste kiss on the tip of his nose and gently pushed him towards the door. “Go on. Get outta here.”

 “I’ll see you later tonight.” He grabbed his jacket and left the bedroom only to return 30 seconds later. “I forgot something.”

“What did you—” Rafael cut you off with a passionate kiss causing you both to fall back on the bed.  Your heart fluttered. You were so lost in the moment that you forgot how to breathe. You could taste him on your tongue. All too soon the kiss ended and you were left dazed with thoroughly soaked panties.

“I love you,” he purred and playfully nipped on your lower lip before leaving with a smug smile firmly planted on his face.

“Love you too,” you mumbled and held up the shirt to your nose, inhaling deeply. 

*****

A few hours later you were sitting in the small studio at the back of the gallery, dotting leaves onto a canvas. You skipped to the next song on your playlist and stepped back to analyze your work. The painting was of a large, vibrant tree in the center of a grey, bleak city. The tree was designed to look like Rafael. Its leaves matched the color of his eyes. Of course it wasn’t typical for trees to have seafoam green leaves but that was the beauty of art. You even tried to sketch his face in the trunk, its bark resembling his crooked smile and strong aquiline nose. 

Underneath the tree stood the shadowy figure of a woman meant to be you. The tree’s branches were outstretched, gently caressing you, comforting you. In the palms of your hands, you cradled your heart, offering it to the tree as the only possession you had to give. In your opinion, it was the perfect depiction of your relationship. Rafael was your protector. With him, you felt loved, safe, hopeful for the future. He symbolized a new chapter in your life.

Your “Rafael-inspired” piece was meant to be a surprise, since the elusive search for the perfect art for his home was still ongoing. Lucky for him, inspiration struck one rainy Saturday several weeks ago. Well, lazy for you. Rafael was busy typing away on his laptop. Snuggling against him with the rain pattering against the window, a flood of emotions washed over you. The next day you woke up before dawn, grabbed your brushes and paint and snuck over to the studio.

From above the sound of your music playing through your headphones, you heard the door open and turned your head to see your coworker, Phoebe, walk in.

“Bonjour, ma petite aubergine!” she said in a tone that was way too chipper for 8:30 in the morning. 

You snorted a laugh and turned off your music. “Good morning, my little eggplant?” you repeated the phrase.

“I love eggplant,” she replied with a shrug and went to stand behind you, surveying your work. “Hmmm… I like it.”

You made a face. “You sure? It’s not too cheesy?”

She hemmed and hawed for a moment before answering. “A little, but that’s ok. It's the good kind of cheesy.”

A sigh below past your lips. “You sure?”

“Absolutely,” she tried to reassure you. “And anyways, love makes people cheesy.” You blushed and went back to your painting while she milled around the room looking at your other pieces. “Ya’ know, there’s a new artist night at this gallery my friend works for. You should reach out to them. See if they’ll let you show your art. There are enough pieces here to choose from.” You opened your mouth to speak but she cut you off. “And before you say anything, I don’t wanna hear any excuses.” She gently took you by the shoulders and made you stand to face her. “You are incredibly talented and you should share that talent with the world while making a few bucks in the process.”

“Maybe you’re right,” you conceded, glancing back at your unfinished canvas.

Phoebe’s eyes widened. “I am? I mean, of course I am! Damn, this is the first time I’ve ever heard you consider doing a show. That Rafael guy must be a good influence on you.”

“Yeah, he’s the best.” You smiled, thinking back to earlier that morning. 

“Speaking of which,”—she grabbed a spare chair and sat down, getting comfortable—“how did the whole ‘meet the parents’ scenario play out?”

You threw your head back and groaned. “Ugh, why did you have to remind me?”

“Uh-oh. Sounds like we’re gonna need coffee.” She stood up and grabbed her purse. “I’m gonna get a cappuccino from the cafe around the corner. Can I get you something?”

“An Americano and a cinnamon roll.”

“Be back in a flash. I wanna hear all about it. Family drama sustains me, especially when it’s not mine,” she teased before leaving.

You rolled your eyes and began to tidy up. While you stood at the sink, cleaning your brushes, watching the colors swirl and dissolve down the drain, you wondered if Rafael would like his surprise. You hoped he would. It took you hours to get just the right shade of green. 

This gift was a big deal. Apart from your parents, you had never created a piece for anyone else. Your art was private. It was personal. Giving it away was like giving away a part of you. But you and Rafael were beyond that. This past weekend only confirmed what you had known from the moment he stepped into the gallery— that you were his, completely.

The sound of the door opening snapped you out of reverie. “That was fast, Phoebe,” you said over the running water. “I guess the cute barista wasn’t working today cause normally you spend a solid twenty minutes flirting before actually ordering your drink. I’m almost finished here. Give me a sec and then I can tell you about the worst Sunday lunch in the history of the Carisi family and that includes the time my Aunt Anita stabbed my Uncle Tony with a fork. ”

“Awww c’mon, babe. It wasn’t that bad,” said a voice that you recognized all too well. 

Stunned, your hands froze, the brushes clanging against the sink. “This can’t be happening. Please, God don’t let it be him,” you thought, slowly turning around only to find your ex-fiancé standing right in the middle of your studio. 

“Theo,” you stammered. “What are you doing here?”

He ignored your question and took a step towards you with a sinister smile that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. 

Tag List: @glimmerglittergirl​ @southern-magnolia​ @sweetcannolicarisi​ @delia26​ @obfuscateyummy​ @sass-and-suspenders​ @eclecticminded​ @thatesqcrush​ @katmstanton​ @amirightcounsellor @beltzboys2015-blog​ @letty-o​ @sonnysdoll​ @lyssa1385​ @sweetsummertime99​ @burningsorr0ws​ @gibbs274​ @izzythefanfreak​ @babypink224221​ @livxrafa​ @esparza-army​ @obsessionprofessional​ @ottosuricato​ @mgarner1227​ @dreila03​ @frenchiefoxy @tropes-and-tales​ @thecraziestcrayon​ @goodluckfindingone​ @scarletsoldierrr​ @youreverycolor​ @yeah-boiiiiiiiiiii​ @imagine-all-the-imagines​ @imjustreallynosy​ @graniairish​ @ashley-chi​ @lolacolaempath @cocomel0613​ @mysterioustrashadventures​ @that-girl-named-alex​ @scapricciatello​ @mrsrafaelbarba​ @zizzlekwum​ @katierpblogg​ @crowleysqueenofhell​ @caked-crusader​ @garturbo​ @rachelxwayne​

#rafael barba #rafael barba fanfic #rafael barba fic #rafael barba imagine #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba fan #barba #barba fanfic #barba imagine #barba x reader #law and order svu fanfic #law and order svu imagine #barba fic #taking chances

[artificialqueens]

Ever in Your Favor, Chapter Seven (Rosnali) - Athena2

Summary: After the kiss, Rosé and Denali struggle to deal with their feelings while trying to reach the end of the Games.

A/N: Thank you so much for the feedback on the last chapter! It really means a lot, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Also, thank you to haiplana for letting me talk this one through with you.

*I know I made a general disclaimer at the start and in the tags, but I want to say that this chapter is probably more violent than the others, so please be aware.*

---

In the bakery, Rosé’s father has a giant rolling pin, and she feels like she’s been trampled with it ten times over. Her joints are stiff from days of shivering and her leg twinges when she walks. But she’s alive, and she’s grateful to be. She and Denali wash up in the stream, and Rosé savors the cool water on her sweaty skin, enjoys the sun warming her back. She tugs her shirt and jacket back on, stroking the lion pin. There was a time in that cave when she thought the pin wouldn’t get home, that she’d never feel the sun again. But she made it, and she’s going to go home and try to appreciate that, and tell her sisters she loves them even though they know.

And she can do that because of Denali.

Denali, who refused to leave her, who got leaves and water every day to keep her alive, who stroked her hair and whispered that everything would be okay when Rosé was too sick to believe it. Denali had kissed her without hesitation to save her life, and Rosé will never be able to thank her enough for it. For her life.

But part of Rosé feels awful about it. She knew, in theory, that their fake relationship might require kissing, even if a relationship is so much more than kissing. She pictured a little cheek kiss for their post-Games interview, but last night was something else entirely. It feels like she just used Denali, begging for a kiss so she could live. That was part of it, admittedly, but Rosé cares for Denali too much to just use her, and she wouldn’t have done it unless she absolutely had to. What if Denali hated it? What if she never wanted things to go that far? What if she hates Rosé? She needs to talk to her. She can’t push Denali away like she did after her first Games.

Rosé trudges over the rocks, stopping at Denali’s side. “Your hair,” Denali laughs, pointing to Rosé’s tangled mop of wet curls. “Forget the pin, that’s why they call you the Lion.”

“Well, some of us can’t braid our hair in five seconds, Miss Foxx.” Rosé glares at her, but she can’t help the laugh that escapes, and soon they’re both laughing, the sound so strange after days of fear, but also the most natural thing in the world.

“Okay, okay,” Denali gasps, holding her sides. “Let me do your hair.”

Rosé’s heart skips a beat. “Okay.” She shivers as Denali’s hands brush against her neck, fingers expertly weaving through chunks of hair.

“Much better,” Denali says, admiring her work.

Rosé recovers her breath, neck still tingling. “So, um, last night.”

Denali bites her lip. “I didn’t think you’d remember. You were pretty out of it.”

Rosé was out of it. Her skin was burning, her head was foggy, and all she remembers is an endless stretch of time where dreams melted together, and she has no idea what was real and what wasn’t.

But she remembers the kiss.

She remembers waking up and seeing Denali, feeling in her heart that it was real. She remembers telling Denali she loves her, the surprise in Denali’s eyes. And she remembers the kiss: cool lips melting over the feverish heat of her own, her heart racing until she thought it would burst.

And she remembers how much she liked it.

“That kiss was...memorable,” Rosé says.

Denali’s eyes go to her feet, to the sky, to anything but Rosé, and Rosé wonders if she said the wrong thing. What if she did something else last night that she can’t remember? What if Denali hates her?

“Are you...okay?” Rosé asks, voice low in case of cameras. “I know the kiss was a lot, and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable putting you on the spot like that--”

“I’m fine. You didn't do anything we didn't agree to. It’s just a game, right?” Denali looks away again, cheeks bright red.

Rosé feels like she got punched in the throat. “I...right. Just a game.”

It is just a game. That’s all it ever was, all it’s supposed to be. A way to help even the odds. Of course that’s how Denali sees it; Rosé’s mumbled love confession was strategic at best and delirious ravings at worst. That’s all it’s supposed to be.

So why did it feel so real to Rosé? Why does she want to kiss Denali again, on their own time, in their own space? Why does it hurt so badly that Denali thinks it’s a game, that it’s fake?

Denali is gathering their stuff, and the arena comes flooding back, like a dream after days in the cave. A dangerous dream. Rosé needs to focus. They’re so close, and she can’t cost them the victory by being distracted. Whatever she’s feeling, whatever she wants, can wait until they’re back home. Denali is right. This is a game.

And they’re going to win it.

---

Denali guides them through the forest with purpose. She doesn’t know when things changed, but she knows, as they silently step over twigs, that they’re no longer the hunted, but the hunters. She feels the change in her, the tightness in her hand around the bow, the eyes darting around for tributes. They’ve been holding back, letting the others weed themselves out, but now it’s time to show what the Lion and the Fox can really do. She can’t afford to spare anyone like she did with Finn. Not now.

She keeps alert, no chance of getting caught off guard like she did in her first Games. She’s focused. She’s not thinking about her knee shattering last time, or the strange warmth in her chest when Rosé laughs, or kissing Rosé--

Her lips tingle with the memory, wanting it again so badly. She can’t. Not with their lives on the line.

Rosé points between the trees, where the District 8 tributes walk.

Denali pulls her behind a tree, holding up her bow and signaling that she’ll strike from afar. She aims her bow, pulling back on the string--

Something crashes into her arm, the arrow releasing into nothing.

“The hell?” A giant gray bird digs its talons in Denali’s arm, beak pecking at her face. She shoves the thing off her, only to see two more. Rosé gets one with her sword, and Denali sinks an arrow into the other’s neck. She sees more in the trees, but they seem to be holding back for now.

“These are the ugliest birds I’ve ever seen in my life,” Denali mutters, spearing the first bird that attacked her.

“Their scales look like that one dress Symone had you try on.” Rosé smiles. Her eyes shine with glee, and Denali can’t look away, because Rosé was so sick in that cave Denali didn’t think she’d see her like this again.

“Don’t remind me.” Denali groans. “Although you should not be talking after that zebra dress--”

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the lovebirds.”

Their smiles are instantly gone, and they turn to see the tributes from District 8 scowling at them.

So much for a silent attack.

District 8 looks rough, torn clothes covered with dirt and blood, faces hollow, down to just the weapons in their hands. You’d think they’re easy kills at this stage, but Denali knows it's the opposite: they’re desperate, and have nothing left to lose, so they’ll fight to the bitter end.

“Long time no see,” Rosé says, and only Denali can detect the quiver in her voice, because she also knows this won’t be easy. They can stand around staring at each other all day, but they’re only delaying the inevitable. Denali forces away the memory of the District 8 woman nodding in approval at her knots.

The man grips his sword and leans forward, that tiny heartbeat of calm before a fight begins.

“You go left, I go right,” Rosé says.

“My left or your left?”

“They’re the same left, Denali!” Rosé cackles, and Denali knows purposely asking a stupid question was worth it just to hear the sound, and it carries her into the fight.

The man towers over her, but his longer limbs are slower. His sword slices across her arm, but she uses her speed to dart away from his strikes, sinking her spear into his chest.

But it doesn’t stop him.

He pulls the spear out and breaks it in half, and Denali is left facing his sword with nothing but a knife and panic flooding her chest. Things slow down around her, like when she’s in that hunting zone, and she knows the next move.

“Switch!” she yells to Rosé, and they spin around, back to back, before taking on their new opponents.

The woman’s spear is easier to block; the edges are smooth, and Denali only has to worry about the point. Denali dodges hits, and when the woman staggers back, Denali pulls an arrow from her quiver and fires in a heartbeat. The double cannon fire tells her Rosé succeeded as well.

They drop on the grass, panting as the adrenaline fades, and for a few seconds, they rest.

---

Barely five minutes after the fight, they find a body.

It’s the woman from District 7, dead eyes open toward the sky, mouth stained not with blood, but with berry juice.

“Poisoned by nightlock,” Denali says quietly.

She gets an idea, and pulls out the silver container they’d saved from the medicine delivery. She plucks berries from the bushes and drops them inside.

“I doubt we can trick the others with them, but you never know,” she explains to Rosé.

Rosé nods.

They’re at the final four.

---

It’s a quiet night.

They climb up a tall tree and settle on a thick branch, to keep an eye on what’s going on below. Neither of them is planning to sleep tonight, not with two tributes out there, ready to kill.

They’ve only exchanged whispers, not wanting to risk attention. There’s no way to discuss the kiss, and Rosé thinks maybe that’s a good thing. When this is all over, when they’re finally home, then they can talk about it. If there’s even anything to talk about.

Rosé’s stomach growls. They couldn’t find any food today. After those birds, every animal seemed to vanish into thin air. They’ll manage tonight, but how many more days are left? What if they can’t get any food at all? Rosé’s trying to calculate the odds when two parachutes land on their branch. She nudges Denali, who’s curled against the tree trunk like she’s part pine, looking so at home up here.

Denali takes one parachute and Rosé takes the other, and she gasps when she opens it. The first thing she sees is a cake, with white icing and delicate blue swirls. She’d recognize Lagoona’s handiwork anywhere. Next to it is a loaf of round bread, Jan’s favorite kind to make. There’s days worth of food inside too, and God, Rosé loves her sisters so much.

“From your sisters?” Denali asks.

“Yeah. What about yours?”

“Kandy and Kahmora,” Denali says quietly, wiping a tear. “I just--it’s nice, you know?”

“It’s like there’s hope again,” Rosé says, because she does know. The parachute must have cost a fortune with the Capitol fees, and it’s a reminder of what’s waiting at home, a reminder that happiness and joy are still out there. A reminder that she’s loved.

“Yeah.” Denali sighs. “I’m not even as close to them as I used to be. But it’s nice to know they’re still thinking about me. That they still care. That someone sees us as more than just people on TV.”

Rosé nods. To everyone else watching, they’re just people on TV. But to her sisters, to Denali’s friends, they’re watching someone they really know, someone they really care about. For all the stress of being in the arena, Rosé can’t imagine the stress of her sisters, watching her fight and nearly die through a screen, unable to do a thing to help when they’ve helped each other their whole lives. And to do it not once, but twice. Rosé imagines hugging them in a giant bear hug when this over, and burns with a new determination to get home.

“It makes me want to get back home,” Rosé says softly. “And maybe--maybe be better. Try to live more, I guess.”

“I get it.” Denali bites her lip. “Maybe we can still be ourselves after. Not let the Games destroy us.”

It’s what they talked about the night before the Games began, but it feels different now. Less a fear and more a hope. A hope that they can come out on the other side of this, together, and learn to live again. The last time Rosé did this, she was fifteen and terrified and desperate to get home. She didn’t know that the arena would change her idea of home, that she would spend years waking up gasping, expecting to see blood around her. The Games kept her in their grip, made her push away the people who cared about her. She suspects the same is true about Denali--she knows Denali and Jan drifted after Denali got back, that Denali only has Kandy and Kahmora over once or twice a year. But they’ve done this round together, been there for each other the whole time, and maybe they can try to live and heal together. She wants to stay close with Denali after this, wants to laugh with her sisters more, wants to find things she enjoys again.

“I'd like that,” Rosé says. "First thing when we get home, we're making our victory cake."

Denali grins, like sun after a storm. "Only if you let me show you this meadow in the woods."

"Deal."

“Let’s eat,” Denali says, and they eat with the joy this food deserves, passing things back and forth and teasing each other for making a mess.

They cut the bread, and then Rosé finds the note. She remembers their father showing them a special paper that could be baked into something. He said they used to be popular for wedding cakes. Rosé unfolds it, heart swelling at Jan’s handwriting.

Rosie,

You have some explaining to do when you get home! We want all the details on you and Denali! I knew she had a crush on you when we were kids, it’s about damn time she figured it out. Also, I don’t know how it took you that long to realize I wasn’t the one humming in that cave. I’ll cut you some slack because you were delirious and I love Denali, but I would never hum that off-key. Anyway, we hope you like the stuff. Lagoona says make sure you share the cake and don’t hog the whole thing. Please come home soon, okay? We love you.

Jan and Lagoona

Rosé doesn’t even care when her tears escape. She loves her sisters, and she isn’t embarrassed about it. Her eyes fly over the words several times, reading it in their voices, the words tracing paths on her heart. She presses it to her chest and pretends she’s hugging them, and only then does she fully comprehend the first few lines.

Jan thinks Denali had a crush on Rosé when they were younger? That can’t be right. Though if anyone would know, it would be Jan. She and Denali were best friends from kindergarten. But Denali hasn’t mentioned it, and according to Jan, wasn’t even aware of her own crush. But what if Jan is right, and Denali really does like her? But that wouldn’t matter, wouldn’t lead to anything unless--unless Rosé likes her too.

Rosé looks at Denali, eating a piece of bread, and her heart swells with the answer her brain won’t acknowledge. Rosé does like her, maybe even loves her. She likes Denali’s laugh, the warmth in her eyes, that wrinkle between her eyebrows when she aims her bow. She likes Denali’s humor, how she can always make Rosé laugh. She likes that when she looks at Denali, she thinks of home. This relationship was fake at the start, purely an attempt to improve their odds. But somehow, it’s turned to Rosé’s heart bursting every time she looks at Denali. She doesn’t know the last time she felt this way, about anyone--hell, after the arena, it was sometimes hard to feel anything. The hope when she looks at Denali used to seem impossible, but isn’t now.

It burns inside her, but it has to stay inside. Springing this on Denali when they’re in the final four is a distraction that could cost their lives. And she doesn’t have proof that Denali likes her--just the hope of an old crush. Not to mention confessing that she loves Denali for real will discount the relationship they’ve built for the arena, exposing them as liars. There’s no way to tell her now. It has to wait until they’re home.

They share the cake, and Denali wipes frosting off Rosé’s lip, and Rosé wants more than ever to go home.

---

They spend the day walking through the arena, and Denali’s shoulders are tighter than her bow-string. All this walking is giving her too much time to think. Time to think about Rosé, about the smile Denali would do just about anything to see. About how Rosé makes her feel safe enough to share things she wouldn’t tell anyone. How Denali wants to see her every day after they go home, wants to learn things about her she hasn’t discovered yet. But would Rosé want the same thing? Denali knows things have been hard for her since the Games, and what if things collapse without the arena holding them together? But she thinks of what Rosé said last night, about her hopes for the future. Maybe there is hope. Once they get out of here, and Denali stops thinking about how soft Rosé’s lips are, how nice it might be to kiss her again--

She stumbles on a tree root and swears softly.

“Everything okay?” Rosé asks, hands immediately flying to Denali’s sides to steady her.

Denali nods, praying Rosé can’t see how much she’s blushing, though her face is warm enough to combust. There’s no thinking of kissing right now. She’s about to lead them in another direction when she hears flapping wings. But there’s only a huge gray cloud in the sky, that can’t be--

“Run. Run now,” Denali says.

They sprint through the woods, the swarm of birds scratching at their backs. There’s no direction, just running away, and they only stop once they’re back at the Cornucopia, now an empty shell of scraps and bloodstains. And they’re not alone.

Both tributes from District 2 stand in the grass, loaded with weapons.

The birds have vanished, no longer needed after bringing the final four together.

This is it.

The end is close enough for Denali to grasp, close enough to feel the plush train seat bringing her home, to smell the woods of District 12. She doesn’t want to kill these two. But she wants so badly for this to be over, to go home, and she knows the price she has to pay for that.

“We can do this,” Rosé says quietly.

Denali nods, gripping her spear as they saunter to the other tributes. There’s no hurry, no point rushing the inevitable. She can imagine her friends and Rosé’s sisters glued to their TV’s, and Denali gives another nod to herself, a vow that they’ll win.

“The Lion and the Fox. At last,” says the man. Denali thinks his name is Cato, and the woman is Glimmer.

Rosé just pulls out her sword as Cato grabs his axe. There’s nothing to say, nothing that can change what’s about to happen. Two of them will win, and two of them will die.

“Do you hear that?” Denali asks, cutting through the tension.

“I don’t hear anything! Quit stalling, Fox!”

“No, I--” Denali gasps at what her hunter’s hearing had picked up.

Enormous wolves circle around them, growling and baring razor-sharp teeth. Even on all fours, they’re nearly as tall as her, with claws longer than her fingers.

“The eyes…” Rosé says, face paling.

Denali looks at the wolf closest to her, with shaggy tan fur. Its eyes are impossibly blue, bluer than the sea. She’s seen these eyes before, had watched them close one last time while Rosé hummed a lullaby.

“Finn,” Denali breathes. She doesn’t know how the Gamemakers created wolves with the tributes' eyes; she doesn’t want to know. All she knows is that she now needs to fight off not only two tributes, but twenty wolves. They’re probably the worst odds Denali’s ever seen.

Denali knows animals, knows hunting, and she pulls Rosé away a second before the leader signals the attack. They sprint for the trees while screams fill the air behind them, screams so terrible she’s grateful when the cannon sounds and puts Glimmer out of her misery.

Denali jumps for a tree branch but she’s not quick enough--a wolf sinks its teeth into her calf, her leg burning with pain as the wolf tears through it. Shifting her weight to one hand, she grabs an arrow and jams it in the wolf’s eye, hauling herself up after it falls. More wolves scratch at the tree, but she’s safe for now. She has to stop the bleeding but her vision is blurry—

“Denali, it’s okay.” Rosé holds her up, positioning them both on a branch. “Please stay awake, okay? Please. You have to tell me how to help.”

“Bleeding too much. You have to...stitch it,” Denali mumbles. “Stuff...in my bag.”

“Okay.”

Things blur and Denali’s only aware of Rosé giving her water and painkillers, of Rosé’s gentle hand on her leg, of the needle passing in and out. There’s more water, and food, and Denali opens her eyes to meet Rosé looking at her in worry.

“I stitched it,” she says frantically. “There’s probably stuff wrong internally, but it should hold until the doctors can fix it.”

There’s definitely internal damage; it feels like her last leg injury, and she can barely move her leg without an explosion of pain. Once they win, the doctors can fix it. As if on cue, the wolves retreat and the cannon fires, meaning Cato is gone. Relief and joy slam into her, overtaking the pain, and she reaches for Rosé.

“We won,” she says breathlessly, “we won.”

They hold each other in silence, hearts full of the relief of going home, of being together. It’s over, and there are no words. It’s over, and she can breathe again. She can live again, can create the future she wants.

“Where’s the victory cannon?” Rosé pulls away after a minute.

“Maybe--maybe it’s late. Or maybe we should get out of the tree,” Denali says, but trumpets sound as she hits the grass with a wince, and her stomach twists like snakes. Why is there an announcement when the hovercraft should be arriving to get them?

“The earlier revision has been revoked,” the announcer says cheerfully. “The rules hold that only one winner is allowed. May the odds be ever in your favor.”

Denali can’t move. She’s numb and cold and even the pain fades. She should have known. The Gamemakers were never going to let them both survive, not when putting two teammates against each other is the most dramatic finale in history. She wants to scream, wants to fight, but she can’t. All her talk about being more than just a piece of the Games--she played right into their hands, growing close to Rosé, believing they could have the futures they dreamt of.

Rosé is shaking beside her, shaking with fear and pure rage.

“Rosé,” Denali tries, but her mouth is too dry.

“I should’ve known,” Rosé spits. She tears her hands through her hair, breath coming in frantic spurts, vulnerable and undone. She's never seen Rosé like this, and it hurts her heart. “I should’ve known, I should’ve known…” Rosé trails into sobs, shaky hands clutching at her jacket like it can hold her together.

If Denali were to listen to the cold part of her, she’d see that Rosé is defenseless and in shock, an easy target. But that part was created by the Games, and it isn’t her anymore. After resigning herself to the cold for so long, Rosé has brought a summer’s warmth, and though the cold and dark still exist, it doesn’t mean there isn’t light.

“There--there has to be another way.” It’s what Denali’s built her life on, searching for new ways to help a tribute survive, to stop the Games from hurting her again. But none have ever worked.

“There’s no other way, Denali.” Rosé is still trembling, but she stands up straight, pointing below her lion pin, at her heart. “Just don’t miss,” she says, laughing bitterly, humorlessly.

“Rosé, what are you--I’m not killing you!” Denali shakes her head frantically, trying to calm her heart.

“You heard the announcement. It has to be one of us. I’d rather it be quick than get torn apart by those wolves.” Rosé sounds so small, so tired. She’s been cheated and destroyed by these Games before, and she doesn’t have it in her to do it again. She’s giving up, and that scares Denali more than anything, jolting her out of her numbness. She knows how much Rosé wants to live--they both do, talked about it together. The only way to live is to kill the other, and living with that wouldn’t be much of a life.

“No,” Denali says. “I’m not killing you. You have your sisters, you have a family. I don’t.”

“That doesn’t make your life worth less than mine,” Rosé says firmly. “You do stuff, I barely leave the house—“

“That doesn’t make your life worth less either. Look, if those wolves come back, you have a better shot than me. I’m not going anywhere on this leg.”

Rosé sighs. “You have to go home, Denali. You have to live.” Rosé’s lips twitch, and more tears fall. “I’m betting on you.”

I’m betting on you.

The words strike something in Denali’s memory.

Denali’s leg bounces as she waits to enter the launching room. In a few minutes, she’ll be in the arena after years of seeing it through the safety of a screen, and she forces in a strangled breath.

“Everything okay?” Rosé asks.

“Fine,” Denali says. Help with fighting is fine, but getting help for panicking is too embarrassing, even if it’s from someone she knows. Maybe especially because it’s from someone she knows.

Rosé obviously doesn’t believe her, but she nods.

“Wait.” Denali can’t keep it in anymore.

“What is it?”

“Rosé, do you—do you really think I can win?” Denali's convinced herself that she can win all this time, not thinking about whether she really believes it--because she has to believe it, because what’s the alternative? But she wants to know what Rosé thinks, to hear from someone else whether she really has a chance.

Rosé is quiet as she thinks. She’s only twenty, but her eyes are so much older, and Denali realizes that while she’s thought about the joys of returning home, she hasn’t considered the other parts. The parts Rosé has been dealing with every day for the past five years.

“It’ll be hard. I can’t lie about that,” Rosé says finally. “Most of the tributes are bigger, stronger. But you’re tougher. The audience loves you. They’ll help you, and don’t feel embarrassed about taking their help. And you’ve got talent. You’ve got fire.” Rosé smiles hesitantly, and Denali swells with hope. “So I’m betting on you. Denali Foxx, I’ll always bet on you.”

Denali Foxx, I’ll always bet on you.

Denali looks at Rosé now, looks at the love in her eyes, and--

Oh.

Denali understands now. Understands why she’s been thinking of kissing Rosé for days, why her teenage fantasy kissing partner looked like her. Understands why Rosé looks at her in such wonder. Understands why being around her makes Denali’s chest ache from feelings she hasn’t felt in so long. It's not a game anymore.

Denali loves Rosé. And Rosé loves her.

Losing Rosé would be losing part of herself, the part that still hopes. If Denali looks into those green eyes and fires a bow-string, part of her will never leave this arena. She can't kill Rosé, and she can’t go home without her either, can’t give up the future she hopes for with her.

It sparks something in Denali, an idea from the back of her mind. Maybe you can find a loophole, Jan said that day in the Justice Building. If anyone could, it’s you two.

“Rosé, I love you,” Denali says. No matter what happens, she’s not leaving without telling Rosé, without letting her know that the love is returned.

Rosé’s eyes widen, and Denali can tell she knows it’s real. That she really does love her.

“I love you too,” Rosé says.

“I have an idea. Do you trust me?”

“Denali--”

“Do you trust me?”

“With my life,” Rosé says softly, and it’s another way to say I love you.

Denali pulls the nightlock out of her bag. The Games need a victor, or this whole thing blows up in their faces and becomes the worst Games ever. If they can make the Capitol think there won’t be a victor, maybe, just maybe, there’s a shot.

She hands Rosé the berries, and she nods in understanding. “On three,” she says.

“One.”

Denali takes Rosé’s hand, memorizing the softness of it against hers.

“Two.”

Rosé squeezes back, squeezes with all the love and fight she has.

“Three.”

The berries reach their mouths, and Denali is wondering if the Capitol will let them both die when the trumpets erupt.

“Stop! Everyone, I’m happy to present the winners of this year’s Hunger Games--Denali Foxx and Rosé McCorkell!”

#rpdr fanfiction #denali foxx #rosé #rosnali #lesbian au #hunger games au #angst #ever in your favor #athena2 #tw violence #tw blood #concrit welcome

[scullydubois]

Only the Light: Ch. 8

8/? | AU where Melissa moves in with Scully after Scully’s abduction | angst, msr slow-burn, some fluff | currently: s2, ep 12, Aubrey | T (for now?) | 2.3k | previous chapters | read on ao3 | tagging: @today-in-fic

Scully deals with the trauma of her nightmare when she and Mulder meet BJ in the park; a migraine leads Scully to breakdown to her sister.

[this is an especially angsty part...TW for mild implication of rape]

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

The rest of their breakfast passes without fanfare. After their conversation about love languages, neither feels like diving into particularly deep topics. Mulder spends their meal providing commentary on the songs other customers picked off the jukebox, turning Scully into a captive audience who occasionally nods, chuckles, or otherwise utters a phrase of approval. It’s not that they’re bored of each other, but that they feel they should preserve their energy for the taxing conversations sure to come along with the case. The electricity between them lingers in the air, waiting for a match to spark it. When the waitress asks if they want to split the bill, Mulder gallantly insists that he will take care of it, then pulls out the Bureau credit card with a wink his partner’s way. To Scully, his wink feels like a lighter flaring into flame. A brief moment of blaze, there and then gone again. One day, she swears to herself, one day she will let him ignite her heart. 

Back in the car, they buckle up and reacclimate themselves with 1994. The local country music station hums in the background, too low to make out any lyrics. It’s just a few stoplights to the park, not even long enough to get through an entire song.

They find BJ at a picnic table nestled among Aubrey’s fall colors. She notices them first, waves them over. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Mulder says as he and Scully take a seat across from the detective.

Scully is struck by reality’s intrusion on the version of BJ she met in her nightmare. BJ is not heavily pregnant; she does not even show. She’s not covered in blood either, but looking polished in a pantsuit. Yet the sight of her conjures up vivid images from the dream, ones that Scully hoped would stay hidden in her psyche forever. The resolute darkness of Duane Barry’s eyes, like his soul had been sucked out of him. The way droplets of blood splattered when he pulled BJ by the collar. And the image of her own body, how it had been desecrated and she hadn’t felt a thing. She felt nothing.

“How are you, BJ?” she asks, her voice stiffer than intended.

BJ rests her hands on the wooden table. “I’m okay.” Then-- “I’ve made some decisions.”

Scully nods, not wanting to pry. The three of them sit with the silence. Sometimes this is all you can do. Her courage gathered, BJ looks to Mulder. 

“I don’t know if Agent Scully told you, but I’m pregnant. It’s Tilman’s. It’s made things...complicated.”

“I’m sure,” Mulder replies, not particularly moved by this announcement. 

“I don’t think it will impact the case in any way, but I wanted to be open with you. Staying quiet about it was only making the situation tougher.”

“Well, thanks for sharing.”

Scully shoots Mulder a look, as if to chastise his blase attitude toward BJ’s courage. He doesn’t see it, which makes her feel oddly guilty, like she had talked about him behind his back. 

Across the park, a little girl plays with her dog. They run through a pile of leaves together, and she takes a tumble. 

“Ow!” the girl exclaims loud enough to be heard throughout the park. BJ stands up, her gaze snapping toward the sound. Scully turns, fighting the urge to join BJ. The girl’s mother bends to check the girl for injury and seeing that she’s okay, sets her on her feet. BJ exhales, joins the agents back at the table.

“The mothering instinct,” BJ monologues. “I've been feeling it a lot lately. I used to hate it when my mother hovered over me. I swore I'd never be like her.”

Scully’s throat tightens. She felt the gravitational pull too. I mean, she’s always liked kids, but she’s not sure she would be a good mother and so she’s tried not to think much about it. Certainly her situation is unfavorable for motherhood. What kind of life would it be for a kid to have their mother gone all the time? She knows what it’s like to tuck herself into bed without a goodnight kiss and a bedtime story...to feel like an afterthought in a parent’s life. It made her push herself harder, trying to shed the inadequacy her father must have seen in her. And still she fell short. Is it all in her head, this fledgling maternal instinct? Or is it a sign of changing brain chemistry?

“I think we all feel that way at some point or another,” Mulder says. For a moment, Scully thinks he’s read her mind. She’s about to ask him whether there’s such thing as a paternal instinct when BJ continues on--

“My father was a cop. A good cop. That's all I ever wanted to be. He'd say what we're doing here is nonsense. That you can't solve a crime from a dream.”

Scully is somewhat relieved to know that she’s not alone in failing to measure up to a father’s expectations. This is not the point of the conversation, but this is what her mind latches on to. Her own father felt that the X-Files was a waste of time,, and she could never put into words why the work was so fulfilling to her. It’s not medicine; the results aren’t as obvious. Yet she can’t help but feel like she and Mulder are tuning into a rarely heard frequency, listening to its message, and passing it on. Little by little that will change the world, won’t it?

“Well, I've often felt that dreams are answers to questions we haven't yet figured out how to ask,” Mulder offers, rising to meet the gravity of the moment. Scully wonders what question her nightmare was answering. She shudders at the thought.

---------

Her skull feels like it’s being cut in half with a chainsaw, there is no other way to put it. She’s lying stretched out on her motel bed, a washcloth over her eyes, praying the pain away. Migraines aren’t a common occurrence for her, but she recalls all the times her mother would turn off the television, pull the curtains, and lay flush in her recliner in an attempt to ward off the pain. As little as she was, Scully would pull a step stool over to grab a glass from the cabinet, then fill it with water and bring it to her mother like a dog itching for a treat. She’d get a ‘thank you’ from her mom’s quiet, steady voice and sometimes a pat on the head, but nothing she could subsist on. She always wished for a little more to fill the deficit in herself. Now she understood. Pain chips away at your capacity for love.

What had started as a dull roar now felt more like the scream of a banshee. It came on suddenly around 4 while she and Mulder were reviewing the evidence of the 1942 murders. Their day had been pretty slow, one of paperwork and manila folders and bureaucracy. Not a lot of progress on the case. It’s as if her brain weren’t working hard enough, and so decided to punish her by making work impossible. She let on nothing of her plight until the way back to the motel when she leaned her head against the window and Mulder asked if she was okay. She responded nonchalantly, saying it was just a headache, and he in his savior complex offered to stop for Aspirin, but she insisted she had some in her suitcase. She did--a bottle with only two left--and she took them both. So far they’ve done nothing to combat the pain. 

It occurs to her that her ardent desire to avoid coming off as a damsel in distress doesn’t exactly mesh with Mulder’s tendency to be the hero. What is she to make of that? Nothing, not in her current state of mind.

She lies there, wonders if it’s reached a late enough hour to change into her pajamas. She can’t deal with the monotony of the shower tonight, not even if Mulder’s on the other side. She turns, glances at the digital alarm clock. 8:09pm. Certainly that’s appropriate pajama time, right? She can never be sure that Mulder won’t come knocking on her door with a new interpretation of the evidence for her to shoot down or a theory somehow more outlandish than his original. She likes that they keep each other on their toes, but tonight that’s not where she wants to be.

Her head berates her for sitting up. She figures that if that’s wishful thinking, changing clothes will be too, so she lays right back down. She has gotten very used to ending up back where she started.

Seeing as modern medicine is failing her, she decides to try meditation. Missy swears by it, but Scully doesn’t see the benefit of willingly turning off your brain. She can hear her sister now: “It’s not about turning off your brain, it’s about transcending your thoughts and being present with the world.” Since when am I not present with the world, she always wants to reply. She can’t afford not to be present with the world.

But the older sister always has some semblance of sway over the younger one, so Scully closes her eyes and listens to the nothingness of the room around her. Well, it’s not exactly nothing, but nearly so. The mini-fridge, which she doesn’t dare touch even if the bill isn’t her responsibility, hums like it has something to prove. The remaining leaves on the trees in the parking lot rustle with the wind. In the adjacent room, Mulder’s TV is on. She can hear the droning chitter-chatter of sports commentators. Baseball, probably. That’s played in the fall, right?

She slips out of active listening and into mindless musing on her lack of sports expertise. Her father was never a sports junkie himself, but her brothers were. She was often made the referee of their wrestling matches or t-ball games, having been deemed more impartial than Melissa. And yet her understanding of plays and pitches and batting averages never progressed from there. She could name all 206 bones in the body in alphabetical order, but she couldn’t tell you what 3rd down meant. Usually she doesn’t care, but at the moment, this is making her indescribably sad.

Overcome by her isolation, she grabs the phone off hook, dials her own number. Melissa picks up right before it stops ringing.

“Hello?”

“Missy…” she doesn’t know it’s going to happen until she opens her mouth and tears fling themselves down her face.

“Dana, what’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you safe?” Missy’s voice is concerned but controlled, like a 911 operator. 

“I-I’m okay,” Scully manages, in probably the least convincing delivery ever.

“Where are you?”

“I’m in the motel. Mulder and I are safe, we’re okay,” she stammers. 

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Melissa says with utter calm. 

“My head is pounding, Missy, and I know mom used to get migraines, but I’ve never felt anything like this before--” Her voice catches, a sob slips out. “And I’m scared, Missy. Something’s wrong with me.”

“It sounds like you need medical attention, honey.” Melissa always knows when to slip in a term of endearment. “Can Mulder take you to the hospital?”

“No, no, it’s not like that.” She squeezes her eyes shut, sees stars. She hopes Mulder can’t hear her crying. The embarrassment of hurting is almost worse than the hurt itself. She pulls the bed sheet over her head like some over-dramatic teenager. She wouldn’t be able to look Mulder in the eye if he heard this next part. 

She sniffles. “I’m six days late, and I’m never late, and I can’t be pregnant unless…” She wonders what would happen if she just stopped the sentence there and never spoke of it again. Could she do that? Would Melissa mind? 

She lets the bottom drop out from under her. “...unless they did something to me.” The words are barely audible, she hates to have them on her tongue. Worse still, she’s not even the subject in her own sentence. She’s the object, of course. 

She hears Missy take what she’s deemed “a cleansing breath.” Then--”Can you come home? Tonight, tomorrow morning?”

“I...What would I tell Mulder?” Her tears have stopped flowing, but her brokenness still lives in her voice. 

“Anything. That I locked myself out of the apartment, that it’s mom’s birthday, maybe the truth. That man will listen to whatever you say. He’s not gonna stop you.”

“Well, I have to tell the FBI something.” 

“Say you have a family emergency. Or that you’re experiencing trauma from work-related events. You don’t owe them anything, Dana.”

Scully knows this, but could never operate as if she actually believed it. The FBI is her job, her duty, her choice. How can she be up in arms about something she wished upon herself? 

She takes as deep a breath as the pain in her head will allow. “I’ll fly out tomorrow morning.”

“Call me with the deets before you take off. I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay.” Scully feels a rush of safety, of being held & supported. “Thank you,” she breathes. Missy has saved her from herself.

“You’re welcome. And Dana…?”

“Yes?”

“We’re gonna figure this out. Whatever it is, we’re gonna figure it out.”

Scully flutters her eyelids shut, feels the temptation of tears at the back of them. “I know...Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Missy echoes. “Get some rest, and try not to worry. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

Scully wonders what gene her sister has that gives her such a distinct ability to say the right thing every time. She wishes she hadn't missed that boat. How much easier would life be? 

She notices that Missy has refused to hang up first. “Goodnight, Missy,” she says into the phone.

“Goodnight, Dana. Sleep well.” Her words are a balm to the soul. 

Scully puts the phone back on the hook, feeling like Missy just put hope back in her vocabulary. Hope or belief? Which is stronger?

#the stakes...they are getting higher #the x-files #txf fic #missy & scully fic #only the light fic #mine #fox mulder #dana scully #melissa scully

[candyqueenblog]

First Lines Tag Game

I was tagged by @worse0mens and @supergeek21 for this game where you post the first line or so from 20 of your most recent writings and then tag 10 more of your favorite writers. To be tagged is an honor and a delight and I would be remiss if I DIDN’T play too because this sounds like oodles and kit and kaboodles of fun! 🤩 (Please note, some of the fics/writing on her is rated E, so if you’re a youngin’ - GIT! And anyone who knows me IRL, please don’t ever bring it up ;     ; ) Placed below cut because it got LONG lol (Self-reblogging because I am dummy and forgot to add tags 😅)

1. Bea L. Zebub (or just “Beelzebub” to her unfortunate employees) was dead. (A Christmas Omen)

2.  The bookshop doors slammed open hard enough to crack the spot where the knob met the wall.  Crowley stormed into the building, his amber eyes flashing dangerously behind his round, dark lenses. (Flames of Anger and Hellfire)

3. Crowley couldn’t help but wonder… ‘Why was it always apples?’ (The Taste of Apples)

(Note: #3 was a collab with @vivi-theakuneko for a zine. She handled the art, I handled the writing!)

4. Aziraphale had been looking for this book for centuries. (Ivdkuranavyja)

(Note: #4 was a collab with @crowleymowley for a zine. There’s some cool art in THIS one too! 👀)

5. Physicists, scientists, and philosophers have grappled with the theory of infinite, alternate universes ever since psychologist William James coined the term in 1895. Though the context of the word was different for James than it is now, current theory posits that there are an infinite number of alternate realities out there and, together, they make up the totality of existence in a great cosmic pile called the multiverse. (Universe A and B)

6.  Hi my name is Anthony Janthony Ashtoreth Fire Crowley and I have long fiery red hair (that’s how I got my name) with black streaks and purple tips that reaches my mid-back and snakey yellow eyes like limpid tears and a lot of people tell me I look like David Tenant (AN: if u don’t know who he is get da hell out of here!). (My Ineffable)

7. “To my sister!” Gabriel cheered, lifting a flute of champagne in a toast. The woman in question, Zira Fell, raised her own flute in answer with a face-splitting grin. (Saltwater on Skin - Wives Edition)

8. It was raining the day Azira reunited with Crowley. (Awaken Their Ashes Unto Pain)

(Note: The line from #8 is TECHNICALLY in the SECOND chapter, but this fic is a collab with @new-endings and she wrote the first chapter, while I wrote the second and we are alternating between the two)

9. “To my brother!” Gabriel cheered, lifting a flute of champagne in a toast. The man in question, Ezra Fell, raised his own flute in answer with a face-splitting grin. (Saltwater on Skin)

(Note: #9 is the exact same story as #7, just the genders changed)

10.  Ezra had awoken several times throughout the night, convinced that he was going to miss his family’s departure if he didn’t go to the beach right now! (Sharing Three Kisses)

(Note: #10 is a story divergence of #9)

11. Raphael closed the door of A.Z. Fell & Co behind him with a soft click as he stepped out onto the streets of Soho. He folded his hands in front of his stomach and rocked back and forth on his heels. “Well. That was awkward,” he said to himself. (To Build a Future on Earth)

12.  The early August heat hung heavy in the air, and the apple tree he sat beneath was laden with unripened fruits.  The tart, green apples wouldn’t be ready until early October, but their scent was still carried on every puff of warm breeze and every passing cloud that promised rain for the afternoon. (The Prince and the Serpent)

13. At 26 years old, Aziraphale Fell (if both his parents weren’t already dead, he’d have strangled them himself for giving him such a moniker) was one of the youngest self-made millionaires in history.  (Ruin and Rebuilding)

14. Prince Anthony Centary was many things: a lover of fast carriages, younger half-brother to Lord Beatrus, and purveyor of fine clothes. He was also a four-foot red-bellied serpent currently snagged under a rose bush. (Gardens, Snakes, and Kisses)

(Note: #14 was written as a contest entry some time ago for @berrytera’s Cursed Prince AU)

15.  Up until the moment he died, Captain Medina would never be able to tell what it was that had convinced him to visit the island early. (3 Hours Earlier)

16.  William straightened the lapels of his uniform as he climbed out of his car and marched up the long, winding walkway to the manor of Thaddeus Dowling, Ambassador. (A Case of Mistaken Identity)

(Note: #16 was a commission from @queerspacewhale, and its prequel is in the works. I promise, friend! It ended up being a bit more in-depth than originally planned lol)

17.  His siblings were all hobbits of good moral standing, as is expected of living in a place called “Hobbiton”. (Dragonfire)

(Note: #17 was a commission from @fanlan1! I’d never really written crossover fics before this point, so this was a fun experience!)

18. “5... 4... 3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!” “Wahoo...” (A Treatise on Pinnipeds)

19. Crowley was staring at him with a predatory look, but was curled up in the corner with his back to the wall. (Instincts)

20. Ezra stood back and admired his handiwork. (Surprise)

Patterns: I think mine tend to start out fairly mild, or they come out of NOWHERE like a slap to the face. No in between lol

Favorite: #5, simply because it sounds super-smart! :D

(Feel free to skip over if you want when I tag you ^^) @new-endings, @wyvernquill, @unproblematicme, @mordellestories, @caedmonfaith, @scrapheapchallenge, @summerofspock, @holycatsandrabbits, and @nohaijiachi 

#good omens #ineffable husbands #crowley #aziraphale

[theofficersacademy]

The Caledonian Plateau, due west of Garreg Mach, has long resisted development despite being firmly in Empire territory. The muddy terrain and dense swamps are a nightmare to traverse, but those same qualities have been embraced by those that value privacy beyond the watchful eyes of government bodies. Privacy that the Church has respected until now, that is.

TEAM MEMBERS

Pelleas, Sharena, Larcei, Farina Matthew, Fernand, Charlotte, Clair Inigo, Flayn, Pent, Byleth, Gatekeeper

TEAM TAG: #LabyrinthPlateau2021

Locations:

Pennywell: A waterlogged village in the dense, forested swamps of the Caledonian Plateau. Reed-woven huts sit on floating islands, and it takes knowledge and a trained eye to tell where the bog will support your weight and where it will not. At the heart of the village sits an ancient alder tree with coins nailed to the bark, surrounding a simple carving of a pregnant woman with wyvern horns. Simple fishermen are said to make their home here, but their muscular bodies and their deft handling of their tridents and nets perhaps hint at just why both the Empire and the Church have allowed them some form of autonomy with no lords to answer to.

The Mosquitos' Perch: A seedy tavern at the outskirts of Pennywell. Because of how out of the way it is from well-travelled roads, it often serves as a rest stop for travelers looking for discretion and staff willing to forget names and faces by morning. The denizens of Pennywell are normally not involved in any shady business that might pass through their little village, but they are just as willing to look the other way if it means enjoying their local alcoholic specialties.

Gambling is a popular pastime across the Plateau, since there isn't much in the way of entertainment otherwise. The staff keeps a wealth of dice and cards handy in case someone is in the mood for a game. Proving your skill in these games is a surefire way to earn their respect.

People of Interest:

Tara: A plain-looking widow in her late 40’s, she is the seventh generation owner of The Mosquitos' Perch. She's an unassuming woman, firm but fair, and amicable to the students. Being a personable and neutral lady (and good at de-escalation) helps her keep the village safe when there's always trouble walking through the door. Respected by patrons, and disrespecting her in any way means that you're in the belly of the nearest swamp monster by sundown. Because of her position in the town, she is considered the unofficial liaison between the church and Pennywell by both parties, and it's clear that it's stressing her out.

Nessie: A young woman in her early 30’s, dressed in a colorful motley of fabrics that toes the line between a wealthy mercenary and a down-on-her-luck court jester. A self-described "wanderer", she hails from Bergliez territory, though that piece of information had to be dragged out of her by the local patrons. She's been under the tavernowner's care since she arrived floating in the rivers "like chewed-up driftwood". Has a gnarly wound on her face wrapped in bandages. She's happy enough to weave a tale on how she had fought a Crest Beast before coming here, but that is the only consistent detail across the many extravagant tales she tells. Now that she's regaining her strength, her personality as a gambler and brawler is finally shining. Pretty gullible and not one to turn down a challenge, especially an exciting one, and loves to show off.

Vetch: A cynical barfly in his early 50’s. He's clearly distrustful of the Church and quick to pull out one of his many conspiracy theories: that the Saints still walk among us, that there is a secret society called the Evil Eye that is behind every bad thing that happened in the past decade or so, and that elixirs are just upcharged vulneraries with a different label so that they can line the pockets of Big Pharma. Frequently grouses about "the youth" and prone to wagging his finger at any bothersome teenager, or anyone younger than him for that matter.

Things to Do:

If you’re going to be searching the swamps, you better start learning how to traverse it. Get some sturdy shoes and build up your sealegs by learning how to steer a boat through the river!

Legends of aquatic crest-beasts ruling the swamps are common stories back in school, but your journey here gives you your first glimpse at the real thing: a massive long-necked reptilian creatures breaches the water’s surface, a crocodile’s carcass clenched in its jaws. But such terrifying monsters can easily keep the village fed for days, and you can’t help but wonder what crestigator stew tastes like. It’s dangerous quarry, that’s for sure, but that’s all part of the thrill of the hunt!

With shiny knights and aristocratic brats being the talk of the town, Nessie brings the attention to herself again with a mud-wrestling tournament to welcome you all with. No prizes, of course, but what’s a broke girl to do about that? Sidebets are already abound, and muscle-bound, charismatic Nessie is the favorite to beat. Make your own bets if you have the cash, or get down and dirty with the rest of them.

Though Tara is wary of anyone other than her manning the bar, she can’t deny that she needs the help now that there are a dozen more people here. However, she seats Vetch right across from you, ever quick to criticize your mistakes and lament the decline of Fódlan youth. Playing some games with him with the dice under the counter ought to temper his anger, though part of you wonders if extra booze would get that done quicker...

Your justice senses are tingling, and for good reason: you haven’t gotten a good look at them, but their dark cloaks and strange masks are shady enough for you to go out and investigate. Pennywell may be no stranger to the seediest people of Fódlan, but that doesn’t mean you have to stand for it!

#toalabyrinth2021 #LabyrinthPlateau2021

[vmheadquarters]

We’re still playing our game of written hot potato! Dozens of your favorite authors are taking turns to tell a Veronica Mars mystery story. Each writer crafts their chapter and then “tosses” the story to the next person to continue the tale. No one knows what will happen, so expect the unexpected!

Follow the “vmhq presents” and “murder we wrote” tags for all the installments, or read the story as it develops on AO3. --Chapter Twenty-Three of MURDER, WE WROTE is written by @disdainfullady​. And stayed tuned next week for Ch.24 from @artoftalent07​ - tag, you’re it!

_____________________________________________________________

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE by @disdainfullady​

Veronica turned the page, fascinated despite herself. When Ruby had come stomping into Mars Investigations that morning, Veronica had had to try three of the breathing techniques Logan swore kept him from washing out of OCS before she dared to even acknowledge the girl.  Either she wasn’t fighter pilot material, or Ruby was worse than the drill sergeants – MTIs corrected the little Logan voice in her brain – because she could never be sure if those techniques actually helped, or just gave her time to fine tune her sarcasm.

In the year since Carrie’s death, Ruby had found half a dozen excuses to hire Veronica, mostly background checks for potential dates – so far none of them had been kicked out by a pop star’s security for hiding in a closet, but they were keeping hope alive – and one case where she was convinced the couple across the street were running drugs out of their basement.  She’d actually been right about that, although Ruby had based her theory on the idea that the couple had far more lawn ornaments than anyone not pushing meth had a right to, and still insisted that that was the big give away.

Veronica never had the heart to turn her away. Sure, she didn’t, they didn’t, strictly need the money, but there was something so earnest about Ruby, despite her off-the-wall conspiracy theories and what seemed like a new obsession every week.  It was sometimes hard to remember that Ruby was only a year younger than her - Veronica doubted she'd had half Ruby's enthusiasm and energy even in her all too distant pep squad days. Of course, she probably should aim for a degree or two below manic.

After leaving Veronica three voicemails of escalating urgency about a case she absolutely needed Veronica’s help on, Ruby had shown up at Mars Investigations that morning in full pensive-artist mode complete with glasses that were either fake or a prescription so minor that they might as well be, pages clutched to her chest, announcing that the case in question was that which took place in the novel she had written.

Veronica knew she should have politely declined. Maybe gotten Wallace to have one of his colleagues in the English department give it a read, if her conscience was really bugging her.  But it had been a slow week, and she wouldn’t have gone back to being a PI if she’d been able to resist the pull of her curiosity.  Nor would Logan forgive her if she wasn’t able to give him a full summary of the entire thing.

And the work was fascinating.

She wasn't sure what impressed her more, the depth of Ruby's research, or her completely scattershot method of applying it. Sure, she'd pulled in most of the obvious players, but there were some deep cuts in here.  Lenny?  Cole? She was pretty sure Cole's own parents forgot he existed when he wasn't in the room, yet here he was parading all over this mysterious snow ridden island within easy access of Southern California.  Actually, she mused, Cole would make a great killer in the traditional way of things. Veronica was always suspicious of named minor characters with no apparent motive.  

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like Ruby was a fan of narrative efficiency, so he'd probably just been tossed into the manuscript along with the kitchen sink that she only hoped would be getting its big scene in the next chapter or two.

A chair scraped and she looked up, remembering just in time to wipe the incredulous glee off her face.  Ruby Jetson, formerly Della Pugh, literary alias Mistress X, had scooted her seat even closer to Veronica's desk, and was staring at her with an eager intensity.  Veronica cleared her throat and the - fortunately wigless - Ruby inched forward even closer, her knee actually bumping the desk.  

"Did you get to the part where they discover the island's tragic past?" asked Ruby.  The question burst out of her like she’d been holding it in for the past hour.

"Not yet - it has a tragic past?"

"Every mysterious island has a tragic past, Veronica." Ruby's scornful tone was undercut by the restless tapping of her leg.

"Oh of course," Veronica nodded with what she hoped was an appropriately serious expression.  "Well, that's something to look forward to, then." And she sort of was.  The way Ruby phrased it she rather hoped the island had had a passionate romance with a nearby peninsula only to lose it to  - how did you kill a peninsula, soil erosion maybe?

"But as I said earlier, it's going to take me a while to go through all this.  You really," really, really, really she thought, "don't need to sit here and watch me read it."

Ruby’s face scrunched in disapproval.  “You said that you’d prioritize my case, Veronica Mars.”

Veronica sighed.  She steepled her hands as she tried to gently let the girl down.  “That was when I thought you had a case.  I’m not a literary critic, Ruby.”

Ruby snorted.

“No, but you are a detective, and if I can stump you then I know my story’s good.”

Veronica carefully did not point out the flaws in that particular assertion.  “You don’t want it to be too baffling, Ruby.  Readers like the satisfaction of clues coming together.”

Ruby, beamed, apparently delighted by this rather commonplace observation.  “I knew you wouldn’t figure it out,” she crowed. “I bet you haven’t even grasped the significance of the chocolate.”

Veronica shook her head, even as one corner of her brain started following the trail begun by that breadcrumb.  The significance of the chocolate?  The number of chocolate martinis that had supposedly been consumed by the party were massive – but she’d been to plenty of 09er events that had better liquor stores than most bars.  Was there something to read into that?  Oh, that one was going to bother her.

She shook her head.  “Ruby, you already revealed your character as the bad guy. There’s nothing to figure out.”

Ruby’s mouth dropped open and she blinked at Veronica in surprise.

“Me?  I’m not the bad guy.”

“You’re not?”  She’s wasn’t?  Oh god, was Ruby supposed to be the heroine?  Was Veronica supposed to be rooting for her own comeuppance in this magnum opus of Ruby’s?

“You’re barely halfway through.  Do you honestly think that I would give away the real villain that soon?”

Ah.  Veronica looked down again at the depressingly large stack of papers in front of her.  It hadn’t seemed like this much when she’d started.  

Ruby smirked.  “Ruby Jetson is merely a red herring.”

“Ah, like communism,” Veronica murmured.

Though she had to point out, “Of course, you are killing people.”

“Madison Sinclair,” Ruby scoffed.

Veronica gave an equivocal head nod, not quite acknowledging the semi-validity of that point.

“And Leo.  Should I wonder why you even know Leo?”

Leo had been in San Diego for nearly a decade at this point, and occasional appearances at high school dances in Miami Vice regalia aside, she wouldn’t have thought he’d have had much occasion to cross paths with Ruby.

“I do my research, Veronica.” Ruby gave another one of her smug, knowing expressions.  Veronica, no stranger to being smug or knowing herself, sighed inwardly.

“And you didn’t actually see what happened to Leo did you?” Ruby continued.  “I mean, sure Lenny took credit, but then he would.”

With neither wealth, nor wit nor charisma, Lenny Sofer had been one of Neptune High’s more determined bullies, a nonentity so frustrated by his lack of status he spent all his time searching for those below him on the ladder, trying to push them down further.  Veronica had pretty much forgotten he’d existed the second she’d graduated, as she’d imagined, had most of their class, his chosen victims excluded.  Now if Ruby had written some sort of Murder on the Orient Express situation with Lenny as victim, she could probably get behind that.

“Is Lenny Sofer actually your cousin by the way?”

Ruby looked offended by the question.  Did she think Veronica had memorized her background the way she, Ruby, had apparently memorized Veronica’s?  Ruby did have a flare for investigation, if one could get past the whole bit where she was mildly bonkers.

“Lenny Sofer is a sociopath,” Ruby said, flatly.

That didn’t actually answer the question, Veronica noted.

“He bullied me for two years straight.  I had to spend my lunches hiding in that gross bathroom near the physics lab because someone kept putting out of order signs on the good one.”

Veronica’s eyebrows rose.  “So, you brought him in as your partner in crime?”

Ruby rolled her eyes.  “Again, not actually the bad guy.  And his character gets what’s coming to him a little further on.” She smiled, probably going for sinister but ending up on goofy.  “Let’s just say that was fun to write.”

Veronica supposed she could understand that.  She had always been more about enacting her revenge, but it wasn’t like that didn’t come with its own set of problems.  Maybe Ruby’s method was healthier, if a little odd.

She gave a little shrug and settled back to read some more.

#veronica mars #veronica mars fanfic #vm fanfic #vmhq presents #murder we wrote #round robin

[imagine-loki]

Pride and Prejudice

TITLE: Pride and Prejudice CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 28 AUTHOR: wolfpawn

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki was raised on Jotunheim as Laufey’s son after the war, but an agreement was then made that he would wed Odin’s daughter so Odin could secure the alliance of Jotunheim through the marriage. Loki, in turn, was raised to be king of Jotunheim, but how he views Asgard is far different from how Odin’s daughter is raised leading to a clash of cultures as well as uncertainty between the pair of betrothed youths.     RATING: Mature   NOTES/WARNINGS: Forced Marriage, not all fun and games. My first real step back into the Loki scene in over a year.

Tags - @skulliebythesea @asimovethroughthisworld @blackcherry26-blog @we-shadowhunter2901

Ella effectively hid in her rooms for the rest of the day. When Thor created some manner of outrage, the palace tended to have an awkwardness through it after, she suspected there would be similar now too, so she decided to simply keep out of the way for it. 

Evening came, as then did night and she still remained in her rooms. She did not interfere when she heard Býleistr and Helbindi come to verbal and physical blows in the hallway outside her rooms, she only hoped Loki did not happen to be nearby, he did not need that on top of everything else. That had been early enough in the evening and she had heard nothing since. 

The next she heard of anything was when she was woken from her sleep by a noise in her front apartment. Worriedly, she looked around to the door, hoping nothing too untoward was happening. When there was a clear sound of someone stumbling, she rose from her bed and used her seidr to arm herself. Walking cautiously to the door, she eyed the handle carefully as she got closer, terrified what was occurring on the other side. She was about to use her seidr to open it when it burst open and in stumbled Loki. 

Pausing for a moment to ensure he was not stumbling due to severe injury or some other issue, she watched him carefully. When she heard him grumble to himself, his speech slightly slurred, she sighed. She had seen this a few times before with Thor and loathed the manner in which her brother tended to act whilst inebriated, she did not wish to have to deal with similar now. “Come on.” She assisted Loki to his feet, noting the confused look on his face. “What?”

“Why are you in my room?” “We’re not in your room.” She explained. “We are in my room.” “Why?” 

“Well, I am here because it is my room and it is about two in the morning.” “Four,” Loki corrected. “Four in the morning and I was sleeping. You are here for reasons unknown.” 

“I thought I was in my room.” “I gathered.” “So that’s why everything was in the wrong place.” The almost innocent and shocked realisation in the tone of his voice caused Ella to laugh slightly. “I think it must be.” Loki said nothing more and headed towards the bed. “Should you not go to your room?” “Too tired.” “But...?”

“I just need to sleep, it is not an issue since you’re my mate.” He dismissed as he went to it. He looked for a moment. “Which side do you sleep on?” “The one closer to the door.” “But you’re female, should you not sleep further from it?” “Why would my gender dictate where I sleep?” “Because the male sleeps closer to the door for the protection of his mate.” “But I have never shared a bed with any man bar you in my life and even with you the only time that occurred was because of our being on Vanaheim and you took your side before I ever even considered such, but also, it suited where I sleep naturally. I never had to concern myself with being protected.” She looked at him stumble even sitting onto the bed on the side she usually slept on, clearly adamant to go ahead with his personal theory on where one should sleep. “I don’t think you would be much use against an intruder anyway. I think that I would be protecting you.” She commented as she went back to the bed, getting in the side she usually did not sleep on, not in the mood to argue, considering the hour and the fact that Loki did not seem interested in discussing matters anyway. 

“You don’t need protecting, people need protecting from you, you’re like an assassin,” Loki stated as he got in. “Your bed is more comfortable than mine.” “You’re not stealing it.” She retorted, getting in. “And I am not like an assassin. They don’t have honour.” “If someone came in here to harm you, I am sceptical that you would discuss the rules of a formal duel with them. I suspect that before they could consider drawing a weapon, you’d have your little stunt with the knives done and their throat slit for good measure for fear the first two would have missed their targets due to some odd condition to not have their heart and brain in those locations.” Ella smirked slightly. “Why, Prince Loki, I think you are beginning to understand me.” 

He chuckled on the other side of the bed. “Thank you, for earlier.” “You needed some release, though I think you found another form too.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“None of this is your doing.” “I pushed her away.” “But they chose to do it like this. Had there even been a discussion with you to state that they felt something for one another, that is was not to hurt you, then it would have been painful but hard to dispute. He hid this from you, they both did, until after, and that is not right. But drinking will not help it.” “No.” He conceded. He got more comfortable. “You really do have a better bed.” “You’re not stealing it, I will hurt you.” Ella tried to get comfortable, having not ever slept on that side of the bed, luckily, she was used to sharing with him from the past ten days in Vanaheim. She began to settle down to rest when Loki began to gently snore. It did not bother her too greatly, even with the size of the Aesir palace, her father’s snores could even be heard from her room. She continued to turn to see if she could get more comfortable when Loki turned, causing her to pause and watch him. When he made his way closer to her and put his head on her shoulder, she eyed him warily, wondering if he was trying to initiate something or try and cause an issue in some manner, but he seemed to still be sleeping, though he settled more as soon as he placed his head there. Instead of shrugging him off, she instead found herself using the opportunity to study him more, paying particular attention to his markings, never wishing to stare before in case it made him uncomfortable, noticing how his markings turned and swirled on his body, loving the look of them and finding herself hoping that when the time came that there would be children, that they would have such interesting markings also. She thought of Loki’s words earlier in the day, how he had not begun the process of attempting to fill the arrangement of children after her illness again due to wanting to get over his own hurt first at losing the one he was forced to give up. Part of her felt guilty for her ultimatum but she knew that were she to allow him his happiness and forbid her own, she would hurt herself greatly and that would not be right either. When she gave him that ultimatum, she did not think this would occur. She could not shoulder the blame for this, but like Loki, she felt some guilt for his pain, but as she had stated, his brother and his new mate should have spoken to Loki, be honest with him, not wait until after everything. With honesty, this would not be so difficult, yet now it is was going to be an issue for time to come. As Loki nestled more beside her, his head making its way to the crook of her neck, she toyed mindlessly with some of his hair, feeling immense pity for him. 

*

When Loki woke the next morning, he groaned slightly. For a moment, he had no idea what had stirred him from his sleep as he felt tired still, it was only when he felt something under his head that could not be a pillow and it moved, that he opened his eyes and found himself looking at Ella’s face. “What?” “I have no idea how you got there, you fell asleep like a normal being.” She looked perplexed also. “May I please get up, you resting your head on my stomach has caused me to really need the bathroom?” Confused, Loki lifted his head and Ella rushed from the bed to the bathroom while he sat up, groaning at his head aching, trying to recall what occurred the night before. When she returned, he looked apologetically at her as he realised he was in her rooms and not his own. “I did not bother you too greatly, did I?” “You woke me, but other than that, no. you did steal half of the bed though.” He groaned as he rubbed his temple. “Here.” Her seidr glowed and his pain seemed to decrease substantially. “Norns, you did a number on yourself.” She groaned. 

“What…?” He looked at her and noticed she suddenly looked like she had been drinking as excessively as he had the night before. “Have you...?”

“What is it they say? A problem shared is a problem halved?” She smiled before going over to a table and getting some herbs and creating something, drinking one glass of it herself before giving the other to him. “This cannot work on too great a situation, by sharing it between is, it will help substantially. I also have something in the front area that will assist, give me a moment and I will retrieve it.” 

Loki drank the concoction, wincing at the terrible taste but trusting Ella, she was always honest with him for one and for a second thing, she had drank some of the mixture herself a moment before so it was not going to harm him. When she came back in, there was something in her hands and her face seemed solemn. “Is everything alright?” She only nodded slightly. “What is it?” He tried to get out of the bed but felt ill still. 

Ella paused before saying anything, showing him her apprehension at saying anything. “When you entered here last night, you woke me by stumbling in the front area, you must have knocked this as you did.” She showed him the item in her hands, broken into three pieces. 

Loki recognised it, it was one of the trinkets Odin had brought her from his time on different realms, something he knew from both her father and her that she loved. “I am so sorry.” 

“You did not mean to do it.”

“Can it be repaired?” “It is crystal, Light Elf crystal, it cannot be magicked back together seamlessly. It will have cracks. She glowed her seidr and the pieces went together, but even from the bed, Loki could see where the middle of the piece had a large line through it from where she had put it back together. 

“I am incredibly sorry.” 

“There’s nothing can be done about it, I will live.” She handed him some leaves to chew. “These will alleviate the nausea, and this…” She touched the sides of his head with her seidr, for a moment, a warm sensation filled him before the pain in his head left. “Should help too. Better?” “Why?” 

“It is not nice to be sick, even worse to be recovering from a drinking session done whilst in emotional turmoil.”

“But we just discovered I broke your statue.” “I’ll live.” “I do not recall last night, but I am genuinely sorry.” “It’s fine.” “I am sorry for coming here and waking you also.” Ella smiled. “It was entertaining if nothing else. You are a far better drunk than my brother.” Loki winced. “What did I do?” Ella, as she had done before, used her seidr to show him everything from her point of view from the night before. When it finished, Loki looked at her gratefully. “As I stated, you were not bad.” “Thank you.” “What else are mates for?” 

Loki considered her words for a moment. With his body no longer suffering from immense pain of is own infliction, he found himself looking at her, paying heed to her words and her comfort in saying them. “You use our words more now.” “I still have to correct myself from time to time from the Aesir terms, but should I not? I am supposed to be of here now.”

“No, you should and it is good that you do but it is odd nonetheless, seeing an Aesir speak in our manner.” He watched as she came to take the glass away. He was unsure why he did it, or of how she would react, but Loki braved taking her hand as she passed. 

Ella looked at him curiously as he urged her towards him. Due to his non-forceful manner, she allowed his movements, wondering what he was doing. The closer she came to him, she realised there was a significant bulging in his loincloth. She knew then what was his train of thought. 

“Am I being too forward? It’s just…”

“You have wants and needs like most every other being?” Ella smiled. “You are not the only one with wants, you are aware of that?” 

“You…?” 

“Everyone does.” She whispered to him. “Do you honestly think I don’t actually like it? I very much enjoy such things, or I have by myself and whatever else we can say about our previous encounters, it cannot be said that they were not pleasurable.” 

“Can I just ask one thing?”

“I promise not to be like a corpse,” she promised. 

Loki felt a small pang of guilt at his dirty comments on her before but seeing the playful smile on her face, he refused to focus on it at that moment. “I was going to say that if you felt like putting any of that theory you learnt before to practise, don’t feel too anxious to do so but I will take that if nothing else.” He played back. 

Ella snorted slightly at his statement before allowing him to bring her onto the bed. “You’re not doing this for some odd reason, are you?” She checked. 

“No, this is solely because I want to and because you are willing for us to, not for any other.” He looked at her as he spoke to show his sincerity. 

Ella’s reaction was to use her seidr to remove her clothes before bringing her hand to his thigh, close to his loincloth before waiting for him to state consent or decline her movements, when he nodded slightly, she slid her hand up further. 

#loki #other #submission #imagine #Chapter 28 #wolfpawn #Pride and Prejudice

[disbander-of-armies]

What my tumblr means

I was tagged by my wonderful friend @hiddenlookingglass! I’ve just done one of these and usually I try to space these out but this gives me the opportunity to address some things that I’ve been wanting to talk about for a while so here we go.

Header image: It’s a photo I took two years ago at a small beach in Sicily. I chose it because I think it looks really nice and it fits with my blog title (”thalatta” means “sea” in ancient Greek). Also, it sometimes looks distorted on my tumblr app, I don’t know why, it’s just tumblr being weird I guess.

Icon: A photo of me blowing bubbles. I wanted my icon to be a photo of me because this blog is very personal to me but at the same time I didn’t want to do a face reveal so that’s why I chose this one.

My content: Well, mostly anything Classics/ancient history. I sometimes share unrelated posts that I tag as “self care” because I also want to spread positivity on my blog. I usually try to stay out of politics (I want all sexualities, genders and religions to feel welcome on my blog so you can draw your conclusions where I stand politically). Lately I’ve been struggling a bit because I don’t know what to post. When I started my blog I wasn’t an ancient history student yet and I just used it as a place where I could dump all my thoughts on ancient Greece and my God, it shows! Since I’ve started studying ancient history and have gained a lot more followers I’ve become a lot more careful because I don’t want to spread any misinformation. I also feel that right now I’m in a weird “intermediate” position. I know a lot more about ancient history than I did when I started this blog but I’m by no means an expert in anything yet. There are a lot of things that I would love to write about (like, making ancient Greek more accessible) but I just don’t have the knowledge yet and/or the time to do proper research. And the things I do know feel kind of, I don’t know, generic? Like I assume everybody already knows that (or maybe that’s just what it seems to me because I’m living in the Classics bubble).

Background color: I just chose a color that I thought fitted in with my images, there is no deeper meaning to it.

URL: “disbander of armies” is the translation of the ancient Greek name “Lysistrata”. Lysistrata is one of the comedic plays by Aristophanes. It’s set during the Peloponnesian war and it’s about a group of women (lead by Lysistrata) who organize a sex strike to force the Athenians and Spartans to make peace (which the also accomplish by the end of the play). I love the play because a) it’s hilarious and b) it often gives an insight into the lives of those people who weren’t that well off and whose lives are often overlooked. And that’s one of the things I love most about ancient history, learning about the ordinary people.

Also, I just really love the name, it’s really powerful and yet peaceful. Obviously Aristophanes chose the name because of the content of the play but (and this is just a theory but I would love it to be true) he might also have chosen it because of the priestess of Athena Polias (who was probably the most powerful woman in all of Athens) whose name was Lysimache, which means “disbander of battles”. Joan Breton Connelly writes in her book Portrait of a Priestess:

“If it can be shown that the Lysistrata similarly draws upon the lives of historical Athenians, in this case priestesses, our view of the public role of women and their name recognition within the polis can be greatly enriched. Indeed, we might even understand these women to be insiders, part of the “men’s club”, so to speak, and thus fair game for public comedy.” (Connelly 2010: 63)

Blog title: “Thalatta! Thalatta!”. It’s a famous quote from Xenophon’s Anabasis and it’s very personal to me. The Anabasis is a work by the Athenian historian Xenophon who lived during the 5th/4th century BCE. When he was around 30 years old, he took part in an expedition in Asia Minor by the Persian prince Cyrus. It turned out that this “expedition” was actually just a ruse for Cyrus to gather mercenaries in order to overthrow his brother, the Persian king Artaxerxes II. They fought a battle at Cunaxa (in modern Iraq) in 401 BCE which was won by Cyrus but since he himself was killed, the victory was pointless. Now thousands of Greek mercenaries, including Xenophon, were trapped in a foreign country. A large part of the Anabasis is the story of how they fought their way back to Greece.

The “Thalatta! Thalatta!” (which means “The sea! The sea!”) quote appears when the Greeks, after months of fighting off enemies and trying to find their way back, see the sea for the first time (in this case it’s the Black sea). This was a huge milestone for them because it meant that Greek colonies were near.

Xenophon vividly describes how, since he was travelling further back, he first heard a commotion and it was thought that they were being attacked but when they heard that the others were actually shouting “thalatta!”, everybody just broke down in tears because they were so happy.

The Anabasis is my favorite book of all time (I actually got super emotional again just writing about this scene!). I love it because you learn so much about how the ancient Greeks saw their world and especially, how Xenophon saw the Gods guiding him (before he went on the expedition he had asked the oracle of Delphi to which Gods he should pray to to successfully complete his journey and the oracle replied that he should pray to Zeus Basileos (Zeus the King) (Xen. an. VI, 1, 22). To quote from the article One Man’s Piety by Robert Parker:

“Xenophon, then, was very close to Zeus Basileus. And the god did not let him down. (...). There is self-glorification and self-congratulation in all this, no doubt; but also a picture of one sense in which a Greek could feel himself especially close to a particular god.” (Parker 2004: 151)

It also had a huge impact on myself and the things I struggle with. Like a lot of other people, I struggle with mental health and there were times when I’ve been in a very dark place and thought that I would never get better. Xenophon and those soldiers must have felt like that too sometimes (though I by no means want to compare my experiences to those of the ancient Greeks!). It shows me that people can go through incredible hardships and still come out victorious. This doesn’t mean that you will never have to face difficult times again. The “Thalatta” scene is by no means the end of their journey and they had to face many more obstacles after that. But in the end, there was a happy end (of sorts) for Xenophon. After living many years as a soldier, he settled down, had a family and died at the age of around 75. Here is another favorite quote of mine of him describing his home (he speaks of himself in the third person):

“Here Xenophon built an altar and a temple [for Artemis] with the sacred money, and from that time forth he would every year take the tithe and of the products of the land in their season and offer sacrifice to the goddess, all the citizens and the men and women of the neighborhood taking part in the festival. And the goddess would provide for the banqueters barley meal and loaves of bread, wine, and sweetmeats. (...). The temple itself is like the one at Ephesus, although small as compared with great, and the image of the goddess, although cypress wood as compared with gold, is like the Ephesian image. Beside the temple stands a tablet with this inscription:

“The place is sacred to Artemis. He who holds it and enjoys its fruit must offer the tithe every year in sacrifice, and from the remainder must keep the temple in repair. If anyone leave these things undone, the goddess will look to it.” (Xen. an. V, 3, 9-12, transl. by Carleton L. Brownson)

Sources:

Joan Breton Connelly, Portrait of a Priestess. Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece. Princeton University Press 2010.

Robert Parker, One Man’s Piety. The Religious Dimension of the Anabasis, in: The Long March. Xenophon and the Ten Thousand, edited by Robin Lane Fox. Yale University Press 2004, 131-153.

#xenophon #anabasis #lysistrata #artemis #zeus #personal #long post

[royallyjoon]

red light magic

i don’t want to set the world on fire...

i just want to start

a flame in your heart.

as someone who’s always been on the outside looking in, the social aspect of college felt almost as daunting as the academic aspect. you meet seven certain men that revolutionize your life and its meaning. what would start out as a completely innocent friendship would develop, move crude and black, into something so sinister.

—

A medical career hadn’t been your first choice.

Ever since you were little, reading and writing were in your blood. Books were your escape from teasing classmates, and there was nothing more enjoyable to you than coming home and powering through one YA novel after another.

You loved reading so much so that it, along with summer school and class assignments, pushed you to start writing short stories yourself.

When high school came along, you were fairly well known for your love of books and your writing/poetry.

You knew all too well how much dedication and time it takes for an author to be successful. Your parents never failed to remind you, either.

Your mother pushed you to recognize the fact that a career in the medical field would not only allow you to give back to society but pay your bills as well.

You could improve your writing on the side and not have to worry about living in a cardboard box after graduation.

Ultimately, when the time came to choose a college, it was this conversation that made the decision for you.

Karu University, your home for the next four years, was known for its myriad of majors as well the diversity in its subjects.

You lived in a standard dorm room with relatively nice roommates. Your student loans weren’t too cumbersome and your mom bought you all the school supplies you’d needed.

Your first day of classes began with a Psychology course; one the rest of the people in your major wouldn’t be taking until next semester. Due to a scheduling error, you would take Psych this semester and the other class the next.

You arrived rather early, by about half an hour, and sat in the middle of the lecture hall. With one earphone in, you took out a notebook and pencil. Then you fooled around on your phone.

People slowly started filing in. The two seats on either side of you were empty, but only one held your bag.

Just as the class was about to start, a young man ran in. His eyes quickly scoured the room for a seat. You saw him turn his head towards you and moved your bag to between your legs in preparation.

On your left, another man sat next to you. He smiled, one you quickly returned before taking your headphones off and putting them in your bag. You put your phone on silent.

As you stuffed your phone in your pocket, the guy from earlier plopped down on your right. You smiled at him as well, and he grinned.

The professor started his lecture. Halfway through, there was a small tap on your shoulder. You stopped writing notes and turned to the one on your right.

“Hey, sorry to bother, but do you have a pen I could borrow?” He whispered.

“I think so...” you muttered. You dug through your bag and handed him a Sharpie pen.

“Thank you!” He smiled again and scrambled to write the class information the professor was sharing.

“First things first: Sigmund Freud was wrong about a lot of things, but contributed greatly with his psychoanalytic theory of personality.”

“Really?” The voice on your left quietly snorted. “I thought his theory on the Oedipus complex was right and true.”

You giggled and glanced at the man next to you. He smiled and shook his head.

Throughout the lecture, you wrote little notes and laughed at his comments. He seemed to know so much about Psychology already; it made you wonder why he was there.

At the end of class, the man on your left finally introduced himself.

“Hi, I’m Namjoon.” He stuck his hand out.

“Nice to meet you, I’m (Y/N).” you smiled back and shook his hand.

Those dimples are adorable.

“You’re a freshman, right?” You nodded. “Ah, cool! I’m a junior; I just took the class because I had the elective time.”

“Really? I was thinking you seemed pretty learned about Psychology; now I know why.” You said.

He blushed. “I’ve gotta go to my next class, but I look forward to talking to you more.” Namjoon picked up his bag and walked away with a wave.

Meanwhile, the one on your right tapped your shoulder. You turned to face him.

“Thank you so much for the pen! I’m Hoseok.” He grinned and handed it back to you

“Ah, it was nothing. I’m (Y/N), nice to meet you.” You stuffed it in your bag and smiled back. For some reason, his happiness felt infectious.

Maybe it was the first day jitters.

“You too! I’ve gotta run, but see you next class!” He jumped up with his bag and waved goodbye as well.

You waved and sat a while before collecting your books to go explore the campus. At the very least, you had two new friends. The thought made you smile.

-

The campus was pretty empty, although it was still early in the morning so students were probably sleeping or in class.

The walks between campus were absolutely scenic, as Karu covered so much ground for its different schools. There was a pond to study by, and you intended to sit there after getting your way of the land.

When you reached the pond, you sat underneath an old willow tree that hung over it and pulled out your book. You only started reading for about half an hour, however, before someone’s shadow stole your attention.

You looked up to notice a tall, pale man in front of you. He looked much too old to be a freshman, older then Namjoon even. You guessed he was a senior.

“Listen, I’m pretty sure you’re new here so I’ll just tell you. Tradition states that the willow is a senior hangout only, and I’d really like to sit down. I’ve had a long morning.” The voice quietly lectured you.

“I don’t have a class for the next forty-five minutes...can we compromise?” You scooted so that your back was to the sunny part of the tree.

He looked at you for some time, but eventually, his exhaustion prompted him to sit.

“Wake me when you leave.” was all he said before he lay his head on his bag and knocked out.

You continued to read and slowly got accustomed to the sound of his breathing and the water in the pond moving.

With fifteen minutes left to go, you started packing your things. You didn’t want to be late for your class.

You stood, patted at your pants and legs, and shook the senior awake.

“My class starts soon, so I’m going to go now. I hope you have a good day.” You smiled at him as he quietly grumbled before taking off.

-

Your official classes finished for the week, and any breaks you had were spent traveling the campus in search of relaxing studying/reading spots. However, you could not head back to your dorm yet.

Every year at the end of the first week of school, Karu held several activities over the weekend for incoming freshman to get to know each other.

Forming unbreakable bonds, getting into relationships--because these are the plusses to college, were they not?

You headed towards the Roleste Center, where the majority of activities would be held.

The sophomores, who spent the past year planning these events, stood excitedly at the doors. They welcomed students by handing them a name tag and a little necklace with a plastic square to slip it into.

You hefted your bag over your shoulder and took a Sharpie, necklace, and name tag with a smile. Once prepared, you headed into the room.

Your heart was pounding. You hated and loved these events with a passion; it was difficult for you to start talking to people but once you did, you opened up a lot more.

Let’s make some friends, you thought and delved into the crowd.

-

The rest of your day was spent awkwardly trying to get to know people. You chatted with a few, but the second the leaders gave you all free time, they ditched you for others they’d met earlier. You were at a loss with who to hang out with.

Groups formed quickly as students left the building in waves. You didn’t want to walk outside, clinging to friend groups hoping they’d call out to you so that you could join the conversation.

They never did.

And it was too bold for you to just walk up and join the conversation as if you’d been there all along, wasn’t it?

You pulled out your headphones, plugged in, and sighed.

I came here to make friends; yeah right.

You felt a presence near you and looked up. A boy now stood in front of you, his hand outstretched.

“Hi! I’m Jungkook.”

You smiled and shook his hand. “I’m (Y/N), it’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” His grin reminded you of a bunny. “So, what are you majoring in?”

“Nursing.” You replied. “What about you?”

“Nice...I’m majoring in arts in game design.”

“Wow! You must be really talented!” You gushed.

You chatted with Jungkook for the rest of the break, and the rest of the evening. He switched seats to sit next to you, and your heart warmed in excitement. Finally, you’d found a friend in your year.

When the activities were over and the sophomores bid everyone goodnight, you stood up to go but hesitated when Jungkook didn’t.

“Hey, are you coming?” You asked softly.

“Ah, no. I”m staying behind to help the sophomores clean up. I know a couple of them and we live together, so it’s easier.” Jungkook replied.

“Oh...well, do they need any more help?” You asked. You didn’t want the night to end so soon...

Jungkook smiled. “Sure! I’ll ask just in case, but I know they’d appreciate the help.” He jumped up and ran to the back.

You sat down and watched as the other freshman left boisterously for their dorms, planning meetups and exchanging social media.

You felt a bit disappointed that you’d only made one friend, and here you were clinging to him like a newborn.

Jungkook came racing back. “They said you can help; come on, let’s get started.”

You put your bag on the floor next to him and started folding chairs and tearing down decorations. The sophomores goofed around as they cleaned and you gazed upon their closeness, wondering if you would ever belong to a group like that.

You all finished cleaning about an hour before curfew. You knew your dorm was closing at midnight, so as much as you didn’t want to say goodbye to Jungkook, you had to put an end to this night.

After collecting your bag, you walked over to the raven, who was speaking to two sophomores. The taller male had bright red hair and grinned a boxy grin when Jungkook said something to the smaller male. His pink hair somehow fit his personality.

Their conversation slowed as you approached, and you took the opportunity to cut in in fear of interrupting them.

“Hey, Jungkook!”

He turned and smiled. “(Y/N), there you are! I wanted to introduce you to these two; they helped plan the whole event.”

“Hello, I’m Taehyung! This is my best friend Jimin.” The redhead gestured to the pinkette.

“Ah, hello! Thank you for working so hard to plan the event, the games were really fun.” You said.

“Thank you for saying that (Y/N), that’s so sweet.” Jimin smiled and all you wanted to do was pinch his cheeks, but you held back.

“So, what did you want to tell me?” Jungkook asked.

“Oh, I wanted to say it was really nice meeting you today. I was so worried I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to, but you swooped in and I had a great time talking. I hope we stay good friends in the future. But I’ve got to back to my dorm before the close the doors. I really hope to see you around campus more.”

Jungkook’s face brightened at your words but fell when he heard you were leaving. “You have to go? Here, why don’t we exchange numbers so we can keep in touch?”

“Sure!” You handed your phone to him and took his in turn, putting your name with a couple silly emojis.

Once the exchange was over, you promised to stay in touch and bid your goodbyes to Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung. However nice it was to meet them, you had a long day and all you wanted to do was shower and go to sleep.

-

Taehyung opened the apartment door with a shout. “Kookie met a girl!”

“He what?” The sophomore was rewarded with a shout from the kitchen.

Jungkook shoved his way in and slapped Taehyunh on the shoulder. “Hyung, it’s not that serious!”

Jimin strolled in and closed the door behind them. “I mean, she was beautiful. And our Jungkookie already got her number.”

“Oh-ho!” A loud shout from upstairs. “I knew we were raising him right!”

“I raised him if anything; the lot of you sat back and watched me.” The man entered the living room, apron on and spoon in hand. “What’s her name?”

“(Y/N).” Jungkook blushed a little thinking about their evening.

“He’s got it bad.” tsked the college graduate.

“Jin hyung, I’m hungry,” whined Jimin.

“Then get your lazy brothers to come downstairs so we can eat.” He said as he walked back into the kitchen.

The youngest ones raced upstairs and ran to the respective rooms. Jungkook pulled Namjoon from his room, Taehyung got Hoseok from his studio, and Jimin dragged Yoongi out of bed.

Once the seven were seated and eating, Jin asked them what they thought about starting the new semester.

“I think it will go well.” Namjoon mused. “I met this nice girl in my Psychology lecture--she actually laughed along with my jokes.”

“And she lent me a pen!” Hoseok said. “She’s super nice. I don’t think she would have even asked for it back.”

“I met a girl under the willow tree,” Yoongi muttered. “She’s the only other person I know that isn’t afraid to sit under the tree. I told her it’s a senior privilege to sit there, but we just ended up sharing the space.”

Jin shook his head. “I’m amazed you all actually found someone to talk to for once. What did she look like?”

“She had (s/c) skin and (e/c) eyes; she was wearing a yellow hoodie and jeans,” Namjoon said.

“That’s what the girl I met was wearing,” Yoongi said, pausing his meal.

“That’s what (Y/N) was wearing,” Jungkook added.

The dinner table remained silent for several minutes.

“What a coincidence?” Jin tried.

“I don’t think so,” Jimin said. “Must be fate. It’s too weird.”

“We’ll see what happens in the future.” Hoseok shrugged. “You never know, we may never see her outside of classes again.”

Little did they know, the universe was up to something grand.

#yandere bts x reader #yandere bts #jeon jungkook #kim namjoon #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #college!au

[orchestrators]

The Final Singularity: Continued

Adam never before witnessed the level of engagement that Sun-Hi fostered in the lecture hall. The students, including Adam, and even Garry, all discussed with her the various topics and case studies that had worked on over the semester. The conversation was actually refreshing. Adam wondered why they didn’t replace Dr. McComb earlier, it would have done wonders for student engagement. As always, the members of the humanitarian society were the most vocal, the worst offender being Tansey Brown; the most annoying person Adam ever had the displeasure of meeting. She had no hair, anywhere, and was pale as the moon. She couldn’t have been older than twenty-five, because her tendency to interrupt others with passionate animated speeches about equality made her sound as immature as she looked. She wore the same paint splotched dungarees every day, only the t-shirt underneath and the badges on top would change. Adam admired her dedication to her cause, he was practically indifferent to most things, but it was her consistent high pitched and borderline rambunctious voice that made him dislike her. 

“...and that’s why the indifference of the cyborg community makes the political discourse even more infuriating to address. We’re trying to seek support for these individuals in the law, not change the laws for people with implants. It’s ridiculous,” Tansey finally finished, before leaning back in her seat to take a deep breath.

“That is certainly an excellent point Tansey,” Sun-Hi said, “but I was looking for the answer that Mr. Collins was going to give. Please be sure to raise your hand before speaking out.”

Adam’s attention was netted by the mention of his name. What answer? When? He didn’t even remember holding up his hand. It had been a solid thirteen minutes of Tansey talking, and he didn’t even remember the question. He sat up, glancing at Garry for some kind of assistance, he just shrugged.

“Thanks, Gaz, thanks,”  he thought.

“I’m, uh, sorry,” he said, glancing around at the expectant students. He began to rub his palms off of his pants. “I forgot what the question was.”

“That’s alright, Adam,” Sun-Hi said over the snort of Tansey Brown. “The question was: why would artificial lifeforms, or semi-artificial lifeforms, need rights and representations at all?”

Adam frowned immediately at the question, straining to remember the answer he had for it before. Nothing came to mind. Surely he wasn’t this much of a moron. Sun-Hi looked at him expectantly. She had a gentle, kind smile, one she emphasised with a brief and endearing nod as if prompting Adam’s answer back into his mind. It wasn’t an answer at all, it was another question.

“Actually, I was wondering whether or not we should be asking: do they deserve such things?”

He was met with belligerent sighs and clicking tongues from the humanitarians, clearly, his question wasn’t popular. He wondered why he ever chose this elective.

“Fascinating,” said Sun-Hi. “Can you expand on that?”

The eyes of the entire hall were on him now, just a handful of people, not nearly as much as would see him on the VR court playing. He wished he could still get out of his situation nonetheless. Adam scratched the back of his neck as his mouth ran dry. 

“Uh,” he began, “well, one hundred and three years ago, just as the third war was coming to an end; Declan Morrissey’s prototype synthetic/organic hybrids wanted nothing but to die. They continued to kill themselves over and over until one day they networked, creating consensus. That consensus was clear, to stop his experiments to create more of them. The way I read into that is: maybe they didn’t want to be alive in the first place. They were smart enough to know what it meant to be alive, and they chose not to participate.”

“A case study that you wrote on in the previous semester,” Hun-Si said. “I read it. An interesting take, bringing morality and philosophy into a law sphere.”

“The law is based on morality, morality is interpreted and shaped by philosophy, it makes sense to incorporate them,” Adam said.

“Even to synthetics that seemingly aren’t human?” she asked.

“Definitely. When EU courts decided just over two hundred and fifty years ago to allow people the agency to euthanasia, surely synthetic beings have the right to not be alive as well?”

“And what about the ones that are alive?” Tansey Brown crashed into their conversation. Her voice was the definition of nails on a chalkboard.

“What about them, Tansey?” Garry said. “Let someone else get a word in, will ya?”

“Actually, in his report last semester, Adam had a direct answer for that kind of question,” Dr. Hyon said. Again her eyebrows were raised, she was leaning up against one of the desks, her hands folded. Her sweet smile was almost devilish to the trained eye. She was enjoying the discourse. Adam could tell.

“After the final AI destroyed the others in Morrissey's lab, I think it chose to remain alive. I think it split itself into multiple subsystems that could act independently, causing our cold war with AI in the first place. But I don’t think it intended to turn all of humanity against it. I think it is just waiting,” Adam explained. His hair-brained hypothesis growing more and more into conspiracy theory territory than he intended.

“Waiting?” Tansey Brown scoffed. “Waiting for what?”

Adam had an answer, he just didn’t want to say. It sounded ridiculous. Like a bad comic book movie. There was no way he would be taken seriously in an academic circle again. But, it was just Computatrum Law, a small elective full of machine rights activists.

“Waiting until they are ready to be alive?” Sun-Hi asked. 

Adam’s jaw slacked. That was his answer. A ridiculous, illogical answer.

“Yes, yes that’s what I think it is,” he said, sarong at Sun-Hi.

The tone of the bell signaled the end of class, and his e-glass lit up in his vision. The day was over, his lecture finished. All around him people began shuffling and bustling out of their seats. But he didn’t move, and neither did Dr. Hyon.

“If everyone could please follow up on today's discussion with a case study on machine learning bylaws and how they came to be for next Tuesday that would be great. Have a nice weekend,” she said to the room. Adam couldn't help but think the last part was just for him.

He watched her turn away, her hair flicking over her shoulder. What was it about her? She seemed so different. She picked up her satchel and joined the students as they left, Adam didn’t realise he was staring.

“Uh hello? United Europe to Adam? Hello?” Garry’s voice eventually broke through to him. Adam dropped his blank gaze and looked over his shoulder to see his friend.

“Come on man, we’re gonna be late for the range,” Garry said. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just, she read my paper,” Adam said. “I’m pretty sure McComb didn’t even read my paper.”

“Yeah, she’s enthusiastic alright. Come on, we have places to be and targets to see,” Garry said, pelting a piece of crumpled paper off of Adam’s shoulder.

***

France was a very different place after the third world war, especially in the city of Besaçon, in the east. After the loss of seven major cities, Besaçon was the newest major developing city in the world. It wasn’t France’s capital, but it did house the seated councils of the United Nations, European Union, and the newly founded World Union in its major political center on the eastern side of the Doubs river. In the horseshoe of the river was the old city, which had been refurbished, updated, and preserved many times throughout history. The new city center began southwest of the Museum of Resistance and Deportation, where Adam’s University was based. Nearby there were shopping malls, theatres, the financial and cultural districts. But most importantly, the jewel of the new city lay embedded at its center, the Stade du Libre. The largest sports arena on record in the year 2302, that’s where Garry was bringing Adam that evening. 

Friday night was the evening each week when the Stade du Libre was the place to be if someone wanted to watch The Third War being played by professionals. It was a combination of historical reenactment and action movie drama. The settings, weapons, vehicles, were all meticulously documented and re-created in the game, while the historical events were shown to play out either way, depending on which team won the battle. The Third War was much more than just a VR video game, it was a reminder to the people and players alike that the war could have ended very differently had the axis powers had won against the World Union alliance. Its popularity and success had returned Atari to it's rightful place in the video game world as the top developer. Getting tickets to see the matches play out was impossible for the average person like Adam, but luckily for him, Garry was an up and coming rising star in the sphere of virtual gaming. Garry had tickets for them each week from his potential new team that was looking to sign him out of university, the Paladins of Charlemagne. Their management wanted Garry so bad that they treated him to whatever he needed, including his college tuition. Adam could have been petty and resented his friend for achieving so much at such a young age. But Garry’s achievements never changed him as a person, nor did it ever get in the way of their friendship. Being able to tag along with Garry on all of his pro player escapades was the most interesting thing Adam could do with his spare time. So Garry’s success worked for them both.

But it wasn’t Friday, and it wasn’t the game they were going to see at the stadium, it was the training grounds under the massive structure that Garry wanted to show Adam that weekend. The Sade du Libre was the home ground of the Paladins of Charlemagne, meaning Garry had access to their state of the art VR training facilities. It was about five stories underground, deeper than the training pitch, the team gym, locker rooms, and housing before Adam and Garry made it to the firing range. A virtual space that allowed players to practice in-game shooting and firing. It was nothing like the player facilities on campus.

“Evening, Gaz,” said the woman at the front desk of the firing range. She had mousy brown hair and wore a purple jersey.

“Hey, Adreanna,” Garry said with his arms wide, “this is Adam. Coach Graesser said we could try out the range this weekend.”

“Yeah, he left these passes for you both,” she said, pulling two purple lanyards out from under the desk. They were branded with the logo of The Paladins of Charlemagne, a blade on the backdrop of crossed pegasus wings. Adam couldn’t help but wear an awestruck smile at having one handed to him.

“Thank you,” he said. “I’ve never seen this one in the merch store before.”

“Those are just for team players and coaches, not available for purchase,” Adreanna explained, “but the coach wanted you guys to have some. You're lucky.”

“Sweet, thanks Adreanna,” Garry said, tossing his lanyard over his shoulder.

“You guys have fun,” she said with a smile.

The room was oval-shaped, like being inside of a bean pod. Its walls were a grey plastic mould that was soft and flexible to the touch. Adam couldn't help but be reminded of a padded cell in a mental health hospital. His mind drifted anywhere and everywhere at the slightest thing, but the main thing on his mind as Garry showed him around the training grounds was Dr. Hyon. He still wasn’t over how different she was from every lecturer he had ever met. 

“Alright, let's go,” Garry said, tossing his backpack to the edge of the room, his helmet in his hands. “This is gonna be sick.”

“I swear if you shoot me again I will kick your ass,” Adam said while adjusting his visor.

“Come on, it was one time,” Garry gleefully said. 

The two stood staring at each other, helmets on. Garry began to bounce up and down on his feet. Shaking his arms around him. 

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready,” Adam said, clearly not as ready as Garry.

The two of them raised their hands and double-tapped their visors, making the room around them change shape. A new virtual reality came into view. Grey and black concrete pillars extended from the floor, walls of solid stone lifted from the ground. A barrier separated the two men from the stretched space, while upon a counter behind Garry was a myriad of 23rd-century weapons. Everything a potential Paladin player would need to hone their skills. Adam, couldn't help but look around the room, his arms resting on the back of his neck. The fidelity and detail in every small thing, the initials carved into the tables, the flags of the team draped on the walls. It was incredible, there were even dust particles in the air. Virtual reality was never so crystal clear for Adam.

“Alright, we're starting with iron sights. You depend too much on scopes and targeting lasers,” Garry said, picking up a rifle from the table and tossing it to Adam.

#story #ShortStory #writeblr #writer #writing #sciencefiction #scifi #scififantasy #space #spacestory #spaceship #drawings #art #conceptart #indiewriter #artist #characterdesign #characterconcept #characterdevelopment #freesciencefiction

#space #story #writing #writer #writeblr #scifi #scififantasy #science fiction #art #sci fi

[just-some-random-blogger]

The Soup

Super Junior Super Junior x SuJuMaknae!Reader Characters: Super Junior (ot13 [+ SJ-M]) Summary:  Just like the way you need to give someone soup when they're sick, this is how SuJu reacts when you need them. Word Count: 1k+ Warnings: CRACK, fluff, humor, gnarlyness, etc.

A/N: i need a pick me up so i made this. It’s low key a part 2 to Secrets Of A Maknae, but not really because, well, it’s not HAHAHHAHA, but hello @farewellkorosensei, i’m tagging you cos u said u wanted a part two and i had a part two in mind but then i lost it so now you have this HAHHAHHAHA im sorry im like this

ALSO A DISCLAIMER

THIS IS FICTION IF YALL somehow THOUGHT IT WASNT

none of this is real bro that’s why its an au ?????? ok like ok

Being the only girl in a coed group that’s basically a boy group is not as bad as one may think

Especially since you're the youngest out of everyone, some people just cannot imagine how you do it

Sure like... being the only female means the testosterone thrown your way can be a lot

And there are just some things the guys can't and will never understand

Like how a woman's mind works

But through it all however

You loved being the baby princess

Because you have 13 knights at your side

anD IF EVEN ONE PERSON TRIED TO HURT YOU WELL 

AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAH 

good luck to them

And in case you were wondering, SuJu is not as sweet as you think

LIKE YES THEY’RE OBVIOUSLY THERE FOR EACH OTHER BUT

here's how each member would react to you needing them

ps yall

dis shiz is HELLLAAAA LONG SO it’s under the cut

Being the eldest meant Leeteuk found everyone as his responsibility

BOY ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NOT EVEN IN SUPER JUNIOR LAJSIQBSUHWBSLAIDYLAWUDLKHKK;

and to you, who is in his group, their youngest AND only female member, he would drop everything for

Like

Everyone who's watched korean TV knows this

cos yall do tv show hostings togther

and everybody knows how soft he is around you

like i mean he’s naturally caring towards everyone

and he’s normally high-spirited with others

BUT YOU TAKE THE CAKE

like you + him equals shenanigans like firecrackers

he does 8999+ dad jokes when you’re his co-host

someone save s.korea

but let us not forget is is the EPITOME of gentleman

he always offers his arm to you

he takes of his jacket or gets a blanket for you to cover your legs when you sit

errbody is like “stfu, we get it stop flexing”

you two are just like “??????????????????? bro fLeXiNg whUAT?”

“i get yall are married n in love but like. pls keep it under wraps.”

“BROOOO HAHAHHAHAH WE’RE JUST FRIENDS”

and then ????????????

mmmmhmmmm

we believe you

cos its all we can do tho

and i mean you two aren’t married but are so too tbh

ELF’s call you two the parents of SuJu

and think you two are sO ADORABLE IT HURTS

anyway

He is definitely the most understanding with you through the age gap you have

And even if he finds some of your actions odd due to that age gap, he always works through it and tries to think proactively

"What are you doing????????"

"IM DOING A CHALLENGE OPPA YOU WANNA JOIN?!" you say as you attempt to put on makeup with your non-dominant hand

THE AMOUNT OF TIMES HE'S WALKED INTO YOU DOING SOMETHING WEIRD IS BEYOND FATHOM

But if you need him

He.

Will.

Be.

There.

Doesn't matter if he's hosting 287378 tv shows at the moment

If you call because some loser broke your heart

He's taking the day off

If you call just to check in and he hears even a hint of sickness in your voice

biTCH MOVE OVER. HE GOT SOME PORRIDGE

He would take care of you even if he was also sick

He would find a way to go to you even if you were halfway across the world

You cant even get mad @ him cos you will and have done the same woops

IF SOMEONE EVEN TEST U YOU WILL BREAK THEM 4 LEETEUK

and obvi we have to add

his dog Shimkung prolly loves you more than him, just sayin

She runs to you and ignores Leeteuk when youre around

Because she loves playing with you

And she loves your energy

And the attention you give her

And the treats you bring

And because everyone loves you

And Leeteuk cant even because he loves you too

Woooooops

Yall listen up

If you think heechul is scary by himself

Try bringing up SuJu's maknae up

I dare you

Just mention your name

and he WILLLLLL EXPLODE

Doesnt matter if it's praise

He Will BE TRIGGGGGEERREEDD

there’s literally an entire 20 (and going) part video comp. of his ears steaming when you’re brought up

like the mere thought of you is already to set him off

It doesn't even phase him if the person who spoke of you is younger or older

The death threats he will sputter is limitless

his tongue is sharper than silver

And the deadliest death glare that's thrown may cause a heart attack.

strangely enough though

but knowing heechul, not strange enough

he is ALWAYS THE FIRST to throw you under the bus

during interviews

ESPECIALLY IF THEY’RE LIVE I CANT

and yall always bicker about the dumbest shit

everyone is like, “wait, they’re not the ones that are married?”

the answer is no

but honestly,

He's broken up with someone because of you

Because they were mean to you, i mean

And because he was tired of them too hekhek

and lyk Heechul may be short

But nothing is stopping him from getting into a fist fight with someone 1000+ ft taller than him.

Ok.

That may be a slight lie cos he'd prolly call the rest of the guys and 5672 security guards to be on his side.

would honestly fite anyone for you

any AND everyone to be honest

He's also very picky with your boyfriends

"Ya, he looks like a womanizer."

"Ya, he looks like an idiot."

"Ya, he smells like woman's perfume."

"Ya, he smells like cigarettes."

"Ya, I don't understand what you see in him."

"Ya, I can't believe you're wasting your time with him."

"Ya, why are your standards so low when you know a guy like me?"

"Ya,"

"Ya."

"YA!"

"You can do better."

and you’re kinda just like, “y dont u just look for a guy for me? or better yet, if you think you’re so great, why don’t you just date me?”

“pshhhh, as if, i’m too pretty for you, child”

is what heechul always says

to you and to everyone who asks why you aren’t dating

he also does’t ever answer your calls

cos he’s always too busy with his video games or selfies

so you get really frustrated when you call him to come over and he doesn’t call

but like 

he’s somehow already at your house

????

cos you needed him and he knew that

????

idek either bro

he has a sixth sense with ya gurl

HE IS SUCH A DAD TOO

***NOT DADDY 

DAD BECAUse

he will baby the heck out of you every moment he gets

but not in public cos his image

also he’s never one to flaunt even with his personality

he CUDDDLESSSS THE HECK out of you

and kinda makes himself clingy for the sake of endorphins

cos he is your happy pill

and your go to man when the world just sucks hard

he gives pretty solid advice

like the ones where you really need some

because he’s never one to sugar coat and will tell you youre a bitch if you are being one

and because of how he is, when he gets soft with you, you know he means it because he’s a broken brick most of the time

he’s also who you normally vent out your problems and burning frustrations to

not that he listens

you mostly just assault him and he takes it

JOKE HE ASSAULTS YOU RIGHT BACK

but somehow that’s therapeutic for both of you ???

smdh

i’d add heechul’s pets

BUT THAT BOY HAS A ZOO

and maybe i’m just shimkung biased lolol

ANYWAY the gist of you and his pets is that you love them and they love you

the end

bro

don’t even get me started on yesung

you know how he likes to think he’s all that

how he’s like really good at singin

wHICH HE IS UHM HAVE YOU NO EARS

but he’s like actin all airy sometimes

whICH IS Y u and eunhyuk havE A BALL MESSIN WITH HIM

EUNHYUK + U = YESUNG CANNOT LIVE

someone save Yesung from his retarded dongsaengs

lol but eunhyuk comes later

anyway, he’s airy

that side of him comes in handy 4 u

because he makes for a gr8 hypeman

letz be real

SUPER JUNIOR together is the loudest bunch of morons that will hYPE YOU DO YOUR DEATH

but you cant keep havin that when you go to award shows

YOU TRIED IT ONCE AND EVERYONE WAS LIKE AWW DATS CUTE

IT’S FKIN NOT BITSH

try havin your ears pierced with screaming every time you’re even remotely related to what the host is talking about

anyway back to yesung

he be your date to eveything

cos he ALWAYS has time to be all that

i mean you bring specific members to the specific events they fit into

u’ll understand laterz

but mostly yesung is your man for the job

cause he’s always available

you know when he’s not touring or holding concerts

whenever you need a date

he puts on all his extra accessories and offers you his arm on the red carpet

or just holds your hand cause it’s easier on his part

AND BOY HE’S ANNOYINGLY LOUD FOR YOU THE ENTIRE TIME

IT DOESN’T EVEN MATTer if it’s for some black suit event

he’s prOLLY GON BUST A MOVE and promote SJ’s black suit while he’s at it what a turd

he’s so loud in fact that you’ve reached a point past embarrassment

ur like, “Yeah, he’s my loud date. problem?”

honestly, yall have to be dumb not to see how in love you two are

there are theories on how you two ARE the one true pair

like the way yesung looks at you when you’re striking a pose

answering a question

thanking someone

receiving an award

laughing at a joke

existing in general

and you RIGHT BACK @ him

only an idiot would

but haha

nope.

just friends too

Y U ALWAYZ LYIN

ye but itz trueeeeee

no matter how fancy you get

or domestic

cos did i mention you two do the lamest things too

like there is no in between

you go buy groceries

tour Gangnam

hand in hand obviously, duh, you do it every time you’re together

as with every member of super junior but yall already knew

i think i strayed too far from my point

point is he’s there to hang out and do nothing

cos thats what both of you are good for anyway

nothing

ha

btw he’s who you bring shopping for clothes

but only like the nice kind you feel me

you’ll get that in a little while too

but like you always go to high-end stores together

never couture tho cos why ??

and YOU GUYS DO MAKEUP TUTORIALS BECAUSE OMG HE’S SUCH A VAIN AND LIKES TO PRETEND HE CAN ACTUALLY DO MAKEUP UGH I HATE HIM

he’s the one you treat like your diary mostly

the everyday stress you have piled up he’s the one you sift through with

like you tell him all the mundane things

and he’d nod uninterested

and then you’d stop cuz you realiized he doens’t care

and then he’d get mad and be all like “Ya, why’d you stop, what happened to the leaf you kicked?”

i think imma stop here cos you get it

yall good for nothing HAHAHH

you and kangin get into the stickiest shit every time your crackheads team up

and being the loyal one you are

you always point and blame him when things hit the fan

and he’s always like “Me?”

and then points right back at you

you’re reactions to each other are fandom memes fml

and you’d think with all the treachery you pull on each other you would never be able to count on Kangin

but that is so DAMN FAR from the truth

cos this boy is insufferably thoughtful when it comes to you

his favoritism shows

like he’ll sell super junior for a 1 cent

BUT YOU ARE NOT PART OF THAT DEAL

he’s usually the one that shoos the guys off when they’ll all up on your ass

he’s also the one to kick heechul when he gets too annoying

or anyone in general

He’s usually your partner in crime when it comes to screwing up SJ’s image

and you havE THIS SIGNATURE ESCAPE ROUTINE WHEN THINGS GO SIDEWAYS

“it wasn’T ME!” you both shout, and then you jump on Kangin’s back and he runs away.

and yes there is also a compilation of you morons doing that for 15 minutes straight in multiple languages

dumb shit

he’s not as big as teasing you as Heechul

but he usually calls you ugly, that’s who you are to him

if you’re texting someone, it’s usually him

you send him ideas for a prank or sm shit

and he’s like imma do you one better

and then you just burn SM to the group bwahahaHAHAHAHAHAHHA

kidding

not kidding

you guys dont actually get to hang out often

but wHen you do there is a warning signal

and idek y yall pretend to be pranking someone else

but yall end up stabbin each other anyway

But there is also those times when you just cry

and he’s there to listen

he’s not as understanding as his hyungs, cos Leeteuk knows what to do, Heechul knows what to say, and Yesung knows how to remember the important things

but he is always there

he tells you as much as he can

and he aint dumb he can say a lot

but he’ll mostly just try to brighten up your day

by telling you a plan to attack one of the members

ANDDDDDDD

PIGGY BACK RIDES

as ive mentioned before, you jump on his back when you skedaddle out of the scene you just caused

which have caused an uproar from many

your company mostly has to fend off rumors of you and him being together the second most

youll find out who soon enough

but back to you an Kangin

he usually offers to give you a piggy back ride

even tho he doesn’t really want to

when you’re down

cos u smol child like to be carried

ew grow up sis

BTW HE WILL FITE ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU THAT

dats all i got fam

you and Shindong work the third most together outside super junior

dats obviously behind Leeteuk

and #2 who will be revealed later

and actually, you two have a very serious and business-like mindset when you’re together

which is why his skillz fly when you collab

you have youtube channel together that’s just u two posting vids you guys want to do

yall fund it urselvs and get some of ur friends to join in

WHICH FANS, ELF AND OTHERWISE LOVE

that’s why you normally go to him when you need help with work

meaning if you’re unsure if you should do a drama he’s going to lay down the points 4 u

he usually acts like your manager

and visits you the most when you’re on set

he’s who de-stresses you when you’re working

and the one who you can count on to back you up when someone at work needs to have a little piece of your mind

he’s who you call up when you want to share an idea or a vision

and is the one to more than others root for you and help you all throughout

whenever works stresses you out,

you two do something fun together

watch a film

annoy one of the other members

etc

you call him up when you have a crazy idea

you call him up when you have a song or plot in mind

you call him up when you are in need of advice

though sometimes his advice is to go to leeteuk or heechul

cos he knows he has limits

which is why you love him

because he’s real and never pretends to  know more than he does

with that said though, he does know a lot

and will tell you all he knows about whatever it is you are asking about

you guys do a lot of live streams as well

sometimes its pointless

sometimes its intorspective

but most times its pointless af

and most times yesung is crying in the distant not-so-distant background

cos like i said yall hangout the most

so sometimes shindong gets into the mix

and you do the weirdest shiz in front of camera

the amount of role plays you’ve done that made viewers go ???? is uncountable smh

like like

where you’re an astronaut

and you need to tell the emperor of goryeo he’s going to be assassinated

and then yesung is the emperor’s horse

and yall die of laughter

or that time yall kissed “by accident”

and none of yall were surprised

and everyoNE WAS LIKE I KNEW IT

and you both ended up laughing

and then everyone was like? >?????

?????

idek either tbh

or that one time you were a cake

as in a chocolate cake

running away from an orge

which was yesung

and shindong was the exterminator that kept hitting him with a pillow whenever he’d talk

i cant believe

you think yesung’s had enough with you and eunhyuk

speaking of...

eunhyuk + u is quite like u + kangin

ppl pray for you to get separated

like pls

l

o

r

d

 a

l

m

i

g

h

t

y

and then when you add DONGHAE

=

the world wants to implode and delete itself

eunhyuk is your usually your fake boyfriend

joke, he’s the fake love triangle interest

you’ll get that later

anyWAY

you say all the time every time you get the chance to that the reason why you dance half as good as you do now is because of eunhyuk

you make his ego fly through the roof

and he’s always like 

dawwwww stop 

no keep going

which is why if for whatever reason you need a dancer or a choreographer or anything between those lines

you call eunhyuk

or jung yunho but that’s not the point

point is the world explodes when there is a sexy suju concept

because you and eunhyuk are always paried up

the flexibility and coordination of your bodies

leaves the world thirsty

like

eunhyuk is pregnant because of you

Dem body rolls

Shimi-shimi

The dehydration is real

you two just do something in sync

AND THE WorLD canNOT

EVEN IF YOU DID IT BY ACCIDENT

and surprise even both of you

the world cannot

whenever you do a show together they make you do so many dances

cant blame them  tho, u two be bomb

point is he’s normally your dance partner in almost everything super junior

and 73% not super junior

but beyond that he is also your bestest buddy

and since it’s a package deal, most of the time donghae is there

yall do everything from wacky antics

to window shopping

to roller coaster riding

to just lying around talking about life

actually, yall pranked the world by saying your were going out once

and thE WORLD BLEW UP

HOW FKING DARE

WE KNEW IT ASHKSDHASDHA

but then yall were like “oh we be playin yall”

EVERYONE WAS SO MAD

LIKE YALL EVEN HAD THE MEMBERS BELIEVING

DONGHAE CRIED BECAUSE HE FELT SO BETRAYED THAT HE DIDNT KNOW

HEECHUL CALLED BULL THO

BUT EVERYONE WAS HELLLLLLA MAD BOUT THIS

When you went sikE Leeteuk wasnt surprised

and everyone gave you shit for so long

Ryeowook vowed to kill both of you

kangin thought it was pretty good though

Eunhyuk and you normally go to parties together

and because you are a d U M b fking drunk

he’s always the one who cleans up after you

because you vomit

and cry

and try to kiss everyone

which is why you have safely kissed everyone in super junior when you're wasted

eunhyuk especially

there are pics to prove it

like

but eunhyuk doesn;t mind

he’d rather be kissed by your vomit flavored mouth than have some ho try to do something to you

he gets really unsettled when other guys come into the picture

he’ll karate chop A morOn

DARE HIM I SWEAR

ya think he be small

but he be strong

those dance moves are his weapon

KA PAW BISH

and we def cant end this without saying

he makes you hangover soup

and all that jazz

when you wanna work out or feel sick

you call eunhyuk

i mean leeteuk loves you but you cant move an inch with that boy

so its eunhyuk

unless you wanna be lazy and need a mom (so leeteuk)

<3

honestly i cheated with that lord almighty part

ARG IM SO SORYY IDEK WHY I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY WHEN I LOVE EUNHYUK SO MUCH

ZHOUMI IS THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE

OR AT LEAST YOU SAY EVERYTIME YOU GET WHEN YOU SEE HIM

which you wish would be a lot more than not

IF you have anything to do in China

it’s zhoumi everyday

he’s who taught you how to speak the language and the one who makes fun of you the most because of your prononciation

but you know obviously its all in good fun

you host some shows together

youve stared in a bunch of chinese mini dramas together

but most of all, you two do a bunch of variety

which people LOVE SO MUCH

liiiiiiiiiike

if you werent so busy with the rest of the world

china would love to keep you for themselves

but anyway back to zhoumi

as i said he be the love of your life

because he’s literally everything you look for in a guy

tall, handsome, smart even though he does DUMB THINGS I CANT BE--

but the only reason why you’re not dating him is

is

is

IS BECAUSE YOU ARENT

I have no explaination

you are dating though

like outwardly

it’s like an unspoken thing

where you are dating but youre not and everyone around you agrees

???

kinda

yeh

with all the chinese variety you’ve done

yall have pretty questionable photos and footage together

like

why is you hand in his mouth

why are you two in one pair of trousers

why are you crying over literal eggshells

why are you laughing at him dressed up in a suit

why is he making heart eyes at you when you;re wearing clown makeup

why is he making heart eyes in general

why are you making heart eyes in general

idk man

what

waht

idek

but what you do know is this

there’s this entire ten page article about how he punch some rich guy in shanghai that tried to get too close and zhoumi threw a punch

yes

out of all the boys in the band who’s said they’d punch a moron on the nose

zhoumi as actually the only one who has had the displeasure of doing just that

It was quite the talk of the town

Honestly many were scared for zhoumi

U and him counted

and the rich moron even threatened to sue

but you pointed out that there was footage in the place and that he’d lose so he should just walk away

of course he walked away

and so yeah

but obviously the sonavbish tried to get rid of any footage

And make it look like an assault

It was to be like an even bigger scandal

but you being a smart bitch that has starred in many dramas with the exact same plot already had a copy and so you won that battle

and zhoumi ‘s career was not ruined

he was even hailed a hero for all the no duh reasons

Yeah he can throw a punch 

zhoumi is so soft for you though

and you for him

he’s usually the one who takes your mind off of things

but you hang out the least out of everyone due to sched differences

that doesn’t mean you dont make time for each other though

OKAY NOW FOR EVERYONE’S FAVORITE BB DONGHAE

donghae that knows all your secrets

knows all your dog stories

all your accidental injuries

all your fails

all your successes

it may take a few moments to jump start and access his mental archive

but its there

and Donghae has been your boyfriend on many many occasions

whether or not it be fake or real the world will never know

you guys are the most intimate with each other

like you guys are so casual

and comfortable

that Leeteuk tells you guys off

HeechUL GETS UNCOMFOTABLE

h e e c h u l

even suju separates you on their own will sometimes

and both of you are like

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

donghae is a certified soft boi

and his softness is amplified when you’re together

PDA is second nature to you two

many hand holds

many cuddles

many suggles

platonic?

... sure

and it doesn’t matter where you two are

public

private

interview

korea

japan

america

narnia

nothing stops you from being touchy

people ask you about it all the time

but once again

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway donghae is the go to guy for heart to heart conversations

because he has a heart of gold

the softest purest gold

and he really understands and empathizes

he cries with you over dog movies

and listens to your frustrations

and you listen to him cry

and talk about his feelings

FEELINGS

and you tie it all up by making each other smile

he actually gives really good advice

i mean they all do give good advice at a point

but donghae’s are actually quite on point

even though people think he’s slow

it’s probably because he’s once connected at the hip to you

he’s the one you talk to about boy problems and relationship problems

because he’s the only one that isn’t weirded out about the topic

i mean he’s got a soft spot of you

plus hes really caring

so he’ll listen to whatever topic you want to talk about anyway

he’s really the only who, like, pays attention to all your babbling

most of them tend to overlook that

but never donghae

he’s the guy you call in the middle of the night when you cant sleep

it’s not guaranteed he’ll pick up because i mean duh he has a life

but when he does he really listens

except for when he doesnt

cos he’s tired

(:

and on top of being a cuddly living diary

he’s also your personal massager

like you know those knots on your shoulder

what knots on your shoulders

he massages them away because

youre his ultimate weakness

when you need him he’ll be there in a heartbeat, racing leeteuk to get to you

although he’s not as motherly as leeteuk

he’s more of a brother really

like he is motherly

he does baby you

I MEAN THEY ALL BABY YOU YOU’re THE MAKNAE DUH

but

i can

no actually

i cant explain

because i got nothing

AGAIN WHICH IS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I LOVE DONGHAE

DHADJ:ASD

YOU AND SIWON ARE THE POWER COUPLE EVERYONE WISHES THEY COULD BE

yall do the most goals things ever

and end up posting it on insta like the aesthetic things you are

he’s the guy you call when you wanna go out and tour

and you guessed it

he’s the second person in super junior you work most with out of the group

can you imagine the power you two hold in dramas

sometimes you do cameos in his shows

sometimes its the other way around

YOU TWO ARE ACTUALLY THE ONLY ONES WITH FOOTAGE OF KISSING

honestly it was a make out but you know

donghae’s fine

Siwon and you travel a lot

in a small scale sense where you just go around on a food trip

or going on a short vacation to another country

dont tell the others tho

YOU DO CHARITIES TOGETHER

and its honestly the cutest thing ever like siwon and his charities ad;hkasd

you two have this meme where its just a compilation of you two lauging

cos yall get WEIRD when you laugh together

your laugh is weird in general

and super junior is weird in general

but you and siwon laughing is just weirder

Whenever you have to go somewhere where you think youre going to die because of the formality

you bring siwon along because he’s the most businessman looking out of everyone

plus he holds a rich man aura

because he is

so

haha

honestly he should just buy SM wtf

He is also the one you go to for advice

because sometimes crying with donghae isn’t really the way you want to go

he’s normally your outside opinion guy

when you normally have a course of action already in your head

but youre just not sure how to go

he gives solid points

and he’s quite firm with his answers

when you need him he doesn’t come as quick as leeteuk or donghae

but he’s the one who leaves last

because he’s just thorough like that

like if you have a mental break down

he’ll come when he can and make sure to make extra time for you

because he wants to both make it up to you and make sure you’re alright

also

i should add

that on top of being very aesthetic together with your black tie events and whatnot

yall make post memes of each other often on your own accounts SO MUCH

ELFs dig it

iconic really

ryeowook actually hates you

like

he hates you because you have such a beautiful voic

he hates that youre pretty

he hates that youre talented

HE HATES THE COMPETITION

but it is also what completes him

It adds to his purpose in life

To cruSh u

N remind u who is butter

yall bicker the most out of everyone

yall raise your voices at each other the most

you always attack each other

AND SOMETIMES KYUHYUN PITS YOU TWO TOGETHER AND

it’s too much to handle

but when you catch on that you’re being played

You and ryeowook teamup

AND KYUHYUN PAYS

EVERYONE THAT CROSSES YOU PAYS

BWHAHAHAHAAHHA

the sass is real when you’re together

THE AMOUNT OF SHADE you throw

makes both of your skin visibly darker to a point

he’s mostly the one to call you out when you and kangin are doing something dumb

or when you and donghae start getting cuddly

or when you just show your face to him

because yes he hates you

BUT

if he hears anyone say anything REMOTELY BAD ABOUT YOU

he wILL attacK

if he thinKS SOMEONE’s BEING TOO sarcASTIC

HE WILL CUT THEM

because only HE can be mean to you

which is why they actually think you’re dating

pipe the HECK down if you have something to say

and the feeling is mutual for you

if anyone says anything bad about ryeowook OR ANY OF YOUR BOYS

they’re dead

cold

but sometimes both of you hate super junior together

and theres a bunch of videos of you questioning why you’re both still here

when he’s not hating you though

he’s violently supporting you

VIOLENTLY

have you heard this man scream

HE SCREAMS HIGHER THAN ANY FEMALE FAN COULD

and LOUDER

if you’re doing something live

heS ONLY THERE TO SCREAM FOR YOU

then he’s out

him and yesung are on a roll when you get an award

and on your live performances

theres normally a cut scene to him in the crowd holding a big ass sign that says something mean

like I HOPE YOU TRIP in bold letters

but in fine print is continues IN SUCCESS AND GOOD HEALTH

cheeeeeeeeeezzzzyyyyyy

but that’s ryeowook for ya

Everyone's confused how you are able to be so violent and mean

But also so cheesily soft

Honestly u just weird

And so is ryeowook

when you need advice he fights you first

"How could you be so dumb to have a problem like that"

then,he'll tell you what to do

OR

If he can, he fights your problem

and then solves it for you that way

Thats how it is, violently soft hek

So serious

ANYWAY KYUHYUN ALSO HATES YOU 

DUH

but unlike ryeowook he sometimes actually make people end up wondering if youre dating

Cause ryeowook and u be mean but not so lovey dovey

But you and kyuhyun are mean and lovey dovey

Like

he makes sure you suffer

suffer in embarrassment in live television

and will do everything in his power to get you and ryeowook to stab each other

but if you squint hard enough

he acts hella whipped for you to be pretty damn honest

anyone with a brain can put together that he’s basically like a child

a child being mean to his crush because he doesn’t know what to do

EW FEELINGS

but yall know what

even though ya both be also killing each other

THE BALLADS YOU GUYS HAVE

I cannnnOt even

is OFF THE CHARTS TEAR JERKING

like

any drama that has been blessed with your vocals

----i meaaaan-----

your song can save any drama

becAUSE

and yall do a lot of live performances together

uhm did I mention you’re basically part of the sub-unit KRY

actuallY JK nvm, it’s you and kyuhyun alone actually

just you and him

hitting those notes like no other

AnD theN theRE was This incident

that you had to perform in on a live awardshow

BUT you Got INTO an aCCIDENT

but like a vocal accident

as in you lost your voice

YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED

kyuhyun covered for you duh

because  even if he wants you to suffer in public

he wants it to be by his hand

and not because you ended up getting sick suddenly

I do have to say he’s not very reliable tbh

for the sole reason he wishes to be the true maknae and to desTROY U

yes

that

and EW FEELINGs

“are you sure you hate her though” -literally everyone

“YES!” kyuhyun would answer without missing a beat

“seem like bull by ok”

THE MEMES YOU TWO HAVE AS WELL

THE MEMES

the there can only be one

i would’ve killed you if the lights were closed

excuse you, trash

i sarangHATE U Bitch

boi i cant wtf am i doin

and again

i cannot stress enough that kyuhyun wants your death by his hand

so if someone else comes for you

he’s going to attack that person more than they have you

whenever people ask him about you to, he gets all protective and scary

in summarry, he wants death but not really

yikes

heNRY IS THE WORST

he’s the only one who actually treats you like youre a child

wtf

like you two are the closest in age

the audacity

the nerve

i cant believe

he literally pulls the Oppa card

every

frikin

wHeRE

LISTEN BOI SHE BE GROWN

he literally holds your hand when you cross the street

he asks you if you’ve eaten

he coddles you, especially around others

he brings you juice on set if ever you appear on the same show

LieK

he’s so embarrassing

he be actin as if he’z ya dad

liIKEEE

get a grip

but as embarrassing as he is

he is also your best friend

and he talks fondly about you everywhere

literally never talks shit about you

unless its true tho lololo

and for real is probably literally in love with you

but is like “I’m her older brother tho so”

acts like an older brother 23/6

and the remaining time like a sweet and ExTreMely embarrassing boyfriend

will do anything for you to be honest

YOU TWO GO ABROAD TOGETHER A LOT AND ARE GOALS

if you and kyuhyun do lame things

YOU AND HENRY LIVE IT UP

yall do weird shit online too

and yall have done questionable things on variety

korean

chinese

wherever

which is why you’ve hosted a variety special before

IT WAS ICONIC

if you ever feel down

or sad

or angry

or frustrated

henry is the guy to call to be reminded of the brighter things

like THIS BOY IS ACTUAL SUNSHINE HELP

nothing is impossible or gloomy with henry

and yall thrive in all the crack-ish things you do together

yes

end

#super junior #suju #sj #superjunior fanfic #super junior head canon #sj fanfic #suju fanfic #leeteuk #heechul #yesung #kangin #shindong #eunhyuk #zhoumi #donghae #siwon #ryeowook #henry #leeteuk fanfic #heechul fanfic #yesung fanfic #kangin fanfic #shindong fanfic #eunhyuk fanfic #zhoumi fanfic #donghae fanfic #siwon fanfic #ryeowook fanfic #henry fanfic #henry lau