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#it's supposed to make your life easier but there are so many different ones and ugh
strohller27 · 11 months
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#hoo boy lads I’m going out of my mind I have so much to do and no time to do it#‘you could have planned this out better’ Bitch I am the first person in my immediate family#who has even thought seriously about moving to a different country#and I HAVE ALREADY lived in another country before but it was within the confines of an exchange programme#nobody knows what I’m doing this time around and therefore nobody can help me plan#I’ve been feeling burnt out since Fall of 20-goddamn-22#and last semester I learned that my master’s degree programme cannot accommodate the thesis I want to write#life took my plans and ripped them up into millions of little pieces#and yeah you can say ‘tough shit. that’s life’ but I’m SO TIRED of this happening#because my whole life has been like that#‘you can make your own decisions when you have your own house/apartment/life’#OKAY you’ve been telling me that my whole life BUT WHEN IS IT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN?#I am TRYING to take my life by the horns and make things happen but#I can’t help noticing how precarious my position is#I have to drive across country hoping my only form of transportation doesn’t somehow fail me#I have to set up a new life in a new country where I don’t know anyone and I have never lived before#it’s like trying to build a house off the side of a cliff. one wrong move? one really bad day? and I’m toast.#and yeah I signed up for this but it’s because I’M SO TIRED OF WAITING for things to fall into a place that would make this change easier#nothing’s getting easier! everything just keeps getting harder! and no matter how many times I keep beating my head against the wall#hoping I can make things fall into place…nothing seems to change for the better. and I’m sick of it!#they say good things come to those who wait but I’ve been waiting for twenty!! goddamn!! years!! and things are still the same#like standing water it just sits there and festers#I want to stop merely surviving and start LIVING for once#I want to *do* something but I need support and I feel bad asking for it#why is it so hard to make myself believe I’m allowed to take up space? why is it so hard to ask for help??#maybe because I’m worried that I’m not allowed to take up space..and I know that when I ask for help#it’s often met with non-committal sayings and shrugs and ‘well okay. you tell me what you need to do and we’ll figure it out.’#maybe I don’t know what I need to do! maybe I need help figuring that out! it doesn’t help when all I hear is ‘yep. adulting is hard’#LIKE I DIDN’T FUCKEN KNOW THAT. maybe instead of stating the obvious we could FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD?!#I’m going absolutely out of my fucken mind
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dokyeomini · 1 year
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i was snoozing from like 9am til 2pm today and i thought a lot abt which jobs i wanna apply for and what i wanna do with my life etc
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ma1dita · 3 months
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a wish your heart makes
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a 'partners in crime' installment - luke castellan x dionysus!reader
words: 1.4k
summary: (established relationship) The one where you share dreams, burn cookies, and it still reminds him of home. You try to do something nice for your boyfriend and everything goes wrong, or so you think. Luke Castellan x fem!Dionysus!reader
a/n: I thought about May Castellan, alone in her kitchen, baking cookies and making sandwiches for a son who would never come ho—OH FUCK OFF, UNCLE RICK. sidenote this haunted me.
(posted 1/26/24 unbetad)
Luke’s dreams were always different from yours. 
Both when he’s awake and holding your hand up until sleep finally rips him away from your earthly embrace, he’s always been certain of who he was and what he wants to achieve. To be a hero providing salvation for the needy, to be a half-blood son worth the love of a god, and to be a fierce soldier, leading his troop into battle for glory. These are the thoughts he routinely pounds into his brain, so much so that anyone who knows him knows of his aspirations.
You don’t think you’ve ever met anyone so insistent on wanting to be remembered. Luke wants to leave a legacy worth dying for, worth talking about for millenia to come. And your boy persists, despite the trials of life, the ignorance of his father, and the strings of the Fates.
Your dreams, however, were always much simpler. 
Cuddled under your covers and brushing your lips against Luke’s forehead to quell the growing unease that occupies his brain, you whisper what you deeply wish for.
“We’re getting old,” you mumble, and the breath of his laugh tickles your ear. He lazily runs his nose against the slope of your collarbone, sighing when he finally hears the steady beat of your chest, “We’ve definitely surpassed the average life expectancy of a typical demigod. Look at us…” he jests.
Your breath jumps in amusement as you feel his lips against your sternum, and then your boyfriend is smiling against your heart, using you for comfort as you both pass the time waiting for Hypnos to come calling.
“In a year, we’ll be nineteen…And I know you never wanted to stay here forever, so… What’s next?”
You hold in a bated breath, always unsure of where to place yourself in rank of his priorities. Who were you if not his biggest supporter?
Luke contemplates for a moment in the silence of your bedroom. It’s much easier to think and have more adult… conversations… without the many meddling children of cabin 11 always asking for one more lullaby, one more glass of water, and one more tuck-in goodnight. Here in the privacy of your room, he gets to be a boy void of his responsibilities besides hiding under his girlfriend’s duvet, giving her another shirt of his to wear, and kissing her until Apollo’s rays of light gently help you wake.
“You tell me, trouble. What does the future have in store for us?”
Us.
He’s sweet to indulge in your fantasies like this, and you stroke your fingers through his curls as you speak, ‘I think it’d be nice to go to college. Made it this far, so maybe being normal won’t be so hard…”
A soft noise leaves his throat, urging you to continue as you bite your lip and smile.
“Maybe someday, we could get a house. One on top of a hill. I don’t need much, something like the Big House, but one we can call home.”
You can feel the teeth of his sleepy grin against your skin as he whispers the next words into your heart.
“We could do that. House with big bay windows, and the smell of my mom’s chocolate chip cookies in the air. Sounds nice, baby.”
And it does.
Luke’s eyes flutter shut shortly after, but your mind is awake with how to make the dream you now share a reality. Perhaps you couldn’t give him glory, or pray hard enough to Hermes so that he’d talk to his son, but you reckon that chocolate chip cookies would be easy enough. 
At least, it was supposed to be—until you set off the smoke alarm again.
“Oh for fuck’s sake!” 
Clouds of grey are billowing from the communal kitchen oven after your multiple attempts of trying to get this right. The dryads had both partially given up on the havoc you wrecked upon their workspace as well as your increasing frustration towards them. It wasn’t their fault, you knew that—but as a perfectionist who followed the recipe to a t, how was it possible that everything was still going wrong? The first batch, you got too excited and mixed all the ingredients together, making them lumpy and inconsistent. The second batch was over-creamed, and you had to scrape them off the tray, and with this one… well you had the oven setting on a bit too high.
You sigh deeply, pressing the palms of your hands into your eyes as you try to will away the mania creeping up your neck. Being the daughter of the god of insanity was hard, having to consistently control your emotions for the sake of others. Taking a shaky breath, you stare blankly at the darkened cookies, close to being burned to a crisp. The jingle of the windchime against the door rings across the room and you barely hear it until you feel Luke’s hands skate past your waist to go open a window.
“What’d you get into now, trouble? Been looking for you,” he says, coughing lightly from the smoke.
You groan, trying to cover the mess behind you on the counter and accidentally catching your arm on the hot tray, making you flinch.
“Ow! Ugh, babe, you’re not supposed to be here yet! I thought you were still sparring…”
Your boyfriend approaches you, squeezing your arm to examine if you’ve gotten hurt and tugging you towards him.
“That was an hour ago—how long have you been here, baby?” Luke pulls you into his arms, placing a kiss on your warm wrist, instantly soothing your anxiety until you see his eyes meet your latest failure.
“You bake now?”
“Clearly not, Luke, I’m sorry…I tried but I kept getting it wrong and then I got mad at myself for fucking up something so…” your voice weakens, tears welling in your eyes again thinking you’ve disappointed him.
Luke steps away from you and towards the kitchen counter, warm cookies browned to a crisp. He reaches out to pick one up before you can stop him, crunching down on it, the bittersweet taste filling his mouth as he sniffs.
Just like his mother would make them, through her madness and all.
He’s transported back to a memory of a house with big bay windows, kind of like the one you two dreamt up last night, but he’s nine and sitting at the kitchen table drinking Kool-Aid while his mom makes peanut butter sandwiches. May Castellan forgets the cookies in the oven again, and for a moment, Luke forgets that the last time he saw his mother was a lifetime ago. 
He doesn’t realize he’s crying until he feels your fingertips brushing away the saltwater from his cheeks.
“Didn’t mean to make you cry, angelface, I’m sorry…” you mumble, but stop speaking when you see him take another bite.
“They’re great.”
“What?”
He chomps on another singed cookie, his lips quirking into a soft smile. Luke’s not going to let you throw the rest of this batch out. Chuckling weakly, he lifts you onto the kitchen counter as he slots himself between your legs, rough hands patting your thighs.
“Well, they’re not great. But they’re perfect. Just the way I remember them,” he smiles, kissing the furrow in your brow. You don’t bother trying to comprehend his statement, happy that you didn’t mess up a memory he holds dear. 
Luke wonders if maybe he’s been blessed by his father after all, to have such extreme luck to exist at the same time as you. He doesn’t answer to the gods, to fate, but he does answer when you call his name, and settles into your arms. Love is an action after all, uncontained by just words, and he knows you tried your best, which makes it more than enough.
“She would’ve loved you, I’m sure of it,” he says rubbing his nose against yours before you can interject again, “I love you, so I know she would’ve too.”
Luke presses a tender kiss against the palm that caresses his jaw, before meeting you in the middle and finding your lips. It’s a dance you two have memorized, sweet and breathless as you meld both of your grins together. To him, you taste like chocolate chips and feel like home.
“I love you too, angelface. Almost burned the kitchen down for you,” your chuckle is cut off when he goes to press against your pout again hungrily, tracing patterns against the soft skin of your thighs as he just eats you up. The sound of your moans escapes between kisses as you wind your legs around his waist and it dampens the sound of the kitchen timer when it goes off. 
(You forcibly have to detach from Luke’s embrace, much to his displeasure so that you don’t burn the next batch too.)
"Your name is humming inside my chest. I think this is what it means to love. I think this is what it means to be living." -Emma Bleker
ask to be added to general/luke taglists!
luke taglist (some won't let me tag, turn on my post notifs?): @kissingyourgrl @dorcas4meadowes @lorarri @andrewgarfldsgf @noodlesketchbook @10ava01 @poppysrin @ashisabitgay @timhalamet @liv1104 @leeknows-wife @mxtokko @bugcuti3 @luvvfromme @midmourn @2hiigh2cry @yuminako @niktwazny303 @lukecastellandefender @intergalactic-padawan @iliketopgun @annybah @dangelnleif @thegrinningghost @alyssajunelle @obxstiles @m00ng4z3r @visndcaitswhore @b0ok-lover @elegant-face-tree @this-barbie-is-having-breakdowns @amortencjja @idonevenknow1359 @maliaaaa @targaryenluvs @sakyira @dhdjdjjdhsjdiri @number-onekidqueen @nininehaaa @bradynoonswife @stevenknightmarc @hoodedhavok @happy-mushrooms @homebyeleven @anotherblackreader @too-deviant @liviessun @lilacspider @theadventuresofanartist @sucker4seresin @simpforsunwoo @zanzie @starrystormwritings
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rootbeerworshiper · 13 days
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means something
matt sturniolo x fem!reader
summery: your best friend stopped talking to you suddenly but you need one last chance at closure
warnings: angst lol
a/n: short and sweet (and sad) but i had fun writing it. alsoooo it’s based on the song but you don’t need the song playing in the background bc the pacing is different
love, sienna <3
you let out a defeated sigh as you focus your attention on a blank sheet of paper. it was supposed to be easy now, easier to let out your thoughts and begin to reconstruct your views on the situations that bring you sadness. at least that’s what your therapist advised you.
but instead you have nothing but small doodles of hearts on the top of the paper, serving as nothing but a sad reminder of your own life and how it lacks the love you always read about.
‘hopeless romantic’ used to feel like the wrong word, because there was a point where you had hope for a story like you see in the movies. a classic romantic comedy plot line was one you had always yearned for.
it’s silly how badly you’ve wanted it. you know you’re a complete person without it, you have strengths and aspirations and you cannot base your worth onto stupid boys.
but he wasn’t stupid. not in the slightest, regardless of what others said about him.
he was thoughtful and caring in ways no one else has been to you. never in your life have you seen someone so in touch with their own emotions at that level.
that’s because he’s special. to you and to so many other people.
April 17th, 2022
dear Matt,
i’m not entirely sure how to do this whole thing but it’s a step in healing that i’m more than inclined to take. part of me just really wants to get better so i have to do something to help me.
it might seem really random that i’m mailing you a letter, and trust me i understand how odd it is. but for once i needed you to hear me, and i can’t really send this message to a blocked number.
i can’t see anything in life without thinking of you. i saw a street sign the other day and i had to squint because, for a moment i thought i saw your last name plastered on the plastic. and i thought that it meant something. like the universe was trying to tell me something.
how pathetic is that? you know i can’t even have most of my favourite snacks anymore because they were our favourite snacks. the new foods you introduced me to when i forced you to watch ‘to all the boys i’ve loved before’ with me in middle school are practically forbidden from my apartment.
“this is the dumbest movie concept ever” Matt speaks, an annoyed undertone to his voice as he looks to me.
“you haven’t even watched it yet how can it be dumb? you know you might end up enjoying it if you watch it with an open mind” i reply, snuggling into his arm as my body rests on the soft couch cushion.
it definitely doesn’t take long for him to become invested.
“wait someone sent the letters?”
“why is she kissing him? doesn’t she like margo’s boyfriend?”
“damn they’re really just making out in a public hot tub”
the movie comes to a close, a cute song playing as the credits roll. “so, what did you think?”
“i think that i really like root beer and i really need the second movie now” he exclaims, sipping his bubbly liquid before looking down at me with the same blue eyes that can easily make me dizzy.
“i thought you’d come around Matt”
now i’m just a girl getting sad over a canned soda and a familiar brand of chips because it reminds me of all the good that once was.
along with this, i know everything about you.
i know your zodiac sign, me and leo’s are really compatible, which i never failed to mention to you despite how little you believe in astrology.
i can’t lie, the amount of silly little compatibility quizzes i took throughout middle school with our names punched in was a bit excessive, but every time without fail i would get the answers i had hoped for. and i thought that meant something.
i know how hard it was growing up for you. but i was there for you when you needed someone to force you to go to school in the morning, or when you needed help ordering food at the gas station across the street.
i used to think we were soulmates. not always romantic, but we just understood each other so well and i considered it to be sacred.
whenever i went through my own shit you were there for me. it was always so easy. knowing that if i had a bad day i had someone to go to who would listen with open ears… i guess it’s just been hard to live without that.
“Matt why did he break up with me? am i that unlovable?” i cry out, my head buried in matt’s chest as he rubs small circles on the back of my head.
he just pulls my head off of him, hands placed on either cheek as he looks at me. “i don’t think there is anyone on this planet that is more lovable than you”
i sniffle, trying my best to suppress the numerous tears that want nothing more than to escape my eyes. “so why did he break up with me out of the blue? after eight months why did he just decide he’s done with me?”
“because he’s an idiot who doesn’t understand the girl he just lost”
i cried for hours that night when my boyfriend broke up with me, and i know you remember. the next morning i woke up in your arms and i immediately felt guilty for keeping you up so late with my sob stories, but you didn’t care.
you said you wanted what’s best for me and you would make it your life’s goal to make me happy. and then you had the audacity to run your fingers through my hair as i thought about what to do next. that along with the constant reminders of how much i deserved love, that it was a definite thing for me.
how is that okay? do you not see how that was so completely confusing? did it mean absolutely nothing?
i haven’t kissed many people in my life, something Chris loved to tease me about. what he doesn’t know is that you were my first.
we never talked about it. maybe that was for the best, because every time i see a picture of you all i can think about is how good your lips felt on mine.
“i can’t just kiss you!” i laugh out, taking another swig of my drink before wiping my lips and looking back at the boy who has a serious expression resting on his face.
“sure you can. i don’t want jack to have an unfortunate ending to your guys’ date if u end up like… licking his bottom lip or some shit” he argues, holding his own drink in his own hand but keeping his attention solely on me.
“you’re just saying that because you’re drunk”
“maybe” he replies, sensing my hesitance. “is the idea of kissing me that bad?”
“no! no of course not, i just don’t wanna make it weird between us” i say, suddenly feeling a pool of anxiety form in my stomach.
but then, before i could form another overwhelming thought you just kissed me. just like that your lips were attached to mine and everything felt okay.
it was short lived, although i know i could have been like that forever. “nothing could ever make things weird between us, promise”
it’s funny isn’t it? how many times we assured each other that our friendship was solid, unbreakable.
i think the worst part is the not knowing. there’s nothing to comfort me with.
you left one day and you simply never spoke to me again. was it my fault? was it something i said?
i can’t help but wonder if the reason you cut it off is because you noticed all the small glances i would take in your direction. or if you noticed that the reason why i love romance books so much is because i imagine we’re the main characters.
that’s the thing though, i’ll never know. i feel less like myself without you, but maybe that’s part of growing up.
i have to learn what my own favourite snacks are and i can’t reply on you to have my back when i get my heart broken. instead i’ll be crying in an empty bed wondering what could’ve happened differently.
this wasn’t supposed to be a long letter but i promise it’s the only one you’ll be getting from me because i have to do the same as you, i have to move on.
i just have one question for you.
did all of this mean something to you? like really mean something to you in the way that i interpreted it.
i’ve wondered if i was delusional when i caught you staring at me from across the classroom, or when i found those compatibility tests in your search history.
but the kiss? drunk or not i thought something was there, with you or with us or whatever else. i didn’t think i was just another girl that Matt Sturniolo kisses and then forgets about but that’s exactly what i became.
anyways, i hope this letter finds you well. i had to ask Nate for your address but please don’t get mad at him. you know how stubborn i am when i want something and he tried to say no.
i guess i just love you, and i’m trying my best to make that sentence into past tense.
thanks for listening, y/n.
you grab an envelope that resides on the edge of your desk and open it up. folding up your letter and placing it gently inside before licking the tip of the envelope and closing it.
it all feels metaphorical. pouring your heart out just for it to get concealed by a thin piece of paper and shipped away.
regardless, you breathe out, standing up and making your way over to the garage to start your car. if you don’t do it know you won’t do it at all, and you need him to hear you.
a/n: if u want a part 2 you might get one maybe… we’ll see what i’m feeling anyways hope you enjoyed this blurb
taglist: @lolasnoww-blog @tastesousweet @ivypoison @disturbedwoodelf @sturnswift @junnniiieee07 @ellie-luvsfics @sturnified @madsdogst @justlivinglive @sluttycupsworld @flowerxbunnie @mbsbaby @sturniolossmut @lustfulslxt @69isabella69 @dracoflaco @mattslatinagf @raekensluver @worldlxvlys @greatooglymooglyyy @breeloveschris @st7rnioioss @imwetforyourmom @sturniolololover @immuneweed @its-jennarose @taco-taco-posts @luverboychris @gracealwaysdisgrace @gamermattsgf @mattscoquette @nervoussagittarius @sugrhigh @jnkvivi @sturnsmia
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I Know it Won’t Work || Tom Blyth x singer!reader
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Summary: You and Tom break up after three years of dating and you perform a song about the truth of the breakup for the first time live.
Warnings: slight age gap, reader is 23 and Tom is 30
Wc: 658
A/n: these r addicting to make lol. Also, changed up some lyrics for the sake of the storyline making sense. 2/4? Fics I’m posting today!
Tom Blyth x singer!reader au masterlist
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Divider by @pommecita
You let out a shaky breath, "I left you here, heard you keep the extra closet empty," You sing the first words of your unreleased song to the crowd. "In case this year, I come back and stay throughout my twenties, what if I won't? How am I supposed to put that gently?" You had just freshly turned 23 and broken up with Tom.
You honestly don't know how you ended up here, in-front of a crowd of hundreds in London. Performing in front of people was the last thing you wanted to do at the moment but you had to keep a strong front for your supporters, this show was highly anticipated.
"I've had the thought, tried to work it out through anxious pacin'" Your biggest coping mechanism was writing songs. You never knew how to really express your emotions in sentences to someone, so instead, you write them into songs. Your real feelings and emotions laced into words that in the end, formed a song.
"But it's a lot, all the shine of three happy years fadin'" The crowd watched in silence, partly because it was a new song and they did not know the lyrics to sing along, but also because they were mesmerised. Your voice held so much emotion.
Your fans weren't aware that the two of you have broken up, but a few had already pieced it up. "The whole facade, seemed to fall apart, it's complicated." Everyone viewed you and Tom as the power couple, deeply in love with one another with no flaw or doubt in the relationship
While half of it was true, the other half wasn't. The seven year age gap different had been brought up so many times throughout your relationship. You remember the first time the two of you got together, you were 20 and he was 27.
You both received heavy backlash from the internet but the two of you ignored them all. They weren't the ones in the relationship, they weren't the ones to make the call about whether or not you should be together.
"And part of me wants to walk away 'till you really listen, I hate to look at your face and know that we're feelin' different," As the three years went by, uou hoped you weren't the only one in the relationship that doubted a few things. You didn’t want to admit that other people's comments were getting to you. As the three years progressed with Tom, you felt as if you were just both in such different phases of life.
You were still so young in your early twenties and fresh in your career while it seemed that Tom was ready to settle down, marry, and start a family. He would always mention starting a family and you would listen, not really knowing what to say to him.
But recently, you came into terms with the truth that both you and Tom don't share the same feelings or goals at the moment. "Cause part of me wants you back, but, I know it won't work like that, huh?" You loved Tom, parts of you still do. He never did anything wrong, he was everything you could have ever wished for. You like to think of him as the right person, wrong time.
But nothing was going to change the fact that you two were just in different stages of life. Nothing will change the seven year age gap between the two of you. "I know we cut all the ties, but you're never really leavin'"
Tom hasn't left your mind. It would've been easier if he did. But he just couldn't. "And part of me wants you back, but, I know it won't work like that, huh?" Your voice slightly cracks, a single tear drop runs down your face. Eyes closed, you let it. The dewy stream your tear left—accentuated with the bright lights focused on you—did not go unnoticed.
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loveyourlovelysoul · 7 months
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You've been abandoned so many times and had to accept crumbs for so long that now you still feel like you have to stay in this cycle, giving up dreams and trying to accept something less, something easier, something that seems more reachable, something that, in a certain way, feels known and comfortable. Less scary. Something you're "supposed/doomed to get forever". Or at least that's what you started to believe, even unconsciously.
You have seen and maybe also helped others succeed so many times that you feel like that's the only thing you can do: help others move on while you stay in the same place. You feel discouraged, you feel like you're asking for too much, you feel tired and you want to give up cause all that you're dreaming of feels so impossible, it only feels as if you're deluding yourself once again and maybe, "at your age", it's also "stupid". And you should be more practical, more realistic (my question is: is this really being realistic and practical or just self sabotaging?)
I understand your feelings very well. But before giving up and deciding for the "easiest and known" road, deciding to stay in your old usual (at times sad and heart-wrenching) life, please give yourself a favour and try to keep on dreaming. To keep on trying, even a little. Okay take a pause, have a walk, listen to music, watch a movie, dance, distract yourself, but then... try with a little part of you to still give yourself (and your younger self in particular, the one who had to go through all those hard situations and deserves something more) the chance to believe that sometimes things can go differently also for you. No matter if it will take years. You have time. Your actual age doesn't matter. Go slow, take one little step each day, but try to believe. And try to make a change within. It's very hard but I am sure you can do it with kindness and patience. I'm cheering for you.
If it's hard to try and give it to your actual self, imagine give this chance to your younger self. Imagine yourself as someone else and try to support yourself as if you were dealing with a younger person, a child, a best friend... whoever you want.
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yourmidnightlover · 8 months
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getting it over with - ch 1
pairing: bucky barnes x reader
summary: after relentless teasing and being the butt of too many jokes, you ask bucky to help you become more experienced in… a particular area of your life
warning: precious bucky, virgin shaming?, virgin reader, slight male!oc x reader, sexual harrassment, illuding to sex, talk of sex
w/c: 2.5k
a/n: i am working on part 2 in my other series, timeless. i've been debating two different ways i could take it and it's been an internal battle trying to figure that out. that being said, i can't help myself and started writing this and so here it is! this will likely be a simple mini series with smut in the later parts, probably the next one tbh. anywho... enjoy!
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another night with the girls, and yet another night of beng singled out and ridiculed over a miniscule part of your life. 
you were a well accomplished woman and yet all of your hard work has consistently been overlooked in nearly every conversation because of your extracurricular activities. or, well, more like your lack of extracurricular activities. 
you had been working with the avengers for five years now as their pr manager, living there for a little over three after finding it was easier to represent and present the team in a brighter light when you knew more about them. it was after you moved in that you got much closer to james ‘bucky’ barnes, who you’ve coined the nickname of ‘jamie’ for. your friends also began to question why you hadn’t, in their terms, “banged,” one of the avengers you happened to live with.
truth be told, you did enjoy spending time with them, especially bucky. but, that would be crossing a line. you were practically employed by them. well, technically you were employed by tony, but that didn’t change the fact that they were your clients. it was just particularly easy to find the good in the people who constantly saved the world. well, that, and you were supposed to make them look good anyway. 
the most difficult one to paint in the golden light was definitely bucky. you were great at getting the media to lean into his humanity and reminding them of how he had been tortured into what he became. you’ve imagined him to the public as “sargeant bucky barnes,” giving him back the title he earned rather than the name he was branded. he was still wary of venturing into the eye of the public, but everytime he did there were less people yelling at him and more people giving pitying looks and whispers. sure, he would rather not be recognized at all, but whispering was a hell of a long way from harassment. 
bucky was grateful for everything you’d done for him. truth be told, you were grateful for everything they had done for you anyway. hell they had repeatedly saved all of humanity, helping their reputation was the least you could do for them. 
but regardless of how well of a job you’ve done making the avengers’ reputation way lighter, somehow the only thing your old friends could talk about is how you’re somehow still a virgin.
“god, i can’t believe you’re still a virgin sometimes. especially being surrounded by hunks like him,” stephanie spoke up as she flipped her bleached hair behind her shoulder. “i would’ve tried my luck long before i cleared their name, girl. i mean, that sergeant guy has the prettiest blue eyes, and have you never wondered what he could do with that metal hand of his?” 
you rolled your eyes, “he’s more than a pretty face, steph. he’s actually really sweet, too. his humor’s a bit old, kinda like a grandpa.”
“well, if he’s a grandpa then i’d gladly be his sugar baby,” she squeaked as she sipped on her vodka cranberry. 
“can we not talk about him like that?” your face furrowed in embarrassment and you only hoped that she would take your blushing as remnants of the alcohol running through your body.
“why?” she scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “do you want him or something?” she paused, seeingly waiting for your response. clearly, your silence was answer enough. “oh my god you like him, don’t you?” 
“no, no, it’s not like that,” you shook your head as you downed the rest of your drink. “i just spend a lot of time with him because of the job, y’know?” 
“why don’t you just get him to pop your precious cherry?” she ventured as she stood from her stool. 
boy, had you wished for that. mostly in your wildest dreams, but part of you hoped it could maybe happen. but then, you would wake up and were reminded of your place in the world. besides, jamie was over 100 years old. there’s no way he’d want someone who didn’t know what they were doing in the bedroom. 
“or,” steph interrupted your thoughts. “we can get out there and find you a different guy to pop your cherry,” she finished with a wink as she grabbed your hands, pulling you from your seat and to the dance floor. 
you managed to sneak a glance at the clock before the crowd surrounding you made it more difficult, reading the time being 11 pm. you told the guys you’d be back before 1, so that gave you enough time to please stephanie and then politely excuse yourself. 
surprisingly, you had begun to enjoy yourself. the music wasn’t so bad with the surge of confidence the alcohol running through your veins gave you. after a few too many drinks, you were in your own world. finally unbothered by the nagging thoughts of your friends and the weight of your job on your shoulders. 
you felt a gentle tap on your shoulder before turning to see a sweet smile. he had big, brown eyes and shaggy hair, broad shoulders, none that compared to the men you lived with, but they were nice nonetheless. 
“hi,” he said even sweeter than his smile, keeping his hands to himself politely. “i-i’m noah.”
“well, hello, noah,” you smiled as you stepped closer to him, uncharacteristically throwing your arms around his neck as you continued to sway to the music. “y/n.”
“i-uh-you-you’re gorgeous,” he stuttered as his hands modestly found your waist.
“you really think so?” you said teasingly before leaning up to his ear. “i think you are super cute, yourself.” 
at this point, you had nearly forgotten all about stephanie’s presence at all. maybe she had already left with another guy, herself? who knows. right now, all you knew was that you didn’t know brown eyes could be so pretty. mayb you didn’t want to wait anymore. maybe you didn’t want to be the old virgin in your friend group anymore. maybe noah could change that.
“you’re unreal,” he chuckled as he continued to sway with you for the next song until you began to kiss on his neck. 
“you taste so sweet,” you commented in his ear before kissing right below it. he pulled back, giving you a sweet smile before connecting your lips together. 
“you taste sweeter, believe me,” he huffed out a breath as you reconnected your lips with his. 
“i think i want you, noah,” you whispered against his lips so softly he wasn’t sure he even heard you. “pretty please?” 
“ye-yea, sure,” he guided you out of the bar, you needing nearly all of his support to even walk out of the threshold of the door. 
“think ‘m sleepy, noah,” you mumbled against his neck as the cold air hit your face, as if it had began to sober you up.
“you just said you wanted me…?” he perplexed as he pulled you aside into the ally to gather yourself. 
“‘m sorry, noah,” you shrugged as the cold air hit you again. “‘s cold outside, can i go back in?” you turned to walk back inside when he grabbed your arm, probably a bit more harsh than he intended to. 
“what the fuck?” he sounded disappointed. “i complimented you, i let you make the first move, and now you just wanna back out?” he pulled you closer to his body. “what the fuck is wrong with you?”
“i-i dunno, i just got confused i think?” you stumbled as you tried to back away once more. “it’s too cold out here, noah.” 
“maybe this’ll warm you up,” he grabbed your pliable face and brought you back in for a kiss before you tried to push him away again.
“y/n?” you heard a raspy voice call out. “what the fuck?” you turned to see your jamie confused.
“jamie!” you tred to wiggle out of noah’s grasp once more, a disgruntled look on your face as you did so. “jamie…” you were now limply wrestling out of noah’s grasp as he scoffed at the situation in front of him. 
“what?” he said in disbelief. “you wanna lead me on and leave with this guy?”
“noah-”
“i think you need to back of the lady, alright, man?” bucky spoke up as he stepped closer towards you. “she’s clearly a bit drunk, just let me take her home and we’ll be on our way. no harm, right?” he tried to reason with the douchebag. 
“no harm?” he grasped your arm tighter before he continued, making you wince slightly. “so this bitch is able to fucking lead me on and then leave me high and dry and there’s ‘no harm’?”
“okay, i’ve tried to be nice about this,” without a second of hesitation, he had noah’s arms behind his back, not enough to seriously injure him, but just enough to harm him enough to not tempt him to do any more harm. “you will apologize to miss y/n for talking to her the way you did, you will walk away, and you won’t do anything like that to any woman in the near future, understood?” noah nodded. “am i understood?!” 
“yes, yes!” bucky nudged him further in your direction as you were leaning your back against the brick wall for stability. “i’m sorry, y/n.”
“for…?” bucky taunted.
“i’m sorry for talking to you the way i did.”
“good boy,” bucky teased as he released the man, letting him run away and not sparing him another glance before he made his way closer to you. 
“‘m sorry, jamie,” you stumbled forward and threw your arms around him. you had never been so openly affectionate, especially with bucky since you knew his aversions. since you were so drunk, you simply didn’t register the unspoken boundaries you had unintentionally set in place for yourself. “didn’t wanna make him mad. jus’ changed my mind s’all,” you buried your face in his neck. 
“you have a right to change your mind, doll,” he soothed as he gently rubbed your back, leading you to steve’s car he borrowed. 
“y/n?” you snapped your head to look at bucky as he spoke. “i don’t want you to be so late again, doll. it’s almost 2 am. had me worried sick about ya,” his hand danced on your knee, you assumed to comfort you after the events of the night.
“i didn’t know,” you shook your head. “i swear, i just lost track of time. s’not like me to do this. i just got so mad and wanted to get it over with, y’know?”
“get what over with?”
“you won’t laugh at me?” you grabbed his hand that was resting on your knee and turned in your seat to face your body towards him. “never, doll,” he chuckled at your serious tone.
“i’m tired of bein’ a virgin,” you said with a sense of disappointment. “don’ want people makin’ fun of me anymore.”
“that’s nothing to be embarrassed about, doll,” he shook his head as he put the car in park before running to your side of the car and helping you out. “some people want to save that moment, i get it.”
“no,” you groaned as you leaned into him. “i don’t wanna save it. i was just scared at first, and then i didn’t want to, and now it’s too late because nobody wants to be with a virgin.”
“that’s not true, y/n,” he shook his ehad as he pressed your shared floor on the elevator. 
“would you wanna have sex with me?” you wondered aloud as bucky began coughing loudly. “don’t be mean,” you huffed and crossed your arms, figuring he was trying to hide his laugh. “steph said i should get you to ‘pop my cherry’ but i knew you would’t wan-”
“hey, that’s not what i meant,” he stopped your train of thought. 
“so you do wanna ‘pop my cherry’?” you awed at the man as the elevator doors opened. 
“i wan’ you to stop referencing it as ‘popping your cherry’,” he grimaced as he said it himself. 
“you wanna have sex with me? bang? do the deed? take my virginity? make love?”
“stop it,” he groaned as you giggled, leaning into his chest even more. “i wanna have this conversation when your sober, if you even remember it.”
“i’ll remember, my sweet jamie,” you held onto his arm as he walked you to your room, helping you get into bed before going into your bathroom and returning with your bin of skincare. “this is why you’re my sweet jamie,” if you didn’t know any better you’d think he was blushing. 
he began using your makeup wipes to remove the remnants of makeup that had survived the night, followed by micellar water to remove the excess remover from your face. you knew he had seen you do your skincare routine after having so many late movie nights with one another, but it was still flattering that he had remembered it all so well. he finished applying your toners, serums, and finally your moisturizer with gentle hands, his metal one providing a nice cold surface that woke your skin up a bit more. it wasn’t until you reached up to grab his flesh hand that he noticed the bruises lacing your arms. 
“god,” he sighed as he looked down at his lap. “i’m so sorry i was too late, doll.”
“you weren’t too late,” you shook your head at his negativity. “you were perfectly on time. you saved me. i don’t-i don’t know what would’ve happened had you not shown up. i-”
“i don’t wanna think about what could’ve happened, please,” he shook his head as he held onto your bruised wrist softly, tenderly rubbing his cool metal hand over the damaged skin before pressing a kiss to it. 
“will you stay with me tonight?” you asked softly, as if you were scared he would say no. as if he would ever tell you no. 
“only if you’re sure,” you nodded eagerly with a grin before he crawled into bed with you. 
bucky’s arms wrapped around your waist as you laid on his chest, breathing in his scent as his soothing heartbeat calmed you down after the nights antics. 
“i’ll remember tomorrow, jamie.”
CHAPTER 2
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anonymousys · 7 months
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useful system apps
hi ! we're an anonymous system, feel free to call us anon !!! we are making a list of apps* we find useful for system things !!! feel free to add any other things :)
*it was supposed to be just that but i forgot in the middle and just said a bunch of extra stuff. mb
our app suggestions
simply plural: useful for keeping track of alters and fronting. there's a chat function as well, though we don't use it anymore because of the way it formats messages. it is useful for reminders and tasks though! plus, insys communication if you aren't bothered by the formatting. (mobile and desktop free, but desktop is a little iffy.)
fortelling: an app for writers keeping track of their characters, stories, plotlines. however, we tested out how it would work for keeping track of alters and communication/journaling, and it worked pretty well! there are group options like simply plural, but formatted very differently. good for keeping discreet. (mobile is free, desktop is availble but payment needed)
firefox multiacc extension: we just started using this, and it's really helpful!!! we are able to have multiple accounts and tabs open, all organized by system! this, paired with protonmail, is really good for having seperate accounts if that's what your system wants. (desktop available, havent checked mobile)
feedbro: its a simpler, slightly lacking version of the usefulness of firefox multiacc ex.. we used it for a while for certain interests and added tumblr accs on it, and it wasnt the best, but it did work then! (desktop available, no mobile).
twinote: fake twitter. good for sys communication, plus it's just fun! (mobile availble, no desktop?) other fake social media apps work, too, though instagram ones are pretty annoying bc they need images
ifake: fake messages! good for sys communication, plus, again, fun! only thing is that you need to watch ads to make chats :( but the chats are good! many formatting options. (mobile available, no desktop)
notion: good for sys communication/journaling! we use one, and it's really helpful. we have a journal, task list (with reminders), alter list, interest list, plus more (feel free to ask abt it! can show ppl how it looks) unlimited amount of pages and elements as long as you only have one account per workspace! (mobile and desktop available, desktop preferred.) some alternatives are coda (limiting), evernote (limiting, formatting), and onenote (formatting).
pluralkit: bot for systems. we only use this on our phone as we have our own seperate discords on our computer (re: use multiacc firefox ex. <3) but it's helpful! plus, you can change your avatar per server (mobile and desktop available.) alternatives include tupperbox (formatting + old).
youtube music: pair this with firefox adblocker and i swear its so good. its just youtube but focused on music. cant change the playlist pictures, but lost of playlists available! plus less, shorter ads (if u dont use firefox adblocker for some reason). (mobile and desktop available, desktop preferred.)
other suggestions
keep a digital journal/diary! physical is good, too, but we personally find it easier to access digitally, plus less chance of people accidentally finding it.
use firefox. not too system related apart from the multiacc thing but firefox is great
some things we do
we have "certain alter [piece of clothing/thing/accessory]" that helps us determine whos fronting sometimes :)
try to keep track of what happens in life! its helped us integrate to be a little less confused with life
dont feel bad if you dont use any of these! its your system, your choice, you choose how to navigate everything <3
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cythiraeth · 5 months
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cupid's chokehold! - i. e. the moment genshin men knew they've fallen for you
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✧ ─ ⌑ pairing: gn!reader x al-haitham, cyno, xiao (separate)
✧ ─ ⌑ short summary: the exact moment (or process which lead to it) when genshin men knew that they are head over heels in love with you!
✧ ─ ⌑ about the work: lowercase, fluff, not proof-read, lighter (?) and more free form of the work this time!
✧ ─ ⌑ notes: ehe, long time no see! i'm back to life and posting, so to start i picked something that was easier to write and is slightly in a different form than my previous works, however, i hope you'll like it :> also, i'm still waiting for any work requests, so if you have any idea, feel free to messege me!!
✧ ─ ⌑ word count: 1.5 k in total
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 al-haitham
seeing you in a pretty, elegant outfit, probably some kind of dress or suit, maybe showing your collarbones or it just being mesmerizing,  it's up to you how you imagine a perfect fit ;) he is just PHYSICALLY UNABLE to take his eyes off you! the usually calm and collected al-haitham forgets how to use the ability to speak for a brief second.
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the moment you left the room in which you were getting ready as he was waiting outside, he almost gasped out loud
i mean literally, this man's brain stopped working for a second
you two were supposed to attend tighnari's birthday party, and while he didn't consider it a occasion to wear something elegant, you did the opposite 
that's why he was left so speechless. because he was caught by surprise! he thought you would wear your casual clothes just as he did…
but it happened, you wore one of your favorite outfits for special occasions, and he was flabbergasted 
of course it's not like your look was the only reason he has fallen for you! he was definitely considering it many times before this happened, but he was living in denial.
"no, i don't actually have feelings for them. they make me feel comfortable, i crave hearing their voice or laugh and i care about them a lot, but no, we're just friends" - probably al-haitham to himself at some point in his life.
but this time, he couldn't explain his feelings in any rational way known to man. you were so stunning that his eyes shined uncontrollably when he laid them on you. he was so busy studying your silhouette, your face and your hair that he didn't even hear your first question, which was:
"and? how do i look?" you asked, opening the door but still keeping your hands on the doorframe and leaning on it. you were slightly blushed because it was quite embarrassing to let him see you like this, but if you were to be honest, you were also a little bit excited to see his reaction
so when he didn't even answer you and remained indifferent on the outside, the slightly raised corners of your mouth drooped
you just weren't aware of what he's been experiencing on the inside…
because his heart started pounding a little bit faster and he was ashamed of it but on the other hand you looked gorgeous and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about what would he do if you were in relationship
(he had such a strong urge to kiss your hand like a gentleman for some reason)
"what? do i really look that bad?" you asked after you have swallowed the bitterness of your first impression
"sorry?" he said, blinking, your words drawing him out of his reverie, "did you say something?" 
you snorted, annoyed by his behavior, assuming that he probably couldn't care less about your look at the moment, but at least he should try to pretend he does 
but oh, how wrong you were…
when you repeated the question he only murmured something under his breath in response, so you decided to let him be
you noticed he got sweaty all of sudden, it was probably too hot for him inside, you thought, so you took the last things and you two left the house.
in reality, he wasn't feeling hot because of the temperature of course, but he was just as surprised by his own actions as you were. surprised in a slightly different way though….
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cyno
talking with tighnari... he found all his confidence to talk to him about his possible feelings for you, that he could not recognize and tighnari was left speechless because of how innocent and lost in his feeling cyno looked
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he was probably hanging out with tighnari someday, maybe they went out for a dinner, and somehow the topic of conversation has come down to you
for a long time he was hesitant to talk about his feeling towards you out loud but today he decided he'd try discussing it with his friend
because if not tighnari then who would be a suitable person? surely not you 
also, don't think that he was aware of what he's feeling. HAHA, no. he would never 
"what in your opinion y/n thinks of me…?" was his first question. he tried to choose the words carefully and say it in his normal tone but even a small sign of arousal in his voice was enough for tighnari to notice that something is up
"and why are you asking?" he wanted to make sure that his interpretation is right
"no reason in particular," his answer was quick, those words escaped his lips uncontrollably, so he had to add something "i just consider them a close friend and i want to know if they do too."
tignari almost started laughing out loud, but he controlled himself.
close friend? oh man, he is so clueless…
"are you sure that they are a "close friend?"" he was actually having some fun but at the same time he just wanted to smack himself on the forehead, he couldn't decide 
"well, definitely not a "distant friend"" 
that's it, that's the moment when tighnari smacked his forehead 
"i'll pretend i didn't hear that," he tried to be serious, but it wasn't easy. "listen, you look at them like they are your entire world. that's the kind of look people give to their lovers, not close friends!" he finally said it out loud
cyno had to blink twice to process what was just said.
he. in love. with you? 
maybe? i mean, he always cared about your opinion about his jokes the most and he wanted to spend as much time as possible with you… but he thought that it's normal for friends to feel this way. and to steal glances at you person when you aren't looking, and to read every book you recommend him…
"you say so?" he finally asked, resting his chin on his hands "then maybe you're right," he admitted out loud
"FINALLY" tighnari couldn't hold it any longer… he was SO relieved that his friend won't be acting like he is running around in the fog anymore… right?
"and why are you so emotional about it?" cyno was genuinely confused (pls help this man he is often so clueless)
"because by now even collei knew"
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xiao
 when you kept coming back after all of his attempts to push you away. he wanted to protect you, protect you from him, because for a human it would be better to stay away from his karmic debt, right? but when you remained determined to get closer to him no matter how many times he tried to disencourage you, he slowly realized that maybe, just maybe he can let you get closer to his heart than he ever let anyone to be.
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in his case, there wasn't any particular situation that made him realize his feelings, it was rather a complex and long process (not really a chokehold then but shh…)
he knew you for several months despite of his numerous attempts of cutting any ties he had with you
it was just that… you were stubborn. but not in a regular way, no. your stubbornness was much less invasive and annoying, and it manifested in your constant willingness to get closer to him
however, you never imposed yourself nor did you try convincing him! you were just visiting wangshu inn regularly, maybe tried striking up a conversation a few times, even just sitting in silence was enough for you
and because of all those actions he never felt overwhelmed by your presence! actually, after some time, he just got used to it and secretly started liking it
however, there was always this silent voice in the back of his head that he shouldn't be doing this and that he's forgetting himself
so definitely, when he slowly started thinking of you in that way at the very beginning he was IN SUCH A BIG DENIAL that it's almost unbelievable 
alright, he admitted it to himself, but swore to N E V E R talk to anyone about it, especially and above all, to you.
he just decided to act as if those feelings didn't exist, that's all. and it went like that for quite a long time unfortunately… (at least you can be sure that he keeps his promises at all costs!!)
and after some time, when he was surprised that they didn't just go away, a certain thought crossed his mind…
he started thinking about what ifs and imagining what could happen if he theoretically decided to tell you about his feelings 
(he spent another few months on that though)
at some point he just couldn't look at you without seeing you both holding hands in his mind or stand next to you without the urge to put his hand on your shoulder (of course only in private, he would never do pda…)
but still, his karmic debt… 
he was so torn between those two thoughts (there were two wolves inside of him)
but as you expect, after months of his internal struggling, and your consistency in getting closer to him and encouraging him to open up, he let his feelings win for once in his long life
(take good care of him because he deserves it)
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⌞⌑ cythiraeth - 23.11.2023. please, do not copy, claim as yours or share outside tumblr! ⌑⌝
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walliedarling · 1 year
Text
You are transported into an unfamiliar, colour-soaked world, with nothing except the clothes covering your skin and a pounding headache. When you stray into the first village you find, you look nothing like the people there. But though you think your body and your ways must seem monstrous to them, they take you in with nothing except acceptance. 
Or: You are transported to Home as a human, and the rest of the inhabitants are puppets. 
Frank is always frustrated when he’s as stumped by something as the rest of his neighbours. He’s supposed to be the one with the answers, after all. But no matter how hard he tries, he simply cannot classify you into a single genus existing in this world. Your bodies are, at least in general shapes, similar enough. And yet, the texture of your skins are entirely different, and you have things in your mouth you refer to as ‘teeth’ that he is entirely unfamiliar with. The fact that you call yourself an adult, and yet have parts of your body that are still growing, is strange to him as well. Even if it’s just your hair and ‘nails’, none of their bodies do anything similar. After the realization that your closest match would be a tree, rather than anything talking, he simply gives up on coming up with a conclusive answer. You deserve a category of your own. 
The first noticeable difference is, of course, the differing amount of fingers. Julie decides, lightheartedly, that this gives you an unfair advantage in arts and crafts! So many things are easier... She’d like to have an extra finger to crochet with as well, really!! Besides that, she’s absolutely fascinated with your hair and how it feels- She’ll want to try doing all kinds of different things with it.
You’re going to be glomped by Sally more times than you can count. It’s much easier for her to do so with you, you’re one of the few who doesn’t immediately topple over! There might have been the risk of one of the points of her stars poking you but, fortunately, they aren’t sharp at all. She tells everyone about how squishy you are and, soon enough, you’ve given almost everyone a hug. 
Barnaby, for a day or two, makes it his life’s mission to try and lift you up. But though he towers over you in height, he simply can’t lift you off of the ground at all! (It doesn’t matter how much you weigh. It’s simply impossible for people made out of fleece, stuffing and foam to lift a person of flesh and blood.) He asks you whether you’re filled with rocks or not, and while you say that you aren’t, you’re not sure if he entirely believes you. Every resident has their own theory of what’s ‘inside’ of you, you think. 
Wally is the one of who is most curious about you, though. He asks you lots and lots of questions, and is especially fascinated by the way you eat. He won’t stop staring. One of the first few things that he’ll ask you if he can draw you. He’s more intrigued by the sound of your heartbeat than he’ll ever directly tell you, and he tries to press his ear to your chest when he gives you a hug. After seeing you get a minor cut once, Wally has become convinced that one of the things that makes up your body is red paint. Perhaps he’ll ask you if he can use some to draw with, one day.
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dulcesiabits · 3 months
Text
how to let you go.
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summary: in every life, casper is sent to take your soul as punishment.
notes: 2.4k words, author's notes, angst, casper calls reader beautiful if anyone doesn't like that descriptive term
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You were still as beautiful as the day Casper lost you.
This was his punishment, born for centuries. It was also his salvation, to see you again, as radiant as life itself, your mouth crinkling into a smile, and your easy, effortless movements. To you, this was just another day, where you were young and careless and so sure of your own life, as if not even jealous death could steal you away. 
Before Casper had undergone his mission, his coworkers had asked if he would be able to recognize you. Their eyes crinkled in that familiar gesture of pity, apprehension, and slight condescension, as they had looked at him for the past hundreds of years since his initial sin.
“Even if their soul is the same, they’re going to look different. They won’t even remember you,” one had said. “They might not even love you again. What’s the point?”
“I still love them,” he said shortly, standing abruptly. “And their soul is mine to take. That’s the point.”
His coworkers had shook their heads. A hopeless case, they called him. “He used to be the best, and look what happened. He went and fell for his own target.”
Let them talk. The gossip had never abated no matter how many years passed. No one would understand, and he didn’t need them to.
Now, Casper watched you walk below from his perch on a nearby roof. You were so beautiful. Where were you off to? Perhaps to see a friend. Or back off to your apartment. There was a drink in your hand, which made his mission that much easier if he had an excuse to talk to you. He absorbed the sight of you for only a few seconds more. Time to start.
He leapt down softly, just a few paces in front of you, and unveiled his glamor. With no room to maneuver around him, you bumped into him, your drink sloshing onto his shirt. Tea soaked into his clothes, and you stumbled backwards– though he grabbed your arm before you could fall.
“Oh shit! I’m so sorry,” you said. “Are you okay? I should have been more careful.”
“I’m fine,” he said. “It’s not like I got burnt.”
“Let me make it up to you. I think there’s a laundromat nearby– uh, how much did your shirt cost? I think stains don’t show that much on black fabric, but I could pay if you needed me to.” 
“Are you sure you could afford it?” he said, eyebrows raising.
You chuckled nervously. “Well… maybe not… Still! I’d like to make it up to you! Here, let me give you my number.” You fished a pen out from your bag, but groaned. “Shit, I don’t have any paper in here.”
“Just write it on my hand,” he said, holding out his hand, palm out.
“Okay. Okay, let me do it.” You pressed the pen lightly to his skin, scribbling your number on his palm. “I live close by, so if you ever want to meet up to talk about this some more…”
“So do I,” Casper said. “In fact, I live in that building over there.” He pointed to a squat apartment building on the block, and your eyes widened.
“No way! I live there, too. We’re neighbors,” you said admiringly. “What a coincidence.”
Casper smiled, as if he hadn’t arranged to live in your building himself. “I suppose so.”
You nodded. “It’s like fate. Like we were meant to meet, or something.” You flushed. “Oh, I’m not trying to hit on you or anything– unless, you’d like that? Ah– Sorry. I literally just knocked my drink all over you.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” he murmured, his own ears turning pink. “If it was from you.”
“How flirtatious,” you said, fanning yourself with your hand. Cute.
“I’m not normally this forward with strangers. Maybe it’s just you,” he said.
You wiggled your eyebrows. “So I’m special? That’s really nice to hear. You know how to charm a person.”
Ah, here it was again: your smile. Your laughter. Your teasing. This was what his coworkers didn’t understand; Casper would have plunged into despair, again and again, if only for your touch to lift him right back out of it.
The next few weeks passed in a haze of happiness. This was his respite: the moments between meeting you and taking your soul, when he could just bask in your warmth like the sun. After the initial meeting, you opened up to him like a flower. Though he had to initiate the first few meetings, after a while, it was you who badgered him constantly to come over to watch a new show, or just to have dinner together.
“This is like, weird, but sometimes I feel like I’ve known you for a long time,” you confided in him once. “I know we didn’t even meet that long ago, but you feel familiar to me. Is that crazy to say?”
“I think you’re just hitting on me,” he accused. “Just say you were captivated by my endless charm.”
“Charm?” you scoffed, batting a pillow at him. “What charm? You’re so full of yourself.”
“You’re into it,” he said.
You stuck your tongue out at him. “You wish. I just put up with you so I can hang out with Azrael!” To emphasize your point, you picked up his plushie, hugging him tight to your chest.
“Hey! Azrael is mine,” he complained, and you burst into laughter as he tried to gently tug the plushie out of your grip.
For a beautiful few weeks, he could exist by your side, like an ordinary mortal man would do for the one he loved. Casper drank in your smile, the easy way the two of you fell into routine. He had done this a thousand times, and each time, it was as effortless as two puzzle pieces slotting in together. The only place he truly belonged was by your side, and each time, though your body didn’t remember, your soul did. 
“Casper!” He heard you before he saw you. You ran and tackled him in a hug, arms wrapping his waist. He staggered under your weight, before effortlessly wrapping his arms around you and righting himself. His heart pounded under the proximity of your warmth and nearness.
“You almost killed me,” he said.
“You survived!” 
“What’s with the rush?” he asked, raising a hand to stroke circles on your back. You were in the apartment hallway, and he lowered his voice in case someone could hear.
“Eh… I can’t just hug you because I like you?”
“There’s always another motive with you,” he said.
“Well…” you pulled back, batting your eyelashes at him mischievously. “I can’t just miss you?”
“Ah, now we’re talking sense. You just couldn’t stay away from me.”
Your eyes turned serious. “Well, what if I couldn’t? What if I liked being by your side?”
His hands stilled. Your gaze stirred a storm in his heart. As it had before, and as it would in the future. “Then I would say that… I wouldn’t dislike that.”
“You should just be honest and say that you like spending time with me,” you teased.
He let out a little sigh, heat rising to his face. “Maybe I do.”
What was he to do? Was there any way to prolong this moment, to stretch it into infinity, so he could hold you for the rest of time?
Like any dream, his time with you had to come to an end. And like with every dream, Casper had to shatter it to pieces with his own hands.
On a starlit night, after you had convinced him to sneak onto the roof with you (“It’s easy! They leave the rooftop door unlatched!”), your face remained immobile in the darkness as he confessed his sins to you. 
“I was sent to take your soul,” he explained calmly. “I’ve always been sent to kill you, to reap your soul, in every life. It’s my punishment, you could say.”
Your lips parted, unbelieving. “Punishment? For what?”
“For loving you,” he said. “And for you returning my affections.”
“That’s not fair.”
“There’s no fairness in life. The only fairness is in death.”
In the darkness, he can’t make out your expression, but the light reflects in your eyes like miniature suns.
“So you’ve had to kill me, just because we fell in love? That’s not okay,” you protested. “How… how many times have you and I…?”
Casper looked up at the sky, as if the stars could tell him the answer. They only winked down coldly at him. “I’ve lost count. It’s been hundreds of years.”
“Hundreds...” you said. “And you… you say you’ve loved me all that time? Why? I mean, I can’t be the same person as you first fell for. Why would you do all of this for me?”
“Because it’s you,” he said simply. “I’ll always fall in love with you, even if I try to stay away. In every life, in every time, I’ll make that decision.”
“You must have been lonely,” you said. You hugged him, pulling him into your arms. You felt like a lighthouse, mooring him in the dark waters of the night.
“Aren’t you mad at me? I just confessed to killing you in every life.”
“I don’t know,” you said honestly. “I’m just thinking that this sucks. This sucks so fucking much, but I… I’ve always felt like I’ve known you, ever since we met. I guess that feeling makes a lot more sense now.” You took a breath, as if you were steeling yourself. “And, you know what, this is crazy, but I think something in me has always been waiting for you. It’s like something just clicked when you showed up. But even if it wasn’t for our freaky soul connection, I chose this, you know?” You ran a hand lovingly through his hair, delicately kissing a strand. “I chose to love you.”
“Then what do you want to do?” he whispered. Here it was again, the choice he offered you in every life.
“Let’s run away,” you said resolutely. “Let’s run away for as long as we can. I want to stay with you. I mean, you’ve been waiting for me forever, right? Then we have to make the most of this time.”
And there it was, the answer that never wavered, no matter how many times he asked you this question. Your answer glittered like a precious gem which Casper held reverentially. No matter who you became, or what happened, your soul remained the same. You always chose him.
“You’ll still die in the end,” he warned. “No one lives forever. They will send people after us.”
“Then let them. I mean…” you pulled the lapels of his jacket, so you could stare into his eyes. “You know what, Casper? Being loved so much by death is kinda romantic. Besides, if I’m gonna die anyways, I might as well enjoy myself. If someone has to take my soul, then I want it to be you, okay? No one else.”
“Okay,” he breathed, and then you kissed him, and it felt like a thousand galaxies bursting to life in his heart. Overhead, a star streaked across the sky like a tear.
Casper already knew how your story would end. It would end as it had done a thousand times before, with the two of you being caught, upon which he would be forced to take your soul yet again. But in this endlessly repeating cycle, all that truly mattered was this moment: your lips on his, and a kiss that burned brighter than the sun.
In the first life, in your final moments, you had looked at him so tenderly, even though he had been the one who doomed you. You, who had been loved by death, had paid the price for it.
“I’m going to curse you,” you whispered. You held his hands in a way he had never deserved, clutching them close to you like a lifeline.
“Sunshine…” he said. You were the ones clinging on to his hands, but he was the one who tightened his grip, because this was the only road that led to you. Tears fell, against his will, splattering onto your face. 
“My cute little reaper…” you said weakly. “You’re not allowed to forget me, do you understand? No matter who else you kill. No matter who you met. Even if you fall in love again. You have to remember me. Carry me with you everywhere, do you understand?”
“Why are you saying this to me?” Casper whispered. His voice shook, as fragile as a spring bud which had sprouted during the winter, with no protection from the frost. A sprout, always reaching for the sky above, even as its roots numbed and its leaves blackened, because what else was there to do, but long for what one couldn’t have?
You smiled like the sun, even when your life was draining out of you. “Because I’m cursing you, silly. If you kill me now, then I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your life. You’re mine.”
You let out a strangled breath, and it was time for you to go. Casper tugged the last of your soul out of your body. There was a slight resistance, as if your soul was still clinging to its home, before like strings snapping, your soul slipped pliantly into his hands. You jerked, eyes shuttering closed, your mouth slack, like an empty house with no one to warm its halls any longer.
Still, Casper tugged your body closer to him, arms wrapping around you, as if his cold skin could somehow prevent your skin from cooling. As if, with enough force, he could tether you to him again.
“I’m yours,” he whispered, even as your head lolled back. “I’m yours, Sunshine. I promise. So haunt me. Don’t let me forget you. Curse me, again and again. You’re so selfish. So, so selfish.” His hands trembled, and he placed a feather light kiss on your lips. “You’ve claimed me, so you better make good on your words. You– you have to come back. No matter what.”
A kiss, then another. He would be punished. He knew this. You would be punished, too. But no matter if a hundred years passed, or a thousand, Casper would never forget you. Even if your bones turned to dust. Even if your name was lost to history. Even if no one remembered that you existed, and the earth forgot the touch of your steps, he would love you. He would love you, and chase you to the ends of eternity. 
For he was death, and you were his mortal, and this was how death loved best.
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little-pondhead · 9 months
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[inspired roughly by this post. My brain snails started going nuts so I thought it'd be easier to post this separately :)]
It was a lovely day in Gotham. Well, as lovely as it could be. The sun was up, peeking through the overhead cloud cover and making the buildings gleam in the rare sunlight. The air was fresher than usual, and faucets ran clear of strange and unusual toxins.
Somewhere in the Upper East Side, in a little neighborhood tucked away from the rest of the city, marched around the new boss of the area. She was a young girl, just barely in high school. But despite it being the middle of a work day, she wandered around her chosen streets, content to do whatever she wanted. Above her, a pair of siblings watched on and discussed the unique situation.
"So let me get this straight: that fourteen-year-old goth girl is a crime boss?"
Mia smiled at Leon, her older brother, and his dumbfounded expression as they rested on her balcony. "She's fifteen, actually. Her birthday just passed. We all got together and threw a block party for her!"
"You know how insane that sounds, right?" Leon turned to her, a bit miffed that she dared to say those words to his face. "She's a kid. Why do you all listen to her?"
Mia shrugged and sipped her beer. "She does good work. Holds her own pretty well, and the kid has connections. Good ones, too. That can be the difference between life and death in Gotham."
Leon rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I just don't get it. How did she end up in this line of work? Do child labor laws even apply here?? Why aren't the Bats doing anything?"
"Don't think about it too much, dipshit." Mia crushed her now-empty beer can in her hand and tucked it into a paper garbage bag hanging off of a hook on the balcony rail. A familiar set of green arrows was printed on the side.
"And now you're recycling?!" Leon realized. "When did you start doing that, Mia??"
The woman shrugged and got up, stretching. "Probably around the time Brambles absolutely reamed out Mrs. Zalinski for littering at the park."
"Wait, who's Brambles?" Leon scrambled upright and followed his sister inside.
Mia laughed. "Brambles is our fifteen-year-old crime boss!"
...
"I can't believe you got a cool name right off the bat," Danny grumbled, flopping onto Sam's bed face-first. Sam smirked and shoved him off with her foot. Danny just squawked and let himself ragdoll to the ground.
"It's your fault for not having a better gimmick." She said to his prone body. "Besides, it could've been worse."
"I think Inviso-Bill is the worst possible nickname for anyone." Danny groaned. "But you got something cool immediately. Who even thought up 'Brambles'? That's such a unique name!"
"Well the kids call you Grim; that's pretty cool."
Danny flopped over, twisting himself much farther than any human was supposed to just so he could glare at her face. "They only call me that cause one of the is obsessed with Harry Potter." He grumbled, pouting.
Sam just rolled her eyes and went back to sorting through piles of papers scattered all across her duvet. Since moving to Gotham several months ago, Sam had taken it upon herself to turn the experience into something useful rather than just moping all the time, as she originally wanted to. That 'something useful' had landed her as the newest crime boss in Gotham, with about a third of the Upper East Side as her current territory.
So many problems had popped up in the last year, and the group had decided that taking it on alone would never work. The GIW had been trying to close Amity's borders, Danny's parents had a scientific breakthrough, tensions in the Realms were high, etc. There was a lot on their plate! Sam's solution was to create a foothold in Gotham City. She would lay the foundations for Jazz to work in Arkham and forge a safer environment for the residents of Amity Park to sneak off to if the GIW went too far. She was essentially weaving a cushion for everyone to fall back on.
Danny, using the power of duplication, was splitting his focus between foiling his parent's plans and resolving issues with his rouges to create a united front. He was the main distraction, and Sam's own heavy hitter when she needed help establishing dominance.
Tucker planned to gather intel with the help of Technus and Jazz. They were trying to gather as much evidence as possible so they'd be in the clear when the whistle blew. The GIW would crash and burn, legally speaking. They were the bugs of the operation, spreading themselves thin and hoarding information like it was candy.
Dani was their wild card, their jester. She was keeping the JLD's attention focused solely on her and all the supernatural hijinks she was stirring up. When the time was right, she'd point them in the direction needed and let them loose. After winding them up so much, the hope was that the Justice League Dark would descend upon the GIW like hellfire.
But those were their future plans. Right now, Sam was in possession of specific files from Arkham Asylum and the GCPD. She was looking for anything to give her an edge in the upcoming meeting with a few other crime bosses. Some annual thing they host to renew Goonion contracts, see who's still alive, and examine how much the territory lines have changed. Stuff like that. Red Hood was supposed to be there, and she knew she needed an ironclad defense against him and his nosy colony of Bats.
Danny untwisted himself all of a sudden, making a weird face. "Sorry, got to go." He apologized. "Vlad just showed up to my house."
Sam waved him off. "Go, I'll be fine for today. Just be on time for the meeting on Friday. And I want you, not a double."
"You got it!" Danny did finger guns at her and promptly melted into a pile of green goo. Right on her bedroom floor!
Sam sighed and got up to throw a towel over the puddle. The ectoplasm would evaporate eventually, returning to the original Danny little by little. But for now, this would keep anyone from asking about it until it was all gone.
Sometimes she really hated living in student dorms. People always felt the need to burst into her room for no reason.
Who even made dorm rooms for high schoolers in the first place??
...
Jason couldn't help but stare at the new recruit.
Well, 'new recruit' wasn't exactly accurate. 'Potential to be the most headache-inducing supervillain' was more like it. Standing at a solid 5'10" with platform boots, Brambles, the newest crime lord who had taken over half of the Upper East Side in under four months, was almost tall enough to look him in the eye straight on. Which she tried to do anyways, tilting her chin up oh-so-slightly (in that stupid way aristocrats do when they want to look down at you) and glaring at him with open hostility.
Brambles was young, way too young to be in this line of business. At the start of the annual underground crime meeting (yes, they couldn't come up with a better name), she had announced that she was fifteen, went by she/her, and would snap the dick off of anyone who looked at her funny. Most everyone laughed at her, thinking it was an empty threat. Brambles proved it wasn't by sucker-punching a younger lieutenant who tried to get handsy with her five minutes into the meeting.
When the lieutenant's boss protested and threatened a gang war, Brambles had snapped her fingers and summoned what could only be a fucking pit demon from the depths of hell to threaten the man back. The creature looked like a teenager, just like Brambles, at first. But it was...off. The longer you looked, the worse it got.
It wore a draping black cloak that covered most of its body, with the ends turning to mist when it reached the floor. It had a pale, young face and white hair. Its eyes glowed just like Brambles', except they were a toxic green that made Jason's heart skip a beat in fear. The creature was snarling, with a fucking muzzle on it to keep its sharp teeth away from wandering fingers.
With a nod from Brambles, the creature bounded forward and knocked the guy to the floor, its arm elbow-deep into the guy's chest. The dude looked terrified, and a little sick "Would you rather lose a lieutenant or your life?" She had snarled, sounding almost a bit demonic herself. The other boss had backed down without another word, writing off his subordinate as dead and gone.
Instead of killing the guy, however, Brambles simply banished her little guard dog to a corner of the warehouse to play with its new toy in peace.
"Is she allowed to do that?" Someone whispered.
"They weren't unionized, so the Goonion won't say anything." Another answered.
It was the most awkward meeting in the history of the criminal underworld. No one even died since they were all focused on the newcomer.
Jason could feel a headache forming as the meeting came to an end. Brambles was still sitting in her chair. The creature had grown bored of its toy and was leaning against her, sprawled out lazily and barely flicking an ear at the onlookers in acknowledgment. A few people were idling around her, mostly women, trying to talk some big game and get on the kid's good side. Brambles was humoring them, taking tight control of the conversation when they got too prying.
Jason sighed. He knew he'd have to go over and have a talk with the kid, even if it was just for Bruce's files. He hauled himself upwards and stalked over. "Pardon me, ladies and gents, but I'm going to borrow the kiddo here for a moment."
The creature hissed at him, tensed at his approach. Brambles kept a tight grip on the back of its muzzle, keeping it grounded. The other criminals scattered like flies. They were the only two (three?) left in the warehouse within minutes.
Bramble rose to glare at him. "What." She spat. "If you're here to convince me not to get involved with anything, I will set Grim on your ass after lighting it on fire."
The creature, Grim, growled in agreement. The sound echoed strangely like he was hearing it from underwater.
"Relax, I'm not here to do any of that." Jason raised his hands in surrender, immediately abandoning that possible line of thought. "I'm just here to talk business. You're young, and while you don't want to admit it, inexperienced."
"Stop the fancy words, Red Hood." Brambles' eyes glowed again, and she released her hold on Grim's muzzle. "If you want to make a deal, say it to my face. If you're here to dig for information, either ask me or hit the road. I prefer honesty over flower talk, so tell me what you want before I take over your area, too."
Jason bristled. His vision was tinted green as he snapped, "What the fuck is your problem, kid?! I just wanted to make sure you were safe and not being forced to do this. I was even going to offer my support and protection if it was too much! I know you aren't going to stop, but that doesn't mean I want a kid to die just because they got into something they shouldn't and they think their fancy guard dog will always be there to protect them!"
Brambles' eyes stopped glowing, and her stare softened a bit. Grim went deadly still, just floating there, staring at Jason. His heart beat like crazy in his chest. What was he saying? It was all true, but he could've been nicer about it. Dick would've found a way to be nicer.
-krrrk- "Ibis, reporting in. I think you can trust him, guys. Even if he's a Bat, his connections and experience would be useful in our plans. Ibis out." -krrrk-
Jason flinched from the sudden noise, looking around to find the source. It sounded like it had come from everywhere, even inside his own helmet. Brambles immediately switched out her hostile look for an annoyed one, tapping an earpiece he hadn't noticed before.
"Ibis, you really have to stop opening up our comm lines to the public." She snapped, but there was no real heat to it. "And I thought I told you to stop eavesdropping!"
-krrrk- "Sorry, can't help it. I'm everywhere now! You shouldn't have given me this power." -krrrk-
Grim hissed.
-krrrk- "Don't hiss at me, young man! You were the one who suggested this!" -krrrk-
"I'm sorry, time out!" Jason made a T with his hands. The green from his vision had completely disappeared now. "What the FUCK is going on now?"
Brambles sighed, rubbing her temples. "You know what? Fine. We'll trust you. My name is Sam. Nice to meet you, Jason Todd."
Jason stepped back, immediately reaching for his gun. Grim darted forward and promptly flew through him, stealing all his weapons in one go. "I'm Danny!" Grim-Danny?-chirped in a human voice, giving him a shit-eating smile. "Sorry for the act, Mr. Hood. And sorry about the name drop, I'm the one that told them."
-krrrk- "I'm Tucker! There are more of us, but they're busy. I have literally so many questions for you, Mr. Hood." -krrrk-
"Now that introductions are over-Danny don't eat his smoke bombs, you're not gonna look like Dorathea-we'd like your help."
Jason squinted at them. "You understand this is all suspicious as fuck, right? And how did a pit demon find out who I am?"
-krrrk- "Yeah, we know. But lives are on the line here, and I think you'd really be a help!" -krrrk-
Brambles-Sam-sighed and pulled out a flash drive. "I was going to use this as leverage, but I guess it'll have to be useful in other ways." She tossed it to Jason, who numbly caught it. "Look over it if you want. If you don't, then just burn it. Do not try to plug it into the Batcomputer. Don't try to send it to the Batcomputer, either. A virus will target that specific IP address as soon as it makes contact. Any other computer is fine."
"Look it over, and we can go from there," Danny added, spinning in midair while chomping on one of Jason's knives. (His good one, too!) "And I'm not a pit demon, but I am dead. That's how I knew about you. Whatever brought you back to life gave the Realms a real headache for a while. It wasn't hard to look you up in the records."
"This is so much information. Lives are on the line? And two, three kids are dealing with it? By becoming crime bosses?"
-krrrk- "Technically, Sam's the only crime boss here. And that was kind of an accident. She was supposed to create a safe foothold in Gotham in case we needed to evacuate our town. But we all got cool nicknames out of it! And you're the only adult we've told this stuff to!" -krrrk-
"I'm what?"
"The only adult." Sam's unwavering gaze seemed to pierce his soul. "There are quite literally no other adults that can help, Red Hood. None that we trust, not really. Any adult intervention needs to be planned carefully so it doesn't backfire on us. We're trusting you here, Jason. Not only are you like us, which technically puts you in danger too, but you have power and connections to support a whole town of people the government wants to eradicate."
Jason looked at the little green flash drive in his hand. He didn't want to ask. "And this...?"
"A fruit basket," Sam said simply. "Originally, it was supposed to be blackmail. But instead, this is a present to show our goodwill and faith. To show you our skills. That drive contains information on other gangs, upcoming rogue attacks, chemical breakdowns of Joker Venom and Fear Gas, unfinished antidote formulas, etc. Tucker and his team scoured the underbelly of Gotham and gathered dirt on every single prominent figurehead. Including Bruce Wayne, should you choose to use it."
"I would never-"
"But you've thought about it." Danny cut in and scratched his neck. Jason's hands shook. "It's not a bad thing. It's just the nature of the dead. Wanting to right the wrongs left over from their time with the living. Even if you walk and breathe now, that doesn't mean desire disappears."
"The point is, we need help. Even if I'm loathe to admit it." Sam rolled her eyes, and suddenly, Jason didn't see a potential supervillain in the making. He saw a teenager trying her best, shouldering the responsibility of hundreds of people, both in Gotham and her hometown. Danny looked the same, no matter how other-worldly he was. What battles were they facing? Why weren't there any adults to turn to? What kind of lives were they leading if they immediately trusted a known crime lord with their lives upon the first meeting?
"I'll think about it." Jason finally said. Danny trilled in excitement, and some tension bled out of Sam's shoulders. "If the situation is bad enough, however, I'm calling in someone else for help."
Danny shrugged. "As long as it ain't Batman! I don't think he'll appreciate us smuggling a town of liminals into his city."
Sam poked Danny's shoulder, prompting him to look at her. "Let's go, before you break his brain with more info-dumping. Bye Red Hood!"
"Uh, yeah. Goodbye!" Jason stuttered. He watched the two kids walk towards the exit door, before shimmering out of sight before they even touched the handle.
What the fuck.
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ladylokilaufeyson5 · 28 days
Text
Where The Shadows Dance - The Bodyguard (ii)
Bodyguard!Azriel x AutumnDaughter!Reader
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CHAPTER II: The Bodyguard
SUMMARY: The Night Court must decide who shall remain to protect the Daughter of Autumn, while also getting to know the princess with a fiery soul.
WARNINGS: More misogyny! yay! mentions of alcohol, tw: beron (we all hate him its ok), people talking shit behind y/n's back, probably swearing i can't remember (also i just swore in the warning so like... it's possible), daddy issues!
NOTE: once again special thank you to my moots @icey--stars and @fieldofdaisiies for reading over my work! <33
WORDS: 2K
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Sitting in the quarters Beron had assigned to the Night Court guests, the inner circle debated how to approach this situation they had found themselves in. 
One of them was to play bodyguard for the Princess of the Autumn Court. Of course, there were many logistics to sort out, ranging from the most obvious one – who would be the assigned bodyguard – to smaller details, such as whether they needed more than one Night Court member to remain in Autumn.
“I’m telling you, they’re a bunch of snakes,” Cassian said firmly. “We can’t just leave one person behind. What if this is a ploy?”
“That is true,” Feyre mused, “but why bother to make a ploy at all? We fought in the war together, and an unprovoked attack against the Night Court would cause another war. And Beron must know that the other courts would be on our side.”
Amren sighed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with Cassian. We can’t trust these people.”
Azriel stayed silent, mulling it all over. It was all true — fighting for the same side in the war had brought the courts together, but then again, there were people like Eris and his brothers lurking in this court.
A soft knock on the door prompted everyone to look towards the sound. After a moment, the door opened, revealing Eris, a small smile on his face.
“It is lovely to see you all in a different scenery,” Eris commented after he had closed the door.
“Eris,” Rhysand greeted. “How can we help you?”
Eris went ahead and took a seat in a scarlet chair beside the fireplace, relaxing with ease. Azriel supposed it would be easier to do so now that he was in his own home, but the sight still frustrated the shadowsinger.
“I just wanted to see what you all thought of my father’s… proposition,” Eris said casually.
“Did you know?” Cassian questioned.
Eris shrugged. “I did tell you that it had something to do with my sister.”
“There was an attempt on her life, which you failed to mention,” Azriel stated.
Eris just smiled calmly. “Must have slipped my mind.”
This was exactly what Cassian had been talking about before, Azriel knew. They were cunning and sly in the Autumn Court, and that made them dangerous.
“Anything else that may have ‘slipped your mind’?” Azriel inquired.
Eris turned his gaze to the shadowsinger, a small smirk on his face. Azriel wanted to punch the male, and he remembered the feel of his neck beneath his hands, and how close he could have come to killing the heir before him. He sort of wished he had.
“My father has already chosen which member of your court he wants as Y/n’s bodyguard,” Eris revealed.
Azriel blinked. Despite the fact that Beron had given them the illusion of free choice, of course the male had already decided. After looking at Eris expectantly, Rhysand realised the male would not freely give up this information.
“Who?” the High Lord asked.
Eris glanced at Azriel. “The shadowsinger, of course.”
Everyone looked at Azriel, and the Illyrian wanted to shrink away from the attention. Why him? Yes, perhaps he appeared more gentlemanly than Cassian, as he knew how to keep his mouth shut, but what else? Yes, he was the Spymaster for the Night Court, but Cassian was the general of the armies. Amren terrified everyone, and yes, she’d be more than capable to be a bodyguard, but then again, Amren might kill the princess if she annoyed her.
“Why Azriel?” Rhys questioned.
Eris looked at the High Lord as if he was incompetent. “Is he not the most obvious choice? That one–” he nodded to Cassian, “–has already tainted a female promised to the Autumn Court.”
Rage, icy cold, flowed through Azriel at the implications behind Eris's words. ‘A female promised to the Autumn Court’ was very obviously Mor, and the entitlement in his tone…
“First of all, I have a mate–” Cassian growled, but Rhysand cut him off.
“Let's not argue,” the High Lord said firmly, although silent fury shone in his eyes at Eris's words. “We're all allies here.”
Eris rolled his eyes but said nothing more, and Cassian glared at the Autumn Court heir, clearly imagining all the ways he could rip him apart.
“Didn't Azriel try to kill you at the High Lord's meeting?” Amren mused.
Eris glowered at the female. “Well, we certainly can't have you here. Your mere presence makes the courtiers uneasy.”
“I did save your asses during the war,” Amren reminded him, but she seemed more than pleased that she still terrified people. 
Azriel let out a breath. He had guessed that it would be himself who would have to play bodyguard, but how could he do so when his job was one of utmost importance to the Night Court? Even now, with Nyx only half a year old, there were so many threats that needed to be uncovered and eliminated.
Azriel glanced at Rhysand and Feyre. Both had been reluctant to leave their son behind for a week, but they knew it would be much too dangerous to bring him to the Autumn Court. Nesta, Elain, and Mor had promised to take care of him while they were gone, and Nyx was probably having the time of his life with his Aunts.
What do you think? Rhys asked Azriel, mind to mind.
Azriel pondered his answer for a moment. I would be willing to do it, but to leave you without a Spymaster for the Cauldron knows how long…
I think we can manage for a little while, Rhys replied, a grin twinkling in his eyes.
Azriel nodded his confirmation. It was true — his court members were not truly useless without him. Just slightly disadvantaged, but they knew how to take care of themselves.
“I'll do it,” Azriel said aloud.
Cassian looked at his brother, eyes widened slightly with silent warning. Amren appeared disinterested in the conversation, but Azriel knew she was listening to every word. Eris simply nodded, as if he already knew Azriel would agree.
“Good,” Eris replied. “I will allow you to share the news with my father in your own time.”
The heir then got up and exited the room, leaving the Night Court members by themselves.
“I need a drink,” Amren muttered.
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The following week was a whirlwind. Every morning, afternoon, and evening, the Night Court members dined with the Autumn Court, and the Autumn Court members also showed them their home. It was mostly Y/n showing them around the palace and the grounds, with Autumn guards trailing closely behind.
Y/n was a different person when she was not around her father. She was much more talkative, and quick to joke and tease. After a few days, it was clear that Cassian adored the princess and her witty comebacks, and she clearly enjoyed the freedom of banter with him. It was almost as if they were destined to be best friends. But whenever any member of her family was present, she would go quiet, and exhibit “lady-like” speech and actions.
Azriel had heard many of the Autumn Court’s opinions of her through his shadows, and none of them were particularly fond. Wild, untamed, unlady-like, and irritating, were the words most commonly used to describe the princess in secret, but Azriel had a feeling she did not care what she thought about them. He could tell that she only cared what her father thought — perhaps not for praise, but rather in fear of punishment.
“So, have you decided which of you will be protecting me after this week?” she asked the Night Court members as they walked through the Royal apple orchard. The apples were the finest Azriel had ever tasted, and he wondered whether there was some kind of magic behind it to make them so.
“We have discussed it,” Rhysand replied, plucking an apple from a tree and handing it to his mate. Feyre took the apple with a smile.
Y/n sighed deeply. “I wish I could go to the Night Court with you. It sounds beautiful.”
While the Night Court members had told the princess a little bit about their home, the Autumn daughter was an avid reader, and had mentioned that she’d always been interested in The Night Court. She would read any book on their court a hundred times, and had learned about Starfall, Illyrians, and many other Night Court customs. When Rhys questioned her on the books she had read, she had become slightly evasive in her answers.
“I borrowed them,” Y/n had said casually.
Azriel had raised an eyebrow. “Borrowed, or stole?”
The grin the princess threw his way had set his heart racing, but he had no idea why. “I prefer the term 'mischievously possess.’”
Cassian had barked out a laugh, and even Amren had smiled slightly.
But as well as spending time with the princess, Azriel had other things to do. When she showed him the castle, he memorised it. He marked every exit, window, door, hiding place — everything. If he was to be her bodyguard, he would have to have the entire layout memorised. For her protection, but also for his. He didn’t doubt for one second that if he let his guard down, one of her brothers, maybe even Eris himself, would try to stab him in the back. Literally.
Eventually, the week came to an end, and the members of the Night Court gathered in the Autumn Court throne room. Azriel supposed that bonds had been slightly strengthened between the courts, but not by much. Mistrust was hard to get rid of, especially when there were centuries and generations of it.
“We have come to a decision,” Rhy told Beron, his hands resting in his pockets. “And my High Lady and I shall allow you to employ one of my warriors as your daughter’s bodyguard.”
Beron nodded, his gaze flicking to Azriel for a brief moment before going back to Rhys. “And have you decided which warrior shall be protecting my daughter?”
That glance told Azriel that Eris had been telling the truth. Beron hoped that it was the shadowsinger who would be playing bodyguard, and it made sense now. Although what didn’t make sense was the fact that Eris had not lied.
“Azriel shall remain behind to guard your daughter,” Rhys promised. 
“Wonderful,” Beron said with a nod. “Thank you for this, Rhysand. The Autumn Court shall never forget this favour.”
Rhys nodded at the High Lord, and both of them shook hands, their goodbye quick and brief. The Night Court's goodbyes to Azriel were lengthy in comparison.
“Stay safe,” Rhys told Az, clapping him on the back. “Our mental bridge will be open at all times. Let me know if there’s any trouble.”
“You act as if I can’t take care of myself,” Azriel replied, a half smirk on his face.
Rhys rolled his eyes and brought his brother into a hug, the eyes on them be damned. When Rhys pulled away, Cassian was there next, squeezing the shadowsinger into a hug that nearly crushed his bones.
“I’ll miss you, Azzie,” Cassian whispered in Azriel’s ear, which set him scowling. Cassian grinned and pulled away, Feyre replacing him. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek in farewell, and before Az knew it, the Night Court disappeared into the void, leaving him alone in the Autumn Court.
TAGLIST: @honeybee54321 @marigold-morelli @lucky7rosie @itsswritten @paankhaleyaar @bubybubsters @5onedirection5 @lilah-asteria @sheblogs @thelov3lybookworm @blushingfawnsposts @thisiskaylin @morganisheree @sleepylunarwolf @bakananya @bookishbroadwaybish @namelesssaviour @glitterypirateduck @sfhsgrad-blog @ash-mcj @feyres-fireheart @ib525 @azrielswhore @copenhagenspirit @eternallyelvish @teenagellamaangel @thisiskaylin @littleladdty
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luvring · 4 months
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I LOVE YOU (NOT IN A CLICHÉ WAY)
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akaashi x gn!reader | a love letter from him to you! i forgot i wrote this for myself as a supposed birthday surprise so. i guess that worked out for me
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the thing about clichés is that at some point, you stop feeling anything at the sight of them.
yearning, infatuation, love so tender and whole that it wrapped around someone completely and sunk deep, deep, deep into their skin and bones, into their veins where they felt it was the same as the oxygen already flowing through—i need you like i need air to breathe.
the same idea repeated over and over until the point of akaashi’s current existence—where he sits, favourite blue gel pen in hand, with at least seven crumpled pieces of paper in the bin next to his desk and the light of his lamp more of a headache than anything—until it no longer feels like enough for whatever he feels for you.
he curses every film and novel for making oxygen too little, too mundane of a comparison for how fundamental you are to his existence.
five hours. five hours he’s been sitting here, reading poetry and writing drafts and bullet points of what he wanted to say, utterly failing at writing a single coherent paragraph. but he couldn’t afford to fail, not this time. this birthday was more important than any other before—it was the first of your birthdays together as a couple.
definitely not the first together, period. keiji thinks if he didn’t meet you when he was thirteen, he’d have turned out to be someone completely different.
and after so many years, everything about you came naturally to him. it was to the point that other friends and acquaintances had come up to him before with questions about gifts for you. you already had a mug with that design, you weren’t a fan of the shirt’s texture, and you could be picky about art of that character, but he could send some of your favourite artists for reference. the person who knew you best, second to no one but you, was akaashi keiji.
he has been since you were fifteen years old.
so the fact that he’s sat here for hours, failing, is a blemish on his record.
he refuses to call it a phenomenon because that word makes it seem so grand, when in reality his situation makes him so incredibly frustrated it was more of a curse. it was an ugly, annoying, unbelievable stain on his identity and soul because for fuck’s sake, shouldn’t it be easier now as your boyfriend?
not only does he know your different laughs and the way your lips wobble while you try to hide it, now he knows how it feels when you try to stifle the noise in the crook of his neck, a smile pressed against his skin. he knows the feeling of your fingers intertwined between his while walking through the farmer’s market, and raking through his hair after he’s showered while it’s soft and fluffy the way you adore. he knows the taste of your favourite lip balm against his lips, what it sounds like when you hum or giggle as you’re pressed against his body and your arms are wrapped around his neck. he could pick you out in a line up of people blindfolded if asked, just by the way you hugged him.
it should be easier for him than anyone else, because you weren’t just his oxygen—you were part of him.
but even that was another cliché.
keiji lets his head hit the desk, hands coming up to pull at the roots of his hair while a loud groan escapes his lips.
“should i learn how to bake?” he mutters to himself before grimacing. “watch me bake a cake and give the love of my life food poisoning. incredible plan. what the hell is in a cake? what would i even put on it? awful cursive lettering?”
no one talked about the pressure that came with the first birthday in a relationship. why is this not a more pressing specific situation for newly dating people? why did no one tell him he’d feel like a heavy rock rested on his chest at the thought of disappointing you not only as a friend but as a boyfriend. he thinks he could die.
he can’t, won’t, die, but you’ll get home from your friend’s place in only a couple of hours and he’s running out of time (not really. he’s doing this a week early, but he set a schedule for himself and it’s the principle of the thing.)
“fuck it,” he murmurs. “whatever, whatever. let what happens happen, and if it’s bad i’ll just…internally die.”
resolute, keiji puts his pen to the page and starts writing before the ink can bleed.
hi.
i’ve written drafts of this too many times already. maybe i shouldn’t tell you that so it seems like i’m a natural romantic, but it probably doesn’t surprise you that i’ve crumpled up a lot of paper in the last couple of hours because i tried avoiding being too cliché. but if i’m being honest i love you so much it feels like a cliché in and of itself. so i guess i’ll just lean into it and write whatever comes to mind.
i love you. i love you. i love you. i love you.
i love waking up to you every morning. i love cooking breakfast with you. i love wearing the “kiss the chef” apron kuroo gave us so i have an excuse to ask for a kiss on the cheek, even though i know you’d kiss me without it.
i love listening to you talk about your day and seeing the photos you took with friends. i love when you send me pictures while you’re out and ask what i think about your outfit. sorry i’m bad at knowing what to say, i’m really not lying when i say i think you always look nice. i know that isn’t super helpful when you’re being indecisive, but i hope i’ve gotten better over the years? i feel like i have but if you want to disagree i guess i’ll accept since it’s your birthday.
i love when you ask if i want to go out somewhere with you. i love sending you places and things i think you’ll enjoy. i love seeing how excited you get and i love surprising you with them a few weeks later. i love seeing our gifts for each other and souvenirs around the apartment every day i come home.
i love taking care of you, even when you think i shouldn’t, when you think you’re a burden for me. i’ll do the chores when you’re tired. i’ll get in the bath with you and wash and dry you, no matter how long it takes. i’ll dress you if you ask me to, let you steal my bracelets and slippers when you want them. i’ll make sure the bed is cold but the blanket is warm so you can cuddle beside me. i love being the person you come home to, and i hope i make it worthwhile every time.
you’ve always been there to remind me you love me, even when i think you shouldn’t, that it’s impossible that you do. so i hope you know i feel the same way about you, that i’ll love you despite what your head might say, and even if the world would end because of it.
i love being with you. even after a decade together, i only love you more and more.
and i do need you like oxygen. i need you like plants need the sun. you’re my favourite person, you’re my safe place, you’re my home. you’re my better half and your own person that just happens to fit with me. you’re my soulmate and also someone i was just lucky enough to meet. you fit every possible cliché and trope i can think of. every single one is true, which makes me think maybe you’re the kind of person old poets and writers were inspired by. they’re not around though, so i hope i can be enough.
happy birthday :) i’d say i hope we only get to spend more together, but at this point you couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried. (please don’t try though i’ll cry.) so instead, i hope every birthday is as warm and bright as you. i hope you remember i’m here with you, and always will be. every midnight you get a little older, all the way until the end. as cliché as all of this might sound, i love you forever,
keiji writes your name especially careful, making sure it sits perfectly on the line and each pen stroke is clean. then he draws a little heart beside you before signing off with his own name, and letting out a deep breath. his fingers tremble a little when he finally puts the pen down.
there’s blue ink on his hand, and he thinks there might be some on his temple from forgetting to unclick his pen. but it’s a problem for nightly routine keiji to wash off, not him now.
the letter would sit in a gift bag for another week, but then it would be in your hands. it wasn’t proofread—he could have spelt his own name wrong at the end and no one would know until then. but he can’t bring himself to reread it this time. maybe because he’s tired or doesn’t want to feel cheesy, maybe so it feels more romantic, more raw. maybe because at the end of the day, whether you loved the letter so much you framed it on your bedroom wall, or you accidentally spilled water and rendered every word illegible, he’d have you anyway. and you’d have him.
and he’d just write another one, once again filled with clichés and an embarrassing amount of i love you’s, as long as you’d let him.
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pleak pretend this letter really is for u. it's half of this post come onnn it's for u now. happy birthday! i love u i love u i love u i love u (4 so it isn't a cliche) mwah
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vivwritesfics · 4 months
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Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Chapter Two - Proving Her Worth
Oscar Piastri worked for a criminal organisation. It wasn't the life he wanted, wasn't the life he had chosen for himself. But, like those before him, he didn't have any other choice.
He was just a rookie in the Verstappen organisation. He got stuck with the shitty jobs, like watching over Verstappens latest intake, a petty criminal who makes stealing cars look hot.
1.5K
Warnings: drugs mentioned (not taken)
Series Masterlist
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The man with the rings on his hands let go of her. She glanced at Verstappen just once before striding into the garage. Show me what you got, Verstappen had said. So, she was going to do just that.
The classics would have been easier to get open, Y/N thought as she picked up a tool that would allow her to open any of the cars with no problem.
She walked over to the super car, the Lamborghini Sián, and worked to get it open. It didn't take her very long, a minute at most, but she knew she could get it done quicker. If only she didn't have so many goddamn eyes on her.
Slow claps came from the other side of the garage. Verstappen strode over and came to stand in front of the car. "Start the car," he said as Y/N opened the door.
He kept his eyes on her as she climbed into the car. She'd never been in a car as impressive as this one. It wasn't as easy as the one she'd hotwired earlier in the night, but she got it done, started the car and revved the engine. Not going anywhere, not when one of the most powerful men in the city, maybe the country, was leaning against it.
She killed the engine and climbed out of the car.
"That was impressive," said Verstappen as he locked the car once again. Y/N just kept staring at him, not quite knowing what to do next. "I want to hire you," he suddenly said. "Put your talents to good use."
Oh no. Oh fuck, oh no.
But then she thought. She thought hard. Maybe there was an angle to this, a way she could use Verstappen to pay off her debts.
"If I work for you, what will I be paid?"
But Verstappen only laughed at that statement. The man with the rings began laughing too. "Do you hear that, Charles?" Verstappen called the to the ringed man. "She thinks she's going to be getting paid!" But the laugher stopped and the smile dropped from his face. "You will be working for food, shelter and protection from the police only."
Shaking her head, Y/N leaned against the Lamborghini. The very expensive Lamborghini. "Sorry, Verstappen, but that just won't do." She checked her nails, picking out the dirt that lay beneath. "But, I suppose I could take my services to another boss. Maybe Hamilton needs my services."
Her heart pounded in her chest as she said it. It was a gamble, a real gamble. Even mentioning Hamilton was risky.
But it paid off. Because Verstappen couldn't have somebody with her talents working for the likes of Hamilton. "Fine," he said quickly and she moved away from the Lamborghini. "Food, shelter, protection, and minimum wage."
She nodded her head and the ringed man walked off. Verstappen let a sinister smile cross her face. "Perfect. I'll have my cars moved to a different storage facility and this can be your work place."
"And what do you actually want me to do?" She asked as the ringed man, Charles, walked into the garage once again, this time with another man behind him. She glanced to the side, just briefly looking at this new persons face.
She recognised it instantly. He was the one who had put the bag over her head, with his dark, pretty eyes and soft lips.
"You'll have Oscar looking after you," Verstappen said, waving the new person over.
Oscar let out a huff. It was only small and Verstappen seemed to not notice as he walked over. "Yes boss?" He asked, staring directly at Y/N, at the girl he had just kidnapped.
Verstappen placed his hand on Oscar's shoulder and moved him forward. It wasn't quite a push, just slightly more gentle than that. "I want you to look out for our new car jacker. Show her to her new room and get her started fixing Pierre's car," he said.
With that, Verstappen walked out of the garage with Charles, leaving Y/N and Oscar to it. "What's your name?" He asked as she looked around at each and every car Verstappen had in the garage.
"Doesn't matter," she said as she looked through the window of an older Porsche 911. She let out a low whistle, moving onto the next car.
Oscar couldn't stop the look that crossed over his face. His eyebrows crunched together and he wore this sort of snarping frown, lip curling, sure Verstappen was punishing him for something.
She clapped her hands together and turned towards him. "Right, Oscar," she began, using his name just to toy with him. "Where's Pierre's car?"
"Out in front of the garage," he said.
Y/N grabbed polish, cloth and sandpaper while Oscar opened up the garage, revealing the car that she had scratched. She walked out of the garage and over to the car. She let out a low whistle, observing the damage. "I actually feel sorry for it," she said, referring to the car as she began cleaning the area around the scratch.
Oscar watched, leaning against the garage wall, as Y/N walked. She pulled her lips between her teeth as she sanded down and buffed out the scratch. "I'll have to get some touch up paint tomorrow," she said as she went around to the other side of the car.
But Oscar shook his head. "Boss isn't going to be happy with that," he said.
She waved him off as she worked on the opposite side of the door. Oscar couldn't see what she was doing; he just had to trust she was actually working on the car and not pulling out some concealed weapon or something. And trust wasn't something Oscar came by easily.
"It's fine," she said as he walked over to the other side of the car. "I'll give it a proper tune up. This Pierre guy won't believe how nice his car is going to run," she said as she put the last of the polish on the car.
"Okay," Oscar said as he sighed through his nose. He took Y/N back through the garage, showing her to where Max kept the car jack.
He was silent as he watched her jack up the car. Taking some tools with her, she climbed beneath and took a lot.
She was under the car for maybe a minute before she emerged, a package of white powder in her hands. "Uh, Oscar?
Oscar hissed under his breath as he took the white package from her. "Fucking Hamilton," he hissed and tucked it under his arm. "Come on," he said and began walking away from the car.
At first, Y/N didn't go with him. Why should she? He wasn't the boss of her. But, as she went to get back beneath the car, Oscar grabbed a hold of her arm and dragged her after him. He was a lot stronger than he looked, she realised as he dragged her back inside.
There was no way Oscar was leaving her on her own. Not while at the compound anyway. Because that's what it was, a compound. Gates surrounded several large buildings, each built for the purpose of housing Verstappen's men, weapons and vehicles.
Oscar took her along the corridor and up several flights of stairs. The stairwell had men on different levels, each of them smoking out of the window, too lazy to go all the way downstairs for a cigarette.
At the very top floor, Oscar took her along another corridor. He took her to the furthest room and knocked on the door.
Oscar stood patiently as he waited to be allowed into the room. Y/N, though, she wasn't so patient. She leaned against the wall, staring at Oscar as they waited. After a good minute and a half, she tipped her head back, hitting the wall. "What's taking so long?" She complained, looking at the dim lights overhead.
"He's Verstappen," he began. "He'll call us in when he's ready."
At last, Verstappen called them in. Oscar strode into the room, with Y/N following closely, and threw the large bag of cocaine onto his desk. "Sorry to bother you, sir," he began, "but she found this under Pierre's car."
There was a moment were Verstappen just stared at the cocaine. He picked up the bag, felt the weight of it, and passed it to Charles, the man stood behind him. "Under Pierre's car?" Verstappen repeated.
Y/N stepped forward, getting in Oscar's way. "Taped to the bottom of it, actually," she said with a grin and stepped back again.
Suddenly, Verstappen let out a laugh. "That bastard Hamilton doesn't know I control the police," he said. "He really thinks he can get my men arrested."
His eyes moved from the bag of drugs to the girl standing in his office. "You're proving your worth already. Well done..."
"Y/N," she said, standing tall and proud. "My name's Y/N."
A pretty name, thought Oscar as he spared a glance at her. But that didn't matter. Where she was proving her usefulness to Verstappen, she was proving to be a pain in the ass to Oscar.
"Oscar, show her where she's sleeping and put Pierre's car in the garage," Verstappen said and went back to what he was doing before Y/N and Oscar interrupted.
Oscar gritted his teeth.
TAGLIST (OPEN): @biancathecool @graciewrote @measimp @sbella13 @sam-is-lost @topguncultleader @formulaal @ibanstro @kassieesworld @smexysarah @queenofmanydreams @celesteblack08 @aexitizen @mclastri @golden-flora @hollie911
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em1e · 1 year
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ᶻz feat. toge + itadori + megumi !!
jjk && college tropes
☓ silly little college au's // insp from @k9wa my spinkle spoingle pumpkin pie's tr version
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ᶻz・toge inumaki
⠀ ⬤ as the best damn tutor you’ve ever had
inumaki almost snickers when you all but throw your forehead against the table in the library, practically defeated by your ‘intro to anatomy and physiology' assignments. despite your clear distress, he taps the top of your head for your attention. with a huff, you barely sit up, chin resting on the polished wood with an angry red mark forming on your forehead. 
he points to the work again, typing out on his laptop to make it easier to explain. 
‘It’s easy once you realize the nervous system can be broken down to two different parts - the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.’
reading that makes you want to puke. 
“the way you typed that makes you sound like a dictionary.” you grimace. 
he smiles, one that has you flushing and looking away when he taps the hardcover textbook sitting open in front of him. you can hardly see it from the way you’re sitting, but just barely you’re able to make out highlighted text. the definition of nervous systems screaming at you in bright blue ink. 
“that feels like cheating when you explain it in just a slightly different way than the book.” you kick at his chair leg, but there’s no real intent to harm him in any way. he only hums, typing. 
‘It’s not cheating. I’m just using my resources.’
“using ‘em to make me look stupid,” you grumble, sitting up only to slump forward again with your head in your hands, “i’m hopeless, inumaki! i’m never gonna pass this stupid class and get my stupid degree.” 
you’re complaining just to complain at this point, too overwhelmed with too many classes and assignments and other things in life to do to really be so stressed over something you could easily have done in half an hour if you just stopped whining. 
if inumaki cares to unbox all that stress, he makes no move to show it, only typing away and nudging your foot when you don’t look up to read what he’s said. 
‘Let’s take a break and go to that cafe you like, then we can work through every assignment together.’ 
okay, maybe he does show it a little. 
“what about your assignments? i promised i’d help you make that diorama for your psychology class-” 
he’s waving you off while packing his bag, waiting to put his laptop away so you can still communicate. 
‘We’ll do it tomorrow. It’s not due for another two weeks.’ 
you puff out your cheeks, eyeing him. “you sure?” 
he sends you a thumbs up and that smile that leaves you practically melting in your chair, and that’s enough to encourage you to pack your stuff with a small grumble. 
“fine, but i’m buying.” 
you pull your wallet from your bag just to have it on hand, but he snatches it with a swiftness you never knew he had, sticking his tongue out at you and keeping it out of your reach when you swipe for it again. he shakes his head when you pout, shoving it into his jacket pocket and taking out his own to wave in front of you. like he’s taunting you, despite him being the only real loser for having to spend money on the both of you. 
“you’re no fair inumaki, how am i supposed to pay you back for tutoring me and buying me coffee?” 
he pulls out his phone to his notes app, typing for a second before facing it towards you. 
‘Maybe going on a date with me would be enough?’
you feel yourself flush, shoving his phone away as if that’d get rid of it, “o-okay, yeah, that sounds good. that sounds nice.” 
he smiles, offering you his hand to carry your bag for you, but takes it for himself when you don’t pass it over. then he’s grabbing your own hand, bold in his own way, to pull you out of the library when you’re still too surprised by his declaration to do any of it yourself.
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ᶻz・yuji itadori 
⠀ ⬤ as the worst classmate to work on a project with
you felt doomed the second the words left your professors lips. 
“itadori and (y/n), you’ll be paired for the end of the semester presentation. what you’ll be graded on is in the syllabus, and . . . that should be it for pairings. class is dismissed.” 
your professor closes the book in his hand and everyone in the class begins to disperse, but you feel frozen at your desk with your head in your hands. 
fifty percent of your grade sits woven into this presentation, and you’ve been  paired with the one person in class you didn’t want. even megumi would’ve been better! at least you know he’d do his part! 
someone taps your desk, and you jump, looking at whoever saw it fit to disrupt your clear mental breakdown. 
“hi!” your presentation partner smiles down at you, cheerful and happy and god you hate to say attractive, “looks like we’re partners!” 
“yeah!” you force a smile, shoving your notebook into your bag with a little more hostility than necessary, “let me get your number and we can talk about the details of the assignment-” 
you flinch when he thrusts his phone in front of you, and it leaves him smiling sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, “sorry, ‘m not used to doing projects without megumi or nobara. i’ll do my best to help you!” 
the way he says it sounds so genuine, you almost feel bad for judging him so harshly. almost, if not for the warnings your friends in other classes told you about him and his group. that they’d do the barest minimum of work, questioned everything the other wrote, and all but argue over each slide in simple presentations. still, the way he looks at you reminds you of a puppy, cute and nonthreatening. you’ll take his promise with a grain of salt. 
you offer a real smile to match his, “it’s okay, we’ll work on it together.” and take his phone to enter your number, sending yourself a text so you can save it. 
and he does make due on his promise. hell, he’s done more than you when it comes to adding slides, and you only have to fact check him a handful of times! it’s honestly such a shock, practically gaping when you opened the slides for the first time to see it was almost done before you’d even had a chance to add anything yourself. 
still, you do your part, and you have a respectable presentation finished almost two months before it’s even due! 
you invite itadori out for ice cream to celebrate. he joins you only five minutes after you’ve been waiting, and the two of you stroll around campus to find a nice place to relax after you’ve acquired your goods. 
“i have to admit something.” he says when a nice silence washes over the two of you, ice cream long gone. you sit up from your lying position in the grass you’d settled in. itadori has that same sheepish look from when he’d greeted you officially for the first time, hand rubbing the back of his neck and smiling. 
“oh god, what is it.” he winces at your sudden dramatics, afraid you’ll actually be upset for what he’s about to spill to you. 
“i . . . didn’t do the whole presentation on my own.” he looks down, dejected and waiting for your barrage of insults he’s sure you’ll throw his way. 
“well yeah, i helped.” you say as if stating the obvious. which is partly true, he guesses, but not what he’s getting at. 
“no i- oh god, this is embarrassing to admit. i wanted to impress you so i had one of my friends help me put together a super cool presentation so you’d like me.” he flushes at the confession, leaving out the fact that he had to pay maki an embarrassing amount of money to help him. 
and he expects you to berate him, or ask him why he’d do something so stupid, but instead the air is filled with your laughter. 
“you didn’t have to do all that to impress me.” you say when you’re dwindled down to giggles, “you’re a pretty cool guy, i think i would’ve folded if you just asked me out.” 
his blush spreads to his chest, but his smile only grows, “i wish i knew that before i gave away all the credits on my food card.” 
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ᶻz・megumi fushigiro
⠀ ⬤ as your favorite person to skip class with
you get the text while walking to your literature course, almost missing it to avoid being late. 
want 2 hang?
you stop dead in your tracks, offering half-hearted apologies when you realize you’re in other people’s way in order to reply. 
i have class. 
he should know you do, given the fact that you shared your schedule with him and even tried to sync some overlapping classes together, with the hopes that you’d get to hang out in between certain times. 
me 2. wanna get lunch?
you almost laugh, shaking your head to no one in particular. you are ahead in the course, and you rarely miss days for this class anyways. what’s the real harm in skipping just once? 
sure, meet u in the cafeteria? 
u know it. 
with a hum, you turn on your heel in the opposite direction, fingers crossed that your dear friend megumi would be willing to pay for your meal using his dad’s credit card. 
you spot him fairly easily once entering the cafeteria, sitting at the table you normally eat at, and greet him with a smile. 
“hey.” you sit down, placing your bag to your side and taking out your wallet with a hum. 
“hi,” he pushes one of the three items he has towards you, and you pause when you realize he’s already gotten you food. your favorite, no less, “how were your other classes today?” 
“you’re too good to me, megumi,” you almost drool, saying a quick thanks before diving into the meal, “they were okay, mostly just reviewing old stuff.” 
you pause for a second, eyeing him, “isn’t the class you’re skipping the only one you have today?” 
he nods, too busy eating his own food to reply. 
“what was the point of even coming today?” you laugh, flicking a packet of silverware at him, “why didn’t you just wait til’ after class? we could’ve eaten then.”
he shrugs, swallowing what’s in his mouth, “cafeteria would’ve been closed by then.” 
he says it like it’s the most obvious answer in the world, and you can’t stop the giggles that pass your lips, instead covering your mouth with your hand as if that’d hide them. 
“we could’ve gone somewhere off campus, now both of us are gonna be behind.” 
megumi seems unbothered at this, but you’re sure he has someone in class to grab notes from. probably itadori, if he promises to take him out to eat sometime during the week. still, he takes a moment to reply to instead enjoy the food he’s eating. 
“if i did, we wouldn’t get to hang out for as long.” 
you roll your eyes, deciding to not bring up how the two of you spend literally every other day together, “we still could’ve hung out after class, feels like a waste that you came here for one thing and didn’t even go to it.” 
“‘s’not a waste if i’m hanging out with you.” he says casually, taking another bite. 
you’d almost blush if not for the fact he has ketchup smeared against the side of his lip. it makes you smile, reaching over with a napkin to wipe it off his face and he hums at the familiarity. you’re glad the class you skipped is your last for the day, knowing megumi means knowing he’d easily convince you to forgo any others you might’ve had in favor of spending time with him. 
he must pick up on the idea of you having a soft spot for him, because he takes each minute of your time in stride. deciding the hangout shouldn’t end at just lunch, he persuades you to join him at his dorm - it really didn’t take much from him, the offer of watching a movie with snacks provided leaving prettily from his lips being all you really need to say yes, and the day ends with you curled up beside him on his bed, ignoring the way itadori gushes at the two of you together in favor of watching the movie from megumi’s laptop.
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