when you want to write some Diasomnia angst but you're stuck in Ignihyde 👁️👄👁️

truth or dare - a chris sturniolo short

a/n: requested by anon; lowercase intended

summary: a game of truth or dare leads to a crush confession

the air was filled with laughter and exposed secrets as we all sat in a circle for game night. chris, matt, nick, madi, nate and i all decided to play a classic game of truth or dare. as the bottle spun, our nerves heightened and our deepest, darkest secrets were waiting to be revealed. the bottle slowed in speed, passing nick, passing madi and landing on me. crap.

“oh, y/n!” madi says in a sing-song voice.

“yeah?”

“will you tell the truth or shall i dare you to expose yourself?” she asks, as a mischievous grin spreads across her face.

i hesitated, glancing nervously at chris, who was sitting opposite me. i’ve had the biggest crush on chris since we first met at a movie premiere. nobody knows about this crush except for madi. i feel everyone’s eyes on me as they wait for me for my answer. 

“dare," i finally said, trying to mask my anxiety.

madi's eyes gleamed with mischief. oh no, she better not!

“i dare you to tell us who your crush is."

the room fell silent as everyone turned their attention to me. i feel my cheeks flush and my body go numb. she really went there. my heart races as i feel the panic rush through my body like an adrenaline rush, and without a word, i stand and bolt from the room, leaving everyone else stunned. 

“um. i think i messed up,” madi says, breaking the awkward silence.

“should someone go and see if she’s okay? i feel bad for her,” nate speaks up.

“i’ll go and check on her,” chris says, getting up from his spot and going to find me.

“and off the crush goes!” 

“madi!” nick yells.

“i’m going to shut up now as i'm a terrible bestie.”

i hear a faint knock against the bathroom door. hearing chris’s voice, my heart skips a beat. how did he find me so fast? i quickly wipe my tears to hide the evidence that i was crying from embarrassment and open the door. chris comes in and notices my rosy cheeks and watery eyes.

“have you been crying?”

i nod in shame and hang my head low as i feel more tears threatening to spill. chris pulls me into his embrace, rubbing my back as i softly sob into his chest. he pulls away and takes me by the hand to lead me into his bedroom. 

“so, um, madi kinda exposed you even more just before by saying that i’m your crush. is that true?”

“yeah. yeah it is. i just couldn’t say it in front of everyone, including you.”

“why? matt said his and nate said his. you know you can trust us, right?” chris smiled gently.

“i’m just scared that you don’t feel the same way and i didn’t want to say anything so i panicked because i didn’t think you’d like me the way i like you.”

chris held my hands and he looked right into my eyes. i feel his thumbs run along my hands, bringing me at ease. i watch as he leans in, his face coming within inches of mine. he closes the gap between us and i instantly feel fireworks go off in my stomach. the kiss is soft and passionate, like he’s been wanting to do this for so long. i smile into the kiss, slowly deepening it as i remove my hands from his and wrap them around his neck. i pull away and touch our foreheads together, the spark between us feeling so real.

“i like you, y/n, so much. i’ve had a crush on you for a while now too.”

“really?”

“really.”

i close the gap between us again, this time the kiss is more passionate and fiery, our tongues colliding as we fight for dominance. chris wins as he pushes me against the bathroom sink. the kiss is so addicting, it’s like a drug. i just can’t seem to stop myself. i feel chris’s hands slide down my waist and to my bum, giving it a slight squeeze, making me jump. our heated makeout session is interrupted for a loud screech.

“what’s this?! oh my god!” matt yells in excitement as he finds his brother and myself pressed up against each other.

the other three come rushing to find us up against one another, our hair all messed up and clothes wrinkled. cheers and screams sounded off as we all crushed into a big group hug. 

“i’m not a terrible bestie anymore! from now on, you can call me madi the truth or dare matchmaker.”

we all laugh at madi’s comment before heading back downstairs to continue where we left off. sitting back in our original positions, we continue our game.

“so, y/n. i dare you to tell us who your crush is.”

“my crush is christopher owen sturniolo and i like him so much.” i proudly say with my chest.

i’m met with “awww” and “oooh” before we all burst into laughter. truth or dare continues into the night, from lap dances to kisses to exposing naughty secrets. i glance over at chris and we make eye contact. smiling, he gestures for me to come over to his side. i sneakily make my way over and he pats his lap. i slowly place myself in his lap and his arms immediately wrap around my waist, his head leaning on my shoulder. i spend the rest of the game in chris’s lap, kissing him and leaning against him. 

The break-up that destroyed Nagi’s heart (he’s being a drama queen)

You're tired of Nagi's behaviors and break his heart.

FLUFF, curses and written in 15 minutes

“She said it like that my treasure?” asked a sceptic Reo to his best friend. Nagi Seishiro have been stuck in his bed for two days straight, only taking a five minutes bathroom break per days, and refusing any contact with the outside world. Luckily for his body, Reo insisted on having a spare key of his flat, forcing him to eat at least twice a day and to stay a little hydrated. But to be honest, even if he was his best friend, Reo was having a hard time taking care of the white-haired boy, who only recently started to talk again after giving the silence treatment to everyone who might have wanted to talk to him.

The purple-headed had been surprised when he called you after he realised that Nagi was avoiding his texts for an abnormal amount of time: the both of you weren’t together anymore, and if he wanted to understand, he’ll have to ask his friend himself. He did. Without success… until a few minutes ago. And while Seishiro was complaining about how cruel you were, Mikage couldn’t help but feel sorry for you and everything you went through.

Nagi’s version of the break-up was that you decided you didn’t want to stay with a loser like him.

Knowing the both of you and your dynamic, Reo quickly understood that tired of dealing with your boyfriend’s laziness and shit, you’ve reached your last straw and thew your last card. If Seishiro refused to take care of himself and his surrounding, yourself included, a little more you refused to continue to deal with his bullshit. Sure: you hoped he would realise he was being immature and that he was getting too old not to be able to take care of his basic needs. His reaction didn’t meet up with your hopes.

The worst part of it – you thought after Reo reported Nagi’s version to you – is that you did not even intend to break-up with him at first, you just suggested the both of you might need a small pause. It wasn’t working, and you started to think that it might be forever.

You did not even realise that tears had been staining your cheeks until you felt a presence in your back, near the doorframe. You quickly tried to whip them away with the back of your hand, but he saw your movements.

“What are you doing here, Nagi?” you asked with a small voice.

“My sweatshirts.” Another tear escaped your eye. Taking a break what something, but him getting back his stuff… It was really the end, he made up his mind and decided to act, but apart from you. You shouldn’t have done this like that!

“Do you need me to wash any of your clothes?” he asked with an awkward voice. “What the fuck!” you cursed, not being sure if you understood him well.

You felt him getting closer to you, sitting beside you in your bed but at an anormal respectful distance. “I thought… I mean Reo helped me realise what you were meaning the other day, and I think the both of you are right. I cannot always be a burden for you, or even for him. I need to change, I want to.”

You didn’t even know how to react, too surprised to form coherent thoughts. The atmosphere started to get a little more tense as Nagi waited for your reaction, but you were so confused. Not even sure if that meant…

“I want you to take me back. And I’m going to prove you that I worth it” suddenly said the boy, standing up, kissing your forehead, grabbing random clothes on your chair and getting back from where the fuck he came, under the surprised look of your mother who never saw him so energetic.

Suddenly as you heard the door being closed, your gained back your senses and ran to your window, screaming “You’re fucking mine Sei. I hope you enjoyed our little break, ‘cause that was the last!”

hello !!

i was wondering, do you know any other characters like aang from other shows/movies/books? or maybe, just his theme of radical kindness appearing in other stories?

i've been missing aang, and it would be nice to find other representations of such a fun and warm personality like his.

ps.: your blog is like, fantastic. truly.

🥰🥰🥰🥰 This is the best ask I’ve ever received!!! Depictions of radical kindness in media is a special interest of mine—not exaggerating. So I’ve done my best to make a list of rec’s, just tv, from most formally similar to ATLA to least, with a short description for each.

1. Fruits Basket (2019)

"My mom told me, it's better to trust people than to doubt them. She said that people aren't born with kind hearts. When we're born, all we have are desires for food and material things. Selfish instincts, I guess. But she said that kindness is something that grows inside of each person's body, but it's up to us to nurture that kindness in our hearts. That's why kindness is different for every person."

An anime orphan whose established memory of the kindness by which her family raised her ends up transforming and liberating a whole clan from an intergenerational curse that enforced an abusive hierarchy all within a show that has a deeply queer subtext, beautifully complex plotting and character development that due to its zen influence refuses to demonize anyone or any perspective wholly, AND a straight romance you can actually root for!? Nothing comes closer to ATLA thematically than this show. While the lead Tohru Honda is the biggest representative of radical kindness, the character of Momiji Sohma with his complex purity, idealism, and gender performance is one of the closest you'll find to Aang in any media.

2. Mob Psycho 100 (2016-2023)

"The truth behind one's charm is kindness. Just be a good person, that's all."

Mob Psycho 100 explores a core tenant of ATLA's critique of imperialism and power: greatness and perfection are overrated. They both ask the question about what to do for the world with one's gifts if that's the case. How can one be both normal and prodigious at the same time? The satirical comedy and style of this anime, which deconstruct a lot of the shonen genre tropes, are pretty distinct from ATLA, but when ATLA arrived on the airwaves, it was a pretty massive break from tradition in Western animation, and for both of these series, that difference of style is tied to the message of the show about the experience and acceptance of difference.

3. Natsume's Book of Friends (2012-present)

"As I encountered kindness, I wanted to be kind myself."

The anime, Natsume's Book of Friends and ATLA both depict the challenge and necessity of facing abandonment, loss, and a deep-seated loneliness with kindness and gratitude despite the persistence of grief. Both take a deeply spiritual view--even a responsibility--of this experience that demands a compassion for all beings including those who intend to do harm. Natsume, an orphan shuffled between houses who is one of the few people who can see spirits called youkai, inherits his maligned grandmother's book of yokai names, becoming a target for them in the process. He hides all of this from everyone in his life, and even five season in, still has trouble admitting to the one person who understands him when he is struggling and needs help. The gentle and light tone papers over a profoundly honest representation of attachment trauma and the wisdom of compassion that develops as a tool to cope with it.

4. Hunter x Hunter (2011-2014)

"You can do whatever you want to hide your feeling. You still have a heart."

If you think that "Radical Kindness" is by definition non-violent, then this show is either not for you or going to change your mind. Gon, the protagonist of HxH, like Momiji mentioned in Fruits Basket, is another rare character whose naivete and optimism are treated with respect. He is allowed to suffer, to be wrong, to be stupid, and to inspire others away from their own cynicism with the persistence of his beliefs nevertheless. But HxH is a show that integrates the most violent aspects of the world (organized crime, capitalistic competition and privileging, state-sanctioned brutality, pure sadism) with its examination of human potential for goodness. And even within a list of shows deeply inspired by spirituality and religions, this show is abundant with religious references as it seeks out meaning, balance, and an ethic for modern experience. On top of that, it ranks with ATLA for the depth and relevance of its magic system to its themes, plus its got gay subtext out the wazoo!

5. Mushishi (2005-2014)

“Make sure to remember, every person and place has a right to exist. It is true for you too, the entire world, as a whole, is your home."

Elegaic, episodic, compassionate, and strange, with some of the best short story-telling of all time, Mushishi is the story of a medicine-man who travels the Japanese countryside helping people deal with the spirits that accompany the little trials and tragedies of life that cling to our minds long after they're passed. The protagonist, Gingko, and the show itself takes the approach of restraint to observe these problems fully and come to a conclusion that's taoist in its balance and acceptance of reality--"Eyes unclouded by hate" as Miyazaki/Gaiman would have it. Each episode is like a therapy session arguing for you to choose to live even as the heaviest burdens sit on your chest.

6. Reservation Dogs (2021-2023)

"See...love doesn't have to be received, it can just be."

We're finally out of the animes, and moving away from the zen and shinto approach into some other options. Reservation Dogs' indigenous humanism was groundbreaking, bringing in distinctly modern American realities (with the kind of true-to-life details only a an on-location shoot could offer) with Native beliefs about ancestry, community, and connection to the land, while rarely feeling preachy. Instead, it's just fucking hilarious and casually heartbreaking. Four friends on the edge of graduating high school on a reservation in Oklahoma try to figure out what to do with their lives after their plans to go to California get abruptly messed up. Radical kindness as a concept often gets focused on accepting the enemy but what about accepting the weird stoner uncle who farts all the time and won't talk about his years in the army. I think that might be a more important goal of radical kindness, in truth, if we are being asked to look and accept reality for what it is, because growing comfortable with disappointment and the mundane let's us live without the relentless striving that drives perfectionism.

7. Skam (2015-2017)

"The second you start looking for hate, you find it. And when you find hate, you start hating."

A Norwegian teen drama that understood internet culture better than any show before or since, four season-long romance plots better than any romance film from that decade, and a masterfully constructed exhortation about leaning into failures of connection to build deeper compassion rather than demonize another person or group. Each season focused on a specific character within a high-school friend group, emphasizing the limited scope of subjective experience, and had them confront the challenges of opening up to others fully. And even when they return into the scenes with new protagonists, their lives weren't sorted perfectly, reflecting how resolving a single romantic plot point would not resolve life. The impact of this low-budget public-television web series (!!!) will be felt for years (it's already been referenced by Netflix juggernauts like Sex Education and Young Royals), but we're not likely to see something that juggles political themes, heartfelt characterization, realistic dialogue, and meta-commentary (it flashed its own hater and fan comments across the screen in the last episode!!) in such a obsession-inducing package anytime soon.

7. Boys Like Boys (2023)

"Because I have always been someone who hates myself, I don't have the courage to face it. Running away is my only option...What if I give myself one more chance to be brave?"

So how can a reality show make it onto a list of radically kind tv series, especially a dating show!? Well, when that reality dating show casts people who radiate warmth, vulnerability, and respect and seem to have the kind of chemistry that most scripted shows can't even manage, it's a good start. But then, when they elevate that cast with a format that addresses the cruelty of dating, elimination formats, and broader societal exclusion (an important consideration for a gay dating show), it offers a new model for future shows. Boys Like Boys did this when mid-season (spoiler alert) they had contestants vote out a contestant, only to provide the contestants with a vote in which they could retain a contestant who they didn't want to leave. In fact, many of the contestants asked if they could abstain from making a vote that would eliminate a constestant and were allowed to. The final result left one contestant, Jia-Hang, up for elimination--he had voted for himself to be eliminated, and many contestants, recognizing his reticence to continue on the program, didn't want to force him against his will to stay. Then, looking around at nearly the whole cast sobbing, even apologizing to him for not providing him enough support, Jia-Hang chooses to stay on. This is just one of many heart-warming authentic moments in the show that illustrate the vital influence of kindness to impact the trajectory of our hearts.

8. Joe Pera Talks With You (2018-2021)

"I can help you reach things. I can tend the garden. The different hours we keep are a good thing. And when they overlap, I can offer companionship and entertainment."

So much has been written about this show's groundbreaking kind approach, I'm going to quote instead: "It can be difficult to convey how a TV show airing on Cartoon Network’s provocative nighttime programming block Adult Swim can evoke almost nostalgic feelings of kind-heartedness. The premise of Joe Pera Talks With You is so simple as to almost be beside the point: Comedian Joe Pera plays a lightly fictionalized version of himself as a sweet Michigander, a middle-school chorus teacher with small and specific passions. Joe likes breakfast food, obscure trivia, beans, trips to the grocery store, and his grandma. He greets every day with a contented smile, stands beneath a pale blue sky, packs a balanced lunch that contains no surprises. (A turkey sandwich with cheese and a tomato, a banana, some trail mix, and as a treat, some cookies.) Joe, more than anything, is satisfied. His greatest joy is sharing these small pleasures with you, the viewer who exists on the other side of the fourth wall he has cleanly dismantled, often speaking quietly to the camera like he’s sharing a secret, just between you two. That he’s talking “with” and not “to” you is a crucial distinction in the show’s title: Joe never lectures nor rhapsodizes. Instead, he waxes poetic about what he loves and who he cares for and how he leads his life, telling his stories from a vulnerable position of welcoming you into his daily existence.” --“A Great Comedy About Being Good,” Allegra Frank for Vox

9. Anne with an E (2017-2019)

"Her life was not short on challenges, and still she held no grudges, believing instead that grace is perennial like the green, green grass."

While maligned for not being the 1980s version, this Netflix adaptation of Anne of Green Gables takes what many have read as an autistic subtext and made it text, giving Anne a performative quality that pushes a lot of the audience into the same irritation that the characters of Avonlea feel for Anne at first, and, thus, requires its audience to persevere toward the same kindness that Anne inspires in her adoptive mother figure, Marilla, among others, which is much more rewarding than simply identifying with Anne right away. In so doing, it enhances the development of its broader approach to acceptance--an approach in its insistence on the requirement of a community of kindredness (see Sebastian's excitement at finding out about the black community in "The Bog") that is much more rigorous than many other shows will cop to. Expanding far beyond literal adaptation into queer, black, and indigenous characters, without disguising history or disparaging the thematic seed of grace at the heart of the novels, Anne with an E imagines what it meant and what it might still mean to build real joyful community with others through kindness.

10. Little Bear (1995-2003)

"Interesting."

A childhood favorite that disguised in its simplicity a wide-openness to the world and an acceptance of different natures. While most child shows emphasize kindness, few do so with as much patience, wonder, and generosity extended to its viewers. Little Bear is a curious kid who goes on adventures in the woods around his house that can turn into games or small imagined experiences. He is sometimes with his friends Cat, Duck, Hen, Owl, and Emily, whose personalities, along with Little Bear's, bring about small tensions in their games that ultimately resolve, if not independently, then with the help of Mother Bear or Father Bear, who give each other knowing glances about the expected childhood behaviors. This is the first show that initially taught me to observe things while withholding my judgment, that first step of radical kindness.

12. The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)

"The key to happiness is finding joy in the simple things."

One really old and somewhat controversial throwback for my last entry. If you have concerns about a sheriff character representing radical kindness, I would encourage you to start with the third episode of season 3 where Andy, the sheriff in question, has to explain to the new mayor why he doesn't carry a gun and lets prisoners go to gather their crops. There have been some fantastic pieces written about the complexities of this show's bucolic fantasy and Southerners (of all races) attachment to it, but they all acknowledge a type of humanistic and deceptively simple virtue found in Mayberry that audiences long to witness, if not emulate themselves. It's a morality that resists the "hyperactive zealotry" and bureaucracy that the show satirizes through Barney Fife (along with guest characters like the new mayor) and instead emphasizes the understanding that one can have for each individual and the trickstery middle paths that one can find to address conflict.

watching a thing that's going through why someone enjoys doctor who, and it's gone on a little tangent about why romance on doctor who doesn't work (in their opinion, and in mine), and how it made s2 and s7b the creator's least favourite -- and while I would need to rewatch s7b to remember that, I do think that the-doctor-and-rose at least doesn't have to be read as romantic if one doesn't want to

which isn't to say it wasn't intended as such, and also that it was somewhat based in dtennant and billie piper and jenna coleman and (to some) matt smith being hot (sorry matt smith, he looks like a teenage boy, the dichotomy is not hot or ugly, it's does-or-does-not-look-like-a-teenager), which is kind of *sigh yeah okay you're appealing to the people who think people are hot so they wanted a bit of that sexy sexy romance (I guess)*

however I don't think that things that are romance-coded need to be engaged with on that level, as someone who's had to make that translation many many times, and I think especially with the doctor-as-character, including and especially ten when one reads ten as being projected onto, it's actually incredibly fun not to/not even really a translation so much as a textually supported read

what's especially good about the doctor and rose dynamic is specifically that the doctor never gives rose the exact thing she's looking for, and that part of the doctor's heartbreak is that he can't -- take that as a "because I'm immortal and you're not," if you want (and that's also a textually supported read), but it's also very very easily read as "because what you want and what I can give is not compatible so that I will always end up letting you down like I do everyone, and I would rather you be happy than assert what I might want, and in the end everyone leaves for one reason or another"

which... the doctor basically says to wilf. they leave. they find someone else and fall in love. they forget. they break the doctor's heart. not just rose, but everyone. rose is simply the first to remind the doctor of this fact after bringing him back after a massive traumatic event

and I think it elevates s2, which I've now seen a couple of people go "oh because of the romance it's one of my least favourite seasons," which is so fascinating to me, because s2 isn't at all about a romance through my eyes. it is for rose, because she's in love with the doctor, romantically, and that's part of her tragedy, as a mortal, as someone who's in love with her doctor and doesn't want that doctor to go or to change or to... be alien, perhaps (now I do reach, but it's open to reaching) -- and who is growing up throughout, as the first person one sees grow up in nu!who

and the doctor is constantly struggling for words: tell rose... oh she knows. and i suppose. if it's my last chance to say it. rose tyler...

rose tyler essentially brought the doctor back, made the doctor fall in love with the universe again, and brought back a childlike wonder that the doctor had had before the timewar, and how do you encompass that into simple human concepts of "romantic" or "platonic" and know

that this person is romantically in love with you in a very human way

that there is an end-point to this, which is something this person will never fully grasp until it's happened (or that person is dead)

that you do not age. that you change. that you are aliene

that you are fundamentally, always, left on your own in the end

that you have put all of your sense of your new self onto this person and it will eventually fuck everything up

so yeah, there's some heavy-duty emotional subtext in s2, but because of the deliberate lack of clarity given to that subtext, it's very very easy to take it in various kinds of directions. of course rose and the doctor are Like That in s2, they're living a little fairytale life that's about to fall to pieces (something the doctor knows, but won't admit, and rose doesn't fully understand or believe)

when rose asks the doctor how long they'll travel and the doctor says "forever," it's absolutely 100% a lie, and that is... very tragic... thinking back to their first scenes together, which were incredibly simply sweet, and you know it's stretching thinner and thinner in ways I don't think you see with any other companion

the thing is I do personally think that rose as the romantic arc makes rose less interesting than she is, and that's a flaw in the show, but I think giving hers and the doctor's run a slightly different eye, that is absolutely supported by the canon, also opens up all of her other traits, that make her so iconic -- only seeing rose through the lens of romance does her a disservice, there is a bunch more going on there in s2...

but like yeah, I get that there was some david tennant so-called sex appeal, which, yeah whatever, and billie piper was a former famous popstar, and people also do ship them romantically (and that's fine), but I think to focus on that aspect in order to say why rose isn't appealing kind of ignores everything else she is and represents on the show for something you can just read in another way easily and more interestingly and supported by the text

like people will throw around "asexual doctor" but I don't think they know enough about aromanticism (which is what they really mean) to understand how to read that in a text. deeply symbiotic relationships can be aromantic, can be platonic, and can be one-sided or messed up or or...

embrace the symbiosis of the doctor and rose in s2 that is inherently also kind of fucked up and doomed because of their deliberate blinkered perspective of the future even after the sarah-jane episode and the madame du pompadour episode which are screaming at them that things are ending soon!!! It's compelling stuff. it's not necessary to read it as romantic

give rose tyler her due as the ghost that haunts the narrative

✤ Exes Fics ✤

A series of posts with the top five fics of each category tag on ao3 by kudos plus five more hidden gems from that category! Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

- Top 5 H/L Fics -

1️⃣ got the sunshine on my shoulders by @hattalove [E, 124k]

five years ago, harry styles left his tiny home town to make it big as a recording artist. he didn't have much regard for what he left behind - a life, a family, and a husband, who woke up one morning to find him gone.

now, harry has everything he could possibly want: he's rich, famous, and adored by everyone he meets, including his boyfriend. but when said boyfriend proposes to him, he's forced to face the uncomfortable facts of his past - and louis, who's spent the last five years returning every set of divorce papers harry sent him.

(or, an au based on the movie sweet home alabama.)

2️⃣ Mine Would Be You by @crinkle-eyed-boo [E, 114k]

Louis blinks his eyes open, his eyelids fluttering as the room swims around him. He takes several gulps of beer once he confirms that he’s definitely not hallucinating, that the very first portrait Harry Styles ever painted of him is hanging on that wall.

Louis stares at the wall, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest as he realizes that there’s not just one painting of him, there’s five, the portraits lined up like they’re some sort of storyboard depicting the rise and fall of his deepest love. His greatest heartache. A pain that cut him so deep that he left the fucking country, severing all ties with his life in New York, now suddenly surrounding him as if he’d never left.

Fucking shit motherfucker fuck.

Louis returns to New York City five years after he left it – and the love of his life – behind. He didn't intend to see Harry again, but fate has a funny way of pulling them together, whether they like it or not. After making a begrudging truce, they both start to wonder: Would it be so bad if history repeated itself?

3️⃣ all the lights are full of colour by @infinitelymint [E, 26k]

So, fast-forwarding eight years from the day Harry met Louis, he is now a twenty-seven year old owner of one of the most up-and-coming eating establishments on the London restaurant scene, father of two wonderful boys and… separated from his husband. Now, that last part definitely was never a part of the original plan.

Or, Harry and Louis are separated, but for the sake of their two sons, they choose to spend Christmas together. It may just lead to a Christmas miracle.

4️⃣ The Shirt You Hate by @isthatyoularry [M, 15k]

“Soph,” Louis says to his female executive assistant. “I’m making more money than ever, and I have just realised that I have no one to spend it on.”

At thirty years old, Louis is past halfway to becoming a billionaire, and he needs to find the one. He literally stumbles upon his university sweetheart.

5️⃣ You’ve Got My Devotion (Hate You Sometimes) by lucythegoosey / @harryrainbows [E, 95k]

Harry was in the biggest boy band in the world. He was also one half of the best (or worst, depends on who you ask) kept secret relationship in the music industry.

Now, almost five years on, after One Direction has broken up, and Harry and Louis' relationship has as well, a video threatens to put everything at risk.

One determined Irishman, a massive publicity stunt and two begrudging exes are all it takes to bring One Direction back to life and maybe, just maybe, Harry and Louis' mangled love life too.

Or: Harry and Louis are forced to fake-date after an old video from when they were dating emerges.

HIDDEN GEMS:

💎 Wait For It by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes [E, 119k]

“You’re doing it again.” Zayn’s voice breaks him away from his thoughts.

Louis furrows his brows. “What?”

Zayn waves his hand around. “You’ve got that dreamy look on your face. You’re thinking about the future love of your life, again aren’t you?”

Zayn is staring at him in a way like he’s daring Louis to lie so he could call him out on it. Liam and Zayn can read him like a book, making it hard for Louis to keep anything from them. Instead of trying to lie, he resigns himself and lets out a breath.

“I am.”

A How I Met Your Mother au with a better ending. Louis is ready to find the love of his life and when he meets Harry he thinks he's finally found them. Liam and Zayn have been together since college and are ready to take the next step in their relationship, except Zayn might be having doubts. And Niall is happy with no strings attached dating until a new employee at the bar they frequent walks into his life and makes him question his entire existence.

💎 pull me back together again (the way you cut me in half) by 28sunflowers / @vintageumbroshirt [E, 26k]

When trying to figure out who the love of his life is, Harry’s brain brings back a specific name from his past.

That’s why, a decade after a messy divorce, Louis opens his door to find his ex-husband standing on the other side, asking for a second chance.

Or a This Is Us AU starring Harry as Kevin and Louis as Sophie, but I selectively choose to use only some parts of what's cannon on the show.

💎 Love Gone Wrong by wordsnnotes / @quelsentiment [T, 18k]

Years ago, Harry and Niall left their rural town for the big city, while their respective boyfriends Louis and Zayn stayed behind at the ranch. Louis and Harry start an on-and-off relationship, but Zayn and Niall break off all ties. When Louis gets into a fight with Harry, he enlists Zayn's help to make things right with him, thereby putting Zayn in Niall's path again, and giving all of them a chance to work things out and start anew.

💎 don't you call him baby by @femstyles [T, 8k]

But now, eleven months later, as his Uber pulls up outside the bar, Harry thinks he can absolutely handle this. He's going to walk into Liam's birthday party where the ex-love of his life is also going to be and he's going to show Louis that he can be a mature adult about everything that’s happened in the last year.

Or the one where Harry is absolutely doing fine and is definitely not still hung up on Louis. Except he is.

💎 'Tis the Damn Season by zanni_scaramouche / @zanniscaramouche [M, 2k]

The door will open and he’ll smile wide and genuine at the people who raised him, his teary-eyed mother and rosey-face step-father. He won’t think about the cabin in the woods again until next December.

Do you ever have moments where you hate your favorite ship? (Another Oot Zelink rant - electric boogaloo)

Here we go again I guess. For some context: I grew up with Ocarina of Time. I played the game since before I could even read (I was like 4 for sure). I had kind of a rough childhood so for me Oot was an escape. Link was my childhood friend. I identified with him but at the same time saw him as my closest companion.

And well to little me there was no doubt that Link and Zelda were a thing. Same with Mario and Peach (SM 64 was there at the same time for me). Like it was clear as day to me. I was a child and it shaped the way I would end up liking my relationships. A hero and the princess. And I even ended up getting my hero in real life and he likes to call me his princess. We've been engaged for a while now.

So because I grew up with it, before I even understood what shipping was, it was more than a ship to me. It was my childhood. My reality.

You also have to realize that before TP came out and even for several years after TP was there, oot Zelink was also still very popular.

Then closer to today, we have things like Hyrule Historia and.... Zelda youtubers all saying the same thing of how the Hero of Time canonically marries Malon (which ... is still a theory. Like youtubers saying it's what happens and not marking it as theory doesn't make it canon) and the majority of the fandom treats it as fact. And okay, I get why the theory is popular, though I still think it should be treated as theory.

But now you have everyone going against you. Oot Zelink content is most of the time depressing tragic and painful content. What once used to be stories of love and peace faded out for the most part. When you write a fic about oot Zelink being happy together or make art about it, people will tell you 'but Link banged Malon' and worse things. Like I'm not here to tell you Malink is impossible, but I do think (and I will die on that hill) that oot Zelink IS possible. But then I get insulted over it. Hell someone called me the T slur over it.

I'm not blind to the hints, but these two are engraved into my mind. And sometimes I actually DO wish I could stop shipping them and wish they would stop affecting me. But they don't because they were part of my growing up process. Now when I see content about them, things like simple tweets or opinions or even just Oot content in general, it can put me into total agony. Oot used to be one of my favorite games and now just looking at it can ruin my mood and put me at unease. All the hero's shade content basically feels as If I'm watching my childhood friend die over and over again (which is whole different topic in itself) and all the tragic oot Zelink content rips my heart out. All this also made me feel unable to really like TP, which is a shame, as it introduced some of my favorite things.

What also hurts is, that as a child I really liked Malon. She was one of the things in my life that inspired me to sing. But this whole situation and the way several fans are has made me detest her. I try to like her but I basically have to force myself to do so.

I'm never going to attack you for having a different ship than mine (unless its illegal). But this situation is really hard on me. I wish I could agree with Malinkers but I probably never will.

Who knows, maybe I am delusional. But seeing as Nintendo never has and likely never will confirm Malink and has pushed oot Zelink (Oot 3d promotional manga? Approving of the mangas that push oot Zelink, which includes the TP manga? Miyamoto literally saying he'd like to see Zelda as Links girlfriend in oot?! The whole ending of the game literally being set up like a romance film with a break up and a reunion!?) you can't tell me Nintendo never intended anything romantic to come from them. And using this I still feel in the right to ship them in a non AU way.

But because of how the situation is, I no longer like Oot as much as I used to. It was once the greatest game ever to me and I still objectively consider it as such, but it isn't as it used to be for me. Sometimes I even wish It didn't exist (though that would be a great injustice to the world if it didn't), because it upsets me too much. I hate seeing my childhood friend die and not get what he deserves. I detest the tragic oot Zelink path (though I do not mean to tell anyone that they shouldn't like it - this is just my personal experience and I get why others like it).

I do like some other things that are tragic - I mean one of my favorite films is Titanic, but I guess I grew up with those things already being tragic (imagine Titanic not being tragic! A literal historical disaster!)

It is shocking how much a simple thing like a ship and a character's fate can affect you mentally. Things that are part of your childhood, even fictional stories, can shape you quite strongly.

So yes, sometimes I hate this ship. Sometimes I love it, but when I love it, I usually need to be far away from the fandom.

I wonder if anyone else feels that way about this or another ship?

Hi is it ok to ask for the dormleaders with a hetalia Switzerland! Mc?

Hetalia!Switzerland with TWST Dorm Leaders: Part 1

Note: HERE IT IS!!

So sorry for the long wait but here you go!!

And yes, you may ask for Switzerland!MC hehe.

It took a bit of a while to finish and post this cuz I was watching and re-watching Hetalia Switzerland videos to get a grasp on his personality. So yeah!

Again, please note that this was not meant or intended to offend anyone. And that all mentions of 'Switzerland' refer to Aph Switzerland/Basch, unless said otherwise, the same with other countries mentioned. Please tell me if you found anything here offensive and I will try to revise it. Also, I will say it again, this was written with a platonic relationship in mind, as it didn't specify whether you wanted it to be romantic or platonic.

Anyway, let's get to it!!

Also, this part will only have Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, and Scarabia. The rest will come on a later date.

---

Heartslabyul:

Riddle Rosehearts:

🥀 He has no idea what to think of MC.

🥀 Why, you may ask?

🥀 Well....

🥀 MC acted very much hostile towards EVERYONE, even the headmage.

🥀 That, Riddle didn't approve of.

🥀 Then when that cat started causing such a huge ruckus, they were acle to help stop the monster.

🥀 ....

🥀 With a gun.

🥀 THIS STUDENT WAS ARMED AND BROUGHT WEAPONS TO SCHOOL!!!

🥀 THAT IS AGAINST THE RULES!!

🥀 Especially the Queen of Hearts Rule number 36: "One must not bring a weapon to a special occasion, unless they are a guard."

🥀 Note: I made that up-

🥀 This magicless student is NOT a guard!

🥀 IT SHOULD BE OFF WITH THEIR HEAD!!

🥀 ... Yeah maybe it wasn't so good of a first impression...

🥀 Riddle does acknowledge that MC did help in calming and stopping the situation with Grim.

🥀 So that remedies Riddle's HORRIBLE forst impression; even if by a bit.

🥀 As he meets them more, he sees how polite and well-mannered MC is.

🥀 He even saw them wiping the faces of Ace, Deuce, and Grim when they eat.

🥀 Sorta like how Switzerland does to Lichtenstein (and Austria when he was little)

🥀 So Riddle now thinks of MC as respectable and dignified, though quite loud and blunt.

🥀 When he ordered for the Mont Blanc tart to be thrown out, MC was quite angry, though understood Riddle's point of view.

🥀 MC definitely said something like, "I get that it's a rule and that breaking rules are bad; but punishing people who didn't know about the rule is a bit too much isn't it?"

🥀 Then Ace or Grim agrees with them and adds some more snide comments that MC did NOT mean to say nor mean AT ALL.

🥀 They scold Ace or Grim for twisted their words.

🥀 Anyway, Riddle takes this personally and as a big offense and plot happens.

🥀 MC helps the ADeuce come up with a strategy to fight Riddle; even after they express how they really think that Riddle would win either way.

🥀 Anyway, everything else goes the same.

🥀 Although this time, MC doesn't say anything because whenever they see or think about Riddle, they suddenly remember what Trey told them about him.

🥀 This makes MC a bit more remorseful (though they do agree with Ace a lot that Riddle is still doing bad things).

🥀 Also because MC's too tired from training the ADeuce combo.

🥀 So they tried to keep everyone else from saying bad stuff to Riddle (or at least tone it down).

🥀 Do they succeed?

🥀 No.

🥀 Do they try anyway?

🥀 ...yes...

🥀 Anyway, when Riddle overblotted, MC brings out their gun immediately.

🥀 They may not have much experience with 'overblots' (other than that one encounter in the Dwarf's Mine) but they know for sure that the Riddle in front of them is the enemy.

🥀 So, with MC's help, everyone was able to defeat Riddle's overblot.

🥀 MC led the battle by telling people what to do

🥀 While MC's country may be a neutral one, MC is still very experienced in fighting.

🥀 After Riddle's overblot, MC starts to scold Riddle.

🥀 They start scolding Riddle for ruining the garden, for nearly harming everyone (including Riddle himself), etc.

🥀 No one could have guessed that this was still the usually cold and stoic MC.

🥀 But anyway, afterwards, MC confronts Riddle again.

🥀 This time, they're in a more private space, so MC starts talking to Riddle about him, his mom, an his past.

🥀 They tell him that not everything is about Riddle's mom and that everyone makes mistakes once in a while so no one is perfect.

🥀 They also tell him that what is mother did to him wasn't good, nor was the way he treated other people good.

🥀 However, MC also tells Riddle that he possibly has good intentions, and was only expressing those intentions the wrong way.

🥀 While listening to MC, Riddle finds himself in awe of their wisdom.

🥀 He also asks MC why they helped him and Heartslabyul.

🥀 MC gets a tad flustered

🥀 "I just did what I thought was right. It wasn't because I was trying to be a hero or anything. There certain things... we should expect people... *sigh* we should expect all people to do." (I COULDN'T FIND THE EPISODE THIS HAPPENED- but it was when Lichtenstein asked Switzerland why he saved her)

🥀 From this, Riddle is even more in awe.

🥀 At first, he thought MC was just a very polite and cold person. But now he sees that MC is very caring and is someone who just wants the best for all.

🥀 Afterwards, MC and Riddle's relationship gets really better; they often spend time with the animals in Heartslabyul together.

🥀 Sometimes, both are hanging out while drinking tea also.

🥀 MC is invited to all of Heartslabyul's traditions.

🥀 Riddle also often goes to MC for help or advice.

🥀 Basically a very happy friendship!

---

Savanaclaw:

Leona Kingscholar:

🦁 This herbivore is really loud...

🦁 Plus that gun they have is realy loud too...

🦁 Leona's first impression of MC can be explained in one word.

🦁 LOUD

🦁 Since the welcoming ceremony was a very startling experience for MC at the time, of course they would be very loud.

🦁 MC was shouting stuff (like "where is Lichtenstein", etc) and during the Grim incident, they started shooting to get Grim to stop.

🦁 Which makes Leona not only slightly intrigued by the magicless herbivore, but he is also very irritated from how loud everything is.

🦁 Other than that, Leona mostly just shrugs MC and the occurence off.

🦁 He's tired and can't find it in himself to care.

🦁 Now, I don't see Switzerland!MC to even step on Leona's tail, seeing how guraded and cautious they are, so let's just say Grim did!

🦁 Anyway, Leona is still pissed off that his tail was stepped on and plot goes on.

🦁 When Leona threatened MC, MC got in a defensive stance in case Leona tried anything.

🦁 Leona did. Well, was about to.

🦁 But Ruggie came and yeah.

🦁 Plot goes on normally.

🦁 Not a lot changes, except for the fact that the investigation goes on a lot more smoothly.

🦁 Switzerland!MC also highly suspects Savanaclaw due to the fact that no Savanaclaw students were injured.

🦁 But again, no evidence. So plot still goes on normally.

🦁 During Leona's overblot, MC recovers from the shock a lot faster and gets to work immediately.

🦁 MC is leading the battle and shooting the overblot phantom with such precision, it scares intimidates the Savanaclaw students.

🦁 In the end, MC doesn't really coonrront Leona for a while.

🦁 MC's country, Switzerland, hasn't had a monarch since 1848, as they have converted to a republic instead.

🦁 Because of this, Mc does not have much to say to Leona.

🦁 However, when they find some alone time with Leona, they do tell him that life as a prince shouldn't be about being king.

🦁 They also add in some qualities they recognize in Leona (like his intelligence, wit, and great strategy senses) and tell him that he can aim for different roles instead of limiting himself to just being king.

🦁 MC also mentions that he is the "king" of Savanaclaw, and that everyone in Savanaclaw looks up to him as their king as well.

🦁 From all of this, Leona takes it to heart, though his realization comes quite slowly.

🦁 Although Leona does learn to sort of see MC as a wise person; but he'd mever admit it.

🦁 Both Leona and MC often have competitive matches in chess on their free time.

🦁 It often ends in a draw.

🦁 Both come back for more matches to find a solid winner.

🦁 Legend says that Leona and MC are still competing in Chess to this day

---

Octavinelle:

Azul Ashengrotto:

🐙 Azul, at first, didn't really think much of MC.

🐙 He means, it's just an ordinary magicless human, who happens to have quite spectacular aim and talent using that... what was the word again...? Ah! Gun.

🐙 ...actually... now that he thinks about it...

🐙 Perhaps this student can be employed as a guard or some sort of bouncer for Monstro Lounge...

🐙 *insert scheming mafia baby octoboi noises*

🐙 Ahem!

🐙 Anyways, other than that, Azul doesn't have much of an impression.

🐙 And he also shrugs off the MC-bouncer/guard idea; he already has Jade and Floyd, after all.

🐙 So, plot goes on.

🐙 When Azul offers MC the contract in the Octavinelle Arc, MC is a lot more skeptical and negotiates with Azul.

🐙 When MC tries to negotiate the terms and the collateral, Azul gets a bit frustrated, but very intrigued, by MC.

🐙 After all, not a lot of people actually READ the contract, and even less people actually TRY to negotiate the terms and collateral.

🐙 In the end, Azul tries to "balance" the contract according to MC's demands and negotiations.

🐙 So now, the deadline is still in 3 days, but the collateral is now just a part of Ramshackle, some intel on MC and their world (which Azul has always had a heavy interest on), as well as their services as a guard/bouncer for Monstro Lounge.

🐙 Now, MC technically has a home in Ramshackle still; although Azul had claimed the kitchen and lounge area as his own until the contract is fulfilled.

🐙 So MC was still homeless (since they were now unable to use the kitchen, it would prove useless to stay in Ramshackle)

🐙 So plot goes on as usual.

🐙 Literally, everything else goes on normally like in the game.

🐙 When Azul finally overblots, MC starts to see some sort of pattern with who's been overblotting and who's been helping.

🐙 Nevertheless, they respond the same way as others;

🐙 They bring out their gun, aim, and fire.

🐙 They also take the lead in telling others what to do to fend against Azul's overblot (something Leona didn't really like as he doesn't like getting bossed around)

🐙 After Azul's overblot, MC did actually do something to comfort Azul.

🐙 MC sort of related with Azul in some way.

🐙 So, they told him that he didn't have to hide his past self; it shouldn't be something he should be embarrassed of; and that he should be proud of how far he went from all the bullying he's gone through.

🐙 They also tell him that while he was very hardworking, his intentions and the way he shows his hard work isn't exactly the best thing to do.

🐙 Azul wholeheartedly listens to MC and reflects on their words.

🐙 So yeah!

🐙 Also, MC helps Azul save money and haggle prices a lot better than Azul himself.

🐙 Azul also gives MC a discount and coupon here and there whenever they do something especially nice for him.

---

Scarabia:

Kalim Al-Asim:

☀️ Kalim probably has bad memories of guns.

☀️ He's most likely experienced assassination attempts through sniping or use of firearms.

☀️ So while he definitely thinks MC is cool, he's also quite wary of them.

☀️ He does approach them and is just as friendly as he is to everyone else.

☀️ Especially when he realizes that MC doesn't just shoot whoever; and definitely won't shoot him.

☀️ So yeah! All is well!

☀️ During the Scarabia arc, MC definitely did not let themselves get kidnapped.

☀️ Nor did they let "Kalim" act all tyrant-like to them (and Grim)

☀️ So MC has most likely (or tried to) approached Kalim about "his" behaviour.

☀️ Kalim, being the oblivious and mostly-unknowing ball of sunshine he is, didn't understand what MC was talking about and got very worried.

☀️ Nevertheless, in the end, MC (and Kalim) now understood the reason why Kalim has been acting up.

☀️ MC had an inkling that Jamil was somehow involved (as he seemed the "closest" to Kalim) but found it hard to approach Jamil, since he would find ways to escape or change the subject the moment MC approached him about their suspicions of him.

☀️ So yeah.

☀️ MC definitely defended Kalim from Jamil's overblot and Kalim is still very grateful for it.

☀️ Afterwards, MC basically became another Jamil for Kalim

☀️ Just remove the betrayal part-

☀️ Overall, very wholesome friendship.

☀️ MC (and Jamil) would often try to keep Kalim out of trouble; while Kalim tries to get MC (and Jamil) to relax and have more fun.

---

END! (For now)

Pomefiore, Ignihyde, and Diasomnia will be posted on a later date.

Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated!!

Thank you for reading! 💙

From the body of the beast

Raylan sees them, blurry and gray. He realizes Harlan—Harlan who has been created from the blood of those living there—doesn’t have eyes, but sees them all the same. There are so many, and Raylan falls into only a few.

Harlan wakes up.

Two girls, late teens, huddle together in an abandoned shaft. They wrap their arms around each other, and they’re obviously scared, but Raylan can’t tell of what. They wear clothing that doesn’t make sense to Raylan, fashion that hasn’t been invented yet. Thick red travels down one’s leg into the dirt. The other sports a bloody nose. She wipes her lip with the back of her hand, and it comes away red. She lets her hand rest against the floor of the cave.

Harlan wakes up.

A man backs away, his arms are up, he keeps shaking his head in dissension. These flashbacks don’t have audio, but Raylan can read No and I’ll get you the money on his lips. Raylan can’t see what corners him, but the man’s back hits the mine wall. Red splatters up the rock where his head used to be, as the man crumples to the ground.

Harlan wakes up.

A Bennett—he has the look, the face, the same stupid grin— a bullet scratches through his shirt, spilling over the dust, and he smirks, smoking gun in hand, twirls and holsters it.

Harlan wakes up.

A woman in an old fifties house dress claws into a rubble pile. She wails, and full sobs shake her body. A cave in, Raylan suspects, and she breaks her nails in a futile attempt to dig out the rocks. She’s not like a widow in an old miner’s tale, Raylan thinks, she is the widow in an old miners’ tale. The wreckage cuts deep gashes across her palms, and Raylan sees bright red bleed out of the wound, the only color in this gray scale memory. Hazel.

Harlan wakes up.

An old memory. Raylan knows this one. Boyd pulls Raylan up the mine shaft, the two of them running from the rocks falling behind them. Blood snakes down each of their forearms, meeting at their hands, forming one drop before flying to the floor, left behind in their haste.

Harlan wakes up.

Loretta McCready stands too close to the edge of a mineshaft. A minor scrape Raylan hadn’t even guessed at now glowing red and dripping just into the black.

Harlan wakes up.

(I might also send you a bit from your omegaverse if I can fucking narrow down 500 words)

Raylan! Thank you for the ask about "The Body of the Beast"! I'd also love to answer about "The Soil in Your Belly" :D

Ohhhh, this scene. I'm glad you picked one from Harlan's point of view, because all of it was soooo fun to write. Harlan has her little blorbos (something I couldn't write in the fic, but you know know in your heart to be true).

To be honest, Harlan's scene is the second scene I wrote for this fic. I wrote the very beginning-- Harlan reaching up to grab them, pull them into the past, and them to wake up there-- and the very last. Writing all the sandwich in the middle was what took the longest. I think that's fitting, though, for Raylan's line to have been for this was always how it was going to end, and I, as author, knew it too.

This part had gone through some edits, of course, once I knew more about everyone, including Hazel-Virginia and how Raylan might feel upon seeing her. I'm happy to have included her, and I hadn't called her Virginia until her second appearance, because I thought it'd be fun for readers to have one chance to come up with the minitwist themselves, haha, just before the offical reveal.

The two girls and the man who died, they were to give more numbers to the different favorites Harlan has, while not making too many characters as we know them special. That said, I also used them to show that Harlan doesn't necessarily have a type, in that the man who borrowed money is a coward and unwise to be borrowing from those he shouldn't. The girls, from the future, show that Harlan doesn't pick from any time period either.

The blood that Raylan and Boyd spills is intended to keep them as a set, while also showing how united they were in that moment. They are but one blood, they are so close. I imagine it makes Harlan's blood magic easier to use than if they hadn't been, haha, though I also suppose she doesn't have concepts of "easy" for her to make decisions around.

Also, Loretta was fun for me as well, because Harlan has already changed the time line. Even if she does bleed into Harlan, it won't be in this way, as Raylan and Boyd have changed their futures. It's to show that Harlan has different responses to time lines than other characters, as she is a minor god, and they are not. I think it's also just to prove how lovable Loretta is. Even Harlan loved her so.

India Lima Yankee - Chapter 31

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 3498

Warnings: Mention of death

Summary: Juliette Kazansky discovers Maverick is back in town for a special training detachment, but she's more than a little blindsided when Rooster arrives too. Having not spoken to him for almost ten years after their less than amicable break-up, Juliette can only imagine how the next few weeks are going to play out when she remains head over heels in love with him while he wants nothing to do with Juliette other than to forget her.

Or so she thinks.

Notes: Chapters in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Bring Me Back to Life Without You

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25 Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31

Juliette

Two days.

That's how many were left before the pilots shipped off. As Juliette helped her mom prepare the large meal to feed 18 mouths by setting places at the table, the sinking feeling settled in more and more. One or more of these people may not be coming home, Maverick now being included in that group. Juliette knew she'd had a part in that, even if it was Cyclone who made the final decision. Still, he never would've made it had she not suggested it.

At the thought of Maverick, she wondered where he'd gone. He'd arrived early with Juliette to help prep for dinner. Twenty minutes ago, Mav said he needed the bathroom and had yet to return. Glancing around the kitchen, dining room, and living room, even outside on the back porch, the aviator was nowhere to be seen. Juliette slipped out of sight from her mom and brothers and down the hall to the bathroom, just to make sure he wasn't actually still in there. She doubted it, and her feeling had been right. The door to the bathroom was open, and so was, strangely, the one to her father's office, albeit only slightly cracked. It'd been kept shut ever since Ice had died. 

Juliette poked her head into the room. In the golden light of the setting sun filtering through the semi-opaque blinds, she saw Maverick sitting in her father's chair, staring at a group photo of them back when she was in college. It was at her graduation. She was flanked by her father and Maverick. Bradley hadn't been able to come because of training, much to his dismay, but he'd surprised her the following week by showing up on her doorstep with flowers and tickets to a Rascal Flatts concert.

Juliette stepped inside the room and shut the door to give them some privacy. She grabbed a chair and sat across from him. "Talk to me, Mav. What's on your mind?" 

"I remember that day," Maverick said, nodding at the photo. "Your dad was so proud of you for graduating top of your class and having a job lined up with Lockheed. I remember him telling anyone and everyone on base."

Juliette smiled. "I could hear him yelling from the stands when I walked up on stage. You too."

"I was proud of you too. I think I was even prouder when you slipped and landed in a kneeling position and threw your hands up like you'd fully intended to do that."

"Whoever thought putting a tarp on the ground when girls are walking down a steep ramp to get to it in heels was a dumbass!" Juliette defended with a smile.

Maverick chuckled. "You had a hell of a bruise on your knee from that."

"I did. Rooster even asked me about it the following week."

"I'm glad you two are back together. You both seem to be better because of it."

"I think we are. He's been my rock since Dad-" A knot formed in her throat, effectively stopping all words. Rooster had spent each night with her since they'd gotten back together. Between having him around and working during the day, Juliette hadn't had time to think much about her dad or the hole in her heart from his death. It came back with a vengeance now. 

"Whether you realize it or not, you've been mine, Jules. I wouldn't have gotten that plane if not for you, nor would I be where I am now. I know it's because of you I got my position back, and-" Maverick eyed her knowingly- "I'm pretty sure you're the reason I'm flying as mission leader. Cyclone wouldn't have considered the idea unless someone brought it up to him, considering his opinions about me."

"I don't want you up there, but I know it's what you wanted. I'm not as worried about the pilots having you up there with them." Juliette clenched her jaw, her anxiety rising at the thought of her following words. "What scares me is knowing you'll do anything to protect them. Especially if you send Rooster."

A heavy silence fell between them, both thinking about the impending mission that Maverick and the pilots would deploy for in just a few days and the ramifications that could come from it. Juliette studied Maverick's face, noticing his green eyes welling with tears. Seeing him about to cry made the knot return, and it took a Herculean effort for her to speak in a steady voice. "What is it?"

Juliette followed his line of sight to another photo. In it stood Bradley and Jules, flanked by Maverick and Iceman, respectively. It was from Bradley's high school graduation, one of the last times the two men had been on speaking terms. "If I send him on this mission..." Maverick began, sniffling. He could barely look Juliette in the eye. "He might never come home. And if I don't send him, he'll never forgive me. I don't know what to do, Juliette. I know now is not the time to be thinking about this because we're about to have this dinner as a- as a way to decompress from the stress of the mission. Still, I see this photo, and I see a man who I consider my son. I see you and realize you might never see him again if I send him up, and I can't do that to you. You would never look at me the same, and I don't-"

"Mav-" Juliette reached over and placed her hand on his knee- "listen to me. Don't think about me when choosing whether or not to send him up. In the event you do, and in the unlikely event he doesn't make it back, it would not change how I see you because I know you would've done everything in your power to save him. It's not time to make the decision yet, but I know you'll make the right one, and if you need me to help you make it, I'm here."

"I know you are, but you shouldn't have the burden of helping me make that decision on your shoulders. It's not a light one to make."

"It's not, but I wouldn't offer it if I wasn't willing to help carry that burden. You don't have to bear it alone."

Maverick rested his hand atop hers. "You've done so much for me already, Juliette. I can't ask you for this too."

"You're not. I'm offering."

A ghost of a smile tugged on his lips. "Be on standby for my call when I'm on the carrier. If I need a shove to make the right decision, I know you'll do it."

"Whatever you need, whenever you need it, I've got your six, Mav. Always." Juliette squeezed his knee reassuringly, heart aching at the vulnerability in his face. She wished he didn't have to make the decision at all because he'd been through enough when it came to Bradley. Now, he had an opportunity to reconcile with him, but it came with a near impossible decision.

The doorbell rang, breaking the moment. They stood up, but before leaving, Juliette pulled Maverick into a hug, hoping to convey her support and sympathy for him through the gesture. 

"I love you, Jules. Thank you for everything," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Mav." They broke apart. "What do you say we both push aside our worries for tonight and focus on having fun?"

"Sounds like a plan." Maverick and Juliette left her dad's office, and she shut the door behind them. While Mav went to the kitchen, Jules opened the door. She found the twelve pilots and Hondo on her front porch, all carrying a homemade dessert save for Rooster and Phoenix, who both held bouquets.

"What's all this?" Juliette asked, looking at the food and flowers. 

"We wanted to bring flowers for your mom," Phoenix said, glancing at the arrangement of white roses and blue irises. It reminded Juliette of the bouquet she'd received from them, and she had no doubt the color scheme chosen for her mom was intentional. "Rooster thought it'd be nice to bring some for you too, as a thank you for the invite. The rest made desserts."

Juliette quirked an eyebrow, unable to imagine some of the pilots baking the desserts they'd brought, especially Hangman, who appeared to have made a pecan pie with the nuts placed in a neat and orderly circle spiraling outward. 

"This is absolutely amazing, and the flowers are beautiful," Juliette said sincerely, taking the bouquet from Rooster. "You didn't have to do all this, but it's very much appreciated. Come on in. We can put any desserts that need to be refrigerated in the outside fridge."

One by one, the pilots stepped inside and made their way into the kitchen. Juliette introduced her mom and brothers to each aviator, keeping a careful eye on Joey. Her eldest brother smiled as he shook each pilot's hand, but she could see the calculating look in his eyes, analyzing how much she meant to the pilots and if it was equal to how she felt about them. Joey was no idiot, sadly, and he knew there'd been an ulterior motive to this get-together. As Juliette walked past him to put her flowers in a vase, she warned him, "Play nice."

"Don't worry, Mom already warned me," he mumbled, reaching over her head for a drinking glass. Juliette took a deep breath, forcing herself not to let her brother get to her. She planned on enjoying tonight and letting his words annoy her would do nothing to help her endeavor. 

"All right, everyone!" Sarah clapped her hands, garnering everyone's attention. Grab a plate and help yourselves!"

"Cooks go first," Rooster said, motioning at the Kazansky's to dig into the array of food. The rest of the pilots agreed, so Juliette, her mom, and her brothers chose not to argue. Everyone piled their plates with food and crammed together at the table. Juliette sat between Hangman and Rooster. Maverick, her mom, and Hondo sat across from her. For the next hour, everyone ate, drank, and chatted. Even Joey, who had gone into this dinner with more than a few reservations, was joking and grinning alongside the pilots. Juliette mainly talked to those around her until she heard Payback and Fanboy mention her name.

"Are you gossiping about me down there?" she asked, staring pointedly at them.

"Just telling Joey here that you're the reason we had to do two hundred push-ups our first day of training," Payback said drolly.

"It's the last time we ever make a bet with you," Fanboy joked, pointing his fork at her. "Never underestimating you again."

"You'll never underestimate Maverick again, either," Juliette said, smiling proudly at the man across from her. 

"You had too much glee in your voice when I got shot down," Hangman remarked, smirking at her. "How'd you know Mav was going to use the sun as a blinding technique to get behind me?"

"How do you think I got the idea?" Maverick said, grinning.

"That wasn't my intention. The nickname slipped out because you-" Juliette looked up at Hangman- "were way too happy during that first fight."

Hangman snorted. "So what you're saying is if you hadn't been there, I might actually have shot Mav down?"

"Don't flatter yourself that much, Sunshine. He still would've kicked your ass."

"You sound very confident about that."

"That's because I am."

"All right, Maverick-" Hangman turned to his instructor- "one day, I want a rematch, and I want Princess here with you because whoever shoots down the other first has to do two hundred push-ups."

"Got yourself a deal," Juliette declared, offering her hand to the pilot. He shook it. "It's a good thing you work out a lot so you can handle all those push-ups."

"Dude, I'm sorry, but I'm putting my bets on Maverick and Princess," Omaha said. 

"No faith, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but it's in Mav and Jules, not you."

"Rooster tried to warn you," Maverick added, chiming into the conversation, much to Juliette's surprise, "but I interrupted him. I couldn't let him spill my secret."

"I know what you're capable of," Rooster replied, shocking Juliette even further. Her boyfriend typically tried to avoid any interaction with Maverick outside of training. For him to willingly engage in conversation with him gave Juliette the slightest hope that perhaps his resentment was slowly melting away. 

"You've all come a long way from the first day of training. I'm proud of all of you," Maverick praised, looking each pilot in the eye, although his gaze rested a fraction longer on Bradley. 

"I'm glad you and Jules are both still here leading this training detachment," Phoenix remarked, smiling at them.

Joey frowned. "Were they not supposed to be?"

Shit... Juliette hadn't told her mom or brothers about Maverick being temporarily removed from his position, nor had she told them that she'd helped him commandeer an F-18 to prove a point. Her mom and Jack would understand, but Joey would throw a fit.

"Cyclone grounded me for a day, and Juliette helped me get my place back," Maverick answered swiftly, meeting her gaze. She could see that he recognized her family didn't know what she'd done and that she wanted to keep it that way. She shot him a grateful smile.

"Still don't know how you pulled it off, Juliette," Payback mused, shaking his head. "God help the poor souls who owed you favors."

"Who on base owes you favors?" Joey prodded, locking eyes with his sister.

Juliette didn't back down. "They weren't mine. Dad told me about them in case I ever needed to use them. I simply cashed in on them."

"I still want to know what kind of favors these people owed you that let you take up an F-18 at the last minute without Cyclone's approval," Harvard added. The others, save for Maverick, Hondo, and Rooster, nodded in agreement.

Jack choked on his drink while Sarah Kazansky raised her eyebrows at her daughter. Meanwhile, Joey demanded, "You stole an F-18?" 

"No, I called in a favor with someone other than Cyclone who could get us the plane. It was all done by the books. We merely took a different, more discreet route to do it."

Jack snorted. "I'm sure Cyclone wasn't happy about that."

"No, he was not, but it's all fine now. Maverick is back where he belongs."

"So are you," Maverick said, smiling appreciatively at her.

Hangman lifted his glass. "To Maverick and Juliette!"

"To Maverick and Juliette!" the other pilots cheered, lifting their glasses. Rooster discreetly placed his hand on Juliette's leg, smiling adoringly at her. Her heart soared at the toast. As sweet and simple as it was, it meant the world to her.

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Joey remained relatively quiet after discovering how Juliette helped Maverick, but she didn't care. She was having too much fun with the pilots. After picking up the dirty dishes and placing them by the sink to be cleaned later, they played a few rounds of volleyball until they'd worked off dinner. Then everyone piled their plates with different desserts and migrated back outside to the fire pit. Juliette and Rooster snagged one of the love-seat Adirondack chairs, trying to sit close enough that they could touch each other but far enough away that no one got the wrong idea about them, even though it'd actually be the right one. Juliette still didn't want them knowing she and Rooster were dating, afraid of being accused of favoritism when it came time to choose them for the mission. 

Still, as the night wore on, and as she watched the pilots laugh, joke, and chat like there wasn't a care in the world, Juliette found herself spiraling more and more at the thought of losing any of them.

Juliette couldn't stand the idea of not seeing Hangman's cocky smile or Phoenix's sly smirk that suggested she knew the secrets of everyone here. She couldn't stand the thought of not hearing Bob's sweet southern drawl or Coyote's boisterous cheers when he scored a touchdown in dogfight football. Juliette couldn't fathom not listening to Fanboy ramble on about Star Trek and all his other favorite shows and movies or Payback humming the song 'Payback' ever since he discovered that's what Juliette's ringtone for him was. She dreaded the idea of not hearing Omaha try to convince everyone that his hometown of Omaha was a great city, or Harvard and Yale playfully bickering about which of their alma maters was better, or Fritz complaining about his tech issues on his too-old laptop, or Halo gushing about her nieces and nephews.

Most of all, the ones that nearly paralyzed her with fear were the ideas of never having Rooster or Maverick around again. Juliette couldn't bear never again receiving one of Maverick's fatherly hugs and hearing stories of his antics from his younger years, or never seeing Rooster belt out to 'Great Balls of Fire,' of never seeing her boyfriend swagger into the room in the Hawaiian shirts only he could pull off, of never having Rooster's arms around her again and making her feel like she was home. 

Heat rose in her cheeks, and it had nothing to do with how close she sat to the fire. Juliette quietly excused herself, stating she needed the bathroom and was going to get more dessert. No one batted an eye, continuing on with their conversation. It wasn't exactly a lie. She did need the bathroom and wanted more dessert, but Juliette didn't head back out the moment she'd completed what she'd gone inside for. Instead, she began unloading the dishwasher, needing to give herself a mindless task, something she knew the outcome of, in order to lessen the anxiety of the unknown ending of the mission.

While Juliette put a new load in the dishwasher, she heard the sliding glass door open. If anyone asked, she already had a plan to tell them she saw the dishes and simply wanted to help her mom by getting another load going. That plan flew out the window when Rooster entered and said, "I came to check on you. You've been gone a little too long for a bathroom break and to grab some dessert, and judging by the fact you're cleaning-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Juliette countered a little too quickly.

"You clean when you're anxious." Rooster joined her side and, much to her relief, didn't prod about what was on her mind. He probably already knew anyways. It's what was always on her mind: the impending mission and her dad's death. Instead, he silently helped her finish the dishes and clean more of the kitchen. On the one hand, Juliette wanted him to pull her into his arms and hold her, letting the stress she was holding in momentarily melt away. On the other hand, she knew if Rooster did such a thing, she would most likely break down with the thoughts that had just been in her head mere minutes ago, and she didn't want anyone walking in on that.

As they finished up and were about to head back outside, their group entered, yawning and stretching.

"I think we're going to head back," Phoenix said, setting her plate down next to the sink. "Do you need help with anything before we leave?"

"Absolutely not," Sarah Kazansky declared, shaking her head. "I want all of you to go back to base and get some rest for training tomorrow. You have a big mission coming up, and I want all of you at the top of your game for it."

"Yes, ma'am," the pilots echoed.

"Rooster, you're staying, right?" Jack queried casually. "We still need to catch up. It's been too long."

"Wait-" Coyote motioned between the two men- "you know each other?"

"Yeah. We go way back." Jack walked past Juliette, winking at her on his way as a silent 'You're welcome.' She smiled gratefully at him. They could be the best of friends or the worst of enemies, and tonight, Jack was on her side. 

"We're all old friends," Juliette added, wanting to avoid her brothers spilling the beans about hers and Rooster's past. The pilots didn't need to know that. Not yet.

With that said, no one else inquired about Rooster's relationship with the Kazanskys, and the pilots bid everyone goodnight. As they shuffled down the sidewalk, Payback and Fanboy shouted over their shoulders, "See you at training, Princess!"

"See you tomorrow!" she hollered back, grinning. While her mom, Rooster, and Jack returned inside to continue cleaning the kitchen, Juliette and Joey remained outside. They stayed there until all the aviators had gotten in their cars and drove out of sight. Then, as Jules shut the door, Jack asked, "Can we talk?"

***

Tags: @lgg5989 @shanimallina87 @polikszena @summ3rlotus @souslesyeuxde @gleasonmalfoy @icemansgirl1999 @supernaturaldawning @thedarkinmansfield @lyannaforpresident @lapilark @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth @simpofthecentury @shadeops21 @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @double-j @picklejuicesposts @bradshawsandbridgetons @majdoline @ophesworld @jakexfmc

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ♥️

Awww, thank you!

I don’t know how to answer this though. I mean, I think like everyone who knows me for fic knows me because of In Living Memory. Easily my most popular or influential work. I’ve written several other fics for DbD I really liked too, especially From the Earth of No Return, because I had to learn to write a dead language for that and it was insanely intensive and fun. But if I try to only pick one per fandom, ILM wins. It’s an ensemble cast kind of epic about Philip and the survivors attempting to escape the realm together. Lots about trauma and growth and healing and humanity and love. Really loved it. Got to do so much character work, and it really turned out in a way that made me happy. It’s a little bitter sweet, because I originally wrote it for someone it was finished too late for, but it makes me happy sometimes I hear someone say it meant a lot to them. Like organ donation for a story. That one will always be special for me.

The Nuclear Reaction wasn’t technically the first fic I wrote. I used to write AE’s for the Nancy Drew PC games, and I wrote one Heavy Rain fic on da fiction.net before it, but I still kind of think of The Nuclear Reaction as my first fic, because it was the first I’d tried to do that sort of long-form, and that makes it special in my heart. It’s a Fallout 4 fic about Deacon and Preston and the other companions working together to take down the Institute after Sole’s death, with some meta about video game play styles and my first work making my 3rd person narrator a specific character but not the ones doing things on screen being narrated, and exploring the role of the narrator a lot. I didn’t finish it, because back then I took a break to write ILM and got sucked into that, but I do intend to. It’s early and has typos and is so much from my heart. I really liked it. Also, we deserve more FO4 centered on Deacon and Preston having a relationship bc they didn’t get the chance in-game but by god those two would have been best friends given half a chance.

Weirdest one on this list, but I wrote some fic for this obscure as hell tumblr game like 12 people in the ND pc game fandom played. It was like the show Mafia but you made stories for it to fit ND characters into, and I got to run the like…4th? 5th iteration? And included elements of the card game mafia (like Dr. and Sherrif skills etc) hence mine was called WhodunnitMafia. We were all in college so it died a few rounds before the end, but I wrote a finale for my friend who had played the killer (and was fucking excellent at it) and it had spanned this…just enormous role play contained in many personal chats and live blogging events. Anyway, I wanted it to have /an/ end, so I wrote one as pros, and like, I don’t think even Austen (my friend) ever read /all/ of it, and it’s so niche only like 6 people in existence max would ever maybe be aware it existed and have any interest even maybe in readying it, but regrettably that niche thing I swear to god produced some of the single best writing I have ever done, so periodically I re-read my own stuff for mafia and go “holy shit this is amazing why the HELL did I use my best writing on something designed for literally an audience of ONE” and I suffer. Love it though. (Parts 2 and 5 are especially *cheff kiss* like not to toot my own horn but holy SHIT WHY DID I WASTE SOME OF MY BEST WORK HERE???)

God it’s hard to pick between my own writing. Like right this second, I’ve been doing shorter form Batman and Spider-Man stuff and I like both a lot because it’s what I’m super into right now, but they’re really short so does that count the same? I don’t know I liked one more than the other either. Ahhhhh I…guess I’ll say my Harvey Dent one makes the winning cut? Because of very personal reasons, and I wrote it with Chase who I’ve never written with before, but he did an excellent job and it was a very cool experience. Significant to me. No official name for it yet. It’s Batman, Catwoman, and Two-Face fighting someone with mental powers and ending up trapped on a mind plane, and mostly character and relationship exploration with the Harvey Boys/the personalities in Harvey Dent’s head all split up into their own bodies temporarily while on the mind plane.

I really like all my stuff, and I know I’ve kind of plugged my Heavy Rain and one of my DbD fics without ‘picking’ them haha. Uhhh. I’m very bad at choosing amongst my own works. I feel like I /should/ say The Kid, because it’s fun to write something so different, and I was in a really bad place when I started it, but I also want to give the fifth slot to Isolation, because I am proud to be looked on with solidarity by some and hatred by others for being a champion defense attorney for my client Michael Audrey Myers. That is technically kind of an official tie-in for ILM so it’s sort of on here already though? So I guess for variety and for the time I was told by someone the way I write Amadeus reminds them of Lestat, The Kid. Which is a FGO au fic, about an alternate timeline of events for Ritsuka and Dr. Archaman leading up to the events of the original Grand Order set of arcs, only things don’t go how they should. Ensemble cast, but the main two are Billy the Kid and Ritsuka. Very fun. And I really need to get back to writing it…

Anyway, thanks for asking! I’m bad at answering because I’m bad at favorites with my own work, but it’s still fun to talk about. : )

EDIT: AH! I forgot about Half-Life!! Ahhhh war is hell how do people pick favorites?? Im not gonna change my answers now but I do want to publicly apologize to Anna for that one

RELEASE Day. MORE THAN DESIRE YOU by Shayla Black/Shelley Bradley is now live! I seduced her for revenge...but I won't let up until she's mine I'm Xavian Costa—financial genius, maverick, and heartbreaker. Since my dad ran out before I was born and my best friend slept with the woman I intended to marry, I don't get close to people. It's fine. That leaves me more time for what I'm best at: making money. But Parker, who poached my ex, is now a mega bestselling author with movie deals, and he's modeled his number one villain after me. I want revenge. I'm just looking for the perfect vehicle. Then the sexiest brunette I've ever seen literally falls at my feet. Best of all, she's my former pal's innocent little sister, all grown up, and she needs a fake fiancé. I'm happy to help—for a price. We begin our whirlwind "engagement," and I get to know Corinne, not as the gawky fourteen-year-old I remember, but as a beautiful woman. She's snarky, sassy, and smart as hell. I admire the serious way she attacks life. I like her ambition to do something besides inherit. And I love the way she moans when I take her to bed. But soon, I'm falling for her and questioning my plans to stab Parker in the back by breaking his little sister's heart. And when my dirty laundry gets aired for everyone—including Corinne—I have to prove that I'll put her first. She has no idea I feel more than desire for her, but I'll show her until she says yes for good.  Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Nr1fFZ Apple Books: https://apple.co/3H2hgio Nook: https://bit.ly/3auIqlw Kobo: https://bit.ly/3thCgMu Google Play: https://bit.ly/3NY5MhW Shayla’s Store: https://www.shaylablack.com/product/more-than-desire-you/

Yogi Says "Eat The Grapes" Or Implementing the Bambeck Defined Warrior Diet instructions A Personal Story

"... I enjoy jam plus no flim flam... " Louis Michael jordan, Nat 'King' Cole "... Lions, frogs and bears, also my! " Dorthy, a Pre-Doc Oz Whiz, along with a Type I would like to provide a few regarding my personal encounters in my attempt to implement the Bambeck defined Knight Diet. I would personally get started by saying that, unlike Greg Bambeck, I will be not a new scientist by training and, at some level, I am merely together for the drive on these mutually authored papers. We have made the effort to read certain rather complex studies and also have contributed just what ideas I can easily. In addition, There are suggested some substantive, analytic and structural changes where I believed appropriate. But Greg contributed the lion's share, especially about scientific input. I might also suggest (and I know of which Greg would as well) that a new number of folks at our favored freatery have led and inspired views, ideas and ideas as well, including Robert, H., Lee, Rachel and Tina among others. I possess used to heart a lot of the practical suggestions set forth in the fresh article as referenced/linked above. Essentially, it recommends good healthy eating plan and exercise, several vitamins and some other supplements and modest fasting. These simple ideas are good, but timing in addition to dosage seem to be able to matter much even more than I might actually have thought feasible. As an example, a doctor recently laughed at the suggestion of taking supplemental resveratrol before confiding that he has, regarding years, recommended a glass of wine with dinner. This reminds myself of the old Ashton Carson joke: Would certainly you sleep using me for a new million dollars? Sure? OK then would you for $1. 49? So what do I think you will be? We now have already established that and are just quibbling about the price. Dose and timing, as with pricing, can indeed be crucial and in the particular quibble lies the particular rub. Before carrying on I would like to condition by way involving disclaimer that the information contained inside each and every one of Greg's articles as properly as mine are usually in no approach intended to serve while a replacement for professional medical suggestions. Nor should it. Any technique details contained in similar is at the reader's discretion. All of us specifically disclaim any kind of and all responsibility arising directly or indirectly in the use or putting on virtually any information contained throughout these articles. A health care professional should become consulted relating to your specific situation. Make foregoing admonition seriously for your health might be on the line. Greg and I are generally not doctors. Everyone who seeks or requirements medical advice or perhaps has a condition or is considering a life style change should see his/her physician to gauge his/her unique requires. As one example, for all I realize, various nutritional, training and fasting methods might be potentially dangerous, so in the event that you do things all of us happened to speak about without having first consulting a new doctor, you are usually doing them at your peril. Don't blame us if you have not had oneself checked out by simply a doctor etc. which is fully informed of everything you want to do. Greg is merely relating the direction that scientific research points. I are just telling a new personal story associated with my experiences which often, in my head, have had a degree of success. Another thought. Do not break the law. Do not take prescription substances without correct documentation from the physician. Do not necessarily take illegal substances. If you want to consult an attorney for legal advice in this consider, do so. Personalized Experience Of late, I use noticed several positive changes inside my life. I really do seem to feel better with vastly more energy. I actually now run 28 miles a few days effortlessly, whereas ahead of I struggled in order to do 10 kilometers per week. I actually do 150 push ups successfully compared to be able to my usual forty five in the earlier. My weight is usually now at the small normal range somewhat that the large normal. HDL is now up to 84. TC/HDL ratio is definitely excellent. Resting BP is now from 95/55. Pulse is in 68. No experience that I feel nutritionally missing some thing. No sugar altitudes and lows. Rest seems a tad sounder. More comfortable and more good outlook. Something certainly seems to become going on for the best. Just maybe a new change of lifestyle is involved? Permit us consider. Of check here , I have get a sort regarding Warrior dieter, having intermittent fasts which usually often consist regarding merely not taking in between meals in addition to skipping an intermittent morning meal. I am supplementing your with some resveratrol plus some antioxidants and trying to watch glycemic load and over loaded fat consumption. We have one or perhaps two portions of red wine a day time for medicinal reasons which has crowded out there other types of alcohol. No conditions. I consider myself personally a co-proportionate omnivore whose serving size modifies to vitamins and minerals. As a result, I may enable myself two or even three molecules regarding transfats annually. I expect my style to adjust appropriately. I do look at my entire life to end up being a work in progress as concerns the things i do, just how I connect with other folks etc. My next plan is always to cook up some natto in an old yogurt maker I have lying around. I actually do believe that a positive and flexible outlook is the net plus. On the old days and nights, I would possess attributed the alters I mentioned in order to listening to my physician's advice to eat right and have some exercise. Now, our new distinctive line of considering falls more directly into this pattern: Is certainly my excess power and endurance some sort of resveratrol/exercise/modest fasting induced neogenic mitochondrial result and, if so, exactly how can I greatest avoid a chronic neo status with no significant attendant ROS damage? Will a large dose of antioxidant supplements become a good idea, in case? Also, can I obtain some health benefit by forcing a regenesis default state by means of a mini-fast served with a wine solubilized subligual resveratrol dosage timed with the cardio workout with out becoming caloric limited? And are these ideas consistent with my other views on healthy healthy eating plan? Now, I are unable to categorically exclude the particular possibility of fortuitous correlational effects. Or is it not possible that several of precisely what I have knowledgeable is internally discovered motivation, placebo, the mid-life crisis or perhaps a secondary age of puberty. My instinctive reaction is that my personal exercise/fast/co-proportionate omnivore method is having some sort of grand payoff inside a positive course. Some other assets benefits have befallen me. I feel flossing daily in order to get the resveratrol laden knotweed residues from between my personal teeth. Also, My partner and i have no time/opportunity left to wallow in unhealthy food or even recreational drinking. Nobel Prize for Greg? I myself think that I stand in the presence associated with greatness. Should Greg be given the Nobel Prize intended for his research to the modified Warburg speculation in 1980 or for pulling together with each other the current condition of science in diverse areas associated with research including, in one fell come, molecular biology, cancers research, diabetes research, caloric restriction and even resveratrol studies, in addition to heart disease exploration right into a mind numbingly expansive grand single theory? I are not on the panel and, even though some with the freatary consider he deserves the prize should his theories be completely vindicated, I can await future developments as well as the committee's decision. I do think that the deficiency of direct clinical testing in the last couple many years should make little difference, given his rich history in science. Furthermore, the paucity of sources in the content is of little problem in my experience, since all these references are usually readily available upon the internet and even interested parties may do their unique study. As one illustration, Einstein's Nobel Prize was without scientific experiments and the result is debatably a finding involving less mammoth dimensions, particularly as to deferring human suffering. Suffice it to claim that Greg, modest as he is and without the effort here to make a dollar, is not going to take vindictive or sadistic satisfaction in watching the scientific communities squirm after they finally acknowledge he was correct these many years before when his job was snubbed plus the research local community decided to depart the hen residence. (In a foreseeable future paper, I may elaborate on personally having been similarly slighted by a person who has already won a Nobel Prize. It consists of warnings I made concerning the lack regarding economic substance found in certain derivatives and even related instruments prior to the Long Term Money Management contagion situation, which nearly caused a worldwide financial unraveling, and the subsequent NINJA loan/collateralized loan obligation/sub prime mess through which we are nonetheless recovering. Taking into consideration the particular magnitude with the problems involved in all three scenarios, maybe a new very minimouse volume of feather ruffling from the "I told you so" flea and glee clubs would indeed be fitting, but that should be left to the appropriate ethicists. ) Singing Overview: The Warrior diet program essentially restricts foodstuff to a very limited time period of time each day. Without doubt numerous Yogis practiced this kind of methods with minor hunger pains in order to Bear and along with some NINJAs around. I will summarize the Bambeck version associated with the modified Warrior Diet the following (courtesy of Yogi Keep, it may become sung to typically the tune of his theme song): I am going to fast (and run/bike fast) till noonday noontide, meridian, but before it is dark (and the perfect time to end my subsequent day's prefast), I will have every eat outside basket (sounds a lot more like a flexitarian compared to a co-proportionate omnivore) which is in NoFlimFlam Natural stone Park. (Jam offers little resveratrol regardless of the grapes. Nat Ruler Cole and Adam Jordan indeed experienced metamorphoses from jammer to vocalist, which often both also viewed as serious business. Regarding Jelly, the scold described above could have had a comparable metamorphosis, reminiscent associated with a Julia Shelter quadruple entendre lyric. As to Natural stone Park, I did reach this hopelessly tortured and turgid parallel while sprinting this sunny early morning with the Towner's Timber Park cinder piste, while homing inside by using an oft spotted NINJA(? ) tortoise who could certainly teach me a thing about life extension. ) Sorry people for waxing and wailing ad nauseum. Maybe a great rid-dance with your mouse would enhance the forecast. Although I doubt that will the resveratrol has caused me to get rid of my mind or focus. This is usually indeed important things. Best of fortune and happy undertakings on your own research and even lifestyle choices.

omg i’m so in love with all your stories! i have a request if you don’t mind! could you do a part 2 of 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐋 where the reader starts to have a crush on maddy, everyone knows including maddy. where he just follows her around like some lost big puppy in school. and everyone being jealous over the fact that maddy has this hot dude that would basically do anything for her.

I was expecting someone to ask for a second one, so here you go!

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐋 (𝐩𝐭.𝟐) || 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳

"𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵, 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘢 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘺"

Paring: Maddy Perez x Male!reader

Summary: You were well-known in East Highland. If anyone hadn't heard of your name, they were living under a rock. People came up to you, seeking your attention, but you never humoured them. No, you were more focused on the girl that resembled so closely your hometown. You should've known that you would fall for her the moment she spoke to you. Let’s just hope a summer break trip can change things.

(gif used is not mine)

Warnings: nothing but pure fluff as per-usual

Previous Part - Part Three - Final Part

Words 3147

"Dude, you are whipped."

Usually, Elliot's comment would result in him running for his life and you in hot pursuit to kill him. But there wasn't much you could do when it was the dead truth. Especially with how obvious you were staring at Maddy who stood at the other end of the hall talking to Kat and Jules. And Elliot had been teasing you since you two walked into the school together.

Ever since the nurse’s office four months ago, the both of you drew closer to one another. You let her in a bit more on your life as there wasn’t much to it. She let you in her horrible home life with her parents and her past troubles with dating. There wasn’t much that was you two kept hidden from each other. Besides you liking her which you were trying to process.

In the time of getting know Maddy and you practically being by her side every step of each day, you grew a crush on her. Something you should’ve expected, but if you knew ahead of time, you may have never talked to her in the first place. But even on your first day of school, she was like the beaming sun back in Florida. It pulled you in and let you warm it with its rays. Her smile was just that and you’d taken notice of it on multiple occasions.

Just something about her comforted you and you couldn’t figure out what. She had just been so easy to talk to and dive into. You hadn’t expected to see her after her cheerleading practice and you sure as hell hadn’t intended on it going any further from that. But here you were, Maddy’s best friend who was very protective of her. Everyone took notice to it at parties when you kept a close eye on her. Or when she would sit on your lap at parties and your arms protectively wrapping around her when she waterfall you a drink.

You just didn’t realize she was prodding the bear and seeing if you would finally act on your feelings.

It hadn’t taken much looking for Maddy to see the developing feelings on your end of things. Because she felt the same and she could see the hearts in your eyes whenever you two talked. She found it adorably endearing to see. She was more than willing to show her love and affection towards you, but for some reason you were harder to crack. But she was determined to get something from you. Even if it was just a moment of extreme sexual tension.

“How about we worry about this last class and get ready for our trip, huh?” You said, finally looking away from Miss Florida.

Elliot rolled his eyes. “There isn’t much to get prepared for,” he said. “You rented the van, we got out bags packed. It’s more so waiting on the girls and seeing if they’re ready for the drive.”

Ah, yes. You forgot that you are taking around 5 girls with you to Naples Florida with you and Elliot being the only guys. Lexi, Rue, Jules, Kat, and Maddy were accompanying you two after you spilled the beans to Jules. That just created the onslaught from the other four to attack you, pleading to come.

So, you had to rent a van and get them to pitch in some money for a hotel and gas. When they did, both you and Elliot were surprised, but more than excited to bring them with you.

But hearing his words, with the addition of Maddy making her way over, you smiled. “Hey, Maddy, do you and the girls got your stuff ready for the trip?”

“Of course we do.” She walked past you and followed her on muscle memory. You heard Elliot laugh as clenched your jaw, hoping she wouldn’t get the hint and asked him what was so funny. “We’re leaving tomorrow, right?”

“We could leave sooner if you’d like,” you offered. “Like, tonight or something. I’m sure Elliot wouldn’t. We both just want to get the fuck out Highland for the summer.”

“Same,” she sighed. “But tomorrow is fine. Please, tell me you got snacks and I get to sit beside you through the ride.”

A warm heat flooded your cheeks as you swallowed thickly. No matter how many times she throws those cute little comments in there, you always managed to nearly fold for her every time. Maddy was purely surprised that a tall and intimidating guy like you would get so soft at said comments.

“Well, depends,” you said. “Are you going to poke my face while I try and sleep or are you going to hold me the way I like?” It was Maddy’s turn to blush as she elbowed you in the side playfully.

The moment was short-lived when a random girl by the name of, Katie, came in your guys’s path. Her eyes focused intently on you meanwhile Maddy glared at the dumb brunette.

“Hey, Y/n,” Katie greeted with a bit too much enthusiasm. “Me and my friends were wondering if you wanted to come to our party tonight. It’s in your honour before you leave for Florida with…what’s his-“

“Elliot.” You deadpanned.

“Yeah,” she paused, “him. So, you down to come?”

Before you could speak, Maddy stepped in. “We are actually going on a trip,” she corrected. “So, we have to prepare for that and not some backwater shitty party you have planned. But thanks. It was thoughtful for you to invite us.”

The sheer look of embarrassment and jealousy in Katie’s eyes was incredible. It only when Maddy linked her arm with yours and pulled you towards your guys’s class. You could wipe the smirk off your face as you practically see the steam bellowing from Maddy’s ears.

It felt the possessiveness went both ways. You protected her from Nate and creepy guys at parties. Whilst she protected her from girls and guys wanting your dick. One could be seen as naturally being a good friend while the other, some would say (you), was out of jealousy.

“What’s gotten under you skin, Misses FL?” you teased softly, hearing her scoff as she pulled you into the desk beside her.

She wanted to say, “Because you’re mine,” but she stopped herself. She had to keep in mind that it was you who had to crack first. There was no way in hell that she would allow herself to crumble under her jealousy and pronounce her love to you in bold words and intimate kisses.

So, she fell back on, “I didn’t like the way she looked,” and she instantly regretted it when hearing your deep laugh fill the classroom air.

A few people glanced back at you two and some met Maddy’s glare. The possessiveness she held for you was way bigger than she’d like to admit. Nearly fighting girls at parties whenever they tried to take you upstairs for sex, even when you showed some interest.

It shouldn’t have mattered to Maddy if you had sex because you were fine with her doing so. She was a free woman in the open ocean looking for the next fish she would snatch. But you were the one fish she kept her eye on and never let get too far out of her reach.

So, when she saw you mingling with other girls or guys, she had to reel you back into her hold. Jules had said that it was just her feelings acting out their own and that she should just let it flow naturally. But Maddy couldn’t because she didn’t know how she would react. If she was being honest, she truly believed she would tie you to her bed and fuck you till you were on the edge of unconsciousness. A bit extreme, but she knew how she felt and what she wanted from you, she wasn’t ashamed of that.

You watched her with a raised brow. “Some would say that you’re jealous.”

Maddy nearly choked on her spit, but she kept her composure. Plastering a grin as she let her eyes rack your body sensually. Knowing that it would get a rise out of you. And she was right when she saw the blush paint your cheeks as you shifted in your seat.

“Don’t tell me you don’t like it when I get possessiveness of you, Y/n.”

There it was. The first of many flirty comments that would have you on the edge of pining her to wall and fucking her in front of everyone. It always went like this. You would tease her so minuscule and then she would come back with something that would cause a painful restriction in your pants.

It was one thing you loved about the relationship you two had. It looked harmless on the surface when it came to Maddy’s comments (which you were terribly wrong about) and yours, not so much. But you wouldn’t tell her that. Not if it risked a friendship you found irreplaceable.

The thoughts were pushed to the back of your mind when your teacher came walking in and the rest of the day carried on like any other. Only difference being that it was the last day of the school year and then you would be heading back to your hometown tomorrow.

And that night had been a very long one. Filled with thoughts and figments of your imagination placing together moments that had yet to happen. But they all surrounded Maddy.

You two sitting in the front of the van, music blasting as the two you sang the words terribly loud. Unbothered by the please from the 5 others in the back seats annoyed by your tangents.

Or the two of you in the very back looking out the window. Watching each beautiful view together as Maddy leaned into your chest and held your hand.

All of it had yet to happen, but still made some part of you hopeful that it would come true. Yet, it still made you anxious as you didn’t know what to expect with this trip. It could be the best thing to happen in your life or could turn out terrible.

So, when the early hours of the morning came and you stood outside the van out front of Maddy’s house, you opted to drive the first couple of hours.

You sat on her front steps with a cigarette weighing heavily between your fingers. And when she came out, you greeted her with a soft smile that she mirrored. “Hey, you.”

Her sleepy voice was soft and graceful. Something about it warming your heart the girl, who adorably looked up at you with those innocent eyes, rubbing them like a baby.

Leaning down, you pressed a kiss to her forehead. Now, if Maddy was not more awake, she might’ve teased you, but she could only reply with a warm flush. Giving you a bashful smile that just added to her enchanting personality and likeable qualities.

“How about you get settled in the passenger seat?” You offered. “The others are passed out, so please try not to be loud. It’s too early for me to deal with everyone talking.”

Maddy found amusement in the comment that she patted you cheek as you took her suitcase from her. After stuffing the suitcase in the back of the van and not waking anyone up, you settled yourself in the driver seat.

Each step of preparation was watched by Maddy. Her focus on your hands as you attached your phone to the dash mount than put in some Bluetooth headphones. But keeping the right one open, silently offering the chance for her to talk to you.

It was those subtle details that made Maddy fall for you. For someone as tall and scary looking at you, you were the softest and most thoughtful person she had ever met. It was like you were huge plushy teddy bear that she wasn’t planning on getting rid of anytime in her life.

When the drive finally started, Maddy had grabbed one of your hands and took it between her hands. Intently tracing her manicured nails across your grim reaper tattoo on the top of your right hand. The sight was adorable for you to see, but it only got better when she passed out. Practically clinging onto your hand like a toddler to a plushy. You didn’t pull away or dare to question it. You just smiled.

The drive for you was from the early hours of the morning around 4 AM to the afternoon. You had zoned out halfway through, eyes having been fixated on the road so long that you barely noticed the rest of the group having woken up and started talking amongst each other.

But when you did, you felt your lips curling into the biggest grin. You would’ve been happy enough having this be your guys’s summer. Just seeing everyone interacting with one another, showing genuine excitement for the trip was solidified as a core memory to you.

“Y/n, I need to piss,” Elliot whined.

“Lucky you,” you said. “We’re coming up on a gas station. We can stock up on snacks and drinks if you guys would like.”

Turning into the gas station, you parked the van by the gas pump. Almost immediately, everyone filled out like a damn clown car which made you grin. Most of the people went inside to grab snacks or go to the bathroom. Kat reassured you that she would pay for the gas and you thanked her.

But you stayed by the gas pump. You wouldn’t lie but the constant talking had caused a slight throb to your head. So, being able to look out on the open landscape of fields and the occasional car racing by on the highway was soothing.

But it was stopped by the comforting presence of Lexi Howard. “Do you need to switch out with anyone?” She mused.

You shook your head. “Nah, I should be good,” you reassured. “Shotgun two Monsters and I’ll get us there in half the time expected.”

“While you get us killed in the process.”

The two of your shared a laugh as you rubbed your eyes. Leaning against the van with your eyes flickering between the gas station front doors and back to Lexi. “How the hell do I tell her?”

As the months had passed with you becoming friends with Maddy, so did you become friends with her band of misfits. Not to mention that you had ran into Rue and Jules whenever they visited Elliot. Or when they eavesdrop on the two of you making music, which genuinely made you flustered because you weren’t used to anyone seeing you in such a state of musical bliss and creativity.

But something about Lexi had resonated with you and she was your second closest friend with Maddy leading. So, it came as to no surprise to anyone that you had told her the feelings you held towards Maddy. She didn’t at all seem surprise and she hadn’t even needed to tell Maddy because she simply asked Lexi when you went to the bathroom, “He said he likes me, huh?”

Nonetheless, Lexi had been trying to give you some help with securing the girl of your dreams. Unceremoniously, they all failed and you decided to just do it either on the way to Naples, or in Naples on the beach or something. So, with Lexi being here had given you a major advantage, at least that’s what you believed.

“Well, I think you should wait, in my opinion,” Lexi consoled. “Maddy loves things that are romantic. If you find somewhere romantic to do it or a way to do it, then you’ll be fine.”

“And if she says no?”

Lexi couldn’t contain her laugh at that question. No? To you? If Maddy did than Lexi will move in and she won’t give a damn what Maddy said. People would be dumb to pass up a specimen like you. But she knew how much Maddy liked you, maybe even loved, so the possibility of her passing down the idea was unlikely. “You’ll be fine, Y/n,” she reassured.

You sighed, taking the gas pump out of the vehicle just as everyone started coming. “Y/n, do you want any of us to take your spot?” Jules asked.

“Yeah, you’ve driving since you got everyone,” Rue added as your lips parted to speak.

“Y/n, get in the passenger seat,” Elliot cut you off, leaving you a flabbergasted mess as you looked around.

“Do I not get a say?” You asked.

“Nope,” Kat told you. “Now, get in the passenger seat and relax.”

There wasn’t much fight you could put up as you sighed. Moving around the front of the vehicle, Maddy sighed. “Y/n, your shirts dirty,” she pointed out. “Grab a new one.”

You felt like a child at this point with everyone coming at you. It slightly annoyed you, slightly. “Fine, mom,” you grumbled and opened the back hatch to grab your duffel and scampered through it to find a shirt.

“Oh, I like this.”

There wasn’t stopping Maddy as she snatched a shirt from your bag and began taking her own shirt off. You felt your throat close up at the golden skin that was revealed to you. Her shamelessly showing her lace bra that she had been wearing this entire trip so far. The tiny definition of abs tensing and contracting with every movement.

It was hard to look away from something so damn beautiful. But you managed and grabbed one of your plain grey t-shirts. Now, it was Maddy’s turn to stare as she was presented even more of tattoos you had yet to tell her about.

Most of your back was overtaken by a traditional dragon that’s head curled up just near the nape of your neck. Scaling down to the lower of your back with cherry blossoms scattered around said dragon. It was a beautiful piece of art and even better with it on you.

“Find something you like?” She blinked, craning her head to look up at you. The view of your muscles and canvas of a body was taken from her hungry eyes. All she wanted was a few more seconds to be able to stare uninterrupted and she would be able to endure the next few hours of this drive.

She composed herself quickly, lifting her shirt above her breasts and showcasing them to you. Instinctively, your lips parted with your eyes gluing themselves to the beautiful mounds of sensitive flesh you wished you could kiss and nip at.

“Did you find something you like?” She mocked, dropping your shirt to hang near her mid thighs before leaving you a drooling mess.

“Yeah, I have.”

omg wait no hold on I just requested overhaul but then I remembered your overhaul thirst post about him pulling a "curing hysteria~" as an excuse and thought I'd request something along that vibe (no oun intended). I think that'd fall under orgasm control, overstim? (hope this is okay!)

hysteria antidote - overhaul x fem!reader (4k)

seeing nothing but the same four walls every day of your life is playing havoc with your brain. overhaul thinks perhaps you're suffering from hysteria. he has the perfect cure for that.

cw: not sfw/minors dni. dark content!!! dubious/non-consent. captive reader. talk of death, blood, etc. medical kink, gloves, fingering, overstimulation, orgasm control. misogyny. mentions of pregnancy/breeding. afab reader, fem pronouns.

[a/n: idk the internet said the 28th of may was his birthday so consider this both a birthday fic and a fic to celebrate 6k followers, sorry that i am gross and horrible but tbh im having a great time <3]

You really don’t think it’s unreasonable for you to be going out of your mind.

Since the Boss was taken ill, and Kai – Overhaul, you remind yourself, though he’s always just a little less sharp with you when you trip over the new name than he is with anyone else – took over leadership of the Shie Hassaikai, you’ve been pretty much stuck indoors.

Considering that you’re pretty sure he only has fond feelings towards maybe three people in the entire world, including you, you guess you ought to feel special about it – but all it actually does is make you feel like a trapped bird, caged and restless. It doesn’t help that all of the other members of the organisation have started being weird around you; people who you’ve known most of your adult life, people who you’ve worked beside and killed beside and done other horrible things beside (for the good of the organisation, of course)--

But now, they look at you like you might break at any moment. They treat you like an invalid. Their brows crease when they see you out and about, quietly murmuring; “Shouldn’t you still be in your room?”, avoiding touching you at all costs. There’s a kind of fear in their eyes, that they’re going to be told off for even speaking to you, that they’re afraid of being caught close to you.

And you know exactly who’s to blame for that.

You’d tried to speak to him about it, once; you’d thought that perhaps he might be amenable to your desire to do something to help the Shie Hassaikai. He’s always wanted to restore them to their former glory, after all! But after you’d let out your little impassioned tirade, his eyebrows had creased over the bird-mask.

“You don’t sound well,” he’d said to you. “Go back to your room. I’ll talk to you about it later.”

You had missed, at the time, that he hadn’t said ‘we’ll talk about it later’. He’d just said ‘I’ll’. When he had come, that is how it had been; the reassurance that he was keeping you safe. That he didn’t want you to be tainted. That he was keeping you well.

Your quirklessness has never been an issue before, but it certainly hasn’t been a boon. Still, for Kai--

“It’s disgusting,” he’d said, agitated by the discussion. You’d stared at his hands, thinking about the destructive power he himself wielded. “Quirks are a curse, and you not having one is just proof you’re not infected.” He’d looked up, golden eyes piercing directly into yours. “I’m going to keep you perfect.”

Overhaul is not a doctor, for all of his talk about illness and disease and plague. You think he could have used his quirk for something meaningful, once; but you also know that his burning curiousity, his disgust of anyone who deems tainted, his utter lack of morality . . . those are all things that would not have been welcomed in the medical profession. So instead, he deals in needles and pills and altering drugs in the underground labyrinth of the compound.

Sterile rooms, with examination tables and scalpels and impersonal, silver-grey equipment. Pill boxes that rattle when he passes them to you and tells you to take three of those a day, one of those, that one has to be taken to with food--

The idea that you won’t take them doesn’t enter his head, and though he has never . . . overhauled someone in front of you, you have walked past other members of the organisation mopping and disinfecting blood and gristle from sterile flooring.

It is better to go along with him, so you take the supplements and the pills and submit to the way he grabs your chin in gloved hands on the doctor’s chair, tipping your face up to shine a light into your eyes and watch your pupils dilate. But inside, you are screaming.

You’re not made to be locked in one room, occasionally allowed out to pace the hallways of the upstairs – never the underground ones, not any more – with restless footsteps and your muscles fizzing with desire to taste fresh air. You’re not made to stare at the same walls and breathe the purified air and think about how empty the compound is, now that Overhaul is in charge of everything--

(Too many knick-knacks attract dust. Pollen allergies act up, if there are too many plants, and he hates hearing people sneeze. Furniture should be easily movable and barren, to assist in the twice-daily cleanings of every room that people walk through.)

But it’s getting too much for you. Suffocating. You feel like you’re choking on air all of the time; you take the pills, because the thought of what he could do to you is terrifying, but sometimes you wonder if perhaps it would be better if you didn’t.

You’d woken up that morning to the sound of rain hitting the high windows in your bedroom, and you had longed to go outside in your thin nightwear and spread your arms and taste the air, smell the rain, feel it hit your body in fat droplets. Your entire being had ached. You’d tried to distract yourself, with what little there was in the barren prison cell that you called a bedroom – but when the door opened at four thirty exactly, and Kai had stood there with his face as impassive as ever, you had not been able to stop yourself.

Hand fastening around his upper arm (you shouldn’t touch him, you know you shouldn’t, but the same four walls are getting to you), you’d begged him;

“I want to go outside.”

If anyone else had touched him like that, they would already be splattered against the walls and floor. But all you get is a furrow of his eyebrows, careful fingers (gloved, of course; the latex against your skin always makes you shudder) pinching at your hand to get you to let go of him.

“No,” he says. “You’ll catch a cold.”

“I don’t care,” you’re petulant, you know, frustration bubbling up in every cell of your body. “If I stay in here for one more day, I will tear myself into pieces.”

“You’re being over-dramatic.”

“Kai—”

“Don’t call me that.” His rebuttal is sharp. “You know I’m doing this for your own good.”

Your face twists into something ugly. Overhaul hates it when you do that; hates the way your brow wrinkles, your mouth moves, your normally lovely face (one of very few he can bear to look at unmasked and not feel as though he is going to get sick from merely breathing the same air of you) marred.

“You’re not,” you hiss at him. “You’re doing this because you’re fucked up! Because you’ve got some weird fucking ideas about what’s clean and what’s unclean, because you’re on a power trip, because you don’t care about other people--” Your voice is pitching and modulating, all of the things that you usually try and keep balled up inside of you spilling out that the floodgates of how unhappy you are is open.

You’re breathing heavy as Overhaul, clearly irked by what you’re saying, tugs at the wrist of one of his surgical gloves. If he’s going to kill you, good – at least it will be better than this, you think, your breath coming in short sharp pants after the outburst.

He lets go. His hands fall to his sides. His golden gaze on you is very level.

“You’re hysterical,” he tells you. An exasperated laugh falls from your mouth.

“Yeah?” You ask him. “Of course I am. Do you know the last time I breathed fresh air?”

“Seven months, two weeks, three days.” He says it without blinking. Your shoulders tense. Has it really been that long? “You haven’t been ill once in that time. The world out there is filthy.”

“It’s normal to get sick,” you try and tell him, but Overhaul is moving forward; past the doorway, and into your room. The door clicks shut behind him, the sound of a lock ominous. You don’t think you’ve ever been alone with Kai in your bedroom.

In the medical examination rooms, sure. In his office. In common areas, back when he was just the boss’ troubled protege and not the boss himself--

His eyebrows twitch in disgust as he notices the dust on your bookshelves. You’d stopped letting any of the cleaners in here a month ago; you’d refused to clean in the mean time, taking whatever small victory against your captor that you could.

“You’ll give yourself respiratory issues,” he says.

“Good,” your voice is cold, but you realise you’ve backed away from him. For all of your attempts to stand up to him, you’re terrified. Everyone knows what he can do. “Better dead than here--”

Gloved fingers around your wrist, so tight you can practically feel them bruising.

“You don’t mean that,” he says. His voice has gotten softer, cajoling. You’re trembling in his grip. “I told you. You’re hysterical.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying,” you say, but your words feel like you’re spitting them out around a mouthful of gravel. “I—I’m calm--”

Your knees knock against your bed, but Overhaul is still clinging to you; still too close. Your heart is beating so fast that you can hear it pounding in your ears.

“You’re not. You’re hysterical.” He repeats it, calmly. The hand not on your wrist reaches up and cups your face, a gloved thumb stroking across your cheek as if you’re the most delicate thing he’s ever touched. The scent of the latex is overwhelming. “But that’s alright. It’s not your fault.” He clicks his tongue behind the mask. “It’s mine. All of this checking for the physical sickness, and I didn’t think about checking your head.”

You fall onto the bed as his knees knock against yours, your back hitting the wall. It’s just a plain, single bed; rumpled sheets, because you’d fought against any attempt for someone to come in and collect your laundry, too. Overhaul looks silly in your room, you think dimly; like a huge black crow in the nest of a small, frightened wren.

“If you fight,” he tells you, “I’ll disassemble you. I’d rather not. I don’t want to taint you by using my quirk. But . . .” He’s sinking to his knees in front of you, those same methodical hands pushing up the skirt of your dress. “If I did, I’d get a blank mind to work with. I won’t hesitate. But I’d still rather simply fix you without having to break you into pieces first.”

You know him too well to think that he’s bluffing.

After all of the vitriol you’ve spat at him, he’s unwilling to kill you. Would it be worse, to be mindless and brainless under Kai’s quirk? You’ve heard some of his failed experiments before; babbling, drooling, broken things. He’s killed them sometimes just to put them out of their misery.

What if he did that, and your mind remained perfectly capable – just utterly unable to communicate with your body? A prisoner in your own skin. Worse than even now. You swallow back the lump of fear.

“H-how are you going to do that?” You ask him.

You start at how cold the gloved fingers are on your bare thighs, as Overhaul pushes them apart. Cold fear prickles down your spine. You’re too scared to fight back, but everything he’s doing is making you want to run.

“Did you know,” Overhaul says, those same hands sliding higher, to tug at the waistband of your underwear. “In the past, there were rumours that doctors would cure hysteria by genital massage and stimulation?”

His words are very clinical, but there’s a thickness to his voice behind the mask that fills you with revulsion.

“It might be nonsense, of course,” he says. Your underwear is being tugged down, pulled around your thighs, your knees, your ankle. “They theorised that the best cure was regular intercourse, male semen, pregnancy and childbirth--”

“Kai—” Your voice is a soft whine, fear-filled. This time, he doesn’t snap at you for calling him by the name he’s left behind. He simply says;

“Spread your legs.”

You don’t want to. But you want to risk what he’s threatening you with even less, so you tearfully open them as wide as you can go. He shifts forward, and the tip of the beaked mask digs into your inner thigh as he studies you like you’re nothing more than a diagram, not a living, breathing person--

“Next time I’ll have lubricant ready,” he says, under his breath, and your heart seizes up at the implication that whatever he’s going to do to you, there’ll be a next time.

You start at the sensation of gloved fingers gently parting the lips of your sex, Overhaul’s golden eyes drinking in the sight of you spread open and bare. You’re shaking, but for some reason the way he’s looking at you – the utter concentration in his eyes – makes a curl of heat flare deep inside of you.

“Don’t,” you breathe, trying not to squirm. “Please--”

“I don’t want to have to,” he says. His tone remains calm, unbothered. “I’m doing it for your own good, you know that. Just helping you along.” One finger slides through the slit; the sensation of the gloves against your most intimate, heated parts makes the muscles in your thighs clench. It’s . . . not exactly unpleasant, but neither it is pleasant. “Do you think I’m getting any pleasure out of this?”

He doesn’t like getting his hands dirty. You know this; everyone knows this. If this particular thought was so unpleasant to him, you don’t doubt he’d have found somebody else to do it (the thought of one of the other members of the Shie Hassaikai doing this to you fills you with even more revulsion than the idea of Overhaul himself). But you can’t say that out loud. Not after what he’s threatened. So you press your lips together and shake your head, gasp dying in your throat as one of Overhaul’s latex-covered fingers prods gently around your opening.

“You’re getting wet,” he tells you, as if you can’t feel the shameful slick beginning to leak from you. “That will make this easier. Good.”

You hate that the praise makes another jolt of arousal go through you. You don’t want to like the feeling of his gloves, rubbing at your heated cunt; the sensation of a fingertip circling around your entrance, brushing the bud of your clit and making you want to clamp your thighs around his hand.

He sinks the tip of one finger inside of you and you jerk, your hips out of your control as you try and sink away from the intrusion. Overhaul clicks his tongue again in annoyance at you. The hand holding the lips of your cunt open moves, to land on your hip and pin you between the bed and the wall so you can’t squirm again.

“I’ll sedate you next time, if I have to,” he says. “I’m not getting anything out of this. I’d prefer not to have to do it at all--”

He’s lying. You know he is. But you can’t call him out for it, so you press your trembling lips together and try to stop tears spilling out from your lash line as the finger inside of you sinks further and further inside, past his first knuckle, right down to the base.

He crooks it inside of you and your hands curl into the bedsheets, nails digging into your palms through cotton. His touch is curious, exploratory; has he ever actually done this to anybody before? He slides over a rough patch inside of you with the latex-tipped finger and a moan escapes your mouth against your will, your head falling back against the wall. Narrowed golden eyes look up at you as he repeats the motion; taking in the gloss of your lips, the widening of your eyes, the way your shoulders are shaking up and down.

You can feel yourself pumping more slick out; helping the glide of his finger inside of you, as he begins to carefully thrust it in and out of you. His touch is made all the more impersonal by the mask obscuring everything but his eyes and eyebrows; you can’t even hear him breathing.

Your cunt is fluttering around him, pleasure swarming you in breathless waves as he withdraws his finger entirely. He lifts the glove to his eyeline, looking only vaguely interested in how the white latex glimmers with your arousal.

“I’m going to use two now,” he tells you – and that is all the warning you get before two fingers beside one another are opening you up, scissoring your tight channel apart with an ache that you feel up to your hips. You bite back the whimper, but you’re unable to stop the choked breaths that are falling from you as he fucks you with them in steady, constant thrusts.

A covered thumb brushes your clit; swollen, now. Sensitive. Standing to attention. Your hips attempt to jerk in his hold once more, a strangled noise that’s neither pleasured nor pain falling from your throat. You’ve touched yourself, of course you have – even recently, just to try and assuage some of the boredom that fills your exactly-the-same days – but Overhaul’s fingers and thumbs and touch on you are so entirely different from that.

He continues his assault over your clit, those same eyes watching you with that same detached, clinical disposition that he’s had most of the time. There’s a cast to them that suggests there’s something more, but whatever emotion – if, indeed, he’s still capable of that – he’s feeling about having you at his mercy in this way has been pushed to the back of his mind as his thumb rolls and pinches at the bud.

Your body goes all-over heat, Overhaul’s fingers still pumping in and out of you, the slick noises of your shaming wetness echoing around the prison of the four walls you’ve spent seven months in. You’re teetering on the edge of something, hot and needy and wanting – and as Overhaul’s thumb sweeps over your poor aching clit again, you tilt your hips forward for as much stimulation as you can--

And he pulls his fingers out of you.

The heat fades into nothingness as you let out a noise of disappointment. Overhaul’s head tilts to one side, considering.

“What do you want?” He asks you. “Say it.”

No. You don’t ‘want’. He’s wrong. You keep your mouth pressed tight now that the damning noise has fallen out of it; you have managed to not let the tears trembling in your eyes spill forth. Your gaze meets his, defiant and tired and afraid all at once.

“Alright,” he sighs. “If you’re going to carry on being difficult.”

He does it again; his fingers plunging into you, scissoring you apart, rubbing against your folds with a practised agility now that he’s done it for the first time. He has always been a fast learner; always been observant. His thumb is back on your clit with ceaseless assault, and all over again you feel heat begin to build up; tension that crawls into every crevice of your being and worms its way deep inside you despite how badly you don’t want this.

The hand holding your hip loosens somewhat, allowing you to messily thrust your hips into Overhaul’s stimulation. You’re torn; you shouldn’t want to hump against the gloved fingers stimulating you, you should be wriggling and squirming away. But it feels so good; even with the skin-tight covering of rubbery latex, Overhaul’s fingers seem to find every one of your weak points and exploit them.

There it is again, building up on you; a ball of tension in your stomach being gradually wound tighter and tighter, threatening to snap at any moment. Your hips flex against his hand, your fingers clenching and unclenching on the bedsheet--

He denies you the peak of your orgasm for the second time.

And a third.

And a fourth.

“Kai--!” You’re too far gone to even think, after the pleasure has been pulled from you so cruelly, over and over again. The tears spill over your cheeks., rolling down in fat, shaming droplets. Overhaul’s eyes narrow.

“No,” he says, vehement – more emotion in his voice than you’ve heard all day. “You know what to call me.”

You know what he wants you to call him. You know that he wants to leave his old name behind, start again, be someone who can drag the Shie Hassaikai out of the shadows and into light and power once again – and he thinks that the name will help. You gurgle out a sobbing, strangled noise;

“O-Overhaul, please--”

Three fingers are plunged as deep inside of you as they can go, crooked to rub against your sweet spot; as Overhaul murmurs, detached but soft;

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

They thrust into you, his thumb rubbing your clit with firm, certain strokes – and this time, as the orgasm rushes up on you all at once, he doesn’t stop. He fucks you with his fingers through it, his thumb not ceasing the circling. Pleasure washes over you, finally, in great waves and crests. You feel yourself gush on his fingers, soaking him in your wetness (his eyebrows furrow again, at how close your fluid comes to spilling over his bared wrist; but you are too relieved to think about anything other than finally getting what you need).

Your hips flex, gasps falling from your mouth with every thrust of them – and you expect Overhaul to pull his fingers out of you. To stop touching you. Perhaps to strip off his gloves and put on a new pair – you know he always carries spares – and sneer at you as he walks out of the room.

But Overhaul’s fingers do not move from inside of you. The fierce rhythm of his fucking and petting and rubbing does not stop, even as the final aftershocks of your orgasm clench loosely about him and his constant stimulation becomes more of an annoyance than anything else on heated, sensitive skin.

You squirm, trying to push your thighs together to get him to stop touching you – but the hand not fucking you forces your thighs to stay parted with the curl of fingers into supple flesh, leaving you helpless to do anything but let him carry on touching you. Carry on fucking you.

A short, sharp shock of an orgasm rips through you as he swirls his thumb over your clit just so, and you realise that you’re drooling down yourself as well as panting; helpless and sloppy, utterly unable to do anything except lie there and take it until Overhaul decides he’s had enough of touching you.

You come, what? Twice more? Thrice? Until the pulsing of your channel is painful, your skin feeling red raw, your whimpers into the ceiling dry and broken. Only then does he pull his fingers out of you with a lewd pop.

A gush of your fluid that his fingers were stoppering soaks your bedsheets, and you watch, dazed, as Overhaul stands up. He looks down at you for just one moment, that stretches unbearably long in the heat-and-sex soaked atmosphere of the room.

He strips his gloves off of his hands, eyebrows twitching in disgust as he leaves the crumpled latex on your bedside table. He’s sliding on another pair as he speaks;

“Feel better?”

No. No, you don’t. You feel worse. You feel disgusted and violated and aching, your body over-stimulated and exhausted, sweat and drool and bodily fluids clinging to your skin. But if you tell Overhaul that--

“Yes,” you say, voice very soft and small and weak. You cannot see his mouth, but you see the way his eyes flash happily, the overall sensation of him smiling.

Why does Overhaul’s smile make you so scared, when Kai’s smile used to just make you feel warm?

“We’ll need to do it a few more times,” he tells you, as your blood runs to ice in your veins. “Such maladies aren’t cured in a day, after all. But . . .” He turns, rearranging himself carefully, his mask readjusted. You can’t see him as he speaks the next words. “I’d like to try some of the other suggested remedies, too.”

You think of his earlier words.

‘They theorised that the best cure was regular intercourse, male semen, pregnancy and childbirth.’

You’re never going to escape, are you? You’re going to be trapped in this compound until the day you die, and Overhaul is going to think that he’s keeping you safe--

“Take a shower,” he says to you, as he opens the door. It is not a suggestion. “And stop not letting the maids come in here to clean. I’m not having you get sick.”

You think he might be the sick one.

Not Your Fault

Isaac Lahey x reader

Request by @castieltheasstiel -So the reader is Isaac’s girlfriend and friends with Stiles, she lives with her dad (not really included in the story tho) and her mom is super emotionally abusive and she’s been stalking the reader via social media and stuff (because they live in different towns) and she’s been harassing her with txts and the reader is hanging out with the pack and she gets a txt from her and her mood like instantly changes and so Isaac takes her into a different room so they can talk and reader just completely breaks down and just sobs into Isaac’s arms and he’s just there for her and helps her.

Summary: Isaac’s there to remind you what’s happen is not your fault.

Masterlist

A/N: Okay took longer than expected but I had a busy couple of days so that didn’t help. I hope this is okay.

GIF isn’t mine

Everything had been going great, for the most part. The pack hadn't been facing too much danger, your relationship with Isaac was going steady and you were happy. But then the universe had to go and hurt you again. It was like you could never be happy for too long, something always had to come along and ruin it. If it wasn't some normal bad day then it was a wild supernatural that wanted to kill you. Or in this case, it was your emotionally abusive mother who was blowing your phone up with text after text. You had thousands of missed calls and unanswered messages that you couldn't bring yourself to even look at. With the fact that nothing bad was actually happening to the pack, you had opted out of confiding with anyone, not wanting to spoil the break from fighting with your pain.

Isaac had picked up on it though, you could tell. He never pushed you to say anything but he knew something was up and you knew he was desperately trying to hold back any questions. You wanted to tell him but Isaac had enough bad experience with parents as it is and dragging him into your family drama was not the way to go. So you kept to yourself and shut him out of that. You didn't even tell your dad, he had had enough with your mother and whenever her name was mentioned then he'd completely lose it. He basically hated her for the things she did and you didn't need his lectures on not talking to her and not having to do with her. Telling the pack wasn't a option too since they'd want to find to fix things and sometimes there just wasn't.

That's why, as you sat with the pack, laughing and joking, none of them knew of your buzzing phone. You hadn't looked yet, not wanting to sour your mood. Kira made a quick comment about Stiles' apparent 'emergency' that had everyone laughing at the annoyed boy when Isaac pulled you a little closer. His nose brushed by your ear and you held his hand tighter when he began to mumble to you, "Why does your phone keep going off?" It was like your heart stopped and you were so happy that none of the werewolves turned to you with concerned looks at your sudden panic. Apparently someone knew about the buzzing phone. As he moved down to rest his head on your shoulder, your hand went up to play with his hair, "Don't know," you lied and Isaac simply nodded as you slipped your phone out to try and turn off the vibration setting. But as you opened it up, another message came through.

Your smile fell and you licked your lips as you willed back tears. Just ignore it, you just had to ignore it is what you told yourself as you turned of the buzzing and put your phone back into your pocket. Your hand found Isaac's and you began to trace the lines on his palm and fingers. He sat a little taller, immediately picking up on the action and knowing it was something you did when anxious or upset, he moved to stand up. He held his hand out for you and you took it since you had guessed he had picked up on your switched mood. Scott leaned forward a bit with a raised as you stood, everyone having the same confused face, "You guys okay?"

"We'll be a sec," Isaac told them as he lead you out of the room and you sent a forced half smile to all of them. He took you to a room upstairs that you didn't recognise but that didn't matter. Isaac sat on the bed and pulled you next to him before laying back with you in his arms. It was a just comfortable as you nestled into his chest and he drew little stars on your arms to calm you down. But the tears built up regardless and you were struggling to hold them back. "I'm sorry," you finally broke, tears falling as you hid your face away. You couldn't believe you were crying to Isaac when you swore you wouldn't bother him with this kind of stuff. "Don't apologise. Really, I just want to know what's wrong," his voice was quiet and gentle, trying not to spook you. Fighting the instinct to shut him out, you shifted so your voice wouldn't be muffled, "Just some family stuff. My mum's been-"

"Your mum?" You could feel him tense and looked up to see his frustrated face. Actually, it seemed more like a suppressed rage that he was so desperately trying to hide from you. "Yeah. She's, um, she's just been texting me and stuff," his eyes grew darker and he sat up with you. You saw his jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth and you didn't need to be a werewolf to know that Isaac was pissed. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?" His voice was sweet and caring anymore, more like a harsh snap at you that made you flinch back lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to-" Rushing to explain yourself, you missed the way his face dropped at the flinch and how he held his hands up with a sorrowful look on his face, "No wait, don't apologise. I didn't mean to scare you," Isaac reached out and wrapped his arms tightly around you before resting his forehead against the top of your head.

Once more, you broke and began to cry again, holding him just as tight. "I don't know what I did. Why does she hate me?" Isaac felt his heartbreak as one of his hands came to the back of your head to hold you closer, rocking the two of you slightly. "She doesn't deserve you, you know that right? You did nothing wrong," he whispered back, eyes screwing shut as he pushed back all the anger flooding his veins. He was so close to losing control just purely from the thought of her hurting you but he couldn't because you needed him right now. He yearned to make your mum pay for the pain she had caused but right now, you just needed him to be there for you.

"Then why doesn't she love me? Why doesn't she care? I have to have done something," Isaac shook his head, pulling away to hold your wrists and talk to you a little more directly. He hated that you thought you could deserve this in some way. "No, okay? You didn't do shit, this isn't your fault. It's her twisted mind, not you, understand?" You gave a weak nod, slightly scared by how determined he was to get you to agree. He seemed desperate, his grip probably harder than he intended. “Okay, good. C’mere,” his hands dropped from your face and he pulled you close again, swaying once more. As Isaac held his hand out for you to fiddle with, you couldn’t help but grin slightly. Yeah maybe things weren’t exactly best right now for you but you had Isaac. You felt so lucky to have him by your side.