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liesareeasier · 1 year

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'Home To Hawkins' Chapter 12: Secret's Out

‘Home To Hawkins’ is an Eddie Munson/ Stranger Things Inspired Fanfiction

By: MoonFlowerWrites on WattPad

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Hey everyone! Here’s another chapter of my Eddie Munson fan-fic! I’ll be posting a chapter for this every few days, so check for updates. :) This is kind of a strangers to friends to lovers story. There will be smut and mature content in this chapter/ story, so please stop reading if you’re not 18+. Thanks for checking out my story and I hope you enjoy it!! xx

•••

A/N: Hello! I apologize for such a large gap between chapters. To be completely honest, I was extremely busy and overwhelmed over the Christmas holiday. My family is a lot to handle and I'm just now feeling better after a long weekend with them. I hope you enjoy this chapter!! I'll have another available in a couple of days, and back to my regular posting schedule after that. :) Thank you for being so understanding. Every one of you mean the world to me, more than you could imagine. I was in such a dark place before I started writing this story. It's been a great way to get out of my own head, even if just for a while.

Thanks Again, Abbey xx c: <3

(a/n is from original chapter, I am aware it's no longer the holidays <3)

•••

Word Count: 11, 255 words c:

•••

After only a few beeps of Eddie's alarm clock, I was awake and leaned over so that I could turn it off. The room was pitch black but I somehow managed to do it. I stretched out some of my sleepiness before I slid out of bed, trying my best not to wake Eddie. He seemed not to hear the noise from the alarm, and I was relieved; He deserved some good sleep.

Ever since Eddie told me how often he suffered from terrifying nightmares, I couldn't help but worried about him. He said that he hadn't had one since we started seeing each other but I knew that I wasn't the sole reason for his relief. I hated that he still lived in fear because of whatever happened to him in the Upside Down. He did not deserve that, not at all. It was also gutting to know that there was a possibility it hadn't been fully destroyed. From everything that Max had relayed to me in our past phone calls, Hawkins was safe, but was there truly any way to know that for certain?

It has to be destroyed... They all swear that it was.... They can't go through this again... I'm sure the fires are just a coincidence... They must be... They have to be...

I grabbed my black overnight bag and headed into the bathroom. Eddie's uncle still wasn't home, but I figured he would be soon enough. It would be safe to change in the bathroom, in case he got home while I was showering, as opposed to our first meeting being with me dressed in only a towel. I was a tad bit anxious to meet him but in a good way. Knowing how important it was to Eddie, I wanted to make a good impression. He hadn't introduced anyone to his uncle before and I'd never met the parents of anyone who I was seeing. My relationships had all been fairly casual, up until now. The only "boyfriend" I ever had was some random kid in middle school named Jacob. I couldn't even remember his last name, that's how short-lived it had been.

Come to think of it, we never broke up... We sort of just stopped talking to each other... I guess if Eddie ever asks me to be his girlfriend, I'll have to tell him that I'm taken... Oh well...

I laughed quietly to myself, recalling my past flippancy toward relationships, as I shut the bathroom door behind me and switched on the lights. I pulled back the mint-green shower curtain and reached into the ceramic, blue tub to turn the water on. As the water was heating up, I slipped out of my clothes and brushed though my tangled hair before stepping in. The hot water crashing onto my cool skin would be the perfect way to wake up. It had gotten a little cold in Eddie's room last night, but I stayed wrapped up against him to stay warm. Normally, I hated sleeping so close to someone, but it felt natural with Eddie. It was hard to imagine ever getting used to staying the night with him.

•••

After I was done in the shower, I wrapped myself in a towel to dry off. Eddie's shampoo smelled amazing, like pine, but the lack of conditioner was a little frightening. It was a mystery as to how he had such perfect curls without properly taking care of them. That was just some of his magic, I guessed. I'd have to grab some stuff at the store to keep over here, since he wouldn't mind, but for now I could just rake some oil through my hair to make up for the lack of softness. I brushed though my wet hair before I rubbed some oil between my palms and ran it through my combed strands. After washing to oil off of my hands, I brushed my teeth until I felt clean again. I thought about sneaking back into Eddie's room to finish getting ready for work, but I had heard a door open and wasn't quite sure if it was Eddie waking up or his uncle getting home. I decided to put a little makeup on in here before walking out.

My outfit for the day was one that I had worn a million times before but remained as one of my favorites. There was nothing wrong with having a go-to outfit, in my opinion. Everyone these days were obsessed with having everything be nice and new, but I was always one for the classics. If it still worked, why change it? I paired my perfectly worn-out, high-waisted blue jeans with my coveted Cramps t-shirt and a black long sleeve underneath. I slipped on my socks and citrine necklace before putting some makeup on. One more glance at myself in the mirror showed me that I was ready for the day. I confidently opened the door to the bathroom, ready to see whoever was on the other side.

Eddie's bedroom door was still closed so I made my way out to the living room. Standing there, going through his work bag, was who I could only assume was Eddie's uncle. He was wearing a button-up work shirt with his name, Wayne, stitched on the chest. His jeans were dirty from a hard night of work, and he seemed like he was lost in his search for something in his bag until he must have heard me. He glanced around the room until he noticed me standing there in the kitchen.

"Well, hello there," he said softly as if to not wake Eddie, who he now knew was the one still sleeping.

"Hi, Mr. Munson," I said as I set my bag on the counter and went over to shake his hand.

"Violet, I'm guessing?" He asked as he held out his hand for me.

"Yes, nice to meet you. How'd you know who I was?" I asked as I firmly shook his callused hand.

"My nephew hasn't stopped talking about you for about a week now," he said with a sweet laugh as he dropped my hand. "It's good to finally meet you, too. Want a cup of coffee or anything?"

"Oh, it's alright. You don't have to," I said, just trying to be polite.

"You sure? I was just getting ready to put a pot on for myself. S'no problem at all," he replied as he started walking into the kitchen.

"In that case, yes I will take a cup. Thank you," I said as I went back to stand next to the counter.

"Do me a favor and grab us a couple mugs from the wall over there," he said pointing to a wooden rack full of colorful mugs.

"Will do," I said as I walked over to the rack, grabbed us two mugs, and set them on the counter while the coffee started to brew.

"So, why are you up so early this morning?" Wayne inquired as he led us over to sit on the couch while we waited. "Couldn't sleep? Sorry if it gets a bit cold in here. These old walls don't keep the heat in like they used to."

"Oh no, I slept just fine, Mr. Munson. I'm used to this time of the day. I usually have to be into work pretty early. I run the Family Video over on the other side of town," I answered.

"Oh, wow," Wayne said as he rubbed his chin. "That's mighty impressive. How did you swing that?"

"My grandparents owned the store before me. When they, um- when they passed, we found out that they still owned it and with nobody else to run it, I took it over," I said with a bit of hesitation but wanting to open-up to him.

"I'm sorry I pried, Violet," Wayne apologized but there was no reason for him too.

"You don't need to apologize," I said with a reassuring smile.

"Well then, let me go grab us some coffee so you can properly start you day," he said as he patted me softly on the shoulder before standing up to head into the kitchen.

He continued before pouring our drinks, "you take anythin' in your coffee? We're out of milk but we've got some sugar, if you'd like that."

"Just sugar is perfect," I said with a smile as he got the mugs together.

When Wayne was done brewing the pot of coffee for us, he returned it to its spot on the counter and brought my mug over to me. I gave it a few moments to cool down, but I couldn't wait too long. The wave of tiredness would soon sweep over me if I didn't get some caffeine in my system, and fast. I needed to get heading into work soon, but I was enjoying my morning with Wayne and was hoping that Eddie would be awake before I had to leave.

"So, how was work last night? Eddie said you've been working nights again," I asked before I took my first sip of the deliciously sweet coffee.

"Yep, I have, and it was alright. Just gotta do what I gotta do," he said with a slanted smile.

"Eddie talks very highly of you," I said as I looked into his kind, soulful eyes. "I can tell how proud he is to have you as his uncle."

"That boy means the world to me," he said, trying not get choked up thinking about the love he had for Eddie. "What has he told you about his situation, if you don't mind me asking?"

"A lot, actually," I answered honestly. "He told me about his parents and how you took him in when he was little. I can't imagine how somebody could leave a child like that but he's lucky to have you. It takes a special kind of person to show someone unconditional love like that."

"You're too kind," Wayne said, humbly. "He really told you all that?"

"I mean it, and yes, he did. From everything he's said, I can tell he loves and respects you a lot," I said as I heard a noise from the back of the trailer.

Wayne and I both turned our attention to the hallway as Eddie came stumbling out of his room. He rubbed his tired with his hands before coming into the light of the kitchen. He did a double take when he saw me sitting with his uncle. A smile started to form on his face as he made his way over to us. Dressed only in his boxers, I tried my best not to blush, but he looked so good.

"Good morning," Eddie grumbled as he walked into the living room. "What's all this?"

"Just having a cup-of-joe with this lovely lady of yours right here," Wayne answered as he took a long sip of his unsweetened black coffee.

"Your uncle was just telling me all of the embarrassing stories he had about you," I teased as Eddie's eyes widened and then narrowed intensely as he glared at his uncle and me.

I continued as I stood up, "thank you for the coffee, Mr. Munson. I've gotta get heading into work, but I appreciate this so much."

"Anytime, honey," Wayne said from the couch as I went over to wash my mug out in the sink. "You can call me Wayne, by the way. 'Mr. Munson' sounds too formal."

"You've got it, Wayne," I replied with a slight wave.

As I made my way back into Eddie's room to grab my tote bag, I could hear him and his uncle talking about me. It was dead quiet in the trailer, other than their voices, so I stood by the door and listened in on them. I felt a little guilty for eavesdropping but once I started, I couldn't stop myself.

"So?" Eddie asked.

"She seems like a great girl, kid. She likes you a lot, I can tell," Wayne replied, sounding like he was now standing in the kitchen, so I could hear him clearly.

"You really think so?" Eddie asked nervously.

"I know so. You've got a good one there," Eddie's uncle replied confidently. "Don't let her go."

"I don't ever plan on it," Eddie said, and I could practically hear him smiling from through the door. "She means everything to me."

They kept talking for a minute, but had grown quiet and I could no longer hear them as clearly as before. After his uncle's sweet words and Eddie's certainty about us, I could hear him making his way back into his room. I bolted over to the bed and acted like I had been making it before he walked in. Eddie walked right up to me, spun me around, and pulled me into him. My arms melted around his waist as he held me close.

We stayed like that for a long moment, just drinking each other in. I had my head nestled in his chest and he ran his fingers through my hair, sending chills rippling through me. I almost teared up, not wanting to leave him today. I felt so much closer to him after spending another night together and then meeting the most important person in his life. Hearing what he'd said about me when he didn't think I could hear him had warmed my soul; Everything was coming together.

"Mm, I wish you could stay," Eddie said as we started pulling away, still holding onto each other's arms.

"I know, I know," I said as I reached up and rested my hand on his soft cheek. "I told you, soon. Once the store is under control, I can take a couple days off and maybe we could go somewhere together."

"Just let me know when, and we'll get the hell out of this town the second we can, just me and you," Eddie said as he pulled me in for a kiss.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as our lips moved together as one. The idea of spending a weekend away with Eddie sounded like a dream. As we swirled our lips slowly together, I couldn't help but fantasize about going on an adventure with him.

Maybe we could go camping or rent a little cabin together... Maybe even head into the city and see a concert or something... Just being anywhere with him alone would be nice... Fuck... I need to get the store under control so that we can take some time away... I like him so fucking much...

After our long moment of early-morning passion, I needed to get heading out for work. Today would be easy enough, seeing as it was only Tuesday, but I still had to get there on time. Thankfully Eddie lived relatively close to the diner, so I would still have time to grab some drinks and breakfast on the way in. I hadn't asked Steve if he wanted anything to eat when I'd offered to get us coffee, but I was fairly hungry and figured that he would be too. It was a relief knowing that I would be working with him today. He always made the day go by fast.

Eddie quickly slipped into some black and grey plaid Metallica pajama bottoms, the shirt that he'd borrowed from me with their same logo, and put on his black leather jacket so that he wouldn't be cold as he walked with me out to my car. He almost looked too good to leave, even just dressed in his pajamas. I hated leaving him, but I had no choice, as the store and my team were depending on me.

I can't wait until we hire more help... I need a fucking break...

Wayne was in the bathroom taking a shower when we came out of Eddie's room, so I would just have to tell Eddie to say goodbye to him for me. As we sat putting our shoes on together in the living room, he started asking what my plans for the rest of the week were.

"So, what are you doing tonight?" Eddie inquired as I laced up my Docs.

"Max invited me to the arcade. You're going too, aren't you?" I asked as I waited for Eddie to slip his boots on. "What are you getting into?"

"I'm gonna stop by for a bit, I think. We usually have band practice, but some of the guys are busy tonight," Eddie said with a playful smile. " And I have some 'errands' I've got to run today. Gotta make money somehow."

Eddie put air quotes around his clever word choice, and I immediately knew what he meant. He hadn't met up with anyone to sell them weed, and I figured with how good his supply was, that his customers were anxious to get their hands on some more. I would never judge him for how he made his money, but I knew that he didn't want his uncle to hear him. He was doing what he had to do to get by, and frankly I respected him for it. There wasn't anything about his "job" that would make me think any differently about him.

"What are you doing after the arcade, if you wind up going? Do you want to stay over?" I asked, hoping he would be free.

"Yeah, I should be free," he answered coyly. "What about Wednesday?"

"I've got a dinner with Max and my aunt, so I don't know how late I'll be out," I said.

"Well, I'll be here working on my campaign if you want to stop by," Eddie offered as we started walking outside.

"I will if it's not too late," I said as I rifled for my keys in my bag.

"Oh, and I have a show at The Hideout on Friday. I'd love to see you there," Eddie said with that pretty smile of his.

"You know I will be," I said to him as I finally found my keys and looked back at him. "I can't wait to see you play again. Nothing could make me leave this time, I promise."

Once my car was unlocked, Eddie put my overnight bag into the backseat. He shut the door behind him and leaned against my car. He reached for my hands and pulled me in for a short kiss. I held his hands in mine when I pulled away, keeping my body pressed against him for warmth. The cool wind whipped around us as we spent the last bit of our morning together.

"Oh, my uncle wanted me to ask you if you'd want to come over for dinner on Sunday. He'll be off work for the first time in a few weeks, so he was wondering if you wanted to go out for burgers or something," Eddie said as he looked down at me and brushed my hair behind my ear.

"I'd love that! Will you tell him I said bye when he's done in the bathroom? I feel bad that I couldn't see him again before leaving," I replied as I moved to open my door.

"Of course, I will," Eddie said as he leaned in my car door while I sat down in the front seat. "You gonna tell me what you two were talking about before I woke up?"

"We we're just getting to know each other," I answered as I smiled up at him.

"So, nothing embarrassing like you said?" He asked as he crossed his arms.

"Wouldn't you like to know," I teased as I put the keys into the ignition and turned my station-wagon on. "See you later, Eds."

"You're not getting off that easy. I'll get it out of you," Eddie said with a devilish smile as he leaned down to kiss me goodbye.

He held my face in his hands as he pressed his lips against my forehead before pulling me in for a real kiss. His ice-cold rings sent a pleasing chill fluttering through me. I moved my lips with him for a moment before he stepped back so that I could close the door. After I shut it, I rolled my window down before I pulled away.

"Bye, Eddie," I said with a small wave.

"Drive safe, sweetheart," he replied as he waved goodbye back to me. "See you tonight."

I rolled up my window as I pulled away. I could see Eddie in my rearview, standing in his doorway while he watched me leave. He always did that I couldn't help but smile that he seemed like he couldn't get enough of me. Being wanted and desired was something that I wasn't used to but a welcome change. I'd always felt so lonely before meeting Eddie. I was content enough with my life, but I guess I didn't know what I was missing. He had completely flipped my idea of what a partner could be. It was as if the universe had personified exactly the person that it knew I needed. I felt so lucky to have found him.

•••

As I made my way to grab some breakfast and coffee, I blasted some Fleetwood Mac, per usual. I was determined to have a good day after the amazing morning that I'd had, and Stevie Nicks was the best way to put me in the best mood. I turned down the road that the diner was on and bobbed my head along to the end of the tape.

The waitress that was usually there, Pamela, was in today and it was always nice to see her. She threw in the muffins for free this morning and I made sure that I tipped her very well. She always made my day when I saw her. She had become a pleasant constant in my life that I was building here in Hawkins.

After securing two coffees and a couple of blueberry-streusel muffins, I headed toward the store. This morning had just been the perfect start to my day. Meeting Eddie's uncle had gone even better than I thought it would. The sight of Eddie being so nervous when he woke up and saw us talking was priceless. It was beyond adorable seeing him like that. I was glad that I had the opportunity to get to know Wayne alone at first. I could see in his eyes how much he loved Eddie, and it warmed my otherwise cold heart.

Eddie didn't deserve any of the things that had happened to him in this life. I mean, nobody truly deserved to be left by their parents or almost killed in an alternate dimension, but Eddie was nothing other than kind, and thoughtful, and caring. With the way he carried himself, you would never know about the darkness of his past. No matter what he was going through inside, he never let it show, unless you were someone very, very close to him. I always felt honored when he would open himself up to me.

I hope he knows he doesn't ever have to pretend to be strong around me... I love seeing his vulnerable side, the true Eddie...

•••

My thoughts were consumed with Eddie as I pulled into the video store parking lot that I almost missed seeing the other car that was parked in the lot. Leaning against his burgundy BMW was none other than Steve. There was something about him that looked different this morning, even more put together than usual. He was wearing some new sunglasses, nice slacks, a tailored brown jacket, and his hair looked particularly styled today. I parked my car next to him and noticed that he was beaming when I got out of my car and walked up to him.

"Good morning, Steve," I said as I handed him his black coffee with cinnamon and the bag containing his blueberry-streusel muffin.

"It is a damn good morning, Violet," Steve said as he slung his arm around my shoulder and walked me to the back of the store to get it unlocked.

"What's with you today?" I asked with a laugh as we walked together.

"I took your advice, is all," Steve replied as we rounded the corner behind the store.

He continued while I unlocked the door and held it open for him, "I called Nance again last night and told her that I didn't just want to hang out with her, that I wanted to take her on a date."

"And?" I asked as we flipped on the lights for the store and went to put our stuff in the lockers. "What did she say? Yes, I'm assuming?"

"Yes, she said yes," Steve sang loudly as he pulled me in for a hug and nearly squeezed the life out of me.

"Steve, Steve, I can't breathe," I tried to say, but my voice was muffled from being pressed against his chest.

"Sorry, sorry," Steve said as he released me. "My bad for strangling you. I'm just so fucking relieved."

"I'm so happy for you, friend," I said as we walked into the main part of the store to get the cash registers open for the day. "When are you guys going out?"

"Tonight!" Steve answered as we counted the cash in each of the drawers. "Holy shit, I get to see her tonight."

"Breathe Steve, breathe," I said, trying to keep him calm. "So, where are you taking her?"

"There's this Italian restaurant that's pretty good called Enzo's," Steve said, unable to wipe the wide smile from his face.

"Ooh, fancy," I teased while I went over to check the returns bin and get the front doors unlocked.

"I just- I just feel like everything is falling back into place," Steve said excitedly. "I know you don't know her yet but you're going to love her."

"I can't wait to meet her, Steve," I replied as I walked back over to the register area. "Bring her to Eddie's show on Friday. You're going, I assume?"

"Shit, I should," Steve said as he started considering the idea. "Well, I'll ask her what her plans are if tonight goes well."

"It will Steve, it will," I said as our first customer started walking through the doors. "Do you mind getting this guy taken care of? I need to make a few calls to set up interviews. I'm going to have people come in on Thursday to find us a store manager and a couple more associates to bring onto the team."

"Go ahead. I've got this," Steve said as he motioned toward the back of the store. "Just don't hire any losers."

"Thank you," I said as I started walking back to my office. "And I'll try not to."

"No, thank you," Steve called after me.

I closed the door to the office behind me and got to work calling the numbers from the list of applicants that I had compiled. If this round of interviews didn't go well, we would just have to regroup and try again. Not wanting to fail myself and the team, I had a lot riding on Thursday going well. As much as I was enjoying my time here, running the store was indescribably stressful. The amount of pressure that I felt was nearly crippling, but I was trying my best to hold it all together. Nothing in my life had prepared me for the challenge that I had taken on by choosing to run this store. I didn't need their support, but sometimes I wished that my parents had given me some advice before I left home.

I have to do this on my own... I don't need them... I can't keep wasting my time, hoping that they'll someday be different...

•••

After I got the calls that I needed to make, done, the interviews were all squared away, and I went back out to the main part of the store to help Steve with a few customers that had been coming in. I was excited to tell him that everything was finally coming together. We desperately needed help at the store, especially with balancing all our books. I was starting to feel like I was underwater with all the clerical work that I had been doing and feared that it was too much for me to handle.

We had 13 perspective team members coming in on Thursday and they all seemed like qualified candidates. I only had space on our payroll to bring on a manager and two more employees, in addition to eventually hiring Max. I hoped that the store would be cleared as safe soon and that I could bring her on the team after that. It was completely understandable why her mom was hesitant to let her work with me until we found whoever robbed and started a fire in the store. Putting Max in any sort of danger was the last thing I ever wanted to do. If her mom knew the truth about the Upside Down and what happened with Vecna, I was sure that she would never again let her leave their house. I just had to be patient and let the police chief get everything figured out.

As if by some weird twist of fate, just as I was thinking about him, Chief Hopper came marching through the door. He looked around the store for a second before his eyes met mine. He had an unnervingly stern look on his face that was hard to read. It was clear that he wasn't here to browse for movies when he beelined right for me.

"Miss Bradford, we need to talk," he started, skipping any pleasantries.

"Of course, Chief. What seems to be the problem?" I asked as a nervous chill rolled down my spine.

"Do you have somewhere we can talk in private?" He asked as he crossed his arms.

"Oh, yes. Follow me," I said as I walked out from behind the front counter and started to lead him back into the office, where I had just been. "We can go to my office back here."

As I walked Chief Hopper to the back of the store, I caught Steve's eyes. He had a worried look on his face, but I tried not to let it get to me. I kept my cool as I opened the door to the office and sat down at my desk. The chief closed the door behind us and took a seat in the chair across from me.

"So, I assume that you know why I'm here," Hopper said sternly.

"Is this about the robbery? Have you found Paul, yet? Or any more information about what happened?" I asked, slightly rambling with my questions but trying to stay as calm as possible.

"You mean to tell me that you don't know?" he asked as his thick eyebrows furrowed.

"No, I don't. I'm in the dark here, sir," I said as I leaned forward on the desk.

"I apologize. I figured you heard the news since it broke this morning," the chief replied, ever so slightly softening his tone, but keeping a stoic look plastered on his face.

He continued after taking a moment to gather all his thoughts, "I did a welfare check at the address we could find for Paul. We needed to confirm his whereabouts and question him about the robbery, but when we located his property, we found that his house and the surrounding area had been burnt to a crisp."

"What do you mean, chief?" I asked as the shock began to take over.

"What I mean, Miss Bradford, is that his house, the trees, and the yard around it all have fire damage. We found his car still parked in the garage and bags packed by his front door," he continued. "We haven't been able to locate him. Being that you were the last person to see him, I have to ask if you know what happened or been in contact in any way."

I gulped before mustering a reply, "the last time I had contact with him was when I was kicking him out of the store. He said he was on his way to Florida for work but- but I swear, I haven't seen or heard from him since. One of our employees said that his "job offer" was a scam, so I figured that he just skipped town or didn't want to show his face here again after I forced him to leave. Did you find anything at his house that might point to where he actually went?"

"Well, there is something else that I wanted to discuss with you," Hopper said as he rubbed at his chin. "We found a bag in a back closet in his house. There was what looked like a bundle of singed cash. Nothing was salvageable from the damage, but I now feel comfortable in saying that he was the one that robbed the store."

"Wow... I thought it was him, but at least knowing it was makes me feel a bit better," I replied. "And there's really no sign of him?"

"No. We have our guys on it, but it doesn't look good," Hopper said. "I can't divulge too much about an open case, but they are searching for human remains on his property. From how the scene was laid out, it appears that he was preparing to leave town when the fire broke out. We're unsure if he was able to flee or- or if he died at the scene."

"Oh, holy shit," I said, taking in everything he had told me, finally realizing the gravity of his questions from earlier.

A fire? Another fire? It can't be... This can't be happening... What if this is the Upside Down... I don't know if I should tell him about the fires or talk to the others... Does he really think I had something to do with Paul disappearing? He doesn't think that I killed him, does he? Oh god...

"Holy shit is right," the chief said as he leaned back in his chair.

"What do you think?" I inquired. "Do you think he left, or do you think he's dead? Do we have to worry about him coming back to the store?"

"In my opinion, I don't think you'll be seeing him again. As of right now, especially with what you've relayed to me, it's not looking good," he replied. "I can send a patrol by here a few times a day until we have more answers and we're going to keep surveillance on the crime scene when it's done being worked."

"You asked if I had seen him, so can I ask, am I a suspect or something?" I asked with an air of uneasiness as I even spoke the words.

"No, I don't believe you were involved. I had to ask, seeing as you were the last person who saw him," Hopper answered honestly. "I hope you understand, I'm just doing my job. These are just the kinds of questions I have to ask with cases like this."

"No, I completely get it. I'm not offended, Chief. I just-" I started before taking a moment to collect myself. "This is all very overwhelming. I mean, the guy was an asshole and a thief, but he didn't deserve this. And you're sure it was a fire?"

"Couldn't have been anything else," the chief said as he started to get up and I followed suit. "The trees, the inside of the house, and even some of the grass was burnt all around it. We had to have the fire guys put out all the red embers that were left. Never seen anything like it."

My heart sank with the chief's final statement. I realized that I had to fill him in on what I and the others had been suspecting. Unsure of how to approach it, I wanted Steve to help me. After all, he had a history with Hopper and had much more experience with the Upside Down. If these fires were tied to that twisted, alternate dimension, we would need the chief on our side to get this situation handled properly. Steve would know how to approach this better than I would on my own.

"Chief? Can we go find Steve so we can talk to you about something?" I asked as I was met with a puzzled look from Hopper.

"Sure. What about?" He asked as he held the door open for me.

"Hopefully nothing," I answered ominously as I looked around for Steve, needing his support to have this heavy conversation.

Seeing as the store was empty, I went to lock the front doors and flipped the sign to show that we were closed. The last thing we needed was somebody overhearing this conversation that wasn't supposed to. We walked over to Steve, who was organizing the returns from last night at the front counter. I wasn't sure if I was quite ready to have this conversation, but I had to rip the Band-Aid off.

"Hey Hopp, what's up?" Steve asked as he shook the chief's hand.

"Hi, Steve. I was wondering the same thing," Hopper replied as he leaned against the back counter and I went to stand next to Steve, who was flashing me some major side eye.

Hopper continued, "your boss here was just telling me that you guys had some information for me."

"Steve, the chief told me that he went and searched Paul's house and found a whole bunch of fire damage," I said as Steve's eyes widened.

"Oh shit, I see," Steve said as he looked back toward the chief who had an equally puzzled look on his face.

"Can one you fill me in here, please?" He asked with a frustrated tone.

"That's not the first fire to happen," I answered solemnly.

"Elaborate, you two. Or we can go down to the station if that's easier?" The chief offered.

"She means that we've been noticing some weird coincidences again," Steve explained. "There was fire here at the store when it was robbed, there was one by Lover's Lake the other night, and now this."

"I also saw a deer in the trailer park that had these strange, glowing-red eyes. It was the same bright red glow of the embers that have been left behind at every fire," I spoke up.

"You don't think it's..." Hopper started to wonder.

"We don't know," Steve quickly answered.

"Shit. Shit! Okay, let me talk to Joyce but we need to get to the bottom of this. Are you two free on Thursday?" The chief asked and we both nodded.

He continued when we read our reactions, "okay. Meet me at my place then. 8 o'clock. Steve, you know where it is. Who else know about this?"

"Just us, and Dustin, and Robin, and Eddie," Steve answered.

"Fuck... Well alright, bring them, too," the chief said as he lifted his hat and scratched his head.

"Will do," Steve said. "And Hop, we'll get it figured out. We closed all the gates and El destroyed the link between our worlds. We all saw it. This can't be that again."

"I hope not, kid. I hope not," Hopper replied as he started walking toward the door. "See you both Thursday."

With that, I went to unlock the doors for him, and he made his swift exit. The look of nervousness on his face as he looked back at us from outside made me nearly quake in fear. I just went back to the desk and Steve went to flip the sign back to open, but I stopped him.

"I don't think I can do this today," I said as I clutched my chest. "I can't lie to every customer that walks in here and just pretend that I'm okay. Not right now, not after all of that."

"You want to close early?" Steve asked as he walked over to me.

"No, but yes," I said as I held my face in my hands and Steve wrapped his arms around me to comfort me. I leaned into his chest as a few tears fell from my face. I couldn't control my reaction. The feeling of helplessness was coursing through me.

I continued when I pulled back and tried my best to collect myself, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying over this. I just- I know what you all went through, and I don't want to think the worst, but the chief's reaction scared the shit out of me."

"Me too. I hope it's not what we think. I mean, it can't be. I saw the gates close, and the link between our worlds severed with my own eyes," Steve said. "We'll get to the bottom of this, okay? Please try not to worry until we know that we have a reason to."

"Yeah, I'll try," I said. "I just have to call Keith and tell him we're closing. Do you mind if I come over for a little bit?"

"I usually wouldn't, but my parents did get home early this morning. Not that I'd mind you meeting them, but they're not exactly comforting in stressful situations. Would you want to go to your place? Or Robin's?" Steve asked.

"Anywhere is fine. I just don't want to be alone right now," I answered as my tears finally stopped flowing.

"Me neither," Steve said. "Call Keith and then I'll call Robin and see what she wants to do while you count the other register, okay?"

"Okay," I said as I started dialing Keith's house. "Thank you, Steve."

"Don't mention it," he said with a wink as he went to start closing the register closest to him.

•••

Thankfully, I was able to reach Keith just before he had left his place. I told him that I could still pay him for working today and he tried to refuse but I insisted that he take it. The store wasn't in the red, even with the robbery, so I wanted to do him the favor considering we had the means.

Once I was done on the phone, I handed it over to Steve and started counting the second register. He called Robin and I could hear him filling her in a bit and making plans to hang out, but I stayed focused on counting my drawer. Luckily, we had only had a few customers, and I only needed to put a small bit of cash into the safe before leaving.

After securing the overflow cash in the safe, I went to join Steve in the locker room to grab our stuff. I was beyond ready to leave. I felt guilty for closing the store, but my mind was in a million different places, and I needed to be selfish today. Since I had the day off, I figured I would call Eddie wherever we wound up hanging out to see if he could come by. Just seeing him would make me feel better.

"So, where are we going?" I asked Steve as we headed toward the back door.

"Robin said we could head to her place," Steve said with a smile, trying to lighten my dark mood.

"You think she'll mind if I invite Eddie over when we get there?" I asked as I locked the door behind us.

"She suggested it," Steve said as he nodded.

He continued when we neared our cars, "you okay to drive? I know this is a lot to process."

"I'm okay. I'll just follow you there," I said as I grabbed my car keys from my bag and started unlocking the door.

"Perfect. I'll drive slow enough for you to keep up," Steve teased with a playful shove against my shoulder.

"Whatever, Harrington. You wish. You drive like a grandma," I joked.

"Oh, we'll see about that," Steve said as he ran over to his car and rushed to turn it on.

Oh, he wants to race... He's on...

Luckily, I had the advantage because I had turned my car on before Steve even reached his. I pulled out of the parking lot and started briskly making my way to Robin's house. I didn't want to speed too much, but I had to smoke him. Even though he had a nicer and newer car, I knew I could beat him.

I raced through town, a street ahead of Steve the whole time. He got close to me once, but I cut down a side street that Robin had showed me. That gave me even more of an advantage as I pulled down Robin's street and could just see Steve's car appearing in my rearview mirror as I threw my car into park. I promptly hopped out of my front seat, locked my car, and waited for Steve on Robin's driveway. He had a smug look on his face as he marched up to me.

"I let you win, Bradford," Steve said as he stood with his hands on his hips, standing close to me and glaring down.

"You wish," I said as I smirked at him, gloating my win. "I crushed you. Even in a Beemer, you couldn't beat me in your wildest dreams."

"Oh, really?" Steve said as he crossed his arms.

"Hey, you two want to come inside and fight?" A familiar, deep voice rang out from Robin's front door.

Eddie?! What is he doing here?!

In the haze of beating Steve, I hadn't even noticed that Eddie's van was parked in the driveway. He stayed leaning in the doorway as I quickly walked up to him. I threw my arms around him, and he leaned back for a moment to pull me in for a kiss. I swirled my lips with his, instantly melting into his calm, comforting touch. It was like the universe knew exactly what I needed after such a stressful morning.

"Get a room, freaks," Steve playfully scoffed as he pushed past us and into Robin's house.

I didn't dare let go of Eddie. I needed him close to me right now. I twisted my hands in his curls as he pushed me up against the side of the house so that we would have a bit more privacy. Eddie's hands hitched against my lower back, traveling lower and lower until he was cupping my ass, squeezing at my curves. A slight heat started to grow in my center, and I knew that I needed to pull away before things went too far outside on Robin's porch.

"Mm, we should probably go inside, sweetheart," Eddie purred as he teased me with a few soft kisses down my neck, echoing my reluctant thoughts.

"You're the one who won't stop kissing me," I said as I released his curls and held the sides of his face in my hands. "What are you doing here, by the way?"

"Not happy to see me? Could have fooled me with how you jumped my bones right here for everyone in the neighborhood to see," Eddie joked with a devilish smirk.

"No, I am. I always want to see you," I answered. "I just wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Well, when a frantic Robin calls, who would I be to ignore her?" Eddie said before he kissed me forehead and sling his arm around my shoulder to lead me inside. "She called me after Steve talked to her. Long story short, she told me to get my ass over here. Well, she actually just told me to get my ass here, so here I am."

"Thank you for coming. I was going to call you when I got here, but I'm happy that you're here now," I said as I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I know it's not the day off we had been talking about but I'm always here for you, baby. Everything is going to be okay. I promise," he said as we walked into the house and he closed the door behind us.

We sat on the couch with Robin and Steve when we made our way into the living room. They were sitting on the floor, bickering about who would roll a joint, so I turned my focus back to Eddie. He held me close to him as I cuddled against his chest. I didn't care how cheesy we were being in front of our friends, I just needed to be close to him.

"Guys, chill," Eddie said as he reached into his vest pocket with his free hand and pulled out a rolled joint. "I'll light this and then you can both roll up, or I can help you fools out."

"Robin might need your help, but I got this," Steve said mocking Robin. "Light it up, Munson."

"You know what," Robin said as she pushed Steve's shoulder. "You're on. We'll both roll one and they can vote whose is better."

Eddie leaned back into the couch and sparked up his joint, while Robin and Steve got to work rolling their own. They were hilariously competitive with each other, and I was relieved that they didn't ask me to join in on their game. I had never learned how to roll and had skated by without having to know how, until today. As if reading my mind, Eddie flashed me a look while he passed his perfect joint to me.

"Here sweetheart," Eddie said as I grabbed the joint from him. "You want to try and compete with them?"

"Ha, I wish," I said as I took a long drag before responding more. "If I knew how, I would. Plus, I'm enjoying watching them try to annihilate each other."

"I'll have to teach you sometime," Eddie said with a wink as he threw his hands behind his head and relaxed into the couch.

"Here, Robin," I said as I leaned over and handed the joint to her.

She grabbed it from me and held it in-between her lips as she started rolling her joint. She had an adorably serious look on her face as she focused on her work. Steve was already almost done with his, so she had some catching up to do. I wanted to have faith in Robin, but Steve's was looking almost as good as Eddie's.

As the joint made a few more rounds, Steve and Robin finished up their joints. They got up off the floor and joined Eddie and me on the couch. I snuggled up to Robin as Steve took a spot on the other side of her. Before we got totally blitzed, I wondered if we should wait for Vickie. I didn't know where she was, but I didn't want her to feel left out if she was in their bedroom or on her way home from work.

"Do you think we should wait for Vickie?" I asked as Robin grabbed the lighter that Eddie was holding out for her. "Where is she, by the way?"

"No, no, it's okay," Robin said as she sparked her joint. "She's working late tonight, and she doesn't smoke much anyways. She'd probably hit it twice and fall asleep. It's actually pretty cute..."

Robin trailed off as she took the first hit. She ran her fingers up along the sides of the paper, trying to smooth the dimples to ensure that it burned evenly, but it looked like it was smoking just fine. After taking two hits, she passed it over to me. I lifted myself off of her as I started smoking. It was a little tight of a hit, but I wasn't going to judge it until we had finished Steve's.

"Shit, this is pretty good, Robin," Eddie exclaimed when I passed it over to him.

I watched him as he took a hit and inhaled the smoke through his nose as it trickled out of his mouth. He held in the smoke until he barely had anything left to breathe out. I was pretty sure it was called a 'French-inhale' and it was mesmerizing to watch. He could make anything attractive, even something as simple as hitting a joint. Eddie raised his eyebrows and winked at me when he caught me staring. He took his second hit and reached behind Robin and me, to pass the joint over to Steve. His arm rested behind me and he trailed his fingers up and down my upper arm as he held me close to him.

"What's up with you, Steve?" Robin asked as she furrowed her brows. "I mean don't get me wrong, I don't mind the silence, but you usually don't shut up."

"Says the chatterbox herself," Steve said as he chuckled. "Nothing's wrong. Just- just processing today?"

"Tell us, Stevie boy," Eddie teased as he leaned around Robin and me to look at Steve.

"Violet didn't tell you?" Steve asked.

"Is this about what you told me on the phone?" Robin chimed in.

"Can someone fucking fill me in?" Eddie wondered as a confused look spread across his face.

"Oh, it's nothing. The police chief basically accused me of arson today and said that the guy who robbed the store was probably missing or dead," I calmly answered as their jaws dropped listening to me.

"What the hell?" Eddie yelled as he jumped up off the couch, pinching his nose between his ring-covered fingers.

"Chief Hopper came in today to give an update about the robbery," I continued as I hit the joint that Robin rolled. "He um- he went to question Paul and found the place completely scorched."

"No," Robin said, dragging out the end of the word as the shock set in.

"Oh yes, Robin," Steve said in a serious tone. "He wants to meet with us on Thursday. Us four and Henderson, that is."

"No, we're not dragging Henderson into this," Eddie protested.

"Too late, Eddie," Steve retorted as I passed the joint to Eddie, hoping he would calm down a bit. "He already knows about the fire at Lover's Lake. He's not going to just drop this until we figure it out. You know how he is. He's involved whether we like it or not."

"No," Robin repeated as she stared blankly ahead.

Eddie took his seat back on the couch after passing Steve the joint. It was almost out, so he only hit it once before giving it back to Robin to finish. She put it out after taking the last drags. As she settled back into the couch, she sunk into her shoulders and anxiously fiddled with her fingers. I hated seeing her this nervous. It was usually in a charming or adorable way, but to see her so frazzled like this, I could tell she was terrified.

As Steve's joint made its way around, we sat in silence. No-one knew what the right thing to say was. The high from the weed was calming us a bit, but it wasn't enough to mask our collective fear. It was radiating from each of us, practically tangible as we accepted the inevitably dangerous journey ahead of us. They had the advantage of knowing what we were getting into, regardless of how terrifying it was to be experiencing again. I wasn't sure how I was going to handle this, but I wasn't going to back down from this fight.

This is our town... These are my friends... We've got this...

"Steve, you've got a true winner here," Eddie said to break the tension in the room.

"Mm, I figured I would do better than Robin but thanks man," Steve smugly joked as Robin rolled her eyes. "Coming from the master of pot and puppets himself, that means a lot."

"Sure, you win this round," Robin said with a laugh. "I'm coming for you next time."

I couldn't help but giggle at their silly competition. The world was imploding around us but somehow, we were laughing and couldn't have another care in this moment. I felt nothing but safe and comfortable with them surrounding me.

Robin skipped her hit as she was about to fall asleep, and I gladly grabbed the joint from Steve. He yawned as it left his hand, and he rested back into the couch. As the smoke reached my waiting lungs, I saw his eyes start to flutter and eventually close. I thought about trying to wake them when they both passed out, but we all had long nights ahead of us, and I figured that I should just let them sleep. Eddie and I finished up the joint between us. It still didn't smoke as well as Eddie's, but the weed was the same, so that made it tolerable. At this point, I was biased to Eddie's perfect rolling skills. He would have to teach me at some point, like he'd offered earlier. I was sure that once I learned, I could try to beat him.

"Come with me," Eddie said softly after he put out the joint, stood up, and held his hand out to me.

"Where are we going?" I whispered as I grabbed his hand, not wanting to wake up the now-sleeping Robin and Steve.

"There's a spare bedroom back here," Eddie said as he pulled me up off the couch and pointed to the hallway just past the kitchen. "I need to kiss you."

A satisfying chill went rippling through my body as Eddie led me through Robin and Vickie's house. It felt a little too naughty to do this with our friends right down the hall, but I would have been lying if I said that I didn't also need to be close to him. Today had been so draining and he always knew how to make me feel better.

Eddie closed the door behind us and leaned against the door as I sat down on the edge of the bed. He quietly twisted the lock shut before coming over to join me. I was too distracted by Eddie to think about anything else. All I knew was that I wanted to forget about this stressful day and get lost in him. Kissing him wasn't going to be enough, I needed something more. Eddie seemed to have the same idea as he laid me back on the bed and rested his hands against the sides of my face as he pulled me into him. My lips melted into his as I twisted my hands in his curls. Not breaking our kiss, I lifted myself from the bed to straddle him. As I ground myself into him, his hands trailed down my sides until they were hitched around my hips. I loved being close to him like this. He was the perfect medicine after a day like today.

I ran my hands down his shoulders until his vest and leather jacket were laying down behind him. I'd just planned in kissing him when he had pulled me off the couch, but I was suddenly craving more. As I laid sweet kisses down Eddie's neck, he flipped us over so that he was on top of me. He rested his knee between my thighs, and I rubbed myself against him. The pressure building in me was almost too much to stand.

I need him... I need him now...

"Please fuck me, Eddie," I lightly moaned as I pulled him down to kiss me.

Our lips moved together until Eddie pulled back for a moment, "we can't do that here baby, but I'm dying to taste you."

"Mm, I'd like that," I whispered as Eddie started kissing me down my jawline, ending at the base of my neck.

He pulled my t-shirt and long sleeve down just enough to leave a few love bites underneath its surface. As he started teasing my nipples through my clothes, thunderbolts of pleasure shot through me. I promptly moved my hands from him to start undoing my jeans. I managed to shimmy them down to my knees and Eddie sat up to fully take them off. He unlaced my boots, quietly set them on the floor next to the bed, and swiftly pulled my pants the rest of the way off.

Eddie climbed back up to me and pulled me in for another deep kiss. My center was pulsing with anticipation, but I didn't want this to end just yet. I loved kissing Eddie and felt like I could do it for hours. My tongue danced with his when our lips parted. As always, I let him take the lead. I twisted and turned, following his intoxicating movements. I wrapped my legs around him as one of his hands moved down to my center, touching me over the thin material of my panties.

I circled my hips against his touch as Eddie pulled away from our embrace. He kissed me once more on the forehead before sliding down and positioning himself between my already trembling thighs. As he moved my underwear to the side, I threw my head back into the fluffy pillows behind me. All I wanted to do was cry out in pleasure as Eddie started sliding his fingers inside of me, but we had to be quiet. If we got caught in here, we would never live this down.

I reached down for Eddie's free hand, which was tightly gripping my thigh, and pulled it up to mine. As I twisted my fingers with his, me moved my mouth to my core. His tongue swirled across my bundle of nerves as he continued his steady rhythm inside of me. His two, thick fingers felt like a dream. The combined pleasure of his mouth and his hand were quickly going to send me over the edge. Eddie moved sensually in me as I looked down on him. My whole body started vibrating as he slowly moved in and out of my core. He was usually so rough with me, which I loved, but this pace was a welcome change. We were going to have to try it like this more often.

I was inching closer and closer to my finish but didn't feel like I should say anything. I knew Eddie could feel it as he steadied his pace. I squeezed Eddie's fingers as my climax started. His thumb circled against my hand as he kept up his steady, slow movements inside of me. As I started riding out my high, I almost died of embarrassment when a small moan escaped my lips. Eddie's eyes flashed up at me as he let me finish fully before moving up to hover right over my face. He took the hand that was just inside of me and shoved his two, wet fingers past my lips, resting them on my tongue. He held my jaw as he glared devilishly down at me.

"You need to be quiet when I start again," Eddie roughly whispered.

"I already finished, baby," I said quietly when he moved his hand from my face, tracing along my jaw.

He watched as I licked my lips, tasting myself, before he continued, "I know. I want to watch you come again. Think you can be a good girl and stay quiet?"

"Oh fuck," I said softly as he wasted no time and resumed what he was just doing to me. "Yes, I can, Eds. I promise."

I rolled my hips against his fingers as he squeezed his free hand tightly around my hip. The sides of his rings dug into my skin and felt so incredibly good. The mixture of his rough grip and soft touch was going to make me explode. I was trying as hard as I could not to gush all over him, but I wasn't going to let that happen here. We had enough to hide from Robin and Steve already and if I wound up soaking the bed, it would make it that much harder to keep this our little secret.

Eddie built up his steady rhythm again, this time sliding three fingers inside of me instead of two. His tongue traced my name on my clit as the heat began to build in me once more. I was still unbelievably sensitive from my first orgasm, and I was close to a second. My fingers of my left hand gripped tightly into the purple bedspread, and I covered my mouth with the right. Eddie's eyes flicked up to me and I could fill his lips forming a smile as he started to feel me reach my finish.

The wave crashed even harder this time and I had to literally bite my tongue to keep myself from making any noise. I was sure that Eddie liked to see me struggle like this. We had never been as risky as we were being right now, and it was fueling the passion between the both of us. He kept up his steady, slow pace while he felt me clenching around him. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I let the intense pleasure roll through me.

When I was good and finished, I pulled Eddie up to kiss me once before rushing to put my clothes back on. We had to get out of here as quickly as we walked in. There was still a good chance that Robin and Steve were still asleep, and I didn't want to risk getting caught by staying in here any longer than we had to. As I sat on the edge of the bed and re-tied my boots, Eddie sat behind me and kissed me down my neck as he pulled his jacket and vest back on. I wanted to turn around, pin him to the bed, and have my way him, but we had to go. I turned back to face him before getting up again.

"Should we walk out together, or should I wait in here for a minute?" I asked as I rested a hand on Eddie's flushed cheek.

"Well, if we get caught, let's get caught together," Eddie said with a laugh.

"I'll follow you into the hellfire," I joked, using the name of his DND club, much to his delight.

"Sweetheart, if you're going to keep talking dirty to me like that, we're going to have to take this back to my place," he said as he raised his eyebrows at me, and a smirk grew on his pretty face.

"We can go there after the arcade. That is, if you're coming with us," I said, remembering that he had been vague about his plans tonight.

"Robin did say Vickie was working late. I can drive you guys, if you want," Eddie offered, confirming that he was going to join us.

"Sounds like a plan," I said.

"A date?" Eddie asked after sweetly kissing my cheek and tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Yes, a date. I'll just get ready here before we leave," I said as I stood up and held my hands out to help Eddie off of the bed.

We straightened up the covers and prepared ourselves for whatever we found on the other side. Best case would be that our friends were still passed out from the potent joints we'd smoked, and worst case was being mocked and ridiculed for the end of time.

Please be asleep... Please be asleep... Please... Be... Asleep...

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eldritchgriffin · 5 months

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💖🧡💙💡💫📚👯‍♀️🤖🧍 😳 for the Sonic ask game!

💖 Favorite Character. Of the main cast, I like Shadow and Silver

🧡 Favorite Archie character. The Archie cast is so massive it's hard to pick a single favorite, so I'll list a few. I really like Cassia (and Clove) and Shard for "best characters who should've gotten their plotlines resolved," Antoine gets "best character development," and Nicole and Bunnie are just cool :)

💙 Favorite IDW character. I really like Belle! I just think she's neat :D

💡 Spinoff you’d like to see. Pretty much anything focusing on a character other than Sonic. Sonic's cool, but barring the Frontiers update, it feels like it's been ages since we've had a game include other playable characters and stories. The old method of having several individual stories to play through wasn't perfect, but I wish they hadn't just gotten rid of it. I'd especially like to see something with Silver and maybe Blaze because they get very few major appearances, but something with Shadow and team dark could also be good (assuming they don't just give Shadow the exact same character arc for the fourth time)

💫 Dream Sonic Show/Story. I think it'd be fun to have a slice-of-life type Sonic show. Just a chance for everyone to take a break and for the more minor characters to get some screen time. The low stakes plots would also give room for a lot of character stuff

📚 Pitch for a third storybook game. I'm going to go a bit unconventional here and suggest Wonderland. It's more contemporary than the standard myths and legends, but I think there's a lot of interesting stuff they could do. Imagine Sonic is running, not looking where he's going, when he steps in a hole that goes much farther down than it should. Upon landing he spots either Tails or Cream running, but when he catches up to them they just keep insisting that they're going to be late and can't talk now. Sonic realizes he's not in Kansas his world anymore, and the story begins

👯 Favorite team. It's basic, but Team Dark (although I also love any time they very clearly had a group of two and needed to add in someone random to make a trio. Looking at you, Team Sonic Racing)

🤖 Favorite robot. Since I already mentioned a few, I'll throw out that I'm also a fan of Metal Sonic. I don't even really know why, I just am

🧍Favorite Human Character. I like Merlina. She's an interesting character with a cool story

😳 Hottest Sonic Take. Oooh, boy; time to get cancelled~~. In my opinion, Sonic fans tend to look at older games through rose-colored glasses, insisting that those were the "good old days" and loving to complain about anything and everything new. I think some of the older plots are really good, and there are certainly many issues with some newer games, but it feels like people put things on too high a pedestal sometimes, especially gameplay-wise. Playing through SA2 was a nightmare, and I clipped through the floor to my death multiple times in the first level of SA1. Sure, people hold newer games to higher standards in general, but still. I remember people complaining about Frontiers' gameplay when it first came out, particularly Cyber Space. However, I had just finished SA2, and all I could think was how incredible it felt having functional camera angles

#thanks for the ask!#sonic the hedgehog #asks #eldritch speaks #long post

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noteguk · 3 years

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Hey nala! I loved bad attitude, I can’t wait to see more of the oc teasing jk 😭

Thank you!! I really like exploring the dark side of the force that overtakes the oc every once in a blue moon. So I hope you guys like this one! (The timeline is after bad reputation, but before bad attitude)

[ ! ] this is a drabble for bad influence. You can read it as a stand-alone.

— contents and warnings; pwp, smut, sexting, badboy!Jungkook x goodgirl!reader, enemies with benefits/enemies to lovers, dirty talk, taking and sending pics (not nudes), jk’s skirt thirst, a glimpse into the chaos that lives inside the oc

— words; 1,2k

Years of high school (and now college) excellence did wonders to disguise your impulsive side. It was a common misconception to believe that, just because you were disciplined enough to keep your grades high and your responsibilities in check, you didn’t act on dumb, random thoughts that popped up inside your head. You kind of wished it was true (it would’ve saved you a lot of drama in your personal life) but you also had to admit that you had your fun indulging in your more chaotic needs as well.

Jungkook’s answer came quickly, but not as quickly as you had first expected. Which meant that he was either busy or distracted — past tense — and that it would be slightly more fun than you thought.

With a smirk growing on your lips, you turned around on the bed, reaching for your phone. His answer was simple, only one word, but it was more than enough for you to realize that your machiavellian plan would be fruitful.

jk tutoring 🚫: dont.

If years of perfecting self-restraint didn’t stop you, his half-assed warning wouldn’t. With your phone in hands, you propped yourself up on your elbows as you typed a response.

You: Why not? 😔

As you nervously waited for his text, the picture you had previously sent him was staring you right in the face. It wasn’t anything outrageous, just a simple mirror selfie of you sitting on the edge of your bed, legs crossed and head slightly tilted to the side. It was something so innocent, so gentle and casual, that you could almost pretend that you didn’t know exactly what you were doing when you picked that skirt.

It wasn’t any revolutionary discovery to claim that Jungkook had a thing for your skirts — he had mentioned about a million times already and, even if he hadn’t, it was extremely obvious from the way he explored your body with a lot more eagerness when you wore one. What was a revolutionary discovery, however, was the piece of clothing you found hiding in the corner of your closet, something you had long discarded because Yongsun had managed to shrink it the first time she washed it.

It was practically impossible to wear it outside, but, well, it was the perfect tool to provoke Jungkook with. Because if karma didn’t take care of him, you would.

Finally, his messages popped up on your screen:

jk tutoring 🚫: in a lab rn dont wanna get hard thx

jk tutoring 🚫: but it looks rlly fucjing hot

jk tutoring 🚫: wanna see you riding me in it bby

jk tutoring 🚫: in front of that mirror ;)

You bit your lip, bubbles of expectation starting to pop in your stomach. Sexting Jungkook was the free trial of being a chess genius — you were always ten steps ahead, predicting his following words with almost perfect accuracy. Was it mean, perhaps a little twisted of you to be doing that while he was (miraculously) in class? Maybe. But you had a lot of things in your mind and mercy wasn’t one of them. Especially after the months of torture he had put you through.

You: whatever you want 🥰

You: I’m surprised you even go to class tho, that’s news

jk tutoring 🚫: u took the day off to pester me?

You: maybe I did

You: maybe I’m also home alone for the rest of it

jk tutoring 🚫: dont fucking say that

In true supervillain fashion, you had to laugh at his apparent desperation — a high-pitched, victorious laugh that seemed to come straight from your soul. Jungkook very rarely found himself in that position and you absolutely lived for it. It was one thing to provoke him in person, when he was much stronger than you and could shut you up in no time, but, through the screen, only equal rights. And equal methods of torture.

You: why? You don’t wanna come over?

jk tutoring 🚫: u kno I do

jk tutoring 🚫: ill ttyl

You: not later!! Now 🥺

jk tutoring 🚫: baby this isn’t the best moment

jk tutoring 🚫: Im already hard n im almost done here ok

You chewed on the inside of your cheek, giving the angel and the demon on your shoulders time to present their case. The collected, rational part of you told you to leave it at that: he would come over later, you had managed to provoke him enough to piss him off and get the reaction you wanted. You won. But the impulsive, evil side of you told you that you didn’t win hard enough.

Before you could think too much about it, you took another picture, feeling blessed enough to get a good shot on your first try. Your thumbs flew over the keys, typing fast to get the message sent before Jungkook decided to put his phone away.

You: but these are the panties that you like 😔

Like clockwork, there was a long moment of tension between your message being viewed and those little dots appearing at the corner of your screen. Once again: you knew exactly what you were doing. And you knew that a picture taken underneath your skirt, presenting him with a full view of your red laced panties, would be the cherry on top.

jk tutoring 🚫: I fucjing hate u

You: don’t think you do

jk tutoring 🚫: im saving these

jk tutoring 🚫: gonna fuck u so hard bby

jk tutoring 🚫: not even gonna take those off

jk tutoring 🚫: just gonna push them aside n see u coming all over my cock

Playing like that with Jungkook was like russian roulette — only, it was only you, and all chambers were filled. You knew it would backfire, you knew that the second he walked in your room all your control would go flying out the window, and yet you pushed on. Impulsiveness was a drug for someone that rarely indulged in it, and you were too high to care about the consequences when they seemed so far away. Or, even worse, when you kind of liked them.

That was what pushed you to write your following messages:

You: come over now? Please?

jk tutoring 🚫: wait like 10 min we’re wrapping up

You: now 🥺

You: I’m so wet kook

You: my panties are soaked

You: don’t you wanna come and take them off?

You: Or maybe I can take care of myself today and I can see you another day 😔

jk tutoring 🚫: dont fucking dare

You: I bet I could come super quick too I’m so turned on

You: I want to feel you inside me

You: I’m so tight too I can barely put my fingers in

You: please? Come over?

Checkmate. The forces of chaos inside you were rejoicing, every cell of your body anticipating the impact of your words. You, however, already knew you had won even before he answered you.

jk tutoring 🚫: im coming over rn

check out the rest of the bad influence collection!

tag list > @minyoongiboongi @bvrrym0re @marcoazam2 @shojotae @youurkryptonite @fan-ati--c @btstrasht @crazy4myself @ft-multi @kooafraid @dianaaviny @ggukkieland @cryinginmypromdress @kissestothesky @imluckybitches @gyukult @jinsalpaca @we8joon @gamerkooks @study-clouds @myanswer-is-you @pb-n-juju @disaster-rose @spicybangtanwings @fairymagdalene @seagulljk @she-is-dreaming @jjktthpmj1 @pinkysunsett @1aekooks @jkficsiliketoread @ellesalazar @wearenot7withu @codeinebelle @erraaxh @lovelyloverlia @dayjeons @illwritetomorrow @dreamsindreamss @limee7 @pixiejjk @dancing-queenf @storms-and-stars-blog @un-love @knjoobs @yopjm @pixiejjk

#bts smut #jungkook smut #bts fic #jungkook fic #jungkook x you #jungkook x reader #bts x you #bts x reader #jeon jungkook #x you #x reader #smut #bad boy jungkook #college au #secret dating #enemies to lovers

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mountswhore · 2 years

Note

Can I request the first I love you with Jorgi please? Maybe it’s not the most romantic, but like in the stadium. After a rough patch in his career in which his girlfriend of a couple of weeks was the only one to always believe in him, he finally scores again and she’s there in the stands waiting for him after the match and he says the three words. I hope this is okay xx

𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐞 — jorginho

summary: jorgi finally tells you he loves you after scraping through a bad spot in his career.

notes: short because im pushing requests out <3 also sorry spurs fans, this is at ur expense.

Another draw, and Jorgi was seething. Even more so than the forwards who hung their head in shame after missing a perfect shot. Jorgi knew his role within the team was to create chances, assist his fellow teammates in scoring, and he wasn't relied on besides penalties. But another draw to Chelsea's name had ripped open a healing wound that evening.

You were in the family area of the stands, and after hearing the full time whistle, you made your way into the tunnel. Family were aloud to hang around outside the dressing room, waiting for their beloved football star to meet them. And you were speaking with your new friend, Ben Chilwell, who was watching the match whilst recovering from his injury.

Jorgi kept his eyes down as he left the dressing room, trying to find you by looking at your shoes, and quickly glanced up to make sure it was you and not some random family member of a teammate. You were welcomed into his arms rather abruptly, Jorgi sighing heavily as he felt your hands on his shoulders. His muscles were already relaxing, but now he just wanted to go home and forget about today.

You were in his car, and the tension was thick. So thick it was almost hard to breathe. You didn't know what to say or do, not wanting to worsen Jorgi's mood. And once you started to see the familiar trees and shrubbery near Jorgi's home, you thought now was as good a time as any.

"At least it wasn't a loss, right?"

Jorgi side-eyed you, a heavy sigh leaving his mouth once again. It was no use, this mood wasn't shifting any time soon.

It had been an hour, and Jorgi had only just gotten out of the shower. You were on the couch, your laptop on your lap, typing away as you tried to finish the handful of documents that were given to you at work a few days ago. You could see his figure in the corner of your eye, but continued to work and let Jorgi cool down. And he finally sat down beside you, his hand fiddling with the ends of your hair and watching your fingers drag along the keyboard.

"Feeling better now?"

"No," Jorgi replied, his voice barely above a whisper, "but I would like a hug."

You had been waiting for him to say that for so long, that your computer was now forgotten to the side of you as you cuddled into him. He held you tight, he always did, and you always felt so secure with him. You hadn't even been together long, but it felt so familiar and comfortable.

You sighed against his chest, missing his touch after being away from him for so long. "I reckon you'll score the winner next game. It doesn't matter how bad the team are doing, it doesn't change how I see you. You're still a brilliant footballer in my eyes, the best, if I say so myself."

Jorgi giggled, looking down to see your amused face, and wiping stray hairs from your cheeks. "Thank you."

"And now we wait for Tottenham next week."

It was time, and you were back in the family area sporting your Jorginho shirt, matching colours with the boys on the pitch. It was getting to the end of the second half, and Tottenham, surprisingly, were level with Chelsea. You were barely even looking at the pitch, just anxiously looking at the timer as the 90th minute was fast approaching.

Until you heard a whistle, and Mount was on the floor clutching his knee. You were hoping it wasn't the same horribly painful injury that had taken Ben from the pitch. But a penalty was given and you were clutching the badge on your chest as you controlled your breathing. Penalties always make you breathless, it was such a tense moment, and it fell upon your boyfriend's shoulders.

The whistle blew, Jorgi's signature jump had landed the penalty in the top left corner. You were jumping for joy, cheering and dancing as you celebrated for him. Jorgi felt his teammates piling onto him, fans cheering around him, and all he could think about was you. What you said at home, in his arms. Nobody could wipe the smile from his face.

You met him in the tunnel later, after his post-match interview, and the smile on his face was contagious. He was almost running at you now, and pulled you into him the moment you were in reach. His heart was hammering in his chest, he was still on a high from scoring the winner, his mind was too buzzed to control the thoughts fluttering around inside of it.

"I love you."

"What?"

"You heard me, I love you." Jorgi repeated, and he held your face in his hands.

You couldn't believe it, the feeling you'd been stewing on for weeks now, Jorgi was feeling it too. It saved you the awkwardness of telling him, and you were so glad he felt the same way.

"I love you too," you admitted, your cheeks rosy, but you couldn't tell whether it was from the cold or this intimate moment you were sharing in the tunnel.

#jorginho imagine #jorginho x reader #jorginho one shot #jorginho frello #jorginho #jorginho smut #jorginho blurb

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skzsauce01 · 3 years

Text

Harmony

Synopsis: Dogged by a shameful past, you try to fit as your new identity in a new dance program at a renowned music conservatory. The school heartthrob and world-class violinist takes interest in you, which would be fine if he wasn’t also your childhood best friend.

Warning: hysterectomy, infertility, panic, mention of murder disclaimer: fertility does NOT determine your worth as a person

Word Count: 10.3k

Pairing: fem!reader x Kim Seungmin

There he is. Of course, there he is. Where else would the handsome prodigal son of the most prominent violinist go if not the best music conservatory in the country? You watch his bleached head of hair make its way across SKZ Conservatory of Music’s courtyard as fans flock him from behind.

As for you, you sit on a random bench by yourself, waiting to start your first day at the conservatory’s new and nameless dance program as Emily Regan, not Y/N L/N, and most definitely not the gifted Kim Seungmin’s long-lost childhood best friend.

You must have stared at him too long, for he catches you and smirks. Blushing, you quickly clear your throat and head to class. He couldn’t have recognized you, right? No, you definitely look nothing like you did when you were six. If so, then why is he following you? You speed up, and while he makes no attempt to do the same, he surely is still on your tail. You turn the last corner and he does the same. You enter a room and take a seat. He— oh, you have the same class. First year literature. Just your luck.

He walks by where you are seated and stops. “Hi there. What’s your name?”

You wish the ground would swallow you, but at least he didn’t call you Y/N or something like that.

“R-Regan. Emily Regan,” you mutter.

“Oh, American?”

You nod, still avoiding his eye.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Emily. I’m Kim Seungmin.”

He extends a hand out to shake, and you take it hesitantly. You aren’t sure you are on first name basis yet, but Kim Seungmin does what Kim Seungmin wants, you suppose.

“Hello, Kim.”

He smiles and takes the seat next to you and you wish you could disappear. But you can’t, so you excuse yourself to use the washroom. You thought you could get another spot when you returned, only to find him reserving your spot next to him for you.

The whole class, you do your best to focus on the professor, but he makes it difficult for you. He makes no effort to hide that he’s stealing glances at you, and fear creeps up your spine. What if he connects the dots and realizes you are your father’s daughter? He’d hate you, that’s for sure. After all you’ve done to him, it’s only natural.

You shake your head and he looks at you curiously. No, the one who did all that isn’t you, but Y/N L/N. You’re Emily Regan now. You just have to make sure you keep it that way.

Still, you’re glad to be able to see him again.

You know you should not be doing this, and there is no reason for you to potentially embarrass yourself even more, but you cannot help yourself. His pieces of work are right there, and his door was propped open so that you could see the music inside. So, you let yourself in.

Being the son of a major benefactor of the school, Seungmin has his own studio on campus. Instruments of all sorts line the wall and his Stradivarius violin lays on the table beside the draft of his latest composition. No one will steal it anyway; it’s chipped and insured.

It does, however, mean that Seungmin probably just stepped out for a bit, so you’ll have to be quick. You look at his piece and hum the notes to yourself.

A small smile forms on your lips as you read the sheet. It’s a duet, and he’s only written the second violin part for now.

This whole thing feels familiar. Reading music with him, cheek to cheek, is something you did often. In fact, that’s exactly what you were doing that day you got that call to rush home only to find where you once lived was turned into a slaughterhouse. Your fingers curl around your cardigan as you recall that day. It was Albinoni’s Adagio. You shake your head and refocus on the notes before you, humming a little louder to drown out your thoughts. You need to finish before—

“You have perfect pitch.”

—Seungmin returns.

You shoot up straight and turn slowly around. Seungmin leans against the door with his arms crossed.

“You have perfect pitch,” he repeats, walking over to his piano. He takes the sheet and plays it on the keyboard. “You weren’t even a microtone off.”

“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t—”

He holds up a hand to silence you. “You’re a dance major, right? Do you play anything?”

You shake your head and lie. “Not really.”

“That’s a shame. Well, it’s never too late to start.” He picks up his violin and hands it to you. “Do you want to hear how the piece actually sounds?”

Your eyes widen at the familiar instrument and you visibly flinch backwards to which he raises a brow.

“Emily? Something wrong?”

“No, er, I, uh…” What should you say? “I’m alright. Thank you, and sorry for intruding. I need to use the washroom now.”

“Hold up,” he calls, effectively making you freeze in your step. “You don’t think you can just walk in here and leave unscathed, do you?”

“W-what do you mean?” you laugh nervously.

“You’ve got to pay the admissions fee,” he replies. “If you don’t play the violin, then here.” He hands you his music. “Compose the first violin.”

“What? I don’t even play!”

“You can try, or I can call security. You might even get suspended,” he smirks.

You open and close your mouth soundlessly. If you fail here as Emily Regan the dance major, then what will become of you? You have no choice but to concede and take the paper from his hands.

“Great. It’s only thirty-two bars, so bring it by tomorrow!”

“But I—!”

He takes out his phone and begins dialing the number for security while reading out each digit.

“Fine! I’ll do it!” you relent.

He grins victoriously. “Great!”

You frown at your new project. “But if I may ask, why the first violin? Don’t people usually compose both at once or the melody part first?”

“I like playing second best,” he answers casually.

This you remember from your childhood days, but that was long, long ago, and only because you always wanted to play first. His skills have improved tremendously since then. Anyone who calls Kim Seungmin a second violinist these days would surely be mocked. “Second? But you’re a renowned soloist!”

“I just haven’t found the person I want to follow yet.”

There’s a pain in his voice that makes you bite your own lip. Even if that person is still here, how can he, the prodigal son from the greatest violinist in the nation, stand next to, let alone play with again, the child of a pariah?

“I better get started on this,” you excuse yourself. You can’t bear to see the scars you left on him any longer.

Seungmin finds you the next day with your face on your desk.

“Rough night?” he chuckles.

You pop your head off the table and swipe your hand over your mouth to rid it of any drool. At this point, you should give up ever looking good in front of the school’s heartthrob.

“Here,” you cough, sliding over your work. “I’m forgiven with this, right?”

He hums approvingly and pulls up a keyboard on his phone. After playing it once, he shakes his head and pulls out another score and places it in front of you.

“This won’t do. Try again.”

Your eyes widen. “But—!”

“You didn’t put yourself into this piece did you?”

How can he say that after you spent all night researching and writing drafts, trying to make something that wouldn’t disappoint the great Kim Seungmin? You open your mouth, however, no objection comes out. Something in you knows he’s right.

“Take your time with this next one. Just bring it to my studio when you’re ready, okay?”

You give a small nod and look at the paper on your desk with dread.

“But you did work hard on this,” he continues, “so here. A reward.” He slides a cup of coffee to you. “Tell me what you like and I’ll get that next time.”

“Thank you, but you don’t have to,” you say, a little surprised by the gesture. “This time or the next.”

“Oh, come on. A little boost is nice after a rough night, isn’t it? How many hours did you even sleep?”

Good question. You’re curious yourself. You went to bed at four and were awakened at seven by your bladder, so one, two, “Three.”

He looks at you weirdly.

“What?” you defend. “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”

“You’re not from America, are you?”

That came out of the left field. “What?”

“Americans count like this.” He raises his index finger then his middle and then his ring, counting a number with each digit. “But you went like this.” He holds up five fingers and progressively puts one down, starting from his thumb.

“I must have gotten used to it here already,” you laugh sheepishly. “Oh look, the professor!”

You feel his stare, but thankfully, he does not say anything else after the instructor greets the class.

The next attempt takes you eight days. You wouldn’t mind a little longer to work out the finer details, but seeing him in class pressures you to just turn it in.

You hold your breath as he scans over your new attempt. Your nervousness does not last long though as he does not even bother playing it and instead drops it right into the bin. He takes out yet another copy and slams it on the table in front of you.

“I really am trying my be—”

“That’s not what I’m looking for,” he cuts sternly. “Remember what I said. I want you in this piece. Not your best— you.”

“I—”

“No. Look here. Look at me. Focus.”

You gulp and do as told. His lips are pursed and his eyes intense.

“What do you feel?” His question sounds more like a statement.

“Happy?” you try.

He scowls.

“Sad?”

“No, you don’t,” he says. “Look at me. What do you feel?”

You rack your head for emotional words. What answer could he possibly be looking for? “Attraction?”

Seungmin breaks his seriousness and laughs loudly. “Attraction?”

“I mean, you have all those fans and the looks, wealth, and talent,” you try to explain, “so I thought you were looking for that.”

He pokes your forehead. “This isn’t about me or what I’m looking for. It hasn’t been since I gave you this piece. Think about it honestly. What does Emily Regan feel?”

Emily Regan? “Frustrated.”

Another shake of his head. “Deeper. Think. What do you feel?”

You bite your lip and flick your eyes to meet his. What do you feel? What do you feel, posing as a dancer here at SKZ Conservatory in front of Kim Seungmin?

“... shame.”

He smiles bittersweetly and hands you a pen. “Write,” he whispers gently.

You stare at the empty bars, pen quivering slightly above the page. Finally, you draw a small oval in a line.

You write and write, humming the notes to yourself and not realizing how time has passed. When you finally finish, the sun has already gone down. You look up and see Seungmin with his elbows resting on the table across from you and his hands clasped, not having moved a centimeter for the past few hours.

When you finally put down the pen, he turns the sheet towards himself. He stares at it for a good ten minutes before standing up with it and pulling out his Stradivarius. From his phone, he first records him playing his own composition and then plays yours over it.

The whole thing could not have been more than five minutes, but to you, it feels like an eternity.

At last he finishes the piece with an up bow and brings his arm in a circle to his side. He stares at your work for a few more silent moments before saying, “Have you published music before?”

That certainly is not the comment you were expecting. “No?”

“It’s… familiar. I don’t mean the piece, but the style, it’s…”

“Well, do I pass?” you cut in before he can think too much of it.

He sets down his instrument. “It’s a little bland, but I'll take it. Good work, Emily.”

“I’ll be taking my leave then. Goodbye, Kim.”

“Wait—” He calls after you, but you are already out the door.

You speed walk until you are in the safety of a nearby washroom. You rest your back against the stall door and let out a sigh. Does he remember the amateur pieces you made almost two decades ago? Did you accidentally just expose yourself? No, prodigy or not, there is no way he can connect you to Y/N L/N just from thirty-two bars of music. At any rate, it’s best to lay low from him for now, you decide.

Laying low does not really work when you are one of the few members of the conservatory’s budding dance ensemble though. Seungmin is hosting a charity concert and requested dancers for his show. You manage to finish your numbers for the night without complications and are now waiting in the wings for the curtains as Seungmin begins his final piece.

You close your eyes and allow yourself to enjoy his music until something about the tune strikes you. Your eyelids flutter open as a familiar melody fills the auditorium. It’s your piece! Sure, he wrote it into a solo, but the resemblance is unmistakable.

When he finishes, he bows and makes a speech. Your classmate nudges you to snap you out of your surprise and urges you onstage for the curtain call. The whole time, you stare at Seungmin, unsure of what to make of the situation.

At the end of his speech, he gestures for the dancers to come forward. He meets your eyes with his usual smirk and grabs your hand for the bow.

When all is done, you want to find an explanation for that last piece, but your bladder demands to be released right at that moment. You’ve been finding yourself needing to go more and more or the area starts to hurt, so you quickly relieve yourself and speed out. To your luck, it seems Seungmin took his time packing up his violin; you see his silhouette just across the field from the performance hall.

“Wait,” you call out, running after him. He doesn’t hear you until you are closer. “Wait!”

Seungmin turns around as you stop in front of him, resting your hands on your knees to catch your breath.

“Emily?”

He takes a look at your state. You’re still in your costume from having rushed out, and your sheer asymmetrical skirt is doing nothing for you against the night wind.

He shakes off his coat and wraps it around you. “Are you here because of that last bit?”

You nod and stare at him, hoping your gaze draws an explanation out of him.

“It’s a good piece. I felt the need to share it.” He fixes the collar around your neck. “I know I should have asked first. I’ll buy you food sometime to make up for it, yeah?”

You shake your head. “It doesn’t matter that you played it; I just want to know why you did it.”

“I told you already. I like it,” he shrugs.

“You like Paganini. You like Strasate. Anything from them or even something you wrote would have made a better finish. Why this?”

“It’s a charity concert for the needy. Your piece had fitting emotions.”

You narrow your eyes at him. Is there really nothing else?

“Hold on.” He narrows his eyes back at you. “How do you know so much about composers?”

“I— It’s— This is a music conservatory! I’ve just seen their names around in murals and such!”

“Makes sense,” he nods.

“Good. Well then, have a good evening, Kim,” you bid, relieved, and begin to turn around.

“Do you want me to walk you back to the dorm? It’s quite late,” he offers.

You turn around but do not stop walking away. “I still need to change. Thank you though!”

It is only when you’re in the green room do you realize you still have his coat.

“Kim,” you call out, shuffling your feet quickly after him.

A wide grin spreads over his face as he turns around and sees your form. There’s a tuba on his shoulder. “Emily! Looking for me?”

You nod and thrust forward the bag in your hand. “Your coat. I came to return it.”

Seungmin dramatically wraps his hands around the instrument. “Oh no! My hands are full right now! Could you bring it to my studio in fifteen minutes?”

Your grip on the bag tightens in frustration, but he leans towards you, tuba looming overhead, and blinks thrice.

“Please? I’ll make it worth your effort.”

You fumble backwards, flustered, and drop your hand and the bag to your side. “Fine,” you relent. “Fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes,” he promises. As you walk out of the music hall, you hear a tuba playing fanfare.

Fifteen minutes later, you knock at his door which opens before you even finish your first knock. Seungmin greets you and gestures inside where a plate of mochi sits on his table with two cups of tea.

“Care to join me?” he invites.

You again hand him the bag and keep your feet planted where they are. “I think I’ll have to pass, but thank you.”

“Aw, don’t you like sweets?” He reaches for the plate and circles it around your face.

Still, you shake your head. “Again, thank you, but based on the last few times I was in here, I would rather not be.”

“I promise not to make you compose again. Just come in before the tea gets cold!”

“Why do you want me to anyway?”

“Huh?” His eyes widen at the question.

“I mean, other people have perfect pitch, yet you only sit with me to work through a composition. You sit next to me and buy me coffee and now you’re inviting me to tea. Why are you so interested in me?”

He tilts his head to the side. “‘Cause I like you, obviously.”

That sets off your alarms. Quickly, you dart your eyes around, looking to see if any of his fan girls are around to hear that and murder you. You then push him into the room and slam the door behind you.

“Excuse me, what?” you exclaim.

He sits by the food, crossing his legs. “I. Like. You.” he repeats slowly.

“B-b-b-but that’s impossible,” you sputter. “Curious? Maybe. But attracted to? No.”

He chuckles. “Why not? I mean, it did start out as curiosity, but the more I poked around, the more intrigued I became. You’re a woman full of mysteries, Emily. I like that.”

You put your hands in front of you and slowly back up. “No, no. No. No. There’s nothing to me at all. We don’t know each other very well. Of course a stranger is going to have a lot of unknowns. Once you get to know me, you’ll find that you’ve wasted your time and energy.” You like your acquaintanceship right now. Even being ignored by him is totally fine, but if he ever finds out who you are, he’ll hate you and spit on the person you’ve tried so hard to become.

“Oh really?” He stands and advances to you, making you shrink. “Then let’s put your theory to the test, shall we?”

“What do you mean?” you gulp.

“You answer my questions and I’ll see if I still like you then.”

“Q-questions?”

“Yeah. We can go slowly if you’d like. Maybe one a day? How does that sound?”

When you don’t respond, he begins. “Why do you seem so afraid of touching a violin?”

“I— uh…”

“Why did you lie about your home country? Why did you feel ‘shame’? Why did you sneak into my studio to look at my work yet claim to have no interest in music?”

With every question, he takes one step in your direction, finally backing you up against the wall.

“And” —he lowers and softens his voice— “how does it feel to kiss you?”

“I’ll— I’ll—” You squirm in your shoes, head down and fists balled. The silence is deafening between your stutters, but he makes no effort to fill it, waiting patiently for your response. “I’ll answer the last one,” you finally squeak.

“Alright then.”

You hear one of his hands pressing on the wall behind you and feel the other coming up to your jaw. He leans closer and closer and you squeeze your eyes tighter and tighter. You’re shaking so much, you can’t tell if you’re even still standing anymore.

His breath fans your lips as he suddenly chuckles and straightens up. He leaves a quick peck on your forehead and steps back.

“You don’t have to do things you don’t want to, Emily.” He has a soft smile which you stare at with surprise at the turn of events. “Doesn’t mean I’ll stop annoying the daylights out of you though,” he adds cheekily.

He slides the mochi back into the box they came in and hands them to you. “Go back to your dorm. Maybe we’ll continue our interrogation next time. Oh, and there’s a closer toilet if you turn right since you seem to go all the time.”

You stand there, mochi in hand, with your jaw opening and closing without any audible sound. He laughs again and turns you around towards the door.

“Go, before I poke you with my bow.”

Mention of a violin snaps your soul back into your body. “Okay, okay. Goodbye, Kim.”

“Thanks for returning the coat,” he calls after you as you disappear into the washroom on the left.

“Remember to choose a partner for this project. Let me know if you can’t get one by next week,” your literature professor concludes and whisks out the door.

You feel the entire room turn towards your direction no thanks to the one and only Kim Seungmin sitting next to you. He himself turns toward you with a plotting grin.

“Emily.”

You close your eyes and take a deep breath, pain rippling through your belly as you do so. There is no point resisting, and you don’t feel up to it today anyway.

“Are you free tonight? I’ll pick you up after your practice and we can get a head start.”

That night, you already know who has just arrived when the girls come squealing into the locker room. You couldn’t care less though. You try to rub away the pain that’s nagging at your belly and fumble around for some pain killers. You allow yourself five minutes after tossing back the pills, but begrudgingly drag your feet outside so as to not keep Seungmin waiting.

He greets you with an electrolyte drink which you take and thank him for as discreetly as possible without catching the attention of his fans. He thankfully seems to take the hint and follows you outside, only fully approaching you when the last of the girls retreats back into the changing room.

“Ready for our project?”

“You’re awfully excited for homework,” you comment.

“It’s not just any homework.” He bumps you with his shoulder. At that moment, another wave of pain grips your stomach, causing you to stop in your step and bend over.

“Did I nudge too hard?” he gasps. “I’m sorry!”

You shake your hand. “Just… premenstrual cramps. It’s a little hard to manage these days,” you squeeze out.

He walks you to a nearby bench and kneels in front of you. He opens your drink for you and wipes sweat from your forehead.

“Are you okay? Do you want to go home and rest for today?” he asks worriedly.

“I’ll be fine in a bit; I just need the medicine to kick in. Sorry for delaying us.”

“Don’t worry about that.” He takes your hand and massages the pressure point between your thumb and index finger. “Is there anything you need?”

You assure him that you’re fine and can continue with the scheduled homework session which you know he cut short with one excuse or another. You two do the bare minimum on the assignment before he “realized” he scheduled an appointment to restring his violin. After Seungmin walks you to your dorm, you quickly put on a liner and head to bed.

That night, you learn that a liner was a mistake. You wake up as you often do by a call from the bathroom. Groggily, you swing your legs off your bed and are startled by a loud ‘squish.’ Too distracted by the gnawing in your pelvis, you think nothing of it, until you open your door and the hallway lights pour into your room, illuminating your blood-covered feet. With a gasp, you quickly turn around and see the trail of red behind you. You quickly reach for your heaviest pad only to be gripped with the worst shock of pain you’ve had yet. You fall to your knees then ultimately to the floor.

Waking up on the floor makes you forget where you are, and realizing that you are laying in a pool of blood and urine does not help. It takes a moment for you to recover from the shock the state of your room gave you, but when you do, you decide to get yourself cleaned up first then deal with the room later.

Twenty minutes later, you again face the disaster that is your dorm. Thankfully, you do not have literature today, so no one— and by no one you mean Seungmin— will notice if you take a day off to take care of it.

You begin pulling off your bedsheets to wash when you hear a knock at your door. You panic and look around. It doesn’t take a genius to know your room is in no condition for a guest right now.

“Emily?”

And of course it has to be Kim Seungmin. You freeze in your spot, not knowing what to do.

“Did she leave?” you hear him ask himself. This is good. You hope he leaves.

“I guess so,” he mutters.

You hear some plastic shuffling outside and then his retreating footsteps. You breathe a sigh of relief which you immediately regret because of the pain that comes with breathing too heavily. Your periods have never hurt this much, you note with worry.

You return to your sheets until your phone vibrates with a notification.

Kim Seungmin- Lit [10:59 AM]: Hope you’re feeling better. I left some soup and food at your door since it seems like you aren’t home.

Kim Seungmin- Lit [10:59 AM]: Call me if you need something. Or if you need a ride to the hospital.

Hospital? You rub your abdomen, wondering if the pain warrants a visit. You take some more painkillers and eat the food before finishing cleaning your room. As you leave the washing machine running downstairs, you sit at your table after another washroom stop for a quick nap. You nestle your head in your arms and close your eyes…

… and open them a few hours later, feeling like you’d rather be dead. You can barely breathe and your room spins around you. You don’t even remember to grab your keys as you stumble out the door. Hospital, hospital. No, the hospital’s too far. The conservatory’s health center will have to suffice for now, and it’s only two buildings away.

You must look really unwell, for as soon as you step into the facility, there are already three staff members rushing to your side. You aren’t sure what happens next. It looks like your arrival caused quite the commotion, but all you can hear is Mozart’s Requiem playing somewhere. The world is closing in on you, and you feel your legs give out.

“Seungminnie…”

You wake up to the humming of machines in a hospital room. You realize they transferred you when you see an old lady sleeping in the bed beside yours.

Thankfully, you feel much better now, though you suspect it has something to do with IV connected to your wrist.

Seeing that you are awake, a nurse comes in to check your vitals.

“Are you feeling alright, Miss Regan?” she asks.

You nod and thank her as she replaces your IV bag.

“The doctor wants to see you in a bit for your consultation, but I need a bit of information from you first. We couldn’t find any family members attached to your name, so you’ll have to fill out some forms for yourself, alright sweetie?”

After making sure you are able to, she hands you a clipboard which you complete steadily until one section. “Emergency contact,” it reads.

Seeing your hesitation, the nurse chimes in. “It can be anyone. A friend, teacher, anyone you can trust just in case, you know?”

You smile politely. "May I leave it blank?"

The nurse looks stunned. "I suppose, but what if something happens?"

"You can call a lawyer."

She looks doubtful but stays quiet save for the few instructions she gives to reach your doctor’s office. As you walk there, you think about what just happened. Emergency contact? You'd just moved here for school. Your mother passed during childbirth, and your father— Emily Regan doesn’t have a father. There's no one you could have put down, you tell yourself. No one. Not even a certain overzealous violinist.

You knock twice on the door you were told.

“Miss Emily Regan?” the doctor greets as you walk in.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Doctor Lee. How are you feeling right now?"

"A lot better."

"Glad to hear it. Please take a seat. Tell me, have you experienced frequent urination lately?"

You walk out of the pharmacy with a paper bag in your hands. Your heart drums in your ears but for a completely different reason this time. What will this mean for you? You’ll need to be resting for two months after the procedure, and as a dance major, this means you can’t attend class. Never mind its impact on your school year, what will this mean for your entire life? Your father has already tarnished the name Y/N L/N. You’ve tried so hard and lied so much just to make Emily Regan real. What have you made her into now? Dirty. Fiendish. Despicable. Even if you escaped being the daughter of the most hated artist who shamed his whole nation, you’ll never escape who you really are. And now this? Your hand unconsciously rises to your belly, rubbing it. It’s only further proof of what a defect you are.

It is around four by the time you arrive back at the dorms. Thankfully, the hospital phoned your resident assistant who has your keys for you. You’re still distracted by your thoughts as you approach the building and nearly miss the man pacing up and down the front door.

Seungmin has his shoulders hunched and hands clasped together as he blows on them to keep warm, his grey cardigan not doing much against the evening chill.

“Kim?” you call out, not believing your eyes. You are, after all, on a lot of drugs.

He immediately runs towards you when he recognizes you. You stand where you are and wait for him to come, now believe that he truly is here. Was he out here waiting for you? Your hand curls around your belly. He shouldn’t be wasting his efforts like this on someone like you. Never mind the faults of Y/N, even as Emily, you no longer deserve the love of someone like Kim Seungmin. You’d never wish for your childhood best friend to be with someone as flawed as you.

“What are you doing here?” you inquire as he stops in front of you, raising his hands as if wanting to hold you but is afraid you’d break under his touch.

“You didn’t pick up the phone…” he whispers. “You weren’t home and you didn’t pick up the phone…”

“I… had something going on.” You tuck away your prescription in your coat. “What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t—”

“Kim.”

“—the phone—”

“Kim Seungmin!”

His eyes look up to meet yours and you see the daze being snapped out of them.

“Huh?”

You exhale sharply and repeat. “What are you doing here?”

“Your dorm doesn’t allow guys past twelve,” he replies matter of factly.

Your brows knit together. “You were out here for four hours?”

He nods. “Where were you? You were sick yesterday, and now you’re off the map until four in the morning.”

You shouldn’t have snapped. You know what he means by his words, but you aren’t exactly having the best day, and Seungmin isn’t supposed to be here. You aren’t who he actually likes. You aren’t the six year old Y/N nor are you an ideal bachelorette. No, you are some imposter and you hate it. You hate it, so you state flatly, “Why does it matter to you where I was? If you’re worried about the literature project, then I’m sorry. I promise to finish it on time, but it was you who ended the homework session early yesterday, and as far as I’m concerned, we don’t have anything scheduled for today. Thank you for the meal earlier, but if stuff like that’s going to make you feel entitled to knowing about my every whereabouts, then please stop doing it.”

“That’s not what I—”

You close your eyes and let your head roll back. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s been a long day, so please just leave me alone for a bit.”

You walk past him, expecting the conversation to be left at that. You hear him hesitating, which you also expect, but you are not ready for the:

“No.”

Seungmin runs in front of you and spreads his limbs out, blocking your path. “You’re suffering. I don’t know from what, or if it’s even really period cramps, but you are. I’m not letting you do it alone.” He sucks in his cheeks as he tries to find his next words. You half expect him to take you to his studio and sit you down with a drink until you give him at least a hint of what’s happening, but he surprises you with, “I’m not saying you have to share it with me, but you need to have someone.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“No, you won’t,” he objects. “And trust me. I’ve seen a man try and it cost him his life and his daughter.”

The familiar story makes you freeze. Despite yourself, you ask, “Who?”

“My father’s best friend. The late violinist, L/N.”

“T-the one who turned out to be a murderer?” Why are you saying this? Just leave him and go!

Seungmin approaches you now that you’ve stopped. His presence makes your eyes water. “He only got involved with the wrong people and ruined his name because he tried to deal with the grief of losing his wife on his own. He even hid it from his own best friend, and that’s how everything tumbled out of control.”

“And his daughter?” Stop it! Y/N— no, Emily, stop it!

“No one knows, though she could be dead. My father immediately sent out searches for her, but nothing ever came up.” His voice softens almost to the point of inaudible as he talks about her. “Father hasn’t played a duet since, and neither have I.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” you say.

“Don’t be. You didn’t even know about it, so what could you have done?” he laughs dryly.

The irony makes your toes curl.

“Just don’t make me watch another person go down the same path, okay?” he pleas gently.

Again, you should have done something else. You should just say, “Okay, I’ll reach out if I need it” and leave it at that. Instead, you turn to him and ask, “Can you play me ‘Méditation’?”

You watch his eyes widen at the ‘coincidence’ of your request, especially after that story.

“‘Méditation?’” he asks.

“Yes. Massenet’s.”

He visibly takes a step back and you know why. After all, you’ve made this exact request a million times whenever you were left to sleepover at your father’s best friend’s house.

You wake up on the couch of his studio. Seungmin lays sprawled out on the floor next to you, violin on his chest and bow dangling from his thumb. You use the blanket he put over you to lift the ten million dollar instrument onto a table before he can roll over and crush it. You cradle the Strad, lifting it over its owner to the table on the other side.

“You know who composed ‘Méditation’ but you can’t touch a violin?”

The voice startles you, and you jerk backwards, stumbling back onto the couch. Once you’ve regained your balance, you glare at the man who’s still laying on the ground, moving only his eyes to look at you.

You sigh and pull the blanket over your head. “Don’t pry my secrets or I’ll have to keep avoiding you,” you warn.

“Oh!” he hums.

You pull the blanket back down and see him sitting up now with an arm propped on his knee. “What?”

“You finally admitted to hiding things,” he tells you.

“Everyone hides things.”

“But not everyone sucks at denying it.”

“Hey!”

He points at your jacket. “Your pill bottles are literally rattling with every move you make, Miss I’m-totally-fine.”

You wrap your jacket tighter around yourself. “They’re— they’re—”

“Pill bottles,” he insists. He folds his hands on the couch and rests his head on them. “Your inept lying is adorable.”

You groan and toss the blanket over his head. He tries to pull it off, but you clamp your hand over his to stop him.

“I don’t want to tell you this, but you did house me for a night, so you deserve to know at least this much, I guess.” Your serious tone stops his resistance attempts. “I’m scheduled for surgery in a little over a week. I’ll be in a hotel for two weeks after the procedure with a nurse since I don’t have someone to care for me during the bed rest period. It’s a relatively safe procedure, so don’t worry.”

Seungmin flips your hand over and grabs it. The blanket slips off his head and you are left looking at his glassy eyes.

“I…” He takes a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. “I won’t ask you where you’re staying if you don’t want to tell. Just promise you’ll text after the surgery. Let me know that you’re still alive at least.”

You nod. “You’ll see me working on our Powerpoint for the project at least.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he tells you.

“I won’t be able to dance for a month and a half after this. My general education classes are all I’m going to be doing,” you assure him.

“If it gets too hard—”

“I know. Thank you, Kim.”

You roll your suitcase off the bus. You aren’t sure if it is extra windy today or if it’s just your nerves, but you shiver as you stare at the hospital before you. You take a deep breath and take a step forward only to find your feet glued to the sidewalk.

Just then, you hear a ping through your earphones. You pull out your phone and see a message.

Kim Seungmin- Lit [7:41 AM]: [get_well_soon.mp3]

You click into it and a piano and violin playing a familiar intermezzo fills your ears. You then look down at your feet and successfully lift one up and place it in front of the other until you are in front of the reception.

“Hello. I have an appointment under Emily Regan, and I'd also like to update my emergency contact information.”

After two weeks, you’re at last pushing open the door to your own dorm room.

You aren’t sure if it’s the morphine or the darkness of the room, but stepping inside after two weeks and seeing your curtains sway lightly in the evening air makes you feel emptier than you’ve ever felt before. Suddenly, your emotions overwhelm you all at once and you succumb to the floor. Your throat tightens and you wrap your arms around your abdomen, tucking your knees to your chest. You think you are crying, but you can’t be sure. The walls are closing in. You feel yourself being shackled by chains and no matter how hard you scream, no one hears you. Your voice bounces in your head like a ricocheting bullet and water is seeping in from somewhere, filling your nose and mouth, depriving you of air. All the while, your heartbeat echoes in your head.

Ba dum.

… dum.

With a strangled gasp, you manage to break one hand free for a split moment, and you immediately look for the remote that has called a nurse for the past two weeks. Of course, you are no longer at the hospital, so the only thing you grab is your phone.

“Seungminnie… Seungminnie, Seungminnie.”

You fumble with the device, but the chains are tightening around you again. Fog clouds in and you can’t see your phone anymore. You don’t even hear it hit the floor as it slips from your hand.

Ba dum. Ba dum. Ba dum.

Suddenly, you’re six again. Before you is the empty hallway of Violinist Kim’s mansion. Your plastic princess heels thunder with every step as you run down the hall.

Ba dum. “Seungminie?”

There’s no one there. Every turn you make just leads to another empty hall. The ground begins to morph, twisting and turning under your tiny feet.

Ba dum. Ba dum.

The giant bow on your dress unravels and cinches around your ankle, and you trip and scrape your chin.

“Seungmin!”

“Emily!”

The ribbons shrivel. The chains clatter to the ground. The water drains. You gasp haggredly for air as your hands fly up to his shoulders for support. Beside you, your phone sits on the floor, his name illuminating from the screen.

“Emily, what’s wrong?” he asks, lowering his own device from his ear.

Your hands climb up to his face, cupping it. Your eyes are still glazed over. Blood drips from your lips from having been gnawed on too much.

“You’re… you’re not Seungmin.” You put your hands all over his face, feeling its features. “Or are you? No…”

“Emily—”

“Who’s Emily? You’re not Seungmin.”

“Stop biting yourself.”

“Seungmin’s not blond. Seungmin’s not—”

“Emily!”

“WHO’S EMILY?”

He freezes and looks at you. You’re drooped over at this point, defeated and tired. He then puts one hand behind you and pulls you into his arms.

“I am Seungmin,” he says gently. The vibration of his chest as he speaks lulls you. “I am Seungmin,” he repeats. “I’m right here. You’ve found me. I’m right here.”

Shakily, one of your hands reaches up and grabs his shirt while the other circles around to your lower belly.

“... Seungminnie…”

You’re in the furthest corner of the bed, staring at him. He’s just standing there, staring at you, juice in one hand and your keys in the other.

“So,” he begins. “What do you remember?”

“Nothing,” you answer truthfully. Your eyes shift to your desk where some medicine including a bottle of Kadian and a pack of birth control sit carelessly. “But I don’t suppose I had to say much for you to figure things out.” He’s going to leave you all alone now. Why is he even still here? He should realize how unsuitable you are for someone like him. There’s undeniable evidence in front of him now.

He clutches at his chest and scrunches up his face as a glaze passes over his eyes. He takes a moment before taking out one of the pills. He hands it to you with the juice, obviously having read the administration instructions.

“Yeah,” he confirms. “That and the frequent urinations. How much did they take out?”

You look away and your hand subconsciously reaches down. So he is still holding onto hope for some miracle. That’s why he hasn’t left yet. “Enough.” Now go, Seungmin.

He sits beside you, fiddling with the blankets between his fingers.

You break the silence first. “Don’t feel inclined to stay.”

“Huh?” he questions, looking up.

“I’m” —you motion downstairs— “you know. You’re here because you like me, right? Well, I can’t exactly produce an ideal family anymore. You should probably look for someone who can help you continue your and your father’s legacy.”

He looks more confused than you’ve ever seen him. “What?”

“I’m saying you should walk away now. I won’t hold it against you, so you don’t have to live with any guilt. I never considered our relationship possible anyway.”

Confusion shifts to anger. “You— You think I— I—” He struggles with his words after having been presented a scenario he’s never even considered. He exhales long and hard. “No. Just” —he grabs at an imaginary stress ball— “no. I’m not leaving, and you can’t make me. I don’t like you just because of your fertility. How could you think that? I don’t want a child. I want you. Do you understand? You! I couldn’t even sleep or drink for the past two weeks you were hospitalized, and the only time I could eat was whenever you sent a text or when I saw your little cursor on the Powerpoint. You think a surgery like that can weigh out whatever I felt that drove me to do this?”

“Still, I’m—”

“Worthy, beautiful, and loveable,” he insists.

Those words are foreign to you. They’ve been long before you went to the hospital. How can he believe such things about you? Would he say the same things about Y/N?

Seungmin sighs when you don’t respond and drags you closer. You don’t resist which he takes as a good sign. “So you don’t have to hide things from me anymore, okay? I’ll be here for you.”

You try to bite your lip only to find ointment there, so you play with a loose thread on your blanket instead.

“I… I’m already hiding a lot of things from you that I’m afraid to confess,” you admit. “Will that still be okay?”

You feel him nod. “Take your time. I’ll wait until you’re comfortable.”

You close your eyes and bask in his warmth. Will he really be okay if he knew he has in his arms the daughter of a drug addict murderer? Will he really be okay knowing you’re his “best friend” who left him without a trace for all these years?

You hope so.

You want to believe so.

“It’s out! It’s out! It’s out!” you exclaim.

“It’s just one grade. Relax,” Seungmin chuckles. Still, he stops playing the piano and swings his legs over to look at your phone.

“Not all of us have an established violin career to fall back on,” you remind him while logging into your account. You cover your eyes and hold the phone away from you as the page loads. “I can’t look.”

Seungmin takes the device. “I think you should.”

“Why? Is it good or bad?”

“We got a hundred.”

“We did?” You uncover your eyes. “We did! We did!”

In your excitement, you give him a quick hug. He puts your phone on the table and drags you onto the piano bench. “You’re not doing anything right now, right?” He puts a simple piece in front of you. “Try this.”

“Kim, I don’t play.”

“It’s simple. Look.” He squeezes in behind you and puts your hand on the keyboard. “That’s middle C.”

He presses on the key and you scoff. You lift your left hand up as well and humor him. You’re definitely a bit choppy, but you make your way through the piece slowly and surely. Seungmin wraps his arms around your belly and rests his head on your shoulder with his eyes closed, swaying slightly to the music. When you get to the end, you lift up your hands and rest them on your lap.

“You’re just cuddling, aren’t you?”

He opens his eyes and looks at you. “Are you uncomfortable?”

Your eyes shift to the music. “No, I like it.”

You feel his heartbeat accelerating at your words. “So uh, you’ve played piano before, haven’t you?”

“Uhm. I played a few different things.”

“Violin?”

“That was my focus.”

He’s not surprised. “Were you good?”

“I was better than you,” you tease.

“Oh, really?” He jumps up and puts his violin under his chin in a challenging stance.

You put your hands defensively out with a laugh. “That was like years ago!”

He wiggles his eyebrow and starts performing up-bow ricochet and left hand pizzicato.

You roll your eyes humorously. “We get it, Mr. World-class-musician.”

He laughs too and sits back down beside you. “Speaking of which, I’m playing with the JYP Philharmonic next weekend. You’ll come, right?”

You nod. “If I can manage to walk there.”

“I need to get there early, but I’ll have my driver take you.” He smiles widely. “You have to come, you have to. I have someone I want you to meet.”

“Who?”

He holds a finger to his lip cheekily. “Now it’s my turn to have a little secret.”

You fix the ribbon around your neck and smooth out your skirt as your driver comes around to open your door. You thank him and make your way into the building where Seungmin asked you to meet him. You hear him before you see him.

“Oh, she’s wonderful. She really is.”

There’s another lower voice that mumbles a reply you can’t make out.

“Kim?” you call, approaching his waiting room.

Seungmin’s grin widens as he turns around and sees you. You, on the other hand, drop the chocolate and banana you brought for him when you see the other man in the room.

Seungmin gestures to you and looks at his companion. “Dad, this is Emily Regan, the girl I’ve been talking to you about. Emily, my father.”

Violinist Kim looks as shocked as you. “Emily… Regan?” His eyes narrow.

Seungmin furrows his brows. “What’s wrong, Dad?”

He doesn’t say anything and extends a hand out to you. “Nice to meet you, Emily Regan.”

You shake his hand uncertainly, unable to look at his unblinking eyes.

“Emily? Dad?” Seungmin looks between the two of you.

The older gentleman turns to his son. “See me for a moment.”

After Seungmin sits you on a couch, the two step out into the garden as per his request. You watch as Violinist Kim says something that makes Seungmin run a hand through his hair then stab them into his pockets as he slouches backwards. He replies with something that his father quickly rebuttals. What can they possibly be discussing? It’s clear Violinist Kim does not approve of you. Does he realize who you are? Or is Emily Regan the one he disapproves of? As a parent, it’s not uncommon to want grandchildren after all.

Suddenly, someone else bursts into the room. “Mr. Kim Seungmin, the conductor is looking for you!”

The stage worker is surprised to see only you in the room, and you inform him where the performers are. He thanks you and lets himself outside to deliver the message.

You stand as Seungmin and his father walk back in. Your friend pauses in his steps to talk to you.

“I’m sorry about that,” he apologizes. “This isn’t how I thought my dad would react to this. I’ll talk to you after.” He then spots your hand which has again found its way to your abdomen and frowns. “I swear that’s not something we talked about nor is it even something worth getting upset over, okay?”

You give him an assuring smile. “Break a leg.”

You watch as he hurries to catch up to the stage worker who is giving a briefing as they walk. You don’t bother to ask what is wrong. You can already tell from the cold eyes of Violinist Kim what is wrong. All you can do is wonder how much he told his son.

The concert goes well. You can tell that whatever happened with his father took a toll on Seungmin’s mentality, but his concerto was still dynamic and captivating. A few rows in front of you, you spot Violinist Kim still nodding along to the music and supporting his son.

After forty minutes, the house lights come back on and it is time for intermission. Seungmin is done with his concerto, so you go back backstage to see if you can catch him. You don’t have to go that far though. On your way, you hear a tree go, “Psst, Emily!”

You look and see him waving you over. He’s still calling you Emily, so that’s good, you note.

“Why are we out here?” you inquire.

He takes you a little further into the woods until he finds a boulder for you to sit on. He hoists you up so you’re comfortable.

“I thought I should clear things up before my dad talks to you,” he explains. “I’ve seen enough K-dramas to know what kind of headache misunderstandings cause.”

You nod, prompting him to go on. He does.

“You remember when I told you about Violinist L/N?”

This sends your heart racing. Has he found out?

“Well his daughter used to be my best friend. The thing is, my dad thinks you look a lot like her, and he thinks I’m only with you because of it.”

Oh, it’s just that. Thank goodness.

He grabs your hands, his eyes serious. “I just want you to know that no matter what he tells you, that’s not it. I like you for you, Emily, and nothing more and nothing less.”

You’re still convincing yourself that he isn’t aware of your past identity, and you must be making a face that he registers as doubt for he slides a hand up to your cheek, forcing you to meet his eyes. “Please believe me.”

You snap out of it. Of course you believe him, and it wouldn’t change much if he were in love with Y/N L/N anyway. However, you don’t miss the opportunity to ask, “What would you do if she is not dead? What would you do if she came back?”

“I’d celebrate her return. I’d grab lunch with her and introduce the two of you, but that’ll be the extent of it.”

“What if she’s been doing well all these years, and you were the only one left hurting and alone, wondering where she is? Could you forgive her? Could you accept someone like that, not to mention a child of a murderer, with open arms?”

Seungmin retreats his hand and frowns at you. “Why are you saying things like that? She’s my best friend!”

You grab his hand before it can go far. This time it’s your turn to stare him in the eye. “I’m not accusing her. I’m just asking if you, Kim Seungmin, would be able to forgive her in this scenario, and I’m not going to say that you’re right or wrong if you do or don’t either.”

“Then why do you ask?” His frown shifts to a perplexed one.

You let your hand drop to your side. “I… I’m in a similar situation. I don’t know if my friend will accept me if I try to reconnect.”

“Do it.” He has on a smirk now as he walks closer. “If it’s you, I’m sure she’d love to reconnect.”

You pout at his unsatisfactory response. “You’re just biased.”

Your pursed lips only makes him stare at them. “I sure am,” he mumbles.

He again brings his hand up to your neck, index finger resting behind your ears. You can’t tell if he’s avoiding your question or just distracted, but who cares? You’re distracted now too. The woods are setting the perfect mood, and the orchestra is playing something romantic inside. Your eyelids begin to close. He looks at you one more time, his own eyes drooping.

“Is this okay…” he whispers raspily. “... Emily?”

Your eyes fly open and you shove him away a little harder than you intended to. This isn’t you. The person he wants to kiss isn’t you, and you can’t steal that away from him, even if you desperately want it yourself. You can’t have this. You can’t have him. It isn’t yours and it isn’t right.

He falls down and looks up at you, bewildered.

“I’m— I’m sorry!” you blammer. “I, uh, I have to go.”

You jump off the boulder and walk faster than you know you should post-op.

“Emily.” You hear his feet crunching leaves right behind you. “Emily. Stop. Emily. Emily. Emily.”

Why does he keep saying that name?

You don’t turn back and you don’t slow down.

You hear him curse and speed up, which scares you, but before you can react, he sweeps you off of your feet and carries you in his arms.

“What are you doing?”

“Something you won’t on your own,” he replies vaguely. He storms to his green room and kicks the door open. He sets you down in the middle of it and pulls out his violin. “Play,” he commands you.

You shrink back at the sight of the instrument. It’s a glorious instrument carved from a choice tree and shaped over a careful flame by masterful hands, capable of drawing out the soul of its player. You know touching it will draw out what you’ve been working so hard on suppressing. You aren’t Y/N, daughter of Violinist L/N. You have no business with a violin. “I can’t. You know this, Kim.”

“You can’t play or you can’t admit the truth? Play, Emily.”

Wait, what?

He holds the Stradivarius in front of you. His tone is firm and his eyes are fierce, but he doesn’t hold the violin any closer than thirty centimeters away. He needs you to make this last leap.

“What do you know?” you demand.

“Play.”

“Tell me, what did your father really tell you?” you screech.

“Play.”

You begin shaking. The f holes are taunting you. You hear the screams of your father’s victims. You hear the TV reporters all cursing his name. They’re all inside there. They’re all inside, waiting for you to release them with your playing and eat you alive. “Kim, please.”

“Play.”

“No, I— I—”

“Play.”

He already knows. You’re sure he already knows, yet somehow, this still feels like a chasm far too wide for you to cross. Can you accept this violin? Can your past? Y/N is the child of a drug-addicted murderer. She’s a six year old whose own father bathed her in blood and blacklisted her existence. Can you accept Y/N L/N?

You look up at the deep brown eyes before you. You know he can.

“Seungmin…” you choke.

He lowers his voice and softens his gaze. “Play,” he tells you.

And so you do. You timorously reach for the instrument and perform Albinoni’s Adagio, the very last piece he’s heard you play.

Tears roll down your face as your fingers fly across the board like you’ve played the piece all your life. You’re scared, you’re scared, you’re so, so scared. You didn’t even realize how hard you’ve been working to repress this part of you, and now that you’re facing it head-on, you don’t know what to make of it, but for once, it’s okay. Even if you fall. Even if you break apart, you finally have someone who will pick up the pieces.

You play, and play, and play until you don’t know what to play any more, yet still you played. You don’t know how long it’s been, but you play until you can no longer lift up the scroll. You let the violin slip to your side and the bow clatter to the ground. A pair of arms wrap around you to stop you from collapsing. You close your eyes as one final tear makes its way down your face.

Seungmin presses your head into his shoulder. “I forgive you, Y/N, because I love you.”

You look onto the expecting crowd. Your heart’s beating quickly and the violin in your hands feels heavier than usual. Seungmin steps up next to you with his instrument. He adjusts your white skirt, his new golden band glistening under the lights as he does so.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

You smile at the familiar question. “Ready,” you reply.

He smiles back and lifts his Stradivarius under his chin. You do the same and he begins to play three one-eighth C’s followed half one. You feel his music envelop you. You close your eyes, place the tip of your bow on your E-string and let “Wedding March” flow from your soul.

A sense of peace overcomes you. After learning about your father, starting your life over, and losing your fertility, peace seems almost foreign to you, yet you’ve done it. Amidst all the chaos, you’ve finally found your harmony.

~ ad.gold

Read it from Seungmin’s perspective here.

#kim seungmin #seungmin #stray kids #skz #stray kids fluff #stray kids angst #seungmin fluff #seungmin angst #stray kids fic #seungmin fic #violin #childhood friends #stray kids imagine #seungmin imagine #20210615

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wandsandwheezes · 3 years

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Fake It | Weasley Twins | CH1

Warnings | 18+ SMUT, mature themes, fake relationships, secret relationships, love, sex, drama, angst, fluff.

Summary // Fred Weasley has been set up to publicly date Y/N, London's best Quidditch Seeker in order to drum up some publicity. Y/N however has a different ginger man on her mind; George Weasley.

He was giving you that look. not the look, that look - the one that told you to stop doing what you were doing. It wasn't often that you'd layer it on thick for the press, making sure that you're giggling as you press your hand to his chest. With each flash of a picture you make sure you're striking a different pose. It was hard work being a liar, but it was even harder work without the publicity you gained.

Your Publicist Cheryl or 'cherry' as she begged you to call her, had devised her own scheming plan to generate not only some amazing press for you, a well established quidditch player, but also some well-needed hype and sales for Fred Weasley's shop. After all, it's not every day that London's best quidditch player was dating Infamous Fred Weasley, Gryffindor Star beater and all-in-all stellar man. The plan had been well and truly in action for just over four months, With Fred the main face of the shared brand with his brother George, it felt like the best option according to Cherry.

You were leaning into Fred, answering press questions about the latest win, how you were feeling about the upcoming game and, of course the all too regularly asked update on the relationship. You were 'very happy with a man like Fred', he was smiling down at you, gushing sappily "She may be the best Seeker in the game, but my god is she a keeper." The line made you sick to your stomach, When Cherry had pitched it to you both, you were groaning in disgust, but as she pulled the lollipop from her bright red lips with a pop, staring at you with raised eyebrows, you knew it had to be done.

As the interview began to wrap up, you thanked the photographers and journalists, grabbing Fred's hand and interlocking your fingers with a beaming smile, you made sure the cameras could see, after all the last issue of the Daily Prophet branded it as a 'winning smile'. You were escorted away from the press, once out of sight from them, your hand dropped from Fred's grip. "Well done for not making that so not obviously fake." you quipped at him, going to pull your coat on and check your phone for any messages. He laughed, imitating your voice, "Oh, Fred, you're so handsome, won't you just kiss me right now?" You scoffed, throwing your bag over your shoulder. Your phone had three messages when the screen had lit up, your stomach feeling like it had butterflies when you noticed the name.

>> Do I get to see my beautiful girl later?

>> I got your favourite for dinner.

>> I miss your lips already

You felt like the luckiest girl alive in his presence, he made you feel like a princess - a queen even, with every night you spent with him. It all started at Hogwarts for you two, after all, It's not often you get to see the best Slytherin seeker and the Gryffindor star beater together. It really wasn't often because you'd been hiding your relationship for that long. He taught you quidditch skills that got you to where you are today during late, late night practices, often ending with makeout sessions on the grass as you straddled his hips,giggling into the bitter Scottish air.

You fell in love with George Weasley as a teenager, and for 6 years you had kept your relationship a well-guarded secret. Even through the war, you kissed each other goodbye, praying that it was only a see you later. You knew that one day you would marry the gorgeous man you loved so dearly. You tried to persuade Cherry, who had and still has no clue about your true relationship status, for it to be George you had a public relationship with, but she quickly shut the idea down because George was 'too quiet'.

<< I miss you so much Georgie… heading back to the shop with fred now

<< btw I'm staying over tonight, I won't suffer another night without kisses :'((

>> Just kisses? ;)

<< Shut up.

<< I love you xx

>> I Love you too, babygirl xx

>> Daddy can't wait to see you <3

George stood lazily, arms draped over the balcony as he was smiling down at his phone like a muppet. He was so head over heels with you that he wasn't sure what to do with himself. George wasn't mad that you had to fake date his twin, after all, he'd rather it be Fred than some random quidditch man, or worst of all, Krum. He knew and recognised how important it was to your career plus, what good businessman turns down the opportunity to rake in some sales? It hurt to read the papers sometimes, seeing how much attention you both got together, a part of him wished it was he who got to show you off.

When you entered the shop, you caught George's eyes immediately, a bashful smile spread across your face, immediately feeling like a schoolgirl again in his presence. Fred sulked off to his office, leaving you to browse the shop until your driver arrived to take you to team practice. You were browsing the upper back wall of products when you felt his stare on you, he was meters away from you and you ached to draw him in for a kiss. You reached out to him, making the grabby hands that he couldn't resist, he checked over his shoulder, seeing nobody, before waking over to you, he pulled you into a quick and needy kiss by your neck, his other hand finding your hip.

"I'll be home after practice," you mumbled between kisses. It was common for you to travel to his via floo, arriving at the place you truly called home, leaving a vacant and empty flat behind. He shook his head, the tip of his nose brushing against yours. "Too long to wait," he laughed softly, his lips pressing to yours again, you were just about to deepen the kiss when you heard Cherry yell out, "Y/N let's go or you'll be late for practice!" You sighed, leaving your boyfriend behind, fingertips being the last thing to separate as you walked away, leaving him dumbfounded.

Practicing with your team was always a long, tough grind, your captain worked you hard and she knew it was all for the best, she was due soon to step down from her duty as captain, leaving the team in your hands, so you felt like you were learning double constantly. The warm water running down your skin made you crave George's touch even more, pushing the thought of Fred's hand on your hip out of your mind completely, you simply couldn't wait.

When you arrived home, George, as promised had your favourite dinner ready for you. He was an amazing chef, using muggle techniques and tools to help create the perfect dishes without the need for magic. You shrugged off your jacket and bag, relaxing into the dining table chair as George brought out your bowl, his hands were massaging your shoulders as you ate, "Aren't you gonna eat, Georgie?" you questioned him, he smirked, "I've been waiting for you to get home so I could have my favourite." George was on his knees, hands reaching up to pull down your leggings, you lifted your hips up, allowing him to drag the material down each of your legs, hooking them over his shoulders,

You knew exactly what he was doing, your hands found his hair and he tutted, breath fanning over your pussy as he looked up at you. "I made your favourite for you, Princess, You always liked it when we eat together." His tongue darted out to lick over your covered slit, feeling you already wet through your underwear, he hummed in appreciation, his teeth pulling the material to the side before attaching his lips to your clit.

Every time he hummed against you, it made you shake, the task of eating dinner becoming more and more strenuous, as you struggled to swallow down the food while he was pulling such sinful moans from you. George's skilled tongue was fucking your cunt, swallowing everything he could like it was the last meal he'd ever eat, and godric did he think you tasted divine, his thumb came up to circle your clit slowly, bringing you closer and closer to the ege.

Thing is with George, he doesn't stop till he's got what he wanted. "Finish your dinner, baby," he smirked, a long finger slowly teasing your entrance, "I'm not finished until you are too." he was a determined man, by your second orgasm you could hardly hold up your fork, but nevertheless you soldiered on, managing to swallow the last piece just before number three hit, your legs were shaking and you were moaning incoherent sentences. That was possibly the best meal of your life, your weak legs could hardly hold you up when you tried to stand.

George pulled you up into his arms, carrying you to the bed where he found your favourite shirt of his, helping you change into it, he left to make you a cup of tea, bringing it into the bedroom for you. sitting contently beside each other.

George's phone buzzed on the side, he read the message from fred. Laughing before showing it to you, the irony all too funny for him to resist.

>> George, if only you had to do this… Fancy swapping places at the product launch on Saturday?

<< Love to, but I'm not sure that's how the whole twin thing works.

>> With an ass like hers, I don't mind it too much… shame, she seems like your type.

The last text from him made george both laugh and be angry at him sexualising his girl. You laugh, pressing a soft kiss to your boyfriend’s jaw before taking a sip of your tea, "He doesn't know George."

He hums a little bit before typing a reply.

<< It really is a shame, she does have a nice ass.

You scoff, rolling your eyes - Men.

///TO BE CONTINUED/// Chapter Two >>>>>

Taglist // @starlightweasley @slytherinsunrise @gcdric @theweasleysredhair @whiz-bangs78 @weasleysflowr @vogueweasley @minty-malfoy @vivianweasley @feetoffthetablee @thisismynerdyself @rip-us @witch-and-a-half @sarcasticallywitty15 @pandaxnienke @loony-loopy-lupinn

#george weasley #george weasley x reader #fred and george #george weasley fic #harry potter #mutuals innit #weasley twins #fred weasley #harry potter fic #fred weasley x reader #george weasley fluff #george weasley smut #harry potter smut #harry potter writing #Fake It Fic

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erosia-rhodes · 3 years

Text

Top 9 Newbie thoughts on Supernatural after Six Months of Madness

I started watching Supernatural a week before the series finale, and full disclosure, it was only because I heard about the gay angel. I loved me some Good Omens, so I decided to check out a series my only previous thoughts about had been, "Is that show still on?" In the past six months, I've watched about fifty percent of the episodes scattered across all fifteen seasons. I've also spent time following the bonkers-in-the-best-way fandom on Tumblr, and here is what I have learned:

1) Everyone who loves Supernatural also hates Supernatural

No one is capable of praising this show without also trashing it. Supernatural is as awful as it is awesome. Watching Supernatural is like hate-fucking your nemesis against a wall; you're totally conflicted about it, but it's enormously pleasurable and you know you're going to do it over and over again. No one has a pure, untainted love for this show. They only have complicated emotions. This is because…

2) The fact that the show needs to be fixed is an essential part of its appeal

Strangely, if this show were better, it wouldn't be as popular. If you love a show that is perfect, you watch it once or twice or thrice, make a bunch of memes, and move on with your life two years later when you find something else to hyper-fixate on. If you love a show that's broken, you spend the rest of your life obsessed with fixing it. It's the crooked photo hanging on the wall that yearns to be straightened (because, you know, this show is bad at making things straight). It's the stray dog you know would be adoptable if you fattened it up and socialized it with your other dogs, and just like some people can't stop rescuing animals, Supernatural fans can't stop thinking about how to fix a show that isn't great, but could be with a flea bath and a trip to the groomers. Supernatural fans are not fans of the actual show, but of the show they imagine it could be, one that only exists in an alternate universe. They are in love with the Platonic ideal of Supernatural. That's also the reason why…

3) The fans understand the characters and themes better than 95% of the people who worked on the show

The people who watch Supernatural have thought about it way, way, way, more than anyone who produced it. I have read complex essays about what the color of people's clothing imply and how the state of the Impala reflects the state of Dean's mental health and other things I'm certain this show did not do intentionally. People can find depth in the shallowest aspects of this series. Any random fan could explain the complicated dynamics of the Winchester family and the overriding themes of the series better than most of the people who worked on it. That includes the LGBTQ stuff, which leads to the fact that…

4) The show is simultaneously too gay and not gay enough

On one end of the spectrum are fans who are offended you would dare to suggest one of the Winchesters might like kissing a boy and they'll shove you in a locker and duct tape your butt cheeks together for it. On the other end of the spectrum are fans who think it's odd that every episode doesn't end with two attractive men dry humping in a dark corner of the bunker library. No one is happy with the level of gayness on this show. It's always got too much "No Homo" or too much queer subtext, which is why I've concluded that…

5) The audience this show wanted is not the audience they got and they are resentful of it

The original pitch for this show targeted a male demographic who’s into toxic masculinity in a non-ironic way. It was about bros and beers and muscle cars and shotguns and hot chicks who will be killed to further the man's storyline. However, when making that show, they accidentally created a show that attracted female viewers who liked speculating about the queer subtext of each scene while looking at pretty men with traumatic backstories fight back their man tears. The show depends on the unintended audience segment to survive, but is bitter about it, which they remind you of time and time again by killing the female and non-white characters and toying with endless queer-baiting. It's like the writers got a plane to Rome, ended up in a gay nightclub in Amsterdam instead, and even though the canals and tulips make it a lovely city to visit, they wanted to go to Rome, damnit, and they'll never let you forget it! I also suspect that…

6) The people who made this show were at constant war with each other

This show has such a split personality. Sometimes it leans into the gay stuff and other times it makes fun of it outright. Sometimes they'll introduce an interesting side character that could make the show more diverse and then they'll slaughter that person for practically no reason. Sometimes they praise free will and other times they force people down pre-destined paths. The writers feel like a dysfunctional family stuck at Thanksgiving dinner endlessly squabbling with each other—who then had to write a TV show together over dessert. That's why it's such a weird hot mess. The show's unevenness makes me think that…

7) Some people's attachment to the show can only be explained by the fact that it imprinted on them when they were young

Some fans have mentioned they started watching Supernatural when they were kids. It's a pretty common experience to go back and watch things you loved when you were a kid and realize they were…not so good. Your memories of them are far better than the reality of them, but you cling to them anyway. The shows you watch when you're young imprint on you in a way you never forget. Supernatural fans are like a baby duck who looks up at a cat and assumes it’s their mother. Then that cat slices open their poor little hearts, leaving them wounded but not dead, forever be toyed with in agony. The only relief is that…

8) The fandom is batshit insane in the best way

I started following the Supernatural fandom on Tumblr in November of 2020 and OMG, it was AH-MAZE-ING. It was total insanity. I didn't understand half of what was going on, but it was more fun than a yard full of puppies doing zoomies. People were posting detailed PowerPoint presentations theorizing how the series would end, citing extensive physical evidence like the background in Misha's hotel room. People learned election results through Supernatural memes. Destiel went canon every other week. When the Spanish dub was released, Tumblr literally crashed! Obama's Twitter was following a Destiel account. There was a Twitter wedding for Destiel on Valentine's Day, which made the one-month anniversary on Pi Day.

It's been a ride, y'all. I have no idea how you guys survived fifteen years of this. The fandom has been so much fun that I actually sat down and watched more than 100 hours of this show so I could understand everything better. It's like the show is an extension of the fandom instead of vice versa. If anything sums up Supernatural for me, that's it. It's all about the fandom and the show is secondary to that. It's like the fans willed the show into existence as part of some partially botched spell. And part of that twisted spell is that…

9) The show will never die until someone finds its bones and burns them

This show has been off the air for more than six months now and it keeps trending on Tumblr consistently. Misha recently trended on Twitter simply because he was at the Oscars. That was it! He didn't even do anything there, he just attended, and some people figured it out by the reflection in a photo posted by someone else! And just as I was proofreading this post, Destiel started trending again because John Cena is a stan or something? This fandom is crazy and unpredictable and I love it like Dean loves pie! If there ever does come a time when this show stops trending, that will be the moment when they decide to reboot it or revisit it.

There is a lot more I could say about this show, but these were the elements that seemed most unique and bizarre about it. I wouldn't say Supernatural is a ride-or-die fandom for me, and I have no intention of watching another 100 hours of this series, but it's been hella' fun to drop in for a while. The show is just as much a dysfunctional mess as the Winchester family and I guess that's why people love it, right?

#supernatural #spn #dean winchester #sam winchester #castiel #jensen ackles #jared padalecki #misha collins #destiel #the cw #tv #television

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arinbelle · 3 years

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For the fanfic writers ask game, 5 and 9!

Hello! Thank you so much for asking!!!

5.What fanfic of yours should everyone have read?

9.What are your favorite fanfics?

~*~

5. So I'm not used to tooting my own horn too much but I'll say that even though Lost was a big hit with everyone, I think I spent so, so, SO much time in writing "Learning Curve," and I think if you really want to get me as a writer that's one to read.

9. So I'm not sure if this is asking me as a reader or writer so I'll answer both. As a writer, my favorite fic I ever wrote might be A Court of Witches and Warriors because I never thought I'd stick to something for that long. And even though I know I haven't updated in forever, it's still my first big thing I ever did and I'm proud of her!

As for other fav fics, where to begin?!?

- Embers and Light is a given. I don't think at any point that any Nessian fan hasn't read it yet but if you haven't read it yet, GO! SHOO! Written by the lovely @duskandstarlight

-In Which She Makes a Friend by @bookstantrash is just 👌😚 (this is my made-up chef's kiss emoji btw). It's so cute, and funny, adorable and angsty. The perfect blend of everything. And it’s all the forced mom, dad, child random family put together trope plus girl training as a boy in the army trope so like...ALL THE TROPES. WE LOVE THE TROPE!

-@vidalinav has...things? It's not easy to explain bc she releases a million snippets that I devour and I basically consider them mini chapters at this point and all of then are their own perfect story. Most notably, Nesta’s Love is Quiet which is done and is actually 5 full chapters.

-Anything by @moodymelanist but my fav will forever be Mr. and Mrs. Archeron because I love Nessian and I love Mr. and Mrs. Smith and the combination AU is just *swoons and dies*

-Bittersweet by @inkedstarlight ...so I actually binge read this fic and then couldn’t find the name and panicked and bothered a bunch of people and refound it because it is SO DAMN GOOD. So beautiful.

- A Favor by @ncssian is *screams very high pitched scream* I mean I can’t really explain it but like it’s perfect. It truly is perfect. It’s just AKJSDFKSJASJ I can’t explain further. Sorry. You’ll have to go see for yourself.

-Fine Print by @noodlecatposts. It’s smutty. It’s soft. It’s angsty. It’s a guilty pleasure. Did I mention it’s steamy? Because it is.

-Okay so @caotica-e-quieta writes on AO3 as “closet_monster” and it’s actually really funny because when I was just a lurker on tumblr and didn’t interact with anyone and read on AO3, I was the BIGGEST FAN of her work. Like I mean, reread almost everyday because for one, there was literally not much Nessian work out there so you devoured whatever the hell you could find. Her work is some of the best that’s out there so I obviously...ahem...may or may not have every fic memorized. My favorite one is I Made Dinner- Impeccable in every single aspect. WAIT I just remembered I also love, love, love it takes time and a little death.

-Sand and Stardust by @sayosdreams makes me fucking cry and scream and laugh and cry all at once. So beautifully crafted and it’s Nessian babies!!!!

- @letstakethedawn writes...well, honestly, FILTH. Anyways, I think I’ve read Babooshka many times and well...rose quartz’s are just neat I think. That’s all I’ll say. Read it to understand it.

- It Was the End of Everything by @nehemikkele. Beautifully told. Made me cry. Also, not the only thing written by this writer- because there is SO MUCH to read. But it’s the one I’ve had a chance to read fully and loved unconditionally.

-Been obsessed, remained obsessed, will forever be obsessed by Bottled Up Storms by @perseusannabeth. Imagine soft Cassian, soft Nesta, all the angst and softness in the world and you’ve got this fic.

There are SO MANY more, but these are the ones I can list easily off the top of my head. I actually have so many fics saved and liked but I need to scroll a bunch through my tumblr to find them. Which I will when I’m feeling particularly nostalgic one day!

#nessian #nessian fics #ask game

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kojinnie · 3 years

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AOT Characters’ Modern Jobs Headcanon; The Vets Edition!

The jobs that The Vets would have in modern!au, their workplace antics and their back story. There might be some inaccuracies when describing the job as obviously I don’t work at these industries to know its intricacies. Most of the jobs are office jobs. Enjoyyyy!

My Masterlist .::. Pt. II: Zeke Yeager’s Modern Jobs Headcanon

Most recent work: Dream Me Home (Before Shiganshina) | reader x erwin smith

A/N: I really need to finish a presentation deck due tonight for an early morning meeting tomorrow but of course, this comes first hahaha

erwin!

A/N: Basically lawyer!erwin is the way to go, innit?

He's in his 40s, so he may have a settled career

He came from a white-collar, middle-class family. So he wasn’t silverspoon-fed, but his parents had enough money to put him through good school

Got a scholarship to go to one of the nation’s finest law schools

Kept it lowkey in college’s social circle, graduated with summa cum laude, developed a strong academic relation with his professor, and got recommended for an internship at top law firm at the capital city

Starting his career as a corporate lawyer, but then built his expertise as white-collar crime attorney

In his early 30s, he represented a union suing against conglomerate corporation in a big case that had national coverage, from then on he began to know his calling

Expanding his portfolio and became well-known for defending workers, consumers and civilians against corporate fraud scheme

Currently doing a lot of pro-bono cases for deprived victims of big corporate fraud. You would see him frequently gracing your local newspaper we love us some socialist king

On the side, he often writes for law journal and fills in as guest professor at local universities for summer courses

Established his own law firm with some of his partners, specializing in white collar crime and labor & employment law

He’s damn accomplished, but never really had any time for self-indulgence. Even after he becomes a household name in the country, with tens of attorneys working under him, his employees would still see him working on New Year’s Eve

He was always attentive to his employees, though. Although he has a very strict, borderline no-life work ethics, he never forces his employees to follow his habit, in fact he despises when his employees works on holidays and can be seen blaming himself for it a bit of a hypocrite but thats ok

He still takes metro to work. He prefers a very lowkey, ordinary lifestyle because he fears if he shows any knack for indulgence, he will be susceptible to gratification from potential enemies or crooked politicians

Definitely a sight to see at the workplace, for he's tall and always oozes a sense of authority in the way he speaks and carries himself generally

His emotional intelligence is top-notch, you would never meet someone who is able to be very objective and calculating, while being kind and compassionate at the same time

His fellow attorneys put a lot for respect for him, and hundreds of applicants come to his considerably small firm every week, because a lot of aspiring attorney find him inspiring to work with

He wasn’t oblivious to his shiny reputation, but he’s trying his hardest to not let the compliments get to his head. Sometimes he doesn’t give himself enough credit for it

Was approached by one of the political party’s committee to run for local senate, but turned it down

basically he’s perfect if you like a man who’s never home for christmas

Hange!

A/N: Ok ok, I really wanna see Paleontologist!Hange because it has always been my fave dream job, but I want Hange to be out and about with people so here it is

Hange is the type to be incredibly good at one thing, that she will dedicate her whole life for that pursuit, but will be awfully oblivious to a whole lot of things (not intentional of course, they just have a very limited attention span) (they wouldn’t know who kanye west is or what tiktok is)

Like Erwin, they came from a middle-class family. While Erwin’s parents might have been teachers, accountants or other common profession, Hange came from a family of academician and researchers

Hange studied Human Geography at uni, but later found passion specifically in its relation to industrialization and urban development

Hange aims to advocate for a better living condition for workforce, and nearby inhabitants of industrialized city detroit would be a beautiful city if only they let hange designed it

Hange is a professor at university, where they also led a non-profit research think-thank that also serves as pressure group for better government policy.

The university that Hange teaches in, is also the uni where Erwin teaches in summer. They’re close-knitted colleagues as they share similar passion. Erwin relies on Hange a lot for some intellectual insights to help his cases

Hange is relentless in their cause, you may find Hange everywhere! From street protest to a hearing in the government court. They are passionate and will do anything for the cause they believe in

Hange was once hired by the government as an independent consultant for a new housing project, but left because they grew to be frustrated by the government’s bureaucracy and their outward reluctance to follow Hange's recommendation

Hange spends a lot of time overseas, consulting and advocating development in newly industrialized countries

On Hange’s birthday, her fellow researchers surprised them with a ‘pampering day’ where they took them to an optometrist because Hange had been complaining about their eyesight for a YEAR that gave them a lot of migraines, but was always either too busy or too lazy to go

Hange never really considers themselves as working, because they enjoy their job very much. Hange likes to spend months observing a community, talking to people for hours, and trying their best in understanding their problem

Out of so many great qualities that Hange has as a researcher that meets different set of people everyday, prejudice or preconceived judgment is completely absent in Hange’s demeanor and perspective

Hange doesn’t get a lot of free-time, even if they do, they’d wander around the city to do a little observation. But when the weather’s bad and they’re stuck at home with their pet lizard, they would logged into Quora to answer random internet questions

They’re an avid writer for National Geographic, and one time Hange won a pitch to make a documentary about an industrial city project they were working on

After the docu-series got broadcasted, Hange gained a small but passionate and loyal fans on the internet. You could even find a subreddit dedicated for Hange’s works

for real I want to be Hange. I want to have that kind of passion in life

levi!

A/N: I spent a lot of times thinking about Levi’s job in modern!au. Because here’s the thing, either we adopt his unfortunate childhood into its modern!au equivalent, or let’s just recreate his whole upbringing. But I think his personality stems from a specific things he experienced during childhood, so let’s not dismiss that.

Levi came from a struggling working class family. I reckon his parents might have had worked multiple jobs to sustain their living expense. Unfortunately they both passed away when Levi was very little, and left little to no inheritance

Levi’s parents were not close to their extended family, so when they died, Levi was admitted to the system and had to brace several foster families who didn’t really pay attention to him

Little Levi had come to realize that life’s all about survival and so he had been able to fend on for himself since very young age, he never asked for things

His uncle, Kenny, finally won custody over Levi when he was in elementary. Kenny made money from small-scale racketeering here and there. Levi never asked what he did for living, as long as he got food to eat and tuition paid off

Kenny was emotionally absent, but he loved spending time with the oddly quiet little child, teaching him a lot of crafts, from carpentering to how to flay pig’s skin

Levi didn’t really care about getting into college, and thought that he’d probably end up working for his uncle, so he put his bare minimum throughout school, although he was really good with numbers, especially in math, accounting and finance

One time in high school, Levi’s teacher asked him to sign up for the olympiad team, Levi turned it down because he thought that was a rich kid thing

He didn’t even apply for college, and worked odd jobs after high school. Probably working as cashiers or assistant to retail shop’s owner for couple of years, enough for him to afford a cheap studio apartment on his own

One of his bosses came to acknowledge Levi’s talent, and trusted him to handle the company’s accounting

By sheer luck, the company hit it big, and Levi found himself running the day-to-day accounting of mid-sized business with over 300 employees

He made good money already without a college degree, but with a new-found confidence Levi applied for uni, where he chose to study accounting (of course)

Although he was confident with his skills, he understood he needed to widen his horizon and network -- thus uni

Levi was one of the oldest members of his cohort in uni, but graduated with highest distinction

After graduating, with his skills and experience, it wasn’t hard for Levi to score a job at top accounting firm

There, he discovered an interest for forensic accounting, where through audits, analysis and investigation, he basically finds out if a company is doing fraud and embezzlement or not

This is where he came to know and get acquainted with Erwin and Hange (yippie they’re together again)

The firm he works for was assigned to investigate the finances of a troublesome company that had been sued by its workers for a jeopardizing working condition. Erwin was on the case, and Levi helped him with evidences for legal proceeding.

By chance, Erwin introduced Levi to Hange. At first, Levi would find Hange annoying and overtly energized, but after learning the things they have done, Levi grew to appreciate Hange’s passion (and secretly wants to have more of his positive outlook)

Levi is fucking good his job. In short amount of time, he could get a really ideal position in the office. He was almost foolproof, finding even the tiniest bit of discrepancy in his audit. He’d get assigned to the big league case/project.

Although really good at his job, he’s not a social person, especially in his office. He couldn’t understand the lavish lifestyle that finance and banking people often lead. He will only show up to office party if it is really necessary for him to show up (usually to receive some kind of informal awards for, again, being so fucking good)

He leads a no-bullshit attitude at the office, largely because of his background. He is a self-made man, and is not easy to impress by some young executives from posh school that talk bigger than they can chew

His cold, seemingly dismissive attitude gained him a reputation of being scary, when actually he is very considerate

One of the things he enjoys doing is to actually teach, he really likes when a new kid at the office come to him with none of that pretentious, big talk, and really asks for his guidance. He would love to teach you a thing or two

He would frequently check on his mentee, just to keep up with their development

And he doesn’t take credit too. When his mentee makes a milestone, he believes it’s 100% your work

If you’re his mentee, he probably doesn’t give a crap about your personal life, so don’t expect him to make small talk about that (and don’t ask him about his personal life either). But he really cares about your skill and career development

Same with Erwin, he leads a very ordinary lifestyle. He doesn’t go out often and would rather reading detective novel with his cat on the couch

He likes to spend Sunday at Uncle Kenny’s house, because he finds himself worried about the old man very often. They became close as Levi grew

Overall, Levi is a really kind and caring person if you know how not to push his button

#aot #snk #aot headcanons #snk headcanons #aot modern au #levi ackerman #hange zoë #erwin smith #modern headcanon #lawyer erwin smith #professor hange zoe #accountant levi ackerman #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #kojin writes

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reidsmemory · 4 years

Text

Sick Day

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Genre: Fluff!! Just the cutest stuff :)

Request(s): hi! request, spencer xfem!reader? reader works at the bau but spencer isn’t there (mutual crush or beginning of relationship) so she swings by his apartment to see he has a stomach flue so she helps and takes care of him? fluff? and hi i was wondering can you write a criminal minds fan fiction with a fem!reader x spencer? something like he didn’t show up to work so y/n goes to his place to see he’s sick so she helps comfort and take care of him? it can be an already established relationship, thank you!

Quinn Speaks: Sorry this took such a long time to get out! I also combined both of them cause they were kinda similar so I hope that’s okay. I hope you all like it <3 I’m working on a couple of other things right now as well and hope to get them all out in the next few weeks :))

not my gif!

So it was normal day and Spencer arrived at work with his coffee in hand

Sitting down at his desk he began to start typing up a report from a case you all finished a while ago

You hadn’t arrived yet which was odd because you were usually here before him most days

Spencer would usually tell you random facts before work until someone told him to get back to work

That was one of the things Spencer loved about you

You would never cut him off or tell him that you didn’t care for his rambling

The fact was that the young doctor had developed quite the crush on you and was not very good at hiding from the team as Derek had caught on almost immediately

Then the rest of the team found out about it and he had practically begged them to keep their mouths shut around you

They did but would tease on occasion, but no matter what they said you seemed oblivious to his feeling for you

Like the time Derek suggested that you and Spencer go undercover as a couple for a case

Spencer’s face flushed bright red

You had mindlessly agreed and Derek shot Spencer a shit eating grin as Spencer flashed him eyes that said ‘i’m going to kill you slowly’

Emily muffled her laughter and JJ hid her smile

Or the other time that Emily was talking about her latest date and had asked you what you looked for in partner right in front of Spencer

‘Nice, intelligent, and funny’

It was pretty basic and Spencer thought about being those things whenever he was around you

‘I’ve got this friend, he’s tall, brown hair, kind of a dork. He would be good for you’ Emily had said as Spencer blushed as she shot him a wink when you weren’t looking

Before you could answer Hotch entered and had told you all something about the case you were working

By this time everyone had arrived at work except you and he knew something was up

He didn’t want to ask the team as they would tease him even more so he made his way to Garcia to ask her

She didn’t exactly tease as she did ‘ship’

Often time texting Spencer when you were in the room about being her ‘OTP’ or sometimes just rambling about a cute date that he could take you on that he might have taken note of

Garcia had pulled up your personal file and saw that you had called in sick, much to Spencer’s dismay

Penny told him that he should go by your apartment after work and bring you soup

He had nodded and Penelope squealed loudly as Spencer blushed

He didn’t stop worrying about you for the rest of the day and had decided that he would bring you some soup as Garcia suggested as well as a book that he would pick up from his house as you two would often trade books

So he stood in front of your door and felt the heat already rushing to his face even though he hadn’t even rung the doorbell to alert you that he was here yet

He thought about turning away but then thought if he was in your position he would have loved if you had come by and done this

So he pressed the small button and heard the faint sound of your voice saying ‘just one minute’

You opened the door and Spencer took in your appearance

Your nose and cheeks were quite red and you covered yourself in a fluffy blanket as well as wearing sweatpants and a oversized tee shirt

‘What are you doing here, Doc?’ you asked him as he held up the soup and book as you nodded lightly and moved so he could enter your flat

He saw that you had a TV program running and that you also had multiple blankets and pillows on the couch

‘I just wanted to see if you were okay,’ he rambled on about the statistics of people who live alone and how sick days affect most of them which didn’t put you at ease at all

It was already dark out and you spoke lightly, ‘do you want to stay for a while?’

He nodded and agreed immediately and told you to sit down while he warmed up the soup

You unpaused the show and soon enough Spencer was handing you a bowl that was warm to the touch as well as giving you a spoon

You thanked him and gestured for him to sit next to you

Spencer was a germaphobe but in this moment he could care less about that and rather focused his attention on helping you and making you feel as good as possible

You finished the soup and felt your eyes drooping and Spencer could see it too

He didn’t really know how it happened but it did

Maybe it was the way you always sat with each other on the jet or during briefings or maybe it was how Hotch seemed to pair you up with each other whenever you touched down in a new city or maybe it was because he would always jump in front of you or push you aside to take that bullet and you would do the same

He was drawn to you and you were drawn to him

You rested your head on his shoulder and soon it became you laying flat on his chest while he wrapped his arms around your waist and you had yours on his chest

You looked beautiful even with a red nose and slightly puffed out lips as well as you practically being a space heater with the warmness that was coming off of you Spencer made sure to take your temperature

You both laid there for the rest of the night as Spencer had dozed off too

It was about 3 days later that you arrived back at work and were met with warm smiles and hugs from your team

JJ insisted on taking your temperature and Emily gave you cough drops even though you insisted you were fine

Derek carried all your stuff for you and Penny sent you articles on ‘how to deal with getting back to the workplace’ like you hadn’t been sick before

Hotch made sure to do an evaluation and Rossi offered to cook you something if you needed it you didn’t reject that offer

Spencer was the sweetest of all he got you tea as well as assisting you with anything that you might need his brain for

This was normal of course

Spencer was always offering to help and getting you coffee or tea but now when he did it you realized the faint blush on his cheeks or how he would stutter or ramble a bit more than he did when he gave something to Emily or Derek

So you got an idea

He was standing over by the coffee machine and you made your way over to him as he poured his third cup of the day

‘I never got to thank you for the other day,’ it was true; when you woke up that morning you apartment looked as if it had been cleaned as well as the fact that you woke up in your bed rather than the couch you had fallen asleep on

He told you it was no problem while stirring sugar into his cup as well as avoiding all eye contact

‘Seriously, Doc. I want to thank you,’ you lightly smiled as a blush crept it’s way up onto his cheeks as he looked at you, ‘let me take you to dinner’

He nearly spit out his coffee but opted to choke lightly on it

Spencer looked at you like you had just said Doctor Who was the worst TV show

It wasn’t the exact reaction you were hoping for and so you began to tell that it was okay if he didn’t want to and that it was just a suggestion

Morgan, JJ, and Emily all watched as they cringed when Spencer couldn’t utter any words

Finally Spencer managed to nod his head as a light smile made it way to your face

‘It’s a date’

Those words seemed innocent enough to you as you turned to go back to your desk but it left the brown haired man with a gaping mouth and wide eyes

He seemed to stand at the coffee machine forever until Garcia walked in with a mug in hand

She turned to strike up a conversation with the genius only to find him staring right at you with what she described as ‘dreamy eyes’

Penelope nudges him lightly effectively pulling him out of his trance

She urged him to tell her what had happened and when he repeated the words you had said to him she let out a high pitched squeal as a couple heads turned and she apologized

You sat at your desk oblivious of your co-workers gathering and practically dancing with glee as Spencer had told them about your dinner date

He insisted that you probably said it by accident or that it was a common saying but that didn’t stop them from having wide grins on their faces

The night had rolled around and Spencer walked into the small cafe and greeted the hostess

Light music was playing and there was warm lighting all over along with beautiful murals

He was surprised he hadn’t been here before

Then Spencer swore time stopped

You were sitting at one of the tables and were picking at your nails as it was a nervous habit of yours

Were you nervous?? Spencer refused to believe that you were nervous for a friendly dinner date with him

No way

You were wearing a nice dress with a color that complimented your skin perfectly as well as a perfect looking hairstyle

Looking up you saw him and waved as he then made his may over to you and sat down

Soon a waiter came over and took drink orders as you requested a home brewed beer and he took his pick of one of the many fruity alcoholic beverages on the menu

The waiter left and you two started conversing well rather you were doing most of the talking as Spencer was uncharacteristically quiet

‘Thank you again, Doc,’ you started, ‘I probably would’ve not eaten anything and been miserable the whole night’

He insisted it was no problem and you both shared light smiles

Soon your waiter came back to take your order for food and that came out in no time

The night went on wonderfully

Spencer finally got out of his shell and you talked about everything and anything all night

Soon you both finished up and had split the bill much to your dismay but Spencer fought you hard on the matter

You both stood outside the cafe under the moonlight and various light fixtures

‘I had a really good night’

‘So did I’

Your eyes met and then his flickered down to your lips as you did the same and then both of you leaned in

Both hearts beating fast and both eyes held a mutual love for the other

It was like everything had stopped and like fireworks had gone off as cheesy as that sounds but it was true

Spencer brought his hands up to cradle your face as you both pressed your lips against each other’s

You pulled away after a few seconds and when you did you saw the cutest smile on Spencer’s face

You laughed a bit and kissed him again lightly

After that you parted ways

‘See you Monday, Doc’

“Yeah-yeah Monday’

Both of you went home feeling better than ever and all because of a little cold

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senseandaccountability · 3 years

Note

Hey, did you get a chance to watch season 6 of Lucifer? What did you think of the finale?

This is going to be salty (sorry) so I put it under a cut for people who prefer joyous things in the feed.

I didn’t like the final season.

To be brief: It felt like a story where the writers knew how they wanted it to end, and therefore the plot ruled over the characters. It wasn't a main plot I enjoyed at all, and it was told in a way that made it difficult for me to appreciate even the small bits I liked. (Ella reveal. Ghost Dan.) I thought it suffered from a jarring tonal shift and when it comes to several overarching themes, I felt it negated/trivialized previous seasons. In many ways it also managed to be both cheesy and cruel, often at the same time. I had the impression it was a compilation of (unfortunately rather boring) fandom wishes and tropes more than authentic storytelling.

To be anything but brief:

I dislike the season in part because it undid a lot of great things about Lucifer as a character.

By the end of 5B Lucifer had come full circle. I think that season finale is great. The Lucifer vs Michael fight was so well done thematically - he fought himself, and unlike the first fight in 5A when he wants to hurt his twin he had now reached a state of personal growth, of compassion. Not even when Michael kills Chloe does he deserve death because everyone deserves a second chance. And then the funny and pitch perfect “Oh, my me”. Ambiguous enough about the details to fuel the fandom, clear enough about the themes and the lore to offer closure. (No, Deckerstar didn’t have a date or much of a snog but I can fill in the blanks there though I am aware that many fans were disappointed by the lack of on-screen love.)

Excellent way to end the show.

Except they didn’t. S6, I feel, tried to tell the same story all over again, only not as well or even coherent.

Over the seasons it’s been pretty clear that while Lucifer can be caring, he mostly cares about the handful of people in his life. S6 even touches upon this, has him trying to care for random people in their hell loops. But S5 already did this, but better, with Michael. The family dinner with God was excellent, it showed broken people all around and had Lucifer, the self-centered drama queen of the family realizing that he’s not the only one that’s been hurt. It showed the best and worst of them all. Sparing Michael, considering Michael worthy of redemption, was peak growth for Lucifer as a character because in that moment he also considers himself worthy of the same thing. That’s when he truly forgives himself. I thought. And then season 6 shows Michael as a prisoner in Hell, just once, never to be mentioned again. Is that a second chance? Is that redemption? Is that really the symbolism they were going for or just a spiteful and stupid little addition because LOL SOME PEOPLE DESERVE HELL. (Do they? Says who? The show doesn’t answer that because the show that focuses on the neutral character the Devil and the totally untarnished place Hell doesn’t much care about such divisive matters, but more about that soon.) I dislike the season, in parts because I wasn't satisfied with the moral/quasi-theological backdrop. The system is wrong, Lucifer concluded by the end of 5B. Season 6 has him return to the system, as an Afterlife Coach of the Damned. Is that really the best they could do?

I mourn all the cool possibilities of what Lucifer, the advocate for free will and defender of desire, could have done with hell as a concept. Blown it apart, closed it, tossed the keys to someone else and rode off in the sunset. At the very least he could have altered it so that it’s no longer solitary confinement but a collective of doomed souls trying together to achieve redemption but hey, never mind me, I’m a bleeding-heart socialist and I don’t believe in revenge and I don’t believe in God but if I did, God would forgive. Otherwise, what the hell is the point?

I parsed through the season with my husband, a real-life minister who doesn't think anyone deserves hell and who gets to suffer my long-ass questions about the theological themes of popular culture a little bit too often. Because we both felt slightly insulted after watching. "Is this bullshit what they offer me?" my husband asked me as the timey wimey time travel plot unfolded. But timey wimey bullshit aside, we concluded that the real reason we were both so annoyed and frustrated with the season is because it highlighted how flat the background lore really is. I mean, I guess they wanted to be yay, neutral and non-divisive themes galore! It’s good to be good, folks! If you’re not, well, I guess you might have your spine broken by the Devil or sent to a never-ending hell loop but let’s not talk about religion! The main issue, for me, with the whole system of heaven and hell and earth on the show is that for every equation, there’s a part missing. The show has borrowed the character from the comics verse but left the entire lore and its internal logic behind. It borrows a bit of moral philosophy, but cuts away the troublesome bits otherwise Lucifer can’t both be on a redemptive path and happily slaughter people in fits of vengeance; it uses Heaven and Hell and vaguely also the concept of sin but never answers any questions about it, apart from the central message of course: it’s up to you. In fact, the show discourages questions about the lore because it has no answers. It doesn’t care. The ending of the show brushes off the much needed systematic changes of heaven and hell like it’s just another joke. (Want to know a show that has compassionate writing about morality while managing to be very funny? The Good Place. And you know what, morality should be serious. I’m a softie and again, a bleeding-heart, but it’s important to be a good person and it’s important to get a chance for redemption. It matters. It’s not just a minor detail.)

Which brings me to the damn therapy theme. I know a lot of people like it and I have also liked it a lot in previous seasons. I have. It’s been quirky. (Also highly unprofessional, but hey.) But as the key to your afterlife/redemption/second chance it’s just not good enough.

It is so very, very individualistic that it makes my skin crawl. It’s the ultimate American solution to systemic injustices and suffering - hey, it’s up to you, man. You decide if you deserve hell. You decide if you deserve Heaven. You make the difference! You can do it! Live the afterlife dream, achieve all your goals, get a hell loop that no longer loops but… stays in one static place where at least you’re moderately happy. Navel-gazing into your soul is certainly one way to get some insights into your mistakes. But it’s not redemption. Redemption is an active choice to be a better person. You don’t have to earn redemption or deserve it. And redemption isn’t the same as forgiveness either. Redemption is the opposite to pointless, everlasting punishment. It’s hopeful and it’s ugly and it’s full of purpose and the chance to be better and add something good to the world. Even Lucifer doesn’t get to do that on the show. He deals only with the already doomed. The here and now on Earth fades into the distance as Deckerstar, too, gets their happily ever after in Hell. You’ll get pie in the sky when you die. Or you get to shag on a throne in Hell. Either way, life on Earth doesn’t matter. (Here the show lean into some really dodgy Christian themes, I’d argue, but hey, it’s not about religion! It’s just a fun romp about a reformed bad boy!)

“Hell is just revenge porn for fundamentalists and other people who believe in eye for an eye. I just want there to be a level of collective forgiveness and hope, you know?” I told my husband whilst chugging down beer. As you do when you watch crap that makes no sense. “A level of hey, I’ve got this, I forgive you, you can do better. Go and do better. And then the actual opportunity to do so, even if it's just reliving your life as a ghost again and again until you figure out what went wrong.” “Honey,” my husband said. “I hate to tell you this since you’re an atheist but that level you’re talking about? That’s Jesus.” Well, screw that.

I really don’t want to need Jesus to make sense of a story. I just want decent bloody storytelling.

#lucifer critical #lucifer season six #lucifer spoilers

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guynamedultimax · 3 years

Text

What if Kirby had a traditional fighting game?

Listen, I know I should’ve done more “FNF fighting game characters” but i doubt anyone cared for that, and even then I lost a bit of interest, so if you actually cared sorry about that, you can still come up with whatever you want for the characters I didn’t talk about!

That being said, I think all Kirby fans here know Kirby Fighters 2. Personally speaking most of it was just the same as Kirby Fighters Deluxe BUT there were five playable Dream Friends. FIVE. Priority to the Copy Abilities a bit too high, isn’t it HAL? Sometimes it feels a bit barebones if you ask me. So I’m here to discuss what would a non-platform Kirby fighting game be.

THE GAMEPLAY

It’s the same as any basic fighting game, there isn’t really that much that the Kirby franchise can offer to make the genre a bit more varied, and that’s mostly due to the fact that Kirby makes friends wherever he goes and combat is pretty much straightforward in these platforming games, the crazy stuff comes from learning specific moves with each copy ability/character in the games and that’s also true for this game.

THE PLOT

I have quite a few ideas for how this can go:

-It’s a “what if” re-telling of Kirby Star Allies where Hyness’ ritual (somehow) also causes space-time rifts across the entire universe to be generated, pulling in Kirby villains from previous games but also allies, which would ALSO explain Dream Friends in the game’s canon a bit more properly.

-It happens in an AU. Plot would basically be Kirby Battle Royale’s but instead of shooting a loadshit of Kirbies onto Kirby, Dedede would just call upon all of their friends to fight for that cake before things escalate and Dedede loses control of the tournament to greater evils, forcing him to work with Kirby to stop the threat, be it old or new.

-Another AU idea but this time it’s original/based on Milky Way Wishes. Galactic NOVA appears every thousand years above Pop Star’s skies, and everyone tries to fight for the right to get the wish. Villain wouldn’t necessarily be ONLY Marx though, most of the Kirby villains could easily win against him if they get to NOVA and get their wish granted. Which means yes, all plots happen at once and Kirby has to deal with everyone at once.

-The least interesting idea: it’s Kirby Fighters 2′s plot but without tag team duos and with all Kirbies replaced with the roster.

THE ROSTER

Now we’re about to have some fun.

RETURNING CHARACTERS: The Dream Friends (and Kirby, of course)

-First up, all Dream Friends are coming back. You don’t even need to change their movesets that much, just add/tweak things, but just for funsies (and for a specific reason too) we’ll also give them specific copy abilities or more than one to categorize them.

-Kirby is the specific reason. He has the same moveset as his Smash Bros incarnation, although he incorporates more copy abilities (and also super powerful stuff like the Star Rod that he usually uses in endgame fights) in it now due to being a traditional fighting game. And yes, he still has his inhale. Using it will have the inhale be replaced by another move in-game, the closest one to a “neutral special” in the opponent’s arsenal. His copy ability is therefore, Smash Bros. And since the game has multiple super moves, we can make his gimmicks from the Kumazaki games the super moves: his level 1 would be a random Super Copy Ability from Return to Dreamland (cutscene is random everytime but damage is always the same), his level 2 would be using the Robobot Armor to stomp foes around, ending with a giant ground pound/fist to the ground and his level 3 is Hypernova Kirby due to the inhale being one of his most unique properties.

-Meta Knight and Dedede will also have heavy Smash influences but they’ll also use techniques from most of their boss fights, such as Meta Knight splitting himself in four clones temporarily for an attack or Dedede actually pulling out an axe instead of his hammer for some attacks based on his Triple Deluxe incarnation. Their copy abilities would formally be Sword and Hammer but with heavy Smash Bros inspiration. Meta can also call in for the Meta Knights to help him in one of his unique super moves. They’d all be there except for Sailor Dee and Captain Vul (one’s an alternate costume and the other is never seen outside of dialogue text).

-Bandana Waddle Dee’s moveset incorporates both Spear and Parasol, but due to the Spear being his most used tool he’ll be categorized with that.

-Marx is the first character with Unique as its own copy ability due to his arsenal being entirely based on his boss fight. Inhaling Unique characters doesn’t always allow Kirby to get copy abilities but when it happens he usually has their most basic move replacing the inhale. Gooey is in the same situation, but i have no idea what would Kirby get from him as an ability since he’s technically player 2 in the Dark Matter trilogy’s first 2 games. Rick, Kine and Coo would technically be categorized as Unique only because they have Fire, Water and Wind in their moveset. You could say they’d be stance characters while Marx is a zoner and Gooey a rushdown character.

-Dark Meta Knight is categorized as Mirror, and Adeleine (with Ribbon as an assist of course) is Artist. Daroach would be Animal, which is missing since its debut in Squeak Squad, as far as I can remember, but he naturally still retains his moveset of calling the Squeaks to help him.

-It’s pretty easy to categorize Magolor as ESP, and Taranza as Spider, while I have no idea what would Susie’s ability be even. Spark? She is mostly around in the Robobot Armor to be fair. The Three Mage-Sisters would be treated equally to the Animal Friends

THE NEWCOMERS

-NAGO, CHUCHU & PITCH: The other set of Animal Friends. I theorize a moveset revolving around the Cleaning ability like in Star Allies would be easy to make, although it can also incorporate moves from other abilities that have been in Dream Land 3.

-CHEF KAWASAKI: I think it’s safe to say this one is pretty easy to do just like the returning Dream Friends. He has a unique moveset in comparison to Chef Kirby that also has him use Kirby’s Final Smash from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

-LOLOLO & LALALA: Aside from pushing boxes and Gordos they can be the Ice Climbers of the game, and most importantly one of their super moves could have them fuse into their original form in the anime to reference that further.

-SHADOW KIRBY: A clone (in terms of moveset) for Kirby that lacks the inhale ability and has more attacks based on his appearances in Amazing Mirror (and also on Kirby’s unique ability to split in four in these games) and the Kirby Fighters spinoffs. Simple as it is.

-THE MIDBOSSES: They all play the same as their fights too, so doing a paragraph for each of them would be a bit redundant. I chose to add minibosses in because most of them are pretty iconic among Kirby enemies and some of them are also technically friends of Kirby’s. I picked Bonkers (whose coconut throwing and some special moves could make him different enough from Dedede if you ask me), Mr. Frosty (also because we don’t have an Ice-based character in the game), Buggzy (which I can see being the ultimate grappler), King Doo (because we don’t actually have a Waddle Doo in the roster and he’s technically not only their king but also the most unique of them) and Grand Wheelie (look, I like Wheel as an ability ok? it’s like playing as Sonic in a Kirby game)

-KNUCKLE JOE: Taking stuff from both his Star Allies moveset and his Assist Trophy from Ultimate PLUS a few references to the anime and you have the ultimate Shoto character in the Kirby franchise. Ryu mains, this is the character for you.

-GIM: Look, my three favorite abilities are Yo-Yo, Wheel and ESP, in no particular order, so I HAD to include him and the Grand Wheelie. Magolor covers for ESP enough. This lil fella looks more unique than most of the generic Kirby enemies and even among the copy ability ones he’s always been a bit of an oddball due to being a robot. The trickshots you can do with this copy ability make Gim perfect to camp, so he’d be a pretty good zoner as well.

-TAC: He’s been a Helper in Super Star where he also has an unique moveset. Expanding on it and on Tac being generally a copy ability thief could mean more copy abilities can be implemented in a moveset, probably even more than what Kirby can do. Also his design just screams potential to me.

DLC FIGHTERS

WAVE 1: Spinoff Dream Friends

Cuz these guys have been done dirty by Star Allies’ devs. Elline would be the other Artist character in the game and call for Claycia’s assistance in specific attacks. Prince Fluff would play mostly just like Kirby himself did in Kirby’s Epic Yarn and implement specific transformations in some attacks, ending with the tank one from the end of that game. Then we have Gryll. If you know how to make a Tetris/Puyo Puyo based character in a fighting game then good for you, I absolutely don’t know how. What I KNOW however is that she has a float like Peach’s in Smash Bros and I-No’s in Guilty Gear.

WAVE 2: Dream Villains

These guys would all play exactly like their boss fights. Hyness and Sectonia would remain mostly unchanged while Haltmann in terms of moveset is the same as Susie, just without every non-Robobot move that she has.

WAVE 3: Clash of Blades

THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S ALL ANIME SWORDFIGHTERS. They all pull from their boss fights, but Morpho Knight is gonna be a bit more unique compared to Galacta, Dark Meta and Meta Knight, having in the swordfighter equivalent of Akuma’s Raging Demon. Meanwhile, Dark Matter Swordsman and Galacta Knight are completely faithful to the source material, but they’d probably be a bit nerfed due to Galacta’s universe-breaking powers. (you can bet that if we get the remaining legendary heroes who sealed Void Termina in future games they’d be their own separate Wave 5 DLC pack)

WAVE 4: Revival of Old Faces

Nightmare and Drawcia are back and they’re here to stay! Their movesets don’t really need that much changes. Void however is an entirely different beast. He’d be a mix of Kirby, both Zero incarnations and Dark Matter. His design wouldn’t just be giant orb that switches between Kirby and Dark Matter faces, he’d be Kirby-sized and with legs and stubby lil arms like the pink puffball. And you can bet your ass he’d be broken as fuck.

SKINS

If a character’s appearance changed across the series’ history (like Marx Soul, Girl Blob Gooey, Shoppe Magolor, Mecha Knight, Dark Taranza/Taranza in the Super Kirby Clash games, Masked/Shadow Dedede, Anime!Knuckle Joe, Parallel/Pres. Parallel Susie, EX versions and so on) they’d just be an alternate skin/palette swap for the specific character. Multiple characters of the same species with little changes (like a normal Waddle Dee or Sailor Dee, or literally all Kirby colors including Keeby) are the same. I’m also debating on how Dark Mind would be a skin for Nightmare or if there’d be a skin inspired by him for the Dark Matter Swordsman. Zero and Zero Two would probably be turned into palette swaps/outfits for Void (imagine a white Kirby cosplaying as Zero Two that’d be so cute lol).

ATTACKING ASSIST CHARACTERS

Characters who appear in other characters’ attacks. Like the aforementioned Squeaks, Meta Knights and Claycia. Normal Dark Matter would appear in DM Swordsman’s attacks in some capacity outside of the eye laser and the Gordo Throw would return from Dedede’s previous Smash incarnations alongside the Waddle Dee Throw from Brawl. And naturally Magolor can call in the Lor Starcutter for one of his super moves. I am actually considering giving Tac the ability to throw random items/enemies at opponents, with the Bomber being one of these. It’d be a very RNG attack with the Bomber being the best outcome, blowing on the opponent’s face.

HELPERS

All characters in the game can be called on for an Helper attack, that can help you in some form against the opponent by either damaging or tampering with the opponent or by having you get healed or with some buff. Outside from the playable roster enemies that give you copy abilities would also be Helpers, but the specific ones I’m not so sure on.

BOSSES

Characters you can fight in Arcade mode, in Story mode or in a specific Boss mode. There’d also be a Ganon’s Fury (Hyrule Warriors) inspired mode where you’d play as the bosses pitting them against each other. I specifically picked Dyna Blade, Whispy Woods, Landia, Star Dream, Kracko, Great Edge, Pyribbit, Ice Dragon, Fire Lion, Masher, Grand Mam, Metal General, Kibble Blade and Pon & Con.

STAGES

There’d be quite a lot of stages, but I haven’t thought out specific ones except for Green Greens, Butter Building, a Ripple Star stage, one for Dedede’s castle with stage cameos by Tiff, Tuff and Escargoon from the anime and every final boss’s fighting arena.

THE MUSIC

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is gonna be nothing compared to this one. We’re getting all the important music from all pre-Kumazaki games, all music from Kumazaki games and spinoffs, and online arrangements with focus on orchestral (Desolo Zantas), metal (GaMetal, of course) and EDM (Acid Notation, Qumu and various others), including stuff like Itoki Hana’s vocal arrangements. We’re going all out on this one.

Aaaaand that’s it. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Stay hydrated.

#kirby #fighting game #meta knight #king dedede #game idea #bandana waddle dee #Kirby Star Allies #dream friends #kirby battle royale #queen sectonia #max profitt haltmann #void termina #nightmare kirby #drawcia #WHEN IS THE NEXT KIRBY COMING OUT FOR FUCK'S SAKE

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