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countingdots-tc · 3 months

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TEACHER/STUDENT BOOK RECS

*if you want me to add a forbidden romance list, let me know*

𓃠 This is a list with links to books that have teacher/student, age gap, and experienced/less experienced themes that I have read! These are in order from most recommended to least recommended based on my opinion.

𓃠 This will be updated as I read more! Think something should be added to the list, then let me know!

𓃠 To find the Age Gap/TeacherxStudent Movie list, click on the link on my pinned post!

⭐️= highly recommend/changed my life

😇= no smut

🌶️=contains smut

💦=read to really get your rocks off

highlighted=warning

PROFESSOR/COACH BOOK LIST

The Unrequited by Saffron A. Kent-⭐️😇

ProfessorxStudent & mental health themes

Cute little poet embarrassingly falls for her grumpy professor. Beautiful slow burn and perfectly describes what it feels like to want someone and not feel enough for them. She is such a realistic female lead and reminds me a lot of y’all 😂. This is THE teacher crush community book. If you don’t read anything read this!!

The Professor by Invi Wright-⭐️🌶️

ProfessorxStudent

Cute romance by young, new, and self published author. Very relatable female lead. If you enjoyed The Unrequited, you will like this book for all of the same reasons. Quick and easy read, only 240. She isn’t perfect, she clumsy, and I wouldn’t even say she’s socially awkward, she just a normal college student in her early 20s. She’s a fun narrator. This author has a lot of potential and her writing will only get better.

Gabriel’s Inferno by Slyvain Reynard-⭐️😇

ProfessorxStudent

Such a good dark academia book. Beautifully written and actually has a movie adaptation. I would definitely recommend this if you want a realistic couple but a bit more serious. Characters have so much depth

Off Balance Series by Lucia Franco- 💦

CoachxStudent

Warning: female lead is age of consent NOT legal age.

If you want something really forbidden and fucked up, read this. If you want the MOST insane sex scenes, read this (MINORS STOP). I really don’t even want to add this series to this list but for the girls who wanna go there, have fun. I started this when I was still in high school, read the 3rd one as an adult, it’s not as easy to read now. Take that info as you please

Lessons In Sin by Pam Goodwin-🌶️

TeacherxStudent with 18 Y.O female lead

Troubled rich girl gets sent off to a catholic boarding school and falls for the asshole Dean of the school. Smut is pretty good, plot works. I’m not going to say it’s bad, I think whether or not it’s enjoyable depends on the person. It wasn’t bad, I just wasn’t obsessed. If you’re just trying to live vicariously through her (aren’t we all), then it works!

Teach Me by L. L. Ash-🌶️

ProfessorxStudent

Really good start, and I do mean GREAT start… I just feel like the sex scene came too soon (Ch. 9/32) and it threw me off but I also like SUPER slow burns. It’s still a good book. I enjoyed the male love interest, Professor Harlo. They’re cute together. Grump and Sunshine.

Dark Notes by Pam Goodwin-

TeacherxStudent & themes of abuse

Probably DNF-ing

AGE GAP BOOK LIST

Something In The Way Series by Jessica Hawkins-⭐️😇

Sister’s Boyfriend/Husband & “I saw him first”

Most beautiful romance series I’ve ever read, best written books by Jessica Hawkins. I recommend all of her other books. Lake is 16 when she first meets Manning but nothing sexual happens between them for another 3 books until she’s in her 20s. Beautiful slow burn with characters full of depth.

Sinner by Sierra Simone- ⭐️💦

Brother’s Best Friend & religious themes

Amazing character creation and mapping. These characters feel real! This book is about “teaching” a girl about sex before she becomes a nun. It’s not just a bang bang, hump hump book. It has heart and it really good. If you enjoy religious themed romance, you may enjoy Priest by Sierra Simone too. I didn’t 💀

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas- 💦

Ex’s Dad

Most popular forbidden romance so whatever you’ve heard about it, dump it. This might be the most tame book on this list. Pacing is good, well written main character. Insane amounts of smut but it doesn’t drive the story forward so feel free to skip it if you get tired.

Love Unexpected by Q. B. Tyler- 💦

Ex Stepdad & parent death

This book is HOT! However after the first few scenes, I got a bit tired of the smut. Well written enough female lead with a rushed ending. However if you just need something to read and not despise it, it’s good enough.

Strictly Off Limits by Jessica Hawkins-🌶️

Dad’s Best Friend

Jessica is my favorite author so I’m a bit biased but she definitely isn’t a smut writer. This novella would’ve been better without smut however it isn’t super present and doesn’t really drive the story forward so don’t feel like you’re missing anything if you skip the smut!

The Doctor by Nikki Sloane- 💦

Ex’s Dad

personally didn’t care for this book, smut starts off way too quick and I’m more of a slow burn girl. It is a novella however, it was still too quick. However! You may love it <3

𓃠 If I’m not reading fast enough for you and you want to see what I will be reading in the future here is my Amazon TBR, have at it!

𓃠 If you want to see a more organized bookshelf of what I’ve read, here is my Goodreads!

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collecting-stories · 1 year

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Lunch - Connor Rhodes

Request: No.

Summary: Kind of some mild flirting...establishing that Connor is interested in something more kind of thing. Might make a second part to it.

A/N: First time writing Connor...literally had this in drafts for like a year.

One Chicago Masterlist

✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎ ✳︎

The ED was practically dead, a typical Sunday morning, especially with the snow outside keeping most of Chicago inside. Your tie-dyed NIH hoodie (not technically regulation but hopefully: what Goodwin didn’t know wouldn’t hurt you) wasn’t doing the job you’d hoped it would to keep you warm and your roommate, stuck on shift with you for the day, was already nearing annoyance levels. 

“Will,” you huffed as your phone dinged, another in a series of memes the doctor had been sending you all morning out of boredom. You left the device face down on the desk of the nurses’ station. “Stop texting me dumb shit.” 

“I’ve had one patient in the last three hours and they had a splinter.” Will complained, leaning over the counter and grabbing your iced coffee, taking a sip, “how do you drink iced coffee in the cold?” 

“I don’t know, you tell me,” you replied, taking the cup from him and putting it back where it’d been before. Just as you did the elevator doors opened, Goodwin stepping out with Connor Rhodes, obviously in deep conversation. Will laughed as you pulled your sweatshirt off, hanging it over the chair behind you and smoothing down your blue scrub top. 

“What’re you more worried about?” He teased, “Goodwin seeing your sweatshirt or Connor seeing you?”

“Pigs would have to fly to make the second one a reality,” you replied. You deeply regretted telling Halstead that you had a crush on Connor, especially since your roommate took every opportunity to tease you about it. 

It wasn’t like you weren’t proud of yourself for the four years of med school that you’d completed to become an RN but there was no way someone like Connor Rhodes would ever think twice about dating a nurse. You’d heard from April about him and Dr. Zanetti and you were sure that was much closer to what he liked, actual accomplished doctors. 

You had it in your mind, whether it was true or not, that Connor had a type, and that type was doctors. Despite Will’s near incessant bitching about Connor having a stick up his ass and being too egotistical for his own good (as if Will was given the gift of humbleness) he was seemingly always in your corner when it came to your crush on the attending. Will was like your own personal cheerleader, constantly encouraging you to ask Connor out on a date and constantly trying to drop hints around Connor that you weren’t sure exactly panned out the way they were intended. 

“Dr. Halstead,” Goodwin greeted as she passed him, a raised eyebrow as if she was waiting for some new issue with him. 

“Ms. Goodwin,” he smiled, turning as she passed and following her with his eyes until she was out in the waiting area. 

Connor had stopped at the nurses’ station, taking one of the tablets that was docking on the counter. 

“Gracing the ED with your presence?” Will asked, reaching for your ice coffee again. 

You reached for it, fingers missing the foam holder around the plastic cup, as Will stepped a little further away. Connor watched, eyebrow raised in silent judgement as Will took another sip. 

“I’m filling in for Choi,” Connor finally supplied, the exchanging of the coffee cup happening once more as Will handed it back. “I thought you worked last night?” He added, looking over at you. 

The comment took you by surprise. You had worked the night before and knew for a fact that Connor hadn’t. “Uh, yeah, pulling a double. Were you in last night?” You asked, crossing your arms over your chest as the doors to the ED slid open, Will leaving the two of you to pick up the patient. 

“No,” the doors opened again, cutting off whatever Connor was going to say and you followed him over, grabbing the end of the gurney Gabby was pushing as she relayed the patient’s information. 

You were significantly better when there was something that required your attention. Will commented on it once. Your ability to compartmentalize was remarkable. A skill you’d worked on and were ridiculously proud of, you weren’t some nervous idiot around Connor while you were with a patient, you were calm and collected and you knew exactly what to do. It made up for all the awkward staring, hopefully. You didn’t wanna seem like the fourth-year med students trolling around the hospital heaping praises on doctors they were trying to butter up or possibly sleep with. Not that you didn’t get where they were coming from, you felt like your insides turned to jelly whenever Connor so much as offered you a ‘good job’, you could only imagine what a fourth year shadowing him must be going through, but you kept it professional.

Your patient with Connor ended up being a quick in and out, a broken bone that needed resetting and some bruising. It was nothing serious and you felt a little guilty wishing it had been a little more just so that you could spend extra time with Connor.

“Lunch?” Will asked, coming up next to you and leaning against the counter of the nurses’ station, phone in hand, interrupting your thoughts. And your slightly obessive staring at Connor’s back while he was talking to one of the med students who had wandered down from Cardiology.

You turned toward Will, “are you offering me cafeteria food or real food?”

“What’s the matter with the cafeteria?” He asked, still looking down at his phone.

“Besides the fact that it’s a cafeteria?” You countered, and then mistakenly looked away. Not that it was your fault really, just that you were actually doing your job, looking over a patient file, and you somehow didn’t have the hindsight to think that Will had caught you embarrassingly staring at Connor. But you really should have known better.

“You want to grab lunch with us?”

The question was enough to make you look up, clearly confused because that was Will speaking but who was he talking to and what did he mean us. And then there was Connor, staring between the two of you as if us had some kind of weight to it that he was supposed to know about and didn’t. Not that he would care, your brain reminded you.

“Sure...” Connor dragged the word out like maybe he wasn’t sure at all.

“Actually-” Will was already backing up toward the glass doors as they slid open and Gabby came through with Sylvie, transporting a woman on a gurney and you almost wanted to ask if he had somehow timed it. Morbid maybe but you wouldn’t put it passed a Halstead to have that kind of impeccable timing.

“Do you need-”

“No, I’ve got April, go have lunch,” Will replied, cutting you off. “Probably be quick anyway.”

They’d all been quick today. Of the near nonexistent cases that come through the ED doors they had all been discharged within two hours, probably less. There were days when it felt like a revolving door that people just kept coming into but today ‘nothing serious’ seemed to be the motto.

You stood there clutching onto your tablet as Will disappeared into room 3, unsure what exactly you were waiting for. Maybe another ambulance to pull up or someone else to come along that you could force into lunch with you. Will had abandoned you with Connor. You turned to look at him, surprised to see him already watching you, and reminded yourself once more that this was Connor Rhodes and he definitely had better things to do than get lunch with you.

“I guess you’re off the hook.” You tried to sound casual, like it was no big deal that he would probably head back to work and you really would be stuck with the cafeteria.

Connor looked amused for a split second before reaching across the counter and taking the tablet out of your hands, flipping the cover closed, “what are you hungry for?” He asked, then added, “my treat.” As if you weren’t already filled with excited anxiety about just going to lunch with him.

“Oh well, if it’s your treat.” You joked, trying to play off the butterflies in your stomach as you grabbed your hoodie off the back of the chair so you could slip it on again. “Honestly,” you started to say, pausing as you struggled to pull the neck of your hoodie over your head and wonder why you didn’t just rough it and freeze in the cafeteria to avoid embarrassment, “shit.”

“Here,” Connor stopped you in your tracks, gently pushing the hood down and freeing you from the confines of the cotton material, smiling briefly as he tugged one of the strings hanging down from the neckline. “Better?”

“Thanks,” you huffed, “Anyway...I was gonna say honestly, whatever you want is fine. So long as it’s not pizza.”

Connor quirked an eyebrow as he stepped onto the elevator with you, skepticism written all over his face, “not pizza? Why not pizza?” He asked.

“Because I’m 100% sure that Will eats pizza every single night.” You replied, “I literally can’t stand the sight of it.”

The skepticism didn’t fade as he glanced over at you again. He wasn’t entirely positive that you and Will weren’t dating. Maggie had laughed when he asked and sworn that you weren’t but he saw how close the two of you seemed to be and he couldn’t help being skeptical. Not that it had stopped him from trying to get close to you. This was as good an opportunity as any to find out right from the source, “Are you and Will?” He gestured with his hand between the two of you.

“What?”

“Are you together?”

“Oh no,” you shook your head, “we’re roomies but that’s it.”

He nodded. “Good.”

Now it was your turn for skepticism, “Good?” You asked. You liked the way he said it, like he was happy to know that Will wasn’t any competition but also like he wouldn’t have been too worried even if there was something going on. And suddenly you wondered why you never thought he looked at you or why you thought he never would.

“Good.” He confirmed just as the elevator dinged. The doors slid open and he held his arm out against the door jam for you to step out first. After you had, and he stepped out after you, there was the sudden and welcomed presence of his hand on the small of your back. “So, lunch?”

“Definitely.”

#connor rhodes imagine #connor rhodes x you #connor rhodes x reader #connor rhodes x y/n #connor rhodes fanfic #connor rhodes blurb #connor rhodes fic #connor rhodes oneshot #chicago med fanfic #chicago med imagine #chicago med fanfiction #chicago med oneshot #chicago med fic #chicago med blurb #collecting stories imagine

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skepsiss · 7 months

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Modern Problem, Modern Solution pt3

Steddie fic, this is the 3rd part of the mini-series (I guess?) that I'm writing. This is the one where Eddie pretends to be a vampire for fun. More just Eddie being awkward as all hell and teens being teens. The next part (pt4) has the conflict so hang in there angst lovers.

PT1 PT2 PT4

Eddie chewed his nails as he stood outside the classroom in the mostly empty hallway at school. It was 3:30 and he was debating if he wanted to risk stepping into the club room or not. So, he chewed and chewed on his nail until he bit the top off and then spat it into the nearby bin, not paying attention to whether or not it made it in.

The door before him was decorated with rainbow paper that blocked the little window to see into the classroom. It was an old craft that had obviously been there for too long judging from the faded quality of the coloured parchment. It was Mrs. Goodwin's classroom, but that wasn't why Eddie was there, she just happened to be the "support staff" that advocated for the LGBT-Alliance club. Every club needed an "advocate" even if the teacher didn't participate in anything related to the club after it was made. Hellfire's club was "officially" endorsed by the school's drama teacher, Mr. Lobuskwits, but Eddie could count on one hand how many times he had actually spoken to the guy.

No, Eddie was here–and currently stressing out over whether or not he wanted to take the last 3 steps to walk into the club room–because he was trying to decide if he wanted to join in today. He had been thinking about it for a week or more now and he hated _why_ it had been on his mind. He hadn't a real interest in the club activities, but a part of him felt drawn to supporting some of the members–okay, well, maybe just one of the members. He had convinced himself that he felt bad for Steve being the oldest boy in the club with no one else to really relate to. He seemed to get along fine with Robin–Steve also had sports and Eddie seemed to remember he was part of the Key Club or something–but there was something different about getting to know someone close to your age that also happened to have similar lived experiences.

Who was he kidding? He and Steve lived leagues apart from one another, their lives were completely different, but Eddie couldn't help but feel a certain kind of kinship with Steve Harrington. Eddie had never really had another boy his age around that was also queer. It felt like a friendship that could maybe work out... a type of friendship Eddie had only momentarily glanced at on social media and online forums.

Eddie grumbled to himself and wiped his hands on his pants before finally taking the plunge and letting himself into the room.

Robin was standing at the front of the classroom and everyone else was spread out casually in either the desk seats or up against the wall. It was informal while also having a semblance of structure. Robin paused talking for a moment as Eddie walked in, and everyone half turned to see what the disruption had been–which made Eddie's hair stand on end. But that stopped soon enough as Robin flashed him a quick smile before continuing to talk.

"Okay, refocus. Alright, so that's what we're considering. We just have to figure out what we want the exact acronym change to be."

She blathered as Eddie quietly found himself a seat in the back of the room until the conversation was over. He didn't know what they were talking about, but there was humming and hawing from everyone before some girl Eddie didn't know spoke up.

"LGBTQ plus alliance?" She asked, or more suggested Eddie guessed.

"You're missing like a bunch of people though," another girl chimed in, sounding annoyed, "we want people who are intersex or asexual to feel welcome too, don't we?"

"LGBTQIA plus?" Will commented, making brief eye contact with Eddie to acknowledge that he saw him. It was a friendly look and Eddie half smiled back before his attention drifting.

This was the kind of stuff he liked to avoid. He didn't understand why they had debates over these things, but they seemed to be wondering if they should change the club name to be more inclusive or whatever. He was behind it in theory, but he hated having to actually put in the effort to figure out what the best thing to do was. Still, it was a good idea at its core, just not an idea that made Eddie want to pay attention.

So instead, his eyes drifted and he caught himself staring at Steve who was leaning with his arms crossed against the wall watching Robin. He wasn't chiming in, but he seemed to be listening. It was sort of hard to miss Steve with how brightly he was dressed–he was wearing a striped white and blue shirt that was partly covered by an open red button-up and gray pants. The red was this deep colour and it stood out rather charmingly against the muted tones of his shirt and pants.

The debate continued and Steve turned to look at Eddie who instantly tensed as they made eye contact. Steve seemed to consider for a moment, looking back at Robin before quietly leaving to walk to the back of the classroom where Eddie was.

"Hey," he whispered, obviously trying not to disrupt the conversation they were having at the front of the class.

"Hey..." Eddie replied, sitting up a bit as Steve took the seat beside him so they could talk in hushed tones.

"We're talking about renaming the club, just like... I guess looking for suggestions to be on the ballet or something," Steve offered as an explanation. Eddie had figured that out already, but he nodded anyway as he clasped his hands together on top of the desk.

"The acronym is too long," Eddie sighed lightly, not wanting to disrupt the room for once. He felt weird sitting here with Steve though, both comforted and anxious about their proximity.

"We should just call it the Alphabet Mafia and be done with it," Eddie joked lightly which surprisingly got a quick bark of a laugh from Steve.

Everyone turned to look at them both and Steve covered his mouth, waving their attention off.

"Sorry, sorry," he exclaimed, putting his hands up in an apologetic way. The room went back to discussing and Steve sat back, crossing his arms again as he smiled.

"You've never heard that before?" Eddie asked, feeling the swell of anxiety be replaced with glee at how big Steve's reaction had been.

"No, it's a thing?" Steve asked, looking amused.

Eddie smiled back at him before slumping across the desk and reaching his hands forward– just needing something to do so he didn't go stir-crazy.

"I have much to teach you young padawan," he joked, putting on a bit of an accent but not leaning too hard into the bit.

Steve breathed another small laugh and grew quiet as he sat there. It was a comfortable silence though and one Eddie didn't feel scrutinized while occupying as they sat there.

Steve's phone buzzed and he took it out before tapping away at the screen and half laughing at something before swiping it away. He started to type and Eddie glanced at him, noting the little yellow border and the casual way Steve was acting while he texted. Steve seemed to notice Eddie staring and then waggled his phone at Eddie.

"Do you Snapchat?" he asked, not having any shame in showing Eddie his screen. Eddie hesitated, feeling put on the spot all of a sudden. He wasn't much of a social media guy and only really existed on platforms out of necessity to stay in touch with friends and the likes, but he didn't pay attention to it really.

"Uh, I think so?" Eddie said, taking his own phone out. He felt a bit self-conscious holding his old, beaten-up phone next to Steve's brand-new one. Eddie's screen was smashed in the top corner and you could vaguely see the hint of pink glitter around the edge that was partly covered by Eddie's phone case. He had gotten the phone second-hand from someone else's trade-in, but he had been unable to pick the glitter off the back of it. He didn't like to think about the little girl this phone probably belonged to before he got it.

"I don't use it," Eddie explained, finding the app downloaded in his files and opening it for the first time in ages. He looked at the screen and then shrugged, trying a couple of times at the log-in before getting into his account.

"Take a picture with me," Steve said, already leaning towards Eddie and holding his phone out to take a selfie. He was obviously intent on sending it as a snap to someone, but Eddie blanched and pulled his hair in front of his face.

"No, no, man, don't. I'm good–" Eddie stammered, putting his hand up to cover up the camera. A part of him was flattered so he was still smiling, but the horror he had felt hearing that sentence was undeniable.

Steve stopped, but he gave Eddie a confused look, half laughing as he put the phone down.

"Why?" He asked, finding it a bit amusing no doubt. He could probably see that Eddie was smiling and wasn't taking the whole thing too seriously.

"Cause I forgot to do my makeup this morning," Eddie squeaked, hamming it up as he put his hand dramatically over his forehead and then turned his shoulder away like a demure lady.

Steve chuckled and leaned forward, pinching his brows in. It was obvious he was willing to accept the answer, but he didn't really get the joke. Eddie had only started to act silly because he felt uncomfortable, but he didn't want to tell Steve the real reason he didn't want his picture taken was because it would be a picture of them... together.

"I just don't really like my picture being taken," Eddie lied, sounding awkward enough that the delivery had been convincing.

"Okay..." Steve agreed, looking away and not pushing the subject. He seemed a bit amused by Eddie's comment–almost in a charmed way–even if Eddie could tell he didn't really understand. Eddie felt his heart twist at that, appreciating that Steve wasn't forcing him even though it was obvious that he was confused.

"You can add me though..." Eddie offered pushing his phone towards Steve and feeling nervous about the whole thing.

Steve huffed a laugh and then sat up again, taking Eddie's phone and starting to type.

"Snapchat kind of involves taking photos of yourself," he teased lightly, and Eddie felt his cheeks go a bit red. This felt so weird... Steve was adding him on Snapchat? What the ever living hell?

"You have Insta?" Steve asked and Eddie looked back at him, feeling a bit shell-shocked.

"Yeah, uh, yeah. But I uh..." he started, feeling like a fish out of water.

"Don't really use it?" Steve asked back, mocking Eddie a bit. Eddie felt his face getting hotter with embarrassment even though he could see Steve shaking his head and smiling.

"Here," Steve asked, handing the phone back over, "I added myself."

Eddie nodded and took the phone back, looking at the screen and observing the new follower that popped up on his phone as Steve typed away on his own screen. SS.Harrington, it read with a little picture of Steve standing with his back to the camera in his baseball uniform. It was so painfully jock Eddie didn't know what to do. He wasn't even sure what his icon was anymore and he cringed slightly as he checked and saw his own page for the first time in a while. His username was something he had thought up on the fly years ago, MangledMetalMunson, since just Mangled Metal and Metal Munson had been taken and his icon was just a photo of one of his hands covered in rings. Weird... lame. Super lame.

Eddie pocketed his phone and resigned himself to unpack all of that later as he tried to force himself to look forward again and pay attention to whatever Robin was saying. They were still debating back and forth and Eddie could feel himself getting frustrated by 'this acronym is better' over 'that acronym is too confusing.'

"We should really just drop the acronym," Eddie said quietly, slouching down again and putting his head in his hand. This was boring... and despite getting a chance to talk to Steve some more, he wasn't very interested in staying.

"What do you think it should be?" Steve asked, crossing his arms again and leaning back. He looked suave sitting like that: superior somehow as if he was some noble and the rest of them were peons.

Eddie shrugged and looked forward again, not wanting to get wrapped up in how Steve was posing.

"Just queer or something. Queer Alliance, Queer Club–I don't know."

"Not everyone likes being called... queer though, right?" Steve asked and Eddie noted that there was less hesitation in how he said the word compared to before.

"I guess, but not everyone likes being called gay either, so like..." Eddie half shrugged, hoping he made his point. He would much rather people individually choose what they wanted to be called and then just use the "big bad Q-word" as the universal phrase instead of cringing at it.

"Queer literally just means everyone who isn't cisgender and heterosexual, that's it. It's not that deep. The only people really pushing the 'don't say queer' agenda are people who hate that we can be united by the word and those who have been tricked by those people," Eddie said, sounding bored and a touch annoyed. He believed that pretty strongly actually, and hated that there always seemed to be this 'separation' between all the letters of the LGBTIQIA+ rather than unity. It was important for everyone to have an identity, but not when it created in-fighting.

"GSA!" Eddie yelled from the back of the room without warning, not even bothering to sit up.

Everyone stopped and looked at him, the silence drawing out a bit. It looked like someone was looking for an explanation before Eddie spoke up again.

"Genders and Sexualities Alliance," Eddie explained, sitting up a little now and crossing his arms again, "or Pride Club or something. You're never going to fit everyone into one acronym, so it's better to go broader."

"Okay..." Robin replied, obviously a little annoyed. She didn't seem to dislike the idea but probably wasn't grateful for the way the information was delivered.

"I still like LGBTIQA plus," someone offered which got a murmuring of replies.

Eddie shrugged, not too concerned about the attention being taken away from him again as the club went back to discussing.

"Y'all doing anything else today?" Eddie asked Steve quietly, sounding a bit put out.

"I don't know," Steve snorted slightly, taking his phone out again and just sort of surfing.

The next thirty minutes or so continued like that until the group had settled on four options to put on the ballet–two of which Eddie had suggested and that privately made his ego swell–before calling a close to the discussion. They had a week to think it over and then hand in their ballet at the beginning of the next club day before they came to a conclusion.

Much to Eddie's relief though after the discussion the club seemed to devolve into something more fun. Games were brought out and there was a rousing round of Cards Against Humanity that Eddie actually enjoyed. People broke off into little groups after some time and just socialized, with no real structure to it at all. Robin and two other girls–Hannah and Vickie–split off to gather with Steve and Eddie as the club's older members. Hannah was in Steve's grade and rather sporty from what Eddie could tell–volleyball or something–but he had never interacted with her at all. And Vickie seemed to be Robin's age; Eddie could remember vaguely seeing her at a house party or two he had been to in the past. He couldn't be sure, but at the time he had thought she was with a boyfriend and had quietly noted that he seemed like an ass. He was from out of town or something, and seemed to be older than Vickie–maybe out of high school old. He hadn't really liked that all too much, especially since the crowd they were all hanging out with was a bit rougher. That didn't mean much to Eddie himself–hanging out with pot-heads and punks was kind of a given for him–but Vickie was 15 and already seemed to be getting in over her head.

It was an enjoyable visit and Eddie decided by the end of it that he liked Vickie and confirmed that he thought Robin was pretty cool too. She was a nerd and while Vickie seemed to be much softer-spoken and a bit more "basic," she didn't lack interest or involvement in the conversation. Hannah on the other hand felt just too... sporty. It wasn't even like a butch sporty, Eddie couldn't really put his finger on it, but it felt like she just didn't have a ton of options for queer people her age so she hung out here even though it wasn't really her scene. Whatever though, it didn't really matter, Eddie was the odd one out too in this scenario.

Club closed and Robin locked the classroom door as they all left, the younger crowd having filtered out earlier while Steve and Robin had stuck behind to close up. Eddie had lingered and secretly hoped Steve would offer him a ride home again. It felt a bit presumptuous of him, but they lived near one another, and... they seemed to be getting along. Robin had stuck around though and was even bumping shoulders with Steve as they walked out towards the parking lot. It was nice actually. It was nice seeing that Robin and Steve got on so well and Eddie couldn't help but think that Steve’s smile looked a bit more genuine compared to how it was in the hallway when he was talking to his jock friends.

"You need a ride?" Steve asked, half looking over his shoulder at Eddie.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Eddie stammered a bit, hands stuffed in his pockets. He had been looking for that question and he privately hoped he hadn't come across as desperate for having hung around.

"No complaining about what we listen to, Munson," Robin threatened as he trotted towards Steve's car and got to the passenger's side before anyone else could.

Oh, great. Robin was coming too.... Eddie supposed this was their routine after weeks and weeks of club meetings. Steve probably gave her a ride most days. That was nice, but Eddie couldn't help but feel a jealous twist in his gut.

"You're a proper chauffeur," Eddie commented, trying to keep the moodiness out of his tone as he went to the back seat and got in.

Steve shrugged and didn't make a fuss over any of it as Robin fiddled with the radio dial before settling on some kind of pop station. Charming.

Eddie stayed quiet for most of the ride and despite being annoyed that he wasn't up front he had to admit he liked watching Robin and Steve interact. They were both animated and would talk over one another, arguing here and there about nothing in particular. It was fun and had Eddie smiling by the time they got to Robin's place. Even then, Robin had sat in the car for an extra 10 minutes so the two of them could finish their 'fight.' She didn't leave until Eddie chimed in finally.

"Okay, Jesus H. Christ, Buckley," Eddie grumbled in a good-natured way, getting out of the car and going to the passenger's side door. "Get going, Lord, not all of us have until midnight to get to their front porch. I'm sure this conversation can rage on tomorrow."

"Jealous much?" Robin asked, scoffing and crossing her arms. "You're just trying to get Stevie here all to yourself."

Eddie scowled at her, still holding the door open. While that was partly true, it wasn't for anything nefarious and genuinely Eddie was getting bored with waiting in the backseat while Thing 1 and Thing 2 hotly debated whether or not Justin Bieber's "redemption" was real or not. Eddie seriously did not care about celebrity news and had zero interest in learning more.

Robin did eventually get out and say her goodbyes which had Eddie sighing dramatically before he eventually climbed into the front seat where she had been previously. The first thing he did was turn off the radio and then glance at Steve who was laughing a bit and leaning on his steering wheel. Eddie paused, his stomach turning before dramatically putting his hand to his forehead.

"Aaaalllooooonnnee at llaaaaasssstt," he sang, putting on an exaggerated version of the piece 'At Last' only to realize that the song was something of a love song.

Steve chuckled anyway, shifting his car back into gear.

"What?" He asked, looking amused but confused.

"Etta James?" Eddie asked, lifting a brow at Steve. He was shocked he didn't know the song. It was a classic and even though he didn't listen to a lot of music outside of punk, metal, and rock, he still knew Etta James.

Steve gave him a confused look, obviously not recognizing the name.

"Come on man," Eddie egged on, "At Last by Etta James. Release in 1960? You gotta know her, it's like... a really popular song."

"A popular song in the 60s? You know I wasn't alive, right?" Steve teased back which got an eye roll from Eddie in return.

"Har, har, and I was?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Steve quipped, driving off towards the trailer park, "I'd believe it if you told me you were a vampire."

Eddie snorted, leaning back in his seat before taking his fingers and putting them up by his mouth to mime fangs.

"Ah, yes, it is I–you have discooovered by deeeepest secret. I, Edward Munson, am in fact a vam-PIRE! And I simply love attending high school like a freaking weeeeiirdo as if I lived in Grand Forks. Curses, you must keep my secret Steben, for I know where-ist you liiiiive," Eddie joked, putting on an over-the-top Transylvanian accent which spurred a laugh from Steve in turn.

Eddie smiled at him before lowering his hands, feeling pleased with himself.

"Grand Forks?" Steve asked for clarification, pinching his brows together.

"Yeah, Twilight or whatever," Eddie answered before pausing for a moment, "I think it's Grand Forks? Maybe just Forks? I don't know man, I never actually read or watched the damn thing. Kind of ruined vampires in my opinion."

Steve laughed a bit again, obviously not having much of an opinion on the matter. The Twilight movies had been pretty big in the last couple of years and it was hard to avoid retaining at least some knowledge about it. Still, Eddie had avoided the books and the movies like the plague and had felt pretty strongly that Twilight truly had ruined the legitimately cool image that most fantasy vampires had before they sparkled and crap.

"Ruined vampires, huh?" Steve asked, sounding entertained by the idea.

"Oh, shut up, vampires are cool–or were cool, whatever," Eddie quipped back, crossing his arms and looking out the window. Honestly, he was a bit embarrassed for having gone on about vampires and nearly sung a love song to Steve. He liked that Steve was friendly, but he sort of forgot that they weren't really friends and his usual weird antics might not be cool to bring around this space, yet.

"Name one," Steve said suddenly and Eddie looked at him with shock. He was being invited to talk about vampires of all things? Did Steve even care? Or was he just on an argument kick from his conversation with Robin?

"And it can't be Dracula," Steve explained further, the two of them starting to get close to the trailer park.

"Oh, I can't comment on thee classic vampire, and I only get like 5 minutes to convince you?" Eddie asked, smiling despite himself.

"Tick-tock, Munson," Steve sighed sarcastically.

"Fine–jeez. Uh, vampire? Well, we can get all into Buffy the Vampire Slayer if you want–and no, it's not just about killing vampires. Some vampires are pretty chill, good even, but you've got Camilla and Spike–"

"Spike?" Steve interrupted, laughing incredulously.

"Don't! His name is stupid, I get it, but he's pretty cool. Him and Angel are–"

"Angel?"

"Oh, shut up! Angel is a bit of a priss until he turns evil, but Spike is like kinda evil but then a begrudging good guy. Anti-hero style," Eddie could see his trailer coming up, and felt pressed to explain in length why Spike was a cool vampire after all.

"Okay–I'll just leave with like, my fav line he's ever said. Classic really," Eddie was unbuckling as Steve crept up towards his place, still looking amused.

"So he's like going by Buffy's house or whatever and she comes out all accusatory and is like 'what are you doing here?' and before he can answer she cuts him off and is all 'explain in five words or less.' So, Spike–who dresses like a total punk by the way, bleach blonde hair and red leather jacket and stuff–looks so put-out and lifts his hand and goes: out for a walk... bitch," Eddie explained, half posing and delivering the line with the same level of enunciation Spike originally used in the show.

Steve snorted slightly, pinching his brows together at Eddie's rushed explanation, watching him. Eddie wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but Steve seemed entertained at least.

"Sounds... interesting," he finally said and Eddie could tell he wasn't actually all that interested.

"Whatever man, you have to see it. If you ever have time, I highly recommend 'What We Do in the Shadows.' It's a mockumentary about vampires in New Zealand and it's genuinely hilarious," Eddie said, trying to cover his anxiety with a hand wave as he let himself out of the car.

"Okay?" Steve answered, confused in the same way he had been when Eddie explained why he didn't want his picture taken.

"It's good, trust me," Eddie huffed, half hanging out of the door of Steve's car.

"Alright, man. Let's watch it sometime then," Steve offered nonchalantly.

Eddie didn't process the offer right away, too busy trying to get his limbs to work properly so he could climb out of Steve's car without face-planting. He was standing with the door open before he realized what had been said and he had to bend over to look at Steve inside the front of the cab.

"What?" Eddie asked, knowing full well what he had heard, but not really believing it.

"Yeah, we'll watch it sometime or whatever," Steve repeated, not even looking at him as he adjusted his stick shift.

"Oh... sure," Eddie replied a bit weakly before swallowing thickly. He had been lingering for too long already, and he felt self-conscious about prolonging Steve's stay any longer.

"Well, later then," Eddie concluded, carefully shutting Steve's door and hovering for a moment before Steve pulled away. It wasn't night this time so Steve didn't really need to wait for Eddie to get inside–not that Steve really had to wait at all for something like that. Well, maybe for girls he guessed....

Eddie covered a flush as he walked to his front door considering the fact that usually you'd wait for someone to get inside if you were either their parent or their date. It was something you did for girls you took out to make sure they didn't get jumped going to their house at night, which... sort of made Eddie feel soft for some reason. It wasn't like Steve was teasing him or calling him weak, maybe it was just habit, but Eddie couldn't deny that it had been a vaguely romantic gesture.

Eddie shook the thoughts off as he rolled his shoulders and walked to his room. He felt utterly stupid and he hated that he wanted to impress Steve. Maybe impress wasn't the right word, but he wanted Steve to like him. It felt like such a desperate plea for a friendship and he quietly wondered if he was barking up the wrong tree. He wasn't going to college next year–he wasn't even going to apply, he couldn't afford tuition and there was no reason to go into debt over a degree he didn't want–which meant he was stuck in Hawkins for a while yet. Sure, he wouldn't get as many opportunities to meet guys his own age he didn't already know sticking around here, but it sort of felt lame to be holding out for a friendship with Steve. They really didn't have anything in common. He wouldn't be trying so hard if Steve wasn't so... nice. Like he was surprisingly nice and Eddie wondered idly if he had always been this nice or if that was a new thing that came along with coming out.

PT4

#Eddie is a fucking dork and I want to make sure everyone knows that #I'm giving him my weird obsession with vampires #my_writing #eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington #steddie fic

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weemssapphic · 1 year

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Her Favorite Dance

Brienne of Tarth x f!reader

This is basically a rewrite of the ball that Brienne’s father threw for her to find her a suitor except instead of Renly swooping in to save the day, it’s reader, because I need to rewrite canon to heal my heartbreak. I aged Brienne and reader around 16 years old here because it felt right and anything younger felt ~wrong~.

Not 10000% happy with how it turned out but that's just the way the cookie crumbles 🍪

Warnings: mentions of bullying

Words: ~2.2k

ao3 link in title

tags for those who may be interested: @afeatherformills @sapphicsbeloved @scumppa @zephyr-is-tired <3

The Sapphire Isle is buzzing with excitement. Tonight’s ball is thrown by Lord Selwyn Tarth on behalf of his only daughter, Brienne, in hopes of finding her a potential suitor. You are there as a family friend to the Tarth family, having grown up alongside Brienne as your father is one of Lord Tarth’s most trusted advisors.

The two of you had spent many summer afternoons by the sea, laying on your bellies as you listened to Brienne talk of becoming the first female knight of Westeros, of riding horses into battle and traveling the Seven Kingdoms. You love the glint in her eyes as she spoke, the smile that lit up her entire face. You’d watched from the sidelines as Brienne trained with Ser Goodwin, always cheering her on whenever she landed a hit.

Sword fighting is not for you - you are far too clumsy, and more comfortable in your role as a lady - but you’d always admired her for it. You know it’s an escape for her, that she’s desperate to prove herself in some way, having felt as though she failed as a lady for not meeting Westerosi beauty standards - though you don’t share her sentiments. You think she is the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen.

You love her sandy blonde hair, the way it falls onto her cheekbones and the way she brushes it back in irritation. You often find yourself wishing you could tuck it behind her ear for her, but then you would blush and chastise yourself at the thought. You love her cerulean eyes, expressive and kind, framed by soft, blonde lashes that flutter gently like the butterflies in your stomach anytime she smiles at you for a moment too long. You love her legs, far too long for any girl of your age but it doesn’t matter, you are entranced when you sit side by side and feel her thigh brush against yours. Most of all, you love her honor and loyalty. You love that she is still kind, even when so many are so unkind to her.

The ballroom of Evenfall Hall is decked out in an opulence tonight. Tapestries line the walls, the marble floors shine in the light of the fire blazing forth from dozens of torches, bathing the room in a warm, welcoming glow that bounces off the gilded hammerbeam roof.

Dozens of young lords from the Stormlands are lined up at one end of the room, dressed in their finest, talking amongst themselves in urgent, hushed tones. At once, the group of boys stop snickering and all stand a little taller, straightening their backs a little more, their heads turning towards the front of the room.

You crane your neck to see and sure enough, there she is, accompanied by her father. Brienne wears a dress today, a rare sight. The dress is a deep shade of blue, sapphire to match the waters of the famed Sapphire Isle, or perhaps to compliment her eyes (those eyes that you had gotten lost in more than once), you aren’t sure which.

It isn’t that Brienne doesn’t look beautiful in the dress. Oh no, you think she looks radiant. It hugs her slim frame in all the right places, accentuating her broad shoulders and sending a shiver down your spine. It’s more so that she looks a bit awkward, like a fawn taking its first steps, unsure of how to move about the world just yet. Her blonde hair is slicked back, away from her face, which gives prominence to the smooth, pale planes of her cheekbones and her soft jaw. She looks up to the group of suitors lined up for her, then gives her father a glance - you can tell she is nervous, you know her well enough.

She looks out to the crowd watching her and catches your eye. You wave, smiling brightly, hoping to help soothe her nerves. She smiles back then rolls her eyes slightly, as if to say “can you believe what they’re making me do?” You only grin wider and wink at her, enjoying the light blush that colors her cheeks.

Lord Tarth and Brienne reach the far end of the ballroom and, after a short speech from the former, the ball begins. A group of singers and lutists begin to play a lively tune and the mood is joyful and light. Wine is poured and the crowd moves fluidly across the dance floor, swept up in the grandeur of the evening.

Every so often, you catch a glimpse of Brienne, and with each glimpse you find it harder and harder to tear your eyes away. Her gangling figure moves across the dance floor with practiced perfection. She can dance, she was taught how to, as were you all as young girls. Her frame only makes it look a bit clumsy as she towers over the boys chosen as her potential suitors. You are captivated by each step of hers, finding yourself wishing it were your hands on her waist, your lips upon her ear, as each of the suitors leans in to whisper something to Brienne.

Brienne smiles giddily at their words and you wonder what they could be saying to elicit such a reaction, a strange, unfamiliar jealousy gnawing at your insides with every giggle she lets out, every blush that creeps across her cheeks. You see her father beaming down at her from where he sits, pride evident on his face and you suppose you should be happy for her, if she really were to find a suitable husband tonight. Brienne had spoken often enough about how she wished to make her father proud.

A commotion to your right brings you out of your sullen trance. You snap your head around and see the group of potential suitors, waiting for their turn to dance, huddled up, pushing at one another and snickering again as they had been before Brienne had arrived. You sneak up, curious, and hide behind a nearby marble pillar, attempting to eavesdrop on their whispered conversation, which is getting louder with every drop of wine they are consuming.

“Who’s next?” “I already had my turn with the great beast!” “You should go next.” “Do I have to?” “Oh come on, Brienne the Beauty is waiting!”

Your face is hot, heart pounding sharply in your chest. You step out into the open and prepare to cuss the boys out as you hear a sharp intake of breath next to you. Whirling around, you see Brienne standing behind you, mouth agape. It’s too late. She’s heard everything.

The boys burst into a fit of laughter. “Oh look,” says the one who has just finished his dance with her. “Is the great beauty going to cry?” Brienne takes off, her shoulder bumping roughly into yours as she rushes to exit the festivities.

You can’t help yourself. Before you realize what you’re doing, you feel your hand connect with the boy’s face, leaving behind a stinging sensation on your palm. You turn on your heel and rush after your friend, just in time to see the sapphire cloth of Brienne’s dress disappear around the corner.

By the time you catch up with her at the cliffs overlooking Shipbreaker Bay, you’re out of breath and panting. She stands at the edge of a cliff, looking out at the horizon, her back toward you. She is hugging herself, arms wrapped tightly around her torso, and you can see her shoulders quivering.

“Please leave,” she says harshly as gravel crunches under your feet in the quiet of the night, betraying your presence. You can hear the tears in her voice and it tears a fissure in your heart.

“Brienne, it’s me,” your voice is low, gentle, an olive branch that you pray she will accept.

“Oh.”

“I hit him,” you offer, coming up beside her and placing your hand on her arm. Brienne looks down at you, her sniffles stopping for a moment, brow furrowing.

“Why?”

You laugh, as if it’s the most absurd question you’ve ever heard, because it kind of is. “Because he was cruel to you. Because he deserved it. He actually deserves way more than that but I wanted to make sure you were alright first.”

Brienne looks at you in wonder, tears still welled up in her eyes. Her gaze is so intense it’s almost too much to bear - you’re afraid if she looks into your eyes for just a second longer, she’ll know all your secrets, that she’ll somehow find your love for her, laid bare right there for her to see, and so you break her gaze and look out over the water. Moonlight dances on the ripples of the waves, a light breeze sends a shiver down your spine.

“You looked happy tonight,” you whisper finally, unable to hide the trembling in your voice.

Silence, save for the lapping of the water on the cliffs below.

“It seemed like you were having a nice time. The suitors seemed really nice, until the end there.”

Brienne shudders next to you.

“Yes. I finally felt like I was making my father proud.” You could hear her voice wobble.

“I think he is proud of you, in his own way. I mean, I would be, anyway.” You say this last part quieter, hoping Brienne won’t hear you, but of course she does. You can feel her eyes upon you and you refuse to meet them, training your gaze on the starry skies above you.

“They talked of marrying me. Of whisking me away to their castles. I thought maybe I could finally be the daughter my father always wanted.”

“What about you though? Did you want them and their castles?” You can’t help the question from slipping through your lips.

You look up and watch as Brienne seems to consider this for a moment. “I suppose I want to be wanted. Doesn’t everyone?” She hugs herself tightly again, hunching over slightly as if to make herself smaller.

You feel your heartbeat in your throat, and you hope desperately that Brienne cannot hear it. Your palms are sweaty, your head swimming. Your heart aches for her, you know how badly she wants to be loved, you’ve always known, and yet here you are, loving her and unable to tell her and so you think it instead. I want you, Brienne.

“What?”

Your eyes widen in shock, your stomach drops. Had you said that out loud?

Brienne’s wide eyes mirror your own. You had said it out loud. Fuck.

“I want you,” you whisper, stepping away from Brienne and gritting your teeth, steeling yourself for rejection.

Brienne’s arms drop to her side and she takes a careful step towards you. You have to crane your neck to look up at her, as she is standing directly over you now.

“You aren’t… making fun of me, are you?” Brienne asks wearily. Her eyes are guarded, her chin trembles. There are dried tear tracks running down her reddened cheeks and you suddenly feel your thumb twitch, wishing you could raise your hand to her face to wipe them away.

“Brienne…” a soft sigh escapes your lips, you reach out a hand and lace her fingers in your own. A blush blooms across your cheeks as you mull over your next words.

“I have long admired you, my oldest and fondest friend, you know this. Seeing you tonight…” your voice catches in your throat. Brienne watches you curiously, cheeks pink, blonde lashes fluttering lightly in the way you so desperately loved.

“You look beautiful.” You scratch at your neck, eyes darting to the ground. “I was terribly jealous of those stupid boys and their castles. I wished it could’ve been me, dancing with you. You know, in a way, I have always been yours.”

A low chuckle breaks the silence and your gaze snaps up to meet Brienne’s.

“And I have always been yours, Y/N,” she says, a smile finally tugging at the corners of her mouth.

You release the breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.

“If that is so, then may I kiss you now, my lady?”

Brienne snorts at the formality, then finds herself nodding shyly.

You push yourself up onto your toes and tilt your head back and Brienne leans down, meeting you halfway to brush your lips together in a soft, chaste kiss. Her scent envelops you, fresh cut grass and the soap from the bath houses blending with the salty sea air, and no amount of pining over Brienne could have prepared you for this moment. For the feeling of finally coming home.

“Well since this is a ball, and it would be a shame for our gowns to go to waste, what do you say, Lady Brienne? Would you like to dance with me?” You grin up at her, giddy and lightheaded.

“There’s no one I’d rather dance with. I think this will be my favorite dance of the evening,” Brienne smiles widely and snakes her arm around your waist, allowing you to rest your head against her chest as you sway to a rhythm only the two of you can feel.

#brienne of tarth x reader #brienne x reader #brienne of tarth #gwendoline christie #game of thrones #game of thrones x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #got #x reader

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trashsketch · 2 months

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i will GLADLY ask u abt killugon, idk if you’ve mentioned this elsewhere but do you have specific headcanons about their reunion?? like time frame, how much they communicate during separation, whether gon gets his nen back or what that could be like if he takes the long route of developing it?? I’d love to hear ur thoughts hehe

WOOHOO A REAL PERSON ASK THANK YOU ANON <3

so a long time ago (2018, when i had time and ambition) i wanted to make a zine of gon and killua traveling around the world (landmarks of earth) and doing some stupid silly shit that they might do (like climbing the eiffel tower barehanded, like dan goodwin did long ago at the CN tower). that's one of the many ways i thought in my head about how gon and killua would reunite! in their late teens/early 20-somethings, and be absolute fools, but fools together again :)

I'd like to think they would both communicate with each other since they have phones, just that it would be hard for them emotionally, and gon's more likely to reach out first within the first year or two! I'm a big fan of fics where they'd still text each other from oceans away, and killua and alluka would make a stop in whale island, or promise to ;w; I've also made some art of them calling and texting each other. it's just sweet to think about! (any other queer couples in an LDR would relate tbh. i did with my gf for the longest time)

as for whether gon gets his nen back, I don't think i want that to happen? it keeps it interesting, it makes the consequences of his actions more...real and permanent. it leads me to think about how killua might treat him differently, now that they're not on as equal terms in fighting ability as before. gon would fucking try to get his nen back through any means for sure though! I don't know if there's any other instance in the hxh universe where someone else who lost their nen ability could get it back, so it's kinda a big question mark for me. it'd be suuuuch good angst if gon works way harder than before to get his nen back, only to fail and have to just...cope with being ordinary. it's a continuation of what he's probably going through now that he's back home. lots of stuff to obsessively think about on work hours!

#ask #gon #killua #killugon

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irresistiibles · 3 months

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wayyo here is my event starter and plotting call! under the cut is info about all my characters and who they're going with/what they're doing at the event. i have not linked people's outfits individually but you're welcome to check out my pinterest board here just keep in mind i'll slowly be adding to it throughout the week and it may never be done. starters are capped at 3 per muse (though i may add stuff beyond that if it's preplotted) and i would ask that no one requests more than 4 or 5 total just so i know i can write with everyone! feel free to reply with requests right away or just toss this a like and i will come to you for plotting.

amber | aware | twenty three | going with eula lawrence

drinking || dancing || looking around the museum || general chatting || antisocial food/bar behavior || attempting a window escape || flirting || chaotic shenanigans || stealing dates || valentine's day lover/hater/neutral

she loves events she loves having fun, amber will be having a great time. they have a date but is happy to dance and chat with people who are there alone. starters (0/3):

asami sato | aware | twenty two | going with korra

doesn't mind an event, knows how to make herself presentable and look good, and is always happy to have a night off to spend with korra. she's not always good at knowing how to socialize in a way that isn't a little stiff and professional sounding at big things like this so she may be a little awkward but is attempting to socialize nonetheless. starters (1/3): ansel of briarcliff

ciel phantomhive | aware | twenty one | going with elizabeth midford

look he knows how to behave at events but that doesn't mean he likes going to them. he'll pretend to have a decent time when elizabeth is close since he's sure she's excited for this, but beyond that he's being antisocial and trying to make a museum day out of this because at least that's a little more interesting starters (1/3): lizzie midford

clara oswald | aware | thirty one | going with choi junwoong

she doesn't really see the appeal in the holiday, but clara does love to flirt and loves a museum, so she's having a great time. she's going with a blind date, but will happily dance and take the attention of just about anyone. also down for trying to get up to museum chaos while security is busy with the guests. also also definitely open to find someone to go home with for the night. she's not a super romantic i'm afraid, but she's more than happy to have a good time starters (3/3): maggie greene rhee, the twelfth doctor, qi zhuyin (non plotted starters are closed)

columbina | aware | appears thirty | going with arlecchino

she doesn't mind a good excuse to dress up in a way that suits her expensive taste and judge the masses, but she doesn't really understand how this is meant to be romantic. her idea of romantic includes more anatomically correct hearts. she's probably kind of bored but getting by starters (1/3): max goodwin

esther mckinnon | unaware | twenty six | going with callie adams foster

just trying to have some casual fun. she likes the aesthetic of valentine's day but doesn't consider it super romantic. still, everything looks nice and she's chill and likes to have a good time. will probably get a tiny bit too drunk starters (3/3): cleo mckinnon, luna lovegood, ethan mckinnon (random starters are closed)

glinda upland | aware | twenty two | going with elphaba

she killed her best friend last valentine's day and is determined to make it up to her! she loves stuff like this and will be attempting to make anyone having a bad time have some fun. starters (1/3): elphaba thropp

gu zi | aware | twenty | going solo

found the idea of a blind date a little weird like he barely knows how to date someone he knows let alone to do a date with a stranger, but he does like the romance vibes and is excited for a good time. will happily hang out with any other singles and be a generally good vibe starters (0/3):

inej ghafa | aware | twenty three | going solo

she's not against valentine's day, she finds the idea cute in concept, but it's a little dramatic and out there and a little tacky for her style. won't dance with a total stranger but could be talked into it after some semi decent conversation. she's checking the place out but she's mostly going to be looking around the museum and making casual conversation to be honest. half of her time is just going to be concerned her situationship is off pickpocketing people. starters (2/3): nimona, kaz brekker

irina yang | aware | twenty four | going solo

it's all a little gaudy for her and rich people behavior she just does not understand. like she's here for free food and drink, and then finding an exhibit to take a nap in. starters (0/3):

jin ling | unaware | nineteen | going solo

a little hater to his core i don't think he's much of a valentine's day person. he's barely learned how to make friends, dating is so stressful, and then he just feels bad at socializing, and it's all shitty. he's a little mad at himself for not just staying home with the dog, and will be underage drinking to cope. starters (3/3): wei wuxian, jiang yanli, jiang cheng

johanna mason | aware | twenty five | going solo

sorta thinks it's nice to occasionally convince herself love is real, but that doesn't mean she cares for couples shit. she's here for free food and drink and will be taking advantage of that. will critique relationships left and right do not tell her about how long you've been with your partner she'll try and convince you it's doomed anyway. starters (2/3): lucy gray baird, jane

lily evans | aware | twenty one | going with james potter

she's cool with valentine's day but her idea of a nice valentine's day is a bit more domestic and quiet than this. still, she's going to be there but she's having a hard time relaxing into it considering how bad every event tends to go. she's got her guard up and also is tired and ready to sleep by like 9pm, but is trying to have a good time starters (2/3): nymphadora tonks, rubeus hagrid

ling yao | aware | twenty three | thinks he's dating edward elric but hasn't told him that

he doesn't know much about this holiday but he's all about it. cute decorations and free stuff is all you need to convince ling to go anywhere. though he's interested in everything he's mostly taking advantage of the free food and drink. will be trying to see how much he can sneak out with at the end of the night starters (1/3): edward elric

luo qingyang | aware | twenty four | going with thalia grace

she's got concerns after the last valentine's day where she wound up poisoning someone, but she's trying to have a good time none the less hence signing up for a blind date. overall she's chill, happy to dance with people who are going solo, happy to have a good time as long as she's capable. starters (1/3): thalia grace

madoka kaname | aware | twenty two | going with homura akemi

she finds this all very cute and is lowkey pretty excited. she's also a little stressed because she feels like her and homura can finally have a proper valentine's day, and are almost certainly more than just friends (even though they haven't talked about it like proper lesbians) so she isn't sure if she should be doing something for her specifically. either way she's friendly, happy to dance with anyone, the sort who would see someone being antisocial and attempt to talk them into dancing, here for a cute good time starters (2/3): parvati patil, homura akemi

mei nianqing | aware | two thousand + | going with jun wu

so incredibly stressed. if you see your guoshi drinking look away because he is unfortuantely absolutely drinking through this event. it's the first time he just knows jun wu is in the same vicidinity as a ton of the people he hurt since he lost his memories and he is trying so hard to midigate a run in. not to mention the fact he'll absolutely need a drink if jun wu wants to dance because he'll say yes but like is not emotionally prepared for that. suffice to say the abstinance from alcohol is not doing what it's supposed to tonight rip starters (2/3): jun wu, mu qing

nico di angelo | aware | twenty | going with ignis stupeo scientia

still a little awkward about the whole going on a date with a guy sort of thing but signed himself up for a blind date (probably after some light bullying from hazel) and is trying to have fun. let's be real valentine's day does not match his goth aesthetic at all, he is probably only going to manage to dance with his sisters and his date, but i promise he's trying to have a good time, he's just bad at it starters (1/3): bianca di angelo

nie huaisang | aware | thirty three | going solo

didn't sign up for a blind date that's all a little odd for him but he will be stealing the attention from other people's. he likes to dance he jsut doesn't need to sign up for one singular person to dance with all night. might be open to going home with someone at the end of everything but he will leave in the morning immediately lmao. likes drinking and dancing and getting to be a general pain in the ass, so he's having fun starters (1/3): jin guangyao

ning yingying | aware | twenty two | going with betty cooper

i don't think she really knew what a blind date was when she signed up for one, but she's not mad about it. still feels pretty new to the city, so this all feels a little beyond her, but if there is anything i know about yingying it's that she'll throw herself into a situation and explore even if she has not idea what she's getting into. could easily be dragged into a dance by just about anyone as long as they don't give her the creeps. definitely a bit of an accidental flirt but i promise it would not be her intention starters (1/3): betty cooper

pearl | aware | old immortal | going with misty day

another accidental flirt lmao but she's having a good time mostly. she's trying to relax into herself here, even if she's still very unhappy to be away from home months later. she does like dressing up and dancing, especially dancing. will take just about anyone for a spin after the first hour it takes her to actually relax and be chill starters (1/3): sprig plantar

roronoa zoro | aware | twenty one | going solo

i'm not entirely certain he game her on purpose. there's a chance zoro just walked in by accident hile trying to get somewhere else, but free booze is free booze so he's here. he does not understand valentine's day, the stress of dating, or any of that shit. he is here for the food and the bar. could maybe go home with a hookup but i don't know he's mostly people watching and judging the friends he's got who are actually seriously here starters (2/3): sanji, usopp, nami

shang qinghua | aware | looks twenty five | going with mobei jun

probably a certified valentine's day hater up until he got himself a man i am not going to lie to you. last valentine's day said man did nearly kill him but it also got them together, so he feels like they've got a pretty good track record for the holiday all things considered. will be a little drunk, which is the only reason he'll be dancing. will potentially try to hook up in the bone hall because he has to it's called the bone hall. a mess of a man who does not fit in at things like this, knows it, and drinks to get by. probably knows some random fun facts about valentine's day he will tell people about and that's it starters (1/3): sha hualing

shi qingxuan | aware | immortal | going with he xuan

on the other end of the spectrum things between qingxuan and he xuan panned out really badly last valentine's day, and they are determined to make this one better! the bar is in hell it is literally impossible for this to go worse luckily. very social, very loud, happy to dance with anyone who doesn't have a date and be that pal if you need company. will try and pump up people who seem like they don't want to be there. just overall having a good time and avoiding their brother a bit starters (2/3): he chunyu, samara palpatine

toph beifong | aware | nineteen | going solo

finds couple stuff so lame and boring she is here for free food and perhaps to try and rob a museum just to see if she can. if that falls through will just try to rob people probably. will people watch and gossip, but like man there is just so many better things they could be doing and they are painfully aware of it. starters (1/3): katara

wirt | aware | twenty three | going with beatrice

has a date but it is a real date? is it two friends hanging out so they didn't feel obligated to sign up for a blind date and awkwardly make conversation with a stranger? he doesn't know and it's stressing him out. crowds are not his thing, he feels like he sticks out like a sore thumb even though he absolutely doesn't. he will wind up attempting to dance in his heart he is a romantic, it is just going to take some working up to. starters (2/3): greg, beatrice

yin yu | aware | immortal | going solo

valentine's day is cute in concept sure but as someone who considers himself a perpetual loner why is he here? will probably seek out quan yizhen and then feel really stupid about it and spend the rest of the night at the bar. can attempt to do a confidence boost for anyone who needs it but i can't promise it'll be any good. he's friendly, he's just a loser. starters (1/3): ellie williams

zagreus | aware | immortal | going with thanatos

he's got a date but they are comfortably poly and he knows thanatos doesn't actually want zagreus hanging around them the whole night, or want to dance with zagreus for hours, so eventually he will put his energy elsewhere. he's got a lot of it. happy to flirt. happy to dance. happy to sneak off somewhere for a little smooch. will introduce you to his partner beforehand even. he's a fun time if you can keep up i swear starters (1/3): jester lavore

zhongli | aware | immortal | going with childe

did he actively decide to go with childe, or figure the man would assume they were going together, and didn't want to make a mess of someone else's night by going with them and letting childe cause a scene. he finds things like this interesting, and will happily talk and dance with people, but more than anything this is a history buff who will be talking people's ears off if they're out looking around the museum. he is a history professor, he has got facts that will last all night, good luck escaping. starters (3/3): lumine, rowena ravenclaw, childe (non plotted starters are closed)

#hw: plot call #hw: starter call #hwminievent6

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f0rtunes-fool · 8 months

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(It's Fox psychoanalyses a silly Facebook game time again woo)

I wanna bring up Grimsborough case 41, more specifically the bit when Tess hypnotises Jones to try and get him to kill the player, and the trial afterwards. (Added screenshots so I can properly explain what I wanna say)

[The majority of the psychoanalysis is under the cut]

So we all know how Tess specifically targets people with deep insecurities, or otherwise had some negative feelings towards their victims - Misha was jealous of Rani because she was growing more popular than she was and was scared because of it, Penelope was worried that Lisa was was going to forget her and find new friends, leading her to go to drastic measures to keep that friendship with her, only to be exposed for it which would have ended their friendship anyway, and Taylor was furious at Aaliyah for only using the environmental protests to boost her reputation. With some encouragement from Tess and her hypnosis, the three killers were lead to be essentially pawns in her game, committing murders with their only motive being that "they did what they had to do." So that's what we know, that's the whole thing, that's what Tess does. Pretty simple. Concise, neat, and blunt.

So, back to the Jones Incident. In case 35, Tess makes a comment about how Jones "takes the credit for *insert player's* work," to which Jones immediately responds by saying that him and the player are a team. Now, here's the thing. Naturally, when you consider yourself to be a team with someone else, only for other people to praise your partner and not you, telling you that you "take credit for your partner's work," you begin to worry, right? You feel insecure. You begin to feel paranoid over whether you are putting enough work in, whether you are helping your partner enough. Hell, you might even begin to quietly resent your partner because they're getting the credit. You might feel paranoid over whether they are secretly revelling in all the praise and don't care about you, even if they do correct people and say that your work was a joint effort between the two of you. Do you communicate your feelings with your partner? Usually, the answer is no, as you are worried that if you voice your paranoia over the situation, they will think that you expect praise over everything and are majorly egotistical. So you keep quiet. You don't voice anything to anyone for fear of being seen as a bad person.

This can lead to a lot of negative feelings towards your partner and a lot of self-doubt - aka, the type of things that Tess Goodwin, as we know, looks for in her victims, leading me to believe that Tess fully knew what she was doing when she said that one, simple comment, as we already know that Tess is highly intelligent, manipulative, and very good at things like human psychology. She was sewing the seeds for her masterpiece, her metaphorical "checkmate," if you will. She took something that must have already been an insecurity for Jones (his usefulness in the police force, especially compared to the player) and made it grow, fanning the flames without really doing anything, waiting for the moment where she could fully take advantage of his negative feelings and try and get him to kill the player. Again, we all know this.

But during the trial, she says something I consider interesting.

Tess describes Jones as being essentially volatile, harbouring negative feelings towards the player - which ties into what I said above, the whole "paranoia leading to bottled-up feelings of resentment and jealousy" thing.

Knowing how Tess is, and how she subtly manipulates people, I have reason to believe that this was a further attempt to place feelings of doubt and anxiety between the player and Jones. After all, Jones has just attempted to kill the player, and Tess, again, specifically targets those who harbour insecurities and negative feelings towards their victims. So it stands to reason that the player may believe that Jones legitimately does have those negative feelings towards them, and may begin to feel worried that Jones might actually try something. Yes, Tess is a master manipulator, the player knows this, they know what Tess is doing. But there's got to be at least some paranoia, right? The whole "but what if...?" thing. Especially as Tess literally states that the player should be careful around Jones, insinuating that he might really kill (or at least, try to kill) the player, this time without being hypnotised into doing so.

So yeah. You really do have to love Tess and hate her in equal measure, because you have to admit, that girl is SMART.

#perry the fucking platyplus godammit #drywallisedible #criminal case #criminal case grimsborough #david jeremiah jones #david jones #david jones criminal case #I do funny psychoanalytic stuff #Æ #tess goodwin #the rorschach reaper

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bootswiththefir · 2 months

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firewatch is such a beautiful story, and I think it's sad that it goes unappreciated by so many. but also funny. hilarious, actually. because all of the most common criticisms of its narrative present such a fundamental misunderstanding of what it is, that they feel like an extension of the game's story.

the game is, in my reading, primarily about escapism. the pov character, henry, has been losing touch with his wife, who has early onset dementia, and understandably wants to just run away to the woods for a few months. the other major characters show different extremes of escapism: the healthy delilah has done firewatch each summer for years, and keeps it clearly divided from her normal life, but when reality came crashing down on the unhealthy ned goodwin, he rejected it, and chose to disappear into the wild for years.

in the wild, henry seeks an entirely new life. that's why he's so adverse to talking about his wife, and starts getting flirtatious with delilah. and for a time, he is given that new life. it's exciting! an adventure! most clearly through what seems to be a government conspiracy slowly piecing together.

but the most interesting part of the game is how it subverts this. towards the climax, mysteries begin resolving themselves; the intrigue of Secret Government Stuff proves too good to be true. much like ned, henry is forced to face reality. even if he tries to cling to his new life, and connect with delilah in the broader world, she rejects him. she urges him to instead return to julia. it isn't clear exactly what choice henry makes, but he inevitably returns to his normal life (a nice touch I like is the visual resemblance of the credits sequence to the introductory exposition of henry's relationship).

the game's ending so clearly, so intentionally does not satisfy what it was setting up, and common critiques of the game refuse to recognise the beauty in that. this subversion demands that any reading be reconsidered to accommodate the ending, but far more often it isn't respected: subversion is not seen as a story being recontextualised, it is a failure to fulfil the reader's expectations.

much discussion around the game is rooted in wanting more. maybe if I take the right pictures I can prove the conspiracy. maybe if I'm quick enough in the ending I can speak to delilah in person. by refusing to consider what the ending is, and instead focusing on what it could be, a lot of players fall into henry's exact mental trap. they look for more at the firewatch - cling to the new life - but unlike henry, they refuse the call of reality. they hide away in the woods, searching for the secret delilah sex ending. they resemble ned far more than henry.

like an ambiguous ending, a subversion forces the reader to engage with the text. what firewatch unfortunately proved is that a lot of gamers aren't ready for that.

#firewatch

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bread--quest · 12 days

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sunny being a spooky little guy in their first ever interaction :eyes:

actually y'know what this is basically at a ending point anyway and i've just been looking for an excuse to post it so. surprise sunny treat!

By Season 22, Day 70, Liquid Friend has more or less gotten reacquainted with the Vault. It and Plasma have dusted off their office and gotten it back in working conditions, said hello to their old friends, and reintroduced themselves to the people who have come here since they left. The Vault's gotten bigger since it was last here, but Liquid still knows its hallways like an old friend, and it knows all the people in here by name at least, if not more.

Which is why it's taken completely by surprise when it rounds a corner to see someone it's absolutely never seen before standing there, happily dusting a wall.

Liquid runs through all the people it knows of in its head. Obviously this is not Uncle Plasma. They are also obviously not Clare (although they do have little wings and a glowing, flickering halo), Parker, New Megan, or Fletcher. They could be Cote, maybe, since Liquid's never actually seen Cote, but that would raise a lot of other questions. Definitely not Nagomi. Not York. Not Chorby, Aldon, Goodwin, Pitching Machine, or Valentine. Not James Mora either.

Well, what the heck.

"Hey there, uh..." Liquid takes a slight step forward. The person(?) turns to face them with wide golden eyes. "I'm Liquid Friend. It's nice to meet you! Are you...lost?"

"Are you lost?" Liquid Friend's own voice says, and Liquid jumps, startled, and thinks for a second it was an echo, but one of the many strange things about the Vault is that it doesn't usually echo, and anyway that was far too pitch-perfect and crisp to have been a quirk of architecture, which means...

"Did you say that?" Liquid says, and this time it keeps an eye on the person so it can tell for sure— when their mouth moves, what comes out is Liquid saying "Say that?" A perfect echo.

Okay. That's a little creepy.

The person moves forward, towards Liquid. They're keeping one hand on the wall, Liquid notes— maybe for comfort? To keep from getting lost? For steadiness? They move like someone who's not quite used to having a body. Their hand leaves a bright gold streak behind it as they drag it along the walls— do they have wall polish on their hand, or something? (...Is wall polish a thing?)

The person stumbles a bit closer and then stops. They don't seem threatening, exactly, but Liquid's getting the willies for sure. It might be time to call in backup.

Liquid turns around and calls "PLASMA? THERE'S SOME KIND OF...HAUNTED BABY OVER HERE!"

Haunted Baby makes a startled yelping sound and Liquid looks back to see them stumble backwards a few steps, plastering themself against the wall, eyes wide.

"Oh no! Did I scare you? Was I too loud?" Liquid says, bubbling in distress.

"Too loud," echoes Haunted Baby, looking very betrayed.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Liquid says, kneeling slightly to be more on their level. It notes a couple interesting things about their appearance—same golden tint to their skin as the Replicas, the little halo and wings that look like a mimicry of a Legend, hair orange-brown but golden-tipped in a way it doubts is hair dye—but mostly focuses on the fact that they look, more than anything, like a frightened little kid. "I'll be more quiet now, promise. I didn't mean to scare you. It's okay. Do you need help? Are you– do you know where you are?"

Haunted Baby visibly brightens– as in, they look happier, but also as in their halo and wings glow slightly and, unless Liquid's mistaken, their eyes get brighter as well.

"The Vault," they say, in a voice that isn't Liquid's but seems like it shouldn't be theirs either, far too big for that tiny body and with an echo of its own, like the hallway itself is trying to amplify it, and it's Liquid's turn to rock backwards slightly, very startled and the tiniest bit afraid.

"Liquid?" Plasma's voice says, and Liquid finds to its great relief that the voice is coming from Plasma's mouth this time (inasmuch as Plasma has a mouth, anyway.)

"Plasma!" it says, scrambling back to its feet. "I'm so glad you're here." If it was possible for anyone to pinch Liquid, it might ask Plasma to pinch it to make sure it's not dreaming.

Plasma nods towards the tiny figure standing across from them, looking blissfully unaware of the mega-spooky thing they just did. "Is this the...Haunted Baby?"

"Haunted Baby!" chirps Haunted Baby, in Plasma's voice.

Plasma's expression doesn't appear to change much, but Liquid's known them long enough to know they're startled. "Ah."

#chattin #sonder scribbles #radio my friends radio #fan: gnym!!#oc: sunny mason #blb: wyatt mason xix #blb: uncle plasma #blb: liquid friend

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sheetsonfire · 2 years

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The Third Halstead | Part 2

Fandom: Chicago Med, Chicago PD Characters: Sister!Reader, Connor Rhodes, Will Halstead, Jay Halstead Genre: Angst, humour, drama Warnings: swearing, brief mention of supposed miscarriage Word Count: 1514 Requested by Anon: The new doctor at Med is Connor Rhodes' sister, or is she?

This is Part 2, here is Part 1

You’re still reeling from your outburst when Ms Goodwin approaches you and Connor, you can feel your stomach drop as you realise she must have witnessed that display. The sense of dread crept up on you, worried that your position at Med was about to go up in smoke.

“Ms Goodwin, I-” You begin to explain yourself, your brother standing pensively next to you, expecting his own admonishment after yours. Goodwin holds her hand up to silence you, a sympathetic smile on her face.

“Now, Miss Rhodes, whilst I would ordinarily make my thoughts on that kind of behaviour in my hospital very clear, I am in deep understanding that you were defending your fellow colleagues. I am also aware of how antagonising Cornelius and Claire can be, as such I am willing to make allowances for that. However, see to it that we don't make a habit of it, yes?"

You nod, "Of course not, Ms Goodwin. It's very much understood." She had the expression of a mother telling her children off and you would have laughed if not for the fact you were not going to push her graciousness right now.

"I came over here because I need you in my office for a different private, matter. Connor, you as well.”

Connor raises his eyebrows and glances at you, you shrug in return, obediently following as requested. On your way, you quickly ask that Ethan check in on Mrs Heatherson and see to it that she gets discharged okay. As you move away from the cluster of cubicles and hubbub of patients, you see that Will, Dr Charles and Will’s brother, Jay, are seemingly waiting for you and Connor.

“What is happening?” You try and mumble to your brother.

“I have no idea,” Connor murmurs back, resting a reassuring hand on your shoulder as you awkwardly smile at the others and follow the gaggle of people to Goodwin’s office. You rack your brain, trying to figure out what this could pertain to. Jay’s presence made you think it might be an important CPD matter that they needed your help with.

As you file into Goodwin's office you now realise that both Halstead brothers seem to be looking at you, almost studying you yet avoiding eye contact. You make a face at them and then at the others in the room, making your impatience and confusion clear.

Ms Goodwin is quick to quell the anxious thoughts in your mind, "Nobody is in trouble here, and nothing is particularly wrong. No, what I have to say is…unusual, and quite frankly, a shock…"

You hold your tongue, continuing to listen to what the woman has to say.

Silence hangs in the air, you look from Connor to the Halsteads to Dr Charles and then back to Sharon.

Connor chimes in, not feeling patient either… “Ms Goodwin, please.”

Sharon open's her mouth and then closes it, smiling awkwardly as she realises she doesn't quite know how to put it.

Dr Charles steps forward, glancing at Sharon who nods and then takes a seat at her desk allowing her friend to take up the role.

"Okay, so here's the situation… Will and Jay already know this information, and now it's important for you both to hear it too." Dr Charles looks to you and Connor.

“Y/N, we came across some very interesting results from the First Responder Donation Programme. Will and Jay donated, as did you and Connor.”

You nod, listening as you start to get a strange feeling in your gut.

Dr Charles continues, “Throughout the donation process, we were becoming more reliant on the DNA matches, as well as type matches. Pathology had a particular case a few days ago that was tested based on DNA. And the system, among other results, concluded… You, Y/N, are an almost exact match to Will and Jay here.”

You blink at the psychiatrist as the air seems to leave the room, you can feel your legs turn to jelly, moving from your perched position on the couch’s arm to fully sit on the couch next to Connor.

“Woah…” Connor breathes, resting a reassuring hand on your shoulder with a squeeze, he couldn’t believe that your adopted family could be people in such proximity to your everyday life.

Your heart is pounding, you look from Connor to the Halsteads…your brothers. They smile sympathetically, understanding this would absolutely be a shock. Yet, you note, both of them seem a touch sad too.

“How…why did they give me away? Um, my...our parents?” Your voice is quiet, you can feel a lump in your throat forming, not sure who you’re asking.

Jay in a matter of moments now appears to be brooding, there’s a darkness on his expression and you start to worry that he really doesn’t want you to be his sister. You look away, biting your lip as your knee starts to bounce nervously. It’s Will who speaks first,

“Our mom when she had her first encounter with cancer… we remember she was pregnant, mom and dad said she had lost the baby, not much else was said after that." Will takes a breath, eyeing Jay who nods at him to continue.

"Dr Charles thinks it's very possible that her doctors may have advised her to have the baby, to have you, early. So that you could receive the appropriate premature care and she could be treated for her cancer. Then it’s assumed that they, um, they put you up for adoption. They likely wouldn’t have been able to care for a newborn child, two young boys and deal with mom’s illness all at the same time.” Will’s voice was soft, your eyes filling with tears as you realise that your birth parents were gone, you knew that the Halsteads' father had died recently right here in the hospital - now you learned that their mom, your birth mom, was gone too.

Darkness had crept over you, a feeling that you were taken from a life where Jay and Will could have been your brothers, from a family that could have been yours.

Connor was the best thing that ever happened to you in your current family, and that would never change, but god… the thought of what could have been was sitting heavily and painfully in your chest.

You scratch at your head, not sure what to do.

“Um… Could…could I have a minute with just Connor?”

"Of course, there's a private room here if you want to have a quiet word." Sharon stands, opening what appears to be a smaller office within her bigger one.

You head inside and Connor follows, shutting the door behind you.

Here you feel vulnerable, the emotion now bubbling up within you.

"Connor, what do I do?" Your voice wobbles and your big brother brings you in for a tight hug.

"Listen, this is something big for you, kiddo. I can't tell you what to feel or do, but I can tell you that whatever you choose, I'll be your brother as I've always been. If you want to get to know them as siblings, I'll support that, if you need time and don't want to get into that side of things just now, we can work that out too. This is your life and you have the right to choose."

You let out a sniffle as your kept your face buried in his chest, Connor knew you well, and he know that it was possible you felt a sense of being unwanted or not good enough for the Halsteads. Not to mention how Cornelius and Claire could be with you. Being an adult and still not being respected by your family, despite your best efforts? He knew first-hand how isolating that could feel.

"They didn't let you go because they didn't want you, Y/N, you know that right?

Your silence confirms what he suspected. He pulls away from you,

“Hey, look at me, sweetheart.”

You lift your head, tears rolling down your cheeks. You felt stupid for being so worked up, but it was a lot to process.

“Your birth mom was sick, your birth parents did what they could to keep you safe and healthy. They wouldn’t have let you go if they had the choice. You were always wanted, you need to know that. No matter how dad or Claire makes you feel, I know the Halstead boys well enough to know that they wouldn’t turn their back on their sister now that they know she’s right here. Just like I won’t.”

You nod, sniffing in the tears that were coming whether you wanted them to or not. Connor holds you tight, rubbing your back gently.

“I, uh…I should get back out there, huh?” You laugh in incredulity, in disbelief at how your day had transformed.

“You got this, I’m gonna be right there. I’m so proud of you, Y/N.” Connor smiles, his own emotions shining in his eyes. You give his arm a squeeze, taking a deep breath before facing the door.

“Here goes nothing.”

End of Part 2

A/N: I think there will be a 3rd part to wrap this story up!

Tags: @samanthavitale - @bestkaistes - @elius-learns-to-write - @alldaysdreamers - @unknowntoyou2205 - @justanotherfansblog - @alkadri-layal - @muchacha-encabronada - @dumb-fawkin-bitch

#connor rhodes x reader #jay halstead x reader #will halstead x reader #one chicago #chicago med #chicago pd #halstead!sister

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