so does anybody have any recordings of the current Wicked tour cast? There’s a few on YouTube but like I’ve recently become obsessed with lissa deguzman and i wanna see m o r e

i demand appreciation for my favorite guy vlad from anastasia, both the movie version and the musical version bc like wow I do not see nearly enough love for this rad old guy like?

movie version we’ve got this guy right, he’s in his late 40s probably and very VERY easily could’ve been made into comedic relief or the “punching bag character” and in the original script that was pretty much his entire purpose, like you could make a drinking game every time his weight was brought up and you’d be dead. that would’ve been so easy but nah ah ah INSTEAD we got this tritagonist who actually has motives, flaws, a personality, a purpose in the story, etc etc. And yeah he was funny at times but most of the jokes were centered around him and Dimitri playing off each other or how he reacted to certain things (the scene right before learn to do it is a prime explain. loving the flower crown my friend). And he has a cute gf! who he loves! like gomez and morticia levels of love and she isn’t made into a joke either! and they get their happy ending and I love that and he’s also a genuinely nice dude. i feel like he could give me great life advice and even greater hugs

but the musical version? oh my god my main comfort character in the whole wide world is this guy. like he’s so wildly different from his movie counterpart sown to the last name but honestly I don’t even care because they expanded on everything the movie provided. he doesn’t really have much of a backstory? cool. now he’s a continent-wide known criminal who conned his way into the aristocracy. personality isn’t as developed as it shouldve been? okie doke let’s make him the main comedic part and give him more songs and an interesting character arc. no context for him and his aforementioned cute gf? not a problem let’s give em a song and a story where she was having an affair with him and he stole her wedding ring but he realizes he fucked up and now they’re in love again. got written out of the script right before the climax of the movie? put that bastard in the closing number. this guy is such a delight and all I wanna know is if he and lily are open to adoption bc hi i’m adopting age thank u

idk i just think he’s pretty darn cool and I never see any love for him. like i think there’s exactly one fic on ao3 that kinda centers around him which is weird considering he’s! one! of! the! main! characters!

Quest for the Best

Thank you to DragonGirl8234 for betaing. Written for Day 4: Cafe of Marichat May. Can also read on AO3. @marichatmay

Chat sighed, it had been fifteen minutes of waiting and still no sign of Ladybug. He was beginning to wonder if he should start patrolling on his own when the warm scent of fresh pastries wafted over him.

He followed his nose to find Ladybug swinging onto the rooftop. “I’m sorry I’m late!” She apologized right away. “But I come bearing gifts,” She held up a box of Dupain-Cheng pastries.

Chat narrowed his eyes at her. “Are there any croissants in there?”

In response, she flipped the lid open. “What am I? An amateur?” She scoffed, revealing croissants, pain au chocolats, and rows of chocolate chip cookies.

Chat grabbed a cookie and moaned in pleasure as he ate them. “These are still warm, how do you get them so fresh?”

Ladybug smirked at him. “It’s a secret,” she hummed, taking the chance to bite into a croissant. He stuck out his tongue at her making her snort. Unfortunately, that made Ladybug begin to cough.

Chat reacted quickly, patting her on the back to make her feel better. “You okay, LB?”

“I’m fine,” she coughed before taking in a deep breath. “Croissant went down the wrong pipe, is all.”

Chat Noir shook his head at Ladybug. “You have to be more careful when you eat,” he tutted, wagging his finger at her. Ladybug rolled his eyes, making him put a hand on his hip. “I’m serious, Bugaboo! If you choke, where will Paris be?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve become the responsible one,” Ladybug shuddered in mock horror. “Paris is already doomed.” They took one look at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles.

“Oh, I really needed that,” Ladybug sighed, wiping a tear away. “Thanks, Chaton.” He winked and bowed to her. “Let’s get to patrol?” She asked and he nodded before letting out a yawn.

“Pastries are delicious but what we really need is some coffee to get through these patrols.”

“Hey, I just bring the pastries. You want coffee so bad, you can bring us some coffee next time,” Ladybug shrugged.

Chat blinked at her before brightening. “Hey! That’s not a bad idea, Bug. I’ll bring you coffee from the best coffee shop in Paris!” He declared.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “I’m going to hold you to that,” she promised. “Now can we please get to our patrol?” Chat made a sweeping gesture indicating for her to go first and he’d follow.

Just before Ladybug readied her yoyo to leave the rooftop, she turned back to say one last thing. “Oh, I take my coffee with a shot of vanilla. Just so you know.” She smiled, before leading them throughout the city.

He grinned as he vaulted after her. Chat loved learning more about his Lady and he couldn’t wait to impress her with his findings.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Adrien paced the floor of his room. “Okay, I have the best coffee shops narrowed down according to about ten.”

“How do you know they’re the best?” Plagg asked snidely, whilst inhaling his cheese. He only stopped to haul more Camembert out of the fridge.

Adrien wrinkled his nose at the smell. “I consulted about fifteen different coffee blogs and they all agree on the top three but I want to check the others just for satisfaction’s sake.”

Plagg rolled his eyes at him. “You don’t understand, Plagg. Ladybug is counting on me to get her the best coffee Paris has to offer. This is my chance to show her I have good taste!”

“And how do you expect to figure out which coffee shop is the best from looking up reviews on the Internet?”

“I don’t,” Adrien grinned. “Obviously, the best way to decide which coffee shop has the best coffee is by tasting them myself.”

“And how do you expect to do that without leaving your room?” Plagg snarked.

At that Adrien chuckled. “Oh, I’m so glad you asked. I’m not. Plagg! Claws Out!” Adrien called for his transformation, ignoring Plagg’s wails of complaint. Chat Noir slipped out of his window, using his baton as a GPS while vaulting away from Agreste Mansion as quickly as possible.

He found himself on an unfamiliar street of Paris and was trying to read the GPS instructions when a pigeon smacked into him, making him lose his balance.

His baton pole teetered downwards and he was crashing towards the ground. Thinking quickly, he just managed to roll into a somersault and ended up crashing into a girl rather than cold, hard cement.

Chat groaned as he pulled himself up only to find Marinette pinned beneath him. He yelped quickly moving off of her and offering a hand to help her up.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” Chat fretted, he didn’t want to have caused Marinette to get hurt. She began brushing herself off but looked relatively fine, so Chat heaved a sigh of relief.

“Chat Noir, what were you doing?” She asked, groaning as she stood up. “Is there an akuma nearby?”

“Marinette! Good to see you!” He greeted hoping to distract her. It didn’t work, instead, Marinette gave him an unimpressed look, silently demanding to hear answers.

He sighed giving in. “You can’t tell Ladybug, okay?” He pleaded and her face softened. When Marinette nodded, Chat Noir launched into his story about how he had to find the absolute best coffee shop in Paris for Ladybug.

“If I can deliver, she’ll be one step closer to falling in love with me!” He concluded happily, completely missing the way Marinette bit her lip anxiously.

“Maybe you shouldn’t get your hopes up?” Marinette said, hesitantly making Chat crash back down to Earth. He sighed.

“You’re right, but sometimes it’s nice to just hold on to hope, you know what I mean?”

“Too well,” Marinette grumbled, making Chat blink in surprise.

“Marinette? Are things alright with you?”

Marinette looked startled as if she had completely forgotten he was there. She waved her hands in front of her face, giving him a forced smile. “Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m totally fine. So, what’s the plan with the coffee shops?”

Chat gave her a look which he hoped said that he knew she was trying to distract him but he was choosing to go with it. “Here, I have a list,” Chat showed Marinette proudly.

Marinette frowned at his list. “The first three are okay but I know for a fact that the last three use extremely bitter beans, number five isn’t the most sanitary, four and six always mess up the amount of sugar, and seven....I don’t even know what to tell you about seven.”

Chat’s jaw dropped. “But I checked with fifteen coffee blogs before making this list!”

“I know which blogs you’re talking about, those people know nothing about good coffee. You might as well just go to the local Starbucks because none of these are the best,” Marinette scoffed.

Chat crossed his arms across his chest defensively, trying his best not to pout. “Then where do I get the best coffee in Paris?”

Marinette gave him a side glance. “Weren’t you supposed to do this yourself?”

“Princess, paw-lease! I’ll do anything but please help me!” Chat dropped to his knees making Marinette jump back in shock. He was not above begging. “Help me!”

“Okay, okay! Just get up and I’ll help you!” Marinette hissed, as the other passers-by gave them strange looks.

“Really?” Chat asked, giving her his best kitten eyes.

“Yes,” Marinette got out through gritted teeth.

Chat leapt back to his feet with a triumphant grin, ignoring the way Marinette was scowling at him. “Then let’s go! You already know where the best coffee is, don’t you? I trust your judgment completely!”

When Marinette looked reluctant, Chat frowned at her. “You promised you would help. No take backs!”

“You’re a child,” she muttered, as she began to walk off. Chat sighed dejectedly when Marinette turned around and gave him a questioning look. “Are you coming?”

He perked up and ran behind her. “Always, Princess!”

He couldn’t wait to see where Marinette claimed to have the best coffee in all of Paris. Chat could privately admit to himself he was a little skeptical, especially when the streets became a little narrower, but he didn’t dare voice his doubt. It could offend Marinette, causing her to change her mind about helping him, and then where would he be?

“We’re here,” Marinette announced. Chat Noir looked at the drab door with a half working sign and then looked back at Marinette. She rolled her eyes. “Don’t look at me like that! You can’t judge until you’ve tasted their coffee.”

“Okay,” he hummed. “But just so you know, I’m a coffee snob.”

“Yeah, me too. And a bigger one than you considering your list was from bad blogs.” Chat Noir flushed at her completely fair assessment, unable to defend himself. “Now let’s go,” she said practically dragging him into the shop. The shop workers knew her by name and greeted her enthusiastically, so it was clear that Marinette visited often.

“I’ll have a vanilla latte and he’ll have a–,” Marinette paused and turned to Chat Noir to ask his order.

“Hazelnut mocha,” Chat ordered, his eyes sweeping the shop. It was actually quite cozy with the warm lighting and the couches. It was quiet, thanks to a lack of customers bustling in and out as well.

“I like to come here and study. Not many people know about this shop so no posting about it,” Marinette warned.

“Mum’s the word,” Chat promised. It definitely did seem like a nice place to finish schoolwork.

He wondered if there was any chance he could get Marinette to tell him about this place as Adrien. It would be nice to study with friends without the threat of fangirls. He was lost in these thoughts when the barista called them to say their drinks were ready.

Marinette paid and grabbed the drinks before Chat Noir could protest. “The moment of truth,” she smiled, pressing his coffee into his hands. Silently promising himself to get her something to thank her for her help, Chat took a small sip.

His eyes widened in awe and he immediately took another sip of the delicious coffee.

“I told you it was the best coffee in Paris,” Marinette said smugly.

“I sincerely apawlogize, Princess. I will never doubt you again and I cannot espresso how grateful I am to you fur bringing me here.”

“You sure Ladybug will like it?” Marinette teased.

Chat nodded solemnly. “She’ll like it a latte. Seriously, thank you, Marinette. If you ever need my help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Marinette gave him an assessing look. “I might hold you to that.”

“I want you to,” he confirmed, smiling at her softly. “Would you like a ride home?”

Marinette shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ll head home on my own in a little while.”

Chat took her hand in his and pressed a gentle kiss on it. “I’ll see you around.” Making sure he had the address to the shop inputted in his baton, he gave Marinette a wave before vaulting away. xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Holding a coffee carrier, Chat anxiously waited for Ladybug to show up for patrol. He turned around expectantly when he heard the tell-tale thump signaling her landing.

She grinned at him, a box of pastries in hand. “So, did you find the best coffee shop in Paris?”

“Of course I did, M’Lady! Would I ever break a promise to you?” Chat asked, acting affronted. Ladybug snorted at him, settling down on the rooftop. He sat down next to her and pulled out her, thankfully still hot, coffee from the coffee carrier.

“What did you get me?” She wondered out loud as she accepted the drink from him.

“A vanilla latte,” he announced, missing the way she nearly choked on the drink and turned to stare at him. “So, what do you think?” He stared out at the Paris skyline, too worried about her reaction to look at her.

“It’s wonderful coffee, Chaton. Thank you for finding it,” Ladybug murmured, just loud enough for him to hear.

“I’m glad I was able to mocha you happy, but I’m afraid I can’t take all the credit.” Chat leaned on Ladybug’s shoulder as he spoke. “You see, I didn’t find this coffee on my own. I was out searching and I ran into that girl, Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Do you remember her? She took me to the most amazing coffee shop in Paris. Marinette is such an awesome girl, I’m sorry to say I would have failed without her.”

Chat turned to find Ladybug staring at him, she looked strangely touched. “Ladybug?” He questioned, tilting his head trying to read her expression and make sense of it. Unfortunately, that was when she snapped out of it.

“I’ll have to thank her for helping you then! Come on, let’s eat and get a move on. We still have a patrol to do, after all.”

They clinked their cups together, enjoying each other’s company and the tasty treats.

Since requests are open- can I please get a Murasakibara hc/fic (whatever works best for you babes!) with a shy and introverted S/O? Maybe a cute date that they do together? Thank you so much bubs ily 🥺🥺

Consider me your new friend in this lowkey dead fandom 🥺💖💖💖

hi!! let’s be friends together in this ghost town together HFUWHEIGJS thank you so much for requesting <33

Sweet Sample

Murasakibara x Reader

Word Count: 2019

»»—————　☼　—————««

How did you get yourself here?

You remembered being dragged around by Himuro in a blur of houses until you both, before you knew it, stood before his house that reeked “high class.” Before you can muster up any form of complaint that you (sort of) thought up of when you were dragged, Himuro ushers you in hurriedly. Even when he was in a rush, his movements were elegant and fluid.

“... a-ah, Himuro-san?” was all you muttered, but you only got a closed click of his bulky front door as a reply. You turned around to face a nonchalant ravenette shedding off his outer coats before he hung them on the racks next to you.

Too nonchalant, in fact.

You weren’t that close to him enough to warrant a casual visit to his home, nor did you have any reason to come here in the first place. Yet, Himuro looked as if you two had plans for the evening but that you somehow forgot that you had an arrangement with him in the first place. Plus, and probably the most crucial part that made this entire ordeal awkward to you, was that you’re dating Murasakibara. Anyone with common sense can see countless implications when someone is alone in someone else’s house, let alone dragged into one.

“U-um…”

“(Y/n)-san,” he smoothly interjects, nodding his chin to the racks to indicate for you to take off your outer layers as well. “If I may ask you something.” You only nodded in meekness as you tapped your left feet behind your right leg, a nervous tick you’ve always had since middle school.

“Have you ever gone on a date with Atsushi before?”

“E-eh?” You shot your head up to meet his accessing eyes, which, you noted, were filled with utter amusement dancing behind his pupils. “Well… we were planning to go out tomorrow on Saturday.”

“Is that so?” Himuro said, tilting his head, his bangs following the motion. He suddenly shot his head up as he made a sound, indicating that he remembered something.

“Ah, how rude of me—we’re still here at the doorway. Feel free to make yourself at home here. There’s some snacks on the table if you’re hungry, (y/n)-san.” Himuro gently guides you to the dining room, but all you could do was stiffly plop onto one of the seats at the edge of the polished table.

“Why are we… um, here? Where’s Atsushi?” you finally mustered up the courage to speak out the most important questions prevalent in your mind.

“Don’t worry about Atsushi,” he reassured. “I simply told him that there were several local food festivals near Akita and that you were there too.”

“B-but I’m not though—”

“That’s the point,” he sighed. “I needed to talk to you, and I know you don’t talk about your relationship out in the open, so that’s why we’re here.”

“That’s…” … so many leaps of logic.

Leave it to Himuro Tatsuya for his outrageousness sometimes.

“Er, what is it you need from me, Himuro-san?”

“Just wanted to check up on you guys since it’s been almost a month since you guys became an item.” Himuro pushes the bowl of snacks from the center of the table to within hand’s reach. You note the tacky colors of the packaging of umaibo sticks, Murasakibara’s favorite, and you let out a tiny smile. Typical.

Himuro doesn’t fail to catch your change in facial expression. “I guess from that face you’re making, it looks like everything’s going well. I guess I didn’t have to worry so much after all.”

“Wh-what?” you said, breaking out of your short daydreaming. “How s-so?”

“You know how Atsushi is,” he sighed. “He’s not honest with himself and he’s not the best at talking, and personality types like yours would normally annoy him, let alone actually getting him to listen to them seriously.”

“Well, lately he’s been considerate of me,” you bashfully said, averting your eyes. “We can just, um, understand each other without talking much… but thank you for looking out for us both.”

“You said you were going on a date tomorrow? Where to, if I may ask?”

“D-d-date…” you turned cherry-red at the thought of hanging out with your boyfriend outside of a school setting for the first time. “Well, um, nothing big… we’re just um…” You paused.

“(Y/n)-san?”

“Um… going to all the local groceries and supermarkets for f-free samples.” Himuro, who had been patiently waiting for your answer with his head on his propped arm on the table, doubles over in surprise.

“Seriously? You’re not going to a café or walk around in the shopping district? Not even a park?”

“W-waahh!” You firmly shook your head “no” repeatedly as you brought up your hands to wave side to side to emphasize your point in front of Himuro. “N-no way!—there’s too many people there that are always staring because of Atsushi’s height, so…”

“Ah.”

“Besides,” you started. “He finds it annoying to deal with people too, and he wants free food, so I feel like… he’d be happy if we go for these samples tomorrow… there’s less people overall, too.”

“Let me guess,” Himuro slightly smirks. “You’re going tomorrow with super casual clothes.”

“Y-yeah, um, is there something wrong?—um, Himuro, you have a… very scary look… socanipleaseleavenow?—WAH!”

———

How did you get yourself here?

You were all dolled up and dressed up today as per Himuro’s insistence.

Yesterday evening, he dragged you again out of his house to do literal last-minute shopping for your date. You kept telling him that it wasn’t such a big deal, but you couldn’t fight back against the mischievous glint he had in his eyes. You knew that he wanted Murasakibara to have a reaction when he sees you, and deep down, you were giddy at the thought of seeing Murasakibara in your new clothes too.

But still, that cunning bastard.

As soon as the two of you returned back to his house with the bag of the purchases, Himuro swiftly pushed you to the bushes in an attempt to hide you when he saw Murasakibara stomping his way.

“Muro-chin! Chibi-chin wasn’t there at all!” he huffed.

“Ah, but I thought I saw her,” Himuro feigned, tapping a finger to his chin. “I think she probably went home, after all.”

“Tch.”

After that ordeal, Himuro finally insisted to walk you safely home and MILDLY threatened you to wear the hand-picked clothes for tomorrow. You didn’t have the voice to object at all this entire evening, but you knew Himuro only wanted the best for you.

You sighed as you tried to smooth out nonexistent wrinkles for the seventh time out of nervousness. You’re just going to some supermarkets, right? There’s nothing to be scared of. Not at all. You shop for groceries every week, so it’s not like you’re going on this date completely blind.

You fiddled with the strands of your hair, twisting and pulling it down to busy your hands. You probably ruined the hairdo you painstakingly spent an hour on, and your nervous sweating probably completely drenched you like a soaked rat. That’s what you imagined anyways.

“Chibi-chin?” At the sound of his lazy voice, you whirled around to see a cozily-dressed giant of your boyfriend. But you immediately stopped in your tracks out of self-consciousness when you saw how Murasakibara’s eyes widened completely at the sight of you. Both of you looked like deer caught in headlights. “... what are you wearing?”

“U-ummm…” you stammered. “Uh, um, we’re… on a date, r-right?!”

“Hnn,” was all he said, but from the way he pouted his lips and flickered his gaze from your figure to the side constantly, you knew he liked what he saw. His hands were jammed into his pockets, and he just stood there dumbly like a street pole while his eyes kept stealing glances at you.

This was so embarrassing, you were going to die from all the flush in your face from the curious glances from bypassers and the shy stares from Murasakibara. All you could do was stare at the floor, hoping you could disappear and teleport back to your house to change.

“Ah!...” You felt a heavy weight draped over your back as a shadow loomed over. You looked up to see Murasakibara, frowning with equally red cheeks. You turned to look at what was on your shoulders. “Is that… your jacket, Atsushi? D-did you not lik—”

He doesn’t give you time to finish because he’s tugging you along with his ginormous hand, while you were tailing behind, careful not to trip on your new shoes and not to let his jacket fall off of your body.

“... I don’t like it when other people see you like this.” You can only imagine the most adorable pout he had on his face based on the sulkiness you heard from his voice when you stare at his back.

“D-do you want me to dress like this again?”

“Hnn.”

You knew that he meant, “yes, but only for me.”

———

“Atsushi,” you tugged on his sleeve, pointing to a sample stand. “They’re giving away red-bean mochi…”

“Okay~” he drawled, always making sure that your hand was linked with his as he tugs you closer to the food.

Honestly, while your attire with Murasakibara’s absurdly huge jacket attracted way more attention than if you just took off his jacket in the first place, you felt like you were protected in a haven. You don’t know if it’s because of the oversized coziness or his scent, but all you know is that you don’t feel as overwhelmed as you normally do when you’re in large crowds. Still, Murasakibara does most of the talking for you.

“Would you like to try a sample?”

“Yup… one for Chibi-chin too.”

“Wow~ you two are a couple? You guys look so sweet together!”

“A-ah, um,” you timidly spoke out. “Th-thank yo—wha?!” Murasakibara was already tugging you away, with his other hand holding both of your samples.

“You don’t have to talk if it’s bothersome.” He looks over his back to you. “Let’s eat here.”

“Thank you, Atsushi,” you said, gently smiling at his roundabout kindness. “I’ll take this mochi.”

A giant kid and a kid half his size eating powdered flour desserts in the corner of a supermarket doesn’t sound remotely romantic on paper, but for you, it was more than enough to give you fuzzy butterflies.

“Oh, Chibi-chin,” Murasakibara called out to you. He leans down to the level of your face.

“A-ah, wh-what is it—?”

He gives you a gentle kiss before he licks off the white flour besides your open lips, all while maintaining eye contact. It only takes a few seconds for the entire moment to register in your head.

“Wh-wh-wha-what are you doing?!”

You push at his cheeks and softly beat at his chest in embarrassment in a poor attempt to gain physical distance, and Murasakibara happily smirks at your feeble efforts.

“I kissed you, obviously.”

“Sh-shhhhhh! Not so loud!” You try to muffle his mouth, but you only feel his lips curve into a wider smile at your flustering. He easily swats your hands away before he gently grips them together with his own.

“Chibi-chin, that’s so cute,” he said, with full intentions to get you embarrassed even more as he stares intently at your face.

“C-can you not?” was all you dumbly said as you tried to look anywhere but his face. As cute as you were, Murasakibara wanted your eyes on him at all times. So what does he do? He pecks your lips again.

“H-hey!! What did I just… say… um…” You hastily looked around your surroundings again.

“No one’s looking though.”

“That… that doesn’t mean you should do it out of nowhere!”

“But you’re the best free sample I’ve ever tasted.”

“Wh-wh-wh-what?!”

Murasakibara might’ve hated people like you in the past, but now, he finds utter joy in getting you absolutely flustered because of him, and him only. He can’t help that you’re too sweet for him to resist, after all.

aka gripping onto summer by its tail by reminiscing all the flavours that represent summer

(as inspired by all the food and drinks that screams summer, which I didn’t get to have in the past months)

A/N: I mean, you can argue that it’s starting to head into autumn now that August is half way through but summer will not end for me in at least two more months so no one can stop me from writing summer related things uwu

Word count: 3672

Characters: Akaashi Keiji, Tsukishima Kei, Hinata Shoyo, Miya Osamu, Kageyama Tobio, Kuroo Tetsurou

-

Akaashi Keiji - honey peach

With his position as an editor, your lover would occasionally bring home gift boxes of sorts from the publishing house or writers he worked for as a showcase of gratitude whenever there were any special occasions or festivals. It was a nice gesture, and he had definitely received things that you would otherwise never had the luxury to enjoy with your office worker salary but as time passed, you had grown to realise that it was near impossible for a household of two to finish up all these fruits and cakes that came in dozens. Especially if it was something that neither of you actually liked, then eating up everything was near torture.

However, you nearly squealed in delight when you came home one day to see him carefully unpacking the box of honey peaches in the living room table.

“Udai sensei got this from his trip to Wakayama for scenery references,” Akaashi said as he carefully too each pink fruit out from the styrofoam nets they came in, "apparently the local peaches are in season so he bought a lot of it and handed it out to all the editors.”

Akaashi was nothing short of skeptical when he was handed the heavy box, wondering if this was an early compensation for any delays that was about to happen but knowing how much you liked white peaches, he took it with a light bow.

As he had expected, you sat next to him with your legs crossed, eyes glimmering with interest as he placed the peaches onto the table. They came in a beautiful colour, a soft pink that seemed like it was glowing from it’s smooth and rounded surface. The plumpness of the fruit already filling your imagination of how juicy it must be.

He chuckled at the way you took one in your hand and rolled it around, looking like you could barely even wait until he unpacked all of it. “Should we have one right now?”

You did not need him to say it twice, standing up in one swift movement before bending down to take the two biggest ones off the table and hopped your way to the kitchen sink. As the stream water ran down from the faucet to your hand, your finger rubbed past the fuzzy skin of the fruit that looked even more tempting with the bead of water rolling down.

“Thank you.” Akaashi took the one you handed him and picked up the small knife that you put down. 

You were eager to get to the sweet flesh inside but your attention was immediately diverted away with how skillful he was with the knife. One slice down the curve of the peach and with a press of him nimble finger, the pink skin of the peach was shed to the side and revealing the white gem underneath. You felt a sudden dryness in your throat at the droplet of stickily sweet juice rolled down his palm and trailing down his wrist.

His eyes met yours when he crouched down to lick off the juice that was about to drip off his forearm, his lips much like the fruit he was holding in hand when it was still puckered after he pulled back.

“Do you want me to peel it for you?”

“Sure,” you quickly replied, letting out a relieved sigh at how he had mistaken why you were staring at him.

Your face felt like the afternoon sun was shining right on you when he put down the peach he had in hand, but not without sucking off the stickiness left on his finger tips.

Tsukishima Kei - ichigo daifuku

If Tsukishima didn’t show up at home after the usual time when he would arrive, then he probably went off the fastest route from the museum back home to search for the hidden dessert shops in the district. You often complained that it wasn’t fair how he could stay like a pole when he eats so many sweets every day and he often retaliated that maybe that means you should stop eating the desserts he brought home, but he would still buy two portions of the same item every single time.

You tapped your finger impatiently against the table, staring at the numbers on the waiting screen of your phone. He hadn’t come home this late in a long time, having already tried out most patisseries in the area. Had there been any new releases lately? Or limited-time only products? You sighed. If that was the case, then you wouldn’t see him for at least another half an hour. There weren’t much that Tsukishima Kei was stupidly stubborn about, but he would never leave a line no matter how much longer he had to wait after he queued up. 

You snapped around when you heard the sound of keys rattling outside the door.

“Took you long enough,” you said, leaning on the back of the chair as your lover appeared from the doorway.

“Does that mean you don’t want this?” he replied with a knowing smirk, waving the small, white box he was holding in hand, “because I don’t mind having all of these to myself-”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Yes, yes...” he gave a mocking sigh, laughing a little when you rolled your eyes at him.

“So, what is it that got you staying out so late?” you said, eyeing the logo on the box that you had never seen before as he placed it in front of you and pulled out the chair opposite to yours.

“The queue was scary long,” he said nonchalantly as he unhooked the flaps on each side, “let’s just hope it’s as good as people claim it is.”

You peaked inside curiously when he opened the box, letting out a delighted “ohhhhh” when you saw what it was. The white dough of the daifuku looked so cute with the powered that dusted on top, tempting you to poke it and watch it dent. It was cut apart in the middle where the large strawberry sat on top of thinly layered red bean paste like it was a king sitting on its throne. Some daifuku put it sliced strawberries or hide it up with the glutinous skin, but there was something that brings much glee to your heart at the round fruit that was on display.

Tsukishima made a side remark on how much you looked like a child as you held the paper lining it came in but you ignored him, closing your eyes in satisfaction after taking a big bite right into the center. You could still feel the power on your tongue from the daifuku but the juice of the strawberry quickly taken over your taste buds. It was a refreshing taste, sweet and sour, making you sit up just a little straighter. The pure sugary taste of the red bean paste and the sourness of the fruit was a perfect balance, giving just enough satisfaction to any sweet tooth but not too overbearing that you would feel like it made our throat itch.

The side section of the daifuku was very satisfying to look at when you pulled back, the white, the vibrant red and the brown all existing in a portion that was just right.

You looked up when your boyfriend laughed, “You really do eat like a child.”

You were about to say something smart in retaliation when he got up, leaning closer and closer to you before brushing the tip of his finger against your lips.

“You got powder on your face...” he muttered, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose as his gaze fixed on you.

He looked so damn cocky when he pulled away, licking off the power on his finger while watching your dazed expression.

In some sense, you were kind of like an ichigo daifuku too. Tsukishima snorted to himself as he took a bite into his own dessert, eyeing your flustered expression from the corner of his eyes.

Hinata Shoyo - ramune soda

The peak of high school romance was walking home with your boyfriend under the sinking sun as he pushed his bike instead of riding it just to spend more time with you on the way.

"And then the ball came like ‘bam!’ but he hit it back with a ‘thump!’-” Hinata’s hand was flailing around as he desperately tried to explain to you what just happened during practice which even if you were well-versed in the art of volleyball, you were just mindlessly nodding along his excited rambling with a smile on your face from how cute he was whenever he got hyped.

Nothing felt more like summer than the sound of cicadas chirping on the trees, the chain of the bike’s peddle clicking as it went, the sun being the perfect warmth on your skin and the chattering of a young couple.

“Oh?” Hinata suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and you eyed him in confusion when he let out a gasp like he figured something out in the middle of his speech. His eyes were shining when he spotted Sakanoshida Mart out of the corner of his eye and got a brilliant idea.

He placed your hand on the handle of his bike before dashing inside with a grin, “Hold this for me, I want to go get something.”

You leaned on the rail of the bike as you waited for him, standing back up when he left the store again with two glass bottles on his hand.

“Here!” he beamed as he handed one of the glassy blue bottles to you, “my treat!”

You felt the beads of water that condensed on the surface on your skin when you took it from him. The bottle narrowed down from the top and then widened again after reaching a particularly flattened space in the middle, with a plastic cap that was sealed on top.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had one of these...” you said, twisting the bottle in your hand as Hinata eagerly ripped off the seal to take the cap in hand.

“Careful,” he placed the bottle on the seat of his bike and you held it steady for him as he flipped the cap to put it at the opening of the bottle before pushing it down. You two both let out a gasp of victory when you heard a loud pop, watching the marble that closed off the soda fell into the middle as bubbles rose to the top. 

You thanked him as he handed the opened soda to you and took the one you were holding onto. Taking a large gulp, the fizz was tingling at the back of your throat as you slowly grew numb under the chill, the sweetness and taste unique to ramune spreading in your mouth as you released the rim of the bottle with a pop.

“This is so good,” you said with a satisfied sigh.

“Right? Summer is not complete without soda,” he said, slamming the cap down with a grin and tilted the bottle up against his lips. His eyes curled into two thin curves as he pulled away with a deep exhale, “so good!”

You chuckled as he kicked up the stand of his bike, taking small sips of your drink.

“Ah, where was I?”

Nothing felt more like summer than the golden glow of the sun wrapping you up, the sound of footsteps and tires against the concrete road and laughing with someone you love with a bottle of ramune in hand.

Miya Osamu - hiyashi chyuuka (”cold Chinese style noodles” that is 100% oriented from Japan and has nothing to do with Chinese food)

“Ah... so... ho- hot...”

When you walked into the living room to see your boyfriend facing the fan with his mouth opened and slumping down like he was about to melt into a puddle onto the floor, you knew it was one of those rare days when he was far too affected by the heat to even bring out the strength to eat let alone go into the kitchen.

On days like this, you would take up the rare task of cooking and make the one dish you knew would revive the melting pile of fox that was whining outside.

You were far too spoiled by Osamu’s godly cooking. You sighed to yourself as you looked at the fridge that was technically also your and felt utterly clueless as to where to start. It seemed... very different to when you last cooked which was a very long time ago. It took quite a while for you to find everything you need but staring at all the ingredient for the toppings that were lined up in front of you, you rolled your sleeves up and got to work.

This was so you could get your boyfriend back on his feet and you could just leech off of his cooking, you thought to yourself as you rummaged through the utensil holder at the side.

You could add most anything to cold noodles, in all honesty, but you were sticking to the most common combination this time. You chopped up the cucumber, carrot, and ham into thin strands and push them to the side before cracking an egg into the bowl. You felt incredibly rusty with the pan as you carefully poured the egg in as thin as you could, wondering how something as simple as making egg roll wrappers got so complicated.

You felt a sudden weight crashing down on your shoulders when you were cooking the noodles that was swirling in the boiled water.

“Samu.”

“I feel so tired...” your boyfriend muttered into your neck as he slumped down on you, “I don’t even want to eat, am I dying?”

“No, it’s just the summer heat,” you pat his head, struggling to move under his grip, “Samu, you are like a furnace, can you let go?”

“No.” 

“But I’m making chyuuka...” you felt a slight shake behind you and he looked up from your shoulder. His eyes flicker between the pot you were stirring and you like he was calculating if this was worth it before slowly loosening up his arms around your waist.

You took a breath when you felt the pressure being lifted off your back but the heat still hung on by your shoulder as his arm lazily draped over you.

“Samu, what are you doing?”

“Inspecting you.”

Your shirt was soaked in sweat by the time you put down the two plates on the table. The sauce that the noodles and colourful toppings were drenched in was refreshingly sour, perfect for days when you felt like you had rocks weighting you down in your core without eating anything. He was already slurping it up after a few small bites initially, physically getting back into his usual self as he let out a satisfied hum at the sauce that expended in his mouth.

You grinned as you watch him eat, feeling like your own appetite had grown as well.

Kageyama Tobio - soft serve

The sun was burning hot above your heads but your hand that was grasped tightly in your boyfriend’s felt like it was even hotter.

Your boyfriend didn’t seem to mind the heat for even just a bit, or the sweat on the palm of your hands, or that you were starting to sweat from between your fingers as well. He just seemed unbothered as he walked ahead, still holding onto your very clammy hand as you wandered past 

Summer was not a good time for skinship as much as you love physical contact, it really wasn’t.

Then you spotted a little kiosk out from the corner of your eyes.

“Tobio?”

“Hm?” he said, his fingers that was intertwined with yours tightening just a little out of reflex.

“Do you want ice cream?”

You could feel the chill that was left on the paper cone from the aircon of the kiosk when you took the two soft serves from the employee, feeling very relieved by the cold touch to the tip of your fingers and the chilled air that was floating your way from the icy treat.

“Here.”

Seating on a park bench, you gave a few small licks to the chocolaty ice cream that melted on your tongue while paying Kageyama who was next to you a few glances. He would have argued against it so hard with a flushing face if you brought it up to him, but watching his facial features slowly softened up as he poked his tongue out to lap at the ice cream really reminded you of little kids who could be win over with sweet treats too. He looked almost concentrated as he stared at the milky soft serve he was holding, much like how he was when he had his inner debates about what drinks to get.

Looking at your boyfriend’s near child-likely pure expression, the thought of teasing him a little suddenly rose in your head.

“Tobio,” you said, “can I have a bite of yours?”

“Sure,” he very naturally turned the cone to the side where he hadn’t got to yet but before he could hold it out to you, you gripped his wrist and leaned down to lick right where he took his last bite.

You two had definitely done more than sharing one ice cream cone, but there was still something about going out of your way to create these moments that made the whole thing a lot more flirtatious than how the act actually was.

You grinned as you licked your lips, tasting the last bit of vanilla that was left as he froze in place, the tip of his ears growing redder and redder as what you just did slowly settled in his head.

“Hm,” you chuckled to yourself, “so sweet.”

Kuroo Tetsurou - honey lemon

“Hey Kuroo! (y/n) is here!”

You had barely stepped foot into the gymnasium before Bokuto loudly announced your arrival to, well, everyone. You wanted to disappear in the spot when everyone turned around to where you were, eyeing the person who dropped by out if interest.

You had wanted to make a low profile appearance and left before you would be exposed to his friends’ friendly teasing, but now the entire gym and likely everyone in the ones neighbouring it knew you were here to visit your boyfriend when he was away on camp.

It did not help that Kuroo jogged to where you were with the largest grin on his face, bending down so his face would be right in front of yours as if it didn’t matter that everyone was looking at you two at all.

“Hello,” he said with a very sweet tone, like he was glad to show everyone that he was so utterly whipped for you and that unlike the others, he actually had someone who would go all the way to another campus just to see him.

“Hey,” you replied with a whisper, feeling rather embarrassed at the situation you were in.

He was still grinning ear to ear when he stood up straight, throwing one arm around your shoulder to shield you from everyone’s curious stare as he turned around. “I’ll be right back.”

“Remember to actually come back.”

“Don’t be alone for too long!”

“Be responsible.”

“God, I’m so going to fight Bokuto for this...” you sighed when you were finally left alone with Kuroo.

“Don’t, you’ll increase Akaashi’s workload,” he snickered and you couldn’t help but laugh along. “So,” he stopped midway, turning around to pull you closer to him after looking around to see that there was no one but the two of you, “someone misses me, huh?"

He tilted his head, a small smirk dancing on his handsome features like he was baiting for you to say yes. But the truth was that he was right, you did miss him. You had expected that you wouldn’t get to spend as much time with him as you wanted to because of his club activities but it didn’t stop you from feeling extra lonely in these days when you couldn’t even see him at school. 

As if sensing that was something you were upset about, he did not wait for you to reply and pressed you close to his chest. “Well, I miss you a lot.”

You sinked into the feeling of being surrounded by his warmth, feeling the reassurance washing away your previous emptiness. He pulled away with a smile, seeing that you were a lot more at ease than before.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” you dipped into the bag you were carrying and pulled out a rectangular tupperware, “here.”

“Hm?” he took the box with interest, immediately feeling how cold it was. Holding it up, he looked at it from the bottom to see the pieces of lemon sitting in the golden liquid, the light reflecting off of it like it was glistening.

“Is that...”

“It feels weird if I just come here and leave without doing anything so,” you gave a light shrug to brush off the amount of research you had put in to look for things that might be good for people who had to lose hydration constantly from sweat in the summer, “here you go.”

“Awwwww,” you winced at the tone he used as he leaned forward and forced you to look at him, “did you make this for me?”

“I make this for you and everyone else on your team,” you corrected him but he ignored it as he continued to coo at you. “don’t hoard it.”

“Of course, of course, whatever,” he replied quick but didn’t hide the shit-eating grin on his face, “but you made something for me, I’m so touched...”

“I’m starting to regret it.”

“Don’t,” he said, holding you to his side, “I’m going to survive the rest of this week just from the serotonin I got from this.”

“I’m regretting-”

“Alright, alright,” he let out a laugh, pressing a quick kiss to your temple as he stopped with the teasing. 

He got punched by the rest of the team that night. Apparently, the grin he had on ever since you left ticked everyone off. 

not your baby anymore

You sighed as you placed the coffee mug down. It was already ten at night, and you couldn’t understand how all these people were able to consume such copious amounts of caffeine at this hour. Do these people even sleep? you grumbled, as you ground more coffee beans. It didn’t help that you were already worn out from your day job - life as newest hire (and therefore the lowest on the totem pole) at the consulting firm you worked at was already demanding enough. However, you couldn’t not work anymore. 

Ever since your breakup with Wonjae, you were forced to work extra odd jobs to make ends meet. You had moved out of the apartment that the two of you once shared and that Wonjae had kindly let you crash at, rent-free, over the past two years your relationship lasted. What started out as a one-day sleepover slowly extended itself to a more permanent arrangement. One by one, you moved your clothes from your old apartment to Wonjae’s, and you soon called his place your own as well. Because you had sold your old apartment early on in the relationship, you were suddenly left with nowhere to go after the breakup. 

Wonjae had offered you to stay at his apartment until you found a new place, but you politely declined. You didn’t want to be mooching off of a generous ex-boyfriend. It just wasn’t how you lived. So here you were, bouncing from odd job to odd job, before landing as a barista at this local cafe at night. You were tired, and your newly-formed dark circles were witnesses to how little sleep you were getting, but you were getting by. You had managed to find your own place and were beginning to unpack your own life that was put on hold during your relationship with Wonjae. So here you were, consultant by day, barista by night. The door bells clattered, indicating the arrival of new customers. Hurrying to the counter, you plastered a fake smile as you proceeded to greet the customer with your fabricated politeness.

“What would you like to or-“

“Americano, extra hot.”

The man cut you off before you could even finish your question. Accustomed to the rudeness of certain customers by now, you politely nodded, taking his order. * After serving the customer his order, you were slouching against the counter when the customer approached you again. “I fucking asked for extra hot”

“Excuse me?”

Confused by the unsolicited anger the customer was harboring towards you, you peered over the counter at the coffee mug the customer was gripping. 

“Fucking extra hot!!! This coffee is fucking lukewarm!!”

Raising his voice an extra notch, as if trying to get his point across, the customer leaned over the counter and yelled so close to your face that you could smell the coffee in his breath. The lukewarm coffee. 

“I…I’m sorry sir”

You muttered as you tried to take the coffee mug from him. You were flustered - not only by the fact that he was yelling in your face over a cup of coffee, but also because he was creating such a big scene. By now, all the customers who were in the cafe had either looked up or gathered near the counter to see what was going on. 

As you grabbed the handle of the coffee mug, the man pulled back, unwilling to let go of his “fucking lukewarm coffee". He instead proceeded to dump the contents of the mug all over your apron. You froze in shock as you stared at your clothes, now drenched in lukewarm bean water.

“Here - why don’t you feel the temperature of the coffee yourself?!”

The man, unfazed by the stunned look on your face or the murmurs coming from the other customers, continued to yell at you. 

“Excuse me, sir”

As you were forcing yourself to react - to apologize, to scream, to throw coffee back at him too, any kind of reaction, damn it! - you heard a familiar voice. You looked up and saw a beige baseball cap. The same baseball cap that you had surprised him with on your first date. The baseball cap was sitting quite lowly on the figure’s head, but it still couldn’t conceal the distinct neck tattoos nor the familiar face that you had tried so hard to forget. It was Wonjae. 

“Who the fuck are you?!”

The man, enraged by the interruption, now pointed his anger towards Wonjae. You watched in awe as Wonjae calmly reasoned his way through with the customer. After a couple of minutes of muttering and bickering, the man, embarrassed but still angered, left the cafe. Before leaving, however, he managed to deliver some additional cuss words to you and Wonjae along with the promise that he would never set foot in such a cafe again.

“Good,” Wonjae breathed, as he watched the man leave. As soon as the door closed and the man disappeared, he directed his attention back towards you. 

“Are you okay?”

Embarrassed and exhausted by the whole situation, you rubbed your head, as you nodded slowly.

“I’m fine,”

“Y/N…”

“Really, Wonjae. Thanks for what you just did, but I can handle it. He’s not the first rude customer I’ve had, and he definitely won’t be the last.”

Your words came off a little colder than you had intended, but you had decided that it was for the better. Unexpectedly seeing Wonjae at the cafe made you feel as if your hidden, double life had suddenly been discovered. Your cover blown. You felt naked under Wonjae’s piercing gaze, and it made you uncomfortable. You and Wonjae were practically strangers now, and you didn’t want him to know the fine print of your financial struggles. Knowing Wonjae, he was sure to offer you help, and you didn’t want his pity. You were fine on your own, you reminded yourself. 

Wonjae seemed to get the message. Without further asking you about why you were working at a cafe or how you’ve been doing, Wonjae firmly nodded, turning around to leave the cafe. “Y/N,”

As if suddenly remembering something, Wonjae turned back and met your eyes mid-air.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,”

He smiled. It was a bittersweet smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Ignoring your aching heart, you managed to conjure up a similar smile.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, Wonjae."

***************************************************************************************************

my heart aches for kid milli!!! here is the valentine’s day scenario that none of y’all asked for :-) 

Piece By Piece (Reid x Reader)

Title: Piece By Piece Rating: T Word Count: 1676 Warnings: mild torture, if clubs make you uncomfortable lol Summary: anon requested: "can you do one where the reader is a stripper and her boyfriend Spencer hates her job and tries to convince her to quit and move in with him so he can support her but she refuses and ends up being kidnapped by an unsub. you can decide how it ends. love you!!!!!!" A/N: so one, I decided to make the ending p fluffy,hope that's alright ^^ Also sorry for the delay! Thank you so much for the request (which I'm still taking, btw ;))! ••• "Y/N, please," your boyfriend Spencer pleaded for the umpteenth time. "Spencer, I love you, but I'm fine, really," you said in an exasperated tone. All your conversations seemed to end the same way these days. You worked as a stripper, which made him uncomfortable. He trusted you entirely, but the men who ogled at you? Not so much. Your style wasn't incredibly dirty, nothing too risque ever occurred, but the way you twirled around the pole was what caught everyone's attention. Spencer admitted you were good at what you did, he couldn't deny that. But he found it unsafe. How many unsubs, he wondered, went after strippers? He could remember two instantly, and if he racked that brain of his, he would surely remember more. He loved you more than anything in the world and he made sure you knew it. He couldn't bear to see you hurt. You loved him just as much. The last eighteen months had been the best of your life. Spencer's pleas were getting harder to ignore. Honestly, as he asked you to move in with him every few days, you smiled at the very thought. However, you were as stubborn as a mule. If you caved now, he may think it alright to control you in other aspects of your life. Should you have to give up your profession for the love of your life? "Spencer, I'm going to be late," you whined, standing up from your table at the local coffee shop. He rose just as quickly, taking your hands in his, which were still warm from the mug of coffee. "Please consider?" he asked once more. "Ok, ok.. I love you, string bean," you smiled before pulling him into a soft kiss. "I love you, too," he murmured. "I'll call you in the morning?" you asked. He nodded. "I look forward to it." You picked up your duffle bag containing your work things, blowing him a kiss before beginning the walk to the studio. •• The night progressed as usual. The music coursed through your veins, shaking your whole being. The club was alive with patrons. Multicolored lights cascaded over your body as you danced on the smallish stage, all eyes on you as you performed proudly. Your dark purple crop top clung to you like elastic and your thigh-length skirt complimented your skin tone. You jumped up to reach the top of the pole you were using, only to swing back down flawlessly. You continued to do simpler tricks, which still had the predominantly male audience captivated. You held on with both hands before kicking your legs over your head. You twirled back down the pole, grinding against it before strutting off stage. Your skin glistened as you finished your routine and made your way to the lockers. After taking a long swig from your water bottle, you changed clothes and gathered your things. "See you later!" you called to your friend, Rebecca. "Bye, Y/N!" she replied cheerily. Her vibrantly dyed red hair was slick with sweat against her bare shoulders, similar to your (h/c) locks. She was a more sensual dancer, often getting up close and personal with clients. You walked out of the building, shuddering at the cool night air. The city lights ceased to illuminate your way as you neared your apartment complex. Thoughts of Spencer filled your brain as you considered yet again moving in. You pulled out your phone to dial his number when a heavy weight struck the back of your head, knocking you unconscious. ••• Spencer was erratic as he stormed into Quantico the next day. He practically barged into Hotch's office. "Y/N's gone," he panted, resisting the urge to sink to his knees. "What do you mean?" the older man asked. "She didn't call me, and she never even made it home last night." "She does look like the victims from our unsub... and she shares the same profession.. Reid, tell everyone to gather at the round table. I'll be there shortly." Spencer charged into the bullpen. "Guys, round table. Now," he ordered despite the crack in his voice. The others shared questioning looks as they followed him to the meeting room. "What's going on?" Morgan asked. No one could answer before Hotch arrived. "Y/N is missing, and we think it's the same unsub." Gasps filled the area as tears welled up in Penelope's eyes. The team loved Y/N almost as much as Spencer and had grown accustomed to her bright and kind personality. "Garcia, any new information?" "No sir," she whispered, wiping away the tear tracks. "Remember, the unsub is on a schedule. We have three days to save her, or he'll most likely kill her. Let's continue," he said curtly. Reid jogged to his maps, JJ followed Morgan and Rossi to interrogations, Penelope headed for her batcave, and Hotch went out on the field with Emily. "We'll find you, Y/N. don't worry," Reid murmured to himself. •• 49 hours. That's how long you had been missing. The team had made some progress, but had yet to hit a serious breakthrough. "It'll be ok," Penelope whispered in an attempt to comfort Spencer, but it wasn't enough to calm his nerves. "I miss her," he wailed before sinking into her embrace. "C'mon, boy wonder. We can do this. You and me, buddy boy, we're gonna find girl genius," she said decidedly, pulling Spencer up with her. She began typing away at her keyboard, Venn Diagrams filling her screen. "I found something!"she practically screeched. Spencer's head shot up and he raced over to her side. "What? What?" "Did Y/N know anyone named Rebecca?" she asked, turning to look at him. "Yeah, I think so. Why?" "On the other victim's social medias, a Rebecca is listed at least once. So, I did some digging, and it's the same girl. Her name's Rebecca Valentini, and can you guess her job?" Penelope asked. "A stripper," Reid guessed in awe. "Right-e-o! I'm sending her address to everyone's phones." "Thank you Garcia!" Spencer grinned, hugging Penelope before running to the others. ••• "So, Y/N... did you ever do any private parties?" You glared at Rebecca, who had you tied up from the rafters. "Fuck off," you muttered. "What?" she shrieked before slapping your left cheek. "I said fuck off!" you screamed at her. "You are gonna pay, slut!" Rebecca growled before pulling out a small knife. She placed it on your stomach and began doodling, leaving thin trails of blood to drip down your body. You hissed at the pain. Your whole body was bruised or cut in some way and you were pretty sure you had a concussion from the brick to the head. "Freeze! FBI!" Morgan called out before busting down the door. "Spencer!" you cried as your boyfriend flew into the room. "Rebecca, put the knife down," he warned, aiming his gun squarely on her. "Or what? You'll shoot me? Do it, I don't care!" She pushed the cool metal further into your abdomen, causing you to cry out. There was a "boom!" before Rebecca's body dropped to the floor. Spencer hurriedly put his still smoking gun away in his holster before running to your dangling form. He untied you swiftly before bundling you up in his arms. His trembling hands smoothed hair away from your forehead before pressing his lips against the skin. "I love you so much, shh, it's ok now," he murmured while rocking you back and forth. You sobbed into his Kevlar vest. "Spencer!" You repeated his name like a mantra as they pried you out of his grasp to take you to the hospital. Tears slipped down his cheeks as he was rejected from riding along in the ambulance, however he shouted that he was right behind you. •• Two weeks had passed, all of which you spent at Spencer's apartment. He never left your side for the first week, not even when the team had a case. However, when he was needed, he almost never put his phone down. You had taken off from work as well, and honestly, weren't sure if you would go back. However, if you had learned anything in the week you'd spent with Spencer, it was that you wanted to spend your life with him then more than ever. He took care of you, but stepped back when you asked him to. Once he learned you hated to be babied, he relented in his care-taking, helping you only when you asked or obviously needed it. Somehow his bed felt better than your own, even when he wasn't in it. His scent coated the sheets and pillowcases, lulling you to sleep every night. His arms cradled you perfectly as he clutched you to his chest, swearing he would never let you go again. His long fingertips ignited a flame in you you couldn't quite place, but never tried to dull. So, one evening, when the topic of moving in came up, you couldn't contain a Cheshire grin. "Y/N, I know how you feel about people taking care of you, but I need you. I need you so much, I can't lose you again. Please let me take care of you, please. I love you so much. Would please move in with me?" he begged with glossy eyes. Tears filled your own eyes as you latched onto him, mumbling "yes!" repeatedly. Something told you that even with Spencer's protectiveness, he wouldn't try to stop you from doing what made you happy. "Thank you," you whispered close to his ear. "Anything for you, love," he gushed, pulling back to cup your face in his hands. He peppered kisses all over your face, finishing by pecking your lips. "Spencer, what if I want to be a stripper again?" you whispered like it was a dirty secret. He was quiet for a moment before smiling softly. "Then that is your decision to make, and I will support you," he responded honestly. How did this man exist? "I'm not going to clip your wings, Y/N. I don't own you." He kissed your lips softly and slowly, a preview of many days to come.

in 2022 romanticizing toxic relationships are OUT and romanticizing sweet and handsome plus sized man x his fun and pretty wife is IN

hi gglam fandom i know yall are deader than the entire fucking dysquith family but can somebody help me sort out this family tree because it’s a mess no wonder monty chopped it down

I know it’s been a hot minute since BATB (2017) came out, but there’s something on my chest about it that I really need to get out (I swear I’m not going on my costume rant again) about it.

So, let’s talk about Howard Ashman.

Ashman died due to aids in 1991, the same year the original BATB came out. it was his last project (correct me if I’m wrong) and it’s because of this that the queer subtext is very strong. In a way, the beast was a metaphor for how he felt: he was an outcast because of who he was, and everyone hated him for it. Notice how, after the Mob Song, the Beast doesn’t try to fight back against the mob/Gaston? He’s just sad and wants it to be over. He’s defended by the castle staff, who I guess could represent the queer community in the 1990s but more on that later. The town praises Gaston, who’s an allegory for homophobia. Some of the words in the Mob Song hit different when you think of it in that context (“we don’t like what we don’t understand, it frankly scares us”). Of course, I can’t necessarily confirm that this was the message Ashman was working towards, but that’s the overall metaphor I’ve seen people agree on.

Now, let’s talk about LeFou.

LeFou is, even in the remake, Gaston’s lackey. Despite his change of heart, he’s still the villain’s minion. He’s the punching bag/butt of the joke, and is treated as such, even in the remake. Having the character written to represent the bigoted, ignorant public to be your token gay character feels insulting, especially when it’s heavily implied that they have a thing for the human embodiment of homophobia.

I’m not trying to say that the representation was necessarily bad. I’m glad there was some, and I think Josh Gad put a lot of heart into the role. However, the history and subtext behind it doesn’t sit right with me, at least.

But ourladyofghouls, you’re probably not asking, if LeFou shouldn’t have been the LGBT representation, who could have been?

And with that, I bring you Mr. David Ogden Stiers.

Stiers was the voice actor for Cogsworth in the original and was, also, a gay man. Even though he plays a supporting/comedic character, it’s important to note that, despite some queercoding, wasn’t written to be bad or harmful. He supports our tragic protagonist and is a pretty nice guy overall, all bitterness aside. Hell, he was even slightly based on Stier’s role in M*A*S*H. With these ties to a known gay actor, and the intentions of Howard Ashman, he would’ve been an easier and less derogatory option. Ian McKellen, who plays him in the 2017 version, is ALSO an openly gay man. I’m 99% certain that, when it was announced that BatB 2017 would have a gay character, Cogs was the first character that came to most minds.

I should mention that I’m aro/ace, and can’t exactly connect with the struggles and feelings of the gay community, since they’ve gone through significantly more hardships over history. However, I personally believe that LeFou being gay was poorly written and disrespectful to Howard Ashman (and, by some extent, David Ogden Stiers, who died in 2018). I’m open to commentary and criticisms from those who have a different opinion than mine, and I’d love to hear other takes on this that I haven’t considered. With that being said, best wishes to everyone, and happy pride month.

altered carbon was okay but god,, they really peaked when they made poe didn’t they

anyway fuck the trope where after being violently abused, the victim forgives their abuser and falls in love with them. I don’t mean they start as enemies, I mean actively trying to kill each other/lack of consent.

does anything beat a good fight scene? like a big one that’s got a lil bit of slapstick and fun dialogue? some good one-liners? none of that blood and guts and angst shit i mean a good fight scene? the answer is no.

hey ya’ll can some of you,, like,, leave neil alone about Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship? There’s enough additional things in the show and most of the cast ships them anyway, so it’s sorta canon, even if it hasn’t been officially announced.

That being said, Neil can’t talk with Terry about major changes. Changing anything major without his consent is kinda iffy, since it’s his book as much as Neil’s. Also, it’s getting super annoying. You can’t expect Neil to pull a JK Rowling because some of you heckled him into doing it.

I ship them as much as the next guy, believe me, so I’m not trying to talk down on anyone who does, but please don’t. Just don’t.

yknow what i think is a funny coincidence?

angela lansbury, david ogden stiers, and jerry orbach were all in Murder, She Wrote at some point (some more than others).

yeah, these guys

and i think it’s oddly entertaining that the voices of Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, and Lumiere were grouped together for more than one reason.

i’m definitely late to finding this out but,,

you guys remember Mac Tonight? That super cryptic McDonald’s commercial?

This one?

Yeah. You know who plays Mac the moon-head guy?

Doug Jones.

Critically acclaimed actor Doug Jones, known for The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, Hocus Pocus, etc. played motherfucking MAC TONIGHT.