Tumgik
#the first is NOT A BEAVER. i know that it looks like a beaver but this is a nutria (coypu) <awful name. nutria for the win
teeth--thief · 14 days
Text
The liquidators (and a journalist) of Chernobyl: some of my favourite lesser known pictures
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
24 notes · View notes
carcarrot · 11 months
Text
im just going to go off in the tags for my review but last nights concert was crazy, entertaining, and crazily entertaining. while they did not play the rhythm thief clearly my rhythm, if i ever had any, was stolen and ron and russell were easily able to see my lack of clapping and dancing skills. when will those 70+ year old men stop beating me at everything
#you would think clapping on the beat is easy. not when youre on a level of excitement you havent been since you were a kid#in all seriousness my sarcastic tone is covering the fact that i really did enjoy it all so much. now on to the analysis#we'll get right to the heart of the matter: russell was sweating three songs in and well. there are many benefits to being in the front row#im really really sorry. but. good god i may have been looking at his neck a lot of the time#also it may have been during the first song but i feel like it was during another one where he jumped (beaver o'lindy?)#and my eyebrow raise and look of 👁️👄👁️ when his shirt rode up was very palpable. i was very close .#i think russ looked at me a couple times near the start but it was more of a dfjfljkda dont look at me im staring at u like 😍 moment for me#im just so self conscious it hurts! but i was smiling my head off the entire time while also not knowing how to stand#the front row was standing the entire time it was wild#also i think the moment i predicted did happen of ron giving me a look like 🤨 for knowing all the lyrics to one of their more obscure songs#but i could be wrong.#russell was bouncing off the walls as usual but good god to see it in person. and he sounded incredible!!!!#i also could not resist bouncing a few times. its contagious. plus you gotta do it during music that you can dance to#good gosh what a fun time.#at the end of the concert someone was like 'i could see you looking with such love' like yes very true. good to know it was obvious#can i just say again russell was sooo. its a different thing altogether seeing him like 6 feet away in the Real World#did i mention how sweaty he was. ok review almost over#still no eaten by the monster of love but hard to complain with such a great show#spars#sparks tour 2023 spoilers
10 notes · View notes
inkskinned · 3 months
Text
the car broke down by the denny's where you used to work and therefore could never return to. i am trying to pick out the satisfying parts of my life, one-by-one, like i am 12 and in a frog dissection. everything in my life all viscera and formaldehyde. if i can sort the good things from the bad things, i will have a nice clean pile.
i call you and make it sound like i am happy and hangin' in there! when really i am kicking a rock and i am outside without a jacket and i am so in love with you it makes the little bones in my ear shake. someone called my tinnitus an angel choir. i like that it means i carry the echo of every concert.
this isn't the right setting for love. this is a roadside, and a denny's, and i am nauseous and ashamed i never escaped the town where i grew up. the clouds here are this strange yellow, like spilled sour milk. "someone once told me that the orange coating on the teeth of a beaver is due to the particularly high rate of iron in their enamel," i tell you. "the beaver is the largest rodent native to north america."
your voice is crackly on the other end. i'm going into a garage soon, i might lose you.
what i should be doing is calling the tow truck and explaining that my brother's car (that i'm borrowing) (that i broke now, i guess) needs to be lifted by another, bigger, stronger car (which is love too, i guess).
i shouldn't say so much. i should wait, and let you ask about my mom, and ask if i ever got over that cold, or how it's going at work. i should let you lead the conversation, for once, so the love doesn't leak out of me into the gravel. i open my mouth anyway. "if you had to choose between being a beaver with very few trees or being a tree around a bunch of beavers, which would it be?"
i don't know. your voice always has this warm cast to it when you talk to me, but maybe i am just imagining that - i am a poet, though, so i imagine things sort of chronically. through the static, you sound like you're laughing. are you the beaver?
i know, like, logically, not to fall in love with a girl-that-is-your-best-friend. like, who would i even call if we broke up? you're my best friend, you're the person i'd want to speak to. so what if these last few months we keep sleeping over at each other's houses, calling each other for hours, sending each other poems. so what if you keep wrapping your fingers into mine. no best friends. that is the first rule. what you are supposed to do in that situation is leave the situation.
but my car broke down, so. where exactly am i going to go? the car is a very-old chevvy and also where i almost-but-not-quite kissed you after you'd raised one shoulder and looked up at me and said i don't know, i think i'm straight, but for the right person - i'd try anything. the music had been good and it had been raining and your thick eyelashes had made me feel god crawling up my throat like a spider. and i didn't kiss you, because i am a coward.
anyway on the chevy the whole exhaust pipe fell out, and is now scraping on the ground like one silver finger stroking the back of the highway. recently we were watching netflix in my bed and you pushed my hair back from my face like you were making the slowest, most desperate prayer, and then your boyfriend called. i remember us both jumping. i couldn't look at you in the eyes for like a week after. i kept feeling the heat of your fingerprint; computer science, you'd unlocked something dark in me.
google says the closest tow (joe's pick up) is 50 minutes away and also closed permanently. so that's not great. you live in another state and i should be calling my insurance company. i should be calling anybody else. this is not helping. i need an uber. i need to get moving. instead i say: "i need three words for a poem."
yesterday i said love you, goodnight after our 2 hour call like always and then you just, like. paused. all i could hear was your breathing. and then you'd said what a pretty three-word poem. i love you too, sweet thing. the words made my tinnitus act up again, and i must have some kind of synesthesia, because the sound travelled into my mind until it became the shape wedding rings.
orange, you say. the static is now chewing through most of your words and i only catch - borrowing the chevy -
the call dies. i have 12% battery. i never get the 3rd word, but i know you're still going to get a poem from me. actually this rest stop is kind of pretty, and so is the exhaust pipe, and so is joe's pick up, and so are the clouds. the light here is the color of a glue trap. before you worked at the denny's, we used to get milkshakes every wednesday and called it a friend date. you said you'd wanted to work there because it reminded you of me.
the sign's gone dim. the letters now spell out deny. and isn't that something.
2K notes · View notes
vanteguccir · 2 months
Text
TikTok trends | Matt Sturniolo | pt. 3
Tumblr media
Matt Sturniolo x reader
Summary: 4 times that Y/N and Matt made a couple's trend on tiktok.
Warning: None.
Requested?: Yes, by anons and @remussbitch
Author's note: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.
༻✦༺  ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺
1.
Y/N sat on Matt's lap, who was sitting on his gaming chair, stretching her torso so that she could reach her phone that was on the computer desk.
The TikTok camera screen was already open and ready to start recording. The girl quickly clicked the red button before settling on Matt's thighs, smiling slightly.
Matt's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to his body so that her back was pressed firmly against his chest.
"Hi guys! After many requests from you, today, Matt will finally tell how we started our relationship." She explained to the camera while gesturing.
"That's right! Well, as you already know we grew up in the same neighborhood-" Matt stopped his sentence when his eyes focused on Y/N through the phone screen, seeing her upper lip stuck above her teeth, forming a beaver smile. "Babe, are you okay?" He moved slightly away from her, leaning to his left side so he could see her side profile up close.
"Yes, why?" Y/N dropped her expression, looking back at him with a frown as if he were crazy.
"Nothing." He shook his head, raising his eyebrows before returning to his starting position. "So, Mary Lou knew Y/N's mom-" Matt stopped abruptly when he saw her making the same face out of the corner of his eye.
The boy took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily while shaking his head before looking at her phone, about to speak again.
Y/N quickly returned with the weird smile, looking at him from the corner of her eyes as she swallowed her laugh.
"Y/N, stop! I'm trying to tell the story!" Matt spoke, his tone coming out slightly irritated. His hands grabbed his girlfriend's waist and pushed her slightly forward, making her sit on his knees. "So, she was always in my house just like I was in hers. We were inseparable-"
"Yes!" Y/N nodded repeatedly, opening a huge smile.
"Oh my God... You're going to give me nightmares if you keep this up." Matt sighed deeply.
"But I'm not doing anything!" The girl replied, noticing him starting to get upset.
"You be like-" He imitated the huge smile before rolling his eyes. "Are you making fun of my smile because of my big teeth?"
"What? Baby, of course not. I'm-" Y/N interrupted her sentence when she saw Matt's eyes take on a sad look, looking at her seriously while pressing his lips into a thin line. "Babe, no! I love your smile more than anything." She insisted, tilting her upper body to the side so she could see him over her shoulder.
"But then why do you keep doing this?" Matt looked up at her again, his tone full of insecurity, a frown decorating his face.
"Oh my love, it's just a prank! I love your smile, I promise. No wonder I compliment it all the time." Y/N moved so that she was sitting sideways on Matt's lap, raising her hands to his face, cupping his jaw affectionately.
"Hm..." He muttered, looking at the camera for a second before focusing on her face, a small smile growing on his lips. "I'll finish telling it with you like this now then." Matt raised his right hand, pressing his palm against his girlfriend's lips jokingly.
Y/N threw her head back, letting out a loud laugh, feeling relief to see her boy happy again.
༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
2.
"I'm dating a triplet, of course most of our dates will be interrupted by one of his brothers." Y/N spoke to the front camera of her phone, before double clicking on the screen so that the back one recorded her boyfriend, Matt, and his brother, Chris, sitting on the other side of the table, side by side.
Chris had an almost childish smile on his face and bright eyes, his hand resting on the table; while Matt had a look of boredom, his head resting in the palm of his hand, which was held up by his elbow on the wooden surface.
CUT
"I'm dating a triplet, of course I'm going to have to fight with the younger triplet every time only to be able to sit in the front seat." Y/N spoke again to the front camera of her cell so that it caught her figure sitting in the passenger seat.
Her hand moved, causing the camera to catch Chris sitting on the seat behind her, his face showing an angry look with his arms crossed against his chest, Nick's laugh sounding in the background.
CUT
"I'm dating a triplet, of course one of the other two is my best friend." Y/N spoke to the front camera, smiling as she moved her hand so the lens caught Nick.
The boy was sitting next to her on the bed in her shared room with Matt, his legs crossed on the mattress and several snacks surrounding him.
Nick lifted his face that was focused on his own phone, turning it towards the camera and opening a big smile. He raised his right hand, making the peace sign, before a laugh escaped his lips.
CUT
"I'm dating a triplet, of course people ask me which one is my boyfriend." Y/N spoke to her phone.
A chuckle escaped her lips as Matt's head appeared next to hers, his right eyebrow raised in confrontation.
"It's me, guys!"
CUT
"I'm dating a triplet, of course Matt and I have to go out at any time of the day with the car to pick up Chris or Nick from some appointment they had." Y/N spoke again, smiling and moving her hand so that the front camera of her cell caught Matt, who was driving with a concentrated look on his face.
The brunette hit the brakes seconds after, parking the car on the side of the street, turning to his girlfriend and playfully rolling his eyes at the camera, nodding his head.
Y/N double-clicked on the screen, recording the sidewalk with the rear camera, showing Nick and Chris with backpacks on their backs and looking around, searching for them with their eyes.
Her and Matt's laughter sounded from behind the phone before the TikTok ended.
༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
3.
"Had to tell her that dick off-limits. I hop on it at night, I'm a menace"
Y/N had her back to the closed closet doors in her shared room with Matt. Her right hand was raised and supporting her phone horizontally, so that the front camera recorded from her collarbone upwards.
The room's lights were dimmed, and only the LED lights were lit in a reddish color.
The girl lipsynched the lyrics, smirking as she stared at her phone screen, her red lip gloss shining with the movements of her lips.
"Uh, uh, yeah, he gets to strokin; ooh, how I love when he chokin' me"
Her hand moved up and down almost imperceptibly, following the three opening moans of the last lyrics.
Matt's tattooed arm appeared in the frame, exactly at the height of her shoulders. His large hand encircled her neck perfectly, just like a necklace. His fingers pressed against her skin hard enough that it was apparent he was doing it.
Y/N opened her lips slightly, smirking before catching her bottom lip between her teeth. She threw a wink at the camera before the TikTok ended.
༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺
4.
Y/N leaned her upper body forward slightly, positioning her phone on the computer desk in her shared room with Matt, clicking the red button on the TikTok recording screen.
She straightened her body, standing next to her boyfriend.
Matt had his arms crossed, his posture straight and his face with a slightly confused look. His blue eyes flicked from the camera to Y/N and back, waiting for her to do what she wanted, even if he didn't know what it was.
"If you want to get to him, you have to go through me first." Y/N spoke to the camera, raising her eyebrows in confrontation as she pointed at Matt with the thumb of her left hand.
The brunette pressed his lips into a thin line, holding back his laughter while frowning in confusion, his blue eyes focusing on his girlfriend's figure through the phone screen.
The girl turned towards him, approaching his body and standing on tiptoe. Matt quickly understood what she wanted to do, shaking his head in amusement before lowering it so that their faces were close.
Y/N sealed their lips in a simple kiss, pulling away seconds after and returning to her previous position.
"He's the best big brother ever." She added, crossing her arms and raising her chin with a snobbish look.
"Babe, what the fuck?" Matt's voice came out high-pitched, his eyes widening comically as he raised his arms in ecstasy, taking a few steps back, almost tripping over his own feet.
"Oh, yeah. She's our lost sister." The sound of Chris's voice sounded from the door, he having heard them as he passed through the hallway that led to their bedroom, heading towards the kitchen.
Y/N threw her head back, her mouth opening as loud laughter escaped from her throat.
༻✦༺  ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺
My asks are always open. My requests are closed at the moment since I have 50 to work in, but you can always send questions or simply talk to me 🩷💋
And remember to treat people with kindness always!
Tumblr media
~ taglist:
@lustfulslxt @ladybunny44 @worldlxvlys @earth2starkey @remussbitch @freshloveforthefit @il0vebeingdelulu @sturniolowhore @mimi-luvzyu @alorsxsturn @urfavgirllyyyyy @domizzzsstuff @sturnizd @hearts4chris @cupidzsq @dracoflaco @leah-loves-lilies @tylerthecreatorsrealwife @rootbeerworshiper @junnniiieee07 @elliesturniolo1 @sstvrnioloo @lightsgore @gidgett11037 @sturniolho @ksskianshd @ccolleenn @iammattswife @starsturns234
(If you want to be added to the taglist, please comment here)
1K notes · View notes
ithebookhoarder · 5 months
Text
(BAU Headcanons) Spending a day off with your S.O.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Aaron Hotchner
Ok. So. First of all... Aaron's casual wardrobe is sinful and I feel like I need to mention it when talking about days off. After all, he's not going to turn down the excuse not to wear a shirt and tie, knowing jeans and his usual polo shirts are better suited to both relaxing and possibly chasing after Jack.
If you two ever got a rare day off then he would do his best to make you breakfast in bed, knowing that having an excuse to stay in bed is a luxury.
If Jack is with you, and not at Jessica's, then you know Jack would be right next to him in the kitchen, begging to help. I mean, if you watch Bluey, picture the episode where Bingo is trying to make that omelette for Bandit on his birthday... that's basically the vibe here.
Hotch wouldn’t try to force you out of the house if you didn’t want to go, as he’s perfectly happy to stay in and play with you and Jack. After all, you have the most recent lego set, which you bought him for his birthday, to finish building.
"You up for that buddy? Six hands are better than four, after all."
Or, if you don't have the energy or patience, then you three can curl up on the sofa together and watch movies and the backlog of tv shows you’ve missed out on whilst you’ve been away working. 
Fun Fact: Aaron would rather die than admit to the rest of the BAU that you got him hooked on reality shows like The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills or Below Deck -but he is. He finds them fascinating case studies in human behaviour... or that's his excuse anyway when you call him out on it.
However, if you do want to actually leave the house and get outside then he’d be pretty relaxed about whatever it is you wanted to do, as long as you could all do it together. 
He'd also love it if you both got the chance to go for a run, enjoying the rare opportunity to race you through the nearby park. You can just soak in the sunshine and watch the other people as they make their way through the world, before grabbing a coffee on your way home.  
Tumblr media Tumblr media
David Rossi 
Rossi is a man who knows the value of creature comforts, as we've seen repeatedly in the show. You know this man enjoys having time off to indulge himself - and you too.
As soon as he knows he has the day off, you can bet he's driving you to the local farmer's market to buy all the ingredients needed for a home cooked feast. 
Despite promising to be there only an hour, you know he's the kind of person who would talk to each and every vendor, learning all their names and asking after their families as if they've been friends since birth.
You'd end up spending almost the entire morning - and part of the afternoon - shopping, sampling various treats and wares, and buying several bag's worth, before you're finally able to drag him back to the car.
As he's cooking, Rossi would definitely play his favourite records. He alternates between crooning along and telling you tidbits about the artists - and the many crazy memories he has about these records.
"Did I ever tell you about the time I first heard this? We were in this tiny little motel, in the middle of a horrific blizzard, and several whiskeys in..."
It's hard not to get distracted, drawn in as he pulls you close and starts dancing about the kitchen. You'd get so distracted that you almost let dinner spoil and only remember it's even there when you start to smell something burning.
"Ah! Merda!"
After dinner you know you'd end up outside on his patio, enjoying the view as the sun goes down, over a cocktail of his choosing.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Derek Morgan
You know this eager beaver would not be spending a day off with you doing nothing or letting the day ‘go to waste’.
He’d be at your doorstep bright and early, looking unfairly energetic for someone who has been running on minimal sleep all week.
Thankfully, he brings coffee and breakfast with him which is his way of bribing you to get your ass up and out with him. 
As for the day itself, he’d either have the day planned to a ’t’ or he’d have nothing planned at all. 
“Relax, sweetness, we’re letting the day take us where it may. Enjoy the ride.” 
He'd love having a reason to take you to whatever property he's renovating, hoping to share his vision for the place and getting your opinion on it all.
He'd even let you have a swing or two with a sledgehammer if there's a dry-wall that needs taking down. It's a great stress-reliever for you both, and there's nothing like hammering along in the time to beat of whatever playlist he's chosen.
He'd also order you a pizza, or whatever take-out you fancied, as payment for all your hard work.
You know he'd also been keen to help you wash up later, running you both a hot bath to soak in as you actually have the time to enjoy it.
And just between us - he knows Hotch and Rossi would have his guts his they found out - but he may or may not have left your cellphones on the bed-side table just to ensure you get an hour of peace, undisturbed...
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Emily Prentiss
Ok. So. Emily loves having a day off almost as much as she enjoys working.
She doesn't require much in the way of plans. In fact, her ideal day off from the BAU involves you, a crossword puzzle, and your usual table by the window at the coffee shop around the corner.
It's right by the window, so you can bathe in the sun whilst you nurse your way through coffee after coffee.
The whole place reminds her of one similar that she spent her time in, in Paris. Just like then, she loves reading books, and completing the daily crossword with your help.
"Damn it. This is what time in Europe gets you - I forgot there's no 'u' in color. No wonder it wasn't fitting."
Emily also has a game she likes to play, watching the people around you, guessing what their stories are and imaging outlandish profiles for them all. It's a privilege to enjoy it when it's for entertainment and not out of a need to be aware of your surroundings or an ongoing threat assessment. 
Afterwards, you'd go for a stroll around the park and most likely visit the shops you rarely get a chance to.
You both spend ages going through the racks and modelling outfits for one another, knowing you need some new things to fill out your wardrobes other than work-attire. It's a like private treat for yourselves.
Once you're home again, I feel Emily would want to cook and would do a pretty good job when she has the energy. However, she is not above ordering takeout when you both can’t be bothered. 
After all, it gives you both more time together to lie in bed, with Sergio curled up between you, purring loudly as you take it in turns to pet him.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
JJ
Depending on when you two got together (before or after Will), she would love to have a chance for the both of you to spend the day with Henry.
You're her family and the most important thing in the world to her. It's why she can't stop beaming as you spend the afternoon at the park together, running rings around the place and clambering all over the playground.
"I swear this kid is faster than most of the Unsubs we chase - and more sneaky too."
JJ would bring all your favourite snacks with her so you can all lie out on the grass and feast once your energy levels drop. She doesn't even mention the sugar content or how many E-numbers there are. You all deserve a treat, Henry included, so she's willing to put her 'mom hat' aside for a minute.
I feel like she'd also try and put her mom hat aside so you two can have some time without a child in tow. She'd try and make a last minute arrangement to get a sitter so you two can have some 'adult' time.
This normally involves making a reservation at your favourite restaurant, and insisting on you both dressing fancy just for the fun of it.
After all, you never get to play at being grown ups and just enjoy wearing something because it looks nice and not because you can run around in the field in it.
"I've had these heels for years and I swear I've only got to wear them like three times - and this skirt! I love this skirt."
Once you get to the restaurant, you spend hours just talking, drinking, and eating before taking a stroll on the way home.
You then curl up in bed and fall asleep to the sound of the TV playing your favourite movies, safe and warm in each other's arms.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Penelope Garcia 
This girl is the queen of relaxing. If she doesn’t have to be awake before noon then you can bet your ass she’ll be tucked up and toasty till 12:01. 
Once she's awake, however, she's a flustered mess, struggling to pick between her various plans for your time off together. There's just so much she wants to do with you and never enough time.
"What? I'm the queen of fun and I just want to make sure we make the most of our time together, sugar plum. I can't help it. I'm excited to have a day just you and me, not that I don't love the others too. I do, but you know, just having it be us is rare -"
You stop her rambling with a kiss, which of course makes her melt.
I feel like Penelope would always try and spend part of the day with you in the kitchen, baking a new recipe to take to work for the others to try.
She'd also love spending the day on the sofa with you, watching either a Rom-com or a Sci-fi marathon (depending on your moods).
Once the decision has been made, she'd insist on gathering supplies - AKA: onesies, takeout and face masks.
"It's the holy trinity of self-care," she explains, holding up your choices. "Now, do you want the tea-tree or coconut face mask?"
However, if you do feel like getting out of the house, then Penelope would take you on theatre trips - which are booked last minute but with amazing seats (courtesy of Penelope’s connections and slightly unorthodox know-how).
The others are still jealous after finding out she got you tickets to Hamilton, front row, with the original cast.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Dr Spencer Reid
You know Spencer is the kind of person that has a list of things the size of his arm that he’d love to do with you on a rare day off. 
You’d probably have to negotiate with him to figure out which ones you could reasonably do in just 24 hours - and you try to find a balance between appeasing his interests and yours. 
For example, you don’t mind sitting through a Russian movie festival if afterwards he agrees to let you wander around your favourite bookshop and spend as long as you want exploring the shelves - without him critiquing or spoiling the endings before you even have a chance to read the blurb. 
If you also happened to let it slip that you'd never watched every single episode of Doctor Who that's ever been made, then you know your future days off will be spent marathoning on the couch. 
"I'm just saying that he's underrated as the Doctor as arguably the narratives of his episodes are far better developed and reflect the point of the show, which is that the Doctor isn't perfect but rather a time-travelling refugee who acts as a healer, counsellor, and protector of the universe. It's why he calls himself 'The Doctor' ..."
He always looks so adorable when he gets excited about something he loves. It's hard not to fall in love with him all over again.
Apart from watching TV, you both also love spending days off on that couch, curled up together, reading your way through the stack of books you both had in your never ending ‘TBR’ pile. 
Spencer would love listening to you discuss whatever you're reading, doing his best to memorise the characters, plots, and your thoughts on both. It's the least he can do when you listen so patiently every time he starts rambling on about whatever his latest hyper-fixation is.
"Can I... can I borrow that when you're finished? I'm now curious - just don't tell the others, ok?"
Tumblr media
Masterlist
649 notes · View notes
xxgoblin-dumplingxx · 2 months
Note
I’m loving so much the new disowned verse omg, it is so good, you are a genius.
But I’m curious, how did reader and jason met?
The apartment was in a cracker box of a building with thin walls. His neighbors were a young couple that fought about money 25/8 and an elderly 'Nam Vet who liked his porno but- he could cope.
It was different than Gotham. There weren't constant gunshots. And that was weird. But. He knew better than to think his PI license wouldn't make him some money. Even out in the sticks. There was always a contentious divorce. There was always something not quite right. Cops in over their heads.
And he'd have down time. He could read. Work on his bike. Fuck. Maybe even actually go see a movie... Sure. He knew eventually he'd get bored but. For now, he was looking forward to it.
He shut the door and locked it behind him, frowning just slightly and making a note to get a better lock while he was out. He doubted he could find anything super great in town- he'd probably have to order something but. He'd passed a hardware store in town so... it might be worth checking out. If he made friends with the old guy that probably ran it he could probably get some special orders if he needed it.
So he set off that direction, wandering on foot down the sidewalks and taking note of the other houses. It was the middle of the afternoon. And the lunch whistles at the old factory still sounded at nood and then 30 minutes later. Tucked away from the tree-lined main drag, the houses back here varied from run down to better homes and gardens.
That tracked.
They got better closer to the front. The older show homes outweighed the eyesores. American primitive lawn decor. A surprising number of pineapples- and he snorted, wondering if it had come from a big box store or if it was a signal. Or both.
Still.
By the time he made it to the hardware store, he was reasonably certain he could stay busy. All was not as Leave it to Beaver as the Town Council would have you believe. And the first place he was gonna leave a flyer was in the beauty shop. Those old biddies HAD to have some shit to stir up.
He shouldered the door open and a bell, an actual bell, chimed. And he smiled a little taking a deep breath. The smell of dust, tools, and old well-maintained wood hit his nose and he exhaled. Definitely not going to find any high tech locks here. But, he had a soft spot for independent shops.
"Be with you in a minute!"
The voice made him jump. Not the gruff voice of a grumpy old fuck he expected. And it made him search of the source. Curious. "No worries," he said, walking a little farther towards where he'd heard it. Finding a young woman on a ladder stocking some boxes of bolts on a shelf. A pink canvas gardening apron tied around her hips to hold more boxes. "You got door locks?" he asked.
"Aisle 5 next to the paver catalogs," you tell him, steadying yourself so you can turn and glance down at him.
"Perfect," he said, "Thanks."
"Mhm, let me know if you need anything else," you tell him.
Jason paused and looked around, "Think you can put a tool box together for me I just moved and-"
"Ah, yeah. One Bachelor special," you tell him," Jumping down from the ladder, "I think I can get you fixed up. At least enough to get you started. You'll be smashing your thumbs in no time."
"Got a first aid kit too?"
"Right up at the counter," you snort. "But if you want anything special, you gotta see Adam at the Pharmacy. Mine are pretty basic."
"I can deal with basic- at least until you sell me a band saw-"
"Oh lord."
263 notes · View notes
hyprfxtdbstrd · 9 months
Text
(HUGE rdr2 spoilers)
do you ever think about the process of charles burying arthur? at first i didn't think about it much but then i saw people talking about it more and now im just in pain
charles says that he buried arthur after 'word got up to him up north.' how long would that take? weeks, probably. then he'd have to actually locate arthur's body—he obviously found grimshaw and buried her first, as she died at beaver hollow. assuming that the pinkerton's left arthur's body where he died, charles likely would've had to find arthur's body using weeks-old tracks. he'd find arthur's horse first. did he bury the horse too? i don't think he would purely for logistics reasons, but i do think he would've had a moment of silence or something. he knew how much arthur cared for his horse(s). he'd find arthur's body and put him on taima (which is a parallel to the beginning of the game—taima is the first and last horse that carries arthur). he'd try to find a fitting burial place. how long would he spend looking? how long was he traveling with arthur's rotting corpse? how could he stand to even be around it, the body of one of his closest friends?
but he found a place. a place with a good view of the natural world. he carved out a grave marker that's more complex than any other we've seen made for the fallen gang members. he carved a quote that he felt described arthur at his core, even if arthur never saw himself that way and wasn't even a religious man to begin with (seeing as it is a quote from the bible). he planted flowers because he knew arthur had a deep appreciation for nature. how long did he spend making that grave? how long did he sit there afterwards? was he the calm, collected man we know him to be or was he angry or upset or heartbroken?
i wish they'd gotten a happy ending together. i wish they'd had more time.
623 notes · View notes
ellethespaceunicorn · 2 months
Text
The Howling in Claw Creek Forest, Chapter Seven
Tumblr media
Chapter Seven: Marked By The Wolf
Rating: Mature, 18+, Minors – DNI
Pairing: Werewolf!Walter Marshall x Reader
Word Count: ~4.8K (ya waited extra-long; ya get an extra-long chapter)
Series Summary: You live in a small town called Claw Creek, surrounded by a deep, dark forest. Since you were a kid, an urban legend of the creature in the woods has been told. If the distant howls at night and mutilated livestock are anything to go by, you fear the stories to be true.
Chapter Summary: It’s the night of the full moon. The plan? Invite Sy over to the cabin to keep an eye on him in case he shifts. WCGW? 
Warnings: verbal fight, angst
A/N: Thank you for being patient with me, guys! And I see y’all reblogging the masterlist for the series. And I thank you so much for keeping this story alive! A special thank you to @peyton-warren for being my lovely beta and soundboard for this. Cuz ya girl was struggling with this chapter for many moons.
Dividers by me
Support/Reblog banner by me
Cover Art by me
Series Masterlist
My Masterlist
Tumblr media
Over the next day or so, you get to know Jace. You’d learned his full first name, but “only ko’u makuahine calls me Jason”. Growing up in Hawaii shaped the man he is today, and he misses home a lot. But with Walter in his pack, and being Faye’s godfather, he’s made his own little family.
For a while, it seems like he may be flirting with you. But that quickly fades into something else. You’re only mildly upset when he refers to you as kaikuahine. Firstly, because you had no idea what it meant. Secondly, because when you found out it meant ‘sister’, you had to remind yourself that you have a perfectly great werewolf boyfriend of your own already.
‘Calm down, girl,’ you thought, thinking of your eager beaver.
Walter notices the way your demeanor changes and takes your hand, leading you upstairs. Your confusion only amuses Jace, who seems to know something you don’t. Once you make it into Walter’s bedroom, you are spun against the door. He attacks your neck, licking and nipping at the sensitive flesh until you tangle your fingers in his chestnut curls. Your mind reels, wondering what’s gotten into him.
And then it hits you.
He’s…jealous!
Oh, this is too good. That’s twice tonight that he’s been struck with jealousy. Earlier with Sy’s thirst trap and now with your flirtatious nature. You are beyond flattered, but you refuse to let this man get too far gone. With your hand in his hair, you tighten your fingers and pry him from your neck.
Once his face is in front of yours, you notice his wild eyes where black replaces blue. He looks ready to eat you, and as much as you would like that, you decide to try and calm the beast within.
“Walter, baby? I need you to calm down for a sec,” you beg, both hands tangling in his hair to soothe his soul, “Come on back to me, baby.”
Blinking once, then twice, his eyes finally focus on you, and the trance is gone. His giant paws rush to your face and then to the tender skin of your neck where his teeth were grazing. He winces when you grimace at the feel of his thumb on your sore flesh.
“Pup, I am so sorry. I don’t know what got into me. I was−”
“Jealous?” you supply, already knowing what this was.
“I can’t help it. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. It’s jealousy, sure. But it feels deeper than that. I felt the need to mark you as mine. You’re sort of a natural flirt, you know that?” he probes, a soft smile on his face.
“Well, I mean, I can see that. I guess I’ve never really thought about it. No one has ever brought it up,” you explain, looking back on all the times that men thought you were flirting with them but were just being nice. 
“Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to make sure that Jace knew you were taken. He has an effect on women,” he expresses, “But it seems he only sees you as a sister, so I don’t have to worry about you two riding off into the sunset, now do I?” 
“Wow, that was kinda bitchy. But also, incredibly hot that you thought I could be influenced by another big pretty werewolf,” you tease, leaning up on your tippy toes to place a kiss on the end of his nose before pushing back from the door so you could open it and leave.
“You think he’s pretty?” Walter shouts after you.
You laugh, swiftly jogging down the stairs to find an equally amused Jace sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table, perfectly at home.
Trying to keep yourself from feeling embarrassed, you plop down next to him on the couch. While you are snuggling into his side, he chuckles and jokes that you should watch out for “the big, bad wolf”. Just as the words leave his mouth, Walter appears on the other side of you, having leapt over the couch. You’re officially squeezed in between the two large wolves, and you suddenly feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Between the warmth radiating from both men, the way they commented on the Forged in Fire episode playing in the background, and the long day finally catching up with you, you had no choice but to fall asleep. You remember leaning your head against Jace’s beefy shoulder after he splayed both arms along the back of the couch. At some point during the night, you awake to find yourself sprawled across both of their laps. Your head is in Walter’s lap and your blanket-covered feet are shoved under Jace’s thigh.
The television screen asking if you’re still watching illuminates the faces of the snoring wolves at either side of you. Walter’s hand on your shoulder twitches as he feels you shifting. Shuffling your ankles, Jace sleepily readjusts to give you room before lowering his thigh back over your feet. All of this was done while they were asleep as if it was second nature to want to keep you safe and warm.
And you weren’t going to complain about being in a literal wolf pile. Instead, you snuggle into your blanket and let yourself drift off again.
Tumblr media
When you awaken, the mid-morning sun is flooding through the windows. You’re still on the couch, but no longer surrounded by your wolf-shaped furnaces. Getting up from the couch, you wrap the blanket around your shoulders and go in search of coffee. 
Shuffling into the kitchen, you brush past where Walter is plating some waffles. You make it to the coffee machine and pour yourself a cup, adding in your sugar and cream and stirring it until it hits that perfect shade. Taking that first sip is nirvana. As the temperature of the hot beverage slides down your throat, you are warmed from the inside out. Now, you can officially say you have woken up.
You turn around to lean against the counter and are surprised to see both wolves looking at you and smiling. “What?”
“Oh, nothing. Just we were trying to get your attention, but I see Walter was right about you loving java. You have your priorities straight, is all,” Jace winks at you before sipping his coffee.
Walter chuckles and shoves a plateful of waffles, bacon, and eggs to one of the empty seats and nods for you to eat. “Don’t worry, Pup. I think it’s cute that you need your morning fuel before intelligent social interaction.”
“Thanks, Wolfie,” you hum, leaning in to peck him on the cheek before sitting down to tuck into your plate.
“And the nicknames are elevating my sugar levels as we speak,” Jace teases, expertly catching the waffle that Walter throws his way.
“Look, Jace and I have an idea. We just need you to put the pieces in motion,” Walter begins, explaining the plan to you while you eat. You stayed mostly silent, letting him lay everything out.
Jace pops in here and there with a few tweaks when he sees you start to feel a bit overwhelmed, “If at any time you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate. We’re there in case anything happens.”
“I guess I have a call to make. Oh, and do you fellas think you can go grocery shopping? I need a few things if I wanna make sure I have enough to feed all of you,” you lament, factoring in that Sy used to eat you out of house and home on multiple occasions. Might as well have too much than too little. You give Wolfie and Jace your shopping list and head upstairs to shower and make a very important phone call.
Tumblr media
Early evening rolls in and you are relishing the smell of your pot roast with vegetables simmering as it permeates the first floor of the house. Wolfie has been at your side for most of the afternoon and even now because you’ve been like a chicken with your head cut off, anxious nerves making you fuss over every little thing. 
And he couldn’t blame you for being on high alert. He did ask you to invite over your ex-fiancé during a full moon, under the guise of getting together for a football game, so that he and Jace could find out if Sy is a werewolf. ‘A simple plan,’ said no one in this situation.
Olivia was invited over to help you set up and possibly help you with cooking. But alas, fair Olivia has found her Prince Charming in Jace. And just as Walter said, he does have an effect on women. You have to stop and giggle to yourself as she throws her head back in laughter and touches his arm, her signature move. Great, those two can swoon each other all night while you try and keep the peace between a wolf and a hard place.
The roast was not going to cook any faster with you standing over the crock pot, so you step away from the kitchen and join the others as they sit in the living room. Jace and Liv sit on the couch as Walter sits in one of the loungers. Just as you sit down to rest your bones in the other chair, you notice the guys exchanging a look. 
You hear the rumble of Sy’s old pickup and your heart drops into your stomach. You shoot up from your seat and adjust your turtleneck dress that hugs your body like a glove before walking to the front door. You step outside as Sy is pulling into the driveway. Swallowing your apprehension, you walk across the lawn to meet him. 
Smiling as he exits his truck, Sy wraps you up in a bear hug. When he lifts you off the ground, you squeak, and he just laughs before putting you back down. You get a whiff of him, and you feel an instant urge to bury your nose in his neck, or his perfectly trimmed beard. Fighting that urge, you playfully swat at Sy’s meaty, flannel-clad bicep and try not to stare at his veiny forearms. 
The man always had great arms; you would have complimented him on them once upon a time. But that was a long time ago, and even though you wanted to devour him where he stood, you weren’t about to let him know that. His head was big enough without you adding your horniness to it.
He steps to the truck bed and reaches a hand in to pick up a case of your favorite beer. He seems pretty pleased with himself and not at all nervous about meeting your new boyfriend. You should’ve known better than to think he would miss the opportunity to annoy your current beau.
You lead him inside where he immediately sniffs the air and exclaims, “Oh, my God! Please tell me that is your pot roast.”
You feel heat rise to your cheeks and nervously reply, “Um, yeah. It’s probably just about done if you want some.”
“If I want some? Of course, it’s my favorite meal,” Sy earnestly comments, and you can’t help but bashfully thank him.
A throat is cleared, and Walter appears at your side, planting a nuzzling kiss on your neck as he snakes an arm around you, making you giggle. 
“Walter, this is Sy. Sy, this is Walter, my boyfriend,” you introduce them, smiling to yourself as they offer a hand for a handshake and exchange pleasantries.
“Pleasure ta meetcha, Walter.” “Likewise, Sy.” 
They were still shaking each other’s hands until you realized they were having a staring contest. 
“Seriously?!” you gripe, equally mad at both of them, “You’re both grown men, right?” You push through their still-joined hands and go into the kitchen.
Olivia rises from the couch and admonishes them as well, “Good going, guys,” as she follows you into the kitchen.
“What?” they say in unison, looking at the only other man in the room. Jace shakes his head, looking between the two of them and taking a pull off his beer.
Walter walks into the kitchen, already apologizing as he approaches where you are sitting at the table. He takes your hand in his and holds it against his chest. It’s less what he says, and more of how he says it. He sounds genuine and he means every word. You peck him on the cheek, forgiving him. Olivia makes sure to tease you about how cute you two are.
Sy saunters in once Walter exits, placing the case of beer on the kitchen counter before opening it, removing two bottles, and handing one to you. Clinking the neck of his bottle against yours, he uncaps his and takes and takes a long pull. Taking a long look at you, he leans back and surveys your level of anger, trying to assess exactly how mad you are.
“Walter seems nice,” he starts in that fatherly tone that always gets a smile out of you. 
You shake your head and laugh despite yourself wanting to be mad at him. “You know, he actually is very nice. Just give him a chance to surprise you before you hate his guts, ok? That’s all I ask.”
“Oh, is that all? Easy peasy lemon squeezy,” he grumbles, pouting for a second. “Look, I’ll be on my best behavior like Church on Sunday if I can get some of that pot roast.” He turns those blue topaz eyes on you, and you’re putty in his hands, suddenly wishing Liv wasn’t in the room to watch that little moment. 
You rise from your seat, dishing out some of the roast and potatoes and carrots onto a plate for Sy, and place it in front of him. You light up when he closes his eyes at the first bite. His groan of satisfaction is more than enough to signal that you did a great job. But the pat he gives your knee is so warm and so intimate that your muscles instantly react to his touch, wishing it lingered for a second more.
“Liv, can Sy and I have a second to talk?” you plead, hoping that she would give you some space.
“Sure. I’ll just go back to fawning over Jace. He’s so pretty I wanna cry,” she professes, patting your shoulder as she exits the kitchen.
Your eyes follow Olivia as she leaves, and then they snap back to where Sy is sitting smiling at you. And you know this particular smile well. 
“Sy, why are you smiling at me like that? You said you would be on your best behavior and that smile is not your best behavior,” you sigh, rolling your eyes, “I know that smile got me to do a lot of things back in the day.”
“A lot of fun things come to mind,” he murmurs, bringing his beer up to his lips to drain before rising to get another and lean on the counter, “But that is not why I’m here tonight. Don’t worry, I’m only here to make sure my favorite girl’s being taken care of. I will be a perfect gentleman, even to yer old man.”
Rising from your seat, you finally open your beer and stand next to him. Taking a sip, you bump his shoulder with yours. “One question I have for you. Why did you agree to come over? I mean, you could have hung up the phone or cursed me out when I asked you over to spend time with me. At my boyfriend’s cabin. In the woods. Just saying that now makes me wonder what was going through your head.”
“Not gonna lie, I loved seeing you the other day. Even though you weren’t exactly pleased to see me, you still told me to be careful out there in the woods. Look, I like having you in my life. If that means I have you as a friend, it’s much better than not having you at all,” he confesses, and your world shatters around you when you look up into his eyes and see his sincerity.
You open your mouth to speak but the words won’t take shape and you’re left looking for the answer in his face. The eyes you got lost in a million times before. The lips you kissed every chance you got. Standing this close, you can breathe each other’s breath. If you only stood on your tippy-toes and leaned in, you’d be right−
“Am I interrupting something?” Olivia’s voice snaps you back to reality and you put some space between you and Sy. She walks in between you two to grab another beer. She gives Sy a look before turning her attention to you, “Your boyfriend’s wondering where you are, bee-tee-dubs.” She throws out her arm, gesturing for you to lead the way back to the living room instead of finishing your conversation. You miss her giving Sy another pointed stare before following you out.
Tumblr media
The night goes on as planned, at first. You all watch a college football game, Walter’s alma mater vs their rivals, who just happen to be Sy’s alma mater. You and Sy met after college, and he mentioned having played lacrosse, but he’s never shown interest in football. Until tonight, of course.
It’s been a long time since you and Sy spent time together, but you know his temperament. And he’s off. He doesn’t look like himself either, as if he’s covering up something. With the way that Walter and Jace keep sharing looks, you see he is on their radar as well.
Olivia and Jace occupy the two loungers, so you are sitting in between Walter and Sy on the couch. How lucky! You’re in the perfect spot to listen to Sy rooting loudly for his team and making snide comments all because he doesn’t wanna sit next to you and your new boyfriend. 
Walter, on the other hand, is quiet for the most part but trembling with anger. He’s letting Sy get to him, and you can’t stand it anymore. You’re suddenly jealous of Olivia who fell asleep halfway into the game.
You unwrap yourself from around Walter and turn to Sy. “Kitchen. Now.”
He doesn’t answer and mutely follows you, taken aback when you turn on him once you’re both in the kitchen.
“What the hell are you doing? You are being such an ass. I’m trying to hold out an olive branch, but you are not meeting me in the middle, Sy,” you snap, feeling like you could spit fire.
“And why did you even invite me? To parade your new man all over me? I thought maybe we could try and be friends, but now I see all you wanna do is remind me that I wasn’t good enough for you,” Sy erupts, his voice booming and full of rage. 
“That’s not fair,” you gasp.
“All’s fair in love, Bug,” he cautions, sweat starting to drip down his forehead, “Look, I’m gonna go before either of us says something we’ll regret.” He turns and storms out of the kitchen before you can step any closer to him, but you are on his tail when he steps out of the front door.
You reach him, putting your hand on his shoulder as you try to stop him. He turns back to you, his eyes closed in a pained expression. His skin is flushed as he rips open his flannel, making it easier for you to see his Adonis belt just above his jeans. The bite mark is nowhere to be seen, having already healed. When he starts to hyperventilate, you try to soothe him by calling his name. Fast as lightning, Walter appears between you and Sy.
“Sy, you have to try and stay calm. You aren’t making this easy on yourself. Let it happen,” Walter holds his hands out, showing he means no harm as he tries to step closer to Sy. Walter starts to shift after removing his sweater and jeans.
“Back off, man,” Sy warns, feeling like he could explode with the heat beneath his skin.
“You can do this, just open your eyes,” Walter replies, before his mouth becomes a snout and talking is impossible.
But when Sy finally opens his eyes, they start to glow. His neck twists at a freakish angle, the sounds of bones crunching has you terrified. Reddish-brown fur sprouts out of his skin as his hands stretch into clawed paws. His confused screams are horrifying. Jace’s booming voice is talking over his cries, talking him through the transformation. 
Doubling over, Sy grunts in agony as he falls on all fours. Letting out a howl, his jeans fall away as he transforms for the first time. You scream, taking a step back when he sniffs the air and he takes one step toward you. 
Sy paces back and forth in front of Walter, seeming to weigh his options. Walter’s wolf form stands an inch or two taller than Sy as he puts distance between you and the new wolf.
Just as the tension is insurmountable, a throat is cleared, and you all look to see Jace standing in the driveway. Nonchalant, but his eyes keenly take in the scene in front of him as he nods at Walter. Olivia is at Jace’s side, dumbfounded by what she is witnessing. When she notices that rumbling sound coming from Jace is him growling, she throws away fear in place of curiosity.
The two wolves are kicking dust up with their feet, squaring off until Jace steps a bit closer to back up his brother. Sy had a chance of maybe beating Walter. But a new wolf up against two bonded brother wolves? No way in hell. 
You step in between the three of them. Holding out your hands, you plead with them not to fight. Walter’s nose nudges at your legs and he huffs in Sy’s face. Walter shifts back, picking up his jeans to put back on, and crossing his arms across his massive chest.
Walter and Jace move closer to Sy as he snarls at them until he sees you, clinging to Olivia. Tears fall from your eyes and something inside of Sy breaks. Looking to you, he can see the fear on your face and you wonder if that is what causes him to want to shift back into human form. The two brothers talk Sy down, telling him how to return to human form.
Once his bones have settled and the whining howls stop, Sy is in the fetal position on the lawn. Shivering, sweaty, and scared. His clothes are ruined, but you think you remember seeing a blanket in the truck bed earlier. You ask Olivia to get the blanket while you caress Sy’s face. 
Once the blanket is around his middle, you accept help from Walter to lift him up. Sy uses his last ounce of energy to push Walter away. 
Coming back to himself, Sy refocuses his anger on Walter. “This has nothing to do with you. Gonna need you to step aside,” Sy fumes, cranky from the changes he doesn’t understand he’s going through.
“That’s just not gonna happen. Maybe if you weren’t trying to move in on what’s mine, I’d be sorry for what I’ve done,” Walter seethes, “After all, I’m the one that bit you.”
You and Sy are both in a state of shock but for different reasons. Sy just found out werewolves are real, and your boyfriend just referred to you as “what’s his'. 
“You did this to me?” Sy’s rage peaks.
“Hey, hey. Focus on my voice, come back. You don’t wanna do this,” you trail off as Sy calms down. 
His irises are back to their brilliant blue and you can see recognition in them. He looks tired, but he is no worse for wear.
“Can we get outta here? Go someplace we can just…talk?” Sy insists.
You think for a second about how pissed you are at Walter for being extremely callous about turning Sy, not to mention talking about you as if you were a piece of property to be owned. You turn to look back at Walter before answering Sy.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” you affirm, putting one of Sy’s arms around your neck to help him walk back to his truck. 
You watch Jace stand in front of Walter to stop him from following after you. “Let her cool off, you did just kinda refer to her as ‘what’s mine’, and generally women don’t like that outside of the bedroom.”
Olivia steps over to Walter, putting a hand on his shoulder, her expression calm and collected. “He won’t hurt her. He cares too much about her to do that.”
You get into the driver’s seat after putting Sy in the passenger side, not allowing him to drive. You caution a glance at Walter, instantly regretting looking at his mournful face. Turning the car on, you back out of the driveway and drive out to Sy’s place. 
As you drive there from muscle memory, you look over at Sy now and then. The streetlights of the town dash across his solemn face and bare chest as he sleeps. You almost don’t want to wake him when you make it to his house, he looks so peaceful and not like his life has been turned upside-down. You wake him with the back of your hand smoothing down his face. He grabs it, lost for a moment before he sees your face and where he is.
You help him get inside and suddenly feel exhausted as well. You loiter in the living room while he grabs a glass of water from the kitchen. You didn’t really plan how you were going to get back to Walter’s cabin tonight. And if you’re honest with yourself, you don’t want to go back tonight.
Sy comes back out, gulping down water from his glass while holding the blanket low around his middle. 
“Is it okay if we wait to talk? I’m tired as hell. I’ll take the couch if that’s alright?” You ask, sitting down on the couch and starting to move the pillows.
“You’re not staying out here. You’re sleeping in the bedroom. I’ll take the couch. I’ll grab you something to sleep in,” he rattles on, moving to the bedroom as you stand from the couch and look at your feet.
Sy comes back out to the living room. He’s barefoot, shirtless, and in a pair of grey sweatpants. He just can’t help himself, you think.
“I left you a shirt and some shorts on the bed. Let me know if you need anything, alright?” he advises, using a hand on the small of your back to guide you to the bedroom.
You laugh when you see Sy left you his Mötley Crüe shirt. While putting on the shirt and the boxers, you look at the bed and you know that you don’t want to sleep alone. You don’t care that this will only further complicate your relationship, but you need to not be alone right now. Your bare feet pad across the wood floor as you go back out to the living room. 
Sy hears you and picks his head up to look at you. “You alright, Bug?”
“I don’t wanna sleep alone. I know that’s probably−”
Sy was already up and ushering you back into the bedroom before you could finish your sentence. You pull back the covers so you both can climb in. You enter first and then he slides under the blanket next to you. He lays on his back, you on your side facing away from him. You wiggle your body backward until you come into contact with his warmth. You reach back for his arm and pull it around you.
“Is this okay?” you hesitate, suddenly afraid that you’re asking too much.
“Yeah. S’ok,” he whispers, his breath fanning across your neck. If he notices the shiver that goes down your spine, you’re grateful that he doesn’t mention it.
“Good night, Sy,” you murmur, yawning at the end of your sentence.
“G’night, Bug,” he breathes.
As you drift off to sleep, you think how different you imagined this day ending. You didn’t expect to be in your ex’s arms tonight instead of Walter’s. But you did expect to be in a werewolf’s embrace. Sy’s breath evens out behind you, the rising and falling of his chest against your back is enough to lull you into a peaceful slumber.
To be continued...
Tumblr media Tumblr media
A/N: I would love to know what you think of this chapter!
**Tag List**
@deandoesthingstome @cakesandtom @brattymum96 @ambinxe @avengersfan25 @kebabgirl67 @thabiddie23 @sweetandgentlecreature @foxyjwls007 @art2emily @titty-teetee @astheskycries @enchantedbytomandhenry @rebelangel1102 @milknhonies @peyton-warren @geralts-yenn @raccoon-eyed-rebel @cardierreh15 @viking-raider @imaslutforcuddles @ilovetaquitosmmmm @warriormirkwood @shellyshellshell @calwitch @meanlilbean @samahenoyrhye @openup-yourmind @juliaorpll78 @princessaxoxo @toooldforobsessions @carrie80reads @liveoncoffeeandflowersss @evansabove1981 @used-to-be-bourbonwithice @hannah9921 @mayloma @inlovewith-books @fluffy-little-demon @caramariehurst @jvanilly @livisss @sofiebstar @posiemax
Let me know if you wanna be added (or removed) 😁 If your name is crossed out, I couldn't tag you.
161 notes · View notes
holylulusworld · 2 months
Text
Shy Guy (5) - Present
Tumblr media
Summary: You grew up together. Bucky is the one. He’s just too shy to make a move.
Pairing: Shy!Bucky Barnes x Fratgirl!Reader
Sidepairing (friendship): Steve Rogers x Reader
Warnings: teasing, banter, friendship, fluff, making out, cocky reader, virgin Bucky, shy Bucky, mentions of Steve's sex life
Inspired by this ask: Shy guy ask and@dawn-petrichor-world​ made me do it…
Shy guy (4) - Past & Present
Shy guy masterlist
Tumblr media
“Hmm…what else do I need to know, Stevie?” You eagerly take notes while Steve explains the complexity of asking a guy out without making him look like a loser. “I don’t want Bucky to believe he’s a loser.”
“Bucky is not a loser, but shy. He never kissed another girl,” Steve points at a picture of Bucky on the investigation wall he made for you. “That’s our target.”
You grin and lean back in your chair. “Please continue, Obi-Wan Rogers.”
He gives you a stern look. “Miss, if you don’t take my classes seriously, you can go home and watch a rom-com.”
“I’m listening,” you groan. “Go ahead. I need to know how to make a move on Bucky without scaring him off.”
“Alright,” Steve uses a pointer stick to point at the next picture. “That’s our goal. We want him to be putty in your hands but get hard at the same time.”
You lean forward to look at the picture. “Dude! Is that a dick pick?”
Steve snickers. “I googled Bucky’s name, and this was the first picture coming up.”
“You’re lying!” You stick your tongue out. “You can’t pin a dick on our investigation wall, Steve!”
“Why?” He shrugs your concern off and points to the next picture. “Before we get to the dick, we need to make him loosen up and ask you out. Or accept your invitation.”
“That’s a dog playing with a bone,” you wrinkle your nose. “Is that a metaphor or something?”
“Yeah,” Steve nods. “You’re like a dog with a bone. You sank your teeth into Bucky and won’t let up.”
“I’m not a dog, Rogers,” you snap at your friend. “I wanted you to give me advice, not turn this into a joke.”
“I’m not joking about love and dick,” Steve chuckles but keeps a straight face. “If you want him to dick you down one day, you’ll need to win his trust and heart first.”
“Good, that’s a start,” you take notes while Steve tells you about all the things Bucky likes. “Hmm…that’s good. Tell me more about his eating habits and the lingerie he looked up in his search history.”
“Our boy grew up so fast,” Steve sighs and gives you a wink. “You should see his search history. He’s an eager beaver when it comes to eating pussy and fingering a girl.”
“Oh,” you nod, and focus on taking notes, not the image in your mind. Bucky between your thighs, eating your cunt. “I like me a man who can eat pussy.”
Steve laughs. “Well, in that case, Bucky is your man. I watched him practice while watching porn. He’s got a skilled tongue.”
“That’s good to know, I guess.”
“Next step, we need to talk about his erogenous zones. You need to know how to touch him,” Steve continues. He points at his neck with the pointer stick. “Neck.”
“Neck,” you hum.
“Nipples. Earlobe. Lips,” he moves to his crotch. “At last, the divine meat stick.” He grins. “The dick.”
You giggle and snort. “Meat stick, got it.”
“Y/N,” Steve’s features soften when you look at him. “You need to make a move but don’t be too pushy. Bucky will shy away from you if you are too pushy.”
“Christ, I won’t shove his pants down to suck his dick,” you grunt. “Now back to the basics. Do you have an idea for the perfect first date?”
“Alright, miss,” Steve turns back around to point at the investigation wall. “We have a lot to discuss.”
Tumblr media
“Doll, you’ve got this,” Steve whispers as he guides you toward the frat house. “He’s over there, looking for you because he wants to borrow a book. You look stunning. This outfit shows the right amount of cleavage and ass. But it’s not slutty.”
“Okay,” you take a deep breath. “I’ve got this. Bucky Barnes will be putty in my hands.”
Steve slaps your ass, making you squeal. “Go and get him tiger.” 
Tumblr media
Bucky is smart.
Like really smart.
He speaks over five different languages.
Still, he doesn't know how to talk to a girl.
It's not that he's not attractive. Girls do look at him. He's just too nervous to hit on a girl he likes.
It feels like his voice fails anytime he tries to talk to one of the girls from the frat house across the street.
Especially when he sees you.
It's even worse that you are friends with his best friend.
Steve Rogers. Quarterback. Golden boy. A girls' magnet.
“Hey Barnes," you quip as Bucky zoned out again. "Whatcha looking at?"
“What?" he slowly dips his head to glance at you standing next to him.
When did that happen?
“I was just...”
"Steve won't come back for a while. I think this week it's Carrie or was it Chanel?" you huff. "I'm telling you; he tries to break a record or something. I’m worried about his health. What if he breaks his dick? He won’t be able to win the upcoming game with a cast around his dick.”
Bucky chokes on his spit.
You giggle.
“Uh—what do you want here if Steve is not around?” He gets out before dropping his eyes to his shoes. 
“Hmm…On Friday night we will go out. Wear something nice,” you cock your head to look Bucky up and down. “Oh, and no hair gel. I like running my fingers through a guy’s hair when we make out.”
“What?” he swallows thickly. His cheeks turn pink, and he feels his heart start racing. “Y/N…I…what? Is this a joke?”
“You know how to get a girl’s attention,” you lean closer to peck his lips. “I hope you know I expect you to put that talented tongue to better use…”
Bucky gasps as you pounce on him to claim his lips. You slip your tongue inside, snaking it with his as you run your fingers through his soft curls.
“Barnes! GOOO! Barnes!” the frat boys chant behind Bucky’s back. “We knew you had it in you all this time. He will finally get laid!”
You grin against his lips.
“Aw, I always had a thing for virgins,” you coo. “I promise to be gentle, babe…”
“What just happened?” Bucky looks like a confused puppy. He runs his tongue over his lips to taste you again. “Y/N, why did you…I…what?”
“Bucky,” you place your hands on his chest and look him straight in the eyes. “I call dips on you.” You smirk. “We are friends since childhood, and I don’t want you to get laid by some other bitch. You’re mine.”
“Get laid,” he chokes out. “Oh,” his cheeks turn pink, and he chuckles nervously. 
“Do you want to go on a date with me, Buck?” you run your index finger over his chest. “I know you don’t see anyone else.”
“Yeah,” Bucky stutters. “We can watch a movie or order food.”
“Buck,” you lean closer to brush your lips over his quivering ones. “I will cook, and you can decide on the dessert.” You grin. “I heard you have a very talented tongue and are burning to put it to good use.”
He blanched, and chuckles nervously. “It’s a date…”
“It’s a date,” you say and fist his jacket to claim his lips again. “See you on Friday, Bucky baby.”
Tumblr media
“STEVE! STEVE!” Bucky stumbles inside their shared room. “STEVE! She asked me out and…what do I do now?”
“Alright,” Steve wraps his arm around Bucky’s shoulder to guide him toward the investigation wall. Steve changed the pictures to help his friend. “I have been waiting for you, Padawan. I will tell you everything about Y/N, women, and pussy…”
Part 6
Tumblr media
Tags in reblog.
114 notes · View notes
liliamoon · 1 year
Text
Chaotic Teacher Quotes
Because I just finished my degree, I compiled a list of some of my favorite things my professors have said this past semester:
“To shower or not to shower, that is the question.”
“My parents were baby boomers, which means they were on drugs and had sex and that’s how I happened.” “I’m not kidding. That’s true.”
“Ok, how does everyone feel about nostrils?”
“I like to remind my wife that she’s older than me. Every year on my birthday I’m like, oh my god, I’m almost as old as you!”
“That’s the best way to learn: forget and then remember. The only better way is to learn it drunk and then learn it sober. …Grad school is a lot of fun.”
“Is Dungeons & Dragons legit as a religious institution? Let’s discuss.”
“Punxsutawney Phil, the little beaver— not a beaver, the, you know, the marmot, HE DIED. I mean, what does that mean for our weather?? If he sees his shadow it’s six more weeks of winter but WHAT IF HE DIES??”
“We can’t have negative time— if it’s negative, you’re dead. Just like the groundhog.”
“Are we ultimately born of divine incest?”
“This whole thing is complex, very convoluted. But so is my sister, and I still love her.”
“You might ask yourself, what do I do with a big chunk of text? In many cases, the first step is to burn it with fire.”
“This is good information for those of you thinking of starting a cult.”
“I drive a stick-shift, you can’t steal my car. If you look at the thing, you wouldn’t want to, but the point is, you CAN’T.” “It’s got nothing, I almost literally have to go out with a lighter and turn on the headlights myself.”
“Do you think we could rewrite The Lord of the Rings in limerick meter? Potentially a good idea for your finals.”
“Does that freak anyone out? If it doesn’t, you might not be paying attention!!!”
“Here we read that Tiamat and Apsu had ‘mixed their waters together’— I guess that’s what the kids call it these days.”
“You know how in America we’re very vulnerable to British accents?”
“If you know what you’re doing, it’ll take about thirty minutes; if you don’t know what you’re doing, maybe forty; and if you really don’t know what you’re doing, it’ll take five.”
“Cockroaches gonna cockroach, everybody with me?”
“Right now I’m being a pain-in-the-ass materialist.” “You feel? Hold the phone.” “Conscience? What do we do with people who don’t have that? Like me.”
“Who here is familiar with the term ‘shitification’?”
“Academia is like a hospital: if you don’t work there, don’t stick around.”
“I always want you all to walk out of this classroom with a little bit more of the weight of despair on your shoulders.” “Are you feeling it?”
553 notes · View notes
lixzey · 6 months
Text
must be love
Tumblr media
“Over here, Jamie!!” You called after James, beckoning him over as you pointed to the broom closet behind you. The two of you were running away from a crime scene—you and James had just made Snape’s food blow up in his face in the Great Hall. You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing at the sight of gravy and mash dripping all over his greasy hair while James sniggered beside you. In turn, you and James got caught by a livid Severus Snape—chasing the two of you out of the Great Hall. 
As you reached the broom closet, you quickly dove inside and pulled James in after you, slamming the door shut just as Snape stormed past, missing your hiding spot by inches. You both collapsed against the wall, trying to catch your breath and stifle your laughter. 
“Wow, that was close.” James said, trying to stifle his laughter. 
“Totally worth it though.” You chuckled, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear.
“That was brilliant!” James grinned. “You, my darling best friend, are brilliant!”
“I know, I know.” You laughed, curtsying. 
You and James have been friends since the two of you were six. He meant the absolute world to you ever since he saved you from playground bullies. 
You had been happily swinging alone in the neighborhood playground when a group of older boys approached you and started teasing you, their taunts ringing in your ears.
“Look at the buck-toothed beaver!” One of the boys jeered, pointing and laughing at your crooked teeth. They kept on teasing you, making mean faces, and calling you all sorts of names, like carrot muncher and bunny rabbit.
You covered your mouth as tears threatened to spill from your eyes. Just as you were about to give up and go home, you felt a pair of hands grip your shoulders from behind. You jumped, startled, and turned around to see who it was. Standing before you was a boy your age, with messy black hair that stuck weirdly in every different direction and bright hazel eyes under round spectacles.
“Oi, leave her alone, you lot!” He shouted, his voice echoing through the park. "Go on, get lost!” The raven-haired boy demanded, pushing the older boy in the middle away. “I said get lost, you gits!” The boy yelled, the air around him cackling. The older boys scowled, surprised by the younger boy's outburst, before turning away and leaving the two of you alone.
“Are you alright?” The raven-haired boy asked, turning to face you.
“Uh-huh, I'm alright, thanks.” You mumbled, avoiding the boy's gaze.
“You can take your hand off your mouth now, you know? They’re gone, you can smile now.”
You eyed him hesitantly, skeptical. You shook your head, clasping another hand over your mouth.
“Don’t worry, I won’t make fun of you.” He smiled, offering his hand out. “I’m James, by the way. James Potter.” 
You stared at his hand, still avoiding his gaze. “I'm Y/n L/n.” You mumbled, wishing the ground would swallow you up.
“Nice to meet you, Y/n.” James smiled at you, his hazel eyes bright and kind. “You know, you shouldn't let those idiots get to you,” James said, taking a step closer. His voice was surprisingly gentle, and for a moment, you were almost tempted to look up at him again. “They're just gits, jealous gits.” He added with a grin. 
“Thanks, James.” You said, meeting his gaze for the first time. His eyes were bright and curious, and you found yourself lost in them for a moment. You couldn't help but smile back, feeling a little more at ease around him.
“No problem, Y/n,” James replied with a grin. “So, what are you doing out here all alone on a Saturday afternoon?” He asked, sitting down on the swing next to you.
You shrugged, looking away. “I don't really have any friends my age.” You muttered.
James raised an eyebrow at you. "Oh, that's too bad. Well, you've got one now," He insisted, nudging you playfully. “Now, what do you like to do for fun?”
Ever since that day, the two of you have become inseparable. You were the Bonnie to his Clyde, the peanut butter to his jelly, and the yin to his yang. You were the best of friends, always there for each other through thick and thin.
Growing up, you both shared everything, from secrets to dreams and ambitions. James was always there for you, and you for him. You were inseparable, and everyone in your neighborhood knew that if they saw one of you, the other wasn't too far away. There was nothing the two of you couldn't handle together. 
You and James loved being best friends. You were comfortable with him, like he was your other half. He protected you from bullies and made sure you were always happy. The only thing that mattered to the both of you was being by each other’s sides. The both of you loved to dress up, where you were the damsel in distress and James was the knight in shining armor. You and James chased each other in their large orchards; sometimes the two of you would play hide and seek or would go for a swim in the river nearby—with their house elf, Tilly, looking after the both of you, of course. The two of you would lounge up in the tree house that James’ father built. James would talk endlessly about Quidditch—which you were never interested in—but you’d listen to him nevertheless. You would ramble about your favorite books, and James would listen with a huge smile on his face at your enthusiasm. You and James had dance parties, tea parties, adventures, and so much more. You’ve spent so much time with James that your parents had to literally pry the both of you away from each other at the end of the day—much to your parents and James’ parents’ amusement. 
You loved James; you have loved him since you were eight. You loved him more than just as a friend. Your parents had their suspicions—the way you looked at James was a giveaway; you looked at him like he was the only person in the whole world. But James was oblivious; he was far more interested in going on adventures with you or obsessing over Quidditch than ever noticing the way you look at him. 
Everything changed when you and James received your Hogwarts letters. 
Of course, you and James were still the best of friends—with the addition of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew—though no one can ever replace you in James’ heart.
The two of you were ecstatic when you were both sorted into Gryffindor. You and James have been dreaming about setting foot at Hogwarts and learning more about magic since the two of you were nine. Both of you had lots of plans for the next seven years, like wreaking havoc inside the halls of the castle, finding secret passageways, and so much more. James wanted to be on the Quidditch team and someday hoped that he would be captain, while you wanted to become a prefect and someday maybe Head Girl. You had hoped that you and James would spend as much time as when you were kids, but that wasn’t the case when a certain emerald-eyed redhead came into the picture. James was absolutely smitten with Lily Evans, a muggle-born witch in your year and house. 
You watched from the sidelines as James constantly tried to get Lily's attention and impress her with his Quidditch skills and charming personality—which always ends up failing because Lily despised James for bullying her best friend, Severus Snape. You were nowhere near competing with her. You couldn’t blame James for liking the feisty redhead—Lily was intelligent, kind, and gorgeous. It was always Lily this and Lily that, and it hurt you. You supported James, helping him think of ways to win Lily, even if it broke your heart in the process.
You sighed, snapping yourself out of your trance. There was silence outside; the only noise you could hear was James’ breathing.
“I think Snape’s gone.” You whispered, standing up and opening the door to check outside. 
“Is he?” James asked, leaning over you. “We should’ve brought the map with us.” 
You turned to face him, your faces a mere inch away from each other. For James, it was nothing, just close proximity inside a cramped broom closet, but for you? Your stomach was doing somersaults at the sight of his hazel eyes and soft lips—those lips you've wanted to kiss since fifth year.
You quickly brushed the feeling aside, pushing James slightly away from you. “Right, we should've brought it before we jumped into this. Where’s the map anyway?”
Suddenly, the door opened behind you, making you stumble back and fall to your bum. You looked up to see Sirius peering over you.
 “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Sirius smirked, eyeing you and James. 
“Shut up, Padfoot!” You hissed. “It’s not like that, you prick!”
“What are you two doing in here?” Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow as James helped you up.
“Just taking a little breather,” James replied, a smirk playing on his lips. 
“You’re lucky I was the one who found you and not Snape,” Sirius chuckled. “He was fuming, you know.”
You rolled your eyes and shot a playful glare at James as the two of you stepped out of the broom closet. “It's all your fault,” you muttered.
“Come on, don’t be mad at me, Y/n,” James said, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “Let’s go cause some more trouble, yeah?”
“Nah, let’s head back to the common room. I’m a bit tired.” you yawned, resting your head on James’ shoulder.
“Fine, party pooper,” James teased, ruffling your hair as the three of you made your way back to the common room. You couldn’t help but smile as the familiar warmth of the Gryffindor tower greeted you. Your eyes landed on Remus, who was sitting on a couch near the fireplace with a book in his lap.
You made your way to Remus with a warm smile, James and Sirius following behind you. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a quaffle came flying in your direction, hitting you hard on the head. You fell to the floor, your vision getting blurry. 
“Oh shit, Y/n!” James yelled, rushing to your side and pulling you into his arms. “Y/n, shit, open your eyes! Padfoot, Moony, help!”
Such pretty eyes. You thought as the view of James’ face slowly blurred because of the concussion.
“I love you, Jamie.” You managed to whisper before everything went black. 
@helens3amstuff @gatoenlaciudad @thebetawolfgirl @lovemelikecrazyiloveyoucrazy @tchalamss @ashlynnmalfoy @crazycat-ladys-blog @michakune @mxltifxnd0m @spencerr3idd @dangelnleif @sthkate @ferrjulie @imnotoverlyobsessive @mel-vaz @elsagreeer @lovely-maryj @meowmeowmau @bobthe-turmpetman29 @saintcosette @ashisabitgay @ladyladybuggg @nyrasunderwrld @lizzxoxo @remussbitch @jadahxx @starrystormwritings @ell0ra-br3kk3r @dreary-salem @drewsandsebastianswife @greenapplegrass @lilianelena39 @danni-phant0m @haybellewrites @cloudlst @si4a @ev3ningrain @ttulipwritezz @bambikitten @bullets-from-another-dimension @siriuslycaptainofthedawntreader @reg-arcturus-black @abruuinlove @marina468 @3stelar @timhalamet @st4rf00k3r @idli-dosa @jimins15thhair @blacksgarden
303 notes · View notes
joels-shitty-puns · 6 months
Text
The Snacks of Us
Pairing: No-Outbreak!Joel Miller x Reader
Tumblr media
Summary: Texas-native Joel finds out you've never been to a Buc-ee's and needs to fix it immediately. That's it.
Warnings: Just fluff! Kisses. Pet names.
Other stuff: Reader is addressed as her, but most other descriptions are avoided. Joel is taller than the reader. Can be read as plus-sized, but not mentioned.
Word count: 1.1K
I went to Buc-ee's today and my imagination ran wild. Do with this what you will lol
__________
"Whaddya mean y'ain't never been to a Buc-ee's?" Joel asked, incredulously.
"Joel, I'm not from Texas. How the hell would I know what Buc-ee's is?" You replied.
"Y'don't even know what it is!? That's it. Grab your purse, darlin'. We're gettin' you to a Buc-ee's." 
"Have you noticed your accent slips out more when you're all worked up about Texas things, Joel? It's cute."
"No, I haven't. Now, let's go. You're gonna love it. It's the biggest gas station y'ever seen." His eyes grew wide and he demonstrated the vastness of Buc-ee's with his arms.
"Wait… it's a GAS STATION? You're taking me to a gas station for our date?" You raised your brow at your boyfriend.
"Just trust me, darlin'. You'll love it." He pulled you by your hips and placed a kiss on your reluctant mouth.
You sighed. "Hmm… fine. But can we at least get lunch while we're out?" You batted your eyelashes.
"Course. What do you think we're doin' at Buc-ee's?" He winked.
"Joel!" You gasped. "I am NOT eating some shriveled up gas station hot dog that's been sitting out all day." Your mouth gaped open and you crossed your arms.
"Just trust me!" He grabbed you by your waist, hoisting you over his shoulder.
"Joel!!!" You squealed, giggling and smacking his back. "Put me down! You're gonna hurt your back! I'm too heavy."
"Please, sugar. You weigh less'n my work equipment," he smacked you on the butt.
You scoffed, "yeah right."
Joel set you in the passenger seat of his truck. "Well, y'are. At least until we fill y'up with some beaver nuggets," he winked, giving your belly an affectionate pat and closing the door.
"Beaver nuggets???? Joel! What is that?" You laughed as he rounded the truck toward the driver's side.
_____
Joel pulled the truck into the Buc-ee's parking lot. 
"This. Is.. a gas station?!" You stared, mentally counting the amount of gas pumps and eyeing the giant building with a large beaver on the wall.
"Told'ya to keep an open mind! Let's go," he hopped out of the truck.
The two of you walked in and your mind was blown. They had everything, all with a cute little beaver on the label.
Buc-ee's chips. Candy. Cookies. Fudge. Sandwiches. Coffee. Every soda imaginable. Beaver nuggets, which Joel grabbed two bags of.
He pushed a cart as you ran around like a kid at Christmas. "Babe! Look at this cute little Buc-ee plushie!"
"I know, darlin'. I told'ya you'd like this store." He smiled affectionately at you. You tossed the stuffed beaver into the cart.
"Whoa, whoa, Sugar. Our house can't hold many more stuffed animals, it's practically oozing fluff as we speak."
"Oh shush, Joel. I need him," you said while throwing two sets of matching Buc-ee pajamas in the cart.
"Two?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at the tags.
"One for you. One for me," you kissed his cheek, skipping merrily toward the hoodies.
Joel shook his head, too lovesick to object to the matching flannel pajamas covered in cartoon beavers.
An older gentleman walked past Joel and gave a look from Joel with the cart, to you holding up several hoodies and comparing. "First time?" The old man laughed.
"Unfortunately," Joel rolled his eyes, laughing. "I underestimated her shopping ability when I decided to take her here."
"Been there," the old man pointed to an older lady, presumably his wife. "I'm Arthur." He shook hands with Joel. "My wife Marlene and I have been comin' here for years and she's the same way." He looked at her lovingly. "You two remind me a lot of us when we were younger. You make a lovely couple."
Joel smiled and looked over at you, where the older woman, Marlene, had walked up and began talking to you. Your smile lit up, and the old lady clapped her hands together once, excitedly helping you decide between two sweatshirts. Your eyes found Joel and you both shared a smile. 
Joel looked back at the old man and grinned. "Thank you, sir. She's definitely a keeper." The old man patted Joel on the shoulder, leaving to meet up with his wife and kissing her on the cheek as they walked away.
You scampered over to Joel, holding up both hoodies. "I couldn't decide, so Marlene suggested I get both," you giggled.
Joel rolled his eyes, unable to stop the smile on his face. "Alright, throw 'em in the cart. But we better get outta here before I have to take out a loan."
"Thank you for taking me here, baby. I had a lot of fun, and I'm sorry I gave you a hard time earlier," you pulled his collar, lowering his face so you could kiss him on the lips.
"Anytime, sugar. I'll never get tired of seeing that smile." He kissed you back, rubbing his thumb across your cheek.
"Now, whaddya say we go grab a couple sandwiches and sodas, then head back and watch movies in these matching pajamas the rest of the day," Joel suggested.
You nodded excitedly, thrilled with your boyfriend's willingness to participate in your shenanigans. "YES!"
Joel headed towards the checkout counter, struggling to reel you in from looking at more merch. He already took out a large deposit for the ring hidden in his dresser drawer, and this was easily going to cost at least a hundred more.
The two of you walked to the truck, him smacking you on the butt as you climbed in the passenger seat while he held the door open. Shaking his head, he thinks back to the older couple. How Arthur said you reminded him of them in their younger days. Sitting in the driver's seat, he smiled at you, taking in your features.
"What?" You asked, giggling and running your hand through the curls by his ear. 
"Nothin' darlin'. Just thinking about us and how much I love you," he smiled.
"I love you too, Joel" you pressed a kiss to his lips, running your hand down to his neck and pulling him in deeper.
"Thank you again for today," you grinned, pulling away.
"Anytime, Sugar. There'll be plenty more where that came from," he replied, stealing a quick glance at your empty ring finger. Maybe tonight will be the night, he thought.
"Think we'll ever be like Arthur and Marlene?" You asked him, taking a slight risk at the question of your future while interlacing your fingers with his right hand.
He looked over at you, kissing your knuckles. "I hope so, Sunshine." He kissed your ring finger. "I hope so."
___________
So anyway, yeah I might have a problem lol. But I hope you liked this. Let me know what you think ❤️ thanks for reading.
170 notes · View notes
mmdefenderte · 1 month
Text
IDEA
(I was scrolling through random tumblr posts on Pinterest, like a heathen, when I got an idea for a story!)
Through no fault of his own, -Whether it's due to a willing (or forced) vacation, an on purpose wish, maybe some sort of artifact has come into his possession, etc- Danny has become... a beaver.
Summers about to start, thankfully, so he doesn't mind too much- in fact, this was the most interesting thing to happen in a while!
Who knows? For however long this lasted, it could even be fun! So, after figuring out how to let Jazz and his friends know what was going on, he heads off on his newest adventure!
First things first, though- before he can actually explore this new semi-aquatic way of life, he needs somewhere to stay. It's not like he can stay in a hotel during his explorations, now, can he? There's only one problem: no matter where he goes, in any city he goes to, theres always a bunch of strange looking weirdos that try to stop him, or somehow end up getting in his way!
(Little does danny know -let alone any of the heroes or villains- that he can change back if he wants to, but he'll only be able to do that after he finishes his dam.)
89 notes · View notes
lively-potter · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
— trials of athena ; teaser
— genre ; enemies to lovers, kinda slow burn, friends to lovers
— warnings ; a hella lot of cursing, some typos ( of course 🙄😬 ), mature themes, smut, athena doesn’t like feelings, fluff, smut, angst, some violence, a teeny bit of blood and gore, JK’s a dick fr
— find me on Wattpad ; LivelyPotter
— 2024 © LivelyPotter
──────────────────
"I'm sorry. But we agreed on one night–." he said kindly.
Miss Deepthroat reared back, "Please–JK–"
"For fuck's sake," I sighed and gave her a kind smile, "Girl, lemme just tell you bluntly what he's trying to say. But I'll tell you a little story first — Did you know when a male octopus finds a mate, he rips off his penis–" from the corner of my eye, I saw JK groan and bash his head against the top shelf – lucky bastard, at least he can reach the top shelf. "—and throws it to the female so she can inseminate herself. Then the male grows a new dick. If that isn't the most EPIC way to tell someone to scram and go fuck themselves, then I don't know what is! Well, that's what he's telling you."
Miss Deepthroat stopped and cradled her chin, "...not gonna lie. Makes sense. He should just grow some balls and tell me outright."
"Nah, girl. Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a pussy. Those things can take a pounding." Miss Deepthroat and I snickered. JK, the poor man he was, looked like he was seconds away from leaving us.
"Thanks girl, I owe you one – you got one hell of a resting bitchface, not gonna lie; I respect that." Miss Deepthoart said, holding out her fist. I bumped mine against hers. "We should meet up one day and get lunch."
"Sounds good. Just hit me up when you wanna hang." I waved my fingers in her direction as she turned and left.
JK stared at me in wonder, more than likely questioning his existance in this universe, and finally looked at the cart and sighed.
"What has my life come to?" He mumbled and I couldn't help but agree.
I'd been asking myself that question since I met him. excerpt from "the adventure of resting bitchface, miss deepthroat & beaver nugget" chapter of my book, Trials of Athena!
82 notes · View notes
gunsandspaceships · 22 days
Text
Tony’s Childhood. Part 2.1. Effects: Own Will
Before this part, be sure to read Part 1.
If you're not aware of Tony's strange understanding of the importance of his own wants and needs, check out this post from daydreamsandnightlights.
Here I will try to explain the roots of this behavior.
At age 4 Tony built his first circuit board (IM1)
At age 6 built his first engine (IM1)
Let's think about what it meant that he built all these things at such an early age. Was this his own or his father's will?
Let’s take Morgan for comparison – she is indeed a brilliant kid too, since at the age of 5 she can count up to 3000 (ordinary kids count up to 1000 at the age of 8), knows how much is in a ton, what “disintegrate” means and can easily manipulate her dad, a genius.
Looking at Morgan's behavior, we can assume that she is already capable of building a circuit board under the guidance of her father. But she doesn't. Because her father does not demand this from her. She is a kid. She plays with plush dogs and beavers, sleds on Captain America’s shield, and likes to have bedtime stories read to her before bed. She sneaks into her father’s garage because there are interesting things inside that she can take and play with, not to build something and add it to the list of impressive achievements.
Tumblr media
The question is: did Tony want to create things because he liked it, or because his father did it and wanted his son to do the same?
Tumblr media Tumblr media
We know that Howard had plans for Tony to "change the world" with Howard's ideas about the future. Apparently, he was preparing Tony for this purpose.
Do small children have a desire to tinker and build things? Some yes. Do they want to or should they play with cubes and constructor sets? Yes. Do they want to or should they work with real motorcycle engines and soldering irons? Hell no. They usually don't have the appropriate motor skills to do this, so they can easily hurt themselves. I'll talk more about this later when I discuss his pain tolerance.
I think it’s impossible to say now whether Tony was interested in engineering from that age (I mean sincere desire, not ability). So we cannot answer that question. But I doubt 4-year-old Tony realized what he was doing when building computer parts. He liked it though. Because those were probably the only times he spent time with his father.
Tumblr media
Howard continued to deny his son his will when Tony was sent to boarding school when Tony was 7 years old. There he had a regulated, planned life for 7 years. Then college for another 7. And then became the youngest CEO at 21. None of this sounds like a child’s “I did what I wanted”.
Tumblr media
He did not express his will but pleased others. Because this way he received a little love. Or a substitute for love, to be precise. And when, perhaps for the first time, he was taken care of by Yinsen, who saved him, even in such a terrible way, and died for him, he was incredibly grateful. And after that, his attitude towards people changed.
Tumblr media
But not the attitude of people towards him, since they continued to want something from him, expecting the same behavior that they were used to seeing from the “rich and famous”.
*Doesn’t want to celebrate his birthday with a bunch of strangers in his house? Wants to spend his last days with the woman he loves? DENIED*
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
*Needs psychological support from people he trusts? DENIED*
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
*Wants to save the team from a breakup because he cares and knows what’s coming? DENIED*
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Conclusion: Tony didn't belong to himself his whole life. He didn’t use to defend his own, laid deep within, interests. First, his will was moved aside by his father’s. Then Stane’s and the public’s. Fury then came with his Initiative without asking what Tony wanted. Then S.H.I.E.L.D. came to him (not) asking to find Tesseract and save the world. Then the whole team came. Then the government with its Accords, and so on and so forth. None of them bothered to ask, “What do you want, Tony?”. And the only times he insisted on something, were the times when he tried to keep the team together and prevent their death.
59 notes · View notes
meimi-haneoka · 5 months
Text
Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Chapter 80 (FINAL): Comments + JP-ENG translation differences
Tumblr media
CCS Faaaans!!! Welcome to our last (?) monthly appointment with the analysis, commentary and list of translation differences for THE FINAL chapter of Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card!!! 🥹🥹🥹
Aaaaaah, I can't believe that after seven years and a half of serialization, we're finally here!!
I still remember the strong emotions I felt when I had seen the pages of Nakayoshi for chapter 1 in advance, back in June 2016....it seemed like a miracle, to me. Like a "mirage". And back then I still didn't know just HOW MUCH of a precious miracle this sequel would've become to me!
So it's with shaky hands and a trembling, emotional heart that I write this post to you...I hope you can excuse the length of it (maybe take a break in between?), I'll do my best to highlight the translation differences (unfortunately we definitely got some for this finale, one in particular made me quite mad) so you can spot them immediately among the sea of words and feels I will inevitably pour into my writing...
The "Beaver Moon" was big and shiny just a few days ago, and like all the full moons at the end of the month, it brought us a chapter, a very special finale for this series.
And as I usually do, I really cannot skip this silly moment that accompanied me for so many commentary posts, so here you go, my dear readers, the last Gif Of The Month!!!
Tumblr media
I had already decided that, no matter the content of the chapter, I would've used this, because it is my intention to give my congratulations to CLAMP for reaching the end of this wonderful story and also thank them for giving me a multitude of emotions over the years. I've been happy, angry, excited, teary-eyed, frustrated, confused, hopeful, in pain, in love. I'll always be grateful to them for changing their mind and deciding to give us a sequel of this beloved series, after so many years of dreaming of it, and for making me fall in love with the new characters, none excluded!
So, off we go, under the cut for this commentary of the finale!!
The Color Page
Oh my heart 😭😭😭 I really wondered if they would go for it, if they would shoot us with feels right from the first pages and they did, they paid homage to the color page of chapter 50 of the old manga!! ❤️ We can see the same bluebirds that were featured back then, still holding in their little beaks lots of ribbons coming from the pink roses bouquet that Sakura is preciously holding... And that also made me realize that these are the same birds that were featured last month for Akiho and Kaito's color page too!!! ✨ They definitely, definitely wanted us to get the message that all of them will be truly happy from now on. ❤️I actually appreciate even more that Mokona-sensei took care in including those birds for the color page of Akiho/Kaito too.
Tumblr media
Back in the old manga, CLAMP had given a comment for the illustration of chapter 50, saying that it was created that way to give a sense of looking forward to the future, and the absence of the Star Wand here was a precise request from Ohkawa to Mokona, because Sakura would've tried her best from now on, without necessarily relying on her magic.
Here, in chapter 80, we can somehow see the same theme but Sakura isn't proceeding "forward" towards a specific direction, it seems more like she's floating comfortably, assisted by her loyal Flight Card, embellished for the occasion (it makes it look kind of "upgraded", right?). I get a sense of Sakura feeling way more comfortable with her natural gift than she's ever been.
The blue sky, the ribbons, the bluebirds, the bouquet of pink flowers, the presence of a flying Card, Sakura's bare feet and her beautiful smile are definitely elements common to both illustrations.
Here Sakura wears a longer outfit, more elegant, which of course makes her look more grown up, as it should!
The editorial text on this last page doesn't carry words of thanks like in the color page of the final chapter of the old manga (those this time around were printed directly on the cover of Nakayoshi), but actually "My invincible spell is....'Everything is surely going to be alright' "! I think it was a very nice choice to feature the Invincible Spell in the front page of this final chapter. ✨
Between this and the absolutely divine Sakura on the cover of Nakayoshi, I can feel my heart softening and filling up with lots of hope and comfort, helping me to cope with the imminent "loss" that I'm going to experience.
BUT! It's not time to let us be caught by those mischievous feelings that want us to cry at all costs, and so we're gonna proceed for the actual chapter!!
The Books In Fujitaka's Library
Tumblr media
The final chapter starts with Sakura chatting with Eriol and Kaho in a videocall over the phone!! The thing that immediately stands out is that Sakura is still wearing the full-winter uniform, so it's apparent right from the first panel that rather than turning back, the events are proceeding forward from where we left them, exactly as Sakura wished.
It's still winter, spring is almost here and we're almost towards the end of the 1st year of middle school for Sakura & co.
Another thing that I, as a foreigner, couldn't help but doing is calculating what time should've been for Eriol and Kaho, since they live in Europe like me! 😂😂😂 Having followers and friends all over the world, it's just normal for me. Well, if this is early morning, it should be night for the Europeans, so maybe that background at the window should be black?? 😂😆 Who knows if sensei will fix it, in the tankobon?
But enough with the silly things, let's see what Sakura is discussing with these two.
The very first thing we hear is quite shocking: Sakura slept four entire days to recuperate from the insane fatigue after the last battle!!
When I've heard that, my immediate thought was going towards all kinds of realistic, very practical issues like "did they keep her hydrated, in these four days? What about the bladder? 😱" but come on, way crazier things happened in this finale and this is the last thing we should worry about 😂
Eriol sweetly says that everyone waited impatiently for Sakura to wake up (I can imagine that!! Syaoran and Akiho must have died of anxiety). In Japanese, his sentence is somehow left trailing off, it gives me the impression that he wanted her to know that she's cared for, but in a very polite manner and avoiding to make her feel guilty for it. Sakura, as the good girl she is, tries to apologize for making them worry, apologies that Eriol doesn't need, so she ends up thanking both him and Kaho for what they did for her (and we can see Kaho peeking in the videocall! I'm glad she recovered too! As usual she's wearing nice outfits, the transparent veil over the skirt is interesting!).
Kaho, with her usual "maternal" aura, says that seeing her in good shape and hearing her cheerful voice over the phone is more than enough to her, which makes Sakura happy.
Eriol then proceeds to ask a question about the books he saw flying away at full speed after Sakura removed all the spells and the graphics from the artifact (the huge book), which then transformed into said smaller books: he wants to know where they ended up to, and lo and behold, they're nowhere other than in Fujitaka's library, in the basement of Sakura's house! 😱
Tumblr media
So we can see a flashback depicting a scene right after Sakura woke up (she's still in her PJs), and her father shows her a pile of ancient-looking books sitting on his desk and on the floor.
Yes, those are all the magical books that Akiho had read and (unknowingly) engraved on herself, which were about to crush her soul. There's really a lot of them, so I don't have a hard time believing that she was really on the verge of losing her soul forever.
As Fujitaka tries to explain himself, it seems Sakura worked so hard and in the end those books ended up landing right at their house!
And then, in a very moving scene, we see Fujitaka being just so happy because finally, after so many years (since 4th grade) of just watching over his daughter going through several hurdles and not being able to be helpful in any concrete way (because he didn't have magical powers, and even when magic was passed onto him, he didn't know how to use it), NOW he can finally be of assistance to her.
He then tells her not to worry, because he already got several "weird" books in his collection (hell we knew, the Cthulhu books were surely a surprise 😂), and that anything goes where it's supposed to go, when its due time comes. He believes these books, too, will reach their new fated destination one day, so until then, he will take care of them. ✨
By the way, you all saw it, right?? YES, it's there again. Fay's tattoo on that book! 😂CLAMP REALLY wanted us to see it, didn't they?
Is this insistence in featuring elements coming from Tsubasa a sign of something in the future...? Or are they just messing with us....?
I bet even this book one day will find its way to Celes country, to have that tattoo used in the way we all know.
Anyway, I REALLY loved this scene because it just shows CLAMP's firm intention to involve *all* the main and side characters in this collective effort to help Sakura solving Akiho and Kaito's situation (Fujitaka was indeed the one missing from the support group!).
It's just so good to know that a tiny frustration that Fujitaka expressed in this arc (how he couldn't be of help to his own daughter) was finally put to rest too, with this new task he took upon himself.
I strongly believe that Sakura, once again guided by her infallible instinct and empathy, subconsciously wished those books into her father's library, because she just knew that her father would be the perfect person to guard them and keep them safe for the time due.
The Cards
Back to the present, Eriol comments that Sakura's father is really dependable, and she can only warmly agree!
But Sakura's got questions of her own, for Eriol. She asks what happened to the transparent cards (note: even this time, Sakura keeps calling them with the japanese term 透明, "transparent", and never calls those cards クリアカード, the English term that gives name to the arc).
Eriol gives his own explanation: the transparent Cards were probably bound into the book of the guardian Sakura met (and not "befriended" like the ENG wrote), and as such, they became magical power used to activate the "forbidden magic".
About the newly created Remind and Blank Cards, Eriol guesses that the last magic that Sakura summoned thanks to those two Cards was so "violent" (the term used 凄烈 means "violent, intense, fierce") that it ended up exhausting completely the Cards' magical power.
Sakura says "so...they're gone", confirming that yes, even those two disappeared after being used.
Eriol asks about the Cards Sakura had from before, our dear Sakura Cards, and she releases them in the room to show to Eriol their current appearance: it seems like they have taken up some elements from the transparent cards, mixing up their designs! They look really cool and empowered, like this! Eriol attempts to explain this occurence as an influence of the fact that Sakura used some of them with her new Dream Staff, hence why their new appearance!
It seems like she'll be able to use all of them with that staff from now on, so this is a first hint to something that will be referenced in a stronger way in a few pages.....
Kaho gets closer to Eriol's computer and says "Don't worry, I can see they still love you all the same, Sakura-chan, there's no problem about it!" and then she spots Flight among the deck. Sakura confirms happily that it's still here and Eriol says "it's a testament to its perseverance!".
And then, Sakura wants to talk to Eriol about Akiho and Kaito too......but we're not allowed to hear it yet, because we only see Sakura nodding and "uh-uh"-ing at the phone and then Kero warns her that she's going to be late for school, so our girl hurriedly hangs up with her friends abroad.
Her dear small glutton guardian tells her to not push herself since she barely woke up yesterday, and when Sakura goes to pick the pin she wants to use today in the jewelry box (it's the pin Yukito gave her as a present in chapter 1!), she picks up the Star Key. And here, unfortunately, I have to point out the first concrete translation difference of this chapter in a scene that many were waiting for:
ENG: "This key....I wonder if it'll leave someday, too. To go to where it should be, to the side of the person it chooses to be with"
JP: "This key, too...I wonder if one day it'll go...to the side of the person it should be with"
Now, what irritates me here is that in their usual need to embellish the translation, they added an unnecessary "the person it chooses to be with", which is something they made up because there's no mention of the verb "choosing" or anything like that in Japanese, and so it makes it seem like the key will one day just go away on its own, on its own volition.
Now, this is a VERY important scene because we all know what this is foreshadowing, the transition of the Star Wand from Sakura Kinomoto to the Reborn Sakura Clone in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle through a dream, that cameo that made us scream all over the world in 2009. That scene was accompanied by a very beautiful and mature speech by Sakura Kinomoto herself, a sign that this "handover" was totally a well pondered choice of Sakura herself, not the key's.
The translation of this scene here in Clear Card tampers with the understanding of the events we got from Tsubasa and it really makes me wonder if the translator knows of this reference at all.....
Continuing on, Sakura goes downstairs and meets Touya having breakfast (and omg Kero goes to him!!! I still can't get used to these two interacting in the open), as usual Touya teases her calling her "monster", to which Sakura stiffens, but she shakes it off to thank her brother, to which he answers "no snacks for four days"!
Sakura at that point gets angry asking why, but he diverts her attention pointing out that she's gonna be late, so the girl bolts out of the door......not hearing her brother saying "that's the amount of days you haven't woken up, you silly!" (and Kero goes along with it).
Now, the ENG translation here interpreted this as a "payback", like Touya isn't going to make her snacks for 4 more days as a "payback" for making him worry like that, and initially I interpreted it like that too. But as I checked the Spanish translation, they interpreted it differently, as if Touya wasn't talking about the snacks that he won't prepare for the next 4 days, but actually the ones Sakura didn't eat during the period in which she was sleeping, and I think they're right because Touya calls Sakura "dummy, silly" so he might be referencing the fact that she misunderstood, here! Anyway, it's not a serious difference but I wanted to report it here anyway.
Tumblr media
Sakura finds Syaoran out of her house waiting for her, and we see him all happy and embarrassed to go pick his girl up right outside her house to go to school together 🥰Syaoran got contacted yesterday from her (I don't know why in the ENG there's "last night", it's just "yesterday"), telling him that she was ok now, but of course that wasn't enough for our worrywart prince charming, so he's here this morning to escort her to school! Sakura can't avoid commenting "aw, you were worried about me!" and Syaoran honestly but embarassedly answers "that, and I wanted to see you as soon as possible". Omg these two...flirting like crazy in front of the audience even in the finale!! 😂(well of course!!). As one of my friends reminded me, this line was already said by Syaoran before, when he was revealing the whole truth about the Sakura Cards and was explaining to Sakura that he came back to Japan earlier than scheduled also because he wanted to see her sooner.
After a good dose of blushing which is always good for the health in the early morning, Sakura thanks Syaoran not only for walking her to school, but also for all the rest that he's done. She's clearly referencing the events of 4 days ago, and Syaoran answers that if he helped her even just a little, then he's happy. This vague reference to the events of 4 days ago seems lost in the ENG, as Syaoran casually answers that he's happy if he can help her sometimes (?). 少しでも means "even just a little", not "sometimes".
On the way to school, Sakura says that she already contacted everyone to say that she woke up and to thank them, but she seems to be wanting to go thanking Yukito directly at his house later, also because Nakuru and Suppi are there! As Syaoran adds, Sakura can see Tomoyo and Akiho later at school. Sakura says "...yes" with a slightly sad face because she already knows something about one of them.....
We switch to Yukito's house for the last look at our "snow bunny", still in Nakuru's company (when are they going back to England???) and wondering what kind of sweets should he offer to Sakura today, while Nakuru is hellbent on finally having Sakura call her "Nakuru-chan" today (I told you, she's like a 5 years old girl, she sees herself as a kid like Sakura 😂).
Then, turning suddenly serious, she says to Yukito: "Don't you dare doing anything else that requires a 'payment', understood?", which immediately made me realize that Nakuru remembers about Yukito's pact with the Tsukimine Shrine!! Then, they didn't just recover the memories strictly relating to Akiho!!!
Yukito, with a big smile, says "well...I can't promise you that" which understandably triggers in Nakuru a "Yukito, you're really stubborn!!" from the bottom of her heart! 😂
But there's a kitty sleeping on a cushion (or feigning to?), our dear Suppi who thinks to himself "All of you moon-aligned types are stubborn!!" and let me tell you, this arc showed us ALL the proofs of that! 😂(Yes, Kaito, we're looking at you! 😂😂😂).
Brand New World With You
Tumblr media
Homeroom is starting in Sakura's class and Tomoyo makes sure that Sakura will take it easy since this is her first day back at school.
The teacher comes in, and she's already got a news for everyone (and here my heart already knew what it was): Akiho Shinomoto will be transferring away in one month! (Yes! it's Shinomoto again!)
The class is shocked, as Tomoyo is, but Sakura smiles and doesn't look surprised at all...
At lunch, everyone is so sad about Akiho transferring and Chiharu expresses how much she'll miss her, but also Naoko who loses a precious advisor for her scripts and a great actress since she wanted to cast her for the next play, seeing how wonderful she was in "Alice in Clockland". Tomoyo says that the chorus club will miss her too, and Yamazaki comments that Akiho lived in Hong Kong before transferring to Japan, so he asks her if she's still going abroad, even this time around. Akiho confirms, and then remembers that she needs to go to the teacher's room. Sakura insists to accompany her even if Akiho knows the way by now (and here we have a sweet, nostalgic recall to the same scene of the first chapter Akiho appeared in, chapter 7! Even the lines are almost the same). Of course, Sakura insisted because she wants to have a private chat with her....on their way there, she says she heard from Eriol that morning that she would be transferring abroad, but she would like to ask the reason why to Akiho herself.
Akiho says that, after all that happened, that same night she talked to Eriol (she calls him "Hiiragizawa-san" ❤️) for the first time.
He told her that he would be supporting her in any choice or anything she'd want to do from now on (the "anything I would choose" is missing from the ENG translation), and support her even with Kaito's circumstances.
Akiho was told by Eriol that Kaito kept hurting himself the more he used time magic, and that he shouldn't have been in a good condition after messing even with the "forbidden magic"....but apparently, Sakura managed to work a little miracle when she used Rewind on him.
When Sakura brought Kaito back to his original appearance, the pocket watch she used was almost completely repaired and its time stopped, and thanks to that, Kaito's time is stopped too.
I had already noticed that Kaito's life seems to be strictly connected to that pocket watch, as the more damage he took on his body, the more the watch broke. Sooooo in this scene we have some important information:
1- Eriol mentions the time magic Kaito used, how he kept using it and also the effect it would have on him, so it's legit to think that even him recovered the memories of the unrewritten timeline, not only the stuff strictly concerning Akiho.
2- Kaito's life is in a halted state (reminds you of someone?) and this means that his life is not flowing like other people's: he won't age, but his physical condition won't also get worse, as Sakura infers right after. The ENG translation suggests that Kaito won't be feeling any pain at all, but that's not the case: Sakura uses the words もっと辛かったり痛かったり, "more in pain and have a rough time (than this)", so he's still going to feel not so well from time to time, but at least his condition won't get worse than this.
Tumblr media
Akiho confirms, and explains that because of this, they're going to look for a magic that will be able to heal Kaito and, in addition to that, a magic that would be able to make his stopped time move forward again. This won't certainly take short time and it won't be easy....but Akiho smiles beautifully while saying that she's sure that there is a book that carries those spells she's looking for.
And then....with a sad smile, she says there's another reason.
And here my heart sinked because I wanted to see her so badly and I got the confirmation she wasn't with them.......😭
I'm talking about Momo, of course, and Akiho agrees with me because the other reason they'll travel around is that she wants to see her beloved Momo and even the "Alice in Clockland" book.
This indeed sounds a lot like the resolutions of the characters of Tsubasa in their own finale, but after all, we've been saying for long time that Kaito and Akiho had many situations paralleling those of the SyaoSaku in TRC.
Akiho, with the most radiant and beautiful smile she's ever had, says that she's sure she'll find so many other books she's never read, beside the ones she'll be looking for.
Tumblr media
"Because now I can go wherever I want, whenever I want, all by my own volition. Together with Kaito-san"
Sakura points out that books are, indeed, really special and important to her.
And really, Akiho's smile on this beatiful spread was enough to heal my heart from the disappointment of knowing that Momo wasn't with them, because Akiho really looks happy to start this journey with Kaito...she feels free for the first time ever.
No more clan dictating where she should go or what she should read, at her own expense at that, but also the situation between her and her beloved Kaito found its solution, with her stating loud and clear that even if he's her most important person and he did all of that for her, she's the only one who can decide her own happiness and change her own life. Akiho is finally free from all constraints, both from evil and from love, and honestly it's so comforting to see her so confident and happy.
My True Name Is....
And talking about Kaito, we switch to the Shinomoto mansion, where we see him in bed (he's still recovering - also we see his room for the first time!) and Akiho is telling him of how her friends took the news of her transferring abroad.
She was happy to hear that they're going to miss her, I bet this was the first time that people took any interest in her, so much to get to the point of saying "I'll miss you".....which totally explains why she's glad to hear that. She finally made true friends, here in Tomoeda.
Kaito is pleased to see her happy.
Akiho says that she's going to prepare dinner (my heart got warm thinking that now it's her the one cooking for him and he doesn't protest or anything) and she's going to make the no-fry croquettes that Sakura taught her (remember??? They had dedicated a chapter to that, and they were so important because Akiho learned them precisely for Kaito).
But Kaito kind of "interrupts" her, saying the thing WE ALL were waiting for him to say:
Tumblr media
Kaito, JP (lit.): "I'm sorry. For having thought (all that plan) on my own and decided things without your permission. Even though I know that you're someone perfectly capable of writing her own chosen future on her own blank book"
Oooooooh. The feeling of puzzle pieces going to their right place, the sense of accomplishment, the satisfaction in reading these words from him. HE FINALLY UNDERSTOOD. And it took almost k*lling himself and causing to the very person he was trying to make happy an indescribable grief, to come to this point.
What a lack of self-esteem and underlying depression can do.
But thankfully, they all managed to save things at last minute and now he's learned his lesson. So the first thing he does when he's able to, is apologizing to Akiho. But not only that.
Akiho says Kaito's name, probably wanting to answer something in return, but he interrupts her again, saying something I've been dying to hear him say (lately I expressed here and on Twitter my wish to see precisely this scene in the finale):
"That's my alias"
Akiho is shocked at hearing that, and he says, with a serious face, "Can I tell you my true name?"
At this point, I was hollering, I won't really hide it or anything.
If you're CLAMP fans, you probably know how IMPORTANT and VITAL is an information like one's true name, especially for a magician. Yuuko in Holic said that if you give someone your true name, they can take your soul.
And I'm 100% sure that even Akiho knows how important true names are in the magic world, this is something that Momo already mentioned in one of the Drama CDs but here she confirms it herself, saying hesitantly: "Are you sure I should be hearing something so important?"
With the next thing Kaito says, I was almost calling an ambulance.
Heh, I know, this is me, what can I do? Their story got me by the throat and coming to this point is such an achievement, for me. 😅
"I want you to know it"
Tumblr media
That あなた between brackets is so powerful. "You, above all".
In that "you" there's all the things he's not saying aloud, how unique and important she is to him. How much he trusts her with the most vulnerable part of himself. How much he's willing to give his entire soul, his everything to her, but this time in the correct way, without damaging anyone.
Akiho must be noticing all of this, because Mokona doesn't allow us to see her face, only her closed hand rising up, but from her ".....okay" I'm sure here she was quite touched.
So Kaito finally proceeds to reveal this secret that everyone was wondering about ever since chapter 51:
Tumblr media
"Cristaux. That's my true name".
Cristaux is written with the katakana クリスト (pronounced kurisuto) which has already been misunderstood by many for "Christ" 😂, but thankfully CLAMP have put in the furigana the correct spelling in romaji.
Cristaux is a french word used to indicate crystals. Yes, plural.
So our crazy magician was named after crystals at his birth.
Of course, of course. Isn't crystals the overwhelming theme of this arc, after all? CLAMP made sure to feature some in many many color illustration they've done.
Also, while talking to a friend, I realized that now we might understand a bit better why Kaito made a very pensive face, disguised as Syaoran, when Sakura pointed out in Clockland (ch. 66) that the castle of the Queen had foundations made of crystal........
As usual with CLAMP, we've had the solution to the mystery under our nose the whole time! 😂This feels like Tsubasa 2.0, for real! 😂
It is surely an inusual name, but I mean, it seems many of the names CLAMP choose for their characters aren't that common, after all.
With this reveal, Kaito decided to start anew with Akiho, this time around from a basis of honesty and trust. He's never going to put up masks with her ever again (and even though it's confirmed they still talk in keigo to one another -which is something I've always imagined-, we've seen him using his true pronoun "ore" with her in chapter 78). This is the perfect foundation for a relationship based on communication and trust. Bravo Kaito, you did your homeworks.
Akiho places a hand over her chest, as if the precious name entered her heart, and says something that made me completely melt:
"I've written it on the most important page of my book. So I can never forget it".
This line makes me particularly emotional not only because it sounds SO SWEET, on the verge of flirting, but also because it seems to me like a callback to something that was said in a sadder situation.
Back in chapter 35, when Sakura ended up trapped into Akiho's artifact, she experienced Akiho's past on her skin. The day of the magic ceremony that turned Akiho into an artifact, some people from the clan/Association said "let's engrave all the magical books we can find into this girl's body, so she can never forget them. Just like a blank book".
Back then, these horrible words were used to abuse a poor child, but that child today turned them into the power to choose for herself.
She appropriates the same "book" analogy to turn it into a way for her to choose on her own. Kaito's name is a precious information that she chooses to write on her heart so she can never forget it.
It is a way for her to cope and have a catharsis for her trauma.
I honestly keep getting such wonderful messages from the story of these two characters, and I'll never thank CLAMP enough for creating them.
Kaito smiles softly at Akiho's words.
Tumblr media
Then we go back to Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo, the "fab 3" who are going back home together, and we get some more information: it seems Eriol called Syaoran too (man, this guy called half the world to give explanations left and right 😂) and told him that he's going to buy Akiho and Kaito's house and look after it for them.
Sakura is really glad to hear that because it means that Akiho's huge collection of books will be safe and guarded in its library.
Tomoyo asks what they're going to do about Akiho's room at the Kinomoto house: in fact, if you look at the first panel of this chapter, you'll see that the additional portion that sprouted on Kinomoto house is still there: this means that Sakura gave everyone back their memories, but that magic didn't affect the discrepancies that arised from the rewriting of their world, hence why Akiho's room is still there.
Sakura talked about it with her dad and they decided they're gonna leave it untouched, as it is, so Akiho can always go back to it at any time. Did I cry at this? Yes, a little, because this is a sign that the Kinomotos will still keep considering her one of the family even if she'll be away, even if she'll have her life with Kaito, and I couldn't ask for anything better, for my sweet Akiho. It is so important for her to keep the bonds she created over time and know that now she's also got a network of people there for her. A second family where to turn to.
Sakura's having a real hard time accepting that Akiho will go away, and her smile becomes sad, before hugging Tomoyo and crying out "But I'll still miss her so much!!" 🥹poor Sakura 🥹I know, it's always so sad when someone that important to you leaves...
You'll Be Together Forever!!
One month passes by, and we can see some sakura flowers starting to bloom, this means we're at the end of March (and so we were in February before, just like I imagined). School year must be over pretty soon.
It's the big day, the day of departure for Akiho and Kaito, and Sakura+Syaoran went to see them off. Have you spotted it, on Sakura's scarf? Yes, that's the pin shaped like a teddy bear, the same Kaho gave her as a present and that she was wearing in the OG manga during the run at the bus stop to tell her feelings to Syaoran!
Akiho thanks Sakura for coming so early in the morning, and Sakura says she absolutely wanted to be there to see them off, actually she apologizes for making them delay their departure due to this meeting. Akiho is dressed with a cute outfit that is very remiscent of the one she's wearing in the color page of chapter 79.
A little separated from them to give their privacy, we see Kaito and his big suitcase, standing next to Syaoran. OMG it's so inusual to see them like that!!
Tumblr media
Then, Kaito says "Time magic....I can teach it to you, if you ever want to use it". Syaoran is very surprised to hear that, and Kaito says that when he was still in the dragon form, he heard him apologizing to Sakura for not being able to use that magic because he hadn't learned it yet, remember?? 🥹
And Kaito just offered himself as a teacher, surely as a way to thank him for everything he's done to save him and Akiho.
But not only that: in a very sweet panel, he says he knows Syaoran won't use it in an inappropriate way, and I can totally hear that implied "as opposed to me". Oh yes I hear it loud and clear by the way this is phrased in Japanese. 😁
Then, he happily takes out his phone and asks him to exchange contact numbers, because they can be convenient for any occurrence! I feel like that was a good idea because they're surrounded by magic matters so much, it's always good to be able to count on the experience and knowledge of other magicians.
We see Syaoran being a bit perplexed at the request, but then reluctanctly (?) takes out his phone 😂oh lord his reaction is so funny....and this is also another proof that the characters remember what happened before, because Syaoran could have this reaction only for that reason 😂😂😂
While looking at them interacting so funnily, Akiho takes the chance to get closer to Sakura and whisper a very important information to her (it came!!! it came for her too!! I KNEW IT!! It's not WHAT I imagined but I've been saying forever that this would come 😂):
Tumblr media
Akiho, JP & ENG: "My real name...is Cosmos"
What you guys can't see if you're reading the ENG version or any other language, is the duality of Akiho's true name here.
It's actually written in Japanese kanji, but the furigana that tells how to pronounce it are katakana for "Cosmos".
So it's like this:
Japanese name: 秋桜 (pronounced Akizakura, it's how Cosmos are called in Japanese)
Furigana (reading): コスモス (Cosmos)
It's not uncommon to find the Cosmos flowers being called directly with their katakana spelling, in Japanese.
All of this makes total sense for Akiho because her favorite flower is a specific type of Cosmos, the Chocolate Cosmos! They say they really smell like chocolate! So, just like Sakura, she's got the same name of her favorite flower.
But this duality of her name also allows Akiho to say what she's about to say:
Akiho, JP: "When we met for the first time, I was happy to learn I had one same character in my name as yours!"
I'm glad to see that more or less all the foreign translations did their best to explain the trick of the kanji, adding an explanation in the bubbles (they were big enough, thankfully). The ENG for example talked about "sharing a name" but Akiho here is meaning more "sharing a character" of the japanese name.
Sakura is of course really honored and happy to hear that, and thanks her for sharing such an important detail about herself.
And now, hahaha.....comes the part where I laughed SO, so much, because while to some it might sound strange for Akiho to do something like this, to me it isn't strange at all! Cause she's like that, her personality is far stronger than most think...
Our little mischievous Akiho here reveals to Sakura, still whispering, that she isn't going to share her real name with Kaito yet, because she's still a bit upset with him!! 😂😂😂
Oh lord, Akiho....oh dear....you have all the right to still be a bit upset, make him work hard to get such an important information from you!! 😂 I can't believe right now we have Kaito basically in Akiho's hands while Akiho, the one who seemed the most in love out of the two, is actually still withholding that from him! 😂😂😂 aaaaahhh trust CLAMP to always give you something interesting....this is totally in line with how I perceived her personality. 🤭I loved it!
Kaito needs to be really, really careful from now on! She's not gonna take any crap from him! 😂
And now I have to warn you because precisely as we reach the very last line Sakura will say in this arc, there is going to be another translation mistake, which I consider far worse than the other one I pointed out. I think getting it wrong precisely at the most important emotional point ruined a job that wasn't overall so bad, with this chapter (compared to others....).
Tumblr media
Sakura, smiling, supports Akiho's idea, saying "Sounds good!", and then, utters the very last line of the arc:
ENG: "After all, we have a long future together ahead of us!"
JP: "After all, you'll be together forever from now on!"
I think you can easily guess why this translation mistake irritated me so much. I've checked the other translations and the Spanish one, the one I trust the most, agrees with me, just like the French one.
This translation is a failure for two reasons:
it failed to convey the fact that Sakura here is using almost exactly the same words she used in the OG manga at the end of volume 12, when she ran into Syaoran's arms, saying that they would be together forever from that moment on. I think iconic lines like these should be translated in the way the readers know them from the previous work, otherwise it's useless. You don't get the reference. In Japanese, back in volume 12 of the OG manga, it was "kore kara wa zutto issho da yo!" while here it is "kore kara wa zutto issho nandakara". And there is a reason for that.
this translation inexplicably made it about all of them, when Sakura was talking specifically about Akiho and Kaito instead. That "nandakara" at the end suggests that this sentence is strictly related to the one that came right before, "sounds good", as an answer to Akiho's plan to withhold her true name from Kaito for a while. Sakura here is simply saying that Akiho's idea sounds ok to her because those two will be together forever from now on, so she'll have all the time of this world to tell him eventually her true name, when she feels ready. Also, in Sakura's words, there's a deeper meaning: it's the last wish of happiness for those two, which comes from her own lived experience. At the end of volume 12 we saw Sakura uttering those same words, in her happiest moment of reunion with Syaoran...Sakura knows that happiness, the happiness of reuniting and be able to stay all the time with the person you love the most. This is the same thing she's wishing for those two right now, with these words. To be together forever and savor that same happiness she's living herself everyday. But if the translation makes it about all four of them, or even just about Sakura and Akiho, this underlying message, this last parallel between the two pairs is completely gone. Also, what's the sense in saying "we have a long future together ahead" if Kaito and Akiho are leaving?? It doesn't make sense to me. They once again managed to remove any hint of Kaito and Akiho being destined to be together for life, and bent the phrase to include everyone, just because they could. I find that quite disrespectful in my opinion.
Anyway, if you made it this far in reading the post, you now know how that line should actually be. I feel so embittered and disappointed that this happened precisely at the end...
But this time, as opposed to the OG manga, there's one more page to bring this arc to a closure: we can see the back of the new empowered Sakura Card (on the Card there's a mix of both the Star circle and the Dream circle), and the text reads:
JP, lit.: "When all the Cards are gathered, that's the beginning that comes from an end. A beginning to move on"
You have surely recognized it , this is exactly the same page that appeared at the very beginning of this arc, it's just that back then we had a Sakura Card's back, a more unsettling background, and lots of blank cards floating. Right now we have the back of the empowered Sakura Cards, a more serene background and instead of the blank cards, we have cherry blossom petals! ❤️
But most importantly, the sentence slightly changed too, communicating to all the readers that from the end of all the tribulations that our characters went through in this Clear Card Arc, they finally managed to move onto a happier life.
I think it's very beautiful how CLAMP decided to conclude this story, with a message of hope that not all endings are necessarily something bad, but they can simply hide behind them the beginning of something new and more positive.
Lord knows how much I needed to be reminded of this, in this moment of my life.
And surely this is also true for the end of this beloved series for many people around the world: after 7 years and half it's so hard to say goodbye to such a beloved story, but CLAMP want to give us one last present before saying goodbye to it for an indefinite period!
On the right side of the Japanese last page (this was not translated in the ENG one) we find the announcement that the April issue of Nakayoshi on sale on March 1st 2024 will bring us a special chapter of Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card! Precisely one month before the release of volume 16! There's no info about how long it's gonna be, but anything is strongly welcome to say goodbye in a more gradual way...I wonder what it'll be about? This can be literally anything!! I would love for them to feature a situation in the future, rather than in the past....
Beware, because I've heard that Anime News Network translated this as a "special arc" in their news and that caused a ruckus...I've already tried to warn people on Twitter that's not correct, "tokubetsuhen" is the same term they used for the special short chapters they have published till now.
And so...it ends. We've reached the end!! Omg! I still can't register it fully....🙈
I will write some short additional comments about the chapter here but you'll have to wait for another, separate post to have my impressions and commentary on the entire Clear Card Arc.
I just want to say that this finale didn't feature everything I hoped/wanted to see, but other things were definitely granted.
It's just impossible to make everyone happy so I completely understand that.
And even though I'm truly disappointed about Momo and the choice to make her leave her two kids like that, I feel overall this disappointment doesn't stain my appreciation for this finale.
The things I wanted to see and got, the general happy and relaxed atmosphere, seeing all four of them so friendly with eachother, Sakura's final blessing with those words are enough to make me feel still quite satisfied with the finale.
Also, this feels so much more open than the OG manga. A lot more open. There are tons of elements one could grasp to in case they wanted to make a spin-off, or feature some of these plot threads as a cameo in another work. Akiho and Kaito's situation in particular, with their travels around the world, seems to be screaming "you'll see us again soon". I don't know if I'm just delusional but I've seen so many people saying the same.
And I have to say that despite my first choice was for Akiho and Kaito to stay in Tomoeda, they gave me enough good reasons to justify them departing again. I did, in fact, predict that an eventual resume of their travels could be plot related (if they had to continue escaping the Squids' radar or if they had to find a way to fix Kaito's situation).
Plus, Akiho seems so happy and free. How can I rebel against that, when they depict her so happy of her choice?
Also, nice of Eriol to step up and help those two. He's the other poweful and experienced magician who can put at their service all of his knowledge.
And then, Kaito's character development. Even here, I felt like I would've wanted him to say more, but then I remembered that Ohkawa in a Space long time ago had already said "I would want the readers, once it's over, to re-read this trying to understand 'why this character acted in this way?' " and it was clear that she was referring to Kaito. So, not exposing in detail Kaito's heart and the motivations that brought him to this point is totally intentional. She wants us to get there on our own. After all, she gave us another huge hint in this chapter, by making him reveal his true name to Akiho. I can only be grateful for that, especially for how he worded it.
Cristaux and Cosmos...while I'm really happy they have the same initials, I'm still trying to get used to those new names! 😂even though I know they'll keep using their aliases so it's not a big problem, we'll keep calling them Kaito and Akiho!
(And yes, I'm a bit disappointed that Akiho's true name isn't Alice! 😂)
It was nice to see SyaoSaku blushing and flirting in this finale, especially now that Touya gave his blessing to Syaoran, he can go pick her up for school when he wants!! 😂 I'm sure we'll get more SyaoSaku fluff in the special chapter, as this finale was mostly used to wrap up other stuff.
As I said, I adored the few panels of interaction between the two Moon Boys, Akiho's mischievous prank to Kaito....yes, I still have lots to be grateful for, in this finale.
I think this post just won the record for the longest one, so let me just take this space really quick before wrapping up to thank all of you who have read my posts, shared them, supported me, chatted with me about the story, and overall contributed with interesting discussions in this little personal corner. I would've never imagined, not even in my wildest dreams, that the existence and content of this blog one day would've reached even CLAMP, and this will stay as one of my biggest gratifications, especially cause they seemed to appreciate the effort. I just wish their story was treated better by some official translations.
I tried to do whatever I could to spread warnings about heavy translation mistakes, in addition to my interpretation of the story as I was reading it and analyzing it, since I've seen it helped many people understanding the story better and coming to terms with frustrations they had about it.
Clear Card Arc is undoubtedly more complex and requires a lot more of attention than the OG manga.
But I'm positive that re-reading everything in one go might help A LOT in that regard, maybe keeping my translation posts beside you....so I urge everyone to re-read the story when you have time, because it's worth it. Really.
That said, I'm not going anywhere for the foreseeable future: of course I'll comment the special chapter, but I also have in store the "Clear Card Trivia" series of posts, a post with the timeline of the events and a master post about my own review of the entire Clear Card Arc. And then, there's the season 2 of the anime too! You can bet I'll be here to comment on it every week!!
In the meantime, I want to thank all of you again for your patience, for reading me till now, and I also want to thank once again CLAMP-sensei for the wonderful sequel they brought to us in these past 7 years. ありがとうございます 🙏
See you soon!!
147 notes · View notes