#“You can convert with your time stop super” yeah water is wet

[vs-redemption]

Hi! Can I request Dabi with a reader who has an overactive imagination/takes things very literally? Like he could say something sarcastic and reader is just like ???? Okay (sorry if I don't make sense hhh)

For some reason, inspiration for this request struck randomly and I have no idea if it turned out the way you thought it would. I hope you like it anyway anon. It was fun to write!

Sarcasm (Dabi x GN!Reader)

The rain outside was coming down in sheets, only made worse by the intense winds created by the typhoon that had finally made landfall. You let out a sigh and walk over to the door to turn the lock and flip the sign from ‘open’ to ‘closed.’ Owning your own bakery had a lot of perks. You controlled when you opened and when you closed, and since there hadn’t been a customer in hours, you decided to take advantage of that. Another thing you loved about your bakery was that you had creative liberty over what goods you made from day to day. If you didn’t feel like making a whole tray of raspberry coconut squares one day, nobody was going to force you to.

Just as you finish pulling down and locking the shutter over the entrance, you hear a series of loud knocks on the metal door that opened up into the alley behind your shop. You hurry back behind the counter and make your way into the kitchen to open the door. The face that greeted you reminded you that your absolute favorite part of owning your own shop was having a safe place to meet and spend time with your villain boyfriend.

“Dabi!” You frown as he steps inside, drenched head to toe and dripping water all over the tiled floor.

“Hey babe, lovely weather we’re having, don’t you think?” he accepts the towel you hand him and starts to dry off, not realizing that his comment had left you a bit dumbfounded.

“But… it’s storming out…” you furrow your eyebrows and tilt your head in confusion. Dabi sighs and shakes his head while shrugging out of his wet boots and jacket.

“That was sarcasm, doll.” His blue eyes flick up to meet yours, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Why do you always take things so literally?”

“Oh,” you shrug, “I don’t know.” You gather up his wet clothes and beckon him to follow you upstairs to the small attic that you’d converted into a decently cozy living space. There were extra clothes up there for both of you so that you’d have something clean on days when you didn’t feel like catching the last train to your apartment, or for times like this when Dabi showed up unannounced.

“Is everything all right?” You ask him, a hint of concern in your voice. “I can’t believe you came here in this typhoon.”

“Had to make sure you were all right, didn’t I?” He asks with a quirked eyebrow, digging out a clean shirt and pants from the tiny dresser in the corner. Once he’s properly dressed, he lays down on the futon you’d gotten secondhand from one of your regular customers. “Could this thing get any harder?”

You frown at the question while climbing in next to him and laying your head on his chest. “I don’t know,” You respond, oblivious to the sarcasm once again. “I was actually thinking about getting one of those padded mattress toppers to make it softer…”

Dabi lets out a soft chuckle and leans down to press a kiss to your forehead, “I was just kidding. I think getting a better mattress is a great idea. I can try to scrounge up some cash…”

“No, you don’t have to worry about it. I can get it,” You assure him while closing your eyes, feeling glad just to have him close. A few moments of silence pass by when suddenly the sound of yelling could be heard over the howling of the wind outside. You quickly get back up and go over to the tiny window that overlooked the street in front of your shop. “Dabi, there’s a group of heroes out there.”

“Gross,” was the simple reply.

“Babe!” You look over your shoulder, a wild idea suddenly forming in your head. “What if this isn’t a regular typhoon?”

“What do you mean?” your boyfriend humors you, even though he knew how your imagination often came up with exaggerated scenarios.

“What if there’s a super villain out there and they can create massive storms like this? What if it could wipe out the entire city?” You grimace at the scene blooming to life in your head. “What if that’s why the heroes are out there?”

“Hmm, I don’t know love,” Dabi smiles lazily at you, his head now propped up on his hand. “That sounds pretty serious. Do you want me to go out there and ask them for you?” You just stare at him in shock for a few seconds.

“You can’t go out there! They’ll arrest you on the spot!” Dabi just holds your gaze for a moment before you let out a sigh, “You weren’t being serious, were you?”

“Nope,” he shakes his head before flopping back on the bed. “They’re probably just out there looking for idiots who don’t have enough sense not to walk around outside in a storm.”

“Idiots like you?” You fire back while sliding back onto the futon to resume your cuddling.

“Ouch,” He frowns. “Is that how you treat someone who risks their life to come keep you company?”

“I’m not falling for that one,” you tell him with a satisfied smile, wrapping your arm around his waist and nuzzling into the warmth of his side. “I am glad you’re here though. I wasn’t looking forward to waiting out the storm by myself.”

“Well, it’s a win for both of us then,” he says before letting out a yawn. “You get to spend time with me, and I get to avoid looking at Shigaraki’s face for a few hours.”

“Yeah!” you agree until his words sink in, “Hey! Wait a minute!” A deep laugh rumbles up from his chest.

“You know I’m just joking with you,” he says reassuringly. “I’m always happy when I get to spend time with you.”

“You better be,” you pout. “Big meanie.”

“Hey, you knew I was a big meanie when you met me,” He reminds you.

“True,” you concede, suddenly feeling tired and letting out a yawn of your own. “But I didn’t know your sarcasm was going to be so annoying.”

“Sarcasm?” Dabi asks, feigning ignorance, “Me? When?”

“Stop,” you click your tongue at him but he could tell your heart wasn’t in it by the smile you were trying to hold back.

“All right,” He promises before letting out a sigh and pulling you closer. The sound of the wind and rain outside filled the silence, and thankfully the heroes seemed to have moved on or gotten caught up in the storm themselves. Even on nasty days like this, you were thankful to have your shop where you could remain safe and sound with Dabi. He stumped your brain more often than not, but even with your wild imagination, you couldn’t picture your life any other way.

[yamithediaperdork]

Courtney's Visit (OC X anime)

Curt gulped softly as he made his way from his hotel room. He'd been in Domino city for all of 2 days and had already won a jackpot, winnng a million dollars. At age 21, the skinny brown haired boy was set for life, and he knew that most people his age would of been going out and partying, drinking and having a blast. Instead he'd put 3/4's of the money in the bank and was carrying the rest in a briefcase as he made his way to a certain..place of business. He knew the reputation that this house had, how so many men had gone in so prideful or certain they were smarter then the ladies who worked there and how many had come out penniless. he was sure that with the 1/4 of a million he had with him the ladies wouldn't leave him broke and summoning up his courage, he walked into crinkles, house of sissfy.

Sitting behind the front desk of the lobby (the place was a former hotel with each of the girls having their own room and then other rooms having been converted into different styles of nurseries) sat the digimon queen herself, Rika and just the smirk she gave him as he walked in made Curt's knees wobble. "Oh good, anther BIG baby~ Hi there loser, Do you need a diapie change before we get you signed in?" she asked in a voice dripping with fake kindness and venom. "I..I..I.." Curt stammered and was glad he'd worn black jeans here, as a small trickle of pee escaped into the crotch of them. "t-t-today loser!" Rika mocked and gestured to a chair in front of her desk. "C-Can't we uh..go somewhere private to t-talk?" he asked, looking around the lobby where some girls, not working were hanging out, having drinks and snickered. "Why? you really think anyone who see's you in here thinks your anything but a diaper wearing loser?" Rika asked bluntly. "You DID see the big old sign on the front of the building right? if anyone was going to snicker and call you out on it that didn't know what you are, it would of been someone on the street. now come sit down." Curt practically dashed over as Anzu nudged Rukia and whispered something in her ear, the action distracting him and he tripped and fell onto all fours. Rika just laughed and stood up, looking down at him. "Awww, did baby fall and go boom?" she mocked. "I better make a note that your a crawler." she added, taping away on the computer in front of her. Curt whimpered and got into the chair. "A-Actually I'm not so big on cra-" he started to say, but he was cut off "Fuck you. I say your a crawler, your a fucking crawler." She snapped. "Now what's your name loser? I just need a first one, none of your dip shits ever give a real last name anyways." "I..it's Curt." "ok then Curt..do you have a stupid little diaper baby name you'll want you're mommy or mommies to call you?" she asked, typing away. "I uh..Courtney." Curt said, cheek's burning red. "Ohhh a little SISSY BABY~" Rika said with delight, raising her voice and getting chuckles from around the room. "Are you diapered already little missy?"  She asked. "N-No Ma'am." "bad girl, I'll put in a note to have you spanked. Little sissies like you should NEVER go without thick puffy diapers on letting everyone know what you are." "but I do-" "I'm sorry, did I word that in a way that made you THINK it was your choice?" She asked, daring him to defy her. "That's what i thought. now of course your a diaper filling and pissing sissy baby right Courtney?' She asked. "Y-yesh Ma'am." Curt said, his voice taking on the lisp and softer tone it always did when his clitty got all stuff. "wow, like sandblasting a soup cracker. I bet your a pay piggy too aren't you? Oink for me if you are." "I..uh..Oink." Curt said. "Knew i smelled bacon when you came in. Well Missy, just a few more questions. How frilly and stupid do you want your outfit to be?" "S-Super girly and frilly pwease." Courtney said, not even able to think of himself as Curt anymore. "and of course you wanna be sent home when this is done in your sissy baby outfit for public humiliation. " she said, typing again. "One mommy or two loser?" "I..um..Two pwease." Courtney said. "so, let's recap. you're going to be a crawling thickly diapered pay piggy loser, who's gonna be spanked and fill your diapers to the brim, then get kicked the fuck out of here with your keys and wallet or what not in a cute little purse and your boy clothes destroyed. Is that correct sir?" she asked, smirking. Courtney whimpered and squirmed, anther spurt of pee coming out in his pants and he nodded his head. "That'll be $130,000 please then, Paid in advance. with a extra 20,000 fee for every time you cum, and 50,000 for a diaper change. Of course if you wanna pay for a cummie up front you're more then welcome too." She laughed. Courtney gulped, he knew this place was stupid expensive but he hadn't thought it was gonna be this bad. but the cruel attuide of Rika and the way the other girls snickered, he did something very very stupid in his horny haze. "I..I have $ 250,000 in here..can..can i just give this to you and go meet my mommies pwease Miss Rika?" he asked. whistles were heard in the lobby and Rika snickered. "of course you can~ I already sent them your work form." she said taking the briefcase from him and putting it in a safe. "Follow me sissykins and remember, crawl or auntie spanks!" Courtney whimpered, eyes watering up but he slid down to the floor and crawled behind Rika who he was now thinking of as auntie, and to her total delight, he started to oink softly.

May was dressed in a pair of grey sweat pants and white socks, a baggy dark pink t-shirt reading 'queen bitch' in white text covering her top with her bandanna on, while Kari was wearing a baggy pair of shorts, black, with no socks on and a white t-shirt that was just plain. Both girls looked up and smirked as Courtney was lead into the pink nursery and chuckled. "so this is the bigggg spender~ I'm almost sorry i have to spank someone who's gonna be spoiling his mommies so well." she giggled, getting up and coming over, bending down and pinching Courtney's cheek. "I'm not. If he wanted to get out of a spanking he should of brought HALF a million. clearly the fucking loser can afford it." Kari said, coming over and scowling. "Don't think I don't know who you are, I watch the news." Courtney gulped at that, he'd been hoping neither of them would know who he was. "anyways, I'll leave you ladies too it. oh, and before i leave, while we were coming up here Little Courtney BEGGED me to stress he wants orgasm denial." Rika lied, then left before the poor sissy could argue. "wow, quarter of a mil and you don't even wanna cum? my kinda loser~" May laughed. "Well loser, since your spending soo much we'll let you choose, which one of us do you want to spank you? me, or May." Kari said, smirking with a evil gleam in her eye. "I..I want Mommy May to spank me." Courtney said, since so far May had been the sweeter of the two. "Awww ok sweetie, though you reallly should of picked Kari. She just half asses her spanking. I believe in giving the customer everything they paid for!" May chuckled and went over to a spanking stool, picking up a wooden hair brush. "heh yeah,., she's brutal. anyways. lose the boy clothes pig." Kari ordered. Courtney whimpered but did as he ordered,with the two mommies laughing had as they saw his piss stained hello kitty panties, and laughing harder still as they saw his hairless 1 inch wonder. "Awww, not fully hard yet because your scared?" may giggled, wiping a tear from her eye. "I..I'm actually..rock hard." the sissy admitted, looking down. a fresh wave of laughter filled the room and his clitty twitched and throbbed as they did so.

laying across May's lap, Courtney was shaking a little even as she rubbed his back. "shhh it's gonna be ok." she said and giggled. "actually that's a bold face lie, this is going to hurt like a mother fucker, but you know, I figured you'd wanna hear some sappy shit like that first." before the sissy could say anything the hair brush came down hard and he cried out in pain, a little trickle of piss escaping from his baby dick and going between may's spread legs into a dog dish they had set down. "even if you don't drink it, you wouldn't believe what some perverts online will pay to drink 'our' piss, when we just sell them sissy pee!" Kari snickered. Courtney barley heard her as the brush came down over and over again, redding then bruising his buns but despite the pain and the humiliation (or maybe BECAUSE of the the humiliation) he was still rock hard! "wow, you must REALLY love getting your ass beat!" Kari said, a hand down the front of her shorts. watching little loser like this always got her so fucking wet. "Don't think it's gonna earn you any brownie points though, I already tossed your shit out in the hall and it's gonna be burned." Sliding her hand out of her pants she took his wallet and went over to a desk where a note pad was, and looking though his wallet started to take some notes. "If you want her to stop go ahead and ask, but that'll add anther five minutes to your silly Lil spanking." may said. "or I can stop now and while Kari writes down all the information she can about you, we'll get you in a nice thick fluffy diaper and some plastic panties." "I..I want my diapies!"Courtney said, unable to handle the spanking anymore and the girl's just laughed. "Good girl~"

Flat on his back Courtney was powder and then taped into a thick massive pink diaper. the girls giggled and teased him about how NORMALLY they had to shave a man but either Courtney was SUCH a sissy he never got his pubes or he just shaved them himself. a fat cockfier was stuffed in his mouth, the dick shaped nipple reducing any protests to whimper and the mouth guard was in a nice shade of dull pink with white text saying it was widdle Courtney's mute button as they oiled him up Courtney whimpered as may then Kari then back and forth slipped their fingers deep in him, though unknown to the sissy they weren't just fingering his sissy pussy. nice and slick they powered the big baby then pulled a custom ordered diaper that was equal to at like 16-18 diaper of a no name brand's thickness (while being so massive and  hot pink, with stenciled in words like sissy, loser, faggot, cocksucker and the like covering the surface) as the diaper was taped closed Courtney did the only thing he could with two cruel, mean mommies looking down at him he started to rock his hips and make baby love to his massive diaper as they laughed "awww, somebody wuv him's diapies, yes he does!" May coo'ed and pressed her foot down on the front of Courtney's diapers. the little sissy humped like crazy and was SO close to making baby milk when Kari shoved her off. "Hey! no cummies remember? sheesh! you';re gonna get us BOTH fired when he whines we let him cum hard in his diapers!" Kari said and then winked at Courtney. the big baby whined loudly even with his mouth stuffed and May snickered. "oh i can tell, I'm guessing that's him whimpering about how I almost let him go cum cums~" Courtney toyed with shaking his head no, to tell them he wanted to spurt in his sissy diapers while they called him every name in the book, but just couldn't bring himself to spit out the fat cock shaped nipple from his mouth. "Come on loser, time to sit up so we can get your pretty widdle dress on." Kari teased, holding out a SHORT pink party style little girl dress, with puffy shoulders and white lace trim on the hem and sleeves. "What do you think Lil lady? is it girly enough for you?" May giggled. Sitting up on his thick pampered diaper butt, Sissy Courtney sucked hard and fast and rocked back and forth on his diapered butt, trying to rub his nub as he reached out for the dress with his hands. Naturally both girls responded the only way they could. with hysterical laughter. "Bwhahahaha! Oh my god!" May laughed, taking out her phone and record his pathetic display. "Don't you have ANY fucking pride as a man?" Kari asked sneer, and took out what Courtney realized was HIS phone and was taking pictures! Still he couldn't get himself to stop right till Kari put her left foot on his face, mashing it against his nose lightly, till she kicked and knocked him on his back. "enough you little loser! now sit the fuck up and be good or we'll toss you out early, and I'll send those picture I just took to ALL your contracts." The idea of his family and friends seeing him like this made Courtney wet his diapers a little and as he sat up, though it was hard, he managed to control himself as they tugged the dress on him. naturally it didn't even come close to covering up his massive diapers and his 'mommies' helped him stand up and made him strike pose after pose in his shameful outfit. It was of course Kari who had the next evil idea, and she took Courtney's photo id card and tapped it to the back of his diapers so when he was crawling everyone would be able to see who he really was. May, not wanting to be outdone brain stormed then smirked. "Ok loser, time for you to get a whiff of one of your mommies, lay back down so I can sit on your stupid face and smother it with my bubble butt. And you better stay still or I'll have to unleash my 'poison gas' attack." She chuckled. "Ugh, listen loser, if you make me have to smell her farts your in for it!" Kari warned. "oh come on Kari, we both know with the kinda total loser Courtney here is.. He'll sniff and huff up all my ass gas." may snickered and then with the loser on his back, she plopped down.

Courtney found himself in total darkness as the bubble butt of May covered his face, but she wiggled around and made sure that his nose was lodged between her cheeks. She had also made it so he couldn't spit out his paci, and so the only air he could get was tainted by the smell of her crack. 'ugh! does this bitch even wipe?!?' Courtney thought and squirmed a little under the bubble butt. He only squirmed for maybe all of 2.5 seconds but true to her word, May unlessed a fart right up poor Courtney's nose, making the sissies eyes water. that however wasn't even the worse of it as his diapered crotch took a kick from Kari, not hard enough to really hurt but clearly a warning. he could of sworn she was saying something but with his whole world experience now being the bubble butt of a trainer he'd had a crush on for ages, he couldn't make it out. Trying to appease May and there for Kari before things got too out of control he wiggled his face a little differently, giving May's ass a Eskimo kiss. "oh my god! he's making out with my rotten ass!" Squealed may in delight, laughing. "..really? guess he really DOES love huffing farts. so no fucking excuses! huff better!" Kari growled and lightly tapped Courtney's balls with her foot again as a warning. A series of poots later and Courtney huffing as hard as he could lead to the sissy blacking out.

Courtney came to a little while later, but he was locked in a high chair and was being force feed some sort of awful bland paste. with his arms pinned under the tray and his wrists shackled anyways, all he could do was whine and whimper and swallow the muck as he looked over to where Kari and May were browsing Facebook..what a second, HIS Facebook! "Oh wow, who'd of thought a sissy baby dweeb like him could HAVE so many friends." Kari said. "eh, he likely just friended every hot girl and guy he could find so when he worked himself all up they could all see what a baby he is. Oh, he went to high school with that one." Mat said, then jabbed at the screen and happened to look over her shoulder. "Oh hey stinkerella! About time you rejoined the party. me and Kari kept ourselfs busy and made sure not to turn off the clock so you could pay for nothing for a whoooole half hour~" Courtney tried to protest though his feeding gag, and nodded at the computer. of course he couldn't get any words out as his tummy filled up and started to crap. "Hmm? Oh! well we both know you wanna fill your diapers to the brim and waddle home sobbing in shame and semi broke...buttt since we're not letting you spurt your gross sissy milk me and Kari figured you deserved a little bonus. We know a guy or two who are computer wizards and with your personal information it wasn't all that hard to find your Facebook and hack into it." May said bright and chipper. Kari turned around and smirked. "So we talked about it and decided while outing you to five of your friends online is normally a very costly thing, we'll toss it in for free for you JUST because we think SO much of you." Both girls laughed at that while a red faced Courtney shook his head no even as his dicklet throbbed yes in his soggy diaper. "Awww, do you not want out gift?" May asked looking hurt. "how rude! here we are being kind and it's not enough for you?!?" Kari huffed, looking pissed off but playing a role and noticing how the high fiber paste was almost all in the sissy now. "Some sissies are just SO greedy!" May complained, also hamming it up. "but fine, if just five of your friends finding out about what a diaper shitting sissy baby LOSER you are isn't enough for you..we can always do a public post. buttt that's gonna cost you the rest of the session." Kari said. Courtney's eyes went wide as saucers and he shook his head no over and over again even as the last of the paste went in, only pausing as May came over. she unhooked the feeding gag and wiped Courtney's mouth and smiled. "Now, tell the truth little one. do you really not wanna be OUTED to everyone you know, seen as the loser sissy baby you are?" She asked, leaning down and talking into his ear and patting the front of his diapers. Courtney went toi answer no but it came out a whimpering moan as his soggy diapers were mushed and played with, his 'dinner' already wanting to come out the back and fill his diapies. "Hmm? I dunno Kari, did that sound like a 'don't post me!~' to you, or a 'I'm a stupid loser, ruin me!'?"May asked. "I'd say a little bit of both." Kari said, and was hooking up her camera to the computer, and started to make the post, making sure to use pictures of Courtney they had taken THAT date, with a date stamp in case Courtney tried to claim later they were old pictures. "I'll tell you what Princess..I don't really trust a dumb sissy baby who's about to shit himself to tell the truth.. so we'll go by what your cock says. If you can keep from going goo goo gaga till you crap your huggies, we'll call off your Facebook outing. but if you go cum cums before then..Cliccccck~ your famous!" May said and giggled ever so sweetly and Courtney whined and squirmed, just having May this close and everything else had him at the bursting point! "D-Deal!" he squeaked out. "Not like you had a choice, but good to know your on board." May snickered.

Moving the high chair over took some effort, but it was a labor of love so it was worth it. Of course that love was of money and ruining boys, but it was still love so May was sure it counted. Maybe. Truthfully May wasn't sure if Courtney would actually make it. Normally she'd of bet on his cock head going off first but the boys guts were stuffed and this was the extra powerful stuff that Poison ivy had cooked up in her lab. May had had a tea spoon of the stuff once and hadn't been able to stop shitting for a hour! If she was a betting woman (and of course she was) May bet that the only thing keeping the sissy from messing was the tight confines of the high chair, but even that wouldn't help for too much longer. Courtney was mostly ignoring her to stare and whimper as Kari arranged the photos and made sure it was only ever Courtney in the shots, before starting to type out a heart felt message 'from' Courtney to his FB friends.

'Just so everyone knows, I'm not now, nor have I ever been a man, let along a boy. Nor am I a women or a girl. i'm not transgender, I'm just a little whimpering sissy loser humiliation junkie who gets off pooping and peeing in thick massive diapers while dressed like a baby girl. I've decided to take the ultimate plunge and hope that all of you, no matter HOW much I beg and whine, refuse to let this go away. Hugs and kisses Little sissy baby Courtney (formerly stupid stinky Curt)'

Reading the message over, Courtney was jerking back and forth in his high chair, Moaning and whimpering though whether he was trying to cum or trying to crap himself, that was a question May doubted even Courtney knew the answer to. "N-No..Please..Ugh..Don't..don't.." The sissy whined, bubbly farts escaping and May gagging and pulling away, holding her nose. "whew! I am SO glad we're not gonna have to change him." May said. "tell me about it..not even Tai is that toxic and he licks toilets for a living." Kari groaned, getting two clothes pins and handing one to May. "P-Please.." Courtney whined, clearly one mess or anther was about to happen. "Look here loser. you got till the count of three to make one or the other, Or you're getting posted anyways." Kari said rolling her eyes. "W-what?!" the sissy cried out. "oh, we should try and keep him from cumming then if he's gonna be posted anyhow." May commented. "I don't think we can, once he's posted he's gonna blow his load regardless. they ALL do." Kari said, basically ignoring Courtney now. "That's true..eh, fuck the countdown then." May said and took the mouse from Kari and clicked post.

Courtney's eyes were wide again, and filled with tears as he saw himself in all his shameful glory posted on line. the sight and seeing everyone who was online was too much and his cock head twitched like crazy and he grinded his diaper as much as he could as he blew load after load in his huggies, with his rear opening up unable to hold back. as the front was painted with sissy milk, the back was filled with mush that filled the room with a nasty stink. the girls were saying something, and he was dimly away they were letting him out of the chair as he kept filling but the world was like in slow motion to him. it wasn't until he was tossed outside and landed with a gross splat on his diapered behind his mind snapped back and he caught a purse as Rika tossed it to him. "Thank you for trying our services. we know you'll be back baby gurl. you got nothing else now.Change your diaper first though and bring more money. Courtney hiccuped and whimpered, aware of the scene he was making and everyone looking at him, at how he smelled.. and did the only thing he could. He nodded and bowed. "Yesh aunt Rika." he lisped and started to walk back to his hotel room. "Hey! what did I tell you? your a fucking crawler!" She called. Courtney, having nothing left, just nodded and got on his hands and knees, where a stinky pay pig sissy baby like him belonged.

the end

[wlw-imagines-blog]

A Kiss and I Will Surrender. (Wanda Maximoff x Reader)

Anon: Wanda x reader where r blushes a lot and w makes is her mission to see r blush as much as possible?

Pairing: Scarlet Witch x Journalist!Reader

Warnings: this is really long. a little sexy

A/N: Essentially, this is an au where Endgame occurs, and everyone lives happily ever after. And yeah, that’s an MCR quote.

You stood among the crowd of reporters and citizens, all gathered beneath the new Avenger’s Tower. Cheers echoed down the streets, people chattering excitedly at the grand opening of the new headquarters of S.H..E.I.L.D. and the Avengers themselves. 

Elbowing past a few rowdy fans, you waved your photographer over to a clear space with a perfect view of the front doors.

“Come on, Eddie,” You pulled out your notepad. “They should be here any minute.”

“Easy, Y/n, we got all the time in the world,” Eddie responded, setting up hos camera and its lenses. “They’re practically celebrities, they’ll be fashionably late.”

Just as Eddie finished his sentence, a rumbling in the distance made heads lift up. Above the tower, a massive quinjet was slowly descending onto the empty area of street to the crowd’s left. The crowd was stunned into silence.

You shaded your eyes and watched the plane land. Next the jet were several dark figures against the sun. You managed to make out Carol Danvers, or Captain Marvel, and Doctor Stephen Strange. Tony Stark swooped down in his iconic Iron Man suit, and the crowd erupted into thunderous applauds. A grin made its way onto your face as Eddie’s camera snapped picture after picture. 

“What’s up New York!” A voice called out, and from nowhere, Spiderman landed on the steps of the tower, eliciting another round of cheers from the people. He fed off the energy, posing and waving to the crowd. 

Clouds suddenly gathered, thick and grey as Thor landed at lightning speed. Energy crackled around him as he brandished Stormbreaker. Despite the joyous occasion, he seemed reserved. Almost cold.

You waved that thought away as another Avenger landed directly in front of you. Red swirled around her, flowing through her auburn hair, lighting up her eyes.

All the moisture left your mouth as your heart crawled into your throat. 

Scarlet Witch. 

Wanda Maximoff.

The strongest Avenger. 

She surveyed the crowd with an unreadable expression. There was no pride or  relish in the publicity. Instead Scarlet Witch seemed more watchful than excited. Her eyes locked with your for a second. You could have sworn she offered you a smiled. 

A hot blush flooded your cheeks as you looked away, grinning and biting your lip.

The demeanor suddenly shifted, then she was all smiles and waves to the people.

Your hair whipped around your face as the quinjet landed, bay doors opening. The heroes of the universe stepped out.

Captain America, Black Panther, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Antman, and other various heroes stepped out, and the crowd went insane. They made their way to the steps of the tower, waving and shaking hands, Occasionally stopping for photos. You smiled as the crowd began to chant “Avengers” off-beat. 

Your heart swelled when you saw another weak smile on Scarlet Witch’s face, tears brimming her eyes.

The ceremony went off without a hitch.

You carefully navigated around the main floor of Avengers Tower, converted for the evenings festivities. Journalists, high rollers, and socialites all laughed and drank, mingling with the heroes. 

Eddie was off taking pictures of the heroes with various celebrities. You sat at the bar, reviewing the list of heroes you interviewed, matching them to the recorded portions on your phone. 

You had managed to interview Natasha Romanoff; reserved yet all the more alluring, Stephen Strange; arrogant while annoyingly intelligent, Bruce Banner; unbelievably easy to talk to, and Steve Rogers; the star-spangled man himself. Alongside those heavy hitters, you had also snagged Valkyrie, Sam Wilson, the Wakandan general Okoye, Spiderman (who refused to take off his mask, but had changed into a suit), Colonel James Rhodes, and Carol Danvers.

You and a few reporters had surrounded Tony Stark, who laughed and held the atmosphere of the room in the palm of his hand. You elbowed your way to the front and managed to ask him three questions and get three answers while still remaining civil.

Now you sat, as faint blush from the cocktail you were sipping crawling up your neck, and flipping through your notes. Someone sidled up next to you, tall with long hair.

“Sazerac, cut the absinthe,” A a woman’s voice called to the bartender. “And anything she wants.”

You raised an eyebrow and turned to the stranger, only to be greeted by Wanda Maximoff.

“Scarlet Witch,” you breathed, heart hammering like it did at the entrance of the tower. You could already feel your face burning at her gentle gaze. 

She seated herself, hands folded. “So, I’ve seen you around the room, chatting with everyone, and I haven’t even caught your name.”

You ducked your head and tugged the hem of your dress down. “It’s Y/F/N Y/L/N, I’m with the Tribune. They sent me to rub elbows with you and your super friends, Miss Maximoff.”

The bartender placed the drink in front of her. “Please, call me Wanda.”

You smiled. “Wanda.” The name tasted comfortable on your tongue. “Alright.”

Conversation between you and Wanda flowed like water. You talked about your profession, and managed to convince her to tell her side of the story.

“For the Tribune?” Wanda asked over the rim of her glass. “Or is this just for your ears?”

Your fingers brushed against your notepad. The alcohol was making your head gently spin. “No, it’s just for me.”

She smiled before explaining the battle of Wakanda, her memory-less time in the Soul Stone, and the final fight at the ruins of the Avenger’s compound.

“And now I’m here,” Wanda concluded. “With you.”

Your face flushed again at the intense look she gave you. It as though Wanda could see every inch of your skin, and was slowly figuring you out, before she even knew a thing about you. 

You nodded and lowered your head to your drink, but Wanda stopped you, hand suddenly cradling your face. “No, don’t do that. I love how you look when your skin goes all pink.”

A gasp caught in your throat.

She hummed, lost in thought. “Like an angel.”

You closed your eyes, falling into a trance, before Wanda sharply pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry. I-I don’t know why I did that.”

You glanced at the empty cocktail glasses in front of the two of you. The pleasant light-headed feeling began to spread to your chest. 

“No,” You said, stopping her from retracting completely. Her wrist was cool against your burning fingers. “I-I I like that.”

Wanda’s breath hitched, tongue darting out to wet her lips. 

“You know,” She whispered, pressing into your space. “We can take this conversation upstairs. In private.”

It was as though your heart was in your throat. Unable to move your lips, you nodded, letting Wanda take your hand and lead you away from the bar. You took your bag and notebook, entranced by the woman in front of you. 

The two of you wove around the crowd, bumping into strangers and conversations, but you couldn’t make sense of anything except Wanda.

You followed her up an elevator, into a dim bedroom, letting her hands press against you. 

Your skin felt as though it was dry tinder in summer, and Wanda was a thunderstorm in the distance. Every touch, every finger that ghosted over your skin crackled with energy. The air in your chest felt tight and hot. 

Lips attached themselves to your neck, sucking and kissing the flush that threatened to consume you. Your hands automatically moved to her hair, holding her in place while her mouth elicited a soft moan from you.

You walked her to the bed, laying Wanda down. She pressed a kiss to your lips, and you tentatively opened your mouth, savoring the way she licked your bottom lip before sinking into you. 

Her hands found you the zipper of your dress, tugging downward at a tantalizingly slowly rate. 

You were the match. 

Wanda was the friction.

All you needed was little bit of her to set you ablaze.

Wanda stopped, tracing your cheekbone with a finger. “Are you sure?”

You gazed down at her, hair strewn about the mattress. Want curled in your gut.

“Yes.”

Wanda grinned before pulling your down.

[blackirisposts]

Singing in the Rain

Summary:  She liked singing and swaying with the music as the water washed away her worries, fears, and thoughts; said it was therapeutic. Sure she loved music, but even in the shower? He hadn’t fully understood this habit of hers until he noticed her doing it mostly after he came back from long missions. He found it was a great way to know what mood she was in by what music was playing. So much so, that he developed a habit of pushing his self control to its limit by listening to at least two songs before barging in on her one way or another. Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Darcy Lewis Word Count: 1481 Notes: Comfort, fluff, music, play lists, pet names, I own no characters. Song info below last cut; you’ve been warned.

He was early. Well, as early as could be possibly expected, which rarely happened in his line of work. Three days early this time; a new record.

He needed to see her badly, regardless of his time away being cut short.

“Doll?”

Nothing.

“Darce? Baby doll, you home?”

As he went further into their house, music drifting from the bathroom was the only reply.

Shower? Shower. She liked singing and swaying with the music as the water washed away her worries, fears, and thoughts; said it was therapeutic. Sure she loved music, but even in the shower? He hadn’t fully understood this habit of hers until he noticed her doing it mostly after he came back from long missions. He found it was a great way to know what mood she was in by what music was playing. So much so, that he developed a habit of pushing his self control to its limit by listening to at least to two songs before barging in on her one way or another.

She had several versions of her “Singing in the Rain” playlist. The first time he came home to it, two years ago, it was full of mellow, sad, meandering songs about love, loss and time. It was heavy with music from his time. He knew immediately that his time away was as hard for her as it had been for him and burst through the bathroom door, just needing to have her in his arms again. The second time he came home to it, it was dramatically different from the first. It was a mash up of 80’s hits, modern hip beats, club music, and something reminiscent to.. jazz? He was shocked at the shift of music and sat with his back against the door listening in confusion as she sang along. He had almost had his head wrapped around it when he fell back into the bathroom when she opened the door, wrapped in a towel, her singing was cut short as he crashed into her legs.

Today, was some fast beat song, heavy with bass and loud enough that he could barely hear her own voice mingling with the original voices. It soon ended and was followed with one that almost confused him. He couldn’t place it fully, but knew the tune as one that she hummed to herself on occasion. It sounded different then he remembered. Must be one of her covers she loved so much. He found her listening to them more and more often. Modern songs performed in older styles. These two songs were really an odd combination even for her and her various music tastes. Usually when he’d stumble upon her in these moments they were always themed. Today’s theme was one he couldn’t place with any certainty. Another song started that did little to help him gauge her mood.

The year is one thousand nine hundred and forty and something isn’t right..

“What the hell..”

It was more then he could take, and that was saying something.

He opened the door to find the bathroom converted into a sauna. A haze of steam filled the room to the point that he couldn’t see where she had perched her laptop and he definitely could not see the shower.

“Heya, soldier!” Came from below him and to the right as the music began to quiet. “You’re home early.” She stood up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, easily pulling him down for a kiss. “Not that I’m complaining, but please tell me you didn’t jump ship just to see me.”

Okay, teasing. She must be in a good mood then.

“Steve got it set in his mind to do things a certain way that wasn’t exactly protocol.. and well, you know how once Steve’s got his mind to something – “

“You aren’t far behind. I know. That’s why I’m glad you two are sent out together. I know someone’s got your back and I know I don’t have to worry about Steve either.” She grinned up at him.

“Wait. So this is about Steve?” He said, pulling slightly away from her.

“No.” She cupped his face in her hands. “This is about me worrying about you and trying to talk myself down a little knowing that Cap wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” His gaze lightened, but not enough for her liking so she continued. “You know I’m all yours. You’ve nothing to worry about. I’m just glad you’re home.”

He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “So what’s with the music then?”

“Music?”

“Yeah. Are you alright? I just..the music. It’s not usual. It was fast and slow..like you and me.. just..I’m.. Oh.. Fuck. Wait. Are you..? ..I – ” He reached out and placed a hand on her stomach to finish the question caught in his throat.

“Oh James. No.” She chuckled softly into his neck as she pulled him closer to her. “We’ve talked about that. That’s something that we’ll maybe come to later. Right now, I like it being just us…” She cleared her throat. “I just.. This time.. Two and a half months.. I know you’re home early. I’ve just haven’t been hit this hard since the first time you were gone for a month. I’m all over the place. I’m miserable without you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too. More then you know.” He said between kisses that started top her head and traveled to her temple, to her lips, and then down her throat. “You know. I even skipped out on medical, again.” He said between kisses to her collar bone.

“Damn it James.” Her voice almost failed her. “You’re lucky I miss you so much that I almost don’t care.”

His only response was a chuckle as he worked his way back up her neck.

“Are you hurt at all? I know you skipping meds doesn’t mean that you’re completely fine.” She pushed lightly with both hands on his chest and looked up at him, waiting his response.

“Nothing that won’t be fine by morning.” She raised an eye brow at him. “Or possibly the day after…Or overmorrow.”

“Okay. Sit.” She pointed to the counter. “What, where, and if you can tell me, why. And if anyone else will be stopping by.” She finished, reaching for the med kit they kept in the bathroom. It was full of the usuals and then some fundamentals for keeping super soldier types in one piece. She couldn’t even count how many times he came home with one of his team members that also skipped medical. This meant that she was left to clean and stitch them up, sometimes literally. It was a usual routine that she was comfortable with and grateful for; it brought them all closer.

He used to skip medical because he didn’t trust doctors, preferred to clean up himself, or to have one of the team stitch him up if need be. That used to be the case. Now it was different. He’d skip out early to see her or have her nurse him back to health if it was ever that bad.

He pointed to a section of his lower right leg, wet with blood. “Just the leg, and I think Clint’s stitching Tasha up this time. She was thrown through a window and has a few cuts on the shoulder.”

She nodded. Then tightened her towel, turned off the shower, flipped on the exhaust fan, and began digging through the large metal case. Finding what she sought, she placed the choice items neatly on the counter next to him. She then turned her attention to his leg. She gingerly undid the laces of his more than warn in boot, slowly sliding it and the sock off. He handed her the scissors he was fiddling with and she began cutting his jeans away.

“As usual, it looks worse than it is.”

“Luckily for you, whatever you 'brushed' against didn’t do much more than ruin another pair of pants. I don’t think you’ll need more than five stitches tops. So that’s two records for today, huh?” She grinned cheekily at him.

She cleaned and stitched his wound thoroughly but quickly. She slowed her ministrations as she finished bandaging the smaller cuts even though she knew they would be healed by morning. She liked when he let her fuss over him. He’d never admit it but he loved letting her fuss like this when they were alone together.

“Good as vintage, Buck-o.” She said, standing up.

“Good thing I have a wife that enjoys playing nurse to vintage punks like myself.”

“Good thing I already had a substantial love for vintage and characteristically fucked up before you rolled up with that tall, dark, and broody mess you’ve got going for you.”

He snorted.

“Oh, how I missed you, doll.”

The songs described in detail: Fancy - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX Sweet Child of Mine - Post Modern Jute Box 1940 Amplive Remix - The Submarines

A sampling from her first 'Singing in the "Rain"' playlist - the slower one - Cryin' Mood - Ella Fitzgerald Heartbeat - Enrique Iglesias Young Love - Sonny James Chances Are - Johnny Mathis Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me Rose Mary Clooney Dream a Little Dream of Me - Mama Cass Stay - 30 Seconds to Mars cover Stay with me - Sam Smith Pompeii Acoustic Live in Paris - Bastille

A sampling from her second 'Singing in the "Rain"' play list - the fast one - We are all made of Stars - Moby Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel Can't Hold Us - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Blurred Lines - Robin Thick Back in Time - Pitbull Without Me - Eminem Clap your hands - Parov Stelar Sweet Talk - Kito ft. Reija Lee

[captain-zajjy]

Solstice, Chapter 19 - A Final Fantasy XV Story

Pairing: Ignis x Female Original Character

AO3 | Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

A/N: Sorry this one got posted kinda late! I've been super busy all day and only got a chance to sit down at my computer just now. It really hurts me to write Iggy struggling like this, but it would be unrealistic if he wasn't.

Gladiolus growled to Ignis’s right, and Ignis spun away on his left heel, feeling the breeze as Gladio’s blunted practice sword slashed the air where Ignis had just been standing. Ignis crossed his practice daggers in front of his chest, blocking the thrust he already knew was coming. If only all his future opponents would be so considerate as to wear a chain on their belts and cycle through the exact same combination of movements during each sparring session.

“You’re holding back,” Ignis said, shoving Gladio away from him.

“Yeah,” Gladiolus said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which, perhaps, it was. “Ain’t trying to kill ya, Iggy.”

“I’d like to think it would take more than a few hits to kill me,” Ignis replied, standing on the balls of his feet to prepare for another round. “Even from you.”

“Heh. Is that supposed to be trash talk?” The chain affixing Gladio’s wallet to his belt rattled as he shifted position, marking him as five or so feet in front of where Ignis stood.

Ignis slid backwards to stay out of the man’s considerable reach. “If I intend to antagonize you, you will know it.”

Gladiolus grunted with effort once more, and the gymnasium floor quaked with the pounding of his heavy boots. Ignis easily dodged the charge by leaping backwards, but gasped as something hard and unyielding collided with the back of his shins, causing him to lose his balance and topple forward. At least he managed to catch himself before his face hit the ground, causing only his knees and pride to be battered.

“Bloody hell,” he cursed under his breath.

“Bleachers behind you,” Gladio said, helping him back to his feet.

“Yes, I surmised that,” Ignis snapped, immediately regretting his tone. It wasn’t Gladio’s fault that, in the past six weeks or so, inanimate objects had become the bane of Ignis Scientia’s existence.

“You alright?” Gladiolus asked, concern lacing his usually gruff tone.

“Fine.” Just more bruises for Val to fuss about. He wanted to be annoyed with her for that, but he knew if their situations were reversed, he would not have let the topic go so easily. Or, perhaps, at all.

“You’re getting better,” Gladiolus offered.

Ignis frowned. “Don’t patronize me.”

“When the hell have I ever done that?” Well...never, Ignis supposed. That wasn’t Gladio’s way. “I’m serious. You’re getting better.”

“Until I run into the furniture,” Ignis muttered.

Beside him, Gladiolus suddenly lurched. “Ugh…”

All of Ignis’s self-effacing thoughts vanished in the wake of his friend’s sudden distress. “Are you ill?” he asked, sticking a hand out to brace the larger man’s shoulder.

When he got a whiff of Gladio’s sweat, smelling of stale alcohol, he realized that his friend was sick, but there was no reason to be concerned.

“Allow me to guess...whiskey? Or perhaps bourbon?” Gladiolus had always had a penchant for hard liquor.

“Heh…” Gladio’s laugh was cut off by the audible churning of his stomach. “Your nose might be almost as good as Umbra’s, Iggy.”

“I don’t think one needs superior olfactory senses to tell that you’re hungover.”

“Well?”

Ignis tilted his head. “Well, what?”

“Aren’t you gonna tell me to knock it off?” Gladio asked.

“Why would I? I’m not your boss.” And Ignis knew that, whatever his vices, Gladiolus took his duty - to both the Crown and his sister - every bit as seriously as Ignis took his own.

“Iris has really been on my ass,” Gladio grumbled.

Ignis crossed his arms over his chest. “It wouldn’t hurt you to help out around the house once in awhile.”

“It ain’t that,” Gladiolus said. “It’s, you know…”

Ignis shook his head. “I’m afraid I have very little experience with younger siblings.”

“She dropped out of school. She wants to be a Hunter.” Gladiolus sighed. “Gimme a break.”

Ignis smiled. “She’s growing up.”

“She’s sixteen,” Gladiolus replied. “And this ain’t the kind of world any kid should grow up in.”

Ignis gave his friend a sad, understanding smile. “We’ve very little say in that, unfortunately.”

“Just when the hell is he coming back?” Gladio growled. “It’s already been a damn month.”

“I don’t know,” Ignis admitted. Somehow he figured that their missing Prince was at the root of Gladio’s mood. If only he could offer some - any - insight into the Astral’s cryptric message.

At a loss, he merely asked, “Perhaps we should call it a day?” Ignis felt a bead of perspiration roll down his back between his shoulder blades, and wanted to at least rinse off before escorting Valeria home.

“You saying I need a shower?”

“I believe that would be prudent, yes.” Ignis once again shrugged off Gladio’s helping hand, instead nodding to indicate he would follow the larger man to the locker room. Ignis had memorized how many steps it took to cross the breadth of the gymnasium from the bleachers to the opposing wall, and was only uncertain of the location of the locker room door relative to his current position.

When they entered the locker room, him a pace behind Gladiolus, Ignis was abruptly stopped by Gladio’s outthrust arm. “Hold up.” Then he heard the sounds of clothing and other objects being kicked or shuffled around on the floor, Gladiolus grumbling all the while. “I keep telling them to pick up their shit,” he muttered. “This place is a pigsty.”

Given the state of Gladio’s lodgings, Ignis knew his friend’s insistence that the Hunters put their things away was more for his benefit than anything else, but he merely nodded in response, allowing them both to keep up the pretense.

When the floor was cleared, he felt his way to the showers, removing his sunglasses and clothes, leaving them neatly folded on the nearest bench. Cold water dripped from the shower head, causing gooseflesh on his skin, all except for the scarred area around his left eye, which registered the mild discomfort not as temperature, but the sensation of pressure, like someone pressing their fingers into his cheekbone.

He hadn’t been able to speak with a real doctor about his injuries since leaving Altissia, but Ignis believed that some underlying nerves must have been damaged along with his eyeball and the surrounding tissue, leaving the wires of his nervous system crossed, so to speak. It wasn’t too painful - usually - but it was quite strange, feeling pressure when the rest of his body felt cold.

“That was your friend in the Marshal’s office, right?” Gladio asked from the shower stall beside him. “The one you’ve been trying to get a hold of?”

“Indeed,” Ignis replied as he ran a bar of soap under his armpits.

“Must be pretty relieved.”

“Indeed,” Ignis said once more. If you want to know something, Gladio, you’re going to have to ask.

“So...you still up for that run to Galdin next week?”

Not the question Ignis had been expecting, and frankly a topic he’d entirely forgotten about since Valeria had arrived. The Hunters had intercepted a transmission from Galdin Quay, begging for power-related supplies - batteries, lightbulbs, and such - and promising a load of fresh fish in exchange. Lestallum had no problem charging batteries, but they were going to have a serious problem with food very, very soon. Rather than make it a one-time exchange, Ignis had volunteered to accompany Gladio to try to work out some kind of ongoing trade.

“Of course,” Ignis replied after rinsing the suds from his hair. “I can hardly leave negotiations in the hands of a man who seems to think shirts are optional items of clothing.”

“It's like I keep telling you - intimidation factor,” Gladio said in reply.

Ignis joked, but the truth of the matter was, he didn’t want to leave Valeria so soon, now that she’d finally arrived. He didn’t want to, but the city and the people needed him, and he’d promised the Marshal to help however he could - and negotiating was something he still could do, without question.

“She can stay with Iris, if you want,” Gladio went on. “Your friend.”

“I think she would prefer that.” Ignis turned off the water, ran a towel through his wet hair, then slung it around his waist. “Thank you.”

“Heh, well...ain’t the only reason I’m asking,” Gladio said as he stepped out of the shower. Ignis knew the man hadn’t bothered to cover himself, and knew that it had very little to do with the fact that Ignis was now blind. What had he just said? Intimidation factor. Ignis coughed to disguise a laugh.

“You’d like an adult to keep an eye on Iris?” Ignis ventured, returning to their conversation. He donned his sunglasses and tucked his shirt into his jeans before zipping the fly.

“It ain’t exactly babysitting, but…” Gladio’s voice trailed off into another groan. “Ain’t showers supposed to help with a hangover?”

“I believe that’s the actual state of intoxication itself. If it’s any consolation, I can barely smell you anymore.”

“Ha ha…Iggy’s got jokes.” Gladiolus thumped him on the arm. “Imma head home and sleep it off. You good?”

“On finding my way back to the Marshal’s office?” Ignis asked. “I should hope so.”

He was still a bit fuzzy on other locations in the building - the classrooms converted into the Hunter barracks, the makeshift armory, the cafeteria - but the gymnasium and ‘Vice-principal’ Cor Leonis’s quarters were the two parts of the former school that he frequented the most.

Ignis made his way up the stairs and turned down the hallway to the Marshal’s office, following the sound of Valeria’s voice and - somewhat to his surprise - Prompto’s chattering.

“Hey, Iggy,” Valeria called to him.

“Ignis! What’s up?” Prompto said.

“Prompto,” Ignis nodded toward his voice, then turned his head slightly to where he thought Valeria was sitting. “I apologize for keeping you so long.”

“Yes, my social calendar is really full this afternoon.” Valeria’s sarcasm caused Ignis to grin.

“Don’t worry, Iggy,” Prompto chirped. “I kept her company.”

Oh, dear. Ignis may have grown quite fond of Prompto, but it certainly hadn’t happened overnight. “Are your ears still attached?” he asked Valeria. “Or did he talk them both off?”

“Oh, come on,” Prompto muttered.

“Prompto is a perfectly lovely conversationalist,” Valeria said, clothing rustling as she rose to her feet. Ignis was certain Prompto was blushing profusely at such a compliment from a woman.

“You’re all scruffy,” she said playfully, nudging Ignis’s shoulder. Ignis raked a self-conscious hand through his damp, messy hair.

“You think that’s scruffy?” Prompto asked, incredulous. “You should see Gladio after three straight days of camping and no shower.”

The smell was worse than the sight, in Ignis’s opinion, but he kept that to himself.

“I said ‘scruffy,’ not troglodyte.”

Ignis snorted a laugh. Accurate.

“Huh?” Prompto said.

“Caveman,” Ignis explained.

“Ohhh. Yeah.” Prompto laughed. “Pretty much. So, uh...you guys...”

Ignis shot a threatening look in Prompto’s general direction. “What?”

“Are you, like...living together?”

“Where else would she stay?” Ignis retorted.

“Don’t you only have one bed?”

“Yes,” Valeria replied smoothly. “And there’s no space for you.”

For Gods’ sakes… “I sleep on the couch.” Ignis felt blood rush to his cheeks. “And I have lunch to prepare. Shall we?”

“Alright,” Valeria said as he took her elbow. “Bye, Prompto. It was nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Totally! See you guys!”

Ignis would have considered inviting Prompto over for lunch if he hadn’t been acting so Gods damned nosy; he knew that the only time the younger man had a proper meal was if Ignis or Iris prepared one for him. But the mishap at training this morning had already left Ignis feeling out of sorts, and the last thing he wanted was to unfairly vent his frustrations on a friend.

When they reached the front steps of the building, Ignis released his grip on her elbow and breathed deeply, despite the fetid city air assaulting his nostrils, preparing himself for the mentally exhausting task of getting them back home.

Valeria grabbed his hand and put it back on her arm. “I think I know the way back,” she said gently. Because you’re so obviously hopeless at taking the lead, Ignis imagined her saying. He knew he was being unfair - Valeria would never say something like that to him, even if it was unequivocally true.

“How was the rest of your meeting with the Marshal?” Ignis asked, trying to distract himself from his own, dark thoughts.

Valeria sighed. “I don’t know if anything I said really helped. It’s just…” Ignis felt the muscles of her arm tense. “Whenever I saw the Niffs, I wasn’t thinking about the size of their patrols, or what kind of weapons they were carrying or anything. I just didn’t want them to kill me.”

I’m so sorry, he wanted to say, although he realized at this point he was beginning to sound like a broken record with his apologies.

“You’re a civilian,” he said aloud. “Of course you weren’t looking for such things.”

“I know, I…” Alongside him, her shoulder sagged. “How was your training?”

“Mildly humiliating,” Ignis replied before he could stop himself. That’s right, Specs. Keep whinging. “I apologize.” There it was again. “You don’t want to hear me complain.”

“You can complain,” Valeria said. “You can say whatever you want. I told you before, Ignis - you don’t have to be a certain way for me.”

But I do, he thought. I do, because if you knew how unsure I am, how frightened, you wouldn’t see me as a man, but a sad, lost child. And pity was the antithesis of desire.

Valeria only took one wrong turn on the way back to the apartment; if Ignis noticed, he didn’t say anything. The sea of people spilling out of the city streets was still overwhelming and vaguely frightening - if she’d learned anything in the past six months, it was that people only looked out for themselves.

People, except for Ignis. And probably Prompto, Cor Leonis, and the others too. I want to be like that, she thought. I don’t want to be bitter and cruel like everyone else.

“When was the last time you went outside the city gates?” Valeria asked as the town square came into view. A large fountain, which had probably been quite a relaxing sight in its heyday, now sat among the crowd, its playful spouts no longer running, water in the basin filthy and brown.

“Not since we arrived, I believe, about three weeks ago. They hadn’t erected the gate then.”

“How do all the people outside not starve?” she asked.

Ignis shook his head. “I suppose their friends and family lucky enough to make it inside smuggle out what they can. But, that’s hardly an acceptable solution.”

“No,” Valeria agreed. “It’s not.” And if not for the stroke of luck that had allowed her to hold onto her identification, she would be stuck outside there with them, hungry and dirty and afraid.

“I hate the Niffs,” she said. “I really do. But this…”

“The people out there aren’t soldiers,” Ignis said. “They had nothing to do with what happened to the Crown City.”

“I know.”

“Why don’t you speak to EXINERIS about it?” Ignis suggested. “When you meet with them.”

Because I’m probably going to be laughed right out of their offices, she thought. Aloud, she said, “I’ll try.”

Once, Valeria would have marched right up to the CEO’s desk, nose in the air, every fiber of her being commanding confidence - even arrogance, perhaps. It was so easy to be self-assured when you had the weight of millions of gil behind you. Now, she was a beggar, a person who ran away from her fears while leaving others behind to suffer. You can’t go back to who you were, she thought. That life is gone now. But she didn’t want to be a scared little mouse anymore.

They lapsed into silence then, walking arm in arm. The streetlights glowed warmly in the constant darkness, bathing the cracked, cobbled streets in soft gold. It would almost be romantic, if not for the ubiquitous stink of filth and getting jostled by a passing stranger’s shoulder or elbow every twenty feet. What would her mother think if she could see Valeria now? ‘Get your head out of the clouds, girl,’ her mother’s voice came. ‘Romance is a waste of time.’ Or so she had always said. But hanging onto her wedding ring told a different story. Maybe it just hurt too much, Valeria thought, unconsciously moving closer to Ignis’s side.

But she knew what her mother would say about meeting with EXINERIS. ‘Don’t let those idiots push you around. Don’t you dare take no for an answer.’

I won’t, Mom. I won’t just try - I’ll succeed.

The chaos of the Market brought Valeria back to reality and out of hypothetical conversations with dead relatives. She grabbed Ignis’s gloved hand, interlocking their fingers, then pushed and elbowed a path through to his apartment.

After they ate lunch (cold, but oh-so-delicious sandwiches, again), Valeria began to clear the table as Ignis went to use the bathroom. Somewhat curiously, she noticed light coming from under the closed door, and watched him switch it back off upon exit.

“Ignis, can you tell when the lights are on?” Given what he’d told her over the phone, Valeria had assumed he couldn’t see anything at all, but perhaps she had misunderstood.

“I can,” he said. “But that’s about the extent of it.”

“Oh.” Valeria felt both pity and joy at his reply. At least he’s not entirely in the dark, she tried to tell herself. The thought only offered a modicum of comfort.

“It may seem like a trifling thing,” Ignis went on, as if she’d spoken her thoughts aloud, “but, given the circumstances, it’s actually quite useful.”

Valeria thought about that for a moment. “If you can tell where it’s light and dark, you can tell where it’s safe.”

“Indeed. Safe from the daemons, anyway.”

“That’s good,” Valeria said. She knew she had to stop looking at this as what he had lost, and focus on what he still had (his life, his wits, his strength), but it was just so damn hard. Still, she thought, I must do it for his sake.

And while they were addressing the blind elephant in the room, she thought she might as well get out what she’d been grappling with since reuniting with him in Lestallum. “Iggy, I...I want to help you, however I can. But I don’t want to insult you by making assumptions.”

The way Ignis seemed to hang his head made her wish she hadn’t said anything at all. In the nearly ten years that she’d known him, he’d always been so independent, self-sufficient. Valeria remembered riding the subway with him when they were fourteen and feeling so grown-up, buying her own ticket, going where she wanted without any adults tagging along.

She had always been on her own too, ever since her father had bolted, but her mother had ensured she was surrounded by a handful of attendants - butlers, bodyguards, babysitters. Not Ignis. His uncle made sure he was provided for financially, but Ignis had always had to take care of himself. How could he ask for help now?

“It’s not insulting,” Ignis said quietly. “It’s…” He let out a heavy sigh.

“Don’t be ashamed, Iggy. Please.” Valeria stood over where he sat on the couch and gently rested his head on her chest. “You know I think you’re wonderful, no matter what. I just want to help.”

Ignis grabbed her waist, pressing his face against her body. “...Thank you.” His voice was thick, quivering.

Oh, Iggy. Valeria buried her hands in the back of his hair, rested her head on top of his. She felt his chest heaving as he began to quietly weep. Probably for the first time since everything had happened, knowing Ignis.

“Forgive me,” he mumbled, as Valeria slid his sunglasses up and over his head, placing them in his lap so he’d be able to find them later.

“Shh, Iggy.” She held him tightly, knowing, perhaps instinctively, that he needed this. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

His sudden outburst of emotion left Ignis feeling more than a little humiliated, and more than a lot relieved. Even he could only bend so far before breaking.

You’re wonderful. You’re wonderful. Only a fool could think that of him as he was now, a shadow of the man he used to be. But Valeria wasn’t a fool. She was the cleverest person he knew, and she’d offered those words to him freely, unsolicited.

And it had been that expression of kindness, not scorn or pity, that had finally split him open, spilling out everything he’d been burying deep since Insomnia fell. Ignis couldn’t recall the last time he’d cried; intellectually, he knew that grieving was essential to processing loss, but it still felt like weakness in him, a weakness he was unable to stem once it started.

“I apologize,” he repeated once he was finished, slipping his sunglasses back on and extricating himself from Valeria’s warm embrace.

“It’s okay, Iggy,” she said gently, rubbing his arm. “It’s okay. Want some water?”

“Please,” Ignis said, swallowing the phlegm in the back of his throat, despising how brittle and raw his voice sounded. How you must look to her, he thought as he mopped the moisture from his face with his handkerchief. Like a little, lost puppy.

He drank the water she brought him, suspecting she was watching him all the while. Even as it filled him with shame, Ignis had to admit he felt undeniably lighter, lighter than he had in months, since before Altissia.

“Thank you,” Ignis said, handing Valeria the empty glass. “For dealing with me.”

“I like ‘dealing’ with you,” she said simply. He heard her rinsing the glass in the kitchen sink, the gentle clink as she put it away in the cabinet.

“What’s on the radio?” she asked, pausing where he knew his table was, midway between the kitchen and where Ignis sat on the couch.

“Ah.” Ignis lifted his head, grateful for the change in subject. “Hunters use radio frequencies to communicate when they’re out in the field, since cell reception is so poor.”

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. “So you’re not hosting your own talk show?”

In spite of himself, Ignis cracked a smile. “Goodness, no. Can you imagine?”

“I’d listen,” Valeria said. "You have a great voice."

He shook his head, still smiling. Since the Marshal had sidelined him, Ignis tried to assist however he could, monitoring the hunters’ calls, offering strategic advice or suggestions, coordinating rescues or aid.

“Someone’s been broadcasting old radio serials,” he offered. “If that’s more your thing.” Ignis was fairly certain it was just an ordinary hobbyist, not an actual radio station, but regardless of the origin, any sort of entertainment was a welcome escape in these dark times.

“Really?” He was surprised to hear excitement in Valeria’s voice. “I loved those as a kid. My dad and I used to listen to them at night while we waited for Mom to get home.”

“Your father,” Ignis broached the usually sore subject while she fiddled with the radio dials. “Is he…?”

“Dead? No. Last time I checked he was somewhere in Accordo.” Ignis couldn’t help but feel a little shocked at the glib way she spoke of her father’s safety. There may have been little love lost between them, but he would’ve thought her mother’s death would have forced some sort of reconciliation.

“You didn’t go there?”

“There’s no way I’m getting on a boat in this mess.” Valeria found the station with the serials and joined Ignis on the couch, sitting so close their sides were touching. “Besides, I’d rather be here with you.”

“Oh.” Ignis cleared his throat, feeling a flush creep up the back of his neck. Maybe she really was a fool - a beautiful, brilliant, bloody fool.

[cosmosogler]

man, i don’t want to write anything... i’m tired. i will write anyway.

i had a dream about being surrounded by people but being, sort of, for some unexplained reason, unable to communicate with them. like, i could talk and they might have heard me, there’s no reason they wouldn’t have, but they didn’t respond to anything i did. we were in a mall and the floor was glass. toward the end of the dream there was a blizzard and the glass had cracked. i tread carefully, but it never broke. 

right at the very end, someone asked me a question, and as i opened my mouth to respond i woke up because my alarm went off. i was so incredibly frustrated for about half a second and then i couldn’t remember what i had wanted to say any more.

oh! there were also zombies. and undead, but they were different from zombies. i had come to the mall to do something about them but i got sidetracked and then people stopped paying attention to me. that’s how i got there.

it was really complicated, but i don’t remember what exactly was happening. i was trying to bring the dead back to life? but the zombies were beyond help and converting the undead into the FOR REAL dead. i spent a lot of time in a garden shed and under a concrete ledge.

dreams aside, i woke up and got ready for the day and then sat at the computer for a little bit. i think i was checking tumblr? i was so hunched over the dang desk that i may as well have been laying on it.

then we went to gramma’s! before we left dad was being super passive aggressive and i’m not sure why. it was really confusing and also annoying. mom ended up leaving without him and taking us to gramma’s. i put on some music and didn’t think about it too much.

the easter celebration was good. i totally wrecked my cousins at batman dice. the score was 1 to 2 to 3 to 16. and i visited with gramma and her friends and neighbors a lot. apparently dad’s mom barbara was also supposed to attend but she wasn’t feeling well. dad showed up eventually and brought the batman dice game with him. after that it was lunchtime. i gorged myself on my aunt’s salsa and tried to also eat fruit and chips and potato salad and an apple cinnamon cookie... i got so sick i passed out on the couch. grampa woke me up to get me to go lay on his bed instead. it was a little warmer in there and i felt the room spin around me while i dozed. i heard my name one point and i think it was mom telling a dumb story about me, but i felt my muscles tense up for a few seconds anyway. an hour later my brother came to get me and i rolled on my back and my whole abdomen just throbbed and every single heartbeat was a wave of nausea.

i felt junky the whole way home but i tried to count the number of songs i listened to while we were on the highway and that helped. when we got inside i hung out with the dogs a while. i tried to brush some of the mats out of diogi’s fur but wiley and eve were suddenly very interested in standing directly on top of my lap and tipping diogi over. my brother and i fed them, and then after i coaxed eve into eating her food they were outside for a bit. and then i came upstairs until i got a little hungry. i went downstairs to reheat some rice from my family’s previous burrito adventure and had a tiny cup. dad left to go take barbara to the hospital. she spends a lot of time there. 

i mean, i don’t doubt that she is sick and needs to go. but... there are a lot of ways she could make this, easier and less expensive for my family? like one time she slipped and fell and hit her head on the bathroom door. she called our house in the evening and thought it was morning, so we went to check on her. 

if she’d had, say, one of those life alert things or a check-in plan now that she’s living alone she wouldn’t have been laying there for almost a day. and i think this inability to take care of herself is part of what led her to the decision to kill her dog, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE WERE WILLING TO AND HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN CARE OF THE DOG WHEN SHE DIDN’T WANT TO/COULDN’T, AND ALSO THAT HE WAS NOT THAT OLD YET. HE WAS 2 YEARS OLDER THAN EVE, BUT HE IS A TOY POODLE. HE LIVES LONGER THAN 14 YEARS. THEY CAN BE REASONABLY EXPECTED TO LIVE TO 16-18.

like yeah, i’m sorry your husband died and you aren’t putting your life back together. i’m sorry you both suffered an addiction to nicotine that led to the disease grandpa developed. but when we are forced to take you to the hospital because you have no system in place to get yourself anywhere or alert people when you are not doing well, you don’t even take the doctor’s advice, and you refuse to stay in rehab because they don’t let you smoke when you’re hooked up to an oxygen machine! you had a heart attack and you walked out of the hospital a few days later when they wouldn’t let you smoke!!! you stole grandpa’s pain killers while he was alive! you tried to sell your house despite EVERYONE telling you that was a bad idea for many, many reasons!!! you ditched all your furniture in preparation for selling the house anyway and tHEN CHANGED YOUR MIND. you killed your dog and changed your mind the next day so you got a cat, AND THEN YOU DITCHED THE CAT A FEW WEEKS LATER. and then you got ANOTHER cat, and then moved to minnesota or wherever WHERE YOUR FAMILY ASKED YOU NOT TO BRING A CAT AND YOU BROUGHT IT ANYWAY, and then moved back a few months later because you didn’t like paying rent!!!!!!!!!!

i’m sorry life is hard. i’m sorry that bad ideas seem like good ideas to you??? but you’re hurting literally everyone you come into contact with. you’re not even nice to dad when he comes to do your chores for you. you’re just a jackass and you smoke when he’s in the house even though you know the smell makes him sick. and the new cat is too terrified to ever come out from under the bed.

i hate barbara. not as much as i hate craig, because she doesn’t seem aware of what she’s doing, but god it’s hard.

i did put on some bug spray before i went outside this evening. it helped. tomorrow i gotta go to the mental health hospital place. i am afraid that i am not sick enough for their help. because i am too sick to NOT get their help. but i might not be sick enough for them to give me a spot on their roster. like some kind of hellish middle ground.

do i play up my anxiety? would that be lying? am i really not that bad? maybe i should downplay it. but then i’m less likely to get help... am i not depressed/anxious enough because i know i need help? usually with depression it’s like “ohh it COULD be worse, i must not be bad enough for real help.” i know, the cognitive dissonance is making my head explode too.

being evaluated is horrible. what if they happen to catch me on a good day and get the wrong idea? what if they catch me on a bad day and i’m not good enough? standardized tests, medical evaluations, people watching when i say “hey look at this!” they’re just clouds, sammie.

my legs are miserably itchy. i can’t sit comfortably with the itching cream on. the texture of the chair’s fabric against my calves is irritating. the wood of the desk rubs my thighs wrong. my feet are rough and catch on fabric like velcro and they never seem to sit at quite the right angle. my back hurts. my stomach hurts. the skin on my fingers and knuckles is splitting because i wash my hands too much and don’t drink quite enough water. and my body is always telling me i need to go to the bathroom but when i try to go i can’t because there is nothing there. i just went 20 minutes ago. and if my eyes water for any reason something in them gets really dry and it burns and hurts. 

it doesn’t even help when i’m, like, outside and not on the computer. my abdomen starts really hurting when i’m out on walks and it only fades, doesn’t go away. my eyes hurt when the sun’s up. i’m tired all the time. eating is usually awful. the lawn is wet and muddy on my feet and i immediately get bug bites. nothing on my body is healing properly.

i’m just... really frustrated tonight. i saw my sister at the easter party. i asked if her childhood stomachaches ever went away. she said no, and it still usually hurts when she eats. i don’t know how she functions if it’s anything like this. no wonder she never wants to do anything and gets irritable if she can’t eat what she wants.

i’m afraid it’ll never go away. no one can even figure out what’s wrong. i’m not any more anxious than i was while i could go to school. the only thing i could think of with the doctor was that it was years of general anxiety that built up this problem. at least with depression there’s literally a chemical reaction happening in your head that can be changed with medication. but like, they can’t even find an ulcer or anything. there’s just... nothing wrong.