#(Got this idea stuck in my brain a while ago and I finally came around to drawing it)

[eternalxvenus]

༻ room for one more? ༺

summary: after many failed dates, you begin to give up on the dating scene until Sarah and John B give you an interesting proposal.

cw: smut 18+, sarah x f!reader x john b, threesome, oral (f and m receiving), face sitting, overstimulation, squirting, dirty talk, praise, p in v, unprotected sex, pet names (sweetheart, pretty girl, good girl, baby), brief drug use, lmk if i missed any!

wc: 3.6k

notes: thank you to the lovely @juniebugg for giving me this amazing idea, i loved writing it and hope i did it justice 🙏🏽

☆ obx masterlist ☆

The sun was setting but the day was still hot, a soft wind tickling your skin. You were lying on your towel, opting to enjoy the last few rays of the sun with Kie. JJ, Pope, John B, Cleo, and Sarah were all in the water swimming and playing around. You all had a rough week for different reasons and so JJ called for a mandatory beach day.

As you dozed in and out, listening to the sound of the waves, Kie nudged your side softly. "So... how is the whole dating thing coming along?"

Even though she was genuinely curious, you couldn't help the sting of embarrassment as you tried not to groan. "Not so great. I have a date with Kelce tomorrow, but I'm not over the moon excited." You turned to look at Kie through your sunglasses with a tight smile. "If this one doesn't work out, I'm giving up."

Her nose scrunched up in mild disapproval. "Kelce? I didn't think you'd go for someone in that circle.

Truth be told, you usually wouldn't. Even though the whole Kooks vs Pogues thing isn't as relevant anymore, some Kooks were still stuck in their old ways. "Me either. He came up to me and started a conversation at the boneyard a couple nights ago and asked for my number. Now we suddenly have a date at the country club," you sighed with a shrug.

"Even if it doesn't go well, don't stress it. You don't have to push a relationship anytime soon– you're still young."

You sat up and turned onto your back, deciding to take a nap while you could. "Easy for you to say. You have JJ, Cleo has Pope, and Sarah has John B. I'm the odd one out." Kie gave you a solemn smile but didn't say anything else, which you were thankful for.

A few hours later, everyone was out of the water, and the wind picked up leaving goosebumps on their wet skin. While everyone was drying off, Kie woke you up and said it was time to go.

You asked John B to take you home because you had plans tomorrow. As everyone laughed and joked around with one another, you couldn't bring yourself to be in a cheerful mood knowing they each had their special person within the group.

Once you were home, you immediately took a warm shower to try and let the warm water relax you. It did somewhat, but it didn't stop your brain from overthinking. After what felt like hours of tossing and turning in bed, one melatonin later, you finally were able to fall asleep and stay asleep.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

The room was unbearably hot when you woke up. You flung the covers off you as you wiped the light sheen of sweat from your forehead. You'd left the window open, and your AC wasn't on. With an irritated groan, you got up and closed the window. Wanting to cool down your room as quick as possible, you turned the AC on as low as it could go.

You checked your phone and saw a few missed messages.

Kie: have fun on your date, lmk how it goes!

Sarah: if you aren't busy later come swing by the chateau :)

Kelce: morning, i'll be there at 1 to pick you up for lunch. can't wait to see you.

You sent in your replies and got ready for your date with Kelce. Light makeup and a cute but simple white dress. As you grabbed it from your closet, you saw the red dress you shoved in the back with the price tag still attached. You'd bought it impulsively while shopping with the girls one day but had never worn it. 

It was a mid-thigh deep cherry red with a slit and showed off your cleavage perfectly—according to Sarah, at least. It had never seen the outside of your closet, no matter how many times your friends tried to make you wear it. You never felt like you could truly pull it off.

There were five minutes to spare when you'd finally finished up. As you were spraying your perfume a text from Kelce came in letting you know he was outside. You grabbed your purse and met him outside, where he sat in his car.

A small sigh left your lips. He didn't bother to meet you at the door. Perhaps he wasn't the gentleman type. You got into his expensive car, the leather seat cool from the AC blasting on high.

"Ready to go?" He asked, giving you a once over. You nodded softly and gave him a small smile. Neither of you spoke much the entire ride there. You sat on your phone checking social media, playing games, anything to pass the time.

Kelce parked in front of the country club and beckoned you to follow him. He led you to the outdoor patio that connected to a restaurant. After a waiter sat you both and you ordered drinks, Kelce started the conversation.

"So, is this your first time at the country club?."

"Uh... yeah, it is."

"What do you think of it?" he said, taking a sip of the drink that had been placed in front of him.

You shrugged, "It's nice, I can see why people come here." There was a beat of silence and you knew this date wasn't going to be the best.

"Honestly, I'm surprised we're here right now. I never thought I'd be taking a pogue on a date at the country club. But you're really hot, so I've got no complaints."

His statement made you internally roll your eyes. "Right..."

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

You were back home, feet aching slightly from your shoes, and the heat was making you feel groggy and gross. The date was not good. All Kelce could talk about was himself, the kook life, and how he wanted to bring you to a party at Topper's next week. You declined. He also made slick remarks about you being a pogue which pissed you off.

You: hey sarah, i'll be over in a bit.

She sent a thumbs to your message. You got in your car and made your way to the chateau. When you pulled up, you saw John B out by the deck. 

Inside you could see Sarah walking around so you went in to greet her.

"Hey, I'm here," you said knocking on the door as you walked inside. 

"Hey! Glad you could make it." She sat the plates she was holding into the cabinet and motioned for you to sit. She came over and sat next to you on the couch as you both got comfortable. "Kie mentioned you had a date… how did it go?"

You picked at your nails and shook your head. "Not too great."

Sarah hummed sympathetically. "Well, Kelce isn’t as interesting as he makes himself out to be." You both laughed as you nodded in agreement.

You laid back on the couch letting your head fall back. "When is everyone else coming?" assuming Sarah or John B had something planned for everyone tonight.

"Actually, I only invited you. John B and I wanted to talk to you about something," she sighed. You felt nervousness bloom in your stomach as she stood up. "I'm gonna go get John B, just sit tight."

While waiting for them to come back your mind was wandering, not sure what could be so important that they had to talk to you together and in person. The door swung open and Sarah walked back in with John B right behind her. No one spoke as they pulled up two chairs and sat in front of you on the couch. John B gave a soft smile which helped your nerves just a little.

"Okay so," Sarah spoke up. "We weren't really sure how to go about this so just bear with me here. You're one of our best friends and we've spent a lot of time together over the years..."

You could hear your heart beating in your ears, almost drowning out Sarah's voice. Please don't tell me they don't want to be friends anymore, you thought to yourself.

"Anyways, me and John B have been talking. We both find you attractive obviously. And we wanted to invite you to bed with us! Like a threesome." Sarah had a smile on her face and your eyes widened.

"W-what? You want to have a threesome? With me?" They both nodded.

"Basically, me and Sarah had been talking and we asked each other who we'd want to hook up with if we were single. To our surprise we both said you, so we figured why not just ask."

Your face felt burning hot with shyness and embarrassment. You'd only had sex one time and it wasn't all that great. You and your boyfriend at the time had wanted to lose your virginities to each other but neither of you knew what you were doing.

Sarah's hand grabbed yours and pulled you out of your swarming thoughts. "You don't have to answer right now." She was caressing the back of your hand with her thumb reassuringly. "Go home and just think about it. We'll be waiting patiently for your answer— no pressure at all, okay?"

The air in the room felt a little less heavy. You knew they wouldn't force you or be mad if you decided not to. "Okay," you said with a small smile.

They both hugged you, walked you to your car, and waved you off home. On the ride back, all you could think about was whether you should accept or not. You weren't experienced and didn't want to disappoint them.

You were laying in bed but once again couldn't sleep. You decided to take a few hits of the weed pen JJ had given you a while back, it's lasted you a while since you only use it when you can't sleep or need to relax.

Once you felt the high encompassing your mind you laid down and closed your eyes. Your mind drifted to the thought of being in bed with Sarah and John B. With that, you fell asleep.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

It had been three days since your threesome invitation. You had thought about it a lot. Even though you hadn't spoken to Sarah and John B directly, you all still talked in the group chat with everyone else like normal.

It was still early in the morning when you texted Sarah.

You: hey are you and John B up yet?

20 minutes later, you got a reply.

Sarah: good morning! i am but he's still sleeping lol. what's up?

You: i've given it some thought and i wanna do this but are you sure? i'm not the most experienced when it comes to all that

Sarah: i'm so happy! thank you for trusting us and don't worry we'll both be there to guide you. are you free tonight?

You said yes and she told you to come over at 7. That gave you 11 hours to completely freak out before heading over there.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

The warm air from outside blew into your car as you sat outside the chateau, trying to give yourself a mini pep talk. They suggested that you come in loungewear, so you wore shorts and a cropped tank top with no bra, all things considered.

You went up and knocked on the door and waited. John B came and greeted you with a hug. He didn't hide the fact that he was taking in your body. 

"Hey, come in. Sarah's finishing up in the shower so she should be out in a few minutes." With a brief nod, you followed him inside.

It was so weird, normally the chateau felt like a second home. You'd help yourself to whatever and never felt out of place. This time it was the complete opposite. You didn't want to touch anything or sit without someone telling you to. You felt like a guest, who was visiting for the first time.

John B sensed your nervousness and gave you a smirk. "Don't get all shy now sweetheart, we haven't even started. Speaking of which, is there anything you wanna do? We could have some takeout, watch a movie, anything really."

You gave him a puzzled look. "I thought we were going to... you know."

"I love your enthusiasm," he chuckled. "We are, but Sarah and I both thought it'd be best to ease into it rather than just jump right in. We want this to be as comfortable as possible for you."

It was the little things like this that reminded you that these are your best friends. They knew you like the back of their hand and wanted this to be enjoyable for you and them. "A movie sounds nice," you said with a smile.

A little while later you were all sat on the couch watching some random movie that you'd picked. It wasn't all that good but you were still tuned in. Your eyes glanced away from the TV when you felt Sarah's hand start grazing the inside of your thigh. She was still facing forward almost as if nothing was happening. You looked back at the TV and spread your legs a little wider.

It was summer, entirely too hot for any blankets— even with the cool air of the AC blowing— so if John B looked, he'd see what was happening. The light, teasing touches went on for a few more minutes and you could feel yourself getting more and more worked up. You were ready to break the silence and ask for more until you felt John B's lips on your neck. A soft gasp slipped past your lips as your eyes fluttered closed.

"This okay?" he muttered against your neck, and you nodded. "Use your words, pretty girl."

You managed to whimper out a soft 'Yes' which encouraged them both to keep going. Sarah's hand moved higher, lightly rubbing you through your shorts. A moan slipped from your pouty lips at the contact and you tried grinding your hips against her hand for more stimulation. "Let's go to the bed," Sarah whispered.

The short walk was filled with little kisses and light touches, none of you wanted to stop even for a second. Sarah instructed you to take off your clothes and lay on the bed. She and John B did the same as she sat behind you and John B positioned himself in between your thighs.

"Fuck... your pussy is dripping." You attempt to close your legs but he has a strong grip on your thighs. "Don't try and hide yourself, I wanna see everything."

Sarah brought her hands up to massage your tits, your nipples feeling painfully hard. "John B is gonna use his mouth to make you feel good, okay?"

"Okay– oh!" He wasted no time licking a long stripe to collect your arousal on his tongue.

"How does she taste baby?" Sarah asked. You could hear the lust and neediness in her voice. "She's so fucking sweet, like candy." John B couldn't help but moan as he continued to move his tongue in and out of your hole. You felt one of Sarah's hands leave your breast to touch herself behind you. Her soft moans make you even more turned on.

John B brought his mouth to your clit and sucked hard. That was all it took to have you falling over the edge in pleasure. One hand squeezed Sarah's arm while the other tugged on John B's brown tresses. Your moans filled the room as you rode out your first orgasm of the night.

Sarah replaced your spot in front of John B and once again he wasted no time lapping at her essence. Once she reached her peak John B didn't stop he was pushing her into overstimulation and instructed you to hold her legs open.

"John B! Please– ohmygod– it's too much!" she tried to push his head away but he didn't budge until he pulled another orgasm from her. You watched in amazement as she started to squirt making a mess of the bed and his face. He wore your combined juices proudly, not bothering to wipe any of it off. 

You leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Fuck Sarah you look so hot like this, squirting all over the place, being so messy." She whimpered at your words as John B finally gave her some reprieve.

She pulled you down so your lips collided with hers in a heated bruising kiss. Her tongue swiped across your lip and made its way into your mouth massaging your tongue.

In the corner of your eye, you saw John B stroking his hard cock slowly. Sarah noticed as well and gave you a smirk. "Let's show him how thankful you are for making you cum."

John B positioned himself up against the headboard and Sarah brought you face to face with his length. "Grab the base and take him into your mouth. He likes it really messy," She whispered while keeping her gaze on him. You followed her instructions and did your best to please him.

Once you'd taken as much as you could into your mouth, a light gag leaving your throat, he groaned. "Fuuuuck, that's it, take it all in that tight little throat." You went at your own pace for a bit, then Sarah took over gagging you on his cock at a brutal pace. Your eyes watered and there was spit and drool all over your chin and his pelvis. John B's thighs tensed and without warning his load filled your throat forcing you to swallow it all. 

You coughed a bit and Sarah rubbed your back soothingly while you and John B caught his breath. "You did so good baby." She went to kiss your neck and caress your body.

The praise did things to you. "Thank you." John B pulled you against him and kissed you deeply. "Do you wanna keep going, sweetheart?" John B muttered against your lips. The room felt so hot in combination with all the body heat and the summer air. You were definitely spent, but you wanted to go again. "I want you inside, please."

He nodded and moved you down to straddle him. Sarah moved to sit on his face, facing you. She moaned, feeling his tongue on her clit again. You sink down on his length feeling completely and utterly full. Sarah pulled you in for a kiss as you rocked your hips in a slow rhythm.

The stimulation on your clit from grinding felt delicious, you knew you wouldn't last much longer. One look at Sarah and you could tell she was close too. "I wanna cum together," you whispered against her lips. "Okay, together." she nodded. John B pushed his hips up to get impossibly deeper and gave a harsh such on Sarah's clit, pushing you both over the edge.

You both collapsed onto the bed, your body completely worn out. Sarah and John B left kisses and comforting touches anywhere they could, telling you how well you did and that they were so proud. Their voices faded away as sleep overtook you.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

A month after your night with Sarah and John B things couldn't have been better. You'd spent many pleasure-filled nights at the chateau. They were always showing you something new and making you feel so good. There were even times when it would be just one of them if the other was busy or not around.

You weren't expecting the text from Sarah asking you to come over considering you were just there two days ago. She asked you the wear that red dress which made you even more confused.

Walking into the chateau, not bothering to knock, you saw the table with lots of food and a candle adorning the middle of the table. "What's all this?" you questioned. John B and Sarah both turned from their spot in the kitchen and greeted you. 

"We wanted to do something special to thank you, you look beautiful by the way," he said leading you to the empty chair. They sat down at the table and you could tell something was coming up. Even Sarah looked a bit nervous. Maybe they were going to end things.

"So, we don't want to keep you here with this uncertainty. We did all these because this past month has been amazing. You've always been a great friend and I think– we think– doing this has made us incredibly closer." You nod in agreement. "We want you to be our girlfriend. We'll be an official polyamorous couple. I don't want to have to give you up to someone else and neither does Sarah. We want you to be ours and we'll be yours completely."

You felt like the wind had been sucked out of you. They wanted you to be their girlfriend. Before you could say anything Sarah chimed in. "Sorry if this seems sudden and we understand if you want to keep things how they are. You don't have to have an answer–"

"Of course I would," you cut her off with a wide smile. You could see the worry leave both of their faces. "God I love you." Sarah laughed leaning over to place a kiss on your cheek, John B following suit.

The rest of the night was spent having an amazing dinner and even better sex with your new partners. Never in a million years did you think this would be your life but you loved it and you loved them. They were your best friends and lovers wrapped in one.

likes, comments, and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[d0youc0py]

I am ✨obsessed✨ with your page rn and would absolutely devour literally anything you give us.

I’d love to see your take on a kidnap/break in fic though!

Something like they’re coming home from deployment and their girlfriend/wife calls them (or laswell) freaking out about a weird car outside, or someone following them home.

Just damsel in distress x protective husband vibes all the way 💕

“If we’re gonna go after them we’ve got to do it tonight. They’re expecting us to wait till they get further south.”

“What about all the civilians in the city?”

“No explosives. Everyone keep your silencers on. They won’t know till mornin’.”

“Ghost has a point. If we wait till next week our chances of hittin’ ‘em are slim. They aren’t expecting it now.”

“Yeah, they aren’t expecting it because it’s too damn risky. We do it tonight they have home advantage. We wait- all of us are on an even playing field.”

“They outnumber us 10-1. We’ll never be even.”

A knock at the door halted the conversation. A errand boy stuck his head in.

“Sorry to interrupt but this came for Lieutenant Ghost. Labeled urgent.” He held out a yellow package for Ghost.

“Thanks.” Price nodded his head, politely dismissing him.

“Johnny I’ve dealt with groups like this before.” Ghost spoke tearing open the flap of the package. “We need to get ‘em while their sitting pretty.” He blindly reached his hand into the package, his brow furrowing when he touched something soft. He pulled out a clump of hair.

His right leg gave out and he grabbed the table to steady himself.

“Ghost?” Price questioned. He gripped Ghost arms to steady him- and also urge him to give him an answer.

“No.” Ghost mumbled. He ripped open the rest of the package frantically searching for any sign that this was a prank. It couldn’t be real. Couldn’t be. “No.” He growled out. He pushed his way out the door his whole body shaking from anger and distress. The rest of the 141 followed quickly behind him. “Laswell.” She jumped as the door slammed open. “What the fuck is this?” The sight of him was enough to send a spike of fear through her heart. He threw the package with your hair on the table in front of her.

“Oh no.” Her eyes were wide and she wracked her brain for any answer she could give him.

“You said it would be alright.” He was seething at the point. Tears welled up in his eyes and he couldn’t be bothered to hide them. The air felt like it was being choked out of the room. Everyone’s skin was crawling. “You said they couldn’t trace her.”

Laswell looked over at Price for some relief, but he had not the slightest clue as to what was going on- or how to fix it. Just that Ghost was more worked up than he’d ever seen. Even Soap was shifting nervously from foot to foot.

“What going on?” Price asked. Ghost growled not answering the question, his eyes still trained on Laswell.

“I didn’t think they could.” She said calmly. “I didn’t enter it into the computer- it’s in your file, but not electronically.”

“Someone clarify what’s going on.” Price snapped.

“Ghost, let’s not jump to conclusions. Are we even sure this is Y/N’s hair?” Laswell tried to soothe.

“You think I don’t know my wife’s hair?” Ghost gritted. Wide eyes and jaws hung open around the room.

“Wife?” Soap whispered.

“Yes, my wife.” Ghost affirmed. “After I had that accident a few months ago I thought it would be a good idea to finally make her my emergency contact. So if I died she wouldn’t be locked up in the house waitin’ for me.” He explained. “You told me it was safe.”

“It is. They had to have gotten her info somewhere else.” Laswell insisted. “I’ll start tracking her down. You need to calm down.”

“Fuck off.” Ghost sneered. Price gave him a warning shoulder shove.

“We’ll go see if we can find anything on our end.” Price sighed.

•••••••••••

It only took an hour to find you. Gaz was able to PinPoint your location- conveniently the sight they were debating on hitting tonight. They could barely keep up as Ghost began to load up. The odds weren’t great for them. They knew they were coming, they were outnumbered and they had a hostage- who they knew at least one of the team members would die for in a heartbeat.

“Ghost you need to keep your cool. Stick to the plan. You can’t help her if you’re dead.” Price was trying to talk him through it. Ghost had completely shut down. He’s had nightmares just like this before. You being tortured- just the way he had been. He swallowed back bile just thinking about it. He paced back and forth on the plane, growling and grumbling like a caged bear.

They were ready for the 141. All waiting patiently in their places ready to take down the infamous task force. Smirks spread across their faces and they could practically taste the celebratory dinner that awaited them. What they weren’t ready for was the absolute hell that was about to be unleashed on them.

They all had just stepped off the plane before Ghost was blowing through people like they were paper. Soap would bet his life on the fact that he saw Ghost go through a wall at one point. He wasn’t sticking to the plan. He was moving at inhuman speed. It was impossible to keep up with him.

“Found her. Back building, fourth floor second door on the left.” Soap’s voice rang through the comms.

“Hey, I’m a friend of Ghost’s.” Johnny spoke softly. You seemed to be relatively unharmed. When Johnny pried open the door he caught a glimpse of you diving under a small cot- your hair peaking out from under it.

“I’ve told you I don’t know who that is.” You murmured. He could hear the fear in your voice. Johnny sat down a few feet away from the bed.

“Oh right.” He whispered. “A friend of Simon’s.” Soap corrected. Your head peaked out from the bed. You had a bruise on your cheek- a slap mark?

“Simon?” You repeated slowly. Soap nodded his head. “Johnny?” You asked. Soap smiled.

“So he does talk about me.” His humor was wasted on you, but it did calm you a bit. Suddenly Ghost practically tumbled through the door. You shrieked not realizing who it was and dove back under the bed.

“Sweetheart.” Ghost quickly ripped off his mask, (not wanting to scare you more) laying on his stomach to get a look at you. You shot out from under the bed wrapping every limb you could around him. His hand gripped the back of your head pressing your forehead against his lips. “I’m sorry.” He pressed a few quick kisses against your head, before pulling away, worried eyes scanning all over you.

“I’m fine.” You assured. You had been lucky- well as lucky as one could be in this situation. Your worst wound was a slap to the cheek and a shitty haircut. The worst part was the fear. Fear of what they would do to you. Now that Simon was here you were at ease. His fingers skimmed over your cheek. “Got that because I bit a chunk out of someone’s hand.” You smirked.

“Good Girl.” He growled, pressing another kiss to your forehead. “We’ve got to get out of here, yeah? I’m goin’ put my mask back on and you’re going to stay between me and Johnny, understand?” You nodded your head, while Johnny was still reeling from all the affection Ghost had displayed.

Safe to say the mission was a success.

*ring*

“Sweetheart?”

You thank the stars above that John always picked up on the first ring.

“Not to worry you”-

“You need me to come get you?”

“No, can you meet me somewhere? There’s a red car that’s been following me and I don’t want to lead it to our house.” You explained, checking in your rearview mirror. Sure enough, a bright, red sports car was bearing down on you.

“Go to the coffee shop. Don’t park until you see my car in the parking lot. Don’t hang up either.”

“Affirm.” You snickered. John was in absolutely no mood to joke with you. You could hear the sound of his car starting.

“Hope I don’t have to get in a fight tonight. Only wearing my boxers and a shirt.” He wasn’t trying to be funny, but it still made you laugh.

“Could’ve thrown a pair of pants on.” You commented.

“If the difference between you being worm food and you being alright was me wrestling with a pair of jeans I’d never forgive myself.” He grumbled.

“I’ll be fine John. Captain’s coming to save me.” Normally he would melt at that but he was too focused dodging in and out of cars. You could hear a horn from over the phone. “Please be safe.” You sighed. “I’m here.” He said suddenly. Your eyes glanced to your phone. You had only been on the phone for seven minutes and it took at least fifteen to get to the coffee shop from your house.

“Don’t worry about it.” He said as if he could read your mind.

“It’s still following me John.” You whispered. Your fingers dug nervously into the steering wheel.

“Don’t get scared on me now, Sweetheart. How far away are you?”

“Ten minutes?” You weren’t entirely sure. “I can take a shortcut through the neighborhood.”

“No.” He interjected. “Stay on main roads with traffic. Doesn’t matter how long it takes for you to get here, just make sure you stay with people.” You nodded your head. “You hear me?”

“Yes sorry. I nodded my head but you couldn’t see that.”

“I’m standing outside the car. Pull up next to me, don’t get out, I’ll get your door for you.” He had his Captains voice on. You wondered if this was how team briefings went.

“You always get my door for me.” You smiled.

“Damn right I do.” He scoffed. “But it’s important this time. I don’t just want to leave your car in the lot because who knows what type of things they’ll put on it.”

“Like a tracker?”

He hummed in agreement.

“You’re scaring me John.” You gulped.

“Don’t need to be scared. I won’t let anything happen to you, you know that. Just want you to be aware of what’s gonna happen when you park. Just stay in your car, yes?” His voice was calm. Like he had done this a million times before. You nodded your head again. “Did you nod your head again?” You swore you could hear a chuckle.

“Yes, sorry. I understand.” Time seems to slow as you finally pulled into the cafe parking lot. It hadn’t closed yet people still wandering in and out even as the sun has set. You were surprised no one noticed the large man in a pair of light blue boxers and white t-shirt. A t-shirt so thin you could see his chest hair. You did as he told and pulled up right next to him. The red car pulled in right next to you. Your eyes quickly fled to your left to look at John. He had a look on his face you weren’t familiar with.

The sound of the red car door opening caught your attention. A medium sized man stepped out. He just looked greasy. He shut his door and began walking over to your side of the car, seemingly not noticing John.

John met him in the middle, using one hand to grab him by his shirt and slam him against the hood of his own car. You covered your mouth, your eyes going wide. John’s face hovered over his. You couldn’t hear anything that was said, but when John finally let him go the man scrambled to get back into his severely dented car. John stood at the front of the car as he started it up and ripped out of the parking lot.

John tapped at your window signaling for you to unlock your door.

“You alright?” He checked, crouching down to your level. You eyes were still wide and you slowly nodded.

“What did you say?” You mumbled. John took your shaky hands with his, pressing a kiss against your palms.

“That’s a secret.” He smirked. “Didn’t scare you too bad did I?” He asked softly. His brows furrowed and he ran a hand up and down your arm.

“Honestly?”

His face paled. He hadn’t thought about scaring you. He didn’t think he acted too rash. In fact he was holding back.

“Honestly.” He affirmed.

“That was really hot.” You admitted, a hot blush across your face. His face went blank for a moment before a wide smirk crossed his face.

“Then we better get home.” He murmured, pressing a kiss against your shoulder. “Safe to drive?”

“Yes!” You said a little too enthusiastic.

You’re so sweet! I absolutely loved this request and probably went a little overboard. I was only able to fit Ghost and Price in this but would gladly do this with the rest of the 141 and other cod characters! Hope you liked it and thank you for making my day!

[venerawrites]

Can I request an Imagine where a fem character is captured by the enemy and she’s under a genjutsu where she’s being tortured by Shikamaru (who she loves) but is pulled out of it just in time by Shika who actually gets there in time with a team? Comfort fluff, reassuring, and he admits he loves her?

author's note: I have been writing this literally for ages, but now that all my assignments are officially done, I finally had a chance to catch up! Thank you so much for your patience and this beautiful idea! I absolutely loved writing this one! I hope you like it! <3

warnings: mentions of torture; swearing

There is something comforting in darkness. Once it welcomes you in its embrace, all your fears, worries, and thoughts just... disappear. Your body and your mind relax and for once, it is all quiet.

And silence is beautiful.

Two strong hands wrapped around your neck, pulling you harshly out of the water and bringing all your senses back to reality. The sudden rush of air filling your lungs made you choke and you struggled to take another breath. The comforting silence, in which you were blissfully floating just a second ago, was interrupted by the rapid beating of your heart and the muffled sound of someone's voice next to you.

"-absolutely pathetic", your brain registered only the last words of what the person said. You coughed once again and another hefty amount of dirty water made its way out of your body, letting you breathe more freely. Your chest felt heavy and all your muscles screamed in pain, making this moment of awareness feel more like a punishment than a relief.

With a few slow blinks, the darkness started to lift and your surroundings started to become clearer. At first, all you could see was the sky - so grey and sad, a sure sign it was about to rain soon. Then your focus shifted to the trees and the strange way their leaves stood still, despite the wind around you. Finally, your eyes shifted to the silhouette sitting next to you. Blinking a few more times, their face started to become more focused and you let out a breath of relief, once you realised it was your best friend who saved you from what seemed like sure death.

"Shika...", you said weakly, not having the energy to even pronounce his full name. Instinctively reaching your hand toward him, you tried to get a hold of his hand, his warmth being the only thing your body craved right now. The said man let out a scoff, moving out of the way just when you were about to reach him. When you hand hit nothing but air, you slowly opened your eyes, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Shika?", you repeated, lifting your head just a bit, so you could see the man better. Sitting on a small stone next to you, he stared at you with a bored expression, a half-burn cigarette hanging from his lips. There was something in weird in his eyes, something which you have seen only a handful of times in all the years you have known him.

Was it anger? Annoyance? Hate?

You couldn't exactly tell, your brain still struggling to make sense of where you are and how did you got there. The last thing you remember was fighting a group of rogue ninjas near Amegakure, before something was wrapped around both your arms and legs, forcing you to the ground. You must have passed out because now you were on the river bank near Konoha, a place where you and Shikamaru played from dawn to dusk when you were children.

"He probably brought me here to clean my wounds", was the first thought that came to your your head, while you tried to lift yourself on your elbows.

"Shika, what-"

The words got stuck in your throat, once your friend's hands found their way around it once again. His nails dug into the skin and you winced in pain, your own fingers wrapping around his wrists in an attempt to pull him away. His power, however, was no match for you and all you could do was stare at him with wide eyes, a silent plead for him to let go.

"Just shut the hell up, troublesome woman! You always ramble on and on, and on...", the fingers on your neck tightened their grip and you opened your mouth, desperately trying to inhale some air and combat the dizziness that started to consume you due to the lack of oxygen. However, Shikamaru did not seem impressed by your struggle or the way you kept tapping his arm. Instead of freeing you, he leaned forward, pressing his full body weight on you.

"I've never hated any sound more than my name coming out of your lips! I fucking hate it! I fucking hate YOU!"

Hissing the last words through gritted teeth, he finally let go of your throat, only to smack his palm against your cheek. Your head whipped to the side, a few droplets of blood flying from your mouth. The burning feeling on your cheek, however, felt almost insignificant compared to the overwhelming feelings of shock and confusion that paralyzed your body. The echo of his words kept sounding in your mind, each repetition making your heart beat faster and faster in panic.

"What...", you chocked out, eyes searching his, "What's going on?"

A dry, almost sinister chuckle left his lips and the sound sent shivers down your spine. He lowered his head right above yours before grabbing your cheeks in one hand, squishing your face. A small whine sounded from you and the man narrowed his eyes, observing you with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"Look at yourself... calling yourself a ninja, yet you can't handle even a single mission by yourself!", he muttered with disdain, his gaze not leaving yours. You tried to pull your head away, but his grip was so tight, you were unable to move even a muscle.

Tears of frustration started to form in your eyes, a few sliding down your cheeks. Normally, in moments like these, Shikamaru would be the one holding you, muttering sweet words of comfort in your ears. His hands would stroke your hair, while he rocks your body back and forth till you calm down and fall asleep on top of him.

Now he offered nothing but a look of disgust.

"Wh-What are you doing?", your voice betrayed you, sounding smaller than you intended to, "Shikamaru, why are you holding me like this?"

The first rule of the shinobi was to never give up. It was a life full of pain and sacrifice, but the end goal was the protection of the people - and for that, you had to fight, even if you had no energy left in you.

But as you laid beneath Shikamaru, staring at his dark eyes, full of contempt, you couldn't do anything but let the tears fall freely from your eyes. A good ninja would probably seize the moment and use it as a distraction to draw their weapon and stab their attacker, but how could you do that, when the person on top of you was the person you loved and cherished the most in this world? The person that has been your best friend for more than 10 years? The person who was your rock during the hardest periods of your life? The love of your life?

Before you could realise what was happening, his hands lifted you by the neck, pushing your head below the water again. This time, however, there was no comfort in it - it was cold and unwelcoming, sending waves of shock through your entire body. It stung your eyes and it filled your nose and mouth, making you panic. Your mind screamed at you to fight back, to somehow wrench yourself out of his grasp. Throwing both your arms and legs around, you tried to throw him off you, but his fingers only dug deeper into your skin, his knees landing on top of your thighs to keep you still.

Just as your vision started to fade, he brought you back to the surface and you gasped for air, choking in the water still stuck in your lungs.

"I fucking hate you... Do you understand that? I hate the way you whine all the fucking time, clinging to me like a leech! You always cry, never taking any responsibility for anything!", his tone was low, but filled with hatred, "I hate you so fucking much, I've been fantasizing about how to shut your mouth once and for all for so long!"

Barely giving you a chance to even register his words, he pressed your head down once again. Unlike last time, you were under only for a few seconds, before he pulled you out.

"You are nothing but a burden! To me, to your family, to everyone in that damned village!"

"NO! STOP!"

Each word felt like a dagger piercing through your chest, crushing whatever hope remained that all this was just a bad dream and that you would wake up any moment in Shikamaru's bed, his hands rubbing soothing circles on your back.

What the hell happened during your mission? When did he even appear? Did he save you? Why was he so angry with you?

Your head was filled with questions and soon there was nothing but a messy tangle of thoughts. A small voice at the back of your mind kept repeating his words.

"Nothing but a burden..."

The words hit deeper than you liked to admit. Back when you were younger you were the weakest kid in class, much to the dismay of your parents, both of which were great and strong shinobi. The other children rarely wanted to play with you - most of the time they viewed you as someone who couldn't keep up with their speed and energy. Naruto and Shikamaru were the only ones who reached out to you back then, the only ones who stood by you when no one else would.

While the blonde was a dear friend to you, nothing could compare to the bond you shared with the young Nara. He has always been a constant in your life, a safe haven to which you could run once the reality was too much to bear. Countless nights he held you in his embrace when you couldn't sleep because your family was fighting once again. He always left his window slightly open, an unspoken invitation for you to come anytime you wanted. Thinking back, sneaking into your best friend's bed at night was maybe not the wisest decision, as it was during one of these times you realised you were utterly and madly in love with him.

You remembered that night clearly. The two of you were laying side by side on his bed, the only light coming from the bright moon up in the sky. It was the night after Asuma's funeral and despite his initial warning for you not to come, you still made your way to his house at 2:00 o'clock at night. He didn't utter even a word when he saw you entering through his window, instead, he only lifted his blanket, making a space for you to join him. You laid down and he immediately pulled you under him, burying his head in the space between your neck and shoulder, his hot tears falling on your bare skin.

As he clung to you, your fingers gently rubbed his scalp, offering your silent support. What wouldn't you give to take his pain away, to bring back his beloved sensei, and to make him forget the horrors he witnessed that day.

"I don't know what I would do without you...", he whispered against your hair, his breath tickling your scalp.

"You don't have to think about that", you whispered back, your fingers still combing through his black locks, "I am here. I always will be."

Shikamaru didn't answer. Instead, he lifted his head and looked at you with his bloodshot eyes, before pressing his lips against yours. It was a quick and gentle peck, a promise of a friend, rather than a lover's confession. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours, muttering a quiet 'I am sorry.', before rolling on his side and falling asleep.

Neither of you said anything about it afterward. The next morning you woke up and continued your usual routine, as if nothing had happened. There were moments when you wondered if it was all a dream - maybe you were so in love with him that your brain started to play tricks with you. Yet, there was a weird comfort in not knowing if it was all just an illusion. Sometimes you liked to think that it was, indeed, real.

Slowly losing consciousness due to the lack of air, everything started to fade, except the memory of that night. It kept replaying over and over in your mind, feeling so real, you could almost feel his chapped lips against yours.

How ironic and unfair was that? Your last moments are spent thinking about the man who is currently the source of your suffering.

Suddenly the grip on your neck disappeared and you felt something sliding under your head and knees, lifting you back to the surface. Too tired to fight or even open your eyes, you let yourself be carried out of the river. A frantic voice was shouting something right in your face, but you could not recognize it, nor could understand what it was saying. Your limbs, chest, and eyelids felt so heavy, all you wanted was just to relax and let your body rest.

The second you were laid down on a flat surface, someone's mouth was pressed against yours, blowing air into your lungs. The sudden rush of oxygen made your body jolt and you would've probably hurt yourself, if the person who was bringing you back to life did not have their hands on your chest, rhythmically pumping.

Finally, you took your first breath on your own and you coughed violently, turning your body to the side so you could spit the excess water from your mouth. The hands that saved you made their way to your back, gently patting it to help you stop choking.

"Shit, are you okay?", the sound of the familiar voice made your body freeze.

"No! It cannot end like this!", you thought to yourself, the feeling of panic already bubbling inside of you. What game was Shikamaru playing? He almost ended your life, just to bring you back... What type of cruel torture was that?

"Hey... can you hear me? Please, answer me. Please, I can't-"

Before he could finish, you turned toward him and punched him as hard as you could. The man stumbled back from his kneeling position, cupping his nose in an attempt to stop the flowing blood. You used the opportunity to drag your weak body away from him, ignoring the sharp pain that pulsated through each one of your muscles.

"Stay away!", you yelled, glancing back at him, "Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to kill me?"

The young Nara looked at you with a confused expression, taking a step toward you, but immediately stopping once he saw the fear on your face.

"Kill you? What are you-", the sudden realisation of what was going on downed on him and he lifted both his hands from his face in a defensive motion, "Wait! No! It's not what you think!"

Ignoring his words, you continued to drag yourself away, gritting your teeth at the feeling of your skin scraping against the ground. Looking in his direction again, you found he was already on his feet but he had not moved from his original position.

"Please... I'm not going to hurt you!", he begged, his voice filled with desperation, "Just stop for a second! Listen to me!"

Letting out a sigh, you dropped to the ground, too exhausted to continue your escape attempt. Deep down you knew there was no point - you were surrounded by nothing but a field and while you managed to create a significant distance between you, he was on his feet, while you were crawling on your elbows. It was clear that no matter what you did, you won't be able to run away from him. The only option you had was to just wait and hope he was going to finish this quickly.

"Why?", the question came out as a broken whisper and you were not even sure he heard it, "Why are you doing this?"

Shikamaru's gaze softened and he made a small step toward you, testing your reaction. When he saw you made no movement, he made another step before stopping again. Only the gods knew he wanted nothing more than to run toward you and hold you in his arms, making sure you were okay. The spark of fear in your eyes, however, made him control his urges and he used all his willpower to remain calm and rational.

Seeing you like this... it was like his world was falling apart. He was not a violent person, far from it, but somewhere back in his mind, he kept imagining bringing the rogue ninja that put you through this back to life, just so he could kill him again. And then again. And then again. As many times as it took for him to feel like he did you justice.

The image of your face twisted in a silent scream, your whole body covered in blood, was one that he was never going to forget. And oh, how he wished he could! Ino and Choji have never seen their teammate lose control like this, not even when their sensei died. The piercing shriek that left his lips the moment he saw you, the way he ran toward your body, the bloodthirst in his gaze, while he slashed the enemy's throat open... it was almost like something dark and demonic had possessed him.

"You were under a genjutsu... everything that you felt and saw... it was not real. It was NOT me", with each word he closed the distance more and more, till he found himself right in front of you. Crouching next to your form, he extended his hand to touch yours, brows furrowing when he saw you flinch back.

"Please! Whatever you saw, whatever that bastard made you believe... it was NOT ME!", his voice remained low, yet it was getting more distressed, "I would never, ever hurt you! Never!"

He reached out again, this time slower so he could give you a chance to comprehend his words and move back if you wanted to. Shifting your look between his eyes and his hand, you took a deep breath, before letting him touch you. The warmth of his fingers brightly contrasted with your cold skin, sending shivers down your spine.

"It's me...", his hand slowly moved up toward your face, cradling your cheek in his palm and gently stroking it with his thumb. Your muscles remained frozen, still unsure if this was a trick or not, "I'm here. I'm here..."

He kept repeating the same words over and over, while cautiously moving his body closer, so he could wrap his arms around you. Your eyes danced around your surroundings, finally appreciating that you were in fact NOT next to the river in Konoha. Instead, you were at the exact same spot where you lost consciousness during your fight. The pieces of the mystery of what happened finally started to come together in your mind and the reality hit you like a wave, washing over the lingering doubts in your mind.

You opened your mouth to say something, but all that came out was a loud sob. And then another... Soon, the tears started freely flowing down your cheeks while your body shook with the intensity of the shock of what actually happened. Shikamaru kept you pressed tightly against his chest, his own tears falling on top of your hair, while he rocked both of you back and forth.

"I am so sorry!", he muttered, pressing his nose into your head, "I am so, so sorry! It's all my fault!"

"Shika-"

"If I didn't waste so much time planning and strategizing, I would've been here on time! I would've been able to save you, I would've been able to kill that bastard before he had the chance to hurt you!", he rambled on, more to himself than to you.

"Shikamaru!"

The sound of his name, together with the feeling of your fingers on his face finally caught his attention and he gazed down at you, his dark eyes still glossy and red.

"You saved me...", you said tracing his jaw, "You actually came for me."

He let out a quiet scoff, squeezing you tighter. His lips found their way to your forehead, placing a small kiss on it and lingering for a few seconds after that.

"Of course, I came for you, you troublesome woman", he sighed, closing his eyes. Holding the person you were in love with for years and who you thought you'd lost forever had to be the most surreal feeling.

At least for him.

There were a few seconds of silence between you, during which you just held each other. No words were spoken, but none were needed - the way you clung to one another, ignoring everyone and everything else, spoke of all of the feelings and affections you kept hidden in your hearts. Somewhere in the distance, you could hear Ino's voice talking, but your mind could not focus on anything but Shikamaru's heartbeat next to your ear.

"I've thought I lost you...", the sudden admission was quiet, almost as if he didn't really want you to hear it. He gulped, moving his head back so he can look into your eyes.

"That night when I said I don't know what I would do without you... I meant it. I still do! I would choose death any day if it means I wouldn't have to face the risk of losing you."

His words made your eyes widen and you stared back at him, trying to read his emotions. The Nara was not a man who liked to talk about his feelings, so any insight into his mind and heart was always surprising. A slight blush covered his cheeks, a sign that despite his moment of courage, he was still feeling nervous about your response.

"I love you."

"I love you."

Both of you blurted it out at the same time, your expressions slowly changing from scared to shocked. You blinked a few times, your brain taking some extra seconds to process his words. Finally, a small smile broke on your lips. Shikamaru, on the other hand, tried to remain serious, but the corners of his mouth kept tugging upwards.

"I want to kiss you."

"Is that your way of asking me for permission or you are just telling me?", you raised a brow and he let out a small laugh at your words.

"I am telling you."

With that one of his palms found your chin, gently cupping it and lifting your head toward him. You could feel his minty breath mixing with your own as he leaned in, not moving his eyes from yours.

The kiss was light, at first you barely felt his mouth against yours. It was delicate and somewhat unsure, just like the kiss you shared that fateful night. The more your lips moved together, the more confident you both became and he grabbed the back of your neck, holding you into place while his tongue met yours. It was all so new, yet it felt so familiar - almost like you've done that a thousand times before.

Finally pulling back, he rested his forehead against yours, trying to catch his breath.

"You have no idea how many years I have been dreaming" about this", he landed one more peck, before scooping you in his arms and lifting you, "Let's go home."

cc artwork: Xiaodi Jin

[imnotasuperhero]

Cover me in sunshine (and everything will be alrigt)

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Summary: When the dark looms over you, it’s good you always have someone who can resque you.

A/N: OMG! It’s been like.. OVER 2 YEARS! (Yes, I checked the date) BUT I FINALLY GOT THE PERFECT CONTINUATION TO THIS ANGSTY PIECE!! And while this idea had occured me a few weeks ago, I just got to finish it tonight, And. It’s. EVERYTHING! I honestly don’t know what will follow, but if you have something specific you wanna know or an idea for another story in the same AU, hit my inbox. For now, hope you enjoy this one 🫶

"You're staring."

And how could you not?

She was back. After 5 damned years, she was in your arms. Right where she belonged.

Your left hand reached her cheek, cupping her face so tenderly. The pad of your thumb smoothing invisible wrinkles on her soft skin with the gentlest touch you could muster. Afraid that if you caressed her a bit too hard it’d send her away.

But she was here. Wanda was by your side, on your bed at your dad's house and you felt yourself breathe, finally allowing your lungs to enjoy the oxygen that filled them with every single inspiration.

But the deep breath you inhaled got stuck mid-way as you felt your heart constricting itself, making your whole body ache and your lungs were no longer working as you witnessed how the brunette in your arms turned to ashes once again. 

And you wanted to scream, to beg her to stay, but your body was unresponsive and you thought this was what sleep paralysis felt like because you just stood there witnessing how her eyes begged you to hold her, asking you to have mercy and to not let her go. But all you could do was look at her with tears running down your cheeks while your insides burned from the excruciating pain that was consuming every cell in your body, making it impossible to move.

And the more you wanted to scream, the bigger the gag in your mouth, ricocheting your palpitations by the second, hearing the blood running through your veins clear as day in your ears.

When your lungs started to burn, the dizziness started to consume you, making your vision close until there was only darkness.

The sound of the beeping machine echoing in the room felt like thousands of nails in your brain and the sunlight made you shut your eyes at the brightness.

“It hurts,” you hoarse to the body besides your bed.

“Detka!” The brunette cried.

The look of pure anguish turned into the brightest teary smile you’ve ever seen and all your insides warmed up at that exact moment.

Lifting your hand, you cupped her cheek, feeling the lightest weight when Wanda leaned her face into your touch. “Hi, Witchy,” you smiled.

Suddenly, your personal space was filled with Wanda’s. And wrapping your arm around her, you just prayed to whichever god out there to let you keep her forever. 

“What happened?” You asked when she moved to lay by your side, holding your lock around her like a scarf, with your hand over her heart. The steady beating sending you into some sort of hypnosis.

“I don’t know, really.” The redhead’s eyes glued to you as the hand on your bare chest caressed your warm skin, careful not to ruin any electrode. “You just… You were dreaming and then you passed away after staying still for a few minutes.”

Flashes of your dream started to play and tears started to form in your eyes. 

Turning on your side, you snuggled impossibly closer to Wanda, “Please, never leave me again.”

But her voice never came. Instead, Dr. Cho walked into the small room.

“Glad to see you’re awake, Y/N,” the woman smiled tenderly as she started to check on the machines.

After what seemed like eternity full of different tests, you were dismissed with the promise of you starting therapy for ‘this is all in your head’ the dr. said. But all your plans flew out the window when your dad requested you stay in the compound with that ugly metalic band on your wrist.

“But what if we want intimate time?” You countered, seeing your dad’s face turn awry.

“First, ew.”

“Hey! Don’t say ew to my girlfriend.” You frowned.

“Honey, she’s like my kid. I don’t want anything to do with your… that.” Tony sighed tiredly. “About the wristband, please. I can’t have you-” He paused, looking at Wanda, then at your pleading eyes. “You owe me that much.”

Sighing, you just nodded your head, never meeting his eyes after the look of pure panic in his brown orbs. That hand around your heart squeezed it like a lemon, and its juice was your tears gathering in your eyes. 

“You’re one of the most important things I have,” he walked the distance, placing a warm, calloused hand on your chin, making you look at him. “I-”

“I know, dad. I'm sorry,” you blinked rapidly trying to brush your tears away, but it was of no use when the strong pair of arms secluded you into the comfort a fatherly hug could bring.

Looking at the scene unfolding in front of her, Wanda couldn’t help the mourning settling in her chest. She’s lost five years of your life and it wasn’t rocket science to understand you weren’t at your best. But just as her lungs started to hurt, Tony’s eyes indicated her to stay calm, “Gotta be patient.” he mouthed soundlessly.

And that she was. Wanda had kept quiet about her concerns, never speaking about them and always staying quiet, listening and analyzing every single interaction around her, paying special attention to the way Natasha behaved with you. Always hugging you, always touching you in some way ‘just friends’ don’t do, at moments, always so secretive. And she’d be lying if it didn’t poke at her heart.

The idea of you having had something with Natasha twisted the small knife inside her, making it harder to stay put.

Granted, you’ve been clinging to her since she came back, always making her feel loved and pampering her with love. But the greeny monster inside her kept tugging at her heart, reading too much into the situations in front of her eyes.

“I need air,” she kissed your hair before detangling her arms from around you.

“I can go,”

“No, Detka. Stay with them,” Wanda conjured the best smile she could fake. No need to add to whatever thing your brain was dealing with.

The pure oxygen the trees around her provided, was enough to keep her lungs happy. But the solitude of the leafy park she was in, made the crispy air pierce to her bones. And she wondered if maybe you felt this way. Maybe the cold in you needed the warmth she always provided until she disappeared, so you sheltered yourself in Natasha’s. Maybe- 

‘No’

She couldn’t let her demons crawl up to the surface. She couldn’t let her fears come in between the two of you.

“I might not be the telepathic one, but I still can hear you.”

The chills Wanda was experiencing only intensified at the voice beside her.

Turning around, the redhead faced the hard woman in front of her. Her fingers itched to pat that smirk away.

“What do you want?”

“I want to talk, that’s all.” Natasha raised her arms, showing her surrenderness.

“There’s nothing to-”

“It’s about Y/N,” Wanda’s mannerisms changed at the sound of your name.

“Is she okay?”

“She is,” Natasha nodded, signaling to a near bench and Wanda followed suit.

“The five years you weren’t here, Y/N had…” The older woman paused, looking for the right words to say. “She’s been through some very rough patches. She was in complete misery, and she did some not-so-good things.”

“What things?” Worriness started to shred her skin from the inside out.

“She’ll tell you when she’s ready.”

“What about me?” Wanda spat venomously.

“It’s why I’m here,” Natasha placed a hand on her thigh, sending some sort of calmness through her body. “I can only imagine what it must have felt like. I won’t say I understand because I stayed. But you gotta know she was never alone. And no, there was nothing between us.”

“How you-”

“I’m a spy, Wanda. I know how to read people,” Natasha shrugged.

Just like that, the looming darkness over her dissipated into thin air, allowing the sunrays to shine through. 

She still had a lot of questions that needed answers, but Natasha’s words allowed her to see clearly again.

“Thank you.” Wanda nodded. “For being there for her,” she spoke shyly.

“I can’t say it was the best experience, but I’d do it again.” She joked and Wanda laughed softly, knowing how big of a pain in the ass you could be. Sometimes you reminded her of Pietro.

“Between us?” Natasha drew her attention. “She always talked about your emo phase,” she winked something Wanda didn’t know how to identify as, and stood up. “I gotta go, don’t be long. She could use some time with you.” Natasha walked away, leaving a dumbfounded Wanda behind.

“Hey, W.E.D.N.S.D.A.Y.? You sure there’s nothing to do about this thing?” You asked the AI, inspecting the silver gadget on your wrist, racking your brains about fooling its bio results.

“I’m sorry Miss Stark, your father blocked me from giving you the information.”

Sighing you rolled in bed, grunting against your pillow.

Maybe you could ask that girl, Skye, you met at shield. She was a hacker and was one of Coulson’s favorites. You knew he wouldn’t oppose giving you her contact.

Now, if only you could think of something infallible…

But said line of thought was interrupted when your bed sank. Turning your head to the side, you gasped when your eyes focused on the brunette. Your fingers automatically curling around that soft hair you missed oh, so much.

“You dyed it?” You asked wide-eyed.

“I guess you like it,” Wanda blushed under your gaze and you couldn’t help the smile growing.

“I love it!” You giggled, trying really hard to keep your eyes away from the silky chocolatey locks, but failing miserably.

“Should I get jealous of my hair?” Wanda joked, staring at you.

“Maybe,” you smirked before you kissed her lips. “Hi,”

“Hello,” Wanda smiled in the kiss, wrapping her arms around you and laying you back in bed, her on top of you.

The distant voice calling you was closer with every step you took, but muffled at the same time. Like interference in a radio.

The smoggy air around you provided little clarity for you to see. Everything around you iced your blood the more you looked at the dry, crooked trees that seemed on a mission to capture you.

“Y/N!” The melody in the voice you loved to hear, has been replaced by horror. And the way your heart thumped against your chest felt like a march. Tu-tum tu-tum tu-tum. The same beat repeating in your ears, sending goosebumps down your body.

“Y/N!” The voice sounded louder, stronger, as a hand appeared in front of you and you begged for it to take you out of it.

Adjusting your eyes to the dim light coming from Wanda’s side of the bed, you allowed yourself to drown in those green eyes, taking it all from them, like the oxygen your lungs needed to survive. Wanda’s soft hands adding to the comfort from where they were placed.

“Detka, it was just a dream,” the brunette coed as her thumbs rubbed against your warm skin.

Focusing on the absentminded pattern she was creating, you allowed your body to relax against her touch.

“I’m so sorry,” she cried, hugging you close to her.

“What for?” You mumbled confused against her chest, basking in the warmth of her embrace.

At the silence settling fastly between you, you broke the hold, not caring about the magnetic force fighting to blend both your atoms.

“Wand,” you questioned softly, grabbing her hands in yours.

“I… I think I projected my dream onto you.” The brunette looked down, hiding from scrutinizing eyes.

“I thought you didn’t feel anything?” You mused, remembering her explanation of the five years she’s been blipped away.

“I don’t think it is because of the blip.” Wanda whispered.

“What do you mean?”

You looked back into those weepy eyes as they begged you to drop it. But that only lit up the curiosity inside you.

“What.” You pushed.

Seeing Wanda fidget in place, visibly uncomfortable, made your arms itch to shield her. But the hunger for knowledge won. 

Squaring yourself waiting for the worst, you studied your girlfriend. The usual carefree stance disappeared to display this anxious shy persona you haven’t seen in so long. Not after she started to move on from Pietro’s death.

“Nat told me,” her voice barely audible.

“Told you, what?” You braced yourself.

“When I was gone,” she paused and you saw how her tongue wetted her lips, misguiding you in the meaning for a second too long. “She told me you weren’t alright. And I know I have to let you speak about it in your own time. But the silence and secrecy about it all it’s starting to affect me because it’s not fair everyone else knows and I, as your girlfriend, am kept in the dark.”

“I-” You sighed, feeling the looming cloud fall over you in a heartbeat.

You always loathed the moment it would come up, because you knew avoiding her would be fruitless. The fact you had to open up to Wanda about your darkest years was something you always kept at the back of your mind. You weren’t ready to break her like you did the others. She deserved only love. But you knew she also needed the truth, no matter how hard it’d stomp over your relationship.

“I don’t know how it happened or what possessed me to do it,” you paused, trying to find the right words. “After you were blipped, all in me became a shell of the person I used to be. Every moment I replayed the same scene over and over again,” you sobbed, feeling your eyes burning and your throat starting to close itself. “One second you were smiling at me and a blink after, you turned into dust floating away from my arms,” you dried your tears with the sleeve of your shirt. “My mind kept repeating the same images over and over and I-” You had to stop yourself as you felt your body starting to tremble as you saw how Wanda’s eyes erupted with tears. The beeping coming from your wrist kept you grounded as you trusted the AI to inform everyone that it wasn’t a crisis.

“I lost myself,” you shrugged, smiling tearily as the shame took over you. “I lost myself and I became an addict.” You finally confessed, not daring to look up at the glassy eyes scrutinizing you, feeling your body burning up. You wouldn’t be able to keep on living if -when, you saw the disappointment in them.

“I became an awful person,” you laughed wickedly. “I became all the things I always stood against. And-”

The guttural, painful moan that roared from within you had you melting into those soft yet strong arms that encircled you in a securing grip.

Your cries turned into tremors as Wanda kissed your head repeatedly, her hand drawing circles on your lower back.

"I'm sorry," she cried alongside you, allowing you the time to calm down while she never stopped her ministrations. No matter how her eyes burned with the falling tears, the need to comfort you came first.

After a few moments, she laid you both in bed, your head over her chest. You sighed tiredly as your body relaxed against her. Wanda's beating heart casting a spell on your exhausted body.

"You have to let go," Wanda's voice was barely a whisper, almost afraid the calm that slowly started to reign dissipated away.

At your silence, she continued. "Someone once told me that who our alter ego was didn’t matter as long as we took over and allowed ourselves to heal."

You smiled silently at those words. Your heart pumped a bit easier at the knowledge she remembered them after all these years.

"Guess I should follow my advice," you tightened your hold on her middle section, basking in the comfort you craved for so long.

"I love you, detka." She cupped your cheek, making you look into those green orbs you loved to dive into. "And I'm never leaving you again." She promised.

You inspected her eyes in search of any trace of a lie. But you came up empty-handed.

Leaning up, you kissed her softly, slowly. Hoping she’d feel in that kiss all the devotion you withheld for her. And in consequence, allowing your mind to finally understand Wanda was here. She wasn’t going anywhere. Not unwillingly, at least.

Breaking the kiss for much-needed air, you snuggled against her as you inhaled her essence, filling your insides with the aroma that never failed to calm you down. 

The craving for the serenity you've been suffering from these excruciating years was finally subsiding the more you listened to her calm heartbeat. Because you knew that no matter how tumultuous your mind was feeling, Wanda always managed to.

Time ago, your heart bled whenever you saw people laughing, wishing with all your will for the day you would, too. And even if it seemed far away, her soul got you through another day.

After all, and even more so now with her in your arms, with Wanda by your side, everything would be alright.

As always, comments and reblogs are appreciated (:

Forever (wanda) taglist: @summergeezburr​ @red1culous​ @wandabear​ @xxxtwilightaxelxxx (If you wanna be added, let me know (:

[milks-shake-cafe]

I know I said I was gonna do this months ago but now I'm finally gonna talk to you guys about my J.JK self insert!

♧ She works at a little café! She has 0 clue about the sorcerer world; she's sort like that guy with the 5 sisters who got rancid vibes from Ge.to and quit on the spot FNTUHJHH She can generally feel when something's off and will hightail out of there

♧They're usually on the morning shift so they're learning how to bake pastries and the like!

♧My insert first meets Iji.chi due to their job. He was doing a coffee/breakfast run for everyone (which bless him, we all know Go.jo's order was a mile long and overly complicated on purpose FNTUHJ) while my insert was running the cash register. We had a little chat while everything was getting prepared and he appreciated that I was genuinely polite to him!

♧After awhile, he begins to develop a crush on them. He always gets questioned as to why he gets red in the face everytime he picks up coffee now

♧My insert knows his, Iji.chi's personal, order by heart! I make it automatically and put it to the side for him around pickup time. It even happens on days where he doesn't come in, force of habit fbtuhjyg

♧I start trying to make cute designs on his stuff, like a cat or bear on his bread, but um. They're really wonky. (One of my friends joked, saying he probably mumbles "Looks like a cursed spirit..." FBTYBJ)

♧My insert practices a lot of baking and designing at home to finally give Iji.chi something cute to enjoy. Once he finally has it down-pat, Iji.chi compliments my improvement and almost doesn't want to eat/drink it because of the cuteness

♧This endeavor led them to finally share phone numbers and the majority of texts where me sending pictures and progress updates of my at-home bakes. While he doesn't have a hobby like that due to work, Iji.chi usually ends up sending me pics of stray cats he encounters throughout the day (A lot of these are ideas my friends came up with. Their brains are so huge and I love them, mwah)

♧Btw, Go.jo can and will steal this poor man's phone and send chaotic messages and selfies of him running away from him GNGYHJ

♧This guy would be so fucking adorable. He'd send pics of himself in front landmarks and stuff doing a shy little peace sign. WHY IS HE SO CUTE??

♧A few times he shows what he ate somewhere and recommends it to me, I go "Yeah! We should totally go there together!" And he flusters at the idea of a date

♧Iji.chi really tries his best of keeping his work separate from our relationship. He wants to keep this one thing his; I make him feel appreciated and less anxious and he doesn't want it to disappear!

♧His actual job slips out by accident. We go on a date and there's a curse spirit just sitting right next to us. He tries to subtlety get us to move to a different area but I'm here like, "Hey, I think we should go somewhere else. I'm really uncomfortable" while looking straight at it. So he just has this sigh of relief of "Oh thank goodness you can see cursed spirits too" while my insert is like ???

♧He really thought this man was a school chaperone and accountant for the longest FBGYGH

♧While he's thankful that I listen to my gut and I'm happy that it's not my anxiety and paranoid going overdrive all the time, he still gets concerned that I'll get attacked by something I cannot see. He's worried when he isn't around but tries to protect me in ways he knows he can.

♧I can and will parade him around my and his friends, loving on my soggy towel of a man! I honestly think he's waiting for the other shoe to drop; for me to one day realize I can do better and just leave. Meanwhile, I'm here like, "No, we're gonna get married in the future. You're stuck with me. FOR LIFE"

[letsgivethisonemoreshot]

ShellShocked (full story)

So, I posted a little thing a few days ago. But my brain decided to add three more little chapters to it. Since the whole thing came out to about 4,800 words, I figured I'd just post it as one piece. Written for @unlikelywrestlingfan hopefully enjoyed by whoever else wants it.

Summary: Trying to get ready for his next show, Alex asks his long time friend if she wouldn't mind helping him out with a move he's been thinking about. Which leads to conflicting thoughts.

Warnings: Usage of real names because of one line that I fell in love with and could not let go of.

“Hey Ellie,” Patrick began as he entered his living room. “If you’re not busy today would you mind helping me out with something?”

“What did you need help with?” She asked as she turned her attention from the t.v. to her friend.

“I need to do a spot at the next show with a girl, but I don’t want it to be the same things I’ve done before. I want it to be different. I was hoping you’d try some things out with me.”

“Or you could just stop beating up women,” She joked.

“Nah. Easy way to get cheap heat.”

“Since when does Patrick Martin take the easy way out?” She asked as she leaned more forward on the couch.

“Never. Alex Shelley on the other hand…here and there,” He laughed. “So are you gonna help me or not?”

“Sure. Just take it easy on me. Remember I’m not trained for this shit.”

Ellie put the remote down on the couch and stood up. This wasn’t the first time she helped him work through some idea he had in mind for his wrestling career, probably wouldn’t be the last either. He took off his hat and tossed it onto the sofa as he met her in the middle of the room. She stood in front of him with her hands resting on her hips waiting. She could see the wheels turning in his head as his eyes were glancing up at the ceiling, temporarily lost in thought.

“So what are we doing?” Ellie finally asked.

“Okay. I was thinking instead of attacking her directly like I usually do, we could do a thing where she runs in trying to help him, but then I grab her and make her watch him getting destroyed by the crew. I just need to figure out the logistics to make it run smoothly. Alright, I think I got it. Slap me.”

“What?” Ellie asked caught off guard by his request.

“Just act like you’re going to slap me. It’ll be fine,” He assured.

“Okay,” She said, still unsure about it.

Ellie brought her arm back then swung forward, hoping the little force she planned on using would be good enough. She was surprised when he caught her wrist midair. Before she could ask him what his next move was, he spun her around calculating the movements so that the arm of the wrist he was holding was across her chest and pinning her other arm down by her side when he pulled her against him before tightening his grip slightly. She gasped when her back met her chest. His other hand went to her hair, being gentle on his friend as he moved it to the side.

“So from here I can grab onto the hair to move her head in any direction. I can fuck around with his head while he’s getting the shit beat out of him by holding his girl and making comments. I could even lick her face, or along here,” He explained as he gentle traced his fingers along the side of her neck. “They love that sick shit there.”

“Do not lick me,” Ellie warned sternly.

“I won’t. Not unless you ask nicely.” He laughed with a wink.

He let go of her wrist and the two quickly made some space between them. Ellie gently rubbed her wrist as she turned back towards him. Not that it was hurting in any way, she just felt like she had to.

“So, what do you think?” Patrick asked as he stuck his hands into his cargo short pockets.

“I think maybe you should leave that company before they corrupt you completely.” She joked as she sat back sown on the couch, pulling her legs up. “Are you sure she’ll be okay with that?”

“Pretty sure based off our history. But I’ll go over all of it with them first and adjust it however I have to.”

She nodded at him. “Sounds good to me then. Different than before, but still along the same lines. I think it’s definitely going to get the reaction you want.

“Thanks,” He smiled shyly, somewhat proud she approved of his idea. “Hey, lunch should be ready by now. Do you want to come with me to pick it up or hang out here?”

“No thanks. I’ll stay here and pic the movie. I don’t trust you to do it after the last one you made me sit through,” She answered as she grabbed the remote.

“Hey! I have great taste!”

“In food yes. In movies, no. Go pick up lunch,” Ellie said dismissing him as she began to scroll through movies on the television screen.

Patrick smiled slyly on his way out the door. Once she heard him get into his car and the engine turn on, Ellie wasn’t able to concentrate on the screen. She could only focus on the butterflies that were still fluttering around her stomach from when he had pulled her against him. And the way her skin tingled from where his fingers touched. She had kept this growing crush for her friend buried down deep inside. Not wanting to ruin what they had based on the lust filled ideas that filled her mind whenever he had his shirt off. But she didn’t know how much longer she could kid herself. This was no longer the “he’s kind of cute” thoughts she began developing long ago. They were growing stronger with each day they hung out together. The way her heart jumped when she’d see his name pop up on her phone went way past the feeling of friendship. And right now all she could focus on was how jealous she was of the girl he would be working with next weekend.

Usually during movie nights, Ellie and Patrick would end up cuddling in some way by the end of the night. Either with them sitting on opposite sides of the couch and her legs over his, or him laying down with his head in her lap while she absent mindedly played with his hair while staring at the screen. Late night movies with one of them falling asleep on the other’s couch is how their sleep overs started. But tonight was the opposite. Patrick was on one side of the sofa with his arms outstretched along the back of it while Ellie sat on one side with her feet pulled up next to her, elbow resting on the arm of the couch, and her chin in her hand. They had barely said a word to each other since they finished eating. Patrick would glance over at her every once in a while.

“You know, for someone who was so insistent on picking the movie, you don’t seem to be enjoying it very much,” He eventually stated breaking the silence between them.

“Huh?” Ellie perked up and looked over at him.

“It’s a comedy and you haven’t even cracked a smile.”

“Oh. I’ve already seen it a ton of times,” She replied as she relaxed her body again.

“Then why did you pick it?”

“I like it. There’s a reason I’ve seen it a ton of times Pat.”

“Are you okay?” He finally gathered up the courage to ask her.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure? You seem different tonight.”

“I’m fine,” She told him, though her answer didn’t convince her.

“Did I say something that upset you earlier?” He pushed as he changed position to face her.

Ellie laughed before she was able to stop herself. “I don’t think that’s even possible Patrick.”

Though her answer was really sweet, it didn’t bring him any comfort in the situation. “So you’re not mad at me?”

“Of course not. I just, kind of have some stuff on my mind at the moment,” She slightly admitted.

“Anything you want to talk about? You helped me out earlier. I don’t mind being here and helping you now.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s really not a big deal. Just distracted me a little. My stomach is bothering me much more than that right now.”

“Are you okay?” He asked as he leaned closer to her beginning to get concerned.

“Yeah. It’s what I get for not sticking to my usual order. Food was just a little too spicy for me and it isn’t sitting too well. Actually, maybe I should just go home,” Ellie stated as she swung her feet back on the floor and began to put her shoes on.

“You know you can just lay down here if you want,” Patrick reminded her.

“I know. I just think I’d feel more comfortable at home. Besides if I end up getting sick, you only have the one bed, and I don’t want you out on the couch.”

Ellie got up to grab her bag and car keys. Patrick almost jumped up off of the couch to follow her.

“Do you want me to drive you?”

“No. I’ll be fine. Thank you though,” She answered as she opened his front door.

“Alright. Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.”

Ellie offered him a weak smile as she left his house and closed the door behind her, trying to get to her car before he tried to follow her outside.

Ellie’s eyes may have been focused on the screen, but her mind was months and months back in the past. Back to a show that she went to with Patrick and his tag partner Josh. Even though they weren’t teaming together on that particular show. A night where once again Patrick had ended up asking her for a favor. Patrick and his opponent had a plan worked out a plan for one of his friend’s to come along and be a plant in the crowd and do a spot with Patrick so he would get more heat. But upon getting to the venue, Patrick was told that at the last minute his opponent’s friend wasn’t able to make it. So Patrick asked Ellie if she wouldn’t mind helping them out since she was there. He explained the basics of what was planned, though with the wrestling business nothing was ever set in stone, but she still agreed like she always did.

She sat front row that night watching her friends work. During Patrick’s match, he and his opponent spilled outside of the ring and were fighting in front of it. When they rounded the corner to the side Ellie was sitting on, she knew her part was coming up. Ellie stood up along with the rest of the crowd while the wrestlers punched and kicked each other along the side of the ring. By this point everyone was booing Shelley and cheering for his opponent. At first Ellie was just giving him a thumbs down, but when she saw everyone else around her flashing him the middle finger, she joined in with that knowing he wouldn’t be able to yell at her later for it. Throughout the fight Shelley had been waving off the fans and giving them the finger back. When they got to where Ellie was standing, his opponent was winding back to swing hard when Shelley grabbed Ellie and held her in front of him, using her as a shield. She held her arms up in defense and flinched and thankfully his opponent was able to stop himself before he hit her. Shelley was smiling behind her, thinking he was clever while the crowd began chanting some unsavory words about him being a coward. To emphasize the chants, Shelley shoved Ellie forward into his opponent who was able to catch her as they both stumbled while Shelley rolled into the ring to break up the referee who was counting them both out. But he quickly rolled back out. And when his opponent was distracted and asking Ellie if she was alright, Shelley came behind him knocking him in the back of the head before grabbing him and throwing him into the ring post sending him crashing to the floor. The crowd’s boos grew louder surrounding them. Then to add to his horrendous behavior he grabbed onto the sides of Ellie’s head and pulled her face towards his and in for a quick kiss before shoving her away.

“Thanks for the help darlin’,” He said condescendingly and rolled back into the ring.

This time he stayed in the ring. Climbing up onto the ropes, lounging in the corner by the turnbuckle while the referee began counting again. Ellie stood there shocked for a moment. Though the kiss was quick, it was definitely not something they talked about before the match and she wasn’t expecting it. She was really not expecting the butterflies that immediately began flying around in her stomach the second his lips touched hers. But the screaming of the crowd for his opponent to get up brought her back into the moment. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve as if she was disgusted while she joined back in with everyone else.

Ellie was unaware of how much Shelley was grilled by Sabin about what happened as soon as he walked back through the curtain, but after the show she was going to get a taste of it for herself. She stood around waiting for her friends and scrolling on her phone while the crew were taking down the ring and putting away chairs. Josh was the first to come out and join her.

“So. How long have you and Patrick had a thing?” He blatantly asked straight away.

“We don’t.”

“You don’t?” He asked while arching an eyebrow.

“Nope. Just friends,” She answered before taking a sip of her water bottle.

“Fine. I can believe that. So how long have you liked him.

Ellie choked on her water. “What are you talking about?”

“You may not have a thing going, but you definitely have a thing for him.”

“I do not.”

“So you just let any guy kiss you then?”

“It was part of the show Josh.”

“Right. And which one of you suggested that?”

“For your information Josh, it wasn’t something that was discussed. It was just a spur of the moment thing to make him more of an asshole. And we just went with it.”

“Just like that huh?”

“Yes. Just like that. He’s my friend, he asked for my help, I helped him. It wasn’t exactly the right time to ask him about it so I just went with it.”

“So if I had asked you for help and did the same thing, you’d have been fine with it?”

“Of course. You know I trust you. I’d prove it to you right now, but I don’t want to be in hot water with your girlfriend since I actually like her. So you’re just gonna have to settle for this.”

Ellie leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before walking towards to the door to wait for everyone else outside and get some fresh air. She didn’t even want to deal with what she was feeling with herself right now. There was no way she wanted to talk about it with other people. The only person she was even thinking of talking to about it was Patrick and ask him why he did that. But the whole way home, he seemed like his normal self. Talking with everyone about their favorite parts of the night. Laughing. Acting as if something completely out of the ordinary hadn’t happened. So she thought, maybe her little lie to Josh was right and it was just an in the heat of the moment thing, so she let it go and tried to bury it deep down since.

It was dark now. Ellie had been laying in her bed staring at the ceiling she had gotten home from Patrick’s house. Deep in thought about that night once again. Despite how deep down she tried to push it, every one in a while, something he would do would cause it to resurface. And the only thing that would make it any better was just trying to get away from him for a little bit. So she didn’t have to look into his face and hear his voice and fall even deeper. Which is why she had to leave his house so quickly, and probably spend the next day or so alone in her apartment. Eventually she’d get around to turning the television on to keep her company and shut up her brain. Though her drifting mind was briefly interrupted by her phone going off. She reached over and grabbed it off other nightstand, chucking at the text message.

‘Have you managed to get out of the bathroom yet?’

‘Yeah. Made it to my bed. Don’t think I plan on leaving it anytime soon.’

Are you feeling any better?’

‘I’ll live.’

‘Good to know. Guess I’ll have to cancel the memorial I had planned for you tomorrow then.’

‘Sorry to ruin your plans.’

‘What do I do with my weekend now??’

‘I guess you’re just gonna have to see if any companies have any openings so you can roll around with your sweaty friends in their underwear.’

‘Who says I need a booking for that?’

Ellie was actually laughing out loud.

‘I do not need to know about private time between you and your friends Pat.’

“You know you’re dying to see what actually happens at Tuesday guys nights.’

‘Well thanks for that image. On that note I need to run into the bathroom again.’

‘Make sure you drink water!’

Ellie sent him a thumbs up emoji, then turned her phone on silent before putting it back on the nightstand. Unfortunately for her, no amount of pepto was going to make the feeling she had in her stomach right now go away.

Ellie wasn’t sick, but she spent the next day acting as if she was. It was almost noon and she was still in his pajamas. The only time she had left her bed was to use the restroom. But once she was done she crawled right back in and covered her entire body with the safety her comforter. Everything was quiet. She was debating on getting up again to shut her blinds as the sun was now shining into her window and directly onto her face, but she felt pulling the blanket over head would be an easier solution. However the knocking at her door didn’t give her much of a choice. She really didn’t want to move, but usually if someone knocked on her door when she didn’t expect anyone it was her elderly neighbor that needed help with something. So she pulled the blanket off of herself and got up. But she was met with a surprise when she opened her front door and Patrick was standing there with a coffee cup and a brown paper bag.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“Since your memorial was cancelled, I had nothing else to do today. So I thought I’d come and check on you. Brought you tea and a bagel.”

“Thanks,” Ellie said as she took the cup from him.

She opened the door a bit more then walked into her apartment allowing him inside. Patrick shut the door behind him and followed her into the living room. He placed the bag down on a small table and sat down on the couch. Ellie gently sat down on the opposite end, sipping the tea while almost staring past him.

“Looks like you haven’t gotten too far today.”

Ellie looked down and realized she wasn’t dressed, she hadn’t brushed through her hair, and that she probably looked like a mess. She immediately felt herself get embarrassed. Not that Patrick hadn’t seen her like this before, but today it bothered her.

“Yeah.”

“How are you feeling? If the bagel is too much for your stomach I can go and get you some soup,” He offered.

“No, this is great Patrick. Thank you. You really didn’t have to do this,” She said to him with a smile.

“I was worried about you.”

“Why?” She asked as she sipped the tea again slightly confused.

“It’s not like you to run off like that. Usually you’d just stay with me. And I haven’t heard back from you at all today. I thought maybe you ended up getting food poisoning, and that is a bitch to deal with.”

“I’m sorry. I really just wanted to sleep so I put my phone on silent last night and I guess I forgot. It hasn’t made any noise, so I haven’t checked it. But no food poisoning. I’m good. Sorry to ruin your party.”

He laughed at her joke. “Well I guess I am glad that you’re still alive. Since you’re feeling better did you want to do something today?”

Ellie rolled her eyes at her state. “I’s going to be dinner time before I pull myself together enough to go out anywhere today.”

“We could always stay here and finish the horrible movie you made me start watching yesterday.”

“I’d still have to do something with myself.”

“What are you talking about? You’re fine.”

“Pat I haven’t even showered yet.”

“So you’ll stink a bit. I just won’t cuddle on you,” He joked making her laugh a bit. “I’ve always thought you looked cute like this anyway.”

“What?”

“What? This is my favorite version of you.”

“When I’m a mess?” She asked, not sure if she should be flattered or offended.

“When you’re you,” He answered. “Before you dress up and put make up on and try and make yourself look how you think everyone expects to see you. When you wake up and stretch with a smile before dancing around the kitchen while making food. Don’t get me wrong, you’re always beautiful, but first thing in the morning you has always been my favorite.”

It wasn’t too often Patrick and Ellie would make an unprompted comment about how the other looked. The last time Ellie could remember it happening was last Thanksgiving when all of their friends were back and town and everyone decided to go to Dave and Busters for some drinks and games. They were a few drinks in, the music was loud, and some of their friends had taken a break from the games to dance with each other. Patrick had mentioned to her that night how good her new outfit had looked on her. She told him that he didn’t look so bad himself and that he cleaned up nice. They spent a lot of the night together playfully competing against each other in every game they played, and ended the night by using their tickets to pick out something to surprise the other one with. A few more drinks later they were uncomfortably close in an overcrowded car, almost sitting on top of each other. Ellie couldn’t help but stare into his big brown eyes. They were glassed over due to the alcohol so she couldn’t tell what the thought behind them was, but she could feel the heat between them and how his breathing changed by the rise and fall of his chest.

“Are you blushing Elle?” Patrick asked.

“No. I must be getting a fever,” She lied as she tried to look away from him while setting her cup down.

“No you don’t. You’re not sick. You said it was the food and that you’re feeling better today. What’s going on with you Elle? You’ve been weird the last two days.”

“I’m always weird,” She tried to joke to divert the conversation.

“You’re being weird for you. Come on, tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Ellie, come on. It’s me. You know you can tell me anything,” Patrick said as he faced towards her on the couch and scooted closer.

“Not this,” She muttered to herself.

“Anything Elle,” He said as he placed his hand gently on her cheek. “I’ll never judge you.”

The tenderness and proximity of him was making her flustered. She wasn’t able to think of a proper thought, let alone something that would get him off her back. She was lucky that her brain was still telling her to breathe at this point.

“You judging me isn’t what I’m afraid of,” She thought out loud. “Ditching me is.”

Patrick chuckled as his thumb ran across her cheek. “That’s not happening. You’re stuck with me no matter what Elle.”

She wanted to blurt out and make him promise that, as if they were kids. She wanted to believe that more than anything. That she could tell him, and get it off of her chest, and then they could just go back to how things were without anything being weird or him ghosting her since apparently the feelings she had for him weren’t going anywhere. But somehow the comforting look he had in his eyes made her even more scared because she didn’t know what she would do if she lost it forever.

“Shit. Am I being too touchy feely again?” Patrick asked, taking her silence as her feeling uncomfortable and pulled his hand away. “Josh said that was going to get me in trouble with you one day.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Forget it.”

“No. Why did he say that?” Ellie asked with her brows furrowed.

Patrick shyly chuckled and looked away from Ellie for a moment as he ran his hand through his hair. “He says that sometimes I’m too affectionate with you and one of these days you’re going to call me a weirdo and tell me to fuck off.”

“Are you kidding? Never…but, maybe it would be a good idea if you cooled it for a while,” She suggested tentatively.

“Does it bother you?” He asked as he looked back at her, right into her eyes.

“No. Not in the way Josh thinks anyway. It just, I dunno, might make things easier,” She tried to get out while looking down and nervously picking at her nails.

“Easier for what? Elle, look at me,” He said to her after not getting a response. He placed his finger under her chin to lift her head. “Elle, do you have feelings for me?”

Ellie’s stomach was in knots, but not like it was earlier. She thought that she might have to run to the bathroom for real this time. She wanted to burst out in tears, but she refused to do that while he was still there sitting in front of her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, but it happened. I just don’t want you to feel weird and push me away. I can push it away and things can still be the same.”

Patrick let out a chuckle that didn’t make Ellie feel better at the moment. “Ellie, are you really that oblivious?”

She was caught off guard and slightly confused by his statement. But he made it clear by crashing his lips down onto hers for the second time, but much gentler than before. It was only moments, but Ellie felt like they sat like that for hours. When he pulled away, she was speechless. All she could do was blink her eyes and remind herself to breathe. Patrick moved his hand to tuck a piece of hair that was in her face behind her ear.

“Elle, I’ve been crazy about you since we met.”

“What?”

“You’re amazing. Gorgeous. Sweet. Fun. Caring. I fell for you right away. But you never seemed like you were into me like that, and I didn’t want to lose you as a friend, so I never said anything.”

Ellie felt her entire body relax at his words.

“Really?”

“Yup. Josh figured it out a bit ago and said if I kept monopolizing your time you were going to catch on. But, you were my go to for everything, and always agreed to the adventures.”

“I was just happy to be spending time with you. I have a great time whenever we’re together. So you mean this while time I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, and you were doing the same?”

He laughed. “Life’s funny like that I guess.”

Ellie sighed and hung her head, feeling all of the built up tension finally release from her chest.

“Maybe we should agree to never keep anything from each other in the future,” He laughed.

“Deal.”

Ellie was finally able to do what she had been wishing for. She leaned in, kissing Patrick while wrapping her arms around his neck while he pulled her closer to him. When they pulled apart a few minutes later, he rested his forehead against hers as they both smiled.

“So what do you say about that movie?” He asked.

“Absolutely.”

“What was the name of it?” He asked as he grabbed the remote.

“You can pick a new one,” Ellie answered as she leaned against his chest, cuddling into him. “Turns out you have pretty good taste after all.”

[bucketofbugz]

I wanna listen to your II x Grounded idea please 🙂 /sincere

!!!!!!!!OKAY!!!!!!

sorry this took a few hours I had to sleep. But you have opened the floodgates. Prepare for. a lot of reading.

I do plan to write this very very soon buuuuuuuuuuut if you wanna read some rambling about it beforehand then here ya go.

(I didn't mean to ramble so much about background stuff but I did so if you don't care about that [which is fair] then skip to the "and now onto the actual beginning" section)

Basic background information first.

I've had the idea in my brain since before episode 15's release, but I didn't start actually developing it until a few days ago. so it isn't too far plot-wise yet. BUT!!!! I do have ideas. many many ideas. and I am so happy to talk about 'em.

The idea originally came about because I looked at the final four and went "haha four of them. that's the same number of available characters in grounded :)", and of course I immediately began making a story in my head for it.

Originally I was trying to fit the whole "getting shrunk down to ant-size" thing into the show's storyline, but I was not able to do that without it feeling really off and out of place. And there is a pretty crucial element to the shrinking process in Grounded that led to the main characters being teenagers in the first place.

so Instead of just figuring out how to work it into the show storyline, I decided to develop an entire II high school au to act as the background for this. I won't go too into detail on that bit because that's notttt what you're here for (I can make an entire separate post about what that changes about the universe later). But I do need to add that detail because the show's events not having happened exactly is kinda important to certain things.

OKAY onto actual important background stuff.

Cobs! He's here! He is a guy and he exists. He is still the CEO of Meeple and is still making sentient phones but he also teaches a high school computer science class. because why not, right?

Well one of those sentient phones of his (3GS) is able to discover the shrinking technology! This is also around the time he is having the realization that listening to everything Cobs says doesn't really work out so well. So he hides it from him for a good while.

But thennnnn Cobs' two other sentient phones (4 and 4S) find out about it!! and they tell him!! because of course they do!!!

And Cobs gets mad about it!! because of course he does!!!

Rather than the closet he gets put into in the show, 3GS is stuck being the sole tester of the shrinking process. Cobs uses this to estimate the effects it has on technology and life forms. As you might expect, being shrunk and un-shrunk a bunch of times starts really messing with him! Especially since he's an older MePhone model.

MePhone4 eventually finds out about this and is like "wow! that's messed up!" SO he decides he wants to get 3GS out of there

how does he do that? well he shrinks himself and 3GS, attempts to destroy the shrinking technology (accidentally blows up a good chunk of Mecloud), and runs away to the island that Cobs was doing all of the shrinking tests on (the season 1 and 2 island). His plan was to generate a new SPAC.R once they got there and then they could truly escape, BUUUUUUT turns out he can't use his generation abilities while tiny. So they're just stuck on the island now.

Cobs figures out where they went and once he repairs the Meeple SPAC.R he sends 4S to the island to bring them back. But guess what? He doesn't do that. None of the phones come back.

Why they don't and what exactly happens with them after that is all Spoilers, though. so I cannot talk about that yet :]

So all of Cobs' sentient phones are gone. And he kinda needs them back. And he's discovered that trying to shrink down members of his staff to go find them doesn't work very well; shrinking adults is just Not working out.

And, hey, he is a teacher at a high school----

Yeah he throws a bunch of kids at the island.

And now onto the actual beginning.

OKAY WE'RE FINALLY HERE!! Maybe like 2 years since the phone stuff.

The final four are our main focus at this point.

As I said, they are high school students, specifically attending Cobs' class in computer science. Whether that is because they actually care about computer science or because they thought it would be an easy elective varies depending on which character you're talking about.

They're the last four left in that period of the class. There were about 12 in total that year, but 4 of them disappeared at one point and then the other 4 disappeared at another point. So it's just them in there now. Suitcase, Knife, Baseball, and Lightbulb.

Some people are very concerned about the connection, even wondering if it has something to do with the 5 students in that class that had disappeared the year prior. but of course nobody suspects Cobs because he's the CEO of Meeple, why would he do something like that??? You can trust CEO's, y'know (/sarcastic).

But one day they're all heading home after school, and then they're just. out. Blacked out, no idea where the heck they are.

They wake up in a slightly open case nestled into the soil. Of course they're all suspicious of one another for a while, before they realize the gravity of the situation they're in. None of them would be able to do this, they're literally just a bunch of high school kids.

So they're stranded on some random island, they're all relatively ant-sized, they're starting to suspect that this exact same thing has happened to the other 12 students in their class (and maybe the 5 missing ones from last year), and they have no idea how to survive out here.

So they're doing great.

This is where the actual story itself starts so I can't give too much away beyond this point. But I can say that the other characters to end up shrunk weren't chosen randomly, and the order is connected to the 4 focal characters being the final 4 of the season. :]

And I can also say that I am trying to fit in as many canon situations and events into this story as possible within the limitations the au creates. Like Lightbulb discovering Baxter? Yeah! That happens! Is he still a crab? Hah. No.

So the fates of certain characters (mentioned or otherwise) does kinda depend on how they're doing in the show. So.. how ARE some characters doing in the show? :)

uhhhh tdlr: the show never happened, due to how the shrinking process works all of the contestants are high school students, shrinking technology was discovered by Mephone 3GS and developed by Cobs, 3GS and Mephone4 run away to the island (they also shrunk themselves) and Cobs sends 4S after them, none of them come back, Cobs starts sending objects to the island to find them (specifically focusing on Lightbulb, Knife, Suitcase, and Baseball). Shenanigans ensue. We understand? Yippee.

Hope you enjoyed my nonsensical rambling.

Like I said in the original post this is such a niche combination of interests but they are my two biggest ones. So. It was inevitable.

Also I'm almost done with the character designs, so the other missing characters will be revealed soon (if they aren't already really easy to figure out).

[namig42]

So this is a bit of my own original story that I wrote months ago and finally got around to editing. Please enjoy!

Fated Encounters (Ch. 2)

< Previous Chapter

Read it on Ao3

Summary: I have quite a few OCs, and over the past few months, I've learned how they would all meet and interact in a story of their own. This is a collection of those stories, how they all will meet in time, and the development of their own bonds.

---

Gods, what a day Wyndolyn thought to herself as she lugged the last of the new barrels down the narrow alleys of Alabaster. It really was a chore when new supplies came in. The streets in this part of town are too narrow for a cart, so she and her mercenary group had to carry each and every crate and barrel by hand down each twist and turn to reach the storage room that was hidden away in a dead end alley. Everyone liked to leave the heaviest boxes to Wyndolyn since “Wyndolyn’s so big, she’s can take care of it,” or even more annoying, “Rock Brain? She’s better off doing the heavy lifting.” As much as her gang annoyed her, Wyndolyn stuck around with them. The jobs she took paid well enough, but Wyndolyn cared more about her boss than the little bit of money.

Firene had roped Wyndolyn into the Builders back when Wyndolyn was still only a teen. She was never the most articulate person, so everybody chalked up her quiet nature to that non-existent half-orc intelligence. Unlike everyone else though, Firene would tell Wyndolyn that if she never talked, people would find her scary rather than unintelligent. The idea seemed sound to Wyndolyn, and Firene was the only one who had ever spoken to Wyndolyn on her level. After that day, Wyndolyn’s voice became a rarity to the other mercenaries.

Despite her newfound intimidation though, Wyndolyn’s love of stones and quiet demeanor earned her a juvenile nickname amongst her crew: Rock Brain. One dribbling dwarf made a stupid joke one night at camp, and then suddenly no one would leave it alone. The idiot dwarf Dalsi saw Wyndolyn empty her pockets of some new finds for her stone collection while they made camp on one job, and thus, the nickname was born. Wyndolyn didn’t know if it was an upgrade from Stoneskin or not, but she didn’t take kindly to it. The worst part was that over time with newer members, they all assumed the nickname meant Wyndolyn was just plain stupid. None of the pre-existing members ever bothered to say otherwise, and neither did Wyndolyn. It wasn’t worth the effort.

It’s been over a decade now since she took on that label, and it was still as prominent as ever. Wyndolyn ignored it as much as anything else and kept to herself instead. She was known in the guild as the strong, silent type, the one that the crew could count on for support, but would never be assigned as a leader for a mission. After all, no one would trust a half-orc to make a decision on their behalf if they weren’t ready to destroy everything in sight, obviously. Wyndolyn was only the muscle of the guild. She was a follower and Firene’s favorite dog. That was all.

Her reputation used to bug her, but Wyndolyn’s grown accustomed to this life of hers. At least she’s comfortable enough. She has friends in a sense, a mentor, and a job. That’s all she needed.

“After you drop that off, you can turn in for the night, Wyn. Be back at the hall early tomorrow. Firene says she’s got something else already lined up for you,” one of Wyndolyn’s shorter colleagues delegated. Yan was a halfling that loved bossing people around, especially his taller coworkers. Wyndolyn nodded at the order from the stout little man as she took the last barrel and went down the alley, leaving Yan to deal with the empty cart by himself.

Down the twists and turns of Alabaster’s lower city streets and into the only door that lined their alley. The storage room was nothing sensational, just a dusty room stacked with all sorts of things. There was some food for missions, weapons, some potions, clothes, and armor. Nothing too exciting, but all of it was essential for the Builders and their missions. The mercenary group took whatever job Firene found near Alabaster and assigned her crew. She always claimed that they were helping people build a better life with each of their jobs. In reality though, they destroyed so many people and things along the way that it felt more like a destruction crew, but that wasn’t Wyndolyn’s business. Like Firene said, “sometimes you have to tear some things down in order to build a better future.”

She dropped the last barrel of smokepowder in the storage room and wiped her brow. Gods, she was ready to call it a night. She might be strong, but lugging inventory all day still took a lot out of her. She could use a good, meaty meal after a long day’s work. Maybe the nearby tavern would still have some of her favorite roasted chicken left at this late hour. The thought of the tender, flavorful fowl made her mouth water as Wyndolyn opened the door back into the alley. Yes, a nice bird and maybe a pint if she really wanted to splurge the last of her copper pieces. That sounded perfect right about now.

Unfortunately though, Wyndolyn was brought back from her delicious fantasy when someone roughly shoved past her and ran into the storage room. She barely got a look at the lanky tiefling, but they were certainly tall with blue skin and a set of curly black horns.

“Hey!” Wyndolyn shouted, surprised at how fast the tiefling had been. She was getting ready to storm back into the storage room and tell the intruder to get the hells out of there, but then Wyndolyn heard someone else approaching the alley. She heard the metallic clank of armored footsteps coming closer and waited patiently. When the four men rounded the corner, she noted the fine armor and the detailed work of it. Verikovs.

“Excuse me, stoneskin!” One of the guards shouted. Wyndolyn crossed her arms and glared down at the elven guard with an unimpressed sneer as they approached. Her massive build and extra foot of height allowed her natural intimidation to shine as she loomed over the Verikov guards. “Have you seen a blue tiefling run through here?”

“No, I haven’t,” Wyndolyn responded curtly. “What’d they do that has guards running around searching for them?”

“They’re a thief. They stole from the heiress of the Verikov family and must be caught to be brought to justice.”

Justice? Yeah, okay. Wyndolyn knew how these guards doled out “justice.” What they inflicted wasn’t justice. It was suffering for the sake for a vain, pompous family that couldn’t stand to have even the smallest stain on their flawless image.

“Of course,” Wyndolyn said with a terribly forced grin. It came off more menacing than friendly thanks to her tusks. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

The guard nodded in acknowledgment, then ran back out of the alley and continued down the street with the other three guards. Wyndolyn let the false grin drop with an annoyed sigh as she opened the door back into the storage space. She came in and was surprised to see the tiefling nowhere in sight and not a speck of dust out of place. The room looked just as she left it, but there was only one way in and out.

“Alright little thief, I know you’re in here.”

Silence.

Wyndolyn sighed and began to move around the room and investigate the nooks and crannies between the Builders’ supplies. “The guards are gone. It’s just me. Could you come out so we could talk?”

Not a sound besides Wyndolyn’s own heavy footsteps.

Wyndolyn continued her search until eventually she lifted a tarp and found the tall, lanky thief curled up in a tight ball underneath it, shaking violently and hyperventilating. The tiefling’s eyes snapped up when the tarp was removed and met Wyndolyn’s grey ones. Wyndolyn immediately felt a bit of guilt at seeing how much distress the thief was in and took a step back. “Hey, hey, you’re okay,” she said, moving one of the barrels to give the tiefling more space to breathe. The new exposure seemed to make them shrink in even more on themselves. Wyndolyn took another step back and kneeled down on one knee. She lowered her head a bit and put her hands up in a sign of peace. “I’m not here to turn you in. You’re gonna be fine. Just take a deep breath.”

The thief’s wide eyes focused on Wyndolyn, and even though it didn’t seem like it, Wyndolyn could’ve sworn that they were trying to do as they were told. Their breaths were shallow, but it seemed like they were trying to slow their breathing down, even if it was incredibly ragged. Wyndolyn took a few slow breaths as well, trying to help by being a mirror.

After a few minutes, it seemed like the tiefling’s panic was beginning to subside. They still seemed to shake violently, but their breathing wasn’t nearly as rapid as before. “I’m Wyndolyn. What’s your name?”

“He… Helena…”

“Okay Helena, did you steal something to get in trouble with those guards?”

Helena timidly nodded once, then suddenly started to weep quietly. Wyndolyn sat there and watched while her hand fidgeted nervously. “Was it something big?” she asked.

Helena shook her head, tears still welling up in her teal eyes. “Jewels…” was all she managed to get out in a small voice. She wiped at the tears with the palms of her hands before they could start falling down her face. Her thin frame, her skittish presence, it was like Helena was a small, terrified child. She couldn’t have been younger than sixteen, but she didn’t seem anywhere near an adult right now.

“Well, why not return them? You could leave them somewhere and run away, right?”

“No!” Helena shouted so quickly she almost cut Wyndolyn off. She seemed angry and desperate, a resolve that Wyndolyn wasn’t expecting from someone so scared just a moment ago. “They’re mine now… They don’t deserve it…”

Wyndolyn sighed, then the two sat in silence for a moment. Wyndolyn couldn’t just leave this reckless idiot on their own. Anyone who was foolish enough to think they could steal from the Verikovs and get away with it needed some serious help. “Okay then, then what about leaving the city? The Verikovs aren’t going to rest until you’re caught.”

Helena’s eyes shot wide open again. After a long moment of hesitation, Helena managed to speak. “I… I’ve never been outside the city. I d-don’t even know where I’d go…”

Wyndolyn pitied this foolish rogue. She was lost and all alone, like a feral cat that was scared to be beaten. Maybe… maybe she could help. Escorting someone outside the city and pointing her in the direction of a nearby town shouldn’t take too long, right? She could be back at the guild hall by morning easily enough to get her next job from Firene… probably. Whatever Firene had in mind for Wyndolyn, it probably would involve smashing something or standing intimidatingly as Firene or someone else did the actual work. As long as she was back in time, that was all that mattered to the guild.

“I’ve traveled around a fair bit. How about I show you to the next town, help you get out of here and get started?” Wyndolyn offered out her hand to Helena. The tiefling saw the offer and looked at it in terror. She shrank back a bit, but Wyndolyn sat there patiently with a warm smile on her face. The idea of helping someone on her own terms, it just seemed like the right thing to do. Firene would understand.

Wyndolyn sat in place and waited to see what Helena would do next. After a minute of stillness, Helena seemed to slowly make her way out of her corner and reach out for Wyndolyn’s hand. Wyndolyn helped the tiefling stand up and realized they were just about the same height, though you’d never guess from Helena’s demeanor. She was thin and gangly, looking fairly hungry, but there was muscle on those bones. It was very lean and sinewy, but definitely there. Wyndolyn cracked open one of the crates at the edge of the room, pulled out some jerky, and offered it to Helena. “Hungry?”

Helena took it hesitantly with a shaky hand, and when Wyndolyn turned around to search through another crate, Helena devoured the beef in a matter of seconds. After having a taste, Helena’s eyes lingered on the crate full of jerky and she had to swallow the drool pooling in her mouth.

Wyndolyn opened another crate while Helena salivated and saw that it was full of the clothes and armor she was looking for. She motioned Helena over and told her, “pick whatever you like, then we can get going.”

Helena nodded softly and approached the box. Wyndolyn turned to give her a bit of privacy, and when Helena finished, she had decided on a dark blue cloak and some light, simple leather armor. “Ready?” Wyndolyn asked. Helena put up the hood of her cloak and asked, “could I have a bit more…?” Her eyes pointed towards the jerky crate. Wyndolyn nodded, filled a small bag full of jerky, and handed Helena one more piece. The jerky in Helena’s hands vanished before Wyndolyn opened the door leading outside the storage room and into the early night air.

[slimeknight899]

Chapter 4: Tour De Jubilife

“HAH! Who’s being fussy NOW? Who’s not having good ideas NOW?” In a strange display of childishness, Reno began rubbing the pokéball in Dawn’s face. This was the only win he’d managed to secure throughout the entire day and by god he was going to milk it as much as possible.

Even if he didn’t understand… well, anything, if he was being honest. But he was so willing to stoop down to a lower level if it meant rubbing his victory in the face of some random 15 year old girl he just met all of, like, 30ish minutes ago? He hadn’t been keeping track of time. Time meant nothing to him anymore at this point. He was just completely desensitized to the whole concept of it.

There was no true grasp of morning, day, and night to him. It was just: Breakfast. Work. Lunch. Work. Dinner. Work. Shower. Sleep. Repeat on infinitum. 

“I’d like to see YOU do that! HAH!”

“I did do that. I did that faster than you did. Both Cynthia and I did it faster than you did. You were the last person to catch your pokémon and I’m pretty sure you wasted the most amount of pokéballs too.” Dawn crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue at Reno. He may not have been her brother, but he was sure acting like him right now. It was comforting… in a weird kind of way.

“Ok you don’t have to take the wind out of my sails y’know.”

“I’m just sayin’... I’m just sayin’...” Dawn raised both her hands in the air now, in a type of “just making a point” style way. 

You know, maybe Reno could see some similarities between his older sister and Dawn right now, because his sister would do the same thing to him whenever he tried to show off any win or success he ever had. 

“Excellent job! Thank you! All three of you! Your skills in catching pokémon and your… er, overall determination is something to praise!” The sound of Laventon clapping his hands drew Reno and Dawn away from the spat they were just about to have with one another.

Dawn felt pretty good about the compliment. 

Reno, however, knew that the Professor's praise in regard to their catching skills was directed more toward Dawn and Cynthia, while the words regarding their determination were directed more toward him. Just what he needed right now to really round out the day: A healthy dose of self esteem damaging to really get him in the mood for the rest of the day.

If he wanted to question his own worth, skills, and intelligence, he would have kept his mouth shut with the final review and just stayed in his dorm to suffer in silence. Granted it wasn’t like he knew he was going to be whisked away from his home just because he didn’t want to study. But the hindsight was 20:20. 

Kind of? Getting carted off to another world had to be something that could fall under the “hindsight was 20:20” saying, right?

Man. He needed to get his priorities straight right now because with how often his brain was zipping around to different topics and moods regarding his situation he was starting to get sick. He made a mental note to try and find better stress coping mechanisms than just… pinballing his mind and demeanor around in a weird attempt to make himself comfortable with the cards he was dealt.

Because, newsflash, he wasn’t comfortable, nor did he want the cards he got.

“All of you did a much better job than I could have done, so, for that, I thank you again! I could sing your praises until the Miltank came home! But, I imagine all of you want somewhere to sit down and eat! If you’d be so kind as to hand my pokémon back to me, we can get a move on!”

~~~

“Sing your praises until the Miltank came home!” Reno found the saying to be weird. Mostly due to the fact he had no idea what a Miltank was. Using what little context clues he managed to scrounge up for himself he assumed that creature was supposed to be the equivalent of a cow in wherever he was? The three pokémon he’d encountered undoubtedly shared some visual similarities with animals he knew back home.

Actually, scratch that, only Rowlet shared visual similarities with an animal back home. Oshawott and Cyndaquil were far from resembling normal animals back where he was from.

He blew some air through his teeth, arms folded across his chest as he walked, his mind continuing to swirl with too many questions and too little answers. He didn’t know why he bothered trying to keep up with everything at this point, but a part of him refused to rein control over to the part of his brain that just wanted to go with the flow until more information was presented to him.

He’d never felt so helpless yet so in control at the same time right now. 

A sudden feeling of weight in one of his pockets was the only thing that took him out of his little mental fortress of solitude right now. 

Reno didn’t remember having anything in his pockets prior to all of this. Granted there was a lot on his mind at this very moment so maybe he did leave something in there. Wouldn't be the first time he just shoved something into his pockets with the intent of emptying them back at the dorm, only to swiftly forget the second he walked through the door.

Pulling out whatever was in there, to say he was expecting to see his phone would be a lie. He could have sworn he left it on his bed charging while he continued to work through the review packet. Best to let the device get fully charged and out of the way so as to not distract him.

He also could have sworn that he had a less gaudy case for it too.

Reno was always the simple type of man. All he needed to protect his phone was a bulky, black case should he ever accidentally drop it on the floor throughout the day –an act that, admittedly, happened way more than he would have liked–. 

Now his phone case was on the complete opposite side of that spectrum. It wasn’t bulky, nor did it look like it could protect itself from damage should it ever drop from a height above five feet. No, now it was a lot sleeker, adorned in white and decorated with green jewels and rings of gold. Three protrusions on the top and bottom of the case gave the impression of horns and a tail.

Not his first choice for something like this, if he was being honest, but a tap of the home button and the input of his password later revealed that, indeed, what he was holding in his hands was his phone.

His screensaver was vaguely still the same as it was before: A picture of his older sister and parents all smiling and wearing shades, a beach in the background. The only changes that came to it now was the updated appearance he had currently, and the fact his family's faces were so out of focus and blurry it was hard to tell who they even were.

“Hrm…” He murmured to himself, slipping the device back in his pocket, too mentally exhausted to deal with that can of worms right now.

Maybe later.

Reno trailed far behind Cynthia, Laventon, and Dawn, his pace considerably slower than everyone else. He wanted to call out to them and let them know they needed to slow down, but as Cynthia and Laventon were wrapped up in what he could only assume was deep conversation, he held his tongue and trudged along for now.

Dawn continued to match his pace all the while. If he slowed down, she slowed down. If he sped up, she sped up. If he paused for whatever reason to remove a rock from underneath his foot or smooth out some wrinkles on his shirt? She just stopped and stood there with him. 

“Don’t you have anything better to do right now?” Reno finally found himself asking the girl. Despite the words that had been spoken, he didn’t mean for his tone to come out rude in any shape or form. But constantly being watched and followed was beginning to stress him out, and he didn’t know any other way to impress upon her that he was uncomfortable other than building walls between her and him. 

At this point he decided to just double down and own the stress.

“Are you SURE you’re not my brother?”

“Ugh… Not this again.”

“You walk like him, you talk like him, you look like him, you sound like him, you act like him, you even have that doughy middle section right here!” Dawn pressed her fingers against the side of Reno’s stomach, earning a quick slap on the wrist from him.

“Hands! To! Yourself! No touchy touchy!” Reno made chopping motions with his hands, trying to defer Dawn from getting into his personal space again. The similarities between Dawn and his own sister were becoming more and more glaring by the second. She always liked to invade his bubble too.

Come to think of it… He started to wonder what she was doing right now too. It’d been a few years since the two of them actually stopped to talk to one another in length. But with her being busy with her new job and him being busy with school, finding time to reconnect had been hard.

The feeling of an icy cold hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and back into reality, “I need the two of you to behave right now… Until we have a place to unwind behind closed doors, I don’t want any more instances out of the two of you… ok?”

Reno saw a frighteningly ghastly look on Cynthia’s face from the corner of his eyes, and he could only assume that Dawn was making the same horrified expression as he was.

“Yes ma’am.” Reno and Dawn said in unison.

~~~

The rest of the walk from the beach to the village was without incident. Reno and Dawn had been promptly behaving themselves just like Cynthia had wished, and Laventon continued to serenade the three of them –though most of the attention was put on Reno– about the history of pokémon and the impact they’ve had on human settlements over the past handful of generations.

Reno couldn’t say he’d been paying attention in full. Though he considered himself too mentally drained to think about his current and new phone situation, he was still finding himself slowly defaulting back to that line of thinking.

The only interesting thing of note he picked up on was that, until the creation of pokéballs, pokémon as a whole hadn’t gotten a proper classification yet. In fact the term pokémon was an abbreviated way of saying “pocket monsters” , because some pokéballs were designed and sized with being slipped into one's pockets in mind.

Given the size and shape of the pokéballs they had been using it was clear this convenience wasn’t taken into account with their design.

“Thank you for your tireless work keeping us safe, my good guardsmen!" Laventon addressed the two guards at the village entrance with a warm smile, which contrasted greatly with the scowls, sneers, and glares the guards gave in return.

So much for service with a smile, huh?

"This young man and two young ladies have nowhere to go, so I hope you'll forgive me for bringing them into the village for a bit!"

One of the guards mumbled something under his breath, while the other just shook his head and stood off to the side, signaling that all four of them were allowed passage into the village. When they crossed through the gate the two guards resumed their defensive positions. 

As Reno walked past them, he couldn’t help but stare back. Their manner of dress was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Or, rather, anything he’d ever seen in person before. The red kimono-style clothing and the woven hats. He vaguely remembered seeing people dressed in similar forms of outfits in stuff like history books, video games, anime, you name it. 

He also could have sworn he saw this weasel/ferret-looking thing poke out from behind one of the guard's legs as well, watching them enter the village with much intrigue.

“This way, if you please! I’m sure the three of you are weary and looking for some rest!” 

Cynthia gently nudged Reno with her elbow, trying to avert his stares away from the guards and back to the path forward. “It’s rude to stare,” she mouthed to him, adjusting her pace so that the two of them were walking—more or less—side by side.

“Sorry.” Reno mouthed back. 

"Jubilife Village! It's come a long way, thanks to the fine people of the Galaxy Expedition Team! Fun fact! This road we're on now is known to the locals as Canala Avenue." Once the four of them got past the guards and into the village walls, Laventon began to, once again, serenade his new guests with any interesting tidbits of information he could scrounge up regarding their current whereabouts.

This was obviously another item he was passionate about, as he barely paused to breathe between his words. 

Reno didn’t get much of the hype, mostly because his brain had been jumping from completely processing everything that was going on like a normal human being to having absolutely no idea what was going on and internalizing all of his panic by screaming as loud as he could within the confines of his brain.

It was a miracle he hadn’t fully broken down and snapped at this point. 

He’d gotten close to it. 

Numerous times, in fact, but social norms had been beaten into his brain so many times the only thing he could continue to do was tough it out until he had a safe space to spill his feelings. The second he had access to a private space –preferably one that was soundproof– he was going to scream as loud as he could. 

The more stress he could get out of his system, the better.

Cynthia was, quite noticeably, having a blast. She looked like a kid in the candy store, with a sparkle in her eyes and a noticeable shift in her body language. Overall, she just seemed more excited. The sight of such rustic and homey buildings was definitely more impressive to her than to Reno.

Not that Reno couldn’t appreciate fine architecture when he saw it, mind you! He just didn’t see a lot of the hype in it. Mostly due to the constant back and forth with how he was handling everything right now. 

"The village was built scarcely two years ago... There's much to do yet and not many to do it. And since we know so little of the local pokémon, people hesitate to set foot outside the village. That, as you can imagine, makes my team and I’s work all the more difficult. Finding people willing to not only learn about pokémon but interact with them too is rare.” Laventon’s previous good mood slowly began to deflate. 

He quickly rebounded back to his old demeanor when he noticed the others had picked up on his mood drop, “Now, that impressive building up ahead of us is the Galaxy Hall—headquarters for this entire outfit!" The Professor stood slightly off-center from the main street, giving Reno, Cynthia, and Dawn a perfect view of the building he was talking about.

There was no doubt about it. The Galaxy Hall was the crown jewel of the village. It was the largest building in the entire settlement, hands down, evident by it being the only one with multiple floors. It boasted impressive decorations, too, which Cynthia and Dawn recognized as two Magikarp statues on both ends of the building and a pipe system resembling a Galarian Weezing embedded into the wall. Every few seconds, smoke would sputter out of the top of it, just like the real deal.

The one thing that was confusing, at least to Reno, was the symbol embedded in the center of the building, right above the door. The calligraphy was completely foreign to him, making the symbol look like a jumbled, yellow mess of different lines and shapes. He turned towards Cynthia, hoping to get some clarification, but as she looked to be in deep thought as she stared at the symbol, he decided to leave her be. 

Best not to interrupt her when she was thinking.

Dawn… he wasn’t sure how to talk to Dawn anymore, especially with Cynthia threatening them with some unknown punishment if they were to get into another argument together while they were out in public. 

“Some fun facts about this building, too! It was originally founded in…” Laventons words began to steadily drift off into faint echoes as Reno disassociated entirely. Some quiet time was becoming deathly needed right about now.

The copious amount of judgemental and confused stares that Reno noticed he, Dawn, and Cynthia were beginning to get from villagers while Laventon played tour guide only added to his snowballing stress. 

He hated being perceived. 

Sinking away into the deepest, darkest hole he could find sounded pretty good right about now.

“Why is he dressed like that?” He heard one of them say.

“Did Volo always have a sister?” A second person said, referring to Cynthia.

“Such odd clothes…” Said another, the focus back on him.

“Who is that little girl?” One more spoke out, their words fixated on Dawn.

“Were those the three that fell from the sky?”

“They look so odd…”

Reno frowned, grabbing the collar of his shirt and stretching it forward so he could look at it. He had been so focused on the changes to his face and body that thinking about the clothes he wore was put right on the back burner. 

At least one thing about him had remained the same: the outfit he had been wearing prior to his sudden warping to another world. A gray shirt with the letters “StMU” written in blue and yellow was engraved on the center. Following that was a simple pair of blue basketball shorts and the slides he wore around the dorm so as not to get the bottoms of his feet dirty.

Normal attire for a college student –normal if you ignored the sizable hole that the Rowlett made in his shirt–, but probably strangely foreign for people not in that age demographic. Well, maybe the term to use would be the time demographic. Era demographic? The nuances of being in a new environment still had yet to sit in, but he could tell a rustic, old-timey place when he saw it; and the streets of the village were definitely that.

However, he did find it frustrating –and equally embarrassing– that the villagers seemed to be chewing him out in particular. Here you had Cynthia wearing all black and Dawn wearing practically the same outfit as him –just in different colors–, yet he was the only one getting flack for it.

Working to occupy his mind with something else, Reno decided to join the conversation himself.

“Hey, uh, Professor?” Reno cleared his throat, trying to make his presence known to Laventon. 

“This tour has been great. Seriously. 10 out of 10. I would leave you five stars if I could. But, and not that I’m complaining or anything, is there any chance you could take us somewhere a little… uh… I dunno… nuanced? ” He put some extra emphasis on the word nuanced, hoping that his intent behind the emphasis would reach the Professor's ears. All Reno wanted right now was to find somewhere comfortable, enclosed, quiet, and away from prying eyes so he could start working on calming himself down for real this time. Being able to do that wouldn’t be possible when he had an entire community judging him for his choice of weekend wear.

“Oh! Of course! My apologies! Let’s make a stop at the Wallflower, our village's resident restaurant! It’s the perfect place to rest your legs! I imagine all of this walking got the three of you all worn out! Not to mention catching my pokémon for me, too!” Laventon clapped his hands together excitedly. His brisk, relaxed walking speed turned into a power walk before finally hitting what looked like a full-on sprint as he made his way down the village's main road, taking a hard left-right before reaching the Galaxy Hall. He waved to the three of them, prompting Cynthia and Dawn to sprint after him in kind.

Reno, a true contrarian, did not. Simply, he decided to stand in place for a few seconds, baffled by the burst of energy all three of them had presented. Then, he was even more baffled by the fact the three of them started waving at him once they all convened at the end of the road there. Were they expecting him to run all the way over there? 

Yeah. No. That wasn’t happening. 

Maybe those three had enough confidence in their systems to where feeling public shame just wasn’t a thing, but Reno had shame to spare. He practically oozed shame. If you looked up shame in the dictionary, a picture of him would be there; more specifically, a picture of him from his third-grade picture day.

Not to mention, of course, the glaring fact that Reno never considered himself the athletic type. Sure, he considered himself a fit and healthy individual –or as healthy and fit as a young man his age could be on a steady diet of coffee and melatonin gummies–, but he never had the energy to just spontaneously break out into a sprint. 

A crazed lunatic could be rushing at him with a knife, and he still wouldn’t muster up the gas to full sprint away. At that point, being slashed to death would be a favor.

Still, the other three were expecting his presence. So, bottling up as much of his shame as he could, he briskly powerwalked down the main street, his pace turning into a slight jog just so he could get there faster.

“Jolly good pace my dear boy! If the three of you want to grab a seat and wait for me here, I’ll need to report to the Captain that my three runaway pokémon were collected!”

“There’s no way you just made me run all the way over here just to tell me you have to leave.”

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

TW Emotional Abuse? Familial problems, general trauma, addiction, drugging, sa/hospitalization, very depressing

Hello I think I’m asking for advice mainly on how to escape my situation or even just support/resources. I currently live with my older sister who hasn’t ever really been close to me but instead has been more of a negative person in my life. I haven’t been able to stop crying rethinking the situation I’m in since it feels emotionally paralyzing.

My parents sort of forced her to take care of me at a young age so as a result she naturally hates me and is stuck with me as I am with her. After a long bout of traumas/fights etc from leaving our abusive household together we sort of were bonding since we understood each others pain and we kind of had to, our checks together were the only things stopping us from being homeless but still are which is why I’m really stressed out.

After we moved in together to our first apartment however my older brother had also been having issues at our parents so I let him come over whenever he felt like. He was doing meth and didn’t let me know but instead lied and said he was clean, eventually meth got into my system after he stayed for 2 days possibly when he let me try a cigarette for the first time or I’m not sure if he laced my weed but I ended up in the hospital for two weeks unaware of instead thinking I had finally broke my brain until I saw my hospital discharge papers. I was in psychosis for almost 2 years on and off going back into hospitals mainly because I became so suicidal I couldn’t take it anymore, I hardly remember the past 3 years of my life either because I didn’t create memories I loved or it was just so stressful my mind blocked it out.

What really halted my recovery was my sister letting my brother come back around after I came out of the hospital because she felt bad for him. She’d put up paintings he’d make while on meth on the kitchen wall and when I’d cry and ask her to take them down she’d basically make me feel guilty for feeling the way I did. This only made me worse and it’s taken 3 years for me to get back to a place mentally where I feel safe but the last time she let him over here was still a month ago, I just finally couldn’t take it anymore and told him to leave and not come back. She let him back in the next morning though but kicked him out when he inconvenienced her instead.

Earlier this year I tried going to a program called Job Corps because it was a free ticket out of the state but straight to a gov facility, at least they’d give me training for a trade certification and some needed skills, mainly a new environment. However my sister didn’t like the idea when I mentioned moving out or leaving for the year so now I’m just washing dishes for 14 an hour instead of studying like I wanted and need to. I try not to throw the term abuse around but it just feels emotionally damaging how i haveto live in her shadow all the time.

I’m scared of moving out not because of having to support myself but her being left with a financial mess, she also had told me that leaving would make things harder for her and just be “running away”. I’m in my early 20s and she’s 10 years older yet my job is what’s keeping us from being homeless I mention it just cause it’s weird she went to vacation a few days ago even though we’re broke and I give her most of my money when I get l paid, and even then she’ll get mad if I buy something she thinks I shouldn’t have.

I just constantly feel alone like I’ve never heard of someone being in this sort of situation so I’ve never heard of anyone being able to leave it behind either, I guess I’m mainly asking for hope after letting this all out I don’t really have any left but I’m trying, I appreciate it.

Hi anon,

I'm so sorry about what you've been through. Please know that you're not alone in experiencing this, and I have answered a few other asks from people in similar situations as well.

It's important to remember that while your sister may have some resentment over having to take care of you growing up, that doesn't explain or justify becoming abusive to you. It sounds like you have a complicated dynamic between your siblings. It seems that your sister feels pity for your brother and doesn't understand why he makes you uncomfortable, especially considering your hospital visit and suicidal thoughts.

It's not up to your sister to determine where you will work - you are your own self. It sounds like she is emotionally abusive and doesn't respect your autonomy, especially if it means moving out. It also sounds like she may be financially abusive as well considering that you give her most of your money when you get paid, and controls how you spend your money. Part of why your sister may be discouraging you from leaving is because it would mean that she can no longer take advantage of you.

Leaving this kind of situation is not simple or easy, but there are a few suggestions. While this resource is in reference to domestic violence cases, these tips on leaving an abusive situation can still apply. Here is a masterlist of international crisis lines you can contact, which may be able to help you get in touch with someone who can assist you in this process.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions, feel free to add on. Otherwise, I hope I could help, and please let us know if you need anything.

-Bun

[owlixx]

Operation Terminus

So…I’ve canceled my plan to play/replay the first nine Assassin’s Creed games following my current playthrough of Valhalla. Instead, I’ll be cleaning up my “backlog”. Given the nature of what I do and how I play games, that’s less about which games I “own” and more about which games I’ve already sunk some time into.

Games I’m close to finishing:

* Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Xbox

Yeah this is the one I’m currently doing so definitely going to finish here before moving on, but I maybe do some small sonic game runs before digging into this operation proper.

* Phoenix Wright 1 3DS

I’m sooooo close, I’m like halfway through the final case, the DS exclusive one.

* Midnight Suns Xbox

Okay admittedly I’m only like…just past the start of Act 2 but this one is a priority before all the information completely leaves my brain. Plus the DLC is all out now and I own it!

* Wind Waker Wii U

I’m literally over halfway done with the triforce hunt so this is super close but I lost about an hour of progress last time I played over a year ago and haven’t touched it since. Shouldn’t be more than a couple days of playing left.

* Sonic Unleashed Xbox

Stuck on empire city, I just need to get some more medals to progress. Using a guide should help.

Games I’m near or around half done:

* Skyward Sword Wii U

In Lanayru Desert for the first time, not yet to the dungeon. So 1/4 - 1/3 done with the game? The motion controls kill me but standing up might help

* Metroid Prime 1 Wii U

Similar to wind waker, lost a good chunk of progress last time I played to space pirates. I don’t think you can turn down the difficulty after starting a playthrough but I should if I can.

* Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze Wii U

Stuck on boss of world…3? I do really enjoy this game when it works well

* Wario Land 3 Switch

I think I’m around half? Game is just big and other stuff came up

* Hot Shots Tennis Get A Grip PS Vita

Actually no idea how long this game is but it’s awesome

* Ratchet and Clank 2 PS3

I think I’m around half? Just got new ps3 controllers

* Bulletstorm PS3

I think I just started act 4 of 7, enjoying it so far

* War For Cybertron (dad?)

Okay admittedly I’m like less than half done with the first of two campaigns but I think I’ll be trying this coop soon online with my dad

* Fire Emblem Awakening 3DS

I think I’m on chapter 8 of 25

* Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes Switch

I can’t remember how far I got actually but I feel like I poured a good amount of time in already

* Xenoblade Chronicles Wii

Maybe 1/3 done with game?

* Professor Layton 1 DS

Maybe 2/3 done? I tried to omit games I’ve already beaten from this list unless I’m super close to beating them again and it’s been a while

* Mario Kart 7 3DS

I just kind of plink away at unlocking all the courses now and then but this shouldn’t take long with any effort applied

* Monster Tale DS

Again no clue how long this one is but I feel like I’m a good chunk into it, maybe 1/4

* Deadpool PS3

I think I’m on chapter 4 of 8

Games I Can Skip The Intro On:

* Mega Man Battle Network DS

I’m past the first main boss but not yet to the second. Playing a fan Tran of the Ds remake

* Mega Man Battle Network 2 GBA

I think same as above

* Death Stranding PC

Honestly this is a huge game and I’m only maybe 6 hours in

* Disco Elysium PC

Maybe 15 hours in?

* Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3

Barely past tutorial

* Bayonetta Wii U

Literally just past tutorial

* Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga Remake 3DS

Out of tutorial and past first main boss

* Final Fantasy Tactics Advance GBA

Decent clip into this one, maybe 15 hours, but it’s a huge game

* Puzzle and Dragon Z 3DS

Still in the tutorial in the main game, on world 3 or 4 of the Mario version

* Pilotwings Resort 3DS

I mean, it’s such a short game that the couple hours I’ve played is like half of it

* Dragon Age Origins Xbox

Maybe ten hours in? Big game though

* Final Fantasy VI GBA

Only 2-3 hours in and a huge game

* Twilight Princess Wii U

Just past the tutorial if that

* Crisis Core PS Vita

Think I’m still in the first real mission after the tutorial

* Locoroco PS Vita

Towards the end of world 2

* Patapon 2 PS Vita

Okay not actually far in but I’m considering the five or so hours I spent in Patapon 1 to be a kind of sunken cost tutorial

* Dead Space Extraction Wii U

I think…3 missions in? Out of 10?

* Sonic Colors Wii U

On world…3? Out of 7? Played before and replaying taking turns with partner

* Uncharted Golden Abyss PS Vita

Okay just past tutorial admittedly

* Wipeout 2048 PS Vita

Like Mario kart, i plonk away at this here and there

* Luigi’s Mansion 2 3DS

First of five mansions down

* Retro Game Challenge DS

I wanna say I’m on the third or fourth game of 8

* Grand Theft Auto 4 PS3

Maybe 2-3 hours in

* ICO PS3

1-2 hours in

* Demon Souls PS3

Okay barely even got past making a character, just got to the hun world at all

* Pokémon Sun 3DS

Okay this one I’m actually more like half done with I think, maybe closer to 1/3 but it’s been a while.

* Elebits Wii

Maybe 3 or 4 of the 25 levels done

[scrumptious-finicky-illusion]

This has been going through my mind a lot lately. It's such a devastating reply to wield against assholes, bad-faith arguers, and the fucking fun police (aka puritanical busybodies, terves, and fascists).

I got fired from my new(ish) job 10 days ago. I loved the little group I worked with and a lot of other employees outside of the group. But I was a bad fit for the way the company wanted things done. I wasn't methodical enough, organized enough, or fast enough. I got written up for the things I did to address the problems they wrote me up for in the first place, and I didn't even think to push back on anything they said, even though I was literally using their methods to try and "improve." My last week there, my supervisor pretty much acted like I didn't exist. Which made me think that maybe, just maybe all the maximum effort I was putting in was finally paying off. Boy, did I feel extra dumb walking out of the office on Friday. Getting the silent treatment now makes me think they made the decision to let me go even before my probation period was up. I was am devastated.

Even though the job (technically the employees) gave me some weird this feels wrong vibes from my first week. At least it was better than my last job, which was pretty abusive from the get go, that I just kept tolerating and working around, for many years.

Cue me using all of last week to not get out of bed but also to go through all 5 stages of grief in random order (with the support of my partner). Financially we're okay. Mentally I've had my entire (tiny) stock of confidence in myself pulled out from under me, and my depression, which was slowly starting to lessen with me having a job, hit some new lows. Do you know how shameful it feels to talk to people who ask me about my job that I got fired? I don't either. I've just avoided talking to anyone who isn't either my bestie or living in my house (a whole two people).

But that picture up there, that particular quote, from a website I used to enjoy that got hijacked by a real life Justin Hammer, those words, now try saying something true and beautiful kept rattling around in my head.

I've been avoiding food. Feeling shaky because of low blood sugar feels better than feeling like I was so wrong blind about how things were going at my job.

My partner was away at a convention all weekend, so I got to be alone with myself in a way I don't often get to. No agenda, no plans, no putting everyone else first to allow me to neglect myself, just doing what I wanted when I wanted. It was great, because my life was finally quiet enough for me to hear what I wanted to do (or not do).

I left all my work crap in my car for most of the week. I brought my office plant into the house and saw it had a post it note stuck in the dirt. It had a phone number I thought I'd forgotten to get.

I cried.

I went to the grocery store to get one thing that my brain allowed me to eat (an ethnic cookie). I also bought a bunch other stuff, anything my brain even perked up a little bit at the thought of. I was debating fast food options while at the market, and once I was out, I decided not to think about it anymore and just go get the Loki Season 2 meal from the drive through. It's been so long since I just-- ordered a combo, the cashier had to ask me if I wanted a Coke. Yep. Large? Yep. So I got my two packets of Loki-show branded sweet and sour sauce.

<Kronk voice>And I drank most of that there Coca Cola fountain drink at 3pm in the afternoon. The one with the real sugar in it. The kind of soda I don't normally drink. You know, one that had more caffeine in that serving than I'd had over the entire month before. The quantities of caffeine I usually avoid.

The Large®.

</Kronk voice>

And then came the ideas. There were plot bunnies that I didn't just sit around and dream about. There was writing. There was some rewriting. There was more writing. I was up until 3 or so. Lay in bed until about 8:30 am continuing to work (but on my phone) Came out and put it on my laptop, kept going all day yesterday until 2am, and started again today until I felt about 80 percent done with the barf-it-all-out-on-the-page kind of writing and 20 percent done with the snap-all-the-pieces-onto-the-timeline-slash-grid editing.

I noticed that my writing is both architectural and garden-like at the same time. Like an espaliered apple tree.

(I think that's an apple tree.) You can make trees do tricks like this, and they'll produce hella more fruit in way less space, but only if you train it on a grid or wires or a lattice from a very young age. Every year the tree branches get a little bigger and a little longer, and you bend them carefully until they go the way you have planned. It's fussy. It takes time and regular attention (exactly the way my brain doesn't work).

But I can throw a few sentences on a page, keep going, look up at what came before and see that it needs a few words added in here and there, keep going, look up again and add a few more words in other places, again and again, etcetera, ad nauseum. Start at the top and do it all again. It's cool to see my sentences grow like that.

Should I say that acquiring The Loki Sauce cured my writer's block? It would be irresponsible to. But I think I will anyway.

If you are reading this, all the way down here at the end of the post, bless you. Thanks for reading.

[fangirl-of-the-end]

I’m a doctor

[xutokawa]

aahh the s/o finding scratch marks is fulfilling my angst needs 😭🤚🏽 could u maybe do one with bokuto & suna 🥺 i love your writing so much!! xx

pairings: suna x reader, bokuto x reader

genre(s): fluff to angst, cheating

warnings: langauge, cheating

wc: 2.3k

» masterlist

a/n: thank you for your support! I tried adding more plot to it this time hehe. breaking bokuto’s heart broke mine bro :( hope you like it! also TYSM GUYS FOR 200 FOLLOWERS FDJSKF i love every single one of yu :D <3 mwah mwah mwah

atsumu and oikawa ver.

osamu and iwazumi ver.

kuroo and sakusa ver.

akaashi and hinata ver.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Suna

“Rin, hand me the soy sauce,” you asked, not looking up from the dish you were stir frying.

“Get it yourself,” Suna teased back. Rolling your eyes, you stuck out your hand. Laughing, Suna came up behind you, placing the bottle of soy sauce in your hands before wrapping his arms around your waist. His hands snuck under your shirt, laying on your bare stomach. You leaned back into his chest, sighing contently. The two of you rarely had time together anymore. While you were burying yourself in your work in hopes for a promotion, Suna was busy with practices that extended throughout the whole day. Both of you were exhausted by the time you came home to your apartment together, unable to muster the energy to do anything except fall asleep in each other’s arms.

“Mmm, you smell good,” Suna said, taking a deep breath into your neck.

“I think that’s the fried rice you’re smelling,” you joked back. Butterflies stormed your stomach as Suna’s hands gently massaged your sides. Even after living with the middle blocker for three years, he never failed to make you feel like a crushing high school student. Suddenly, Suna’s gentle hands grew antsy, teasingly tickling your sides. Jumping, you tell him, “Rin, stop! I’m going to spill something!”

“I think I’ll keep going,” Suna teased back, his hands continuing to tickle you. With one poke to your side, your entire body jerked, causing the soy sauce in your hand to fling into the air, and onto Suna’s shirt.

“Y/n! I really liked this shirt!” Suna whined. 

“That’s your fault, baby. I told you to stop,” you shrugged, laughing at his expression.

“Whatever, I’m going to go change,” Suna pouted, turning away.

As you finished cooking, you went into your shared bedroom to tell Suna dinner was ready. You were stopped in your tracks, however, when you saw his changing form. Back to you, long scratch marks ran down the length of his back. Scratches that were not put there by you. 

“R-rin, what is this?” You asked, voice beginning to waver.

Suna spun around, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.

“Y/n! Why didn’t you knock?” Suna nervously asked, rushing to push his t-shirt over his head, “It’s nothing, babe, just uh, got in a fight!”

“Are you sure it was a fight? Or was it a late night in someone else's bed?” You asked accusingly, brows furrowing. Would your Suna cheat on you? You had felt pretty secure about your relationship before now, never having a reason to doubt your trust in your boyfriend. Yet, you couldn’t find it in yourself to make excuses for the lines raked down his back. 

Pain and guilt flashed across Suna’s eyes, and that’s when you knew. You were wrong to believe you gave him everything he needed in a relationship.

“Look, y/n, we can figure this out, just let me-” Suna began.

“Please, stop,” you choked out, eyes welling up with tears. The middle blocker felt his heart shatter watching you back away from him as if he were a plague. 

“No, you don’t understand! I can’t lose you like this,” Suna said, walking towards you, wanting nothing more than to pull you in his arms and wipe your tears away. He stopped in his tracks, however, when you flinched away from his touch, hatred flickering in your eyes. At that moment, Suna felt like the scum of the earth.

“Please, get away from me. Get out of this room, get out of this apartment! I don’t need your excuses,” You said, voice raising. When you finally looked up to meet Suna’s eyes, you found nothing but despair and regret. 

“No! I won’t leave you, y/n! You don’t understand how much I need-” Suna started.

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Rintarou,” you scoffed. The pain in Suna’s chest grew at the use of his full name.

“I-it’s Rin. You always call me Rin. Please, call me Rin,” Suna pleaded, voice beginning to shake, “Stop distancing yourself from me. I’m your Rin. Please, don’t leave. I’m so sorry, let me make it up to you!”

“You’re a pathetic piece of shit, Rintarou! Cheating on me and then begging for me to stay and forgive you? Tell me, what was your plan? Did you just want a quick fuck one night? Or did you plan to keep cheating on me for the rest of our relationship?” You angrily walked towards him. Suna watched as the love you once held in your eyes for him turned into agony. He felt himself crumple knowing he was the sole cause of your anger and hurt.

“No! It was a mistake! Please, let me make it up to you,” Suna reached for your hands, desperate to have you with him.

“The only mistake that was made here was me trusting you,” You said, spinning around as you headed for the door. Suna physically flinched at your words, hurt and shame flooding his body. Panic filled his mind at the sound of your keys jingling and the sound of you putting on your shoes.

“Wait! Y/n, where are you going? Please don’t leave, it’s not safe for you to go out right now. Just stay and let us talk about it,” Suna pleaded, walking up behind you.

“I’d rather be anywhere but here with you right now,” you coldly replied, reaching out for the door handle. Suna rushed to stop you from turning the knob.

“Please, y/n, I can’t handle you leaving me,” Suna whispered.

“Just leave it, Suna. No amount of begging or love can fix my trust for you,” you replied, back towards his sobbing figure. Suna finally fell to his knees in defeat as you walked out of the apartment, knowing he lost you forever.

༻﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡༺

Bokuto

“Ugh, I’m so ready to just relax,” you sighed out, dramatically splaying your arms across the center console in your fiancé’s car. A tingle ran up your spine at the sound of Bokuto chuckling from beside you, not taking his eyes off the road. You could never get used to his laugh, no matter how many times you’ve heard it.

“I know, baby. You deserve it,” Bokuto replied, taking one hand off the steering wheel to place on your thigh, giving a light squeeze. The two of you had been insanely busy the month leading up to this trip. From your boss’ unrelenting demands at work to your family’s constant nagging and opinions on your wedding decorations, the two of you just needed to catch a break. So, when Bokuto brought up the idea of a weekend beach trip, you immediately agreed, jumping up and down in excitement.

The beaming sun immediately warmed your skin as you stepped out of the car. Warmth spread through your body as you glanced back at Bokuto as he started pulling out your stuff from the trunk, looking up to flash you his smile you had fallen in love with ages ago. 

“You go on ahead and find a spot for us, I’ll follow in a second,” Bokuto called out to you. Giving a thumbs up, you started towards the gleaming ocean, excitement filling your body as you felt the sand beneath your feet. Finally, choosing a spot, you unfolded your beach chair, spreading your towel across the top. A smile settled on your face as you laid down, sunglasses shielding your eyes from the harsh rays. Your eyes drifted closed, the sounds of waves crashing and children giggling putting you in a serene state.

Bokuto chuckled at your appearance before setting up his own beach chair next to you, situating a beach umbrella between the two chairs. He felt his heart speed up as he gazed at your relaxing figure, wanting nothing more than to cover your face in kisses. The spiker felt so much love for you, so he felt nothing but confusion as to how he woke up in another person’s bed two nights ago, naked. His adoration for you was replaced with guilt. Bokuto still hadn’t figured out how to approach the situation, how to tell you without you breaking off the engagement. He wanted nothing more than to watch you walk down the aisle in a few months, than to have children running around the two of you as you prepared dinner, than to grow old with you by his side. Bokuto was still unsure of what happened that night to cause him to slip out of a random person’s apartment in his clothes from the previous night.

The spiker was shook from his thoughts at the sound of your voice. 

“Are you going into the water?” you asked, looking up at him.

“Yeah, I think I will just to cool off,” Bokuto replied, pulling his shirt over his head.

“Okay, I’ll join you in a bit, I just want to lay for a little longer,” you replied to him, closing your eyes again.

“Okay, baby. Take your time,” Bokuto said, placing a kiss on your forehead before starting towards the water. You giggled as you watched your fiancé run towards the ocean. Your laughter quickly died, however, once you saw his back.

Your eyes widen with a mixture of shock and confusion, racking your brain for an explanation for the long, red strips that lined your fiance's back, but, no matter how hard you thought, nothing came up. The past month had been too hectic for the two of you to ever get close to intimate. Tears began pricking your eyes as the realization that Bokuto had cheated on you settled in your mind. 

Does he know he has scratch marks on his back? Is this his subtle way of telling me he wants to end this? That I wasn’t enough for him?

As soon as Bokuto hit the ocean, the salty water stung his back. His initial confusion as to where the pain came from was quickly replaced with realization. He shot up at the water, turning to watch you get up from your seat. 

Maybe they didn’t see, he hoped. His hopes, however, were quickly crushed as his heart dropped to his feet. You began to gather your things, rummaging through Bokuto’s belongings until you found the keys to his car.

Panicking, Bokuto ran out of the ocean as fast as he could, cursing at the water for resisting his movements. He watched helplessly as you began walking back towards the parking lot. You saw. You saw the scratch marks, and now you were leaving Bokuto. The spiker’s worst nightmares were turning into a reality right in front of his eyes.

The dull shouting of your name from down the beach sounded in your ears. You ignored Bokuto’s incessant calls for you, the ache in your heart overpowering every emotion you were feeling. 

Bokuto ran through the sand as fast as he could, hoping to catch up to you before you left his life forever. His lungs and legs were screaming, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain of you leaving. Panic rose in his eyes as he watched you get into the driver's seat, starting the engine to his car. 

Wiping the tears from your eyes, you took a shaky breath, a weak attempt to try and calm your heart. You looked down at your engagement ring, memories of that night flashing through your mind, forcing another sob to rack your body knowing that your memories now meant nothing. Banging on the car window startled you as you looked up to find a panicked Bokuto. His frantic words were muffled as you watched him desperately attempt to stop you from leaving. 

“Please, y/n, roll down the window. Let me explain, please,” Bokuto blabbered, “Y/n, please don’t leave me, you have to let me explain. I love you! I want to marry you, and you only!”

Anger surged through your body as you scoffed at his words. Rage blinded your thoughts at the mention of your impending marriage. How dare he tell you he wants to get married after cheating on you? Your brain didn’t have time to process your movements as you pulled your ring off your left hand. You watched as a glimmer of hope flickered in Bokuto’s eyes as you began to roll down the window, only to have his eyes widen in pain and shock as you handed him your engagement ring.

“You’re really a piece of shit, Bokuto. You know that?” Tears began welling up in the spiker’s eyes as he stared at the piece of metal that laid in his hands. 

“No, y/n, please. Give me your hand, please,” Bokuto frantically pleaded, reaching for your hand. The ring in his hand belonged nowhere else except your ring finger. 

“Just stop, Bokuto, you’ve already ruined everything,” you scoffed out. As his eyes met yours, he was met with a whirlwind of hurt, shame, and pity. That’s when he realized. To you, he was pathetic. The love and adoration that made your eyes shine brighter than the sun was now replaced with hatred and pain, making them burn greater than the depths of hell.

Bokuto’s heart shattered into pieces knowing you would never love him the same, knowing he broke your trust. 

“I-,” Bokuto paused, unsure of what else he could say to get you back.

“I’m sorry, y/n” the man in front of you choked out. Bokuto felt helpless as he watched you roll up your window and drive away from him, leaving him in shattered pieces.

That night, when Bokuto finally returned to his shared apartment, the reality of the situation hit him. The empty aura filling the space that he used to share with you was all it took for Bokuto to fall onto his knees, becoming a shell of his former self. You were gone.

[beautifulblooms]

Fighting Together to the End - Eddie Munson x Male!Reader - Part 5

Male! Reader, still just a rewrite of season 4 to help me cope with the pain of Volume 2, this is pretty much fluff and banter, enjoy lmao

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

CIS Women and Female Aligned people, please DNI, this story and all of my others are for non-binary, masculine aligned and male readers!

After a few minutes of recovery time Nancy explained how she had guns hidden in her house. It would be a long walk there but it was worth it to get any supplies. After about an hour we had made it to the Wheeler’s house, but it surely wasn’t the same. Gross vines connected to the hive mind of Vecna we’re covering everything, the door, walls, the floor and even the stairs. And somehow even more strange when we got up to Nancy’s room, things that were supposed to be there were missing. Like the whole reason we came here, the guns that were supposedly in her closet were no longer there.

“Are you sure they were there Wheeler?” Eddie chirps at her, slightly annoyed we all had wasted time walking here.

“Yes, there’s a 6-year-old in the house I know where I keep my guns.” She was pissed but tried to keep it together and search through the rest of her closet.

“Hey, Nance?” I had started to look around her room to see if I could find anything, and came across a diary.

“What?” Turning around she looked at me while I held her diary, well old diary in my hands.

“The last entry in here is from November 6, three years ago. Did you just stop writing or something?” I looked back over at her with a confused look on my face.

“What? No, I've been writing every day, the last entry should be from a few days ago.” Everyone started to walk closer to me and Nancy grabbed the diary. “It really is only this one. What happened November 6th, 1983?”

We all sat in a moment of confusion and thought trying to remember what would’ve been happening around that time

“My first time smoking with Eddie?” I shrugged my shoulders just throwing ideas out there.

“No, I don’t think it would be that babe.” The man in question looked at me with a dopey smile.

“Wait, isn’t that when Will went missing?” Steve finally started to piece his internal timeline together.

“Yes! That’s the day he disappeared, so when Will disappeared things stopped updating and changing down here.” Putting the old diary down Nancy turned to look at Steve while she talked.

“So we’re stuck in Hawkins circa November 6th 1983?” Robin asked, trying to get clarification.

“Yes, which means we need to find different weapons because I didn’t get my guns until after the Demogorgon. Shit.” Nancy now seemed pissed that we really had gotten all the way here for nothing.

Trying to find other things to defend ourselves we wandered back downstairs and around the main floor of the Wheeler house. The kitchen still has knives and some other stuff but we were all hoping for a little more firepower. Then all of a sudden Steve started screaming for Dustin of all people.

“Henderson?!? Henderson, where are you buddy?!” Collectively we all looked at him like he was insane.

“Steve, why are you yelling Dustin’s name?” I asked after he screamed another couple times.

“I heard him! He’s somewhere here, in the walls maybe. Dustin!! C’mon Henderson talk to me!”

To be completely honest I had lost hope in his sanity, maybe the demon bats had some venom that was destroying his brain. Then I saw it, the light fixture in the kitchen was glowing. Not like it was turned on but like there were particles of light surrounding it.

“Hey, everyone not going crazy, can you come over here?” And soon enough everyone, even Steve, had wandered over towards me in the Kitchen. “I’m not tripping right? You guys see this too?”

“Yeah, we see it, and I’m pretty sure I’m sober.” Even in the worst place Eddie still managed to crack jokes. I smiled gently at him before noticing Robin try to investigate the lights more. She had reached her hand into the particles and giggled.

“It kinda tickles, heh.” We all began reaching our hands into the light to see how it felt. Without realizing it at first we soon heard talking from somewhere around us.

“Wait, that’s Dustin, Steve I don’t think you’re going crazy anymore.” Robin spoke up while pulling her hand back.

“Go to Nancy’s room!”

The only thing we could assume was that Dustin was trying to find a way to communicate with us. So without knowing what else to do we wandered back upstairs again and stood around until we saw something light up on Nancy’s bed. It was a litebrite, where the fuck did they find one of those so quick.

“We’re pulling the plug! Standby!”

There was now just a cloud of the fuzzy light particles floating where the litebrite had been. Touching it Nancy began to write out a message, well I don’t know if the word “hi” counts as a message but she wrote it in the cloud. We heard cheering from the other side.

“Why can’t you get back?”

Well shit how do we explain that the portal is being protected by a swarm of bat things that nearly killed Steve. Quickly thinking something Nancy wrote out the word “guarded”, which confused everyone on the other side.

“There’s a gate at every murder site!”

“What does he mean?” Steve was really confused now.

“I don’t know, the kid’s insane.” Eddie mentioned and we all kinda agreed silently. Not knowing what to say back Nancy put a question mark.

“How many times do I have to be right on the money and you guys don’t listen to me?!”

Dustin’s attitude was something nothing of us needed to hear.

“That kid really needs to get his ego in check.” Steve muttered

“It’s his tone right?” Next to me Eddie looked over at Steve and they nodded in agreement.

“You need to get to a portal where someone was killed by Vecna!”

“Wait, if there’s a portal where everyone was killed, that means there’s one back home, back at Eddie’s trailer.” I pieced together what I could with the little understanding I had of this whole situation. Nancy spelled out “Trailer” to the other group and now we just needed a way to get there.

“Don’t the younger ones have bikes everywhere?” I glanced over at Nancy to see her reaction.

“Garage, there’s enough for us, well, someone will need to double up.” She looked over at me to see what I was thinking.

“Well me and this handsome man here and ride together, can’t we babe?” Eddie’s words made me look at him and smile, giving him confirmation.

We made it to the garage and picked a bike each, well, Eddie picked a bike and I hopped on the bar sticking out of the back wheel while holding onto his shoulders.

“Ride as fast as you can rockstar, I wanna get home soon.” Leaning over his side I gave his cheek a peck before leaning back up.

“I better get a reward when we’re done with this.” Smiling at him I leaned back over.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be the best reward you’ve ever gotten, big boy.”

[miraculouscontent]

so... could you write some more adrien/chat salt? your fics and posts salting on him are always so good 🥺

Thank you! And of course~

—————

Ladybug had considered what to say multiple times over the day she'd had to think about it. She'd thought about all the different ways she could've said it, and what would've been the most effective when who she was talking to was taken into account.

However, sitting there on the rooftops with Chat Noir, there was a point where she just had to say it, no matter how it came out.

"Give me your miraculous."

Chat jerked his head over to her, jarred from the silence and eyes wide as his brain seemed to process the statement. Ladybug, meanwhile, stared ahead at the night sky, as if she hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.

After a few more seconds, she got a reply in the form of laughter, Chat buckling over with a hand on his stomach. "That's quite the Hawk Moth impression, Bugaboo!" he exclaimed, though calming himself enough to give her a half-lidded gaze and add, "But you don't have to do that to impress me, you know."

She didn't reply, only turning to look at him with her expression entirely flat, not showing any reaction to the mixture of teasing and flirting.

He was still grinning for a while, but as the silence dragged on, he began to falter. "...Ah—" He shook his head, leaning towards her and trying to force a smirk. "—if you want a wish that badly, all you need to do is say the word, m'lady! I can grant all your wishes."

She remained stoic, maintaining eye contact with him but not encouraging his banter. She could practically hear the gears turning in his head as it became clear to him that she was very much not joking.

One of Chat's ears twitched in confusion. He leaned back to his normal distance from her, seeming at a loss for what to say now that the atmosphere was finally registering with him.

Ladybug took a breath, noting that she had his attention. She straightened and looked back over Paris, saying, "I can't do this anymore."

He followed her gaze, squinting as if the answer would be written out there in bold letters for him. "Being a hero?"

"No, us. Us being partners." While he gaped at her, she stared down at her lap, her hands clutching her thighs as if that would give her some sense of stability. "...Chat, do you think this is a game?"

Chat shifted and rubbed the back of his neck, clearly not having expected the conversation to go here. It was hard to tell whether he was trying to keep things light or if it was just his genuine reply when he responded, "W-well, I'm definitely in it to win if that's what you mean—"

"I talked to Xavier Ramier today."

She watched his expression carefully, his hand leaving his neck and hovering awkwardly in the air as he looked at her. He seemed puzzled, not knowing what this had to do with the conversation, though his brows rose briefly like he'd remembered something.

She continued, trying not to show too much in her reaction as she explained, "Since I'm not as busy right now, I thought I'd check in on some of the people who got akumatized but I didn't have time for earlier. He was one of them." Idly, she pulled out her yoyo, almost mindlessly tapping away at it as she navigated through the various menus. "He said you came by to check on him a while ago; said that you were sitting there, just enjoying the day with him. He told me that you asked him if he missed being Mister Pigeon, or if he was feeling any negative emotions."

"I—" Chat tried to interject.

She didn't hear him, too focused on telling the story. "Then I asked him when you showed up, and he didn't know exactly when, but..." She showed him her yoyo, the messages Chat had sent clearly being timestamped for reference. "I figured out from what his rough guess and asking around that it was when you were supposed to be on patrol."

"I was on patrol!" Chat protested. "I was just checking up on him."

"You were relaxing on a bench," Ladybug reminded him., her tone remaining consistently flat. Snapping her yoyo shut and returning it to her hip, she added, "I even asked around and people told me they saw you go into the Grand Paris Hotel. I heard from one of the butlers there that you were sulking, and got excited when you saw Chloe and Sabrina fighting."

He opened his mouth to explain himself, but she could tell that he was struggling to come up with an excuse; he honestly believed that she'd never find out about any of this.

"I trusted you, Chat. I trusted you to cover for me when I'm not there, no matter what." She needed to swallow back her emotions for that one. "Why would you do that? Why would you hope for akuma to happen? Why would you lie to me?"

"I didn't!" Chat insisted, waving his arms frantically. "I—see... it was an off day! I was just—you know I can always do my best around you, and I did patrol! I just... made a few stops along the way! I wouldn't lie to you!"

"So you don't lie to me," she stated cautiously, "and you've never lied against me."

"Of course not!" he assured.

She paused for effect, just long enough for him to grow uneasy, then said, "Theo Barbot waved me down a while back."

Chat visibly cringed, and she could hear a hissing sound as he sucked in a breath.

"He wanted to congratulate me. He saw the picture of us kissing on the Ladyblog and said that he was glad we could finally go public about our relationship." Her gaze sharpened even as she stared at nothing in particular. "I asked what he meant, and he told me that you said that we were a thing. He said that that's what got him akumatized."

"It wasn't..." He averted his gaze. "...a lie exactly."

In response, Ladybug stood, throwing her arms outwards as emotion began to seep into her voice. "This is about more than lies, Chat; it's about everything! If you can only do your best around me, then what happens if an akuma gets me?" She didn't need him to answer. "You'll lose it. I need someone who I know will take care of things even if I'm captured."

"I would!" Chat retorted he stood up, the nervousness now showing on his face. "I would do everything to get you back, I—"

"Party Crasher," she cut in without missing a beat.

He recoiled like she'd physically struck him.

"And it's not just that I can't rely on you if I'm taken out; I can't rely on you not to take yourself out," she said pointedly, turning away from him and taking a few steps away to distance herself. "You're always throwing yourself in front of me and sacrificing yourself, sometimes when you don't even have to and always without just talking to me about it! Do you have any idea how that feels? You tell me all the time that you'll listen to me and how I'm the planner here, and then you go and make plans without me."

She heard Chat's hurried footsteps from behind her as he tried to match her pace and argue, "It's not like that! It's just—it's because..."

She turned just as he reached her, her stern gaze making him stop. "Because my anger is so irresistible?" she asked. "I'm just so adorable when I'm mad that you won't listen to me?" She advanced on him, forcing him back. "Thanks, Chat, that makes me feel so much better that you can't take me seriously because you just love me that much," she said sarcastically.

"That's not what I meant!" he argued, though at that point it seemed like all he could do was weakly protest that he didn't mean anything that way. "I'm only teasing, Bugaboo!"

"Then what do you really mean?" She clenched her fists at her side. "I've told you to stop calling me Bugaboo and you never do! You're too busy bantering and talking about our relationship to focus on the fight, and when that kiss happened - the one that happened because you got shot by Oblivio and I had to save you - you laughed at me for being upset and you didn't care. I'm tired of having to deal with all of that; I'm dealing with enough as guardian!" Reminded of her own status, she steeled herself up and held a hand out to him, managing to calm down enough to say, "Now, revoke your miraculous. I'll give it to someone else."

Chat retreated, his hand moving to cover his ring protectively. The nervousness had partially faded away into him being generally upset, though he also didn't try to defend his actions anymore. "You... if you give the ring to someone else, you'll know their identity!"

"I've already got a plan for that," Ladybug stated, holding her hand out more insistently.

Because of course she did. She wouldn't have been doing any of this if she hadn't given it a lot of thought first. There were pros and cons to bringing in a new cat, and when she really weighed it all together, this was the only way forward. Chat wouldn't learn, and she'd been stuck in a limbo of shouting at him, being ignored, and having to push down her feelings in the future or risk damaging their teamwork. She'd devalued herself - devalued her emotions - in order to believe that she could make it work because she needed him.

Except, she didn't. She needed a cat; someone to use the more active miraculous to balance out the lack of firepower that the ladybug miraculous had. It wasn't that it could be just anyone, but it certainly didn't have to be Chat. While she deeply regretted going back on one of Master Fu's decisions when he couldn't even have a say in it anymore, the fact of the matter was that she was the guardian and she made the rules.

Chat backed away a few more steps, his eyes darting around as he sought a way out of the situation. Then, facing Ladybug, a mixture of upset and offended, he argued, "We're a team! We still come out fine no matter what happened! You don't even know my identity, I've kept it a secret just like you wanted!"

He was reaching, and they both knew it. That had always been the reason for revoking someone's miraculous: someone else knowing their identity. However, there were reasons beyond that, and them "coming out fine" from a battle was hardly a high bar for someone getting to keep theirs. Ladybug knew that well enough after having dealt with Miracle Queen; even if Chloe's identity hadn't been revealed, she was still a bad person who felt entitled to a miraculous.

But Ladybug also understood the game Chat was playing at: that it wouldn't be right to take his miraculous when he's protected his identity. The logic was flawed, but she nonetheless crossed her arms and gave him a blank look, staring into his green cat eyes and starting to fit pieces of a metaphorical puzzle together.

Kung Food, Horrificator, and Startrain: those at minimum were times where Chat's civilian form had to have been inside at the time the akuma happened. Chat had also mistaken Francoise Dupont for an elementary school after they'd defeated Kwamibuster, but she mentally acknowledged that he could've been lying. He had to have been, if they were trapped in that building together with Horrificator. It narrowed things down significantly, and she knew that he had to have been a teenager like her due to the timer on his miraculous.

And while she was aware that Chat's green eyes meant nothing considering that she got green eyes as Lady Noire, there were little coincidences sprinkled throughout their history together that didn't add up unless she came to one final conclusion.

Chat showing up at the museum even though he'd have no way of knowing that an akuma could've been there. Chat knowing that Volpina's illusion was fake. Chat's mysterious loss of his miraculous when Style Queen was attacking.

The feather allergy.

Then, Ladybug glanced at the hand he was covering; the one she knew had the cat miraculous on his right ring finger. She almost felt like congratulating herself for constantly resisting the temptation, because when she actually thought about it, it was so obvious.

She knew that hand, as she'd seen it so many times. She had pictures of it plastered all over her wall and the realization made her feel sick, her heart dropping as opposed to skipping a beat.

"...Adrien Agreste," she said finally. "You're Adrien Agreste."

He blinked, his expression blank at first before dread started to take its place. His mouth slowly fell open, words trying to escape but there weren't any to be found.

She let the moment drag, stepping forward to close the distance between them. Adrien's face flashed over Chat Noir's for a moment and she swallowed, summoning all of her confidence to address him properly.

"Tell me, Adrien. Tell me that this hasn't been a game for you. Tell me that you wanted to protect Paris all this time. Tell me that this hasn't all been about you."

She waited, not expecting or hoping for any answer in particular, because it no longer mattered; the conclusion would the same regardless.

Ultimately, she got no reply, and within the next ten minutes, the cat miraculous was in her hands and Adrien was promptly taken home.

—————

Marinette took a breath of the cool night air, having chosen to walk home rather than get there as Ladybug. She needed time to think, and walking helped her clear her head from the rush of everything that'd happened.

Her purse rustled, Tikki popping out and leaning off the side to look up at her. "Is everything okay, Marinette?"

"Yeah." She nodded her head, just to reassure Tikki further. "It was for the best. It's a lot, but... I wanted to do it; for me, and for Paris."

Regardless of how many emotions she had to deal with, she was glad she knew. She supposed that she could've taken Chat's miraculous without seeing his identity - though it would've been complicated - but it helped her sort through so many thoughts in her mind.

She let out half of a chuckle, idly thinking that she dodged a bullet. If dating Adrien would've turned him into any level of Chat Noir - or, honestly, just knowing that he was Chat Noir - then it was definitely for the best that she figured out his identity. She wasn't sure how she'd behave around him the following days, but just the idea of things being any semblance of "normal" in the face of "the famous model Adrien Agreste," with no stutters or freak-outs...

It was nice, making everything feel a little brighter. Maybe Alya would even stop claiming that she's just "jealous" of Lila, the girls would stop teasing her so much, and she could put all that time she used to spend thinking about Adrien into something more productive. There hadn't seemed to be a downside in sight, actually.

As Marinette kept thinking on the subject, her gaze wandered off to the side, taking in the sights around her, and she paused when she noticed that she was right next to the Seine. The revelation didn't surprise her - she knew she'd have to pass by it to get home - but it did inevitably remind her of Luka, especially since they'd broken up only a day ago.

The metaphorical wound was still fresh, not helped by the fact that Lies had come right afterward as if to remind her of why she had to break up with him; she couldn't have a normal life, and she certainly couldn't have a boyfriend. It didn't matter if she loved Luka and he loved her back, because she would always have to leave their dates at the first sign of an akuma.

Yet, nevertheless, there was some form of comfort in staring out at the river, and she found herself traveling down the nearest set of stairs to walk right next to the Seine instead of so far above it, her eyes trailing along the surface of the water to search for the Liberty.

It took a few minutes of walking, almost making her wonder if she'd passed it without realizing, but then she saw the ship resting in the water, right where it always was. She approached, taking in the various colors and the silly rainbow weathervane, her body automatically relaxing at the memories of those two weeks of crafting kittycorn-themed costumes from paper mache.

Curiously, she noticed that the gangplank was up, as someone presumably had forgotten to pull it back before going to bed that night. Marinette walked over, crouching down and wondering idly if it was possible that it had been put up but had just fallen over at some point, yet it was clearly set perfectly in place.

Mentally trashing the thought, she placed her hands on her knees and started getting up. As she straightened her back, her eyes involuntarily scanned over the deck of the ship, a familiar color palette of blues, blacks, and whites registering in her mind before she fully recognized what—who it was. Her eyes locked onto the figure, and she had to slap a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from letting out a yelp.

It was Luka, sitting down on an instrument case with his guitar in his lap, though Marinette noted after a moment that he was actually asleep. Concern furrowed her brows as she took in his posture, one of his arms resting on the case while the other was perched on the guitar's base. His back was arched against the taffrail of the ship and his head was tilted back to the point where his hair was falling into his face.

There was no way that was comfortable.

Marinette hesitated, feeling almost like she was trespassing, then gave Tikki a look to hide inside the purse while she walked across the gangplank Any footsteps against the deck of the ship seemed unusually loud due to the otherwise quiet night, but Marinette tried to ignore it, approaching Luka cautiously so as not to startle him.

He was frowning, and she involuntarily copied the expression onto her own face. Outside of the bumps in their dates and the break-up itself, it was rare to see him as anything but calm or happy, and she got the distinct feeling that it wasn't just because he was asleep that he was making that face.

She reached up, lightly fixing his hair in case to try and keep it out of his eyes when he woke up, then lowered her hand to his shoulder. She gave him a light shake, then another with a little more effort when the first failed to stir him. When that failed as well, she leaned close, looking side to side like she was afraid someone would see her and think she was doing something strange. However, no one else was around, allowing her to safely whisper his name to him.

"Luka."

She stiffened when she got an immediate response to that, Luka letting out a low humming noise as he shifted. She jolted back, trying to give him space and blushing at the thought that shaking hadn't woken him in the slightest but her voice had immediately.

Luka's eyes opened halfway, staring blankly up at the sky. Brows lowering in confusion, he tried to move, though a whine escaped him when his body protested at the uncomfortable position he'd gotten himself into. He winced, but eased forward and leaned on his guitar for support, only then looking forward and meeting her gaze.

She shifted in place, feeling awkward but knowing that it was too late to back out now.

"...Mmmarinette?" he asked, squinting like he wasn't really sure she was there. He blinked a few times, his eyes widening a fraction when he confirmed that she was real. "Marinette?"

"Ah—hi," she replied, waving awkwardly. "Um, sorry, it was just—I was walking, and I saw you, and you were sleeping weird—not that you sleeping is weird or you look weird when you sleep!—but you seemed really uncomfortable so I just..." She gestured vaguely at his current state of awareness.

He let out a tired sound that may've been an "oh," then ran his fingers into his hair and rustled it, like he was attempting to shake the tiredness out of himself. That done, he managed a small smile at her that didn't stretch anywhere near the amount it usually would. "Thank you. I'm glad you care about me that much."

"Of course I do!" she blurted out, a little offended at the idea that she wouldn't. She realized belatedly how loud she'd been and rubbed an arm in embarrassment, but didn't take anything back either.

Deep down, she knew where he was coming from. It must've been hard for him to watch her ditch him and then deal with her ending their relationship with next to no explanation. Even with the confidence he constantly radiated, not having any information on the 'how's or 'why's must've been difficult, and she hated keeping secrets from him.

Even Chat got better than that...

Luka tilted his head at her, the anxiety probably written all across her face. Concerned, he began to ask, "...Is everything—"

"Luka," she called suddenly, straightening to face him fully. "I—" She swallowed, needing a few seconds to compose herself. "I know this is a bad time, because I'm not really supposed to be here, and you can say 'no,' but... can we talk? About what happened?"

She bit her lip nervously as he sat up, his body noticeably more awake than before. She felt like he deserved to know more about the whole situation, but he also had every right to refuse her for waiting - even if it wasn't that long ago - so the possibilities were nerve-wracking.

Thankfully though, Luka relaxed after a moment, lifting his guitar out of his lap to set it aside, the bottom of the body resting on the deck of the Liberty while the neck was supported by the taffrail. Settling his hands in his lap, he then gave her his full attention, even offering a soft look of reassurance.

Her shoulders eased; he was going to hear her out. Part of her almost felt bad, wondering if maybe he was forcing himself, but she also knew it was important for him to get closure on the matter.

"Okay..." She breathed, acknowledging to herself that she hadn't planned this is the slightest. After some internal debate, she sat down on the deck of the Liberty in lieu of a proper seat, earning a look from Luka but no further comment otherwise. Running her hands along her capris, she stared up at him and finally began, "It—it wasn't you."

He raised a brow, silently encouraging her to go on.

"I mean, maybe you weren't worried about that, but I just... I needed you to know that." She shrugged half-heartedly. "You didn't do anything wrong, Luka - you're amazing - and if it wasn't for me always having to leave and rush off and make you feel bad, I would've stayed with you."

"...Really?"

She blinked at his tone, the corners of her lips quirking up as he covered his mouth, clearly not having intended to blurt that out. She simply nodded at him, falling back into her serious state as she continued, "You deserve someone who can be dedicated to you, and I just—I can't, and I can't tell you why either." She slumped, ashamed at the secret she was forced to keep. "I wish I could. I do trust you, but it's not about that. It's—" She pursed her lips, struggling to find the right words. "—it's not really something I can say?"

She dropped her gaze to her lap, but didn't miss the flicker of understanding in his eyes. It was important to her, for him to know that she believed in him and that he'd done everything right in their relationship.

"...Are—" Luka paused, voice laced with worry. "Marinette, are you being blackmailed or something?"

She almost laughed at that. His deduction wasn't entirely wrong, as "go defend Paris from a supervillain and tell no one about it, and if you do then they might be in danger," certainly did sound like blackmail. Still, she shook her head, reassuring, "It's nothing like that. I'm sorry. I really want to tell you, a-and even be with you, but I can't do either." She clutched at her knees in an attempt to ground herself, glancing back up at him with a mixture of sorrow and guilt. "I don't know what you see in me, Luka, but I feel so lucky that you like me so much, and then unlucky because—" She choked briefly, her cheeks heating up as she realized that she'd never said the exact words to him before. "—because I like you too and I want it to be that simple but it's not. You want the truth and the truth is that I can't tell you no matter how much I want to. I know I forget things and had to skip out on dates because I was so stressed out, but you made everything fun and not stressful and I loved every date we went on until... you know." She gestured wildly to imply 'unsaid things happening.'

He was quiet, not showing any particular reaction, though she'd spent enough time with him to know that he was glad that she was talking more openly about it and clearing some things up that he might've been wondering about. His expression seemed blank on the surface but he was relieved to know something even if her words were pulling his emotions in every direction.

Mentally preparing herself for the next step, Marinette pushed herself up and walked over to him, finding it hard to meet Luka's gaze even as she hunched over and boldly placed her hands on top of his. Out of the corner of her vision, she could see his eyes searching her face, not knowing what to expect next.

"...I'm sorry," she murmured. "I know I apologized already but I'm sorry. I should've known things would end up like this but I wanted to date you anyway. I can't even tell you when this is all going to end so I can't ask you to wait for me either because it's not fair. You deserve a relationship that isn't so complicated... that doesn't involve me."

She flinched at the emotional punch to the gut she'd just given herself. She'd already known that dating would be near-impossible so long as she was Ladybug, but it was a completely different feeling to face Luka and say it to his face. She wasn't sure if she'd been his first crush, but the thought left a bitter taste in her mouth that it'd all gone so wrong and there was no hope of getting it back.

She took another breath to calm herself, slowly raising her hands away from his. "Anyway, that's all I wanted to say," she murmured, still not making eye contact with him. "Thanks for trying to show me a good time, Luka, but... maybe you should fall in love with someone else."

She turned away before her emotions could get the better of her, about to walk off when a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and jerked her back. She squeaked in surprise, glancing behind her to see that Luka was on the edge of the instrument case, arm stretched out like he'd impulsively hurried to stop her. She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but he spoke first.

"Why?"

"W...why?" she echoed.

"Why should I fall for someone else?" he asked, his tone somewhere between hurt and serious.

"Ah." She tilted her head, confused and with no idea of what he was getting at. "Because of everything I said?"

"That you enjoyed our dates? That it wasn't us who cut the song short?" His other hand reached up, holding her hand as well while he looked at her tenderly. His voice grew quiet, like he couldn't believe what he was saying. "That you like me?"

Marinette blushed, but found it hard to look away from him this time. "I...I do like you. Um—only you, but—Luka, the dates..."

Luka slowly stood up, gently squeezing her hand in a show of support. "I didn't even think that I'd be taking up too much of your time, Marinette. I wanted to be together with you, but I didn't want it to be hard either." He offered her a lopsided smile, adding, "And I'm glad you told me, because I don't think you being busy means we can't be together."

"...What?" Marinette gaped at him in disbelief. "I thought you said that you wanted the truth, and—"

"You gave it to me," he reminded her. "You said you can't tell me and I believe you."

She waved her free hand wildly. "Y-yeah, and I'll have to run off and we'll never know when!"

"Then we don't have to date, or we don't have to date as much." He'd said it like it was the simplest thing in the world, and maybe it was. "Why should we be playing sad solos when we can play a happy duet instead?"

She went to retort, but he'd so swiftly shot down her arguments that she was left speechless. She hadn't even considered that - trying to compromise with him on their dates - because she thought she wouldn't be worth it for him, yet here he was, offering himself to her again now that everything had been laid out for him. It seemed too good to be true, but...

He was her Second Chance, and every moment she spent with him just reaffirmed why she'd adored being given that chance in the first place.

She made a small noise as she tried to hold back emotion, her hand shaking in his. "You want me that much?"

His smile grew wider and more genuine, clearly recognizing that she was about to accept him. "Yeah. Do you want me too?"

Afraid her voice might crack and ruin the moment, she nodded and turned fully towards him. She held out her other hand for him and he took it happily, both of them able to enjoy each other's company once more.

Once things had properly settled down, she held back a shy giggle and asked, "S-so, do we just... pick up where we left off? Or just—before everything started going wrong?"

He hummed, seeming to honestly think about it. "I guess so. What verse do you want to start from?"

She retraced all of the bad dates in her mind, like she were rewinding a movie. One moment in particular stuck out to her, and she tried not to grin too much as she suggested, "The cinema? After I gave you the necklace?"

She didn't have to clarify any further, his eyes lighting up in remembrance. He grinned and leaned down to be closer to her level, her getting up on her tiptoes to meet him halfway in a kiss, thus finishing what they'd started from what felt like forever ago. She could feel Luka's hands caressing hers, as if to reassure that everything was alright and he was happy.

She waited until the kiss broke apart, then looked at him to ask teasingly, "Better than setting up a whole date to do that?"

He pressed his forehead to hers, sighing happily. "Definitely."

She beamed at him, almost tempted to kiss him again before she remembered what time it was. She gasped, inadvertently surprising him with the sound, then recoiled and placed her hands firmly on his shoulders, sitting him back down on the instrument case.

"You need to sleep!" she told him, then corrected a second later, "But—not here! Not right here anyway! It needs to be in a bed! Your bed!"

He laughed at the abrupt shift in tone, but nodded obediently at her, resting his fingers along her wrists. "I will. You'll sleep too, right?"

She nodded back, her heart skipping a beat at his care for her. "Yeah, I promise."

Her hands lingered on him, as did his with her as she pulled away from him. As much as she would've liked to stay with him, it was late and she still had a lot to take care of.

Rushing across the gangplank, she waited until she was safely on the other side so she wouldn't risk tripping as she turned to face him, walking backward and waving excitedly. "Bye, Luka!"

He suppressed a chuckle at the happiness-induced loudness of her voice, then waved back at her. It was only when he got up to take his guitar inside that she finally turned around and started officially heading home.

—————

When the last of the Adrien photos had been shoved into her trash bin - even the ones on her corkboard - Marinette allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief and collapse into her chair. It'd taken a little longer than she'd thought, but she was still satisfied with the change. The walk home and conversation with Luka had brought all of her thoughts together and made her feel optimistic about how the day had gone.

"Marinette?" Tikki looked up from the chocolate chip she'd been nibbling on, her being the only kwami awake at that hour. Voicing the inevitable, she asked, "What are you going to do about the cat miraculous?"

Marinette turned, acknowledging her, then reached into her purse to pull out the ring in question, turning it a few times in her hands. It was weird having it in her possession while she still had the ladybug earrings on, but it wouldn't stick around for long anyway, so she wasn't concerned.

Tikki continued, an urgency in her voice, "You're Ladybug, and you're not supposed to know anyone's identities, but you're also the guardian now, so you're supposed to give out miraculouses and know everyone's identities!"

Marinette, much to Tikki's apparent surprise, flashed her a smile and held the ring up confidently. "That's exactly why you're going to pick the next cat, Tikki."

Tikki blanked, dropping the chocolate chip in shock. "Wh—me?" Her voice squeaked. "Why me?"

Marinette would be lying if she said that she didn't find some amusement in Tikki's befuddlement. With a bit of effort, she pushed herself up from her seat, setting the ring down on the table and walking towards the sink at the other side of the room. "Because you've been with every ladybug who's ever existed, which means that you've known every ladybug and cat duo that's ever existed." Giving Tikki an expectant look, she added, "If anyone knows what kind of cat I'd need as a partner, it's you."

"But—" Tikki floundered, the thought clearly having never occurred to her. "It's the guardian who has to hand out miraculouses!"

"I won't know the new cat's identity this way," Marinette reminded her, idly tracing her fingertips along the sink's edge. "Sure, it'll be someone we both know, but if I didn't figure out that Adrien is Chat Noir until I tried, then I won't figure out this one either."

Her eyes scanned over the various drawers in her reach and she pulled open one in particular, a small box jerking forward from the momentum. It was the same box that held her ladybug earrings all those months ago, and now it would be the box for the new cat as well.

Holding the box to her chest and silently wishing luck upon it, Marinette returned to her table to see Tikki staring quietly at the ring in thought, apparently still processing what she'd been told. Marinette paid her no mind for the moment, setting the box down and searching various other drawers for a white cloth big enough for the box to be wrapped in. Then, once she'd successfully found one, she laid it out neatly on the table and opened the box to place the ring inside.

The moving of the ring snapped Tikki out of whatever trance she'd been in. She flew up, clinging to Marinette's hand and begging, "Wait! At least tell me what you'd want in a cat!"

Marinette supposed that was a win, since Tikki wasn't outright rejecting the idea and had little argument against it. She dropped the ring inside the box and smiled at the gentle 'click' it made when she closed it, then turned to address Tikki. The nervousness on display made a modicum of sense when considering that kwami were supposed to obey the guardian, so being told to do what they wanted was probably a little strange.

Marinette just took it in stride. She leaned against her chair as she considered her ideal cat, having been so used to Chat Noir that she needed a minute to imagine someone who really matched her.

"Thoughtful," she answered, nearly blurting the word out when it finally came to her. "Someone who thinks the way I do so I'm not doing everything myself. They can be selfless, but they have to have limits, and with good instincts so they won't throw themselves in front of me." Her expression growing fond at the idea of such a partner, she took the cloth and wrapped the box in it, sealing it with a strong knot as she added, "And... they have to be understanding, where I can cover for them and they can cover for me and we'll just—click."

She snapped her fingers for effect, watching as Tikki flew over to the wrapped-up box and tested it to ensure it was safe to carry. While she was tugging at the knot to confirm it was tight enough, Marinette stood and headed up the stairs to her bed, opening the way to her balcony so Tikki had a way out.

By the time Marinette peeked over the bed to check on Tikki, Tikki had already taken hold of the cloth and flew up to be eye level with her, the box being a noticeable yet manageable weight. Marinette moved to the side, allowing the straight-faced Tikki to go past her and go up to the balcony.

Thinking that Tikki had already gone, Marinette was about to close the trapdoor when she heard a soft, "Marinette?"

Her head turned to see Tikki, hovering above the little table with the box still held in her paws. She seemed conflicted, like she was struggling to find words, but eventually settled on, "You're a great guardian."

And with that, she left, Marinette blinking in surprise for a moment before a smile formed on her face. She closed the way to her balcony, then slipped back down the stairs to start getting ready for bed.

At the same time she'd be settling in to sleep that night, her tiny Miracle Box would be set down delicately in the Liberty, specifically on Luka Couffaine’s amp.