#And May of this year but immediately gave up afterwords because it felt like it be too much work

[my-name-is-bunnyfoxy]

POV: You want to join an art challenge for August regarding TMNT but the person hosting it is someone who wrote a Mikey gets adopted by the Rise turtles and you also fear that you doing it would come off as you supporting the creator meaning you support their fanfic that doesn't give any respect to 2012 and makes Mikey look like a damn crybaby and also for some reason calls him Casper and not to mention this person supports Unfamiliar Familiar

[charsfx]

Lance’s long lost daughter headcanon - Adeleide Danuluk

This was supposed to come out in December 2020, but instead, it’s coming out in May 2021. Before you get into the headcanon, I’ll give a refresher because its been so long. Another OC of mine is Adeleide who is Lance’s daughter that he had no prior knowledge of. She was introduced in a comic called “Cynthia and the Indigo Plateau” last year, but I gave up on the comic, because a 10 page comic would have turned into a 50 page comic and I don’t do any comics past 25 pages anymore. So like Ross and Bertha, I’m introducing her through a headcanon. She did make an appearance in Lance’s 41st birthday, just to remind you that she exists. There will also be pictures in here that some of you have seen in the comic before. So without further ado, here is her headcanon. I’m not much of a lengthy writer, so sorry if there are grammatical errors.

ADELEIDE PAST:

Adeleide was born in Blackthorn City, Johto in 2002. She is the daughter and love child of Lance Blackthorn (father) and Amelia Danuluk (mother). Her mother and father were in a casual relationship for a year back in 2001; but unfortunately, her parents broke up, and Adeleide was born without her father’s knowledge. She continued living in Blackthorn under her mother’s maiden name. Her mother also made the decision to stay as a single parent for the rest of her life.

Like everyone else in Blackthorn, Adeleide had a love for dragon Pokemon; and after years of taking the family Altaria to the Pokevet so often, the girl wanted to be a Pokevet.

Adeleide enjoyed (and still does) watching Pokemon battles on the television. She was (and still is) a big fan of Lance Blackthorn and wished to watch him battle live and meet him one day. She liked the man, because not only was he from Blackthorn, but he was a dragon specialist. She owned some of his merchandise, and wanted the same Pokemon as him too.

At the age of fourteen, Adeleide was starting to notice the littlest of the things. Every time Lance appeared on the TV screen, her mother always gave a bitter look. She then began to wonder if her mother had some sort of past with the dragon master. Obsessed with her mother’s reactions towards Lance, Adeleide started looking at the man a little closer, and could see physical resemblances. She told herself that it could just be a coincidence, but she had to be sure.  She then approached her mother about her suspicions, but was immediately told never to bring the subject up again until she was eighteen.

On the day Adeleide turned eighteen, she approached her mother again on the Lance issue, and as promised, her mother spilled everything. Of course Adeleide was upset; she could’ve had a father in her life somehow, but that was taken away from her. Her mother - however - gave the excuse that Lance had a future and she didn’t want to burden him with a baby, as he was rising through the ranks towards success and fame at that time.

Shortly after she was told the truth, Adeleide was able to get Lance’s phone number from her mother. After what Lance thought was a weird fan interaction, Adeleide told Lance who she really was. Of course there was scepticism on Lance’s end, but her mother immediately talked to him and confirmed that Adeleide’s words were true and that he’d fathered a child when they were both 22; she even offered that if he was still unsure that he could take a paternity test.

ADELEIDE AND LANCE’S WEEK TOGETHER IN JULY 2020:

Lance and Adeleide talked a few more times on the phone before Adeleide finally found the courage to ask the champion if she could meet him in person. Unfortunately, she knew through the hesitation in his voice, that he didn’t want the same, but knowing how to get what she wanted, Lance eventually gave in and they agreed on spending a week together in Blackthorn. After their week, they would both decide on whether or not they should pursue a father-daughter relationship, or go their separate ways and pretend that nothing had ever happened.

Before Adeleide met her biological father, she studied hard on what father’s are and what their responsibilities were when it came to their children; however, she took a lot of her research too literally.

Day 1:

Lance had met up with Adeleide right off the train in Blackthorn and told her immediately that if she blamed him for his absence that he would leave, but she assured him that she had known the truth for a while and thought nothing of that sort.

They went shopping later and Lance’s wallet paid the price. According to Adeleide, “Father’s are supposed to pay for everything,” so he bought her new clothes, shoes and makeup. That’s when he found out that she was a manipulative, spoiled brat. In her life, she had gotten everything she ever wanted, and expected the same from everyone else; and what Adeleide wanted now was to have a father in her life, and she was going to do everything in her power to get that.

Day 2:

On their second day together, Adeleide and Lance decided to bake all day together. Adeleide was having the time of her life, but she soon noticed that Lance looked like he wasn’t having any fun at all. She tried to create some fun by beginning a food fight, but Lance was having none of it. After subtly displaying her disappointment, Lance felt bad and he had his revenge by resuming the food fight.

After their food fight, they sort of bonded by telling each other who they were and their likes and dislikes. Adeleide then got a stomach ache later from all of the cookie dough she had eaten and went home to rest for the remainder of the day.

Day 3:

On day three, Lance and Adeleide went out for ice cream. Seeing that Lance had that uncomfortable look on his face again, Adeleide asked him if he wanted to go back to the Indigo Plateau. He was obviously uncertain and uncomfortable talking to her and being in her presence, so why should she force him to stay? Fortunately for her, Lance insisted on staying and trying to be a good dad. He opened up and said that he was only uncomfortable because he couldn’t find a connection between them. There was nothing they could really bond about. He was trying to be a dad to an adult; a person who could already take care of themselves and make their own decisions. It would be a lot easier if she were a small child.

After hearing that, Adeleide then tried finding that connection through their love of dragon pokemon. She proudly displayed her dragonite and swablu, and Lance was speechless. She then demanded a battle, and he obliged without hesitation.

Lance won with ease; he thought he’d teach her a little bit of humility.

Day 4,5 and 6

On those days they mostly talked. They would get a coffee, walk around town and maybe see a movie, but for the most part, they just talked. They talked about their pasts, their personalities, their pokemon, their careers and their futures. He even gave her a tour around Blackthorn estate and took her to her grandparent’s graves, where he would tell endless stories about them.

It wasn’t until Day 6 when Lance and Adeleide finally found that connection, and began having deep conversations that they would keep to themselves.

Day 7

On their last day, they discussed how they wanted to move forwards. Should they part ways and never see each other again? Or should they pursue a father-daughter relationship that needed a lot of work. After some thorough discussion, and confirming that Adeleide wanted nothing to do with the Blackthorn name, they decided to pursue the relationship by writing to each other often and seeing each other when each of them had some spare time. They knew that they wouldn’t be close, but it would get better. Afterwords, they said their temporary goodbyes and parted ways.

ADELEIDE PRESENT:

Currently, Adeleide is nineteen years of age, is still a spoiled brat, and is attending university in Sinnoh where she is studying to become a Pokevet that specialises in dragon Pokemon.

Her and Lance still write to each other and visit when they can. They're not particularly close, but they know they’ll get there eventually.

She has a fiance now and often makes the joke with Lance that she’ll be giving him a grandchild for him to babysit sometime this year. She also stans her father together with Cynthia and hopes he gives her a brother or sister one day.

That’s it! Sorry her headcanon came out so late!! Currently in my AU Lance and Adeleide had kept in contact since last July, so this headcanon was just put to the side for so long and I had to get this out before father’s day haha.

[wakatoshine]

crush CULTURE ☆

3rd year! shirabu kenjirou x fem reader

WC: probably around 2-3k

shirabu kenjirou has always enjoyed the quiet. he was raised to value the silence and to fight for his wants and needs in the shadows. he was taught that his future success would speak louder than his own words.

for someone raised with that philosophy, shirabu surrounded himself with quite rambunctious individuals. he was an athlete! he couldn’t stay in the quiet comfort that was his head on the court.

his first real friend at shiratorizawa was, unsurprisingly, kawanishi taichi. he was a fellow first year when they joined the club, and shirabu felt like he was the only first year in his bunch close to his level. they were similar, they bonded quickly, and just like that his first year at shiratorizawa had passed by in an instant.

complications that shirabu would rather avoid arose at the start of his second year. second year was monumental for many reasons. shirabu had surpassed his senpai, semi eita, and recieved a starting position on the shiratorizawa male volleyball club. second year also brought about goshiki tsutomu (much to shirabu’s own chargin) and more college preparatory classes.

shirabu was the only member of his team who got accepted into shiratorizawa based on merit. he knew he worked hard and deserved what he got, but it was difficult to not have teammates who could relate to his own struggles.

that was where you came in.

the first time shirabu saw you was in your shared college preparatory biology class. your eyes were filled with such passion for the subject and you walked in the room with a huge smile on your face every day.

you were quite the individual. there was this journal of yours, you were teased about it quite often, but shirabu found it endearing. you could be seen around campus plucking leaves off trees and gluing them into your journal. it was full of the daily discoveries and observations you made. you were quite the upcoming scientist.

when your mutual teacher announced that you and shirabu were to be lab partners, he had no complaints. he knew you were smart and he had a good feeling that your presence wouldn’t be a hinderence to his own studies.

it was a week before interhigh when you first met the rest of the shiratorizawa boys volleyball club. you knew absolutely nothing about the sport and you only stopped by because shirabu had left his calculator behind.

“kenjirou-kun,” you called out (another thing to note, you had absolutely no semblance of manners. you had practically called shirabu by his first name since the first day you met him) “i have your calculator.”

everyone’s eyes navigated over to you, and you couldn’t help but cower a bit once coach washijou sent you a harsh glare.

“pardon the intrusion,” you had muttered, remembering that you only knew one person in the room. maybe it would do you good to pretend you had proper manners.

shirabu dropped the ball he had been holding and made his way over to you.

“thank you, l/n-san” he nodded before taking his calculator out of your hands.

you smiled in response, “it’s no problem at all kenjirou-kun! don’t be so careless next time, i may not be around to save the day.” you teased.

shirabu had only blushed at your retreating form. his teammates noticed, of course, and he faced an intense round of questioning after you were out of sight.

taichi had called it a crush, goshiki seemed angry that shirabu managed to clinch a girlfriend before he had the chance to, tendou made fun of him, and ushijima had been completely indifferent towards the matter.

shirabu had denied that he had any attraction to you. there was nothing special about you, other than your intelligence of course. that’s what stood out to him the most about you. you were undeniably one of the brightest minds at the academy, and you stood out from the rest because you were so passionate.

shirabu had wondered if he would ever have the chance to feel that passion you had towards life.

you became more and more of a presence in shirabu’s life as his second year progressed. tendou had made sure of that with his endless heckling.

you attended games, you began waiting for shirabu after practices. you became friends with taichi and suddenly you were part of shirabu’s own friend group. he wasn’t complaining, it was a change of pace and you felt like a breath of fresh air.

it was the week before the beginning of your third year when shirabu had realized his admiration for you was deeper than a reverent respect for your intelligence.

the break before third year had been busy for you. you had decided to send in your journal (with no expectations for it to be seen as important) and some big shot lab in tokyo had found it interesting. boom! you were published in your first scientific magazine at the tender age of 17.

you had ran the familiar route (due to countless study sections over the past year) to the shirabu household to share the news. you had knocked on the door completely winded, and shirabu had opened the door to see you standing on his porch with a flushed face, wild hair, and the biggest grin on your face.

“i did it kenjirou!” you had yelled before attacking him with the tightest hug you could muster.

shirabu had known what you meant immediately, and it was as if your joy had transferred through a wire into his own brain.

you had watched in wonder as a genuine smile found its place on shirabu’s face. he was beautiful, you had known that for awhile now, but he was simply stunning with such a genuine expression on his face.

pulling away from the hug, you moved to clutch shirabu’s hands and shirabu swore he stopped breathing in that moment. despite how cliche it might be, shirabu knew he was in love in that moment. maybe taichi was right, he was a hopeless romantic. only for you.

despite being a fairly straightforward person, shirabu decided not to confess then and there. it was your celebratory night and he didn’t want to overshadow your success with some silly emotions. it would have to wait.

and wait it did. two months of your third year had passed and still no progress was made. shirabu was frustrated, but he didn’t want to seem like a fool confessing without knowing your emotions.

“just go for it,” taichi had told him, “it’s so obvious that she feels the same way.”

even goshiki was giving him advice. shirabu had snapped at him afterwords, he was just a kouhai what did he know about love and feelings.

everyone but shirabu knew about your love for the male. it was obvious when you had cried in pride after shirabu had recieved his captains jersey at the start of the year. it seemed like you were happier for shirabu than he was for himself.

you had been there for shirabu (and the team of course, but mostly for shirabu) when they faced another defeat when trying to clinch the ticket to nationals during interhigh.

you found shirabu sitting in the hallway alone.

“i should have seen it coming,” he had said bitterly, “it’s not like i could ever live up to ushijima and what he did for the team.”

you took his face into your hands and forced him to meet your eyes. your heart broke when you saw the way his eyes shone with unshed tears.

“that’s not true kenjirou,” you whispered, “ushijima knew what he was doing entrusting you with the team. you’re talented and deserve everything you have gotten this year.”

shirabu had shook his head, “even so, y/n, it wasn’t enough. maybe the golden age of shiratorizawa is over after all.”

you hadn’t said anything back at that point. you only forced him up from his crouched position and gave him a short side hug before leading him to the bus.

your relationship with shirabu had taken a massive step back after that day. you knew shirabu was going through something so you chose to step back. it hurt, but you had genuinely thought that it was for the best.

it was no more than a month later when you heard a sharp knock on the wood door to your dorm room. it was shirabu, and to be quite honest he has never looked worse.

the past month had been difficult for you, but it seemed like it had taken quite a hit on shirabu as well.

he had let himself in once you opened the door and immediately moved to sit on the foot of your bed. your roommate was out at the mess hall at the time, so you thankfully had the dorm to yourself.

“would you mind telling me why you’re here kenjirou?” you asked, crossing your arms across your chest in an attempt to look angered.

shirabu sighed, “i’m sorry,” he stated, “i shouldn’t have ignored you for the past month.”

your eyes softened. it was no secret that you had a soft spot in your heart for the brown haired boy. it was impossible for you to actually be mad at him.

“you shouldn’t have,” you agreed and shirabu immediately tensed up, “but i know you had to figure things out, so i can understand why you did.” you added, making shirabu relax once again.

at this point, shirabu’s heart was running a mile a minute. there was no doubt in his mind that tonight was the perfect time to confess. he just had to figure out what to say.

but when you sat down next to him and rested your cheek on his shoulder all thoughts left his head. it was almost as if your head was meant to rest in the crook of his shoulder.

needless to say, shirabu kenjirou did not confess that night.

however, the relationship between the two of you had improved drastically after that night. your interactions had grown from platonic to something more, and it made the rest of the team sure that the two of you were together.

“how could you ask l/n out and not tell me about it,” taichi said, clapping shirabu over the shoulder, “i thought we were buds”

shirabu had rolled his eyes, “there’s nothing going on between y/n and i, stop fantasizing.”

“nothing going on? how could you say that when the two of you were clinging on to each other last night when we got meat buns after practice?” goshiki called, which resulted in him receiving a slap from shirabu himself.

“there’s nothing there, we’re just friends,” shirabu scowled.

“friends with emotions though.” taichi teased.

shirabu blushed, “ok fine, i may like her but it’s not like she feels the same way.”

it was taichi’s turn to scoff this time. “yeah right dude, but if you want to think that go ahead,”

months passed once again and it was time for the spring qualifier tournament. shiratorizawa lost, but this time shirabu didn’t harbor too many bitter emotions. he was ready to pass his title down to goshiki, lord knows the kid deserved it.

you and shirabu had sat on his porch the night after the loss. the moonlight reflected on his eyes as you turned to look at him. he had a small smile on his face, you would almost say it looked a bit sad, maybe even nostalgic.

“are you upset about today?” you asked.

“i don’t think so,” shirabu answered, “i’ve had countless opportunities with this team. i’ve gone to nationals three times. twice my first year and once my second. maybe it’s time another school in miyagi had the chance to shine.”

you chuckled, “that’s a very noble opinion kenjirou, but i’m sure washijou would disagree.”

“washijou’s an old man, he’s upset at everything at this point of his life,” shirabu laughed “what does he know.”

it was silent, but the kind of silence between partner flames that was comforting.

“besides,” shirabu started, “it’s goshiki’s turn now. i think he’s as talented as he is annoying. he’ll be good for the team.”

you nodded and chose not to say anything more about the topic. your heart felt heavy, and you started to think back on the time you had spent at shiratorizawa academy.

graduation was nearing quickly, your future was too near to ignore. your time as a child was almost complete. you thought you had lived it out to it’s fullest.

you reached out and clutched shirabu’s hand. he looked up at you in curiousity.

“is anything wrong?” he asked.

you shook your head, “no, i was just thinking.”

shirabu squeezed your hand and turned to look up at the sky.

“the moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” shirabu whispered.

your head whipped around to face him. surely you hadn’t heard him right. your lips parted and shut a few times before you sighed.

“what did you say?” you asked.

“it was nothing.” he responded.

the last few months of your third year at shiratorizawa passed quickly. shirabu and kawanishi’s retirement from the volleyball club was unceremonious. goshiki was, as expected, thrilled to be named captain.

shirabu had placed a hand on goshiki’s shoulder and told him that the team depends on him. goshiki cried like a baby and thanked him too many times to count.

the night before graduation found you, taichi, and shirabu at the local ice cream parlor.

“i can’t believe it’s over!” you exclaimed, slamming your hands on the table.

“we had fun, didn’t we?” taichi asked, and shirabu nodded, reaching under the table to squeeze your hand.

you blushed, “it’s hard to believe that kenjirou and i will be in tokyo. what are your plans taichi?” you asked the ginger haired boy.

“i’m heading to tokyo too, maybe i’ll work a few years to get myself through uni.” taichi said.

“i’m glad we’re all heading to the same place,” shirabu stated with a small smile.

the three of you sat in quiet comfort as you all finished your ice cream in peace. it was then that your phone chimed with a notification from you mom.

“shoot!” you shouted, standing up and grabbing your coat and bag, “i was supposed to be home an hour ago! i’ll see the two of you tomorrow!” you explained while running out the door.

shirabu and kawanishi stared at your retreating form. shirabu sighed, slightly peeved by the fact that he didn’t get the chance to walk you home.

“what are you going to do tomorrow?” taichi asked.

“confess,” shirabu stated as if it was a known fact.

his companion nodded, “i wish you luck then.”

shirabu stood at your doorstep the next morning. the third years had moved out of the dorms the week before, so everyone was at home. the two of you had decided to make the long trek to the academy together.

you looked stunning in your uniform that day. your mother had made sure that it was pressed and proper the night before. for once in your high school career, you were wearing the uniform correctly. it was a strange sight to see, but shirabu didn’t mind it.

“see something you like?” you asked while doing a quick twirl on the pavement.

shirabu blushed and took your hand in his. the gesture was normal between the two of you, and you were seen holding hands with the brunette more often than not.

the two of you split ways once arriving at the school gate. shirabu headed towards the gym and you went to speak to your teachers in the building.

it wasn’t until after the graduation ceremony that you reunited with him.

you had already bawled your eyes out by this point. you looked horrendous with mascara all over your cheeks. shirabu had laughed when he saw you, but he enveloped you in his arms once he heard your quiet sniffles.

“why so many tears?” he asked you.

“i don’t think i’m ready to leave,” you choked out, “i’m going to miss this place so much.”

shirabu took your face in his hands, a complete role reversal from the last intimate moment the two of you had shared months before during the interhigh tournament.

“i’ll miss it too, but we can’t look back forever.” he said while looking into your eyes.

he didn’t let go of your cheeks, and instead looked at you with an emotion you couldn’t quite recognize despite normally being able to read shirabu easily.

“can i kiss you?” he asked.

all you could do is nod before shirabu tilted your head gently upwards and covered your lips with his. your eyes widened for a moment before you relaxed into his arms.

you tasted of peppermint and salt. peppermint from your cheap convenience store chapstick and salt from the tears that had been spilled earlier.

shirabu found it endearing, like every other aspect of you.

you had been the first one to pull away from the tender kiss. you looked up at shirabu with wide eyes only to see him looking back at you with an emotion so intense and sincere it made you take a step back.

he fiddled with the second button of his uniform, successfully taking it off and placing it in your hands.

“i meant to do this earlier but i didn’t think it was the right time,” he said shyly.

“don’t get shy on me know kenjirou,” you chided, “where did your confidence go?”

shirabu rested his forehead against yours and chuckled softly. his expression softened into something more serious before he next spoke.

“i like you a lot, y/n” he said.

“i figured” you laughed, “i’ve been waiting for you to say that for awhile now.”

shirabu watched in quiet delight as your nose scrunched up and your eyes sparkled with joy.

yeah, he thought, he had been waiting for this as well.

— fin —

well guys that was it! i hope you enjoyed. this was something i wrote quickly in class, so that’s why it is pretty rough. i had fun with it so i hope you did too!

[feed-your-neopets]

Valdemar x Devil!Lucio Fluff (One-shot)

Writer Preface:

First, I haven’t written fanfiction in years. Nor have I read a book recently. So, don’t feel bad about pointing out grammar mistakes or spelling mistakes. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything like this. Also, my knowledge of the science and medical world is pitiful. Please, let me know if I said something ridiculous.

Second, it is cannon that Lucio has a New Jersey accent. It may enhance the story to imagine him with it, because I did while writing this.

Third, this is just slow, awkward, fluffy Valdemar x Lucio stuff. I was trying to piece together how a relationship could even develop between them, and I love the challenge of unlikely, cursed pairings. I was thinking this would probably take place in Muriel’s route (so, smoll SPOILERS from this point on). I would think Lucio’s social circle would be dwindling since – ya know – he merged with the Devil and all. Lucio would definitely be longing for friendship and companionship. Valdemar will humor him if it means they get new things to study. Get that bag, Valdemar.

---

The salon was one of the few rooms left in the palace where one could find some peace. Ironic, as this room was once one of the livelier places in the palace. After all, the salon was where Countess Nadia would entertain her guests. Now, it was an echo of its former self.

Since his resurrection and merging with the boss, Count Lucio ran with a different crowd, and these new guests had a habit of “borrowing”. Not that Valdemar cared about the state of the rooms throughout the palace, nor the drunkards who sloppily paraded through the hallways with pockets full of silverware. However, the room was simply lacking. It was not quite the same without Countess Nadia’s fingers gliding across the ivory keys with precision and grace. Instead of the haunting melodies of a grand piano and the idle chatter of the other courtiers, the room was filled with the distant echoes of intoxicated partygoers reciting a rather impolite folk song about a sea captain’s cousin.

However, Valdemar was paying little attention to the commotion outside and quietly sipped their tea. They chose instead to focus on the decorating choices they felt were an improvement. For example, the dying flowers wilting in waterless vases were a nice touch. Additionally, the portrait that Count Lucio had commissioned in his mother’s likeness had some alterations. It was laying waste on the ground below where it was once proudly hung. The vandalism was done with such intention that Valdemar was certain the count had crossed out the eyes himself. Valdemar pondered if he had done so in a fit of rage. The count had such a temper, and judging from his interaction with his mother, there was a lot of emotional baggage to unpack. While the symbolism was a tad on the nose, Valdemar appreciated the irony none-the-less. It was Lucio who murdered his own mother. It was only fitting he should be the one to remove the light from her portrait’s eyes too.

Without much warning, the doors of the salon burst open with a bang; shaking the few portraits that still hung on the walls. Yet, Valdemar sat unflinching despite the abrupt entrance from the count.

“Alright, I’ll catch you guys later.” called Count Lucio to a chorus of guttural cheers and whooping from the end of the hall. Valdemar peered at the count from over their teacup as they took a long sip. They had been wondering what was taking the count so long. He had been the one who had requested a meeting with them. To keep them waiting seemed in poor taste.

“Crazy guys.” chucked Lucio to himself before turning his attention to Valdemar. “Hey, there you are! Where have you been? You weren’t at last night’s party. You missed Vulgora tackling several new recruits. You should have seen them go at it. We were taking bets and everything.”

“Hm.” hummed Valdemar as they peered into their teacup, finding more interest in the way the tea leaves settled to the bottom of their cup than Lucio’s story. However, Lucio did not seem to notice as he reenacted the punches and kicks of last night’s tussle; knocking over a chair in the process. “But hey, don’t worry about missing it. They’ll probably do it again tomorrow night. You’re gonna love it.”

“I am sure, my count.” lied Valdemar.

Lucio seemed convince Valdemar was genuine, and with an exaggerated groan, he slumped into the chair next to them. Valdemar watched as he adjusted the scabbard on his waist, the end of which clanked aggressively on the hardwood floor. His legs then spread out for maximum comfort as he sunk into his seat. It would seem he was finally situated, and he looked merrily back at Valdemar expecting them to speak first. The quaestor closed their eyes. Admittedly, their patience was wearing thin. With a short sigh, they placed their teacup on the table and prepared themselves to address the count.

“Is there a reason you have called me here today, my count?” asked Valdemar as politely as they could muster.

A spark of realization lit in Lucio’s eyes. “Oh, yeah, that’s right! I gotcha something.” said Lucio as he started rummaging through a small satchel. “I felt like we left it kinda weird at that old broad’s house, and I been wanting to make it up to you.”

“Old broad?” whispered Valdemar to themself as they searched their lexicon for a translation.

“Yeah, you remember. I gave you her heart. I was weird about it, but you were just asking for your payment.” explained the count. “It is nothing amazing, really. You probably have twenty of ‘em, but I was traveling through the market, and I saw it, and I thought - do you know who would like this? Quaestor Valdemar - so, I got it. No big deal, ya know?”

From his bag, Lucio pulled out an adult human skull. Embedded in the eye sockets were large rubies that burned in the orange glow of the setting sun. The count placed his gift in Valdemar’s hand, who made quick note of the condition in which the skull was in. In short, it was nearly perfect. The dental work was most fascinating to Valdemar. Not a single tooth was crooked or missing. No sign of disease or decay. Whoever extracted this specimen knew what they were doing. Valdemar was so transfixed by the skull, they almost forgot Lucio was still in the room.

“Yeah, I thought you like that.” said Lucio as he leaned forward in his chair. “I got that off a guy who was selling all kinds of wild, kooky stuff.”

Valdemar was quiet as they studied the skull. They were far more impressed by the specimen itself than the embellishments. Gemology was not at the top of their list of the most appealing subjects, and frankly, they thought the rubies were rather gaudy.

As they pondered the feasibility of extracting the gemstones without damaging the bone, a visibly nervous Lucio shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the silence between them.

“I -uh- I got it because the eyes remind me of your eyes.” said Lucio. As the words left his mouth, he instantly wished he had just swallowed them instead. He was not prepared for Valdemar's undivided attention. Their eyes were fixed on Lucio. Their expression was blank. Their entire form was eerily motionless. He immediately felt the need to elaborate. “Ya know, because the rubies are pretty - pretty like your eyes.”

To Lucio’s relief, the compliment was enough to break their stare. No one had ever called their eyes pretty before. Creepy. Unsettling. Unnatural. But never pretty. Pretty was a meaningless word. Pretty was objective. Pretty could not be measured. Pretty was unscientific. Yet, the word bounced around in their mind, unextrapolated and uncategorized. Valdemar wanted to dissect its meaning. They wanted Lucio to elaborate. What did it mean to have pretty eyes?

"Hey, is that thing broken?" asked Lucio. who had unknowingly grounded Valdemar from their slow spiral into the definition and interpretation of the word pretty.

"Pardon?" asked Valdemar.

"Did that bastard give me a busted skull?" asked Lucio gesturing to a fissure starting from the bottom of the eye socket across the cheekbone.

Realizing what the count was referring to Valdemar had to stifle a laugh. "No, that is a zygomaticomaxillary suture. You'll notice the second one, right here." They turned the skull to allow Lucio to see the other fissure reflected on the other cheekbone.

"Oh, so it's okay then? It's not broken?" asked Lucio.

"This specimen is in excellent condition." reassured Valdemar. A moment passed between them before the quaestor softly cleared their throat, and managed a polite thank you to the count. They fully intended to investigate the skull further for any clues of what may have lead to the specimen’s demise. They loved a good mystery. Afterwords, it would look lovely in their display cabinet - pretty ruby eyes and all.

“Right, so that guy I got this skull from. He has other things too. Goopy things in jars. Dead things in jars. Dead things out of jars. Drawings of bones and meaty parts. Books. Does any of that sound interesting to you?” asked Lucio.

Valdemar considered Lucio’s offer before replying, “I suppose that I am always in search for new specimens to add to my collection. Additionally, this could be an opportunity to ask the merchant where the rest of the remain’s of this specimen can be found.”

Their response seemed to greatly please the count as he leaned back in his chair. For the past few nights, he had done nothing but party - which he loved to do, and would surely want to do again - but sitting with Valdemar, as the sun lowered into the horizon felt nice. Not to mention, they knew a lot, which Lucio appreciated. Having them around could be quite helpful to keeping his kingdom. Additionally, he was curious as to what was under their bandages. His money was on horns, but it would be fun to confirm his suspicions.

“Great, I’ll take you down there sometime.” said Lucio. “And, if you see anything you like, consider it yours.”

While material possessions never interested Valdemar, the idea of discovering something new was quite alluring. Perhaps, the merchant had a sealed jar of an entirely forgotten disease, or maybe they would uncover an ancient tomb that described a real account of an unsolved death of an entire village. The more they thought about it, the more exciting the prospect became.

“Would now be an appropriate time?” asked Valdemar who had moved to the edge of their seat. Their body was stiff with anticipation, as they leaned over ever so slightly towards him. A coy smile spread on Lucio’s face. He knew the moment he agreed, Valdemar would be sprinting for the door. Frankly, it seemed cruel to make them wait another moment for his answer.

“I’ll have someone fetch two cloaks and a carriage.”

END.

[craftyshipper]

Lost ll

Part ll as promised :)

Part l

Shouto could feel the exhaustion creeping in, they had been floating for at least 35-48 hours, Shouto estimated since daytime had cycled through at least twice and he barely slept, too worried about Momo freezing to death or their makeshift boat capsizing. He had carefully melted away parts of the ice block to see if they had come across any land but they hadn’t so far, that had been a long while ago.

Momo had been in and out of consciousness and Shouto managed to catch a few fish that swam too close to the water’s surface and melted what ice he made so they could have water to drink.

We’ll die out here if we don’t find land soon.

He felt the wind kick up and he glanced outside again and he paled at the sight of the black clouds forming towards one part of the sky.

“Shit!” The uttered curse word brought Momo awake once more and she sat up and placed a hand on her head.

“Shouto, what’s wrong?” She mumbled as she held her head.

He promptly ignored her without meaning to when he scanned the waters and cringed at the waves that were getting rougher and more aggressive. Something in the distance caught his eye, it didn’t seem real, but there it was. Finally! Land!

“Momo get ready, I’m going to try and steer us towards that island.”

“Island?” She moved to come behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned over to peer through the opening he made. She lost her balance when a wave of dizziness came over her, nearly knocking him through the fairly large opening. “Sorry.” She blushed as he steadied her.

They weren’t strangers to touching each other, they had danced around their feelings since the end of their first year before they started to actually explore them with each other. Momo had made it clear about how she felt about him, but Shouto was unsure, he liked her, a lot. There was a whole mess inside his head that he wanted to tell her but he just couldn’t seem to bring himself to do it. Being the saint that she is, Momo was patiently waiting until he was ready.

It took them until just recently in the middle of their second year at UA before they actually kissed each other. It had been the most tender and passionate feeling she ever had. Shouto had been a complete mess afterwords becoming a blushing mess which she would have found comical if he wasn’t so emotionally closed off most of the time.

“Should I make a paddle?” She asked him and he stared at her a moment.

“Do you have the strength for it?”

“I think so, I just want to get to land before we get into anymore danger.”

Nodding he watched as she created a paddle from her arm, wincing as she did so and he scolded himself for letting her do it in her state. Although she would have done it otherwise out of pure stubbornness

Shivering after she handed him the paddle, Momo wrapped her arms around herself, Shouto immediately shrugged the long sleeve shirt off his shoulders to hand it to her, leaving him in a black sleeveless shirt. Thankfully it was fully dried now thanks to his quirk. When she refused to take it, he moved and draped it across her shoulders.

“Stubborn.” He stated with fondness she couldn’t help but smile and blush.

 “Thank you Shouto.”

“Just hold on tight, this could get rough.

--------

The landing was indeed rough, the storm arrived before they made it to the island. The ice didn’t hold up against this storm, after having been frozen again and again, it was bound to become weaker. After being thrown back into the water, they had to swim the rest of the way, Shouto quickly and carefully pulling Momo along with him, managing to keep her head above water this time.

They came in contact with the beach, completely water logged and weariness seeping into their bones. Shouto was the first to his feet and he picked Momo up bridal style to get away from the waves that pursued them along the shoreline. They needed shelter, and he was going to find one no matter what even as the rain from the sky pelted them harshly as if tiny stones were being thrown at them.

A cave came into view and he sighed in relief, setting Momo down at he entrance before he lit up his hand to walk quickly into the cave to make sure there weren’t any wild animals inside. He released the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding and scurried back towards his partner and picked her up again ignoring her protesting that she could walk despite her constant trembling from the cold. The shirt he had give her had been taken by the waves when they were toppled over but he didn’t mind, their lives were more important than a shirt.

“Sh-Shouto?” Momo called out to him as he quickly found some stray twigs in the cave after he set her down against the wall.

“You okay?” He questioned in concern.

“N-no, I think I may pass out again.”

“Just hold on a bit longer for me okay, I need to get you warmed up before you succumb to hypothermia.”

She nodded and crossed her arms over herself but the warmth just wasn’t there. She felt a bit of warmth flood the cave as Shouto activated his quirk to set the twigs on fire, it wasn’t much but it was something. Momo attempted to move forward but was stopped as Shouto helped her sit up so he could scoot behind her and pull her against his chest angling her so much of her upper half was in contact with his left side.

“U-um...” She blushed as his bare arms came around to hold her tightly, his left side helping to warm her up instantly. She wanted to cry because he was over using his quirk trying to keep them alive.

“Hold on Shouto.” She pushed away from him a moment and managed to use her quirk to create a big fluffy blanket, she would regret it later but they needed to warm up as soon as possible and she didn’t want him to end up overusing his quirk. Although it was too late for that.

Resting his head against the wall behind him, Shouto sighed wearily as the exhaustion finally caught up to him. Momo peered up at him and felt her lip tremble in guilt before she passed out, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

She didn’t feel the hand that came up to softly wipe it away as she was lost to darkness again.

---------

The smell of food brought her back to the waking world, interrupting her dream which she wouldn’t remember in a few hours. She attempted to roll over only to realize she was bundled up in something. The blanket was wrapped around her tightly, limiting her movements and she couldn’t deny that it felt comfortable. Her head still throbbed but the dizziness had vanished which she was grateful for. After she freed her limbs, she reached up to touch her head and flinched at the small wound.

“How bad does it hurt?”

She jumped at the soft deep voice and turned to see Shouto picking at a fire with a few fish skewered onto sticks roasting inside it.

“Its tender but nothing I can’t handle.” She smiled and carefully created a few bandages and antiseptic wipes to clean the blood.

“Here let me.” Shouto stated.

Momo nodded and let him treat the head wound. He was one of the only ones in class to take the higher levels of first aid. While they were all required to take basic first aid to assist civilians, Shouto went further than that, wanting to learn more so he could better help anyone with more significant or fatal wounds. He even took a class on how to cauterize large wounds when medics weren’t available and his quirk was perfect for that.

Everyone adopted him as the class medic which didn’t bother Shouto, he was glad to help.

She smiled as he wrapped the bandage around her head, careful not to press to hard and in not time he was finished.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He gave a small smile and she blushed.

Biting her lip, she looked up to say something but jumped when two fish appeared in her line of vision. “Um.”

“Eat up, you’ll need to if you are going to use your quirk.”

Of course he was right but she looked towards the fire and noticed there weren’t any other fish cooking for himself.

“What about you?”

“I caught a few earlier while you were asleep.”

Hesitating, she took the two sticks from him and slowly began munching on them. He was taking on all of the responsibility and that bothered her, she needed to help.

“I’m going to go walk the shore, see if the storm washed anything up we can use.” He stood. “If you’re up for it, you can join me if you’d like.”

Then he was walking away and she didn’t miss the way he flinched and touched his back as if he were in pain.

“Shouto.” She muttered sadly. “You’re hurt too aren’t you?”

If had heard her, he didn’t show it, and that bothered her most of all.

---------

Part ll of Lost, hope you enjoyed this next installment. Hopefully I’ll have the third part posted by tomorrow ^_^

[softsadgay]

***woah here comes what is essentially an essay about my body image issues/disordered eating and it’s kind of... rough so just heads up***

(for the sake of my own clarity of both writing reading this (esp since i don’t expect anyone else to), i’m doing a combo of stream of consciousness and formal writing.) 

I’ve gained a lot of weight in the past 2/3 of a year. Not anything too wild and I haven’t weighed myself in so long that I’m not even sure the exact number, but enough the point that I have had to buy a lot of new clothes because some of the stuff from a year ago no longer fits me/looks really unflattering in way it didn’t used to. 

I started junior year by moving into a new apartment, and I no longer had access to a gym or running track (my family has horrible knees, so i’m terrified of running on pavement). Cardio has been a BIG part of my weight and mental health management for the last four years. From mid-2014 to mid-2017 I was running an average of four days a week, often closer to five or six, with a view periods of exercising for at least two and a half hours daily and only exercising two or three times a week. A range, but always a consistent presence.

There were a lot of reasons why I made running a big part of my life, and it had good and bad consequences. Was I over-exercising for many periods of my life in order to lose weight? Absolutely. Did I lose an obscene amount of weight because of it? Not exactly. 

Most of my weight-loss occurred when I made a major change to my diet during my last semester of high school. I went vegan and ate moderate size meals at consistent times of day. It started changing my body instantly. It was rapid and was exacerbated by my hyperthyroidism. I was motivated to make that change to lose weight after I was cast as Jesus in Godspell and knew I’d be on-stage in my underwear for my entire first number.

As time went on, I wanted to lose more weight. Always convinced I was “still too fat.” This mystified a lot of people, so I quickly started phrasing it as “being healthy,” which people will accept as a reason to work out excessively while eating far less than an active person should to support their body.

However, exercise also had some amazing effects on my mental health (though obviously not in the body image and eating department). I went off medication about a year before I started exercising. My mood swings were constant and dangerous. I would be entirely bed-ridden for days. Other days I would be at 142% and bouncing off the walls. I had multiple episodes were my depression made me aggressive. It felt like being possessed. My mom remembers that period of my existence as being an entirely separate person from who I was before and after that year.

When I was exercising, I was being consistent enough for it be creating the chemical equivalent of a strong anti-depressant. Obviously I was still dealing with mood swings and really horrifying thought habits, but I was generally a lot more stable and happy. Working out was compensating for my brain.

I’d used food and over-eating to cope with my emotions and mental illness for many years leading up to this period. I never saw it that way, but in hindsight, it was absolutely an issue. It vanished temporarily when I changed my lifestyle. 

And then it came back. At first, only occasionally, with immediate horror afterwords. Triggers were varied, but often came from days were I had either particularly high emotion (feeling impervious to food) or incredibly low emotion or stress (a need for something comforting). It increased in frequency over the next two years, but was still fairly “controlled.” It was the minority. The rest of what I was doing in diet and exercise more than compensated for it. No one could tell it was happening, and the few people who had the details to put two and two together didn’t.

Over this period I would occasionally gaining a bit of weight, rarely noticeable to anyone but I was losing weight when I wasn’t gaining it. (I actually have a major anxiety around that. It’s been so long since I felt like I was doing anything other than gaining or losing weight. I never know how to stabilize and maintain.) And while my mental health wasn’t perfect by any means, I was overall doing okay. Some hopelessness, but I was moving along in life.

Then this year happened.

I wasn’t able to easily work out the way I’d been. I decided this would okay. I would eat a bit less than when I’d been active. I’d still do some in-home muscle routine things to keep myself a little active, and I’d rely on dance class to be the more rigorous activity. And for a period, this kind of worked. This period also had complications. There were two boys who I placed a lot of undue meaning on to validate me, neither of which were ready to validate themselves, much less another scared person. I also made a very dumb decision and got cast in my college’s production of Spring Awakening, which was incredibly triggering and stressful.

Suddenly my mental health was failing. I’d started drinking, never able to do so without having at least five or seven drinks, but averaging on ten. I was having mood swings again, though thankfully rarely as extreme as they were in high school. I was losing interest in things I cared about. I was regularly considering self-harm and suicide.

In my theory, my brain was freaking out. The things that truly used to help it function better, like exercise and routine, were gone. The things that I added to my life, like alcohol and boys and sex, were not giving it the consistent lift it needed. And my brain was searching for anything to get the endorphins it wasn’t getting. That’s when my diet changed again.

I decided I didn’t care about being vegan anymore, which is a valid decision on its own, but it was for the wrong reasons. I needed something to self-medicate with. Binging “healthy vegan” food was not satisfying enough. My brain needed more. So I stopped being vegan.

I was eating like someone who was going to die the next day. It was the kind of eating that got addicting quickly, especially since I have a disposition to addiction. It also didn’t do the job my brain indulged in it for. It gave an extremely brief feeling of freedom, before immediately switching to self-hatred and depression.

But my brain still needed something. For brief periods where I’d allow myself to drink again, alcohol would take over as the solution, but alcohol was a lot more intrusive and harder to hide, so food reigned as #1. And that’s how things were for several horrible months.

I was gaining weight consistently. Clothes started wearing different. I could see the change in my body, and a few other people did too.

And then it stopped again when I started dating the boy who would become my first boyfriend. I wanted to take better care of myself again, and the high of a new relationship supplemented needing a different regular coping mechanism. (To be clear though, the relationship was actually incredibly healthy and positive. It’s unfortunate that I wasn’t finding other sources of stability, but it was a positive source.) I stopped binging as regularly. I completely stopped drinking. I applied myself more in dance and all my classes. I ate more consciously, but not strictly. For two months, I was stable, and really happy and confident.

And then that high ended too. The boy started growing distant and I was losing steam. I starting binging more. I started drinking again. And then, for entirely unrelated and very good reasons, we broke up a little before the semester ended.

And that’s how we get to the last two months. No school or routine. A few brief periods of eating better and exercising, and then binging daily and occasionally getting drunk. And unsurprisingly, I’m incredibly unhappy.

And then in the past two or three weeks, I started getting on the horse again. Falling off, but then getting back on. It’s been five days of being on it now, and, though I may be a little optimistic, it feels like it’s going to stick this time. I found a nearby park to run at. I’m eating well, though perhaps a little restricted. I’m being more productive. My mental health is getting to a better place, and the effects of physical activity should get stronger over the next month.

Today I looked in app were I have a few progress photos from two periods of my time actively trying to lose weight. They don’t have dates and I don’t remember exactly how far apart they were taken, but I’m fairly certain I was taking a picture once a week. I remember being able to see the change when I took them, but being frustrated by how slow I was changing. Looking at them now, it’s terrifying (in every sense of the word) how fast my body is able to change if I give it the right variables.

I’m not above wanting to lose weight. And I don’t know if that’s good or not. I want to get back to the weight I was a year ago. I know I’ve never been satisfied, but I’d like to fit all my clothes again and feel good about myself again. If I’m truly happier and healthier, what’s wrong with wanting to lose weight?

I’m worried I’ll start the same cycle again. And that’s why I’m writing all this out for the first time in a coherent way. The last four years have been a incredible, if not terrifying, learning experience for how my body and mind work for and against each other. And that’s what I’m reassuring myself with. I’ve learned. The same thing can’t repeat because I’ve learned. I won’t go off the deep end again because I learned.

It’s a new horse and I’m a better rider now.

[xswestallen]

Makeup Sex

Summary: Based on the synopsis and promo for season 4, episode 2: Mixed Signals. Barry and Iris have their worst fight ever. Afterwords, they have makeup sex.

A/N: This was written before Mixed Singles aired. It could take place before, in the middle of, or after the episode. Whatever you prefer.

They were both shouting at the top of their lungs, frustrated and fearful. The neighbors must be hearing all of it. They’ve never had a fight like this before. They’ve never felt this amount of indignation before. A few arguments that ended in slammed door was as bad as it got. This time, Iris was screaming so loud her voice hurt and Barry actually banged his head against the wall.

“WE CAN’T PRETEND NOTHING HAPPENED, BARRY. YOU JUST LEFT. YOU LEFT ME AND YOU TOLD ME TO KEEP RUNNING. I WAS SCARED THOSE WERE THE LAST WORDS YOU’D EVER SAY TO ME. YOU SAID IT LIKE YOU WERE NEVER COMING BACK. I DIDN’T THINK I’D EVER SEE YOU AGAIN. DO YOU KNOW HOW PAINFUL THAT WAS?” Iris yelled.

“YES! I DO BECAUSE I WATCHED YOU DIE, IRIS.” Barry retaliated.

“I’VE WATCHED YOU DIE DOZENS OF TIMES! WHEN YOU WERE STRUCK BY LIGHTING AND KEPT GOING INTO CARDIAC ARREST, WHEN YOU TRIED TO GET YOUR SPEED BACK AND WERE SENT INTO THE SPEEDFORCE THE FIRST TIME, AND THEN WHEN YOU WALKED INTO YOUR OWN PERSONAL HELL LAST MAY!” Tears streamed down her face as she yelled.

“I DIDN’T KNOW IF I’D EVER SEE YOU AGAIN EITHER. I DIDN’T WANT TO GO. I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE YOU. I WOULD NEVER.”

“THEN WHY DID YOU?”

“I DIDN’T WANT EVERYONE ON THE PLANET DEAD!”

“I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT THERE WAS STILL THREATS. ANY OF THE METAS WE TOOK DOWN IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS COULD’VE WREAKED HAVOC. I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO PROTECT THE CITY BECAUSE I KNEW THAT’S WHAT YOU’D WANT. I DIDN’T WANT TO LET YOU DOWN.”

“YOU DIDN’T! I TOLD YOU I WAS PROUD OF YOU!” Barry was so tired of reassuring Iris that he was proud of her.

“IF THAT’S TRUE WHY DO YOU BLOW OFF TRAINING WITHOUT TELLING ME?”

“OH MY GOD LET IT GO!”

“NO! I DEDICATED EVERY SECOND SINCE YOU LEFT TO THIS TEAM. BARRY YOU CAN’T REMEMBER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, BARRY. FOR YOU IT WAS JUST SECONDS, FOR ME IT WAS MONTHS OF AGONY. THE TEAM WAS ALL I HAD!” Iris sobbed.

“THE TEAM WAS ALL I HAD LONG BEFORE YOU EVEN KNEW ABOUT IT!”

Barry saw the pain in Iris’s eyes and immediately regretted his words. She didn’t say anything else, she couldn’t.

“Iris, I’m sorry.” Barry said in a whisper, stark contrast from the bellowing of a few seconds before.

Iris walked up the stairs to their bedroom, determinedly not looking back at Barry. He cursed himself and punched the wall. He wished more than anything he could take back those words. He wiped his own tears away and went after Iris.

Iris was sitting cross-legged in the middle of their bed, crying into her hands. It broke Barry’s heart to see what he’d done to her. She didn’t notice him standing in the open doorway until he knocked lightly on the frame.

“You’re wrong.” Iris said firmly, having mustered up some courage in the moments since she left Barry in the living room. Barry didn’t understand what she meant. “You didn’t just have the team, you had me.” her voice cracked on that last word.

Barry gulped and played with his finger nervously. “I know I’m-”

“You kept secrets from me. You lied to me, FOR MONTHS. I would’ve been there with you every single day if you would’ve just told me the truth. And you told me that even though I didn’t know, I was still a part of it. You said that you couldn’t be The Flash without me. Well, I see now that was a lie.”

“No. Iris, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean it, I was just mad. I got caught up in my emotions in that minute. It wasn’t true. I’m sorry.” Barry stuttered.

Barry sat down on the edge of the bed and Iris turned her head away from him. She kept crying. Barry felt like a peice of shit. He hated himself for making the woman he loved feel like this.

“Iris, I couldn’t be The Flash without you. I couldn’t even function as regular person without you. You’re so much stronger than I am, Iris. I would’ve lost it in six months without you. I couldn’t bear the pain of not knowing if we’d ever be together again. The team would fall apart and the city would be in ruins. I would’ve failed, but you succeeded. I’m proud of you, I’m jealous of you. I wish I had your strength.” Barry said through his tears.

“I know you’re sorry. You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.” Iris finally looked back at him.

“I’m not lying! When I ran to 2024 last year, I saw what life was like after Savitar killed you. I broke my promise to you, Iris. I didn’t take care of Joe or Wally when they needed me. I isolated myself in my own misery and didn’t care about anything else. I let Top and Mirror Master destroy the city. You kept the promise you made to me. You kept running. Running the team, running after bad guys, you did what I couldn’t. Thank you.”

Iris smiled. “I’m sorry too. I know the sacrifices you’ve made for all of us. I know the only reason you left was to protect us. I shouldn't be mad at you for that.”

Barry put a hand on her shoulder. When she didn’t move away, he decided it was safe to push her hair back. He looked at her face and took a deep breath. “It doesn’t feel like a long time for me. I missed a lot when I was in the speedforce. I was stupid for thinking everything would instantly be the way it was before I left. You’ve proved what a great leader you are and I should start respecting that.”

Iris leaned forward and kissed him tentatively. Barry smiled against her lips. They put their arms around each other and fell back onto the bed. The kiss got more intense. They were already sweaty and short of breath from the fight. Holding each other put their anger in perspective. It became clear to them that the fight was not about pain from being apart, but desperation to be together.

Barry pulled off Iris’s shirt and kissed her all over. Each kiss was like a bandaid for her emotional injuries. The feeling is so good, Iris can’t take it anymore. She pushes him off and gets off the bed. For a moment, Barry is scared she’s upset again. But, that fear is washed away by a wave of arousal as Iris began stripping in front of him. She slowly slipped her skirt off, stepped out of it and used her foot to kick it into his lap. She moved her hands over her body in all the ways Barry wished his hands hands were on her.

Iris turned her back to him and unhooked her bra. Barry’s breath hitched as he saw the straps slide off her shoulders, exposing her bare back. She has a little birthmark on her left shoulder blade that almost looks like a heart, it’s one of Barry’s favorite spots to kiss. Iris turns back to Barry, holding the bra on her hand and swinging it around in a circle. Her arms are pressed against her breasts, making them look even bigger.

Iris smiled seeing Barry’s facial expression. He was practically drooling. She tossed her bra into her lap before coming to sit on it herself. He instantly put his hands and lips on her. Iris could feel him hardening underneath her. She positioned herself over it and began dry humping him.

“Irissssss…..” Barry hissed.

Iris  started kissing his neck. Barry slipped his hands under of panties to cup her ass cheeks. She dragged her tongue down his pulse. Just as he felt ready to go all the way, Iris stood up. He shot her a pained look and she smirked.

Getting down on her knees, Iris unbuckled his pants. Barry gripped the sheets in anticipation. When his erection was free of it’s clothing cage, Iris used two fingers to stroke him. She swirled her tongue around the tip. Her hands massaged his balls and Barry was seeing stars. Iris kissed his tip gently before taking him into her mouth.

“Fuck” Barry’s eyes were closed as he focused on nothing but the feeling of pleasure Iris was giving him.

Iris felt bad about their fight, so she really wanted to convey how sorry she was with her actions. Barry definitely believed her. It took all of his strength to put an arm on her shoulder and halt her. Iris was about to question why Barry stopped her, when he pulled her onto the bed with him. He laid her down on a pillow, underneath him.

He kissed his way from her knee to her upper thigh. Iris quivered. He lightly bit her pelvis. With one hand, he lifted her lower half off the bed and with another ripped her panties them in his eagerness to get them off. Iris didn’t even mind. Barry took his shirt off switched off the lamp. Barry circled her nipple with his finger. It was hard and irresistible to him. He licked it and Iris gasped. He took it in between his teeth and tugged a little. Iris arched her back instinctively. Barry gave the other nipple a hard flick before giving his attention to her wet, aching core. He closes his eyes and rubs the clit his fingers know by heart but his eyes can't see.

Barry focuses on Iris’s breathing. When it gets heavy, he teases her by touching his top to her opening. He enter her agonizingly slow. He takes a few deep breathes and reveled in the feel of her surrounding him. Iris feels like she’s finally whole and like she’s going to explode. She starts moving her hips and he follows her lead. The headboard of the bed beats against the wall in steady thumps.

Iris’s mind wonders back to the day Barry came out of the speedforce. She was so grateful to have him again. She thought that her fantasies of him coming back to her were unrealistic, it was impossible for a reunion to be that good. Until, she got to feel him holding her, kissing her, and making love to her again. He’s made so many sacrifices in his life. He’s the most good hearted person Iris has ever met. So selfless in every decision he makes, and in their bed too. How could she ever be angry with him?

Barry still feels guilty for making Iris cry. He swears he’ll never make her feel that aguish again. He’ll do anything to keep her happy, to keep hearing those little noises of pleasure escaping her throat. He vibrates a few finger on her clit and it pushes Iris to her breaking point. Her eyes roll back in head. She’s writhing under him, open mouthed, unable to speak. He rubs his thumb across her bottom lip.

Just as she starts to fall down from her height of bliss, Barry lifts up her hips and thrusts harder. Iris can’t regain control. Another orgasm overtakes her and Barry is kissing her all the way through it. Iris legitimately fears she’ll pass out from the overwhelming sensation.

Barry wants this perfect moment to last forever. He speeds up so that it’s like everything else is still. He admires Iris’s perfect body for a moment. She’s a goddess. He’s living his greatest fantasy everyday with her. He returns to normal speed, afraid of hurting her if he goes too fast. His body grew impatient with his mind’s sentimentality. He let go and the release feels fantastic.

Barry collapsed on top of her. Their combined sweat has them stuck together. Iris runs a hand through his hair and another gently scratches his back. She’s absentmindedly whispering his name.

“I love you.” Barry says when he’s at last, able to speak again.

“I love you.” she says back.

“I love everything about you. All I want is to be with you. To make you happy, to love you. Nothing is worth making you cry.” he tells her, still apologizing for earlier.

“I love you so much, Barry. I want to be with you and to keep you safe. I get scared every time you go out there. I know how fast you are and I know you couldn’t live with yourself if you didn’t use your speed to help as many people as possible. But, I’m terrified of losing you. That’s selfish, I know. That’s why I try to help you train, so you stand the best chance of coming back to me.”

“Come here.” Barry pulls her close. They kiss and without words, their lips convey everything they needed to say.

[simplyoriginalcharacters]

Mikaela Silvina

Age: 30

Gender: Female

Orientation: Unknown (Is comfortable with anyone though)

Nationality: Filipino

Appearance: Mikaela has long waist length hair that she has dyed blue at the tips. Her eye color had changed from a dark brown to a bright amber after the Portal accident. She’s not very tall, around 5"3, but pretty fit as she spent her training on running and improving her speed. She wears crystal bracelets, each crystal turns into a throwing knife when it is needed. She just wears the dress and rose for aesthetic reasons but also likes the feel of the dress as she runs around. The rose can change color to indicate wether she’s healing or damage boosting a teammate. She doesn’t like to wear heavy armor as it is too heavy for her to run around, she dodges enemy attacks instead.

Personality: (Strength = Resilient) + (Weakness = Sensitive) x (Strength > Weakness) =

This girl is one to break easily but worry not, for she will get back up and continue on.

Mikaela is rather prone to overthink and that may be bad for her health. But because of that also, it’s the reason why she can come back up. She knows that she still can and will do it over and over again.

She has these coping mechanisms that she retreats to a lot. She’s a person who isn’t very comfortable hanging around too many people since she’s scared that she’ll get hurt. And because of this, she tends to daydream a lot and is very imaginative. Instead of being around a group of people, she’s rather read her books and write her own stories. She’s considered a Bibliophile, as she’s usually seen reading a book or writing one.

Her attention span isn’t the best either and along with her memory. As Paradox (Overwatch), she hasn’t mastered her abilities yet as it requires the utmost focus and can’t use firearms to save her life.

This girl prefers to be as truthful as she can and may be blunt with her words but means no harm. Unfortunately, most people don’t trust her with secrets.

She may tend to display a lack of attraction or any desire of romantic interaction. She will tend to show slight disgust toward social interaction in general.

Bio (Overwatch Paradox):

Mikaela Silvina was the only child of Ammon and Leticia Silvina, a rich couple who worked very hard during the Omnic Crisis. But in her youth, she felt neglected by her parents and was closer to her aunt and uncle-in-law. She was sheltered during then to keep her safe. She was homeschooled by her aunt and turned out to be rather intelligent with her hyperactive mind. Unfortunately, that caused problems in her later years.

During High school, she didn’t exactly know how to properly interact with people. She used to have many fake friends because of her status. They had her treat them to a lot of things like food, etc. Her aunt had realised what they were doing and told Mikaela. Once she had found out, she felt angry and shut everyone out, making sure that she doesn’t get any more of these fake friends.

Most of her time was spent alone, doing her studies and reading. She took Engineering since her parents wanted to hand down the family business to her. Although, her aunt did teach her some etiquette and all those essentials for when she was required to attend parties with other families that they did business with.

She met a woman named Althea Torres that she had grown very close to and was her best friend, then her girlfriend, and then her wife. They worked together as partners in Silvus Tech and Thea supported Mika’s career in writing. She was able to create international best-selling books that had inspired many people.

Unfortunately, a storm hit and they were both caught up in it. A tree had collided with Mikaela, impaling her heart. Althea found her and immediately brought her to the hospital. She had to get an artificial heart. And, interestingly enough, Dr. Angela Ziegler had been there to offer her a recruitment to Overwatch. They’ve heard of her skill in Engineering.

Mikaela had talked to Althea about this. She had handed Silvus Tech to her, the person she trusts the most (who isn’t her aunt or uncle or cat), and joined Overwatch.

During her Overwatch years, she has continued with her work as an engineer. One day, she created a portal that could rip holes in the fabric of reality. It was inspired by Satya’s Teleporter, but taken to another level. Unfortunately, she had been sucked in the portal and got trapped in a different layer of reality.

After a while, an omnic had to rescue her from the portal once Overwatch realised her absence. The toxins in the layer had affected her DNA and gave her the ability to create portals (3 second cooldown), reverse the way gravity reacts to her body (will continuously float up for 8 seconds/cooldown: 8 seconds), regeneration (like Mercy’s), charming (can heal 3 people close by, only in line of sight), and Reality Warp (Ultimate: freezes enemies in place to take their hp and transfer it to teammates and self, lasts for 4 seconds, enemies can’t be killed during this ult, not invulnerable).

When Overwatch was disbanded, Mikaela found out that Althea died in a car crash. This took a huge impact on Mikaela and her heart was broken (despite not having one anymore). She shut down Silvus Tech and isolated herself in an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean.

Hi! This is D, and I’ll be reviewing your submitted profile. I think you’ve got a decent base with Mikaela, but her profile could be expanded on and rounded out better to further establish her character.

Starting with her Appearance section, I think some reformatting would help most to streamline the information as it’s presented to readers. As is, all the details are just clumped together into one single paragraph. Breaking up this section into individual aspects (Height, Weight, Eye Color, Hair Color, etc.) would allow for more focus as well as making sure the basic aspects of Mikaela’s appearance aren’t lost within a jumble. This would also allow you to focus the actual Appearance section on more characterizing things, like her build, what types of clothes she wears, and her posture (as well as things like identifying marks). While you’ve got touches of this included already, spreading things out and expanding a little more would help give a clearer written depiction of Mikaela. I’d also suggest including her Overwatch callsign (Paradox) under an ‘Alias’ entry here as well.

The same advice goes for Mikaela’s Personality section. Streamlining the information and using more direct phrasing would help focus on the key aspects of her character. Also, the trait equation in the beginning isn’t needed if you’re going into detail about Mikaela’s personality immediately afterwords. I’d suggest removing that and keeping the focus in the rest of the description. Like the Appearance section, adding in more subsections would help keep focus on the various aspects of Mikaela’s character in a more easily readable format. Breaking it up into sections such as Likes, Dislikes, Hobbies, etc. would give a more direct way of highlight that information, while also providing space to emphasize Mikaela’s other traits (such as her Goals, Hobbies, and Skills). A fair amount of this information is already included – Mikaela enjoying reading, her desire to be an engineer, and her dislike of crowds – but having specific sections would allow for additional detail while leaving the Personality section more room to highlight Mikaela herself.

Regarding Mikaela’s Background, it could also be streamlined and some sections might benefit from being reconsidered. The general gist of her home-schooled upbringing and poorly socialized high school years are important, but could be condensed into a single section rather than spaced out as much. Conversely, Mikaela’s involvement with Althea could be focused on a little more. As is the progression of their relationship is mostly glossed over and their status at Silvus Tech isn’t explained very well. Do they own the company or just work for it? Mikaela ‘handing’ the company to Althea and later shutting it down implies a high degree of control, but their actual positions at Silvus Tech are never pointed out. Also, inclusions like Althea being the person Mikaela trusts the most to handle the company are good, while the added parenthetical comment ‘who isn’t her aunt, uncle, or cat’ is just distracting. I’d suggest removing asides like this as they break the focus away from Mikaela’s history.

Moving on to the storm, I think that Mikaela’s injury should be reconsidered. Being impaled through the heart by a tree branch (not to mention also being hit by the tree itself) seems like an instantly fatal situation. Beyond that, if the storm is severe enough that it’s uprooting trees, why are Mikaela and Althea out in it to begin with? If the objective is for Mikaela to get an artificial heart and meet Dr. Ziegler, I’d suggest something more recoverable like an illness or genetic issue. I’d also suggest highlighting Mikaela’s engineering skills more beforehand to better explain Dr. Ziegler’s interest in her. What has she made that particularly stands out? What field does she specialize in? If it’s supposed to tie into the 'artificial heart’ thing, having Mikaela engineer her own artificial heart seems like it could work very well given Dr. Ziegler’s focus on medical technology (perhaps she even used some of  Mercy’s research to do it, which would segue nicely into her using Symmetra’s teleporter). Making this a more active part of Mikaela’s story would go a long way to helping establish her not only as an engineer, but an asset to Overwatch as a whole.

Regarding the mishap with the teleporter and Mikaela being lost between sections of reality – it seems a bit too convenient of a way to give her powers. It also seems a bit too reminiscent of Tracer being unstuck in time. If you’re determined to keep it as part of Mikaela’s history I’d suggest explaining it more thoroughly. How did her time in this alternate reality affect her personality? What kind of 'toxins’ gave her these abilities? How is she able to use them in the normal layer of reality if they only affected her on the other layer? Personally, I’d suggest having Mikaela’s abilities stem from her own engineering achievements. This would do a lot to keep focus on her skills, as well as serving as a good way to highlight what exactly Mikaela did while working at Overwatch. As is, her two main ‘accomplishments’ were actually accidents that don’t add anything to her agency within the story.

Moving on, given that the game is an first-person shooter I find it surprising that Mikaela’s own weapons aren’t emphasized very much. The only mention in her profile is that she can create throwing knives in her Appearance section (which is a little out of place). I’d suggest making a separate 'Powers’ section to emphasize all of Mikaela’s different abilities, how they work, as well as her Fighting Style and specific Weapons. Also, while it’s great that the profile explains what these abilities do, having explicit cool-downs and individual time durations isn’t necessary. Think of how the Overwatch characters are presented in the animated shorts. While they might use the same powers and weapons as they do in the game, they aren’t beholden to the game’s rules and regulations. Instead, how their abilities work is determined by the narrative rather than numbers.

Also the final section of Mikaela’s background doesn’t do very much to explain her having a presence in the current events of the game. Mikaela’s reaction to Althea’s death seems rather extreme, especially for a relationship that the profile only provides a general overview of. Also her choice to isolate herself on an island in the Pacific runs completely counter to the idea of Mikaela showing up when the game itself is taking place. I’d suggest revising this aspect of her history so it’s not as final and leaving it more open. All of the current characters are involved in Overwatch out of personal interest and had their backstories left open-ended to explain why they are present in the game itself.

Beyond all of that, I’d also suggest adding in a Relationships section. Moving past all of the individual background bits, this is a big part of what makes Overwatch characters so interesting – their interactions and relationships with one another. Mikaela’s profile gives an overview of her different relationships, but doesn’t go into specifics aside from a bit about Althea. Giving more specific details about Mikaela’s relationships with her various family members (especially her aunt and uncle) as well as a specific section to highlight how things progressed between her and Althea would help a lot. Similarly, sections about Mikaela’s relationships with various canon Overwatch characters would help too. Mercy and Symmetra have already been mentioned as fellow scientists – did Mikaela get along with them, or did they disagree about certain things? Would she have kept mostly to Overwatch’s science-types (Winston, Mei, Torbjorn) or would she have gotten involved with the other departments as well? Does Mikaela have any bias against the Omnic members of Overwatch, given the Omnic Crisis’ lingering effects on her childhood? Going by Mikaela’s age, she would have joined Overwatch during its waning years when Blackwatch’s clandestine and illegal activities were beginning to come to light. Did she support Blackwatch’s efforts or did she not know about them at all? What were her thoughts on the conflict between Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison? Where was she when the Overwatch headquarters was destroyed? Overwatch has a lot of history behind it, almost all of which is tied up in the interpersonal relationships between various characters. Highlighting that more would help explain Mikaela’s place in that world as well as add that much more detail to her character.

All in all, I think you’ve got a decent base for Mikaela, her profile just needs some reformatting and expanded sections. Being specific and using more direct language would help to maintain focus as well, keeping the progression on Mikaela herself rather than potentially distracting the reader.

I hope this helps!

-D