#Home Lab Storage

[virtualizationhowto]

NAS vs Server: Pros and Cons for Home Lab

NAS vs Server: Pros and Cons for Home Lab #homelab #homeserver #NASvsServerComparison #NetworkAttachedStorage #DataStorageServer #FileServers #ServerOperatingSystems #NASDevices #TraditionalFileServer #SmallBusinessDataSolution #HomeLabStorage

Two devices dominate both SMB and home lab environments – NAS devices and servers. The NAS vs server debate has been going on for quite some time. Both have their unique set of advantages and disadvantages. This post delves into the pros and cons of each, to guide you in making a good decision in the realm of electronic data storage. Table of contentsWhat is a Network Attached Storage (NAS)…

[daniel-nerd]

not me spending 2k on a custom NAS

its gonna be a bit overkill for a NAS but I could also use it as a general server for vpn, mc, etc

[stoppit-keepout]

[image is of tags reading: looking at random objects in your house and saying things like, i dont need a dish towel right now, a hairbrush... dont need that right now, this dirty saucepan isnt gonna help me, i dont have time to watch tv]

walking up to random doors and tugging on them and saying "i can't. it's locked" out loud to no one to fulfill my dreams of being an adventure game protagonist

[seumyo]

Kuroo had imagined that if he ever had a meet-cute with his future girlfriend, it would be something out of a rom-com.

Maybe she’d bump into him in the hallway and drop her books, and their hands would brush as they both reached down. Maybe they’d get locked in the school’s storage closet and have no choice but to talk, discovering they had an undeniable connection. Maybe he’d do something particularly cool in front of her—like nail an impossible volleyball save—and she’d be so impressed that she’d fall for him on the spot.

You know, a great story to tell his future kids later on.

What he did not imagine was this.

He had barely settled into his seat in chemistry lab class when the teacher rattled off instructions about the elements they’d be working with today. Kuroo, who had only half-listened, glanced at the laminated periodic table on their lab station. There were a lot of elements, and he was already regretting not paying closer attention. With a sigh, he turned to the girl beside him.

“Hey, can you check which elements we’re supposed to—”

He paused.

For one, you looked a little startled, like you hadn’t expected him to speak to you so soon. Your lips parted slightly, and your fingers thrummed against the edge of the table, but you didn’t immediately respond. Kuroo furrowed his brows.

Maybe you didn’t hear him?

Before he could repeat himself, you blinked a few times and slowly turned to the periodic table. Your expression shifted into something that could only be described as deep concentration, like you were trying to decipher some ancient text rather than a chart of chemical elements.

Seconds passed.

Then a full minute.

Kuroo’s eyebrows inched up.

Still, no answer.

“Give me a second.”

Ah, there it was.

He could see your eyes darting over the periodic table, and every few moments, you squinted slightly, as if you were trying to bring the tiny printed words into focus. Another thirty seconds passed. He tilted his head, watching as you leaned forward a little, your eyes locked on the chart like your life depended on it.

You would probably set it on fire at this point from how intense you were looking.

“…You good?” he finally asked, unable to stop the curious edge in his voice.

You straightened up so fast it was like you had been caught doing something embarrassing. Which, judging by the way you suddenly looked anywhere but at him, you probably had.

“I, um—” You hesitated, biting your lip. Then, after what seemed to be an internal debate, you let out a small sigh. “I actually, uh, forgot my glasses at home.”

Oh.

Oh.

Kuroo blinked, his amusement only growing. That explained a lot.

“That bad, huh?” he asked, resting his elbow on the table and propping his chin on his hand.

“Not terrible,” you muttered, though the way you still weren’t looking at him suggested otherwise. “I can still see—just not, you know, well.”

That made him chuckle.

“Well, that’s going to be a little problem, isn’t it?”

You let out a small, almost defeated laugh. “Probably.”

Kuroo grinned and turned his attention back to the chart, skimming for the elements the teacher had mentioned. “Alright, let’s see… We’ve got—” He rattled off a few element names and their symbols, glancing at you to make sure you were following along.

Then, as if remembering you had an actual task to contribute to, you quickly dropped your gaze back on the textbook for reference. “You don’t have to—”

“Nah, it’s fine,” he interrupted smoothly. “What were the elements again? Aluminum, zinc, and—what was the last one?”

Still looking a little overwhelmed by the sheer speed at which this whole interaction was happening, you answered, “Um. Magnesium.”

“Magnesium, got it.” Kuroo tapped the page, making sure you could at least see where he was pointing. “Here, let’s work on this together. I’ll read it out, and you can double-check if I’m not mistaken.”

You let out a small, barely-there laugh—so quiet that if Kuroo hadn’t been paying attention, he would’ve missed it. But he was paying attention.

He had been ever since you sat next to him, really. He realized that he paid attention to you more than the teacher himself.

Kuroo read the information to you, sometimes exaggerating just for fun—“And this here, my dear lab partner, is the majestic zinc, element number 30, the unsung hero of batteries everywhere”—which earned him an amused shake of your head. You weren’t exactly talkative, per se, but he caught glimpses of amusement in the way you entertained his nonsense.

This must be the manifestation of that one tweet he posted, “My future wife is probably fake laughing at her boyfriend’s lame jokes rn. Be patient, Queen; a true clown is on the way.”

Now that you weren’t caught off guard, you nodded along, quickly jotting things down in your notes. It was then that Kuroo realized something else.

You hadn’t even introduced yourselves.

“You know,” he said, smiling a little, “I think we skipped a step.”

You paused, looking at him curiously, then back at your worksheet. “What?”

“The whole name thing.” He tapped his pen against the worksheet. “I asked you to do something before I even said hi. That’s pretty rude, huh?”

For the first time since he spoke to you, you actually met his gaze. And then, to his surprise, you cracked a small smile.

“A little, yeah.”

Kuroo chuckled. “I’m Kuroo Tetsurou.”

You tilted your head slightly, and then, like you were amused at how backwards this whole conversation had gone, you finally replied, “[Last Name] [Name].”

“Nice to meet you,” he said. “And don’t worry—I’ll be your eyes for today. And for as long as you’d like.”

“Are you this flirty with every person you meet?”

“Only the ones that know their way around a calculator despite not even looking at it directly.”

You rolled your eyes at that, but he could see how his jokes were getting to you. By the time the teacher walked around to check your progress, Kuroo had already decided that this was way better than any cliché shoujo manga meet-cute.

Because really, what could be more romantic than offering to be someone’s eyes for the day—and maybe even for forever?

BONUS:

SEUMYO © 2025. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, MODIFY OR TRANSLATE.

[tahnisreu]

[kissthesunandmoon]

Cellmates by proxy part 2 (Yautja x f reader SMUT MDNI)

Part 1 here!

(After staying with T’orak for exactly 3 weeks and 2 days, the two of you are brought back to his planet, where your new life as his mate begins. Of course, this involves plenty of alone time with him)

Three weeks and 2 days, that’s how long you had been on that ship, you would have been absolutely miserable had it none been for your cellmate, now just your mate.

T’orak had not changed his feelings in the slightest after your heated encounter, you had worried his words were just a spur of the moment, but his affection for you had only seemed to grow since then.

He held you close every night, lulling you to sleep with his plans for when you arrived back on his own planet, some of which soothed you, others ended with you under him panting and moaning once again.

You had grown to care for him in a way that you never would have expected, you were never this quick to fall for anyone, you often joked to him that the two of you must have been meant to be. He never said it out loud, but he felt the exact same way, finding himself ecstatic at the thought of having a life, a home, and maybe even someday, younglings with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The alarms had alerted you to their presence, confirming what he could already sense, his brothers had finally come for him. You heard the onslaught from beyond your doors, and after what felt like hours, they had opened.

Before you had stood three more of his kind, they greeted him, and without time for any formal introduction you had all made your way through the ship, they hadn’t questioned your presence for the time being. After all, unbeknownst to you, you were dripping in his scent.

You had made a stop at what was their storage room in which they kept the belongings of their captives, T’orak collected his mask, armour and weaponry. He had given you one of their weapons and gave you a very quick rundown on how to use it, and use it you did.

With it, you had managed to take down a good number of your captures, and although it wasn’t much compared to T’orak and his brothers, you still felt a little proud of yourself. You had even managed to help one of his fellow warriors in a sticky situation, earning his gratitude.

Finally you had made it away from that dreadful place, as far as you were aware, they had left no survivors. They had however opened all of the other cells before they left, any who had been spared by the Yautjas, would surely face the wrath of their lab rats.

Either way, they weren’t your problem anymore, and for the first time you allowed yourself to relax in his quarters within their ship. You rested, ate and of course eventually you had to be introduced to his fellow crew mates.

They had seemed a little apprehensive at first, although they were impressed that you had held your own during your escape and even aided them. And of course your mate told them of how you had put yourself in harms way to defend him, now that was what did it for them.

It had seemed such a small gesture to you, but to them who valued honour and bravery, your small feat did not go unnoticed. You had looked out for them and of course T’orak, a highly respected member of their clan, and for that you had their thanks.

—————————

Arriving on their home planet on the first day was strange, now you were the alien, but you were met with no hostility, more-so a cautious curiosity. The noble warriors who you had travelled with had the utmost trust and respect from their clan, including their leader, and therefore your presence must have been justified.

They had given a very quick rundown of the events in their tongue to who you had assumed was their leader due to his elaborate get up, his eyes had been on you the majority of the time. They had then introduced him to you, you weren’t sure what had been spoken of you, but whatever he said must have pacified their leader for now as he let you return home with T’orak.

Over the next week you had even been introduced to the females of the clan, who were surprisingly much larger than the males, and yet they were gentle with you. You were sure it was because they viewed you as weak, but you appreciated it nonetheless, you would not want to get on the wrong side of any of these women.

They had even shown you, very proudly, their younglings. Small but strong little males and females, their childish curiosity written all over their faces as they clambered on you, touched your face, played with your hair and chittered in their native language to you. You even felt a twinge of baby fever, wondering if that would ever be in the cards with your mate.

Eventually you had been given a bracelet of some kind for the sake of translation, you could tell that they were still a little unsure of your ever growing presence, but by now your deeds on the creatures ship had reached the ears of many whom had deemed it impressive, at least for a human that was. Their small act of acceptance had truly made you feel at home with them.

It was strange here, but you felt yourself glowing with happiness with each passing day, T’orak was as attentive as ever, even catering to your needs with subtle changes to his home. And oh was home a lovely place to be, since he had officially announced you as his mate your life had been what you would compare to marital bliss; he had doted on you, cared for you and of course - mated you. A lot.

—————————

It was late at night now, your mate had been on a hunt the entire day and you had to admit you were missing his warm presence beside you. Snuggled up in the furs of his bed, keeping your naked form sheltered against the cold, you strained your ears to try to detect any sound of movement from outside your now home.

You let out a sigh, rolling over to face the flickering fire in the corner of his room, he had said he would be back before dark. And yet here it was, dark, and he was not home. You knew you couldn’t fault him for it, even humans ran behind at work, but you were still adapting to the life of the mate of a hunter.

Just as you had felt your eyes growing heavy, the warmth and melody of the fire relaxing you further into the cozy nest, your ears finally picked up something, the sound of the door to your home opening. Then the sound of your mate unloading his gear and the kill of his hunt into the room resembling a kitchen, before finally footsteps echoed throughout the hall leading to the bedroom.

You lay still as the door to his bedroom opened, unable to determine his level of exhaustion, he had only been on a few hunts since your arrival a week prior, but his return home always went one of two ways. Either he would come home too tired to stand, collapse on the bed tucking you into his arms and instantly drifting off - or - he would return to you ravenous, the adrenaline sparking something else within his body.

The bed dipped slightly to accommodate to his weight, yet you still did not move, anticipating what his next move could be. Before you could even look to face him, a large yet gentle hand found your cheek, caressing it softly. You hummed into the feeling, your body stirring slightly out of its relaxed state as you felt him lay down behind you, his chest pressed to your back.

“You’re late” you mumbled quietly, although their was no reprimand to your voice. You felt the rumble within his chest, a low chuckle of sorts at your words, his hand trailing from your face to land on your waist, pulling you back further to him.

“I know I know, I said I would be back before dark. But I am here now, do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive me?” His question had a teasing tone to it, he enjoyed the idea that you missed him, and found it amusing the looks you gave him on the occasion he was late.

“Hmm” you pretended to ponder aloud, his teasing tone mimicked in your own. “I don’t know if you deserve my forgiveness” you mused turning slightly to look at him, the familiar glint of mischief in your eyes that he had grown to love even when you two had been in captivity together.

“Oh I see now, so are you saying my mate…” he leaned forward so that his mouth was next to your ear, the breath of his low spoken words grazing at your neck “that I would have to earn it?” His hand at your waist tightened at that, rocking you backwards into him slightly.

Not that you were surprised, you had played this little cat and mouse game plenty during the month of knowing him, he liked to tease, and you liked to encourage it. Playing along you grinned “I mean you could try, but it will take a lot to make up for this, you have completely betrayed my trust, I am utterly heartbroken” you replied in an exaggerated, mock hurt tone “I’m afraid you won’t win me over that easily”.

That familiar clicking purr rumbled through him and into you, “Mhm, we shall see about that” and before you could even muster up a reply, you felt his weight shift slightly, his hand leaving your waist to travel down your stomach. You shuddered at the feeling of his enticingly rough fingers, looks like he isn’t tired after all.

Biting back a gasp, you felt his fingers slide between your legs, immediately finding the wetness gathering there. He tutted at you from behind, his fingers running through the wetness of your folds “You won’t be easily won over hmm? Your body betrays you my love”. You couldn’t find it in you to quip back at him, instead you leaned into his touch, delicate circles running over your clit.

Over the past few weeks, he had prided himself on learning your body inside and out, and he was a fast learner. He knew how to make you come undone, but most importantly he knew how to get you impossibly close, just on the tip of the edge but unable to fall without his steady push, resulting in you having to ask, sometimes even beg him to give you what he knew you needed.

It seemed that’s exactly what he was doing now, the pressure of his fingers on you was delectable, but not enough, he was going to paw at you until you couldn’t take it anymore. And you were soon getting there, moans spilled from your tongue, but they were high pitched like a whine, he was absolutely torturing you in the best way.

You felt your hips rock to match the rhythm of his fingers, you could hear the wetness throughout the room, and you could hear his response to it. Soft growls met your ears, and soon he decided that this would not situate him either.

You felt his fingers leave you eliciting a whimper, until he shifted so that he was sat further down the bed, turning you to be flat on your back. You knew exactly what was coming, he pushed your knees to your chest, spreading them slightly before admiring the arousal dripping from you, from his doing.

Since he had tasted you that first time on the ship, it appeared that he could not get enough, he would find any excuse to have his mouth on you at any point during the day, and somehow he got better at it every time.

Your fingers interlaced with the furs of his bed and with one look of approval from you, he practically dove down to you, immediately lapping you up like a man starved. You closed your eyes at the feeling, every part of your body suddenly on fire from the feeling of his tongue.

His hands kept your thighs in place as his tongue devoured you, paying special attention to your clit that made your back arch, your legs shake and pulled sounds from deep within your chest. You squirmed beneath him, hips rocking into his greedy mouth, his mandibles ticking at the skin of your thighs.

He licked every inch of you, only stopping to compliment your “sweet pussy”, his insatiable tongue shifting between swirling circles on your clit, to slipping inside of you to taste you further.

Soon you found pleas cascading from your mouth, begging for him not to stop, as if he ever would anyway. He growled at the feeling of you, the taste of you and of course the sound of you. He would do this all day if you let him, he wished you would let him. And finally with one final flick of his tongue, your body was overcome by that familiar white hot feeling of your orgasm.

He continued his work with his tongue as always, until you were desperately trying to move away from the overwhelming sensations.

He sat up to look at you, your chest heaving, body still trembling and fingers intertwined with the furs on his bed, your knuckles practically white from how hard you gripped. He licked all the way up your body, until he reached your neck and gave you a firm nip with his teeth, marking you for anyone to see.

“Tell me hmm? Do you still need some, convincing?” He purred into your neck as he licked the area in which his teeth had sunken in to your soft flesh, there was a playful cockiness to his tone. Almost slightly mocking.

Oh, so that’s how he’s going to play? Game on.

You were absolutely wrecked after that, but as always that feeling of needing him swirled in the pit of your stomach, a twinge of a teasing stubbornness ran through you as you fought against your smile “Well I would say a little more persuasion would work in your favour” you croaked slightly, your voice strained from your excessive moaning “But of course I understand if you don’t have it in you”

He practically shot up from the crook of your neck, his narrowed eyes meeting yours. Those teasing words were brave even for you, but as he stared into your eyes, searching for any sign of submission, instead he found a glint something else, surely you knew here that you were practically challenging him. Oh. So that’s how you were going to be.

He shook his head slightly with an amused rumbling chuckle, “Fine then, have it your way.” And with that his hands gripped your waist again, flipping you on to your stomach with a sharp gasp for you. He had been so gentle with you when you had first met, worried he might break you with your fragile body and delicate nature.

But now he knew you better, his man-handling didn’t frighten you, it turned you on. He reached his hand under you giving your belly a firm tap, you knew what that meant; hips up, legs open. Of course, you obeyed, propping yourself up onto your elbows and knees feeling him shift himself behind you.

He planted a strong hand on your back to hold you in place, you liked that too, him having complete control of your body. He would never take advantage of that control and you knew that, it’s funny, despite his huge stature and predatory nature, you had never felt safer with anyone handling your body.

The sting of the stretch snapped you from your thoughts, eyes scrunching shut as you focused on your breathing easing yourself into the feeling. Despite the fact he was aching for you, as always he waited until you were ready, holding himself still and fighting against his urges to rock himself further into you.

After what felt like an eternity he felt you relax around him, moving your hips backwards until your ass was flush against his pelvis. A low drawn out moan escaped you as you did, and so he began to move. Slowly at first, agonising rolls of his hips into you, your breath hitching every time you felt his tip brush against that sweet spot deep inside you. Then when your moans became slightly higher pitched and more urgent, he quickened his pace.

Soon he was slamming into you with his hands on your waist, you still knew he was holding back, he would have likely bruised your insides had he used his full power. He felt you squeezing his cock and he growled at the feeling, you continued to moan and whimper, murmuring his name and practically begging him to ruin you.

Then just as your legs began to shake, there was a knock at your front door, your whole body froze up as you lifted your head. It was one of the males your mate had been hunting with, you heard him yell something to your mate through the door, but even if you could understand their language, your heartbeat drumming in your ears would have denied you his words anyway.

You went to push yourself up, expecting T’orak to stop to tend to whatever matter had brought his fellow comrade to the door. Instead, you felt a heavy hand between your shoulder blades, pushing you down further so instead of being on your elbows, your chest was completely flat against his bed. He continued moving into you.

You shot a glance at him behind you, before whispering “What are you doing?! He’ll hear us” it was hard to keep your voice down and even harder to keep your moans at bay.

You felt him lean down to brush his mouth against your ear, giving it a teasing lick as he did “So what if he does? Sex is no secret in my culture, I am simply enjoying the presence of my mate, after all I am still to earn your forgiveness for my lack of punctuality am I not?” his tone was playful as ever, slightly strained as he continued fucking you, pushing himself even deeper.

Your hopes that his friend would simply leave were shattered when another knock echoed through your home, your mate let out another amused purr into your ear seeing that you were now focused solely on holding in your moans. Sure by now the whole clan would have known what you and T’orak got up to, you always bore his mark after all, but that didn’t mean you wanted them to hear you.

As if reading your mind, your mate accommodated to you, while also torturing you further. He leaned down so his chest was against your back, never once slowing his hips, the new angle had you seeing stars and feeling light-headed. Just as you feared your moans would slip out, he brought his strong hand to press against your mouth, catching your sweet sounds. Then, to add insult to injury, he brought his other hand under you, sliding down your stomach to your clit, rubbing slow circles into you.

You couldn’t hold back now, your moans high pitched and frantic spilling into his hand, you could feel every inch of him inside you, his fingers on your clit, his tongue and breath against your neck. It was all too much and yet so, so good. You felt your eyes scrunch closed once again, your whole body limp between the bed and him while he fucked himself into you tirelessly. The slight upwards angle of his hips making him brush against you over and over again, right there.

You couldn’t warn him if you wanted to, suddenly you didn’t care how loud you were or who heard you, your whole body trembled and finally you came hard, shuddering around him. He let out a loud groan, your own high edging him towards his own. The knocking had stopped now, his brother either having grown tired of waiting, or catching on to what was happening within your home.

With one last snap of his hips, T’orak bit down on the nap of your neck before you felt him tremble, his cock twitching as he came inside you. He held you there for a moment, filling you up before wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you both to fall on your sides, not even bothering to pull himself out of you.

You lay there with him panting, your skin laced in sweat, his tongue soothing the fresh mark on your neck. You felt yourself relax once again, you let out a short breathless laugh, “I think it’s safe to say you are forgiven” your hand reaching back to give an affectionate tug on his dreads.

But just as you readied yourself for the thought of a well earned night sleep, you felt a hand lift one of your thighs as he pushed himself slightly further into you once again, still impossibly hard inside of you. “Hmm, I don’t think I have earned your forgiveness my love” he whispered into your ear before snapping his hips forward once again, “Yet.”

(I’m sorry that this took longer to come out than the others, but I found myself getting too invested in their love story and it ended up being far too long which is why I asked about making this a series. So I decided to trim this down a bit and will continue writing more in different parts, I personally think that reader and T’orak deserve an adorable youngling in the near future ;).I also tried shortening the paragraphs to ease strain on the eyes after a very helpful comment was left on a previous post about this being a potential issue. As always let me know what you think, hope you enjoyed!)

[rockingbytheseaside]

✦ You invite them to live in your Serenitea Pot

Pierro, Capitano, Dottore, Scaramouche, Pantalone, Childe 

After prolonged years of adventuring, traveling, and battling, you decided it was the appropriate moment to invite your partner to your Serenitea Pot. It’s like inviting a significant other to move in with you, right? You are delighted, and even though your beloved is acting honored and calm on the outside, little do you know - he is secretly screaming with victory on the inside. 

✧ A tender smile graced Pierro’s cold expression. The first time you spoke about him taking residence along with you in your Serenitea Pot mansion, The Jester's inner machination was already planning a wedding. He loved you, with every fiber of his being. And whether you decide to live in the grand Snezhnayan Palace or somewhere private, it won’t hinder his plans to spoil you as his beloved.

It was all according to plan. You wake up, breakfast is already prepared. You start your day, the house is already cleaned. You wish to rest, his arms are already open.

He took his duties as a resident of your humble abode as if he were the househusband of this home. All matters were taken care of by him. And the fact that you two are already leading a private life together like a proper couple ignited his cold demeanor with softheartedness. It suited him; the commotion of the Fatui and Snezhnayan delegations were far away from you two. And with no peering eyes, the Fatui Director was busy with so many thoughts about your future: making your home better, showing himself as a man who would coddle you all day long, choosing a ring for you…

“Dear? You are deep in thoughts again,” - You called out suddenly, your gentle voice breaking his train of vehement thoughts. “I told you, you’re here to rest, not overwork yourself with chores!”

���Ah, my apologies. It seems I was lost in my mind once more. You know my habit of preparedness is often prevalent.”

✧ The honorable Il Capitano went silent the first time you invited him, and his pitch-black helmet did not provide any clues to his already stoic body language. At first, you hesitated. Perhaps he did not feel comfortable taking such an importan-

Next thing you know, the mighty captain is kneeling in front of you, his head hung low in utter reverence. “It would be my greatest honor to receive your blessings. I shall conduct myself with utmost obedience in your domain.”

“Goodness gracious, It’s just my house, Capitano! Not the Tsaritsa’s throne!” 

After much convincing and assurance, you finally had The First of the Harbingers in your dwelling. In the beginning, you pondered, what a man of his caliber would do in his private time. Perhaps more training, or planning for battles? You decided to create a separate area for weaponry storage and training duels. After all, you wanted to be considerate.

To your surprise, Capitano never brought his “work” in the privacy of your home. Instead, he treated you to some of the best home cooking in the seven nations. With a broad outdoor area like your Serenitea Pot, Il Capitano finally managed to flex his grilling skills. You never knew BBQ grilled vegetables could taste so heavenly. And on colder nights, he preferred some home baking.

“Who would’ve thought the strongest man in Teyvat relished such a peaceful routine when he’s at home,” - You teased him once. Feasting like a monarch with his cooking, you have your cherished prepare the best food and provide the strongest cuddles - what else would you need?

“I would never bring you the turbulence of war to the footsteps of your home. After all, mundanity is a luxury that the common folk cannot comprehend.”

✧ When Il Dottore moved in with you - he became an absolute menace to your mental well-being. The upper floor of your manor was entirely occupied for his scholarly needs. From your library to your study; the upper rooms were regaled, making a mini makeshift lab filled with vials of obscure chemicals or too-long-to-read medical names.

But that was not the main issue at all. The greatest conundrum was that Dottore considered your privacy as our privacy. According to him, the Serenitea Pot was a private residence, secluded from the turmoil of the world’s idiocracy. Any temporary visitors would receive a nasty glare from him whenever they stayed. This was his confidential sanctuary with you, not theirs. And in his private time, when it’s only you and him in the house, the Doctor would forget that people often get dressed after a shower - because he would exit the bathroom wearing only a towel around his hips, and keep waltzing around your room like it’s nothing.

“...Uh? Please dress first, Dottore.”

“Very well.”

“Not here!!!”

Nevertheless, you managed all that. What you didn’t manage, however, is how Dottore took the most amount of space in bed. Your bed, mind you. Before he joined your travels, you created a comfy bedroom in your Serenitea Pot, a separate, quiet setting for your favorite mad scholar. Alas, every night you peacefully went to bed, only to wake up with a figure wrapping his arms tightly around your midsection, taking half of your bed.

Today was one of those days. The blankets were a mess, some had fallen to the floor. You feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic in your own bed, something nudging you to almost fall off. You already knew the culprit of your situation - Dottore. He was dozing off comfortably behind you, his arms sleepily thrown around your form, glued to your torso.

You whined groggily, trying to get away - “... You have your own bed. Stop pushing me.”

“Shush. Come here.” - Dottore's arms encircled around your waist, pulling your back flush to his chest. “It’s our bed now.” 

It seems The Doctor didn’t take long to feel at home. Oh well. The only way to deal with this was to use him as a mattress from now on.

✧ At first, you hesitated to invite Scaramouche to your Serenitea Pot. It was still a work in progress, and not all areas were refurbished or prepared. Yet surprisingly, it was he who opened the discussion of a joint dwelling. Perhaps it was his instinct to keep you closer, to be certain of your safety in his arms.

After asking and discussing, you were pleasantly surprised when the Balladeer stated: “I do not expect you to build a palace. I will help you with the renovation. You can ask for my help.”

And so he did. You felt timid with your emptied Serenitea Pot, yet The Harbinger took it upon himself to aid you. He worked with you on where the house should be, and what type of garden or entrance should accompany it. There was something about his serious gaze whenever he discussed with you the matters of home. As if some old memories were reemerging.

“It doesn't matter. We won’t clutter the place, as a busy environment becomes a nuisance. The less one has - the better.”

With a profound touch of contemplation and minimalism, You and Scaramouche managed to plan an elegant abode. It was simple, yet perfectly maintained - with the best aspects of Inazuma and other foreign nations in the craftsmanship of the furniture. You were surprised but content. You even went as far as to ask your beloved whether he wanted a more traditional Inazuman style for this private dwelling but he strictly rejected it.

He didn’t want any more memories of his “birthplace” to resurface. Not in a place that will be private for you two.

So here you were, giddy with excitement as the interior of your manor was settled and ready. The bedroom was cozy and comfortable, a perfect place to lounge and rest. The Harbinger would groan whenever you tugged and pulled him to sleep next to you. 

“If you move once in your sleep, I’m pushing you off the bed.” 

You promised him you wouldn’t. But it was he who relented and held you close to his chest during the night. He did not need a home or a safe haven from the cruel world; You were already his home. 

✧ Bring in the fine china, and roll out the red carpet - because Pantalone was coming over to your Serenitea Pot. You know that your sweetheart has a manor pricier than Mondstadt’s entire GDP, with fancy knick-knacks and luxuries. But as a couple, it was always Pantalone who insisted on you living with him, since he could spoil and pamper you after long travel expeditions. In his manor, you can simply have everything you ever desire. 

But today was a grand occasion. You decided to invite him to your humble home, even if you had little to impress him with. The Harbinger was ecstatic, this was a step he desired and longed for. Should he dress formal-casual or more extravagant? No, no. His hair must be well-kept. Perhaps he should bring an expensive bottle of Fontainian wine… The evening must end flawlessly. It’s his first night in your home, for crying out loud. An evening designated to culminate with lovely cuddles in your bed, lavishing you with kisses or more. 

Upon entering your cozy home, all his worries dissipated after you embraced him in your usual jovial way. You proudly displayed your manor, tugging at his hand and pulling him closer. Mirroring your pride, he stood analyzing each item or furniture as if it were a priceless relic in a museum.

“Ah, yes. I see this must be a traditional Inazuman doll, one used in ancient arts and rituals.”

“Oh, these round things? This is just a tanuki daruma… They bounce funny.”

“And I see this figurine must be imported as well, my dear? A marvelous craftsmanship of wood and carvings. Interesting.”

“This is just a wooden figurine of an Aranara” - you smiled proudly.

“I like your funny words, darling.” 

✧ If Tartaglia never invited you over to his family home back in Snezhnaya, you would’ve thought this man was homeless. The 11th often stayed in your Serenitea Pot, always giddy yet conscientious. Whenever you wished for any help around the house, his sleeves would roll up and the apron was on; all you had to do was ask, and you shall receive.

Thus, the two of you would help each other. If you were cooking, then he would do the laundry; all chores were equally divided. Childe was naturally hardworking, and you loved him for his dedication to the house. It always felt warmer and cozier whenever he stayed, and you made sure to display your appreciation throughout the day by providing kisses to the cheek or gentle caresses to his hair.

Who wouldn’t be thrilled when their beloved greets them home and kisses them on the cheek? Now that he is residing in your private adeptal realm, it makes him look forward to returning home even more. To be back from a mission, only to kiss you, pick you up, and squeeze you lovingly in his arms.

Alas, despite his domestic joy, he was also becoming restless. Such a huge realm, you could have a whole area for dueling or training an army here. Therefore, he would start nagging at you throughout the day, asking you to join him.

“Come now, sweetheart! Just a quick morning stretch!” - He said from the living room’s doorway.

“Oh, I know! How about we make a shooting range outdoors and see who’ll get the most bullseye.” - his voice rang from downstairs.

“Or a one-on-one sparring match. That will get the blood flowing.” - he even stood behind the bathroom door, still imploring you through closed doors.

All this and more persisted. Even in the early morning, when your eyesight barely adjusted to the sunlight, the first thing you’d see is him leaning over your shoulders “Perhaps we can-” 

“Nope,” - you intercepted, albeit sleepily. Pulling him closer to bed, you made sure he went still in your arms. “No fighting. Only cuddles...”

“Oh? Is that your form of a challenge, darling? Be prepared, because I won't back down.”

[reasonsforhope]

"It is 70 years since AT&T’s Bell Labs unveiled a new technology for turning sunlight into power. The phone company hoped it could replace the batteries that run equipment in out-of-the-way places. It also realised that powering devices with light alone showed how science could make the future seem wonderful; hence a press event at which sunshine kept a toy Ferris wheel spinning round and round.

Today solar power is long past the toy phase. Panels now occupy an area around half that of Wales, and this year they will provide the world with about 6% of its electricity—which is almost three times as much electrical energy as America consumed back in 1954. Yet this historic growth is only the second-most-remarkable thing about the rise of solar power. The most remarkable is that it is nowhere near over.

To call solar power’s rise exponential is not hyperbole, but a statement of fact. Installed solar capacity doubles roughly every three years, and so grows ten-fold each decade. Such sustained growth is seldom seen in anything that matters. That makes it hard for people to get their heads round what is going on. When it was a tenth of its current size ten years ago, solar power was still seen as marginal even by experts who knew how fast it had grown. The next ten-fold increase will be equivalent to multiplying the world’s entire fleet of nuclear reactors by eight in less than the time it typically takes to build just a single one of them.

Solar cells will in all likelihood be the single biggest source of electrical power on the planet by the mid 2030s. By the 2040s they may be the largest source not just of electricity but of all energy. On current trends, the all-in cost of the electricity they produce promises to be less than half as expensive as the cheapest available today. This will not stop climate change, but could slow it a lot faster. Much of the world—including Africa, where 600m people still cannot light their homes—will begin to feel energy-rich. That feeling will be a new and transformational one for humankind.

To grasp that this is not some environmentalist fever dream, consider solar economics. As the cumulative production of a manufactured good increases, costs go down. As costs go down, demand goes up. As demand goes up, production increases—and costs go down further. This cannot go on for ever; production, demand or both always become constrained. In earlier energy transitions—from wood to coal, coal to oil or oil to gas—the efficiency of extraction grew, but it was eventually offset by the cost of finding ever more fuel.

As our essay this week explains, solar power faces no such constraint. The resources needed to produce solar cells and plant them on solar farms are silicon-rich sand, sunny places and human ingenuity, all three of which are abundant. Making cells also takes energy, but solar power is fast making that abundant, too. As for demand, it is both huge and elastic—if you make electricity cheaper, people will find uses for it. The result is that, in contrast to earlier energy sources, solar power has routinely become cheaper and will continue to do so.

Other constraints do exist. Given people’s proclivity for living outside daylight hours, solar power needs to be complemented with storage and supplemented by other technologies. Heavy industry and aviation and freight have been hard to electrify. Fortunately, these problems may be solved as batteries and fuels created by electrolysis gradually become cheaper...

The aim should be for the virtuous circle of solar-power production to turn as fast as possible. That is because it offers the prize of cheaper energy. The benefits start with a boost to productivity. Anything that people use energy for today will cost less—and that includes pretty much everything. Then come the things cheap energy will make possible. People who could never afford to will start lighting their houses or driving a car. Cheap energy can purify water, and even desalinate it. It can drive the hungry machinery of artificial intelligence. It can make billions of homes and offices more bearable in summers that will, for decades to come, be getting hotter.

But it is the things that nobody has yet thought of that will be most consequential. In its radical abundance, cheaper energy will free the imagination, setting tiny Ferris wheels of the mind spinning with excitement and new possibilities.

This week marks the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The Sun rising to its highest point in the sky will in decades to come shine down on a world where nobody need go without the blessings of electricity and where the access to energy invigorates all those it touches."

-via The Economist, June 20, 2024

[scealaiscoite]

‧₊˚ 🏞️ ✩ 200 setting prompts

¹⁾ an er waiting room 

²⁾ a funeral home car park 

³⁾ a dimly lit alleyway 

⁴⁾ a cramped holding cell

⁵⁾ an empty museum exhibit

⁶⁾ a dusty wine cellar 

⁷⁾ an ex’s spare room 

⁸⁾ a disused garden shed 

⁹⁾ a seedy, cheap motel room

¹⁰⁾ a 24/7 diner

¹¹⁾ a strip club dressing room

¹²⁾ a half-flooded basement 

¹³⁾ a dark classroom

¹⁴⁾ a sparsely-stocked walk-in fridge 

¹⁵⁾ a crumbling mausoleum 

¹⁶⁾ an aquarium’s shark habitat 

¹⁷⁾ a draughty bus stop 

¹⁸⁾ a posh hotel lobby 

¹⁹⁾ a quiet bakery 

²⁰⁾ a department store dressing room 

²¹⁾ a sold-out stadium 

²²⁾ a lofty airplane hangar 

²³⁾ a murky riverbank

²⁴⁾ a mostly-empty cinema 

²⁵⁾ a clearing amidst a dense forest 

²⁶⁾ a bar’s service well 

²⁷⁾ a mechanic’s office 

²⁸⁾ a 31st birthday party

²⁹⁾ a ship’s brig 

³⁰⁾ a sacristy 

³¹⁾ an amusement park 

³²⁾ a garish costume shop 

³³⁾ a mens’ bathroom 

³⁴⁾ a restaurant kitchen right before service 

³⁵⁾ an f1 marshal’s outpost 

³⁶⁾ a yacht’s bow 

³⁷⁾ a drive-thru chapel 

³⁸⁾ a stranger’s hotel room 

³⁹⁾ a dark evidence archibe 

⁴⁰⁾ a loud hair salon 

⁴¹⁾ a failing coffee shop 

⁴²⁾ a retirement home’s staff lounge 

⁴³⁾ an office building’s 12th floor 

⁴⁴⁾ a dying retail chain’s last store 

⁴⁵⁾ an upscale casino 

⁴⁶⁾ a ranch’s bunkhouse 

⁴⁷⁾ the deck of a dilapidated fishing trawler 

⁴⁸⁾ an away team’s dressing room 

⁴⁹⁾ a mortuary waiting room 

⁵⁰⁾ a long-disused storage locker 

⁵¹⁾ a phlebotomy lab 

⁵²⁾ a run-down stash house 

⁵³⁾ a tense conference room 

⁵⁴⁾ a humid greenhouse 

⁵⁵⁾ a jazz club 

⁵⁶⁾ a well-stocked storm cellar 

⁵⁷⁾ a decommissioned sanitorium 

⁵⁸⁾ an embassy under attack

⁵⁹⁾ a marathon aid station 

⁶⁰⁾ a luxury car dealership 

⁶¹⁾ a coastal holiday home 

⁶²⁾ the underside of a bridge 

⁶³⁾ a two-person tent

⁶⁴⁾ a draughty coal shed 

⁶⁵⁾ a labyrinthine warehouse 

⁶⁶⁾ a half-rotted apricot grove 

⁶⁷⁾ an off-the-books laboratory

⁶⁸⁾ a disturbing shrine 

⁶⁹⁾ a circus tent 

⁷⁰⁾ a freezing cold lake 

⁷¹⁾ an actor’s dressing room 

⁷²⁾ a news studio 

⁷³⁾ a broken-down elevator 

⁷⁴⁾ an office’s copier room 

⁷⁵⁾ a library archive 

⁷⁶⁾ a bustling betting shop 

⁷⁷⁾ a peruvian food truck 

⁷⁸⁾ a city bus depot 

⁷⁹⁾ a preschool play room 

⁸⁰⁾ a marina’s creaking dock 

⁸¹⁾ an army recruiter’s office

⁸²⁾ a butcher’s cold storage 

⁸³⁾ an abandoned storage mill 

⁸⁴⁾ a perfumer’s store 

⁸⁵⁾ a high-security prison perimeter tower 

⁸⁶⁾ a cordoned-off crime scene

⁸⁷⁾ a fire station simmering with tension  

⁸⁸⁾ a creepy furniture outlet 

⁸⁹⁾ a boudoir photographer’s set 

⁹⁰⁾ a maternity ward 

⁹¹⁾ a muddy farmyard at dawn 

⁹²⁾ a ballet company’s rehearsal space

⁹³⁾ a dusty record shop

⁹⁴⁾ an isolated, rural cabin

⁹⁵⁾ a detectives’ breakroom

⁹⁶⁾ a bridal boutique dressing room 

⁹⁷⁾ the back row of seats in a cinema

⁹⁸⁾ a bustling dockyard

⁹⁹⁾ a cheap massage parlour

¹⁰⁰⁾ an empty dormitory

¹⁰¹⁾ a stiflingly tense courtroom

¹⁰²⁾ a conspiracy theorist’s doomsday bunker

¹⁰³⁾ a cobweb-littered attic

¹⁰⁴⁾ a crumbling remote farmhouse

¹⁰⁵⁾ an arcade at close

¹⁰⁶⁾ a snowy chalet 

¹⁰⁷⁾ an out-of-use abbatoir

¹⁰⁸⁾ a bougie art exhibition

¹⁰⁹⁾ a neighbourhood paletería

¹¹⁰⁾ a headmaster’s office

¹¹¹⁾ a liquor store at midday

¹¹²⁾ a gold-for-cash outlet 

¹¹³⁾ a train station restroom

¹¹⁴⁾ a country club tennis court

¹¹⁵⁾ an acupuncturist’s office

¹¹⁶⁾ a mansion’s guest bathroom

¹¹⁷⁾ an overwhelmed military outpost

¹¹⁸⁾ a disused santa’s grotto

¹¹⁹⁾ an ambulance bay

¹²⁰⁾ a whiskey distillery

¹²¹⁾ a submarine command center 

¹²²⁾ a lesbian bar 

¹²³⁾ the boot of a parked car 

¹²⁴⁾ a bachelorette party 

¹²⁵⁾ an oncologist’s office 

¹²⁶⁾ a penthouse apartment 

¹²⁷⁾ a coastal cave at low tide 

¹²⁸⁾ the passenger seat of a humvee

¹²⁹⁾ a private plane at 40,000 feet

¹³⁰⁾ a murder-mystery party 

¹³¹⁾ an outdoor beach shower 

¹³²⁾ a sushi restaurant 

¹³³⁾ a trashed pawn shop

¹³⁴⁾ a divorce lawyer’s office 

¹³⁵⁾ an opium den 

¹³⁶⁾ a kids’ ball pit 

¹³⁷⁾ a silversmith’s workshop

¹³⁸⁾ an unassuming safehouse  

¹³⁹⁾ a turkish embassy 

¹⁴⁰⁾ a grimy sewer

¹⁴¹⁾ a federal evidence storehouse 

¹⁴²⁾ a loud public park 

¹⁴³⁾ a busy cocktail bar 

¹⁴⁴⁾ an army mess hall 

¹⁴⁵⁾ an empty stable 

¹⁴⁶⁾ a private investigator’s office 

¹⁴⁷⁾ a dog pound 

¹⁴⁸⁾ a hayfield 

¹⁴⁹⁾ a drive-in movie screening 

¹⁵⁰⁾ an apartment’s fire escape 

¹⁵¹⁾ a shipping container 

¹⁵²⁾ a yoga retreat

¹⁵³⁾ a duplex in a state of disarray 

¹⁵⁴⁾ an ice hockey rink 

¹⁵⁵⁾ a shooting range 

¹⁵⁶⁾ a blood drive 

¹⁵⁷⁾ a timber quarry 

¹⁵⁸⁾ a niche publishing house 

¹⁵⁹⁾ a private arts college 

¹⁶⁰⁾ a fairground in the dead of night 

¹⁶¹⁾ a last-chance rehab clinic 

¹⁶²⁾ an advertising agency

¹⁶³⁾ a theater on opening night 

¹⁶⁴⁾ a hectic rave 

¹⁶⁵⁾ a suburban pharmacy 

¹⁶⁶⁾ a green, sprawling valley 

¹⁶⁷⁾ a veterinary clinic 

¹⁶⁸⁾ a retirement community compex  

¹⁶⁹⁾ a hastily-emptied apartment 

¹⁷⁰⁾ a nightclub bathroom 

¹⁷¹⁾ a lush rose garden

¹⁷²⁾ a childhood bedroom

¹⁷³⁾ a military blacksite 

¹⁷⁴⁾ an airport lounge 

¹⁷⁵⁾ a television show set 

¹⁷⁶⁾ the 46th floor of a skyscraper 

¹⁷⁷⁾ a backpackers’ hostel 

¹⁷⁸⁾ an italian deli 

¹⁷⁹⁾ a failing hair salon 

¹⁸⁰⁾ a sensationalised haunted house 

¹⁸¹⁾ an off-grid commune 

¹⁸²⁾ a makeshift soccer pitch 

¹⁸³⁾ a landscaper’s toolshed 

¹⁸⁴⁾ a cruiseship’s engine room 

¹⁸⁵⁾ a photographer’s set 

¹⁸⁶⁾ a brightly-coloured daycare 

¹⁸⁷⁾ a neglected playground

¹⁸⁸⁾ a hardware store 

¹⁸⁹⁾ a nurses’ station

¹⁹⁰⁾ a tobacconist’s 

¹⁹¹⁾ a biker clubhouse 

¹⁹²⁾ a hunting club

¹⁹³⁾ a newsstand 

¹⁹⁴⁾ a sinking speedboat 

¹⁹⁵⁾ a monastery 

¹⁹⁶⁾ a medical examiner’s mortuary 

¹⁹⁷⁾ a grafftied phone booth 

¹⁹⁸⁾ a soup kitchen

¹⁹⁹⁾ a speakeasy hidden beneath a florists

²⁰⁰⁾ a pumpkin patch in july

[theguarddogofallyourfeverdreams]

tadashi headcanons

tadashi is here

generally

goody two shoes

never touches alcohol; will get asian flush after the first two shots

has never grown out his hair past the middle of his ears

boxer briefs kinda guy

owns a collection of scarves and gloves because he likes being warm and cozy

plays guitar or some instrument (he has to hes asian asians know)

not only surfs (a surfboard can be seen in his part of the room in some scenes) but also plays tennis and runs

has been approached for modeling gigs because he's well built and tall but he's turned them down, simply not interested in them

not very active on social media but whenever he remembers he has an account he just posts whatever he found interesting for the day like it could be mochi, a bowl of ramen, or littered packaging on the side of the street and then he would disappear off the face of the platform

sent to karate lessons as a kid so knows a bit of self defense which came clutch in situations spawned by hiro's teenage recklessness

he's the type to hide his injuries from his loved ones but get worried over the smallest cuts for them

sleeps like a fucking rock he needs several alarms and even aunt cass telling hiro to cause a ruckus to wake him tf up

learned how to cook from aunt cass because sometimes she is busy and away and hiro gets hungry

learned japanese conversationally from while his parents were still around, routinely tries to upkeep and improve his language ability through japanese books, movies and media

tries to teach hiro and get him to do the same but with hiro's young age and boredom from school he really doesn't think about anything other than his own interests robotics projects and botfighting

listens to pop and calm instrumental music like bossa nova

lowkey a swiftie

heavily dependent on caffeine; like near finals and midterms he can't function without coffee

until at some point he tried out matcha and was completely blown at how the matcha latte didn't give him jitters and caffeine spikes

so a matcha guy but will drink coffee if it's the only thing around

he's not lactose intolerant but hiro is and he makes fun of him for it

has really bad allergies though

keeps an extra futon in the storage of his lab because there have been way too many nights where he just passed out on the floor of his lab too exhausted to go home

i could see him in a VW beetle

or just any car that would run

appreciates any weather for what little delights they hold but interestingly i'd say he's a cloudy, chilly, crisp cold air that makes your breath look like steam, on-the-verge-of-raining day guy because he gets to bust out his cardigan and blazers and make himself a warm little drink

smells like fresh laundry, coffee and delightful little pastries -- like stepping into a warm bakery on a chilly day-- because the brothers have to help Cass open

on days he's busy with baymax and other robotics projects he comes out of his lab smelling more like metal, lubricant, oil, soldering-- all that stuff that comes with mechanical tinkering and is conscious of it; if he has a class after he will go home and shower and make himself a matcha latte and he smells like a bakery all over again

crazy well-regarded not just in his own department but in school overall

like not only was he able to make a portable huggable robot capable of 10,000 medical procedures with a built in defibrillator which is actually insane legend crazy work on its own

but he's insanely nice and kind to anyone he passes by on campus and offers help whenever he can

^ many girls and even some guys are head over heels for him they can't fathom that he's a real person and not some prince that came out of a fairytale

he's lowkey a loser when it comes to his brother (and other aspects covered later) though

since hiro and aunt cass are all he has left of his family he's insanely protective of them, especially hiro who is in his teenage rebellious years

like in an argument with hiro when hiro says something mean to him in the heat of the moment like "Why are you like this?! It's none of your business!!" or whatever he gets sad and even beats himself over it lowkey like "Am I a bad brother after all...?"

there have been multiple instances in which he didn't hang with the gang because he wouldn't trust hiro to run off and get into a botfight in some shady ass crevice of the city SCENE: hiro is grounded by tadashi yet again and tadashi insists to escort hiro to and from school Hiro: Why do I have to be dropped off by you? And you're picking me up too?! And why do I have to wear this stupid T-Shirt?!!! [t-shirt says "i got in trouble for not listening to my brother and nearly getting us arrested]

like look me in my tumblr icon and tell me that's never happened bruh

lowkey needs glasses but has contacts, will wear them if in a rush

hes a cool robotic genius prince in shining armor whos also lowkey really lame and dorky 😭😭😭 

romantically

since he's a goody-two-shoes so he's low-key romantically inexperienced and easily flustered

^ he's probably a virgin ngl

like he gets bitches "oh tadashi? from the robotics department? yeah he's really nice; he helped me carry some stuff this one time. and suuuper cute. would." / "yeah I would date tadashi if I weren't, you know, a heterosexual guy" ...but he doesn't act on any of the action he gets

part of the reason being that hiro hamada exists and that alone is a responsibility in itself

like he had to sew GPS tracking systems into hiro's clothes if he went on a date his date would get interrupted by hiro's jacket pinging from some sketchy ass dead end alleyway like 4 miles away

and even if he brought someone home he wouldn't be able to do anything peacefully since he shares a room with hiro, the only thing separating the brothers being a thin, timeworn shoji partitioning

would blush if brought into a victoria's secret-- he wouldn't know where to put his eyes so he would be flustered and his eyes darting all over the place

^ if one were to ask if he was okay from all the victoria's secrets being revealed in front of him he would stutter like a stereotypical flustered teenage boy

love isnt limited by gender kinda guy

he's just a chill guy who has so much love to spread all around you know

bigger spoon, loves cuddling

love languages acts of service and quality time

vvvvvvv sweet and considerate

sooo gentlemanly

is a clingy sticky affectionate sappy drunk to his s/o

free pastries and coffee for breakfast from the lucky cat cafe

would cook for his s/o maybe even breakfast in bed

would help wash and blow dry s/o hair

very polite (very demure very mindful LOL) often asks before a lot of things "can I hold your hand?" "can I help you with that?" "can I hug you?"

gives his s/o rides home on days they have to go home at night because lets face it even san fransokyo in 20thirtysomething has sketchy dangerous bums

he is very athletic and has crazy endurance from playing sports all throughout school and having to run, chase after, and rescue hiro out of botfighting "misunderstandings"...

^ crazy endurance... iykwim...

soft top, would be open to reasonable experimentation

rarely gets jealous but if he does, bottles it up

until he cant anymore and he does some slightly possessive stuff like putting his jacket over his s/o and he will feel a little romantical when he is alone with them iykwim

is sooo cute just trust

some darker stuff maybe(?) tw/ trauma, death, unresolved issues or whatever idk

as hard as he is on hiro and his loved ones he's hardest on himself

he was old enough to remember and feel his parents death so it was harder on him than it was for hiro

part of the reason why he wants so desperately to help everyone is because he wishes he could have done something to save his parents

it's not explicitly stated but i get the feeling their parents died instantly from a terrible accident that unfortunately first responders weren't able to save (which was probably the inspiration for Baymax, who is portable and capable of 10,000 medical procedures which is crazy work btw)

he lowkey has survivors guilt from it

any nightmares he has of his parents and the accident and he wakes up panicking and teary-eyed he goes to the bathroom to compose himself to not let it affect hiro

lowkey he might have a small issue of basing some of his self-worth off how helpful he is

nevertheless he's a well-adjusted and healthy young man who has gone to therapy and overcome his trauma but experiences from his past influence and manifest in his work of trying to help others through robotics

which manifested in many sleepless days and nights and innumerable pots of coffee during baymax's development stages

hates health insurance companies (don't ask how he feels about luigi's mansion)

hes so so gorg i love love love like since forever

[virtualizationhowto]

Top 5 Home Lab Storage Solutions in 2023

Top 5 Home Lab Storage Solutions in 2023 @vexpert #vmwarecommunities #homelab #100daysofhomelab #HomeLabStorage #HomeLab2023 #LocalStorageSolutions #TrueNASStorage #ProxmoxCeph #XCPngXOSAN #VMwarevSAN #NASServer #HomeServerSetup #VirtualMachinesStorage

When building a home lab solution, looking at the primary components of your home lab build includes considering your storage requirements. There are many options for building a home lab solution and storage considerations to be made. The great thing about building a home lab is you can build it according to your needs and the workloads you will be running. For many, starting with locally…

[yummyrevivalfluid]

Don't Look At Me With Those Eyes

Senku x Artist Reader Pt.3

Summary: Senku doesn't seem to understand what it means to be an Artists Muse, specifically yours. (Senku doesn't understand love)

Word Count: 1,355

Tag List: @maria-trisha @xtfhtfrj @markerelll @minimissmelody

I think that is everyone that requested to be tagged! If it didn't work please let me know so I can figure out how to fix it!

HAPPY VALETINE'S DAY!!!!

------------------------

My muses are my love

He couldn’t stop the words chanting in his head. No matter what he did, your voice flooded his thoughts.

My muses are my love

Just the thought of you invaded his mind. He’s been lying awake for the past twenty minutes, trying to fall asleep but to no avail. Every time he found himself closing his eyes, visions of your flustered face appeared.

‘Are you thinking of me’ Senku wondered.

‘Is that what it means to be your muse?’. Was he on your mind as you were on his. He wondered if you were also in the same predicament as him…or maybe you’re drawing? Painting? Were you blowing glass? Or whatever crazy art medium you found yourself exploring…

My muses are my love…

Why did you have to plague his mind? What do you mean about your muses being your love? Why did you look so vulnerable as you said it? More importantly why HIM? Is it as Byakuya said before, “opposites attract”. Is it because he’s so different from you, you find him appealing to be your muse? What is he supposed to do with this information?

Torn and confused about what he needed to do with this newfound information, what the information even meant, and what it meant to him, Senku stepped outside to the balcony and watched the stars.

What does it mean to be an artist’s muse?

------------------------

Something has changed, that much you were aware of. But was Senku aware? Since the day you asked him to be your tutor, something has shifted between the two of you. You couldn’t pinpoint what exactly. As far as you were concerned, you treated Senku the same way you have always done…

Lost in your thoughts you didn’t catch the way Senku was staring at you from his desk. Something that he’s been catching himself doing more than he’s meant to. He’s been catching himself staring at you from his desk, in passing at the school halls, even at your home as you studied beside him.

God, I feel like a creep, Senku cringed. It wasn’t your typical space out staring, he’s been watching your expressions, studying your features, getting lost in your eyes…

Wait what!?

He wasn’t sure how long you caught him staring but you were flushed. You quickly averted his gaze and fumbled with your bag and pulled out a sketchbook. The same one he was snooping in. He watched as you begin to scribble your pencil onto the paper…your eyes were shimmering, Senku noted.

Senku was studying you again, and he wasn’t being subtle. Forgetting or ignoring the fact that you caught him just a mere seconds ago. Unfortunately for you his staring didn’t let up for the next few weeks. Every time you cross paths with him, you can see him looking at you. His eyes were softer than what you were used to seeing. His brows still furrowed slightly, but his gaze was gentle as you felt him examining you. Whatever he was doing, you let him. You just assumed he was doing some weird scientific research, and you were his victim.

---------------

Tutoring you had become a new routine for Senku.  After all the after-school clubs have ended, having cleaned up the lab, Senku met up with you outside of the school’s art studio. He was waiting patiently for you, resting his back against a pillar as he thought of the material, he was going to be tutoring you. After ten minutes had passed, concerned and curious about what keeps you late, he makes his way inside the studio and finds you cleaning up.

“Did you forget the concept of time, airhead?”

“Sorry for keeping you waiting!” you huffed, as you carried a can of paint back to its proper storage. “I lost track of time! I was in the zone. I got new inspiration for my muse!” you laughed.

Muse

The word that’s been haunting Senku’s mind. A word so foreign to him that he doesn’t understand what it means to be someone’s muse. What it means to be your muse.

Senku walked closer to a canvas with a big drape covering the art underneath. He’s assuming it’s yours. It must be. It was the only one out, the only one with cans of paint underneath it. Curious of what you’ve been painting, he begins to lift the edge of the drape. Before he can even process the bits of the painting he can see, he feels your touch on his wrist. He looks at you and he find himself again studying your expression. Studying the look in your eyes.

He doesn’t believe he’s seen this look before. Was it fear of what he was going to find under the drape? Are you embarrassed of what you’ve spent so long painting? Is it the feeling of vulnerability? Showcasing your muse to others but the muse itself.

“It’s not done yet…”, you said softly, almost a whisper to his ears. You watched as he let go of the drape. Hiding your painting.

Hiding your feelings from him.

“What is it?” he asked, as he continued to study you. Watching your expression turned to something he’s been seeing so often. The averted eyes, the flush to your cheeks, the slight stutter to your words. He felt the touch on his wrist fade as he watched you pick up cans of paint from the ground and begin to walk from him.

“…my muse.”

----------------

Muse…

Muse…

Muse…

Muse…

Muse…

Never has a word frustrated him this much. Seeing the word? The paper suddenly crumbled under his hand. Hearing the word has his eye twitching. A simple four-letter word is haunting him. Teasing him for not understanding. Frustrated that you don’t seem to know the effect the word has on him. Not aware of the feeling he gets when you throw the word around. Not understanding that uneasy feeling in his stomach that seems to get amplified every time he studies you.

“I don’t understand this….” You groaned. You dropped the pencil in your hand as you laid sprawled on your bedroom floor. You waited for Senku’s response. Waited for him to tell you off. You waited for him to call you an airhead. You waited and yet nothing. You turned to look at him and found his eyes already looking back at you. “Senku…”

“Hmm?” he hummed back. His eyes never leave yours.

“Umm…is there a reason why you’ve been…staring...” you asked nervously, unsure what to do under his gaze. You watched as his gaze hardened. Not being able to handle anymore, you finally break away, retreating your eyes to the white ceiling.

“It’s a bad habit.” He replied, as he crawled to the space beside you and laid beside you. You both laid in silence, enjoying the presence of the other. You closed your eyes and listened to Senku’s breathing, until that feeling came back again.

“you’re staring again, aren’t you?” you asked quietly. You were afraid to open your eyes, you don’t think you can handle him being so close to you, his eyes on you…

“Yeah….my eyes bother you that much?” he teased, taking joy as he heard your breath hitch.

“It…flusters me…” you whined, “so stop looking at me with those eyes…”

“What eyes?” he questioned. Has he been staring at you in another way he wasn’t aware? He gets up from beside and crawls over you, he ignores your gasp and looks down at you. Staring at you, studying you, your expressions, your noises. His body hovered over you, his arms caging you in, leaving you nowhere to look at but him. “These eyes?”

He waited for your response, his eyes flickered between your betraying eyes, exposing your vulnerability, and your lips, waiting for your words. Instead, you raise your hand to his face, your fingertips slightly brushing his lips as you cover his eyes with your palm. He feels your body pressed against him as you sit up on your elbows, he can feel the heat radiating off your body. You lean to his ear and whisper, “yeah, those eyes.”

----

A/N: So I'm thinking of breaking away from my original plan of doing only 4 parts to this series. I'm not sure how many parts there will be...I'm also thinking of rewriting the 1st chapter, sort of build more of the frenemies relationship.

Anywayssss can yall guess the song inspo? Theres two! One based on the title and one named dropped. Would you guys be interested in a song playlist for this series?

Mini spoiler for the series?!?! Theres a lyric I want to include in a future part, angst approaching!! Hehehehe

I, I loved you and I still do

Just wanted passion from you

Just wanted what I gave you

I waited and waited

-The Greatest Billie Eilish

....requests open?

[animeshotsh]

Parenting | Viktor x Jayce x Kid!Reader | Arcane ¤

Reader is nicknamed Spark! (I think is pretty gn).

Warnings: PLATONIC - Mentions of trauma - Reader cries - Jayce gets called mom - SFW - Reader is a kid so their speech is not developed - OFF CANON EVENTS -

Now Jayce did think this was not going to be easy.

But how do you explain a kid that no, their parents are not fighting and no, Dad is not leaving forever.

He has no idea.

It started well, just an evening at his house with you and Viktor. Just seeing how all of this would work, and it was going well. Jayce had let you take his bed till they figured something about it. Made dinner and gave you some toys (blue ot course) to play with.

Now, they were not living together yet. It was something that was going to happen eventually but work was always first and honestly? They were used to just stay at each other places. It was like having two homes.

Home is were the peopel you love are.

But now, you are here. And after a long play session Viktor said how he needed to go back home to read some notes for tomorrow's work and also get some clean clothes.

When Jayce asked him to stay since it was too late Viktor just scoffed and told him it was fine. Nothing would happen.

Yes, his tone was a bit cold but he was tired, Jayce did not take it at heart but you....

"Dad...leaving?" You asked in your hand a odd plush Jayce had decided to get you.

"Yes, i need to go home" Viktor have said without thinking much.

Then he hear it, the slow but raising cries.

"Nono! Dad not leave" You said going to him and hugging his leg. "Mom need dad!"

Viktor felt his world go upside down, he had seen kids cries but never once he had a situation like this one.

"Now now Spark, Dad is not leaving forever" Jayce said taking you to put you at eye level with Viktor ending in you hugging now Viktor's neck.

"He is going to go and get something, you will see him again tomorrow" Jayce tried to explain pulling you away from Viktor but you just hugged him more.

"NO!! Dad stay" its was a scream now and a demand. You were looking at Viktor like he was your world.

"I cant little Spark" Viktor said softly pulling you away but taking you from Jayce arms. "Dad needs to get work done"

"N-no!! I will be good, i dont bother. Im good" you said between sobs. That was an indicator that something had happened in your past for you to react this way and it made Viktor's soul shatter.

"Listen, how about we play some more and then sleep?" He tried this time

"You stay?" You asked and Viktor looked at Jayce for help who was very much lost in all of this.

"I will stay, I promise" Viktor agreed kissing your head.

~~~~~~~~~

Once you were finally asleep Viktor and Jayce let themselfs fall on the livingroom, both mentally tired.

"I told you this was not going to be easy" Viktor said checking the hour then letting out a displeased sound "And now is too dam late"

"Hey, we can pass for your notes tomorrow morning" Jayce tried to calm down his boyfriend. "Besides this may be a sign" He added getting a look from Viktor.

"I mean-" Jayce started blushing "We did say we were going to move together and now with our little Spark..." Jayce said getting quiet when Viktor did not respond

"Well, I believe its true. And now we know how big the place needs to be" Viktor finally said. "We need four rooms, one for us, one for (Y/N), one for our lab at home and one for...storage" Viktor counted with his fingers then looked at Jayce. "Maybe keep one of hour homes too, since we do have lots ot things, and i would prefer to get dangerous things away from (Y/N)"

"So....yeah thats seems to be right" Jayce said thinking "It will cost...a lot" he added getting a nod from Viktor.

"Yes it will, but its not like we are short on it" He added

"Then its decided! I will start to look tomorrow right away, do you think we should get a garden? Or backyard? Would Spark like it?" Jayce asked more and more ecxited and imagining you running around.

"Just...lets start looking at a four room house, we will see about details" Viktor finally said calming Jayce down.

"Mom? Dad?" A sleepy you appeared making them look in worry

"Nightmare?" Jayce asked getting up as you nodded

"Come here little Spark, lets get you back to bed, mom will read you a story"

"Can Dad come too?" You asked looking at Viktor who despite being tired as hell got up with his cane.

"Of course, how does Introduction to Physics sound?" Viktor joked as you quickly moved your head saying no.

"No! I hate that one"

"A shame, its fine literature" Viktor responded getting a laught from Jayce.

[atinyjules]

Pick Me!! Ft. Black Panther Hybrid!Yuma

A/n: Yuma is an orange cat through and through, but a black panther suits him so well, too, so hence, this fic.

Genre: Fantasy, Hybrid au, fluff, humor

Pairings: Black Panther Hybrid!Yuma x Human!Ayane

Warnings: None really

“I don’t know, guys…” Ayane muttered, digging her heels into the pavement like a mule being dragged toward its doom.

“I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Stop whining, it’s just an adoption center, not a haunted house,” Rika chirped, looping an arm through hers.

Mina, on her other side, grinned. “Besides, you’re not adopting. You’re moral support!”

Ayane’s moral compass pointed directly toward home. She had ramen leftovers waiting in her fridge. Warm, peaceful, plant-killing solitude.

And yet here she was—sandwiched between two starry-eyed girls obsessed with getting “hybrid companions” like they were picking out plushies at a mall kiosk.

The automatic doors slid open.

Ayane froze.

“Oh gosh.”

Hybrids. So many hybrids.

Some with twitching ears, some with tails swaying lazily behind them. Some crouched like they were ready to pounce, others sprawled out in corners like oversized housecats. A fox hybrid was getting his ears scratched by a giggling teenager. A bear-type yawned so wide Ayane nearly backed out the door.

She whispered, “This is a zoo. A people zoo.”

Rika laughed, pulling her along. “Just look! You might fall in love with one!”

Ayane snorted. “Oh gosh. I can’t even keep a succulent alive. You want me to take care of a half-human animal?!”

—

Across the facility, in a glass-walled enclosure marked "Predator-Type – Caution Advised. Not suitable for inexperienced guardians," a pair of yellow-gold eyes narrowed.

Yuma sat perched on the top of a high shelf, knees tucked loosely, tail flicking in slow, restless motions. His ears twitched as the door creaked open and the usual footsteps echoed through the room.

Two caretakers entered. Familiar scent. Familiar disappointment.

“Still no bites?” one murmured, clipboard in hand.

The other sighed, casting a quick glance up at him. “He’s got until the end of the day. If no one picks him, we’ll have to start transfer protocol. Hybrid Sanctuary's ready to take him.”

Yuma’s tail froze mid-swish.

Sanctuary.

That word. Again.

It sounded soft. Kind. But he knew what it really meant: retirement. Storage. Quiet rooms with wide windows and no visitors. Like being shelved. Forever.

The other hybrids who went there smiled and said things like "At least it's peaceful." But peace was nothing to Yuma if it didn’t come with connection. With touch. With voices saying his name and meaning it.

He was a predator hybrid, sure. Big cat genes. Fast reflexes. Sharp instincts. But more than anything, he was just lonely.

Born in a lab, transferred from center to center, never picked because he “looked intense” or “acted strange.” Because he didn’t purr on command like the bunny types. Because his eyes were too sharp. Because he climbed the walls.

Because no one ever gave him a chance.

“Maybe he’s just not guardian material,” he overheard one staff member whisper once.

But he wanted one. He wanted someone. Just one person to choose him. Call his name. Look at him like he mattered.

He stayed silent as the caretakers left the room. But as they closed the door behind them, he heard it.

A voice.

A new voice.

“Oh gosh.”

He dropped down from the shelf without a sound, his feet landing with the grace of a shadow.

Through the narrow window of his enclosure, just barely in view of the main hallway—he saw her.

A girl. Not glowing with excitement like the others. She looked overwhelmed. Horrified, even.

And yet... captivating.

He leaned closer, nose nearly to the glass, ears focused only on her. She muttered something:

“You want me to take care of a half-human animal?!”

Yuma blinked.

This was it. She was the one.

Her.

That’s my human.

She lingered near the reception area while her friends were already flitting off toward the fluffy, non-threatening hybrids.

“Rika! Mina!” she hissed after them, arms crossed tightly. “Don’t leave me alone in this place—I swear someone’s tail just moved under that bench!”

One of them waved a hand dismissively. “You’ll be fine, Ayane! Just don’t make eye contact with the snake-types!”

Yuma’s ears twitched sharply.

Ayane.

His pupils widened.

His tail slowly curled like a hook.

“Ayane,” he repeated under his breath, letting the syllables roll off his tongue like a vow.

Then, a beat later, a little more intensely—

“Ayane. My Ayane.”

A slow grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. Something electric sparked behind his eyes.

He crouched low, peering through the glass, watching her awkwardly flinch away from a rabbit hybrid trying to lick her hand. Her face scrunched up in an expression of gentle horror.

Perfect.

She was overwhelmed. Unprepared. Deeply uncomfortable with hybrids.

Which meant, Yuma thought, she’d never see him coming.

๋ ࣭ ⭑

Ayane wandered a bit, trying not to step on any tails or make eye contact with anything that purred.

She wasn’t sure how she ended up this far back in the center—some dimly lit corner marked with yellow signs and caution tape. Maybe she was following the vending machine sign. Maybe she was trying to escape a particularly clingy otter hybrid.

Then she heard it.

Thump.

Glass. Somewhere to her left.

Thump thump.

And then—

“Hey!”

She jumped. A voice? A guy’s voice?

She turned—and nearly yelped.

Pressed up against the glass of the enclosure beside her was a dark haired hybrid with gleaming gold eyes, sharp canines, and a dark tail flicking wildly behind him. His hands were braced on the glass like he was trying to climb through.

“Hey you! Yes, you! Looking for a hybrid? I’m the perfect one for you!” he grinned, teeth on full display.

Ayane took an automatic step back. “Oh—uh, no, it’s fine, I’m just—”

“Visiting? Browsing? Staring longingly at the idea of fate?” he interrupted smoothly, eyes locked on hers. “Don’t be shy, Ayane. That’s your name, right? Ayane? Beautiful. Powerful. Flows nicely with mine, Yuma and Ayane, don’t you think?”

Her face paled. “How do you know my name—?”

Just then, Rika and Mina came skipping over, snacks in hand.

“Oh my god,” Mina gasped, eyes going wide. “Is that a panther hybrid?!”

Rika squealed. “He’s cool. Look at those eyes! Ayane, are you talking to him?!”

Ayane took two large steps away from the glass. “Yeah, no. Absolutely not. We're not doing this.”

Yuma frowned. “What? Why not? I'm strong, loyal, incredibly charming—”

“Dangerous,” Ayane cut in, pointing to the Caution – Predator-Type sign with both hands. “And you’re in the don’t-go-here-if-you’re-inexperienced section!”

Yuma puffed up proudly. “That’s only because the others couldn’t handle me. But you—you’re different. I can feel it.”

“No, you can’t,” she said flatly.

He pressed a hand dramatically to his chest. “Look at the heart, not the sign.”

Ayane turned to her friends. “Guys, help. He’s quoting inspirational wall art at me.”

Mina whispered, “This is so romantic.”

Ayane whispered back, “This is a horror movie.”

Ayane held up her hands like she was surrendering to a hostage negotiation. “Listen, I’ve never even had a pet, okay? Not a dog. Not a fish. I killed a cactus once. A cactus.”

Yuma gasped dramatically, ears twitching. “Then it’s destiny! Because I am nothing like a cactus. I don’t need sunlight or water—just love and cuddles. You give me that, and I’ll be the best hybrid in the world. Five stars. No assembly required.”

She blinked. “You’re literally behind a glass wall labeled ‘Caution.’”

He waved at the warning sign like it was a traffic cone at a birthday party. “Bluff! Just corporate dramatics! I’ve been framed! That sign’s only there to make me look edgy—it’s marketing!”

Ayane opened her mouth, then closed it. She turned helplessly to her friends. “Help. He’s trying to gaslight me into adopting him.”

Rika was nearly doubled over laughing, and Mina wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “He’s not even being subtle about it! He’s clearly trying to be your hybrid and only yours.”

Yuma puffed up his chest, tail flicking proudly. “Of course I am. Do I look like I want some random person? No offense, but most people here smell like strawberry shampoo and fear. But you—” he pointed a dramatic clawed finger at Ayane “—you smell like ramen, coffee, and a quiet need to be understood.”

Ayane blinked. “That’s... actually weirdly accurate.”

“Exactly,” he said smugly. “We’re soulmates.”

“No, we’re not!” she snapped. “You just overheard my name five minutes ago!”

“Which is all I needed,” he said confidently. “I’m a panther hybrid. We’re decisive.”

Rika whispered to Mina, “I swear if this was a dating sim, she just triggered the hidden route.”

Yuma leaned forward, eyes gleaming with conviction. “Honestly, it’s perfect that you’ve never had a dog or a cat,” he declared, tail curling with confidence. “I’m a predator hybrid—I wasn’t raised like some floppy-eared lap pet. No leash-training, no fetch. All I need is food, attention, love, and cuddles. Super simple. Low maintenance. You don’t even have to walk me.”

Ayane raised an eyebrow. “All animals need attention and love. That’s not unique to you.”

He grinned. “Sure, but dogs and cats? They’re clingy. They’ll follow you into the bathroom. Knock stuff over at 3 a.m. for no reason. They’re selfish. Me?” He thumped his chest with a fist. “I can control myself. I understand personal space. I’ll wait outside the bathroom. That’s how evolved I am.”

He leaned closer, his golden eyes practically glowing. “Plus, dogs and cats are—let’s be honest—mid. Totally overrated. Everyone has one. But me? I’m rare. Powerful. A panther hybrid, and somehow still the perfect cuddle size. Like a luxury limited edition plush that can bench press.”

Rika snorted behind her hand. Mina was nearly wheezing with laughter. “He’s not even trying to be subtle,” Mina whispered.

“I know,” Ayane muttered. “That’s the problem.”

Yuma placed a hand dramatically on the glass. “Ayane,” he said, voice rich with faux tragedy. “All I want is a chance. You and me. Late-night ramen. Lazy couch naps. No leash. No weird dog smell.”

Ayane’s eyes flicked to the Caution: Not for Inexperienced Guardians sign beside his enclosure.

She hesitated.

“I… I really don’t think I can handle this. You’re a lot,” she said honestly. “Like, a lot a lot. I panic when my rice cooker beeps too loudly.”

Yuma gave a hopeful purr. “That’s okay. I can help you with that too.”

“You are a predator hybrid, not a therapist,” she snapped.

“But I can try,” he said with a dramatic pout.

She turned to her friends, eyes wide. “He’s so much. How is he so much?”

Rika beamed. “He’s your so much.”

“I didn’t sign up for ‘so much’!”

Mina added brightly, “You technically just walked into it.”

Yuma thumped his tail against the floor, practically vibrating. “So… that’s not a no?”

Ayane groaned, burying her face in her hands. “It’s a very strong maybe.”

He grinned like he’d just won the lottery. “Perfect. I can work with that.”

Ayane sighed. “You're a panther! You’re huge. What am I supposed to do when you start zooming around my apartment and knocking over my furniture?"1

Yuma’s eyes lit up like she’d just said a magic word. “Stop right there! I have a trick!”

She blinked. “What kind of trick—”

He took a step back inside the enclosure, rolled his shoulders, and let out a low grunt.

And right before her eyes—he shrank.

His limbs shortened, his features softened, and pop!—in less than five seconds, there was a panther cub where a tall, cocky hybrid had been.

The cub sat down with a proud little flick of his tail and raised his head, his voice still somehow his:

“Ta-daaa! I’m compact!”

Ayane blinked. “Oh my gosh.”

Rika let out a squeal. “He’s like a plushie!”

Mina clutched her chest. “Okay, that’s unfair. You can’t say no to that.”

Ayane, internally: He has no flaws. Not a single one. Not even one small reason to say no.

Ayane, externally: “...This feels like emotional blackmail.”

Yuma, still in cub form, tilted his head, golden eyes wide and shiny.

Then, seeing her look—the look—he popped back into his human form and pressed both palms gently to the glass.

His voice dropped, soft, honest, not playful this time. “Please?” he said. “We’d make the perfect besties. You look like you need company too.”

Ayane’s breath caught.

Yuma continued, quieter now. “Today’s my last chance. If I don’t get a guardian by the end of the day… I’m going to the hybrid sanctuary.”

She shifted uncomfortably. “Isn’t… isn’t that a good place? I heard it’s safe.”

Yuma gave a small nod. “It is. It’s nice. Quiet. Peaceful. For the others.”

Then his eyes locked on hers again, and the spark in them dimmed, just a little.

“But for me… it’s jail. I’m not wired for peace and quiet. I run on people. On connection. And the sanctuary? It’s not built for that. It’s built to help hybrids give up on the life they wanted.”

Ayane’s chest tightened.

He lowered his voice one more notch. “I just want someone who sees me. Picks me. Even once.”

The silence between them stretched.

Then Ayane finally whispered, “This is such an unfair tactic.”

Yuma smiled, faint but real. “I’m a panther hybrid. We specialize in hunting hearts.”

Yuma’s smile faltered just a little as he let out a quiet sigh. He rested his forehead against the glass, tail stilling behind him.

“…It’s fine if you don’t choose me,” he said softly. “I’m kind of used to it.”

Ayane looked up, surprised at how subdued he sounded now.

“I’ve never been chosen before,” he continued, voice low but calm—too calm, like someone who’d practiced sounding okay with disappointment. “Some people say I’m too much. Others say I’m too wild. Too loud. Too clingy. Not the right look, not the right vibe. Too ‘predator.’”

He smiled again, but this time it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I try to be everything at once. Strong, soft, funny, quiet. But still… no one’s ever picked me. Not really.”

Ayane’s heart gave a little squeeze.

“But I really think…” He lifted his head, and the hope in his eyes made her breath catch. “You and me? We’d make the bestest friends.”

Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

He added, a little more timidly this time, “You don’t even have to call it adoption. We could call it… coexisting. With snuggles.”

Mina, sniffling now: “I am going to cry.”

“He said bestest friends, Ayane. You have to.” Rika said.

Ayane covered her face with both hands. “You guys are worse than he is.”

Yuma perked up a little at that. “Worse than me? That’s high praise.”

She peeked at him between her fingers. He was watching her, not pressuring, not pushing, just hoping.

Still grinning a little, but also ready to accept whatever answer she gave.

And somehow… that was worse.

Because now it wasn’t just a choice—it was a decision she couldn’t stop thinking about.

A cheerful staff member, wearing a badge labeled “Hybrid Companion Program – Senior Facilitator,” walked over, clearly sensing the emotional tug-of-war going on.

“If you’re feeling unsure,” she said gently, “we have a little policy we use for cases like this.”

Ayane blinked. “Policy?”

The woman smiled. “You can hold him. In his panther form. Sometimes physical touch helps people know if there’s a bond—if it feels right.”

Ayane looked at Yuma, who was suddenly sitting up very straight, eyes sparkling.

“You want me to hold him?”

“Just for a minute,” the staff said. “No pressure. Just see how you feel.”

Ayane sighed, defeated. “I guess I can try…”

The second the words left her mouth, Yuma's tail began wagging uncontrollably behind him like a fuzzy metronome.

Internally:

Okay. Okay. This is it. Operation: Cutest, Cuddliest, Softest Panther Baby. Engage. If I can’t win her with charm, I will destroy her defenses with FLUFF.

With an eager little puff of air, Yuma shifted down with a shimmer of movement, shrinking into that plush panther cub size again. He even made sure his ears looked extra round and his eyes extra big.

The staff opened the enclosure door for Ayane and gently guided her in. She crouched, still uncertain, as cub-sized Yuma stood in the center of the space like a perfectly packaged bundle of warmth and drama.

“…Okay, I’m picking you up now,” she said, more to herself than him.

Yuma didn’t move—just gave her the gentlest baby-panther look in existence.

She scooped him up carefully, both arms around his small, fuzzy body.

He was soft. Like a heated velvet pillow with a heartbeat. He tucked himself into her arms just right, resting his chin on her shoulder with a little hum, his small tail curling around her wrist like a sleepy bracelet.

Ayane blinked.

“…He’s really warm,” she mumbled.

“See?” the staff beamed. “Panther hybrids have high body heat—it’s a comfort instinct.”

Yuma made the softest little mrrrrp sound and nuzzled against her neck, not in a pushy way, but in that perfect, warm, contented way that made her heart melt just a little around the edges.

Ayane looked down at him, confused and disarmed and very much not ready for how natural this felt.

Rika whispered to Mina, “She’s so doomed.”

Mina snickered. “The snuggle trap got her.”

Yuma, still internally:

She’s holding me. She’s holding me. This is not a drill. I am WARM. I am PEACE. I am EVERYTHING SHE’S EVER NEEDED.

Ayane’s voice was small as she said, “He’s not even doing anything and he’s winning…”

And he gave a tiny sigh, perfectly timed, and nestled just a little deeper into her arms.

Ayane stood there, frozen in the middle of the enclosure, arms full of warm panther cub and heart full of confusion.

Because she liked it.

She really liked it.

Yuma was impossibly soft, with just the right weight to feel grounding. His small breaths tickled against her neck, and he gave off the kind of warmth that could lull someone to sleep if they weren’t careful. Her arms relaxed around him without thinking, fingers curling gently against his fur.

Oh no, she thought. This is dangerous. This is too nice. This is illegal levels of nice.

“I… I still don’t think I’m responsible enough,” she murmured, more to herself than anyone. “I’ve killed succulents. I’ve never even kept a fish alive. I eat cereal for dinner three nights a week.”

Yuma, still curled against her shoulder like a sleepy little baby, shifted just enough to whisper in the tiniest, most dramatically exaggerated whisper:

“It’s fiiiiine.”

And then, poof—he transformed back into his full hybrid form while still in her arms.

She let out a startled yelp as her knees buckled, and he caught himself just enough not to knock her over, arms instinctively circling her in a loose, careful hug as his chin rested on top of her head.

He was bigger now—taller, broader, way warmer—and still soft. His hoodie brushed her cheek, his tail flicked gently behind her, and his voice came low and hopeful:

“…See? You like it. You love it.”

“Shut up,” she mumbled into his chest, but didn’t move away.

“You do,” he said proudly, arms squeezing her just a little more. “I can tell. You’re giving ‘grumpy secretly affectionate guardian’ energy.”

She grumbled, but her hands didn’t leave his back.

“I’m really not the best at taking care of hybrids,” she muttered. “I don’t know your needs, your food routine, I don’t know anything—”

“I’ve never had a guardian either,” he said quietly. “So… we can learn together.”

She blinked, looking up at him.

“I mean it,” Yuma said. “We don’t have to be perfect. Just honest. You give me a home, I’ll give you everything I’ve got. I’ll try my best every day if you do too.”

Ayane opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Then opened it again and whispered, “...Oh fuck, I kinda love this.”

Yuma grinned like the sun came out just for him.

“Same.”

Ayane exhaled slowly, arms still wrapped around Yuma as he practically radiated joy and warmth like a living space heater.

He was staring at her with those huge, shimmering eyes—full of cautious hope and so much raw sincerity that it felt like the tiniest flick of rejection might shatter him completely.

And despite everything—her protests, her fears, her total lack of pet experience—

She found herself saying, “...Yeah. Okay.”

Yuma froze.

“Okay?”

“I’ll be your guardian,” she said, almost like she couldn’t believe herself. “You’re mine now, I guess.”

For one full second, nothing happened.

Then—

“SHE SAID YESSSS!!” Yuma screamed, spinning her in the air like a dramatic rom-com protagonist. “I HAVE A GUARDIAN!! I HAVE A GUARDIAN!!”

The staff outside the enclosure burst into applause. Mina squealed. Rika shouted, “TAKE THAT, DOGS AND CATS!”

Ayane: “OH MY GOD PUT ME DOWN—”

Yuma (still holding her): “NEVER!! I’M YOURS FOREVER NOW!! THIS IS LEGALLY BINDING!!”

“YUMA—”

He finally set her down but kept her wrapped in a bear hug, swaying a little like a child who just won a lifetime supply of snacks.

“I promise,” he said breathlessly, “I will be the best hybrid. I will make tea. I will cuddle you when you cry. I will sit at your feet while you work. I will not even look at your snacks unless you offer them.”

Ayane, flustered and slightly breathless: “I’m starting to think you adopted me.”

Yuma beamed. “EXACTLY! You get it! We adopted each other! That’s how soulmate guardianship works!”

She groaned but didn’t pull away.

And for the first time in a long while… neither of them felt alone.

That's it for this onee

I hope y'all enjoyed it 🥹🫶🏻

See you in the next storyy

Likes and rebloggs are appreciated 🩷 ✨️

[goodlucktai]

raised on little light (2/3)

rise of the tmnt word count: 4k pairing: mikey & oc big thank you to  @soldrawss for the art included in this chapter and to  @mykimouser for making me insane about neutral!michelangelo at all hours of the day title borrowed from northern attitude by noah kahan read on ao3

x

2031

Mikey is looking for his little brother. It seems like he spends half his life doing that these days. 

The TV is on in Splinter’s room, door ajar but equally as unapproachable as the door to Donnie’s lab, which is shut tight, as usual. Raph’s door is standing open, but his room is empty, because he leaves early for work on the weekdays. 

Mikey maneuvers past the closed doors and empty rooms like a professional. He doesn’t even have to think too hard about it anymore. 

Rounding the corner to the dining room, Mikey’s stride slows and relief punches an exhale out of him. He doesn’t realize how tense he is until he deflates like a balloon. 

Gio is asleep at the table, face half-buried in his folded arms, crossbow and maintenance supplies spread out in front of him. It’s disappointing, but not surprising. He rarely stays in his own room, as if he’s afraid of taking up space that isn’t really his. As if they’re going to change their mind and tell him they do still need it for storage, actually, and he wants to be ready when they do. Mikey’s pretty sure he never fully unpacked his bag. 

Sometimes he leaves the lair entirely, and since he’s the most unreliable texter Mikey knows, and has never met a phone call he would answer without a gun held to his head, he might as well fall completely off the grid each time he’s gone. Mikey stays up on those nights, keeping busy in the kitchen, worrying worrying worrying. 

He feels too much like Raph when he doesn’t know where the kid is. He understands intimately how overbearing big brothers could be, remembers how a tiny rift had formed between him and Raph when they were young because of it—childish and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things to come, but devastating at the time. 

So he tries to channel Leo instead, who had always trusted Mikey to know when to ask for help if he needed it. Tries to make sure Gio never feels like he can’t come home again, with a smile ready for him as soon as he slips silently back through the door. 

But last night Gio must have stayed in. There’s a blanket draped over him that Mikey didn’t put there, and Splinter almost certainly hadn’t left his room to put there, which leaves two possible culprits. Raph and Donnie don’t know how to make gestures that Gio can see for what they are, hardly know how to be in the same room as the kid without seeing a ghost superimposed where he’s standing. It leaves a lot of the emotional heavy-lifting on Mikey’s shoulders, but it’s fine. A brother could never be a burden to him. 

Mikey can’t give Gio everything he deserves to have, everything that should have been his from the very beginning, but he can give him some things. 

And we’ll start, Mikey thinks with the kind of absurd resilience that wouldn’t have been out of place at the actual end of the world, with breakfast. 

Gio wasn’t trained in ninja like the rest of them were but his senses are as sharp as any other turtle genetically modified for war. Mikey woke him up with a touch once and the fear response only lasted a handful of seconds but it was enough that Mikey made the executive decision that no one would ever do that again, or else. 

Mikey pulls a chair out beside the smaller turtle and sinks into it soundlessly. He traces the newly-familiar white spots on that smoky gray-green face with his eyes, counting and recounting them, even though he knows how many there are. Everything about Gio is at once brand-new and well-loved to him. 

After a moment, the only other sound the ancient Snoopy clock counting seconds in the kitchen, Mikey starts to hum. Three little birds sat on my window…

He can’t help remembering another morning just like this one, what feels like a lifetime ago. Mikey, all of thirteen, had insisted on being woken up to make breakfast so he could try a new crumble muffin recipe, but he’d stayed up too late the night before and sleep clung stubbornly to him despite the row of alarms he’d set. Their resident insomniac had been the only one awake, by virtue of not having gone to bed in the first place, and he’d parked himself in the beanbag under Mikey’s hammock and hummed the same song over and over until Mikey woke up. He had it stuck in his head for the rest of the day. They sang “GIRL PUT YOUR RECORDS ON” in the kitchen at the top of their lungs until Donnie sent the group chat a PDF of a noise complaint form, completely filled out. 

Mikey hadn’t realized he was taking any of it for granted back then. He would do anything— anything—to wake up that way again. Just one more time. 

Beside him, Gio stirs. Once he’s awake he’s alert fast, those big dark eyes sliding open and staying that way, head coming up off the pillow of his arms. He has that look on his face that Mikey would be tempted to call earnest on anyone else. 

“Rise and shine, Clementine,” Mikey says brightly, reaching over to rub the back of his fingers against a spotted cheek affectionately. “I was craving breakfast empanadas today and was hoping my best sous chef would be willing to help me out.” Then, deliberately light-hearted, he adds, “Little turtles who skip dinner have to eat extra breakfast, you know. That’s house rule number one.”

Gio blinks at him, his face giving nothing away to the casual observer. 

“I thought house rule number one was ‘always get it in writing’.” 

Mikey’s smile widens, surprised and pleased every time he plays along. 

“That’s number three, actually. Right behind ‘don’t do anything you wouldn’t want recorded and replayed at family functions.’ If you want, I can tell you exactly why that one’s a rule, and why it’s entirely Donnie’s fault.”

Gio does that thing where he assesses Mikey’s expression and tone as though he’s looking for the trap. Mikey weathers it, makes sure his smile doesn’t slip an inch. 

Donatello is more of an urban legend to Gio than his actual living brother. After a few hesitant attempts to approach the older turtle that had been shut down completely each time, Gio made the informed decision that that road was closed permanently. 

Sometimes Mikey will tell a story, or April, on one of her increasingly sporadic visits to the lair, will lean over and show him a video on her phone, and Gio will listen or watch like he has no idea who the guy they’re talking about could possibly be. 

They do their best, but there’s no way to really introduce the Donnie that they know to Gio, because that Donnie only still exists in their stories and videos. The Donatello who was silly, who loved music and theater, who burst into the living room with some new invention or gadget to boast about, had been replaced by one who rarely spoke, who didn’t even have Spotify on his phone anymore since it took up too much space, who kept the lair running only because it was where his family lived but not because he had any lasting attachment to the place, and he certainly didn’t make any unnecessary tech just for fun. 

I know you’re still in there, Mikey thinks sometimes. 

He’ll bring Donnie lunch and leave it on the table in the lab, and then hold out his arms. Sometimes, Donnie won’t look at him. Sometimes, Donnie will put his tools down and let his little brother crowd in for a hug. He’ll tuck Mikey under his chin and hold him tight, like they were children again and nothing was wrong that couldn’t be made right. 

Thank you for staying, Mikey will think, clinging for every second he’s allowed to. I know it’s hard. It’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do. 

The grief is always encroaching, like floodwaters. Rising slow and steady, swallowing up cars and street signs and single level houses, changing the landscape of his hometown until it’s an unfamiliar place. No end in sight. No sign of land. 

Someone send us a boat, Mikey wants to cry hysterically. But he knows how stupid that is.

He is the boat. 

—

When he met Giorgio for the first time, Mikey was twenty-five and Leo had been dead for ten years.

“Sorry,” Mikey said. His fingers felt numb around the phone. “Could you say that again?”

“A turtle,” Hueso had replied shortly. “I would not have called, but he has familiar eyes. He is not aware of any family in the area. Would you like me to ask him to wait for you?”

Mikey hadn’t tried his portals again since the last disastrous time—since Raph had made him promise to stop—so he knew it couldn’t be Leo. He knew it. Hueso would be able to pick his sobrino out of a million turtles and would have led the call with that. And Leo wouldn’t have stopped for pizza before running back to them, he wouldn’t have stopped for anything. Leo would have been the one to let them know Leo was home. 

Still, there was a tiny warbling hope in the bottom of his heart that wailed “maybe, maybe, maybe.” Still, it hurt to feel that hope shrivel up and die when Mikey slammed into the private dining room and found Hueso talking to an unfamiliar mutant with white spots and a black shell and—it was undeniable—Hamato Yoshi’s eyes. 

The turtle was small, dressed in dark grays and greens, a strap across his chest that made it clear he was armed by something resting out of sight on his back. He stood with his arms crossed, in a manner that was probably supposed to read as stubborn or defiant, but Mikey clocked instantly as nervous. 

This kid didn’t know what he was doing here or who the hell Mikey was and he looked about as comfortable with all the attention as Donnie would have been at that age. 

Mikey felt himself soften, some distant part of his heart sitting in disuse and disrepair lurching to life again. Ancestral magic that he had largely turned his back on suddenly stirred, ninpo reaching out fragile feelers toward the person in the room that it recognized as immediately as if it was looking at its own self in a mirror. 

“This is one of my creations,” Draxum announced, confirming what Mikey’s heart had already decided. “It must have survived after all.”

“Elaborate,” Mikey said, in a tone that didn’t match the gentle smile he had for the spotted turtle. 

“How old are you?” the alchemist had asked instead, which seemed an odd first question to have and didn’t explain literally anything. 

“Eighteen,” the spotted turtle replied. Mikey’s brow made a bid for his hairline. He would have been less surprised if the kid had said fifteen. Was he that scrawny as an eighteen year old?

“You hatched at about the same time as the red one,” Draxum said dispassionately, “so you should have been about his age, and he is twenty-seven. And how did you come to be here?”

Gio’s eyes slid away from him, over to Mikey. Mikey didn’t know what his face was doing. He hoped it was encouraging. 

“I went through a yellow door,” Gio said. “And I ended up here.” 

“By yellow door, I’m assuming you mean a rift in space-time,” Draxum said. “What possessed you to walk into it?”

“Felt safe,” Gio said, and that was the last thing he said about it, expression closing up in a way Mikey was intimately familiar with as I’m done talking and liable to bite if provoked. But Draxum was a lot of things, genius among them, and seemed to already have an idea of what had happened. 

Portals could be capricious. The night of Splinter’s mutation and escape from the Hidden City, a machine in Draxum’s original lab had gone haywire as the structure collapsed. Draxum watched as it snatched up various tools and equipment and finally one of the experiment enclosures that Splinter had not been able to reach in time to save its occupant with the four he already carried. 

With the machine destroyed, it was impossible to even begin tracking the experiment down to wherever it had ended up. And there were unfortunately small odds that the creature would have survived long on its own wherever the portal deposited it. Draxum had written it off as dead. 

But there he was. Ten years displaced, but living and healthy and whole. Apparently he’d been in another dimension all this time, and only came back again because a portal he encountered had looked inviting. 

—

And now he’s in Mikey’s kitchen, listening studiously to his brother’s chatter and following instructions with exacting precision, still wearing the ridiculously oversized red sweater Mikey bundled him into the day before. It made Raph’s face do something funny when he saw Gio in it at lunch, but he hadn’t said anything when he saw Mikey hauling it out of the dryer earlier that morning, and he didn’t say anything at the table either.  

Over the years and countless wash cycles it’s been worn to unbelievable softness. It used to be that Raph couldn’t keep it in his closet if he tried, caught as it was in a constant rotation between little siblings who loved to wear it, floppy sleeves and sagging hem and all. It’s almost strange to see it again, here under the kitchen lights in this new country they all live in. 

Stealing clothes was a baby brother right of passage. And it was just collecting dust in storage anyway. 

Gio sees Mikey looking and glances down self-consciously. Then he jolts, and drops the ball of dough in his hands, lifting and twisting his left arm to put it more in the light. Near the elbow of the sleeve is a smudge of flour. 

He thumbs at the spot, preoccupied by it. His body language is shrinking because he always makes himself a smaller target when he starts to get anxious. 

One day, Mikey is going to find whoever taught him to do that and have words. For now, he rounds the island to Gio’s side and leans against it so he can duck down and peer into that little spotted face. He makes sure to plant his own elbow in the flour dusted across the butcher block counter, sending up a little poof of it as he does. 

“Hey, sweet kid, don’t worry about this old thing. It’s already been through everything you can possibly think of,” Mikey reassures, tweaking the hood playfully. “It survived the Paintball War of 2017, it’ll hold up to a little baking accident.”

Gio’s dark eyes lift to meet his, attentive and absorbing everything he sees and so, so careful. 

“Raphael won’t get mad?” 

Mikey keeps smiling, even though he’d like to start crying. 

Of course he won’t, he wants to say. He’s your big brother and he loves you. He’d move heaven and earth for you. He doesn’t know how to say it these days—he doesn’t trust himself to hold people the way he used to, doesn’t know who he is anymore since the shield he used to be was broken—but he’s still Raph. Our Raphie. I promise, it’s still him. 

Gio had never been lifted up into strong arms and tossed in the air until he laughed, caught safely and held tight like those arms would never get tired of holding him. He had never crawled under the blankets in a room humming and blinking with electronics after a nightmare, resting his head on a broad shoulder and falling asleep to a low voice rattling off his favorite explanation of gravity—a force that held everything down, pulled everything together, that could always be counted upon to keep you. He had never snuck out for brunch, just him and someone who saw him more clearly than he could ever see himself, who knew when a stack of French toast and a string of Snapchat selfies and a little mischief was exactly what he needed. 

Gio had never had any of that. He had been alone since he was freshly mutated and abandoned by pure chance, and now he was barely nineteen and he didn’t know how else to be. He didn’t have the first clue, but he was so willing to learn. He soaked up attention like a plant starved for sunlight, petals reaching endlessly for an end to the dark.  

I wish you had been there, Mikey thinks sometimes when he looks at him, heart breaking with the truth of it. We would have held you. You wouldn’t even know how to be alone. You wouldn’t be worried about a stain on a sweater. 

“He won’t get mad,” Mikey says instead. He channels his most charming brother, the one who could sell water to a fish, who could talk his way out of anything, who convinced his family to keep hoping even when all hope seemed lost. “And hey, if he brings it up, we’ll just blame the cat.” 

The corner of Gio’s mouth twitches, and then he smiles despite himself, as buoyed along as Mikey always was when Leo was silly with him, and says, “We don’t have a cat.” 

“Maybe I’ve just been waiting for an excuse to get one!” 

At that point, a burst of white noise from the living room cuts over whatever Gio might have been about to say. It sounds like the roar of wind from an open window of a car going seventy down the highway. It cuts off, and then something clatters noisily, and Gio’s reluctantly amused expression vanishes into alarm. 

They don’t exactly get a lot of surprise visitors down here. He wouldn’t recognize the familiar sound of transportation-by-time-scepter, followed by the even more familiar sound of its clumsy wielder tripping and knocking something over immediately upon arrival. 

“Oops—helloooo?” 

“In here, Renet,” Mikey calls back, nudging his shoulder into Gio’s so he knows not to worry. 

The timestress bumbles in, scepter tucked into the crook of her arm so she has both hands free to fix her braids. She’s smiling all big and crooked and sweet, mouth open to greet Mikey the same enthusiastic way she always greets him, but she stops dead in the doorway when she catches sight of the second turtle in the room. 

Renet takes one look at Gio and says, “Oh! Well, you don’t belong here at all, do you?”

It’s been a long time since Mikey has felt like screaming at her, but the way his little brother absorbs that blow without flinching is enough to get him on his feet. 

“Hey, Nettie, can we talk in the hall?” he says with a brightness he doesn’t feel. “Georgie, I’ll be right back, okay?”

Gio dips his head in a nod, slowly rolling dough in his hands again, and Renet follows Mikey out of the room like someone who knows they’re about to face the firing squad. 

“I did not mean it like that,” is the first thing she says when it’s just the two of them. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

Mikey does know that somewhere in the back of his mind. Renet is his friend and she’s never been anything but kind to him. If they had met when they were children, they probably would have gotten along like a house on fire. 

There was a time when he only saw the best in people, but the idealism had been carved out of Mikey when his portal to the prison dimension failed to open.

Some days, Mikey looks at Renet and can only see the person with time itself at her disposal, the past and future spread out like a choose-your-own-adventure book—the person with the power to help, to change things, who took Mikey’s countless, desperate pleas to be allowed to save his brother and held them tenderly like they were important to her and still told him no. 

Some days, that “no” is the most significant thing she ever said to him. 

“He’s my brother,” Mikey says. “He belongs wherever we are.” 

“Of course he does,” Renet says, brown eyes soft. “Mike, of course he does. That’s not what I meant.”

When they move back into the kitchen, introductions are made properly, and Renet makes it a point to clarify that she’s glad to finally meet him. 

Giorgio is watching them with those eyes that take in everything. Deep and trusting when he looks at Mikey, sharpening into something calculative when he shifts his gaze toward Renet. 

Looking back, Mikey will recognize it as the moment he lost him. 

“Smells pretty good in here, boys!” Renet says, swanning over to the stovetop. “Oh, is that chorizo? Mike, tell me you’re not making empanadas! I already ate on my way over!” 

“Then you won’t need to stay for breakfast,” Mikey sing-songs, feathers still ruffled. Then, because he feels bad for the way she deflates at the blatant dismissal, adds, “If you want to stick around, you can take some back with you to Null Time. Just don’t let that jerk Savanti have any, I don’t like his vibe.” “I swear,” Renet says, hand to her heart. 

“You talk about time travel like it’s something you can do,” Gio says suddenly. “Is it?”

The air in the room suddenly feels much thinner than before. Renet looks at Mikey quickly before answering.

“Sure, Gio. I’m a timestress—or, you know, I’m a student now. Basically an unpaid intern. But one of these days I’ll be the real deal.” She winks at him, and Gio gazes back at her placidly. 

“So you could send someone back in time? To stop something bad from happening?”

Oh, no, Mikey thinks. 

“I could,” Renet says. To her credit, she doesn’t sound as bone-tired of this conversation as she must be. “But I can’t. There are so many rules, and for good reason! One little slip-up could be an absolute disaster. It won’t do you any good trying to change the past if you end up destroying the present and the future while you’re at it, right? I’m barely allowed to look at this thing, much less use it,” Renet goes on, wagging the priceless time scepter around like it’s a rubber spatula. 

“But you could,” Gio says. “If we followed all the rules. If we figured out a way—”

“Georgie,” Mikey interjects. 

“I’ll tell you what I told Mike, baby,” Renet says gently. “It can’t be done. He belongs here.” 

Gio says, “But I don’t. You said that.”

“Stop,” Mikey says, not recognizing his own voice. 

But it’s too late. It was too late when he tried to open a door inside the prison dimension, because Leo was already dead inside. 

He was already dead inside, Draxum had said, clinical in a way that helped to distance himself from the hurt, but also distanced himself from the ones hurting, clinical in a way that made Mikey bare his teeth and say things he couldn’t take back. That’s why you couldn’t reach him. It wasn’t your fault. There wasn’t a point for you to anchor off of, there was no other end for your line to reach. He was already dead inside. He was already gone. 

Mikey stares at Gio, the tuck of his chin as he looks back down at the dough on the counter. He’s unwilling to argue with Mikey, but that stubbornness is an innate family trait. There’s no way he’ll give it up now that he’s got his teeth sunk into the idea. Mikey knows what it looks like when a brother is about to leave. Mikey knows what it feels like when they’re already gone.   

When he was younger, he was so angry. He was bursting with potential, with possibilities, his magic a wounded, snarling creature in his heart. It’s not fair that he failed. It’s not fair that he didn’t save his brother, that his love wasn’t enough to punch through the prison dimension and wrap Leo in warmth and light and bring him home. It’s not fair that no one was willing to help him. 

Fine, he had thought, fine! I’ll do it myself! 

Renet had explained to him over and over that his power had more to do with space than time. Casey Jr. said that he’d been sent back in time by his Uncle Michelangelo, but that wasn’t necessarily true. Casey’s arrival in the past had created another universe, parallel to the former. That was Mikey’s power—he could affect and even create other timelines, which was powerful and amazing, but not true time travel. Nothing he did could change his own reality, the one he was living in, because he had already lived it. He couldn’t get back what he had lost. 

Mikey plunged ahead anyway, desperate. He could make it work. He could make a change. Even if it didn’t change anything here, he could find another world and save its Leo and—and maybe that could be a start. Maybe he would finally get his head up above water, and stop drowning for just one second of the day, maybe he’d be able to take a full breath for the first time since his brother disappeared on the other side of a closed door.  

He didn’t wait for permission or approval. He slunk off into a tunnel a mile away from home and drew the circles himself. Lifted his hands and filled them with power, until it felt like he was holding the sun. And it hurt, of course it did. It burned all the way through. But he was hurting anyway. 

A portal opened, a pale yellow window. Mikey looked through it, and saw himself on Staten Island, ripping open a hole in the universe and saving his brother. 

What?

He looked again, over and over, at least half a dozen times—and every time, he looked into a universe where Leo didn’t die. Where Mikey saved him, or Raph scooped him up before he went diving off the Technodrome to catch Mikey and Donnie, or Donnie flew back up to Leo with a rocket and yanked him back through the door before Casey managed to close it. Over and over and over, Leo didn’t die. 

So it’s just me, Mikey realized. I’m the one who got it wrong. 

Raph followed the detonation of ninpo and hysterical screaming through the maze-like tunnels and found him suspended in midair. Rock and rebar were flying around Mikey, everything not nailed to the earth turned dangerous projectiles, his arms burning and flaking away into pieces that disintegrated when they met open air. 

His big brother’s expression had been terrified as he pulled Mikey down into his arms and held him through the shrieking storm he’d made. One hand on the back of his head to keep his face tucked safely into Raph’s scarred shoulder, the other arm cradling him like he was half his age, like he was still someone’s baby. 

“Angie, it’s okay,” Raph had said, low and aching. His voice was a rumble beneath Mikey’s ear, barely audible but just loud enough. “It’s okay. You can scream, you can bring the whole damn city down if you want. But you gotta let go, sunshine. Let go, Mikey.” 

I don’t want to I don’t want to I don’t want to I don’t want to! Mikey wailed, clutching at Raph’s jacket with hands that felt like two white-hot points of pure agony, clinging, holding on. If he let go, Leo stayed gone. If he let go, he really didn’t love Leo enough to save him. 

But Raph pressed his cheek to the top of Mikey’s head, and his next breath shuddered in his chest, and he whispered, “I know you don’t want to, I know. But this isn’t gonna save him. You’re just hurting yourself and L—Leo would hate that. He’d tell you to stop.” One hand crept over to cover both of Mikey’s, squeezing them tight. “Come on, big man. It’s okay. Let go.” 

He let go. The magic faded, dropping everything it had picked up back to the tunnel floor with dull thuds. His hands spasmed wildly, grip nonexistent, and Raph just kept holding them as he carried Mikey home. 

Mikey sobbed for the rest of the night, what felt like hours and hours. Raph reverted to turtle sounds when nothing he said seemed to get through, and Donnie crept under the blanket and plastered himself to Mikey’s carapace so that they had “A little citrus sandwich!” Leo would cheer, the silliest and sweetest turtle in the world until Mikey finally cracked a smile. 

His family made him promise not to try again. It’s not worth it, they said, a unified front—and as much as the words hurt Mikey to hear, it must have hurt his siblings and father just as much to say them. We can’t lose anyone else, they were ready to beg, because they didn’t know it was his fault Leo was gone. They didn’t understand how badly he’d failed them all. If they did, they wouldn’t have been so grimly determined to protect Mikey’s life from his own hands. 

It felt like a betrayal at the time, but he understands now. 

It’s not worth it, he thinks, staring at Gio. I can’t lose anyone else, he’s ready to beg. 

But Mikey knows what it looks like when a brother is about to leave. Mikey knows what it feels like when they’re already gone. 

What he doesn’t know is how to love someone well enough to keep them. 

[th3cadav3r]

The Gala

JayVik Smut

summary: Jayce broke his promise to keep Viktor company at the gala that they had been invited to. How will he make it up to him? Maybe…a risky quickie?

content: mlm ship, established relationship, quickie, semi-public sex, dry humping

author’s note: I really gotta work on my post schedule omg—anyways enjoyyy!!!

Viktor wasn’t really having a great time

The room was full of politicians, scientists, scholars, and other high-class pilties all drinking and chatting away. The event was held in an exquisite venue decorated with deep red and gold. It was easy for Viktor, a man born and raised in the undercity, to feel out of place

Jayce was deep in conversation with a group of people. He could barely go a few seconds without getting pulled aside and plunged into another long talk, which mostly consisted of a mountain of praise being thrown his way for his leading innovation in the science world. It made Viktor undoubtedly jealous. He wasn’t sure what made him more upset: the fact that Jayce was being acknowledged a bit too much or the fact that he was hardly being acknowledged at all despite being Hextech’s co-founder

He sighs. He knew he shouldn’t have come, but Jayce insisted on it. As much as he would’ve preferred to just stay at home or in the lab, he couldn’t help but give in when Jayce used his puppy-dog eyes on him. He promised that he’d stay by his side the whole time. That he’d make sure they both have an amazing night. So Viktor dressed lavishly and they both arrived together, only for him to be casted aside and forced to stand against the wall as the party went on without him. He should be used to this by now, but it didn’t hurt any less

“Hey V!”

Viktor snapped out of his daze. Jayce stood in front of him with a big smile on his face and glimmer in his eyes. “I was looking everywhere for you”

Viktor wasn’t in the mood for this. He wasn’t in the mood to see how happy Jayce was from the night of fun he was having when he had been left in the corner to twiddle his thumbs. He said nothing, only glared at the man who stood before him. Jayce’s smile fell almost as quickly as it had formed

“Vik, I’m–” his hand instinctively flew to Viktor’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I just got all caught up in a conversation and–” His eyes searched his lover’s, silently begging for sympathy or understanding. But all he was met with was that same cold glare

He sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said again

“You promised me” was all that Viktor muttered out. He couldn’t even look his lover in the eyes and instead opted to stare down at the floor, so polished that he could almost see his own reflection

Jayce gently cupped the side of Viktor’s face, forcing his wandering eyes to meet his own. “I know, V. I'm so sorry”

They stayed like that for a while. The music and chatter of the crowd was immediately drowned out as Jayce held Viktor. Nothing else mattered but the two of them, not even the sound of someone halfway across the room calling to Jayce trying to get his attention

Finally, Viktor gave a little half-smile, a non-verbal sign that said “I’m still upset but I forgive you”. That was all Jayce needed

“C’mon, let me make it up to you,” Jayce took Viktor’s hand and led him out of the banquet hall

The storage closet was quite cramped and stuffy but it was their only option at the moment. It was close enough to the banquet hall that they could still hear the liveliness of the party, but far away and hidden enough so that the chances of someone walking in on them was highly unlikely

“Are you okay with doing this here?” Jayce asked

“This is fine,” Viktor reassured. “I just need you”

His breath hitched at his words and he pounced on him immediately, pressing Viktor up against the door and capturing his lips in a hungry kiss. One hand cupped his cheek while the other gripped onto his hip tightly. Viktor held onto him with one arm while using the other to hold onto his cane, keeping him steady

“Gods, V. I needed this”

Jayce’s hand slid down to grab Viktor’s ass, pulling his body even closer. His hips bucked forward, letting Vik feel his growing arousal

That was fast, Viktor thought to himself. But he couldn’t blame him. It was a rather thrilling experience

He broke the kiss to start trailing open-mouthed kisses along his jaw and down his neck, still keeping a firm grasp on his bottom

“I’m exhausted from standing up for so long,” Viktor sighed while shifting his bad leg a bit

“oh—right” Jayce felt stupid for not being more considerate. “Here, lean on me” He shifted his position, offering his body as a solid wall of support. He wrapped his arm around him in a secure manner. “Better?”

Viktor nodded, setting his cane aside as he put his full trust into Jayce to keep him upright. Their lips connected again, each of them pouring their own pent up passion and desire into the kiss

Viktor broke the kiss to start unbuttoning his shirt quickly. Jayce watched him with bated breath, his eyes locked onto his lover’s slender fingers as they popped each bedazzled button off of his expensive dress shirt

“Don’t just stare. Do the same”

Jayce snapped out of the trance that he was in and immediately started undressing as well, taking his shirt off and casting it aside. Their eyes never left each other, the air between them thick with tension and desire

As soon as Viktor shrugged his shirt off of his shoulders, Jayce pounced on him once more as if he was acting upon a primal instinct. He lifted up Viktor without much effort, placing both hands on his bottom and sandwiching him between his body and the door. Their shared arousal became very much obvious when their erections pressed against each other, rubbing together as they kissed once more

“Jayce—” Viktor gasped as he clutched onto his arm. Jayce’s breath hitched at his firm grasp, thrilled by the desperate grip

“We can’t go all the way,” he whispered. Jayce paused and considered his words, realising that they wouldn’t really be able to get far without lube. “Yeah, you’re right”

Viktor smiled mischievously, a rare but welcome sight. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun”

Jayce’s eyes sparkled as an idea formed in his head. He bucked his hips forward, rubbing his clothed boner against Viktor’s which made him gasp again

“Fuck,” he groaned, his hips instinctively thrusting rhythmically. Viktor did the same, moving in tandem as he desperately tried to feel as much friction as possible

Jayce buried his face in the crook of Viktor’s neck, trying to stifle the sounds that threatened to spill out of his mouth. He rutted against Viktor’s crotch, holding him up against the door and using his strong arms to spread his legs apart

“Feels good, V?”Jayce whispered against his skin

Viktor bit his lip and nodded, too stimulated to even muster up a proper response. The friction and closeness were enough to drive both of them wild, and the fact that anyone could walk by and hear them or open the closet door added to the electric feeling that ran through both of their bodies

Viktor’s eyes were squeezed shut from a combination of the immense pleasure and the incredible amount of self-restraint that it was taking to not moan Jayce’s name at the top of his lungs. He tugged on Jayce’s hair, pulling his face to his own and capturing his lips into a desperate, sloppy kiss

Jayce’s mind was starting to go blank—whether that was from the intense heat of the cramped closet or his impending orgasm he didn’t know, but he was fairly certain that it was both

“V, I’m gonna—”

“Me too”

Jayce clutched onto Viktor, grinding against him even harder until he finally reached his peak. He trembled with aftershocks as he kissed Viktor deeply, who was also succumbing to his own intense climax. They rode out their shared release, breathing heavily as their heaving sweaty chests remained pressed up against each other

“Damn…”Jayce panted. “That was intense”

He always said something along those lines after every intimate session of theirs, but this one was especially intense even despite the lack of penetration

“Very,”Viktor responded as Jayce handed him his cane back, allowing him to stand on his own again. “It seems we didn’t consider the fact that our very expensive pants would get dirty”

Jayce peered down and sure enough, both of them had huge wet spots on the crotch of their dress pants. “Shit…”He chuckled nervously

Luckily, the closet had cleaning supplies and they were able to tidy themselves up just enough to avoid suspicion. They picked their shirts up off of the ground and buttoned them back up after dusting them off

“That’ll do,”Jayce remarked when they were fully dressed once again. “Now let’s get outta here before anyone notices we were gone for so long”

Though Viktor dreaded the idea of stepping back out into the hell that he had just escaped from, he knew that all he had to do was wait it out. Besides, he had a very good feeling that their activities would be continued as soon as they arrived home