#I wouldn't get it until I convinced my parents to Finally get us a switch as a combined xmas 2019 present for my sibling and I

[wayfayrr]

The Menace is back with a Self-Aware ask and your weekly words. So here we go with the Self-Aware!

So I think about a Self-Aware Wind and Spirit would be a good idea. You ask who Spirits is? Well the Link from Spirit Tracks because I'm sure he is a reincarnation of Wind as there were things that wouldn't make sense if he was the same. Niko is old but Spirit isn't, Zelda and Spirit don't recognise each other, Spirit doesn't have a sister or a grandma only old man Niko and Niko tells him the story of Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass.

I believe that Wind tries to be sneaky like when Reader looks away he turns his head towards them. Reader also catched him a few times but just thought their eyes were playing tricks on them same with Spirit. But I think it would be interesting when both of them break out at the same time.

Like the scenario is like that. Reader plays Phantom Hourglass on their DS and their little/older sibling comes to them as they are stuck somewhere in Spirit Tracks and it was Reader's game after all, they don't know that Spirit planned it. So Reader just say leave it with them and put their DS down to look at the problem. Only to notice that it seems as there isn't one, Link just runs around the overworld. So Reader thinks it's a glitch and runs around with Spirit to find a next town, they are really far away if you don't use the train. So Wind gets jealous and looks for methods to get their attention. How? He runs out of the safety zone from Bellum's temple and has a monster running after his life. So if Reader plays with sound on they immediately switch DSs to save Wind. And these two do that the whole time. Oh, there is the train geek? Sorry Spirit, but Wind just fell down somewhere and Reader has to go the whole way back so they don't lose progress and heal him. Oh, Wind has a puzzle that Reader tries to solve? Sorry Wind, but Spirit just rolled against a tree with a bees/horns nest, Reader has to save him. Oh, Spirit sees and Overworld Boss and it does nothing and Reader wants to take pictures of it T posing?! Sorry Spirit, But Wind needs their help as he lost all of the ore for smith Zauz and now has to collect them again!! Oh, Wind just got a heart container after he defeated a boss?! Well Sorry Wind But Spirits RUNS ON WATER! OH LOOK WIND FELL DOWN FROM THE BOAT AND NEEDS TO BE SAVED!! SORRY SPIRIT, BUT YOUR JESUS JOURNEY HAS TO BE CUT SHORT!! OH READER FINALLY FOUNDS THE TRAIN?! WELL EXCUUUSEE ME SPIRIT BUT WIND RAN INTO FREAKING BELLUM IN THE OVERWORLD!!! OH...

And so on. These two will go into extreme lengths to get Readers attention on one of them. So they will probably break out as Reader didn't fold any of the two DS to help their parents who called them. But at first the two will fight. Obviously they love Wind more they played his games a dozens of time! Nooo, they love Spirit more they could've given him back to their sibling but they didn't he was still there. When Reader returns they just demand to know who Reader's favourite is. Reader completely stunned as both games start talk to them think they go nuts as they pulled an all-nighter before. The two won't stop and slammed against the glass until it breaks and... why are they so small? Why is Reader so tall?! WHY ARE THESE TWO HERO CHIBIS!? AND WHY HAS ONE OF THEM A JOB!?!

And your words are.

Sacrifice

Mask

Search

Arsonist

Ice blue

Unknown

Hello menace! you've discovered one of my utter weaknesses that I've never mentioned on here - spirit is my son/lh/j. I love that silly little train kiddo, he's just! So silly goofy!!!

also firm believer that if they both get out - or actually speak to one another then they'll get along really really well. they're twins and I can't be convinced otherwise.

I think the idea of them both spiting the other until reader leaves them both to go and destress would be an eye opener to the both of them, being bitter and not working together is worse for BOTH of them. Of course they'll both bicker about who is the favourite but when push comes to shove, two is always more effective than one.

ALSO LITTLE MENACE SPIRIT???? LOVE HIM oh he deserves to be an absolute little shit for attention, he's just a baby that can do no wrong after all!!!! just a tiny little guy!!!! Baby boy!!!!! he's got his train so now he just needs his older sib's attention!!! so what if he has to mess with someone else's game to do that - it worked so how can you hate him for it?

also the jesus journey bit is actually sending me- he's so desperate for attention he'll break all the rules in order to keep your eyes on him ;-; hopefully you won't reset his game seeing as he's breaking it so much now

heheheheheh tiny baby spirit who can sit in your hand or a baby wind who can fit in your pockets they're just little tiny babies!!!!! little itty bitty guys!!!!! (reminds me of some imgs peep's sent in asks lmao) so what if they shouldn't be there! now they are and that's your problem to deal with!!! they won't cause issues - pinky promise <3

(both of these guys are by @artsy-moonwalker, I adore these two little guys beyond belief and spirit looking so scruffy is just so!!!!!! literally baby and I love him so!!!)

as for the words hmmmmm, I think I'll go with ice blue for this one (sorry for the late response too, I know these were last week's after all)

[nights-legacy]

Hello!! Imagine that fem reader is Edgeshot's daughter, but no one knows about it, because he wanted a good childhood for her without paparazzi and too much attention. Now reader in UA and dating with Bakugo and she wants to introduce him to her dad. Love you🥰

Masterlist MHA Masterlist #2

Who's Daughter? - Bakugou x Reader

2045 words

Warnings: none

+ You are the daughter of Edgeshot and girlfriend to Bakugou Katsuki. You had been dating for a while, and your parents want to finally meet him. The problem is that noone knows you are the daughter of Edgeshot, so Bakugou is in for a surprise.

Quirk- Light Ribbon Whips (Mother has a light quirk)

Y/N's POV

It was a quiet evening at UA. I was scrolling through Facebook while Bakugou was asleep on my chest. I was gently running my fingers through his blonde spikes. He hummed in delight in his sleep. The domesticity of the situation was making my heart flutter.

We have been dating for a while. He had asked me out not long after we moved into the dorms and it was bliss. I was apprehensive at first due to how he was but he convinced me to let him prove himself. He never did anything halfway.

"Cuteness..." I muttered as I brushed the hair from his forehead. My phone softly ringing pulled me out of my stuper. "Hello?"

"Hi there, my Little Whip."

"His Dad." I whispered.

"Something wrong?" His voice became alert.

"Nope. Bakugou is just asleep." I said. My parents knew Bakugou and I spent time in each other's room. They trusted me and didn't tell Aizawa either.

"Oh, alright. That's good." He relaxed. "Actually, he's part of the reason I called."

"Oh really?" I looked down at the boy. I began to run my free hand through his hair again.

"Yes. Your mother and I would like to finally meet him. He makes you so happy and that makes us happy. We don't want to rush anything so when he's ready, we're ready. Just let us know."

"Alright. Wow." I chuckled softly. I stilled when Bakugou shifted. "I'll ask him. But don't go all big tough dad on him Okay. I'm pretty sure he'll just blow up on you."

"Oh, I know. I've met the young man out on the field. I'm more curious to see his reaction when he realizes who your dad is."

"That'll be something." I chuckled softly. "What was the other thing you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, that was for your mother. Kei! Your turn."

"Thank you." I heard the phone being passed. "Hi Honey."

"Hi mom."

"I just wanted to let you know that I will be leaving in two days for England for work. I'll be gone for around two days."

"Oh okay. Thanks for letting me know. I don't want to call you while you're sleeping, Mama Bear."

"Oh you!" She laughed. "I'm not that grumpy waking up."

"Yes you are!" I heard dad in the background. I had to bite my lip so I wouldn't laugh out loud.

"Alright, alright." She huffed. "Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight you guys." I hung up and plugged my phone in. I used my whip to hit the light switch and settled in myself.

~

It wasn't until lunch the next day that I brought it up with Bakugou. I waited for him to get to the table while trying to think of how to ask him. About halfway through lunch I just decided to ask him outright.

"Hey Bakugou?"

"Hmm?" He looked up at me from where he was leant over his bowl.

"How would you like to meet my parents?" I asked quickly. He choked suddenly, hitting his chest to help.

"Oooo!" Kaminari chimed.

"Shut it spark plug." He glared at the boy with warning sparks before turning back to me. "What?"

"My parents want to meet you. There's no rush of when. Just wherever you're ready."

"Oh." He looked away. He became a little red in the face. I gnawed at my lip, nervous. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course. Whenever you're ready." I assured him. He nodded. I looked down and I went back to gnawing my lip.

"Hey." I felt his thumb press against my lip. I stopped and looked up at him. "Don't do that. It'll be alright."

"Okay." He got up, gave me a peck, and left the table. I shared a look with Kiri and he gave me a smile.

"It'll be okay like he said. It's Bakugou, this is new to him."

"You're right." I nodded before looking in the direction Bakugou went off.

"Since when has Kacchan been so soft?" A giggle forced its way out as that quickly became the topic of the table.

~

It was a few days before Bakugou came to me with an answer. He was quiet for those few days. Unusually quiet. He still spent time with me but he was noticeably distracted. I was starting to get discouraged when he showed up at my room.

"Baby?" I looked up to see him leaving against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching me with a sorry look on his face.

"Hey." I smiled up at him. I was sitting on the edge of my bed with a book in my lap. He gave me a small smile before pushing off the frame.

"First of all, I would like to apologize." He sat on his knees in front of me. "I've been really distant lately. This just threw me off guard. You know that all this sappy relationship stuff is new to me."

"Yeah. I know." I reached up and brushed his cheek. "I knew this would be a bit jarring. But I knew you could handle it."

"Yeah. Of course I can." He smirked. I rolled my eyes. "But on a serious note. I would like to meet your parents."

"Really?" My eyes widened. He nodded. "Awesome. I promise they'll be on their best behavior. As long as you are on your best behavior too."

"Huh!" Before I could blink, I was tackled back onto my bed. "I'm always on my best behavior." He yelled.

"Bakugou!" I laughed. "Maybe we should revisit your definition of 'best'." I poked him in the chest. He glared at me before huffing. He plopped down next to me. "So when were you thinking?"

"This weekend, maybe?" He looked at me.

"Okay. I'll call my parents."

~

"Okay. There's no need to be nervous. My parents are really cool and laid back." I ran my fingers through his hair. He just watched me. He was dressed normally. Black jeans with a simple long sleeve orange shirt.

"I'm not nervous, babe. I think I can handle your parents." He pushed my hand away. I bit down a smirk and he must have taken it as a nervous bite. He brushed his thumb across my lip. "It'll be alright."

"I know." I kissed him softly. He cupped the back of head, deepening the kiss. I pulled away reluctantly. I don't think it would be nice for my parents to find us making out on the doorstep. "Come on. Oh, and don't be too surprised, okay?"

"Surprised? What are you talking about, women?" I just chuckled, pulling him towards the door. I could feel his glare on the back of my head.

"Mom! Dad! We're here!"

"Finally!" Dad exclaimed.

"Shinya!" I heard mom scold followed by a whack and a grunt. I chuckled. We kicked off our shoes at the door and I heard a small popping. I glanced at Bakugou's hand and saw a Spark before he clenched it into a fist.

"Not nervous, huh?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Shut up." He grumbled. I grabbed his hand, kissed it, and led him through the living room to the dining room. I could see the dining room table set up before my mother stepped into the room.

"Hello! It is so nice to finally meet you, Bakugou. I'm Y/N's mother, Nissa Kamihara." She held out her hand to him. I could see him grasp her hand gently before shaking it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." I could hear the very small shake to his voice.

"Shin. Come on in here!"

"Coming!" Out of the kitchen, my dad appeared. His normal jagged, high hair was in a low ponytail that was draped over his shoulder. He was wiping his hands off with a dish towel. "Welcome Mr. Bakugou." He held out his and they shared a firm handshake. I could see a flash of recognition in Bakugou's eyes and held back a chuckle.

"Hello sir." Bakugou nodded. After they let go, Dad pulled me into his side.

"We've missed you, kid." He hugged me tight and kissed my head. He let me go and I went to hug mom.

"Wait... do I know you?" The confusion on Bakugou's face was amusing. I went and stood next to him as he looked at Dad. He looked at me next. "Babe, I swear that I..."

"Ha ha." I started laughing and buried my head in his shoulder. I could hear my Mom giggling too.

"Hey! What?!" He snapped. I could tell he was irritated but only slightly. He hit my hip to get my attention.

"You actually do know me, Mr. Bakugou." I could see the confusion and irritation grow.

"Just tell him, Dad. Before he blows a fuse." Said boy gave me a small side glare.

"Fine. Fine." Dad chuckled. He walked over to the closet he kept his hero suit in. He pulled out his mask, neck wrap, and shoulder guard. Bakugou's eyes squinted before widering in recognition.

"Edgeshot! Your father is Edgeshot?!" He turned to me.

"Yep."

"What? Why didn't you..." He trained off before turning back to dad. "I thought you didn't have a family." Dad smiled before turning to Mom and pulled her into his side.

"How about I explain over dinner?"

~

"So you see, I just want to protect them. From the media, from villains, everything that is involved with the hero life especially since we had Y/N so young."

"Damn." Bakugou leant back in his chair.

"Yeah. It's not logical for a hero to have a family so young but I wouldn't do it any different." He squeezed moms hand. "Now that Y/N is on her way to being a hero herself, I'm not as worried anymore."

"Are you going to let the world know that you have a family?"

"Possibly. In reality it's not any of the world's business." Bakugou nodded. His hand absentmindedly moved to my thigh in a tense grip. I could tell there was something on his mind. I reached up and ran my hand through his hair.

"Whatcha thinking about, Blasty?"

"Was it hard? Balancing the hero work and your personal life?" Dad sat silent for a minute.

"Yeah. It was. There were times where it was really hard and trying. Times where We didn't know if we could make it through. But it was all worth it in the end."

"Okay." I set my hand on top of his.

After that, the evening became lighter. Bakugou began to act like his normal self. I think he felt more comfortable after realizing he actually knew my Dad. Mom got a taste of the real Bakugou. The angry pomeranian and the soft Bakugou hours. I even heard my Dad and Bakugou having a one on one that I refused to eavesdrop on.

"See you later guys." I called as we left. We walked hand and hand down the sidewalk in a comfortable silence.

"You know, your quirk makes a lot more sense now." He suddenly said.

"Why's that?"

"I always thought that your quirk was similar in a way to Edgeshots in a way. So now it makes more sense."

"Surprise." I chuckled.

"I can't believe you tell me or I didn't figure it out."

"Well in your defense, I don't share a name with my dad for reasons. And I never made any indication of who he was."

"No you didn't!" He grabbed my sides and began to tickle me. I squealed and fought against him. He eventually stopped and just held me to him. He hooked his chin over my shoulder.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you thought."

"Nah." He turned me around. "I understand why you didn't. It's okay."

"Hmm." I smiled before reaching up and nuzzling my nose against his. I kissed him softly. "Kami's right. You have gotten soft." His face shifted in an instant. I laughed, knowing I stirred him up.

"Wha..." I quickly pushed away and ran.

"Race you back!"

"Oh! You little brat!" I heard the familiar popping of his quirk. "You know you can't beat me. No matter if you're a pro's daughter or not."

God, did I love my angry pomeranian.

Tag List: @lilparcheesie @dxnaii-rxse @iris-shihabi @l0vely-lee

[geddy-leesbian]

alright Serrennedy being dads headcanons because my brain is so fucking rotted

Some of these are specific to the AU I imagined for my drabble, but at least some of them can work more generally. AU TL;DR: Luis and Leon were in Raccoon City together, but everything goes right after and they have normal lives (and custody of Sherry)

Them having twin girls is 100% general btw not just in my one AU they're girl dads in my brain, I physically cannot imagine them with sons ok

Even once they're both on the same page when it comes to kids, i.e. wanting a baby, they hesitate to actually start trying for a long time, because they're worried that a baby would take up too much of their attention, making Sherry feel ignored like she did with her bio parents. But eventually they talk to her about it, and she's actually excited about the idea of having a sibling.

Obviously twins do take up a lot of their time, more than they had planned on when first thinking about a new addition to the family, but they make sure that she still gets one-on-one time with both of them regularly.

Luis isn't an overly strict parent, but between the two of them, he's definitely the stricter one. He'd be a bit more flexible during the day, but for things like bedtime he'd be really consistent. If the kid(s) asked for him to read just one more chapter of a book or sing just one more lullaby before going to sleep, he might give in occasionally, but he really would leave after a single chapter or song. Whereas Leon would cave a lot easier, and just keep reading (Leon wouldn't sing to them, he feels like he's bad at singing and, even though the kids wouldn't care, he'd feel too awkward about it, so singing to them is just Luis's thing.) until either the kids are asleep or Luis finally just comes in to tell them all (including Leon) to go to sleep or they'll be tired and cranky tomorrow.

Obviously it's important to Luis that they learn Spanish too, but since Leon barely speaks it, he's careful to make sure Leon doesn't feel left out. So usually he'll talk to them in Spanish on the days Leon is gone, but only in English on the days Leon is home. (Leon's a firefighter in the AU so, even though it's not as bad as if he was an agent, he is gone for 72 hour shifts regularly.) He'll switch to English early in the day before Leon is even home, because sometimes Leon gets home early and he tries to sneak in quietly to eavesdrop. It starts off because Luis talks to the babies with his normal voice, and never uses any type of baby talk or anything, and Leon is convinced that Luis does it in private, but gets too embarrassed to do it in front of Leon. So Leon tries to catch him in the act. It turns out that he's wrong, and Luis genuinely just talks to them with his normal voice 100% of the time. But Leon still keeps doing his weird eavesdropping routine occasionally, just because he likes listening to Luis and the kids. Leon isn't as stealthy as he thinks and Luis 100% knows that Leon does that, but he pretends he doesn't know because he thinks it's cute.

Luis wouldn't care about what the babies call him. Leon would, and bring up that they can't both be called Dad or it'll be confusing. Luis isn't concerned and says they can just wait until the babies start talking and roll with whatever they decide to call them. Leon's response is that "They're going to think your name is 'Shut Up' if I don't call you something in front of them." Luis knows he's 100% right about that and they decide to just keep it simple, Daddy and Papi.

Luis's favorite kid related purchase they make is a baby carrier that lets them wear both twins at once, one twin on their back and the other on the front. Luis starts off just wearing them when he needs to make a run to the store while Leon is working or exhausted, but becomes a way bigger Thing. People are weird about babies in public, so ofc on that first trip Luis gets randos coming up to compliment the babies, talk about how they don't know how Luis can handle taking twins out on his own because their one kid is demonic, etc. And Luis is an attention whore so he just eats that shit up, and starts taking the babies with him on most errands. He also just enjoys sharing part of his routine with the babies, so instead of always putting both of them in their swings at home when he's cooking or doing chores, he'll wear one and just narrate what he's doing.

They're both overprotective. For the most part, Luis is only overprotective when it comes to people. He gets scared to leave the babies with people he doesn't know well, because from his time at Umbrella he knows that people who seem really nice, seem like good people, people he genuinely bonded with, can still be capable of really fucked up stuff. But he's fine with most other situations, because of his own childhood experiences going into the wilderness with his grandfather from a young age. Leon's overprotectiveness is sort of the opposite, he's got some trust issues too, but it's other stuff that he's most likely to freak out over. Like if one of the kids managed to slip out of their sight, Leon would be panicking and looking frantically, and Luis would be like "this happened when I was 3. I was lost in the woods for 2 days before my grandfather found me, she'll be fine." (Luis would be concerned and want to look obviously, he just wouldn't be panicking.) But if they left the kids with a babysitter just for a couple hours, Luis would be freaking out and wanting to call and check on them every 10 minutes and Leon would have to tell him it's fine and confiscate his phone before he blows up the babysitter's phone.

Luis hates baby clothes with any sort of words or slogans on them, so naturally Leon would buy the cringiest inappropriate baby clothes he could find and put them on the twins to see how long it takes for Luis to notice. Shit like this:

[meredoubt]

I've been thinking about my paladin Dirge's adoption, and brood parasitism.

I'm pretty unfamiliar with the lore, so, grain of salt. But ever since i read that, traditionally, if there is a third son in a Drow family (or one of a pair of twins) he is usually sacrificed to Lolth, I've been unable to put that info aside. It's just been rattling around in my head, maybe because of my own culture's interpretations of our own myths surrounding child sacrifice (namely, that it was pointedly not to be done ever again, in comparison with neighbors, ostensibly). The binding of Isaac has been one of my favourite demonstrative stories for some time, and so this part of Drow culture is fascinating in a horrifying way, if you will.

It does give the Dark Urge origin an interesting set of seemingly competing circumstances, if you're playing a male Drow.

On the one hand, we know that the Dark Urge is adopted very young by a couple (how the Cult of Bhaal accomplishes this exchange of child for goods, who can say). The Drow parents seemingly give him a happy childhood, in their culture, until he murders them, thus starting his illustrious career and seemingly returning to the Cult of Bhaal, to be his father's prodigal son and head priest.

Given the xenophobia in Menzoberranzan, and the distaste for men in general, whatever compels this Drow couple (specifically the matron, to be clear) to seemingly adopt my boy Dirge must be significant. I was puzzling over what could convince these parents to adopt a mysterious boy, which societally, would be dead weight. Fodder for a useful marriage, maybe, at best, given they have two other sons and (hopefully) daughters. They would've just gotten rid of one son-

Ah. But what if we change the timing?

It was would-be-grief. It was shame-based, private grief for a natural son who they should've known better than to let themselves love. It was pre-grief, spiteful, for what was oathed to Lolth, by right. It was panic. It was attempting to cheat.

They wanted a sacrificial lamb.

That's what the Cult of Bhaal preyed on. I bet Dirge's adoptive parents reached out first, looking anywhere they could so they could try to spare their third, inconvenient but loved son. Every nasty contact they had, outside "proper" Underdark society. They had to keep it quiet among the houses. Thank goodness their youngest had always been so sickly that few knew him. They knew-the matron especially-that he made them weak. But even the Drow can have weaknesses like love. Doting on a boy who hadn't yet been honed to sharpness by Drow culture. Who never would be, for it would crush him.

The cult of Bhaal, well. They must come across orphans all the time, the matron thinks. Hell, they make them. She didn't ask enough questions, when whatever Bhaalspawn handler finally got back to them.

We've got a scrap of a boy, looks near enough to your sickly little thing, but he's a bit weird. You'll owe us, for "boarding" this "ward." A simple trade, once he's under their roof. He won't have to be there long, just long enough for appearances. And then they adopt the "ward." Kill any servant or lesser members who could talk. Easy enough. Price paid, son saved.

So, the matron agrees.

She installs the boy in her son's suite when he arrives, in a small sideroom, as would be proper, to instill friendship between the two boys. She wouldn't choose to, but it is expected, and it will make the switch easier. To make the boy from nothing disappear.

Dirge is a quiet Drow child, with unusually dark eyes, and he's scrawny. A little human in the face, she thinks, but then her son is pale from his illness, and the two boys get along immediately, like a house on fire. Her youngest child has never had a boy his age around regularly before, who'd laugh at him and boss him around and play with him.

For the first time, the family and servants have to make sure the third son goes to bed on time, instead of his usual habit of falling asleep right at the table. They have to remind the boys of their studies, chase the boys to their separate rooms every night. There is laughter in the afternoons, and whispers in the dark.

But it's not all playing, and the matron begins to dread the upcoming sacrifice, which will be presided over by the order of Lolth's priestesses publicly. She is not a stranger to guilt for her actions, to get where she is, but it shouldn't rear so ugly or painful now. Experience should have filed it down to dull.

He doesn't know. The boy doesn't know. He's happy.

Dirge watches the family carefully, until he can mimic the right etiquette and speech patterns. He is polite, smart, and quiet, except for his laughter with her son, and his fondness for music. When he hesitantly asks to join her son at music lessons, she notes his baited breath, and relents.

The boy lights up, and promises her he won't disappoint her. And despite herself...she starts to love the useless, pathetic thing. He clearly wants to be loved so badly. He's so disgustingly eager, so earnest. The houses would've eaten him alive, just as they'll do to her son if she doesn't set him up with protection.

But three, you see, is a significant number. There is a reason it is chosen, even by deities. Beginning, middle, end. It is a completion. It is a peace and agreement. Do not break the bindings of magic that simple, for the simplest magic is the oldest.

The matron should have known better, but her ward did.

And he listened. He listened more carefully than anyone, with the sharp critical ears of a child who loves music and abhors mistakes. He'd begun to hear whispers, of the role of a third son, and his large dark eyes took in clearly all around him. Other whispers, too, of a father he couldn't remember fully, crawled through his head, like fond fingertips carding his hair.

She must pay. He must die. You must thrive.

He knew he'd had been sent there to receive instruction on how to be Drow, and to do so quietly and competently. But he was studious. He was earnest. And in the way of all princes and priests, he was convinced he was righteous. Someday, he would be a perfect paladin, and some murky part of him held doggedly to the sanctity of temples, rituals and rites.

He knew temples and stories, knew he had the words to make everyone listen. And he was about to have the ear of every priestess of Lolth, including his benefactor's eldest daughter, in a public stage. The self-assuredness, the certainty, his heritage left in him left no room for nerves. What other boy could do what he was about to do? None. None were comparable.

The third son was dead already, his corpse already cold in Dirge's thoughts.

The houses would tear his adoptive parents to shreds for the chance to do so. Maybe Lolth would do it Herself for the sacrilege.

Maybe She'd let him.

And his would be older sister...she would be grateful, for his help rising. As long as he spoke up at the right time. Public scrutiny would ensure she felt compelled to raise him. She's a powerful priestess, diligent to Lolth, raising a boy who clearly knew their society better than those who'd taken him in. The rest of the family would be nothing, quickly, an afterthought. But he needed her, an adult with the position to keep him alive as he very publicly declared himself, just as she'd need him in the wake of the scandal.

And maybe, even better, in one fell swoop, she would fear him.

"What are you smiling at?" his first victim asks him now, dragging Dirge from his thoughts.

He turnes to the third boy, and impulsively hugs him. "Nothing," he sighs giddily into his friend's hair.

His father will be so proud of him.

[galactichelium]

I wanna draw so bad but I just don't really have any ideas. I think I had an idea before Splatoon 3 came out? But I completely have forgotten it since then because I've been obsessively playing it since Splatoon 3 came out. And I WOULD draw something Splatoon-related but tbh I kinda wanna draw my usual Homestuck stuff right now. But yeah, just got no ideas. (And also, even if I did, I'm still stuck in my "Playing Splatoon 3 obsessively" mode, so little to no drawing would get done anyway most likely).

I wish the Switch would show you how many hours you've put into a game sooner. Like it currently says for me "First played 10 days ago" like c'mon, surely now it's been long enough where I can see how many hours I've put into the game. However I can say somehow I put 15 hours into the splatfest world premiere. Y'know, the one that was supposed to only last 12 hours. That means I spent at least 3 hours prior to the actual splatfest starting just walking around the square.

[beewolfwrites]

Do you write requests? I mean... chishiya getting his hair washed by his s/o... and it's so intimate that he really struggles with his emotions... dunno if you'd write that, tots fine if you don't. Just saying... would be cute wouldn't it...

Hello! I'm always happy to write requests, though this is the first one I've ever had :)

I wasn't sure if this managed to get across enough emotion on Chishiya's end (because that boy is like an emotional breezeblock) but I hope you like it all the same!

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You were never worried whenever Chishiya left for a game. Well, that’s not entirely true. He was smart enough to wriggle his way through almost any situation, you knew that. Rationally and logically, Chishiya would survive. But there was always that tiny voice whispering, ‘What if’.

What if he ends up in a Spades game and isn’t athletic enough?

What if he’s ambushed by other players during a Hearts game?

What if there can only be one survivor, and by chance, it isn’t him?

Interestingly, ‘What if he gets so covered in blood, it forces him to finally wash his hair properly?’ never once crossed your mind.

Half-asleep, you heard the door to your shared room creak open as someone shuffled inside. At any other time it could have been an intruder, or even one of the militants, if not for the beam of light from the hall slicing through the darkness. Chishiya’s features were briefly illuminated, then he shut the door.

You dreamily watched his silhouette as he rummaged through the drawers, dragging them open one by one until the noise woke you up completely.

‘Chishiya?’

‘Go back to sleep.’ He shut another drawer.

By now, sleep was too far gone. Sitting up with a yawn, you switched on the bedside lamp, but when the yellow glow filled the room, it became horribly apparent why Chishiya was turning out all your clothes drawers.

His white hoodie, sweatpants, and even his skin were all spattered with blood. And within an instant, there was only one question pressing on your mind.

‘Is it yours?’

‘I told you to go back to sleep.’

The side-glance he gave you as he reached for a towel revealed that he wasn’t in the mood for this, probably because his favourite white hoodie was stained. But neither were you.

‘Is it yours?’

‘Does it look like it’s mine?’

Eyebrow raised, he turned to face you fully, letting the light accentuate every stain in his clothes. On closer inspection, no. It couldn’t possibly have been his. The speckled pattern of the blood suggested that it must’ve come from someone several feet away. Realising that he was unharmed, you instantly relaxed.

‘Was it those collars again?’

‘Yes, actually.’ He paused, smiling curiously. ‘But the players weren’t the ones wearing them.’

Ah. It was one of those games where one of the others hunted the players down. You’d survived them before, and their lives were almost always pitted against yours.

If Chishiya had any intention of telling you about his game, it certainly wasn’t right now, because he suddenly turned towards the bathroom, giving you a full view of the back of his head.

‘Wait!’ You threw back the covers, managing to catch him by the elbow just in the nick of time. ‘Wait a second.’

‘What is it now?’

You lifted up locks of his hair, inspecting the dry, tangled mess. Aside from a couple of specks at the front, he’d somehow managed to avoid getting blood in it. However, that didn’t mean the overall state of his hair wasn’t nasty as hell.

‘I thought I told you to brush it properly after you shower,’ you said, feeling the damaged stands between your fingertips. ‘And we have conditioner. Don’t you use it?’

He looked at you tiredly, as though he couldn’t believe he was even having this conversation. ‘Conditioner is waste of time and money,’ he said. ’Now go back to bed.’

He tried to shut the bathroom door between you, but there was no way you could let hair like that pass. The moment the door closed, you yanked it open again before he could lock it, catching him by surprise.

‘Nope. You’re not getting away that easily.’ You pushed your way into the bathroom. ‘There’s no money in this place, and no excuses.’

He leaned against the bathroom counter, watching impassively as you started to run a bath. ‘I don’t take baths.’

‘Well, you do now.’

Opening the bathroom cupboards, you pulled out some of the nicer hair products that you’d collected from abandoned salons in the city. Since the only currency in the Borderlands was human life, luxury hair products were free game.

You could feel Chishiya growing more and more irritated. ‘Pull the plug, or I’ll do it myself.’

Ignoring the comment, you pulled gently at his hoodie in a signal to remove it, only he shifted away from you and muttered that he wasn’t a child. Despite his small, reluctant comments, it was surprising how easily he’d given in. Perhaps he was simply too tired to argue, though you knew you’d get an earful about this tomorrow.

Once his bloodied clothes were in a pile on the floor, he uncomfortably climbed in the bath. Neither of you were particularly bothered by nudity, and it was hardly the first time you’d seen him like this. There was just something about baths that he hated, and seeing him sitting grumpily in the water, it was impossible to keep from smiling.

‘I’m sorry,’ you said. ‘If it’d been a shower, I would’ve had to get in too.’

‘And that’s a bad thing?’

‘Pff, stop trying to distract me,’ you snickered. ‘I’ve got so much work to do if I’m going to rescue this mess.’

Tilting his head back, you used your hand to pour water over his hair, taking your time to dampen it thoroughly before squeezing in shampoo. You had never been very good at massage, but you tried your best, rubbing the lather in to make sure every strand was coated, and every drop of blood washed away.

Chishiya didn’t seem to protest. It was a stroke of luck to catch him while he was too tired to put up a fight. You snuck a glance at his face while shampooing his hair, only to find his eyes closed, expression peaceful.

‘Chishiya?’

One eye cracked open. ‘I’m awake. Don’t get any ideas.’

Smirking, you started washing the suds away. ‘I guess my plan to attack you when you were sleeping has been foiled.’

‘What a coincidence,’ he mumbled. ‘I had the same plan earlier.’

Once the shampoo had melted into the bathwater, you pooled conditioner into the palm of your hand and started combing your fingers through his hair, coating the locks while gently easing out the tangles.The silence was comfortable, and neither of you spoke until Chishiya let out a small sigh.

‘I preferred what you were doing before.’

Your hands stilled in surprise. ‘You actually like this?’

‘I wasn’t convinced at first,’ he replied. ‘This is the first time someone’s washed my hair like this. I suppose it’s not too bad.’

Chishiya’s words opened up a lot of doors, and you couldn’t help but ask, ‘Didn’t your mother wash your hair for you? When you were small, I mean.’

‘Ah…’ He smiled wryly. ‘We had a nanny.’

Your hands slowed as you mulled over this new information. Chishiya had only vaguely told you about his parents. He barely spoke with his father, and his mother was no different. But that was all you really knew. Maybe he was raised entirely by staff.

‘Was the nanny nice?’

He hummed under his breath. ‘She was underpaid, and she let me know it.’

Did he mean to say, his nanny took her frustration out on him? The more he spoke, the more unsettled you felt learning about this. ‘She helped during bath times, right?’

‘She supervised.’

It wasn’t difficult to read between the lines. He must’ve been washing his own hair from the moment he was able to, and even then, it would’ve been impossible to remember what the experience was like before. No wonder he was terrible at looking after it now.

Bad habits die hard.

You leaned forward and wrapped your arms around his neck and shoulders, pressing your cheek against his damp skin. To your surprise, he leaned into the embrace. It was a small slip that he would never show anybody else, a fracture in his apathetic facade, and there were no words shared between the two of you. Just understanding.

That was, until the silence was ruined.

‘Hurry up. The faster you finish messing with my hair, the faster I can get out.’

Chishiya really didn’t like baths.

[ronance4everbrainrot]

I'm finally writing another scene from my AU (well 'our' I'm co-parenting with the lovely person @corgiplays )

If you haven't read the fight with her mom or the fight with Steve go read it (fight with mom and also Robin and Erica bonding ignore the 3 months thing. And the fight with Steve that Corgi wrote) well you don't have to read it but for context ig, mind you, I am not that good of a writer and some stuff may be weird (from my post) [also the timeline of the AU is here]

Surprise Corgi! It's not the story you requested! It was supposed to be a two in one but it's not in my drafts so it's kinda shitty to write it like that✨

Anyway, if you're back now or haven't even gone away. I'll just say that I'll have some Robin Protection Squad looking for Robin when she was at Murray's after the fight with her Mom

So it's middle January and Robin is at Murray's after the fight with her mom. And the kids (Lucas, Erica and Max. And I guess Dustin now too lol) are searching for Robin two days later or so. ... I just wanted a bit of angst?.. Also Steve is a jerk. (TW: d-slur gets used)

✨✨✨

[Saturday, January 19th]

Since August they always had hang outs with Robin. Most of the time they were at an ice cream store, since Robin always invited Erica to ice cream (also for cooling off in the summer heat) and they were hanging out first. Then a week or so later Erica forced Max to join, and it would be a lie if Max said that she didn't enjoy it, but she couldn't say no to free (paid by Robin) ice cream. Lucas joined a few weeks later and they were hanging out at the Sinclairs or at a burger place because Max was getting sick of ice cream and somehow convinced the others (they were also kinda sick of ice cream) to go somewhere else. They have met every Saturday since then....until today.

"Are you sure she didn't say anything about not being able to hang out?" Lucas asked the girls, trying to calm them down "so you think I'm lying?" Max looks at him with an unimpressed and but also offended expression. "What? NO! Of course not! I believe you!" Lucas tries to redeem himself, shaking his head no in panic "it's just that Robin wouldn't just say nothing and not come! I mean last time she couldn't come, because she needed to work a longer shift, she said it weeks before! And even reminded us almost every day! Constantly Apologizing! "That's why we are fucking worried, butthead." Erica argues. She may looks calm on the outside, but she is freaking a bit out on the inside. She's grown to love Robin like an older sister and she doesn't want anyone to hurt her.

Erica also talked to Robin about her nightmares and she has never done that with anyone. She just has this safe feeling around Robin that she doesn't even have around her mother, no offense to her mom, she is an amazing mom/woman. But it's probably because her mother doesn't know about the Russians, doesn't know about the upside down, that could be the reason, why she feels safer with Robin, even tho Robin is a fucking klutz.

Max throws the phone on the bed (as not to damage it) and let's out a frustrated groan "No one is picking up the fucking damn telephone!" Lucas, now also worried since realising what he said "Shit.." he quietly curses. "This is bullshit" Erica says calming down a bit and thinking she figured it out, picking up the phone and calling the Wheeler household. 'she's got the be there. After christmas [Just gonna say she was under the mistletoe with Karen and she got a kiss on the cheek lol. Max was absolut hell to Robin after that and Murray was hiding a chuckle] she was there almost everyday. And she has been kinda acting out of it lately, maybe her gay ass just wanted to go back and get some attention from Mrs. Wheeler.....that's a bunch of bull. That was a weeks ago! Why would she go now-' "Hello? Karen Wheeler on the phone." a happy voice rang out of the phone and snapped her out of her thoughts. Erica switches to her kind voice "Hi Mrs. Wheeler! It's Erica.... Lucas's sister..." she added a bit annoyed but still trying to sound sweet.

-

After the call with Karen, they found out that the last time Karen saw Robin, it was at Family Video when she went with Holly. And that was almost a week ago. So they decided to go ask Steve in person the next day.

[Sunday, January 20th]

While walking to Steve, Lucas thought about Robin and the way she has been acting. He noticed it on one of there sleepovers in November but didn't want to mention it and then forgot about it. But she was kinda out of it, well she was in her head a lot, thinking about something or trying to figure something out. And last month Steve wasn't driving her anymore, he thought he was busy, but he literally saw him drive Dustin to school. And then while walking to his next class he saw Robin with Nancy leaving the bathroom. He had to do a double check, thinking he saw blood, which he did. This time he asked her about it, and well she wasn't lying when she said she fell of her bike. It's just weird that she was riding her bike to school, in fucking Winter. There was this weird vibe around her [something to do with her mother] after new years but that went away quick.

Now that he thinks about it. Steve has also been acting weird. He's even been also distant lately. They did check up on him like two days ago since he missed some kind of planned thing with Dustin and Dustin imidiatly called everyone to check up on Steve. He was acting like he's was hiding something.

"I hope he has a good reason for not picking up his damn phone" Max angerly mumbled when they arrived infront of Steve's house. 'I haven't seen Robin since last Saturday, and we at least see each other one time in a week. Something must have happened to her! And if Steve knows something and isn't gonna say anything....I'm going to-' Erica impatiently knocks at the door the moment they stood in front of it "HEY SHITTY HAIR, [New theory. Erica is Bakugo] OPEN THE DOOR!" She yells. After a few minutes of Lucas trying to stop Erica from destroying the door and Max getting more mad the seconds it's still closed. The door opens.

"What the hell do you shitheads want at fucking 7 am" Steve groans out, rubbing his face, still very sleepy. "I already said I'm fine and nothing happend. I just forgot I planned something with Du- Hey!" Max cuts him of and pushes her way inside, Erica following right behind. Lucas walks in when Steve goes after Max and Erica. He looks at Steve's appearance and sees that he looks better than last time. His hair is taken care of again. He sees Steve question why they are here still walking being Max and Erica who are walking to the living room. "-early? Did something happen? Why are you not talki-" Max spins around and if looks could kill, he'd have a grave right next to Billy's. [lol] "Where is Robin." Steve's tries to hide it but he looks annoyed and also nervous for a second, before looking confused. "What? Why are you asking? Did something happen?" Steve asked, his voice showing concern but Lucas feels something off about it. "That's what we are trying to figure out, genius" Erica squints her eyes at him in suspicion. Steve looks at the three confused "Ok and why did you come to me? I hav-" '...why did we come to him?...Isn't he best friends with Robin? Shouldn't he be more worried?' The others also had the same thought as Lucas "why did you come to you? You work with her, genius? You should have seen her yesterday. She's also your best friend, how-" Steve finally, showing his annoyance about being woken up from his sleep and also getting asked about Robin, snaps "She is NOT my best friends! She never was! She's just a hyper weird girl, who didn't want to sleep with me because she's a disgusting dy- " Max cuts him of with a punch to the face. "Don't you dare finish that sentence." Max warns Steve, who's on the floor with a bloody nose.

Lucas and Erica stood there shocked for a moment. Eyes wide. Erica recovers first and crosses her arms, looking at Steve with disgust. Lucas thinks about all the time Robin has been spaced out. And she also mumbled something once about Steve avoiding her, but he thought he misheard it. Lucas also thinks about how Robin been helping him with school and even the awesome basketball tickets she gave him before Christmas! He think about the hangouts and the sleepovers. How could anyone hate Robin? She is an angel. Lucas could list all the reasons why Robin is the best person on the whole world, but right now, they need to find out what happen and where Robin is.

Steve tries to stand up, but Max pushed him back to the ground. Lucas starts talking, wanting to ask when the last time he saw Robin was, but suddenly Dustin sleepingly came down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. "Why are you being so loud...some of us need our beauty sleep." The others stayed silently shocked for a minute, waiting for Dustin to enter the room. "Max? Lucas? Erica?! What are you-" seeing Erica there shooks him the most, which wakes him up from his sleepy state, but then he sees Steve on the ground holding his nose. "Steve!?" he wanted to run over and help him but Lucas stops him, holding his arm out. "Lucas-" "No, he deserved it" "What- Did you punch him? Why did you punch him!?" "First of all, I punched him. And second of all, he absolutely deserved it." Max says, venom seeping out through her voice, still glaring at Steve.

Erica haven been quiet for a while, finally speaks up again, cutting Dustin off. "-punch him?! Why even did he deserv-" "Ok nerd, shut up and listen." Erica then explains what happened and also that they think Robin is missing. Steve has the audacity to look ashamed when Dustin looks at him in disappointment saying "not cool, man" [Dustin will help Steve getting redeemed]

(tiny time skip)

Dustin now joined the group in search of Robin. They went to family video asking if Robin was there, but they said she hasn't been her since last Saturday, saying she was sick. So right now they are at the Sinclairs and trying to call Robin. "I swear to God, does no ones phone work or why do they not pick up" Max grumbles to herself, impatiently tapping her food on the floor. "Well maybe no one is home? Have you ever thou-" Dustin stops as Max gestures him to shut up and standing up straight and getting of the wall she was leaning on. "Buckley Melissa, how may I help you" A kind sounding voice comes through the phone speakers "Oh-um- Hello.." Max didn't think about the fact that Robin's mother could pick up the phone. She tries to be polite to the woman (even tho she's a bitch) so maybe she'll let them talk to Robin. "I'm friends with your daughter, Rob-" "I don't have a daughter" The woman cuts Max's off, with her kind voice before, now a monotone voice with anger/disgust seeping through" Max's furrows her brows in confusion and anger "Wha-" "Cut the crap" Erica, who was standing next to the phone as well and heard Melissa's response, takes the phone from Max and starts talking "We know for a fact, that this is the not the wrong household. So don't bullshit us about you not having a daughter. I knew you would be a bitch from the few things Robin said about you. And the way she talked about it, as if it was ok. You never deserved her as your daughter, so you saying you don't have one is probably the best thing you've done for her. And she deserves the fucking world! She's the smartest person I know, she is the most badass person I know, she is the sweetest and most generous person on this world. We bled together, we fought together, we survived together. She is like a sister to me. Now tell me where Robin is. And I swear to God, if you've hurt my sister in anyway, I will end you." The other line is quiet, terrified. (Melissa is confused on why she is so terrified but Erica just has that power)

Lucas stands there with a proud look in his face, not caring that Erica cursed for once. Dustin smiles his goofy, adorable smile, also proud and just thinking that Erica is such a badass. Max has a pleased expression, but not smiling. Erica stands there with an expressionless face, showing no emotion, waiting for that bitch in the other line to start talking. If the room wasn't so quiet right now, Erica would have missed the shaky exhale on the other side. After clearing her throat, the woman finally starts talking "I don't know where she is, and I don't care. I gave her a home and she thanked me with being a disgusting dyke. I hope she got hit by a car while running away. I couldn't care less if she died" Melissa tries to act unaffected and laughs at her last comment. Erica's face turned from disgust to anger to worry to anger again "You are a monster" Erica says, and hangs up, being done with hearing that disgusting and annoying voice.

She looks at Max, who heard everything, sharing a concerned and furious look. The two boys see this interaction and then look at each other in concern and confusion. "If I ever see that woman..." Max threatens quietly, with so much fury that even the Dustin and Lucas, still confused and not being the one it's targeted at, are terrified. "Oh absolutely. But we gotta find Robin first" Erica, unphased by Max's anger probably just as furious, says. She looks at the boys "She said something about Robin running away. Where could she runaway to? I mean definitely not to shitty hair"

Lucas pushes his worry down and tries to think about where Robin would be, nodding in agreement when Erica said that she's not a Steve's "She also can't be at the Wheelers because Mrs. Wheeler said she last saw Robin last week. Also we would know if she were at ours, but she's not." Erica wanted to comment about how obvious that was but says nothing because they need to find Robin right now. While it's quiet and they are brainstorming ideas on where she could be, Lucas's worry starts to overtake him and he think about all the possible ways Robin could be kidnapped or hurt and not being a me to get help, or...'No, she is ok, she is alive. We will find her....where could she-' his thoughts gets interrupt as Dustin jumps up from the floor he was sitting on "I was thinking of every connection Robin has, and I remember her and Murray being good friends! So-" Max cuts in "So she probably went to Murray! Dustin you are a genius! How did I not think of that!" she says, smiling for the first time since they new Robin was missing. Lucas is happy that Max's was smiling again.

"Will you buttheads stop staring at Max, I knows she's gorgeous but we gotta find Robin." Erica says, wanting to walk out of the room and to ask her parents if they could drive them to Murray's, but Dustin stops her "Do you even know where he lives?" she stops walking and turns around 'right...' "Nope" "But I do" Max says walking over to them, Lucas following behind "but I don't think Murray would like it, if more people know about his place" thinking about the time she was over at Thanksgiving and him scowling Robin for telling Max where he lives. (well the problem was that it was without his permission). Max was lucky Murray wanted Robin to clean the dishes all alone, or she probably had to also clean them.

"Ok, so we go alone" Lucas agress, and he doesn't really care. "So where does he live?" wanting to know so they can finally get to Robin "In sesser Illinois" "Illinois?! He doesn't even live in Indiana?" Dustin asks surprised "yep. It's like a 4-5 hour drive" "And you want us to go alone? Also when would be go? " Dustin look at the clock "it's almost 12 pm so we'd be there at like 4 or 5 pm, and when would be drive back? Also do we want to take Robin with us or-" Max tells Dustin to shut up and that she already has a bit of a plan since she was there once.

(Time skip)

They are on the Bus right now. It's 3 pm and they have been driving for 2 hour. They told the Sinclairs about the Robin situation but ofc not all the details. They wanted to come along but they had work (which the kids were thankful for, since it would have been extremely hard to try and convince Sue not to come along) Dustin's was supposed to be at Steve's anyway so his mother wouldn't be worried, and Max's mother probably wouldn't care that Max is going. They each packed clothing for tomorrow if they have to sleepover. In those 2 hours, they talked about Steve, well mostly Dustin kinda trying to protect him, but of course not agreeing with his actions. The conversation kinda switches over to Eddie, who is Max's neighbour. Dustin, Lucas and Mike are friends with him, because he basically adopted them the moment they sat foot into the highschool. "He's weird, but not bad, his loud music is annoying is annoying tho" Max comments. Dustin disagree, he loves Eddie's music taste. "He was weird as first, you're right. But he's really really cool! He also has a DnD club called hellfire! He has a freaking DnD club!!!" Dustin jumps in his seat in excitement "And well of course we joined" gesturing to Lucas and himself.

[honestly the time skip was kind unnecessary but I'll leave it here]

(Another time skip)

After another 2 hours they are almost there, only half an hour . Max was gonne lose it soon if they don't stop talking about DnD. Also the shock she felt when Erica started talking with Dustin and Lucas about it. She thought she was imagining it for a moment. 'If Erica of all people even plays it, then maybe I should give it a chance....' Max thought about it for a while and she tried to listen to what they were talking about at first and she kinda understood it, but when it got more complicated she got annoyed because she didn't understand it anymore so now she wants then to shut up.

Max looks out of the window, zoning out the conversation of the others. She start thinking about Robin and what she would do if they don't find her at Murray's 'we should have called him....but she has to be there! Where else would she be...she wouldn't just leave us...' An image of Billy flashes in her mind and her legs started bouncing up and down. She tries to think of something else besides him so she think about how Robin comforted her, a stranger at first, after the *mall fire*. Not even her own mother tried to comfort her, she just started drinking. Robin also comforting her after the Byers, including El, moved. She still misses El, and yes, she did see her on Christmas, and she felt complete again when she was there, but now she's back in california....'I can't lose Robin... I can't lose another person...' "-NOT a nerd" Erica's voice snaps her out of her thoughts "When will you finally admit it." Dustin teases Erica, who just rolls her eyes in annoyance "I never have to admit it because there is nothing to admit, just the facts" "Ok but-" Lucas cuts Dustin off "Guys look! We're almost there!" He points at a sign

Welcome to Sesser A certified city

[I actually googled it lol]

"I'm mean we're already here but we still needs to get to Murray's" Dustin explained and looks at Max. Max, still kind of in a daze of zoning out, looks confused at Dustin. Dustin rolls his eyes and asks "how do we get to Murray's" Max fully snaps out of it and explains the way to Murray's, it'll take like 30 minutes from the bus station.

(Time skip. I'm just to bored to write all those details)

After a bit of walking and talking about how they would act when they get there, also Erica trying to convince her brother to carry her (which he eventually did after she whispered something into his ear, but only for like 10 minutes), they finally arrived at Murray's place. Erica gave some kind of insult to his place and that it suits him.

POV Robin (Finally lol)

She was sitting on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, drinking hot coaco that Murray made for her, holding the mug with both hands [She is so adorable and precious 🥺], watching She-Ra: Princess of Power

[I just wanted an 80s, well before 86, TV show and well She-Ra you know >:3 but sadly not the gay version :/ (at least idk if there were gay moments lol) at first I wanted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but that came out in 87 and I would have been like, fuck timeline, but I found She-Ra]

"How can you even watch that nonsense, why is that cat one speaking that way? And what the fuck is that flying creatures with giant elephant ears and a peak....????...Also that He-man guy, kinda looks like you..." he says squinting at the TV.

[no but like it does look like Robin to me 😭 but only those two tho, idk why 😭 also the hair 😭]

Robin shoves Murray with her shoulder, covered by the blanket, and rolls her eyes. "Yeah well-" then there is a rapid knock on the door. Murray imidiatly getting up and taking the shotgun next to the Camera monitors. Robin looks at him in concern, worried about who might be there, maybe her mom somehow found her (and she just started to get a bit better), but she just hears Murray sigh in annoyance, leaving the gun on its spot and walking over to the door. He opens it "Will you stop-" he starts, but gets pushed out of the way, by a frantic Max. The others came imidiatly after her, Erica hiding her worry with annoyance and Lucas and Dustin not hiding it at all.

Max looks around and finally her eyes land on Robin. She froze and stares at Robin. She felt so relieved that she teared up. Robin stares back in surprise, not expecting it to have been Max. "Max?-" Max starts sprinting the short distance to the couch and jumps onto Robin. Luckily enough, Robin has put the mug down, after they heard the knocking, so nothing spilled. "Wow there" she chuckles and pats Max's back as Max wraps her arms around Robin and burries her head in her shoulder. (The blanket magically disappeared) "You ok?AH-" she yelped as she feels another pair of arms wrap around her arm and looks to the side, seeing Erica leaning on (basically cuddling) her arm, looking away in annoyance, but also having a relieved expression. She looks around and finally noticed Lucas and Dustin as well.

"You're okay..." Max's mumbles into her shoulder. She looks down confused at first "Why wouldn't I be okay?" Erica scoffs at that "Sure you're okay" she rolls her eyes "...we were really worried about you" she quietly mumbles. "Hey, what's wrong? Why would you be worried about me? You're the ones acting weird right now! Are you guys okay? Did something happened?" completely forgetting all that happened because she's too worried about why the kids are here and why Max is crying. Dustin Lucas and Erica look at her dumbfounded and concerned. "...wha-" Max pulled her head from Robin's shoulder and speaks "you missed our hangout on Saturday and you would have told if you couldn't be there..." Robin's eyes widen as the realization hits "Shit- I'm sorry! I just had this fight with my mo-" she cuts herself off as she remembers what happened. "Oh..." her eyes started tearing up "right..." her voice cracks at the end.

Dustin and Lucas finally join the hug/cuddle and they all comfort Robin, while she apologized for all the trouble she caused when the others told her about their 'journey' when she asked about it. "Stop apologizing, you have nothing to be sorry for." Lucas calmly tries to convince her. "Yeah! You are like one of the best people in the world who has never done anything wrong!" Dustin excitingly claims, trying to cheer Robin up.

Erica agress "Yeah, you are like only nerd I like to hang out with" Robin wetly chuckles as she hears Dustin say "Hey!" Erica rolls "just the facts" Robin snuggles her head closer to the others since she can't really move her arms right now. "Thanks guys...I-...It just was shitty months and- and then the fight with-" she hiccups "with S-Steve " she wheezes out, tears still rolling down her cheek. She starts hyperventilating and her whole body stiffens "and - and- and-" Dustin and Lucas lean away from the hug, worried expressions on their face. Erica and Max also look at Robin worried. They wanted to say something but glanced up to see Murray standing there.

Murray, who was just watching the scene with sad eyes, walks up behind the couch and puts a hand on Robin's shoulder and squeezes in comfort "It's ok, little bird. You don't have to talk about it right now." the other nodded in agreement, already knowing or figuring out a few pieces of Robin's story themselves.

After a while of comforting pressure and Murray's familiar and calming voice talking about everything and nothing, Robin's breath became even again and her body isn't stiff anymore. A quiet "Sorry" can be heard follow with a sigh. "It's okay. You're allowed to have emotions, I already told you that, idiot" Murray gives a short sad chuckle as Robin gets out the arm on Max's arm to try and sleepily hit Murray with it. "I'm not an idiot" she tiredly groans out.

(Tiny Time skip)

Dustin and Lucas sit on the couch not hugging Robin anymore, while Erica and Max are still snuggled up to Robin 'unfair' they think, as they glance at them from the side. Murray is on the Single couch, watching TV but always keeping an eye on Robin every few seconds, who fell asleep a few minutes after she calmed down. Max fell asleep as well. Erica is fighting to not fall asleep right now.

"Just go to sleep already, we planned the possibility of sleeping over anyway." Lucas gently rubs Erica's back, trying to make her fall asleep faster. Erica grumbles something about not touching her, but leans into the touch and after a few minutes, she finally was asleep. Lucas looks up at and turns to Murray, wanting to ask where the blanket are, but Murray was already pointing to a shelf which has a box in it with blankets. "Thanks" Lucas says with a nod.

Dustin yawns and stretches himself across the space that Lucas was just sitting in. He mumbles something about also going to sleep, while Lucas comes back two blankets, scoffing in disbelief but also laughing a bit. "At least let me sit there, man" he says as he drapes the blanket over the girls. Dustin mumbles something incoherent and shifts his legs away until Lucas is seated, then he puts his leg on top of Lucas and falls asleep. Lucas fondly shakes his head and put the other blanket over himself and Dustin. He starts to fell sleep overcome him too, so he looks at Murray "Goodnight Murray and thank you" Murray nods his head once "Good night and thank you too" both just look at eachother in understanding, knowing they are thanking each other for looking out for Robin.

Lucas head starts leaning back and his breath evens out. Murray just stares at the sleeping kids on his couch, wondering how his life came to be like this. He's not complaining, he's actually thankful for Robin (like he said on Thanksgiving). And the other kids are also not bad. He rubs his eyes and let's out a yawn, he looks at the time and sees that it's just 6 pm 'Huh'. He stands up and shuts the TV off. He takes one more look at the couch and sighs. After checking the security system and all that stuff, he leaves to his room and falls asleep while looking through an article about apartments.

---

I finally didn't forget existed.

I accidentally posted it while it wasn't finished and put it on private. Since it wasn't on my drafts I almost always forgot it exist. It was supposed to be a two in one story, but since it isn't in the drafts I'm just writing this.

Hope you liked it! Also I don't know how to comfort people so ignore anything that is weird or doesn't make sense.

Lots of Love ✨😭❤️✨

[sevmch]

hq boys as dads calling you while you're away bc your child wouldn't stop crying

characters: kuroo tetsuro, bokuto koutarou

warning(s): none, just fluff. kuroo is v father material aahh!!

a/n: this was sitting on my drafts for a while now. other characters coming soon 👀

kuroo tetsuro

you were overseas for two days to attend a convention that your job required which meant leaving kuroo and your child

kuroo was admittedly and without a doubt, a really good father so when he told you not to worry about them, you left without any worries at all

kuroo knew everything - how to prepare milk and baby food, changing diapers, how to get them to sleep, how to stop their tantrums, basically everything

still you bugged him all the way to the airport to call if something were to happen or if he needed help with anything such as locating the diaper and milk powder

afterall, he was rarely on baby duty since his job required more of his time compared to yours but he has never failed to provide you and his son the time and affection

the first day went by smoothly and without a problem, that is until the next day. your son just wouldn't stop crying so he had to call you to calm him down

no matter what kuroo did, your son just wouldn't stop crying even when he was cradling him gently in his arms and rubbing his back. their child has been crying for almost an hour now, only getting louder and stronger despite his best efforts to calmly shush him or lull him to sleep.

the morning went by pretty fine; kuroo fed, bathed, and played with their son - even changed the diapers twice. their son seemed to be in a pretty good mood throughout the morning but apparently, babies get mood swings too, and that's when the crying started.

kuroo tried basically everything from trying to get their son to drink milk, to giving the pacifier, and humming baby songs he could think of but all his attempts failed. their son wasn't bored nor hungry and was definitely not sleepy so it was starting to worry kuroo.

"hey bud, you're scaring me now," kuroo cooed, softly pressing the back of his hand against their son's forehead but the temperature was fine. kuroo knew all the baby stuff without sweat, even the signals of what they needed but this was entirely different. it was only when then their son pointed to the picture of the three of you framed on the wall that kuroo got his answer. pressing a soft kiss against his son's temple, he whispered softly, "i know bud, i miss mommy too."

kuroo grabbed his phone from the couch and called you, chuckling when you instantly answered on the first ring with a hint of worry in your voice. "tetsu, what's wrong? are you both okay? should i get on the next flight?"

"relax kitten, we're fine. we just miss you."

"awe, i miss both my boys too."

"mama's on the phone bud." kuroo switched to loud speaker, smiling widely at their son who looked at him with wide, doe eyes upon hearing your voice. the crying eventually died down as you kept speaking through the phone with your cute, tiny baby voice until your son fell asleep in his arms.

"is he asleep?" you asked.

"yep. hey, you should use that baby voice often. it's cute," he teased, grinning ear to ear.

"shut up."

the rest of the afternoon was spent at a mall near the airport, buying toys and new clothes and stopping by for ice cream before waiting for you at the terminal.

"look bud, there's mommy!" kuroo crouched to level with their son, pointing at your figure from a distance. their son's eyes lit up when spotting you, giggling and reaching out his other hand that kuroo wasn't holding.

"awe, it's my two favorite boys! i missed you both so much!" you said sweetly, dropping your bags to hug your son.

"i missed you so much, love." you hugged kuroo tightly when he stood up only for him to hug you tighter, peppering kisses on your cheeks.

"missed you more, kitten," he said softly, pressing a light kiss to your lips before carrying your son. you really had nothing to worry about.

bokuto kotarou

you were a little bit worried about leaving bokuto and your child even if it was just for a couple of hours. you had to visit your parents in kyoto and dropby for groceries on the way home

it's not that you didn't trust him, you were just not quite sure if the house would be exactly the same as when you left knowing how bokuto and your child loved to play A LOT

you considered calling akaashi to babysit the two lmao

bokuto matched your child's energy so while you're incharge of all the serious baby duties, bokuto was incharge of playing and goofing around with your child while you rested

really, your child got their hyperactiveness from bo

you were also the one who dealt with the tantrums while bo assisted, so when bo was left to deal with your son's tantrum alone, he panicked and was about to cry himself because your son was crying and it made him sad :(

you left the house around 6 am after preparing breakfast for your husband and son as well as the other things that bokuto will need for the day. althought bokuto spent a lot of time with your child, it didn't always include the serious baby duties so you knew for sure if you hadn't displayed the diapers and vitamins on the counter in advance, he'd be flipping the house upside down searching for them.

you also left a note on the fridge that consisted of all the instructions and reminders to serve as a guide. you trusted bokuto, of course, but you really just didn't want to come home to a mess.

bokuto's arms snaked around your waist and squeezed you lightly in his hug, nuzzling his face at the crook of your neck. "can't you just take us with you?"

"i'd love to kou, but our son just recovered from a fever so it's best if he stays home for now."

he nodded, visibly frowning. you cupped his cheek to get him to look at you. "kou, baby, i'll be back before you know it."

bokuto pouted, looking at you with puppy dog eyes and it took everything in you not to cancel your plans. "call me if there's a problem, okay?" you kissed him goodbye and left.

with the note you left him, bokuto had no troubles throughout the morning routine even during bathtime. he would send you pictures and videos from time to time so you wouldn't have to worry, also because he loved sharing things with you.

bokuto loved playing with your son, loved seeing the adorable smile and hearing the soft giggles during their playtime even if it meant having to crawl on the carpet with his son on his back like a horse.

bokuto was filming him walking around with a huge smile on his face, "come to dada, little guy." your son just recently learned how to walk on their own so their steps were still unstable and wobbly and this resulted to your son tripping on his own feet.

bokuto could shit his pants right now, quickly fumbling to his now crying son to comfort him.

"hey little guy, it's okay you're good, dada's here now." he's whispering comforting words while gently rubbing on their back but the cries only got worse, the tears streaming down the little guy's face nonstop and this made bokuto's heart sink, feeling his own tears pool in his eyes. "shh i'm sorry, i'm sorry... you're okay, i gotchu."

his hands hesitantly reached out hug your son, so fragile it scared bokuto. he was calling you now and thank god you answered right away.

"kou?"

"he won't stop crying and i don't know what to do, can you come home now please? i think i just made our son hate me."

you sighed, "he doesn't hate you, kou. can you tell me what happened?"

"i was taking a video of him while he walked around but then he tripped and i swear i was watching over him! he won't stop crying, oh god i'm gonna cry too."

"did he hit his head? is he seriously hurt anywhere?"

"no," bokuto mumbled and you sighed in relief.

"okay that's good. it'll be fine babe, kids fall sometimes, okay? especially at this stage where they're learning how to walk. just carry him around for a while and he'll eventually ca-"

"what if i drop him?! should i ask akaashi to come over??" he pressed the phone between his ear and shoulder, gently and carefully lifting his son from the ground, pressing him close to his chest despite being nervous.

"you won't drop him kou, i'll punch you if you do, and no, do not call keiji. you got this, babe, you're his dad and he needs you not his uncle."

it took a while to convince bokuto that he was going to be find and to get off the phone so he can start comforting your son. bokuto did as you said, cradling him in his arms while he walked around the house and pointing to the pictures on the wall until your son finally calmed down. the only problem was that his son would start crying again whenever he attempted to bring him down, tiny hands clinging around his neck and onto his shirt.

you arrived home around 8 pm, announcing your arrival only to be met with silence at the door.

"kou?"

your eyes softened as soon as you found him asleep on the couch with your son on top of his chest, his strong arms wrapped securely around the tiny human being. you quietly kneel beside the couch, stroking bokuto's hair which slowly woke him up.

"i'm home." you smiled.

bokuto brought a finger to his lips and you pressed your lips together, taking your son away from his arms so you can tuck him in for the night.

"i'm sooo tired," bokuto whined, resting his head on top of your chest and cuddling close to you as soon as you joined him in bed. "it's my turn to be baby."

you snorted, bokuto's soft snores filling the quiet room in just a few seconds. "goodnight baby."

reblogs & feedbacks r appreciated<3

2021 (c) sevmch | do not copy or repost.

[bestruction]

Getting high with them for the first time

N/A: If you do drugs do it safely

My masterlist

- Eren Jaeger

He's not the type of guy who pressured you to use, let alone say you're immature or coward for it. When you decide to try it, it's genuinely your idea, and who better than your boyfriend to teach?

That's how you end up in his room, with the door and windows lock to make sure the smell doesn't catch his parent's attention. You sat on the carpet while he carefully rolls the joint so that the cigarette holder doesn't fall.

“Tighten your lips like this and take a deep breath through your mouth” He took a short drag before releasing the smoke “But not too long since this is your first time your throat is not used to the smoke”

You nod and accept the cigarette doing as he said. You feel the smoke warm your mouth, watch it hoover before your eyes after blowing and wait for...Nothing. No different sensation, no tingling, literally nothing.

"I don't think it worked"

“It is not like a switch. Wait a minute, babe ”

You talk a little about the day-to-day of the two and then go to play something new that he had bought. After a few games and a few more huffs, you still don't feel any difference or anything. You even try to hold the smoke in your mouth for a longer time, which results in you coughing incessantly and Eren laughing in your face. Hearing him laugh has always been one of your favorite things. The way he bends his body and laughs out loud without shame until he blushes always makes you laugh together with him, like now.

You laugh, laugh until your body asks for air and needs to alternate between laughter and breathing. You feel calm, relax as if you had lifted a weight off your shoulders. You lay on the carpet feeling the softness of the fabric against your skin ... Was it always that soft? So silky? So comfortable? You close your eyes and rub your hand over the texture, and then the smell of Eren's citric perfume invades your nose. When you opened your eyes, jade eyes were watching you closely.

"I think it has taken effect now, huh?" He says stroking your hair. "Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" He asks, getting on top of you.

"A few times"

“Then I’m going to tell you again: you’re beautiful” he kisses your lips “So damn beautiful” He kisses your chin “Every single part of you” And now your jaw.

You two spent the afternoon making out on the floor and praising each other. Not because you were high, I mean, not only, but because being so sensitive brought it even more evident how much you wanted each other.

- Levi Ackerman

You had a horrible week. It seemed that everything that could go wrong over the course of seven days had made a point of happening even worse than you imagined. When you got home even after taking a long hot shower and lying in bed, you're unable to relax.

"If you keep turning from side to side, I won't sleep either" Murmured Levi.

"I know. Sorry"

"I'm not complaining. Come here" He pulls you to lie on his chest "Better?"

"A little bit"

"Just a little bit?" He smiles softly "You can try what I do when I get like this"

"Do you mean the mushrooms?"

"If you want to"

You two get out of bed and go to the kitchen. He takes a clear plastic bag from the fridge and places it in front of you. Levi is not the type of guy who gets high all the time. It's more like an escape for when his stress is too high, like yours. He already used it when you met him, and even if you didn't, you never saw a problem with it.

"Just it?"

"I can make tea if you prefer"

"Why don't you use weed like everyone else?"

"Too much work. To roll, check for purity. With mushrooms, I just need to buy and chew them ”

"Well, bon appetit"

You two eat the frozen mushrooms. The taste is not so bad, but it is not a good thing and the smell reminds you of something that had been removed from the forest, which makes sense. Levi suggests that you lie down on the sofa in the living room to watch a movie. There was no need to worry about tomorrow as it would be a day off for both of you.

Lying on Levi's lap and watching the TV, the colors start to shine before your eyes. You didn't remember the white wall looking so vivid, or the pixels on the TV seeming to slow down when you focused on a specific point. It was your house, but it didn't look real. You felt inside a peaceful dream, and inside that dream, you fell asleep forgetting about your nightmare week.

- Armin Arlert

It's your idea. It's Mikasa's birthday party, and Connie had taken some ecstasy pills from whoever wants to use them. So you take two, drag your boyfriend to the bathroom and lock the door.

"You don't have to do it with me if you don't want to, Armin"

"I'm curious too," He says, staring at the little pink pills on your hand.

Armin swallows one, and you do the same after him.

Armin swallows one, and you do the same after him. You want the experience to be as safe as possible. Then both sit in the bathtub and wait for the effect while talking. About half an hour later, you notice how dilated are the pupils of the blond in front of you. Your hearing is a little muffled, and you feel happy and light for no apparent reason. A slight tingle comes and goes through your body, like a wave spreading that sensation across your skin.

You go over to Armin and sit on his lap. He smiles at you, and more than ever, you want to kiss him until you're out of breath, and he's not different from you.

Armin takes your hand between his and brings it to his mouth. He spreads small, short kisses on your hand. You focus on the feeling of his lips running over your skin. You are so damn sensitive even his breathing makes you shiver.

As if a magnetic force pulls you both, you two kiss, letting that soft cloud of pleasure envelop you both. When Armin presses you against his body, deepening the kiss and tasting your mouth, you want to break the laws of physics and be able to occupy the same place as him. You want to become one with him.

And the two of you may not be able to do it, but you certainly tried A LOT in that bathroom.

- Jean Kirstein

Jean is handsome, tall, friendly, and intelligent. So when he starts to be invited to every possible party in college, you’re not surprised. You two have been dating since high school, and you don't feel jealous if he goes to parties alone but he always finds a way to convince you to accompany him with some excuse. Like,  that it would be a lot more fun if you're next to him.

Today, this is one of those times when he convinces you. It's not that you don't like parties kind of, but a party full of strangers doesn't seem like the most attractive thing to you. Then after dancing and talking to people for a long time, he drags you to one of the rooms in the house to give you a well-deserved break.

"Thank you for coming with me," He said, hugging you from behind after closing the door.

"I'm going to want some compensation for that, Kirstein," You said, sitting down in an armchair that was there.

"How about ... That" Jean takes a bag with two white pills out of his pocket and tosses it towards you.

"What is it?"

"LSD"

"What kind of people have you been involved with?" You joke “If your mom knew what you've been up to, Jeanboo”

"Shut up" He sat next to her "If you want to try, I try"

It wouldn't be his first time getting high, he used to smoke weed with Eren in the basement since high school, but it would be yours. As I said, Jean is smart. You knew he had been wanting to try acid for some time. So of course, he had researched on.

Honestly? You are curious but afraid after so many speeches “don’t do drugs, kids”. Jean would never propose anything that could endanger the two of you, which is exactly why he only suggested it when you were alone, and if you said "no" it would be like it never happened.

"Is it just swallowing?"

"Put it under your tongue and let it dissolve"

You lie down on the floor and take it at the same time. It tastes bitter, but unlike any medicine, you've taken in your life.

It takes some time for it to start taking effect, but when it finally did you know. The sound of loud music, muffled by the walls of the room seems to be inside your head now. The colors tremble in front of you, mixing, moving, becoming more intense. You raise your hand towards the ceiling, and you don't feel like that's your hand. Everything seems surreal. You feel calm but active. It's like being very drunk, but the other way around.

Jean pulls you into his chest, and you can hear his heart pumping blood at full speed, like yours. You feel your throat dry, your body sweat, and your hands get cold.

If I could define that feeling with a word, it would definitely be intense.

You spent the night like that. Watching the furniture move and change shape, lying on the floor and without detaching from each other. At some point, you ended up sleeping, and after having the weirdest dream of your life, you woke up with Jean calling you carefully. The sun had already risen, and the house was silent, indicating that the party was over a long time ago.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, helping you to stand.

“Hungry and hungover”

He mumbles something about also being, and you go out to eat at the nearest cafeteria.

[hootcifer]

talking about toh | season two, episode eight: "knock knock knockin' on hooty's door"

holy shit

sorry this was a few days late, i was equal parts busy and lazy.

previous | first | next spoilers under the cut, as always

the beginning

awww hooty’s writing to lilith! like he promised!

btw, just so you guys know, i’ll be referring to hooty with he/they pronouns, because it makes sense to me. also i use he/they and i’m a hooty stan so it works.

I realize now that i spelled “hootsifer” wrong in my url. oh well, i like “hootcifer” better anyway. (also the url “hootsifer” is taken anyway)

oh no, hooty feels unimportant! i’m sure the large majority of the fandom is okay with this, but i’m not! poor thing.

i found it adorable that luz wants to find a way into amity's heart (even though she's had a place there since grom). how she would use the echo mouse for that, i don't know.

luz saying "we have to go" was almost a direct parallel to amity saying "I GOTTA GO" in "wing it like witches".

king's plot

i love how king is going through his angsty teen phase. that's hilarious.

why the fuck does hooty just eat people?! and then just act like that's an okay thing to do?!

i think it's a fun detail that hooty is wearing king's teacher hat from "the intruder". i love little things like that.

i like how this episode gave us some lore as to how demons on the isles work. they emerged from the muck of a decomposing titan? that's dope! it's also cool how there's three main types of demons.

hooty is a worm?!

on the board with all the bug demons, i recognized the butterfly alador kept chasing in "escaping expulsion", as well as adagast from "witches before wizards", the bear trap demon from "the intruder", and the kindergarten teacher from "i was a teenage abomination".

it was neat to see the fairy from "a lying witch and a warden" and the butterfly... thing from "witches before wizards". more neat continuity stuff!

what did king say with his dance? i'm very curious.

maybe king didn't want to talk about the cocoon, but i certainly do! what the hell happened?!

because of some of the images in the background when hooty was talking about demons, we can infer that some students of hexside are demons and not witches. i wonder if witches are more powerful than demons, or if they're on the same level.

other biped demons i recognize are the bounty hunter, tibbles, one of the pirates, warden wrath, and braxus.

i also saw a cat-person. are catgirls and catboys a thing on the isles?

i like how tiny nose and hooty are friends. somehow, it makes sense.

was tiny nose playing on a nintendo switch? that's cool.

we got to see even more past demons from the section about beasts, such as the ratworms, the echo mouse, the trash slug, the selikdomus, the slitherbeast, and the snaggleback.

has tiny nose's voice changed, or is that just me?

i'm really curious as to what the heck king is. is he a unique kind of demon? a hybrid, maybe?

i thought it was sweet that hooty and tiny nose tried to celebrate king for who he is, even though it just made him sad. they're trying.

eda's plot

hooty had a good point in wanting eda to sleep. sleep is important! says the guy who regularly stays up until at least midnight.

i completely understand hooty's fear of the owl beast. remember what happened last time?

the cookies hooty made were very cute. i loved that.

hey, the sleeping nettles are back! the same thing luz and hunter used a few episodes back to put kikimora's steed to sleep.

we got to see eda's dad! we know very little about him, but we did see him. also, did he look like nigel thornberry to anyone else? no? just me? okay then.

it broke my heart seeing raine and eda breaking up. it was neat that we got confirmation that they were together!

eda clearly regrets pushing raine away. poor thing.

who is the cloaked figure? i've seen a lot of theories that it's amity, but that makes no sense. i don't think she was even alive at this point. it could be odalia, though. that would be a cool twist.

the little owl beast was so cute. i want a plush of that.

HARPY EDA! holy shit, she's so cool. top tier character design.

luz (and amity)'s plot

you better bet your ass i have a lot to say about this! plot! okay, let's start from the beginning.

i was really hoping we would get some mutual pining lumity this season, and by god did it deliver! luz referring to her as a "cotton-candy-haired goddess" was too cute.

from what she said, it sounds like this isn't the first time luz has tried to ask someone out. she's so afraid of getting rejected. wait a minute, amity was afraid of getting rejected too! that's a parallel i didn't even realize!

i wasn't expecting to see amity this episode! it looks like her parents let her keep her purple hair. that, or the twins are using illusions to hide her hair from their parents.

i love how hooty's solution to getting amity to the owl house is to straight-up eat her. that's one way to do things.

i really want to know more about house demons. are there more than one? are they all bird-like? are they born as houses or do they just inhabit houses? so many questions and not enough lore!

the way luz interrupted amity when she suggested "forgetting" about what happened in front of blight manor reminded me of how eda kept interrupting king last episode when she thought he was going to tell her he was planning on leaving.

i'm not gonna lie, i skipped through the majority of the tunnel of love scene. that kind of thing gives me second-hand embarrassment like you wouldn't believe.

my heart shattered into pieces when amity said that the idea of her adting luz was stupid. she obviously doesn't believe it, but she's probably been trying to convince herself of it.

this part had me terrified that the lumity plot for the episode would end there. thank goodness it didn't, eh?

the ending

AAAAAAAAAAAA

okay, okay, let's start from when hooty freaks out for a third time, after the tunnel of love.

i thought it was funny how hooty ripped himself out of the door in order to run (?) away. at least we didn't have to hear all the sounds this time.

wait, "things always get weird when hooty's upset"? has this kind of thing happened before?

gosh, the part where king's voice powers saved luz and amity was so cool. i saw somewhere that the animator wanted to reflect the lesbian and bi flags and they did a great job.

eda encouraging luz to ask amity out was so cute. we stan a supportive mom, always.

and then comes the scene everyone's been talking about. oh my gosh, this was done so beautifully! it was equally awkward and cute, the way it should have been, and the fact that they both asked each other was perfect!

LOOK AT HOW HAPPY AMITY IS WHEN SHE SAYS YES!!! this is the happiest we have ever seen her, and it's adorable.

something i really love about this scene is the fact that they didn't say "i love you" or even kiss, like what seems to happen in a lot of confession scenes. they just held hands. it was probably one of the most realistic confession scenes i've ever seen. it kind of reminded me of when my gf and i got together.

oh yeah, that's right! they're officially together!!!!!!! FINALLY!!! i was not expecting anything that happened in this episode, but out of everything this one was the most surprising. holy SHIT! we have a canonically sapphic couple! in a disney cartoon! a disney cartoon!

honestly, i hope everyone has gained more respect for hooty after this. they've helped further the plot more in one episode than anyone else has done throughout the rest of the show.

we got to see king's dad properly for the first time! i don't think we'll see him in "eclipse lake", but maybe we will in the episode after that? i hope so.

everyone's freaking out about hooty eating the letter but... can't they just... throw it back up? like they did at the beginning of "really small problems"?

predictions

to my knowledge, the next episode is going to be about amity looking for an ingredient for the new portal. i also know that eda, king, and hunter will be there too. i don't know what to expect, but i am very excited. until next time!

[nkogneatho]

"Promise me forever"- Fushiguro Megumi x gn!reader.

Genre: fluff, angst, action | I do not own the character.

Wc: 1.9k | Requested by @unabashednightmarepizza

Warnings: mentions of death, heavy angst, mentions of blood, jujutsu fight style, hyperventilation, mentions of depression and anxiety, bringing human back to life.| A/n: I did it finally. It took me long time. If anything above triggers you, please don't read it. I am still new to fics and stuffs so please be kind and don't send hate.

SUMMARY <-

The only people who ever understood you were your parents so processing the fact that they are no more wasn't really easy for you.

You inherited both infinite void and six eyes technique and some different abilities due to mutation to although they weren't very reliable. But for several reasons, you're mother asked you to keep it hidden. You really wanted to feel normal but the clan started gossiping about you and how helpless you are.

"Why are you showing pity towards me? I am strong. It's just that I can't show you. I promised my mother. Why are you behaving like that?", unfortunately these were the only thought running in your head.

Gojou saw you and couldn't take it anymore. The way the clan verbally abused you made his blood boil. You were his precious cousin and he didn't want you to get hurt so he took you to Tokyo along with him while enrolling in school.

You felt safe in Tokyo. It's like that was the place you belong although you had to keep up with your cousins antics but watching him getting his ass whooped by the principal is fun.

New semester, new first years joined in. Your days before were so busy and traumatic that you didn't even have the time to think about dating.

Gojou took this opportunity to introduce you to the hottest single guy.

"Y/n, this is Fushiguro Megumi. Megumi, this is my cousin Y/n", Megumi bowed and greeted you, you did the same. The white haired bitch ran leaving you two in an awkward state. Well you did propose a conversation and turned out you both had similar interests. Two of you eventually started dating. It was nice to have a boyfriend. The feeling was very different maybe because you never felt it before.

"Ah! What are you doing baby? You should be more careful", he helped you get up when you slipped. A little O's leaving everyone's lips watching Megumi so caring.

He always held your hands from onwards. The little squeeze he does when he feels insecure about losing you when you guys go on a date or twirling you around with the support of your fingers as you sing and dance on empty streets at night. "We'll stay like this forever. Promise me", he sneakily slipped a ring up your finger as you were busy singing. "Yes", you smiled.

You gasped later when you took notice to it and then immediately hugged him. Before you didn't even know what a promise felt like and now you had it with a person you love the most.

Never have you ever felt so content with anything in your life. Guess good things come to an end.

Being close to the group, Sukuna sensed the potential and power in you when you fought the cursed womb. Well yes, the team was there but you panicked and lost control. Your powers were now visible to both Sukuna and Megumi. He was shocked at how his strong attacks still left you unscratched. Your rage got the best of you. Some of it was the frustration of all the taunts you heard.

You were sure that Megumi wouldn't want to see this monstrous version of you. Growing up alone, scared as if you didn't belong to the family, you never got the chance to control or monitor on how actually your power works. Although Gojou did help you grow enough. But the thought of him hurting your friends was enough to make you snap. Being the monster he is, he wouldn't let this chance slide.

"You're a beautiful bud y/n. You just didn't get a chance to bloom. Seems like it's not too late", he tried so hard to lure you in but the only thing on your mind was now to tear him apart. Sukuna did retreat or should I say Yuuji made him. Fushiguro ran up to you two as you were there with Yuuji's heart in your shivering hand, blood raining down on floor.

"You guys are the best buds I ever had", the last words leaving his mouth as he tumbled on the floor. Your hands were shivering. Even though Megumi knew how to handle such situations, you didn't. Losing a friend? You didn't even have a single friend in the first place but now? You were the one who thrusted his heart out.

"Y/n. It's not your fault.", he tried to convince you. "I am a monster. They were right. I shouldn't have come here. I was good, rotting in a corner in that place. I am helpless", breathlessly blaming yourself.

It took you a few days to finally calm down and think about what was actually going on. Not to mention you were badly injured after the fight. Megumi and Nobara were there the whole time taking care of you when you were recovering.

Gojou after some days took you to somewhere, a place you weren't aware of.

Shocked to very own core you ran towards to hug your friend Yuuji who was alive.

"Y-yuuji.....", not sure what to say afterwards.

"It's okay y/n. It was not your fault. Plus the good thing. I AM ALIVE", he was so excited to see you, that was clearly visible. You both stayed up late and watched movies though Gojou gave you major spoilers so he got kicked out of the room. Gojou warned you to not speak about Yuuji being alive, yet.

A few days later when you were with Yuuji and Junpei at his school, Mahito arrived.

Turns out the reason behind Junpei's whole brainwashing was this man. You tried to snatch Junpei but before you could, Mahito manipulated his body and he was converted into a curse.

"I just wanna have a conversation", he said but you both ignored his shit talk and punched him but seems like it had no effect. Your moves focused on finding his weak point or atleast holding him until Yuuji brings Junpei back.

"Sukuna. Do it."

"No.", the entity inside him denied. A shock hit Yuuji. How did you guys did not expect this? They both are curses in the end.

"Why me?", Junpei tried to ask, fingers clinging on the hem of Itadori's shirt.

"Yuuji, switch with me", you ordered him. You were aware of what Mahito was trying to do and you let him do it. How fool of him to think he can enter and have a conversation with Sukuna. Sukuna striked a blow on his arm causing him to collapse on the ground.

You brought Junpei back to life with all the strength you had left, it didn't work perfectly because his body was still wounded. Sukuna witnessed your Potential and was impressed. He switched with Yuuji, tricking him that he wanted to help you and he will do anything for his friends so he agreed.

Sukuna's fingers brushed throughout your face, as if he was analyzing each and every single cell of it while you pant, brain hazy. "How long are you planning on staying on the good side? Hm? Don't worry. I am going to steal you anyways", his hands cupped your face but soon was cut off.

"HANDS OFF THEM", Megumi passed a blow, voice raging, the vein on his neck was visible.

"Ah. This is good. Two of my adored humans. I'd have you both for me".

"Dream on. There's no way you're having them", he spat.

"No. There's no way you're having any of us", you balanced yourself on your palm, eyeing the curse in front of you.

"I won't ma-make the same mistake again", you were still pretty beaten up, although you had to save everyone. Yuuji tried his best to control but he won't faze. The lust for your power grew more and more and made it unstable for Itadori to tame him.

"Megu-mi. Do as I say".

"Are you sure y/n you can fight?", the one trait you always liked about him was that he never ignored your dedication and just supported you instead of saying "You are weak now." Or "You should rest".

You blew a punch making Sukuna fall back so now you had a calculated distance from him. Your lover joined, standing beside you.

"Trick him into thinking that we are losing in combat and bring him closer", he wasn't sure what were you upto but this was your only resort.

He summoned the Shikigamis one after another and delivered continuous attacks on him. Of course it was useless. He won't concede just like that. Afterall he is the king of curses so he decided to play along with you two for a while. In the end, you both are coming to me anyway or so he thought until......

Your image swiftly appeared in front of his eyes at which his pupil dilated, forehead bleeding, jaw clenched. The bloodlust was clear in your eyes but now it had a different look. Almost as if you earned a control on your powers.

"I told you, didn't I? I won't make the same mistake again", you latched your palm on his chest where Yuuji's heart was.

It's okay, if it's just for a bit it's okay, you convinced yourself.

You stopped the heartbeat for a couple of second with your ability to send shocks and control organs of the body, sort of reakted to body manipulation, causing Sukuna to loose control.

"Yuuji. NOW!", he took the chance and switched back. His torso tumbled down as a fear hit you causing you to fall too. Maybe you made the same mistake again. Megumi approached you two apace.

"Itadori! Y/n! Get a hold of yourself".

"I guess I did it again.", you cupped his face. "I count myself lucky that I me-met you. I am so.....s-sorry. I love yo-", your arms slowly lost velocity and thud the ground.

"No. Atleast learn to complete your words before you stop", megumi fisted his hands in nothing but air.

Later Gojou and others arrived, immediately taking you and Yuuji to the Jujutsu medics.

Luckily, Yuuji switched back at the right time. Thanks to you he was alive.

Your eyes gradually opened up and wandered around the room for a bit until they caught Fushiguro's. (You thought you can die leaving Megumi alone? SIKE!)

Mind still hazy, but was able to comprehend what happened before.

"Where's Yuuji?",you suddenly rose from the bed. Your voice was soft and low but will never go unheard by your lover. He wanted to scold you at how selfless you were. All beaten up yourself but still asking for someone else.

"He is fine and perfectly alive. To be honest it's a surprise since Gojou told me he was alive all this time. He is so annoying that even death doesn't want him", he chuckled lightly making you too. The smiled on your face faded when you saw a tear fall down from the edge of his eyes. His hands squeezing yours a little tighter than before.

"Don't ever do that again.", he was trying hard not to burst out the water from his eyes.

"I won't. I promised you forever. Remember? There's no way I am going to leave you alone.", you stroked his cheekbones.

"Yes. Otherwise there won't be no one to annoy me"

"Hey!", you slapped his chest lightly but he gripped your hand.

"Complete your sentence. Now."

"I love you", three words left your mouth after recalling what you left him hanging on. Megumi sighed in relief and the placed a kiss on your forehead.

"I love you too. Forever.", you embraced each other for the rest of the night.

Taglist: @1-800-teddybear @kenmathepuddinhead

©All the written contents above belongs to nkogneatho2021. Do not modify and repost.

[oreozfox]

Things I Changed in my Ginga Rewrite

Inspired to put the changes in list form by @sketch-shepherd . Their rewrite sounds super cool!

Everything prior to GDW is the same, save for in GNG, where my OC Betty the German Shorthaired Pointer is present, though her being there wouldn't change much.

Shiroi Senshi Yamato and Ginga take place in the same universe, and Musashi from Yamato is Musashi in Ginga.

Years prior to GDW, Gin and Sakura had another litter, but lost them in a tragic accident. This explains why they had Weed, Joe, and Yukimura so late in life. However, one of their first puppies survives, and she pulls a Riki and becomes a strong leader in Hokkaido. She reunites with her parents in the Hougen arc.

More Ohu Veterans have kids. Smith and Betty have three pups: Ringo, Mizu, and Ace. Ringo is the main character of Rippana Ringo, my GDW rewrite. Hazuki, Jaguar, and Great all have pups that appear, and John's mate and daughter Jiyu and Tomoe appear as well. (Thanks to @wannabegamergirl100 kindly letting me use them for the rewrite!)

When Kaibutsu attacks, Smith and his family leave with Sakura. Along the way, Smith still loses his leg while saving GB, but Sakura doesn't get separated from him bc Betty and the others are with her. Plus, they meet Saheiji, who carries Smith to safety after he is hit and takes care of the others in his absence (because of this, she doesn't die and plays a major role in the rest of the series). Around this time, Sakura gives birth to three puppies, two of which are named by Saheiji, while the youngest is named by GB.

When Smith recovers, the group makes it to Koga and stay there for about six months. GB and Saheiji do not accompany them there, as Saheiji has his pack to take care of, and GB doesn't yet have the courage to leave Nero. Both join the group later on.

After six months, the group heads back to Ohu, meeting GB, Sasuke, and Mel on the way.

Lenny exists in this AU (though it mostly follows the anime), but still passes away.

Smith doesn't die, because Betty saves him.

Yukimura leads the mission to save Gin, not Weed.

Yukimura and Joe also aren't total jerks because they were raised by Sakura. Joe's a bit smart-aleck and Yukimura becomes slightly more violent after becoming best friends with Kyoushiro, but they're still good.

Yukimura and Joe also get their scars in different ways. Joe gets his back scar while fighting Blue, and Yukimura gets his facial scars in fights with Hougen, Thunder, and Lector.

Yukimura also lets Kyoushiro kill Teru's dad before the whole 'redemption' thing.

Thanks to Tomoe's existence in the rewrite, John doesn't die.

Tesshin is present for the Kaibutsu arc and onwards, and I went with his anime version that was never resentful towards the Ohu Army. He rules Ohu while Gin is in captivity, and never lost his position as Gin's heir.

Sniper is omitted from the Hougen arc. No big reason why, just didn't want to change the anime storyline enough to add him in.

George still comes in tho.

His role in teaching Gin's children the Battouga is replaced by my OC Ayame, whom Tesshin rescued in their youth. The two of them are mates.

Jet and Missile live, because Gin's surviving daughter Inazuma rescues them.

Alas, Chutora's sons, John's helpers, Tokimune, and Toube do not survive.

Gin is rescued by Inazuma's followers earlier on.

Thunder and Lector are killed at the end of the Kyoushiro mini arc, and the Foxhound Spies take their role from there. Weed still throws a tantrum when the Foxhound Spies get killed, but he does not have the authority to throw Jerome out, so he leaves instead. Sakura finds him and drags him back shortly after. He's still salty until the end, when he finally apologizes for his behavior.

Gin kills Hougen earlier on, and Kamakiri takes over as the main villain. Kamakiri is killed by Tesshin, and Stone takes over before being killed by Hiro. Then the three generals take over, but are defeated and convinced to switch sides.

Gin still retires at the end, but gives his leadership to Tesshin instead.

Currently on the Monkey Arc now. Saheiji is not paralyzed and is still the leader, so he makes peace with Gozaru's group.

GB is replaced by Ringo in the Monkey arc. Nothing against GB, he's just out visiting Inazuma during the beginning, so he isn't there to be brought along. (Yeahhh Inazuma and GB miiight be a thing)

[sckyie]

song: driver’s license by olivia rodrigo

word count: 2.5k

genre + warnings: angst; swearing, fear of driving, reminiscing in old memories

pronouns used: she/her

a/n: this was orignially supposed to just be an imagine inspired by the song, not apart of the song series but it fits too well to not change oikawa’s song. i also wrote this for @kybabi​​ bc i love her :D n e wayz enjoy :) (part 2)

"So here you're going to turn and he'll make you do a parallel park in the street. You remember how to do that right?" Oikawa asked as he guided you to the next turn. As you turn the steering wheel, you spot a crowded curbside.

"No, can you please please park for me? I hate parallel parking," You pleaded.

"Only because you asked so nicely," He teased.

Ever since you told your best friend that you wanted to learn how to drive, Oikawa never let it go whenever you wanted to hang out. Having you drive him around for practice and giving you tips as you went. He's helped you a ton while you drove around, the only issues you had were parallel parking and merging onto the highway.

"Maybe we should try the highway again," Oikawa said after you two switched seats.

"Are you asking for a death wish?" You joked. "I drive too slow and I'm scare to merge into lanes."

"We can practice on smaller freeways if you want," He asks.

"No," You growled.

It was always a terrifying thing to drive on the highway. You always saw those horrid accidents and feared being in one. Oikawa would always put his hand on your thigh as you merged to calm you down. Just having him be there was enough to get you to get onto the highway. All your fears just faded with him beside you.

Just having this intimate driving lesson with him was enough for you. You grew to fall in love in your best friend. A cliché thing, yet you couldn't say anything. Only you and your girl friends knew about your big crush. It was a funny thing, falling for your childhood best friend. Iwaizumi always joked about you doing so but you never admitted to liking Oikawa. What would that do to your friendship?

Today was the day, it was your test day. The scariest thing you anticipated was finally here. The thing you practiced days on end with Oikawa. The thing that could either make or break you. Today, you'd either come out with your license or you'll be walking home.

The nerves crept up your body like spiders leaving a trail of anxiety webs. You bounced you leg as you waited in the lobby looking out for your driving instructor. As your sweaty palms go to check the time, you notice a text message from Oikawa.

butthead: hey! good luck on your test today!

That's what cooled you down. A simple saying of good fortune will help, right? Sure enough, the test was a breeze, minus the parallel parking as it was the one mistake you got. You happily drove home to tell the news to your parents.

"Have you told Tooru yet?" Your mom asked.

"I'll wait until my actual driver license to prove to him I got it," You smiled.

"You like him don't you?" Your mom gestured to the joy on your face. "I can tell."

"No," You looked away from your mom as she raised her eyebrow. "Okay, maybe but you can't say anything. I'm going to my room now." She chuckled as you dragged you feet to your room.

Two weeks passes and you finally received your license in the mail. You smiled happily down at your new card as you walked outside the school building. You looked up to search for your best friend. Your eyes scanned the courtyard before landing on Iwaizumi. Assuming Oikawa was nearby, you headed towards him.

"Hey Iwa, where's Oiks?" You asked. Iwaizumi raised up his hand and pointed across to the gate. You looked over to find Oikawa talking to Kasumi, a classmate of yours.

"He's asking her to go on a date with him again," Iwaizumi says.

Again? He's done it before?

"Are they dating?" You ask.

"Not yet, Oikawa wants to ask her to be his girlfriend on the date," Iwa explains. "What's that?" He points to your hands as you fiddled with the corner of your driver's license.

"Oh," You said solemnly. "I got my license."

You waved goodbye to your childhood friend before going into he parking lot. Without thinking, you started the car and just began to drive. Out of the school and onto who knows where. Your mind grew blank as you drove.

How could he not mention Kasumi to you? He used to tell you everything but lately he'd been so distant. Maybe that's why he hasn't texted you all week, you thought. Who could blame him for liking Kasumi? She's so pretty and not to mention how smart she is. She's the class representative and she's one of the nicest girls around.

You fell for the one man you shouldn't have. It was too late to even confess how you felt. He was already falling for another while you were left behind. You felt a sharp pain in your chest as you drove by familiar buildings.

The laundromat where you and Oikawa would go to help with the laundry. You both would end up messing around and your parents would have to kick you two out. You and Oikawa would go across the street to the convenience store to buy steamed buns.

He doesn't like you.

The library where you would wait for Oikawa to finish practice so you two could study together. He'd bring you a bottle of tea and some sort of snack to keep you from burning out. Those study dates where you'd stay until the library was closed.

Give up, stop thinking of him.

The ramen restaurant where Oikawa would take you if he won a game. It was a great celebration and you two had made so many memories there. You two had gone there so often, he convinced the owner that you were his girlfriend.

Let him go.

All the feelings you had for him began to ache in your heart as you reminisced in the memories. You gripped tighter on the wheel as you saw an highway exit. "Fuck," You whispered as you merged into the fast lane. Suddenly all those fears you had of driving, just disappeared. You felt this peace as your eyes locked on the long highway. It was like, nothing hurt anymore. Your tensed shoulders relaxed, yet you felt tears roll down your cheeks. You took deep breaths as you drove attempting to stop your tears.

Soon enough, driving on the highway had shifted from a phobia to an escape. Everyday after school, rather than meeting up with Oikawa and Iwaizumi before practice, you'd drive on the highway and on backroads. It was the only thing that kept you sane when you see Kasumi with Oikawa together.

You became accustomed to the fast pace of the highways. Occasionally you'd speed if you felt some type of pain grow in your chest. You'd blast music to drown out any thoughts or feelings you had. You knew Oikawa could never be yours, so why bother crying over him, right? The thought of being around him began to make you uncomfortable. If you kept your distance, you wouldn't get hurt. You wouldn't be considered a distraction.

butthead: hey?

you: what's up?

butthead: it's been a while since i've seen you :( i miss my best friend

you: are you sure you mean to text me or iwa?

butthead: you, y/n i miss hanging with you

butthead: you didn't come to the restaurant after our game

you: i was busy, sorry

butthead: :(

you: i gotta go, ill talk to you later

Oikawa sighed at his phone and looked across the table to Iwaizumi. "Have you talked to Y/n lately?" He asked.

"Yeah, she borrowed gas money from me," Iwa says before slurping his noodles.

"Gas money? She got her license?" Oikawa tilts his head. "How long has it been?"

"A month? You got caught up with Kasumi," Iwaizumi says.

"Hmph," Oikawa huffed as he sipped his drink. He'd been spending so much time with Kasumi that he forgot about you. Or was it, you started to forget about him? He glances at the window behind Iwa and noticed a familiar car parking.

You parked your car across the street of the restaurant next to a convenience store. You quickly got out and went into the store looking for something to drink. As you began to scan the fridge, you heard the door open. "Y/n?" You turned to find Oikawa.

"What are you doing here?" You turned back to grab a soda.

"Iwa came to eat with me since you didn't make it," Oikawa says. "He's still there, did you want to join us?"

"No thanks, I'm kinda busy at the moment," You say dully. Oikawa goes to speak but you had already walked to go pay for your drink. "Later Oikawa."

"Oikawa?" He watched as you left the store and into your car. He follows suit and watched you speed off. Oikawa quickly makes his way back to the restaurant and seats himself disgruntled. "Y/n called me Oikawa..."

"That's your name isn't it?" Iwaizumi raised his eyebrow.

"She always calls me Oiks or Ru, never Oikawa," He says. "Did I do something wrong?"

Iwaizumi shrugged even though he knew the answer well enough. After Oikawa had asked Kasumi to be his girlfriend, your demeanor had changed. Iwa was the first to notice too. Typically, after school you'd see the duo before practice started, yet since you learnt Oikawa had eyes for another, you stopped.

One day, Iwaizumi decided to follow after you when school was over. He trailed behind as you walked to your car door. You pulled open the door handle only for Iwa to shut the door immediately after. You turned to find Iwaizumi with scrunched eyebrows. "What's wrong with you?" He asked. "Why haven't you came by before practice?"

"No reason, I'm just busy," You lied.

"Liar, what's wrong?" He asks yet you remained silent. "I won't tell Shittykawa just tell me why you're being so distant...and also why your eyes are always puffy."

You paused before answering, "I'm just...upset with Oikawa...and Kasumi.."

"Do you..?" Iwaizumi implied. You nod and looked at the ground. "What have you been doing since you found out about them?"

"Driving," You sighed. "Just driving...It's keep me off my mind all week. I bear the fact that he looks so happy with her and not...me. God I'm so stupid."

"Don't say that-" Iwa started but you immediately lashed out.

"It's true! I was too late to confess! And I fell for the one boy I can't have!" You felt tears well up in your eyes. "I can't even drive by certain places without getting upset. I take backroads and I avoid them completely. I hate driving by his house but it's the only way to my own. He just treats me like another fucking fan girl! I'm just so stupid for falling for my best friend." Since that day, Iwaizumi kept to his promise. Not word about your feelings were said to Oikawa.

butthead: hey are you busy right now ?

you: no, what's up?

butthead: can you help me with something?

you: depends

butthead: meet me at the library so i can tell you more :)

You locked you phone and tossed it into your passenger's seat. You looked up to see the light change to green, allowing you to speed into the highway. Your hands rested at the bottom of the wheel as you drove. The slow, lo-fi music surrounded your car as you drove which let you get out of your trapped mind.

It was a crazy thought to think that you and Oikawa were so excited to drive together. Yet now all you want to do is drive alone. You turned up the volume of your music as you merged into your neighborhood. You leaned further back into your seat as you were driving around the suburbs. You glance at the white cars lining one street leading to the library. You scoffed at the sight as a repressed memory resurfaced.

"Why do you like white cars so much?" You chuckled.

"Because they look clean and nice? Sorry I don't like your basic silver car," Oikawa raised his hand to block your face.

"I'm basic? Says the one who wants an automatic," You pretend to throw up to mock him.

"For someone who can't drive yet, you talk big," Oikawa pats your head only to be smacked a few seconds late. Oikawa drapes his arm over you as you walked down the street to the library The entire walk was filled with mocking and talking about the future. "Let me teach you how to drive, that way we could go out together more."

You finally arrived at the library, spotting Oikawa before parking the car. He watches as you easily parallel park and is stunned by how casual you are as you drove. You set out and approach him. Oikawa holds out a snack to you but you politely refuse.

"Let's go inside?" He asks. You shrugged and followed him in. Rather than sitting beside him like usual, you sat across from him. You still had those feelings for him but you couldn't stand sitting next to him. Your heart was pounding out of your chest as you anticipated his next words. "I was wondering if you could help me with Kasumi?"

Ouch.

"With what?" You ask.

"I want to give her a gift, right?" He starts. "A gift that goes along with me telling her I love her."

He loves her?

Your heart aches but you decide to move past that. "Isn't it a bit early to say I love you?"

"Well, we were long time friends before we started dating and I feel like it's the right time to, y'know?" Oikawa leans forward on the table. "Can you help me find a gift?"

This feels familiar. Helping him find a gift for a girl that isn't you. It seems like anytime he does have a crush he'd come to you for advice. This is the first time that you didn't want to give into his favors.

"No," You sighed.

"No? Wait why not?" He raised his eyebrows at you.

"Because," Say it. "Because I-"

"Because?" Oikawa tilts his head at your response.

"Because I can't keep doing things like this for you," You stood up and began heading for the entrance. Oikawa followed afterwards as he could see the pain in your voice.

"Y/n, talk to me, we haven't talked in forever. Tell me what's wrong," He says as you exit the library. You ignore his voice and reached for your car door. He grabs your arm but you shove him off.

"Would you just- leave me alone?" You snapped. "I don't want to help you, okay?"

"What did I do?" Oikawa was beyond confused at your response.

"I- You- Ugh! Just go away, I don't want to see you!" Your voice cracked as the suppressed feelings began to rise again.

"Why not!" Oikawa grabbed your arm again, this time you weren't able to break free.

"Because I fucking loved you idiot!" You yelled. Hot tears streamed down your cheeks as you stopped struggling in his hold. Oikawa paused and stared at you in wonder.

"You...loved me?" He asked.

"I still fucking love you! God, I hate you- I just- Let go!" You pulled off him. "I'm leaving. If you try to stop me, I'm never speaking to you again." You wiped your tears as you entered your car. Driving off into the neighborhood, crying at the red lights knowing you could've ruined your whole friendship.

Oikawa watched as you sped off. Those words lingered in his ear as he stared down at his hand where you let go. His mind was lost in thought, how could his best friend love him? Was he that blind that he couldn't see your admiration? "She...loves me?" He thought.

taglist: @amillionfandoms-onlyoneme​ @d0llpie​ @elianetsantana @joy-laufeyson @kac-chowsballs

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 32

💖 first time reader click here 💖

Summary: Stephen Strange being a grown-up. Reader being a grown-up. Kind of. Revenge plot starts now - don't be like the mercenary, don't threaten reader's family. Avengers being good.. bros? Good found family idk. More smut + plot coming soon.

The silence hung awkwardly over us. Stephen wasn't the one to wax poetics, usually, and I wasn't in the mood to do anything but curl up somewhere warm, chug a bottle of liquor and fall asleep. Sleep is like death without the committment and after my little outburst, I inwardly prayed and begged for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Instead, I was directed to sit and drink my tea by the sorcerer, who, by the way, was beginning to look like a kicked puppy.

It was starting to become unbearable. "I'm listening," I finally croaked out, shocked at how raspy my voice sounded. As if someone had forced me to choke on some nails - and I felt like it, too. My hands were shaking, all but spilling the hot tea onto them.

"Princess..." His mouth did the thing when he was worried, lips pursed, their corners upturned. "What we did was not... Right, you were drugged without your consent. I am sure Tony feels the same way."

My eyebrows rose, words bubbling up to the surface as I fought the urge to simply start calling Stephen some strong names. Had he been blind the whole time I flirted with him, had he not seen both me and Tony ogling him when we thought nobody could see? Every time I joked about the sexual tension between them - you know what they say, every joke has a little bit of truth in it.

Or maybe the sorcerer had used the incident as a convenient excuse for our little fuck-fest to be a one-time thing? I expected more, I won't lie, but I wouldn't put it above him. I knew all too well that some men tended to simply... Avoid.

I was angry, probably rightfully so, but it was not the time for me to comfort an adult man. My own life was going to shit, I had no mental energy to unburden his baseless guilt. It was selfish and it made me feel even more like shit, but it was as if someone had flipped a switch inside of me. I just didn't care about someone's heartbreak. I needed to solve another problem, a much bigger than a man that couldn't make up his mind.

I had to find that damn mercenary. It was the only real threat hanging over our heads; unlike any mission that I've seen the team go on before, they had thrown all the forces into catching the man that had gotten into their safe space, their home. That threatened to take what they thought as theirs. Long gone were the days of comfortable domesticity.

"Okay," I replied, nodding curtly. "I wanted it, if it helps any. I thought you were attractive the first day I saw you." I spoke bluntly, beginning to feel like myself more and more with each word that I spoke. "And again, no strings have to be attached. I'm sure Tony will understand it too, it's not his first rodeo."

Stephen's head shot up from where he was examining his clasped hands, to study me with furrowed brows. Cloaky moved where it was wrapped around me, attracting the sorcerer's attention - I, unfortunately, did not understand the Cloak's sign language and what it told Stephen remained a mystery to me. I was just delighted to be out of the cold and and wet clothes.

"I think you misunderstood me," Stephen eyed me with surprise. "I want more, but..." He trailed off, unsure. "I don't know. I'm surprised Banner hasn't gone green on me yet. I'm a doctor, I should have known..."

So, he was pulling a me and wallowing in pity. Is this really how pathetic I looked when I used to mope around the house earlier? No wonder my mother thinks I'm a baby. "Stephen, I'm really not in the mood to listen to bullshit. I wanted it, you wanted it, great, we can move on. Because with everything that has happened to me, I really have no energy to convince you I like you even while sober when you're sabotaging yourself." Sure, I might have ripped off the motivational speech from a self-help book my mother used to have laying around. My patience was wearing thinner with each second. "There, I said it. I like you, my boyfriends like you, you're welcome to the club if you decide to believe the fact that I am telling the truth." And if he wouldn't, well, I could get over it. I was planning to never act upon my feelings for both Tony and Bruce, it hadn't been as hard as I thought it would be. Especially with me being busy enough to just ignore the feelings.

At some point, I had grown attached to Stephen. Perhaps, if I and Tony hadn't decided to mess around with the sorcerer at the party, my feelings wouldn't have bloomed into anything more than physical attraction. Murphy's law had a particularly strong affinity on me, I noticed, because over and over I found myself falling head over heels for emotionally unavailable men. It worked out with Tony, which wasn't as surprising as one might expect, considering we're two halves of a whole idiot, but then Bruce also decided to pucker up - Stephen was bound to be the rock that I trip on.

Or not? Soft lips pressed against my forehead, beard hair softly tickling the tip of my nose. I was pressed against a solid chest, surrounded by warmth and comfort. "I'm sorry, I'm an idiot," Steph whispered, voice quivering.

"Well, it's not like this... Relationship... I've got going on is something commonplace," My arms wrapped around him, a deep sigh relaxing my body into his. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. It wasn't right."

Stephen chuckled, all but pulling me bodily into his lap. "Don't worry, Princess. I deserved it." As he spoke, the Cloak carefully unwrapped itself from me, drifting away with a parting pat on my back. "Now what happened with your parents?" Large palms pushed the hair out of my face, stormy blue eyes looking at me with worry.

"I should probably assemble all my significant others for this conversation," There was little enthusiasm in discussing the incident. I was an adult and had enough money to get by for a few months, at least until I could patent one of my inventions. I had plenty of knick-knacks that should be able to interest buyers, that much I knew, and while the legal side of the process was a blank slate to me, I knew I could be charismatic enough to have someone work it out for me.

"I don't think I'll be able to take Steve seriously when he says 'assemble', now," My third boyfriend chuckled, which - wow, I didn't have boyfriends and now I had three? Should I be considering opening a factory or something? Stephen adjusted his hold on me. "Let's go, I'll portal us in."

"My car's out there with all my stuff. I'll have to drive," I protested but made no move to get out of his lap.

"Tony is a billionaire, he can pay someone to retrieve it," Shrugging carelessly, he produced a golden circle of magic, the common room couch in plain sight at the other side of it. I heard voices and then Clint's head peaked through, a curiously tilted eyebrow morphing into full fledged face of confusion upon seeing the two of us.

Yikes. I had forgotten about the state of my dress and the bruise on my cheek. "Hey, bird. I need a drink," I said the first thing that popped into my mind, causing both Clint and Steph to laugh as the sorcerer carried me into the tower through the portal.

"I'm starting to think you go out there and look for trouble on purpose," The archer sighed, pulling out his phone and texting rapidly. Mine vibrated, too, once he was done, which meant he'd called for a family meeting. Blergh.

In no time, Tony appeared, dark circles under his eyes and yesterday's shirt on, towing a worried Bruce behind him. One after the other, the Avengers tickled in, looking restless and exhausted. Loki's frown was well on its way to becoming a full sneer.

"Talk, please," He requested, eyeing me with concern.

"Good news is I got our rogue wizard back," I poked Stephen in the chest. He was blushing. "Bad news is my mother threw me out and my father didn't pick up the phone, so technically I'm homeless and parent-less," I decided that spitting out straight facts was the easiest way to go about it. I mean, there was no good way to tell what I just told them.

The storm that I anticipated didn't appear. Just a lot of disappointed sighs all around, especially from Tony, who looked twenty years older after I'd confessed to the current state of my affairs. "You're not homeless, you live here," He pointed out, rubbing his face and muttering some very strong words under his nose. Particularly, the expressions involved my mother and various methods of fornication.

"We got your back, doll," Bucky nodded, coming over to wrap me in a gentle hug. He was like a brother from another mother to me at this point, kind and goofy and sensible. "I would propose to teaching that harpy a lesson but I think she's beyond it."

"Perhaps it's for the best," Loki mused suddenly. "If I recall correctly, your mother was against your career of choice, which is idiotic. Science is a noble and prospective path." The Asgardian, too, gave me a hug.

I wasn't crying! There were ninjas, in the vents, cutting onions! "Stop it guys, I'm gonna cry. I already look like shit!" The protest was silenced by Bruce's lips on mine, his tiny smile briefly covering my mouth with tenderness. After that, everybody somehow decided it was their job to try and make me cry; like a bad bitch, I resisted, but eventually broke and started sniffling when Tony began rambling about building me my own lab and Wanda offered to help me decorate my new apartment.

No matter how much my mind screamed at me to refuse, I forced that noise down. Fighting against myself, accepting help despite feeling unworthy of it - it was probably the hardest thing I've done in my whole life.

Bruce volunteered to carry my prone body to Tony's bedroom which was quickly becoming the master bedroom for the three of us - ever since the incident, both of my scientists stuck close to me whenever possible, aggressively cuddling me whenever they decided it was time to get some sleep. Which wasn't much these days, if I was being honest. Persuading Bruce to stay with me was a novelty - usually he didn't resist, but that time, I had to repeat myself multiple times that the team could handle business even without him being present.

I had my ulterior motives, of course. Tony and Stephen needed to talk. I only hoped their egos wouldn't clash without me to mediate - having two boyfriends start a fight wasn't something I wanted to experience. I had zero experience in those matters and had no idea how to manage all that. Are there handbooks for polyamorous relationships? I stuck a mental post-it note inside my brain to check it out.

I fell asleep with Bruce wrapped around me and woke up in the same position, having been too exhausted to move even in my sleep. Voices, rough and quiet, were the first thing I heard upon syncing my brain into a resemblance of a working order, instantly recognizing Stephen's deep baritone and Tony's teasing drawl.

"Expect either Reindeer Games or Kim Possible to come and terrify you," My engineer didn't sound particularly ecstatic. His voice came from somewhere around my feet; the hand wrapped around my ankle, thumb gently stroking the skin, must've been his.

"Duly noted," Stephen's reply was equally sarcastic, sounding a little closer. The warmth coming from my side was him. I could smell the faint spices that surrounded him, smell that I'd come to associate with the Sanctum.

Bruce snored away, not a care in the world.

My body, on the other hand, felt rested for what felt the first time in years. A pleasant ache in my muscles had me begrudgingly squirm out of Banner'd grasp, shamelessly pushing up into Stephen as I stretched with a juicy yawn. "What's poppin'?" I rubbed my eyes, finding the men awake looking at me with fond amusement.

"Just watching," Tony smiled, causing me to giggle at his accidental meme-ing. Was it even accidental? I refused to believe that a man well versed in IT was oblivious to meme culture.

Stephen, on the other hand... "We've discussed some things, wanted to talk to you too." His hand stroked my hair, face expression soft unlike anything I'd ever seen him have. "But you were sleeping. So cute."

Me, cute? There was a puddle of drool the size of a dollar bill on my pillow, I was pretty sure some of it had even gotten in Bruce's hair. Banner's sleep was quiet except for every five minutes when he'd let out a snore with a force somewhere between a Mack truck and a whale in mating season.

Cute, sure.

Bruce groaned, a tell-tale sign of him waking up. I met his eyes, brown, shiny, a narrow edge of green around his irises. Huh. Do I have three boyfriends or four?

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit ​ @littlegasps ​ @pilloclock ​ @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads ​ @hermione-grangers-wife ​ @individualistfem ​@sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie @mikariell95 @gladiosamicitias

[curiousconch]

Free Fall

Chapter 4 of Ricochet (An Open Heart AU)

Catch up here: Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Chapter Synopsis: Bryce takes Heather out to distract her, while a real threat looms closer than ever.

Pairing: Rafael Aveiro x MC (Dr. Heather Song) | Bryce Lahela x MC (Dr. Heather Song) 

Words: 1.9k | Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Rating/Warnings: Mature (16+) / hints of violence, stalking

Author’s Notes: I always wanted to try trampoline basketball (not sure if that's the right term?), it looked cool on videos. BUT lockdown happened, so here I am manifesting what could've been a great date night alternative. I have also long imagined to bounce around in slow motion while the chorus of Fallin' All In You by Shawn Mendes was playing on the background. Hope I made the wait for this chapter worth it. Also, disclaimer: majority of the characters are owned by Pixelberry, except the main character Heather Song.

Please let me know if you want me to tag you for the rest of this series. Thank you for reading!

Jordan whistled as he walked through the off-white hallways, pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies forward. Although he knew that this was just a temp job, a means to an ends, it didn't mean he can't enjoy its perks.

His gray overall was already damp, as he just finished mopping the hallways of the building's seventh floor. He was heading to his last assignment for the day, which was also his favorite. His black sneakers squeaked against the tiled floor, but he didn't seem to mind. He was feeling accomplished today, seeing his art splayed across the local news. He gave himself a mental pat on the back, knowing he's running closer toward the finish line of his master plan.  

He adjusted his baseball cap before tapping his key card on the scanner by the glass door, then stepped inside the empty office. 

He cleared the tables of assorted food wrappers in record time. But there was a table where he liked to linger a little bit longer. 

His fingers grazed on the surface of the desk - she always kept hers tidy. He read through the pages of the medical books browsing where bookmarks were sandwiched in, trying to get an idea of where she left off. He then reached out to the purple bottle of hand cream on the left side of the computer screen, and pumped it to get a few drops on his palms. He loved the jasmine scent of it, reminding him of the same fragrance of the clothes in her closet. 

He tapped on the keyboard and the screen display came to life, revealing a picture of her and her mother when she was a teenager. He logged himself in, checking her emails. He found what he was looking for, and took a picture of the itinerary using his phone. He closed the applications and locked the computer, the screen display reverting back to the wallpaper earlier. He smiled sadly as he looked on, thinking what a waste it will be when her day of reckoning comes. It's a pity that she threw herself in the middle of a crossfire, so he had no choice. He felt bad for her, recalling the months of stalking he did to know her life. He always thought she was no different from him, alone in a city, no parents to turn to, no one but themselves to rely on. 

After switching off the computer monitor, he retrieved his cleaning supplies and sprayed a disinfectant on the surface of her desk. He was about to wipe it when he heard the distinct beep of the electronic lock, followed by the subsequent opening of the glass door behind him. 

"Oh, hey Pete," Heather waved at him as she approached. "Sorry for uhm, interrupting. I'm just here to get some of my books."

He tried to hide his initial shock, grinning goofily at her then stepped back from her desk. "No problem, doc. I'll get out of your hair so you could do whatcha have to do."

She smiled back at him. "No, no need. I'll just grab these," she took the bundle of books sitting on top of her desk, "and then these..." she trailed off as she unlocked the drawers and retrieved a small bottle of the hand cream and a few markers. She put the small items in her purse and stepped back.

"Thanks, Pete. I'll see you around," she bid him goodbye, hastily getting out of the diagnostics office.

Jordan followed her figure until she was out of his sight. He then approached the glass windows and slid his fingers in between the blinds, waiting until he saw her crossing the parking lot and got into a familiar silver Camry.

Aha, so you're with the ADA. No wonder he didn't see her with the special agent. She stayed with someone else. 

It was smart for her to stay somewhere he wouldn't expect. But it didn't matter now. Phase 2 didn't concern where she lived at the moment. His lips twisted into a sinister smile, knowing she never had a clue of what was to come.

Oh doc, I'll see you soon.

***

Bryce honked his horn the moment he saw what was cradled in her arms. "Nerd alert!" he shouted.

"Ugh, shut up!" she groaned, her eyes rolling as she dropped the books into the backseat of his car.  

"Seriously, Heath, you are such a dork. It's Sunday!" he said as he began driving out of Edenbrook's parking lot.

She snapped on her seat belt and leaned back, crossing her arms. "You are a hypocrite, Lahela! Deep down you know we are on the same league," she said as she glared at him. 

"Nope, not at the moment, I'm no hypocrite. Do you even see me checking my phone for emails?" 

"Psh, you're driving, you just can't," she ruffled her bangs, annoyed. "So, what's the plan here?" 

"Lighten up, Doctor Song, have some little spontaneity!" he shuffled his shoulders as he said the last word. "I promised to distract you today, did you not trust this handsome face when you said so this morning?" Bryce pouted in an effort to mock her. 

She huffed in reply, settling into silence. She did trust him. She trusted him last night when she poured out her heartbreak to him. She also chose to trust him this morning, taking up his offer to go out today. He gave a convincing pitch about what he had planned for the day. But really, Heather would take any opportunity to get her mind off from the incidents of the past two days.

Besides, it was easy to say yes to Bryce. She was comfortable around him. He reminded her of her carefree days before her life all went downhill. He balanced her out, his dazzling personality never failed to brighten up even the starkest days for Heather. And this was her darkest season in recent memory. It was just apt to let someone like Bryce shine upon it. 

So she agreed to leave at noon, but asked to swing by the hospital to get some of her books so she could catch up on some reading. She wanted to stay sharp since she'll be flying back to Maryland to continue her cancer research.

Now they're driving along the freeway, she had no idea where their car is headed. After almost an hour, Bryce took an exit and then a few turns, before entering a parking lot full of cars. 

"We're here!" he said as he tapped the steering wheel and turned off the ignition. She got out of the car along with him, staring at the white signage in front of the building. 

"Sky zone?" Heather squinted at him, a queasy feeling rising in her stomach.

Seeing her hesitation, he practically dragged her to the front door and pushed her inside. A sight of kids and adults alike bouncing up and down on various complex trampoline structures welcomed her. 

She'd never seen Bryce this giddy, who went straight to the reception to register both of them. She was left alone and dumbfounded. She had no idea a place like this in Boston existed. But all the laughter surrounding her made her suddenly excited. 

He pulled her into an area full of lockers, and helped her shove her shoes and purse inside an empty one. He shoved his into another beside hers. 

"So? What do you think?" Bryce walked up to the nearest trampoline platform looking at her expectantly. 

"You sure you're an adult?" she said sarcastically, chuckling as she said it. 

"Aha! I knew it! I just know you'll like this!" he teased. "Dibs on the first bounce!" he leaped onto one then did a backflip, as Heather watched in amazement. He did another flip, even posing midair to make it look effortless. Seeing him enjoying himself, she couldn't resist any longer and dived right in. 

"This... Feels... Awesome!" she shouted to him in between bouncing, trying to propel herself higher with each jump. Bryce simply nodded back, giggling with her as they alternated between bouncing and running to the different trampoline stages in the park. 

Heather never felt as exhilarated as she was at that moment. With every jump, she felt a piece of her heartbreak shedding away. In her mind, she screamed at the looming threats that washed over her the past few weeks. It was getting more and more difficult to hold on to the grudges that wrapped her heart. So she let herself go. She leaped on every surface, on every stage, on every setup. She bounced until there was nothing left of the anxieties that seemed to anchor her with heaviness in the past 48 hours. 

When she started losing steam, she lifted herself with all her might and leaped into a pit of sponges, savoring the few moments of free fall. She then stood up on her feet and went down, found somewhere to sit and rest. Bryce followed her shortly after. 

While they were sipping ice cold water from one of the vending machines, he watched her. She was lost in her thoughts, a pensive look in her face. He perked up when she finally spoke. 

"The metaphor isn't lost in me. I get why you brought me here." she punched his arm playfully, before wiping the sweat on her forehead with a paper towel. 

"I never doubted you'd get it," he nodded, his face turning serious. "Look, let me tell you a secret," he leaned forward closing the gap between them. "This is where I kinda sulk after I lose a case, or when my head gets caught up in a rut," he paused for a few moments, pursing his lips. "Look, I know you've been through some hard times recently, but in my gut I know you're tougher than that. You're strong, you're a victor, you always, always overcome. Even when things get difficult, you just leverage the situation so you could bounce back. If there's anyone who can emerge from all of this triumphantly, it's you. Because you know why? You're one hell of a woman, Heather."

He stopped himself from saying anything more and finished his speech, as he gave her an endearing look.

She was taken aback by his words, unsure how to react. It took her a few moments before it sunk in - that he was exactly right. When times did get rough, she always managed to rise above it. She didn't buckle. But she had a tendency to forget, not because she's overwhelmed, but because she buzzed right through every painful experience. She used them as stepping stones, as fuel to her dreams and desires. She only needed a rousing reminder.

And that's what Bryce gave her today. With her spirit lifted by his overwhelming encouragement, she placed her hand over his and gave it a soft squeeze. Without thinking, she planted a quick peck on his cheek. 

"Thank you, Bryce. Thanks for bringing me here. I needed this." she whispered, staring back at him. 

It took all of Bryce's strength to stop himself from kissing her. Instead, he settled on ruffling her damp hair, smiling brightly back at her. 

"Like I said, I always got your back." He opened his arms and shrugged, a smug smile pasted on his face. "So if you're done moping around, you wanna play some more?"

Heather can't help but laugh. 

They hit the trampolines again, with Bryce flipping himself and shooting into some hoops. They even had a contest, where they tried besting each other over dodge ball. They didn't stop until they got both hungry. He eventually drove them to a nearby food truck, and together they ate hotdogs and greasy fries in his car. Heather's friends called her while they were parked, inviting them both for a quick hangout at Donahues. 

As they drove back into the town center in silence, she couldn't ignore the tugging in her heart that this wasn't just two friends hanging out. Yet she didn't feel guilty or confused at all. That Sunday afternoon, she felt entirely certain that she was with someone who she was supposed to be with. It didn't feel forced, exhausting or boring. It simply felt good. 

Tags: @choicesficwriterscreations for Fics of the Week

Ricochet AU tags: @eleanorbloom @ramsey-lahela

[gunmetaltesla]

|| I Think You’ll Understand ||

The day starts like the previous ten have, with me waking up at around eleven-like a lazy, posh house cat content to satisfy nothing but her own urges-to the cold, bright light of a winter sun streaming through the window across from my bed. I squint against the light and begrudge wakefulness, taking me away from the pleasant dreamscape free of taunts and jibes and blessedly, tantalizingly replete of stolen kisses in the stacks of the library after hours, foggy lunchtime conversations on the front steps, and breathy laughter over textbooks and notes in an otherwise quiet dormitory (the window of which articulates just how long ago we should've gone to bed). Shaking my head free of these images, lest they occupy my entire day. I'm no doubt expected to socialize with the endless stream of people that visit this time of year-"come-a-callin'", as our wonderfully Scottish maid Trudy would say, clucking around my room like an industrious hen once she's heard signs of life-but I can't seem to force my warm feet to hit chilly floorboard. Instead, I content myself with a bit of a lounge. She'll no doubt come to inspect what she expects to be my luxuriating corpse-finally giving into the boring, torturous monotony of the holidays-but for now, I'm just fine burrowing under the down blankets for a minute and surveying my kingdom.

I can't help but think you'd like my room. Without even knowing you all that well, and thus possessing a similarly foreign quality myself for you, I think you would look around the space and tell me, in that calm, warm tone of yours, that it suits me. The combination of royal blue painted and bare brick walls-my mother, after all, a huge proponent of recognizing and embracing the infrastructural brilliance of an old house-dark hardwood floors, worn Turkish rug and cozy bed awash in creams, ivories, and greys. Books, books, books, on every available surface. And two floor-to-ceiling casement windows that overlook the back garden in which I can hear my parents good-naturedly bickering over, I think, turnips. It's quiet, warm, and domestic. Not typically words associated with me-quite the opposite in fact-but still fitting in this scene. I've just stretched from fingertips to toes when there's an alert noise from my phone where it sits on a black lacquer bureau opposite my bed. I get up on all fours, still burritoed in blankets, to see if I can read the screen. And I can just make out a shape that I think, or rather hope, forms your name. I'm tumbling out of bed, tangled legs betraying me and causing an undignified thump and sprawl onto the floor. I right myself and pick up my phone, my face already forming the smile that has become characteristic when talking to you.

Morning. I heard this song this morning when I was helping my mom make breakfast, and I thought of you. I think you'll like it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MH-UmYkXiM

I immediately switch my phone to Bluetooth, and the song's plucky, but somehow smooth and wild, guitar comes strumming through the speakers I've stationed throughout the room. That's another thing I think you'd like-you seem like the kind of person that would appreciate good audio.

I do like it, I reply once the video ends, a big smile across my face and a dreamy look in my eyes, thank you for sending it to me.

You're welcome. Any plans tonight?

Oh. That's right, I think with a groan as I walk back over to my bed-phone in hand-and burrow back beneath the blankets in retreat. Tonight is New Year's Eve.

No, but that doesn't mean I won't be do anything.

I don't look happy. Well, truthfully you wouldn't know, but the wording of that text looks somehow "off". After nearly incessant conversation over the break, you've become quiet adept and the tone and meter of my text conversation. Oddly enough, you've never met anyone else-apart from you-that texts how they speak. You shouldn't have been surprised, given all my other quirks. The thought of it still makes you smile.

Trapped in family commitments?

A long time before the dreaded typing ellipsis and then ping.

Something like that. My sister, convinced that I need to let loose-I think she forgets that I'm ten years her junior, the fruitcake-stormed into my room two days ago and all but demanded that I get secretly drunk with her at the party tonight.

You have no idea how to respond to this, because you're feeling a cocktail of sensations yourself. Curiosity, as to how I might be different under the influence. Surprise at the fact that I might indulge in the first place. Titillation-yep, I said it-at the idea of a less rigid, weaker-walled me. And jealousy, which catches you by surprise, when you remember the last of the New Year's traditions. It's then that you also realize that you never asked if I…you don't know if I'm attached. You aren't, but you suddenly find a desperate desire within yourself to know if I am or why I'm not or whether I'd like to be. Another ping.

I'd rather be spending time with you.

You smile at the phone, cradling it in both hands like a treasure. You decide to have a little fun and get your answers at the same time.

So…drinking with your sister at a family get-together. Sounds like a good time. No plans otherwise? No budding romance to kindle as the fire crackles? No one to meet under the mistletoe?

That's Christmas.

I know, you goober. I just meant…nevermind.

I will not be kissing anyone as the bell tolls, if that's what you're asking.

You can practically hear my eyes rolling at the concept, and that makes you chuckle. You're typing out a witty retort when your younger sister walks in.

"So, who is this guy? Your "friend from school". You've been glued to that phone since you got home."

"I never said it was a guy." It's out of your mouth-which is now hanging open in surprise at yourself-before you can stop it. A bullet, speeding toward fragile flesh.

"Oh. Okay. Cool. Mom says lunch is ready." And that was it. You'd expected further questions, deeper investigation, but nothing. Casual interest. Hmm. Maybe it wouldn't…ping.

What about you?

You reply, detailing your own plans of meeting up at a friend's house for a party of your old schoolmates. How everyone is getting all dressed up like it's some swanky affair. There's an ellipsis…then nothing…then another ellipsis…then nothing again.

You're now being summoned to the kitchen in earnest by shouting siblings, so you leave your phone on the bed. All through lunch, you catch yourself straining for any digital noise coming from your bedroom. You must have made a face, because your sister catches you listening and says, "I'm sure she'll text you back."

"Who?" ask you mother and brother simultaneously.

"Her friend from school" is all your sister answers. Something like a secret builds up between you, but it's fond and loving and conspiratorial in the way that only sisters share, so you let it slide. Besides, she's always seen more than she lets on. She's an observant one, your little sister. You're clearing the table with your second brother when you hear it. The ping.

"Told you", comes teasingly from the kitchen. You hand off your portion of the dishes and dash to your room, shutting the door behind you. Three texts, in rapid fire, arrived.

I'd love to see what you're wearing. I'm sure you'll look beautiful all dressed up. Not that you wouldn't if you were dressed casual. I'm sure you would. Might. Could. Do. I'm dressing up, too, if you were curious. It seems the occasion commands it.

You chuckle, low and soft, and carefully type out your response, hitting send before your brain can think better of it.

Well then. If I show you mine, will you show me yours?

That's the closest thing either of us have said that's close to flirting. You're not even sure if it is-if that's what you meant it to be. Playful, yes. Obviously. But flirtatious? Maybe. You might have made a mistake, but only time-and texts-will tell.

Suddenly the party-and the preparation for it-had higher stakes. You felt the delicious tension of attraction purr in your chest, the heated need for physical touch. You've always experienced this, even before sexual activity was even a possibility. You've always craved contact from people, but sexual awakening had only heightened it. And now that you're…well let's just say you need to do something. Be with people. Feel the push and pull of flirtation, the rush of kissing, the release of anything that comes afterward. You want to look your best, but for whom? It's not as if…well. Time to plan.

Leave it to you to find the perfect dress at the very last moment. You were rummaging through your mother's closet, and there it was-a white gold sequined mini number with ¾ sleeves and a low-dipping back. All you needed now was-yes! A pair of nude heels left over from a formal at your old school. You laid everything out and, satisfied with the outfit, set about getting ready for the night.

You kept glancing at your phone throughout the process, having not heard from me in several hours. You figured I was deep into the entertaining-I'd told you about how many different "parties" and gatherings my family holds over the holiday season (that's what I get for a politically active mother and socially and philanthropically active father)-so you didn't precisely question the silence. You didn't like it, either, but that's another issue. You're just finishing up your makeup-simple and bronzy, just your style-when a text tone interrupts your thoughts.

I don't want to show you.

You frown a little, gold eyeliner still dangling from your hand, and reply with a simple ?

"Mine". I don't want to show you. You'll think it's silly.

I won't.

You're sure.

Yes.

And you were. But you waited…and you laughed a little when you realized that I was following your text to the letter and waiting until you'd shown me your getup before revealing my own.

Give me a minute-I'm just finishing up.

A few minutes later, satisfied with your appearance via a thorough check in the full-length mirror of your room, you managed a shot.

You look…

You feared the worst. That somehow what looked nice, and festive as hell, in your head didn't actually translate aloud.

You look like the first sparkler I ever held.

And somehow, without knowing me in childhood-really without knowing me now-you knew that was a high compliment and blushed at its sight.

Thank you. That's…I know that's a very nice thing to say. But enough about me…

And you waited…and waited…and waited…till finally a ping. And all you saw was a brilliance of sparkling emerald green, miles of pale skin, and a small, knowing smirk beneath a quizzical brow.

I felt foolish, posing like I was. I'd staged everything. Hell, if I commit to something, I do so to the fullest. I'd grabbed a tripod from my mother's home studio, set on the timer, and taken practice shots. I wanted it…I needed it to look well. I wanted to impress you, even if I didn't quite know why. Still, I did it. And I managed to get a shot I felt alright about-the rest I hated. It was now or never, and so I sent the thing before I could fake an excuse and bluster some lie of it not turning out.

It's a costume party.

I hit the send arrow and waited, the wig cap feeling tighter and hotter than it had moments ago, the silky fabric rough on my anxious skin. The sequins, which sparkled and winked playfully like they were meant to, instead cast glares and were just too bright for me. I'd made a horrible mistake. I'd gone too far. Who wants to go to this stupid…who should celebrate this useless…oh what's the point! I was reaching to yank off the wig and tell Trudy to tell my family I was sick when my phone went off.

Holy shit! You look just like her. Please tell me there's no Gene Kelly waiting for you at the party.

I grinned ear to ear, the angry red of my skin transforming into a blush of flattery. Not only did you know who the costume was meant to represent-I mean for God's sake I'd spent a week making it (Trudy helping with the sequins)-but you also told me…you implied that I…how I could ever be as appealing as Cyd Charisse is beyond me.

No. Nor is there a scar-pocked man thrusting a diamond cuff beneath my snout to lure me away…

Well you look incredible.

So do you. I wish…well, Happy New Year!

Talk to you soon.

And that was all it had been. Nothing out of the ordinary, other than a video of me and a young woman you assumed was my sister, singing "Honky Tonk Woman" into the camera at the tops of our lungs, drunkenly and off-key enough to make you nearly splutter coffee all over your book when it arrived.

We'd gone back to normal conversation after that. You never told me what happened to you when you rang in the new year, but it wasn't out of deception.

It was a face-to-face conversation, and you were only a couple of hours away.

Are you on the train yet? You smiled.

Impatient to see me?

Yes.

Good.

Good. Talk to you soon.

The emphatic tone of that one-word reply was all the hope you needed. Maybe, if you were lucky, I'd had a similarly transformative-or at least eye-opening experience-myself over the holidays. You wondered if you'd made any appearance in my dreams the way yours had been flecked with green sequins and set on vivid soundstages, awash in color and life and music.

The train ride itself had been relatively uneventful. You listened to the playlist we'd made together-a collaboration of such delightful weirdness that it actually made a cohesive unit of 75 tracks-and chatted with friends who join the growing throng of co-eds as the vehicle neared its academic destination. And as the train slowed, you sat up straight-afflicted with a sudden doubt. What if it was in your head? What if it was good on paper-or on screen, I guess-but had nothing, no juice, in real-time?

Well. There was one way to find out.

The train came to a stop, and students began flooding the white landscape like a school of fish breaking rank. You, hating the hustle and bump of the crowd, waited on the train for a few minutes until the rush died down. And when you got off the train, face grimacing at the sudden gust of ice-cold wind, you saw a familiar form walking toward you-curls whipping around an eager, pale face that sported a brilliant, elated grin.

We met each other breathlessly, nervous exhales dancing and mingling in a rapidly cooling fog between us.

"Hi", I managed a little weakly.

"Hi", you replied, thinking your face would split from its smile.

"How was the-"my question was interrupted by the perfectly-timed Flanagan, shouting at you to hustle to the fieldhouse for a team meeting.

You looked up at me-had I gotten taller in the three weeks of break? -and your smile faltered. It seemed to me, to us both, that you were on the verge of saying something. You settled instead for squeezing my hand-frigid because I wasn't wearing gloves beneath my black peacoat. The gesture was, no doubt, meant as a balm. As a silent apology or a physical ellipsis, promising further discussion. It was witnessed, however, by Flanagan.

"Quit dykin' around with the know-it-all and hustle."

You felt me go rigid right before I yanked my hand from yours, mumbled something about needing to check in at the stacks, turned on my heel and stalked away. You called after me, but I just jammed my headphones into my ears and sped up.

Fucking Flanagan. She'd made my life a nuisance since she came to school three years ago. How she'd managed to keep her grades up enough to remain here was a perpetual mystery, but it wasn't one I was too keen on solving. She wasn't worth the time.

Remember how I said that I was so used to jibes and insults that they barely even registered anymore? Well this one-it landed. Like a meteor.

I was used to it. That isn't a lie; I'd never been popular, and I did nothing to remedy that. But you…with your warm smile and easy conversation, strong presence and confident stride. Over the fall term you'd become the second year's golden girl-a star on the pitch and in the lab. You could do no wrong. Except, of course, if you were seen hanging around me. And I didn't want that for you. What to do-how to solve the problem and still get to see you (because I selfishly wanted that so badly I could hear it in my blood)-stomped around my brain for the next two days. Until Tuesday, when I knew I would see you again. You texted me several times later that day, and on Monday, but I never replied. Better to start distancing myself now than risk further…heartache? Is that really what it was? When did I become so…romantic?

I was just falling asleep on Monday night, dreading the awkwardness of the next day, when my phone went off with a text.

I don't know what else to say. Flanagan's a dick. Maybe Ms. Lee can help me out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kI0dBvg-qw

The beginning of the song crooned through my phone's speakers, and I smiled. And then I laughed.

Maybe Tuesday wouldn't be so bad.

I saw you the next day, in a place other than the library. That had only happened twice-once at the end of the last term, and the other at the train station the day before winter term began. You were walking out of the dining hall, hair still damp and face still scrubbed red from your shower after morning practice. You looked so alive. Radiant with life and laughter and the vitality of the young. And you were arm in arm with a boy I vaguely recognized as a player for lacrosse team whose name I thought was Eli.

My gut went cold, but I was not ready for that. I wasn't prepared for the force of jealousy now coursing its way through my entire body, making my blood feel like boiling metal. My appetite had completely disappeared. I simply clenched my jaw and turned around toward the direction of my first class of the day. Middle English-something that normally held my full attention-but I could already tell my focus would not be on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The classes came and went, my mind completely unfocused on notes or readings or conversational French. I barely lifted my pen to paper over the course of the day so that, by the time I plopped dejectedly down into my chair behind the desk at the library, I just wanted the day to be over and done. Fortunately, I had some things to occupy me for my shift-organizational tasks always comforted me. As I've said before, the system was my friend.

"Long time no see".

I closed my eyes against the joy I felt at your voice. Against the surge of relief at you coming to see me.

"Yes."

I didn't risk looking at you. There was no use in both of us knowing how deep my wounds had gone.

"I thought I saw you coming toward the dining hall this morning, but then…I waved, but you'd already turned around". Your voice sounded curious, apologetic, and concerned.

"Yes, well. I was almost there when I lost my appetite." I couldn't mask the venom that time.

The silence across the desk, coupled with a chill in the air you could almost feel, made me look up at you. And the expression in your face mirrored the one etched on my memory from finals week-which felt like a century from now-when you'd brought me coffee.

"Oh. Well, I just…I mean I thought…I kind of wanted to talk to you about something. Do you have time after your shift today? We could meet after dinner, or something, if you want and talk about some th- "

"We're late. Come on." From the wretched Eli, to whom I shot enough daggers with my eyes to make him blanch (in which I took monumental and petty satisfaction). That is, until he grabbed your hand and started tugging you in the direction of the study group.

I decided to be the bigger person and acquiesce.

"After dinner. Tonight."

"My rooms?" you offered, the hope and honesty in your voice making me nauseous with guilt at my behavior to the point that all I could manage was a nod in confirmation before you left the desk and joined the others.

Two hours later, my shift nearly finished but my relief arriving for hers early, I took a few extra minutes to return some of the more precious tomes by hand. And one, a text on marine anatomy, brought me within two shelves of your study group. Something like curiosity-morbid though it may have been-made me stay and lurk in the shadows between shelves, watching you among the other athletes. You weren't studying, you were relaxed back in your chair which was leaned on its rear legs as yours were propped up on the table around which you all sat. You were laughing at something someone had said, and my heart soared (as it always does) at the sound. Then, it increased at something Eli said and you leaned your forehead onto his shoulder as the two of you shook in laughter. I was suddenly desperate to be anywhere but where I was, stuck between the world I knew and the one to which I'd never belong. I was in such a panicked rush that the book I was returning to its place wobbled off its shelf and, with a very loud thunk, fell to the ground.

I froze where I was, white with mortification and fearing detection. Chanting to myself that I was invisible and the people around me were deaf, my peripheral vision took note of someone rising from the table to find out what caused the noise.

"Fancy meeting you here", you said with a little sarcasm but, still beneath it, your characteristic warmth. 

"I wasn't eavesdropping." Blurted, vomited right out of my mouth.

"No one said you were. You do, after all, work here." I heard rather than saw the smile in your voice.

"Yes. True. Well. I should be going."

In the time it had taken for our conversation to start and for me to desperately try to escape, two more people had gotten up from the table-no doubt to discover the identity of the mysterious interloper. My two least favorite people in the walking world.

"Oh, it's you" moaned Eli with a dramatic sigh and a dismissive whip of his hand.

"Shouldn't you be sitting at your little desk with Patricia Highsmith and Gertrude Stein?" growled Flanagan, her face already contorted with malice I hadn't earned…yet.

You braced for the impact of these insults on my behalf, stuck as you were between myself and the other two. You looked as if you were going to come to my defense, but I didn't give you the chance.

"Sadly, misses Highsmith and Stein aren't available. Maybe I should just have a chat with your dear, sweet, so very secret Megan instead?"

I still don't know what made me say it. I shouldn't open my mouth when I'm upset; it always gets me into the worst kinds of trouble. You know this-now. Then, though, I don't think you could've stopped me. No more than you could've anticipated or stopped Flanagan's open hand reaching past you to meet my face with such force that the class ring on it scratched my cheek enough to draw blood.

The air was dense with tension, silence, and surprise.

"Are you okay?" you asked quietly, heedless of the heaving Flanagan and the confused Eli. You even reached toward me, but I took a step back.

"Don't…she's socially radioactive", he said, his face forming a cruel sneer.

"I- "

"He's right', I said, righting myself, 'don't worry about it. I'm fine. I always am. It was…it's been nice knowing you" I managed a halfhearted shrug, but I could feel the tears and bile building in my throat.

You were speechless, and you looked like someone had struck you. Flanagan's chest was still heaving and her face was the color of a ripe raspberry. Eli was just leaning against the nearest shelves like a triumphant peacock.

"Talk to you soon", I said with a bitter laugh, the sound of it-and the reference in my words, and their sarcastic finality-made you flinch.

I walked past you, went to my desk to grab my things and practically ran from the library. My friends. My sanctum sanctorum, now reduced to rubble.

I made it to my rooms before I let one tear fall, but they didn't stop.

You didn't move from your spot between the shelves until the other two had left. Flanagan had muttered something about leaving something in the fieldhouse and stomped away; Eli's boyfriend Jacob had come to retrieve him. And you just stood there, dumb to everything except two things: one, that you'd watched me get hurt and done nothing (despite really wanting to) and two, that you didn't care whether I was radioactive-that you'd risk the poison if it meant getting to see me read Italian or look at me dressed like Cyd Charisse.

You finally moved and made it to dinner, eyes searching the hall for me all the while. I wasn't there.

You left the hall and went back to your rooms. The door was still open in invitation when you fell asleep.

You woke up in the middle of the night, suddenly like someone had disturbed you. The room was dark, your roommate Chloe's gentle snores the only sound. You were trying to figure out what had woken you when-

Ping. From two minutes ago. That's what had done it. A text from me. Just a link and four words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBxAdoTOnuM I'm sorry. The steps.

You grabbed your overcoat and your purple beanie, jammed your headphones into your ears, and took off running into the night.

2:54

I couldn't believe I done it. My face scrunched up at my foolishness, my lovesick nonsense-the shit that only happens in stories-but winced at the tug I felt from the scratch on my cheek. I'd been standing here in the cold for fifteen minutes before I'd even sent the text, and now for ten as I waited on the steps. Late night snow was starting to fall.

I had almost-nearly-basically given up when I heard distant footsteps in the dark.

A form started to take shape. A girl. An athlete. A familiar purple beanie.

I thought I was going to faint.

You took full form, and slowed down as you came to the bottom of the steps. You didn't ascend, letting me dictate the terms.

"HI", you said breathlessly, your chest still heaving from your cross-campus sprint. Your coat was open, revealing your sleeping sweats beneath.

"Hi", I returned, a smile threatening at the corner of mouth at the fact that you'd come. And you'd come like that-as soon as you-

"I came as soon as I could. I was…I waited for you to come."

"I know."

"I left my door open."

"Chloe must've been so confused."

Spurred on by the casual tone of the conversation, you put one foot on the steps to come up, "Listen…."

I held up a hand to halt you.

"No. I…I'm sorry about earlier. I'm not good…I'm not good at people." I rolled my shoulders in awkwardness, but my hands remained in my pockets, making me look like an irritated penguin.

And you laughed. That glorious sound that felt like sun breaking through the clouds.

"It's okay that you're crap at people." You took two steps upwards. I didn't stop you.

"It is?"

"Yes", you said happily, taking three more steps. Only two left.

"Why is that? You heard Eli…I'm radioactive. You saw Flanagan-I'm…why is that okay?"

"Because it is. You're not good at other people. You just have to…" you took the final two steps, level with me and then the final leap.

You reached up, lightly touching one chilled tan hand to my cold pink cheek, you brought your face close to mine and I took a surprised breath. That was all the indication you needed.

You pressed your lips softly to mine, the contact sending sparks and ice and fire and honey all over, inside, atop my mouth. I gasped into your mouth, and you smiled against my lips.

"I just have to what?" I finally asked moments-or years or seconds or decades-later, my eyes still closed long after the kiss had ended.

"You just have to be good at me. And I have a distinct feeling', you said as you took my hand in yours and gave it a reassuring squeeze, 'that you're a natural."

We walked down the steps and across the dark campus, holding hands all the while. You stopped every once in a while to brush snow from my hair, and I paused to let you. We meandered down to the crew lake as the sun was breaking the horizon, and I watched it rise in your eyes and turn your hair burnished gold while you watched the warm peach light settle around my paleness like a blooming rose. We were sitting on the dock, freezing but unbothered by it, when my stomach rumbled.

"Breakfast?" you asked.

"Yes. I need to shower, though. Meet you there?"

"Definitely". We got up and walked back through campus, you escorting me to my dormitory's entrance like a gentleman. The chivalrous nature of this didn't escape me, just so you know. I know you're just as much a romantic sap as I am, and to this day I am grateful.

We kissed quickly and I left you. You stood outside the building, relishing this new day and its possibilities. You put your headphones on and hit the link again, starting the song over once more. As the chorus was arcing upwards, it dimmed to allow the text tone to come through.

Talk to you soon.

You smiled and walked in the direction of your rooms. You knew it was true. It was true now and always would be.