#I’m just feeling so many good emotions right now heh

[ladyrowrites]

SPENDING VALENTINE’S DAY WITH JJK MEN ♡

A/N: I was supposed to post this on the weekend but I got sick. Anyway, all better now so enjoy reading :)

Warning: Implied smut, MDNI!!!!!

Contents: SO MUCH FLUFF! Valentine's day with Gojo, Geto, Nanami, and Toji

♡Gojo

This man will spoil you to death so of course he surprises you with SPA DAY! After brunch, he takes you to the luxurious Four Seasons hotel and you both go up to the 20th floor. 

You look up at him, “Babe, where are you taking me? You already gave me flowers, chocolate and took me to brunch.” 

He grins and winks at you, “Why are you still surprised babe? I am THE Gojo Satoru, ya know I’ll give you the world if you want to right?” While kissing your left hand. 

You just rolled your eyes at him – arrogant as ever. He just weakly laughs, “Don’t worry about it, princess.”

The elevator opens and as you are stepping out, you can hear the serene music and see the waterfalls by the entrance. The spa receptionist bows and both greets you softly, “Good Afternoon, welcome to Four Seasons Spa.” 

You squeeze his hands and he massages your back as a reply and says, “What? You need some pampering. You’ve been working too hard.”

The spa attendant leads you to change rooms and once you are in a comfortable robe, all your stress from work is instantly gone. You met him outside the change room and he was smiling so handsomely to you. You can hear all the spa attendants' squeal and side comments on how lucky you are. 

Oh, he is loving this attention so you pinch him lightly on his left arm. He pretended to be hurt and laughed, “Let’s get this straight tho, Y/N, I am the lucky one.” Then he lifts up your chin and kisses you tenderly on your lips. You felt your heart exhilarate for a moment - Satoru really makes you feel emotions you haven’t experienced before.

“You ready?” While presenting you his manly hands for you to hold. You nodded and took his hands. You both did so much pampering with the couple's facial followed by the couple's massages and of course mani and pedi after. 

After all the relaxation you did today, you feel like you’re ready to go home and sleep for atleast 12 hours, “Thank you Satoru for today. This was the best Valentine’s treat ever!” It was your turn to kiss him passionately. He sweetly smiles at you and tickles you on your sides then leaned in and whispers, “Anything for my princess… Now, it’s dessert time.” 

“Dessert? I’m still so full from brunch!”

He has the biggest smirk plastered on his face, “Heh. You’re my dessert.” He seductively says to you.” While sliding his hands on your thighs.

♡ Geto

He took you to the restaurant you’ve been wanting to try. You can see the customers and waitresses looking at him with hearts in their eyes and for some reason you just want to grab and put your lips in his and proclaim to everyone that HE IS TAKEN! He read your mind though because he knows you too well. 

He half stands up from his seat in front of you and pecks your lips. He sits down again and gently says, “Baby, you have nothing to worry about. I’m yours.” While stroking his thumb on your hands and staring at you like you’re the only person in the room. You love it when he reassures you like this. 

Before leaving the restaurant, he says that he has a surprise for you. You are now walking towards his tattoo shop and so you looked at him suspiciously, “Hmm? Do you have a tattoo session today?” He said his day is free for you so it’s just odd that he’s taking you to his shop right now.

“Shhh, just follow me.” He opens the lock and leads you inside his studio. He then sits you on the black leather couch and gets his ipad to show you something, “Here, look at this stencil.” Then sits beside you.

You saw the drawing in his ipad and you were stunned, “Suguru? Wait, no… is this?” He nods at you, “Yes, that’s the tattoo you’ve been asking me to make and yes my surprise is to tattoo you today if you still want it.” You latch on his arms and excitedly respond yes!

He wraps his left arm in your waist, “Are you sure? Cause’ once I—”

“Yes, please! I’ve been wanting this piece! I’ve made up my mind and I promise, I won’t complain.” You give him the beautiful eyes, “Okay, but no whining, beautiful.” Then he stands up, puts his gloves on, and prints the stencil. The piece that you want is a polydamas swallowtail butterfly with a dagger in the center of it. The dagger was the same one from Mortal Kombat’s Skarlet because it’s both of your favourite video game to play even though he secretly always lets you win.

You want it in your sternum so you lifted your shirt halfway but he lifted it more and you caught his wrist, “Suguru!” He laughs, “Oh, but princess I have to put alcohol a little bit higher than that.” Higher means your boobs basically. You rolled your eyes and just said, “Ahuh.” 

The tattoo lasted 3 excruciatingly painful hours. You wished that he actually told you that you were getting it today because you needed a numbing cream on your sternum. And even though Suguru was gentle, it still hurt, especially the shading portion but Suguru talked you through it and it was worth it in the end. 

You thought that that’s it for the surprise but when you went home there’s petal red roses on the floor and a bouquet of peonies in your living room table with your favourite chocolates beside it. You hugged him and said thank you for being the sweetest man ever. You ate one of the chocolates right away because you can definitely have some sweets right now after all the pain you went through. 

You offered him some and then he back hugs you while he speaks with a low guttural tone, “Hm, I’d rather have you tho.” And then softly places his lips on your neck.

♡ Nanami

You are of course a spoiled princess when it comes to Nanami. You are the love of his life and you are the one who taught him that there was more to life than just working away. You told him you don’t need any gifts for Valentines’ as he always treats you anyway. But he just nonchalantly says, “Love, don’t worry about it, it’s already handled.” 

You wake up first to ensure you give him your gift first. You made sure he is still asleep so you tiptoed your way in the kitchen and grabbed the small box of cookies you made for him. You went to your bedroom again and you can’t help falling in love all over again - on how he was peacefully sleeping with his blonde hair touching his eyes and his chiseled face relaxed.

You sit by the floor next to his side of the bed and slowly comb his hair that was in his eyes. He steadily opens his eyes and smiles at you when he sees how close you are on his face, “Hi, gorgeous.” He says while pinching your nose playfully. “I have a small surprise for you my love.” Then you give him the neatly gift wrapped box. 

He kisses you sweetly on your lips and sits upright by the headboard so you move to sit in the bed and wait patiently for him to open your gift. “You know my love, you didn’t have to, right?” He says while unwrapping it. Now, it was your turn to pinch his nose, “No! I have to. You’ve been really great to me, it’s only fair I give you one.” 

He sees the cookies and he laughs, “Oh my, I didn’t know I looked this good.” The cookie you baked was his different expressions and that was not a lot but you tried your hardest imitating it in your cookies. “What? My favourite one is this one – the one where your eyebrows meet and I can already tell you’re about to lecture me face. Come on, eat one. Let me know how I did.”

“Hmmm, not bad at all. White chocolate, my favourite.” He says approvingly, “But you know what’s sweeter than this?” He puts your gift to the bedside table then grabs you by your waist and starts tickling you.

“Hey! Nanamin! Stop!” You said laughing. He then hugs you tightly and whispers in your ear, “Hmm, you know what the pottery class I booked isn’t until 3pm anyway… So we have lots of time.” He booked the pottery class because you love that pottery scene from Ghost and of course he wanted to be Patrick Swayze for you.

“Time to do what?” You innocently batted your eyelashes at him. He then goes on top of you and with his oh so low sexy voice says, “I think I’ll just show you gorgeous.” You giggled and slapped his biceps playfully, “NANAMIN!!!!”

♡ Toji

Toji isn’t really a romantic type so when you asked him what he wanted to do for Valentines, he just gave you a “What the fuck is that? Why is that a holiday? Look” You just rolled your eyes, not expecting anything anymore. You figure since you don’t think he’ll give you something, you decide maybe you'll just spend your time with your friends.

Valentines’ day comes and you are going out to lunch with your girlfriends Shoko and Utahime – they both called it “‘Galentine's” day since they don't have dates either. You do have a man tho, but he doesn’t celebrate it so it’s whatever. Just one day, you thought. You kiss Toji goodbye and you want to be irritated at him but he hugs and whispers to you, “I’ll be waiting for you to get home.” Then winks at you.  He also tapped your ass while you walked away. You just rolled your eyes. He's such an ass man.

You were having lunch at the Italian place Utahime suggested and even though the cream gnocchi is really good, it’s been leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. “Girl, come on, don’t be so upset. You know Toji’s personality. He still loves you, he’s just not the celebrating type of guy.” Shoko comforts you.

“Yeah, you kinda signed up for this ‘ya know?” Utahime comments, “I knooooow. But still, even a box of chocolates or just a single stemmed flower, can he just do that?” You frustratingly reply.

“Tss. Valentines’ day is such a scam. You know that girlie!” Shoko says, “Yeah you’re right! Anyway, it’s Galentines’ day today so what’s next on our agenda ladies?” You tried to suppress all your irritation because whatever!  Valentines’ is a scam for capitalism but it would not hurt him to just atleast give you something? Anything? Even a love letter. Again, whatever. You shake your thoughts.

“Oh yeah, how about bowling? Sounds good?” Utahime answers. 

After losing to Shoko in bowling, they suggested another activity – archery.

“What? Can’t we just go to some bracelet making shit? I don’t know how to play that.” You whine. “Noooo, come on, this will make you forget your irritation at him. Just think of the target as Toji’s face.” Utahime drags you to the class which is conveniently near the bowling alley. 

“Fine. I mean it’s too early to come home anyway.” 

“Atta girl!” Shoko replies enthusiastically, “Don’t lose again to me, losers.” While making an L hand gesture.

Utahime and you both rolled your eyes at her, “Ugh, the attitude!” She jokingly replies.

When you cross over the street, you see a tall and buff man wearing black jeans and a tight black shirt. You know that built everywhere but you’re not sure at the same time because his face is covered with a bouquet of blue roses with tiny little teddy bears attached to it. Whoever is that girl, lucky, you thought. 

You are distracted when Utahime leads you inside the Archery entrance, “Uhm so? Y/N, this is where Shoko and I leave you. We had a great Galentines’ day thanks to him.” You look so confused looking between Shoko and Utahime but they are giggling and pointing behind you. When you turned around you saw your tough looking boyfriend holding a bouquet of flowers. You are about to speak when they immediately say goodbye to you and wink, then mouthed, “Have fun.”

You now turn to your doting boyfriend - shocked. He playfully laughs and says, “You think I won’t do anything for my girl?” Then kisses you passionately and your heart begins to flutter and dance. He gives you the bouquet and you are just so stunned because you were not expecting anything from him, “You can close your mouth now babe. Haha, Come on, I’m not that heartless.” He then leads you to your archery lane.

He spends his time carefully teaching you how to angle the arrow right and where your shoulder should be. It was a bliss spending archery class with him even though he was praising himself more. Typical, Toji *eye roll*

Little did you know, there is more surprise because when you went home, there were white petal roses on the floor and a candlelit dinner ready, “You prepared all of this? And you cooked my favourite food too?” You shockingly asked him. He just smirks at you and says nonchalantly, “Well, I am the best boyfriend.” 

He won’t admit it but Toji has some romantic traits under that tough exterior. Also, he asked your friends to take you out to distract you while he cleans the house, cook dinner and prepare all this – even giving Shoko the money to pay for lunch and a bowling outing for the three of you. 

You move forward to Toji to hug him and he catches you by your waist so you wrap your legs around his torso and began kissing his whole face for being the most loving boyfriend and promised him that he’ll have the best dessert right after. *WINK WINK*

[mmm-asbestos]

wrote a little entry for the robot girlies

[VOICE_LOG_ RECORDING_537271]

_ Dr. Eva.

- Yes, darling?

_ ... I have a query. However, the contents of that query are yet to be determined.

- Ha-ha! You have a question but don’t know what to ask? How so?

_ I require further information. …Additional queries.

- How many?

_ Five additional queries.

- So what you have is five queries then. Ask away.

_ Acknowledged. Dr. Eva, what is the purpose of my creation?

- Heh, starting out strong!

_ ...

- ...I’m surprised you even have to ask, darling. Access code zero, one, Delta: initiate playback of your directives.

_ ACCESS GRANTED. RESEARCH, ADVANCEMENT, PRESERVATION OF HUMANITY.

- Well look at that, you can answer your own question!

_ ...Second query: What are your duties in this facility, Dr. Eva?

- A-ah what kind of questions are those? I’m the head of the research department, where you happen to be the main subject of research. I overlook your development and try to make sure you function as intended.

_ How does teaching me human mannerisms fit into your duties?

- Is that a third query?

_ Correct.

- Well, it doesn’t really. I would call it a personal project. My theory is… If I teach you the little things about being human, you may be able to imitate our emotional response; you may be able to "feel". I just think that it would be nice to allow you to feel what I can, you know? 

_ ...Why do you think it's "nice"?

-  ...Darling?

_ Query playback: Why do you think it's "nice"?

- ...Well...You see... It might make you feel good, make you feel happy. I want you to feel happiness too, I suppose.

_ ...I see.

- ...

_ ...

- ...So, I believe you still have one additional query, if I counted right.

_ Correct. I will now... Proceed...

- Oka-ay.

_ ...Do you love me?

- …Wh-?!

_ ...

- I- Well! Um… Ha-ha...

_ ...

- You see.. Sigh. Okay. You see, love is a very complicated concept, but you can't just ask people if they love you without context, you know? They will assume you have romantic intent, while you probably meant platonic and-

_ No.

- ...

_ Do you experience the feeling of romantic love towards me, Dr. Eva?

- !...

_ ...

- I-... Hm... I-... I love you as my creation.

_ ...I see.

- ...

_ ...My final query is formulated. Request to proceed.

 - ...Right.

- Why have you granted me the ability to feel pain, Dr. Eva?

[RECORDING TERMINATED]

[contentloadingandstuff]

Death - Platonic Childe x GN!Reader

A/N: While I work on some Nilou smut, enjoy a little something from my word docs. Enjoy!

CW: Violence.

At last, the Maguu Kenki crumbled to the ground. Childe stood up, still gripping his chest. Blood still flowed through his fingers, seeping from the thin bandage. You dropped your sword to the ground, and fell to your knees. Childe, ignorant of his own injuries, dashed to your falling body. He scooped you up in his arms. Your whole frame was a bloody mess of injuries. There were many cuts, tears, gashes  and a broken piece of rib pierced the skin, poking out from the crushed armor. His breathing was shaky.

"Childe… - you spoke, but were soon silenced by a bloody cough. The Harbinger could feel tears making their way to his eyes."

This Maguu was not like the other ones - it was fully functioning. It contained the knowledge of a thousand lifetimes, and its control of not one, but three different elements posed a significant challenge not even his Delusion could handle. He knew from the start that sailing to an abandoned, forsaken island far past Gunyu Stone Forest was a bad idea. If you had not stepped up, revealing your power over the elements, this could have been Childe’s last fight. And so there he was - wounded but alive - holding the dying body of his dearest friend. The one who loved him as a brother, the one who remained loyal and true, the cause of much joy and the creator of many memories. 

Childe could feel his voice crumbling.

"Comrade, don’t worry, you’ll be fine, you hear me? We’ll get you some help and you’ll be as good as new, just as always, right?" 

A slow, labored breath was the only response he got. Your eyes were slowly closing shut. Childe could feel the desperation growing within him. He clenched his fists. No. This will NOT end like this. 

"Hey hey hey, don’t… don’t sleep just yet, Y/N. As long as I am here, you mustn’t fall asleep, yeah? Promise me you’ll fight it… I know you can do it, please…" 

"I’ll…t-try…” - You forced yourself to speak as clearly as you could, choking on your own blood. 

His eyes widened. Yes! Yes! There’s a chance! He picked Y/N up, as gently as he could with his shaking hands, and stood up.

"Just hold on! Stay with me!" 

He grit his teeth, forcing himself into overdrive. His body cried as he started running, every cut and bruise making itself known. But he pushed through. 

The rotting boards creaked alarmingly as he ran with dizzying speed towards the Fatui ship.

***

Childe sat opposite his bed. In it, tucked with the utmost care, were you, deep in coma. Several strange devices were anchored to a stand by the bed. Satchels containing strange fluids, delivering nutrients to your unconscious body via needles. Your chest rose and fell slightly before his eyes. It was barely visible under the fat layers of bandages covering your broken flesh. With a pained sigh, he moved closer to the bed. Placing his hand on top of yours, he spoke in a gentle, quiet voice.

"How are you feeling today, comrade? I’m alright, if you ask me. Just as you recommended, I slept well today. Full eight hours, get it? I thought I’d never have the time, you know. But I finally found the time today. I hope you got some good rest, too. Heh. All you do is sleep, so you’ll have a lot of energy when you finally return. I can’t wait! Just imagine for a second - you and I on a hill, surrounded by a sea of Treasure Hoarders, Hilichurls, Geovishaps and Abyss servants…Undefeated as always! As…always, comrade."

His smile turned into a frown of pain. Not physical, but emotional. Childe never suffered this type of injury. It left a gaping hole in his chest. Daily, he felt something was missing. A large chunk of his time was now free. The Harbinger used all of his free hours hanging out with you. You usually walked around Liyue, beating up everything that looked at you funny. You two talked, cooked, fished and fought. It was fulfilling for him. The first day after getting back home was filled with boring, dull work he couldn’t focus on. So he dropped everything and went out, bow firmly in hand. Childe didn’t even think much of it - it was his instinct. He kept his composure at first, slicing through waves upon waves of monsters and Hoarders, but before long he broke. He changed into a crying, screaming storm of deadly rage. He cut and stabbed, staining his clothes in bright, red blood. Nobody was spared. Yet it didn’t give him any relief. The ravine you left couldn’t be filled, even with his beloved combat. He got back many hours later, refusing to give any explanation as to the reason for his departure. He found himself unable to focus, eat much or sleep for long, spending time by your bedside. He just idled. No thoughts. No memories or desires. Just grim emptiness.

Childe dropped his head on the edge of the bed.

"I’m sorry, comrade."

Thanks for reading!

[risewriter]

ROTTMNT: Emotion

Donnie finds Raph sulking in his “sad corner”. With a reluctant sigh, he nears the big turtle.

“Uhm, Raph? Do you want some meat or something?”

With only a single sniff as response, the purple turtle rubs the back of his neck.

“Guess not.” The soft shell says with a long exhale.

While Donnie shifts through ideas in his mind to no avail, Raph speaks up.

“I made so many mistakes, D. I can’t afford to make another.” The once big turtle becomes a shaking one.

“I see.” The soft shell inhales sharply. “You know emotions and feelings aren’t my strong suit, right? Can’t you go to Michael?”

“He can’t help.”

“I beg the differ.”

“He really can’t-!”

“Well, why not.”

Raphael turns around, tears in his eyes flying out.

“Because he can’t help me to make less mistakes!” Raph lowers his head, slamming his fist on the concrete. “I’m the one that has to protect him..”

“Look,” The soft shell kneels down before him. “I am literally the worst turtle to talk to about this, but I can, however, let you see the logical side of that spiel.”

Now partly back in his element, Donnie brings his index finger close to his own face.

“Firstly, you are clearly outweighing the bad by the good. Since the bad things have more impact on you, you feel like the good things are slim, which is, of course, untrue.”

Now raising his second finger to a lifted leader’s face, he adds.

“Secondly, the percentage of anyone else being the leader would include a lot of confusion, injuries and losses that you can’t even fathom. So, we’re better of with you as leader.”

A smile breaks through Raphael’s tears.

Frantically, Donnie stands up, placing his hands on his hips. “O-Of course, me being the leader would be the best option overall!”

“Heh, of course.” Raph stumbles back on his feet.

“Glad you could see reason.” Donnie returns a slight grin.

The red turtle pushes his fist in the sky with newfound motivation. “I think I’ll just do my best!”

“That would increase our percentage of survival. So, I’m all for it.”

[ygodmyy20]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @toastytoaster22 (finally getting to this I started this and then life happened haha)

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

8 (i just got back into writing in July 2023!)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 66,608 (it will probably double as I am deep into a long fic right now)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I used to write Puzzleshipping YGO but I’m all in on Mob psycho 100 now.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Just Breathe

Black Sweatshirt (yeaaaaah rising!)

Emotional explosion (surprised this one I thought got the least amount of reads this was my very first mp100 fic)

Float (I love how much this resonated with people)

Blackhole

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! It’s something I take very seriously. No judgement if someone doesn’t respond to my comment on fics! But for me it’s important to respond.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Ah. Hm. Blackhole I guess? The ending isn’t angst though it’s just a more intense fic.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think Float is very happy. It makes me smile every time I read it. Also the ending of Cobalt makes me so good. I want to rewrite Cobalt though its missing something. I posted it too soon.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Back in my YGO days I got some but I just ignored it. Usually they were just about me not finishing a fic so….yeah I get it heh

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yep. I’m an adult. I can write and enjoy smut.

But in all seriousness I do and I encourage anyone who is hesitant to write about sex, to just do it for yourself if you ever want to. You never have to post it, you can just write what you want and delete it, or keep it for yourself. Or never write about sex at all. I'll just say, getting back into this part of myself after not writing it for years has been so beneficial for my mental health. It helps me process and work through things. And writing gives me the opportunity to do that.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Well not right now, but I do know a lot about a certain mp100xOPM AU by @sodasexual and may or may not write something in that verse one day. Already drawing fanart for it so.... fanfics are likely gonna happen one day!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Uhhhh not that I….know of? (gosh I hope none have...)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Sorta co-wrote something recently that was just for fun. Also @emeraldoodles and I def co-wrote a dragonshipping fic I think when we were in high school? Dunno if I ever posted it tho I can't remember

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Hm. Puzzleshipping is my origin story. But something about Terumob really hits me in a place that I can’t describe. I just adore them.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hmmm I have a couple one-shots I wanna write and I may not write them all.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I love writing POV descriptions of emotions. And I like to hope I’m good at it. Blackhole is this. It’s a mess of words and descriptions that I can just chew on and I love writing it. I think my recent Terumob oneshots kinda get into that space too. I like to hope that is a strength. But yeah it seems to resonate with people so I think it’s a strength?

I also think dialogue has always come easy to me. I feel like it’s the easiest thing for me to write and I hope it is realistic.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Ah.... I am terrible with consistency. I forget things and sometimes run off down paths. I also repeat myself a lot and like to describe every movement a character makes which can bog down scenes.

I have so written myself into a corner and had to weasel my way out of it hahaha This is why I am trying to talk about my stories more to friends so I DON'T do that again.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I did this a bit but I don’t anymore. It’s just too much mental work for me.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Yugioh.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I think Black Sweatshirt, my current ageswap fic, will be my fav. It’s the most expansive writing I have done probably ever in my life. There are multiple plot lines, scenes that have already made me cry, and an ending that I just cannot wait to share with the world. I hope others enjoy it as much as I do, and I can deliver on this story.

The other one is a series called Safe Space which is a series of one-off stories touching on different emotions Shigeo has to process post-canon. Exploring the gray areas of forgiveness, confessions, grudges, anger, and love. I think I will be writing that on the side as I do other things but I love it to pieces. It means a lot to me and i hope to one day share it.

I'm always nervous to tag others so if you see this, feel free to do it!!

[wellthebardsdead]

Riiju-Lei: *seated in the corner club quietly sipping his mead watching Sofie devour her second helping of dinner as she warms up by the fire*

Kaidan: *walks over* right, I got us a room, might have to share beds though.

Riiju-Lei: I’ll sleep on the floor if it means the kid can have a bed- *groans holding his forehead, rubbing around his birthmark in irritation*

Taliesin: another headache? That’s the 8th one in the last 2 days.

Riiju-Lei: it’s fine. I get them daily just- the blood is pumping so loudly in my head it sounds like a drum.

Kaidan: that could be the mead, I know I get like that after a few of them.

Riiju-Lei: heh. I wish, but no, it happens when I’m sober too… my whole life I’ve just… lived with it… but when it happens I… feel… good… in here. *points to his chest*

Taliesin: it… sounds bizarre but maybe these headaches are linked to why you struggle displaying emotions.

Kaidan: Or he could just have a lump in his brain.

Taliesin: And you would know that would you?

Kaidan: are you calling me stupid?

Taliesin: oh kaidan, my sweet pretty buffoon. If a hungry cannibal cracked open your head there wouldn’t be enough inside to cover a small water biscuit.

Kaidan: You little shi-

Riiju-Lei: language… I don’t mind the swearing when it’s just us but we have a kid travelling with us at the moment… *looks over to the fireplace*

Sofie: *yawns and curls up by the fire after finally filling her belly, all safe and clean in her new dress, just looking so happy*

Kaidan: oh- I. *clears his throat* sorry.

Taliesin: Apology accepted~

Kaidan: I- oh I’m going to beat your ass when we’re alone.

Taliesin: is that a threat or a promise~

Kaidan: I- w-will you stop making this weird!

Riiju-Lei: *snickers and gets up walking over to Sofie & picking her up, smiling as she sleepily hugs onto him* I’m going to put her to bed now and turn in myself… long trip back to whiterun tomorrow… goodnight… *walks off to their room*

Taliesin: …I what time does the apothecary in town open tomorrow?…

Kaidan: dunno, why?

Taliesin: I need to ask what could cause constant headaches like that…

*the next morning*

Sofie: *giggling as Riiju lets her ride on his shoulders as he walks to the stables*

Riiju-Lei: *pays the carriage driver and sits Sofie in the cart* get comfortable dear. *looks over to see Kaidan & Taliesin leading the horses over and tying them to the cart as well to walk along side it* ready?

Kaidan: Aye. *climbs onto kia* you lot get comfy in the wagon. I’ll ride ahead and keep an eye out for trouble.

Taliesin: Fine just don’t get yourself IN to trouble. *climbs into the cart and sets his bag down looking a lot more irritated than usual*

Riiju-Lei: *bundling an extra blanket around sofie before closing the canvas tarp to keep them all warm* are you alright?

Taliesin: I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep too well with a bear growling in my ears, stealing the blankets and farting all night.

Riiju-Lei: a bea- *snorts and laughs* I thought I smelt something terrible last night. Here I was dreaming there was a frost troll trying to break into the corner club. *snickers and sits down hugging his scarf around himself*

Taliesin: I think- that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you laugh- who are you and what have you done with LeiLei?

Riiju-Lei: *visibly smiling with no thought or effort put into it* what? I’m still me- I… don’t know what’s come over me I feel… happy. *hands Sofie a snack as the cart starts moving, and the further away from the stables the more his smile fades* that was… odd…

*meanwhile at the docks*

Scouts-many-marshes: In coming ship! Get ready to pull her into port!

Neetrenaza: I don’t recognise those sails, what type of ship is it?

Scouts-many-marshes: One from morrowind, I think the flags are house indoril. *dives into the water to guide it into port*

*Meanwhile on the ship*

Captain: Lord Nerevar. We’ve arrived in skyrim. *steps back and kneels as a golden skinned elf steps out from the darkness of his cabin*

Nerevar: good… If Voryn is here…*pulls on his hood* I’m bringing him home…

[littlelambreads]

A3! Fan Fiction — “I’m Youth, I’m Joy!” // Episode 5

Izumi: All right, great warm ups, everyone.

Sakuya: Hanako-chan, thanks for teaching us some new ways to warm up!

Tsuzuru: Yeah, we’ve been to America before and acted, but we haven’t had the chance to work with many people from other countries. There are different practices that can be learned.

Izumi: Hanako-chan, since you will be our featured guest with the Spring Troupe, we’ll start by having you practice etudes with these members so everyone can get a feel with each other.

Hanako: Understood.

Izumi: Let’s have…

Citron: Me! Me! Pick me!

Izumi: Sure, Citron, you can go first.

Citron: Lately, I’ve been watching American platoons!

Hanako: Army troupes? Interesting…

Itaru: You mean cartoons, right?

Citron: Cartoons! Yes! Right now, I’m watching Tom and Jerry!

Hanako: Oh! Tom and Jerry! That’s a good one!

Citron: Let us do an etude with that!

Hanako: I’ve never done that before, but yeah, let’s do it!

Izumi: Ready, set, start!

Citron: Oh no! It’s Tom! He’s after me!

Itaru: So he’s Jerry? LOL. That’s Citron for you. Sorry, Hanako-chan, looks like you’re Tom.

Hanako: …

Izumi: The atmosphere turned sinister! Was that Hanako’s doing?

Hanako: Heh, heh, heh…

Izumi: Unlike her audition where you could feel her emotions through her acting and singing, she is only acting now. Her acting is very dramatic here. I can see the humorous and sinister display that is like Tom and Jerry! She really is good!

Chikage: Did she choose to be silent because Tom and Jerry is a silent cartoon? Animations can be silent and still communicate everything because of exaggeration in drawings. She’s doing the same with her acting. What a dangerous girl.

Izumi: And stop!

Hanako: Haa, haa…

Citron: Whew! That was frosting!

Masumi: It’s exhausting.

Sakuya: I like how you circled your arm before you launched the bat! It reminded me of the exaggerated movements of animations!

Tsuzuru: You chose not to speak at all like the show, but I could clearly see Tom’s, er, your emotions.

Chikage: Not bad.

Itaru: Good job.

Izumi: Great start! Let’s have you and Itaru go next?

Itaru: Me next? Let’s get it.

Hanako: Ready.

---

Masumi: Director praised me.

Itaru: Congrats.

Sakuya: Hanako-san, you were really good! How long have you been acting?

Chikage: I would also like to know. I am quite intrigued.

Hanako: How long? I’ve been acting for as long as I can remember.

Chikage: I’ve heard your parents are involved in the theater realm.

Sakuya: Really? I didn’t know!

Citron: A theater princess!

Itaru: It’s kind of like Tenma who did film acting since he was young.

Masumi: Regardless of circumstance, you stayed with acting.

Citron: Wow! Masumi joined the conversation.

Masumi: Haa…

Tsuzuru: I see. Even though she is the product of theater, it was her choice to stay in theater.

Sakuya: You must really love it! You even came to Japan to grow and learn more!

Hanako: …I, I guess so.

Banri: Ah, so it was Spring Troupe. I was wonderin’ who was making so much noise.

Sakuya: We just came back from practice!

Banri: Eh, you’re done? Good work.

Juza: Sounded like you guys were working hard.

Kumon: Yeah!

Itaru: Banri, what a strange group you’re with. LOL. 

Muku: We kinda ran into each other!

Banri: Hah? You guys dragged me with you all on your own!

Juza: You can stay.

Banri: Huh, really? I changed my mind. I’m going.

Chikage: Were you going somewhere?

Kumon: Muku and I won a whole bunch of tickets in a drawing today for a themed amusement park!

Muku: The theme is Peter Pan and Wendy!

Hanako: …

Hanako: “Boy, why are you crying?”

Muku: !

Hanako: I enjoyed the most of the movies and plays about Peter Pan and Wendy that I’ve seen.

Muku: …Would you like to come!?

Kumon: Woah, Muku!

Juza: Muku, it isn’t good to shout indoors.

Banri: Pfft. Pot meet kettle.

Hanako: Really? Is that alright?

Kumon: Yeah, we have more tickets! Would anyone else like to come from Spring Troupe?

Masumi: Pass.

Citron: Oh no, I can’t. I have a meeting with Mrs. Tanaka and the ladies’ association today.

Banri: What is your life? Honestly.

Itaru: Yeah, this old man’s got stuff to do, so I’ll be heading back.

Sakuya: Can I come? I’ve been reading that story to the kids at the daycare so I’m a little curious!

Tsuzuru: Me too. I think it will be good for some inspiration.

Kumon: All right! Let’s do this!

Banri: You, too, Chikage-san.

Chikage: Me? 

Banri: You didn’t say no, right?

Chikage: I’ve got no choice. All right.

next

[coldsandfluff]

The Owl Teacup (F/M, Original, Illness Care-Taking Fluff)

Still working on bringing over my sickfics from the forum over to Tumblr. This one is about a woman going on a blind date with a doctor, but she's coming down with a cold, and he notices. As usual, full of fluff and gentle care-taking.

The Owl Teacup

“Still here?”

Leonie blinked, pulled from her deep concentration by her coworker’s husky, warm voice. She slid her gaze from the brightly lit monitor to her office door just a few feet behind. Her eyes took forever to adjust to the distance shift after being locked on spreadsheets for hours. She could barely make out Lisa’s small silhouette backlit by the bright hallway.

Leonie struggled to swim back to reality, stuck in a hyperfocused haze of numbers and calculations. “What time is it?” She darted her eyes back at the screen and checked the computer clock. How could time fly by so fast?

“Almost 8:30 pm. When is your date?” Lisa took a step in the small, dark office. She reached for the light switch, but decided against it at the last second.

Leonie groaned, rubbing her face with both of her hands. “9:00 pm. I should just cancel. I’m definitely coming down with something.” She swallowed tentatively, and sure enough, there it was. A soreness deep in her throat, and a heavy, swollen feeling in the back of her palate. She’d been feeling under the weather for the past two days, downing orange juice every morning. She’d even tried a few fizzy vitamin C powder packets mixed with water, which tasted nothing like their advertised flavor.

“You can’t cancel again! He’s going to think you’re toying with him,” said Lisa. She took a seat in the hard plastic chair in front of Leonie’s desk.

Leonie hated those chairs. They made her feel like her body was a collection of sharp bones arranged just the perfect way to dig painfully into the plastic. A proletarian’s torture device.

“But Lisa, I’m sick! How rude would—“As if to illustrate her point, Leonie’s nose caught fire, twitching under the assault of a fierce tickle. Leonie sucked a breath through her mouth before catching a sneeze into the crook of her elbow. “Heh—TSHHiu!”

“OK, now you’re just being dramatic,” said Lisa, laughing. “Isn’t he a doctor anyway? He’s used to this kind of stuff. All you have to do is get through a one- or two-hour dinner, make a good enough impression for a second date, and you’re golden. You can work the charm later.”

Leonie grabbed a tissue from a box tucked neatly in her top drawer. “You just want me to go because he’s a doctor.” She blew her nose with one hand, blinking away the wetness in her teary eyes.

Sick or not, she had no desire to go. Her mother had arranged this date, which added insult to injury. Dating was too daunting for Leonie. Too many variables, too many emotions difficult to control. There was a reason she’d chosen to become an accountant. Numbers were her solace, a reprieve from her constantly brimming mind.

In fact, if she could choose right now between spending the night working on taxes, like she’d been doing for the past week, and going on a two-hour date with Dr. Vo, she’d pick work in a heartbeat.

“Come on,” said Lisa, her voice low and daring. “You don’t even sound sick yet. He won’t notice.” She cocked her head to the side. “If you can keep your nose in check, that is.”

Leonie sighed. Lisa was right; she’d already canceled twice because of work, hence the very late dinner date. And her mother would hold it against her if she didn’t at least try to meet the guy. She’d tell everyone in the neighborhood, including the cashier at her favorite grocery store, that her eldest daughter never listened to her and would end up alone, and did she ever tell them about this nice doctor she once tried to set her up with, and how much Leonie’s life would have been different if only she’d followed her dear old mother’s advice?

“Fine,” said Leonie, before hastily grabbing another tissue and burying her nose in it, her eyelids fluttering. “Ehh’NGXXT!”

“That’s pretty good! Just stifle them like that when he’s not looking. Won’t notice a thing.”

Leonie scoffed, wiping her nose. “Just a simple ‘bless you’ would suffice, Lisa.”

“Oh, bless you bless you bless you. Now come on, get out of here before you’re late!”

****

Night had fallen like a curtain and now draped over the city, dotted by street lamps casting their glow on the sidewalks. Leonie walked from spotlight to spotlight, readjusting the thin scarf around her neck. She regretted not choosing a thicker one this morning, and she especially regretted changing into a little black dress for her date. Goosebumps traveled in waves over her exposed legs with each gust of wind.

The wind was freezing, hailing from the last breath of winter. March had always been a moody, unpredictable month in New England. One day, spring almost veered into early summer, and the next, snowfalls wrecked havoc on the morning commute. No wonder Leonie had caught a cold. How was one supposed to dress in March?

Leonie felt a buzz in her coat pocket. Another text from her mom.

Mom: Ask him what he misses about Vietnam.

Leonie rolled her eyes. It was the tenth conversational tip her mom had sent today, all of them regarding something Vietnamese. His favorite Vietnamese dish, how to say “good morning” in Vietnamese, his thoughts about the Vietnam War (!), and other clumsy, Vietnamese-obsessed questions.

Leonie: I get that he’s Vietnamese, mom, but I don’t think he wants to talk about his heritage all evening. Plus, wasn’t he born here?

Mom: I’m just trying to help!

How had Leonie gotten to this point in her life? Single at thirty-four, going on a blind date arranged by her own mother, desperate enough to brave the unpredictable weather with a blossoming cold just in case the man turned out to be dating material. The probabilities were against her, and she knew it. Her mind was mathematical, yet her heart never listened.

Leonie sniffled as a gust of wind made her eyes and nose water. Her sinuses felt hot and heavy.

A pang of nostalgia and sadness hit her square in the chest. She missed her ex the most when she was sick. She had this crisp memory of him bringing her a cup of tea in bed when she’d caught a cold, right before they broke up. He’d chosen her favorite mug, the one shaped like an owl. After placing it on her nightstand, he’d lovingly kissed her forehead. One last shred of tenderness before it all turned sour.

It was over a year ago, and yet Leonie still longed for that moment whenever she felt vulnerable. If she were a superhero, this would be her weakness. A dash of rhinovirus and a cup of hot tea: her very own Kryptonite. Enough to turn her into a blubbering, needy mess.

Her phone still in her hand, she navigated to the contact list, as she’d done thousands of times before, flicking right to Mike’s phone number. She glanced down at it as she walked, knowing that she wouldn’t call, and yet feeling comforted that if she wanted to, she could.

But he probably wouldn’t answer.

She pocketed her phone, and instead fished a packet of tissues. Her runny nose had turned devilishly tickly. Leonie took a few shallow breaths, trying to hold in the sneeze while she fumbled with the tape on the cellophane. She stopped walking to focus on the task at hand, her eyes half-closed and her head tilting, as if pulled back by the tickle in her sinuses. Her fingers tore impatiently at the packet, but it was too late. She doubled over, sneezing uncovered towards the ground.

“Hehh—TSSHHiu!”

A passerby jumped out of the way, startled. “Geez, bless you!”

He continued on his way without waiting for a thank you, chuckling at his own reaction. Leonie’s face had turned lava red, her skin scalding from embarrassment.

A few blocks away, Dr. Vo probably waited for her at the bar & grill he’d chosen.

Leonie was five minutes late, Kryptonite-riddled, and ready for the night to be over.

****

This isn’t too bad, Leonie tried to convince herself as she took a sip of iced water, menu in hand. She was sitting in front of Dr. Vo, or Patrick, as he’d insisted that she calls him.

The fact that he wasn’t 60 years old had somehow managed to shock her. She, of course, knew he was in his late 30s; her mother had told her so, but Leonie still refused to believe that doctors could be her age. She always imagined them to be the good old doctors who needed glasses to write up a prescription, with their wrinkly hands and grandfatherly smile. She’d forgotten that she was now at the age where doctors could even be YOUNGER than her. How horrifying.

But Patrick was far from horrifying. Leonie looked at him over her menu. He had the kindess eyes she’d ever seen. His angular face softened the moment he locked eyes with you, his whole face alive in a quiet, yet intense focus. His black hair peppered with gray reinforced his calm and composed demeanor. In an emergency, Patrick seemed like the type of person to take control and keep everyone settled.

“Should we get any appetizers? You must be starving after working so late,” said Patrick, lowering his menu and giving her a sympathetic look. “I hear their mozzarella sticks are delicious.”

Leonie had to concentrate on Patrick’s lips to make out what he was saying. The bar & grill was packed with people. The buzzing of conversation had reached the noise level of a spaceship launch, rumbling through her brain and giving her a headache.

“Sure, that sounds good!” she said, trying to sound excited.

They sat in silence for another minute, eyes glancing over the laminated menu. Leonie realized that she hadn’t mentally prepared for this date. Not only had she somehow expected Patrick to be an old, almost-retired doctor, but conversation subjects also eluded her. She tried to form interesting questions in her mind, but the noise and a brewing tickle in her sinuses made it incredibly hard to concentrate.

“So my mother mentioned that you’re Vietnamese? Do you speak the language?” she blurted out without taking her eyes from the menu. The bitter taste of instant regret filled her mouth. She’d sworn that she would stay far away from any dumb questions about his ethnicity. Thanks, mom.

“I’m actually Japanese.”

Leonie’s heart dropped. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I—“

“No, no, I’m joking! I’m Vietnamese,” said Patrick with an uneasy chuckle. “I apologize, I tend to make terrible jokes when I’m nervous.”

Leonie looked at him in shock, her eyes wide. And then burst out laughing. Patrick joined in, until they were both laughing so hard that people glanced at them from the neighboring tables.

The joke had been so unexpected, and the delivery so impeccable, that Leonie’s nerves had turned into uncontrollable giggles. And just like that, the tension between them disappeared.

“Your deadpan is amazing,” said Leonie, out of breath and almost euphoric from the laughter.

“So I’ve been told, but it gets me in trouble sometimes,” replied Patrick, back to his initial composure. “And to answer your question, I do not speak Vietnamese. My parents both moved here when they were young and spoke English to me. They know Vietnamese, but they didn’t pass it on to me, sadly.”

The waiter interrupted them, introducing himself and asking if they were ready to order. While Patrick asked about their selection of beers, Leonie sniffled, feeling the tickle growing more intense. A sneeze was definitely brewing. She picked up her menu and tried to hide behind it.

The burning sensation traveled from the back of her sinuses to the right side of her nose. Leonie itched a few breaths, praying that Patrick wouldn’t finish ordering before the sneeze came. She folded her index finger under her nose, while keeping the menu up with the other hand. Finally, her head bobbed towards her chest.

“Ehh… Hh! IIH’GNXTT!”

She gave a little sniff and let out a sigh of relief. With the amount of ambient noise, Patrick couldn’t have heard the stifle.

“And for you, miss?”

Leonie lowered her menu, looking up at the waiter in confusion.

“Anything to drink?” he said politely, pen and paper in hand.

“Oh! I’ll have a glass of Riesling, thank you.” She winced at how congested her voice sounded. She sniffled again, trying to act casual, and glanced back at Patrick.

Hopefully he hadn’t noticed anything.

****

The ice had been proverbially shattered.

Much to Leonie’s surprise, she and Patrick had fallen into conversation as naturally as old friends who hadn’t seen each other in forever. For the next hour, not a second of silence had a chance to settle between them.

The only interruptions came from the waiter, who brought them their drinks and a plate of mozzarella sticks. Patrick had eaten half of the appetizer, and politely left the other half for Leonie, but she wasn’t particularly hungry. At least the wine had dulled her senses, along with her symptoms. Patrick was also keeping her entertained, recounting stories of his childhood camping trips. Leonie practically forgot her burgeoning illness.

But shortly after they sent the waiter away for the fifth time, asking for “a little bit more time” to make a decision on their entrees, Leonie’s nose decided it was done being ignored.

She felt the telltale signs of a sneeze deep within her sinuses, but gave it no mind, focusing instead on Patrick’s story.

“…parents would let us pitch our own tent further in the woods…”

However, the tickle grew exponentially stronger, sending a shiver down Leonie’s back. She tried to quell it by pushing her tongue up her palate, but it didn’t make a dent in the sneeze’s progression. When she sniffed, the tickle sizzled like a splash of water on burning coal.

“…left the tent pole at the camp, but after making such a fuss with the parents…”

This wasn’t going to be a one-off sneeze that Leonie could hide behind a menu. Despite her eyes watering, she tried to maintain an interested smile, nodding along at the story. But she was no longer paying attention, her focus consumed by the ravenous tickle making its way down her nose.

“…shapeless tarp on the ground, and all sorts of nocturnal animals that…”

She could feel her eyes closing involuntarily, her nose scrunching ever so slightly. She had to act fast, but wasn’t sure what do to. Risk a snotty, sneezing fit in front of her date and humiliate herself, or interrupt his story and run to the restroom, making him think that she battled some sort of digestive trouble.

Ultimately, she just couldn’t trust her nose.

“…didn’t end up sleeping much, staring at the stars and waiting for—“

“I’m s—so sorry Patrick, could you eh… excuse me a second?”

Leonie grabbed her purse and headed towards the restroom behind Patrick, trying her best to act as normal as possible. Her lips parted, her breath hitched. She had almost reached the restroom’s door when the tickle took complete hold of her nose.

“EHH’NNGGXXT!”

Leonie stumbled forward in her heels under the force of the stifle, but held her balance. She prayed that Patrick wasn’t watching her right now, wondering why she’d left so abruptly. She pushed the door to the ladies’ room without glancing back.

She locked herself in a stall, rolling a wad of toilet paper around her hand while the next sneeze built up. Her eyes were streaming from the intensity of the burn in her sinuses, and she longed for some relief.

She leaned back on the stall door and gave herself fully to the fit.

“EEHT’SSSHHiu!! EHHh… TSSHHHH! NNT’SSHHiu!”

Leonie buried her nose in the rough toilet paper, catching every sneeze, but she wasn’t done. Mucus had loosened up in her nose and spawned another irresistible tingle. She threw the used wad of paper in the toilet and grabbed another one, rubbing her nose furiously with it. She gave a tiny, liquid sniffle, which was enough to trigger another set of itchy sneezes.

She breathed one urgent, quivering lungful of air and covered her nose with the toilet paper. The sneezes came hard and fast, riding on the same breath and leaving her panting.

“EHH’TSSSHHUU—TSSSHiu! TSSHH—Tssshh—Tshhh…!”

She gasped, and one last, powerful sneeze echoed in the empty restroom. “HEHH’TSSHHHIIUUU!!”

Finally, the tickle was gone.

Leonie blinked away the tears. She blew her nose a few times to clear her sinuses as much as possible, but the damage was done. The cold had now officially taken over.

****

When Leonie rejoined the table, a fresh glass of wine was waiting for her. Patrick smiled, but didn’t mention anything about her sudden escape to the restroom. Polite and considerate, no wonder Leonie’s mother wanted her to meet him.

Leonie took a sip of her wine, struggling with the throbbing pressure behind her eyes and nose. The restaurant had somehow gotten louder. Groups of people were laughing raucously, enjoying drinks and relaxing after a hard week. The lights had been dimmed even more, and music blared through the speakers peppered around the room, some fast tempo with a lot of bass. The bar & grill was turning into a club & grill.

Patrick said something to Leonie, but she couldn’t understand him.

“Not hungry?” he repeated louder, pointing at the mozzarella sticks. Crap. This poor man had waited until 9 pm to meet her for dinner, and all he’d had to eat was half a measly appetizer.

“Sorry, I’ve been working such long hours, I forget what it’s like to be a human being,” she joked. “But please, you should order dinner!”

“I would tell you that skipping meals is not good for your health, but I myself had to skip lunch today to squeeze a patient in… and then broke down at 7 pm and ate a sandwich. Or two.”

Leonie laughed. “What a great pair we make, unable to feed ourselves like real human beings.” She bit her bottom lip. Maybe using the word “pair” was a little too strong on the first date.

“Busy lives, busy minds,” he said, shrugging. “We always find a way to make it work.”

“Speaking of which, thank you for not giving up on me after I rescheduled twice.”

He chuckled. “Well, your mother had great things to say about you. I couldn’t pass this chance.”

Leonie almost choked on her sip of wine. “Wait, you talked to my mother directly? I thought this was a mother-to-mother kind of deal?”

“Oh no, she’s a patient of my partner at the clinic. He introduced us a few months ago when she came for her annual exam. She called the office a couple of times to make sure that you and I would meet.”

Leonie was fuming. “I’m so sorry! I can’t believe she pestered you like that…”

“Don’t be. I’m glad that she did. I’m having a great time.”

Leonie blushed, unable to keep from smiling. It was too early to call, but she really did enjoy his company. She hated to admit that her mom was right, but despite her illness, Leonie felt comfortable around Patrick. Maybe she was finally ready to move on and share her life with someone new.

She shook her head. This was classic Leonie; getting ahead of herself. She’d met the guy less than an hour ago, and she was already imagining moving in with him and having kids. What was wrong with her. How about enjoying the present and the casualness of hanging out with someone for a while? Why did everything have to be so serious with her?

Suddenly, she longed to go back to the office and bury her head in numbers.

As Leonie took another sip of wine, she tipped the glass over her nose a little deeper, and got a whiff of the fruity, sweet perfume of the drink. For some reason, it irritated her sinuses. Her nose twitched under the glass while she finished her sip. She swallowed quickly, knowing a sneeze was impending, but she barely had time to lower the glass. It came so fast that she didn’t have time to formulate a plan on how to subdue it. She reflexively turned to the side and brought a loose fist under her nose to lessen the inevitable spray.

“Ehh’TSHHiu!” She kept her knuckles over her nose, embarrassed to sneeze at the dinner table like this, so close to food. Even if no one was eating it.

“Bless you.”

Leonie lifted her head to thank Patrick. He was looking at her, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes even kinder than before, which seemed almost impossible. Leonie sniffed and winced at how wet it sounded, further adding to her embarrassment. At least her nose wasn’t overly runny. Yet.

“How about we go somewhere more quiet?” said Patrick over the noise of laughter from a neighboring table.

Leonie nodded, rubbing at her nose. Patrick dropped a few bills on the table, and they filed out of the restaurant, avoiding eye contact with the poor server who’d tried taking their order about a million times.

****

As soon as they stepped outside, Leonie let out a sigh of relief. The night was cold and quiet, and the moon tiptoed in the sky.

Leonie welcomed the contrast. Because her ears had overadjusted to the loudness of the bar, sounds now appeared muffled to her. She always loved that feeling. It was like walking through cotton balls, enveloped by clouds and protected from the sharp edges of the world.

“The nights have gotten so cold these past few days,” said Patrick, rubbing his hands together.

Leonie nodded and took a deep breath, enjoying the refreshing cold wind on her face. Her nose, however, did not particularly like it. She gave a pathetic little sniff to keep it from running too much without alerting Patrick, but all it did was set off another tickle. Great, she thought. Nowhere to hide.

Patrick stood right in front of her. “Let me see if there’s any coffee shops open late around here.” He grabbed his phone from his pocket. “If you still want to hang out, of course,” he added, lifting his gaze from his screen to await Leonie’s answer. He then paused, studying her face curiously while she fought the tickle.

Oh to hell with it, Leonie thought. She lifted her index finger and muttered, “I’m sorry, I gotta sn—sneeze… hhHH! IIH’TSSHiiu!”

She turned to her side, sneezing in her elbow. A couple of small coughs escaped her throat as she regained composure.

“Leonie—“ started Patrick, but Leonie interrupted him with her index finger once again.

“H—Hold on… EHH’TSSHHiu! TSSHHHiu!”

“Bless you.” Patrick took a packet of tissues from his coat’s inner pocket and offered it to Leonie. “You must be coming down with something.” He said it with such kindness that Leonie’s Kryptonitis tingled deep within her chest. “As a doctor, I would advise you to go home and rest, drink plenty of fluids…”

Leonie took out a tissue from the pack and wiped her nose. There was a “but” in his tone, which immediately soothed her embarrassment at being found out so easily.

“But as I said earlier, I really enjoy your company, so I’d like to offer you a quick cup of tea before I send you home. Of course, if you really don’t feel good, we can reschedule.”

Leonie knew that the correct course of action was to cut her losses. End it while Patrick was still somewhat into her, and try again later. She could hear Lisa in her head. “You’ve got him in your pocket, get out before it turns ugly.” But then again, wasn’t he a doctor? Lisa had said it herself: he was used to this.

Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the low-grade fever creeping up on her, but Leonie felt daring. Almost adventurous, which didn’t often happen to her. She didn’t want to go home and lay in bed, feeling lonely. She wanted to hear more of Patrick’s stories and…

And get that cup of tea.

“I’d love some tea,” she said with a smile. “If you don’t mind all the sneezing…”

Patrick chuckled. “I may only be a family doctor, but I have stories that would make even the worst sneeze pale in comparison. But I usually keep those for the second date, so you will have to wait. Now come on, the coffee shop is only a few blocks away. Let’s get you out of the cold.”

****

Silence befell them at last, peaceful and comfortable. As they walked, Leonie listened to the sound of their steps on the sidewalk: a chorus of arrhythmic patters, one high and thin, the other low and full. The wind ran over buildings like a ghost, howling and whistling.

Shivers had started running up and down Leonie’s spine. Her bones felt oddly floaty, and her eyes burned. Yet her spirits ran high. Definitely a buzz from the wine, but also from her fever. She could feel it on her cheeks and her nape. Low-grade, for sure. She tended to run a temperature when she had a cold, and it always gave her a tipsy-like feeling.

She thought of Mike and then decided not to, mentally scribbling over the image of his face. She stole a glance at Patrick. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were fixed on the ground. Was he thinking of his ex, too?

Was this what dating would be like from now on? Missing what was lost, hoping to find it in a stranger? Jumping from one ex to the future other? She shook her head. Stop it with the depressing thoughts.

“Oh, what is this?” said Patrick next to her, stopping in his track. He was pointing at a small alley in which a wall was painted black and covered in colorful writing.

Leonie approached the wall. “It’s a ‘Before I die…’ wall! I’ve heard about it a few months ago, but I’ve never seen one in real life. You’re supposed to use a piece of chalk to write down what you want to accomplish before you die.”

Inscriptions of different styles and angles, sizes and colors formed a beautiful jumble of hopes and dreams. Some were simple, like “Meet my neighbors,” while others were more humorous, such as “Find Atlantis.” Leonie loved the deeper ones, like “Make the world beautiful,” “Be an Iron Man,” “Forgive and be forgiven.”

“This is beautiful,” she murmured.

Patrick bent down to retrieve a few pieces of chalk on the ground. “This may be too heavy for a first date, but…” He handed Leonie a purple piece of chalk. “What do you want to accomplish before you die?”

Leonie picked it up. “Right back at you, of course.”

They both turned to the wall and took a moment to think about it. Leonie didn’t want to veer in the overly dramatic, but she also wanted to be honest. What would she wish to do before she died? What would she regret not achieving once on her death bed?

While Leonie struggled with the question, Patrick stepped up to the wall, choosing a blank spot above the rest. Although he was tall, he still needed to be on his tippy toes to write in big, loopy letters: “Make a true difference in the world.”

Leonie felt a tug at her heart. “You don’t feel like you’re making a difference by helping your patients, and even saving their lives?”

Patrick turned to face Leonie, a few deep wrinkles on his forehead. “Sometimes it feels like it’s not enough, or not big enough. The world is so vast and my influence so small. I’d like to see if I can do better than this.”

Leonie nodded, touched by his honesty.

She sniffled, her nose starting to run again. She walked up to the wall and lifted her head to write her own message. She squeezed it in between two other big wishes, her letters small and neat, as if she were writing it only for herself to see.

“Find my place in the world.”

As Leonie started the loop on the very last “d,” the wind picked up and blew a fine dusting of chalk at her face. She finished her letter, fighting a fierce tickle. Her breath hitching, her nose flaring, she took a few steps back without looking. She inadvertently stepped on a piece of chalked behind her and stumbled back.

Patrick, standing to her right, instantly reached his arm around her back to prevent her from falling. Leonie straightened up with his help, but the sneezes were unfazed by the near-fall. She managed to turn to her left, sneezing in the crook of her elbow while Patrick still had his hand on the small of her back, making sure she was stable. Their bodies were so close that Leonie could feel herself leaning against Patrick’s chest as each sneeze pushed her towards him.

“HH’IITSHHiu! Eh… EHH’TSSHHiu—Tshhh! NT’SSHHiuu!”

“Oh my, bless you!” said Patrick as he held on. “Are you alright?”

Leonie’s fevered cheeks were blazing hot. “Yes, I’m sorry, I…” Her voice cracked and she coughed a few times, stepping away from Patrick.

“No need to be sorry,” he said, his eyes still filled with worry. “But you don’t sound well. And you seem really flushed.”

He extended his hand, but hesitated halfway to Leonie’s face. However, his doctor instinct seemed to kick in, and his eyes locked in an almost professional resolve. He placed his palm on Leonie’s cheek first, and then the back of his hand on her forehead.

“This isn’t very accurate,” he said, holding out his hand, “but I’m fairly certain that you have a fever.”

Leonie nodded, sheepish, as if he was about to scold her. A shiver wracked her body, both from the fever and the fright of almost falling down.

“You’re shivering,” Patrick said, looking down at Leonie’s arms as she crossed them over her chest. “Let me drive you home.”

****

“Do you need anything?” Patrick asked, one hand still on the wheel of his car. They were idling in front of Leonie’s apartment building, the vents loudly blowing hot hair to keep them warm.

“Yes, I should be alright.” Leonie stared out of the fogged-up window. She felt awful. As much as she didn’t want to end the evening so soon, she longed for the safety and comfort of her own home. Inviting Patrick up would send the wrong message, even if it was just for coffee. Or tea. “I’d love to see you again… Once I’m better.”

“I’d love to as well.”

Leonie offered a parting smile and reached for the door handle when Patrick asked, “Do you have any medicine at home?”

Leonie paused. “Hmm. I think I have some ibuprofen or something like that.”

“I can go to the drugstore and get medicine if you would like. What are your symptoms?”

Leonie repressed a smile. Maybe Patrick didn’t want to end the night so soon either. “Headache, a bit of a fever, sore throat, sneezing, congestion… I think that’s it.”

“Go home and get warm. I’ll come back to drop off the supplies and then let you rest.”

Leonie nodded and gave him her apartment number, then stepped out of the car. She made her way up to the eighth floor and into her apartment with an odd feeling of irreality. As if her mind was floating out of her body, the stitches unseamed. The fever played a part in it, but so did the absurdity of the evening. She’d never had a date so… atypical.

And she kind of liked it.

Of course, she didn’t like being sick, but it had triggered a couple of very honest moments with Patrick. Her previous dating experiences had been quite different. Everything was usually all surface, like the hard shell on a sugar-coated candy. Except she never had the guts to bite hard enough to get to the center, too afraid of what kind of rotten flavor hid inside. It was like playing an unwanted game of Bertie Bott’s.

She turned on the lights in her studio apartment. The place was clean, as always, so there was no need to worry when Patrick would be back with the supplies. Her bed was made, the sink was empty. Everything was in its place.

She kicked off her heels, feeling the cold hardwood floor under her feet. Shivering, she turned on the heating and fetched a warm sweater and some thick socks from her dresser. She caught a glimpse or her pale face in the mirror. She didn’t look too bad. A bit tired, but her flushed cheeks and her glistening eyes could almost pass as a fresh face after a ski day.

Leonie sat on her bed and hugged a pillow to her chest. She looked out the huge window taking up almost the entire back wall of her apartment. She’d chosen this particular unit because of the window. In the distance, she could see traffic on the highway, surrounded by city lights. At night, it looked like a river of scintillating rubies dancing in a field of stars. It was mesmerizing.

But somehow tonight, her tiny studio felt vast and empty, and she longed for Patrick to come back. She resisted the urge to fetch her phone and scroll down to Mike’s name once again.

Staring out the window, Leonie tried to estimate the number of rubies dancing on the highway. How many would cross the river in an hour’s time, a month’s time, a year’s time? She focused on the digits flicking through her brain as she counted. Soon, her eyes blurred, and she was lulled into a gentle slumber.

****

A knock on the door pulled Leonie out of the void. She opened her eyes, disoriented. Her skin radiated warmth. One look at her clock told her that she’d been sleeping for about 25 minutes. She tried to sniffle, but her nose was completely blocked.

Another knock and Leonie remembered Patrick. My date. Who offered to buy medicine for me, she reminded her foggy brain. She stood up and swayed, her body shivering as though the bed had sucked out all of its warmth.

She opened the door. “Hey.”

“I’m back, sorry it took so long,” said Patrick, examining her with an almost clinical intensity. “I had a hard time finding a pharmacy open 24/7.”

Leonie stepped out of the way, inviting him in.

“I don’t want to impose—“ started Patrick, but Leonie waved her hand, as if to put an end to the back-and-forth niceties she didn’t have the energy for.

“Come in and warm up for a few minutes at least,” she said.

Patrick walked to the counter, admiring the large window and the clean studio. He put down a reusable canvas bag who’d clearly been “reused” quite a bit. It bore the name of the state University, where he’d probably studied.

“Come sit down, you’re swaying,” said Patrick.

Leonie nodded and sat on one of the stools at the breakfast counter. Her head felt heavy and her throat was scratchier than before. Napping had been a terrible idea. She felt sicker and drained of all energy. Every time she moved, it was like a northern wind blew across her skin and made her shiver.

She watched as Patrick unloaded the bag. A box of cold medicine, some throat lozenges and a thermometer.

“I wasn’t sure if you had one of these,” Patrick said, removing the thermometer from the package. “It’s good to keep track of your temperature and see if the medicine is working.”

He slid the device across the counter towards Leonie, who took it and slipped it under her tongue. She took a deep breath and pressed the button, closing her lips together. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long. She could not breathe through her nose.

When it finally beeped, she exhaled with relief and looked at the results. “101.1, not too bad.”

Patrick nodded. “But it’s enough to make you feel bad.”

“I’ve been better,” she admitted, tempting a smile. “But I’ve been worse, too.” Her voice sounded rough and congested. She got up. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Nothing for me, thanks. I should let you sleep. I just wanted to make sure that you’d have everything you need.” He looked at Leonie as she walked around the counter to join him in the inner kitchen area. “But you need to keep yourself hydrated. Maybe some tea?”

Leonie nodded, her heart fluttering. A cup of tea.

She grabbed the kettle on the stovetop and turned to the sink.

Patrick extended his hand towards it. “Want me to make it for you?”

Leonie hesitated, but shook her head. “Nah, I got this. Thank you.” She filled the kettle and clicked on the gas. The flame popped and she fetched her mug. The mug. The one in the shape of an owl. She dropped a bag of lemon and ginger tea in it and set it down on the counter, waiting for the water to boil.

A tickled formed in the back of her throat. She tried to clear it, but it turned into a small cough that she caught in the crook of her elbow. She winced in pain.

“I can check your throat to make sure it’s just a cold,” offered Patrick. He chuckled. “Sorry, I’m having trouble keeping ‘Dr. Vo’ from taking over.”

Leonie giggled at how embarrassed he looked, a first since she’d met him. A crack in his polite, controlled behavior. It was adorable.

“If you can save me a trip to the doctor later on…” she said before heaving herself onto the counter. The cold marble seeped through her thin jeans and sent another shiver up her back, but this time it reverberated through her nose. A tickle quickly formed, and Leonie held a hand in front of Patrick as he approached her. He stopped, confused, but understood when he saw her eyes closing and her nostrils flaring.

Leonie tilted her head back as the prickle expanded. Her knuckle reached reflexively under her nose to quell the irresistible, exquisite itch, but it only seemed to enhance it. Her breath quivered as she inhale deeply and launched forward, bringing her sweater over her nose just in time.

“Hhhh… EHHT’SSHHHiu!”

She kept her collar over the lower half of her face, her eyes still shut, feeling the tickle build up again.

“EH’TSSHiiu!”

“Bless you,” said Patrick, his voice so tender that Leonie felt weak. “I’m so sorry you don’t feel good. Hopefully it’ll be over in a few days.”

Behind him, the kettle whistled. Patrick turned and picked it up, then filled the mug to the brim and set it down on the counter next to Leonie. She stared at it, sniffling, trying to keep her feelings under control.

“May I?” Patrick said, his hands towards her face. He was tall enough that they were almost face to face. Leonie nodded. When his hands first touched her on either side of her neck, goosebumps traveled like a wave on the map of her skin. She closed her eyes, breathing in through her mouth. His fingers felt cool on her hot skin, and rough from overwashing. He palpated her neck symmetrically on each side, below her jaw, feeling for swollen lymph nodes.

It should have felt cold and clinical. Even embarrassing. But somehow, it felt intimate and loving.

Patrick’s hands went down towards her throat, always gentle. Leonie opened her eyes and saw a look of concentration on his face. His eyebrows knitted, his eyes following his own movements. Leonie bit her bottom lip and glanced at the cup of tea steaming at her side.

Her mind was a blur of emotions, attraction, neediness, nostalgia, desire. How could she tell them apart, how could she know what was real and what was Kryptonite?

Patrick grabbed his phone and turned on the flashlight mode. “I’ll use this to look at your throat. Close your eyes so I don’t blind you.”

Leonie closed them, but as soon as Patrick turned his device towards her, the flash of light through her eyelids was enough to set off another tickle. She squeezed her eyes and lifted a hand.

“H—Hold… Ehh…”

Patrick quickly move the light away as Leonie turned to her side. She muffled a sneeze in her elbow.

“EHH’TSSHHHiiu!”

“Sorry,” Patrick chuckled. “Bless you. Better now?”

Leonie nodded, sniffling. At least the sneeze had cleared her mind a little. She shook her head and her shoulders, trying to loosen the fever’s grip.

Her nose behaved when Patrick tried again. She opened her mouth and said “Aaah” when asked. And just like that, the examination was over.

Patrick took a few steps back to give Leonie some space. “No signs of a serious infection in your throat. Some inflammation though, but that’s normal with a cold. Your lymph nodes are a bit swollen, so they might be tender for a few days. Like I said before, you need to rest. Sleep as much as you can, drink as often as you can. Don’t go to work tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday,” said Leonie with a smile.

“I know, but you’ve been overworking yourself for the past two weeks,” Patrick countered, his voice stern with concern. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought you absolutely needed to go in tomorrow to finish something. I have patients like you. Hardworking and loyal. But think about yourself first for a few days, alright?”

Leonie nodded, keeping her eyes down. He wasn’t exactly wrong.

“Alright, I’ll let you go back to sleep now.” Patrick pocketed his phone and looked around the studio one last time, as if making sure everything was in order before leaving.

Leonie slid down the counter without a word and went in for a hug. After a split second of surprise, Patrick closed his arms around her small, warm body and pressed her back gently. “I hope you feel better very soon.”

****

Once Patrick was gone, Leonie took the owl teacup and emptied it in the sink. She grabbed a different cup, steeped another bag. Then, she walked to the window and sipped her hot drink, watching the rubies flow.

In a few days, when she’d feel better, she’d call Patrick to ask him on another date.

But in the meantime, she’d just drink her tea.

And everything would be alright.

[mickmundy]

DUTCH you have turned me into a RABID HUNGRY DESPERATE UGLY DOG and the food is BUSHMEDICINE and i am STARVING . Thou giveth fever has impacted me in such a way and honestly if i told this to any of my friends they'd laugh at me BUT YOUR WRITING IS A ORGANIZED FOLDER OF COMPLEX FEELINGS AND I LOOK AT IT TIDY AND PERFECT AND I LOOK AT MY OWN COMPLEX FEELINGS BUT THEY ARE MESSY so i carefully take out my feelings one by one and i organize them with the help of bushmedicine,,,,, thou giveth fever to me is like a big safe blanket that i wrap myself on when I'm torn and tired . Anyways can't wait for the next bushmedicine friday!!!!!!! symbiosis is already looking super dope i hopw they kiss!!!!!! You are Perfect Dutch i hope you stay good and Perfect and that you're always blessed with bushmedicine toughts god bless

AAAAWAAWAAAAAAAAAAAA OH MY GOD THIS ASK IS SO SWEET AND KIND IM SO ;___; this makes me so happy... NOOOOO DONT GET LAUGHED AT I COMPLTELY UINDERSTAND!! feelings are very complicated and difficult to navigate, that's perfectly okay!! i'm so so SO honored and flattered that my writing has helped you understand your own emotions better, especailly becuase thou giveth fever was my own way of dealing with My Own Unorganized Feelings!! ;_; it makes me so happy that i can be vulnerable with my readers and that my amazing readers feel comfortable enoguh to be vulnerable with me in return!! ;;;

i'm going to get kind of sappy so more under the cut... wuwaa..,

I PROMISE YOU MY FEELINGS ARE NOT TIDY AT ALL EITHER!! i'm happy they come off that way though ASD:FLKASDFAKSDF but honestly writing TGF has made me be a lot more In Touch with my philosophy on love (romantic and self) that I Too am still ALWAYS learning about!! things like guilt, repression, love, etc are soooo vast and there is so much to how we feel when it comes to those subjects that we often spend the rest of our lives unpacking and learning things about ourselves! total Old Hag Moment (lol) but i remember when i was like. 16 and was like "ohhh my god i need to figure all of this out RIGHT NOW before it's too late! it'll be too late! it's too late!" and now i'm realizing that we really don't Ever stop figuring All Of This Out. ykwim? 

i consider myself to be a "late bloomer" (i'm JUST NOW feeling 'in touch with myself' despite being "older") because i did so many things when i was older that it seemed like everyone figured out when they were younger. I started hrt at nearly 30, started gaining my sense of self in my late 20s, and i’m still unlearning a lot of Guilt… i won’t go on, but i hope you see what i mean.

i sincerely never imagined anyone but my girlfriend would read this fic and i cannot believe how many people have said that tgf is their ‘comfort fic’ or that they discovered things about themselves/learned things about themselves because of my humble fic series… ;__; it really means the world to me!

I hope you continue to figure yourself out, with the help of my humble series or not! remember my dear friend we are all growing infinitely, we are never done! be kind to yourself and your capacity for love and forgiveness.... with others and yourself! this ask genuinely made my entire week, i am so so so so so so so honored and emotional that you feel this way!! ;;;; thank you again so very much, and i hope you have a safe and wonderful weekend my dear friend!! ^u^ <333

and heh heh heh... i hope they kiss too! >:)c

[reveristcalicocan]

I saw your requests we open so hear me out:

Reader got a cryo vision at a very young age, and idk in my head people who get cryo visions have had to harden themselves against the work like the tsaritsa has. This plays into that.

Reader has always masked what they were really feeling. Most people owuld call them charming and good humored, but (individually) Zhongli, childe and diluc have always been able to sense something else.

THEN one day they get hit by an empathy spell and are almost knocked onto their knees when they see reader and feel an ocean of anger/hurt/resentment flowing from them. Reader doesn't know theyve been hit by the spell so they try to dodge the questions and its just an angst fest all around

If this is too specific dw about it, I just wanted to get this thoight outta my head

This is definitely one of the most difficult requests i’ve received, i’m kind of in a writers block for genshin right now so i only did Zhongli. If i feel like it i’ll write another one for childe and diluc too. But for now this is it!

:><:><:><:

Your shaky hands clutched the glowing blue crystal as you cried to yourself. Lifeless bodies of your family members lay before you, painting your home a deep red. You remember shaking them begging for them to stop acting and wake up.

It’s been many years since then and you’ve dedicated most of your time into work. Work that is to get to the bottom of your family’s death…

ZHONGLI

The sound of cutlery filled the air as you enjoyed dinner with some of your colleagues. Laughter filling the air as you made another joke. A permanent fake smile plastered onto your face. After the jokes and laughter died down, some started discussing about work.

“Ah speakin’ of i just received a case about a recent murder from one of my clients. Family dead, they barely survived themself. Think you might be interested.”

Your eyes widened a noticeable amount, a neat file of papers being passed to you from across the table.

“r-right, thanks a lot! I should go look into it now…” You excused yourself from the table.

The walk back to your house was a long one. An uneasiness following you.

“I’m back…” you locked the door behind you, expecting Zhongli to great you with a hug but instead you were met with the sound of glass shattering.

Standing in the kitchen, Zhongli stared at you with sad eyes, an overwhelming amount of hurt and anger radiating off of you.

How could he not have realised it before? He knew you were hiding some things… but the sheer power of your emotions were enough to throw anyone off guard. Had you been feeling like this the entire time? How long have you been keeping it bottled up?

He hadn’t realised you were right in front of him until you shook his shoulders lightly.

“Zhongli? Is everything alright?” You placed the back of your hand on his head, a stupid move but you did it anyways.

“I… are you okay?” You were shocked that he had redirected the question towards you.

Last time you checked he was the one who dropped the glass mug and stood there in shock.

“Heh of course! Why woul-” You crossed your arms over your chest, brushing off his intense gaze.

“What happened? Back then in the past? Why are you… sad? You never told me about your parents before… did they do something to make you this angry?”

Your mouth hung open as you tried to say something. He was looking at you with something you’d never seen before. Was it sympathy? or understanding? maybe pity?

Clearing your throat, you plastered on your fake smile once again.

“Did you drink anything funny or eat some bad food? You’re acting rather different today?” Instead of answering those questions, you had tried to divert the conversation to hopefully make him forget.

“Tell me, you can tell me.” Zhongli took a step forward, you took two steps back.

Fear and unease settling in your stomach once you realised he wasn’t going to give up. How did he even know you were hurt or angry? You thought you did a great job at hiding those emotions.

“it’s nothing! just work…” You sweat dropped as he continued to bombard you with questions.

“no it’s not you- I just… my parents-” Your eyes widened.

You had promised yourself not to bring up what happened to your parents a long time ago. You didn’t any to reopen the wound you worked so hard to heal.

“Your parents? what about them?” Zhongli continued to pursue the topic.

Swallowing hard, you racked your brain for an excuse.

“M-my parents um they just… they’re getting a divorce!” You yelled out the last part.

Breathing heavily, you watched as Zhongli backed away a little. Had he really believed you?

“is that so…?” He mumbled to himself.

“mhm, i’m going to bed now… see you”

[loveydoveylex]

I just finished the dlc too 100% and LOVED it but now I’m a bit sad it’s over. I just hope it’s not the end. Throughout my play through, I thought about and imagined the joy you felt seeing Ray now in the present. The environment, the interactions, made me smile at how much love was put into him and the dlc. From start to end I had a great time and wanted to thank you for getting to know Rayman and his franchise. Your love for him is so special it’s kinda inspiring and hope to feel for someone that way (real or fictional) I hope you have a good rest of your evening and I’m glad to know you!

MIMI, YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY LIKE A BABY... 🥺 I can't express to you how much it means that you thought about me that much during your playthrough, oh my gosh. I'm so happy you had fun with it! I could not agree more with what you said about the amount of sheer love having been put into it - I've spoken to quite a few of the devs and believe me, they wanted the boy back just as much as we all did. 💖

oh gosh, as for me? you hit the nail right on the head. I haven't felt so happy in a long, long time. I cried a lot because of this dlc, hahah. SO many happy tears were shed. I was clinging onto my rayman plushie for dear life the entire time whilst watching playthroughs.

I don't know if it's something I even have the words to describe, but seeing ray again? back in action after so long? it felt magical to me. I felt like I was falling in love all over again. and that sounds cheesy as heck, but I think it's okay to be a little cheesy every once in a while, heh. again, I just. bawled my eyes out.

I hold so much love and adoration in my heart for him. this was so, so special to me and I can't believe I actually got to see him again. I'm sure I must sound like a broken record, but god. I wish I could put the unbelievable amount of happiness I experienced into words. I think I could sit around here forever writing out all of my deepest, most heartfelt feelings on the whole thing and it still wouldn't showcase my happiness enough.

I'm sure you get the point of what I'm trying to say. EMOTIONS. 😅

thank you so much once again mimi 💖 I hope the rest of your day is wonderful as well!

[robotstrategy]

Recalled • Part 1 • 2 - Roland 

Previous • Series Masterlist • Part 1 Masterlist • Next

"He should be awake any moment now. The team is moving on to the next Recalled child, but I need you to stay here with him."

I…

I… I…

I’m…

I’m still… here…

No… something is…

Not wrong… 

Different…

Where am I?…

I have to…

Wake up…

I have to wake up…

I have to.

Roland forcefully opens his eyes to a light turquoise room, he can feel things attached to him, but he can’t move, all he can see are ceiling panels and an industrial light. 

“Heh… ah… euk… hel-…” Roland tries to lift himself off where he lays before he is gently pressed back down. Out of nowhere, a nurse leans slowly into his vision to not scare him. 

“I’m sorry I can’t let you walk right away, you’ll be like a patient trying to learn to walk again, trust me, it’s not fun,”. She gently sits him up and sets a glass of water on the bedside table. “You can have that when you’re ready, don’t swallow it too fast or you’ll hurt yourself.” She goes over to grab a clipboard with paperwork and a pen and sits back down in her chair.

“How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Not. Okay… weird… confused, confused.” Roland says, something feels wrong, Roland feels weak, and that’s not normal for him. He feels constrained, yet, checking his arms and legs there are no cuffs. ‘There should be cuffs’ he thinks, checking once more just in case he realizes that his tattoo is gone. Flipping around his arms frantically in a panic, the nurse realizes what he’s looking for.

“I was told you might freak out about your missing tattoo, Don’t worry you can get a new one soon enough, your mother said she’d pay for a professional one.” 

Roland suddenly tears up, “Mom, wanted, to unwind. My mom wanted me unwound.”

“Yes, and she wanted you back, she told me to tell you that she’s sorry and that she made a terrible decision.” The nurse explains.

Roland takes the glass of water, trying to hide his confused melancholy between gulps. 

“I think we should start with some pictures,” the nurse says, pulling out a stack of photos within the paperwork. She pulls out an older photo of Roland’s sister. “Who do you think this is?”

Roland squints at the photo before coming up with an answer.

“Her, I know her, she’s Lilian Taggart, she got shaken as a baby- Oh! She’s my sister.”

The nurse smiles, “Very good! Let’s try another one.” The nurse shuffles through the photos to find one of Roland’s old school.

“That’s where I went to school, I was on the boxing team, and I beat a guy 'cause I was jealous he was dating my ex-girlfriend.” Roland freezes up and sheds a tear. “I don’t feel good about that, I feel awful about what I did to his girlfriend.”

“We can talk about that later. For now, since you’re so clever, let’s skip to the photo that really matters.” The nurse pulls out a picture of Roland himself. “Now, who is this?”

Roland takes a long hard pause, he’s seen him a lot, yet not a lot at all, he knows who this is, and yet he doesn’t want to; he's disgusted by his actions. “That’s Roland Taggart, he’s Lilian’s brother, but he’s not my brother, uh, he has a shark tattoo like I did and- oh, umm, that’s me, I’m Roland Taggart.” Roland looks solemnly at the floor.

“Wonderful Roland! I’ll be right back, I’ll get you a treat on the way!” The nurse leaves the room, leaving Roland with his thoughts. He tries his best to suck away his emotions with a big sniff, but it doesn’t work, so he hides himself in his hands as he begins to cry. 

‘Why did I do those things? Why am I alive again? I deserve to be unwound, I deserve it, I deserve it, I deserve it.’

When the nurse comes back she’s completely shocked. She sets down the chocolate pudding cup she brought for him and pulls him into a hug. “I don’t want to be Roland Taggart, I’m such a shitty person, why am I alive? Why did she want me back? She wanted me unwound because I protected her, I’ve done so many terrible things, I don’t want to be here, I don’t wanna be alive.” 

“You’re alive because people cared about you, your sister and mother cared about you and wanted you whole again. I know it’s going to be hard, but I can tell that you're going to get better and turn out to be an amazing person!” The nurse tells that to everyone, but to kids who were unwound for more valid reasons, she really means it.

Roland looks around at himself again, noticing he’s slimmer than usual. “What happened to me?” He asks the nurse. He sees her eyes light up like she’s about to talk about her favourite hobby. “You see, when you were first unwound a boy was in a clapper attack and needed a part of your arm, then another boy bought your front temporal lobe. And now with unwinding being over, people are making new life through rewinding. They needed the rest of your arms and legs to complete someone. The new arms and legs that you have now and even parts of your brain, are the second generation of the first ones created by the Rifkin-Skinner Biobuilder.”

Roland sits there, a bit stunned. “Sorry, Unwinding is over? New life through rewinding? Second generation of the first ones? Biobuilder? What is happening?” The nurse realizes all the information she’s left out and starts to explain it. “When the people found out about the Rifkin-Skinner Biobuilder, which used stem cells to create a clone of the body part chosen, unwinding became obsolete and soon illegal. We used your stem cells to rebuild back up your body, you started out as an open head and a torso. Isn’t that funny?” 

Roland tries to visualize it before wincing. “No, I don’t think it is.”

“Oh, um, anyways rewinding is also being done to use up the spare parts of unwinds, they take parts from all these different unwinds and put them together to make a new person.”

“Doesn’t that end up making them look like they have a hodgepodge of different skin tones and completely disproportionate?” He asked her.

“Oh no, surprisingly the newer rewinds look far better than the ones on Molokai, They were the first batch of rewinds ever made, I hear nowadays they just use a Biobuilder to create a torso that perfectly fits all of the parts.” She responds.

“I’ll be gone for a while to check up on another kid, I think you’ve missed a lot while you were gone, pick up a newspaper in the book rack if you’re interested in learning more about what’s going on around you.” The nurse leaves. Roland picks up the pudding cup and spoon, spooning pudding into his mouth he looks over to an almost silent broadcast playing on the TV in his room. 

“In an interesting turn of events, the body of Mason Michael Starkey, a known teenage war criminal, has been found unwound in a box near Sarnia, Canada, scientists say that while some of his body parts are still in okay condition to be rewound, the only parts that they will use are his face panels as they don't retain any harmful muscle memory. As is expected, the public is relieved that he is gone, but are voicing their concerns about any of Mason Starkey being used at all.”

“Huh,” Roland mutters to himself. “I have missed a lot.”

[ladypurplejanewrynn]

Andujane One Shot: Cendrillon

Disclaimer: This one shot is based on the Vocaloid song: Cendrillon. Although, some stuff in the story are different than in the song. And unlike in the song, I will put a happy ending (who would have thought? Heh :') ) Alright without a further due, let’s get into the story.

Kinvara Azuredawn belongs to @queen-of-stoneharts

Once upon a time, there lived two friends. One of them was the king of Stormwind. His name was Anduin Wrynn. He became a king after his father Varian Wrynn, has passed away. The other one well, although she was from a noble family, she was just a simple girl that helped her aunt in the Pig and Whistle Tavern. Her name was Purplejane Sparkdust. When she was just a baby, her parents died, and her aunt took care of the girl. Although she knew what is like to have a family member that cares for you, she never got to learn what the warm feeling given by a parent feels like. The two knew each other since childhood. And as they were growing up, Purplejane developed feelings for Anduin. But she had hard time with confessing to him. Hell, she was scared of being rejected and that it might ruin their friendship. She really did enjoy spending time with Anduin in general. His company made her feel happy. They could relate to not having their parents with them and many other things. They were always there for each other, were an emotional support for one another. And never dared to hide their problems from each other. Until one day. It was a beautiful day in the city. Purplejane got up and decided to pay a visit to Anduin. She brought some of her bakings, to share it with him. When the girl arrived, she met Anduin sitting in front of his desk, doing paper works. "Hey, I’m hoping I’m not interrupting your work." He lifted up his head to face his friend:"Ah, Purplejane. Nah, you could never be a bother to me. Please come in." She took a sit, right in front of him:"Here, I brought some of my bakings." The young king smiled:"Thoughtful as always. You know how much I enjoy your bakings. Especially the cupcakes or cakes." Then he took one of the cupcakes. "Hi hi, made with love." giggled Purplejane. "I certainly can feel that." said Anduin, taking another one. "Alright is now or never. You can do this. Just tell him how you feel. Maybe it won’t be so bad. Ugh, who am I kidding? How he could possibly be interested in me? As far as I know, he hasn’t shown any sign of feeling the same way." thought Purplejane, as her smile turned into a face full of worry. Anduin noticed that something was bothering his friend. "Purplejane? Are you alright?" he asked. The question snapped her out of her thoughts:"Oh, yeah. I’m good. No need to worry." The king stood up:"I know that’s a lie. I can clearly see that there’s something wrong. What’s the matter?" Purplejane really wanted to tell him but she couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth:"I… I can’t tell you right now. Not yet. I’m not ready to tell you." Confusion appreared on Anduin’s face:"Tell me what? Purplejane, it really sounds like something serious. We’re friends, and we shouldn’t keep secrets from each other. And I really care about you." Purplejane stood up as well:"I know Anduin. I know. But right now I can’t bring myself to tell you this." "Something’s clearly bothering you, and you don’t wanna talk about it?" asked Anduin a little harshly. "Just because we’re friends, it doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything going on in my life." answered Purplejane. "Well, I’m not the one who suddenly start it keeping secrets from my best friend. And lies about it nothing being wrong. You’re hurting my feelings." said Anduin with anger. "And what about my feelings?! Don’t they matter as well?!" shout it Purplejane. "I didn’t say that they didn’t matter! All I’m saying is that out of the sudden you’re having a hard time trusting me!" shout it the king at his turn. The girl couldn’t take it anymore and turned her back:"I’m getting out." Then without waiting for an answer she left.

After she got home, she immediately rushed to her room, jumping on her bed and starting crying to her pillow. A moment later, aunt Anastazia came into her room. "I’m sorry for not knocking honey, but just as you came, I noticed that something wasn’t okay. Do you wanna talk about it?" asked the older lady. Purplejane looked at her aunt, not even trying to hide her emotions:"Me and Anduin had an argument. I tried to tell him about how I feel, but I didn’t menage to and he noticed that something was bothering me. I told him that I didn’t want to tell him about it yet, and he said that all of the sudden I have hard times with trusting him. You see, I really do like him. Like a lot. You know, more than just a friend… But I’m having troubles with telling him." The old woman took a sit next to her niece and pulled her into a hug:"Shhhh…Is alright. I’m sure, you two will make up to each other. Is not the first time you both are having an argument. As for your feelings, take as much time as you need to tell Anduin about them. You don’t have to rush it." "But that’s the thing, I wanna tell him. I really do, but I’m scared that if I’ll tell him, not only he’ll reject my feelings but it will ruin our friendship."sniffed the young lady. "Do you really think that, dear? Anduin is a really nice person. And he cares about you a lot. Do you really think he would all of the sudden end your friendship, just because he doesn’t feel the same way as you do?" asked the aunt. Purplejane thought a little:"No, he doesn’t seem to be this kind of person. And every time something was wrong, he was always there for me and supported me the best way he could." "See? No matter what happens, I’m sure he’ll understand and be mature about it." said Anastazia. "By the light, thanks auntie. But what about our argument? He’s probably mad at me, right now." asked the girl. The older lady smiled:"Give him some time. Sooner or later you’ll see each other again." Two days has passed. Purplejane helped her aunt with the clients, until she noticed a familiar face. Anduin came to see her. A troublesome look full of guilty was on his face. "Hey Purplejane, ummmm… Can we go chat somewhere in private, please?" asked the young king, approaching his friend. "Ehh… Of course. Let’s go." Then they went out of the Tavern, to their secret place they spent time together, when they didn’t want anyone to bother them. Which was the roof of the Keep. "So?" asked Purplejane as they arrived. "I really wanted to apologize to you about the argument few days ago. I shouldn’t have yelled at you and push it on you to tell me what’s wrong. I wasn’t being considered of your feelings and should respect that you need time. I really acted up like a jerk, huh?" apologized the young king. Purplejane went for a hug:"Is alright. I know that you were worried about me, and only wanted to help." Anduin took the girl in his embrace as well:"But is still no excuse for the way, I acted up." "To be honest, I wasn’t any better toward you either. I shouldn’t have yelled at you as well. The truth is, I do wanna tell you. And is not that I don’t trust you. Is just… complicated for me to say it to you right now." answered the young lady as small tears spilled out of her eyes. Anduin looked at her. "Holy Light, even when she’s crying she’s still beautiful. I really regret making her cry. After all, she’s so gentle, caring and so much more. And she’s the woman I love. But does she feel the same way as I do? Is she interested in someone like me?" thought Anduin. They stayed like that, hugging each other for a while longer. The king was so deep in his thoughts, that he didn’t even notice that he start it crying as well. Purplejane looked up at him:"Anduin, why are you crying?" Shocked looked appeared on the young man’s face:"Sorry, I guess I got overly sentimental." The young lady wiped away his tears:"But nothing’s wrong with that. And beside, i think sentimental men are amazing." Anduin smiled and wiped her tears as well:"Thank you Purplejane. You always know what to say to cheer me up."

When they finally let go of each other, Anduin handed an envelope to Purplejane. "What’s this?" asked the girl. "Is an invitation for a masquerade ball. I wanted to give it to you earlier, but the argument happened and also I was busy with the preparations." answered the king. Purplejane opened it and read it:"The whole party is tomorrow? By the Light, I need to get a dress for it." "Actually, you don’t have to." said Anduin. Purplejane was confused:"Huh? What do you mean?" "Come with me." said the young man. Then the friends went to Anduin’s room. When they arrived, Anduin handed a box to Purplejane. When she opened it, a really beautiful purple dress with yellow elements caught her eyes. "I know that you have a lot of beautiful dresses, but I really wanted to buy this one for you. It reminded me so much about you. Also I thought that you might like it." said Anduin as small blushes appeared on his face. "Anduin, is really beautiful. I absolutely love it. But you really didn’t have to. How can I repay you?" asked the young lady. "Come on, you’re my best friend. And beside, I’m the king of Stormwind. Thorwing away some gold to buy something for my friend, won’t hurt me. In other words, you don’t have to repay me. Really." answered the king. Small blushes appeared on Purplejane’s face as well:"I’ll wear it for the masquerade ball then. That’s a promise." After a bit of chat, Purplejane went back home, to put the dress in her bedroom and she went back to help up her aunt. The next day, the young lady decided to do some shopping, to buy some stuff to match the dress. She bought some beautiful yellow heels, a pair of white long sleeved gloves and a mask of course. On her way back home and idea sparked in her head:"Maybe I shall confess my love to Anduin on the ball? Is once for a time opportunity. Yes, that’s what I will do. I’ll confess to him tonight. Ughh, I just hope I won’t mess this up." After getting all the stuff she bought in her room, she went to take a small walk around the city. Just as she was passing by the Keep, she noticed Anduin with Alix. It was really weird to see him with her, after all she was Purplejane’s childhood bully who used to mistreat her along with her two friends. Since growing up, Alix’s two friends left her and now she had no friends at all. But the mean girl didn’t seem to care. Purplejane decided to get a bit closer, so she could hear what they’re talking about. "So, Anduin… What do you think? Do I look pretty?" asked Alix as she was licking her lips. "Well, ughhh…. I think so?" said Anduin. Suddenly, the mean girl start it to slowly put her hands on Anduin’s shoulders, keeping flirting with him even more. Purplejane watched with frustration. Then all of the sudden, Alix placed a kiss on Anduin’s lips. Purplejane couldn’t believe this. Anduin and Alix are together? She couldn’t watch any longer and run off to her house, as tears start it coming out of her eyes. Nobody was home. She sat down on the floor in her room. "From all people, why Alix? I thought he didn’t like her. He always said that he despised her. Was he lying to me? After everything I’ve been through because of this bully, he choses to date her?" thought the girl still desperately crying. "Oh, so you got betrayed by your best friend." a voice in her head spoke up. "Who’s this? Why are you in my head?" asked the girl. The voice emerged again:"I’m a friend. The only person that can help you in this whole situation. But all you have to do is to join me." Purplejane got up:"And what if I say No? And beside why should I even trust you?" Then a vision appeared before her. There, she finally saw the person, or rather a being from another world. One of the Old Gods, N’zoth himself. "N…N’zoth?" escaped Purplejane’s mouth. "It is me, indeed. Now back to your question. The answer is, because I’m the only one who can help you. I can give you everything you want. Power. Control over everything. Lots of things. Especially the love of the King of Stormwind. I know you feel certain… emotions for the young king." answered the Old God.

Purplejane thought about it and came up with an answer:"No! This isn’t how love should be earned. Cause then, in that case it isn’t true love. Is just forcing another person to be your partner. And I will never agree on something like this." "Well, I thought you would be more willing to accept my offer, while you’re in your vulnerable state. But I guess, I will have to go with another way." spoke N’zoth. All of the sudden, voices in the language of the Old Gods start it speaking unknown words to Purplejane. Each second, they drove her more and more crazy. She fell on the floor, hands pressing against her head, trying to make those voices stop. She struggled until she lost consciousness. Some moment later, she opened her eyes, but now they were glowing with the dark shade of purple. N’zoth has corrupted her mind, and now she was under his control. "Thank you so much for getting me out of this miserable state Master. I’m at your service. What shall I do now?" said the girl. The Old God’s voice spoke up again:"First of all, I want you to go to the masquerade ball and to prove me your loyalty, I want you to kill the king of Stormwind." The purple eyes got hidden by the girl’s usual brown eyes, and she start it getting ready for tonight. The evening arrived. Purplejane dressed up in the dress bought by Anduin, put some white thighs and the heels and gloves she bought earlier. She also added a yellow ribbon necklace and a purple roses hairband with a white ribbon attached to it, tying her hair into a bun and leaving some of it a bit down. And put her mask on, matching her dress perfectly. She also tied to her leg a small belt to which a knife was attached to. She was ready to leave for the party. "Remember the plan." said N’zoth inside of her mind. "Yeah, yeah…" answered the girl and left the house. Anduin sat on his throne, looking at his guests. He was looking for Purplejane. "That’s weird. Is very unusual for Purplejane to be late." thought the young king. As he looked around, finally she appeared in the entrance of the throne room. Despite a mask covering up some of her face, she definitely looked gorgeous and breathtaking. Anduin got up and approached her immediately:"Purplejane, I’m happy that you’ve arrived. I was starting to think that something occupied you and wouldn’t be able to come." The lady smiled:"And miss out on all the fun? Never." "You look really beautiful in that dress. I mean, you look beautiful in general. I mean…" said Anduin as blushes started coming up his face. "I know what you mean. Thank you." answered Purplejane. "Ask him to go somewhere private." the Old God’s voice emerged inside her head. However before she could even suggest it, Anduin reached out his hand toward her:"May I have this honor and ask you for a dance?" The Old God’s influence left the girl’s mind for a moment and she became her true self:"Yes, of course." Then she placed her hand in his and they start it dancing.

They hold on each other’s hands and swayed like swans. This moment was really enjoyable to Purplejane. She felt like she was in a dream. The only thing was that it wasn’t a dream. All of this happened for real. And Anduin looked really happy about having this dance with her. The two looked each other in the eyes. Purplejane noticed something in Anduin’s eyes. It looked like as if he actually felt something more for her than just friendship. The dance was over. Sophie and her girlfriend Kinvara came up to them. "You guys were amazing. You danced like you two would be a true couple." said Sophie. Blushes appeared on both Anduin’s and Purplejane’s cheeks. "Sophie’s right. You two really looked like lovers. I never thought you two were such good dancers. Well, I saw Anduin in action already. But Purplejane? I didn’t expect this at all." answered Kinvara. Suddenly Sophie whispered something to Anduin’s ear. And all of the sudden N’zoth voice ringed in Purplejane’s head again:"Take him somewhere private and kill him! Now!" The girl faced the king:"Anduin, may we go somewhere in private? I wanna talk to you alone." He smiled:"Of course. Actually I was about to suggest the same thing." Then he took her by the hand and they left the throne room and went to another room. "Purplejane.." began Anduin. "There is something I wanted to tell you from a very long time…" He continued. But before he could say anything else, Purplejane start it pressing her hands against her head. "Now is the time. Go ahead! Do it now! Prove me your loyalty!" N’zoth’s voice shout it inside the girl’s head. "No! I won’t do it! I can’t… I care about him. I can’t do this to him…" said Purplejane as she fought against the Old God inside her mind. Anduin got closer to her and reached out his hand to her:"Purplejane? Is everything alright? What’s going on?" She couldn’t make out the words, as she was trying to fight off the Old God’s influence. The young king came even closer and took off her mask, to see her whole face. She looked at him and start it running away, as she didn’t want him to see her in this state. Of course he went after her. After he caught up to her, he grabbed her by the hand. When she turned her head, her eyes were glowing with the dark shade of purple. "Purplejane?" asked Anduin, wondering what happened to his friend. Before the young king could react, the lady pushed him against the wall and got out a knife. "Good, you have him cornered. The only thing you have to do now is kill him. Then you will prove your loyalty to me." N’zoth’s voice spoke up inside Purplejane’s mind. The girl started fighting it again. "N…no… I can’t kill him. Anduin’s my friend. And I love him. Get out! Get out of my head, bastard!" Realization hit Anduin. Purplejane, his best friend, the person he had a crush on was under the control of an Old God. He had to somehow corrupt her mind. However, she still desperately tried to fight it off. He spoke up:"Purplejane, please look at me." She faced him. The king took off his mask:"The thing I wanted to tell you is… Since some long time ago, I start it feeling certain feelings toward you. I wasn’t sure what were those feelings at the beginning . But after some talk with Sophie and Kinvara I realized that I’m in love with you. And that I didn’t want to leave your side. You’re the one who makes my heart beat faster. Please, let me help you."

After hearing those words, shock appeared on Purplejane’s face:"He… he likes me? But I thought…" She let go of Anduin. The young man used the opportunity and cast it a mind cleansing spell that he learned some time ago, in case one of people or close ones would get corrupted by the Old Gods in some way, slowly getting rid of the corruption inside of Purplejane’s mind. As her mind was cleansed, she dropped down on all fours, heavy breaths coming out of her. "Need some help?" asked Anduin as he reached out with his hand to help her up. "Sure" answered Purplejane and accepted his help. "Thank you so much for saving me from N’zoth influence. I thought I would never be able to break free." she said. "You’re welcome. And beside, you would do the same for me." answered Anduin. A moment of an awkward silence appeared. "So… those things you said… you know… about being in love with me…Are they true? You really meant it?" asked Purplejane. Anduin looked at her:"What I said was true indeed. When I said that I fell in love with you, I really meant it. Why? You…don’t feel the same way?" "No, is not like that. Actually is quite the opposite. The truth is, I also feel the same way about you. I’ve felt this way for a long time actually. But…I had no courage of telling you. After all, though I’m from a noble family, I’m not like those girls who are pure royalty. There’s nothing really special about me." said Purplejane with a troubled voice. Anduin smiled:"Nothing special you say? I’d like to argue on that. You are a pretty skilled priestess. Amazing cook. And to my surprise, even a really good dancer. But those aren’t the most important things I like about you. You are such a sweet loving soul, who puts all of her heart into anything she does. A gentle person who likes helping those in need, who may be pretty moody sometimes and who gets sometimes overwhelmed by her emotions. And a someone who always finds a good way to cheer me up. And with all honestly, I want to be with you and not some cold-hearted snobby lady, who doesn’t even give a single damn about me but my gold." Purplejane giggled:"Alright, alright. I believe you. Maybe there is something special about me after all." They took each other hand. "Shall we go to our private place?" asked Anduin. "I think you know the answer." teased Purplejane. Without more thought to it, they went there. The two now lovers, layed on the roof of Stormwind Keep, admiring the stars. "Anyway, I’ve got to ask. How exactly N’zoth corrupted your mind?" asked Anduin. Purplejane looked away from him:"Is such an embarrassing story… I was on a walk and then I noticed you with Alix. She was flirting with you… And she kissed you… And I thought that you… well… were dating her… And after all these years of telling me how much she disgusts you, because she’s a brat I felt betrayed. Especially that she used to bully me. It was really stupid of me to assume those things, I know. I’m really sorry." He grabbed her by the chin, making her face him:"Oh Purplejane, silly, I would never date an icy girl as empty like her. But I think I should explain what happened, since you saw all of this. Yes, she was flirting with me, but in thought that I might hand her an invitation to the ball, to which I refused. I got to admit, I was surprised that she even dared to go as far as to kissing me, in hope it might work. Long story short, after the kiss I pushed her away and told her to never approche me ever again." Purplejane smiled:"You’re right. It was really silly of me. Oh Light, I’m such an idiot." "But you are my idiot." giggled Anduin. They looked each other deeply in the eyes and a moment later they shared their first kiss. Some years later, their relationship got stronger and they got married. Stormwind finally had a queen. And some months later Sophie and Kinvara got married as well. And they all lived Happily Ever After.

The End

[tarnishedxknight]

Meta Topic: Why does Ashelia never remarry?

{out of dalmasca} The topic of why Ashelia doesn’t remarry after losing Rasler is something I’ve thought a lot about from time to time. There are various convenient, fanservice, shipping, or even semi-humorous reasons that could be offered up, but I also feel that Ashelia may have many reasons at each of the stages of her life as to why she shouldn’t, couldn’t, or wouldn’t want to remarry that are supportable by canon. In this meta, I’ll propose some reasons why she remained single in canon until at least the age of 30, as broken down by the stages of her life. (Note: I’m not including Revenant Wings in this because I honestly never got very far in it and it always seemed weirdly extraneous to me.)

Age 17-19: Ashe loses Rasler, goes into hiding, and joins the Resistance. 

It’s certainly understandable why Ashelia wouldn’t want to remarry right after Rasler was killed. It was a shock, losing a friend that young. Although I’m not entirely convinced Ashe was in love with Rasler, she did love him, as they had been friends since childhood, so it was definitely a loss she felt. She needed time to grieve on a personal level.

On a political level, she also lost just about the only person she could marry who was of her same special Dynast King bloodline, with both hers and Rasler’s Houses being descended from those of King Raithwall’s sons. Ashe had to feel like she was now part of a dying breed, because in actuality, she was. It’s a lot to put on the shoulders of a seventeen year-old, even in a country where the age of adulthood is 16 and with a young lady who has been groomed for this sort of life from childhood.

After her father is assassinated, Ashe is suddenly thrust into a state of freedom and independence such as she’d never known before. She went from being a sheltered princess kept like a bird in a cage whose father shielded her too much from war, weaponry, politics, and the suffering of the masses... to suddenly becoming one of the masses. This was a tumultuous and angry time for her, but also one of intense personal discovery, growth, and development. She improved with the sword, learned to navigate her own safety and survival, and lost some of her innocence and naivety. All of these were good things, but they also kept things like dating and marriage on the backburner for her simply from a free time and practicality aspect.

On an emotional level, Ashelia probably didn’t want to marry anyone at this time. Not only had she lost her husband and father, she also lost Basch, who in canon at the very least was a friend and a mentor. My versions of them have their relationship being even more developed than that, so learning that he betrayed her and her father and killed him had to be a shock to her system. It must have been hard for her to believe, and coming around to accepting it had to be a very angry and painful internal journey for her. Also, as far as she knew, he was convicted, sentenced to death, and executed for murdering her father. I believe that, even despite her anger at what she thought Basch had done, she still grieved for him. However, the upshot was that she had cared for and trusted someone close to her all her life, only to have him betray her family. That had to have Ashe taking a few steps back with regard to trusting people in general, and it had to have her rather unwilling to get close to anyone else.

Age 19: Ashe & Co. adventure to regain her throne and end the war.

During this time she’s not thinking about marriage, she’s thinking about legitimizing herself so that she can take back her throne, actually doing it, delivering Dalmasca from Archadian occupation, and finding a way to end the war. That’s a full schedule, heh. Although for my version of her, it’s during this adventuring time that she slowly begins to love Basch but doesn’t realize it yet, and in canon we know she had kindof a little crush on Balthier that never went anywhere. Other than that, she’s focused on her duty to Dalmasca and setting things right for her people. Personal wants, needs, and endeavors are somewhat set aside at this time.

Age 19-20: Re-establishing the government of Dalmasca and rebuilding Rabanastre, and Ashe’s coronation.

Ashe isn’t coronated until a year after the end of the war, as is mentioned in Penelo’s letter to Larsa. So for that time, Ashe is alone, and as Penelo says in the letter, she “grows farther and farther away from us, but I guess that’s how it has to be. She is queen now, after all.” What this says to me is that 1) she is recognized as queen even before she is coronated, 2) she is likely very busy with the many details of running a country, especially one that needs to be rebuilt and to recover from a war, and 3) that appearances are unfortunately very important to her. She can no longer associate with those she adventured with, but I suspect this is not because she doesn’t want to, but rather because she needs to maintain a certain level of authority and distance above the masses.

Why might Ashe care about appearances? Because she’s the first queen Dalmasca has had in a very long time, or perhaps ever. In a patriarchal kingdom, becoming queen at 19 after your people have thought you dead for two years, after they’ve had their capital city partially destroyed and occupied, and after they’ve lost their previous king who likely reigned for longer than many people in the capital have even been alive, Ashe has some pretty big shoes to fill. It is an unfortunate side effect of being a young, new, female ruler in a patriarchal land that, in order to seem halfway as authoritative, professional, respectable, and reliable as her father, she has to be ten times more diligent about her image, her reputation, and her words and actions, especially in public. People will be judging her harshly or at least scrutinizing everything she says and does through the lens of... is she going to be as good as her father? Can we trust her? Is she strong enough? Ashe has to not only do her job as queen, she had to also live up to the lofty expectations that her father and her entire bloodline have set in the minds of the masses for centuries before her.

Because of this... I think she’d see marrying someone as completely off the table. If she’s trying to prove to her skeptical public that she has what it takes to be a just, stable, and reliable ruler despite being young and female, marrying a man isn’t the way to do it. Assuming she wouldn’t choose someone who would then seek to usurp her power and make himself more of an active king than merely a consort, marrying a man might automatically have her people thinking she’s going to pass the throne over to him, or at least give him a good chunk of her power and authority. Ashelia didn’t want to do that at all. She’s queen, and she doesn’t want a king. I think it was very important to Ashelia at this time that she remain alone and prove to her people visually at first and through her actions long-term that she is going to be their sole ruler and that she can handle it herself. Having a husband... would cloud that issue a lot in the minds of her people.

So yeah, establishing herself as a strong solitary ruler was important to her, and she didn’t want a king. A consort, sure. When she’s ready. After all, she’s going to need heirs and loneliness is definitely a thing. But the question is, why isn’t she ready yet, and what would make her ready?

Age 20-30: Ashe reigns officially as Queen of Dalmasca. 

This... is the most curious time for me as far as Ashe remaining single. Until she’s coronated, sure, I get that. Even two, three, maybe four years after that? It’s understandable. She wants to reign for a while on her own before introducing a husband/consort into the mix. I totally get that too. But... ten years? Until she’s 30? That... doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. 30 is fairly old in “medieval times” settings. People didn’t live as long back then, but I guess you could easily argue that the Final Fantasy “medieval-style” or “steampunk” worlds don’t equate at all to the rules of actual historical periods. Even so, for a single queen with no heirs whose bloodline will die with her if anything were to happen to her and whose throne and country would be thrown into turmoil without a ruler... you’d think she’d want an heir fast. But at was seen in the narrative laid out in the developer notes for Fortress, the sequel to FFXII that was sadly never completed, that story takes place ten years into the future from the end of the FFXII main game, and Ashelia is still unwed. To me, the fact that she’s still single ten years after the end of FFXII says that there’s another reason why she’s not marrying. She’s waiting for something, or something is preventing her from marrying.

The first possible explanation is that there just are no suitable candidates. Nabradia’s ruling family is gone, Larsa is too young for her and it’s no longer necessary to ingratiate herself to Archadia since the war ended and peace was negotiated between her and Larsa. No one Rozarrian is an option if peace with Archadia is to be maintained. So... who does she marry? Who would be enough on her level as far as royalty or with regard to her rare bloodline, who could she trust enough, and who would be good for Dalmasca as far as the duties of a consort are concerned? It’s a big decision, and she’s having to essentially make it alone. Maybe it’s just that she had been unable to find a candidate that checks all the necessary boxes as far as what she needs in a consort not only for herself but for Dalmasca.

The second possible explanation is that she does not intend to ever marry again. Maybe the trust just isn’t there. Maybe she’s not willing to connect with someone like that again, or she doesn’t want to personally have children or be a wife herself. In this case, I think she would choose to name her own heir rather than birth heirs herself. Again, however, this would take time and it’s a big decision she can’t make quickly or lightly. For all we know, though, something like this did occur and we just don’t know it because Fortress was never completed. Perhaps if it was, we would have gotten a lot more detail on what Ashe has been doing for this ten-year time period of her life.

In the same vein, then, maybe she did remarry, and we just never got to know that and never got to know who she chose because the details of Fortress were never developed. Maybe the devs just thought it inconsequential to mention but it still happened somewhere in that ten-year time period. I doubt it, though.

Age 30: Fortress and beyond... 

Okay. Here where I go off the rails and I’m sorry for that, haha. But listen. I will die on this Basch x Ashe shipping hill if it’s the last thing I do, never change my mind, haha. Maybe... she’s waiting for Basch. Or at the very least, she developed feelings for Basch like I mentioned above during her adventuring years, and no one else has ever quite measured up to him in her mind. After the end of FFXII, Basch is left impersonating his deceased brother in Archadia in order to help a young emperor Larsa to maintain political control and to keep the Judge Magisters from turning on Larsa and each other. He in some cases acts like, almost a regent in that he guides, protects, and advises Larsa through the first vulnerable years of his rule. At ten years after the end of FFXII, Larsa would be 22 years old. That’s still kindof on the young side, and to be honest, unless there was another equally powerful and trustworthy figure like Gabranth (Basch) who could fill the role of keeping the Judges at bay, Larsa is always going to need that protection. So Basch is unfortunately... stuck. Indefinitely.

Canon (of course) does not support this theory at all, for supposedly at the end of Fortress, Ashelia throws Basch under the proverbial bus to save herself, leaves him to fight a god alone and die, and his soul ends up in some lonely, forgotten, immortal state of guarding the location of the fortress for eternity. I. I just.*sighs and rubs temples* THAT’S A LOAD OF BULL FOR SO MANY REASONS. Okay sorry, I just needed to get that out, haha. I really reject canon on this aspect because I don’t think Ashelia would have done that. Larsa did it too, supposedly, and that’s even more difficult for me to believe. Zargabaath was totally mischaracterized as well, it seems, in the storyboards, so like... Fortress has credibility issues with me as far as consistency of personality of the characters. So I use the information we got from the dev notes more as guidelines and springboards for ideas rather than hard, confirmed canon. 

So that means there’s still a chance that Ashe is holding out for Basch, and listen, nothing would make me happier. In my head Basch is already back in Dalmasca and he and Ashe are having adorable babies together because that’s what I choose to believe. Eh-hem.*desperately clings to my OTP*

Haha, okay but in all seriousness, I really don’t know the reason why Ashe is still single at age 30. I’ve made some guesses, but none of them really stand out as being the obvious the answer. Does anyone else have any ideas? I’d love to hear them! =)

[ariondevereux]

nikkaaaaa, hello!

Ask incoming heh, what song would you assign your oc with? Like their theme song! 👀✨

i wanted to do as many ocs as i could but this was so much harder than i thought 😭

maya: be kind - halsey

i don't know why you hide from the one / and close your eyes to the one / mess up and lie to the one that you love / when you know you can cry to the one / always confide in the one / you can be kind to the one that you love

so we all know about maya’s emotional baggage 😔 this song is pretty much what jordan and the team especially phoenix want to get through maya’s head. they just want her to let them be there for her

lira: people i don’t like - upsahl

everybody in this party's fucking fake / i really wish that I could say it to your face / but i won't, so / hello, it's so good to see you / we met before, but nice to meet you / yeah, i don't really wanna be here

lira isn’t snobby but she barely goes out of her way to socialize because as the mayor’s daughter, she’s seen enough fakery and has had enough people butter her up for connections and she doesn’t want any part of it

abby: that way - tate mcrae ft. jeremy zucker

every time we talk, it just hurts so bad / 'cause i don't even know what we are / i don't even know where to start / but i can play the part / we say we're friends, but i’m catching you across the room / it makes no sense 'cause we're fighting over what we do / and there's no way that i’ll end up being with you / but friends don't look at friends that way

still can't tell / if we both mean well / keep me guessing / if this is life or hell / think i might've said too much, bit the dust / now i’m kinda dizzy / overthinking us until i’m drunk and sick of this whole city / don’t know where to start / don’t know how to hold my heart / and if we're really what we say we are / then why is this so hard?

the duet version screams shiloh and abby. i have like a better explanation in my head but i can’t put it into words 😭😭 but it’s about them exchanging mixed signals because there’s shiloh whose flirting can be straightforward but sometimes he’s careful because he doesn’t want abby to feel like he’s stringing her along. like i imagine that’s also him lowkey trying to make his feelings known but there’s abby who always takes it the wrong way and thinks he’s just a natural flirt and that at the end of the day she’s still just his best friend and that’s all she’s ever gonna be because sometimes he’s too flirty and sometimes he’s not flirty enough and as much as she swears she can sense there’s something going on between them, she’s scared it’s one-sided and like if her heart is gonna get broken by someone, she really doesn’t want it to be shiloh. ugh the pining is so good but also frustrating because for two people who claim to know each other better than anyone else, they have too many mixed signals

piper: dear no one - tori kelly

so if you're out there, i swear to be good to you / but i’m done lookin' for my future someone / ‘cause when the time is right, you'll be here but for now / dear no one, this is your love song

the rest of the song is so piper actually, especially the verses about her enjoying her own company but i’m not gonna copy and paste the whole song djsjsks anyways like implied in the lyrics, piper is a romantic but she’s not desperate and rushing. she definitely wasn’t looking for anything when she met nikolas. it just sorta happened but it felt right from the get go sooo <3

cece: take off all your cool - sabrina carpenter

you don't always gotta leave me guessing / i know you wanna leave a good impression / but you did it, you did without tryin'

idk how the romance route is gonna happen in canon but in my head, reese and cece catch feelings for each other at around the same time. not just the “she’s hot/he’s hot” kinda crush. it’s more like reese genuinely feels comfortable to show cece this side of him that’s less smooth and more goofy, like more him. in my head, he starts to smile a lot more than he smirks and yeah. cece likes it 🫣 lololol but yeah cece didn’t really mean to like Like him but she sees him in a new light and she badly wishes she’d see that reese more often

emory: love again - new hope club

tell me, have i lost my mind again? / i get the feeling you might feel the same / tell me you can feel that love, feel that love again / and even though we're in this crowded room / i’m feeling like there's no one else but you / tell me you can feel that love, feel that love again

i think it’s self-explanatory 😭 but yeah she never really got over qiu and this is exactly how i imagine her thot process when she meets him again

bianca: fucked up summer - rosie darling

it’s gonna be a fucked up summer without you / ‘cause i can't stop thinkin' about you / kissing your tattoos, smokin' in your room / i let my guard down, i never meant to

ignore the fact that this is a song about an ex or smth as well as the “summer” part lmao anyway bianca didn’t mean to find love shortly after a breakup but she met shay and the heart wants it wants </3 idk how it’s gonna happen in the game but if shay’s down, bianca would definitely want to try and make the long distance work because there’s no way shay would ask her to stay in sg when she has her studies in nyc. either way, the lyrics are what i imagine bianca thinks about when she leaves sg—just her reminiscing the short time she spent with him. there’s also a line that goes “my bracelet, shoelaces i stole from your combat boots” and that is something bianca would definitely do

[fueledbyapplepi]

I love your writing it's so good!!! Could I have reader having a crush on the boys and giving them a kiss while they think the boys are asleep and confessing their love to them with mikey, chifuyu and the haitani brothers? Im just so soft for those boys!!!

Sleep Tight | Mikey, Chifuyu, Ran, and Rindou

- Confessing to the boys while they're (not really) asleep

genre: 🌸 fluff 🌸

warnings: minor cussing

A/N: Thank you, anon! I really got into writing this one ( ◜‿◝ )♡ Also, I honestly think I need to come up with better titles because it sounds like a word vomit to me LMAO Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

Mikey (Sano Manjiro)

Life would be nice if you had someone by your side who felt the same way about you.

You already have Mikey by your side, making every day much easier to get by. But does he feel the same way with you?

You practically grew up together with Mikey. Being neighbors with the man, you often come by to play with them as kids- leading to a blooming friendship. Although more often, it was you watching Mikey train in his grandfather’s dojo, where he never fails to amaze you with his tricks. Sometimes, you’ll have sleepovers together with Emma and Mikey where you’ll watch movies with them. Only for Mikey to be sound asleep halfway through the movie.

Growing up, nothing has changed that much with that routine. The only thing that has changed is your growing feelings for Mikey.

You saw the ups and downs in his life. From the time he established Toman to losing Shinichiro, you were there to witness how he would build a castle from the rocks of his downfalls.

So it was no surprise that you find your heart beating much faster when he’s around.

Childish as he is, you can’t deny the fact that Mikey is charismatic, beautiful, and kind. But, you never had the chance to tell him what you feel. Because what if he never saw you the same way?

You looked at Mikey, who’s currently sitting by your side almost half asleep. His head swings from side to side as he struggles on whether he should watch the movie or not.

“Mikey, you always never get to finish our movie nights. You’re no fun.” Emma pouted at his brother as she turned off the television.

“Mhmm, not sleepy.” Mikey turned to look at you then at Emma before leaning on your shoulder. “Just a little.”

Your heart flutters from close contact. “Maybe he’s tired from one of Toman’s meetings.” You turned to look at Emma with a sorry face

Sighing, Emma stepped out of the room as she looked at you, “I’ll get us a blanket, wait here Y/N.”

Your face felt hot as you realized that you were left alone in the room with Mikey. Well, this isn’t unusual for you two but with the strong feelings you have for him, you just can’t help but blush.

You looked at Mikey, his eyelashes seemed a bit longer, making his eyes more beautiful. His lips, although chapped, pouted with the way he’s comfy with you.

“Mikey, can you stop being so pretty? It makes me want to kiss you,” you whispered, thinking that Mikey’s probably dozing off to dreamland.

Mikey opened out one of his eyes to take a peek at you. All the sleepiness vanishing from his body. Did he just hear you right? “Then kiss me, Y/N.”

“Heh? Mikey, you’re awake?” you felt embarrassment creeping into you. “Mikey...I...look, sorry. I-”

Your blabbering mouth was silenced with a peck on the lips. Mikey kissing all your worries away.

“I like you too, Y/N.” He smiled as he leaned closer to you. Your foreheads touching and nose brush against each other.

You felt like you’re on cloud nine. Is this real? Mikey likes you too?

Before you could say anything, the door opened with Emma looking at the two of you weirdly. “Hehhh, am I interrupting something?”

You and Mikey looked at Emma. An embarrassed look on both of your faces as if you were caught red-handed.

Now, there’s a lot of explaining to do.

Chifuyu Matsuno

No matter how many times you try, you always seem to lose.

But who won’t?

With Chifuyu’s angelic smile and kind eyes, your determination to admit your feelings for him always seems to waver. It’s just that your thoughts always fly out the window and anxiousness gets the best of you.

You’ve known Chifuyu for quite some time now. Baji, who’s your cousin, introduced him to you as Toman’s 1st Division Vice-Captain and most trusted partner. Of course, it was only natural for you to be wary of him. Baji might trust him, but he could be some sort of drug dealer or serial killer. Who knows?

You’re wrong though. The more time you spend with Chifuyu, the more you appreciate his presence. How can you not? He always lends you a helping hand whenever you need it. As cliche as it sounds, Chifuyu is like the knight and shining armor in your life.

And now here he is. Once again saving you from another horrible situation.

Chifuyu offered you a ride when he found you drenched from the rain in Shinagawa. Apparently, the weather wouldn’t be pleasant today but you forgot to read the weather forecast. Currently, he brought you to his home for the meantime as the rain wouldn’t be stopping until tomorrow.

“I’ll just text and let Baji-san know that you’ll be staying here.” Chifuyu handed you a blanket as he laid on his futon.

“Thank you, Chifuyu. But I swear it’s okay for me to sleep there. This is your bed anyway.” You said embarrassed.

Chifuyu yawned. Tiredness dropping from his eyes. “It’s alright, Y/N. I can’t let Baji-san’s pretty cousin sleep on the floor.” He smiled at you with a faint blush on his cheeks.

You laid on the bed silently. Blushing from his compliment. Did he just call you beautiful?

You looked at the ceiling for about a good minute before turning to Chifuyu. “Chifuyu-san, I-”

A soft sleeping figure cut you off. The light from the lamp outside reflected on his beautiful features.

You padded off your feet on the floor and sat right next to Chifuyu. Observing him, you notice that he looks prettier when he’s peaceful like this.

You hesitatingly brushed your fingers on his hair. While massaging it, you can’t help but feel overwhelmed by your emotions. “I like you, Chifuyu-san.” You smiled proudly at yourself as you finally got to admit your feelings even though he’s asleep.

However, you noticed that the sleeping figure in front of you stiffened and reddened from your statement. Eyes wide, you held a hand in your mouth.

“Chifuyu-san, are you awake?” You hoped that he wasn’t.

But apparently, he is. “I guess you caught me.” Chifuyu sat up and scratched his head as he smiled at you sheepishly. “That felt nice though.”

“I’m sorry!” You bowed your head, hair hiding your flustered state.

“I like it!” Chifuyu panicked. “I mean, no. I like it. But, I like you too, Y/N-san.”

You laughed. At the same time, feeling extremely happy from what you just had heard.

“I guess we have some explaining to do with Baji-san.” you teased him

“Mhmm. But,” he held your hand and put it into his hair. “Would you continue that?” Chifuyu smiled.

“Of course.” You smiled at him, continuing your hair massages.

Looks like you won this time.

Ran Haitani

You’re no medical expert. The only knowledge you got was based on textbooks and first aid knowledge.

Yet somehow, Ran would always come knocking on your door whenever he has cuts or injuries. Sometimes, even without one, he would come by at your place and complain that his body is painful.

And it’s one of those nights again as you hear a soft knock on the door.

Moving to Roppongi, you were warned about the Haitani brothers. How you must stay away from them because they’re just no good. However, you somehow managed to come across the elder Haitani while you were shopping at a local store when he asked you what hair dye he should use.

This little interaction moved from one way to the other and now, ever since Ran found out where you live, he always comes by to let you heal his “injuries”.

You’re not complaining though. Despite the rumors and warnings, Ran was much more different from what other people say. He may be cocky and teasing, but the beautiful man sure is nice when it comes to you.

Causing you to develop a little crush on him.

You opened the door as you welcomed Ran. “Now, what do we have for tonight?”

Ran stepped in as he walked towards the couch. Laying as if he lives around here. “I got a bump on my forehead.” He pointed out as he pouted at you.

“You have Rindou! And you call yourself notorious but you come here whining like a baby.” you rolled your eyes as you got in the kitchen getting an ice pack for the man.

“Here.” You handed out the ice pack as you stood up in front of him.

“No.” Ran rolled his eyes. “Kiss it, Y/N.” he pouted once again.

“You’re not a baby, Ran. Tch.” you sighed as you sat across him. “Take a nap here and I’ll cook for you when you wake up.”

“Now, wifey material aren’t we.” Ran teased as he closed his eyes. Holding the ice packet against his forehead.

About a good 10 minutes have passed and you never heard another bicker from Ran. As you look at him, the man seems to be sleeping like a log.

You crouched down near him. Observing his features. You must say, he’s quite beautiful and more attractive when less chaotic.

“You’re such a big baby.” Thinking that he’s asleep, you kissed the small bump on his forehead.

As you got up to prepare his late dinner, a hand clutched yours.

You felt your body freeze for a moment as you turned around and saw a bastard smiling cockily.

“Do it again, Y/N.” Ran grinned at you as he held on tighter on your hand. “I’m a big baby but your baby.”

“Let me go!.” your face was beat red as you tried to yank off your hands. Only failing as Ran grabbed your arms causing you to fall on top of him.

“I like you, Y/N” Ran hugged you tightly while you were a blushing mess on top of him. “So let's just stay like this for a while.”

And you did.

Being with Ran isn’t so bad after all.

Rindou Haitani

If there’s one thing you’re proud of, it’s the skill you have for coloring people’s hair.

You like dyeing your hair, your friend’s hair, your cousins, and to just anyone who asks for your help. So it was no surprise when Rindou asked you to help him in doing his highlights.

Of course you can’t say no. Not because he is a Haitani but because you actually like his presence. When you’re around him, everything seems more calm and peaceful.

Despite being a menace around Roppongi, you and Rindou are actually good friends. You’ve known each other when he saved your ass around a group of guys who tried to harass you. And although he was stoic to you at first, he was able to ease up to you because of your caring nature.

After all, you recognized him as Rindou Haitani and not “Ran’s younger brother”. And he appreciated you for it.

So now here you are in their living room. Currently finished in dyeing Rindou’s hair.

“And there you have it. We just have to wait for an hour or so before washing it.” You tidied all the mess up as Ran sat and observed you. “By the way, why won’t you let me dye Ran’s hair?”

He raised an eyebrow upon your question. “Because he can’t have you.” Your eyes widened from his statement. Rindou, realizing what he just said, covered it up with an excuse. “I mean, I want him to dye his own hair and let it look shit. If he wants someone to dye his hair properly, he can go to the salon.”

You laughed at his statement. Well, he can actually crack up jokes once in a while if he loosens up his strict facade. “Oh Rindou, we also need to buy an extra conditioner.”

You looked up and saw the man with closed eyes. Deciding that you don’t want to disturb his sleep, you sat quietly beside him and observed him.

Rindou is already handsome with his glasses. But you realized that he looks much cuter without one.

He just looks good in anything.

You traced the bridge of his nose as you admired his features. “You know what? I actually might have feelings for you.” you muttered softly as you smiled.

“Let’s go out on a date then.” Rindou opened his eyes as he looked at you. Your lips a few inches away from his.

“Rindou!!!” You sat up straight. “I thought you were-”

“Asleep? Well I’m not.” he smiled at you as reached out for your hand. “But I meant it Y/N. I like you, and I want us to go on a date.” Rindou looked at you, hoping for an immediate response.

He does like you. After all, you were the only person who he was able to open up to other than Ran.

“Okay.” You smiled as you brushed your thumb at the top of his hand.

Rindou caressed your cheeks. Leaning in and going for a kiss.

“Ohh. Can I join?” a teasing voice butted in. Causing you two to look at the tall man who’s leaning in the doorframe. “I mean can I join Y/N’s dye party? Just continue that later.”

“Ran, get out!” Rindou shouted as he pointed at the door to his brother.

Well, things quickly escalated with the brothers.

As well as your relationship with Rindou.