#also not edited so i'll reblog this later with revisions

[oneirataxia-girl]

❝ i don't like most people, but you're an exception. ❞ for Mari pls!! (could even make it Midlaw, if you're feeling it, but anyone will do!)

ngl when I saw this I had the vision of the most devastating Mari moment during the timeskip - ‘twas a struggle to not write it out bc it’s a Character Development for her and therefore spoilers (and also bc I haven’t fleshed it out completely oop-). but here’s another place (not Midlaw tho 😔) I think this prompt would work

set sometime after Arlong Park, live-action friendly so psst opla girlies @auxiliarydetective, @starcrossedjedis, @xoteajays, @daughter-of-melpomene, I humbly present this offering to you (can you tell I'm sleep deprived asdjasldakj

A groan escaped Kenji as he sat down. Even after months of training, he was still nowhere near beating Zoro. The guy could at least pretend to struggle when Kenji tried to hit him, but no, he just had to yawn lazily and slam his knee into Kenji’s stomach. Now, he wasn’t one for holding grudges, but Sanji was right to have one against the swordsman, Kenji should help him hide all the booze on the ship. And some of the meat, since Luffy just kept laughing while his poor body got pummeled by Zoro, some captain he was.

“You alright?”

“Gah!” His hand felt for the handle of his revolver, drawing it out to face – “Mari?”

She answered with a thump of something landing in his lap. Something lumpy and smelling vaguely of the herbs the Marines used to ease their muscles after training.

Kenji waited for his crewmate to elaborate on the package. Mari was silent. But it’s possible she just left after tossing the stuff at him, she’s quieter than Nami and even less chatty than their navigator when she’s trying to read a new map. Plus, Luffy didn’t even have the decency to get someone else to keep watch in place of him, so Mari probably just came to grab something or another and brought that along for him.

Come to think of it, she does do stuff for him a lot – not that she doesn’t do stuff for the other members of the crew, but Mari definitely looks out for him more. If it were Usopp wincing from injuries, Mari wouldn’t bring a weird-smelling pack of whatever’s-in-this to help him; plus, she helps him get out of chores all the time. This could only mean one thing.

“Do you want help?”

Oh, She’s still here.

“With this?” Kenji asked. Then remembered that she couldn’t see what he was referring to and added, “The stuff you gave me.”

“Yes.”

Yeah, Mari would never offer to help Usopp apply medicine. Nor would she for anyone else, probably. Maybe Nami if she asked for help, but they seemed to be awkward around each other, so perhaps not.

So, who was he to turn down an offer possibly only he could get?

His crewmate was efficient in her day-to-day work; several weeks of being on the same boat taught Kenji that, but Mari was also pretty good at dealing with wounds. Apparently, Zoro’s injuries from Mihawk didn’t tear up halfway to Arlong Park because of her interventions, and after the fight there, she dealt with all the scrapes the crew acquired from kicking fishman butt and the ones the people of Coco Village, too. Kenji didn’t get to witness her abilities after that fight – thankfully – but feeling her hands applying a salve to his bruised knuckles, he had to admit, Mari was pretty good at avoiding more hurt when she pressed down to rub the ointment into his skin.

Which was good enough for him, he didn’t want to know if she could be gentle when she was cleaning cuts or snapping joints back in their places. He’d prefer it if bruises and burns and sprains were the only reason he had to ask Mari for medical assistance, thank you very much.

His non-bruised hand closed around a small bottle of something, “Apply a thin layer to anywhere you’ve been bruised, wraps are for the nasty ones.” Mari’s voice elaborated at his sound of confusion.

“What’s a nasty one?” Kenji chose to focus on that part instead of Mari leaving him to fend for himself, he could lament that later.

“Depends on you.”

That was not an answer, and Kenji told her so. Mari didn’t reply, so he counted that as a win for him.

“The ones swollen,” she said just as Kenji thought she left, “don’t wrap it too tight.”

“So the one on my stomach.”

Mari was silent, then said, “Sure.”

No help, absolutely none. Kenji was starting to doubt her proficiency in medicine.

“Is that everything?” He asked after a minute of silence.

Mari’s voice was a tad further away this time, “Any other injuries?”

“Yeah,” He began, wondering for a moment if it was smart to – “Can I ask you something, though?”

A beat.

“Sure.” That word was clearer, her face lit by a lantern as she stood with her arms crossed.

He didn’t get a lamp, or a candle, or anything when he settled down to keep watch.

“Where did you get that?” He couldn’t help himself as he pointed to the light in her hand.

She gestured at a wooden beam behind her. Kenji wasn’t sure if that meant the thing was there and she simply grabbed and lit it or something else. Come to think of it, when did she get it?

“Is that it?”

“Is what it?” Kenji repeated without thinking, then shook his head, “Nah, I’ve got another one.”

Mari’s head dipped slightly.

Bidding a goodbye to his preferential treatment, Kenji continued, “Why are you nicer to me?”

Mari’s head tilted to the side.

“Not that I don’t like it or anything, it’s just –” How could he say this without sounding like he was full of himself? “You’re definitely nicer to me than to Usopp or Nami or Luffy, is it because you like me or something?”

A line formed between her eyebrows, and Kenji was no master at reading faces, but was that… disgust on her face?

“No,” She shook her head, “Absolutely not.”

“I meant like in a friendly way…?” Kenji added, but it just sounded like a bad attempt at covering up, even to his ears.

At that, Mari’s face stopped looking like she was about to vomit at the thought of her liking him – seriously? He wasn’t that bad of a catch – and grew back into her normal expression. Which meant he had no idea what was going on in her mind, as usual.

“Maybe,” Came Mari’s answer after a while, during which Kenji contemplated whether he could hurl himself into the sea from his seat to avoid interacting with her ever again, “I don’t like most people, though.”

“But I’m the exception?” Kenji prodded further, then regretted it when she fixed him with the stare, the one that felt like she was looking through his mind.

Mari didn’t give him an answer for the next few minutes, just stared into his soul. Probably because she enjoys making people regret their decisions, who needs that long to decide if they liked somebody or not?

“Yeah,” She agreed, “But you’re the exception.”

Huh.

Well, that proved it, Kenji was Mari’s favorite. He couldn’t wait to lord that over Sanji the next time the cook started to wax poetic over the two girls in their crew.

His new favorite crewmember strode forward, “I’ll do the rest of your watch,” Mari told him, lifting him to his feet with a flick of her wrist, “Go get some rest.”

And since he was only human, he obeyed easily and started to go towards his warm bed.

“Himura?”

Kenji turned around at the mention of his surname.

“Don’t tell Blondie.”

So he still could brag about that to Usopp, got it.

“Or Usopp, or Nami.”

Ugh, at least he could tell Luffy –

“And especially not Luffy.”

“But I can tell Zoro?” Kenji couldn’t help but ask.

Mari finished lighting another lantern, “Peabrain only cares about being the captain’s favorite.”

Kenji shrugged. It did sound like Zoro, after all.

give me a prompt + oc and I'll write a drabble!

[b4kuch1n]

Hi! it's dember and some stuff has Happened and I am now in need of a buffer between now and lunar new year. so I'm opening for

digital ink commission

How this works is

comms will open for one hour at a time or until 5 pieces are in the queue, whichever condition comes later

I will edit and reblog this post when it opens or closes, so if you're not sure if I'm taking comms or not please click through to the original post to check!

I will take commissions via email to b4kuch1n@gmail.com; please include visual or textual references as well as your PayPal email in your inquiry.

a confirmation email will be sent out once your commission's added to the queue. I reserve the right to turn down any commission I receive (in which case I'll also tell you via email)

payment will be through PayPal - please wait for the invoice before paying - and made in full before I start on your commission.

there will be no sketch revision. please keep this in mind when preparing your references

UPDATE 30/12/2023: Commission closed! Thank you very much for the support!

[thornilee013]

WIP Wednesday 18.9.2024

Hello! Welcome back!

If you don't know how WIP Wednesdays work, hop down to the "read more!" If you know the drill, my offerings for this week are listed here.

1. Pulling Through

2. 101 Ways Not to Say I Do

3. Silly Little Jean Moreau Fic

4. Needle AU

5. Baby Jean

6. Dealer's Choice (a snippet from a random project of my choosing! Also, you'll force me to work on one of my secret projects and can feel a lil evil)

*** Important note for this week: I have a pretty unpredictable schedule, so I may or may not have access to my computer later on. However, I WILL get to any asks that are sent in! ***

How WW works:

- you send me an ask with the name of any of the prompts that I've provided! I take multiple requests, even for the same project! (This is something that varies depending on the participant, so make sure to pay attention to any limits other people have put in place.)

- I respond to your ask(s) with three new sentences that I have written for that project. Sometimes they're chronological, and sometimes they're from a scene that I'm working on that is new from the previous week. I'll include notes for context.

- enjoy the sneak peeks at my projects!!! Everything that gets posted is in its "Rough Draft" stage, and I'll go through and edit/revise them before posting them to Ao3.

- spread the word! Send asks to fellow participants and reblog others' WWs! The more writing, the better!!!

YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE CAUGHT UP ON MY PROJECTS IN THE SLIGHTEST OR EVEN FOLLOW THEM TO BEGIN WITH TO SEND IN AN ASK. Please please please do not be shy. I love WW and the more asks I get the more excited I am.

Usually I'd also include a few sentences that I've written for one of my projects, but those are for the secret project that I can't share quite yet. GAH. Trust me.

[keshi-gommu]

Time to make this sticky/intro post!!

Wazzup, welcome to my page. I'm Dj Sunstone This blog has a little bit of a lot going on but I try to organize it with tags.

I like to play rnb, hip hop, Disco and house music when I DJ. Outside of that I post clips from video games and just teblog the stuff I enjoy.

I'm pro sex worker and do reblog a significant amount of sex worker content. With that in mind, my blog is 18+. If you are under 18 and/or do not want to see random adult content please DNI.

In terms of music, you can use the following tags to help navigate

#djsunstone chooses - music recommendations

#streamhighlights -stream stuff

--

I also like the pokemon IRL/rotomblr community and participate mildly. In this I also go by Dj Sunstone. When I am doing/reblogging pokemon irl content it will be tagged #pokemonirl and #unreality accordingly.

I live in the Paldea region, based in the area of Medali (that shard Cafe slaps, even if the school folks show up frequently to fight Larry). For work I'm a unionized freelance pokemon gym compliance officer (All officer, but no Jenny.... no shade to my friend Jenny on the compliance team. She's unlearning that cop shit.). Me and the rest of the compliance team will take on various jobs to inspect and test gyms to make sure they are in up to code in terms of flexability, typing, and overall capability. Ultimately our job in the compliance department is to ensure better enrichment and development of pokemon trainers.

In order to keep my pokemon strong, fit , and well maintained, I've been also working part time as a crystal cavern excavator along with other trainers who need to keep their pokemon in good form. The Paldea region has these weirdass crystals that pop up daily and hold terastallized pokemon and, more importantly, have a lot of shit you can sell to the pokemart. The stronger the pokemon inside, the greater the rewards. I've even seen this hebra mystica I read about in my academy days there. Neat!

Normally we'd let the folks doing their treasure hunt handle most of the crystal caverns since theres a lot of small fry out there, but recently we've been seein some crazy black crystals showing up with some tricked out and strong as hell terradtallized pokemon that are waaaaay too dangerous for your average trainer. So i roped my compliance friends in to help battle (and the rewards certInly helped grease the wheels on that) . We've also been seeing champion class trainers from all over paldea region stepping up to help take down these black crystal raids. We're not always successful in defeating the terastallized pokemon in the black crystals, but usually just engaging them in battle is enough to get them tired out too.

That said, I spend my off time playing music (Giacomo has some crazy good remixes tbh, i mean have you HEARD the team star theme?), and taking care of my pokemon.

Being a compliance officer, I have a significant amount of pokemon that I care for and I'll share them here. But for now my current team is:

Jupiter (Meowscarada)

Mahk [pronounced like Mark with a pokeboston accent] (Electrode)

Owen (Pawmot)

Goldy (Magneton)

Sylvester (Sylveon)

Chikken Bean (this weird ass red Cyclizar I found; Some kid has been riding around on one too, and later I learned it's related to that Professor who abandoned their kid)

(This post will be edited to revise my current team and maybe add pics)

I've got room for one more on the current squad. Chikken Bean is my wheels in the region, he doesn't do any real battling so he's not really part of the 6 pokemon I carry around as my party.

[massivechildshark]

Another edit of the year now that I'm getting more organized with this blog's content.

Y'zsekh here but do call me Yse as it's shorter.

Here I'll be posting mainly screenshots of any videogame I play or my own writing, and reblogs from other folks. I aim to fill up this with stories and things about my ocs and projects in the future though.

I'm currently in a Guild Wars 2 and Baldurs Gate 3 mood, so I'll very surely post about my ocs there more often.

GW & GW2 Blorbos --» gw blorbos i play with! BG3 Blorbos --» bg3 blorbos i also play with! (wip!) Other Characters --» non-vg blorbos (wip!)

I follow from my main: @yzsekh

I can also be found on:

Cohost: @/yzsekh Pillowfort: @/yzsekh Bluesky: @/massivechildshark

Under the read more is a small description of the tags that I'm using to organize this blog, so refer to them in case of curiosity about a tag from me on any reblog.

#yzsekh writes - is for my own writing.

#blue goat - (I liked how it sounded, fight me) will be the tag for things that I don't know where to put yet.

#to keep in mind - is for things I will need to revise later, resources and things I need to remember.

#yse: [oc's name] - tag for ocs.

#shark's eye - is for things I find that can either inspire, or be related to, some ideas or an emotion for a character/scene.

#nature - is for, well, nature stuff.

#shark finds - equivalent of me shoving things made by others into my mouth (affectionately).

#blooming shark - is for posts where I talk about my plants.

#yzsekh plays - is for any game related content I might post.

#inky shark - is for challenges, ask games and anything I consider could be related.

#yzsekh draws - very rare tag that might appear.

#yzsekh talks - for me rambling about stuff or answering asks.

#shark collection - art refs and tutorials I'll be, you guessed it, collecting.

[firemblem-fics]

Running With the Wolves [1]

preview | >>

-> Yuri Leclarc x Fem!Reader

-> Modern!Au | Gang!Au | Enemies to Lovers

-> Word Count: ~3.3k

-> Warnings: Violence, Blood, Cursing, Weapons

-> Summary: You were just a normal college student, trying to find her way in a new place. You didn’t mean to get caught up in the wrong crowd. You just wanted coffee, but now you’re running with the wolves.

-> A/N: SURPRISE I POSTED IT EARLY ! thanks to my lovely beta readers for helping me revise and edit this chapter to make it better! i’m still in a writing mental block but i think this is one step closer to getting out of it! so, please enjoy (again)! also, all characters are aged up (21+)! also y’all should reblog this so it gets out more 🥺

send me an ask if you’d like to be on the taglist!

"Fuck- She's losing too much blood, Boss, she's not gonna make it!"

"No, no. She's going to make it- I'll make sure of it. Stay alive!"

Your vision was dark and blurry- you couldn't quite see anything. You could only make out a few silhouettes hovering above you, each one rushing around and yelling frantically. You couldn't count how many were there. Your vision kept doubling and it was hard to discern one person from three. Focusing just caused things to get worse.

"Someone put pressure on the damn wound! She certainly won't make it if you all keep messing around."

It was only now that you noticed a sharp pain radiating from your chest, right below your ribs. You gasped loudly and coughed. It hurt worse than the throbbing that already coursed through your head. Your body burned.

Trying to look down, you saw a rag soaked in blood. Hands with bright nails pressed down on your wound to slow the flow, but it didn't seem to be helping. You started feeling dizzy and laid back again, clenching your eyes tight as nausea engulfed you.

"No, keep your eyes open, Y/N, dammit! Wake up!"

Slowly, the pain began fading, as did your view of the people above you and their voices. You could still barely hear the voice crying, sobbing out your name. Whoever they were, they were crushed.

"Wake up!"

Was that voice finally fading away too?

"Wake up!"

No- it was getting louder.

"Wake up!"

"Ellie, what the fuck do you want?" You groaned, rolling over on your bed.

Your roommate bounced on her knees, making your bed creak loudly. "What do you mean? It's like 10am, your class is at 11. Don’t talk to me with that tone of voice."

"Fuck me."

"Absolutely not, baby." Ellie smacked a pillow beside you and got up. "Get ready!" She went to her own room, leaving you to your own devices.

When you applied for an apartment roommate, Ellie was certainly not the one you were expecting. You would've preferred a chill, laid-back, person. Instead, Eleonora Yumizuru walked into your life (and apartment) and practically made herself at home. She didn't judge you from transferring so far away from your old home for your last year of college, claiming that "home roots don't mean shit when it comes to making it in the real world".

She had the right to say such a thing, having moved to Fodlan from another country in her youth. She was able to understand the occasional homesickness and help you cope as you adjusted to Fodlan life. She understood you like the back of her hand from the moment you met and you did the same for her.

Really, you had to let her move in. She’d probably have stayed even if you rejected her.

She was the complete opposite of what you were looking for- overconfident, stubborn, loud- but she grew on you and easily became your best friend. There was just something about the bubbly, blue-eyed, blonde-bobbed bitch that hooked you.

She had certainly hooked other people as well, but thank God her bedroom is on the other side of the apartment. Her social skills and magnetic personality worked for platonic friends and acquaintances as well. Ellie was constantly bringing over friends, allowing you to expand your own circle. She was heaven-sent for a newbie like you.

You sat up from your bed, yawning and stretching. Trudging to your bathroom, you rolled your eyes as the infamous Taylor Swift blared through Ellie's speakers, "Shake it Off" shaking the entire apartment. Nothing against T. Swift, but sometimes she was not the first thing you want to hear when you wake up. At least not at max volume. Ignoring the song switching to "You Belong With Me" -another banger from Swift herself, but really "Teardrops on My Guitar” was your favorite- you finished getting ready and lazed into Ellie's room.

"I've got class 'till late today." You sat on her bed. "Do you want me to pick up dinner? It’ll let me explore the area."

"Oh, please do. You need to get out more. But where?"

You shrugged. "There's really only like two good food places here. Golden Pizza and Blue Lion Buffet. Your choice."

Ellie thought for a moment. "I went to the buffet with my little friend Touma the other day... so pizza! I just can't choose a side in their little spat."

"Spat?" You tilted your head.

"Goodness, Y/N! I know you're a little new here, but you haven't even heard of the shit that goes on between those restaurant owners?"

Shaking your head, you stayed silent for her to continue.

"The owners of Blue Lion Buffet, Eagle's Freezery, and Golden Pizza are all huge rivals. I heard they were all close, but went their separate ways. All the owners' kids are our age, too. They go to Fodlan Uni, but I don't know who they are." She smiled. "I am an esteemed woman with an upcoming high status. Who would I be to take sides? I prefer to cater to them all."

You could only nod, hiding a smirk at Ellie’s infatuation of fame. A huge restaurant rivalry. How funny. "What about that little cafe on the corner? What's it called? Café des Loups?"

"They're pretty neutral, just some college dropouts trying to make some money. I think they’re gonna get involved eventually- every restaurant’s been dragged into their drama at least once."

You nodded, standing up and messing with your apartment keys. "I'll keep that in mind. Bye, Ellie!"

"Bye! I better see some pizza later!" She called as you made your way out of the apartment, now playing "I Knew You Were Trouble".

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

College was honestly a scam.

You sat in the classes for two hours at a time, for what? You were paying thousands of dollars to be talked at by old dusty men who made you fall asleep faster than trying to read their overpriced textbooks. You paid thousands to nap at a desk.

Unfortunately for you, though, your thousand dollar desk nap was interrupted by a tapping on the surface. You huffed and looked up, coming face to face with a pair of soft, orange eyes. They radiated kindness and just looking into them seemed to lift your mood immediately.

"Hey, you need to wake up for this part. The professor said there's gonna be a quiz on this section tomorrow."

You shot up, looking back at your professor. Blushing embarrassedly, you smiled at the boy. "Thank you..."

"Ferdinand." He drew his bottom lip in between his teeth, as if to conceal his smile, before giving up and returning yours just as brightly.

As you faced forward to Professor Hanneman, as you were pretty sure his name was- or was it Ham Man? You didn’t care enough to know- you were now struggling with two distractions. One, the weight of your eyelids as they threatened to pull you back into dreamland. Two, Ferdinand.

You kept glancing at him, taking in his complexion. He must have come to class late, since you didn't see him before. Or maybe he was on time- you did fall asleep quite early into the lecture.

You were eyeing his carefully sculpted jawline, dotted with subtle stubble that connected to sideburns and led up to clean, silky, orange hair. You wished to run your fingers through it-

"Y/N, this is the second time I've seen you not paying attention." You jumped nearly three feet in the air. "Next time, I'll have to ask you to leave my class since you are obviously taking it as a joke."

"I-I'm not joking! Sorry!" You stuttered, finally finding a reason to keep your attention on the lecture. You did look away once, just to glare at Ferdinand, who only winked and chuckled at your misfortune.

Class was eventually over and you sighed, finally loosening up from forcing yourself to pay attention. You packed your notebook and laptop and swung your backpack on, getting ready to leave the room before a voice called to you.

You turned back. "Ferdinand?"

"I was simply wondering where your next class was. I can walk you to it, if you'd like." Said boy walked quickly towards you, holding himself with a nearly-perfect posture. You felt anxious- he was trying to make himself seem like a gentleman, but you still felt a little unnerved.

"Oh, um, sure! It's not for another fifteen minutes, but it is across campus."

Ferdinand's grin seemed to get larger, making his eyes crinkle at the edges. "How wonderful! That little café is down there and I've been meaning to check it out anyways. It works out perfectly."

"Uh, yeah." You laughed nervously. This was the first time a boy had taken interest in you- or was he really interested? Maybe he's just being nice-

"Also, before I forget. May I get your number? I'd like to talk to such a gorgeous woman like you a little more."

Oh, he was so interested. You had to make yourself breathe again as you handed him your phone to let him put his number in. He gave it back to you and you noticed a heart and a smiley face emoticon next to his contact name. Your heart fluttered at the sight of the emojis and you felt your cheeks heat up a bit. Ferdinand gave you a sweet smile before holding the door open for you, letting you lead the way to your next class.

On the way to the building, Ferdinand spent the time asking you questions and getting to know you better. He had scratched basically the entire surface of you, save for the secrets that new people shouldn't know, and the same could be said for you. Ferdinand was definitely a polished and refined man. He made quite the impression on you.

"What are you doing after classes?" You asked, hoping to invite him for pizza at your apartment.

"Ah, I've got work!" He smiled sheepishly. He definitely caught onto your hopes...

"Really? Where? Maybe after, you could stop by for some Golden Pizza-"

"Actually, I work at the Eagles Freezery." He was tense, suddenly. "So I really shouldn't. Rivalry and all of that, you know?"

You were a little confused, actually. "Why would that prevent you from hanging out for a bit? You didn't buy it, I did. Plus I thought the rivalry was only between the buffet and the pizza place?”

"It's- it's a loyalty thing. It’s between all three of us.”

"It's a restaurant. How loyal could you possibly be to a dumb little ice cream parlor-"

"It's more than that!" Ferdinand snapped his mouth closed, suddenly making himself quiet after his angry outburst. "Listen, I cannot and will not eat there, look at it, talk about it, or do literally anything about it. Please, just understand that."

"Uh, yeah." You nervously readjusted your backpack on your shoulder. "I- I should get to class now. I'll see you later, Ferdinand."

"Goodbye, I'll message you after work!" With that, he sent you a wink and a smile and turned, going about his own day with the most carefree pep in his step. As if nothing ever happened. You, on the other hand, could not have been more confused. Ferdinand seemed unpredictable when it came to his moods. He was comforting and kind, yet was so… upset when you insulted the parlor. It was a restaurant. Why did he get so worked up about it? Maybe Ellie was right about it being such a big deal.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“I just ordered! Go, go, I’m starving!”

Not even five minutes after you got out of your last class, Ellie was calling to remind you about dinner. You were still slightly unnerved from your encounter with Ferdinand, but you agreed to pick it up and would never hear the end of it if you didn’t do something as simple as takeout.

Golden Pizza was only about two blocks away and you stayed on the phone with your roommate the entire time, only saying goodbye as you walked in the establishment. The restaurant was very nice, the honey yellow walls and the glow of the wood-fired oven making the ambience warm and welcoming. You didn’t wait long in the line, soon coming up to meet a boy about your age with a glimmering emerald gaze and a smile just as bright at the front counter.

“Hi!” The boy- Claude, according to his nametag- greeted, “How can I help you?”

“I’m just picking up an order for Eleonora Yumizuru.”

Claude nodded and typed a few things into a computer at the counter. “I know Ellie! She and I had Stats together before she dropped out to pursue her acting career. She’s certainly something.”

“Oh, definitely. I’m her roommate.” Speaking of the devil, your phone vibrated in your pocket. It was a message from her. “She actually just messaged me. Wants me to bring her a dumb little lemonade from that cafe.”

Claude laughed, “You can go and get it now, if you’d like. Your pizza will be a few more minutes. Ellie set the time for your pickup for later, so you’re actually ten minutes early.”

You thanked him and left, walking to the cafe. You took your time, observing the shops around you. Across the street from Golden Pizza stood the Blue Lion Buffet. You smiled to yourself- what a cliche to have rivals across from each other. Beside the pizza parlor was another food shop, the Eagles Freezery. You thought about Ferdinand- he said he was working today. Maybe you could drop by and- No. No, Y/N. Go get your lemonade and go.

A soft bell chimed as you opened the door. You saw four people in cafe uniforms, going about their day as you approached the register.

“Welcome to our humble abode!”

“Constance, that’s only used for a home.”

You shyly waved at the so-called Constance and the pink-haired girl who corrected her. Cafe des Loups- or Cafe of Wolves- was a quaint place, quiet and not crowded, kind of like an off-brand Starbucks. Dim lights adorned the high black ceiling, illuminating the shop just enough for a comforting ambience. There was a mural of a rainforest painted on the wall to the opposite of the counter with comfortable tables and lounging areas. If you could, you’d probably waste the day away lounging around. It was the perfect environment for an introvert like you.

At this shop, a large dark-haired man controlled the register instead of Claude. As you approached the register, you noticed that he wasn’t wearing a nametag, but you had a small urge to call him Bigfoot.

“Hey! What can I get ‘cha?”

You scoured the menu. “Just two pink lemonades is fine-”

“Oh! Good choice!” Constance interrupted you, coming to stand beside the man. “Yuri-bird over there makes the best sweet lemonades!”

You followed her gaze over to a man who was sitting on a stool, slouched down and leaning his head on his hand. He stretched and stood up. “Thank God, we haven’t had many customers all day. I was starting to think we lost our appeal.”

“Of course we have not!” Constance replied. She turned to you, but you couldn’t tell whether she was still talking to Yuri or you. Maybe it was neither. “Not when someone as handsome as Yuri is making the drinks and my attractive self is greeting the customers!”

“Hey! I’m just as much of a visual as the boss-man.” The taller man joined in after taking your money. “We’re all pretty nice looking. Especially this little lady ordering~”

You blushed a bit. “Oh, please, I’m nothing special-”

“Nothing special?” Constance laid her hand against her chest. “You’re wonderful! Almost on the same level as me. Isn’t that right, Yuri-birdie?”

Yuri looked up from making your drinks, his analytical eyes seemingly boring holes into you. You shuddered, feeling like he could tell your deepest and darkest secrets from just looking at you. He shrugged, going back to the lemonades.

“She’s alright, I suppose.”

“You suppose? Yuri, that’s rude-”

Hapi was midway through lecturing the purple-haired man when the door to the shop chimed open and a rather large group came in. Yuri looked up and suddenly stood alert, as did the other three workers. In the group, you saw a familiar head of orange hair and orange eyes met yours. Your face screwed up into confusion.

“Ferdinand?”

“Don’t say anything.” The leader of the group, a short, white-haired girl snarled. “Are you a new… worker here?”

“Wh- you just told me not to say anything.”

Slowly, Yuri and the other three came up beside you, standing slightly in front. Your heart nearly stopped- you were in the middle of something you definitely weren’t supposed to be in and your sass had gotten on their bad side already. The white-haired girl scrutinized the five of you, her lavender eyes piercing holes through whatever facade of confidence you had tried to put up. You could feel yourself literally wither under her gaze, even more than you did when Yuri looked at you.

“What do you want, Edelgard?” Yuri put his hands on his hip, one fiddling with something under his shirt.

“I want your loyalty.”

Yuri snorted. “You aren’t in charge.”

“I’m not? Hm. Tell that to my father after he stepped down. I’m the leader now- the emperor, if you will.” Edelgard sighed heavily. “I have no time for more conversation if you won’t comply. Hubert, deal with them.”

The terrifying man who you assumed was Hubert suddenly reached in his coat and pulled out a handgun, aiming it at the five of you. Yuri quickly retaliated and pulled one of his own, throwing it at Constance before grabbing your wrist and running to the back. A loud gunshot rang through the air as you and Yuri continued to run. You both dodged around coffee shop equipment and he dragged you through a labyrinth that they considered the back of the store.

As you were running, Yuri pulled you to a sharp right turn and your arm scraped against a metal machine in your way. You hissed in pain and looked down at it, seeing a large wound going down your shoulder to your elbow. It was starting to bleed rather quickly, but you had no time to worry about it. You’d have time to tend to it if you survived.

“What’s happening?”

“No time to explain. Quick, hide!”

Yuri pushed you against the wall in between two larger cabinets and stood in front, grabbing yet another gun from his other hip. He cocked it, listening for the ruckus of the fight in the main room to make its way towards your location. You were shaking like a leaf, grabbing tightly onto your wounded arm and smearing blood all over your fingers and your clothes. You breathed heavily, trying to calm yourself at least a little- was this why Ferdinand had been so defensive over the Eagles Freezery? What kind of restaurant rivalry would constitute attempted murder? And wasn’t this cafe uninvolved anyways? You didn't have time to ponder any more questions as a loud crash echoed through the room. Yuri lifted his gun and began to speak lowly, not taking his eyes off of the door.

“When I say run, go out the back door and get in the black car back there. Don’t go home- one of them will find you.”

A gunshot rang through the air and Constance, Balthus, and Hapi burst through the doors, running towards you all. Yuri turned to you as the three of them caught up to him, pulling out their own weapons again as Edelgard began yelling.

“Run!”

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