#angry grandpa escape

[googleplaysore]

A selection of escape games from JRK Games.

[cometkenji]

the warm spot at the bottom of the stairs

Pairing: Ghost!Spencer Reid x Chubby!Fem!Reader CW: Fluff, Mild Angst, Soulmate AU, reader has dreams, mentions of sex/masturbation, mentions of death, cursing, reader feels like she knows him but they've never met, let me know if I missed anything please! Summary: After inheriting your grandfather's estate, you fall in love with the man from your dreams. He just so happens to be in your house, too. Disclaimer: Reader is always written with a chubby/bigger person in mind but in this she's literally not described aside from the fact that she has hips, a stomach, and legs on her body. WC: 9k (this is what happens when you let a man cook) This fic is genuinely my baby. I love soulmate aus with all my heart and soul and also love the dynamic of falling in love with a ghost. Enjoy this please, I tried <3

You swore the heat radiating off the sidewalk was enough to melt the soles of your shoes down to liquid. The sun was unforgivably angry today, glaring down at the world like it had a score to settle. You were less than thankful, as the death of your grandfather had stolen any desire you once held for warmth. The brutal dichotomy of the cold pit sitting in your stomach and the burning heat of the day only added to the sour taste in your mouth.

This house was fucking huge. 

You had no idea how your grandfather managed to hide such an enormous investment from everyone in his life but he’d managed the task seamlessly. Nobody even knew what he was giving you at first. The reading of the will and testimony left nothing but confused relatives until they had found the address that marked the estate. Some were jealous of you, some were confused, some even asked if they could come live with you once you got settled in. You had been absolutely floored when you learned he’d given you a house. Being fresh out of university, you were moving on to grad school while simultaneously preparing yourself to live with your mother until you could afford anything besides student debt payments. 

Now though, you had a castle, with no clue why a house this big was given to you of all people. You were your grandpa’s only grandchild and were by far one of the least deserving of such a generosity. Sure, you were close, but never abnormally close. You talked once a week on the phone and were glued to his side at family gatherings - but he saw your aunt everyday, and spoke with your mother much more than he ever did you. Was it pity? Maybe he saw this as the only plausible way of you escaping the fate of leeching off your mother. Hopefully he didn’t think of you so lowly. 

You mentally cursed at the dull ache in your legs that persisted even after stretching. You had been driving all day with a car packed full of stuff that needed to be hauled into the house, and only yourself to move said stuff. You said a short plea in your head to not let the pain hinder your speed and began walking into the house to view the inside. The estate was isolated, huge fences of greenery surrounded the place, adding to the pleasant sight of budding flowers throughout the front yard. Even without the towering hedges, though, the nearest neighbor was miles away. Great, you thought. Any concerns of your car being robbed while you were gone were extinguished as quick as they came, but you locked the car regardless. Force of habit. 

The heat was only lessened slightly when you reached the interior. You made a mental note to get the A.C. turned on, no way a temperature like this was a liveable one. You’re sure the numerous floor-to-ceiling windows were the culprit. They were excessive. Beautiful - of course - and you were thrilled at the amount of light they let in, but you could basically see the heatwaves permeating through the stained glass. Your eyes caught on the odd choice. The slightly colored glass making the mansion feel mildly like a church, the thought coming to you quickly and stripping any of the minimal comfort you held moments prior. That’s weird, you thought. Your grandpa had never been particularly religious. He was a man of faith - said grace before dinner and thanked Jesus for every day he lived, but never to this extent. He was rather progressive for a man his age.

The kitchen could have easily fit a team of 12 and you wondered if there had been staff at one point. There was no sign of any employees, and you prayed there weren’t any left working. The last thing you wanted was more responsibility in your life. You took your time walking the house, marveling at every painting and polished chandelier that was now an asset of yours. The house was gorgeous, you’d give at least that much to the old man. The centerpiece, of course, was the large spiral staircase leading to the second floor. As large as the house was, it held only two stories. Getting it’s square footage from length, rather than width. It was equally as glamorous as the house it resided in, however it filled you with a certain devastation you couldn’t place. As though your most primal self rejected the idea of it. That’s silly, you thought. You wanted to go upstairs, you were definitely not avoiding half of your house because a couple of your neck hairs stood at attention. The only real peculiarity was the heat pooling at the very bottom of the staircase. The kind of heat that seemed to thread itself into you, intertwine itself with your very being. The rest of the house was cold and accusatory, if your grandfather ever did live here, any of his warmth was flushed out by his death. This was the only spot in the whole house you felt calm, cared for. You could bask in it, weirdly fascinated with the little pocket of humanity that sat there. 

It was more difficult than you’d expected to pull yourself out of it, and you could have sworn you felt arms trying to pull you back in. Ten minutes into your new life and you were already on edge. Negative feelings didn’t seem to penetrate the spot at the bottom of the stairs, so you physically felt the wave of unease when it struck you upon exiting. The upstairs was creepy. The abundance of windows was apparently only a trend on the first floor, as the second floor held dark, dim hallways. The whole thing, it seemed, was lit up by ancient lamps that lined the walls. It reminded you of the Shining, and you wondered briefly if maybe your mother would let you move back in. There was a bedroom right near the staircase, and you decided it would be yours. It could have been the smallest one for all you knew, the only thing you cared about was a quick escape if such a thing was needed. Something about the house put thoughts like that at the front of your mind. 

You don’t recall ever being a paranoid person, nor a believer in the supernatural, but this house was watching you. The feeling of eyes on you was simply too strong to write off. What a warm welcome. 

—

It had been a week, but the nights so far had been sleepless ones. The people you called on day one were just now getting around to starting the A.C. so you were hoping for a decent rest tonight. The fridge was stocked, your things mainly unpacked, and the house started feeling a little more like you with each day. Although, your friends were more or less convinced there was a ghost living with you. You spoke of the feelings you had, plus the fact it was an old and mildly creepy house, and they were off and running with theories. One of the tamer ones consisted of the house being an old church - given the windows - and that the eyes you were feeling were perhaps an old priest who died here. You were less than fond of that idea, but you would take it any day to the other propositions of old mental hospitals and certain death. You made a mental note to never again let your friends speculate on situations you couldn’t get out of.

You argued that a malevolent spirit wouldn’t invoke such a comforting sense within you. You felt watched - yes - but it wasn’t as though you felt stalked. It was much worse, actually, you felt lonely. Loneliness was never a battle you fought very hard in. You had hobbies, and you had friends. The desire for a romantic companion usually took the back burner if it was even a thought at all. People questioned the topic - you were pretty, smart, capable - what more could somebody want? They asked if you were insecure, if you liked girls, told you that you were wasting your “prime years” and needed to find someone - but it was never that simple. You just didn’t get it. The feelings others spoke of were unfamiliar ones to you. You held your breath for a long time before realizing that it probably just wasn’t for you, that you were built a little differently.

Needless to say, you were uncomfortable with the sudden sensation. It felt like seeing the moon in a glass jar - something unfathomably beautiful but something you were unable to hold. Lord knows it wasn’t from a lack of desire, though. You’re sure you reeked of longing, able to suppress the lot of it but unable to stop some from slipping through the cracks of your fingers. And with no obvious direction to cast it, it just clung to you and seeped back into your skin. 

–

“No, dude, I’m telling you shit’s fucking weird.” You shoveled popcorn into your mouth as you spoke with your friend. This was the third call since you moved in. “Every night I wake up at like two in the morning and just for a split second I feel it. It’s like I'm lying on someone’s shoulder or something. And - oh my god - the amount of times I get stuck in that fucking warm spot on the stairs is gonna drive me crazy.” 

You could hear her laughing at your frustration on the other end. “What do you mean you get stuck? Y/n I'm getting worried about your mental state.” 

“No I’m telling you, I walk in this one - like - warm spot and I enter some kind of trance. Like I want to leave but I can’t - Jesus!”

“Are you alright?” Your friend was quick to ask, hearing you cut yourself off mid sentence. 

“No! This shit is haunted I swear. My kitchen lights just turned off for no reason. If I die here I’m blaming you and Kelly for not getting me out.” You were being dramatic, you knew that, but it was starting to feel justified. You don’t remember a time in the last week you felt truly by yourself.

“Hey don’t blame us for your own choi-” She started speaking, but you lost her. 

“Hello? You there?” You tried calling her again but the usual buzz of the dial tone was dead silent, the lamps that were illuminating the house followed soon after. Phone lines were the first to go in a power outing. No fucking way the power just went out. You felt around in the dark for the drawer of the end table. There had been a flashlight on the counter when you’d first arrived. You threw it in the end table because you had no clue why it was there - you were thanking God you’d done so while also praying the thing had batteries in it. You wrapped your hand around the object and said one more plea to the stars you wouldn’t have to be without light until tomorrow. Somebody must have been listening, as the room lit up when you hit the ‘on’ switch of the flashlight. 

You’d seen the fuse box towards the south end of the upstairs hallway, sitting between a Da Vinci replica and a mirror taken straight from a movie star's wet dream. I’m gonna die was the only thing you could think at a moment like this. You were for sure going to see glowing red eyes at the end of the hall and die a horrific and bloody death. Thanks grandpa. The warm spot was a welcome refuge from your journey to certain death, and you embraced the sense of  peace it brought you at a time when your heart was surely beating too fast. You held the light in front of you as you ventured up the stairs. The top of them seemed cartoonishly haunting, you thought momentarily that you would fit perfectly into a Scooby Doo episode. It was vast and dark, having multiple pathways you could walk down, but you set your sights on the south hall and did your best to disable your peripheral vision. It was right there. You just had to reset the power and you’d have your precious light back. Who puts a fucking mirror above a fuse box? 

You held the flashlight between your teeth as you focused on your task. Open and reset. Open and reset. It was truly as simple as that and then you could be done. Go watch a midnight rerun on TV and pray that the spirits would leave you alone. Open and reset. The switches were flipped off - you didn’t think that was normal but what did you know - so you flipped them back on and heard the hum of life returning to the house. Thank God. Your nerves dissipated almost immediately. You were alright, no ghost had it out for you. It’s an old house, and would probably experience things like this a lot. You could do that again if you had to. You looked up, though, and ate your words. There was definitely a man behind you. If you had been trying to look at him, you would have seen he was young, tall. You probably would have thought he was attractive, but you had no time for that. You whirled around, yelping at the sight of him and mentally preparing to defend your life. It proved futile though, he was gone as quickly as he came. There was nowhere he could have gone that fast, so as much as you were certain he was there, you settled for him being imaginary. It was dark upstairs, and you were scared out of your mind. Surely your eyes were overcompensating for the paranoia that was racing through you. You walked back to the couch on guard and decided to call your friend back tomorrow. It was nearly twelve, and you knew she had work tomorrow. You could cope using TV and proper lighting to comfort you until sunrise. What’s one more sleepless night?

“You boys let me know if you need anything.” You heard the words in your own voice as if listening to a stranger. 

“Sure thing, doll.” All the men were in uniform. Gray fabric covered their bodies, adorned with hats of the same color. Soldiers.

You walked back behind the front counter as the bell above the door continuously chimed at the arrival of new guests. Orders were being shouted to the cooks. You stared at the bold letters painted on the large graffiti piece decorating the wall, “Cathy’s Cooking.” A greasy apron covered the light blue dress beneath it - waitress attire. The smell of fried eggs clashed hard with the scent of sanitizer you were using to wipe down the counter. Bells rang to signal orders were ready to be taken out to guests, and you discarded the rag you used to mop up spilled coffee. 

“Thanks, Benny.” You nodded to the chef as you took the food plates to table two. He nodded back at you before returning to flipping bacon. 

“L/N!” Your manager barked at you. “Take your break. Be back in thirty.” He was a friendly man, though he got a bit hostile under pressure. 

You couldn’t be more thankful for the break. It was hour 6 of your shift and you were beginning to think he might never let you off. You removed the apron as quick as possible and excused yourself out the back entrance to cool off in the alley way. It got hot as hell during rush hour, so the way the slight breeze nipped your cheeks felt like heaven. 

“Tough shift?”

“Jesus!”

He started laughing as you startled, turning to face him. “‘Fraid it’s just me, honey.” He walked towards you as you grinned at him.

“You scared me, Spence.” 

He shook his head, mocking you. “I’m so sorry.” Drama queen. “How ever will I make it up to you?”

You giggled at that, and wrapped your arms around his neck as he got closer. He put his hands on your hips, leaning you against the brick wall of the alley. You could feel your lungs open up when he kissed you, always feeling like you could breathe better when his lips were on yours. He was your God given destresser. He still donned his uniform but had opted for taking the hat off, he knew you hated when his hair was hidden.

“That’s not very nice, Reid. I thought you were a gentleman. What would your boys think of you being so mean to a lady?”

He smiled a bit at that. “You like when I’m a little mean, Y/N.” 

Fuck. He had you there. 

You looked to the side for a second to snuff out some of the tension. “How long are you here for?”

“We’re in town for two weeks. Gotta catch a boat up to base 14 on the 20th. Supposedly they’re preparing for a big fight.”

You frowned as you made eye contact with him.“I get so worried about you. About all of you. I don’t know what I’d do if - you know if something happened.” He’d been a soldier for a little while now, joining when he turned 18. He’d kept his hands on your hips, and you started to run your hands through his hair, a nervous habit you picked up when the two of you first got together.

“I know, honey. But by the time it’s done I’ll be off my leash. I do this and we can run away together.”

You looked at him the way you always did - with such admiration and love that he often had to look away before it went to his head. He swore he looked at you the same, but you knew deep down nobody could love anyone as much as you loved him. You laughed a bit at the elation you got from just his presence. 

“I got lucky with you, Reid.”

He just shook his head. “Give yourself more credit, L/n.”

Your consciousness hit you like a truck and you realized before long that sun was shining through the windows. You’d fallen asleep sometime between ultimate terror and fleeting hope of your survival. And that dream - dear lord what the fuck was that dream. It was more vivid than you thought possible. You always forget most of your dreams when you wake up, but this time it felt like forgetting would be a betrayal. You could recall word for word every single thing about that dream. It was as though you saw a movie of your own life. A feeling so familiar you could taste it but just far enough to escape your grasp - and boy were you reaching. Not to mention the man. You didn’t know if this was some sort of coping mechanism you were inventing in your head but that was definitely the same man from the mirror last night. An imaginary friend. You had an imaginary friend as a grown woman. Terrific. 

–

“You’re never going to attract a suiter with such a tragic expression, my dear.” This had to be the third time your mother had roused this point in the past hour. 

“These dances are dreadful, idiotic nights of captivity that do nothing but mock the existence of genuine companionship.” The irony of you saying this while patting your cheeks with rose pigment was not lost on you. “Let me scrub myself raw and willingly restrain myself in hopes a man will see me and fall in love.” You spat out the last word with enough vitriol to hopefully drown yourself in. “Maybe he’ll like me so much he’ll lay claim and I can live on to be his housewife and half a person. How I've always dreamed of letting a man decide how much value I have.” You were flustered by the end of your spiel, looking at your mother through the large vanity with the tentative hope of a child asking for sweets. 

“You read too much, darling. Those little romance books of yours are nothing but nonsense.” She was a professional at writing you off by now. “You know plenty of women who are perfectly satisfied with their lives. This is how we do things, Y/n. I don’t understand why you insist on fighting it so intently.” 

She was never truly angry at your defiance, only tired. You could never tell if she was tired of you complaining or if she, like you, was tired of living this way. Your mother had married young - even for the times - and you knew your father left much to be desired in her life. They were basically repulsed by each other, only joining in union to produce a child. Your mother had been thrilled to have a daughter. Your father would trade you if he could, but he made do. The ultimate lack of affection between the two of them made you ill. You weren’t much older than your mother had been, you could very well end up trapped and child-bound in a loveless marriage.

“I would rather die alone than end up with my father.” You spoke, she sighed. 

“I know.”

You stared at her through the mirror for a moment longer, then you rose from your chair. Your makeup was done, your look now complete. You noticed your mother’s eyes start to well up at the sight of you and she started to walk closer. 

“My beautiful girl.” She smiled, forbidding the tears to venture down her cheeks, and held your shoulders. “You deserve a man who will worship you. Your future husband will be the luckiest man on planet Earth.” A gentle prompt, but a prompt nonetheless. You knew she loved you, but she carried more shame as you got older. Having only a daughter was something frowned upon, but having only a daughter hellbent on avoiding marriage was something that weighed on her. 

“I’ll see you in the carriage.” Then she was gone, kissing your cheek and taking her exit to go talk with the director of the communal ride. Carriage was being generous, it was more like a one-way wagon to the local suiter’s ball. You watched her leave with a sense of grief so intense it nearly toppled you. She deserved a man like that too. 

-

This was your third ball of the month. The pool of potential partners diminished with each one. People would often take whatever they could get, meaning less and less people even needed these nights anymore. You walked in with your mother, hand resting gently in the crook of her extended elbow. Your father stopped attending with the two of you a while ago. You believed he’d given up hope of a man ever choosing you - Lord knows he wouldn’t. Scanning the crowd, you saw little to look forward to. The music was pleasant, you would dance with a couple men who seemed bearable at best and criminal at worst, indulge in some of the enticing pastries and teas, and then you would leave. Back home until your mother dragged you out the following week for another one. With your current rate, you assumed you would end up marrying the vagabond that perused your neighboring streets. Taking another look around, you thought you might prefer that. 

You made your temporary home in a corner chair, letting your mother excitedly drag prospects up to you and watch dejectedly as they ruled you out as an option. You felt bad for her, considered caving in and finding a man to give you a child, but you remember swiftly how long the years take to pass when you’re miserable. The chair gave you a good view of the room, you could see the entrance and the dancefloor filled with enticing women waiting for men to notice them. You could feel the sweat start slicking your skin beneath the corset you wore. It was too hot in here. 

If you hadn’t been so determined to ignore the occasional advances of bored men, you would have missed the small group entering the area. Two women and two men, you wondered briefly if it was two couples, but discarded that thought. This wasn’t a place for couples. You felt your heart physically lurch at the sight of the last man in the row of four, as though your heart was running to greet an old friend. Had you seen him before? Surely you would have remembered such a visceral reaction. You averted your eyes before he could notice you. You don’t remember ever wanting to be noticed by a man - especially not this badly. You allowed yourself the escape of your own thoughts, getting lost in your head to pass the time and focus on anything other than what was probably the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen. 

“Do you mind if I sit with you?”

You looked up, he was standing above you. The chair next to you had been taken all night, the same woman had been sulking in her seat, and you found comfort in the fact someone else was unhappy to be here. She was gone now. Someone was definitely messing with you. 

“Not at all.”

Your mouth was drier than it had ever been. You wondered if your lips remained stained from the color you applied earlier. You’d done nothing but sit all night and yet you were praying nothing had happened to your makeup. 

“Why are you alone in a corner?” 

“Men tend to be repulsed by my pessimism. I also happen to hate it here. Serves for a less than desirable combination.” You refused to let your sudden attraction diminish your stubbornness. You hated the self-consciousness racing through you, no man had the right to take your assurance in yourself. 

“Why do you hate it here?” He wasn’t being mocking. He seemed - genuinely - a little sad at the thought of you being unhappy. 

“Well, sir, I am of the belief that these dances are nothing but congregations of people settling for lives that won’t make them happy. They trade excitement for safety as though the presence of security has to mean the presence of misery. I don’t think anyone can know the true meaning of love in our current state as a society.” You didn’t look at him as you spoke, instead staring out at the people dancing. “I hold no desire to settle. I am capable of making happiness on my own. Most men don’t like the thought of me not needing them.” 

You were almost positive you lost him. You were betting on him not being there when you looked, preparing yourself to bite the bullet and cope with tonight’s losses. Maybe your mother would agree to leave early. 

You heard him chuckle softly. “Sir.” He repeated your words, finding humor in the formality. “My name’s Spencer.” He added. “And I also happen to hate the purpose of these events. I’ve never actually been to one before, but I’m new to the city, and something about tonight was begging me to come out.” 

You were absolutely bewitched by him. “I’m Y/n.”

“Fitting.” He smiled, a smile directed at his own thoughts, as though something in his mind had clicked. “Will you dance with me?”

The music had slowed severely. You scoffed at his proposal, but you were taking his hand as if you’d been waiting on this. Maybe you had been. You were grateful for the ballad that was playing, never having been one for upbeat dancing. He led you gracefully, and for once you felt yourself relinquish power. With a mind like yours, a man’s company was almost never wanted. With this one, though, you laid your heart at his feet as if you’d done so a dozen times before. The heat of his hands was seeping through your dress, and his eyes were locked with yours. 

“I feel like I know you.” A confession. He had an effect like that.  

“Maybe you do.” 

–

Two in the morning. Everyday you’d woken up at two in the morning from a different dream involving the mysterious ‘Spencer Reid’. You friends had kindly dubbed him the “Man of your dreams” following the stories you told them. You’d been a housewife, trying to welcome him home from work before he laid you down and made an altar of your dining table.You’d been the daughter of a king, at one point, falling in love with his favored knight. Shamefully, that one haunted you. Reappearing in your mind during intimate times when you needed a spark. You’d never been one for desire either. When your friends started preaching the wonders of sex to you during your highschool days, you felt no pull towards the act. Just another it you didn’t understand. Now, though, this house served as an aphrodisiac. You lost count of your streak by day 13, and were now just begging whoever put this apparition in your home for the strength to keep your hand out of your pants. 

Spencer had become more like a roommate rather than an unwanted guest. You saw him in most reflective surfaces around the house. You felt him everywhere. He sat at the table with you, watched TV with you, he would wait by the door when you got home from work. Sometimes, your hand or your shoulder would run hot. Physically hot, like he was putting his hands on you. You wondered if he was around during those times, but if he was there he made sure you didn’t know it. You were gaining a sort of intuition for him. The thought Spencer would like that struck you numerous times when you were window shopping or when you tried on an outfit. You were starting to think maybe you were just crazy. Perhaps a ghost who seemed to be your soulmate and made you incredibly horny was how all psychotic breaks started. 

Weirdly, through your bizarre dreams and inconsistent sleeping patterns, this was the most well rested you’d felt in a while. Waking up at two am was routine now, sometimes you managed to fall back asleep afterwards but most times you were up dwelling on the images your mind had shown you that night. You thought maybe your body was just adjusting - surely it was nothing supernatural giving you energy - just the adaptivity of the human brain. One persistent thing you couldn’t adapt to, though, was how much you missed him. The increasing number of times you woke up to being the only occupant of your bed was starting to wear you down. You feel like you’d spent lifetimes with this man and yet he was someone you never knew. You'd seen the two of you fall in love countless different ways except the one that actually counted - the present. 

“I genuinely don’t know how much longer I can do this.” Another phone call, another conversation about your rapidly declining mental state. “I have fallen in love with a figment of my own imagination. Surely this is some demented form of narcissism.”

“I don’t think it works like that, Y/n.” Your friend was terrible at comforting people. It probably didn’t help that you hadn’t been fully honest with her about the severity of your situation. From where she was standing, you had learned to lucid dream and now that was bleeding mildly into your real life. Not the biggest deal, maybe you were just lonely. 

“It’s a ghost, dude, I’m fucking telling you. There’s no way I’m imaginative enough to conjure all this shit up.” 

“You know his name right? Go down to the library and look him up. If he’s a ghost then surely there’ll be something to find.”

Holy shit. She was a genius. “Oh my God you’re so smart. I love you. You just saved my life. You’re God’s gift to the planet. Who would I be witho-”

“Jesus Christ will you just go? Stop kissing my ass and start driving. I want details when you get back.” 

You don’t know if you’ve ever been so eager to get to the library of all places. If you could snag a computer spot then you could put an end to all of this. He wasn’t real, realistically you knew that, but you had a fool-proof way to check. If he was real you were going to have to come to terms with the fact you could see dead people. Well, a dead person. You had never seen any before Spencer. You’d never seen Spencer either, not before the house at least. They say you can’t make up faces, that if you see someone in a dream then you’ve seen them in real life but you were incredibly doubtful of that by now.

Spencer Reid. Thankfully the man didn’t have a particularly common name. You hoped there would be limited matches, less to look through. Pretty soon you could accept your own mental insanity and maybe ask your mother to spot you for some therapy. Well, moment of truth. You watched each letter be typed in with baited breath until his full name was in the search bar. Even just looking at his name brought that sense of calm. You were hopeless. Until, apparently, you weren’t. 

Brilliant Dr. Reid dead at 26

Former FBI agent Spencer Reid found dead in his home

Spencer Reid co-workers speak out on his legacy. Where to go from here?

You scoured every article you could find, analyzing every pixel of every image available. This was your guy. Same Spencer Reid from your dreams. Same Spencer Reid that stands behind you in every mirror of the house. Holy shit who was this guy? He was a little older than you, died last year in the summertime. Each article painted a brutal picture of his death, speculating on how the doctor died but never comfirming anything. Only that he was dead when paramedics got there, the sight of his covered body being extracted from his home was one that would stick with you. His home. It was the same house you were living in. It’s possible your grandfather was renting it out. That’s probably why nobody ever knew about it - he wasn’t living there. You didn’t know when water started pooling in your eyes, you only realized them as they started falling down your cheeks. You didn’t even know him. You didn’t even know him but you felt like someone just sucker punched you and were about 60% sure your lunch was coming back up. Jesus. 

There was no way you could tell your friends about this. The majority of your brain was pleading with you to rationalize this. Maybe you’d seen one of the articles before. Maybe your grandpa talked about him. Holy shit he had known your grandpa. Every individual thought you had was identifiable and that was far too overwhelming for your brain to handle. You signed out of the computer and went to go sit in your car. Could you even drive like this? Your hands were shaking so bad there was a good chance you’d crash the car before you got home. It’s twenty minutes, you thought. You had to go back. Staying away from the house any longer felt like a punishment. You can make it twenty minutes.

–

“No, no. Like I said it was just some old guy who wrote a book. No sign of my Spencer.” You were lying straight through your teeth. You figured it didn’t truly matter. If you sat here and told the entire story of finding exactly who you were looking for online, you think she’d have checked you into a facility. 

“Maybe if you believe hard enough you can manifest him.” 

“Wow you’re hilarious. Remind me again how I ever lived my life without such a humorous presence.”

“I question that same thing everyday, Y/n.” You could hear the smile embedded in her words.

“I’ll let you go. I know Dylan is probably waiting on you. Thanks for checking up on the Spencer chronicles.” You felt slightly bad. She was on her honeymoon currently, and instead of spending time with her new husband, she was listening to your stories of fraternizing with a ghost. 

“I’m sorry you’re going through this. I’m sure it’s weird as hell. Call me up if you need to, yeah? Hotel has unlimited calls so I can talk all night if you need to.” She was an angel in this world.

“Thanks, same goes here. If you get sick of your husband you know where to find me. Remember to use protection.” 

“Alright, nevermind. You may suffer by yourself for all I care.” She laughed while she threatened you.

“Bye, honey. Love you.” You should have felt alone, but you never did. He was most likely here with you. 

The exhaustion had well and truly crept up on you. You planned on getting home and calling your friend immediately, but you ended up needing a good few hours to cry and pace around the house. You weren’t scared - it was essentially the opposite. The complete lack of fear bred so much confusion that you didn’t know how to cope with the amount of frustration on your shoulders. You paced the house hoping to find him. You wanted to be near him. You harbored the immature hope that knowing who he was would grant you the ability to see him. Did you even know who he was? He was a doctor, an agent, but who was he to you? Is that what you needed to know in order to see him?

Now, sitting on your bed, you felt like you’d been through the ringer. The mental gymnastics of the day weighing heavily on your body. You needed to go to sleep. You wanted to go to sleep. In the last week or so you’d noticed a certain excitement regarding the promise of another tale, another dream. They were so extravagant, not even in the details of them, just in the consistency of pure emotion. You could have been fighting dragons or sitting on the porch in rocking chairs. If he was by your side, there was always this certain euphoria surrounding the two of you. A feeling reserved just for you and him. God you missed him.

– 

You woke up slowly to a familiar bed beneath you, this was your house. The window was open, curtains blowing cautiously as the mild chill of the Fall breeze wafted in and dusted over your collarbones. It wasn’t this cold last night. You felt the breeze again on your whole body, and realized you were lying naked on top of the ruffled comforter. Had he pulled the blanket off you?

“Are you cold? I didn’t think to shut the window when I got up. I was kind of rushing to get my stuff.” You noticed then that he was sat behind a canvas, angled so he could glance between you and the task at hand with ease. He noticed you furrow your eyebrows, and even managed to catch the minuscule tense of your muscles as you prepared to sit up.

“Stay still for me, honey. I’m almost done.” He was adding feather-light brushstrokes to the piece, a finishing touch of his you now recognized from watching him paint so much. 

“This isn’t a very good pose, Spence. You know I’m not the most photogenic.” You referred to the fact you had been sleeping as he painted, limbs not organized and environment chaotic. Notoriously unfavored things by the man. Maybe he was hoping to capture a candid version of you. 

He exhaled a laugh. “How rich coming from you.” His lips quirked upward as he continued adding touch-ups to his art. “Something about you this morning…I don’t know.” He shook his head like he was talking to himself rather than you. “You just looked…mesmerizing.” He shrugged, brushing off the sentiment. “Felt wrong to just look at you.”

Dumbfounded was the only word you could think to describe yourself. He’d painted you before, mainly from the neck up for practice with faces, but this was different terrain. You were nervous to see the piece. You thought of your hips, your stomach, your legs. A silhouette he’d sworn time and time again was worthy of worship. One he wanted to treasure. You hoped you’d see a glimpse of yourself through his lens, hoped all that adoration would show on the canvas. Once he was finished with it, he turned it so you could see. It was breathtaking. His talent never failed to leave you speechless. 

“I feel like I should be paying for this.” You joked, but still felt as though something should be given in return. He stood from his stool and joined you on the bed.

“I assure you, I’m well compensated.” Your face ran hot. “Can I hang it?”

“Spence, I’m naked-”

“Not downstairs, Y/n.” He chuckled. “I’d put it there.” He nodded to a vacant wall space on the right side of the room, entirely visible from his side of the bed. 

“You want me watching you sleep, Reid?” 

He grinned at you, shaking his head slightly at your remark. “Just wanna be able to see you.” He held your eyes. “I’m hoping looking at you before I go to sleep will give me good dreams.” You hummed in sarcastic agreement, your gaze falling soft a moment later.

“You can if you want to.” He looked relieved. 

“Thanks, honey.” He looked stunning in the morning light. The sun hadn’t risen too long ago, and he was only covered partially by a pair of joggers. He was practically luminous, the bare skin of his chest looking golden in the sunlight. You stuck your hands out to feel him, and you felt as though you were trying to touch heaven itself. He leaned down to be closer to you, he always said you felt magnetic. 

“You should let me paint you like this more often.” 

“Is that right?”

“Mhm”

And, just like before, you could breathe again when he kissed you. Truly breathe. It was times like these when he felt like your oxygen, like pulling away should be sin. Lord knows you would suffer any version of Hell for him. 

–

Your frustration seemed to have doubled in your sleep. Two am. You were gonna find that fucking painting. It wasn’t in the spot he left it - you would have noticed a giant painting of yourself naked on the walls, but you double checked to be sure. You threw up every light switch you came across and started scavenging through the upstairs. There was a certain tug in your body - when you didn’t find it in a room, you knew it wasn’t there, something internal telling you to look elsewhere. It was only when you were halfway done with the downstairs raid that you remembered the storage room. You’d found it when you first moved in, a room full of dust and white tarps covering furniture and other indecipherable shapes. It had to be in there.

You wrecked havoc on the tiny room. Tearing off layers of fabric quickly, leaving little thought to where you were throwing them, completely tunnel visioned on finding the painting. You came across a covered square the same size as the canvas had been. It was coated in so much dust that the covering looked ancient, and you were begging any conceivable being to be merciful, to let you have at least this if you couldn’t have him. You unveiled the shape to find the same vibrant pigments you’d seen just hours before. It was you, draped over the comforter and basking in the hue of the morning. This was it, you thought. Holy shit this is real. You had no grounds to deny this anymore. Spencer was a real guy, clearly he’d died in this house and clearly the two of you had lived enough lives together to fill months of sleepless nights with. 

What did this mean for you? Were you a clone? Were you and Spencer both clones? Were you living in a simulated reality and all of this was actually a ruse calculated to induce reactions in the brain that could then be studied? Oh my god - were you a ghost too? Had you died and were now stuck in some form of purgatory?

You felt sick with it. You didn’t know you were capable of bearing such intense metaphorical weight. You needed to see him. Maybe if you went to sleep, you would realize you were having a dream and could figure some things out. That’s so stupid. You mentally scolded yourself for even thinking of such a dumb idea. You needed to speak with him. You needed him to tell you what was going on. Of course him and everyone in your life who could have known him were six feet deep. A seance, maybe? Perhaps  just buy a ouija board and wing it. You’d seen the most of him when you were asleep, that had to be the key to figuring this out. Please dear god let it be the key to figuring this out. You took the painting and headed back upstairs. Maybe it could serve as a medium, you thought. That’s a thing, right?

You don’t think your bed had ever seemed so uninviting. You remember how grateful you’d been to finally sleep on your first day here. It was a pain in the ass hauling a mattress up a spiral staircase and the moment you realized you were done was a relief to say the least. Now you stared at it and your mouth ran dry. What if this didn’t work? What did you even want to happen? Were you going to rummage through your dreams and play detective to piece together what might have happened in your past? No degree of mental antagonizing could push you off course by now. He was real. You know he’d been a real man, and surely the painting of you meant you’d known him as something other than a ghost. You were simply praying this would work out how you wanted. You needed a semblance of closure, even just a small one.

–

The room was dark, making you double check if you opened your eyes in the first place. You hadn’t had a dream. This was the first time in months you had fallen asleep and woken up without having lived a different life. You felt tears forming in your eyes. The disappointment you felt was so immeasurable that your brain practically short circuited trying to find a way to process it. You knew it was a long shot for everything to be fixed overnight, but you’d expected something. Like he was reading your mind, the bed dipped down, him now occupying the space next to you in bed. 

You were worried your head might fall off your neck with how quickly you turned to look at him. The moonlight came beaming in through the window, like she was your secret ally, giving you enough light to finish your battle. It lit him up, practically shining through him like it would a crystal. He was ethereal. You stared into the same brown eyes you’d been looking into for months and felt your resolve give way from within you. You could have looked at him forever, you wanted to look at him forever, but you crashed hard into him. You would have fused your soul to his at that very moment if you were able to. Nobody had ever drawn out such a reaction - you needed to feel him. It was the proof you had been begging for, he was here, he was tangible. You could finally know what it all meant. 

You felt his chest jolt as he chuckled at you. “I missed you.” You could hear the smile in his words. 

Choking on a sob, you spoke your response so quietly you could barely hear yourself. “What the fuck is going on?” You knew tears were probably soaking through his shirt but he just held you against him. “Please tell me you know what’s happening.” You were muttering your words quickly, sharply inhaling between your sentences as air refused to stay in your lungs.

He ran his hand up and down the length of your forearm, a motion so familiar and so comforting you’re sure your knees would have buckled if you weren’t lying down. “Just relax, honey. I can explain everything, ok? I just need you to breathe right now.”

It was hard to maintain your oxygen through the sobs begging to get out of your chest but you were nothing if not stubborn. You needed an explanation. If that was his condition then so be it. You took a deep breath, regaining your ability to inhale and exhale at a regular pace. You could see the room better now having been awake in the dark for a while, so you tried to focus on anything that might help. The painting. You stared holes into that thing and forced your breathing to even out. 

“I was really proud of that one.” His words held an instinctual twinge of fondness, still smiling as he spoke. Like now that he had you, he could describe any horror of the world and still be happy with you in his arms. He looked back at you, tracing his thumb along your jaw. “You seem to get prettier with every lifetime.”

Even as the overwhelming confusion wrecked your brain, your body was completely in tune with him. Warmth seemed to spring to life in your stomach, his words bypassing any guards you had to root themselves within you. He regarded the situation so lightly, so casually. He wasn’t worried about slipping away, or running out of time. He would have given you a decade to calm down if you needed it. He seemed content with just calling you pretty, as though he’d waited a century to touch you again. 

“My dreams, were they -” You paused. You didn’t even know what to ask him. “What were my dreams?” Were they real?

He took a moment to just stare at you. The smallest, knowing smile on his face and a look of pure adoration in his eyes. He knew what you were asking. “They were us.” Fucking obviously. If you were any more on the edge of your seat you would fall off. “All the lives we’ve lived together.” Jesus.

“How long ago-”

“Two thousand years, 5 months, 27 days, and-” he leaned up slightly to check the clock “14 hours.” Giving you the cutest tight-lipped smile when he finished talking like he didn’t just say you’d been in love for two millennia. 

“So we’re soul mates?”

“Essentially.” He nodded. ‘Soulmates’ was close enough. 

“But - is everyone like this, then?” Did all your friends have this too? Everyone in the world? “Everyone has a soulmate?” Your friend’s on her honeymoon right now. 

He laughed a little and shook his head. “No, no. It’s just us.” What was so special about the two of you? “For all I know of at least. Your uh…your husband-” He hesitated for just a second, fingers digging into your skin just a fraction harder. “He found out about us. Had his mother cast a spell. He thought he was punishing us, I think. Figured we’d get sick of it after a while. Poor guy, all he did was condemn us to eternity together.” He held no genuine pity for the guy, more amusement at the thought of his plan actually succeeding. 

“How long have you been here?” You hadn’t bothered to check when the articles were from, too busy trying to keep your head on straight to look for the publication date. 

“A year.” A year of him alone in this house. God, you couldn’t even imagine. “I started having dreams of you. Everyday I just felt, like, something pulling me away from where I was. I knew your grandfather from an old case I worked and everything just seemed to happen.” He reminisced fondly, like the memory didn’t hurt him. “I don’t even really know how I died. I just remember having a party one night, and how the hallway looked from the bottom of the stairs.” Oh my God the warm spot.

“When you moved in I was thrilled but - fuck, honey, it was torture.” He delivered the line like it was a joke but his eyes were watering. “I couldn’t talk to you, I couldn’t help you - I couldn’t fucking touch you and it was unbearable.” His hands hadn’t left you since you woke up. Making up for lost time, you guessed. There was one question you were brutally aware of, something that persisted in your head even as you tried to enjoy the moment. 

“Why can I see you now, then?”

He sighed, so full of devastation that it was clear he’d been preparing for this. “You can’t.”

“What?”

“You’ve seen all our lives, Y/n. This is the only one left.” He was so delicate in his explanations. His palms soothing over your face as if trying to physically soothe the sting of his words.

“Wait what does that-” What was he talking about? “I don’t understand.”

“To be honest, I don’t really understand it either.” He exhaled at his own ignorance, the words unfamiliar in his mouth. “For the first time, I don’t know what’s gonna happen when you wake up.”

“Wake up? What do you mean wake up - Spence I’m awake.” You held onto his wrist that was near your face for emphasis, his hand still caressing your face. “I’m awake.” 

His eyes were definitely watering. “No, Y/n, you’re not.”

“Spencer.” You’d never said it so sadly before. Tears were in your eyes for the second time that night. You would have done anything to carve this moment into stone. Sit here in his arms until time forced you into your next life. 

“It’s ok, honey.” He was always reassuring, always safe. “We’ve done this for two thousand years, Y/n. You’re bound to get a little unlucky sometimes.” His optimism in the face of such a crushing development almost made you sick. Some things never change. “I finally have you back, alright? Just lay with me for a while. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. We’ve got plenty more lives to live.”

You halted the tears in your eyes, sniffling once to reign yourself in. “Ok.” You laughed, a little tearfully, and kissed him with all the love you had to give. 

Plenty more lives to live.

[ystrike1]

My Villain Fiancé is Interfering With My Flowery Path - By May Rain (7.5/10)

Being framed for murder sucks, especially when your hands are genuinely clean. A fake saint steps aside when the real one appears gracefully, only to find blood under her feet. Her sweet, handsome fiance has been disposing of all who doubt her.

Thisbe is a child from a famous family. Experts determined that she was the one and only Saint who would save the land when she was just a baby. Her loving but stern grandpa forced her to train day and night. When the real saint came Thisbe snapped.

That Thisbe died.

She has been replaced with another soul. A regular Woman From Korea.

Said Woman is happy to live as Thisbe...but not really. She plans to abandon her fiancé and escape. To where? Well, the nation of magic. All people with magic can enter the secluded nation to become a citizen, as long as there are no criminal charges against them.

Thisbe is no Saint, but she does have magic. She can flee to this remote country. It'll be tough to get there though. Magic is still a mystery in most nations. That's why she was mistakenly hailed as a savior in the first place. Very few powerful magic users are born outside of the secluded magic country.

The old version of Thisbe never stopped believing she was the Saint, because she does have strong magic. It just wasn't holy magic and she was born in a country with a low understanding of magic. She lived in angry, bitter ignorance.

Luckily Woman From Korea already knows everything.

The real saint, Estelle, appears. She saves everybody from a giant wolf. The Saint has a certain type of magic. Magic that turns bloodthirsty monsters into friendly puppies. Thisbe has a more common type of battle magic. The difference in their skills is clear.

Rumors fly. Everybody thinks Thisbe will try to murder her usurper, but Thisbe is nothing but kind....in public.

Thisbe reads the paper and she's doomed. She can't enter magic country. Why? Well, she's been accused of murder. The people who don't support her Saint title keep dying in highly suspicious accidents. She is the main culprit, even though she has an alibi. Even though she's nice to Estelle. The misunderstanding is impossible to shake.

Thor is her friend and fiance.

He's a puppy yandere. A very sweet and loving guy that loves to torture people who insult his fiance. He also really, really doesn't want her to leave him.

Thisbe thinks Thor is with her out of obligation. That's the way arranged marriages are. She of course believes they are friends. She thinks she's a great guy, but he doesn't think he loves her romantically.

In her defense he is too...casual? He never boldly proclaims his love. They just hang out and drink tea...and he kills people who insult her behind her back.

Thankfully he doesn't really see Estelle as a threat. Estelle is a nice girl. Thisbe has alot of real enemies though. People who will always hate her because of her high pedigree. Thor has been quietly, and now loudly, getting rid of them.

All of the snakes who are supporting Estelle don't actually care for her. They are just supporting her because she's special. Estelle has very few real allies.

Thisbe doesn't get to run away. There's no need for her to hide in the mage country. Estelle really needs her help, and Thor does genuinely love her...even though he's a bit of a villain.

Thisbe is going to become a great pillar of support for the Saint and the Duke.

Also everybody who dislikes her is going to die.

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Cale Snow's Chapter 226

TL;DR - Bailey mistook Cale for a dragon. Jenyu uses his attribute "Struggle" to fight back against DA. Jenyu gets completely beaten up by Rasheel.

Dragon Cale Again Cale got mistaken as a dragon again by Bailey this time. 😂 She recalled an unconfirmed rumor about a lone dragon traveling all over the continent, helping beastkin and those suffering from the Holy Empire's work.

Bailey initially thought that was Cale, but her intuition told her that Cale was not that dragon. So that means there's another dragon in Aipotu who's a potential ally to Cale's group? Or is the dragon from that rumor Maxi who died in Central Plains?

Struggle Versus Indomitable Jenyu managed to overcome Cale's DA by using his attribute called Struggle. This attribute greatly increased his physical abilities and granted him status debuffs, allowing him to resist Dragon Fear. And the stronger his will to fight/struggle, the stronger his attribute became. It's like a knockoff of Indomitable, Rasheel's attribute, right?

And thus, it was fitting that Rasheel was the one who fought Jenyu. However... you really couldn't call that a fight. 😂Because Rasheel completely beat up Jenyu and silenced the other mixed blood dragons. 🤣🤣🤣

The entire scene where Rasheel beat up Jenyu, venting out his anger at everything, and then Cale's applause, was so funny... 🤣🤣🤣

Rasheel: These bastards. If you have the blood of a dragon, you must behave properly! Rasheel: *punch* Rasheel: What? Dirty blood? And what? Get rid of Cale Henituse? Rasheel: *punch* Rasheel: You fucking bastards! No, the dragon bastards of this world have something in their heads to create this shitty world! Rasheel: *punches more* Jenyu: *groans in pain* Rasheel: What god nonsense? Why is a dragon a god? I'm so angry! I like dragons better than gods? Why are you acting like a god? Rasheel: *punch* Rasheel: And why are you asking me to do this useless work! That old grandpa! Rasheel: *punch* Rasheel: Urgh, it's frustrating! Rasheel: *punch* Jenyu: *faints* Rasheel: Hey, I didn't kill him. Okay? Cale: (He's like a typical dragon…) Rasheel to other mbd: What? Are you trying to use magic? To escape? You bastard, do you want to get beaten up too? MBD: *shivers* Cale: *claps in admiration* Rasheel: *annoyed and glares at Cale* What? Cale: I feel reassured. Rasheel: Hmph. *grins*

Rasheel even vented his annoyance at Eruhaben for ordering him to do this 'useless' work, and calling Eru an old grandpa. 😂 But despite all his grumbling, he was smiling when Cale clapped and praised him... 🤣🤣🤣 Ah, he really is the best tsundere dragon! 🥰

Ending Remarks Today had a lot of funny moments, and it was quite refreshing to see our tsundere dragon back in action again. With the enemies subdued, I guess next week will be Cale interrogating them.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I've been dreaming of the Loyalist of Clubs.

There are so many regrets born out of ignorance. So many bonds lost to time.

He wishes he could have done more then.

How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die?

“Wh-What’s happening, Trey?”

The question comes from the boy huddled on the guest bed. He’s smallish and demure, like a rose bud yet to bloom. His eyes and cheeks are the same color as his hair—red, from crying.

Trey awkwardly peels himself away from the door. Even shut, shouting is audible from beyond it.

“HE KIDNAPPED MY SON!! Bring him back this instant, or I’ll call the authorities!”

“Ma’am, please calm down. They’re children—”

Trey pictures Mrs. Rosehearts as a balloon, bright red and inflated with hot air. The more she screams, the more air leaks put of her twisted mouth. She shrinks and shrinks until she poofs out of existence.

It doesn’t feel right to stand, so he sits on the bed beside his friend. The frame groans from their combined weights, light as they are.

“… I’m not sure,” Trey admits. “I saw you upset and grabbed your hand and ran. I didn’t want you to be stuck in that situation anymore.”

He pats a pillow. Attempts to comfort his friend.

“You can stay here.” Forever, if you want. But he doesn’t say that, only hopes it in his heart. The solution is so simple in his kid mind. “At least until your mom isn’t mad anymore.”

“Is that… allowed?”

“Sure it is. My parents won’t mind—er, probably. They like having new people over. We’ll pretend it’s a normal sleepover.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s when you sleep over at another person’s house—that’s where the name comes from. You stay up late, watch movies, play games, eat snacks, and then fall asleep together.”

Riddle’s eyes widen. “That sounds like breaking so many rules,” he says nervously.

“Those are the rules for sleepovers. The point is to have fun.”

“Fun…” Riddle nibbles on his lip, drawing his knees closer to his torso. He hugs his legs, collapsing into himself with a sniff. “I-I don’t know—I don’t like not knowing. I’m scared, Trey. Mama is so angry with me. I’m not supposed to…”

“It’s okay to not know. No one knows everything.”

“Mama does. Everyone says so. That’s why she’s always right.”

“That’s not true. I know she’s wrong about this—about us, and about Che’nya.” He grabs Riddle’s clammy hand and squeezes. “She can’t keep us three from being friends.”

“We are…?”

“Yup.” Trey pokes him, then points to himself, “We’re friends. And friends stick up for each other, watch each other’s backs.”

Riddle hesitates. “Is that… the rule?”

“You can think of it like that if you want. But I didn’t do any of this because of some rule, I did it because I wanted to help you somehow, any way I can."

"B-But we're just kids. What can we do?"

Trey worriedly glances at the door--the adults' voices haven't quieted at all--then at Riddle and the stress deeply etched into his round face. This isn't a good place for him right now either.

"We could... go over to Che'nya's. He and his grandpa will be happy to see us, and we can all have that sleepover.”

Riddle looks bewildered at the mere suggestion. "We're going to leave?"

"Shouldn't be too hard. We've already played hooky before," Trey says, tugging him up and off the bed by the arm. "Besides, a walk can help take your mind off of things."

We can be ourselves. We can forget our worries. Everything can be as it was.

Riddle’s eyes are wide with alarm. His knees wobble, and Trey catches him.

“It’ll be fine! I’ll be with you all the way—so if we get yelled at, we can be yelled at together. You won’t be alone.”

Not ever again.

Riddle responds in a shaky mew. His cheeks are wet from crying, and his words trembling—but his trust is firm. “O-Okay… I believe in you. Let’s go. Let’s go see Che’nya.”

Trey smiles reassuringly. “Alright, we’ll escape through the window. It’s a classic. You know how to do it safely by now, right?”

“Yes…!”

The two boys scramble to the bedroom window, undoing its latch and sliding it up. Trey leads the charge, easily clearing the sill. He looks back, urging Riddle to follow.

The threshold is daunting, less the boundary between inside and out and more like the bridge to a world unknown. When Riddle charges at the open window, he expects to smack into the wall. To fall, to fail.

The ground rumbles,

Splintering, fissures appearing.

“You got this!!” Trey cheers from the other side.

Riddle vaults too early and slips.

Panic shoots through him like a bolt of lightning.

Something erupts from out of the floor, racing under the boy to break his fall. Riddle lands on a thick, cushy stalk, leaves twisting around it. Above him, a giant head of petals--blue, bell-shaped, and ringing.

Bluebell.

Another flower sprouts by the boy's feet, bearing a crimson mouth--two lips, pulled back in a laugh. "Frolic, rejoice," says the Tulip. "Be free.”

“Free, free,” a patch of tiny, shrinking violets choruses.

“To dance around the posies and spin daisy chains and search for four leaf clovers.”

“We’ll lift you up when you’re down.”

Plants are poking out from every inch of the guest room, making their own quips and banter. Trey should be startled, but instead he laughs and waves for Riddle.

He waves back shyly, then gasps. His feet find something squishy yet solid under them.

Mushrooms with flat caps, a whole flight of them, in ascending height. The boy clumsily crosses them, each step sending up a cloud of fat, lazy spores. Riddle sneezes, nearly careening off the side—but a wall of snapping dragons or sly gloves in foxes closes in, surprisingly gentle as they support him.

He hops over the sill with ease.

And the flowers follow.

It’s a rainbow come alive, color sprawling over the roads and knitting rooftops with new lattice designs. Some designs dare to go higher and flashier: beanstalks that pierce the clouds, fruit clusters so heavy they bend and droop, petals dripping with jewels. Even the air is more jubilant, filled with shimmering particles--pollen?

Sunshine opens on Riddle’s face.

“Whaaaa~ So pretty!!”

“Isn’t it?” Trey’s grin is so wide his teeth ache. “We should hurry and get Che’nya so he can see this too.”

“It’s going to take so long to wade through all of this.”

“Fine by me." Trey grabs his friend's hand. It feels so small in his, and he thinks of a seed in need of water and light. "We can take our time to stop and smell the roses!”

His other hand reaches out and finds the stem of a large passing dandelion tuft. It forms an umbrella from its fuzzy white tendrils, the perfect shape for sailing on the wind.

Whoosh.

Trey and Riddle squeal as they're whisked off.

Up, up, and away, where their troubles can't chase them.

[gayometer]

Hi! Sooo, I was browsing the # of snv/ror x reader and found your blog. - I loved! I was wondering if I could get some headcanons for Gods and Humans w/ a strong personality y/n? Like the idfg y/n, pls. Sorry for my bad english & kisses from Brazil! ^ - ^ [ btw, could you please tag me if you do? My Tumblr aren't showing me notifications those days T v T ]

Not tired, just doesn't care

Glad you like my blog! Your english is fine! Kisses from P.R. ❤

💚Ask💚

💚 @msnightmare777 💚

POSEIDON who tries his best to not show his frustration, how dare a mere human like you be so casual about him? It takes him a while to understand it's not disrespect it's friendship and you just have a strong personality, tough love if you will.

HADES who sees so many similarities between you two yet so many differences, you're not mean you can be pretty caring. But the way you so casually talk and even slap gods is amusing to him.

ADAMAS who tried to be all angry and grumpy with you but ended up being the biggest puppy. He comes to you when Hades isn't available, he doesn't know what it is but you kinda remind him of his big brother.

ZEUS who pokes fun at you just cause he knows you won't do anything, he doesn't try to "break" your facade and annoys you the same way he does Odin....by making you babysit him and essentially give him scary dog privileges.

APHRODITE who tries to get any reaction out of you, she isn't used to someone looking at her and not at least smiling.

HERMES who pokes you just for fun, he says it's to get a reaction out of you but we all know he does it for the funsies.

HERACLES who rants to you about anything that comes to his mind, he likes your strong personality and how you so casually talk to him, it's a breathe of fresh air.

ARES who started off with seeing you as a disrespecting mortal to then come to the conclusion that you're a glorified babysitter taking care of beings much older then yourself, including him.

LOKI who bugs you on a daily to try and get a reaction out of you, he obviously fails miserably but at least give him points for effort. He hasn't had this much trouble with a mortal since Jack bamboozled him about tea.

THOR who doesn't pay much attention to you, he doesn't mind your "attitude", high chance it's Forseti causing more noise about respect then Thor himself.

ODIN who much like Thor doesn't mind all that much about hoe indifferent you are however, unlike Thor he has limits. His crows are still the ones causing way too much noise about respect and shit, but if he does eventually get bothered by the "disrespect" he'll just get up and leave. He's not a child and can leave places if he feels like it, so shut up you two bird brains.

SHIVA who can and will make you join him and Rudra dance. He also tries to break your facade but that doesn't work. Shiva is pretty chill about most things but is still slightly irked that you have absolutely no reaction to being face to face with a god that uses the earth as his animal crossing island.

BUDDHA who just vibes under a tree with you, you both don't talk and just enjoy being close to each other.

ZERO who is basically your unofficial child, he's the only one who can make you break away from the tough love and "indifference" just by being himself.

BEELZEBUB who tries to keep his distance from you since he's afraid he'll get attached. He doesn't hate you, he just doesn't want to kill his new friend.

SASAKI who's normal cheery and laid-back attitude made you gravitate to him. His grandpa vibes give you more then enough comfort.

QIN who is adamant in making you his friend, no you can't escape him and the power of friendship shall be blasted upon thou.

ADAM who has the same nature and therefore doesn't mind, you're his child and that's that.

TESLA who took your silence as the greenlight to go on a rant about science and his latest inventions, you two have an odd friendship, he rants and you listen.

LU BU who normally wouldn't go out of his way to befriend some, but he hasn't had someone who doesn't run or worship him immediately in a while. Can you fight? Cause he wants to fight you.

RAIDEN who takes his time to stare at you, he yaps your ear off but he's also staring at you without blinking to make sure you don't "make a cute face" without him seeing....apparently it's not fair Thrud can see you crack a smile or giggle.

JACK who would normally stick to himself will try to socialize with you, he ended up enjoying you silent company and is one of the few who managed to get a smile and full sentence out of you.

[phantom-dc]

Dad Hood - part 12

When Jason wakes up, he is a bit confused. This isn’t his appartement? After a few moments he realizes that he is in his old room in the Manor. Why is he here? Last thing he remember is a fight with Bruce about-

‘Danny!’

Sitting up, Jason looks around him. He is about to leave his bed, when Alfred enters the room.

‘I suggest you get back into bed, master Jason. You gave us quite the scare.’

Alfred explains that Jason collapsed due to stress and Bruce brought both him and the child here.

‘Where is Danny? Is he ok?’

Jason was still worried. Who was looking after Danny while he was recovering? As soon as Jason said this, he noticed Bruce entering the room, Danny on his arm.

‘Good morning Jason. How are you feeling?’

Bruce had been very worried about Jason, so he was very glad that Jason woke up so soon.

‘Hi daddy! Are you feeling better? Grandpa Alfred said you were reeeaaaallyyy tired and had to sleep a lot! Did you sleep well?’

Danny un-clung himself from Bruce and climbed up to Jason, hugging his dad.

‘Hey kiddo. Yeah, I feel much better. How do you like the Manor? Are you getting along with everyone?’

Jason ruffled Danny’s hair. Even feeling so tired, his first instinct was making sure Danny was ok. He didn’t notice Bruce looking very proud.

‘Yeah! It’s great! It’s so big, but not green and gold and ugly! Grandpa Alfred is really nice, like Hobson! And everyone else is really nice too! Uncle Duke bought sunglasses so he could play with me, and auntie Cass let me do her hair, and uncle Damian showed me his penguin-’

‘Excuse me, young master Danny? Could you be so kind as to show me this penguin?’

Alfred took Danny away, as Jason was still very tired and needed sleep. Bruce still needed to talk with Jason after all. And besides, there was a penguin that needed to be removed.

‘Are you alright? You fainted so suddenly?’

Bruce sat down on the bed. He had been very worried seeing his son in that state. Tim had told him there were some issues with how Danny ended up with Jason that caused stress, but also told Bruce to ask Jason about it. Then Tim had opted to forgo coffee and go to bed, so he too must’ve been very stressed and tired. And Bruce wasn’t even going to mention Dick’s condition.

‘Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just had a very stressful 2 weeks. Everything just happened so fast, I barely got time to process anything.’

Jason was already feeling much better than before. Knowing his kid was safe with his family was such a relief.

‘Look, Bruce. I’m sorry for attacking you like that. It’s just-’

Bruce cuts Jason off:

‘You thought I had hidden your child from you and tried to clone him. Tim told me. I felt similair when I first found out about Damian. Just rest, Jason.’

After Bruce leaves, Jason dozes off. Before he truly falls asleep, he hears Dick yelling at Damian that Danny in not ready for sword-training. Jason smiles. Everything would be fine.

Bruce headed to the Bat-cave. As much as he wanted to spend time with his grandson, and god he had a grandson, Batman had work to do. Getting on the Bat-computer, he revisits the case that has been bugging him for days. Where had the Joker escaped too?

When Jason wakes up again, he is feeling much, much better. He really needed that rest. He gets out of bed and heads down to the main living room. There he finds almost the whole family minus Bruce, all doting on Danny.

‘And this is my dog, Titus. You may let him sniff your hand.’

Damian was introducing Titus to Danny, who was very excited. Then Danny noticed Jason.

‘Good morning daddy! Uncle Damian is letting me meet his friend! He is so cute!’

Danny was very happy, and giggled when Titus licked his hand. Duke asked Danny if he likes dogs. Danny answers him with a big grin:

‘Yeah! I have a dog too! Well, he’s not really my dog, but we play a lot! He’s really cute, until he gets angry. Then he gets really big and scary, but he is still a good boy. He’s dead!’

The room gets uncomfortable. Steph wants to ask Jason about this, but he cuts her off.

‘Don’t even ask. I have no idea what he means. Just roll with it.’

Bruce enters the room as well. He looks a bit tired, but perks up upon seeing all his family. He immediately walks over and scoops up Danny.

‘There is my new grandson! How’s the little man doing?’

When Bruce notices Jason is awake, he asks him if he is doing better. Jason waves him off, saying he is fine now that he had… 36 hours of sleep. Turns out he’d been running pretty ragged. Bruce agrees. Dick jokes that Jason didn’t even have the energy to argue with Bruce, earning him a laugh from his other siblings. Danny starts to struggle out of Bruce’s grip, wanting his dad. Bruce puts him down, but is visibly sad about it.

‘Come now, master Bruce. You spend all day with young master Danny yesterday. Let the boy see his dad.’

Alfred scolded Bruce. Bruce had spend nearly all day doting on Danny the day before, happy to have a grandson. He’d actually made his other kids a bit jealous. He only went back to work after Alfred had taken Danny and put him to bed.

‘By the way, B. How is your case going? Did you figure out where the Joker went?’

Dick was curious. Bruce still didn’t know Danny had been there, and Dick intended to keep it that way. But he had still felt weird about it. Why had Joker left without doing anything? He hoped Bruce would know something. Unfortunately, Bruce had to tell him there were no new leads. It was like the clown had gone up in smoke. Seeing that Jason was getting uncomfortable, no doubt because the clown had nearly hurt his kid, Tim decided to change the topic.

‘By the way, Jason. You were sleeping, so you don’t know yet, but tomorrow I’m having some of my friends over at the Manor. All supers, though. Kon, Bart and Cassie wanted to see the Bat-cave.’

Jason gave him a nod, but Danny got confused.

‘What do you mean? Auntie Cass is already here?’

Dick told him that more than one person could have the same name. Aunt Cass and Cassie shared their name, which is why they made sure to always call Tim’s friend ‘Cassie’, and never ‘Cass’. Danny seemed to understand, saying it was just like him and ‘Dani’ with an i! That had started a whole conversation about Danny’s clone. Jason didn’t like Duke’s joke:

‘Wait, Jason, does that make you a grandpa?’

First - Previous - Next - AO3

[zeldathusiast]

I'm currently listening to "The Underworld" from EPIC and haha oopsie I made it LU related. buckle up because this one HURTS. best read while listening to the song >:D

Warriors' face is hardened as he gives his orders, the boat creaking beneath the Chain- what's left of it- as they enter the Underworld.

"Alright. Malanya's instructions were clear. No matter what we hear..." he shoots a look at Legend, "... Full speed ahead, until we find the Spirit." He takes a deep breath. "This land confuses your mind. No matter who we find..."

The entire Chain winces at the reminder of the member they'd lost, then repeat Warriors' earlier words. "... Full speed ahead, until we find the Spirit."

"Good."

The boat creaks dangerously and the wind howls as long-forgotten souls grasp at the ship's sides. Warriors sees every solider, every friend he'd lost in the war, still in battle formation as though they cannot conceive that their duty is done. Here in the underworld, the past seems so close behind. 558 men who died under his own command. They cry his name, some angry, some desperately sad.

"CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN! WHY WOULD YOU LET THE SORCERESS LIVE WHEN RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY!?"

And then, terribly, the entire chain hears a young voice that's so horribly familiar.

"This life is amazing, when you greet it with open arms!"

Wind.

"Whatever we face, we'll be fine if we're leading from the heart."

Someone is crying. Maybe everyone is. The visage of their youngest stands atop a nearby rock, smile as wide as ever, wind waker in hand as he speaks.

"No matter the place, we can light up the world, here's how to start: greet the world with open arms, greet the world with open arms!"

The boy's spirit blows away in the wind. There's sobbing from even the most stoic of them, but there's hardly a moment to breathe before another figure appears, one only their Smith is familiar with.

"Waiting..."

Four sobs, a broken "no" escaping his lips.

"Waiting..."

Four dares to look up, tears gathering in his eyes. "... Grandpa?"

"Waiting... little one when you come home, I'll be waiting. Even if you're the last thing I see, I'll be waiting..."

Four shoots to his feet, nearly tumbling over the side of the boat in his rush. "I'm right here, Grandpa! Can't you see?"

His Grandpa, still sharpening one of Four's favorite daggers, doesn't answer.

Four wails, sinking to his knees. "...I took too long."

His Grandpa continues, speaking to no one. "I'll always love you..."

Four only sobs. "I ventured too far."

"Waiting... waiting... waiting..." his Grandpa whispers, and silently, with a last swipe of the whetstone, he disappears into the breeze.

Four's voice cracks, barely above a whisper. "... Bye, Grandpa."

The boat creaks loudly again as it continues onward, and everything is silent except for a faint song on the wind that makes Legend cover his ears as though trying to forget who's singing it.

Finally, the home of the Spirit they seek appears on the water's horizon.

There is nothing to do but continue.

Full speed ahead.

[gyuletters]

autumn love. | beomgyu

♡ pairing: beomgyu x gn! reader.

♡ synopsis: you fall in love with beomgyu, the grandson of a bookshop owner.

♡ genre: romance, fluff, soft, lovely, sweet.

♡ warnings: none.

♡ wc: 2506

♡ note: english isn't my first language. so excuse any mistakes. <3

a normal autumn day.

coming back home with coffee in my hands, thinking about how much work is left to do. a usual routine where i’m going to an old bookshop close to my ap. 

but, as i open the door and say hi to the lovely old owner, i see him. a tall brown haired man with sparkling eyes. his clothes seem oddly appropriate for working here - dark color pants and a white button up shirt. 

as i’m picking up my book (actually a play) for this week, a man appears behind me.

“romeo & juliet? a classic.” he’s smiling and i can see how his eyes wrinkles a little on the sides.

“yes. i’m really into classics.” i smile back

after a little chat, i found out his name - beomgyu, grandson of the owner. he decided to spend some months with his grandpa trying to escape the chaos from a big city. 

i’m back at my apartment, and still, beomgyu is the only thing that echoes through my mind.

i see myself coming back to this bookshop more often than usual. main reason being beomgyu. i just want to talk with him all day long, so i could hear his deep but soft voice. 

the conversations run towards books. so i don’t know much about his personal life. honestly, that makes me scared. 

what if he already has someone? what if i’m here so in love with a man that already found his soulmate?

this makes me feel so angry but also incredibly guilty. but, i just don’t have the courage to ask him about it. 

well, at least until today. 

i decide to look in the shelfs that are more hidden and i see a book i’ve never read before. 

curiosity gets the best of me and i try to pick it but it’s too far away. 

“here.” beomgyu takes the book for me.

i turn around to take it and that’s when our eyes meet. electricity running through my body.

how i wish i could just kiss him now. after all this time, i want to pour my love for him. 

i fell in love after just one look at his face. 

i know it’s crazy. life isn’t like all romances that keeps company with me at night. but i want him.

“thank you.” i say after much struggle and look down avoiding being even more poisoned by his eyes.

“y/n…” he whispers my name.

my heart starts racing. 

beomgyu puts the palm of his hands on my cheeks and makes me look back at him. 

“you’re so beautiful…” - a stubborn strand of my hair it’s put behind my ears. - “did you know how beautiful you are?”

“no…” i say while being a bit embarrassed.

“should i show you?” i’m leave speachless.

beomgyu close the gaps between us and puts his lips dangerously close to mine. - “can i kiss you?”

“please.” i beg almost whispering.

his lips are so soft against mine. the taste of him is so sweet, i think i’m going to be addicted to it. 

he’s so warm. it’s like a big bear hugging me. 

i swear to god i don’t want him to stop. i want to be intoxicated by his kisses, so i never forget how he feels when close to me.

he backs up a little and the words that leave his lips are even more dangerous than his lips. - “i love you.”

our foreheads against each other and his breath ever so close to my face.

“i’m so in love with you, beomgyu.”

warm kisses are exchanged, breaths so shallow. our love blossomed between old books and autumn breezes.

© gyuletters, 2023.

do not repost it.

[lizzieisright]

Okay just a little thing about characters in my Marvel AU: (I kidnapped Acrane women for it. Again)

Original six:

Captain America!Abby. She is untrusting but honourable, worn out already: the new world is foreign and weird and her adjustment is still ongoing. She still dresses like her time, but if Steve looked like a grandpa Abby just looks like your friendly neighbourhood lesbian. Fun fact! She had a small guy named Steve to teach her grandma computer courses. He also taught her how to not get tracked on the web.

Iron Man!Ellie. Cocky, explosive, genius. Lost her mom and Joel after a stupid fight, got angry and started building weapons because of it. After being captured and almost dying gets back into her mom's vision of Williams Industries and starts building things to help people, and because she is a fucking Ellie Williams she is as rich as before.

Black Widow!Reader. You're a Russian assassin who escaped to the US after getting on a bad side with a lot of people in Europe. Let's just say Shield missions to Europe are a big pain in your ass. You put up a polite smily front because your grim attitude is not something Americans appreciate. (Guess who will)

Hawkeye!Manny. He is just a funny guy who saved your ass back in Europe and because I wanted to have one guy on a team the same way they only had Natasha. Manny doesn't have a secret family on the side, he is just there making a little team of cold blooded sarcastic assassins with you. You don't need to smile as much around him.

Thor!Vi. Got sent to Earth for punishment and instead fell in love with the little world. She is still visiting her friend Darcy and gives her incredibly crazy love advice from time to time.

Hulk!Caitlyn. This one doesn't really make sense, but the comedic potential is good. ("How many PhDs does Hulk have? Zero! I have seven" with Thor!Vi by her side can you imagine?). Caitlyn was too curious about Abby's story and tried to recreate the serum but ended up becoming a giantess who almost destroyed Harlem. She is very awkward and nervous, and hates being lied to. Tried to get away from gamma-radiation research and went away to help the poor with her medical skills.

Now others:

Fury!Sevika. Because these people need someone with no bullshit attitude. Sevika is constantly tired and smokes so much it's a miracle her lungs work. She is tough and doesn't tolerate anyone's shit. We don't know her story and we actually shouldn't.

Loki!Jinx. It's in the name. Vi's little sister who adored her, but when the time came to choose between her and humanity Vi chose humanity. And then it turned out her hair is blue for a reason and Jinx is not only adopted but also the child of an enemy. Jinx is out for revenge. She plans to destroy Earth with everyone on it to get Vi and then destroy Asgard to get Vander. (Also the comedic potential of Caitlyn repeatedly slamming Jinx into the floor)

Pepper!Dina. The only person who can make Ellie do something she doesn't want to. Dina gets shit done and done brilliantly.

Maria Hill is now also a Coulson and gets paid double.

[helpfandom]

(Me reading your yandere Kranng fic) I only know Kevin for a few seconds but if anything happened to him I would cry🥺 (me reading the ending ) NOOOO!! Not my boy Kevin!😭😭 

Not gonna lie , if I was in that situation I would low-key have trust issues with the turtles if there did that to me , especially you Don! 👈😤

I read your TMNT stories which were amazing by the way , love reading your thoughts 💓

But now you got me wondering how 2007 Splinter gonna react that he suddenly a grandpa who has tons of grandkids since his sons are just nabbing them from there homes XD

Underneath is the fanfiction. Over cut is author notes.

Thank you!! <3<3<3 I mean, unfortunately, 2012 Don don't got eyes for you, he's got eyes for april, which leads to... unfortunate circumstances.

Im sorry about Kevin. 🥺 (not really) he was a very needed sacrifice for realism.

I didn't think about it before, if we're going off of the thought of my HCs Splinter, then he feels guilty. You're not supposed to be here, in the sewers with them, you're supposed to be on the surface, with the other humans. Because of his failing as a master, you've been kidnapped so often.

For fanfiction purposes though, we'll go off of this original apprehension to taking children home, even to the point of bringing you home himself once he figured out the turtles were lying to him about taking you back.

How he would find out about that is likely a slip up by Mikey. Mikey would say something along the lines of asking Donnie to set up a camera, and Splinter would connect the dots.

At what point he would give up is.... questionable. Who's to say that once Leo, LEO, the responsible one brought Reader home for the 4th or 5th time, he gave up and accepted it.

He would try to make it comfortable for his grandkid[s]. (Truly depends on if you consider Reader to be one or multiple because of the turtles.)

Splinter is in a constant state of anguish. He truly doesn't want this to happen to you, {or the you's} but... is it wrong that he hoped for more children to raise... and he's okay with it if it means he can raise you?

He would often end up being the one that Reader could go to if they are frustrated or angry with any of the turtles, and he would stop all of the turtles from seeing you(s).

He would end up being the one hope that Reader would have in either escape, or having a normal(ish) life. He wouldn't teach you{s} how to fight, Which Leo appreciates, and Raph hates, but he wouldn't let you go either. If it means making his boys happy... Who's to say that you can't be happy in the sewers, I mean, look at his boys, they turned out fine.

[mosneakers]

The spirit of Agnes and Coraleye enter the elegant Sunset Valley estate. Vintage melodies from a record player swirl, enveloping Coraleye in a sense of nostalgia that she had only known from classic romance films up until this moment.

Agnes: Welcome home, darling. 230 Redwood Parkway, fondly known as "August Moon" by some.

Coraleye: Wow, that's such a magical name. This home is breathtaking, Grandma!

Agnes: It's always been my envisioned haven for raising children. Coraleye: And you owned it? Even while you lived in Moonlight Falls? Who took care of it when you weren't here?

Agnes: My sister, Cornelia, tended to her in my absence. This home held a special place in my heart, and she, understanding its significance, made occasional upgrades, just in case we ever decided to sell. Or, perhaps... return.

Coraleye: Return? As in move back? Agnes: Come, dear. Looks like dinner is finished, and now we're clearing up. I want you to hear this conversation.

As they step into the kitchen, tension hangs thick in the air. Erik diligently washes the dishes while Agnes busies herself preparing ingredients for tomorrow's meals. Neither utter a word, until Agnes finally breaks the silence.

Agnes: Erik, I... I must apologize for snapping at you during dinner. That was quite unwarranted. You were right—I ought to have shared the news with you about the fire. I know the Seymour house was so dear to your heart. It was for me, too. I hope you're not angry with me.

Erik: Ain't mad at ya, Aggy. Gee, I suppose I overreacted too. It's not just about the house; I can live without that. My decent paying job in Moonlight Falls, no chance nobody here'll pay the same. Cost of living's a lot higher, and...well, I've been hoping you'd eventually come 'round to having another baby with me, honey...

Coraleye: [eyes misting] Grandpa really wanted another baby, didn't he? Agnes: [Smiles fondly] Oh yes. But I was quite stubborn. Coraleye: I think Janie mentioned a bit about the fire being the reason for you moving back here. Did you figure out how it happened? Agnes: No, we never did. But the Crumplebottom Sisters informed me that it destroyed everything. Even their great powers couldn't reverse the damage. I had planned to tell Erik, but Belinda beat me to it with a telephone call.

Agnes: [Continuing with Erik] You know I've always said that I'm content with our two. Erik: I know baby, I've just had my fingers crossed one day you'd change your mind. Just a pipe dream, that's all. Agnes: [Sighs] Well, darling... We'll need to sort through our finances. It seems you might just be getting your way, after all...

Erik: What are you telling me, woman? Agnes: It's still early yet to, but... I find myself a tad late.

Erik: Late for tea and crumpets with the ladies at the country club, or are we talking more along the lines of a bun in the oven? Agnes: It could be. Again, it's still very early. Just three days.

Erik joyfully sweeps Agnes into his arms, twirling her as they share a tender kiss. A soft giggle escapes Agnes's lips.

Erik: Aggy baby, you make me the luckiest man to ever live or die!

Coraleye's heart swells with emotion as she witnesses her great-grandfather express his unconditional love for Agnes with such passion and honesty. They follow the Darling pair into the living area to join the girls, particularly Gwendolyn, who are engrossed in the television.

Coraleye: Gosh, look at how you two lovebirds are gazing at each other. TV not holding your attention much, is it? [Grins]

Agnes: Well, I've always preferred books. [Smiles] The television often broadcasted troubling news, especially that year when the government confirmed the existence of aliens. I made the children turn it off promptly if I heard any talk of extraterrestrials.

Coraleye quickly averts eye contact, wondering how much Agnes knows about the current state of the world, particularly Sunglo, his abduction, and how those events resulted in the birth of his beloved daughter.

Knowing her great-grandmother's well-documented phobia centered around extraterrestrials, Coraleye opts to change the subject for the time being.

Coraleye: Hey, Grandma? How did you and Grandpa know to bring the family photos along on your trip to Sunset Valley? Most people don't bring all their family photos on vacations.

Agnes: [Grins] My, I did say you were observant, didn't I? Coraleye: Well, astute. But yes. I hope to land a career in journalism, just like Grandpa! Agnes: [Nods approvingly] A journalist in the making, just like your Grandpa. No, the decision to take the photos along was merely a coincidence. Like you heard your Grandfather say, I make him "the luckiest man to ever live or die!"

[nanowired-lover]

LUPIN III's Pokemon Teams

Okay, I'm having thoughts about Lupin III and Pokémon, so I tried to make some Pokémon teams / lore with my sweet Pokémon nerd girlfriend.

There are probably a few Pokémon lore mistakes bc I tried to synthesize and my gf knows more than me, plus probably a few mistranslations since I mostly know Pokémon in french, but bear with me !

Aipom : It's just. It's just Lupin. There are a LOT MORE monkey Pokémons than I thought, but Aipom matches the most. It's his best friend. He probably got him a matching suit because it's cute and fun and Aipom loves this.

Even if Gholdengo has been here the longest time because he inherited it, Aipom was his first real pokemon. He just found it as a kid and they became friends because they “recognized” each other, to his father dismay.

Klefti : The whole escape thing. I hesitated to give it to Zenigata, bc of the whole prison cell vibes, but I loved the more whimsical idea of Lupin having the key to every door : his Klefti.

He got it during his heists ! The lil thing probably followed him around after an adventure because it helped Lupin escapes, and Arsène just took it in since he got attached. (I also just really like that pokemon)

Gholdengo : It's a treasure pokemon really. It's made of gold and it looks silly. Fujiko probably tried to steal it from him sometimes until at one point where Lupin got genuinely upset about it, much to her surprise, and she stopped. She still makes jokes about it, but Lupin knows it's jokes. It was there before Aipom, so it's more like an old friend.

Lupin probably inherited from his grandpa of Gimmighoul and got attached to it, and later in life, as he started to travel, tried to find others to have a Gholdengo. And he did it :) He was so happy when it was finally evolving, because it meant that his friend grew up with him, and he did better with it than his grandpa.

NOT PICTURED HERE : Lupin is linked to Ho oh. He's a lucky bastard and the main character. Ho oh probably saved him in situation where Lupin's intelligence and talent couldn't save him anymore (think the scene at the end of Lupin III : The First where he could've died in the Eclipse explosion). There's a strong mutual respect between them, but Lupin, being silly, want to pet the bird, which get him to get pecked in the hair for being annoying. Ho oh never stays but look after him.

(I have no/less lore for his team but anyway)

Clawitzer : AKA a shrimp with guns. Its name in French is literally Gamblast. It's the first pokemon that came in my mind when I was thinking guns. Probably his first pokemon he caught with Lupin. I just pictured young Lupin being like "CATCH IT. IT'S LIKE YOU FR" "BUT I DON'T HAVE A POKEMON" "OKAY I'LL FIGHT IT FOR U" "WHAT."

Honchkrow : Jigen Pokemon sona ? /j No but really, it's the hat and the chest looking like a beard and the color palette that made me think of Jigen. The thing is probably as grumpy as he is, but like Jigen, actually a fucking softy. Jigen passed out in its feathers multiple times because it's so good. Hug a big bird, I beg you, it's so warm.

Lycanroc : Listen. If you know me irl, you know that I'm insane about the allegories and metaphors about wolves / wild dogs. I love people writing Jigen like an old feral dog, so loyal and so angry, like. Gah. So of course I had to give him a wolf/dog pokemon. What's better than literally a Lycanroc. He probably met it when they were staying in Alola for a heist, a night he couldn't sleep and just. Stared at each other. A weird recognition happening.

Lupin probably found him multiple times, treating that edgy looking dog like a good lil doggy when none is looking, bc that's what both Jigen and Lycanroc deserve. He loves it and took pictures because it's adorable.

NOT PICTURED HERE : we had a thought with Micka (my gf) how he was linked to Raikou. It's mostly because Lupin is linked to Ho oh, and I'm sorry, but I don't know the lore enough to really explain it, I just believe my wife. But they probably don't really get along, in a funny way. We had a whole scene where they were yelling at each others, Raikou roaring and at one point Jigen roaring back, Lupin wanted to interrupt bc what the fuck Jigen, and Jigen just "roared" at him, making him jump LMFAO. Jigen then disappeared in his hat of shame because yes indeed, what the fuck Jigen. (Raikou was pleased)

(okay, not too much lore either, I think. But I wanted a team that was Combat and/or Dragon based for Goe)

Magikarp : *sigggggh* Listen… I was going to give him Gyarados, but I had a laughing fit about him finding a Magikarp and getting weirdly attached to it. It's the only pokemon he keeps in a pretty and high quality pokeball bc he wants to keep it safe. He loves his weird pathetic red fish but gets quickly flustered and embarrassed when someone noticed that it's his fav baby. He tries to train it to become a Gyarados, bc Magikarp wants to be a Gyarados (and make papa proud !) but... it sucks so much it's funny.

Greninja/Lucario/Sawk : he had them in his samurai training and adventures. Honestly, a lot of pokemons would have fit Goemon too but those 3 were the ones that stand out to me. There's a whole respectful dynamic between them, and they don't have any pokeballs, so they wander a lot. He rarely has the 3 of them together, most of the time he has one, but they will always come if he needs them.

(also Greninja is one of my favorite pokemon and starter and idk why I really like Sawk)

He can make his Lucario Mega Evolve, but he doesn't do it much out of respect and trust since it's always a mess. (also if Magikarp ever evolves… he would definitely be able to Mega Evolve it)

Drampa : it's an old Asian dragon, it fits him. Probably also a comfort pokemon since Drampa is very calm and placid, so it wraps around him to calm him down when he feels like exploding (think also about the autistic HC for Goemon and Drampa being a fucking. weighted blanket)

NOT PICTURED HERE : Goe is definitely linked to Rayquaza. The mental image is way too cool to let it pass. The first time Rayquaza appeared during a fight, Lupin (being Goemon biggest hypeman) cheered so loudly that Goemon was quickly red of embarrassment.

(I really don't have much for Fujiko my bad)

Nickit : okay, I haven't played to Pokemon SW/SH at ALL, so I don't know much about pokemons from Galar (except Runerigus being one of my favorite pokemon), but when I saw this fox ? I knew it was for Fujiko. It's a thief fox. She actually deserves all the foxes of the game, and I hesitated to give her Vulpix or Ninetales, but Vulpix is too… cute. And Ninetales is related to yokai and even if it's basically Fujiko as a yokai, I didn't want to go for this vibe. Also, I hesitated to give her Braixen/Delphox bc I called mine Fujiko as I restarted Pokemon X/Y, but. heh. It doesn't really match.

Cofagrigus : My gf told me to put this one to remind the fact that Fujiko loves gold and treasure… but she can be scary powerful sometimes. And she would love to have a partner that can remind people of that. A bit like when she grabs Goemon around to be her scary bodyguard.

She takes really good care of it, and it LOVES her so much. A bit too protective, and scary, but also very silly since it's following her like her shadow and obey her to the spot.

Mienshao : I want a ""lady"" pokemon since Fujiko's hyperfeminity is important to her character (even if it's been used grossly too many times. Fujiko sweetie i'm so sorry you've been written by a misogynistic man). But also one that fitted her fighting style and presence. She probably trains with it, not only for pokemon fights, but for actual martial combat technics !

NOT PICTURED HERE : As Jigen is being linked to Raikou because Lupin was chosen by Ho oh, Fujiko is linked to Suicune. And if you want to know where Entei is, it's linked to my gf's OC Zack who made his way into the polycule in the RP we're doing 😔

Stoutland : This is basically him a Pokemon. The police force insisted he take an Arcanine since it's basically the police's pokemon in the pokemon world, but Zenigata still felt icky about being associated with the police all the time (this is an ACAB blog. Zenigata is just fucking naive and old-fashioned and fixated on the Lupin's chase). But he still had to have a dog pokemon to work with him. So he just. Insisted on having his family dog.

The Stoutland is an old, silly, determined dog. A bit like Zenigata and very loyal to him BUUUUT can be bribed with good food and pets, much to Zenigata exasperation, because Lupin managed to befriend the doggy.

Honedge : LISTENNNNNN AEGISLASH IS MY FAVORITE POKEMON. AND I LOVE ALL OF HIS EVOLUTION CHAIN. But !! To me, he has an old Honedge who never got to evolve because his previous owners (Zeni's family) didn't take care of it and just. Exposed it as a trophy. Then when Zenigata got him, the poor thing was too tired and old to actually fight and gain experience. But it still wanted to go on an adventure with Zenigata !! And Zenigata did give him some fantastic adventures.

And it's an obvious reference to Zenigata's jutte, bc I really picture him holding Honedge like his jutte.

NOT PICTURED HERE : as the rest of the gang, Zenigata is linked to a legendary pokemon. And it's Lugia. Mostly because it's the complimentary legendary pokemon of Lupin's Ho oh ! When they found out, it was when Lugia saved Zenigata from drowning during a chase happening at sea. While he was in awe and being emotional about it, Lupin was VIBRATING with excitement when he saw that. Because !! Zenigata was right !!! It's fate that they are rivals !!! It's amazing !!!

Anyway, I could go into a bigger rant about it, but it's already very long !

[panda-puma]

Luffy's "I know exactly who I am"

Warning: Don't read unless you are up to date with the Manga Chapter 1070 and OPLA! (or don't care about spoilers!)

(still not available in the Anime)

(One Piece Live Action, Episode 2)

Very long post ahead:

(First of all, appreciation for Iñaki's awesome acting, knowing exactly how to look intense, eerie and God-like through the whole Live Action. And look how the hat makes a perfect Halo or Sun around his head...)

This will probably be a little over the place, but bare with my silly brain.

At first this scene can just look like he reinforcing his own dream and regaining confidence after all the doubt Buggy has tried to inflict on him, and it probably also is that! But with the intense expression, the music and the wording... I think it's also a message to readers that are up to date.

Nowadays we know that the Gum-Gum is just a name used to hide the real name of Luffy's fruit: the Mythical Zoan Human-Human Model: Nika (Sun God)

(Chapter 1044, Wano Country Arc)

The World Government has since its origins (after the Void Century, 800 years ago) tried to control this Fruit, and Vegapunk states that there's no mention to this "Gum-Gum" Fruit anywhere previous to that, so this new name is just a way of the Government to hide the importance of the Fruit and make it as unappealing as possible.

(Chapter 1069, Egghead Arc)

Who would want to be rubber, anyway? Anyone who hears about it thinks it's a silly power and wouldn't want to eat it.

(Chapter 585, Post-War Arc)

But here's the thing: it doesn't matter that the new Devil Fruit Guides or Encyclopedias have no information about a Fruit.

If we go way back to Enies Lobby, we get to see this explanation by Lucci (another Zoan fruit user): you learn the name of the Fruit when you gain its power.

(Chapter 385, Enies Lobby Arc)

Lucci specifically states that the Fruit itself will reveal its powers and name to you once you've eaten it and gained its power. Luffy gained his power long time ago, when he was a child, and his goal started changing as soon as manifested his powers.

He went from: "Take me with you on your next Voyage!!"

(Chapter 1, Romance Dawn Arc) To: "I've decided to become a Pirate on my own!" after eating the Fruit.

(Chapter 1, Romance Dawn Arc)

At first he was just content with being a Pirate in a crew, but suddenly he has a definitive goal: being the King of the Pirates (to achieve something else).

(Chapter 1, Romance Dawn Arc)

(Chapter 585, Post-War Arc)

(Chapter 1060, Egghead Arc)

In the first chapter it is also shown how his personality changes:

Luffy was a very sad and angry 7 year old, who wanted to desperately escape from his horrible life (loneliness and abusive Grandpa). He only smiled when people were nice to him, or when he was listening to pirate stories.

It is not until after he eats the Devil Fruit that he starts to smile and laugh on his own, looking at the bright side of things even if he gets teased.

(Chapter 1, Romance Dawn Arc)

It seems clear that the fruit changed something in him that was way more than just his body, but in the manga one doesn't think much of it until you read the Five Elder's description of his fruit (ch 1044) and remember Lucci's explanation (ch 385).

If the Fruit communicated its real name and abilities to him, he should know exactly who and what he is.

One could argue that he specifically states he is not a Zoan in Punk Hazard while talking to Momo:

(Chapter 685, Punk Hazard Arc)

But maybe he doesn't consider his fruit as a Zoan, as he doesn't really turn into an animal. (Zoan comes from the Ancient Greek and means "animal" or "beast"). Luffy's Fruit enters the same category as Sengoku's: a Human-Human Fruit.

(Chapter 585 SBS, Post-War Arc)

(Chapter 1044, Wano Country Arc)

Gear 5 is Luffy's awakened form, one that he couldn't use before because his body and mind were not ready to catch up to his powers. But that doesn't mean he didn't know about it's existence.

In this form, Luffy manipulates his surroundings giving everything he touches the properties of rubber, just like the awakening of Don Flamingo. But is it just that?

(Chapter 1070, Egghead Arc)

I believe we have been seeing him manipulate reality since the very beginning of the series, inadvertently thinking it was just typical main character things. Yes, everything usually goes how he says in the end, just typical in a MC... But is it? Or is it an intelligent way of covering his real powers behind the typical shonen clichés?

There's so many instances where Luffy and his powers feed directly from people's hopes and prayers (just to name a few: Skypea, Enies Lobby, Thriller Bark, FishMan Island, Dressrosa, Wano...), and all he asks is for people to have faith in him.

When people have faith in him, reality changes in his favour.

(Even with Ace's Execution, the one instance where Luffy failed... he actually achieved what he said he would: to free Ace from the Marines. Ace was killed not because Luffy couldn't save him, but because he stopped running away.)

Going back to OPLA: this is Oda's opportunity to explain things in a different way and medium, to hint to things that are very far away (like how they showed that Garp is Luffy's grandpa so soon in the series, because it made it more interesting sooner).

Then we have the scene were Luffy wishes for Zoro to be by his side, and to wake up.

I can't stop thinking about how... intense this scene is. How they wrap it with eerie music, so you know something special is happening.

We are in front of a Miracle.

(One Piece Live Action, Episode 6: The Chef and the Chore boy)

Luffy closes his eyes, concentrates and makes a wish. Or not even a wish, he just states that he needs Zoro (to fulfill his dreams).

Luffy manipulates reality a bit, even in this early stage of his power (Gear 1) and, seeing how he phrases everything he wants, he seems to know it. (for example, the way he always says "I will" instead of "I want to")

In OPLA it seems clear that Zoro was not going to wake up from Mihawk's attack, no matter how strong and resistant he is. Even if Mihawk said it wasn't his time to die... He would probably not make it without external help.

Luffy doesn't really know what to say, for a while. He is shocked and shaken in his beliefs, as he thought believing in Zoro would already make him the greatest... but instead his friend got badly hurt. With that and everything that's been said around him, he is losing faith in himself.

But eventually he understands that he needs to express how much he needs Zoro out loud. Why would that be, if he wasn't conscious that his needs and desires get usually fulfilled, even more if they serve his goal?

He concentrates and says "I need you, Zoro", and nothing changes. Why? Well, Zoro is there. His body is there and he is alive, even if just barely. It's not like he has really gone anywhere. Then Luffy, seeing that it didn't work, reformulates his way of saying what he needs: "I need you to wake up".

And then the Miracle happens: Zoro starts really recovering and immediately wakes up. He then makes the vow of never leaving Luffy's side until they reach his objective, fulfilling his needs.

This is not Zoro being awake and just teasing him, or him just waking up to the voice of his Captain. No.

This is a Miracle. This is Luffy consciously using his God-like powers and his destiny to get Zoro back from the dead.

And that's why Zoro can never die. Even in Wano we get a look at that:

(Chapter 1038, Wano Arc)

He was supposed to die, but Death couldn't finish the job. Something is protecting Zoro from Death, and it's probably how Luffy has tied Zoro to his own destiny.

And I am going to finish this post here, because I need way more space for my theories of Luffy, the others and One Piece in general xD

Thank you for reading this huge and all over the place post ^^

[blu3cl0v3rs]

•u•

Guess what I gott!

A) something actually useful for my future

B) diagnosis I've been meaning to get for multiple years now

C) new Morro AU

D) finished day of Morrotober

.

.

.

.

.

If you guessed C, YOU'RE CORRECT!

Yeah, so in scribbling my Day 25 prompt and doing a little bit of research (looking at a fandom wiki page) on Euphrasia, I stumbled upon the line of her hiding her wind powers so she won't get exiled.

Now I, someone who has not watched Dragon's Rising because I hace yet to finish Crystalized (I'm so scared based on other's reviews), immediately went "but why??? Why would she fear being exiled??? Unless, someone else * cough Morro cough * who also had the Element of Wind * cough cough hack Morro cough * got exiled as well?" So, of course I had to remember that one person whose user I can't recall who had a theory/AU that Morro was exiled from Cloud Kingdom and I took that, shoved big brother Morro into the mix, and shook that bitch until some word vomit came out.

So, now I've got my thought process out on how I got here, let the brainrot speak!

Morro was created. Yayyy!

Since I'm delusional, all Destiny Writers are part dragon because I said so, they just hide their ears, horns, and tails under robes (well, not necessarily hide bc they don't care abt being part dragon, but they're all covered by the robes). Also, dragons can reproduce asexually, because I also said so!

Mama made a biiiig oopsie, and the punishment was her son's exile, marked by the distinctive dark green streak in his hair.

Specifically, the punishment she got was "Lifetime of Guilt", which takes the most cherished person in the offender's life and essentially puts it through hell until they are dead, forcing the offender to feel a literal lifetime's worth of guilt for causing all of that pain.

Baby Morro is set free in the world of Ninjago, in which the Destiny Writers make a pointed effort to make his life miserable, as is the punishment.

However, destiny rewrote itself, throwing the kingdom into a panic. Morro defied destiny and started leaening under Wu.

The Writers tried for years to fix this mishap, which failed again and again and again.

Until, one day a decision the Writers could control came upon them; the choosing of the Green Ninja. They rejected Morro without a thought, and lead Morro to his burning painful death in the Caves of Despair. Since he was exiled by the Cloud Kingdom, he was sent to the Cursed Realm.

At this point, Mama had died, so the Writers ignored Morro until he defied destiny again by escaping the Cursed Realm.

Season 5 happens, but I make it better because I can. Oh yeah, and Garmadon fucking lives because fuck canon.

Morro lives, and tensely lives with the Ninja until post Season 7, where he ditches because Wu is lost to time.

In the time that Season 8 and 9 would take place, Morro sneaks around in Cloud Kingdom to learn why his life sucked so much. Insert him discovering what Mama did and her punishment.

He gets angry and is about to destroy all of the Destiny Scrolls, but meets little tiny Euphrasia.

Poor baby was abandoned by her parent and no one wanted to take her in.

They talk and bond and Morro decides she's now his younger sister, but due to plot convenience, he discovers Season 10 spoilers.

When the Ninja are debating what Garmadon meant by his whole cryptic ass warning, Morro bursts in being like "holy shit these evil smoke Oni things from the First Realm are gonna try to destroy everything" and shoves the scroll in their face for proof, completely ignoring the like 7 year old girl clinging around his neck

They kick ass, and Morro rewrites destiny for Lloyd because I don't care about Lloyd's little trip to grandpa's and decided I'm gonna do something more meaningful, like Morro yet again sticking it to Cloud Kingdom, this time to help the Ninja.

The Ninja, Morro, Euphrasia, Wu, and Garmadon do the bonding thing over the months between Seasons 10 and 11.

Speaking of Season 11, the Ninja fuck around and find out, Zane kinda dies like in canon, the Ninja all kinda kill themselves like in canon, Season 11 basically just plays out like it would if Morro and Euphrasia were chilling there as well and on Pixal and Wu's plotline.

During Season 12, instead of being fucking hunted down like the Ninja, Morro and Euphrasia are just vibing in some wholesome area, roleplsying and playing dress up. They're having the time of their lives, then they leave the game and talk with the Ninja and holy shit that's why there was a bounty on your heads???

During Season 13, Euphrasia does some windy stuff, and while the Ninja are busy stopping slavery, Morro teaches her some basic control of her powers (to him. It's actually decently complicated, Euphrasia's just a fast learner and Morro can teach well). They show up with Vania last minute to kick ass.

In Season 14, Morro's powers go out of wack, Euphrasia kind of lost her powers, and Nya's are over amplified. It is not fun for them. Morro is questioning his worth and all that jazz, but this time he has a bit of a support system (Euphrasia. Also the Ninja kinda all go "dude, you have worth outside of your powers. Been there, done that, it's fine," just nicer). Ends with Morro and Nya merging with their elements, but due to Morro's precise control of his element he can return, but Nya loses herself and joins the sea.

I will add another post here that covers Crystalized because I haven't watched it yet 😋

Also, I'm calling this AU "Cursed by Destiny"

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

Just a regular day {Shinichiro Sano}

Pairings: Shinichiro Sano x reader

Warnings: reader has mild anxiety, MANGA SPOILERS,

A/n: if someone can explain Izana's family tree to me...like Tokyo Revengers is one of my comfort manga and I've read it like at least three times yet I still don't understand that part.

"Shin, wake up." You shook your boyfriend's shoulders. 

"Just five more minutes. Emma will come to wake us up, angel." A sigh escaped your lips, he would always depend on his younger sister whenever he wanted to wake up.

"Emma came in 15 minutes ago." You lied. Shinichiro slowly sat on the bed and rubbed his eyes before quickly fixing his bed hair. He let out a yawn and turned to face you: technically half naked (only wearing one of his shirts and your underwear). "Good morning." 

"Good morning." He patted your head. "How did you sleep?"  

"It was nice, you?" 

"Good if you rule out the fact that you woke me up one hour earlier than usual." 

For a brief second you felt uncomfortable. You didn't know how on earth Shinichiro had figured out you were lying but he had. You hadn't been dating each other for long so you had no idea how he was going to react.

"I'm sorry, I was nervous and-"

"I didn't say I was angry." Shinichiro leaned backwards, pressing his back against the headboard. He grabbed you by the hips, urging you to sit on his lap. Almost out of instinct, you wrapped your arms around his neck. "More time with you."

You laughed and at that moment Shinichiro felt like his heart was ready to explode. "We're literally inseparable. And we've only been dating for 2 days now?" 

"So what?" He kissed your cheek. "I hope you like this because I can't really hold back anymore..." There was a small pause in which you placed your head on the crook of Shinichiro's neck. "About the job interview...do you want me to wait outside? I can open the shop later, there is no problem." 

You threw your head back in frustration. Despite it being the reason you had barely slept and had woken your boyfriend up early, you had forgotten about your job interview.

Shinichiro and you had searched through all of his grandpa's newspapers trying to find a decent job for you and after three hours you came across a pretty good one.

"No, no, I can handle this myself." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes." 

"Just...like...when you're done come over the shop, just to make sure you're okay and that everything went well. It's a nasty world we're living in." 

"You worry too much." 

You flashed your boyfriend a smile before getting out of bed and picking your clothes from inside the closet. Shinichiro laid back on the bed, admiring your body. When he realised that his bladder wanted to be relieved, he went to the bathroom. You, on the other hand, proceeded to get dressed. 

“What?” You asked him. He was leaning against the door frame, looking at you fixing your shirt. 

“Nothing.” He smiled.  

  Once you were done, you neatly folded Shinichiro’s clothes and placed them at the edge of his bed.

A few moments later Emma knocked on the door to inform you that breakfast was ready. But as soon as she opened the door to you and Shinichiro already put of bed and already dressed, her eyes widened in surprise. She didn't know about you, but her older brother was usually asleep at such an early time. 

Emma laughed it off and after mumbling a quiet good morning, she ran all the way to Mikey's room to inform him about the strange incident she had come across.

  Even though you and the oldest Sano sibling started dating two days ago, your presence in the house during the mornings was not unusual. However, unlike today, you were usually accompanied by Wakasa and/or Akashi.

As per usual, Shinichiro was trying to separate Mikey from his blanket, their grandpa was reading his morning newspaper and you and Emma were talking about clothes shops in the local mall.

And after numerous complains from both Emma and Shinichiro, Mikey 'offered' to wash the dishes so you and his older brother could head off to work.

  One hour later, you and Shinichiro were standing outside the music equipment shop. It wasn't far from his shop, a ten minutes walk at best, something that helped with calming him down. He took a quick look inside through the glass door, noting that there was only one employee in there. You didn't know why, but Shinichiro seemed to be more anxious than you, maybe because he used to be in a gang and should always be cautious? You had no idea.

“I’m going in.” You took a deep breath and turned around to go into the store but Shinichiro grabbed your wrist. 

“Good luck.” He said before planting a kiss on your lips and patting your head. He fixed your hair with his right hand with his left hand still holding onto your wrist. “I love you, angel.” You blushed at the cute nickname. 

“I love you too.” You shyly replied and gave him a quick hug before walking into the shop.  

  Thankfully, everything went well and after an almost two hours interview, you were to start work tomorrow morning. It appeared that you weren't the only employee there and there was still one more person working at the shop but he was a student and couldn’t work in the mornings for obvious reasons.  

“Oh my god, you’re finally here.” Shinichiro immediately stood up as soon as you walked in his store. No customers had arrived yet so he was fixing his own motorcycle with his work uniform stained with what appeared to be mud and dirt. “How did it go?”

“I got the job! I’ll be starting tomorrow morning!” You said excitedly. 

  Shinichiro made a move to hug you but immediately realised that the dirt would be rubbed on your clothes so he just wiped the dirt off his hands on his uniform and patted your head. He searched for his pack of cigarettes inside the pockets of his uniform and when he found it he lit up one cigarette and motioned you to sit down on the chair of the cashier as he leaned on the counter. 

“We need to celebrate this.”

“No.” Shinichiro didn't turn to face you but the question on his face was evident. “I’ll be going home now to maybe write some lyrics or music.” Oh, how he loved your songs... “I still need to tell my parents about my new job.” You looked up at your boyfriend while asking him with hand gestures if he wanted to sit on the chair. 

“Stay where you are, angel.” Shinichiro smiled at you.

It felt like a lunch to the gut. It wasn't like he didn't like your parents, he did but he knew that after you telling them that you didn't want to go to university, the pressure on finding a job was getting worse.

“Izana will pass by here at 6 so you can come at 5:30 if you want. I was planning on taking you both somewhere to eat or have fun but it appears I will be working until late today so we will have to stay here.” He took a sip from his cigarette in an effort to change the subject. What you would say to your parents was not his business.

By the time you kissed Shinichiro goodbye it was around 3 pm so your parents would most probably be home. As soon as you arrived at your place, you took a deep breath and called your mother to inform her about today.  

Not going to university to pursue a career in song writing had caused a few arguements back at home. You knew that your parents only wanted the best for you but sometimes you wished they were a bit more supportive.

“You did? How much money will they be paying you?” Your mother asked you. She was in the kitchen, cooking. Your father hadn't returned yet.

  She sounded angry but you soon found out that something had happened at work. You answered all of her questions and ran back to your room after telling her that you would be going out later that evening.  

  Inspiration never came. You ended up falling asleep, too tired to do anything. This time you had set an alarm though. But apparently sleep also never came. For three and a half hours, you had been lying on the bed with your eyes closed, unable to fall asleep and relax.

  You had gotten out of bed by the time your dad returned home from work. Your mother had told him about you finding a job and despite his obvious exhaustion, his face lit up when he heard the news.

You got ready and headed towards the centre of Shibuya on foot. It was just a twenty minute walk from where you were staying but since you had your headphones and iPod, you didn’t mind. Besides, it would be the first time you would meet Izana, Shinichiro's...brother. You had no idea what the relationship between them was mostly because during your boyfriend's monologue about his younger step brother, you were half asleep.

“Hey.” You walked into Shinichiro's store and leaned against the door in a desperate attempt to catch your breath. You had been running for at least the past five minutes, thinking that you were running late.  

  Shinichiro was fixing what at first sight was his motorcycle but it turned out to be a client’s. He lifted his head and smiled, tiredness could easily be seen on his face and from his smile you understood immediately that he needed a break. If you had paid enough attention to your best friend whenever he would fix his motorcycle you would know how to help. 

“Are you in for a break?” You kneeled down next to him without your knees touching the floor. He nodded before throwing his head back, letting out a long sigh. Immediately he reached to his pocket for his cigarettes.

  Even though you protested, you ended up sitting on the small stool Shinichiro was previously sitting on, with him sitting on the floor. None of you spoke except Shinichiro who ordered food from a sushi restaurant nearby and while waiting for Izana who came not too long after you did, you enjoyed each other's presence in silence.

   Izana obviously looked nothing like Shinichiro but he and Emma had quite a few similarities. During your time alone, Shinichiro had told you that Izana was half Filipino and had been sent by his step mother to something like a boarding school during the same time Emma joined the Sano family. The boy had short white hair styled exactly like Shinichiro and his eyes were purple.

  At first Izana was a bit hesitant to actually let his guard down around you but after a while he finally started feeling more comfortable. Especially after seeing how much his role model trusted you and loved you. You were the same though during what it seemed to be the first hour or so, so you didn't blame him. 

  He was nothing like Mikey or Emma. Besides him being older than them by 3 years, he was more reserved, unwilling to show his real emotions and somewhat straightforward. Izana respected Shinichiro so much. He idolised him basically and you found that to be the sweetest thing ever.  

"Hop on." 

"You can't possibly be serious." your eyes widened when Shinichiro patted on the space in front of him.

Izana had come to the shop on foot and the facility he was staying at was too far for him to walk back at night. Like a good older brother, Shinichiro had offered to take him home with his motorcycle. At the same time though, he wanted to take you home which was the main reason that your boyfriend ended up sitting between you and Izana on the motorcycle's seat. 

"I am pretty sure this is illegal." 

"It is." Izana confirmed your suspicions. 

"No one is going to see us angel, don't worry." Shinichiro kissed your cheek.

  Needless to say that during the whole ride from the shop to Izana's house you were terrified for your life while the two boys were more or less enjoying theirs. 

"Goodnight!" Izana waved and entered the house he was living in.

  Shinichiro readjusted himself on the seat and with his right hand readjusted the way you were sitting as well by gently pushing your body towards his. 

"Did you have fun? I'm sorry next time I'll take you both somewhere else." 

"It's fine, I really liked it." 

  On the first red light you encountered on your way back Shinichiro lit up a cigarette. 

"Can you stay over?" He asked as he blew the smoke on his left so it wouldn't get on your face. 

  For once, you wanted him to sleep over at your place but then you remembered that he had to return home to take care of his siblings. Somehow the thought of your parents being present never crossed your mind. 

"You want me to stay over?" 

"Yes. I'll drive you to work in the morning, I'll come and pick you up when your shift ends so we can eat together and then we'll go back to my place and you'll sleep over again and again until you basically move in." 

"So you want me to move in?"

"Yes." He threw his cigarette on a nearby bin as you were passing past it. "I have it all planned out." 

"Oh...I'm listening." You got off the motorcycle when he parked it outside of a shrine nearby.

"Okay so we move in together and a few weeks later I propose, how does that sound?" 

"Spoiling the fact that you were planning on proposing huh..." 

  Making this stupid comment was the only way you could actually deal with the heat on your cheeks caused by what Shinichiro had said. You knew his eyes were on you as he was leaning against the wall but you weren't looking at him. 

"Just thought you should know." He chuckled as he continued. "It was Emma's idea and who am I to say no? Plus, it would be a lie to say that I had never thought about marriage these days." 

"You're weird." You giggled. Shinichiro didn't reply, he pulled you in for a hug instead before kissing the top of your head. You stayed like this for a while until you decided to break that peaceful moment.  "Here's what we'll do. You'll take me to my house for today." He pouted. "I will lie to my parents about finding a place to stay and I will move my things over to your house." His grip around your waist tightened at the sound of that as if he wanted to remind you that he was there.  

"Sounds good." He said after giving it some thought. "Can I come and pick you up tomorrow from work though?" 

"Yeah, sure." You sighed and stood up. 

  You got on the motorbike and waited for Shinichiro so you could leave since it was pretty late. A minute later he stood up, a loud groan that came from his tiredness, escaped from his lips. He stopped and looked at you with a smile on his lips, a tired one. 

  As he was about to get on the motorcycle you grabbed him by the silver chain that was hanging loosely from his neck and kissed him. His smile only widened. With great difficulty you broke off and Shinichiro drove you to your house.

"Do you have any idea of what you're doing and how you're making me feel?" He laughed when you jumped on him for a hug. 

"Maybe." You took a deep breath. "You can sleep here if you want to. But you must wake up early." 

"How early?" He scratched the back of his head. His left hand was on your lower back while his right hand was on your ass for support, your hands around his neck. 

"Like...at 6? And you will have to be quiet so they won’t wake up." 

"Double fuck." He squeezed his eyes shut and threw his head back. "It's worth it though." Shinichiro let you down. "Lead the way, angel." 

A/n: level of cringing 10000000000/10, I'm sorry anyways let's talk about how Shinichiro would definitely call his partner angel