#friendly reminder that relaxing is NOT MORALLY BAD!!!

[sucktacular]

FRIENDLY REMINDER: TAKE YOUR MEDS!!!! FRIENDLY REMINDER: DRINK WATER!!!!

FRIENDLY REMINDER: HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT EVEN IF IT'S JUST A LIL SNACKIE!!!

FRIENDLY REMINDER: I LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT AND YOU DESERVE GOOD THINGS!!! YOU DESERVE TO ENJOY HUMANITY!!! YOU DESERVE TO FEEL GOOD!!!

[reqxxyt]

"I can't pretend" c.l

pairings: charles leclerc x f!reader

warnings: drinking.. pretty sure that's it (please tell me if I missed any) there might be some first to second pov.. I swear I will edit it out soon

[unedited]

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

“Charles!” I let out a shriek feeling myself being lifted off the ground from the tight embrace that Charles held me in after having just come back from his celebration at the win from today. I let out a fit of giggles as he settled me back down giving me his smile that rose to his hazel eyes. Congratulations we’re heard all around us as they patted him on the back and he gave them all a simple thanks. 

“See I knew you could do it” I told him with a proud smile. His arm slung over my shoulder bringing me in closer to where I could smell the faint cologne that he was wearing. 

“You're my good luck charm” he complimented with a simple smile only looking forward as we headed to the back. I could feel my cheeks burn beneath as I felt my heart speed up at the close contact. The silence lingered for a couple of seconds as we waved goodbye to the rest of the crew. “You’ve been to all the races I’ve won. Truly a charm”

“I just sit on the side” I try to deteriorate the given credit even though the coincidence of me simply being there linked somewhat to his wins. 

“And surely look pretty while doing it” his smile curved down to a smirk as we neared his car. 

“Wouldn’t that be considered a distraction, Leclerc?” reflecting his same expression as him while he opened the passenger door.

“It would, wouldn’t it?” His eyes analyzed my own as I entered before shutting it closed and going to the driver's side. He turned on the car as I adjusted the seating to my liking. “Coming to the party later?” 

“You know I don’t like parties” my voice came out softer than intended. He shrugged letting out “at least I tried”. I felt a song of guilt hit my lower stomach feeling bad but knowing I will need to drive him back. 

“I’ll drive you back anyways,” I said, twirling the hair tie that was wrapped tightly around my wrist focusing my gaze on the motion rather than looking at him. “Just call me when you need me to”

“It would be more fun with you there” he started lowering the music but I didn’t want him to do that. He was well aware of how good at convincing he was and I, as the reciprocator, hated how good he was. With a simple “please” I could ignore every one of my morals. 

“Nope,” I said, forcing myself to drum him out, to not hear his voice. “Charles, you always end up leaving me”

“Not true” he sounded offended. I should be the one that’s irritated. Based on past events he’s always left me. I would find myself by the end of the night in conversation with someone else when I started to get comfortable before he pulled me out for the night.

“What about last week, huh?” I reminded him. 

“I can’t believe he forced me into this,” I thought to myself, itching my bare arms from the nerves already hitting. Charles walked beside me with a large smile as I gave a nervous one while we walked to where everyone else was settled. 

“Y/n! I can’t believe you’re here” I heard from a distance and I looked up from the wooden floor to spot Lily, Alex’s girlfriend walking towards me with her kind smile. My tense shoulders started to relax once she pulled me into a hug. Charles was quick to leave me and head towards the others without warning leaving me with Lily who I barely knew. 

“How come you’re here tonight?” She asked, grabbing my hand and linking it in a friendly manner with her own. I shrugged, not really knowing why I was in such a loud and crowded environment when I could be at home, sleeping. 

“Charles forced her probably” the next voice came in. Someone I was familiar with but wasn’t as close to. Daniel Ricciardo. I could only let out a smile, not feeling the most comfortable. “You okay y/n?”

“Yeah. Fine” I said a little too quickly. They gave me a strange look before dropping the question. 

“Let’s go get drinks,” Lily said, once again grabbing my hand and leading me to the bar. “Any requests?” 

“I’ll just get a mojito,” I said the first thing that came to mind and she just gave me a smile before ordering it and her own. 

“I didn’t know you were into fruity drinks” she commented leaning against the counter. I honestly didn’t know either. 

“I don’t like strong drinks” I simplified. “I honestly don’t know why I came here”

“Did Charles force you?” She questioned with a look of sympathy washing her face. I didn’t want her to get the wrong impression so I quickly shook my head. 

“Usually I have work to finish after his races but I had none tonight so I decided to change my mind” 

“You like him, don’t you?”

“What? No, of course not” I said trying to laugh it off as if she said the most hilarious thing possible but she kept a straight face. “He’s like a brother to me. We’ve known each other since we were five. No way I could like him like that”

Before she could say anything, our drinks were placed down and she took a quick sip of hers while I practically chugged mine down. Her face went from impressed to worried. 

“I don’t like him,” I said, placing my drink finally down only leaving ice cubes behind. I turned to her and all she did was smile and nod. 

“That’s fine too,” she said as we headed to the end of the bar where the rest were. 

“Not going to happen this time. I promise” he said with that same pleading tone. I groaned seconds away from saying fine. Before I could, my phone let out a ding. A sense of curiosity washed over Charles as he tried to take a glance at my phone, wondering who would be texting so late. 

“you received a match with ******”

Okay, let me explain. 

Last week scared me. So much so that I downloaded a dating app to distract myself from Charles. It didn’t work.

“Who was that?” Charles asked, dropping his smile, scared that it was an emergency. 

I bit my tongue trying to leave my options. He’s my best friend. I should tell him I’m exploring, right?

“No one” after moments of hesitation which did not go without notice by Charles as he gave me a quick glance before shaking it off. 

“Right” was all he said turning into the hotel we were staying in. The topic of a party was now the last thing on Charles's mind. 

We shared a room with double beds, we were used to having slept together (platonically, obviously). Our parents were close, therefore, having us stay over at each other's houses when one of the pairs was away. So we were used to it. 

I laid my bag down on my bed ready to get myself to go to bed before I noticed Charles doing the same. 

“I thought you were going to the after party” I questioned. 

“Changed my mind. Unless you want me to leave” I gave him a confused look not sure what he meant. 

“I mean, no? You do what you want” I said, still confused why he cares what I thought. His eyes narrowed, giving it too much thought until he shrugged

“Yeah I’ll leave,” he said as if we just finished an argument making me all the more confused. 

“Uh okay,” I said as he headed out the door. 

“I’ll call you later” was the last thing I heard before the door shut. I was left confused about what to do before I let out a frustrated sigh and continued getting ready for bed.

2:00 AM

Hours passed. I woke up at 12 thinking he would call me around that time because he usually would but instead of going back to sleep my mind ran miles every time I would close my eyes. 

My phone rang beside me and I quickly pressed accept not taking the time to glance at the caller ID. The first thing I heard was the loud music in the background followed by muffled voices. 

“Shit” was the only clear word I heard after a crash sound. My upper body leaped forward asking frantically if he was okay. “I dropped Charles. Uh, y/n are you there?” 

“Yeah. Is everything okay?” 

“Not entirely. Charles doesn’t want anyone to take him home but you, could you come by and pick him up?”

“Yeah, just send me the address” 

After he hung up I quickly received the address and went out of the hotel only wearing pajamas and my hair all messed up but too frantic I couldn’t care less about how I appeared. 

The drive to the bar was the fastest I’ve ever driven, considering I’m usually not a hectic and reckless driver but tonight was completely different. I spotted Carlos right outside the bar doors with Charles clinging onto him and other drivers heading out. 

I parked nearest to the entrance and got out feeling the most guilty. With a frown and furrowed eyebrows, I helped Charles get into the car and thanked Carlos before apologizing millions of times for Charles actions.

“It’s no big deal. I’ll see you later” he waved and headed with the others. I let out an exhausted sigh wanting to go back to sleep now feeling how heavy my eyes were. I turned back to the passenger door window to see Charles sleeping peacefully mumbling quiet words. 

I traveled to the driver's seat and left to go back to his house. The drive was silent only hearing a couple of non-coherent mumbles and light snores. Once I set the car in park I looked beside me, where Charles had his head on the window still sleeping. 

I let out a reassuring sigh before bringing my hand up and slapping his arm, jolting him awake with wide eyes. He looked around the car and spotted me, giving me a warm smile while I glared back. 

“You had me worried” was all I said as I left the car intending to help him get out but instead he tried himself and almost fell face-first onto the concrete before I caught him. “Jesus, Charles you really need to control your alcohol intake”

He mumbled more words before I heard “coward”. I gave him a confused look as I did my best with dragging him inside the house. “I love you, y/n”

With those words, I couldn’t help but stop in the middle of my tracks catching him off and falling to the wooden ground of the interior. “Shit, I'm sorry” I apologized before bringing his arm back to my shoulders and lifting him up. 

“I’m such a coward, y/n,” he said with a pout, still having most of his eyes nearly closed. “I can’t even admit it to myself, how am I supposed to tell you”

“Charles you’re drunk,” I told more myself than him intentionally which only made him pout even more.

“You don’t believe me?” He asked as we started heading to his room. “I’ve loved you since we were 10 when I won my first race. I’m in love with you”

I tried to drown him out but the words kept repeating themselves in my head. I gently laid him down on his bed and pulled his covers over him. My eyes trailed on his own which were the softest I’ve ever seen them, we stayed silent before I tried getting up, I felt a hand teach fro my own. 

I looked at it and saw Charles with a small smile, “kind of staying for a bit?”. I smiled to him and sat down on the edge still barely touching hands. My fingers played with his palm only looking at it for a couple of minutes until I heard light snores come from him. 

I hesitated before I bent down, near his temple and planted a soft kiss whispering “I love you too, Charles”. I brought my hand back and left the room. 

the next morning

“Good morning,” I said with a tired voice, receiving no response in return from Charles as he refilled his bottle with no intention of turning to me. My smile dropped a fragment, thinking something was wrong. “Is everything-“

“Can we pretend it never happened?” He interrupted me. His eyes looked like they were pleading and mine filled with sorrow. That confession was because he was drunk, he didn’t mean it. Not receiving a response, he dropped his gaze to the floor. “I just don’t-“

“I can’t pretend it never happened,” I said in a stern tone meaning every word. I wanted it to be real. I needed to know it did happen. His eyes went back to my own. 

“It’s for the best. I know you don’t like me and I don’t wish this to ruin our friendship”

“I don’t either”

“What happened last night, every word I remember saying is true. I would’ve never told you in the future because I was scared and I still am. So please just pretend-“

My lips interrupted him as I kissed him before he could finish his line. I could feel him tense before relaxing against me and allowing the kiss to continue. My rush of adrenaline wanted to forward whatever this was but I pushed myself off. 

“Why- Why did you do that?” He asked under his breath, barely audible to me who was nearly inches away. 

“You were rambling and I didn’t want you to think I didn’t like you for a second more” my breath started to quicken. His eyebrows pulled down, narrowing his eyes analyzing the situation. “I like you too, Charles. Hell, I think I’m in love with you” 

His eyes were still searching for any sign of a lie or pity in my expression but none were found, the corners of his lips curved upwards and his hands reached to the sides of my face before pulling me into another kiss, one that was a lot more gentle than the first. 

[lucky-clover-gazette]

Creature Comforts

Rated G | Vidow Cottage AU | 2557 words

Vio notices literal and figurative similarities between Shadow and Pinecone the cat.

I wrote this fic back in September for the Four Swords Winter's Delight zine, which has now been released! Please check out the tumblr page @fswintersdelight for the PDF, which includes art, fic, and other goodies from fandom creators. A special thank you to Kalh, aka @vagueandominousvibes and WriterKalhsScribbles on ao3, for creating and managing the event!

“I love it,” Vio says, turning the rock over in his hand. It reminds him of sunset dragon rides, the heat of the Fire Temple, the sweet taste of marshmallows roasted over fires they set together. “Thank you, Shadow.” In retrospect, Vio knows he probably shouldn’t have been so permissive of Shadow doing villainous things to impress him back in their evil days. It’s something Blue, Green, Zelda, and even Shadow himself have all since commented on, with various degrees of moral judgment. And to his credit, Vio typically attempts to walk it back, to express retroactive distaste for Shadow’s more violent and macabre ‘gifts.’ But deep down, some part of Vio will always take pleasure in the degree to which Shadow will go to prove his devotion. “We should probably dispose of the dead mouse, though,” Shadow mutters against Vio’s lips.

Read the rest on AO3 or under the cut:

Evil root beer is not meant to be served warm.

“Okay, yeah, experiment’s over,” Shadow gags, pouring the contents of his stein into the kitchen sink.

Vio winces at the waste. “To be fair, some beverages can be served hot and cold.” He retrieves the pot from the stovetop and begins to wash it, while Shadow sits up on the counter. His expression, Vio can’t help but notice, is almost comically sour.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Vio says, reaching for a sponge.

“It was pretty bad,” Shadow disagrees with an exaggerated shiver. “Oh hey, Pinecone.”

Their cat acknowledges them with a glance as she wanders into the tiny kitchen, headed straight for her food bowl. Wet food waits for her, as always.

Vio turns off the faucet and places the the pot on the drying rack, joining Shadow on the counter. “I know what might get the taste out of your mouth,” he says with a smirk.

Shadow returns it. “Yeah? I’d test that theory.”

Skrch-skrch-skrch.

Their attention returns to Pinecone, who scrapes the tile beside her food bowl with one dainty paw. After a moment of expressing her displeasure, she gives her roommates an indignant stare.

“Why?” Vio exclaims, gesticulating his offense. “It’s the same exact food as usual!”

“Relax,” Shadow says, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll talk to her.”

“You’ll… what?”

Shadow winks, and suddenly he’s not Shadow at all. A lean black cat with familiar eyes replaces him on the counter, taking a quick second to nuzzle against Vio’s leg before he hops onto the floor.

Vio frowns. “Oh, right.”

Shadow crosses over to join Pinecone at her bowl, trilling a friendly greeting towards his three-legged friend. Pinecone sniffs him for only a second before she bonks his forehead.

They two cats communicate in a series of meows and chirps, none of which Vio can understand. After an especially long monologue from Pinecone, Shadow nods and leans down to sample some of her freshly-served, perfectly good chicken pate. After a few bites he consults with Pinecone once again, and then makes his way back to Vio on the counter.

Vio gives Shadow a full-body pet, enjoying the way he leans into his touch. And then Real Shadow is back, doing the very same thing, only his hair is purple instead of black. Shadow’s eyes are closed and he wears the dopiest smile, almost lost in the affection.

Vio clears his throat. Shadow opens one eye, as if remembering where he is and what he’s doing. He straightens his spine and leans against the kitchen backsplash.

“Well, nothing’s wrong with the food,” Shadow says, glancing over as Pinecone scrapes the floor again. “She just isn’t in the mood for chicken.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Vio huffs, crossing his arms over his sweater-clad chest. “I don’t want to waste food, and she’ll get another tin in twelve hours anyway.”

Shadow shrugs. “Seems reasonable to me. She’s fine, just being a little bit of a drama queen.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Vio teases. “Experiment’s still on the table, by the way.”

“I’ll ignore the insult if you kiss me.”

Vio indulges Shadow for only a second before he pulls away with his own exaggerated disgust. “Cat food! Your mouth tastes like cat food!”

Shadow bursts out laughing. “Sounds like someone isn’t in the mood for chicken!” Leaning back, he slams his head against the upper cabinet. “Aw, sh—”

Vio pats Shadow comfortingly as he reaches towards the shelf.

“Vi, what are you—”

Pinecone chirps happily as Vio opens a tin of tuna pate.

─────────────────

Vio found the book on cat behavior at the Castle Town library a few days ago, but this is the first time he’s actually been able to read it. Lounging on the couch beside a crackling fire, he hums as he turns the page.

A familiar chirp startles him to attention. Pinecone sits at the foot of the couch, staring intently towards Vio’s lap. He smiles, shifts his book to an admittedly less comfortable position, and pats the wool blanket. “You can come up.”

And so she does, immediately claiming her favorite spot on Vio’s stomach. She circles for only a moment before collapsing, resting her chin on his chest and meeting his eyes. He senses the soft rumble of a purr, and watches as she begins to knead the soft blanket.

It’s a weird angle, but Vio still manages to check the book’s index for ‘kneading.’

Kneading, also known as ‘making biscuits,’ is an instinctive feline soothing behavior.

Vio looks fondly down at his feline. “Are you making biscuits, Pinecone?”

She trills and kneads harder.

“Biscuits are in the oven!” announces Shadow, standing in the doorframe between their kitchen and den. He has flour all over his black apron, and looks very proud of his hard work.

Pinecone hops off Vio’s lap to rub against Shadow’s leg, and Vio finds himself on his feet as well. “You’ve got some flour on your face,” he observes, stepping closer.

Shadow smirks. “Totally not on purpose.”

“Of course not,” Vio agrees, running a finger gently down the other man’s cheek. He wipes the flour onto Shadow’s apron, and then pulls him by the waist for a kiss.

─────────────────

“Can you maniacs please get the zoomies one at a time?” Vio complains, seated at the kitchen table with a stack of handwritten notes and a warm cup of tea.

Pinecone responds by running straight into a wall.

Shadow, meanwhile, has been bouncing his leg uncontrollably for the past fifteen minutes. Vio finally leans down to place a gentle hand on Shadow’s knee, steadying both his partner and the table itself.

“I know the meeting was long,” he says, meeting Shadow’s eyes. “But we need to finalize this summary while the discussion is still fresh in our minds.”

Shadow glances longingly towards the den, where Pinecone gives an enchantingly peculiar yowling performance.

“She’s fine,” Vio reassures him. “Normal feline behavior, my book said so.”

Shadow sighs, trying his best to settle. “Yeah. I know. I can focus.”

Vio kisses his cheek, free to work uninterrupted for several peaceful minutes.

That is, until he hears the scraping.

Vio’s head shoots up, startling Shadow enough that he freezes mid-action. He appears to have been slowly sliding Vio’s mug closer to the table’s edge.

“What are you doing?” Vio asks, raising an eyebrow.

Shadow appears genuinely confused by his own strange impulse. “I… I’m not sure.” He pulls back his hand and examines it, bewildered. “It’s like I got possessed or something.”

They both hear a loud crash from the den.

Sighing, Vio caps his pen. “Wanna go see what she broke?”

Shadow is already gone.

─────────────────

This is the third dead thing Pinecone has brought him in a week. Vio winces down at the mouse’s corpse, only wincing harder at his cat’s self-satisfied expression.

“You really shouldn’t have,” he mutters, toeing the ‘gift’ with a sock-clad foot. “Where’s Shadow? He’s supposed to be watching you.”

Pinecone is almost entirely an indoor cat, but during the late autumn Shadow allows her to accompany him into the yard while he chops firewood. Vio can’t really blame Shadow for losing sight of the cat, who at the end of the day is naturally inclined to hunt and present trophies to the people she loves.

“Good kitty,” Vio tells Pinecone, petting her soft little head. She preens.

“Please tell me the cat’s inside,” Shadow calls from the front door, shutting it quickly behind him to keep out the November chill.

From his cozy spot in the den, Vio smiles. “Yes, she’s in here.”

Shadow stumbles into the room, wrapped up in a black and red flannel, still clutching Vio’s Four Sword. “I’m so sorry,” he says, slightly out of breath. “I was trying really hard to split this one stubborn log, and—”

Vio stands up and grabs Shadow by the waist, enjoying the lingering smell of trees.

“Hi,” Shadow tells Vio, tenderly stroking his back. “I’m a little sweaty, are you sure you want to hug me right now?”

“Too late.”

“Ah, I see Pinecone has brought you another present,” Shadow observes, somewhere between amused and disgusted. “I’m surprised she was able to do it in only a few minutes.”

Vio smirks, out of sight. “What a pragmatic little creature.”

Pinecone trills—probably at a bird out the window, but Vio likes to think she understands.

“She learned from the best,” says Shadow, and Vio pulls back to meet his eyes. His hands wander from Shadow’s waist to the pocket of his flannel, which contains… something?

Shadow blushes, and Vio loves that Shadow can still, once in a while, have his bashful moments. “It’s nothing, really, just…”

Vio withdraws the object from Shadow’s pocket and holds it between them. It’s a rock about the size of his palm, ash-brown, with strange irregular jutting edges. Shadow sighs and turns it over in Vio’s hand, revealing a smooth caramel-colored face.

“Found it and thought you’d be interested,” Shadow explains, still slightly embarrassed. “Could make a nice paperweight, too.”

Vio searches his brain for any knowledge of the peculiar specimen. “Petrified wood,” he vaguely recalls. “It’s sort of a fossil, I think. At some point, this area was affected by a volcano, or just a lot of fire, and the trees went through a sort of mineralization process.”

“Do you think that’s because of me?”

Vio blinks, genuinely puzzled by the question.

“Because of all the fire,” Shadow clarifies. “And the volcano.”

Vio releases a short laugh, but stops himself immediately. Shadow is genuinely concerned, he wants to take this seriously. “Love,” he says, reaching for his partner’s flannel-clad arm, “this is a fossil. Its creation might as well be ancient history.”

Shadow exhales. “Oh. Right.”

Vio feels Shadow’s muscles loosen—which, by the way, have become noticeably more pronounced since Shadow started chopping firewood.

“It’s just weird,” Shadow continues, not appearing to notice the blush on Vio’s face. “I know it’s been, like, more than a year since I did those awful things, but I still…”

“I love it,” Vio says, turning the rock over in his hand. It reminds him of sunset dragon rides, the heat of the Fire Temple, the sweet taste of marshmallows roasted over fires they set together. “Thank you, Shadow.”

In retrospect, Vio knows he probably shouldn’t have been so permissive of Shadow doing villainous things to impress him back in their evil days. It’s something Blue, Green, Zelda, and even Shadow himself have all since commented on, with various degrees of moral judgment. And to his credit, Vio typically attempts to walk it back, to express retroactive distaste for Shadow’s more violent and macabre ‘gifts.’

But deep down, some part of Vio will always take pleasure in the degree to which Shadow will go to prove his devotion.

“We should probably dispose of the dead mouse, though,” Shadow mutters against Vio’s lips.

From beneath them, Pinecone hisses.

─────────────────

The frequency of cat purring has been shown to fall between 25 and 140 Hz. The same frequency has been shown to aid in the healing of broken bones, joint and tendon repair, and wound healing. The combined effects of their relaxing presence and their purr make cats powerful against stress and anxiety. Cat owners report that—

“Put down the book,” Shadow mutters into Vio’s shoulder. “You need to rest.”

Vio sniffles and does as he’s told. Shadow holds him closer, pulling Red’s handmade quilt from fully over them both.

“You’re lucky,” Vio says, his throat dry, “that you don’t get sick very often. It sucks.”

Shadow hums sympathetically. “Strong immune system means I can still hold you, contagion be damned.”

“Are you sure that’s, like, a real thing?”

Shadow kisses the side of Vio’s forehead. It’s warm from his fever, but colder than it had been a few hours ago.

“Hi, Pinecone,” says Vio as the cat joins them in bed. She goes straight to Vio’s chest, plopping down and rolling on her side. Shadow scritches her soft belly with one hand and rubs Vio’s side with the other.

Pinecone’s purrs are immediate and much louder than usual. With wonder in his eyes, Vio gently presses two fingers to her throat. It vibrates steadily under his touch, and a slight press seems to make the purrs even louder.

“I’ll research her anatomy later,” Vio decides. “Too tired now.”

“Good idea,” Shadow says, completely earnest. “I love it when you know your limits.”

Vio musters the energy to roll his eyes. “Well now I have to—uh, Shadow?”

“Hm?”

Vio raises both eyebrows, turning his head to see Shadow’s face. “Are you purring?”

After a second of consideration, Shadow presses two fingers to his own throat. “Huh,” he remarks, self-satisfied. “Would you look at that.”

“Have you always been able to purr?” Vio asks, a little too weak to muster appropriate levels of bewilderment.

Shadow shakes his head. “Must have picked it up from shapeshifting into a cat so often. Neat.”

Vio has so many questions. Does this mean Shadow could just take on any quality he pleases? Could he take on more feline features, like really sharp claws and fangs? Just how weird can he get with this, if he so chooses? Because Vio already has a thing for his fangs, and—

Shadow purrs louder, adding to Pinecone’s steady rumbling. Vio shakes his head, too sick and too comfortable to stress.

─────────────────

“Please bite me somewhere less obvious next time,” Vio tells Shadow, wrapping a scarf around his neck. Shadow pouts, already bundled up for the snowy walk into castle town, and bats at the scarf’s fringes.

“They look nice,” he says, only earning a huff. Vio agrees completely, but one of them has to at least pretend to care about propriety. “Got your library book, nerd?”

Vio holds up the text on feline behavior. “Got it.” He then tucks it safely inside the tote bag they use at the farmer’s market when it’s in season.

Scritch-scritch-scritch.

“Oh, come on,” Vio mutters, craning his head towards the den. “Pinecone, not the couch! Red just helped us reupholster that thing!”

The scratching stops for a moment, then starts again. Vio pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Sorry, love,” Shadow says, although Vio knows he’s more amused than apologetic. “I think we’re just going to have to accept a certain degree of property defacement. Take it as a compliment—she only wants to claim what’s hers.”

Vio sighs. “Yeah, whatever.”

Shadow removes Vio’s scarf, scrunches it into a ball, and tosses it into the den.

─────────────────

Shadow works in the kitchen again, while Vio and Pinecone share the couch in front of a crackling fire. She’s right on his chest again, purring away, staring directly into his eyes. Vio is still disappointed that he can’t talk to her directly, but borrowing the feline behavior book definitely helped him understand her. Vio will always treasure the unique bond they share, even if it’s not as verbose as hers and Shadow’s.

Pinecone blinks slowly.

“I love you, too,” says Vio.

Shadow abruptly leans into the den, holding a wooden spoon covered with pumpkin soup. “Did you say something?”

Vio smirks, bumping Pinecone’s forehead. “Not to you.”

Shadow traces Vio’s gaze to Pinecone as she slow blinks again. He smiles, shakes his head, and leaves them to their conversation.

[citadelspires]

You know since you responded to someone asking who the Amphibia girl trio's favorite Ducktales 17 nephew would be, let's have more fun with this: Which Team Magic member would the girls get along with the best? I imagine Sasha would get along best with Lena (both have engaged in morally ambiguous behavior), Anne with Webby (could see em doing Muay Thai together), and Marcy with Violet (both are nerds).

Oh this is really fun!

I like the idea that Sasha and Lena would get along well but I also think there’s a distinct possibility that the two would totally distrust/dislike eachother on instinct. Lena strikes me as the most protective member of team magic, we see this in the way she reacts to May and June, as well as her initial fear of Violet(which I will never stop finding hilarious cause she goes from Evil to Sister at the speed of fast but anyway). I think Lena’s response to Sasha would be to be very wary of her, in a way where she’s like “I know what someone who’s hiding something looks like and this is it.” I think she’d be willing to extend a helping hand to Sasha in the case of Sasha asking for it, because she knows exactly how it feels to be buried so far in deceit and bad choices that you don’t know how to get out on your own, and she wouldn’t want someone to have to go through that by themselves, but I think she’d take a while to really trust her. 

Webby, on the other hand, would Love Sasha, or at least I think so. Webby is just naturally trusting and friendly so she would bounce right up to Sasha and start complimenting her armor and weapons and be all “What fighting styles do you use? How long have you been training for? How prepared are you in the event of a sudden ambush?” Sasha would find her a little overwhelming and unruly at first, especially because I think Webby’s enthusiasm and smol-duckness would remind her of Sprig a bit, but when she actually started listening I think she’d find Webby would have some interesting things to say about adventure and combat and stuff.

She’d probably try to get on Webby’s good side at first so she could use potential Webby Tactics for the rebellion, but the more she talked to Webby the more she would probably start to actually like her. I think Webby could also offer some interesting insights on friendship, as someone who lacked friends for a good majority of her life, and someone who has had to learn the lesson that sometimes, even if you think you’ve got all the answers, you need to let go and let other people resolve their own things sometimes (think Fight For Castle McDuck). But I also just think Webby has a way simpler view on friendship than Sasha does, and I just love the image of Sasha doing her thing of thinking of all the elements of her relationship with Anne and Marcy and all the things she has to do and how everything has to go a certain way and Webby’s just like “Friends are nice cause you all just get to be yourselves, Together!” and Sasha just stares at her like. What.

Sasha would gradually grow to care about Webby a whole lot, I can imagine her treating her similarly to Percy and Braddock in the first half of Barrel’s Warhamer. She pretends she’s just humoring Webby cause she knows Webby will just keep talking to her and asking her to practice sword fighting with her anyway, but she has to admit, only to herself, that the little duck has actually grown on her. She also ends up knowing so much Scrooge McDuck trivia that is utterly useless to her and she has no idea what to do with.

I do think you’re spot on with Marcy and Violet. When I imagine them hanging out I’m imagining like, a mix between Marcy nerding out over seeds and architecture with Hop Pop, and the magical shenanigans Marcy got up to with Maddie. The thing I really like about these two is that they both are very science-minded, but also take that love for science and use that approach when studying magic. Marcy would beg Violet to tell her all about the shadow incidents and the research she’s done, something Violet would be more than happy to do, and then Violet would ask to hear about Marcy’s studies in Amphibia, trying to learn just as much about the world as she could. To be honest they’d probably break the show cause I firmly believe if the combined intelligence and experience of Marcy and Violet was put in the same space they’d crack the whole mystery of the music box within a week.

I saved this one for last cause it’s my favorite, but I actually think Lena would get along best with Anne, and vice-versa. The reason I think this is because the two have both had arcs that are highly centered on the concept of finding themselves and figuring out who they are. Lena lived (literally) in Magica’s shadow for so long, having to create her own identity from the ground up, and taking even longer to figure out and be secure in the knowledge that she wasn’t making anything up, she is Lena Sabrewing, and that’s enough. Meanwhile Anne, though coming from very different circumstances, spent a long time living in the shadows of her friends, not able to stand up for herself or make her own decisions, not really paying much attention to herself. Contrary to the typical chaos of both of these shows, and the very active ways Marcy & Violet / Sasha & Webby would interact, I feel like Lena and Anne would just kind of like, relax and talk for a while, which lets be honest both of them really need some time like that. I could see the two of them talking about their own experiences with their friends and their journeys, what led them to the people they are now, offering advice and coming up with ideas with each other. I also like to think Anne would encourage her to write a song about her experiences, like she did, and Lena would have her help, and they’d sing it together.

[noaltbruh]

Bucci gang and Christmas time!

Do I know we're in the middle of Summer? Yes.

Is that going to stop me from writing headcanons about my favourite characters celebrating my favourite Holiday? No.

(Just a side note: most of the headcanons I write take place in an 'Everyone survives universe', keep this particularly in mind while reading this post)

Enjoy! 🎄

Giorno! 🐞

-Giorno has never celebrated Christian once in his entire life. To be honest...He almost feels a sense of spite thinking about this Holiday, because his parents used to neglect him even more during this time of the year. They would spend entire days out, going party with their friends, buying presents for other people, and wouldn't bother in the slightest to decorate the house with a single light

-For a long time, all he could think about when this festivity came into his mind was the dull plate of cold food his parents would leave him to heat in the microwave, but that wasn't nearly as freezing as the feeling of sorrow that filled his heart. He would sit by the window, watching other people having fun together, while he was all alone in that gloomy, small apartment.

-Can you even imagine how he felt when he first celebrated Christmas with the gang?

-He failed to understand why pretty much everyone was so exited, most of them weren't even Christian. He thought he didn't even deserve to participate, not after all the 'morally questionable' things he does as the Don of Passione

-But it didn't take much for the gang to realize how Giorno felt about Christmas, and they were determined to prove him that he had gotten the wrong idea about this Holiday

-When he noticed that he others were trying to drag him in the 'Christmas spirit', he immediately protested, claiming that he had too many errands to attend to

-Needless to say, they didn't buy it

-Eventually, he gave up, accepting to give this festivity a chance, if that would have made them happy. After all, they've been trying so hard to lift his spirit, he would have felt ungrateful rejecting them even now

-He helped with the preparations in any way he could, from decorating the house to buying gifts for everyone.

-What he hadn't realized, is how much effort and care he was putting in everything he was doing. It wasn't something he agreed to solely to please them, he was genuinely enjoying it, he wanted to be a part of this, even though he failed to fully understand it.

-His favourite part was filling the house and the back garden with lights and any other sort of decorations: candles, wreaths, festoons, music boxes, or just other ornaments in general

-When the 25th of December finally arrived, Giorno was ecstatic. Seeing his entire family having so much fun together, opening presents, admiring the lights, watching cheesy Christmas movies while wrapped up in warm blankets, it felt so...Simple, but so reassuring, he couldn't even put into words how he felt

-His favourite present was a huge encyclopedia about nature. He always reads it before going to bed, it helps him fall asleep faster and more peacefully

-Like I mentioned in my previous post, I think Giorno really likes anything that tastes even slightly sweet, so he absolutely adores Christmas treats! Pandori, panettoni, tronchetti, hot chocolate...He loves all of them!

-He can't deny that he felt really bad when they had to take off all the decorations, and while he wouldn't openly say it, he wishes for Christmas to come back again as soon as possible

Bruno! 🤐

-Bruno is the second most exited in the gang for Christmas! (Can you already tell who's the first? :) ) He's the only one, however, that cares about the religious aspect of it, which is particularly important in a country like Italy.

-It's his favourite Holiday, and it was considered the most important festivity in his family, since all of his relatives were Christians. Besides, he had always been personally attached to it, as it was one of the very few times where he could see his mom, which used to spoil him in whatever way she could

-He goes to Church either very early on Christmas Morning, while everyone is still asleep, or at exactly midnight between the 24th and the 25th. Most of the people that go at times like these are old grannies, but Bruno doesn't care, he thinks it's cute actually ^^

-As he was raised in a relatively humble environment, having the chance to celebrate Christmas in quite the...Extravagant way, after joining Passione, almost felt out of place for him

-That doesn't mean, however, that he doesn't care about the 'materialistic' part of the Festivity, because he sees it as a way to rest his head for a while and spend some quality time with the ones he cares about

-His role as the mom of the group is also remarkably present during the preparations. Bruno is the one that mostly takes care of cooking for everyone, and he enjoys it a lot! His favourite part is preparing sweets of any kind, because they allow him to experiment a lot and always try new recipes

-Every member of the gang has to participate in one way or another to the preparations, and Bruno is the one that coordinates the whole thing

-Bucciarati always gets everyone the best presents. He starts thinking about what to get for them a month before the others, so that he never finds himself in a rush and can take all the time he needs to find the perfect gift

-He also LOVES making and receiving hand-made presents, he can feel all the effort and love that was put into them, and it just feels more thoughtful than something that was bought, no matter how expensive it may have been

-Bruno is that sort of person that prefers to spend Christmas without doing anything particularly exciting, just enjoying the calm and warm atmosphere that fills the house

-However, Bucciarati also loves to go for a long walk down the streets, admiring the lights all around the town, bringing along anyone in the gang that wishes to join him

Mista! 🔫

-While the manga states that Mista believes in a 'God', I don't think he believes in Jesus, Holy Mary, and the rest. He used to go to Church when he was little, but mostly because his parents forced him to, he didn't actually care

-Because of this, he sees Christmas as a materialistic Festivity, but that doesn't mean he's not excited for it. He thinks that it's the perfect excuse for everyone to just chill for a little while and have fun

-Unlike Bruno and Giorno, who prefer to just relax at home without doing anything that requires a lot of energy, Mista is always looking forward to something exiting to do during this time of the year

-Do you want an example? Ice skating! This boy is incredibly good at skating, and he constantly flexes on the entire gang how good he is

-He's that type of person that forgets to buy presents for the gang, and only remembers at the last minute. He's lost count of how many times he had to fight with another costumer because they wanted to buy the same thing, and there was only one left

-Once, a dude was so insistent that he had to pull out his gun to scare him away. Guess what? It worked. Nobody in that shop ever dared to argue with him again

-"Get your damn hands off this videogame, I have a seventeen years old little brother that won't talk to me for two weeks if I don't buy this for him!"

-Aside from getting gifts for Narancia, Trish and the rest, he also gives something to each one of the sex pistols. It's mostly food, but they don't really seem to mind

-Even in this time of the year, Mista is still hot. While everyone is wearing sweaters, long trousers and coats, this madman is still wearing shorts. Trish constantly complains about it, saying that he's going to catch a bad cold, if not worse, if he keeps on dressing like this. He never actually listens to her though

-Like I mentioned early, everyone in the gang has to take care of the preparations in different ways. Mista, together with Fugo, has to buy all the ingredients Bruno needs. It may seem like an easy task, but it isn't; friendly reminder that they have to buy enough stuff for seven people, most of them with very different tastes

-He often gets fed up with waiting in line, and just takes everything he needs and leave without paying. Nobody has the courage to complain, they know better than messing around with a guy like that

-He will most likely steal some of Abbacchio's wine and get drunk. He usually doesn't like alcohol very much, but damn does Abba have good taste in wines

Narancia! 🍊

-You won't find anyone that loves Christmas more than this cute little bundle of sunshine!

-His mother always loved Christmas, and wanted her child to appreciate this Festivity as much as her. Since his parents weren't particularly rich, he always celebrated in a relatively simple way, but his mamma always managed to find a way to make every Christmas different and unique. His father never complained about Mela's excitement, but he barely ever participated in whatever the two of them were organizing. Still, Nari didn't mind, the woman's excitement and joy were successfully passed to her kid

-After she died, for a couple of years, he stopped celebrating Christmas. Not because he didn't want to, he just...Couldn't. His father and him were strangers at this point, and his 'friends' didn't care about it either, they actually thought that it was a stupid thing

-When he finally had the chance to celebrate again after joining Passione, Narancia swore that he wouldn't have let anything, and I say ANYTHING, stop him from enjoying every moment of this Holiday ever again

-Since there are a couple of 'Grinches' in the house, Narancia thinks it's his duty to cheer everyone up, showing them why he loves Christmas so much

-"Nobody's gonna be left out, nope, not on my watch! We're all gonna have a great time, whether you want it or not!"

-Nari already starts to get exited for this Festivity in the moment November arrives, there's nothing he looks forward to more, not even his birthday

-When Bruno finally mentions that it's time to start organizing everything, Narancia jumps from his seat, and it's one of the very few occasions where he listens carefully without spacing out

-Just like Giorno, this baby boy loves decorating the house, they make an awesome team together!

-"Giorno! Look look look...You gotta see this!" "What is it, Narancia?" "THIS SNOW GLOBE! ISN'T IT JUST SOOOOOOOO CUTE?" -"Hehe...I suppose so"

-You may think that, similar to Mista, he forgets to buy presents, but that's not the case! Narancia wants to surprise the entire gang with his awesome gifts, and when they think he can't find anything better...Boom! He slaps an even more amazing present in their faces (not literally, of course)

-Even though he can't cook, he's more than willing to help Bruno with decorating the sweets, filling them with frosting, cream, small fruits, chocolate chips...Anything Bucciarati says he can use, really

-He also loves to go admiring the lights with the latter, always pointing out everything he sees

-"GAAAAASP...AN ENTIRE TREE MADE OF LIGHTS? AM I DREAMING?" "I'd say it's real, would you like to take a picture next to it?" "Yes, please!"

-Every year he wishes for the city to finally be covered in snow, but sadly, when you live in a hot country like Italy, that's most likely going to remain a fantasy

-He really likes wearing those oversized, horrible Christmas-themed sweaters, and genuinely thinks they're cute. He hopes for someone to wear them with him, but nobody ever seems to accept

-He tried convincing Fugo once, it uhm...Didn't go too well. But one of these years, he's going to get Giorno to wear one, he's sure of it!

-Nari still believes in Santa, and Bruno will personally ari the crap out of anyone who dares to tell him that he's not real. He leaves some cookies and milk in front of the tree in the living room, saying that he's going to stay awake the entire night to finally see him. He always ends up falling asleep...So one of the members of the gang has to carry him over to bed

-During Christmas lunch, he will 100% sure overeat, to the point where he can barely stand up from the chair, but still denying verything and acting like his stomach isn't about to explode

Fugo! 🍓

-Similar to Giorno, Fugo doesn't have any particular happy memories of Christmas from his childhood

-His entire family used to reunite to celebrate together. At first sight, it seemed like nothing was wrong: everyone was having fun with their loved ones, but for Fugo...It just felt so fake

-He knew that in the moment his relatives left, his parents would have gone back to their strict and distant behavior. Even during this time of the year, they still pressured him, just in a softer way. They wouldn't let him rest until he finished all the homework his teachers gave for Christmas Holidays, they wouldn't let him play with his other cousins, saying that he was too mature, and the list went on

-The only thing that comforted him was his grandmother, whom the rest of the family only invited for pity. She was the only one that would actually give Fugo something a child would genuinely like, like a puzzle or a plushie

-He was the first member to join Bucciarati's squad, so I'm guessing that they must have spent one Christmas together, just the two of them

-At first, the blonde tried to convince Bruno to just leave him alone, inviting him to celebrate with his relatives, saying that he would have been okay on his own

-Obviously, a good mom would never leave his child, so he declined his propose. For some reason...The man's behavior reminded Fugo a lot of his grandmother, and that was the first Christmas this Strawberry boy cherished in his heart

-While they mostly kept it to something simple, when the others arrived things started to get more and more loud, especially with Narancia

-Even though he would rather just spend the day relaxing at home with something warm to drink, he always ends up being dragged into whatever Nari and Mista are planning on doing. He fell like...10 times when they went ice skating together

-Fugo still acts kinda moody towards this time of the year, as his pride is too high for him to admit that he likes something so 'sentimental'

-He's also super done with having to go shopping with Mista to buy groceries, but he has to help in one way or another

-"Alright...Mista, Fugo, you two will buy all the ingredients I'm going to need"

"Urgh...It's cold outside, and I don't want to wait in line...Do I really have to?"

"Oh? Would you rather setting up the decorations with Giorno and Narancia?"

Cut to Nari already covered in lights while giggling like a kid

"...Just give me the list already"

"Wow, rude"

-Speaking of which, Fugo's immune system is not uhm...The best, and this means that he's always super scared of catching a cold in this period. While he doesn't show it, it'd pain him a lot to ruin everyone else's fun with his sickness

-He constantly wears super heavy clothes, even when they're at home, with all the windows closed and the wood burning in the fire place

-He always looks like a potato sack in the photos, but that doesn't really bother him a lot

-He isn't very good when it comes to making presents. He tries, and remembers to buy them on time, but he's not a particularly creative boy. He's that kind of person that would mostly just buy clothes or relatively 'simple' things, not that I can really blame him...That's pretty much all he received when he was a child

Abbacchio! ⏮️

-Oh boy...OH BOY! The Grinch himself, the Christmas hunter, the gloomy Lord in person

-I like to think that Abbacchio was one of the very few very people in the gang that actually grew up with a loving family, so he was more than happy to celebrate Christmas when he was a child

-One year, his parents gave him a police officer hat as a present, and he refused to take it off for days, even though it was obviously too big for him

-This means that unlike Giorno and Fugo, whose reason for disliking Christmas goes back to this childhood, his hate towards it is much more recent and somewhat less 'justified'

-After the loss of his colleague, he became apathetic to almost everything around him, and this Holiday was not spared. It was quite the opposite, to be honest

-He can't stand the whole cheerful and happy atmosphere, he thinks it's suffocating and makes him sick. Plus, "having a bunch of brats jumping up and down, singing lame carols and decorating the house like it's some birthday party" doesn't help

-Despite Narancia's efforts, the only one who can really get him out of this mood (pun intended) is Bucciarati

-"Just stop it already, Bruno. Go have fun with the children, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't care about any of this?"

-"And how many times do I have to tell you that you're not going to get rid of me that easily?"

-"...Whatever"

-Honestly, what he likes the most about this festivity is that he has an excuse for getting drunk af without anyone complaining. He takes the fanciest and most expensive bottle of wine he has and drinks all of it in less than 10 minutes

-The gang even bets money on how long it's going to take him to finish the whole thing, either Mista or Narancia usually win, since the others tend to underestimate Abbacchio's alcoholic "abilities"

-He puts minimal effort, mostly just because he's forced to, in buying presents for the squad. He's also super biased and obviously plays favourites, even though he would never admit it

-He'd buy something super special for Bruno, try a bit harder to pick up something for Narancia and Trish and take the first thing he sees for Fugo and Mista. As for Giorno...He literally just buys some coal, writes 'Buon Natale' on a piece of paper and slaps it on the carbon

-He has a relatively simple job regarding the preparations for Holiday time, which is...

-"Very well, Abbacchio...You have to pick up the tree from the basement and bring it to the living room"

"Why me? That thing is so fu***ng heavy"

"Exactly, do you want somebody else to lift it up and break their spine? I'd rather not spend Christmas night at the hospital"

-"Sigh...Alright, just because YOU ask"

-Slowly, but surely, he's learning to love Christmas again, though he will still keep on acting grumpy and complain every time he has the chance to

Trish! 🎙

-This girl is ready to brighten up all the festivities! When it's time to have fun, Trish doesn't hesitate even for a moment!

-Similar to Narancia and Bruno, her mother couldn't afford anything super expensive or exciting during this time of the year (taking care of a child on your own is no easy job), but Trish never dared to complain. She was aware of the sacrifices her mother was making to make sure that her child had everything she needed, she wouldn't have thrown a tantrum for something superficial

-Donatella would always give her a new doll as a present, and she would play with it for entire hours without getting tired. Her favourite one was, of course, a blonde doll dressed up as a pop star

-Just like her daughter, she was extraordinarily good when it came to choosing what to wear, which means that when Trish entered her 'teen phase', the woman would gift her a dress instead. Needless to say, the girl loved it every time!

-Speaking of which, after becoming part of the gang, her favourite "Christmas activity", if it counts, was going shopping! I mean...Do you think a person like her would miss out on the Sales? Please

-She doesn't like going on his own though, and brings along somebody with her. That 'somebody's ends up being Mista most of the times, which is literally just DRAGGED out of his room to the shopping centre

-Trish is that sort of person (I mean...I don't know if that's a thing in other countries, but it's pretty much a meme here in Italy) who insists that she's on a diet even during the Holiday season, but every single time someone offers something to eat, she replies with "Whatever, I'll just start next week" or "I'll start after New Year".

-Before she knows, it's the 8th of January and she hasn't been on a diet even for a day.

-One day, she'd like to travel around the world and see how they celebrate this Festivity in other countries. As you can already tell, she valued the materialistic part of Christmas than the 'spiritual' one, and she knows that in a lot of places it isn't considered a religious Holiday in the first place

-One thing she dislikes is how she's forced to wear super heavy and long clothes, she hates them and insists that they make her look fat (which is absolutely not true)

-She LOVES taking pictures of everything! Food? Yes. Decorations? Yes. Gifts? Yes. Just photos in general where the seven of them are together? Y E S!

-Some of them try to run away when they realize that Trish is about to start a freaking photoshoot, but their struggles are always vain, especially since she has Bruno's support

-"Come oooooon, just one last picture!" "Trish, for the love of God, the lasagna is getting cold" "So what? Microwaves exist for a reason" "We are NOT going to ruin all this food by putting it in the Microwave!"

-Being the singer of the group, she takes any opportunity she has to sing a Christmas-themed song, both Carols and modern/pop songs like 'All I want for Christmas'. Half of the times she doesn't even understand the lyrics, but that's not going to stop her for sure

-She definitely doesn't forget to buy presents for the others. After she goes shopping so much, how could she? Most people think it's lame to receive a clothes as a present, but we're taking about Trish here!

-She knows very well how every member likes to dress, and she surely doesn't have problems with her budget. She will pick something for each one of her companions even better than what they would take for themselves

-Lastly, her 'task' is to decorate the tree, which is one of the longest assignments that also require a lot of attention and precision. Why, you may ask? Because that thing is freaking huge, that's why. Giorno and Narancia will probably help her out once they're done with their own decorations, the three of them have a lot of fun together!

[flamingo-writes]

Same Cloth — Satori Tendou x Reader

Summary: The friendship everyone saw coming. And the unlikely romance that came after. You were the two weirdos from your respective years. The freshman weirdo, and the second year weirdo. It only made sense. The romance, however, definitely took everyone by surprise, even though it was obvious to you, given that you two were two birds of a feather. 

"You and I are cut from the same cloth" Satori Tendou had said almost immediately after properly meeting you.

Posted: 05.10.2020

A/N: So, I was finally able to write this. It def took me a long while. This was inspired by a fic written by @laceymorganwrites​. Also, I intended to keep this shorter, but after word-vomiting the conversations and events written with minimum detailed turned out to be almost 2K words, I knew it’d end up being 5K after adding details and everything...

Word Count: 5.1 K

Warnings:  None

The school's journal didn't particularly excite you. Journaling wasn't your thing. Writing wasn't your thing. Interacting with people wasn't your thing either. But you needed to join a club. And you did have a talent with cameras. So, you joined the journalism club as the photographer in your first year at Shiratorizawa. 

"So, [Name]-chan" Your boss called you once she saw you walk inside the classroom you usually used after class. "I know it's your first year, and that it's hardly been a few months, but, we finally have some big story to cover" 

A girl from third year, named Makoto, was the director of the journal and pretty much everyone's boss. She was usually in charge of what stories you covered and she reviewed the final drafts. Everything related to the final draft was her territory, she gave the final green light to everything before publishing the paper. 

"I'm not in the writing team…" You reminded her, feeling already uncomfortable by her loud friendly aura. 

"Oh, I know that" She giggled. "Sorry if I wasn't clear, but I was going to ask you if I could get some pictures." Makoto by this point knew you weren’t particularly good with figurative speech.

"Alright. About what?" 

"The Volleyball tournament will begin soon, the local one at least. Then we'll have the spring tournament. Anyways, I'm pretty sure you know by now how big of a deal Volleyball is to this school" She began explaining as you felt the attack from her eye contact, as you avoided actually locking stares with her, as if you were a prey being watched by the predator. 

"I've noticed, but I don't know why" You hissed.

"The team is great” She said “You should go and see one of their games" 

"I don't like sports" Flatly, your voice made Makoto pout, sightly dissapointed by your lack of excitement.

"Anyways, [Name]. Could you get some pictures of the team, please?"

Her wide eyes looking at you, begging. And it wasn’t much you could say. She was your boss. You sighed deeply, thinking about how you’d had to pull through, maybe feel unpleasant and uncomfortable watching them play. But the sooner you had the job done, the better, right?

"Yup" You sighed, as Makoto’s smile took over and she thanked you dearly, knowing you weren’t particularly excited by this. 

♤

The next day you’’d begged your best friend over and over again to come with you to the Volleyball Court. Normally, you could pull off any photography job by yourself, but this was a whole different story. The awkwardness biting your neck and tensing your back like a cold shiver freezing your spine. 

"Can you believe I've never been here?" You muttered standing outside the court. 

"Well, you're not one to play sports, so, understandable!" Your best friend said trying to stay cheerful so you’d relax, however, all attempts to make you feel at ease were useless. 

Your best friend agreed to go with you to the volleyball court during training hours to take the pictures. A little bit of moral support was all you needed. Even when your best friend thought she wasn’t doing anything for your nerves, her presence alone gave you the strength to step inside the hell with a never ending rain of volleyballs. 

Your boss was supposed to meet up with you outside. She was a third year student and knew the team pretty well. Shiratorizawa’s volleyball team was a constant guess, and the leader of the Newspaper of course had to know each and everyone of the team members.  

With your feet glued to the ground, and your breath suddenly missing, you could hardly move. Makoto, quite passive-aggressively pushed you inside, as you reluctantly put one feet in front of the other while biting your tongue. Stiff like a corpse, made you wish you had entered the chess club instead. 

"You really don't like sports, do ya?" Makoto sighed with a gentle chuckle, trying to soothe your nerves as well.

"She's got very bad luck with sports. She always gets hit in the face" your best friend said holding your hand as you immediately squeezed back her hand. Your friend trying to keep a straight face, pretending like you were not about to break her fingers. 

"It's gonna be alright, [Name]-chan" your friend said giving you a threatening look that made you realize you were squeezing the life out of her hand, and you had managed to loosen your grip a little bit.  

"Why are we here again, Makoto-senpai?" You murmured, feeling your entire body sweat cold. 

"We need pictures!" Makoto said proudly as she stepped inside the gym. 

Menacingly, volleyballs flew everywhere. You were convinced that they’d break their trajectory to fly in your direction and hit you instead. Your head got light, and your eyes hurt from the white lights. Feeling terribly exposed and blinded, you were definitely an easy target now. 

"Guys! Could you please give me your attention for a few minutes!" Makoto yelled, waving one of her arms, catching everyone's attention.

"Is she allowed to interrupt them just like that?" You asked your best friend as she shrugged as confused as you were. 

Several, very tall and intimidating guys suddenly surrounded you like flies in a dumpster. You felt your anxiety closing in round you as these boys circled, leaving you and Makto in the middle, ready to hear whatever the Head of the School’ Paper had to say. 

"Ah, Makoto-senpai!" A tall redhead guy said in a dreamy tone. "Want an interview with the school's titans, is that it?" 

"Not, quite. We're covering the tournament in the school paper, and we wanted some pictures. So, I brought my photographer" Makoto said, turning around and looking at you. 

All the set of eyes were now on you. Very much to your pet peeve of being constantly stared at. Boy, this was horrible. All the guys, standing as tall as buildings, with drilling eyes, the bright lights, the anxiety. It was all awful, and you wished you could just blink and be in your room, as if ll of this was just a nightmare. 

But it didn’t matter how many times you blinked, you were still there. Time seemed to slow down significantly. Still stiff, you waved your hand painfully awkwardly as Makoto grabbed your arm and pulled you with her.

"Everyone, meet, [Full Name]. Please be nice, she's like a cat. Also, please be gentle with how you train, she's got bad luck and always gets hit in the face whenever wherever she tries to play sports” Makoto said, quoting what your best friend had told her before walking inside.  

"Do you not trust us?" A blond guy with a fierce stare said. "We're amazing players,  we won't let her get hit by a volleyball" 

"Oi, oi, Semi. Relax" said the redhead with spiky hair. "Don't worry, Makoto-senpai, your photographer will be in good hands~" 

"Thank you, Satori-kun. I know she'll be safe,  just don't scare her '' Makoto laughed awkwardly as she gave you one last stare, almost if she was asking ‘are you gonna be alright?’ to which you simply gave her a poker face, not even sure if you were going to be alright. 

"Makoto-senpai said you're scary, Tendo" another tall guy with darker skin and dark hair said patting the thin redhead in the shoulder. 

"Oh, my, my. I'm sorry" Tendo said grinning as you noticed he didn’t deny what his teammate had said.

"I didn't say anything!" Makoto giggled shyly.

"The second years are very chatty, aren't you guys?" A rather intimidating guy said. "I'm sorry, I'm the captain of the team. Feel free to stay and take as many pictures as you'd like" The guy said bowing politely as you felt even more awkward by such a polite gesture in such a hostile place. 

"Tha-thanks…" you said

“She speaks!” Satori said. 

Everyone could sense the tension surrounding you. Almost as if you were a tiny bomb yourself. However, the entire team felt slightly curious by what could have you so tense. Finally, the captain took away the focus from you by talking loudly. 

"Ushijima!  Let’s take it from where we left!” The captain said cheerfully as another rather intimidating second year walked back to the court. 

“Will you be okay if I leave you here? I still gotta check some stuff back in the classroom” Makoto said in a gentle voice. 

You opened our mouth ready to answer when another, more cheerful voice, took over. 

“Don’t worry, Makoto-chan! We’ll take good care of your photographer” Said Satori ruffling your hair in a friendly manner as you tensed up, thinking why on earth a stranger would do such a thing to you. 

“Thank you!. Take lots of pictures, [Name]!” Makoto said walking out of the gym, waving at you. 

Your best friend exchanged stares with you, as you realized you’d been keeping your breath for the last several seconds. You sighed loudly, trying to focus on your camera, hanging from your shoulder. 

“Don't worry,, we’re good at what we do,” Satori said, walking in front of you “We won't let any volleyballs fly your way. And if they do, I’ll stop them” He said grinning in a rather creepy way as you simply stared at him “You’re not very talkative, are you, kitty?” 

“Makoto did mention that. She is like a cat. She’ll take a while to open up” Your best friend giggled trying to lighten up the tension.

“Well, if you girls need something, feel free to ask” He said politely, walking back inside the court “So, make  sure you make us look cool as hell in those pictures, kitty” 

Leaving aside your crippling fear of being hit, you found yourself in a complete state of lack of inspiration. Despite the explosive dynamic the team had, there was something that just wasn't there. It was hard to explain, even to yourself. 

Yes, the team was there. They were training. You could tell they were really trying by the shiny layer of sweat all of the guys had. The determination in their eyes. But something was off. Something that somehow was blocking your creative eye. The need to pull your camera to your eye did not exist. An urgency to capture a moment wasn't there. 

“So, how are the photos going?” Makoto made an appearance out of nowhere, gently patting your shoulder. 

Without looking away from the most intimidating guy of all, a guy by the name of Wakatoshi Ushijima, you answered. 

“Terrible" Your gaze moved back to your camera, looking at probably the most decent picture you'd taken so far. "I can’t work like this” 

The picture was Wakatoshi's; caught in the middle of his jump, his left hand raised tall and strong ready to hit the ball. 

“What the hell does that mean?” The blond, Semi, growled.

“I’m not feeling this, you know?” You answered in a low voice.

“I’m not following you” Makoto peeked over your shoulder, looking at the picture. 

“I’m not excited. How am I supposed to take exciting pictures if I’m not excited myself?” 

“Are you saying our training is boring?” The blond growled once more.

“Oi, oi, Semi-kun!" Satori said, holding his friend by the shoulder. "I think what Kitty is trying to say is that there’s not enough competitive atmosphere to properly take pictures, isn’t that it?” 

There was something terribly familiar about you, thought Tendou. Maybe the fact that your analyzing stare somehow reminded him of Ushijima. Your monotonous tone, and the way you seemed to struggle to put your thoughts into comprehensible words. He was able to.understand what you were trying to say thanks to his friendship with Ushijima. 

You simply shrugged, not quite agreeing with him, nor denying it. Truth was, you were not sure what was wrong, but Satori's words seemed like a pretty good guess. 

“She needs to feel excited, and as long as we train with each other, she won’t feel it" Satori continued "She needs to go to one of our matches against other schools. Not friendly matches, an actual one with us wearing our white and pink shirts and the school screaming at the top of their lungs"

“That’s actually a pretty good idea" Said the captain "Are you free next Wednesday after class?” 

“I don’t know. Am I?” You looked at Makoto who raised an eyebrow at you.  

“I-I’m not your mother” Makoto saod awkwardly.

“You are my boss, if I’m not going to make it to the club I have to let you know so...” 

“oh, that's what you mean" Your boss sighed "We still have a week and a half for the deadline, so yeah, you can go” 

You looked back at the Volleyball team as all of them nodded instinctively.

“Ah, just you wait, Kitty cat, you’re going to be on the edge of your seat watching us play” Satori Tendou said patting you in the head gently. 

You could feel your best friend staring at you, somewhat of excitement in her eyes. You nodded at the redhead, seriously doubting what he was saying. Still somewhat stiff by the whole hour of nerve wracking stress, you spun in your toes and left right away. 

Satori watched you leave, a small proud smile on his face. Something about you intrigued him, and your shy nature sure as hell amused him. You were, in fact, like a kitten. Scared of loud noises and over all shy, but still observing and analyzing like cats usually are.

"Someone liked the new photographer” Semi teased staring at Satori, as the latter sighed dreamily. 

“Yes, I did,” He said proudly. “And how could I not? Are you gonna tell me she isn’t cute?” Satori looked back at Semi who didn’t answer, and instead looked away, defeated. “Yeah, I thought so” 

Your best friend followed close behind, and once you made it out the gym, she leaned closer to your ear.

“I think Satori-senpai liked you” Breaking you apart from your train of thought, you looked at her, trying to keep the blush from telling on you. 

“I didn’t notice…” You lied “He’s weird” You tried to somehow defend yourself, and make it look like you weren’t at all interested in the tall redhead. Your best friend giggled in response. “What?” 

“It's funny that you say that, you’re not precisely the definition of normal” Your friend laughed. 

♤

On Wednesday after class, you met the volleyball team at the entrance of the school. The school bus was waiting for everyone to gather before leaving.the team greeted you with polite smiles. 

The only ones who greeted you properly were Satori Tendo and Ushijima Wakatoshi. The pair greeted you as if you weren't seeing each other for the second time ever. The redhead asked you about your day and your classes as his friend limited himself to wave at you silently and ask how were you today.

“So, Kitty, excited to watch us play?” Satori said as the team started getting inside the bus.

“I guess” You said as Tendo allowed you to get inside first and followed you, taking the seat next to yours.

“Oh, come on. Loosen up!" He gave you a friendly pat in the shoulder "I can see you’re tense. There’s nothing to worry about. I won’t let any volleyballs hit you while you’re wandering around taking pictures. Issa promise” He said sticking his pinky finger at you as you looked at his hand and then at him. “C’mon, give me your pinky!” You met his stare, exchanging stares for the first time with his penetrating glare. You did as he asked and he locked his pinky with yours.“The pact has been sealed” He answered dramatically.

Ushijima took the seat in front of yours and as Satori leaned forward, saying something to his friend, you sighed deeply looking out the window, holding your camera close to your chest. 

“You know, Kitty..." Satori continued leaning back into his seat "you and I are cut from the same cloth” 

You didn't hear him at first. His voice took a while to be processed in your brain. 

“Yeah?” You asked still looking out the window

“You and I are not like the rest. We’re both quite similar” At this, you turned around,  scanning the guy, not sure you understood what he meant.

“Yeah...I don’t think so” 

“Of course not" He answered "I’m extroverted, you’re not. But that doesn’t mean we’re different. You seem distracted most of the time, but I know you’re constantly observing each and every one of our moves" You looked back into the window, feeling uncomfortable by his piercing eyes on you "I bet you already know how volleyball works from just seeing us train, don’t you?"

He was good if he noticed you analyzing their training while still training hard himself. Trying to put your thoughts in orders,  you took a while to talk back.

“I know you  guys touch the ball maximum three times before sending it to the other side. The second player to touch the ball usually sends it to the hitter, I think they are called setters?” 

Satori smiled pleased with what he had heard, especially because his guess about you was right.

“What a clever kitty we have here”  He answered.

“Your reaction time is outstanding" You continued.  "I don't know if your thought train is that fast, or you run just in intuition l, maybe it's both. I really am impressed by how quick you react" You said looking at him briefly before looking away once more.

“Thank you" Satori smiled “Also, you’re not so bad yourself. Little Kitty Cat turned out to have Sherlock-like observation skills, nice” He could tell you were avoiding meeting his stare, but he didn't mind. He scanned your face, now relaxed compared to.when you met outside the school a few minutes earlier ”Ah, I can smell a nice friendship about to bloom, here”  He sighed before hoping off his seat and sitting next to Wakatoshi. 

Once at the game, it was euphoric the amount of intense competitive atmosphere going on during the match. The school singing and cheering. Loud enough to make you get a headache barely 10 minutes after the match began. However, you came prepared with your earbuds. 

Putting them in, you started playing music to help you with your nerves brought by the overstimulation. The yelling, the bright lights, and the constant fear of being hit with a volleyball while moving around the cort while taking photos. 

Normally, people weren’t allowed to be wandering around, but being Shiratorizawa, and thanks to the coach’s big influence, you were allowed to move around taking photos, as long as you didn't distract any of the teams. Something you managed to do perfectly, being unnoticed by everyone throughout the match. 

Once in the bus ride back to the school, you sat at the back, and scrolled through the camera roll to see all the pictures you’ve taken, and plan which one you’d use and how you were going to edit them. 

Satori constantly looked back at you from his seat, feeling curious by your big focus swallowed entirely by your camera. After Ushijima had encouraged him to go with you, Satori chuckled sarcastically before doing as his friend did and walked towards you. 

“Kitty-chan, nya!” Satori Tendou said sitting next to you, breaking you apart from your trance “Mind if I sit here for a while?” You shook your head silently looking back at your camera. “What did you think of the game?” 

“It was exactly what I needed for the pictures” You said in a low voice.

“Mind if I peek?” His question took you by surprise. The idea of someone freely looking through your camera roll made you nervous. However, something was urging you to trust him. You sighed, hesitant at first. You handed him your camera as he proceeded to look at the pictures. 

You’d taken a lot of them, from all of the players, even the coach sitting on the bench with his ever present analyzing stare. Satori indulged himself, counting how many pictures you’d taken of each player just for his own amusement.. However, he felt flattered when he noticed he was the second player with the most photos after Usijima. Being the second with the most photos taken of him after the team’s ace player was just a weird compliment. And probably something you didn’t do on purpose. Or, did you? He thought.

Seeing his fare share of cool pictures flattered him.

“You guys are amazing” You broke the silence, surprising Tendou as he looked up from the camera.

You were usually so quiet and limited yourself to answer whatever questions were addressed towards you. And now, you were actually starting a conversation. On top of that, Tendou felt his cheeks blush gently upon seeing a small shy smile on your face. It was the first time he’d seen you smile, and boy, he felt strangely flattered for a second time. 

“You’re welcome to see us play every game, Kitty. In fact, you could be our personal paparazzo” Satori joked, returning the flirty smile.

♤

A few weeks had passed. The Volleyball team were really excited for their pictures. After editing them and sending each of them their respective photos, all of them lost their heads and immediately flooded their social media with them.

This gesture alone made you somehow popular among the school. Everyone in the team greeted you, talked to you and personally invited you to their games. It was weird how a single event, which was a responsibility, triggered the friendship. 

Especially with Satori who constantly looked for you in between classes or during lunch break to drag you along to hang out with him and Wakatoshi. 

This time, however, it wasn't Satori who poked his head inside your classroom.  As you talked with your best friend, she saw Ushijima's face looking for you. She immediately changed the topic, letting you know Ushijima was looking for you. 

Turning around, and making eye contact with him, he signaled with his hand, calling you. You nodded and excused yourself from your small group of friends and walked towards the door. 

“[Name], may I have a word?”  Ushijima said even before you could ask anything.

"Ye-yeah, sure” You nodded, nervous because, well, Ushijima wasn't a very talkative guy. 

You followed him down the hall a few meters away from your classroom, towards a more.open space with less people around.

“Look," He said, stopping by the staircase and looking at you "You’re probably aware of this by now, but Satori likes you, and that's the first time I see him like that since I met him. Be nice with him. If you’re not interested in him, let him now before his feelings for you get out of his hand” His voice wasn't particularly threatening, but he sounded more serious than he usually was.

Something inside you made you feel butterflies in your stomach, maybe the fact that Ushijima pointed out what you already knew. Satori liked you. You knew this, but hearing it out loud felt...nice. 

“Ushijima senpai, I really appreciate that you care so much for Tendo-kun" You began, the anxiety building up.in your stomach as you gathered the strength to put your thoughts into words "But you don't have to worry, I wont hurt him. In fact, I really like him too… And, it may sound dumb…" You chuckled awkwardly "But it’s the first time I like someone who likes me back, so, I’m not sure how to proceed from here on...I'm improvising along the way, and so far it has worked…" Ushijima chuckled this time, thinking how Satori had actually said something quite similar. "Tendo-kun always says we’re cut from the same cloth, so, I wanna believe I know how to handle him to not hurt him" 

A gentle smile was drawn on Ushijima's facem something you didn't see as often. But it was somehow comforting.

“I’m glad to hear” He said turning around towards the stairs, ready to go back to his classroom. "Thanks, [Name]-san" 

“Ushijima-senpai?” You said before he walked away.

“Yes, [Name]?” 

“Please don’t tell Tendo that I told you that I like him back” You asked nervously looking at your fingers.

“I’m sorry, [Name], but I can’t promise that. I won't tell him. But if he asks me, I won't deny it. Besides, I'm pretty sure he knows by now" Ushijima said looking up the stairs and noticing his friend walking along the hall, looking for him. 

Ushijima gave you one last smile before joining Satori in the next floor as his friend asked him where had he'd gone. 

♤

The next two months you lived with a crippling anxiety that popped up whenever you saw Watakoshi and Satori together. However, Satori never showed a sudden change of attitude towards you. But that didn't mean Wakatoshi hadn't told him. 

One thing had changed, with each day, Satori opened up more and more. He looked for excuses to spend time with you. You even went on coffee dates with him and both of you worked on your respective homework. 

Very subtle, little by little, you fell harder and harder for him. And so he did. To the point where people weren't sure if you were dating or not. Including you among these people. 

Where your relationship or friendship stood, wasn't clear. At least not until that date. The very first non-coffee-and-homework date you had. 

He'd taken you to the aquarium. At first you thought it was a rather random place for a date. At least until you noticed how quiet he was. The usual talkative Satori Tendou now walked slowly, silently. Very much like a cat, fascinated by the fish

You realized that was why he'd chosen the aquarium. And you knew this from his behavior alone. He didn't speak much, and he paced slowly, stopped at every tank and attentively watched at the fish. And it felt weirdly intimate. You were seeing a side of Tendou you didn't see at school. And you weren't sure if other people knew of. Probably Ushijima.

His talkative loud demeanor was gone, replaced by a quiet wandering shadow. And you took advantage of this to take a lot of incredible pictures of him. The blue lighting and the dim lights worked magic combined with your skills in photography. You captured the beauty of absolute calmness shining from his eyes. The eyes that usually shone with a chaotic fire now looked calm. The calm before the storm reflected in his eyes in blue and greens.

"How come you haven't grown tired of taking pictures of me?" He said as his eyes followed the marlin fish swimming in front of him. 

"Because your eyes shine in a way I've never seen before. Its nice..." You said, drawing a small, yet confident smile in Satori's face. "And I want to capture them as much as I can" 

"[Name]-chan, can I ask you something?" He whispered walking closer to you.

You looked up at him, curious. And then you saw yet another perfect frame to take a picture. However, your curiosity was stronger and you refrained from stopping him to take the picture.

"Sure" You answered, noticing how he'd stopped within a single step away from you. 

You looked up at him, he was tall. His slim complexion made him look even taller. His eyes, somewhat tender and gentler met yours. Your intuition screaming at you, suddenly making you blush and your heart race.

"Why do you like me so much?" He asked bluntly as one of his hands reached your face and softly brushed your hair with his fingers. 

"Did Wakatoshi tell you?" You stuttered.

"Wakatoshi knows?" 

"I-I asked him not to tell you"

"So that's why…" He whispered "Normally he tells me everything...you haven't answered my question, Kitty" He looked at you as you shyly shook your head  

"I'm not sure" You began, as your heart raced at an amazing speed you didn't know was possible. 

"I just know my heart races, and my gut twist in funny ways whenever I see you, or even think of you" You continued "There's something special about you and I can't pinpoint what. And I don't want to know either. You're the kind of mystery that should stay unsolved"

Satori smiled, quite satisfied with his answer.

"Such a weird kitty" he murmured leaning closer to you, pressing his forehead against yours, and closing his eyes. 

"Yeah" You breathed as Satori took deep breaths, getting drunk on your sweet smell. A sweet smell he could never grow tired of. A smell he'd love to smell every day close to him.

Desperate, with the anxiety twisting your gits more and more with every second, you stood up.on your toes, closing the distance between your faces, and pressing a shy kiss on his lips.

At once, he cupped your face, holding you there, as he kissed you back. Lips clumsily locking, exploring each other for the first time. A sweet kiss, the both of you had been craving so desperately finally bringing closure to the questions about the two of you dating. 

God, what a kiss. Stealing your breath, making your head feel light, thinking how you could easily become addicted to him. 

Finally, Satori slowly broke the kiss. Pressing a delicate kiss on the tip of your nose, and another one on your forehead before pressing his cheek against it. As you tried to catch your breath, Satori returned to look at the fish swimming calmly in the tank.

"Can you hear them?" Satori whispered as you followed his stare.  

"Who?" 

"The fish" He answered as if it was obvious who he was talking about. You looked at him and smiled before looking back at the fish bank swimming in hypnotizing shapes. 

"What are they saying?"  You said playing along.

"You don't talk fish?" Satori joked looking at you crack a soft laugh.

"I'm sorry, I don't talk fish" You answered with a small cheeky smile on your lips. 

"You're beautiful" He whispered. 

Looking back at him, you noticed he was scanning your face. A subtle smile drawn on his face as he continued to admire you. One if his long thin hands cupped your cheek. He felt his heart melt as you gave into his touch and snuggled your face in his hand. He leaned closer, pressing another kiss on your lips. You stopped breathing for a second before you gasped against his lips in surprise and wrapped your arms around his chest squeezing him m gently against you.

[snowflake-of-destruction]

125 pls💜

Cleaning out old asks afternoon? Cleaning out old asks afternoon. 

125. You’re the one who left it laying around. Grass is Greener. Sora and Riku.

"You're looking through my phone?" Sora was framed in the doorway, striking even in sweatpants with bunched legs that said they were too long, though they tightened over his hips and a faded shirt with a cartoon dragon on it, hair held back by a blue headband that Riku was fairly, though not entirely, certain had been left at the house by a guest a few weeks ago, large green bowl cradled in his arms. Sora had frozen mid-stir, forgetting what he'd been coming in from the kitchen to ask Riku when he'd caught his husband intently scrolling through something on his phone, Riku's own Otter encased cell lying forgotten on the coffee table.

Riku didn't look guilty in the slightest when he glanced up and made no move to set the item in question down or offer it to its owner. "You’re the one who left it laying around. It kept buzzing, so I got curious. Your passcode is the same as your pin. Every pin you've ever set." Riku left it unvoiced that Sora should never again tease him for the time he'd made his email password "E-mailpassword!" when he was almost as bad. "I was going to make sure it wasn't an emergency, and maybe answer whoever it was that you were cooking and would call or text them back later. "

"I guess that makes sense," Sora hemmed, dismayed suspicion that had scrunched his face slowly smoothing out. He had nothing to hide, and few thoughts or conversations that he didn't relate to Riku, period. If anything, Riku sometimes had to cut his sharing off, and remind him that, while he loved to hear about Sora's day, he wasn't required to recount every second they were apart. He didn't even care about privacy. The only reason to be uncomfortable about Riku looking at his phone was the implication that Riku didn't trust him. If Riku was just concerned that he was missing an important phone call, and then maybe got distracted, then that seemed alright. "Who was it?"

"Kairi." Riku frowned over the name and Sora felt a prickle of concern again. "She hung up when she heard my voice. I wonder if she recognized it," he mumbled the last half to himself.

"You know Kairi?" Surprise and curiosity mixed. "You didn't tell me before that you know Kairi!" Sora could only see the fun of the coincidence. It was a shame he hadn't known before though; he'd have used the leverage of Riku and Kairi being friendly to help convince her to consider staying with them during her separation from her husband instead of with her brother.

"I wasn't sure myself until now," Riku set the phone down and rubbed his forehead. Reasonably, he should have known. Sora had mentioned the name of the student in his yoga class he was seeing more than once, mentioned her crumbling marriage too, and Kairi wasn’t the most common name. He’d just been in denial until he saw it laid out.  He let out a puff of breath much like a sigh and raked the same hand through his hair. "She's a patient of mine. She and her husband. I recognized her in her contact picture.

"Oh! Awesome! I should have thought to ask who they were seeing when she told me Vanitas convinced her to give counseling a shot--though I also think I had something to do with that. She was ready to serve him divorce papers before I talked her out of it," Sora babbled happily. He seemed to remember suddenly that he was holding a bowl and held the spoon out to Riku. "Taste the marinade before I put the fish in it? It's honey orange garlic ginger."

Riku shook his head, and not just because the sauce sounded like at least one flavor too many, especially concentrated and raw. "You can't date my patients."

"No, you can't date your patients," Sora stressed, mildly put out about Riku's refusal to play taste tester. "It's not an ethics violation for me, or even a moral one. We were pretty upfront with each other, and I really want Kairi to work through things with Vanitas, no matter what it might mean for me and her."

"My patients are married, sweetheart," Riku pointed out like he wasn't even listening , fond but exasperated to the point of exhaustion.

"So are you and I. Don't you think I take our marriage vows seriously?"

Riku patted the couch cushion next to him. "I know you do. I hope you know I do too. I wasn't finished. The great majority don't have marriages like ours."

Sora glanced into his bowl, mourning his sauce for a moment, before setting it on the coffee table and sitting beside his husband. "They're not happy, and they're not communicating. That's why they come to you."

"They're not any degree of open..."

"...Or honest."

"You know what type of open I'm talking about. Generally, I deal with couples whose marriages are very different from ours...with people in them who are very different from us too. And even those that aren't, need to be concentrating on the relationship between spouses."

"I know that, but Kairi..." Sora started.

Riku held up a hand to halt him. "I'd prefer to assess Kairi for myself in sessions." He preferred to leave it in session too, though he couldn’t help mentally updating the file in his head. There was no way he’d hurt Sora by mentioning it, but he was pretty sure he knew exactly why Kairi had latched onto him if Vanitas wasn’t showing her the attention and affection she needed. They looked strikingly similar. And, oh God, he was just remembering Sora told him his new girlfriend also had a girlfriend of her own. That was more knowledge he didn’t want to have when it only complicated issues if he couldn’t bring it up in session, considering the source of the knowledge and how he should recuse himself, even when it very much needed to be a topic of discussion.

Sora made a disgruntled noise in his throat, but only fumed for a second before shifting to a more thoughtful pout. "Have I come up at all? Not by name, I know, or you wouldn't have been surprised I knew her, but, in general?"

"An affair?" Riku tilted his head so his glasses slid a fraction down his nose and looked at his husband over the frames. It was a low trick. He knew what effect that gesture had on Sora.

"Don't make it sound tawdry."

"It is for her," Riku pressed gently.

"I know her better," Sora still felt inclined to argue.

"You're right," Riku backed off suspiciously easily. "You absolutely do. But I know you best of all, and I know you wouldn't want to be involved with someone who was being dishonest...which I can tell you she is...with her husband and with you."

Riku was right. He was always right. Sora had given Kairi an ultimatum, but he never reached the stage where he followed through with his vow that he wouldn't keep seeing her if she did not tell her husband about him. Kairi and Vanitas had separated and Sora had fooled himself into thinking it wasn't as important then. He'd renewed his insistence when reconciliation had been put on the table, but then he'd agreed it might not be the first thing to bring up when she saw Vanitas.

"I'll talk to her," Sora offered.

"I'm going to ask you to break it off."

Riku seemed to be holding his breath, and noticing it knocked the breath out of Sora's chest too. Was he not sure if Sora would agree? How could he ever doubt?

"Absolutely!" If Riku was no longer comfortable there was no question. "Do you want me to do it now?"

Riku exhaled a long, slow stream and the relief in his face as he combed a hand through his hair again almost broke Sora's heart all over. "No, no need. You want help with dinner?"

"Nah, I got it." Sora started to stand and reach for his bowl. "Do you want to invite Namine over? It's been a long week. I don't mind calling in the backup to help you relax. We can double-team it."

Riku shook his head. "You're all I need."

"That's very sweet, but, oh love of my life, that's inaccurate. No person can be all things to another, and trying to force one person to be all things at all times for you is a surefire way to sow strife and dissatisfaction."

"Now, you sound like the therapist."

"Would you like me to be? Your glasses, a tie, a notepad and nothing else while I make you lie down on the couch and tell me all your fantasies?"

"Fish first."

[romanapologist]

“Half Full” - Moceit Fic

Content/warnings: referenced past manipulation, alcohol, a lot of discussion of things the sides have done wrong, but none of them are intended as unsympathetic. they have done some b a d stuff but they’re learning and we love them all yknow?? (namely warnings for virgil being overprotective/lashing out, and me being on my bullshit anti-roceit agenda)

Notes: You all know I’m not a writer, but I had a thought about a?? Characterization for Janus?? Which as I reread this is kind of very OOC, but idk I just thought it was neat, and I do go crazy for moceit hurt/comfort.

Finding the moral side crying in the middle of the night was, all things considered, not too surprising. After all, Janus knew every time Patton lied about his happiness. However, he had suspected to find him with loud, messy sobs. With a tin of cookies almost finished. Not with a bottle of wine and a blank, tear-tracked face.

He didn’t even seem to notice Janus’ entrance until he cleared his throat.

“Oh,” Patton uttered, gaze flicking to the other side. His face didn’t gain any clarity of expression. He just started putting away the wine and finished off his glass, making moves to leave. “Sorry.”

Janus took a moment to hide his shock at the scene, and at Patton’s reaction to him. (What, had he thought the moral side would come running into his arms for comfort? He was being ridiculous.)

“Give that here, you imbecile,” Janus said, taking the bottle from Patton’s hands and pouring himself a glass. There was no bite behind his words, at least not in a meaningful way. He’d lost his edge. “So, you’re just up for fun, I assume?”

“Hm,” Patton failed to respond. “Are you going to stay up?”

“I’m sure I’ll be back to bed in a moment.”

“That sounds like a lie.”

“How out-of-character that would be for me,” Janus smiled.

Patton half-smiled back. “You wanna watch something?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“A documentary on Greek philosophers.”

Janus frowned at the dry film Patton pulled up. “You think you’ll enjoy this?”

“I think it’ll be boring as fuck,” he said, casually. Janus turned to him in mild shock, while he simply yawned. “But Logan wanted me to watch it. Maybe it’ll be more interesting with you.”

Janus nodded, careful to hide his smile behind his glass.

•••

The movie was, as Patton had so eloquently predicted, boring as fuck. Also, quite hazy by the end, due to all the wine. They had been quiet near the beginning, but by the end they were talking over everything in hushed whispers and even a laugh from Patton, every so often.

The next day, when Janus walked in on breakfast, he swore Patton’s smile changed. From a brittle, stiff form--forced in the tense atmosphere--to something more relaxed. Relieved.

“Oh, hiya, Janus! There’s a seat here if you wanna stay,” Patton patted the chair beside him.

Janus stayed.

•••

“...Janus is right.”

“Of course,” Virgil scoffed.

It was the first whole group discussion they’d had since the… wedding fiasco. And while Virgil didn’t seem surprised by Patton’s words, Janus most certainly was.

“Obviously, I am. I knew you would agree, Patton,” Janus lied.

Patton was too preoccupied to do anymore than hum at Janus’ statement, all concerned glances over at Roman. Ugh, Roman. Still all mopey after the last video, he was currently staring determinedly at the floor. Him and Patton should have let all of that go by now--the past was the past. Hadn’t they learnt about moving on?

“Are you sure, Patton?” Thomas asked. “I’ve always gone to this event before. And, I’ve always made it through--”

Patton shook his head. “You know there will be family members there who don’t respect you. And who choose not to learn. I know I’ve always been the one to say they deserve your love anyway, but… I don’t know if they do.”

All of the sides stood in shock for a moment. Janus schooled away a proud look. 

Logan was the first to speak, slowly nodding. “...Yes, well, Patton does bring up an interesting point. Thomas, you tend to give people the ‘benefit-of-the-doubt’, which can be a good thing, and has led to you improving relationships in the past. However, if the other people are actively refusing to learn, no progress can ever be made. And so the effort would be for naught.”

In no time flat, Thomas was coming to his big realization about not owing certain people certain things, yada yada yada, doing the outro, yada yada yada. Janus was about to sink out, with that new, odd, and decidedly wonderful vindication that he was right, when--

“Deceit, wait.”

Janus sighed, audibly, and made sure to put on his most sardonic smile. “Yes, Virgil?”

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

“You’ll have to be a little more specific, dear.”

“Don’t--” Virgil grit his teeth and huffed out a breath. “With Patton, I mean.”

“Hm. Really, Virgil, I wish I knew what you were referring to, but--”

“Oh, cut the bullshit!” He finally snapped. “I don’t know what you’ve been playing at with him, if you think you really like him, but you’re just gonna do to him what you did to Roman.” 

Janus cringed at that, though he tried not to. Virgil knew just how to get to him. “Well. Thank you for this conversation, Virgil. I’ll be considering it deeply,” he said sarcastically, before sinking out. Though, it wasn’t as much of a lie as he would have liked.

•••

“Janus? What are you doing?”

Patton had found him pacing around the living room. And he hadn’t even had enough time to mask his aggravated expression when the moral side entered.

“Dishes,” he replied sourly.

“Right,” Patton said. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I’ve used that one enough to see through it.” He joked, smiling bittersweetly. It was such a sincere look he was giving, so ready to comfort. Janus wasn’t used to it. Whether the ‘it’ was sincerity or comfort he couldn’t say.

“It’s just--I don’t see why I should have to apologize to him,” Janus spat out.

Patton came over to the couch, motioning for Janus to join him. He did.

“Virgil?” Patton asked. Janus looked away. “...Ah. Roman.”

“He shouldn't have laughed at my name!”

“Yes,” Patton nodded slowly. “We've all done things we shouldn’t’ve.”

“...Are you implying something?”

Patton raised a brow. “Calling two sides evil for the price of one?”

“Oh, please,” Janus scoffed. “You’ve always thought Remus was evil.”

“...Yes. And I’m learning why that’s wrong,” he admitted.

That gave Janus a pause, but he quickly disregarded his surprise. “Well, I already reminded you, Roman started it.”

“No, he didn’t.” Patton looked away. He took a deep breath in, silent for a beat too long. “...I did. A long time ago.”

Janus narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I told him he was dishonorable to side with you. That treating you as more than a villain was evil.” Each word sounded like it pained him. Each a confession, although Janus had been witness to all of it. “It’s all always been my fault.” Tears silently began to fall down his cheeks. He blinked, as if to somehow subtly dispel them, but they only fell harder. 

And, oh.

Oh no.

Janus really didn’t want to do this next part.

It would be so easy to let Patton believe that. He could even comfort the side, tell him he was forgiven, help him through--all without revealing anything. 

Save himself. It was what he was built for.

“Patton… it wasn’t all your fault, per say.” Patton glanced up at him, confused, and it was his turn to look away. “I quite blatantly flattered Roman. I manipulated him, used him--whatever you want to call it. All because I wanted his favor in... that case.”

“Well, I already knew--”

“Except, it wasn’t just that case,” Janus rushed out before he could lose his nerve. “It started when I first revealed myself to Thomas, remember? Really, I just wanted to test the waters, at first. See what I could get away with, and who I could get away with it with.”

Patton had a blank look as he sorted through his memory. “ ‘Love the outfit, Roman,’” he finally quoted.

“...Indeed,” Janus sighed. “It became clear that Roman would be the easiest to get to. Which makes sense from his need-of-praise mixed with lack-of-praise. And he is the romantic side. And I just knew, one day it would be useful if he was…somewhat biased, so if…”

“If you and him were a little… friendly?” Patton finished, sadly. Disappointedly. 

Janus nodded. Then, quickly, he rushed to add, “I mean, nothing that bad! I didn’t kiss him. We were never dating. I just may have implied--”

Patton’s face changed from disappointed, then. To something else. Something worse.“Right. No. Of course,” Patton said. “Not that bad at all.”

That lie from Patton’s tongue ached in Janus’s chest for the rest of the day.

***

Remus wasn’t in their side of the mindscape when Janus returned to it. Which he didn’t make too much of, sulking around and rewatching Good Place episodes, until Remus skipped in covered in… blood? No. Much more unusual--red paint.

“What have you been up to then, hm?” Janus asked, as polite as he was disinterested.

“Painting with Pat! Drawing with Daddy! Look!” He shoved a messy, still drying canvas in Janus’s arms. It was a finger painting of mutilated arm, rather tame for him, but perhaps that was because he made it with--

“Patton?”

“That’s what I said! Geez, who stole your ears? Oh, wait, was it me? That sounds like me. But, of course, it doesn’t sound like anything to you!” He cackled.

“I still have my ears, you gremlin,” he hissed. “But you’re right, there’s nothing for me to be surprised about, since you and Patton are on such great terms.”

“Exactly!” Remus confirmed. “Wow, you heard about it quick, JJ! It was just this afternoon, he came up with those pouty puppy eyes, gushing apologies, asking me to be his wittle fwiend~” he batted his eyelashes mockingly. Heat rose in Janus’s chest at that, and he almost lept to defend Patton, embarrassingly, but luckily Remus continued before he could. 

“Which, was kinda stupid; guy made it sound like he had committed war crimes against me or some shit. Like, yeah, dude was a dick to me; I was a dick to him. That was meant to be our whole dynamic! Now whenever I scare him--what?--I’ll feel guilty, who wants that?! I liked being enemies. But maybe I’ll like being friends more.” He shrugged. “Time will tell, right? That’s a great idea, actually. I’m gonna go make some clocks that just scream every hour. Oo, or every minute! Yeah, that. Seeya, Janny Fanny!”

Janus gaped, left uncomprehending, while Remus sped off.

He tried to imagine it--Remus. With Patton. Chatting, smiling, joking. Remus would, of course, be able to bring much more reckless fun to the father figure than he might otherwise go for. Patton might enjoy some of Remus’s more childish humor. In an odd, backwards way they made a sort of sense.

The image made Janus’s blood boil. He should have been pleased for them. He knew that, but it didn’t help. And--what? Had Janus thought he was special? Fancied himself the singular, blessed demon chosen by an angel? Patton’s new bestest buddy?

No. He should’ve known that was never on the table. As it turned out, Patton was simply being polite to everyone now. That didn’t mean Janus had changed in his mind. It didn’t mean Janus had changed at all.

He was a villain. He had been going about this all wrong, trying to be more than he was made for. He needed to remember that.

***

“How the tables table, huh?”

“That is how the phrase goes,” Janus remarked dryly as Patton took a seat by him. Janus offered him the wine bottle, but he put a hand up and shook his head. 

“Well, at least I’m not crying,” Janus sneered. 

“No, wouldn’t want to ruin your dignity like me, right?” Patton half-joked. Half-joke, half-smile, half-truth. Nothing Patton did went full way. “Wanna talk about it?”

Janus scoffed, and went back to nursing his drink.

“Right,” Patton frowned. “Listen--Janus, I wanted to apologize. ...Again,” he added, with a half-laugh. Half-laugh, half-hurt. Whatever. “I shouldn’t have gotten so judgmental earlier. Morality and judgement tend to go hand in hand, even when they shouldn’t. And I got defensive on Roman’s behalf too,” he admitted. Janus grit his teeth, glaring at the wooden counter. Defensive over Roman. Friends with Remus. “Look--I’ve done bad stuff too. I had no place to judge you now, when it’s clear you have now learned.”

Janus laughed, suddenly, bitterly, at that. “Oh, have I, now?” 

Patton blinked, tilting his head. “...Yes?”

Janus rolled his eyes, and downed the end of his glass. “Listen, Morality, I’m not like you. I don’t need to go on some learning spree, down the path of beautiful ethics and self-improvement. I’m not meant to be a little, lovely side. Maybe learning my name made you forget; I’m Deceit.You heard Thomas yourself--I’m a flaw. So, I don’t do guilt. I don’t plan on too much learning. And I definitely won’t be spewing out apologies, like some sides I know,” he bit out each word. He wanted to make Patton leave. Maybe cry. Make him realize what Janus really was. But he just sat there with that stupid, sincere, concerned gaze.

“I’m not built for it!” Janus continued, growing more frantic at the lack of reaction. “...I can’t.”

Janus shoved his hand to his mouth in an attempt to cover the first sob, but it was too late. Soon his shoulders were shaking, his head in his hands, breaths unsteady. There were warm arms around his back, pulling him against a cardigan-clad chest, soothing whispers in his ears. He realized his hat had been taken off as he felt fingers run through his hair. 

“Janus,” Patton began softly, moving back slightly so that Janus could meet his eyes. “That sounded like a lot of lies to me.”

Janus shook his head firmly, fumbling to pull his gloves off and put his hands up. “Patton, I swear, that is the truth!”

Patton looked at him for a long moment. Then, he reached his hands out, and slowly took Janus’s. Janus let him. “You can lie to yourself, you know,” he said softly.

Janus’s eyes burned, and he had to force himself not to spill over the edge again. He was hyper-aware of their contact, now. The warmth of Patton’s skin against his was intoxicating.

Patton looked down at their hands too. He squeezed them lightly, a 3 beat pattern. “They’re so cold,” he frowned.

“Are they, now?” Janus aimed for sarcastic, but it came out unsteady. 

“Mhm.”

They were quiet for a long time. Unmoving. As if a word, a breath, could break them apart. 

“I’ll apologize,” Janus said finally.

“To Roman?”

“...Yes,” Janus agreed. “And to you.”

“What for?”

Janus looked down at their intertwined hands, waited for Patton to follow his gaze. “The things I want.”

“Oh,” Patton breathed. He rubbed his thumb along the back of Janus’s hand. “I… don’t think the things we want are so different anymore.”

“Hm.” Janus let go of Patton’s grip, just for a moment, in order to pull the other closer. Patton melted in his grip immediately, head laying on his shoulder. Janus returned the embrace. “Maybe not.”

[darkpoisonouslove]

Some Riven x Musa x Layla Headcanons

That Just Won’t Leave Me Alone

I accidentally developed the idea of this OT3 a while ago and the feels hit me today so I decided to write out some headcanons. They are not “explicitly” together by the end of it as I did it more in a way that would have been possible to portray on the show as well. But you can fill in the more overt parts for yourselves. ;)

- Layla and Riven stay up all night watching over Nabu’s grave after his funeral. They aren’t exactly sure why they do that, both of them hoping that it will all turn out to be a nightmare and he’ll come back but both of them knowing that that is a foolish hope to voice so they just stay behind after everyone else has left and spend the night there in silence.

- The two of them have several nights over the summer where they will just get together and drink themselves into a stupor. Neither of them wants to talk about it so the other is the perfect company in which to drown their sorrow. Musa is getting worried about them but once Tritannus happens, they stop their drinking routine because they need to have their heads in the game.

- That seems to have a negative effect, however, since they are both more irate and antsy after losing their grief outlet. Layla has her family to worry about now that Tritannus is threatening them all and Riven is worried about both Musa and Layla (and the other Winx but his focus is more on the two of them) because they are constantly exposed to danger. Layla doesn’t mind (unlike with Roy) because she knows what feelings Riven is putting into his protective actions. She would give anything to be able to protect her family and her planet as well as the rest of the universe from Tritannus and she can use his help as well as that of the rest of her friends.

- Musa makes them both playlists that reflect on their relationships with Nabu to help them get through it and show her support. She is dragged back into her own feelings of loss over her mother’s death and she understands how hard it is on them. It is hard on her, too, and she wants to help but talking just doesn’t feel like an option so she turns to music instead. Riven almost destroys the whole dorm room while listening to the playlist but it helps him get out his feelings. Layla cries herself to sleep for weeks on end while listening to the songs but they do have a therapeutic effect on her and make it a little easier to hold herself together when she is hit with a bout of grief over something little someone says or does that reminds her of Nabu.

- The three of them spar together whenever they have time. Winx are busy with the Sirenix Quest but Layla and Riven both get frantic if they have to spend a day without intense physical activity so they find the time to spar together even if it is in the middle of the night. Musa sticks with them, mostly to help bring them both down and ground them in a more peaceful atmosphere once they are done. They don’t hold back while sparring but neither of them has hurt the other seriously despite that and they all agree that those sessions are both productive and relaxing for them.

- The first time he meets Roy, Riven grabs him while no one is looking and threatens him to leave Layla alone until she has processed everything and grieved Nabu properly at the very least unless he wants to disappear forever. Layla told Riven about Roy being sent by her father to protect her and how it made her feel (she understands her father’s concerns but she hates being treated like she’s fragile and Roy’s apparent fascination with her doesn’t help). Roy backs off after that on the romantic front but still tries to get to know Layla - and Riven - and he actually starts finding his place in the group.

- Riven turns to Layla when he wants to write and compose a song for Musa to show his appreciation for everything she’s been doing for him and his support for her while she’s dealing with her own emotions. Her encouragement is invaluable to him and she keeps things from falling apart between him and Musa while he is busy working on his guitar skills and actually writing the song. Layla helps him a lot with the lyrics and melody of the song to the point where he asks her to play it with him. Layla is on the drums while Riven and Timmy play guitar and Layla sings with Riven (and Musa) during the chorus. It turns out that Roy also plays the drums and he and Layla find another thing they have in common on top of their love for surfing (and sports in general) and their similar fighting styles.

- The budding connection with Roy helps Layla a lot during the summer while she is dealing with the aftermath of Tritannus’ actions. Roy knows a lot about Andros and helps her come up with strategies to restore the realm back to how it was before Tritannus started his attempted reign of terror. Roy is being a lot more respectful towards her feelings on the losses she and the entire realm experienced now and the two of them make a great team. Layla feels comfortable spending time with him even outside of their formal responsibilities.

- Meanwhile, Musa is on Melody to help the planet adjust to the consequences of the cultural shock that the attack on the Singing Whales and the Pillar of Balance was. She also spends a lot of time at home just absorbing the atmosphere and trying to capture it into her music in case something happens to her childhood home. She didn’t feel it right to bring her mother back but she can’t bear the thought of losing all the memories their house is imbued with in case it gets destroyed so she attempts to weave them into her music, even using magic to ensure the success of that endeavor. Music is her safe place after the shocks of losing Nabu and trying to help Layla and Riven through their grief and trauma while also dealing with her own losses and the scars that the near ruination of her whole realm caused.

- Riven is on Zenith helping Tecna with whatever there is left on the planet to fix after the clash with Tritannus. Zenith is pretty organized and efficient so there isn’t that much to do but Riven is relieved to be with Tecna because she doesn’t insist on talking about his feelings and he has a lot of those. He is terrified of what almost happened to both Musa and Layla while he wasn’t there to help them and he resolves to train harder to be able to protect them and all the rest of his friends. He wouldn’t bear to see any one of them suffer any more, not to mention lose them. Tecna helps him strategize to improve his efficiency in battle and she is the perfect embodiment of Zenith after her wish for empathy. Her quiet but friendly presence is soothing for Riven while the whole planet seems to warm up. It is the perfect atmosphere for him to work through his feelings.

- Musa and Riven soon fall into their usual dynamic of misunderstandings and lack of communication when Musa needs his moral support but refuses to actually talk to him while Riven spends all his time training because to him it is more important to ensure that Musa will be safe and he will be able to protect her. Layla is sorting out her own emotions and even though she tries to be there for them and help them resolve things, she has her own issues and it is not her job to babysit them and their relationship. They have to figure it out for themselves while she does her best to support both of them.

- Layla has strong opinions on Nex when they meet since he reminds her a lot of the impression Riven left in her at first, only - a worse version. She decides to give him a chance anyway because getting closer to Riven actually revealed other sides to him but she only ever regards Nex as a potential friend. He isn’t quite as bad as she originally thought him to be but he also definitely isn’t someone that she would want to be in a relationship with. She is spending a lot of time with Roy and she really likes him but, ultimately, she knows that she isn’t crazy about him. Being with him is comfortable but she is deliberately not letting herself get attached to him too much and that very fact tells her that he isn’t the right one for her since if she really loved him, she would have allowed herself to do so fully like she does with all of her friends despite the constant risk of losing them that she faces every time they have to fight a threat of universal magnitude. She tells Roy it would be better not to see each other.

- Musa and Riven break-up because they both feel like they are holding on so tight to each other for the wrong reasons. They are terrified of losing the other but they aren’t doing such a great job of appreciating them exactly because of those fears. So they decide to separate - meaning absolutely no expectations and demands towards the other - and do some soul searching. Riven actually keeps in touch with Roy since they started getting along decently and he knows that Roy is now the most removed one from the group while he is also on Andros so he may have more up-to-date information on how Layla and Musa are doing than the media (he is not spying on them, just telling Riven things he’s heard on Andros). Riven wants to keep his distance from the friend group but still wants to know how they’re all doing and Roy occasionally has news on the rest as well from when they visit Andros.

- Musa and Layla both spend a lot of time on their home worlds whenever that is possible and there isn’t an ongoing crisis and try to process their emotions while navigating political matters. Musa loves spending time on Andros with Layla and helping her out with her duties as heiress to the throne and Layla (and the other Winx) accompanies Musa during all of her concerts when Musa signs a record label as a single artist since they all agree that the band is just for fun and coordinating it along with all their other responsibilities will be nearly impossible. Musa truly opens up her heart and pours it all out into her music and she becomes a rising star on top of coming to terms with who she has become during her journey. The songs (and all the dancing routines that the two of them come up with together) help Layla make her peace with her trauma - both over Nabu and that from her childhood - as well.

- Riven comes back and proves to have done a lot of work on himself and he feels ready to love Musa now - feelings which she reciprocates. The two decide to settle on Andros to be close to Layla and help her out with everything she needs. Riven actually rises to the head of Layla’s personal guard and Musa has tours all over the Magic Dimension so she’d be on the move a lot whether she’d live on Melody or on Andros. Riven worries about her when she is on tour and he can’t go with her while he’s busy protecting Layla but he’s personally trained the bodyguards he hired for Musa and he trusts her to take care of herself so he settles for only calling her several times a day when she’s away and watching her concerts live on his devices together with Layla whenever the two of them can’t be there to see the show in person.

- Layla does not feel ready to get married or even be in a relationship with anyone besides Musa and Riven but she does want kids, especially after she proudly becomes an aunt to several children with Stella and Bloom going ahead and becoming mothers soon after their weddings. She is also supposed to make sure that Andros has heirs to the throne so she decides to adopt. She talks to Daphne, who adopted children as well, and even Vanessa to learn about their experiences and ask for advice. She wants to adopt at least two children because she doesn’t want her kids to be lonely and wants them to have someone they can always count on. Along with her, Musa and Riven, of course.

- Both Musa and Riven have big reactions to the news. They are supportive of her, of course - heaven knows the high society and the officials of Andros have already busied themselves enough with being critical of her decision - but they also have their own feelings to handle. Musa has to deal with the knowledge that she will adore Layla’s children (as she does with Bloom and Stella’s) and she will worry about them. That is the reason she still hasn’t thought about about having children herself. Or rather, she has been doing her best to avoid it while spending some of the best days of her life with Bloom and Stella’s children. She is scared of leaving the children orphans if anything happens to her and/or Riven (and that is always a possibility in their line of work). She knows that the rest of Winx will take care of her children if something happens to her but she has been through the pain of losing a parent and she doesn’t want her own kids to go through the same even if she managed to move on and pick herself up after her mother’s death. It is still a thing she carries with her every day and she does not feel confident in raising children with the heightened risk for her life.

- Riven totally panics because he doesn’t know anything about children and he will have to interact with them and take care of them. Not just because of his job as the head of Layla’s security, but also because he wants to be there for her and help her raise the children since it wouldn’t be easy for her to do it as a single parent. So he does the only thing he can think of and actually goes to Sky and Brandon asking for advice and a crash course on things he needs to know to be of help to Layla.

- Riven also picks up audio books on parenting and him and Layla both listen to them while jogging together or traveling towards the venue of a royal event. Musa is about as enthusiastic about shopping for the kids as Stella is and she’s also ready to write lullabies specifically for them (in case they are at an age where they will listen to lullabies). They both do everything they can to help Layla prepare herself and learn how to do things right themselves because they want to be there for her and be a part of the process. And they are both enthusiastic about doing it.

- In fact, their enthusiasm rapidly turns into conversations about having kids themselves - which makes Layla (and the other Winx) ecstatic because she is looking forward to helping them out as well - and it isn’t that long before they decide to make that step in their relationship despite not being officially married. They also talk about adopting as well as having their own children because they want to give a home to a kid that needs it. So the three of them end up raising their kids together and the children all think of each other as siblings and stick together no matter what.

[cobra-diamond]

The Unfinished 2nd Half of Zuko’s Journey

Zuko’s journey consists of two parts. The first part we saw in the show; it was Zuko receiving his Uncle’s forgiveness and becoming Fire Lord. The second part we did not see; it is his struggle to restore the honor of the Fire Nation.

The True Ending of Avatar

The ending for Avatar was not Aang and Katara kissing in Ba Sing Se in front of a beautiful sunset followed by the word “The End”.

No, the true ending of Avatar was Zuko’s coronation. That was the moment when you knew the Gaang had accomplished their goals, that their journey was complete and that the Avatar world had changed for good; the Fire Nation’s war was over and Zuko was the Fire Lord who was going to restore the honor of the Fire Nation...

... Going to. He had not done it yet by the show’s end.

Zuko: “I promised my Uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation, and I will.”

“And I will”... Will. It was a new goal that hadn’t been achieved and you can bet your butt it wasn’t over three months later. Now read the next lines:

Zuko: “The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love and peace.”

The road ahead is “challenging”. “Get it back” on the right path. “Begin” a new era of love and peace.

Restore the honor of the Fire Nation... A Goal.

Begin a new era of love and peace... A Motivation.

The road ahead is challenging... A Conflict.

These are the beginnings of an entirely new story for the franchise; a logical continuation of the original cast that does not erase the significance of what came before. It is the continuation of Zuko’s stated Goals and Motivations at the end of the show where he must change and grow in order to become the Fire Lord that redeems the Fire Nation.

It is the beginning of the second half of Zuko’s journey.

Where Aang’s Journey Ends, Zuko’s Endures

Aang’s journey in the show consists of a single, clear goal with a definite endgame: master all four elements and defeat the Fire Lord. Once Aang masters all four elements, he is ready to face the Fire Lord. Once he defeats the Fire Lord, his journey is over. How he masters all four elements and defeats the Fire Lord, along with the people he meets along the way, is what makes the story deep and compelling. This is where Zuko comes in.

The purpose of Zuko’s journey wasn’t clear for over half of the show. Until Iroh spelled it out for him in Avatar and the Fire Lord, it appeared he was a morally ambiguous wild card who could end up on either side. Why Zuko’s inner turmoil was so important to Aang’s journey was not clear.

Indeed, we did not know the full importance of Zuko’s journey until he stood up to his father in Day of Black Sun. That’s when learned why Zuko was important: he was the crown prince abandoning the evil ways of his country to help the Avatar save the world.

So you’d think that when Zuko helped Aang master firebending, defeated his sister in the Agni Kai and was crowned Fire Lord that his journey was over, right? That being crowned Fire Lord was Zuko’s reward for being a sensitive, gentle soul unlike the ruthless, warmongering norm in his family?

That he’d spend the rest of his days slowly coping with his trauma while enjoying endless, relaxing days of romantic bliss with Mai? That he wouldn’t face internal opposition from the diehards and stalwarts of the old regime? That from the start of his reign he would be leading a Fire Nation that was fully accepting of him and everything he stood for… Right?

Wrong.

The Tragedy of the Fire Nation

In addition to the central conflict of ending the Hundred Year War and Aang’s need to defeat the Fire Lord, there were numerous subtle threads running through the show that gave Avatar its heart and soul: the tragic, lasting effects of war on a people and their culture, the effects of foisting too much responsibility on children, the importance of friendship and having people to lean on, among many others. One of these threads concerned the topic of how decent, normal people can turn bad.

In Season 1, it is revealed that Avatar Roku—a firebender—was a respectable, honorable Avatar despite being a member of the Fire Nation.

In the same season, a Fire Sage helps Aang in his effort to connect with Roku despite being loyal to the Fire Nation and Fire Lord and Avatar.

Aang: “If this is the Avatar's temple, why did the Sages attack me?” Shyu: “Things have changed. In the past, the Sages were loyal only to the Avatar. When Roku died, the Sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar to return. But he never came.”

In The Blue Spirit, Aang laments to Zuko how one of his best friends was Fire Nation and says to his enemy, “Do you think we could have been friends, too?”

A Fire Nation admiral and firebending master—Jeong Jeong—deserts out of disillusionment with the war.

And Iroh fights Zhao to stop him from destroying the Moon Spirit, to which Zhao does agree, for a moment, until his temper gets the better of him, showing that concern for harmony and balance isn’t a lost concept in the Fire Nation; it’s just buried deep.

In Season 2, Aang rescues the child of Omashu’s occupying governor, ignoring the practical advantages of keeping it as a hostage, and we are explicitly shown how happy this makes the invaders.

In Zuko Alone, Zuko becomes a truly sympathetic character. We are shown how he has always struggled to live up to the expectations of his warmongering family, and leading up to Season 2’s finale, Zuko and Irohs’ disillusionment with their country reaches new heights, showing that the militaristic expectations of the Fire Nation isn’t even embraced by all members of its ruling family.

In Season 3, the Gaang lives in the Fire Nation. We see Fire Nation people, their kids, their towns, their daily lives. Aang is actually excited to be in the Fire Nation because it reminds him how much fun it was before the war.

In Avatar and the Fire Lord, Roku is shown to have been the best friend of the Fire Lord that started the war, but Sozin’s desire and willpower to achieve his goals corrupted him, and in that same episode, Aang comments that friendships can transcend lifetimes, suggesting that the Avatar and the Fire Lord can be friends again. Ultimately, this is proven true when Zuko joins the Gaang, helps them stop the war and becomes friends with Aang.

Toph: “It's like these people are born bad.” Aang: “No, that's wrong. I don't think that was the point of what Roku showed me at all. Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was, right? If anything, their story proves anyone's capable of great good and great evil. Everyone, even the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation have to be treated like they're worth giving a chance. And I also think it was about friendships.”

Everyone, even the Fire Lord and Fire Nation, have to be treated like they’re worth giving a chance. Even if they don’t ask for it.

But most importantly, at the start of every episode, Katara says the Four Nations used to live together in harmony.

What the show was saying in so many small ways was that the Fire Nation’s war and what its leaders had become were neither normal for the Avatar world nor for the Fire Nation itself. Not even Chin the Conqueror’s conquests of the Earth Kingdom holds a candle to the Fire Nation’s multiple layers of evil, self-interest and disregard for world balance. It was a world first, even for the Fire Nation.

While the existence of the all-powerful Avatar, in theory, helps keep the peace between the four nations, the Fire Nation did not used to be hostile to the other nations. Sozin changed the old Fire Nation, the one that was peaceful and enlightened, that achieved an unprecedented era of prosperity, that convinced Sozin that the Fire Nation was first among equals. The fun, friendly Fire Nation that Aang remembered was lost and it stayed lost for a hundred years…

… And the solution wasn’t to destroy the Fire Nation.

The True Purpose of Zuko’s Journey

Until the series finale, Zuko’s journey appeared to be about him achieving moral redemption for his time spent as a halfhearted, incompetent, semi-accomplice in his nation’s evils. But Zuko did not turn against his father and help the Avatar in order to redeem himself of his sins. No, he turned against his country because he was alienated from it, couldn’t meet its expectations and became disillusioned with its goals. In other words, because it was what Uncle Iroh had taught him.

Zuko’s heart told him that betraying Iroh in Ba Sing Se was wrong and that he needed to right that wrong. To Zuko, doing the right thing meant following Uncle Iroh’s guidance and accepting him as his true father, and to do that required switching sides. Zuko’s redemption was not achieved when he stood up to his father. It was not achieved when he stood victorious over Azula. It wasn’t even achieved when he became Fire Lord at the end of the show. Zuko’s redemption was when Iroh hugged and forgave him. That was the moment of catharsis for Zuko. That was his “redemptive” moment.

Zuko wasn’t redeemed when he showed people he was “good” or “righteous” or “honorable”. Zuko was redeemed when he felt accepted as a son... By his uncle.

Unfortunately, Zuko’s troubles were deeper than his banishment and Agni Kai with his father. In short, he simply didn’t belong in the Fire Nation he was born into.

Zuko was a normal boy born into an abnormal situation that he didn’t have the personality for. He didn’t have the ruthlessness, intelligence, competence, precociousness and raw talent for militarism and totalitarian rule that his sister had, so he failed to live up to his father’s self-serving, power hungry expectations which, in turn, represented the peak of malice, moral corruption and ruling-through-fear that the war had instilled in the country’s leadership.

In fact, Zuko also didn’t live up to the expectations of his country, as revealed by his monologue in Siege of the North Part 2.

Zuko: “She's a firebending prodigy – and everyone adores her.”

Hmm. I wonder who “everybody” is...?

If you think the Fire Nation’s militarism is simply the result of genetic predispositions, I encourage you to read The East Asian Origins of the Fire Nation and Its Villains. It helps shed light on the potential reasons why a “soft” boy like Zuko might struggle in a militaristic culture such as the Fire Nation’s.

So when Zuko finally realized the righteous path and followed it, his story was over, right? He stood up to his father and Iroh forgave him. He showed us that he had a pure heart and was a good person and good, moral people are supposed to be rewarded for their innate qualities, right? What only mattered to Zuko’s journey was that he help the Avatar, vanquish his sister and end the war by royal decree so that a new era of love and peace could begin… Right?

Wrong again. Iroh even says so when he tells Zuko that his journey is not over when they are together in the White Lotus camp in The Phoenix King:

Iroh: “… Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko… And only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation.”

Until that moment, Zuko had no visions of himself as the ruler of his country, never mind changing anything about it.

Let me repeat that.

Until THAT MOMENT Zuko had no visions of himself as the ruler of his country.

Zuko: “And then... then would you come and take your rightful place on the throne?... I'll try, Uncle.”

Very reassuring words from somebody who believes they’re destiny is to rule a country full of walking flamethrowers. Not. Once more, I encourage you to read The East Asian Origins of the Fire Nation and Its Villains for insight as to why this could go wrong.

To Zuko, the Fire Nation he grew up in is the Fire Nation. As he understood it, his father had to be eliminated, the airships destroyed and the rest of the world defended from what remained of the Fire Nation’s power. Him taking the throne was an afterthought at that point, never mind what to do about his sister.

Perhaps he thought that stopping his father and helping Aang become a fully-realized Avatar would be enough to intimidate Azula and the rest of his country into submission since there did not appear to be a plan to militarily dominate the Fire Nation. However, that’s a topic for another day.

Whatever Zuko thought his endgame was, he didn’t know it, but Iroh knew it. Avatar Roku knew it. The White Lotus knew it and Aang came to know it. Zuko’s journey was not to prove that he is a good person on the inside. It was not to turn against the Fire Nation. It was not to teach Aang firebending. It wasn’t even to defeat his sister and assume the crown. Those were all just means to his journey’s end. Zuko’s journey was, and always has been, to be the Fire Lord that redeems the Fire Nation.

And it wasn’t over when the final credits rolled.

The Two Halves of Zuko’s Journey

Zuko’s journey could be thought of as having two parts. Part one is in the show. It is where Zuko learns why the Fire Nation needs to change and what he needs to do to change it: help Aang, subjugate Azula and become Fire Lord. Part two would be the trials and tribulations that result in the Fire Nation’s redemption, or at least the key events that set it firmly on that path.

Redeeming the Fire Nation, however, is not a process solved by merely wearing the Fire Lord’s crown. It is not enough for him to have a pure heart and have unquestionable honor. He has to make the right choices and answer the hard questions when it comes to weening his country off of war, conquest, colonies and a massive military industry, to say nothing of the culture that supports it.

If “everyone adores” Azula, is everyone going to adore him?

He has to reform the members of the old regime: the generals, admirals, soldiers, nobles and true believers. He has to get the people who are resentful of him on his side. This is not a simple, good versus evil, 3 months later having tea in Ba Sing Se kind of problem. Do you really think Zuko is going to hold mass executions, imprison families and burn books like certain Chinese emperors of old? Or will his “pure heart” and “unquestionable honor” collide with the realities of the post-war Fire Nation?

Will the broken, anemic state of the Royal Family be important? Without old-man Iroh, the ruling family is just him, himself and himself. Will Azula’s ability to create heirs be left to shrivel to dust in the asylum? Ew! Gross!! But that’s a question Zuko has to ask; that’s how power is transferred in his government, and at the end of the show, it’s only him.

Will he even try to get Azula on his side? Does he need Azula on his side? If so, for what purpose? What role will his mother play in the government? Can he simply allow Iroh to be a “multinational agent” via the White Lotus? Will he have to force Iroh to put the Fire Nation first? Will the nobility and military see the state of the Royal Family as a weakness that must be fixed... Or be replaced?

Who will oppose Zuko? Who will follow him? What mistakes will he make? What will he get right?

How will Zuko struggle, how will he change and grow in order to become the Fire Lord that redeems the Fire Nation?

If you thought the reward for finishing hard work is not having more hard work to do, then you’re probably not an adult.

That is the unfinished second half of Zuko’s journey, that we didn’t get to see.

But don’t worry; the hard work ahead for Zuko is the basis for Season 4.

[cherrymoonxx]

Hi, hope you are having a great time!✨

I want to participate in the Mini Mood Game, please.

I've been in a emotional roller-coaster; I'm happy and suddenly something happens and I feel really bad. I'm really nervous because I'm starting a new job and I love doing my stuff but I don't want to make mistakes.

'Is everything going to be okay? Am I capable?' are always on my mind 🙃

Thank you in advance for your time!

-Martha 🌻✨

Hey there, Martha! Aw I definitely understand that feeling. I don’t like making mistakes either so I get what that feels like.

Alrighty, so here’s what I’m seeing for you:

Hmm okay, idk but I’m reminded of a teacher starting her first day ever as an official teacher. She’s excited but quite nervous as well. She anxiously makes sure everything is neatly organized in her classroom for the students and she goes over the schedule for that day. She has already planned out the entire day down to the last detail because she wants everything to go smoothly. So the day goes by and as she spends time with her students, she begins to realize that not everything had gone according to her plan. Like the fact that story time took a bit longer because the students insisted she read more stories to them since they loved the different voices she used when reading to them. Or the fact that the game she played with them lasted a few extra rounds than she had expected. And at first she was a bit disappointed because the day hadn’t turned out as planned, but then she realized that both she and the students had fun, so it was alright. Not everything went as planned, but sometimes that’s okay because things turned out even better than expected.

And here are your oracle cards:

So, the first card has some really good advice. It basically advises that you be open to change and learning new things. Be adaptable and open to new possibilities. You may have certain things you want to manifest in your life and an idea of how you want them to come into fruition, but this card advises you to relax. Be open to new possibilities be opportunities as well. Learn to be a little bit more flexible with life because things may not always occur as you want them too, but that’s okay because sometimes something better will come into our lives. So don’t put to much pressure on how you want things to happen because everything will unfold as it’s supposed to. Don’t stress too much and have fun! Go with the flow of things and remind yourself that you do not always have to be right all the time or have things happen a specific way. Also, although this card does talk about being open to change, don’t let your own morals and integrity be so malleable. Stay rooted in who you are but also let yourself be taught as well.

As for the second card, this one is inspired by the quote, “all that glitters is not gold.” I think this card asks you to reflect on the things you desire. Think about what’s really underneath the surface rather than focusing on the shiny exterior. Sometimes we think we may want something, but in reality the thing we desire is not the best for us. Learn to recognize what lies beneath the surface and pay attention to those around you as well. Some people in your life could be wearing a mask. They may show you that they’re super nice and friendly, but underneath, they do not have your best interests in mind, so be careful who you trust. On another note tho, this card also serves as a reminder to not be jealous of the things others have achieved. Like on social media, we always see how people seem to be doing so well in their lives and that can make us feel bad about the point in our lives we’re in. However, it’s important to remember that we never truly know what goes on behind the scenes in another person’s life. We have to learn to accept that everyone is different and life looks different for each of us. We each are moving at our own pace, so we shouldn’t be discouraged if we’re not achieving the same things as other people are!

Okey dokey, that’s all I’m seeing for you. Please let me know if it resonates with you!

Thank you for participating and thank you for your patience! Take care💝

[silverselfshippingchaos]

[Dorky-self-shipper] Free Pass to talk about any s/i you want? 👀

Thank you so much for this @dorky-self-shipper!!! Made me smile a LOT!!!

The FF7 world has been living in my head rent free ever since I played Remake for the first time. So I’m gonna talk about my FF7 s/i. She’s... really something. She’s not completely fleshed out yet, but I still think she’s pretty cool. 

Let’s gooooooooo!

My self insert for the ff7 world is a Turk working under Shinra Inc. Shinra are the villains for the most part, and the Turks do some pretty morally-gray stuff for them.  She looks pretty much identical to me/my fe3h s/i. Tan skin, red glasses, black hair, and the signature Turks suit. She doesn’t have anything too special going on with her suit. Just a white shirt along with a black tie, a black coat, and black pants paired with some black boots. She occasionally leaves the buttons on her blazer open.  She’s also pretty short (I’m around 5’2 😭). Tseng and Rude both stand at around 6 feet, so she always looks pretty small next to them. 

Since she’s a Turk, she sometimes has to fight her way out of sticky situations.  Her main weapon of choice is the same as my fe3h s/i! She’s a spellcaster!

She’s a Materia specialist and fights using different kinds of orbs of Materia, and is always sure to keep many on her so she’s always prepared. She mainly keeps elemental types of Materia with her, but she’s sure to keep some healing ones along with a Time Materia. She’s not against a few summons either. She has a little belt of them that she wears because carrying around that many fragile glass-like orbs without it + her clumsiness? ...Yikes.  (Also she can, will, and does do the fe3h Trickster thing where she shoots magic out of fingerguns. One of my favorite classes in the game for sure. Felix in a suit with fingerguns is one of the best things I’ve ever seen.) 

She doesn’t use a physical weapon very often whatsoever, but when she does, it’s usually a handgun. Swords are cool and she likes them. She’s not too skilled with then and isn’t keen on the sight of injury, but she has an admiration. They’re usually too bulky for her to keep on her suit, though, so she usually just has her Materia along with a gun. Please don’t be surprised if she whips out a sword every now and then though. She sometimes pairs her Materia with her gun as well because ✨elemental bullets✨

One of my headcanons (but wait.. if it’s my s/i... wouldn’t that be canon...? anyways-) is that Materia can be embedded in tattoo ink which is then applied to the body to infuse the person with the power of that Materia very slightly. Now, it can’t be anything major because in the Turks side game, one of the characters has shards of Materia in her arm, and it slowly eats away at her life force. So let’s, uh, avoid that. I like to think that maybe (I’m still thinking about this one) Ash has some very small hand-tattoos embedded with either Cure or Fire Materia. The Cure one helps her both cure very small wounds on herself and/or on others when she doesn’t have her full Cure orb on her. As for the Fire one, there’s a lot of handy situations in which just a little bit of fire can be useful, so that’s that. Again, this is just a thought, but I think it’s pretty goddamn cool! Also would explain why I’m so tired all the time lmao!

Also Materia is pretty and I love it. The colors are interesting too. 

Adding onto that, she also really likes jewelry. Materia infused jewelry was something I thought of, but I’m not quite sure about that? She already has a wide assortment on her, so I think she would just settle for normal jewelry. Just like many of the other Turks, she’s always wearing small earrings. However, on missions where she can’t have all her gear on her, she will have Materia infused jewelry. Also, sometimes it’s just cute so. It depends on the day. Also! Since part of the uniform is gloves (she prefers fingerless), she doesn’t really get a chance to wear rings, unfortunately. When she’s not wearing gloves, though, she usually has some rings on. 

Is part of the Turks initiation process a trip to Claire’s?

I like to think that she’s pretty friendly and that she gets along well with her team. She’s either very serious or a total goofball depending on the situation. Expect many bad puns and snarky comments. She tries her best to fulfil her duties as a Turk, but they can sometimes be difficult for her since her emotions can sometimes cloud her judgement. She’s a very emotional person. The Sector 7 Job screws her up quite a bit. I’m not sure if she’s a Turk then or not, but just knowing that her team was responsible for that many deaths puts a bitter taste in her mouth. 

When combat can be avoided, she will take that route. She’s no pacifist, she would just prefer to do things with her words than with her flames. However, there are exceptions to this (*coughs in Don Corneo* She will gladly rip that man apart.) When she’s not on the active field during missions, she’ll stay back with Tseng and go through information, helping him guide the team. Her and Tseng are pretty close, despite being so different. 

Being completely honest, one of her favorite parts of her position is having access to so much information. She enjoys reading a lot, along with gaming. 

As for relationships with her team, they’re all pretty strong. 

Her and Tseng have some differing values, but they get along fairly well. She’s very cautious about her wording around him at first. He’s a scary guy, and him being leader doesn’t help. He can be very cold sometimes, but he’s a good listener. She relaxes around him eventually, and he becomes someone who she goes to very often for support. I like to think that she goes to him after the Sector 7 situation to talk about her feelings about it. I also think that he may have been the one who recruited her into the team in the first place? She owes a lot to him, and looks up to him a lot. Learning about how caring he was when he was younger only increases her admiration. She sometimes doesn’t agree with some of his more twisted logic, but she also understands that he has duties to fulfil and a team to manage. He’s trying his best to comfort them. 

Her and Reno are bros. Reno brings out her more wild side, and those two together are the very definition of chaotic. They’re always cracking jokes with each other and for them, being together is a blast. He was one of the first who reached out to her back when she was still new on the team, and when Rude isn’t available, he talks to her a lot. He appreciates how easy she is to talk to. They share the same braincell, and their jokes are very stupid. Their team missions are pretty fun. I also like to think that they play video games together in their free time! I love their friendship SO much!!! Ash definitely has her smarter moments, and is very knowledgeable on a lot of things, but together, they share a singular braincell.  An important thing to add about them is that sometimes she can be a bit of a mom-friend towards him when they’re not fooling around? She knows when enough is enough and when to rein him in. They both have their more serious moments, and their understanding of each other definitely helps on more serious missions. In a nutshell, they’re just two bros and I love them a lot. They understand each other.  Also, their fighting styles compliment each other quite a bit, so that’s fun. 

Ash and Rude is a friendship I really appreciate. Rude is not a man of many words, and Ash is very talkative. However, you quickly learn that Rude is very caring and prefers to show his affection in smaller gestures and actions. It takes a while for Rude to become more open with her, but it happens. He always listens to her rambles and although he might not say much, he remembers every single detail. She reminds him a bit of Reno, and he’s been dealing with a Reno for the past 7-some years. Their relationship is very wholesome, and Ash always encourages him to voice his thoughts. Also, he gives very good hugs when she needs them. She’s very sensitive and can be very affected by some of the stuff she sees while on duty, and he’s very protective of her. Her attitude and rambles confuse Rude sometimes, but he tries to be a good friend. Also they can kick ass together big time.  In conclusion, Rude and Ash = big soft hours. 

Okay, let’s talk about Ash and Elena. Elena is a character that I personally adore so much because it took me a while to like her. My initial reaction to playing the original ff7 and seeing her was simply, “Oh, great. Yes, make the only female Turk super clumsy and shit at her job- And give her no personality outside of that and crushing on Tseng. I mean, mood, and same, but really?”  But then I researched the Turks game.  (I have yet to read the novels btw)

And I realized that me and Elena are similar in so many ways other than being very clumsy and simping for Tseng (he’s hot, okay- then again, I simp for all the Turks. they are VERY fine.) We have very similar personalities, constantly want to punch things, and also have similar relationships with being the youngest sibling. I really understand Elena and I love her. You look into her character and realize that she’s super strong and dependable, smart and gorgeous. She’s amazing. 

Ash and Elena, like I said, are pretty similar in terms of personality. So they really understand each other and get along very well!! They’re very close friends, and kinda live on the same mental wi-fi. They click very well on first meeting, and that click stays for very long time and only gets stronger as time passes. Ash feels as though she can discuss anything with her because Elena gets it. Also, missions in which they’re paired up together are always fun. They’re both pretty smart, but have a tendency to let their emotions cloud (heh, cloud-) their judgment. But when they’re together, they can keep each other check and in turn, kick ass together. They also have a mutual hatred for Don Corneo. I hate that man. Fighting together is pretty fun since Ash can stay back and spam her spells while Elena punches the crap out of their target.  In conclusion, these two are very close and they’re besties. They have a mutual understanding of each other in a lot of different fields. 

Thank you SO much for the opportunity to spill my thoughts about this, my friend!! Was a very very fun time! The Turks are always living in my head, so I’m glad to speak about them anytime. This definitely helped me organize my thoughts a bit and helped sorta motivate me to write about Ash and her Turk friends?? I can feel my half-written Felix fics in my drafts glaring at me, but regardless, I’m very excited. They have a super fun dynamic.  Thanks for listening!

[cavalierious-whim]

Parlay (FE3H)

FE3h | Sylvix | High-Seas AU | Teen | Complete

This time Sylvain's more than doubled his money, he's doubled his life.

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A/N: Another one from last year! CW for a vague depiction of stitching up a wound. It's very minor. Read here on AO3 for better quality!

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“You don’t seem the type to dabble with our kind of lot.”

Sylvain turns to the voice, meeting the youthful face of the captain. He’s younger than expected, but severe-looking with a narrow and angular face and circles cut so deep underneath his eyes that Sylvain wonders exactly what it was that put them there.

“Yeah,” says Sylvain, a signature smirk spreading wide across his face, channeling his well-practiced façade, “Pi--”

“Smugglers,” says the captain, interrupting.

“Smugglers,” repeats Sylvain. He’s not sure why the man cares because everyone already knows what they actually are. Pirates. A dubious lot known for bloodshed and riots, and rum and indulgence. Looking around the ship though, it looks more like a tightly run and well-oiled machine, than a drunken schooner.

The captain watches him for a long moment, midnight hair ruffling in the soft sea breeze. He looks mean, but not mean enough to be in this line of work. Then again, Sylvain’s new to all of this, so it’s not like he knows what to expect.

He’s only heard the wild stories of Felix the Blood Red and his rag-tag group of misfits.

“You’re a little green,” says Felix.

“Oh, I’m used to the sea--”

“I didn’t mean ill.” Felix has his arms crossed over his chest as he watches Sylvain with a critical eye. “I meant new to smuggling.” Nothing seems to escape the man. Sylvain will have to tread lightly.

“Well, I used to run my goods legitimately,” says Sylvain, rubbing at his neck. “My father trusted me to overlook his operations.”

“Should he have?” asks Felix.

“Should he have what?” asks Sylvain.

“Trusted you,” says Felix, impatience creeping into his tone.

“Yes,” says Sylvain. Then he pauses. “At least, until he dealt with the kinds of goods that I don’t like.”

“Drugs?” asks Felix.

“Worse,” says Sylvain. He doesn’t need to elaborate for the both of them to glean his meaning. They both fall silent, Felix’s mouth twitching with slight annoyance and Sylvain feels a little bit guilty. “Oh don’t give me that look, I haven’t brought anything illegal aboard. You can check the crates.”

“Then why hire us?” asks Felix, nosier than Sylvain would like. But where he in his position, Sylvain might be just as nosey, if not more. Mostly because Felix is a cunning and interesting man at first glance. And he bets that the mystery only gets better the more he learns.

“I’m not taking them to where they are supposed to go,” Sylvain says simply. “My father wants things shipped south to the Empire.”

“We’re going north to Sreng,” Felix deadpans.

“Might I remind you that I am Sylvain Gautier.” The Gautier family, also known as the ginger scourge of the north, also known as super doesn’t trade with the Srengese. For reasons.

Felix looks at him differently now that he knows Sylvain’s funneling his father’s goods to the people that his family has all but destroyed over the centuries, lips tugged into a small little frown. And for a moment, Sylvain is worried that Felix will call off the job and dump his shipment into the sea. Sylvain would. He’s inviting more trouble than his coin is probably worth, and that’s not just him talking about his mission.

But then Felix drops his arms and sighs. “It’s none of my business,” says Felix.

“Felix--”

“That’s Captain to you,” Felix cuts in, leveling Sylvain with a solid glare. Then he turns away without another word. Sylvain watches him retreat with a rare smile, truly interested in the man.

Captain, it is.

#

It becomes Felix’s business months later after a high seas firefight with one of Sylvain’s father’s ships. It’s the third run that they’ve done together after the first proved to be successful.

“Shit,” Sylvain groans, arching up from the cot he’s spread out on. Mercedes hushes him but doesn’t let up, pressing the disinfectant against him with more force. “Merce, that burns--”

“Surely not as bad as my ship does,” says Felix from the doorway.

Sylvain’s mouth dries up at the sight of him because Felix is beautiful when he’s on edge and wired red-hot, face smudged with sweat and soot. He scowls at the sight of Sylvain, softens slightly at the sight of Mercedes, and then acerbically asks for the room to be cleared. His crew does as he asks, leaving the two of them alone.

“For the record,” starts Sylvain, “I thought it’d take longer for him to come after his shit.”

“After you, you mean,” says Felix.

“I meant what I said,” says Sylvain. A pregnant silence stretches between them before Felix lets out an annoyed grunt, crossing the room and dropping into the chair beside where Sylvain’s laying. He jerks Sylvain’s shirt up with none of the tenderness that Mercedes is known for and Sylvain hisses at the touch.

“You’ll live,” says Felix once he gets a good look.

“So I’ll make it?” says Sylvain in jest.

“Unfortunately,” says Felix with a little bite to his tone. But then his tone softens a little. “As long as it’s stitched up right and you don’t pull at it.”

“You told Merce to leave.”

“She taught me how to sew,” says Felix, pulling open her medical kit.

“The holes in your clothes!” Sylvain’s seen Felix mend clothes on slow afternoons, laying out below the noon sun and enjoying the ocean breeze. It’s a nice sight, one that he’s come to like, even if it has to be observed from afar. Felix is so rarely relaxed and never so much around him.

“The concept is the same,” says Felix. Then he sighs. “Look, I know how to stitch up a wound. I’ve done it plenty.”

The War, Sylvain assumes then, where Faerghus lost their King to the Empire and the nobility left sold their souls to the enemy for a small chance at survival. Gautier’s done relatively well in the aftermath and reconstruction because brownnosing is what his father is best at. Felix had seemed more like a soldier than a pirate, something Sylvain noticed after just a week on board.

Sylvain doesn’t ask for an explanation and Felix doesn’t give one. Instead, he threads a needle with thick, coarse thread. He disinfects the gash in Sylvain’s side once more for good measure and then jabs the needle through his skin with little ceremony.

“Warn a man!” Sylvain shouts, trying his best to not jerk.

Felix’s mouth twitches into a smirk. “First time getting stitches, then.”

“No,” says Sylvain, but then a small whine bubbles up through his lips. “Yes.”

Sylvain’s seen battle like anyone else in his station, but as the former heir to the Gautier fortune, it’d been a figurehead title more than anything. He’d spent most of his wartime in tents on the backlines, moving figures around, and wooing bedmates to just feel a little bit of something in his pathetic misery.

“My ship will be fine,” says Felix, tugging at the gash to properly close it. “There’s more damage to the sails, but nothing that can’t be fixed.”

Sylvain is quiet for a moment. “I really am sorry.”

Felix is quiet for a moment too, and then he says, “It’s the job. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it doesn’t. We’ve pulled through worse.”

“My only goal is to get food and clothing to the people who need it,” says Sylvain.

“I know. It’s the only reason that I haven’t thrown you overboard yet.” Felix pulls the thread tight and knots it, before cutting the excess. “For the record, we sunk their ship.”

“Good riddance,” says Sylvain.

Felix watches him as he wipes his hands off on a rag. “You hate him. Your father, I mean.”

“Hate’s a strong word.” But when he meets Felix’s gaze, Sylvain’s eyes are a testy sea storm, and he’s practically frothing at the mouth in barely contained rage. “Okay, hate’s not a strong enough word.”

“I understand,” says Felix in a rare moment of personal expression. He runs his fingers over Sylvain’s ribs under the pretense of checking the wound one last time, but to Sylvain, it feels like an entirely different sort of touch. Especially because it lingers for just a little bit too long to be merely friendly.

“Captain,” starts Sylvain, reaching out to grasp at his hand. Felix doesn’t pull away, allowing the touch.

“Felix,” says Felix. “You can-- Look, Felix is fine.”

“It’s fine,” murmurs Sylvain, his free hand snaking up to brush Felix’s sweaty bangs back. “Are you sure that my highly moral do-gooding is the only reason you haven’t thrown me overboard?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” says Felix, but it lacks bite as he leans into the touch.

“I’m glad I won’t die,” says Sylvain, “and I’m glad we’ll do more runs together.” A pause. “We will continue our business, right?”

“Fool,” says Felix.

“Your fool?” asks Sylvain hopefully.

“You’re pushing your luck.”

“Is it working?”

They look at each other for a moment before Felix swoops down, pressing a kiss against Sylvain’s lips. It’s a sweet thing, far sweeter than Sylvain expects Felix to be. It’s all softness, lacking his carefully honed sharp edges, warm and kind, and genuine.

“So it worked,” says Sylvain against his lips, unable to stop himself from slipping into his teasing mask. Felix pulls away, a soft scowl on his lips. He lets go and stands. “I was joking,” says Sylvain. “Joking!”

“I can still make you walk the plank,” says Felix coolly.

“But you won’t,” says Sylvain.

There’s a beat and then Felix smiles actually smiles, and it’s weirdly radiant and Sylvain never wants to stop seeing it. “No, I won’t,” says Felix quietly. “But I can make you suffer in the meantime.” Then he turns to leave the small room.

“Come back,” says Sylvain as pathetically as he can. “I’m sorry!”

But then he hears the soft murmurs of the crew outside and then a short laugh that is distinctly Felix’s. Sylvain smiles. He’s injured, they’ve lost their sails and his father has put a number on his head. But Sylvain does good; he funnels his father’s goods to the people who actually need them.

And he’s got Felix. He doesn’t really know how or why, but he’s somehow managed, and he has no intention of ever letting go. Sylvain’s placed a lot of bets in his life, but rarely pan out the way that he wants them too. But this time? He’s more than doubled his money, he’s doubled his entire life.

So when Sylvain smiles it’s the first time in a long time that it actually means something.

[theincompetentgenius]

Warlords React to Clumsy MC

anon:  Headcannon request for Ikesen Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, Kenshin, Hideyoshi, Masamune with an MC who is super clumsy and oblivious. Kinda like the female version of Mitsunari. THANK YOU!!!! :3 

anon:  Hey!!! Can I get a HC for Nobunaga, Kenshin, Mitsuhide, Masamune & Hideyoshi reaction to an MC who is super clumsy and always endangers herself, like always tripping or something xDD Thanks!!!

Alright, so I’m combining these two HCs because they’re almost the exact same (even ask for the same warlords-- maybe the same person requested twice?) Also it was a bit difficult because I felt like there would be a lot of overlap in some of the warlord’s behaviors, but I tried my best. Anywho, I hope you enjoy them!

Nobunaga

Nobunaga is going to have a difficult time understanding how this woman (of all the people in the world) saved him from the deadly assassin. She can barely walk without tripping over her two feet, so he’s confused as to how she protected the warlord in the fire. Nevertheless, her clumsiness and angelic behavior prove to Nobunaga that she can’t be much of a threat and genuinely has his best interests at heart.

The warlord has a hard time flirting with MC (or showing any other form of attraction) because Nobunaga’s flirting often goes over MC’s head. She interprets his flirting as friendly comments that come with his charismatic and authoritative personality.  However, this doesn’t bother him too much. Instead, he makes his moves in a direct manner and clearly paints the correct image in MC’s head.  Poor MC can’t hide the red flush on her cheeks, which only increase’s Nobunaga’s teasing.

This MC is not ready for Nobunaga’s games of strip go. When the warlord first mentioned the idea, she didn’t realize that she’d actually have to take off her clothes. She thought the warlord was joking around. A few rounds later and our poor girl is trying to salvage her purity by peeling off her socks instead of her undergarments.  It doesn’t make it any better that Nobunaga can read her like a book, so he knows her next moves.

When Nobunaga takes her to the battlefield as his good luck charm, he’s aware that she can become a major liability. That’s why he always keeps her close when there’s no activity. When he’s out on the front lines, she is protected by special guards at all times.

He also uses MC’s clumsiness to keep his hands around her. He’ll tell everyone that he’s simply doing it to protect her, but the smirk on his face suggests otherwise. Nevertheless, MC has no issue with his overly-affectionate gestures because there’s no such thing as being “too loving” in her eyes.

Mitsuhide 

Mitsuhide would have the TIME OF HIS LIFE messing around with MC. She’s clumsy, oblivious, and basically Mitsunari 2.0? If you ask him, she’s the perfect target for his shenanigans (of course he’ll deny his schemes with a questionable attitude).

When our residential snake corners poor MC for his tantalizing flirting, she’ll assume it’s for some friendly conversation. Although the look in Mitsuhide’s smirk literally screams DANGER, this MC will have no problem talking to him. In her eyes, there’s nothing romantic or cheeky about his approach-- just typical Mitushide behavior. 

She wouldn’t even realize that Mitsuhide was teasing her until the other warlords give her a detailed explanation with proof.

Despite all his teasing, Mitsuhide would most likely keep this MC at a distance (especially if there was a budding romance). He wouldn’t want to corrupt her childish innocence because it would only bring his misfortune and sadness. Mitsuhide wouldn’t want to be the reason that she returned back home in pieces.

However, this beloved MC would manage to grab his heart with all her kindness. She’s aware that he’s done some wrongs, but he can always turn a new leaf if he has the right intentions. She’ll go out of her way to help him fix his moral compass because it's her duty as his friend. However, only Mitsuhide himself can bring about the change to his moral compass.

Throughout their journey, MC is bound to find herself in trouble. However, she won’t run into too many external problems because Mitsuhide tends to resolve the problem before it escalates. Whether it be with his sharp words or his accurate gunshots, there’s not much of an issue here. He’s always keeping an eye on her to ensure she doesn’t entangle herself in something dangerous. 

Kenshin

When Kenshin first meets MC, he is surprised that she is the chatelaine of Nobunaga’s palace. He immediately notices her clumsy demeanor as she bumps into the corners of the market stall. She’s dropping fruits from her arms as her other bags fall from her arm. How could the leader of the Oda forces trust someone like that to take care of his palace?

However, he finds himself drawn (both voluntary and involuntarily) towards MC. There’s an undeniable charm in her sincere and innocent attitude. The god of war doesn’t have to worry about being attacked, betrayal, or other darker behavior. By talking to her, he can relax and let his guard drop once in a while.

As MC skips around, humming her favorite tune, Kenshin can’t help but watch with soft eyes. All the time he spent with her was chipping away at his frozen heart, revealing that there was something underneath. If you looked closely, you could even see the corners of his lips tugging upwards.

The cage era in Kenshin’s route is definitely going to last longer with this MC. Because she’s so trusting, oblivious, and unwilling to be rude to Kenshin, it takes her much longer to vocalize that this imprisonment is unfair to her. To make things worse, Kenshin feels the need to constantly keep MC under his watch because she’s a walking target.

With due time, she’ll find her way out of the cage without hurting Kenshin’s feelings. However, he’ll still feel responsible for keeping her safe. He constantly has his arm around her or will be walking behind her for safety reasons. Every time MC notes that someone was being rude or perverted towards her, Kenshin makes a mental note to pay them a lovely visit later.

His heart melts when he sees her playing with the soft bunnies! The two most adorable beings have somehow united under his roof and the only threat MC faces here is the barrage of bunnies that might topple her over. However, there’s nothing but a smile on her face as she’s swallowed by the crowd of bunnies.

Masamune

May the lord have mercy on this MC

Between Mitsuhide and Masamune, I feel like Masamune would be worse in terms of bugging MC. His attempts to hit on her are so direct that even oblivious MC cannot ignore his attempts. And whenever she tries to play dumb, Masamune sees through her and amps up his flirty attitude.

Don’t be surprised if she happened to trip over a stick in the middle of her conversation and he caught her perfectly in her arms. Our one-eyed dragon is ALWAYS looking for these convenient moments to swoop in and save MC. Plus, its a bonus to watch her cheeks flush as he holds her against his muscular chest.

However, its not all doom-and-gloom around this warlord. He’s always making mental notes about her favorite foods, especially sweets. Whenever he has free time or MC is feeling down, Masamune goes the extra mile to make her favorite dishes (down to the smallest details). If there’s less time, he’ll just make a bunch of sweets because they remind him of the sweetness of his lover.

You know how the sweet girl gets kidnapped by the evil bad guys, only to be saved by the oh-so-handsome lead male? That’s exactly what Masamune expects and tries to do every time that MC gets herself into hot water. For the first few times, MC is extremely grateful, but she soon realizes that she needs to learn to defend herself the next time someone tries to hurt her.

After lots of persuasion, Masamune agrees to teach her some self-defense techniques. Earnest MC tries her best to keep up with his moves, but she stumbles over from the force of her own kick. Masamune can’t help but laugh when she trips over her feet, but he’s always ready to help her get back up.

Not-so-earnest Masamune also uses these training as opportunities to get close and personal. He’ll grab her by the wrist and spin her to his chest. A soft smirk will rest on his lips, alluding to something more.

Hideyoshi

You know that period where Hideyoshi mistrusts MC because he thinks that she might be a threat to Nobunaga? Well, that probably doesn’t exist here. The longest it might last is about a few hours? Maybe a day? That’s because the moment he talks to MC, the warlord realizes that this MC wouldn’t be able to hurt a fly. In fact, he’s never met a female who literally embodies a cinnamon roll. 

Hideyoshi has a heart attack every thirty seconds around this MC. There’s so much that could go wrong in such a short amount of time, so he always holds her hand whenever they go outside. Besides, the warmth in her hands only made it more tempting to keep his hand in her’s.

This man would shower MC with the cutest gifts on the planet. Whether it's an ornate necklace or adorable little desserts, Hideyoshi would feel the need to constantly spoil MC. She could ask for almost anything and he’d rush to get it.

MC always wants to help out Hideyoshi because he can be quite swamped with work, but he’s a bit hesitant to let her around his stuff simply because she has the tendency to drop everything. Instead, he assigns her to duties that rely on her strengths, such as designing a new kimono for him.

When he’s out on the front lines, MC always lingers at the back of his mind. Is she alright? Have the warlords been bothering her or making any moves on her? While it stresses him out, it also provides the warlord with the motivation to return safely and soundly to his beloved.

Do you remember those women who constantly flirt with Hideyoshi? Well, they’d approach Hideyoshi and MC as the couple walk through the markets, fawning over the warlord. Poor MC sees them and immediately assumes they’re Hideyoshi’s good friends. Hideyoshi himself has to politely decline the invites of these thirsty brats, explaining to MC that they aren’t as friendly as they look.

[anika-ann]

No Apologies Needed - Pt.4

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader       Word count: 2630

Warnings: swearing, mentions of PTSD, Natasha and Sam being children

Summary: In which Steve is moping and pining and his friends are the worst.. possibly the best?

Story Masterlist

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“Call her.”

Steve raised his gaze from the phone spinning in his hand in alarm, only to see the source of the voice standing two steps from him with an amused smile. He stopped the absent motion with his hand and laid the phone next to him on the couch.

It had been several days since the incident at the bar and what followed it – including the medical attention given to the injured woman in the Tower –, but it was still very fresh in his mind. He was not about to admit that in front of Natasha Romanoff though.

“Call who?”

“Don't play dumb, Rogers. It doesn’t suit you,” the redhead huffed, rolling her eyes. Steve just sighed. Of course she knew.

“Why would I call her?” he asked, honestly curious.

There was no single reason to do that. He had selfishly used her as a cover at the bar, he had got her kidnapped and injured, but at least he had apologized profusely, made sure her injuries had been treated and they had parted ways with an offer for her to contact the Tower if she found herself in any trouble.

Not one reason to call her, no matter how much of space she had been occupying in his head.  

“To ask her out, naturally.“

Well.

Naturally, Natasha would pick up on that too. So what, maybe there was more than just one reason why he was thinking about the woman and the character of some thoughts was very inappropriate given the trouble he had caused – just another thing to discourage him from making the call. Steve was almost ashamed of thinking about kissing her again to be honest.

“I'm not gonna do that,” he stated rather calmly, sure of the exclamation. He wouldn’t say he didn’t want to, because he didn’t like lying. He wouldn’t text her or call her, because he had to leave her alone. She deserved a peace of mind after what she had been through.

“Um, yes, you are.”

“I can’t do that,” he rephrased, staring into Natasha’s eyes with determination. He couldn’t and he wouldn’t.

“Wrong. You have to do that. You were making googly eyes at her. So was she.”

“I got her kidnapped!” he blurted out hastily, straightening in the seat.

“So? You handled one crisis together already.”

“Natasha-“

“And I didn't hear any complaints about the kiss either,” she noted with a knowing grin and Steve internally groaned, feeling the heat of a blush creeping up his neck. Now she hit the nail on the head precisely and Steve actually was ashamed.

“That's— that's not relevant!

“That good, huh?”

“Romanoff!”

“Grow a pair and call her, she was cute,” the spy invited him with a friendly smile, just like hundred’s times before when she had been trying to set him up with someone. Steve had thought there were over that.

Apparently not.

“I'm not calling her.”

Natasha shrugged and held out her hand. “Alright, then I will.“

“I swear to God, Natasha-“

Her eyes left his for a second and then she sighed, raising her hands in surrender.

“Okay, okay. I won't. And if you really don't wanna talk about it, I'll drop it.”

Steve blinked in surprise. Since when she was giving up so easily? There had to be a catch… except Steve couldn’t quite see it.

“Um… really?”

She shrugged again. “Yes. Really. Not a single word. It’s none of my business.”

“Thanks,” he murmured, a bit taken aback by the kindness and sympathy in her voice. She smiled at him warmly and he allowed himself to sink back into the couch, slowly relaxing. She patted his knee.

“You're welcome, Steve.”

Then she looked up again, watching something behind Steve’s back. It was when he finally noticed someone else had entered the room, now standing few feet behind him. Steve quickly spun to face the intruder, only to meet Sam Wilson’s grin and raised eyebrow.

“So… have you called her yet?”

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It was a movie night. A very tiring movie night which Steve was hoping to skip, but the others wouldn’t let him.

They all gathered in the common room – where Steve found his phone he had been missing ever since the harassment time starring Natasha and Sam –, putting on the first episode of some TV series about a vigilante archer, because apparently it had been Clint’s turn to pick a movie.

Honestly, Steve was barely paying attention, his brain otherwise occupied; he was still thinking about contacting the woman from the bar, for multiple reasons. He was toying with his phone absently with one hand, turning it over and over, while he pretended to follow what was happening on the screen.

He almost had a heart attack when his phone announced an incoming text.

Tony and Clint shot him dirty looks for disturbing the atmosphere, while Sam and Natasha looked his direction with almost excited expressions. Bruce just ignored it – until another beep followed the first one.

“Sorry,” Steve uttered, opening the text from an unknown number with a frown. Most of the people having his number were in the room with him, hence had no reason to text him.

When he read the words on the screen, his jaw dropped.

Hello, Steve. It’s nice to hear from you. I’m fine, except for my distaste for bars growing and occasional nightmares. Thank you for caring. I’m sorry if you beat yourself over what happened, because you don’t have to. I’m coping. ...

The text ended there, and Steve opened the next one on autopilot, seeing the message was simply too long to fit into one text.

… If you want to see for yourself, we can meet. Just give me a call when you’re free, I’m sure your schedule is more busy than mine. P.S. Of course I remember the wings and Sam. Just like Natasha Romanoff or you. You are all hard to forget. In a good way, I mean.

Steve simply stared at the screen speechless, unaware of Clint pausing the movie, the lights switching on or everyone observing him with suspension way more intense than when watching the movie.

Was it really who he thought it was? But… how? Why? And— ‘nice to hear from you’? ‘Thank you for caring’? How would she know she was still on his mind-

He quickly rolled up the page; and there it was, an undeniable prove of the conversation not being one-sided and not starting with her texting him.

There were texts sent this afternoon. Right after he had been teased by Sam and Natasha. Right after he had left his phone behind – or had he? Or had someone just snatched it from his pocket?

His ears started ringing, his pulse hammering in his temples, the edges of his vision getting a red frame. It didn’t take a genius, it really didn’t. His eyes found Sam, who was now looking everywhere but at Steve, while Natasha gave him a small smile.

Steve’s blood boiled. They were both in this. Both of them. Steve was about to commit not one, but two murders tonight.

“Cap? You alright there?” Clint asked, honestly concerned.

Steve felt like he was choking on air, unable to form a coherent sentence to answer the archer.

“What is she saying?” Natasha pried instead, leaning in. Steve turned off the screen, slamming the phone to the armrest, not even reading the messages he had supposedly written.

“Out. Natasha and Sam, stay,” he strained through his teeth, his jaw almost hurting with how tightly he clenched it.

“What-“

“Let’s go, Tony,” Bruce interrupted him, sensing the thick atmosphere suddenly falling on their group. Steve didn’t care for the curious and confused looks he received. He had bigger problems at hand.

And murders to commit, because what the hell-

“Before you say anything-“

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Steve exploded, rising to his feet to hover above his friends. “Are you out of your mind?!”

“Well, technically-“

“I don’t care about technicalities, Sam!”

Natasha rolled her eyes and snatched Steve’s phone before Steve knew what she was doing. Then, he just threw his hands in the air helplessly, his blood pressure probably rising alarmingly high. She wasn’t even trying to look ashamed while going through the reply! She even read the messages out loud for Sam!

Steve crossed his arms on his chest, glaring at the pair murderously as they wore a matching grin. His ribcage was expanding wildly with every breath at the sight of them.

“Are you done?” he asked icily and Natasha looked up before levelling herself with him – at least as much as she could; Sam rose to his feet too.

“Why is this a bad thing, Steve?” the spy questioned calmly, almost gently.

“Why is this a-“

“She wants to meet you, that’s great, man,” Sam supported Natasha and Steve shot him a look that would have him lying in a pool of blood if eyes could kill.

“Except I’ve never offered her a meeting, Sam.”

“Well, according to what the texts say-“

Steve grinded his teeth and grabbed the phone so he could at least read what ‘he’ had written. There were three texts and an attachment. Because the amount of text just wouldn’t fit into one. It took a lot of restraint not to crumble the device in his fingers at the revelation.

Hello. It’s Steve Rogers. I am very sorry for the numerous troubles I caused you and I feel bad for what happened, for how we parted ways. It feels like I should do more for you. Please, if you would be willing to meet, text me or call me at any time, I’ll try my best to answer. I hope you are well. SR

I’m aware that the way we met was disturbing at best and that I need to give you some sort of an identity confirmation. There’s a picture of Sam (He’s the man with wings, do you remember him?), showing how fed up he is with my moping and moral dilemmas. SR

Of course, if don’t feel like meeting, I understand and I promise you will never hear from me again. SR

The supersoldier was left speechless, not sure if it was from anger or surprise.

He had to give it to his friends – these texts, they were… very authentic. He could see himself sending those; polite and long, signed at least with initials, which was something his friends teased him about endlessly, always reminding him that texting was about being brief, contrary to love letters, and once someone had saved his number, he didn’t need to sign.

Also, the picture of Sam was a very plausible copy of his expression when he was being done with Steve. And all the words written were very true, luckily leaving out the fact that Steve was thinking of the woman in question in more than just one way. Natasha and Sam had both done an excellent job.

Except they hadn’t because texting in Steve’s name was just unacceptable – more so when it was about contacting a woman whom he had caused a trauma she was most likely trying to forget.

He glared at his friends, feeling his nostrils flare.

“You had no right to do this! If I leave aside that you invaded my privacy-“

“You left the phone on the couch and you don’t even lock that thing, Steve,” Natasha protested calmly.

“That still doesn’t give you the right to take it and just do what you want!”

“Probably, but it gives me the opportunity to do that and that’s on you, Cap.”

“Ugh! That’s not the point, Natasha!” he shot back frustratingly and she arched her eyebrow in a silent challenge. ‘And what is?’ “Did it cross your mind that she might be trying to forget the traumatic experience she lived through because of me? That she just wants to leave all of that behind?”

“Of course it did, Steve. But she wasn’t even hurt-“

“She’s a civilian, Natasha! Just because she only had bruises and burns from the ropes – which are still injuries, by the way – and wasn’t shot or something, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t suffer the consequences. Not everyone is used to this level of stress, not like we are-“

“Sorry, Steve, but she was just fine when I talked to her,” Sam interrupted, crossing his arms on his chest as well, as he referred to the meeting after she had been treated. “And from what the texts say-“

Steve whined in frustration, running his fingers through his hair, fighting the urge to just rip it out.

This was unacceptable! This was bordering with harassment, it was hurtful and— and just incredibly wrong!

“It doesn’t matter what the texts say, Sam! You of all people should know how PTSD works! She could just-“

“Exactly, I know-“

“Alright, stop it right here, boys,” Natasha interjected, stepping between the two men and Steve realized that he was leaning into Sam’s space, his hands curled up in fists and possibly ready to strike. “What’s done is done. You know you have to talk to her now, Steve. And preferably meet her, because reaching out and then not responding is a shitty thing to do.”

Steve aged several years only because he did his best not to hit Natasha for the nudge. Was she really trying to guilt him now? Seriously?

Why was it fucking working?!

Because you don’t want to disappoint her. Because you do want to meet her.

Steve closed his eyes, taking a very deep breath to calm down. He massaged the bridge of his nose.

“Of course I will text back or call now. Then I meet her to explain that it was not me who contacted her in the first place.” He snapped his eyes open, giving his teammates a pointed look. “And you two, you will come with me to apologize for hassling her.”

“Won’t do, Big Guy. How do you think she would feel when finding out it wasn’t you who cared – or at least decided to do something about it? We wouldn’t want to upset her like that, right? Now be a good guy and call your sweetheart, would you? We promise not to listen in…”

“Romanoff…” Steve growled and she only gave him a cheerful challenging smile.

“Tell me it won’t upset her if she learns the truth, Rogers. I dare you.”

Okay, that… that did pull the rug from under Steve’s feet. Just like when she had been guilting him. He didn’t want to upset the woman further. It would be a wrong thing to do and… and he liked her, so it would be even worse. Not that lying would be any better.

“I… I-“

Sam patted his arm patronizingly and Steve inhaled through his mouth harshly at his next words.

“You’re welcome, Buddy. Good luck.”

“Now let’s invite the others in so we can finish the pilot, alright? You go make your phone call.” Natasha didn’t even finish the sentence and already went to open the door for others.

Steve was tempted to toss the phone after her. Except despite all the circumstances being perfectly terrible, he felt a flutter of butterfly wings in his stomach at the thought of hearing your voice.

He was an awful person.

He walked past his friends out of the room and went to his own, hoping that at least there he could get some privacy. A lump grew in his throat as he dialled your number, stage fright creeping up his spine.

And then your timid ‘hi’ sounded from the speaker and Steve found himself smiling unwittingly, which was something he would later deny, especially in front of Sam and Natasha.

If the meeting which you had arranged for only two days’ notice went well despite him admitting what the truth about the texts was, he was not about to tell them either.

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Tags: @mermaidxatxheart​ @winter-scolder​ 

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Thank you for reading and letting me know in any way what you thought; thank you for reblogs and comments especially :-*

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[spacegaywritings]

The Adventures of Janus the Selfcare Snake - chap 2 “ Warmth = snake-friendly”

GENERAL Audience, Words: ~1k

Summary: The sides get ready for a relaxed film night but Patton finds Janus to be missing. Turns out, snakes were the most silent little sliders in the mindscape!

Tags: food mention, literally all sides, some puns, janus as snake, platonic anxceit/moceit/moxieceit

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story under the cut:

Another day in the mindscape.

It was evening already and while Thomas prepared for a relaxed evening of watching a show and taking care of himself, his sides did so, too.

 “I got the popcorn!”

 Roman placed yet another bowl on the coffee table. The other sides cluttered the couch already. The sight already elicited feelings of comfort and warmth.

They were all pretty much cuddled up. Remus actually managed to dress somewhat neatly (a pair of soggy jogging pants and a badly stained shirt, but hey! Small steps. At least he didn’t smell bad.) while Logan was in a more comfortable set of clothing. The rest was in the onesies they had worn for some videos before.

 Well, almost everyone.

Patton noted the absent of only one side. No one else.

He looked around, scanning the couch and trying to count it out multiple times, only to discover he was actually right.

 “Hey, kiddos. I think someone is missing.”

 He gave them an awkward smile which Roman returned with a bright beam.

 “Oh padre, don’t be silly! We are all here!”, he stood before the couch and loudly started naming everyone before stopping abruptly, “See? There is me - the wonderful prince Roman - Three Days Gays, Alphabelicious, your adopted gremlin rat and you, padre -”

 Roman blinked at the error and silently counted to himself. His fingers formed into fists and one by one rose up and stretched out. When he completed one hand, confusion came to settle on his face in exchange for concentration.

 “What the heck! In the name of the holy Broadway, we are missing Janus!”

 Patton gasped until his words hit him and guilt shadowed over his features. How had he not noticed this before? They were missing a whole side and he had not even understood who it was! He was a bad da-

No. It was okay, he reminded himself. Things happened and he could make up for it.

 Logan glanced up at them, sipping his iced coffee. The drink was sweeter than Patton’s soft compliments, Roman knew as much. He had made the mistake of trying the hell of Logan’s beverages before. All of them were just as disgustingly sugary.

So much about healthy eating and drinking. Hypocrites be wearing ties -

 “Guys, this is an issue. We wanted to meet up and all spend a nice day together. And now Janus is missing. We are not complete if it is not all of us together.”

 Logan clicked his tongue at the comment.

 “Well, one might have to add that we are metaphysical presentations of Thomas’ areas of functioning, his personality and motivations. It is not like we can really disappear. At most, some of us could be heavily repressed but I think we made substantial progress in that regard.”

 Something rustled.

Eating noises could be heard. Wet, loud sounds of chewing.

 “Yeah, Thomas knows better than to repress us~ But if he so wants, we can arrange to do away with some of you and finally have him do all the fun things I suggest he pursues!”

 Patton scowled at Remus.

 “Nu-uh! You know, that is not the kind of nice behaviour we are promoting here.”

 Remus pouted in return but Logan offered him the bowl of crisps which seemed to have him deeply enraptured. He hugged the bowl and started cronching on the crunchy delights instead of eating away at his deodorant.

Why would anyone even eat deodorant?

 “Well, Patton. I think we will be quite able to locate him. At worst, all we have to do is produce a falsehood in order to summon him. We might as well just visit his room in order to be less intrusive. If we want to be friendly and show him we are trying to invite him, he might be more inclined to join us.”

 Patton nodded softly, his hands were wrapped around one another in front of his chest. His eyes looked wide and warm, if not wet. Logan blinked at him and offered him a hesitant smile before dipping into his comforting voice.

 “It will be okay. Maybe he forgot.”

 A smile returned to the dad figure’s face.

 “Thank you, Logan!”

 The moral side curled back against Logan, who was sandwiched between Patton and Remus by now. Virgil was next to Patton and carefully sat up while Roman took the seat next to him and drew a blanket around them.

 Virgil cleared his throat.

 “Not to be too distressing, but the emotional support liar is right here.”

 He tapped his neck where a big piece of golden jewellery seemed to adorn his rather dark features. In fact, around his neck, there was.. there was Janus.

Patton leaned in, a huge beam taking over his features.

 “Oh! Janus, excuse my silliness! I did not see you there! I am so glad you slithered in~”

 In the background, Logan drowned his groans in another jug of cold, plain coffee. The snake bleped at Patton before sliding over Virgil’s arm to Patton’s body and onto his shoulder. Patton gently brushed over the small head. Janus slowly sunk onto his shoulder, neither moving nor stirring in any way.

 “Did I hurt him? Is he asleep -”

 “He likes it warm. You keep him warm, he relaxes, Popstar.”

 Patton nodded and gently cupped the little boopnoodle with his hands. His fingers were arched in a way they formed some kind of bowl for the small Janus to reside close with him.

 “Aw, I will keep you warm, little noodle!”

 Thus, Janus ended up curled up in Patton’s cardigan, between Virgil’s and Patton’s lap where he happily bleped at the film and was gingerly fed some snacks as they all watched the film together. The dynamic duo made sure to affectionately cuddle Janus as well, making him the happiest snake in the entire Thomasphere.