#he'd probably find a way to get his hat to match the outfit and I need to see it. ALSO THE HAIR SHOW US YOU FOREHEAD ROOK

[kurara-black-blog]

Hey, internet, not to sound like a spoiled brat, but where's my boys in Grease Style? C'mon, just think about them in leather jackets and hair slicked back. I know you want to. You so want to.

[noaltbruh]

hey! I saw requests were open, if it's not a problem. what would bucci gang think of a fem reader with short hair or a buzzcut?

Not me googling what a buzzcut is-

But sure! 😄 I'm...Very sorry this turned out so short, I must admit I had some troubles coming up with what to write. If you ever want to request something else, you're more than welcomed to ^^

Bucci gang with a S/O with a buzzcut.

Giorno 🐞

Can I just say Giorno admires you in a certain way?

He knows that it's not a very conventional "feminine" haircut, and that you may get bad looks from some... People, from time to time.

But he really approves the way you don't seem to worry about what others think in the slightest, it's something he finds really fascinating in a person.

He supports your look 100% and tells you how beautiful you are in his eyes any time he can.

I can see him buying you a lot of outfits to go with the rest of your appearance. He loves to spoil you and thinks it's a better way to prove he truly believes you look stunning.

His long hair and braid create a nice contrast to your own. He thinks it's nice how the two of you break the usual norms for female and male beauty.

Bruno 🤐

Bruno loves how much your haircut makes you stick out for the norm.

He encourages you to express yourself in any way it makes you feel comfortable, and if it's with a buzzcut, why not?

He'll be ready to send away just with a single look anyone who may have something to say about your appearance.

He'd invite you to ignore those who don't approve of your image and he'd constantly remind you that "long hair for women" is purely a convention. You don't have to conform to anything nor anyone.

I can see him wanting you to try on his little hairpins just because he thinks they'd look nice on you. If you don't want to though, it's alright and he wouldn't care to insist :)

Mista

Buddy I wouldn't be surprised if he had a buzzcut too if he ain't straight up bald lol

He thinks your short hair makes you look pretty badass, he likes to show off to the others how cool his girlfriend is.

He loves the way it makes you stand out from the ordinary and how you don't care about how people may judge you for your appearance.

The pistols probably like to sit on your head when they're tired, I'm sorry.

He gives you his hat to protect you from them, although he's kinda sad about covering your haircut.

Narancia 🍊

Narancia doesn't mind your look at all! He thinks it's so cool that you look pretty different from most girls he's met growing up.

Please let him put his headband on you, he thinks you'd look adorable with it.

He's probably considered getting a buzzcut too just to match with you. With enough convincing, you might actually get him to do it.

Forgive me for this, but he'd totally use your head as a drum whenever he's getting bored.

He'll stop as soon as you ask him though.

He can, and will stab anyone who says anything negative about your look. No one criticises his girlfriend and gets away with it.

Fugo 🍓

To be honest, Fugo never really thought much about your appearance until you pointed it out to him.

Not because you're ugly, of course. He simply thinks it's your body and you choose how to show yourself to others, it's a style choice like anything else.

But if you were to directly ask him what he thinks about it, he won't hesitate to show that he genuinely does love your look.

Probably kisses your head very often to make up for the time he appeared a bit disinterested at first. He doesn't mean to make you think he doesn't care about it, he just thinks you're beautiful in any case.

After some time though, even when you're sure he held no ill intentions, he just keeps on doing it because he loves kissing you in general.

Abbacchio ⏮️

Okay, Abbacchio probably thought from the very beginning that your look was quite astounding. He loved the slightly masculine vibe you gave off, in contrast with his long hair.

But is he going to say that out loud? No, or course not. He can't admit something, at least in his mind, so "cheesy", even if it's not really so bad.

When you directly ask him what he thinks about your appearance, he tries to avoid and change the subject as soon as possible, which most likely leads you to believe you look bad in his eyes.

Normally, you don't really care about what people have to say about it, but it hurts coming from your partner.

Nonetheless the man is not stupid, and he can see that his response hurt you.

So, albeit still reluctantly, he will try to show more appreciation for your haircut, just enough for you to realize he really means it.

Trish 🎙

Okay, I'll be honest with you: Trish probably didn't like your haircut a lot at first. It's just not really her style.

If you're part of the gang and met her while escorting her, she might even say it to your face at some point. If you met her later, she'll just keep it to herself.

Either way, once she starts to warm up to you, she'll apologize and ask you to forgive her for her rude comments, or even for just thinking that.

Being with you made her appreciate this new type of look more, she kind of likes the way it seems to to balance out her own quite feminine appearance.

She's a bit sad she can't try many haircuts on you, so she loves to do your make up to make it match with your overall vibe.

[amwife]

90% of these came to me before i went to sleep for my first day back at skl 😭😭 ill b posting some for every member but aj's the one i finished first 🌚

Aj -

1. Loves buying little gifts. He seems like he'd lowkey be scared of you leaving him so if you show interest in something he'd definitely have to get it for you. And if he sees a plushie he thinks you'd like? Best be making room on your bed for it. He'd get you a dumb t shirt or funny looking kids toy just because it reminded him of you. Or when he'd make you mad/upset he would go on to buy you tons of stuff to make up for it with a tiny real apology.

2. Lowkey a bad boyfriend. Something about Aj makes me think he isn't romantic with girls and doesn't know what the hell he's doing in the relationship aspect. He'd probably accidentally ghost you for a day because he spent it all playing games and when you call him super worried he'd be confused. Although he'd be great on valentines, he'd probably ask Chunkz a week before to see what he should do but then he'd end up winging it and having a great time with you.

3. You'd be his uber. He could be doing a challenge for a Beta squad video and call you to pick him up and just act like you were an uber to hide your relationship from his fans. Or if you were at his house he'd always ask you to take him to a shop to buy supplies for a video or just for food and stuff.

4. He'd LOVE your cooking or baking. Since he has said he doesn't know how to cook at all, if you did he would beg you to make food for him. If he finds out you were making something he'd come over to your home just to get some. He would try buy you all the ingredients if you said you didn't have any. And if he were mad at you and you made brownies or cookies or anything? He's over it and on his way to your house to get some food. "Babe, I'm sorry. I made brownies?" "I'll be there in 10."

5. Super protective. You're talking to another guy? Not without Aj wrapping himself around you. You wanna hangout with a guy by yourself? That's crazy talk. "Aj. He has a boyfriend!" "I'd tell you I were gay to get with you." He'd piss you off by talking to other girls if you ever made him mad on purpose. Literally so petty when it comes to jealousy, he'd always one up you but never take it far enough that it's cheating. If any guy ever hits on you, somebody would have to hold him back because he'd go feral.

6. It'd be a secret. He'd probably take a while to introduce you to his friends and family, taking extra long with his friends just incase. Definitely was scared you'd think his friends were better than him, but his fears died after the first couple times you met them. Plus he probably thought it was more fun as a secret and unsuccessfully tried to sneak out of the Beta house a couple times to see you, forgetting he's an adult and doesn't have to tell them what he's doing. He tried to be slick when texting you in front of his friends but they all knew he had a girlfriend probably the day he copped her.

7. Touchy. This man isn't touchy in kisses and hand holding way, this man is touchy in the way it's basically fucking. You've probably had people ask if you were okay since it looks like Aj was groping you in public. Always has a hand on your ass when you both are standing side by side, or has his hand a on your upper thigh. He'll never make you uncomfortable or touch you in public (unless you wanted to) but he just keeps his hands in places to show that the relationship is definitely more than friends between the both of you. It's either you let him hold your ass or the most touch you get is shoulders rubbing together.

8. Matching outfits. He'd think matching outfits was adorable and would love the idea of twinning with his girl. Even just matching hats or jewellery would make him happy. You could buy literal onesies and he'd wear it, despite him getting ganged up on by his friends. He definitely has screenshots of things he might wanna buy that could be matching for the both of you.

9. You cannot tell me this man is not a simp. He definitely doesn't act like it or really show it but he is down BAD. He'd act as if it was a highschool crush and couldn't be seen looking at you even if everyone already knew you both were dating. He probably even has another account on social media just to save edits and photos of the two of you without the posters knowing it was him.

10. Great fuck.

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

not to flood your inbox but... what if the mercs found a freaking cat on the battlefield or base.... i saw that video of soldiers playing with a lil kitten... i gotta know what the boys (and also miss pauling) would do.... would it be an immediate ceasefire so all 16 grown men can play with a kitten... would they use a merc's room to house it.... its ligerallyy a kittycat omg ....

What Would The TF2 Mercs (+ Miss Pauling) Do If They Saw A Kitten Mid-Fight?

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Long title but cute idea!

Also never apologize for spamming my ask box, I love it, it helps distract me from the fact that I have no original ideas!

This is going to be a mix of on the battlefield and if they decide to keep the kitten!

Also rough because I only have a short blurb for the Blu team (sorry 😭)

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Red Team (+ Miss Pauling)

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Demo is the first one to see the kitten. I already headcanon that he has a cat he manages to hide from the other mercs, so he's ecstatic. Like eyes filled with joy, hopping up and down, and seeing kind of ecstatic. Immediately finds a way to get the others to stop fighting, if anyone dared to try and continue the fight he'd kill them immediately. Pets and comforts the poor cat because it's all scared :(

Engie is also very excited! He loves kittens, he would protect them with his life. He lays around and plays with the kitten once it's calmed down. Is already sketching out a cat tower and new room for the baby. Has made the executive decision that the Red team now has a team pet.

Heavy is right next to Engie, holding the kitten when Engie goes off to start sketching. Puts the cat on his lap and immediately almost starts sobbing when it curls up and starts trying to nap.

Medic comes over and I'm not going to lie this man is internally melting, it's adorable! But he's also slightly (insanely) worried because his birds always come first, and is always worried when anything threatens their safety. The other mercs eventually calm him down, swearing on their lives that his birds will be okay. He holds them to that, and eventually let's the other mercs keep it.

Scout is also a mix of super excited and sobbing "It's a fricken kitten! Look at it!" Definitely giving the kitten like a million kisses. Is acting so silly, and doesn't care. Booping it's little nose, slow blinking at it, showering it with love.

Sniper is indifferent at first until Scout steals his hat, turns it upside down, and drops the kitten in it. Then he has fucking heart eyes, a single tear running down his face from under his glasses. Turns away and just says fine to the idea of keeping it.

Spy is so against keeping the cat. It's going to be messy, it's going to be loud, and it's going to be expensive. No one else is going to take care of it. Classic dad does want a cat act. Guess who falls in love with the cat after one day?

Soldier is the most excited, hands down. Is so happy about the cat, it's so cute, it's so fluffy, it's just a baby! He's playing with the cat, giving it love, doing the most out of all of them. If the cat can't be found, you know he's with Soldier.

Pyro. Come on, of course, they're thrilled! Will let the cat crawl all around them, and also let it sleep on their gas mask. Just ugh, they're so cute together. Buys the cat little outfits and buys rainbow cat toys, dumps so much love, treats, and toys on this cat.

Ms. Pauling nearly tears down the door of the base after the match to come and see the cat. She is such a cat lady. She makes sure the cat is okay and even takes the cat to the vet to get all of it's vaccines and a microchip, ignoring Medic saying theirs no need, and claiming he can do it. Definitely began to visit the base more and more often, claiming she's only making sure they don't kill the poor thing.

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Blu Team

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I'll be honest, I don't think the Blu team would do well with having a cat. I headcanon these silly guys as dog people, they would probably be willing to give the cat over to the Red team for the benefit of the cat. They'd call off the match to keep it safe. All the mercs would sit and play, love, or cuddle with the cats with the Red mercs. Honestly, they enjoy the small break from fighting and just enjoy the time with a cat. Occasionally during a battle, they'll ask about the cat inbetween gunfire.

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I was going to work on this yesterday and then I slept instead 😭

I was up until like one writing the anime one but it was worth it to get it out, this one took me a hot minute too, but I kind of love how it turned out, I love cats and love the idea of the Red team being big babies for a kitten. Also! I love adding Ms. Pauling to things, she's such a silly too.

[sagau-my-beloved]

How do you think the archons would dress in our world?

Hell yeah this is fun to think about, I'll break my ideas down by Archon, but generally speaking none of them would deviate too heavily from their very obvious tastes, and you would have to give a decent amount of guidance in order to avoid any fashion disasters—

-

Venti:

• So he definitely sticks with the green color palette generally, that's a given, probably pairs it with some brown and other earthy tones

• I imagine he would dress in a way that both classifies as casual, but you could also get away with wearing it to a Renaissance fair, if you know what I mean (bring him to a Renaissance fair, I'm begging you, that could only go well)

• I'm thinking flowy clothes, or at least flowy shirts, and I feel like he would be really into patterns

• Nothing super crazy, but I almost feel like he would wear tie-dye ironically, like he's the type to look for the gaudiest most blinding piece of clothing and buy it instantly just for the shock factor

• (I hope you're ready for Christmas, because he's absolutely winning every tacky sweater competition)

• If he's attempting to be especially fancy then maybe a poet shirt, high waisted black pants/brown shorts with those straps that kind of look like suspenders and dress shoes, but that's mainly for performances

• Of course the braids are a must, but he would start experimenting with more hair clips with flowers on them and such

• Soon he'll have a hair accessory collection and you'll have the honor of styling it to your liking every day

• For beachwear he'd jump on Hawaiian shirts and swim shorts, would probably also make you get him one of those big floppy hats and he could put his Cecilia flower on it

• As for pajamas I imagine a rather basic t-shirt/tank top paired with general pajama pants/shorts, nothing fancy there

• Finally general accessories, for some reason I could see him wearing an ankle bracelet, along with clip on earrings of various kinds (specifically clip on), and I feel like he would find creative places to put the Cecilia he usually wears on his hat

• Like he might wear it as a bracelet one day, or as a brooch, or on the side of a belt where he used to put his fake vision, he would just want to incorporate that in all of his outfits

• I couldn't see rings but I could see a few non-metal bracelets, also I think a messenger styled bag just really suits him

-

Zhongli:

• You know that mid-thirty's male History/English teacher that you probably had a crush on at some point in high school?

• Yeah, that's how he dresses

• You might be able to discourage him from wearing full on suits everywhere, but collared shirts and dress pants are pretty much a given

• Never let it be said they don't look good on him, but he could pull anything off

• You might be able to get him to trade out the dress pants for a darker jeans, but the button up collared shirt is staying (tho on casual days you could convince him to unbutton a few of the top ones)

• Colors wise, it's pretty obvious that he would stick to the basic blacks, greys, and occasional golds on accent pieces

• If you beg him he might wear a floral print beach shirt and flip flops on beach days, I don't see him swimming heavily so sadly the shirt will probably stay on

• Now for pajamas, the funny answer is the striped pants and matching striped shirt combo, the more realistic answer is a black t-shirt and sweatpants (we can finally admire his arms thank god—)

• Accessories wise I could see a standard decent looking watch, obviously he's keeping the earring, and maybe a small necklace with something that reminds him of you that he keeps tucked under his shirt, along with a pretty killer belt he wears with every outfit

-

Ei:

• She was very happy to find that the general styles in Inazuma do still more or less exists in the form of traditional Japanese clothing, but you're gonna have to steer her off into something a bit more casual

• I feel like she would be surprisingly into more muted vintage clothing, and you would have the honor of introducing her to thrift stores

• Obviously sticks with purples and lavenders, which pair pretty well with both black and white

• If you can't tell, I have a thing for black pants, but I just really think they would pair so well with a lavender sweater

• She could pull off a blazer really well, just saying

• And I really think she would just default to corporate office style for anything formal, could be skirt or pants depending on the event

• I could also see her pulling off flannel pretty well, just in general, but she might need some convincing for that because I don't see her as a willing pattern person

• For beach clothes I think she would rely pretty heavily on what you would like to see her in, probably wouldn't want to do anything too revealing though (I personally want to see her in a very cute flowy purple sundress, but that's just me)

• Bikinis are probably pushing the limit unless you happen to be wearing one too, but one pieces would be fine

• Pajama wise I feel it's either a very expensive looking satin/silk long shirt and pant combo, or something a bit more basic, like a nightgown, but a pretty one with lace and stuff, gotta stay classy

• There's not a whole lot to expand on when it comes to accessories, I do feel like she's the most likely to wear brooches though, maybe has a collection of them

• Would probably also cycle through a variety of necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings, just whatever fits with the current outfit, a very versatile accessorizer

• Though if you give her a particular accessory she's going to try to incorporate it in everything, naturally, any gift from you is precious

[ghostofchaosyettocome]

My @twewysecretsanta gift fic for @voicefromthecorner

Prompt: Neku, during his 3 years in Shinjuku, reaches a low point of loneliness and imagines a meeting with his friends to help him get through it. Even Joshua and Mr. H are there. Each one inspires him in a different but valuable way, and he ends the imagined spot with strengthened resolve.

If you had told Neku he would end up spending an ungodly amount of time in the dilapidated ruins of what was once Shinjuku, he would’ve told them off for telling such a terrible joke.

Unfortunately, it was reality, leaving him completely alone save for the lingering scattered thoughts of those who once called Shinjuku home. They weren’t exactly the best at conversation (he’d tried), and while there was Coco, her appearances and length of stay were unpredictable. It was ironic really; before the first time he find himself in the UG, being isolated and left alone was exactly what he wanted – now he wanted anything but.

He had his phone, which by some miracle of the UG the battery never died, but also being in the UG meant he couldn’t use anything save the camera and notes. Not that he hadn’t tried texting his friends in a vain hope the broken Shinjuku would allow him to bend the rules to get something out.

But it didn’t work.

Every message he tried to send simply sat there, mocking him with ‘message failed to send. Try again?’

He knew he was beginning to lose it when he tried playing tin pin slammer against himself.

/

Neku was leaning against one of the invisible walls acting as the boundary of where Shinjuku ended, absently staring at the date on his phone: December 25. It mocked him mercilessly; a stark reminder of how long he’d been stuck in this hell, of not being with his friends. Beat would have told Rhyme and Shiki what happened, but it had been so long, and Neku hadn’t come back – did they know he hadn’t been erased? Or were they left thinking he was gone for good?

He leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Regardless of what they knew, he hoped they managed to find some way to celebrate the holidays. Shiki probably made a Santa outfit for her piggy, and spent the day with Eri before meeting up with Beat and Rhyme. They’d met at Hachiko, with the brother and sister duo wearing matching Santa hats; Beat having decked out his skateboard in lights. Shiki would try to convince Neku to join in on the festive dress up, eventually getting him wear a pair of reindeer antlers to go with Mr. Mew. They’d exchange gifts perhaps, before heading to WildKat. It would be the perfect end to the day…if he wasn’t stuck in limbo.

It wasn’t fair.

Neku stood up abruptly, banging his fist on the wall. It shimmered, but refused to break. “I shouldn’t be here!” He yelled, not letting up on the wall. “You hear me?! I should be out there, not here! I didn’t ask for this!”

He'd survived the Reaper’s Game, found friends and actually started to finally enjoy life – but in the blink of an eye it was cruelly snatched away from him. What had he done so wrong that he deserved this? Why couldn’t he just be left to hell alone to just be able to live his life?!

“IT’S NOT FAIR!” He screamed, hitting the wall as hard as could. It remained stubbornly unchanged, laughing at him. He rested his forehead against the cool surface, his throat tight and his eyes stinging. “I did my time…just let me out, please…even if I have to play the game one more time, I don’t care…”

A laugh from somewhere behind. An annoying, all too familiar laugh. “Aw, c’mon Neku, I didn’t think you were the type to give up so easy.”

“You think this is easy?!” Neku spun around, ready to give the composer hell –

But there was no one there.

“Josh…?” He looked around, but there was no sign of the blonde.

The laugh came again from the remains of a nearby alley, and he took off after it.

“Show yourself already! This isn’t funny!”

He didn’t find Joshua, instead reaching a dead end with a mural that had managed to stay miraculously intact: a ship struggling upon a stormy sea, with a bright lighthouse just barely peaking out over the waves.

“There’s a good message there, if you pay attention.”

Neku frowned, slowly turning around to this time, to find Mr. H standing a handful of feet away. “And what message would that be?” Neku asked bitterly. “That everything you want is will always be out of reach?”

Hanekoma chuckled, shaking his head. “No, take a closer look. That ship is close to the lighthouse, but can’t see it. It would be a real shame to give up now when they’re so close.”

“What are you talking –” Neku looked back to the mural, and back to Hanekoma, only for the producer to be gone.

Neku sighed deeply, letting himself slide down the wall. Was he seeing things, or had Joshua and Mr. H actually been here? He supposed it didn’t really matter, since they were gone now. Although…he looked up at the mural above him, the angle hiding the lighthouse entirely. He knew it was there from before, but from here was clear the crew on the ship didn’t. Mr. H had a point; if they gave up now and sunk into the water it be a tragedy. They were so close to safety, and yet they never made it.

…Mr. H never pointed anything out without reason, could it be his own lighthouse was just out of view? Could he dare hope for that possibility?

“Yo phones! What you doing thinking so hard? You’ll get lost in there!” Neku looked up, to where Beat and Rhyme were standing where Mr. H used to be. “You just leave all the heavy stuff to me, and everything will be okay, aight?”

“You didn’t give up on us, and we won’t give up on you. We’ll be waiting for you.” Rhyme chimed in with a smile.

“Hey, Neku? You remember back in the reapers game, when I told you about my entry fee?” Shiki was standing in front of him, fidgeting with Mr. Mew. “You believed in me then, gave me the confidence to be okay with my own appearance.” She held out a hand. “Well, I believe in you too. I know you’ll find you’re way back to us.”

Neku reached out and took the hand, a small smile making its way onto his face. “Thanks, guys. I’ll see you at Hachiko.”

The next moment he was standing, and while he couldn’t see the others anymore, he could still feel them; their presence a warmth chasing the loneliness away. Shinjuku wasn’t exactly a small city – it was more than likely he hadn’t explored it completely, and next time he saw Coco he’d get her to help search.

He would reach his lighthouse, to where his friends were waiting.

[basuralindo]

✨🎊NEW FIC JUST DROPPED🎉✨

I know I said I was probably gonna have a tiny hiatus, buuut I ended up writing a bunch to cope instead, so here it is!

Yes, I mean the OctaViper pirate au, the one I've been bitching about for like a week or something, the one I told myself "this is a self indulgent, back burner type thing, I'm just gonna have fun and not stress about it" about, and then proceeded to get super invested in research and spent hours of my life tryna make it period accurate. That fic. My beloved, horrible child that has given me nothing but trouble yet I'm still so excited to send it out into the world. Please enjoy this dumbshit pain in my ass.

Gonna be adding some thoughts and ref images under the cut, you're gonna wanna read the chapter first. Here there be spoilers.

First off, their ships.

Jamil's ship, The Scarab (reference to Scarabia), is a Baghlah dhow, a relatively light speedy cargo ship mainly used by people of the Arabian peninsula. Some references for the structure and style:

Azul's ship, The Sea Witch, is a spanish Galleon. They outweigh Baghlahs by several hundred tons, armed to the teeth, and while not as fast as a Baghlah, still surprisingly fast for what is just an overall monstrosity of a ship. There's no examples for the specific color scheme and decor, but here's an idea of the general size and over the top style:

They're just generally Extra™. So is pirate Azul.

Speaking of extra, the outfits!

-Jamil wears mostly traditional Sands clothing, in his signature red black and gold, but more decked out than average in order to display the wealth and status of the family he represents. There's also some western influence to the fashions due to trade and culture sharing. He absolutely takes any excuse to dress fancy because Jamil is not immune to wanting nice things.

-The pirates have clothing accumulated from all over the world, which they mix and match depending on preference. Azul accumulates ridiculous amounts of wealth, and the crew ends up with a lot of extra spending money, so taste and practicality are the only limits. Of which Azul has none.

-Floyd mismatches whatever he likes the look of and finds comfortable. So mostly loose fitting stuff in fun colors, and items he finds impressively well crafted. I just kinda wrote out what he'd probably wear piece by piece and it turned into just, classic Pirate™ aesthetic, but I'm just gonna roll with that. You cannot convince me that, without an enforced dresscode, he and Jade would dress remotely alike.

-Azul goes for wealthy high fashion styles from influential western countries (inspired mainly by french, spanish, and italian fashions), because those give the impression of high status. Basically the era equivalent of a three piece suit with fedora and cummerbund. He's very much in peacock mode in this chapter, and went all out with the fancy. I'm kinda basing the look on his masquerade costume, but with some adjustments for the era, like the cavalier hat instead of a tricorn and a more typical cut of overcoat.

-Jade likes to look quiet and reserved just to fuck with people, kinda following along with whatever fashion kicks Azul goes on. He intentionally stays in Azul's shadow the way an ambush predator stays in a hole in the rocks.

-Jamil having an english last name didn't make sense in context, so I gave him the nearest arabic translation of Viper. Khabith is a more vague concept that implies evil/malicious/venomous/underhanded/etc., and is used as a term for venomous snakes as well. There isn't a more specific word for viper that I know of, besides clarifying "'afea khabith", but the implications of Khabith play into the plot I have in mind. Also I just enjoy how it combines with the name Jamil (beautiful) to mean something like "dangerously beautiful", very fem fatale vibes.

Side characters:

-Idk why with the cousins, it just popped into my head and I went with it. It's fun to explore possible family dynamics with Jamil. Their names mean Wisdom (Hakim), and Bravery (Jasur), because I felt like keeping to the theme of descriptive names.

-I love the idea of a monster pirate crew, and I love coming up with Creatures, especially nonhuman people. So I'm just having a great time making shit up for Azul's crew. The harpy is my favorite. She's not a reference to anything twst related, I just wanted to write about a harpy. I'm obsessed with this side character. I'm also excited to eventually talk more about the Very Ugly Man because there is a backstory to him and it cracks me up a lot.

-I really enjoyed making Azul this punchable. I actually really like enemies to lovers as a trope, but have never gotten around to writing it until now, even in original works for some reason. This is still pretty one sided as far as enemies go, because it's still Azul after all, but I'm having a great time and I hope I can pull it off well

-Idk what else to say here, I'm just really excited about this story. I wanted to let these bastard fish be awful creeps, I wanted to do an enemies to lovers thing, I wanna write about the ocean, I'm having fun, and I hope everyone else can enjoy this as much as I do

[im-in-love-with-pizza-bites]

It Takes A Village: Chapter 21

Chris Evans x Teen-Mom!Daughter!Reader

Series MasterList

Series summary: You find out that you're pregnant. After being kicked out of your mom's house you go to live full time with your Dad who you only saw once every few months. Will he react badly to you being a mom at such a young age?

Chapter Summary: It's been a month! And it's Thanksgiving!

Series Warnings: swearing, fighting with a parent, teen pregnancy, speak of abortion.

Chapter Warnings: Teen mom? Idk

You were exhausted, it's November super close to Thanksgiving. The twins are a month old yesterday and your Thanksgiving break just started which helped a bit but you didn't have off work until Thanksgiving which is in two days luckily.

"Mommy's coming." You mumbled rolling out of bed with a yawn going to the crib. You picked Flynn up rocking him lightly before checking his diaper. "Okay I'm getting you." You quickly took him to his changing table and changed his diaper before checking on Felix who was luckily still asleep though not for long since he'll be hungry soon.

You carried Flynn with you to the kitchen and began to prepare his bottle. You chose to bottle feed them after getting advice from your doctor about it. Finally, you were able to get back in bed him resting on your chest as you fed him. He'd fall asleep after this and sleep until about 7 while he brother usually wakes up around 5.

Once Flynn was sleeping Felix was awake and wailing. You repeated your steps, minus change his diaper since he didn't need it then you went back to bed yourself.

Chris quietly went into your room when he heard Felix crying. He'd been awake because he went on a morning run and since he's up he decided to help you out a bit.

"Hey Chunko." Chris whispered lifting the baby. He quietly changed the baby's diaper then brought his with him out. He loved being a grandpa. Especially a grandpa to two at once. He hasn't really thought about what the boys will call him though, probably something simple like Grandpa or gramps. He has thought about just letting the boys pick what they'll call him and he's leaned more towards that. "Okay you sit right there while I make you a bottle." He sat the baby down in his bouncer.

The young baby stared at his grandfather before sneezing.

"Oh bless you." He cooed before quickly going to warm his bottle up. "And here you are your greatness." He laughed picking the baby up, feeding him. "Yeah you gotta get big and strong so you can play football."

He was proud to say that he got his grandson's patriots' onesies. Obviously, he had to make sure his grandbabies are fans of what in his opinion is the greatest football team.

"Yeah." He cooed. Soon Felix was fast asleep in the swing, dodger was laying right next to it. They had a cute bond. Dodger was very good with the babies luckily and loved them. Chris got Flynn when he woke up and repeated his actions. Chris rested on the couch while Flynn slept in his arms and he watched tv. He would look over at Felix every few minutes. You didn't wake up until ten, and you are thankful for your dad.

———

You smiled as you put the hat on Flynn. It was Thanksgiving morning, you and your dad were going to head to your grandparents' house but you were getting the babies ready first. It was around 7. It was a small tradition to always watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. You dressed the boys up in matching outfits except their hats were different. So they both were wearing a onesie that said

"Okay let's go." You put him in his carrier and then picked up Felix's as well and walked out to the living room where Chris was with Dodger getting him ready to bring with. "Hey dad keep an eye on them for a second I have to grab their diaper bag."

"Sure." He smiled clipping Dodger's leash on him. You hurried to your room grabbing your diaper bag and shoving two extra outfits in it and made your way back to your dad.

The drive was quick and you made it to your grandma's house. You walked in carrying their carriers while Chris had your bag and Dodger.

"Y/n! Can I hold one of them while we watch the parade?" Miles asked you smiling before looking down at your babies.

"And I want to hold the other one!" Stella said coming up next to her brother also looking at the twins.

"Maybe later I have to feed them first." You said setting the car seats down.

"Oh okay!"

"Can I help you feed them?" Ethan asked you smiling.

"Sure sit down let me warm their bottles up." You said as you picked up Felix and handed him to your cousin before you picked Flynn up. You then dug through the bag grabbing their bottles which were already made then heading to the kitchen. "Hi nana." You smiled.

"Hello sweetheart! And little man." She cooed at the baby before giving you a hug. "Where's his brother?"

"Ethan is holding him I just have to heat their bottles up." You explained.

"Ah go ahead."

Soon you and your cousins were sat on the couch watching the parade as you fed Flynn. This first month was anything but smooth sailing but spending time with your family assured you that all would end okay.

A/n: first of all this is the outfit I was thinking: and then Flynn had a Grey hat while Felix had a Brown hat.

Taglist: @toastisgood @coldmuffinpartycloud @thevelvetseries @uniquebeautyqueen @kaitieskidmore1 @peggycarter-steverogers @nekrasinclair

[eunoiaflow3r]

when worlds collide - h.p. x gn!avenger!reader

a/n: bahahahahaha no one reads harry x reader lmaoo you don’t have to tell me - i know. but still, i thought this was a cute idea and i went with it. hope you enjoy :)

not edited.

also: timelines don’t match up bc i don’t want to do the math so harry is like 20 - 21 and your like 19 - 20 in 2020. Civil War and everything on didn’t happen. Fred didn’t die.

gn = gender neutral

warning(s): “language!” - captain america.

word count: 3.1k

request(ed): no.

summary: stephen sends y/n to a strange new place with...wizards?

————————————-&—————————————

Never doubt Stephen Strange. That's something that pretty much everyone has accepted. Never second guess the wizard man. Usually you'd agree. Usually you'd just let the man babble about whatever he needed to and then go about your day.

Not now.

The fuckery.

Now you were here (wherever here was) after some flashes of orange and a "be careful." Did he even do the spell right? Is this really where you were supposed to be?

It was dark, and dirty and you just wanted to go home and not talk to anyone so you turned yourself invisible.

You were born with your powers - you think. You were adopted so you wouldn't know where your powers came from. All you know is that one day your parents couldn't find you, even though you were right there. Instead of thinking you were some kind of alien and throwing you out to labs, they helped you control it the best you could.

It was difficult at first, all things considered, but you got through. You discovered you had another power as well. Force fields. Those came in handy during the battles. (You helped where you could), and Tony Stark took you in afterwards as his own. He helped you create your suit, and your name, and discover more about your powers, he was basically a dad to you.

Your parents were a little hesitant letting you join the Avengers, but once they realized this is what you were meant to do, and you had people just like you protecting you, they couldn't keep you from that. They just couldn't.

So here you were, invisible, in some dark and creepy alley. There were doors either side of you, so you got out of the way considering they could open and smack you in the face at any given moment. You heard loud voices and laughing and cheering from both ends of the alley so you walked towards the one in front of you.

The voices were so loud and echoey that you really couldn't focus on anything else. Maybe that's why you didn't hear a boy behind you trip and fall into you from behind.

"I'm so sorry." he said helping you up.

You turned around to help him, he got awfully dirty, and searched for his glasses that fell off his face.

Once standing, he took out a stick, waved it over him, and all of a sudden the dirt and gravel was gone.

"How did you do that?" You were no stranger to magic, but this was something you've never seen before. And why would he do it in front of you? For all he knew, you were an unknowing human.

"What?" He asked eyebrows furrowed together, accent strong.

"With the stick."

He chuckled shoving the stick back in his cloak.

"The stick." He smiled and looked you up and down. "It's a wand. You must not be from around here."

"Yeah, what tipped you off?" You noticed the lightning bolt scar on his head. You wondered how he got it.

"The accent, the clothes, the inability to recognize a simple wand, the ability to be here, not recognizing me, and wait - where is your cloak?"

"Cloak?"

"You were just invisible a moment earlier but I don't see your cloak anywhere."

"I don't have one. I can make myself invisible without a piece of fabric or your fancy stick." You say sarcastically. Were you flirting?

"Handy." He grins. "The name's Harry Potter."

He holds his hand out for you to shake. "Y/N L/N."

He asks you if you want to talk somewhere besides a dark dirty alley. You agreed. It took some convincing though to let him use his stick to clean the clothes you had on, but to change your outfit to something less, standout-ish.

When you felt the witch hat on your head you immediately snatched it off your head and glared at him.

He just laughed.

Once out of the alley, you breathed in the now clean air, and was mesmerized. People were bustling in and out of small shops, animals were flying and chirping around their owners, children were running around with their friends and siblings, and people were waving sticks, or wands, just like Harry used.

"C'mon, this way." He smiled at your awestruck face. It reminded him of when he first arrived with Hagrid all those years ago.

He brought you inside a coffee shop, and sat you at a booth near the window knowing you'd probably want to still look outside at the new scenes.

After ordering, and a few moments of silence as you looked around, you decided to ask some questions.

"Where am I?"

"We're in Diagon Alley. It's like an outside mall."

"I mean like, planet? I guess?"

"Earth."

"Earth?"

"Well, more specifically London. Diagon Alley."

"London?! I'm in London?!"

"You've never been? To Earth? Or London?"

You rolled your eyes silently cursing Strange. "I'm from Earth. The United States, actually. I just wish he'd put me on a fucking plane or something instead of making it seem like I was going to Mars."

"He?" Harry was very curious.

You looked into his green eyes, your mind wandering. The guy in front of you was very attractive. His dark hair complimented his eyes, and his glasses made him even more attractive.

"You guys are wizards right?"

"Really? What gave you that impression?" He asks sarcastically. "The sticks, the pointy hats, or the big bowl with green liquid sitting outside?”

You rolled your eyes. "Very funny. It's not my fault you live into the stereotype of brewing potions in your cauldrons -"

"Oh well I can only assume you're one of those Avengers from the States, yeah?" He grins. "You guys are all over the news."

"Yes, sure -"

"And don't one of you wear capes and another shoot lasers or lightning or whatnot? Sounds very stereotypical to me."

You laugh as the waitress brings over your drinks and muffins. You thank her. "No, well yes, that's Strange and Thor, but that's besides the point -"

"Well of course it's strange." He grins and winks and you over his mug. He was purposely annoying you and found great joy in it.

"Anyway," you sigh getting back to the point. "Do you guys have a Wizard here, like a powerful, trusting, all-knowing kind of guy?"

His eyes dropped slowly and his smile dimmed for a moment before slowly widening once again.

"Had. His name was Dumbledore."

"Our guy is Stephen Strange. Or Dr. Strange. He sent me here, and I'm not sure why."

"Hmmm." He hums setting down his mug. "Are the states in danger? Were you sent here on a secret quest that would put you through tough trials that would risk your life but would ultimately save everyone you've ever loved so you just have to do it?"

You were in a silent shock. "Uhm. No, not that I'm aware of, no."

"Well then perhaps your Wizard Strange is playing matchmaker."

"Matchmaker?"

"Well you were sent here weren't you?" You nod. "Arrived outside the exact place where I was and I just happened to bump into you? Sounds like a set-up to me."

"Or a coincidence."

"I'd like to think it was fate that I bump into the most attractive person I've ever seen and they don't know who I am and won't judge me 'cause of my past." He took a bite of his muffin.

"Should I be worried?"

"I guess you'll have to figure that out yourself." He winks.

You decide to eat your muffin as well. It was a comfortable silence until you looked out of the window and noticed a guy crouching down behind a cauldron...with a camera.

"Harry?"

"Hm?"

"Why is there a man outside taking pictures of you?"

His eyes widened. "Oh shit." He whispered. "Here." He took out a baseball cap and put it over your head, hiding your face from the camera.

He gets out of his seat quickly pulling you along with him to the back of the shop but before you could say anything he had his wand pulled out.

Next thing you saw was a couch and living room.

"Wow." You panted. "What a way to bring a girl home."

"I apologise Y/N, I block them out so much I forget they're even there and now they've seen you, and have a story and -"

"Wait, wait, wait, are you wanted for murder or something?"

Harry walks over to his bookshelf and pulls out a rather large book. After opening up on the table, he waved his wand over it and beckons you over to read it.

'Boy who lived.'

'Golden boy defeats Voldemort'

'winner of Triwizard tournament'

And there was so much more… 'Harry Potter' in bold just strewn across the pages. His whole life story.

Your eyes widen at everything. "So both and neither. War hero. How come I've never heard of you? Or any of this?"

He smiles at the pages fondly, running his fingers across the letters and reminiscing on his times at Hogwarts.

"Unlike you Avengers, we like to keep our business private and quiet. We don't like prying eyes."

You scoff. "Not our fault we have alien invasions every year."

Harry agreed and for the rest of the night you sat on his couch talking and sometimes arguing, over every little thing. It felt like you two had known each other forever.

You're not sure when, but you fell asleep there and woke with your head on his chest and his arm wrapped around your waist. You're not sure how the two of you ended up this way, and you realized you were practically strangers, but you didn't want to move. You just wanted to tangle your fingers through his dark hair.

But you didn't. Instead you stared at his closed eyes, and focused on his long, dark, eyelashes that fluttered a little from time to time. You thought about how you could get used to this. Waking up with his arm wrapped around you.

You told him last night that if he was actually a serial killer, and wanted to kill you that you had a whole team of people who would rip him limb from limb. He had no doubts and looked actually scared of your threat.

You thought about what it'd be like to live here among people like you.

Stomach grumbling, you decided to get up and see if he had anything you could make for him. It's the least you could do. His face turned when you left his arms, but you quickly pulled the blanket over him so he would be able to sleep a little longer.

You found his bathroom, and washed your face. In your backpack was a toothbrush and some toothpaste so you brushed your teeth, fixed your hair, and got dressed.

By the time you got out of the bathroom, you noticed Harry was still sleeping so you went into the kitchen and tried to find anything remotely close to breakfast foods. By the look of his inventory, you could tell he was very good at cooking but hadn’t been to the store in a while. He did have some eggs and toast though so you decided to make that.

In the middle of it, you got a phone call from Strange.

“Strange?”

“Harry Potter.” he says.

“What?” you were so confused as to how Stephen knew ANYTHING.

“You’re in his place, we've been tracking you.”

“So I guess we should probably have a talk about privacy? I don’t know, it just seems like something we should discuss you know? Cause usually people can respect that - especially people who just DUMP you here in the first place -“

“Calm down that’s what the mission was. While you were sleeping, we searched the place with a camera we put on you and he’s not who we thought he was. You completed the mission L/N. Great job.”

“Is he a danger?”

“Not necessarily. Just making sure your fine is all.”

“What -?”

He hung up.

Why wouldn’t Strange tell you his intentions? Why would he let you stay here if he thought Harry might have been a bad guy? Why would he risk that?

Right as you hung up Harry Potter walked into the kitchen with his lenses in between his shirt - he was cleaning his glasses.

His dark hair hung over his eyes but his eyebrows were raised.

“You made breakfast?”

“It was the least I could do. I didn’t mean to fall asleep but thank you for letting me stay.”

He smiled and put his glasses back on. In doing so his gray shirt lifted and you could see his abs. You turned away a blushed.

“It was no big deal. Thank you for making breakfast, love. You didn’t have to.”

You didn’t say anything and instead placed both of your finished plates on the dining room table. He followed you and sat down immediately digging in.

“These are the best eggs i’ve ever eaten Y/N thank you.”

You smiled in response but then frowned remembering your conversation with Strange. You should probably tell Harry.

“So,” you cleared your throat. “You were wrong.”

He gave you a look that meant “about?”

“Dr. Strange - the wizard I work with - he likes to check out potential threats and make sure that ya’know - the earth stays safe and everything. Je can kind of see the future and its propabilities. He did the same thing with Thor and his brother Loki.”

“Okay, go on.”

You cringed. “And so he called me and told me that he sent me here so he could see you? I don’t know I guess he saw you as a threat and wanted to make sure you weren’t.”

You looked at Harry but his face was clear of any and every emotion. He just continued to eat his eggs. It was silent.

You ate a bit at your eggs too until he spoke up which made you look up.

“I can’t say I’m very surprised honestly. With everything you guys manage to fuck up there I’d wanna know if someone else was about to create shit problems too.”

You sighed with relief. He wasn’t mad.

“I’m sorry really Harry, I didn’t even know.”

“No yeah it’s fine. I get it. I still think he sent you specifically for a reason though. There’s just no way we aren’t soul mates or something.”

“Oh shut up Potter.”

He smiled. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Gee your head must hurt.”

He squints at you jokingly. “You should let me take you out. I can show you around today. Y’know, so you can see what wizards are like.”

“Is this a date?”

His face flushes red and he looks down at his plate. “Yeah, yeah it’s a date.”

And a date it was.

“What the fuck is wrong with you Harry! Again?!” You practically screamed. Harry called it aparation but you call it hell. You let it go the first time but damn. He barely even warned you, just took your hand, held it tight, pulled you close, and waved his wand.

It was teleportation. Something you’ve never ever done before.

“Fucking hell Potter I’m going to murder you.”

“And Strange was worried about your safety? This is like your 4th time threatening to end my life and besides, it wasn’t even that bad.”

You rolled your eyes.

Throughout the day Harry showed you all sorts of things you’d never ever seen before. This consisted of every flavor jelly beans (and by every flavor they really meant every flavor), a chocolate frog, and never ending bubble gum. And that was just on the candy side.

He took you inside this joke shop ran by two of his friends from his old school he called hogwarts. They were twins that went by the names of Fred and George. The only twins you had ever met was Wanda and Pietro but telling the story of Pietro’s death seemed to sour Harry’s mood but excite the twins. The fact that he sacrificed himself for a little boy made him a hero in their eyes. They begged you to tell them more stories.

By the end of the day you went back to Harry’s place and you were exhausted. You can’t believe all that you’ve seen and eaten. How was this stuff even possible? How was it all hidden? You were amazed.

Harry was glad to see you had a good day and glad that he had met you. When you got back, he told you that you could stay another night...and perhaps in the bed instead of the couch. He hadn’t meant it in a dirty way but that didn’t stop you from laughing until tears came out of your eyes. He was so awkward at times. Once he had to ask if it was okay to take your hand while you were in the street and it was so cute how he couldn’t really find the words even for something as simple as hand holding.

“Harry?”

“Hm?”

You both were laying in his bed facing the other.

“I had a lot of fun today. I feel like i’ve known you forever.”

He grinned from ear to ear and was glad that you couldn’t see him. He would have been beyond embarrassed if you’d seen how unmistakably happy that made him.

“I had fun with you Y/N. You’re great company.”

You were silent for a moment.

And another.

“Harry?”

“Yes?”

“Can I kiss you?”

You were scared of his response and your heart was practically beating out of your chest. What if he was just being friendly? What if he just wanted to be friends? You would have made a huge fool of yourself. You were going to turn away embarrassed until his hand came up to your face and slipped onto your cheek. He was so warm. His lips pressed against yours for a moment and then he pulled away.

After a moment he reconnected and moved his lips against yours slowly. Your hand went to the back of his neck and toyed with his hair. He groaned into your mouth. You smiled and scooted even closer to him. All you could hear was the sound of your breathing and kissing. You didn’t want to pull away but you had to.

“Harry.” you said practically breathless.

“Yeah.” he was breathless too.

“I want to show you my world. You should come see New York.”

“Yeah? You wanna show me those alien invasions and robot attacks?”

You laughed and snuggled into Harry. He wrapped his arm around you and kissed your neck.

“Mhmm.”

“I’d love to see it.”

Tags:

@romance-geek @gooseyhouse

[uas-fics]

-Title: Flower Crowns

Rating: G

Summary: Half lost on his walk, Leon finds a frustrated Piers attempting to weave flowers together.

Ships: Leon x Piers

Content Warnings: N/A

----

What a wonderful day for a walk. The sun shone over the yellow-green of the land. Not a single cloud floated across the blue sky. Flowers swayed in a gentle breeze. Rookidie chattered in the trees as bug pokemon skittered along the ground.

Simply a wonderful day outside of...Well, Leon didn't know exactly where he was, but he was at least sixty percent sure he was outside of Hulsbury. Or maybe Tuffield? He was on one side of the Northern Wild Areas.

Probably.

He stretched his arms up. His jacket sleeves rolled down to his elbows. The worn blue jacket had been his grandfather's and was still a little too big for him, even now that he was an adult, but it was comfortable and warm enough for spring days. He kept it with him when he wanted to go incognito since it wasn’t as distinguishable as his sponsor cape.

He could use more days off like this, more calming walks in nature with nothing but the plants, wild pokemon, and--

"Oh, c'mon!"

Leon jumped, nearly knocking his hat from his head.

Who was that?

He titled his head, listening. Someone swore up a storm not too far away. Half in an attempt to help, and half to seek confirmation of his location, Leon followed the colorful language over a small hill to its source.

Amongst a field of wildflowers and tall grass, someone kicked at the dirt. Grass, flowers, and dirt sprayed into the air.

"And you’re no help, you piece of--!" They spun around, throwing something.

Leon ducked just in time to avoid coming face to screen with a cellphone. The phone landed with a dull thud in the grass behind his feet.

Regret welled up in Leon's stomach. Maybe he should have just called the Pokemon League and asked them for help getting home. This person seemed too upset, and Leon interrupting their rage would just make them angrier, won't it?

"Champion Leon?"

Leon jumped at the sound of his name. Taking his gaze off the phone on the ground, he looked towards the phone's owner.

The gym leader of Spikemuth winced.

"Sorry 'bout that, mate." Piers raised his hands, palms facing forward as if he expected Leon to throw something back at him.

Leon shook his head, both to shake off his shock as well as to placate Piers. He picked up the phone.

"It's nothing to worry about," He reassured, wiping the screen on his jacket sleeve. On the screen, some sort of brightly colored webpage stared back at Leon. In a curling font, the header read 'Just A Unovan Country Gal' with 'recipes, DIYs, and patterns for good old girls' written underneath.

Deciding not to ask about the site, he pressed the power button as he passed the phone back, darkening the screen. Piers put the phone in his pocket. He hadn’t noticed Leon staring at the screen or didn’t acknowledge he knew Leon saw it, at least.

"You're lost, aren’t you?" Piers didn't hesitate to ask.

"What? Of course not. I know where I am," Leon lied, unsure why he did. Everyone in the Pokemon League knew he was terrible with directions. Every gym leader had to come to find and escort him to their gym at some point or another, including Piers.

"If you need help gettin' home, I can take you,'' Piers offered. "I'm done with...I'm done for today."

"Done with what?" Leon couldn't help but venture. The Unovain website flashed in his mind’s eye.

He couldn't figure why Piers of all people would be in a wildflower field in the middle of the day so far from Spikemuth. Was he picking flowers for a special someone? Searching for a certain pokemon? Training his team? Did it have to do with the website he had open on his phone?

Piers wrinkled his nose. "None of your business."

It was Leon's turn to hold up his hands. "Sorry." He took a few steps past Piers. "Didn't mean to pry. I'll leave you to it if you can point me toward Hulsbury."

Piers eyed him up and down, slowly, calculatingly. A shiver ran up Leon's back. Why did his stomach twist into knots? It wasn't like Piers planned on stabbing him.

With a heavy sigh, Piers pinched Leon's jacket between his fingers, stopping him from wandering off.

"Flower crown," he muttered, refusing to look at him.

"What?"

"Flower. Crown. I was trying to make a flower crown." Piers took his hand away to run it through his thick bangs, pushing them back away from his face. A tinge of pink blush dusted his face.

Leon bit the inside of his cheek to keep a laugh in. Flower crowns? Piers was the least likely person to be making flower crowns. Leon tried to imagine the dark-type gym leader with a ring of wild daisies and dandelions around his head but only succeeded in a snort of amusement at the idea.

Piers glowered and raised his hand. All of his nails had a sheen of shiny black paint, except for the middle one lifted at Leon, which was a matte white.

"If I left you out here, you would die of exposure before you found your way back."

Leon covered his mouth before another snort could make its way out.

"Sorry, sorry, but..." He took a breath, "why do you need a flower crown? It doesn't much match your..." he gestured to Piers’ punk, monochromatic outfit, “aesthetic.”

"It isn't for me," Piers snapped. "It's for Marnie, my sister. She wants one, not me."

Leon wasn't sure he'd ever actually met Piers' sister. He rarely went to Spikemuth, and when he did, he just stopped by the gym to deliver papers to Piers and get out. Had he ever even seen Piers’ sister before? She was about Hop's age, he knew that, but he couldn't remember if she was a little older or a little younger.

"Oh, of course. That makes sense," Leon said. "That's nice of you to make her one."

Piers searched his face for any sign of insincerity. Leon flashed him his champion smile. Whether that helped or not, he didn’t know.

Piers snorted. More to himself than Leon, he muttered, "It'd be nicer if I knew how to make one. Stupid website wasn’t any help..."

At this, Leon finally took a gander around. Most of the flowers had been plucked in the immediate area. They either sat in a pile or as parts of what Leon could only assume were attempts at flower crowns.

He knelt and picked a crown up, holding it carefully. Yellow daisies made up the crown. Each daisy had a slit cut in the stem with the next daisy slipped through until the end where the last stem was tied to the first. It was crude and the spacing of the flowers uneven, but not the worst flower crown Leon had ever seen.

Before Leon could look closer, Piers snatched the crown out of his hands. Pale yellow petals fell to the ground.

He glared, the tips of his ears burning red. “Making flower crowns isn’t a life skill they teach you in school, you know.”

Leon tilted his head to the side then asked, "Do you want help?"

"Help?" Piers tossed the crown into the tall grass. "You know how to make them?"

Leon nodded. "I grew up in Postwick." He fell back to his bottom. "Everyone knew how to make a proper crown." His lips twitched up into a smile. "I remember chasing down a wooloo to stop it from eating the crown I'd just given it."

He took a few daisies from the pile next to him. It took mere seconds for his fingers to remember the motion of wrapping stem over stem.

"Silly thing was someone's prized wooloo, and the farmer spoiled it rotten," Leon continued, occasionally looking down at his hands, "so when it saw me coming towards it with a handful of flowers, it thought it was getting a treat."

He laughed at the memory. He couldn’t have been more than seven or eight at the time. His mother still brought it up when she wanted to embarrass him in front of guests.

“I remember looking out the window and seeing my little boy, nearly in tears, shouting at a fat old wooloo.” She’d laugh. “Oh, he chased that thing for an hour trying to catch it!”

As Leon continued rambling, Piers watched his hands weave together daisies, dandelions, and corncockle. He sat back with his hands resting across his knees. He puffed his cheeks a little as he watched, breathing only through his nose. Whether he noticed he was doing it or not, Leon wasn't sure and didn't ask.

"And that's how I broke my arm for the first time," Leon finished, holding up the crown. He placed it on Piers' head where it sat unevenly on top of his ponytails. Leon beamed at Piers, proud of his work as if they were children playing in the fields of Postwick and not young adults.

Piers brushed his fingertips against the soft petals. He took a dandelion and a wild clover flower from one of the piles. With his face set in determination, he started to copy what he'd seen Leon doing. He wove together six flowers before tossing his hands in the air.

"What am I doing wrong?" He demanded.

Leon scooted until he sat next to Piers then took the crown to examine it. He nodded to himself. Without asking, Leon took Piers' hands in his own.

"You're doing it backward. See here?" Leon made Piers' thumb press against the first wrap in the crown. Instead of locking around the flower, the stem went behind it. A simple mistake for a first-time crown weaver to make.

Piers pulled his hands back.

"I think I got it." He took a meadows cranesbill and corncockle and began the wrap and lock method Leon showed him. He held up his attempt for inspection.

"That's it. Just keep doing that until it's long enough."

"This is going to take a while," Piers said, adding a daisy to the chain.

Leon shrugged sympathetically. "It might," he settled into a more comfortable, half-reclined position, "but it'll be fine. I'm here to help."

Piers paused and looked over at Leon, eyeing him once again. This time, however, Leon didn't feel a chill run up his back. Instead, heat crept up his cheeks at Piers' half smile towards.

Leon's pride wanted him to hold Piers' gaze as he would with any other gym leader, but he broke away to look at a patch of foxgloves in the distance.

"Thanks." Piers turned back to his project.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Piers held out a flower. Its stem was too short.

"D’you know what this is?" He asked, dropping the flower in Leon's lap.

Leon picked it up and spun it in between his fingers. Of course, he knew what it was, but he shrugged and pretended to think it over.

"Primrose, I think." He said. "My grandma kept some fancier varieties in the house when I was growing up."

The memory of cleaning up broken pots formed a smile on his face. Sonia and he landed themselves on his grandmother’s naughty list for killing her primroses, even if it was an accident.

Piers hummed. "I thought that's what it was. And this?"

Leon moved next to Piers. "That's a ragged robin. This is a cornflower. That's chicory." He continued pointing out the names of the flowers he knew, silently thanking his mother and grandparents for explaining all the wildflowers to him when he was a kid.

Of course, he didn't know them as well as Milo. He couldn't tell what medical uses dandelions had or how to make coffee from chicory, but Piers seemed impressed nonetheless with his botanical knowledge.

Leon picked up a flower from a failed crown attempt. He held it up, about to explain what it was, but Piers spoke first.

“That’s a wild violet.”

Leon slowly nodded. He was a little disappointed he didn’t get to explain it but shoved the feeling away. Of course, Piers would know such a common flower.

Piers smiled down at his work. “Marnie made me fill a whole basket with them once. She learnt you can cook with them.”

“Did you--cook with it, I mean?”

“Unfortunately.” Piers snorted. “I’ve had pot brownies that taste less like grass.” He paused, then added nonchalantly, “Before I was part of the league, of course.”

, Leon snorted a laugh to himself. That was a lie, he knew, but instead of remarking on it, he said, “Did you use the flowers or leaves?”

“Marnie baked them, not me. I just turned on the oven. I think she just put the whole plant in there, roots and all.” He laughed. “I’m going to have to tease her about that when I get home. Thanks for reminding me about that.”

Finally, Piers held up his crown. It was far from perfect, some of the flowers lost their petals and long stems stuck out at odd angles, but Piers held it out as if it were a royal crown. His expression wasn’t unlike how Leon’s mum said he looked when he finished making a crown for the spoiled wooloo.

"Wow, it looks great," Leon complimented.

Piers snorted with a smile. "For a first attempt, I guess." He looked at his flower crown, then at Leon, then back, before reaching up. He took hold of the bill of Leon's baseball cap. With a flick of the wrist, he tossed it off then replaced it with the crown.

He smiled at him. “You look like a prince, champ.” He teased before bending down and picking up the hat.

“I could say the same.”

The two shared a laugh and grins. Their fingers touched as Piers pushed the hat into Leon's hands. Leon wasn’t sure the touch was unintentional.

"It's getting late."

Leon looked up at the saturated orange-red sky.

"If you get me to Hulsbury, I can get a taxi home."

Piers chuckled and shook his head. "You really are lost, aren’t you? We're not too far outside the Spikemuth Tunnel, mate."

Leon dropped his hat. He held his head in his hands. The heat of embarrassment crept up his face. He had wandered farther off the beaten path than he thought. How did he even get so far away from where he started like this?

With a sympathetic smile, Piers put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"How about I take you back to my place, as a thank you for teaching me this." He gestured to the crown on his head. "I'll cook you up a little somethin' then you can hitch a ride on a flying taxi back home."

Leon's heart skipped a beat. He swallowed the embarrassment down and smiled.

"That sounds great."

----

AN: I stopped writing this halfway through to go outside, find some flowers, and learn how to do this because the way I described Piers doing it is how I've always done it. XP It is a completely valid way to make flower chains don't get me wrong, but it doesn't look nearly as fancy.

Anyway, maybe a little too sugary sweet, but I wanted to write some short fluff and doggone it I did!

Check out @uas-art for more of my drawings.

[thedumbguywithaheart43]

A spark of hope

chapter 13 story 1 moving in

1. Moving into Twilights Castle was meant to be a simple and quiet affair. He had relatively few items to his name and Sparks would be more than happy to do this as quickly as possible.

2. All he had to do was pack his stuff and follow Twilight to his new room. However he made one simple mistake.

3. He allowed Twilight to accompany him to grab his shit. But when she saw how little he actually owned her expression was mortified.

4. "Four items! That's it!"she was looking at him as if he'd gone insane. Before them was for basic items.

5. The water flask that she had given him, his cloak, a small knife and ,a small knapsack only capable of holding a few apples at most.

6. In spite her reaction he only shrugged."I'm always moving so never had a reason to keep much. If I needed something I would use it and usually leave it or return it.

7. She then shook her head and rubbed her hoof on her chin as an idea popped into her head."I know exactly what we should do! And it's the perfect opportunity for you to meet my friends!"

8. He looked at her with a deadpan stare when she said that. He really wanted to tell her no that he had no real interest in meeting anyone other than the few he has.

9. The look on her face however. It was impossible to say no to. The excited optimistic look she gave was nothing like he's seen. It was still very serious but even behind that he could sense her optimism.

10. Being unable to resist that perfect balance of seriousness and excitement he accepted her terms with a simple nod."let's take it slow though."

11. He probably should have known that wasn't going to happen. The first place they went was Raritys boutique. Sparks wasn't thrilled.

12. He didn't know much about rarity other than that she was the element of generosity and she was the reason for spikes sadness. Still he couldn't completely blame her for that.

13. Sometime love isn't requainted and sometimes hearts get broken it's a sad fact of life. One Spike unfortunately had to learn.

14. This didn't stop him from finding his own reasons to look at this mare in unfavorable light "darling hold still for a moment I have to get the measurements right."

15. He was currently being held down by raritys magic as she spoke. He was currently trying to struggle his way free as measuring tape surrounded him."I told you rarity I am fine I do not care for a suit!"

16. Twilight couldn't help but flinch at his words. She very briefly told rarity that Sparks had a very little and believe that a new style might give him an easier time making friends. Of course rarity was also eager for her new model. Sparks on the other hand was not.

17."darling trust me you'll have plenty of friends after I give you this amazing outfit! You have a lovely build and when I'm done I'm sure mares wont be able to keep their eyes off you!"

18. Admittedly he calmed down for a moment almost intrigued by that comment. He knew that his body was definitely plenty-toned perhaps an outfit could impress a certain purple pony. That was until he saw what she brought out.

19. It was a cliche white an blue sailor outfit with a matching hat that was likely two sizes too small. This immediately triggered his fight or flight.

20. Despite being restrained by magic he proceeded to force his way out and smash through the doors of the boutique. The word smash being quite accurate as a very little of the door was left as he ran away.

21. Rairty frowned. "Perhaps someone else would have better luck Twilight it seems he does not have an eye for fashion."she flipped her as she turned to grab he bag."I need to head out and grab some help."

22. Twilight nodded as she followed the path Sparks had took which also sent him smashing into sugar cube corner. He lost a small hole in the wall which he hung out of.

23. He looked up at the princess now standing over him."I'm not going back."sparks's voice was filled with a blood curdling tone. The sky itself started to rumble with a slight thunder.

24. She just blushed in embarrassment."okay not the best first meeting maybe we'll have better luckier with pinkie pie we can get something to eat."

25. He got up and started to dust himself off noticing the hole in the wall."Don't worry I can cover that you'd be surprised how often that happens."He just stared at her but nodded

26. The two of them preceded into the the building where the smell of delicious treats lingered. Sparks was surprised to see that none of the owner seems very surprised by this at least he assumed that the blue and yellow ponies behind the counter were the owners.

27. It was actually quite pleasant in here all things considered even with a few looks from the customers. It may not be the first time someone smashed through the wall but it probably wasn't common enough for it not to be noticed.

28. The two eventually find themselves sitting at one of the corner booths. It was at that moment Sparks regretted every decision he's ever made.

29. As soon as he sat down all he could see was pink. The very earth pony he had been trying to avoid. The infamous pinkie pie.

30."hi hello it's so nice to meet you you're the pony who was yelling at Twilight earlier which I didn't really like but I totally get it you were just trying to look out for a little Spike well not so little anymore but still welcome to ponyville oh let me sing my special welcome to ponyville song!"

31. Sports had absolutely no idea what she said since she was speaking so fast. She then started seeing the welcome welcome song and spraying confetti everywhere. Then ending the song by setting off her party cannon.

32. By the end of it Sparks was covered from head to hoof in confetti and cake batter and had the most deadpan expression on his face. This didn't go unnoticed by either of the two mares.

33."uh not a fan of strawberry?"pinkie pie asked awkwardly. Sports didn't bother to respond as he got up and walked out of the building."Sorry pinky I think it's just been a little much for him today."

34. Twilight sheepishly stated."I better just help him settle in. maybe introducing him to everyone would be better on a different day."

35. Twilight quickly caught up with Sparks as they both made the way to the castle in silence. Sparks wasn't smiling in fact he looked pretty annoyed.

36. The two had just arrived at the front door when Twilight found the courage to speak."Um I'm really sorry about everything I promise they really meant their best."

37. I'm still in just looked at her an sighed."Its fine admittedly it could have gone better but I don't see you or your friends in any ill light. Admittedly I'm just exhausted and sticky."he emphasizes point by grabbing a bit of batter and letting it hang from his hoof.

38. Twilight gave a Sigh of relief before opening the door for them and leading him to the tallest tower. A tower with she had just this morning renovated into a proper room.

39. The room was simple design single bed a nightstand and an a door leading to a personal bathroom. Sparks was actually quite surprised.

40."wow this is really nice."Twilight couldn't help smile at his comment."me and Spike had an extra room up here usually we just used it for stargazing but with a little work we figured it would be the perfect room."

41. Sparks could feel his cheeks redden with a blush."This is incredibly kind of you Twilight I hope I can find a way to repay you someday until that day comes know that I am in your debt."

42. Twilight just giggled."you don't have to pay me back anything I'm doing this because you're my friend and because you're helping Spike."

43. This intern made him chuckle."perhaps but I still intend to pay you back someday."she gave him a simple nod before leaving him to settle. He then went to the bathroom to do the one thing he's been wanting to do for over a year.

44. He turned on the hot water and took a fucking shower. He let the water run over him as years of grime started to wash away. And for the first time in years he let a tear far as for brief moment he felt like he could let his guard down.

45. For the first time there were ponies he wanted to be around. Hell there were ponies who were eager to meet him. He can't remember the last time someone took any interest in him. For the first time in years he wasn't alone.

46."You were never alone"he looked behind him to see where the voice came from. Inside when he realized it was from his head. His peace was gone for now but more would come.

[swsh-imagines]

Dating them would include...

I really, really like the characters from sword and shield... So!! "Dating them would include..." with Victor, Hop and Milo! these names sound so strange to me, seeing as I've played the Italian version. ( ; ; )

---

Victor (Male Protagonist):

Getting used to him not talking much, and learning how to decipher his expressions and body language in every little detail.

Being friends with Hop, mostly due to his friendship with Victor, and getting along well with him, ending up not only rooting for Victor during the Gym Challenge, but for him as well.

Him expressing his affection towards you in silent but cute ways, like holding your hands while walking or giving you a kiss on the forehead when he thinks you're being cute.

Although he may not talk much, he still has an extroverted and energetic side hidden within himself. Try camping with him once and you'll see what I'm talking about. He'll want to have you play with his Pokémon right next to him, and he'll find it the cutest thing ever if he sees you getting along well with his starter or with his wooloo. If that happens, get ready to often go camping with him.

If you end up camping during night and feel like sleeping outside, he'll want to cook you something to show off his cooking skills. And after that, he wouldn't find it bad if you so happened to want to sleep while hugging him. He really wouldn't mind. Really. Please hug him.

Him not initiating kisses at the start of your relationship, but as soon as he'll get used to it he won't have a problem with it and would probably be the one to initiate them, if no one's watching, that is. His kisses would probably be short but meaningful. He wants you to know he loves you, and which better way to show you than putting all his love for you in a kiss?

Matching outfits with him if you both are okay with it because, let's be honest, you two would be adorable in matching outfits.

If you decided to also enter the Gym Challenger and reached the semifinals, and also ended up against him: get ready for what would probably be the best and funniest battle of your life. Getting to fight him in such an occasion would be an awesome memory for the two of you.

Hop:

Supporting him and being his number one fan during the Gym Challenge, even if you're competing against him as his rival. You would still be his number one fan even after his decision of wanting to become a Pokémon professor. No matter what happens, you'll support him.

As his rival and significant other, helping him overcome his insecurities is your number one priority. You are always there to compliment him and raise his spirits after a lost battle. You're also his best friend, don't forget that.

You would not expect it from such a seemingly energetic and loud guy, but Hop can get surprisingly bashful and easily embarrassed if you say the right thing. You would come to notice that every time you compliment him he would turn slightly red, and that's just way too cute in your opinion.

He's very affectionate. Get ready for him giving you kisses on the cheek, on the forehead or even on the lips whenever he feels happy. I don't think he'd be one for PDA though. As I said, he gets embarrassed with compliments, if someone happened to see the two of you kissing on the lips in public he might just explode. Kisses on the cheek, holding hands and hugging publicly wouldn't really embarrass him though.

You two being the "power duo" of Galar. Significant others, trainers of the two protectors of the region, one the champion and the other an aspiring professor who got second place in the semifinals. You two truly are one of, if not the most, popular couples in the region.

Him being really happy to have you in his life. He's glad he got to be your best friend, your rival, your ally and lastly, your boyfriend. He really cares about you, and seeing you even once during the day really makes his world brighter. He might work at Sonia's laboratory, meaning he can't always be with you whe you're running up and down the region, but he doesn't stop thinking about you even when he's studying.

Also, he loves going around exploring places with you on his free days. It's as if you're rivals again!

Milo:

Hello, did anyone ask for a cinnamon roll? Because you’ve got yourself the purest cinnamon roll of them all.

He’ll give you the warmest, comfiest hugs you’ll ever get in your entire life. Who needs sheets when you’ve got Milo and his hugs to warm you up when it gets cold?

I can’t help but think that he really loves cuddling. Whether it’s in bed during winter, or in the living room on the sofa, he’d love to be able to cuddle with you. He obviously is the big spoon.

Dating Milo means signing up for one specific duty: running after one of his wooloos at least once a week when the Gym Challenge starts. Lucky for you, his Yamper’s always there to help you and him bring the soft ball of wool back inside the gym, or that’d take hours. It’s not bad though, you always end up having fun running after those cute sheeps with your boyfriend.

Trying to wear his hat… And failing because it’s way too big. His shirts are also way too big for you to wear, unless you enjoy over sized clothes. He still finds your attempts at wearing his things adorable, though.

His kisses are sweet, and he tries to express all his love for you in those short and affectionate gestures.

You two would be one of the cutest couples ever, seriously.

[another-blog-bites-the-dust]

The Week.

Summary: You and John spend the week together in Tokyo, Japan. A week that would change your lives for good.

Warnings: Bit of drinking and swearing but that's about it, lots of fluff!

A/N: I know it's been far too long!! Sorry about that! Just been so busy between life and writing that I haven't had the chance to take the time to upload and edit my work! Plus the eye infection didn't help 😭😅Nevertheless, here is the next part- lookout for a little song reference 😉 Enjoy! 💖

Gif source [X]

Day 2.

—————

A restless night was washed off in a quick shower. The sleep was still softly clutching onto your body however, but you had a busy day ahead and you couldn't let that get to you. You tossed your old towels into the empty bath for the housekeeper to take away and changed into something comfortable before making your way downstairs for breakfast. It was seven thirty in the morning.

You stepped into the lift and pressed the floor where the restaurant was. When the lift stopped in the floor below yours, a flurry of excited and eager butterflies emerged in your stomach. You were disappointed when the doors opened and John wasn't there- but he still might be sleeping. Instead a young family entered and pressed the button to the lobby. When you got out of the lift, you slowly walked to the restaurant and were led to a table. There was a spread of food along a wall and a menu on the table. You ordered a few things from it and the biggest cup of coffee they had. You got up and grabbed a bowl of funky sounding fruit to start with and grabbed one of the newspapers they had and put it on the table beside you, reading it while you ate your fruit.

Your coffee arrived...and so did someone else. "Morning!" They chirped and you looked up, a smile suddenly appearing on your face.

"Good morning, John," you folded up the paper "How'd you sleep?" You asked.

"I didn't." He still managed to lowly chuckle despite being exhausted.

You smirked "Neither did I." He was still standing- there was a spare chair across from you. "Do you want to join me for breakfast?"

"You sure?" He asked, already pulling out the chair.

"Course," you smiled and he sat down, and placed his order with the server. "I like having company." You smiled into your coffee cup "I always travel alone- it's a nice change having breakfast with someone."

"I hope I'm not keeping you from your work." The worry was adamant in John's voice but you waved away his concerns and told him that he wasn't. "I'm assuming you're a fellow Londoner from your accent?" He put that out there and then silently thanked the waiter for his tea that he had ordered.

"You assume correct. I live just west of Kensington." John choked on his tea and you raised a brow. "What?"

"I live just west of Kensington!" He grinned. "Melrose Gardens!"

You went wide-eyed "No way! I stay on Dewhurst Road! You are like five minutes away from me!" You giggled and John rested his chin on his hand with a toothy grin. Your laughter died down and you looked at him with a soft, amazed smile. "Isn't it funny that you can travel halfway around the world and then find someone who lives down the road from you?"

"Very funny," he mused.

"It's fascinating how small our little big world is." You said just as your breakfasts arrived.

"So what are your plans for today?" He asked. "Do you focus on a particular point of interest or sights to write about?" John was genuinely interested in what you did and when he arrived back in the U.K., he was sure to get his hands on a paper to read your work.

"I try and focus on a bit on every aspect. I tend to spend a week wherever I go to try and do a bit of everything a place has to offer." You began to explain, the pair of you still eating away at your breakfasts. "So today for example, today I'm going to the shops and I'm going to explore a little- jot down anything I find interesting or if I spot any quirky hotspots . I'll take a lot of photos too. But during the week I'll go on a excursion, see what modes of public transport are available, check out the nightlife, try the traditional restaurants...that sort of thing."

"You've certainly got a jam-packed week. Sounds fun too!" He took a bite of toast. "I'll probably be stuck in here all week- especially since my bandmates will be far too busy lazing about." He added with an eye roll.

You chortled before you were hit with an idea. "If you're not busy...you could always tag along with me if you want? I don't mind." You nonchalantly shrugged and sipped away on your coffee.

"R-really?! Sure! I'd love to!" John knew he sounded a little too enthusiastic.

"Great! Well I'll get myself organised and I can meet you in the lobby in twenty minutes?" You suggested and both stood up at the same time.

"Perfect!" You both made your way to the lift, John got off at his floor. "See you soon!" You sent him a small wave and continued going up another floor. You grabbed your bag that had all your necessities in it and your camera along with a guidebook. Before you went anywhere you always read up about where you were going and took a guidebook on the journey with you. The maps inside were especially handy.

Twenty minutes later you met with John who was eagerly waiting for you and an adventure around Tokyo. "Ready to go?" You asked and he nodded and the pair of you stepped outside. The sun was out and there was a scattering of fluffy white clouds in the sky. You ended up down a busy little side street. You spotted a shop who's window display consisted of bright yellow, plastic streamers and questionable looking mannequins in even more questionable positions. "We should head in," you pointed to the door.

"In there?" John pointed too "It looks mad!"

You took his hand and you both felt a jolt of electricity bolt up your arms. "That's exactly why we're going in." John was happy to be dragged by you into the weird wonderland of whimsical mishmash paraphernalia. It held everything from telephones to a literal kitchen sink, as well as odd pairs of shoes, cut out bras and glittery rubber ducks.

"This looks like the inside of Freddie's head," John murmured with a smirk while he took in the emporium of sheer madness.

You smiled and made a mental note to ask about his bandmates later. Walking up ahead, you laughed and picked up a cowboy hat "John," you called him and he looked over, stifling a laugh. "What do you think?" You dramatically accentuated your poses.

"You actually really suit that! You should get it!" You took it off and admired it before taking his advice. John found himself in a little gap filled with rails of clothes and picked up a very jazzy, sequinned, feathery bra. "Think this is too much?" He joked and you giggled.

"Matches your sparkling eyes..." you said without even thinking. Your mouth just blabbed the truth. John had a shy smile on his face while yours went bright red. "Um..." you nervously picked up something and held it in front of him "I think you'd look good in this shirt. Brings out your eyes." You mentally slapped yourself bringing up his beautiful eyes yet again within a matter of seconds.

"You got a thing for my eyes?" He teased but John was a giddy, nervous wreck now he knew that you liked his eyes. He'd use that to his advantage.

"I think we should pay and explore more of the city," you managed to speak out and after grabbing a few more things which included a pair of sunglasses and funky light up earrings, you paid and headed to more shops.

You and John found yourselves in a clothes shop that was deeply embracing the trends of the 70's along with a few traditional outfits. You snapped a few photos of the store and of the cheerful cashier who happily stuck his thumbs up when you snapped a picture. You thanked him and continued taking more photos, including one of John candidly looking through the rails. After picking up an armful of clothes each, you tried them on- some for a laugh and others because they were genuinely nice pieces. You emerged out of the changing booth, pulling back the orange velvet curtain and looked in the mirror in front of you. Then John emerged and you burst out laughing at what you were both wearing. "We look like Sonny and Cher!" You giggled and John stood next to you and scrutinised the immensely tacky outfits.

"I don't have a moustache!" He chuckled.

You reached across and pulled a strand of his long hair in front of his face, above his lip. "Now you do!" You laughed even louder.

John grabbed a piece and placed it over your lip. "So do you." He took it away and lightly gasped "It's still there!" Your jaw dropped but your mouth was curving upwards at his playful remark.

You lightly jabbed his side "Very funny." The cashier, who was laughing at the pair of you, pointed at your camera and then the two of you as if to ask 'Would you like your photo taken?' You nodded with a small smile and handed him the camera. He took two and handed it back. "Arigatō!" You bowed and he did the same. John looked at you with an amazed smile.

"You know Japanese?" He asked.

You shook your head and changed, still talking to him- the room was so small and the wall and curtains were thin enough for him to still hear you. "Only a little. 'Thanks' is pretty easy- I couldn't have a full blown conversation in the language." You changed into a traditional dress and stepped out, John was still admiring his choice of outfit that made him look like Sonny. "What do you think?" You asked and he looked at you via the mirror. His heart skipped a beat and his breath caught.

"You look beautiful in that..." he was dumbfounded by your beauty in such a traditional look.

You sheepishly smiled. "Arigatō..." you winked and then changed back into your own clothes, picking out a few bits that you liked and a jumper that your mum would love as well as the traditional dress. You both paid and headed to the next shop, snapping yet more photos, then another, and then another, then stopped off for some street food- a platter of sushi and gyoza's before heading to yet another shop and picking up a kimono each. "That was a very successful day shopping!" You entered the hotel with your arms full of bags.

"I think the term 'shop till you drop' is the definition of what we've done today!" John tiredly laughed. "God, I need a shower now! That was so fun!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," you managed to press the lift button. "Thanks for coming along with me. I had a great time and got lots of great photos!"

"Thanks for the invite." John sent you a warm smile. "Now it's my turn to return an invite- meet you at the bar later? Around seven?" He asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes and nervous, twiddling fingers.

"Yeah!" You quickly agreed- perhaps a little too fast but that didn't bother John.

He got off at the floor below yours and headed to his room with a smile. He had never had so much fun in such few hours- especially shopping! It was like you had opened his eyes to a new and exciting world. Then it dawned on him that perhaps the company made a difference and was the influence of why he had such fun. Sure, he had been to the shops with past girlfriends but it was a chore to him. But shopping with you and your 'eyes wide open to everything and anything' view changed his initial perspective on going shopping with someone.

You put all your bags down in the corner of your room for now, you'd pack everything away at some point. You took out the camera and photos from the bag it was in and smiled at one- of many photos- of John. He was standing facing a sign that was in Japanese, the light from it bounced perfectly off his face and he looked ethereal- he was glowing. The shadows created perfectly highlighted his exquisite features. You were in awe.

Seven o'clock rolled around fast. John was at the bar first waiting for you with a untouched glass of Suntory beside him. He looked up at the right moment and saw you walk in wearing a lovely black dress with little flowers on it. "Thought I'd make an effort for rock royalty..." you spun on the spot.

John decided to joke with you. "That's an effort?" He widely grinned and you feigned offence with a smirk. "I'm only kidding! You know I'm joking!"

"You're ballsy, John Deacon!" You pointed as you sat next to him, then you saw the drink. "And you got my usual." You leaned forward and clinked your glass with his. "Am I that predictable after being in my company for just over a day?" You both looked over hearing an eruption of laughter. The group of Japanese businessmen who were there in the same spot as last night. "People drinking for days gone by, huh?" You smirked and motioned over to them. "They were here last night too. But then again, time don't mean a thing- especially when you're jet lagged." John hummed and nodded in agreement. "I wish I could sleep."

"Me too," John sighed and took a drink. "Maybe one night I'm here I'll be able to." You casually rested a hand on your cheek, keeping your attention on John. "That night feels like years away...." he laughed "But then again, time don't mean a thing." He repeated your words and the corner of your lip tugged upwards for a split second.

The group of men laughed again and you and John smiled "Sounds like they are having fun."

"I had fun today," John said before taking a sip of his drink "Most fun since I've been here really- our management were really pushing us last week in Kyoto. Wasn't very enjoyable, a lot of pressure." He sighed and played with the napkin under his glass.

Your eyebrows softened and you reached across and instinctively placed your hand on his forearm and he stopped toying with the napkin. The contact sent John's heart fluttering. "You know, maybe you should take a break from listening to what they tell you to do and start listening to yourself. You might actually live a little and feel better if you did." You suggested before taking a drink. "You're your own person John. No one can ever take that away from you." You smiled at him. John placed his hand on the top of yours, his thumb brushed over the back of your hand.

"I might just do that, Y/N."

You were looking at each other in silence for a few minutes and then the bartender- the same one from last night- disturbed you both. You had both learned his name, Harry, he asked if you'd like another round of drinks. "Last round for me," you looked to John "I hope you don't mind, I want to attempt to get some sleep tonight!"

John nodded with a grin "I'm on the same boat as you! I'll make an attempt to get some shut eye but I doubt I'll get much."

"The jet lag is still kicking the shit out of me so I'll be up most of the night too no doubt." You tiredly smiled "It really sucks." You thanked Harry with a silent smile and raised your glass at John who did the same. You both took your time on your last drink before parting ways for the night. "Thanks for a great day, John. I had an amazing time."

"Hope we can do it again...I'd really like it if we did." He bit on his lip and you shyly smiled while nodding your head. You were hoping he'd say that. "Hope you get some sleep."

"I hope you get some sleep too, John." You got off first. "Night. Sweet dreams." You waved and caught one final glimpse of him. Or so you thought.

John pressed his hand against the door to hold it open and popped his head out "And Y/N!" He called.

You turned around "Yes?"

He smiled, admiring the sight he knew was fortunate enough to be looking at. "You really didn't need to make the effort. You already look absolutely beautiful."

You bashfully smiled "Thank you." John forced himself back into the lift. The doors shut and he endured another floor in the lift listening to yet more piano music. You quickly changed into your pyjamas, turned off the room lights and tossed yourself onto the bed- not bothering to find what remote closed the curtains. You fell asleep with the glowing Tokyo lights in the background while thinking of John.

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•All parts•

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[red-and-blue-sewer-circus-arc]

CHANGING FACES

Arnie Miller's day started poorly and went downhill fast.

After he finished cleaning and shaving he made himself a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast and watched half an hour of the news. Nothing happy going on that he could see and one of his acquaintances had been violently mutilated. Matthew Sechrist was dead. Maddy the Clown was deceased, and not by natural causes.

For now, it was time to get ready, so he got himself off the sofa, scarfed down the last of his eggs, he put on his war paint: Titanium white face and a big blue curly haired wig: blue triangles under his eyes and above them as well, a bright red smile and blue dimples to accent it. Finally, of course, the red nose. Next came his regalia: a loose, gigantic white outfit with green polka dots, and an orange tie with matching green spots; two purple shoes, size 32, and a top hat that was a perfect match for his oversized tie.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? But I saw a clown with almost the same face over near the merry-go-round." Lou said the words with a false casual voice.

"Excuse me?" There was nothing mild in Arnie's voice. Clown faces were serious business. Every clown tried to look unique. Hell, there had been lawsuits over faces that were too similar and Arnie didn't much want to get involved in one of those. His face was close to one that had been used back in the sixties. He'd seen the clown as a kid and been stuck with that face in his mind, because the guy had left such an impression on him. It wasn't like he'd stolen the design: he'd just borrowed heavily from it. Besides, he remembered hearing the clown and his whole troupe had died a few months later in a bad fire.

By the time Arnie found the other clown, the fair had opened. The man was dressed in a bright red coat and suit, with enough sequins to just about blind a person. Unlike a lot of clowns, his outfit looked custom tailored to fit his tall, lean body. The outfit looked as if it had just been made and was finished off with a matching top hat and well polished dress shoes, complete with dark red spats. He was, without a doubt, the most dapper clown Arnie had ever seen.

The clown looked at him and Arnie saw the shock on the thin face, written under the makeup that left a smile painted in place.

"Well, what have we here, boys and girls?" Arnie blinked as the clown spun towards him, the bright blue eyes looking him over from top to bottom. Arnie swallowed hard and tried to recover from the unexpected change. The lanky clown moved over to him and slid up beside him with slick, almost spidery motions.

He leaned in close, and put his lips next to Arnie's ear. "What's your name, Ace?" "F-Fast Freddie." Rufo sprang back as soon as Arnie had answered. "Fast Freddie! I thought I'd never see you again!" His voice went up in octaves, high enough to almost sound feminine, and then he jumped forward and wrapped his arms around Arnie in a wild, exaggerated hug. Before Arnie knew what was happening, he was off the ground, lifted like he was nothing more than a child by a man who was thinner than he was. The arms around his ribcage squeezed like a python and for a moment he thought his ribs would break. Then he was sat down and Rufo stepped back, grinning broadly for everyone.

Arnie was following the man's every move, so he didn't really understand how the other clown had just vanished, but that was exactly what happened. He looked away for only an instant and Rufo was gone. There was a serious feeling that something was not right with Rufo the clown and that sense was only increased by the strength of the man.

"Please... please mister, I did like you asked, didn't I?" The sounds were coming from one booth over and Arnie looked around the rear corner of his resting spot and saw Lou trembling.

"You sure did, Mister Peasley. You did it just as nice and right as you could have, and that's why I gave you the fifty bucks." The voice was low and raspy and sent shivers of goose flesh across Arnie's back.

"Then why are you doing this?" Lou's voice cracked a bit.

"Know what the problem with you is, Mister Peasley?" Lou shook his head. "The problem is you sold out one of your friends for fifty bucks. How trustworthy do you think that makes you?"

"Oh God, Oh God, please no..." Lou backed up, his head shaking from side to side, and as he moved back the source of the shadow stepped forward. Rufo the clown looked at Mister Peasley and grinned. "That's just what Maddy said, right before I ripped his eyes out."

"What's that, Mr Peasley?" The man leaned over Lou and scrutinized his face.

"What's what?" Lou gasped as he started to sit up.

Rufo's hand shot forward and grabbed at Lou's face. Arnie watched on, unbelieving as the clown rammed his gloved thumb into the soft orb of Lou's left eye. "You've got something in your eye..."

Rufo laughed, a sound that had nothing whatsoever to do with joy. Then Rufo did it again. He reached out with his free hand and caught Lou's tongue between his finger and thumb. Lou kept screaming, trying to get away as the red flowed from his closed eyelid. Rufo pulled back and Lou's head followed for a moment before the flesh of his tongue sliced away from his mouth.

"Jesus Christ!" Arnie opened his mouth and said words before he realized what he was doing.

"Oh, Fast Freddie, I don't think He's here right now, do you?" Rufo winked at him and dripped Lou's tongue to the ground.

"Okay, Arnie. What we have here is a problem."

"You gonna kill me?" Arnie had no doubt the clown could. None at all. There was something about the man under the paint that unsettled him. Probably it was his violent tendencies.

Rufo looked his way and shrugged. "Well, I should. I mean, look at what I did to Mister Peasley over there, and he really didnt do that much to offend me." "Why did you do it?" "Why?" Rufo looked back at Lou, who was starting to crawl around. "Well, he really wasn't a very good clown, was he? I didn't see him make a single kid laugh."

"Without the makeup we're all just faces in the crowd. Why do you think clowns protect their faces so avidly?"

Rufo's eyes rolled towards the heavens. "I said, go kill Peasley and I'll let you live. You have to change the makeup, but other than that, we'll be even-stevens." "You can't be serious." Rufo popped up into a standing position like a jack-in-the-box and moved toward Arnie. Arnie flinched back as the other clown got right in his face. "Is this the face of a joker? Of course I'm serious! You or Peasley, who do you value more in this world?"

"I can't kill Lou. He's my friend!"

"He sold you out for fifty dollars, Fast Freddie."

"I can't do this. I'm not a killer." He shook his head and looked at the ground at his feet. "Not even if it was a mercy killing?" Arnie couldn't think of a proper response. So he went with the first thing that came to mind. "Okay, you took his tongue, but there's always a life as a mime." "Now how is living as a mime a good thing?" The other clown sounded indignant. "Well.. okay. That's true."

Couldn't we just settle this in court?" Arnie's voice was failing him and he squeaked like a kid who's voice was just starting to break. "Freddie," Rufo bent forward, his hands resting on his knees. "If I wanted to go to court, I'd have to prove to everyone that I'm still alive. You aren't worth the effort." He stood back up and looked down on Lou and Arnie alike. "Besides, there's that whole murder and mutilation thing to consider. Most courts don't like it when clowns go all violent."

Rufo stared at him for several seconds, the grin under his smile unwavering. Then he stepped forward and drove the heel of his foot into the flabby neck of Lou, who was still lying on the ground and moaning. Lou's face shoved hard in the dirt, and Arnie heard the bones in his neck breaking. There was no mistaking the sound, or the fact that it killed Lou instantly. "I'm here to stay Fast Freddie."

Arnie screamed. That was a bit more than he was willing to deal with, and he let loose with a girly shriek and bolted past the funnel cake stand and into the main area of the fair. He stopped when he'd cleared a good fifty yards and looked back, fully expecting Rufo to be on his heels, but there was nothing, no one.

By the time the police arrived, the security guard had Arnie hog tied with plastic bags and was strutting around like a rooster. The cops untied Arnie long enough to ask him a few hundred questions. When they were finished, Arnie was in the back of a police cruiser and wearing actual handcuffs instead of plastic bags. It took three days for Arnie to get up the bail to get out of his jail cell. He didn't much mind. One way or another his career as a clown was at an end

"I just wanted to make the kids happy, really. I like kids." He knocked back half of his beer in salute to the children and let out a deeply satisfying belch. "That's why I've decided to let you live anyway." Rufo's voice came from directly behind him.

Arnie couldn't have jumped higher if someone had electrified his ass. The other clown was standing behind Arnie's recliner, smiling, with Fireball in his hands. The traitorous cat was slumped along the clown's forearm and purring. "I thought about it, Arnie. You're a good clown. You make kids laugh." He shrugged and let Fireball drop into the chair, where the beast promptly got comfortable again.

Arnie looked carefully at the clown in front of him and shivered. The face he wore wasn't makeup. The triangles of blue had been cut into the other clown's face; as had the red lips and the dimples and the dot on his nose. He'd been wearing makeup to hide that fact at the fair.

"See why I'm partial to my looks, Arnie? They aren't going to go away. Find a new face and we'll get along just fine." Arnie just looked at the man and shivered. Insanity seemed to come off of Rufo like a palpable wave.

"I'm done here. Change your face or the next time I see you, I'll cut your face off your skull and make it into a seat cushion. Do we understand each other?" Arnie nodded his head so hard he thought he might break his own neck from the force.

"Take care of Fireball. He'll be watching you." The clown headed to the front door and stopped with his hand on the knob. "You know, if you mention me they'll think you're crazy right?"

"I won't mention you."

"Bonko's getting out tomorrow. He's probably gonna want to talk to you about the three years for stealing your truck."

Arnie nodded his head and smiled. "He's a bad clown." "What do we do with bad clowns, Arnie?" That was a quandary. He really wasn't sure how to answer, but the longer he looked into Rufo's eyes, the more he thought he understood. "We- we punish them?" Rufo nodded and smiled. "That we do, Arnie. Take care of my light work for me okay?"

Bonko was a big boy and he fought dirty, but Arnie nodded anyway. "I think I can do that. I really think I can." Rufo nodded one last time and quietly slipped through the door.

Arnie moved to the kitchen and looked at his assortment of knives. There were a couple of them that would fit through Bonko's ribs without any trouble at all, and the meat cleaver, well that could do a lot of damage to Bonko's head. "Gonna need a new face, anyway. Bonko's was always nice."

One Bad Week by James A. Moore